THE LADY AND THE JOE
BY: CROSS-COUNTRY'S GIRL
Closer
This story was written for the sole purpose of entertainment. No copyright infringement or harm is intended.
He received the message as soon as he got back into headquarters. He scrubbed a hand over his face as he listen to it again. She needed him, her friend said. She had needed him for almost a month. He wondered what had happened, that she was so desperate to need him close? The message didn't say. Just that she needed him, and that something had blown up.
Blown up? What did that mean? Literally, like an appliance? She should call a repairman for that. He was the last person to know how to fix anything, except air conditioning units. Or did the friend mean figuratively? That had to be it.
He called his commander and let him know where he was going. After receiving an acknowledgement, he went out the door and hopped a bus.
The ride to her apartment was filled with speculation to what could be wrong. He sighed, thinking of all the times when he ended up in the hospital she was there. She always said the same thing: "You scared me." At first he'd apologized, then one day after a serious injury, he saw past the words and to her heart and he realized their true meaning. Now he said: "I know."
A thought occurred to him- how many times had she needed him? He didn't need her to be there for him at those times, but he was grateful to have her companionship. She always projected a fierce independence. If she needed him, she never told him. He often wasn't around because of duty, and nothing could change that until he left the military.
He came back to reality as he noticed her stop coming near. He swung off the bus a few minutes later, stopping at the local grocer across from the transfer station to grab some flowers. He knew it was clich�, but he thought they would help. She loved flowers.
A quick walk up a few blocks and he was there. He started to get out the key that she had given him, but then thought that this wasn't the middle of the night when she was sleeping and he was sneaking in to escape the world for a while. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of the many times she had awoken to find him sleeping on her couch. She was always happy to see him.
He knocked lightly on the door and heard the footfalls approaching. Her voice sounded through the door. "Who's there?"
"It's me."
The door opened for him and he quickly stepped in. Shutting the door behind him, he said softly, "Hi."
She gave him a small smile, and he could tell things were not right. He held out the flowers to her, and she took them, slightly surprised. "Thank you."
He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the peg next to hers, like he had done so many times. She turned and walked into the small living space, and he followed.
The room was like it always was, a project going here, a half read book on her chair. Her computer terminal on in the corner, the screen filled with words upon words. It was so like her, and he was comfortable.
She returned to the living room and looked at him curiously. "Who told you?"
He shook his head. "That's not important. I'm here now. How are you?"
She gave him a brave smile, but the threatening tears glistened in her eyes. He dropped down on the couch and held out his arms.
She fell into them, the flood of emotion bursting like a dam. Huge sobs wracked her body and tears drenched the front of his shirt, but he didn't care. He held her close letting her cry, gently smoothing her hair and saying nothing until the sobs slackened into hiccups.
He let her draw strength from him for a few minutes more before whispering, "What happened?"
"I don't know," came the muffled reply. "I don't know. But she's gone."
He was startled. "Gone?" he repeated.
She nodded against his chest. "And I don't know why."
He pushed her back from him and searched her face. "Tell me what happened. From the beginning."
She jumped up and started pacing the floor as she told everything she knew. He watched her run a gauntlet of emotions from pain to anger to resentment and back. She started crying again, wiping the tears away with an angry swipe of her hand.
"It's like at first, a knife was plunged right here-" she pointed to her heart-"and it had never been removed. After a bit, as things settled down, it became a dull ache- but I can handle a dull ache. Then suddenly, it was yanked out and stabbed in again, and the pain came back ten fold. Now, every reminder is like someone's grabbing it and twisting it. I just can't take it anymore."
He listened, not saying anything. He had learned over time from her that she just wanted someone to listen, not fix. So he sat on her couch, elbows on knees, and let her talk. When she finished, he let the silence hold for a few minutes, his eyes on her as she stood in the middle of the room.
"It's like three years ago all over again," she whispered.
Three years? Only been that long? He had been with her for only one, but wished he had been there at that time. He wanted so desperately to take the bastard out and leave him in the desert, but that wouldn't solve anything. The man had left her alone since the divorce. But still it had angered him when she finally told him of the abuses she had suffered at his hands, and it still riled him. He watched her, remembering their first meeting like it was yesterday. Introduced by a mutual friend, the one she grieved for, she so nervous and tripping over her words. But the common bond of the love of astronomy soon had them talking like they knew each other for ages. Quickly, their friendship grew, until he was at her place if he wasn't saving the world elsewhere. He felt the feelings grow stronger and stronger each day, but both skirted the issue for a long time- her out of self-protection and him out of respect.
"Come here," he said softly, settling back into the cushions of the couch and taking her into his arms again. She fit comfortably against him, and he savored the sensation as he picked his words carefully. "I want you to know one thing, just one thing before I say what I have to say. Okay?"
She nodded, a dread chilling her to the bone. She already knew what he would say� her other friends had been telling her all along, but she didn't want to listen. She held on that something else was afoot; something else was causing this abrupt loss of a cherished friend.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I love you. I have for a while now, I guess. It came on me slowly, sneaking up like a Cobra Stealthviper and it wasn't until my last hospital stay I really realized what I was feeling. But I know it now. And I know that you were hurt terribly three years ago. But know this� I will never deliberately hurt you. But what I have to say won't be easy for you. " He tipped her chin up to look at her face. Her eyes held his for long moments before he said, "Everybody makes their own decisions. She's made her decision. I know you don't feel it was the right one, but-"
I can't take the pain anymore," she interrupted. "I can't. But each time� each time I'm reminded... I can't do it."
"I know. But this is all a part of growing. You have such a sweet spirit- you give your all and everything to everyone- family, friends, complete strangers," a smile tugged at his lips as he added, "and crackpot Joes. You're gonna get hurt. You're gonna have to face this� and smile when you feel like crying, and laugh when you want to scream." He hugged her tighter as tears began to slip down her cheeks again. "And you have to let her go."
She lay her head back down and they sat, for a long time, silent. Then she whispered, "I just want to know why."
"You may never know. Maybe she'll tell you in time. Maybe she'll come back. You always have to hold on to hope� how many times have you told me that?"
She let out a quick breath. "Until I'm blue in the face."
"Yeah. But I want you to promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Don't change. Don't let this change you. Never ever change. You have a gift, a gift of a giving soul. And by the stars above, I know that is both a blessing and a curse. I'll bet you though, the blessings have far out-numbered the curses."
She considered his words, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart against her cheek. "You sound so wise."
He snorted in amusement. "Nah, that's what I get from hanging out with a special woman. Now. Lets get back to your old self. I know your other friends have been really worried about you. Okay?"
She nodded.
"Good." He tilted her face up once again, and whispered, "And we'll take this really slow."
He kissed her.
______________________________________________________
Continued in Part Three
Back to Cross-Country's Girl's Fics!
Back to Authors Page!