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From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow (2b/4) Date: 31 Dec 2001 17:32:07 +1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00E3_01C19221.12024800 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Where The Winds Blow (2b/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part 0 Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz **** Adam sat back on the beach, feeling the warm sand underneath his bare = feet. He looked around for his sweatshirt as he grabbed at a piece of = paper flapping around in the mild breeze. "Stay," he told it firmly, = holding it with a mild burst of telekinesis, while he leafed through to = find the page he wanted in his textbook. Even though Adam was flatting = in Sydney, he often came to the island to study in the peace and quiet = it offered. He found sitting on the beach watching the waves ebb in and = out soothed him and helped his powers of concentration. With Ami = shopping with her mum and the others picnicking in New Zealand, he = should get quite a bit more study done before it was time to head home. = Adam glanced at his watch. Just about time to stop for a cup of tea and = take a break, he thought.=20 He looked up as he heard a familiar popping sound just in time to see = three figures materialise in front of him. So much for the study. "We've found Lisa," said Jade, before he'd even had a chance to ask them = why they were back so early. Lisa? As in *their * Lisa? As in *his * Lisa? Was that even possible?=20 "Lisa?" he asked, wondering if he sounded as shocked as he felt. He = still remembered that dead feeling deep inside when he'd gone to Lisa's = house in Clearwater all those years ago and found her and her mother = gone. It had been yet another thing to add to the steadily growing pile = of guilt within him that he pretended to ignore. After all it wasn't the = first time in his life that someone close to him, or at least in Lisa's = case, someone who could have so easily been closer to him if they'd had = the time, had been taken away. Chris had been first... He forced his = mind back to the present before those memories even had a chance to = surface. No, he wasn't going there. Not now. Not ever. He couldn't = afford to. Others depended on him too much for him to give into the self = doubt which he hid so well from them. "Would you believe she's been living in New Zealand all this time?" Jade = seemed excited, in contrast to Kevin and Megabyte. Kevin was watching = him, Adam noticed, looking for a hint of how he was reacting to the news = of Lisa's 'discovery.' Megabyte also seemed to have one eye on him. 'Was = I really that obviously distressed when she disappeared?' He wondered. "In New Zealand?" It made sense he supposed. After all if she'd tried to = go somewhere they'd never dream of looking that would be the place to = go. Either that or the Australian outback and somehow he couldn't = picture her settling there. He knew it was one place *he * never wanted = to go again.=20 "So I take it you met up with her by accident?" he asked. Stupid = question, Adam, of course it would be by accident. Someone didn't go to = all that trouble to disappear off the telepathic radar just to turn up = again out of the blue years later. Lisa wasn't that careless. When she = had decided to go, it had been forever. Adam looked down at the sand, = and noticed he been piling the grains into little piles while Jade had = been talking. He smoothed them out again, brushing the glistening tiny = circles off his hands, and reached for his shoes. Jade nodded. As she started to tell him all about their afternoon tea = with the MacDonalds', Adam looked out to sea, trying to regain some = degree of calmness within him. He felt his heart start to beat faster as = he thought about seeing her again. What would she be like? Had she = changed? What if she just disappeared again? What if..? For some reason = watching the waves didn't seem to be helping. In fact the calmness of = the ocean seemed to be almost mocking the turmoil he felt inside. "Adam, are you okay?" Kevin asked, the concern obvious in his voice. "At = least the rest of us have had some time to get used to the idea. I knew = we shouldn't have hit you with the whole thing at once." He shot = Megabyte and Jade an accusing look. Megabyte shrugged, sounding defensive. "I agreed with you. Jade was the = one who opened her mouth, not me." He ruffled her hair and she glared at = him. "You okay, Adam?" The redhead echoed Kevin's concern. Am I that obvious? Adam thought. He checked his mental shields to make = sure they were still firmly in place. "I'm fine." He paused. "Is Lisa = okay? How did she react when she saw you?" Did she look as though she = was pleased to see you? Did she show any sign that she wouldn't take off = again? What was to stop her just leaving again? What if by the time he = got to her, she'd already gone to ground again? He couldn't get this = close to seeing her again, only to have the opportunity slip through his = fingers because he'd decided to stay at the island and *study *. "You mean apart from the fact she looked as though she'd seen a couple = of ghosts?" asked Kevin. "I'm not sure she was very keen on the idea of = being reminded about being a Tomorrow Person, Adam. To be honest, she = only used telepathy because Megabyte wouldn't shut up." "Hey!" protested Megabyte. "You used it first." I think you're = protesting too much here, Adam thought. What did you say to Lisa = exactly? Adam knew how tactful his friend could be at times.=20 Adam rose to his feet, grabbing his pile of textbooks and the thermos. = Someone had to go and talk to her, tell her everything was okay. To = catch her before she disappeared again. He had to tell her how much = he'd.they'd missed her. "I think I should go and see her," he said. 'I = need to go and see her. I need to make sure she's okay. To see if she's = hurting as much as I am.' "She's coming here, Adam. In a couple of hours." He could see Kevin = watching closely for his reaction. "Here?" Adam knew he sounded like an idiot but he didn't care. He felt = his spirit soar. Maybe he was going to get a second chance after all. A = chance to tell her how he felt, a chance he had passed up on and = regretted all those years ago. "No, the spaceship on the island three miles that way," Megabyte = gestured with his hand and grinned. "Of course she's coming here. I = guess she couldn't stay away eh?" Even in this kind of situation you = still have to try and lighten things with a joke don't you, Megabyte?=20 Adam tried to ignore the irrational fear growing in his mind. She's = managed to stay away for nearly eight years. Maybe she's coming to tell = us goodbye forever this time. After all she didn't want to be found last = time. Maybe she wants us to pretend this never happened. Maybe she's = planning to disappear again. Maybe wasn't good enough, he needed to know = for sure. "Who couldn't stay away?" As Ami bent down to pick up the textbook Adam = had dropped off the top of his pile, he realised he hadn't even noticed = her arrival, he'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts and feelings. = "What's going on?" she asked, her brown eyes softening as she took in = the mixed emotions he knew must be reflected on his face. "We've found Lisa!" Jade exclaimed. She made it sound so simple. Things = like this were never that simple. Adam knew that from experience. "You guys okay?" Ami looked at again at Adam, and then quickly at the = others. It was obvious she was trying to gauge how they were each = reacting to the bombshell. Adam smiled, in spite of the way he was feeling. Trust Ami to = instinctively know what their reaction would be to the news. He knew = that when she'd broken out, she'd come in on the aftermath of the whole = mess of Lisa's disappearance. Ami had sensed that each of them was = coping with it in their own way, but hadn't said anything. She'd just = been there, and told them how she had plans to stay for the duration = however vocal her mother had been at the time about how she wouldn't. = Adam remembered that it had helped at the time. It had helped but it = hadn't made the hurt go away, nothing could do that.=20 He gave her a hug, trying to reassure her. "We're fine, Ami. But it = looks as though for the first time in years, all the Tomorrow People are = going to be together again." We're fine? That's right, Adam, hide behind = the small talk and niceties again. You've got really good at that over = the years. Why show how you really feel when it's easier to hide? He = wasn't fine, and he doubted Megabyte or Kevin were either. Yes all the = Tomorrow People were going to be together again. But for how long? ******** End of Chapter Two "Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health." - Duo Maxwell, = Gundam Wing. ________________________________________ = =20 http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes ________________________________________ ------=_NextPart_000_00E3_01C19221.12024800 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> Where The Winds Blow (2b/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part 0 Feedback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nzAdam">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A> **** Adam sat back on the beach, feeling the warm sand underneath his bare = feet.=20 He looked around for his sweatshirt as he grabbed at a piece of paper = flapping=20 around in the mild breeze. "Stay," he told it firmly, holding it with a = mild=20 burst of telekinesis, while he leafed through to find the page he wanted = in his=20 textbook. Even though Adam was flatting in Sydney, he often came to the = island=20 to study in the peace and quiet it offered. He found sitting on the = beach=20 watching the waves ebb in and out soothed him and helped his powers of=20 concentration. With Ami shopping with her mum and the others picnicking = in New=20 Zealand, he should get quite a bit more study done before it was time to = head=20 home. Adam glanced at his watch. Just about time to stop for a cup of = tea and=20 take a break, he thought. He looked up as he heard a familiar popping sound just in time to see = three=20 figures materialise in front of him. So much for the study. "We've found Lisa," said Jade, before he'd even had a chance to ask = them why=20 they were back so early. Lisa? As in *their * Lisa? As in *his * Lisa? Was that even possible? = "Lisa?" he asked, wondering if he sounded as shocked as he felt. He = still=20 remembered that dead feeling deep inside when he’d gone to = Lisa’s house in=20 Clearwater all those years ago and found her and her mother gone. It had = been=20 yet another thing to add to the steadily growing pile of guilt within = him that=20 he pretended to ignore. After all it wasn't the first time in his life = that=20 someone close to him, or at least in Lisa's case, someone who could have = so=20 easily been closer to him if they'd had the time, had been taken away. = Chris had=20 been first... He forced his mind back to the present before those = memories even=20 had a chance to surface. No, he wasn’t going there. Not now. Not = ever. He=20 couldn’t afford to. Others depended on him too much for him to = give into the=20 self doubt which he hid so well from them. "Would you believe she’s been living in New Zealand all this = time?" Jade=20 seemed excited, in contrast to Kevin and Megabyte. Kevin was watching = him, Adam=20 noticed, looking for a hint of how he was reacting to the news of = Lisa’s=20 ‘discovery.’ Megabyte also seemed to have one eye on him. = 'Was I really that=20 obviously distressed when she disappeared?' He wondered. "In New Zealand?" It made sense he supposed. After all if she'd tried = to go=20 somewhere they'd never dream of looking that would be the place to go. = Either=20 that or the Australian outback and somehow he couldn't picture her = settling=20 there. He knew it was one place *he * never wanted to go again. "So I take it you met up with her by accident?" he asked. Stupid = question,=20 Adam, of course it would be by accident. Someone didn't go to all that = trouble=20 to disappear off the telepathic radar just to turn up again out of the = blue=20 years later. Lisa wasn't that careless. When she had decided to go, it = had been=20 forever. Adam looked down at the sand, and noticed he been piling the = grains=20 into little piles while Jade had been talking. He smoothed them out = again,=20 brushing the glistening tiny circles off his hands, and reached for his=20 shoes. Jade nodded. As she started to tell him all about their afternoon tea = with=20 the MacDonalds', Adam looked out to sea, trying to regain some degree of = calmness within him. He felt his heart start to beat faster as he = thought about=20 seeing her again. What would she be like? Had she changed? What if she = just=20 disappeared again? What if….? For some reason watching the waves = didn’t seem to=20 be helping. In fact the calmness of the ocean seemed to be almost = mocking the=20 turmoil he felt inside. "Adam, are you okay?" Kevin asked, the concern obvious in his voice. = "At=20 least the rest of us have had some time to get used to the idea. I knew = we=20 shouldn’t have hit you with the whole thing at once." He shot = Megabyte and Jade=20 an accusing look. Megabyte shrugged, sounding defensive. "I agreed with you. Jade was = the one=20 who opened her mouth, not me." He ruffled her hair and she glared at = him. "You=20 okay, Adam?" The redhead echoed Kevin’s concern. Am I that obvious? Adam thought. He checked his mental shields to = make sure=20 they were still firmly in place. "I’m fine." He paused. "Is Lisa = okay? How did=20 she react when she saw you?" Did she look as though she was pleased to = see you?=20 Did she show any sign that she wouldn't take off again? What was to stop = her=20 just leaving again? What if by the time he got to her, she'd already = gone to=20 ground again? He couldn't get this close to seeing her again, only to = have the=20 opportunity slip through his fingers because he'd decided to stay at the = island=20 and *study *. "You mean apart from the fact she looked as though she’d seen a = couple of=20 ghosts?" asked Kevin. "I’m not sure she was very keen on the idea = of being=20 reminded about being a Tomorrow Person, Adam. To be honest, she only = used=20 telepathy because Megabyte wouldn’t shut up." "Hey!" protested Megabyte. "You used it first." I think you're = protesting too=20 much here, Adam thought. What did you say to Lisa exactly? Adam knew how = tactful=20 his friend could be at times. Adam rose to his feet, grabbing his pile of textbooks and the = thermos.=20 Someone had to go and talk to her, tell her everything was okay. To = catch her=20 before she disappeared again. He had to tell her how much = he’d…they’d missed=20 her. "I think I should go and see her," he said. 'I need to go and see = her. I=20 need to make sure she's okay. To see if she's hurting as much as I = am.' "She’s coming here, Adam. In a couple of hours." He could see = Kevin watching=20 closely for his reaction. "Here?" Adam knew he sounded like an idiot but he didn’t care. = He felt his=20 spirit soar. Maybe he was going to get a second chance after all. A = chance to=20 tell her how he felt, a chance he had passed up on and regretted all = those years=20 ago. "No, the spaceship on the island three miles that way," Megabyte = gestured=20 with his hand and grinned. "Of course she’s coming here. I guess = she couldn’t=20 stay away eh?" Even in this kind of situation you still have to try and = lighten=20 things with a joke don't you, Megabyte? Adam tried to ignore the irrational fear growing in his mind. = She’s managed=20 to stay away for nearly eight years. Maybe she’s coming to tell us = goodbye=20 forever this time. After all she didn’t want to be found last = time. Maybe she=20 wants us to pretend this never happened. Maybe she’s planning to = disappear=20 again. Maybe wasn't good enough, he needed to know for sure. "Who couldn’t stay away?" As Ami bent down to pick up the = textbook Adam had=20 dropped off the top of his pile, he realised he hadn't even noticed her = arrival,=20 he'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts and feelings. "What’s = going on?" she=20 asked, her brown eyes softening as she took in the mixed emotions he = knew must=20 be reflected on his face. "We’ve found Lisa!" Jade exclaimed. She made it sound so = simple. Things like=20 this were never that simple. Adam knew that from experience. "You guys okay?" Ami looked at again at Adam, and then quickly at the = others.=20 It was obvious she was trying to gauge how they were each reacting to = the=20 bombshell. Adam smiled, in spite of the way he was feeling. Trust Ami to = instinctively=20 know what their reaction would be to the news. He knew that when = she’d broken=20 out, she’d come in on the aftermath of the whole mess of = Lisa’s disappearance.=20 Ami had sensed that each of them was coping with it in their own way, = but hadn’t=20 said anything. She’d just been there, and told them how she had = plans to stay=20 for the duration however vocal her mother had been at the time about how = she=20 wouldn’t. Adam remembered that it had helped at the time. It had = helped but it=20 hadn’t made the hurt go away, nothing could do that. He gave her a hug, trying to reassure her. "We’re fine, Ami. = But it looks as=20 though for the first time in years, all the Tomorrow People are going to = be=20 together again." We're fine? That's right, Adam, hide behind the small = talk and=20 niceties again. You've got really good at that over the years. Why show = how you=20 really feel when it's easier to hide? He wasn't fine, and he doubted = Megabyte or=20 Kevin were either. Yes all the Tomorrow People were going to be together = again.=20 But for how long? ******** End of Chapter Two</DIV> <DIV>"Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad = for my=20 health." - Duo Maxwell, Gundam=20 Wing. ________________________________________ = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; =20 </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A=20 href=3D"http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes">http://www.angelfir= e.com/ab7/shadesandechoes</A> ________________________________________= </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_00E3_01C19221.12024800-- - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow 2a - part one Date: 31 Dec 2001 17:54:22 +1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_016D_01C19224.2D9C9900 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I tried posting this before but it bounced due to size....trying again = and splitting it....this is part one, part two to follow...and you = should already have 2b/4...sorry bout that folks **** Where The Winds Blow (2a/4) by Anne Olsen Feeback to anneo@paradise.net.nz **** Chapter Two As Kevin walked along the small walkway through the forest, he tried to = block out the vibes he was picking up from his friends. Much as he = enjoyed their company he certainly didn't enjoy them going hammer and = tongs at each other. He squinted, putting his hand up to block the = bright rays of the sun filtering through the canopy of trees. This track = was one he'd walked many times over the last couple of years. It was = quiet here, apart from the song of an occasional Tui and the way the = crackling of the pine needles underneath his feet echoed throughout the = surrounding native bush. If only it was this quiet inside his mind. = Usually when he came here, it was easy just to block out the world = around him, and concentrate on what he wanted to, on what he *needed * = to think about. It was times like these where empathic powers had a real downside. Not = only could he still hear the conversation between Megabyte and Jade, he = could also pick up on the emotions behind the words. He shuddered. Not = pleasant at all.=20 The trouble was he could see both their points of view. Even though Jade = hadn't deliberately meant to upset Megabyte, Kevin knew why his friend = was over reacting. After all he and Megabyte had been friends even = before they had both become Tomorrow People. For all his humour and = nonchalant attitude, Megabyte tended to ignore his feelings and problems = in the hope that they would go away if he didn't acknowledge them. The = 'if I pretend they don't exist, they won't' attitude. Kevin smiled to = himself. It was probably a good thing that the redhead had no idea that = he had any inkling about this, a very good thing. Then of course there was the whole Jade having feelings for Megabyte = complication. One of these days someone was going to have to give his = friend a good kick. Kevin came to the edge of the bush and started walking along the narrow = dirt track which ran around the outside of the grass verge. Maybe the = farther he got away from the telepathic projections, the easier it might = be to block them out. He kicked a couple of pinecones that were lying on = the nearby grass and watched them land close to the small river which = ran through the Forest Park. Maybe if he tried again he might be able to = land one in the water. He smiled again, remembering how he used to enjoy = playing soccer when he was younger. Back in the days when his life = passed for normal, before those other *complications * set in.=20 He brought kicked out feeling the connection between it and the dry = pinecone beneath. As he watched it sail through the air, a white shape = leapt into action, grabbing the cone between its teeth. The large dog = landed gracefully on all fours, then looked around, turning it's head = towards the Tomorrow Person as Kevin let out a small whistle of = appreciation. The animal gave a small whine and trotted over to him, = dropping it's booty at his feet as Kevin ran his hand over the dog's = coat.=20 "Hi boy, I wonder who you belong to." The dog stopped sniffing his = trousers, looked=20 up at him as if in answer and barked.=20 "Ewan," Kevin said out loud, reading the label on the dog's collar. For = some reason it reminded him of Jade's dog, Jessie.=20 "Ewan! Come here, Ewan." As Kevin looked around, trying to see who was = calling out, a boy ran out of the bush, dog lead in hand. "You've found him. Cool. I thought Jamie was going to kill me. Come = here, Ewan." The boy slipped the lead onto the dog and ran his hands = over his pet. As he turned to Kevin, relief showing on his face, the = Tomorrow Person noticed how tall the newcomer was. Kevin had thought *he = * was tall for his eighteen years but this boy had at least two inches = on him. He was well built too in comparison to Kevin's own slight figure = and as he spoke his accent betrayed his New Zealand origins.=20 'Well of course it would. You're in New Zealand aren't you? What were = you expecting? An American?' Kevin felt a large grin spread over his = face as he listened to the boy in front of him. "Ewan slipped his collar when I was taking him for a walk," explained = the boy, relief showing on his rather flushed face. Intense hazel eyes = gazed at Kevin through gold rimmed glasses. "My brother Jamie's out = looking for him now. The whole family is actually." "Glad I could help." Kevin held his hand out to the boy and felt his = grin grow even wider. "I'm Kevin by the way. Kevin Wilson." "Alex," replied the boy, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Alex = MacDonald. Pleased to meet you." Alex frowned, pushing a lock of light = brown hair out of his eyes and Kevin realised he was quite a lot younger = then he'd first thought. Couldn't be more than about fifteen, if that. "No I'm not from around here," Kevin explained then stopped. Oops. Alex = hadn't asked him that out loud. Stop eavesdropping, he thought, you're = getting as bad as Megabyte. "People usually ask about the accent," he = finished lamely. "Lucky guess," Alex grinned back at him." I tend to notice accents that = aren't Kiwi. from New Zealand, I mean. You're British aren't you? I know = you're not American because I know an American and her accent is quite = different from yours." Kevin nodded, running his hand over the dog's smooth coat. "He's a = beautiful dog," he told Alex. " My aunt's a vet so I know a little bit = about animals." Ewan stared up at him, panting and Kevin could feel the = dog's rough tongue moving over his hand as he tickled him behind the = ears.=20 Alex nodded. "My sister, Andrea, has a thing for that Ewan McGregor guy. = That's who he's named after. We had to sit through Star Wars ten times = just so that she could drool over him." "Ewan the actor or Ewan the dog?" Kevin grinned at his own bad joke. = Another sign he'd been hanging out with Megabyte way too much. Another voice rang through the bush. "Alex, have you found Ewan yet?" An = auburn haired young man, about the same age as Adam approached from the = trees bordering the side of the carpark and headed towards them.=20 "Kevin found him," Alex explained, holding Ewan firmly as the dog began = to bark excitedly. "Jamie, this is Kevin. Kevin, this is my brother = Jamie."=20 "Pleased to meet you, Kevin." As Jamie held out his hand, Kevin noticed = how different he was from his younger brother. Being similar in age = wasn't the only thing the New Zealander had in common with Adam. He was = tall and slim like the Australian and as Kevin watched, Jamie ran his = hands through his hair. Kevin smiled; he wasn't the only one with that = habit.=20 Kevin nodded towards Jamie, noticing how he was watching him intently, = much the same way his brother had a few minutes earlier, as they shook = hands. "Alex has just been telling me about Ewan," he explained. Jamie gave his brother a playful dig in the ribs. "It's not like you to = be so chatty, Alex," he said grinning. Alex poked his tongue out in response, a smirk on his face as he looked = over his brother's shoulder, towards the direction he had come from.=20 Kevin followed his gaze to see what or who he was looking at, and felt a = shiver run up his spine as he recognised the girl who was approaching. = He closed his eyes, and opened them again just to check he wasn't = dreaming. As he caught her eye, he could see her reaction to seeing him = was much the same. "Lisa," he said, almost in a whisper. **** End of part 2a- part one **** "Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health." - Duo Maxwell, = Gundam Wing. ________________________________________ = =20 http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes ________________________________________ ------=_NextPart_000_016D_01C19224.2D9C9900 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> I tried posting this before but it bounced due to size....trying = again and=20 splitting it....this is part one, part two to follow...and you should = already=20 have 2b/4...sorry bout that folks **** Where The Winds Blow (2a/4) by Anne Olsen Feeback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nzChapter">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A></P= > **** Chapter Two As Kevin walked along the small walkway through the forest, he tried = to block=20 out the vibes he was picking up from his friends. Much as he enjoyed = their=20 company he certainly didn’t enjoy them going hammer and tongs at = each other. He=20 squinted, putting his hand up to block the bright rays of the sun = filtering=20 through the canopy of trees. This track was one he'd walked many times = over the=20 last couple of years. It was quiet here, apart from the song of an = occasional=20 Tui and the way the crackling of the pine needles underneath his feet = echoed=20 throughout the surrounding native bush. If only it was this quiet inside = his=20 mind. Usually when he came here, it was easy just to block out the world = around=20 him, and concentrate on what he wanted to, on what he *needed * = to think=20 about. It was times like these where empathic powers had a real downside. = Not only=20 could he still hear the conversation between Megabyte and Jade, he could = also=20 pick up on the emotions behind the words. He shuddered. Not pleasant at = all.=20 The trouble was he could see both their points of view. Even though = Jade=20 hadn’t deliberately meant to upset Megabyte, Kevin knew why his = friend was over=20 reacting. After all he and Megabyte had been friends even before they = had both=20 become Tomorrow People. For all his humour and nonchalant attitude, = Megabyte=20 tended to ignore his feelings and problems in the hope that they would = go away=20 if he didn’t acknowledge them. The ‘if I pretend they = don’t exist, they won’t’=20 attitude. Kevin smiled to himself. It was probably a good thing that the = redhead=20 had no idea that he had any inkling about this, a very good thing. Then of course there was the whole Jade having feelings for Megabyte=20 complication. One of these days someone was going to have to give his = friend a=20 good kick… Kevin came to the edge of the bush and started walking along the = narrow dirt=20 track which ran around the outside of the grass verge. Maybe the farther = he got=20 away from the telepathic projections, the easier it might be to block = them out.=20 He kicked a couple of pinecones that were lying on the nearby grass and = watched=20 them land close to the small river which ran through the Forest Park. = Maybe if=20 he tried again he might be able to land one in the water. He smiled = again,=20 remembering how he used to enjoy playing soccer when he was younger. = Back in the=20 days when his life passed for normal, before those other *complications = * set=20 in. He brought kicked out feeling the connection between it and the dry = pinecone=20 beneath. As he watched it sail through the air, a white shape leapt into = action,=20 grabbing the cone between its teeth. The large dog landed gracefully on = all=20 fours, then looked around, turning it's head towards the Tomorrow Person = as=20 Kevin let out a small whistle of appreciation. The animal gave a small = whine and=20 trotted over to him, dropping it's booty at his feet as Kevin ran his = hand over=20 the dog's coat. "Hi boy, I wonder who you belong to." The dog stopped sniffing his = trousers,=20 looked up at him as if in answer and barked. "Ewan," Kevin said out loud, reading the label on the dog’s = collar. For some=20 reason it reminded him of Jade’s dog, Jessie. "Ewan! Come here, Ewan." As Kevin looked around, trying to see who = was=20 calling out, a boy ran out of the bush, dog lead in hand. "You’ve found him. Cool. I thought Jamie was going to kill me. = Come here,=20 Ewan." The boy slipped the lead onto the dog and ran his hands over his = pet. As=20 he turned to Kevin, relief showing on his face, the Tomorrow Person = noticed how=20 tall the newcomer was. Kevin had thought *he * was tall for his = eighteen=20 years but this boy had at least two inches on him. He was well built too = in=20 comparison to Kevin's own slight figure and as he spoke his accent = betrayed his=20 New Zealand origins. 'Well of course it would. You're in New Zealand aren't you? What were = you=20 expecting? An American?' Kevin felt a large grin spread over his face as = he=20 listened to the boy in front of him. "Ewan slipped his collar when I was taking him for a walk," explained = the=20 boy, relief showing on his rather flushed face. Intense hazel eyes gazed = at=20 Kevin through gold rimmed glasses. "My brother Jamie's out looking for = him now.=20 The whole family is actually." "Glad I could help." Kevin held his hand out to the boy and felt his = grin=20 grow even wider. "I’m Kevin by the way. Kevin Wilson." "Alex," replied the boy, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Alex=20 MacDonald. Pleased to meet you." Alex frowned, pushing a lock of light = brown=20 hair out of his eyes and Kevin realised he was quite a lot younger then = he'd=20 first thought. Couldn’t be more than about fifteen, if that. "No I’m not from around here," Kevin explained then stopped. = Oops. Alex=20 hadn’t asked him that out loud. Stop eavesdropping, he thought, = you’re getting=20 as bad as Megabyte. "People usually ask about the accent," he finished=20 lamely. "Lucky guess," Alex grinned back at him." I tend to notice accents = that=20 aren’t Kiwi… from New Zealand, I mean. You’re British = aren’t you? I know you’re=20 not American because I know an American and her accent is quite = different from=20 yours." Kevin nodded, running his hand over the dog's smooth coat. "He's a = beautiful=20 dog," he told Alex. " My aunt's a vet so I know a little bit about = animals."=20 Ewan stared up at him, panting and Kevin could feel the dog's rough = tongue=20 moving over his hand as he tickled him behind the ears. Alex nodded. "My sister, Andrea, has a thing for that Ewan McGregor = guy.=20 That's who he's named after. We had to sit through Star Wars ten times = just so=20 that she could drool over him." "Ewan the actor or Ewan the dog?" Kevin grinned at his own bad joke. = Another=20 sign he'd been hanging out with Megabyte way too much. Another voice rang through the bush. "Alex, have you found Ewan yet?" = An=20 auburn haired young man, about the same age as Adam approached from the = trees=20 bordering the side of the carpark and headed towards them. "Kevin found him," Alex explained, holding Ewan firmly as the dog = began to=20 bark excitedly. "Jamie, this is Kevin. Kevin, this is my brother Jamie." = "Pleased to meet you, Kevin." As Jamie held out his hand, Kevin = noticed how=20 different he was from his younger brother. Being similar in age wasn't = the only=20 thing the New Zealander had in common with Adam. He was tall and slim = like the=20 Australian and as Kevin watched, Jamie ran his hands through his hair. = Kevin=20 smiled; he wasn't the only one with that habit. Kevin nodded towards Jamie, noticing how he was watching him = intently, much=20 the same way his brother had a few minutes earlier, as they shook hands. = "Alex=20 has just been telling me about Ewan," he explained. Jamie gave his brother a playful dig in the ribs. "It's not like you = to be so=20 chatty, Alex," he said grinning. Alex poked his tongue out in response, a smirk on his face as he = looked over=20 his brother's shoulder, towards the direction he had come from. Kevin followed his gaze to see what or who he was looking at, and = felt a=20 shiver run up his spine as he recognised the girl who was approaching. = He closed=20 his eyes, and opened them again just to check he wasn’t dreaming. = As he caught=20 her eye, he could see her reaction to seeing him was much the same. = "Lisa," he=20 said, almost in a whisper. **** End of part 2a- part one ****</DIV> <DIV>"Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad = for my=20 health." - Duo Maxwell, Gundam=20 Wing. ________________________________________ = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; =20 </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A=20 href=3D"http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes">http://www.angelfir= e.com/ab7/shadesandechoes</A> ________________________________________= </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_016D_01C19224.2D9C9900-- - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow -Part 2a- the second bit Date: 31 Dec 2001 17:57:23 +1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_017A_01C19224.99A52720 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable And here's the second bit........part 2b/4 follows on directly from this = *bangs head against computer ***** Where The Winds Blow (2a/4) - part two by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part O Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz **** Alex looked from one to the other in surprise. "You two know each = other?" Kevin nodded, unsure of what to say. He stood there staring at her. It = was the Lisa he remembered so well and yet at the same time it wasn't. = Gone was the teenager she'd been the last time he'd seen her. In her = place was a young woman. She'd grown her hair out and it made her seem = different, though he couldn't quite put his finger on how exactly. She = didn't seem as tall as he remembered either. 'Maybe it's because you've grown up yourself you idiot. It's been seven = years remember?'=20 Lisa Davis looked as shell-shocked as he felt. "Hello Kevin," she said. = "Long time, no see." Jamie looked at Lisa, then at Kevin and back again at Lisa. "You know = this guy, Lisa?" he asked. His tone was that of concern mixed with a = degree of puzzlement.=20 "A long time ago. A *lifetime * ago." Ouch, thought Kevin, getting the = distinct feeling Lisa wanted that particular lifetime to stay in her = memories where it belonged. He was quickly getting the impression that = she wasn't exactly over the moon to see him. Jamie put a supportive arm around her, and Kevin again felt the concern = coming from him. "Lisa," the auburn haired young man said gently. "Are = you okay?" What was the relationship between him and Lisa? Were they = just friends or something more? "Yeah, just peachy." Even though she still sounded brusque Lisa didn't = shift Jamie's arm. She gazed up at him and her eyes softened. "I'm = sorry, Jamie. I've just had a shock that's all. I haven't seen Kevin for = years. In fact he'd be about the last person I'd expect to see." [Lisa, it's okay.] Kevin tried to sound reassuring, just as much for = himself as for her. [You're not the only one feeling shell-shocked = here.] Silence. [Lisa?] Surely after all these years she wasn't just going to brush him = off? Just seeing her again brought back the hurt he'd felt when she had = first left. He'd looked up to her back then. He still remembered = dreaming of her all those years ago and how he'd first thought she was a = figment of his imagination as they'd reached out to each other = telepathically as they'd broken out. Lisa stared at him, a worried expression sweeping over her dark = features. [No telepathy, Kevin. I don't do that anymore.] Kevin resisted the temptation of telling her that she just had. Still = she wasn't exactly going to say that out loud if Jamie and Alex didn't = know about the whole Tomorrow Person gig. He very much doubted they did, = considering the expression on Lisa's face. A *lifetime * ago to Lisa = obviously meant just that. Did she really think it was that bad being a = Tomorrow Person?=20 [Lisa?] Megabyte sounded surprised. [Is that you?] Lisa sighed but ignored him. "What are you doing in New Zealand, Kevin?" "Just here for a short visit," replied Kevin hoping that the MacDonald's = wouldn't ask how short. Most people didn't just visit a country on the = other side of the world for a day and leave. Then again most people = didn't use teleportation for their mode of transportation either. [Kev, that is Lisa isn't it?]=20 [Yes, Megabyte] Kevin tried to listen to the spoken conversation going = on around him as he answered. He knew full well that Megabyte wouldn't = leave this alone. Now he knew Lisa was here, he'd have to see for = himself.=20 "So are you here on your own, Kevin?" Lisa was obviously wondering how = many other 'old friends' she was likely to run into. She must have heard = Megabyte's telepathic query. Maybe this question was for the benefit of = her companions? [You mean as in *the * Lisa?]=20 [What other Lisa is there, Jade?] Megabyte's 'voice' sounded as though = he'd lost some of that anger, Kevin was relieved to hear. "I'm here with a couple of friends." Kevin answered Lisa's question, and = tried to ignore the barrage of telepathic questions running through his = mind from both Megabyte and Jade. "Do you guys want to join us for afternoon tea?" asked Jamie. "After all = it's not as though we've had much chance to meet any of Lisa's friends = from before she moved over here is it?" Kevin's earlier suspicions were = confirmed. The young man had no idea about Lisa's past or her desire to = move on from it. Otherwise there was no way he would have suggested the = invitation in the first place. Lisa looked uncomfortable, her gaze shifting between himself and Jamie. = "Kevin's probably got other things to do, places to be, that sort of = thing. Haven't you, Kevin?" Her eyes widened, almost pleading for him to = agree with what she'd just said. "Ummm." Kevin could take the hint. Of one thing he was sure, no way did = Lisa want her old and new lives to combine. She was freaking at this, = freaking majorly as Megabyte would say. "Kev, there you are." At the sound of Megabyte's voice, Kevin turned and = saw his two friends approaching. Lisa was going to love this. Judging by = the telepathic comments he had been receiving, Megabyte hadn't been too = impressed by Lisa's refusal to acknowledge his presence. Kevin had to = admire her will power, ignoring that loud voice resounding in her mind = for the last few minutes. Megabyte stopped, and Jade nearly ran up the back of him. "Lisa!" he = exclaimed, a lopsided grin on his face. "What are you doing here? What a = pleasant surprise." Kevin groaned inwardly. [Acting isn't one of your strong points, = Megabyte. It really isn't.] Of course losing the sarcastic tone would = have helped.=20 [Well it's Lisa's fault for ignoring me,] protested the redhead. [Would = you prefer I started with 'hi, Lisa, you've been ignoring me = telepathically so I've come to see you in person?'] Lisa glared at Megabyte, giving him a look that would have melted the = iceberg responsible for sinking the Titanic. "I wouldn't put it past = you," she said icily.=20 "Nice to see you too, Lisa," Megabyte replied, a look of annoyance = crossing his features at that last comment. Jamie looked between the two obviously wondering if he'd missed = something. He frowned, a small crease forming across his brow. Poor guy. = He didn't know the half of it. "I thought that comment was totally uncalled for," piped up Jade, coming = to Megabyte's defence. "Serves you right for ignoring." [Jade.] 'pathed Kevin warningly. He changed the subject hurriedly before = Jade said something they wouldn't be able to explain without giving away = their 'secret.' "Lisa, this is Jade. She's." Not a good idea continuing = that sentence.=20 "I'm Megabyte's girlfriend," chimed in Jade sweetly, an evil gleam in = her eye. This was obviously Jade's idea of payback for those comments = the American had made earlier. Part of Kevin had to smile though. He had = to admit, Megabyte deserved it.=20 "Don't mind Jade," said Megabyte hurriedly. "This is just her idea of a = joke."=20 [Then why are you blushing?] asked Jade, the saccharine tone still in = her 'voice'. She glanced innocently around and smiled at Megabyte = broadly. "Oh, Megabyte, don't be silly." She lowered her voice as she = continued, and fluttered her eyelashes. "It's just that we haven't been = *together * that long. If you know what I *mean *." Megabyte shot her a filthy look as his face turned even redder. It was = probably lucky for Jade at this point that Tomorrow People couldn't = kill. Kevin stifled a grin as he entered the conversation quickly, = trying to steer it onto a safer topic before Jade said anything else she = would regret later. "Megabyte, Jade, this is Alex and Jamie MacDonald. = They're friends of Lisa's." "Megabyte?" Alex asked, a look of disbelief on his face. "Is that really = your name?" Kevin noticed that although the boy had been watching his = brother and Lisa closely, he'd kept out of the conversation until now. = Even though he'd been concentrating on Ewan while they'd been talking, = the concern he'd felt for both of them had been obvious.=20 "It's what my friends call me." Megabyte spoke quickly, glaring at Jade = who sensibly said nothing. Judging from that smug expression on her face = she'd already got the reaction from Megabyte she had been after. Alex nodded, suddenly very quiet in comparison to the way he'd been when = he and Kevin had first met. Poor guy was obviously wondering what was = going on, much the same way his brother was. "So how do you guys know Lisa?" Jamie asked, shooting a quick glance in = her direction. Kevin wondered again what exactly their relationship was. = They were more than just friends. That much was becoming clearer with = each passing minute. "I met them a long time ago," said Lisa in way of explanation. "Things = happened and we lost touch. I haven't seen them in years." [You mean you left and didn't bother telling us where you were,] pointed = out Megabyte. [Isn't that what you really meant?] At least he had the = sense to use telepathy and for that Kevin was glad.=20 "So this is quite the reunion then." Jamie gestured back towards the = carpark, completely oblivious as to the conversation going on around = him. "You guys have got to tell us all about it over afternoon tea. Lisa = doesn't speak much about her past." He smiled, but Kevin could see an = expression of pain cross his face very briefly. He's not happy with Lisa = keeping secrets. If only he knew what that secret was. [Poor guy, he = hasn't a clue has he?] Oops. He hadn't meant to broadcast that last = thought. [And it's going to stay that way. Promise me that please, guys?] Lisa's = telepathic voice sounded desperate, in comparison to the forced smile on = her face. She must be desperate if she was resorting to telepathy. = [Look, Megabyte, I'm sorry, okay? I was scared after what happened, = surely you can see that?] "Yeah afternoon tea sounds great," Megabyte replied. "I'm never one to = turn down free food. Lisa can tell us everything she's been up to." He = started to follow Jamie, glancing back at them as he added = telepathically, [We were all scared, Lisa, but some of us didn't run = away. We've been worried about you. Did you ever stop to think about how = we would feel when you disappeared? Adam beat himself up about it for = months.] [Masters threatened my mother, Megabyte. I couldn't run the risk of it = happening again.] Lisa sounded defensive, but her reply came out almost = sounding rehearsed. Was that what she'd been telling herself all these = years? Is that how she'd justified her decision?=20 Megabyte snorted as he stopped briefly to pick up a stray piece of fern = at his feet, throwing it back into the bush. [My dad offered to help. He = would have helped you set up a new life. You didn't have to take off and = do it on your own.] It was going to take a lot to convince Megabyte, = Kevin knew. He'd been hurt by what had happened and true to form had = just ignored it, hoping it would go away. The trouble with burying = things was that they had a habit of being dug up again when you least = expected them.=20 [Can we continue this later?] Lisa gave Jamie a shaky smile as he waited = at the end of the bush track for them to catch up. "You're very quiet there, Lisa. Is everything okay?" Jamie sounded = concerned and again a slight frown crossed his features. He knew = something was going on but couldn't work out what, and from what Kevin = was picking up from him, it was starting to get to him, though he was = trying hard to cover up those feelings. The poor guy didn't realise that = the way he was broadcasting those thoughts, the only person who wouldn't = be picking up on them would be Alex.=20 "Yeah, Jamie, I'm fine. It's been a shock seeing Kevin and Megabyte = again, that's all." 'That's all?'=20 Jamie leant and kissed her on the cheek very gently as though to = reassure her. "Hey it's okay, I understand. It's not everyday your past = catches up with you is it? A hot cup of tea and one of Mum's kiwifruit = muffins will make you feel better." Jade looked up from where she'd been bringing up the rear with Alex and = Ewan, quite oblivious as to why both Lisa and Megabyte were reacting the = way they were. [Maybe we should meet at the spaceship later and then you = can talk to the others too.] Jade knew about Lisa, but only that she'd = been one of them and had left without telling them why or where'd she = gone. By the time Jade had become a Tomorrow Person, they'd all buried = the hurt under layers of pretending it didn't matter and tried to move = on. [Okay,] Lisa sounded hesitant as she glanced at Jamie, obviously trying = to gauge his reaction to her excuse. He squeezed her hand, in response = to the unsure look she gave him, and Kevin could again feel the concern = radiating from the New Zealander, though the annoyance he'd felt earlier = was beginning to subside. [Just keep the conversation to everyday things = for now. I'll explain everything later if you do, I promise.]=20 Kevin wanted to believe that, he really did but a part of him knew it = wouldn't happen. He knew she would come to the spaceship but he had a = feeling that it wasn't going to change what had happened, wasn't going = to just magically put things right. Magic was for children, and those = who believed that everything always turned out right. He knew from = experience that life wasn't like that. At least not *his * experience of = life. [And if we don't?] As he realised Megabyte's question and the tone in = which it was asked weren't going to help Lisa's current state of mind, = Kevin felt guilty about his last few thoughts. Maybe they should give = Lisa the benefit of the doubt first? At least listen to her explanation. = He gave Megabyte the telepathic equivalent of a sharp kick. [Try and see = this from Lisa's point of view. Just concentrate on those muffins Jamie = mentioned for now, and you can save the third degree till later. Okay?] "Did someone mention muffins?" Megabyte asked Jamie brightly as they = crossed the carpark heading towards the other main picnic area, his = characteristic grin lighting up his face. "Your mom bakes? I think I = like her already." **** End of part 2a **** "Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health." - Duo Maxwell, = Gundam Wing. ________________________________________ = =20 http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes ________________________________________ ------=_NextPart_000_017A_01C19224.99A52720 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV>And here's the second bit........part = 2b/4 follows=20 on directly from this *bangs head against computer</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>*****</DIV> <DIV> Where The Winds Blow (2a/4) - part two by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part O Feedback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nzAlex">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A> **** Alex looked from one to the other in surprise. "You two know each = other?" Kevin nodded, unsure of what to say. He stood there staring at her. = It was=20 the Lisa he remembered so well and yet at the same time it wasn't. Gone = was the=20 teenager she'd been the last time he'd seen her. In her place was a = young woman.=20 She'd grown her hair out and it made her seem different, though he = couldn't=20 quite put his finger on how exactly. She didn't seem as tall as he = remembered=20 either. 'Maybe it's because you've grown up yourself you idiot. It's been = seven years=20 remember?' Lisa Davis looked as shell-shocked as he felt. "Hello Kevin," she = said. "Long=20 time, no see." Jamie looked at Lisa, then at Kevin and back again at Lisa. "You know = this=20 guy, Lisa?" he asked. His tone was that of concern mixed with a degree = of=20 puzzlement. "A long time ago. A *lifetime * ago." Ouch, thought Kevin, getting = the=20 distinct feeling Lisa wanted that particular lifetime to stay in her = memories=20 where it belonged. He was quickly getting the impression that she = wasn’t exactly=20 over the moon to see him. Jamie put a supportive arm around her, and Kevin again felt the = concern=20 coming from him. "Lisa," the auburn haired young man said gently. "Are = you=20 okay?" What was the relationship between him and Lisa? Were they just = friends or=20 something more? "Yeah, just peachy." Even though she still sounded brusque Lisa = didn’t shift=20 Jamie’s arm. She gazed up at him and her eyes softened. "I’m = sorry, Jamie. I’ve=20 just had a shock that’s all. I haven’t seen Kevin for years. = In fact he’d be=20 about the last person I’d expect to see." [Lisa, it’s okay.] Kevin tried to sound reassuring, just as = much for himself=20 as for her. [You’re not the only one feeling shell-shocked = here.] Silence. [Lisa?] Surely after all these years she wasn't just going to brush = him off?=20 Just seeing her again brought back the hurt he'd felt when she had first = left.=20 He'd looked up to her back then. He still remembered dreaming of her all = those=20 years ago and how he'd first thought she was a figment of his = imagination as=20 they'd reached out to each other telepathically as they'd broken = out. Lisa stared at him, a worried expression sweeping over her dark = features. [No=20 telepathy, Kevin. I don’t do that anymore.] Kevin resisted the temptation of telling her that she just had. Still = she=20 wasn’t exactly going to say that out loud if Jamie and Alex = didn’t know about=20 the whole Tomorrow Person gig. He very much doubted they did, = considering the=20 expression on Lisa’s face. A *lifetime * ago to Lisa obviously = meant just that.=20 Did she really think it was that bad being a Tomorrow Person? [Lisa?] Megabyte sounded surprised. [Is that you?] Lisa sighed but ignored him. "What are you doing in New Zealand, = Kevin?" "Just here for a short visit," replied Kevin hoping that the = MacDonald’s=20 wouldn’t ask how short. Most people didn’t just visit a = country on the other=20 side of the world for a day and leave. Then again most people = didn’t use=20 teleportation for their mode of transportation either. [Kev, that is Lisa isn’t it?] [Yes, Megabyte] Kevin tried to listen to the spoken conversation = going on=20 around him as he answered. He knew full well that Megabyte wouldn't = leave this=20 alone. Now he knew Lisa was here, he'd have to see for himself. "So are you here on your own, Kevin?" Lisa was obviously wondering = how many=20 other ‘old friends’ she was likely to run into. She must = have heard Megabyte’s=20 telepathic query. Maybe this question was for the benefit of her = companions? [You mean as in *the * Lisa?] [What other Lisa is there, Jade?] Megabyte’s = ‘voice’ sounded as though he’d=20 lost some of that anger, Kevin was relieved to hear. "I’m here with a couple of friends." Kevin answered = Lisa’s question, and=20 tried to ignore the barrage of telepathic questions running through his = mind=20 from both Megabyte and Jade. "Do you guys want to join us for afternoon tea?" asked Jamie. "After = all it’s=20 not as though we’ve had much chance to meet any of Lisa’s = friends from before=20 she moved over here is it?" Kevin's earlier suspicions were confirmed. = The young=20 man had no idea about Lisa's past or her desire to move on from it. = Otherwise=20 there was no way he would have suggested the invitation in the first = place. Lisa looked uncomfortable, her gaze shifting between himself and = Jamie.=20 "Kevin’s probably got other things to do, places to be, that sort = of thing.=20 Haven’t you, Kevin?" Her eyes widened, almost pleading for him to = agree with=20 what she'd just said. "Ummm…" Kevin could take the hint. Of one thing he was sure, no = way did Lisa=20 want her old and new lives to combine. She was freaking at this, = freaking=20 majorly as Megabyte would say. "Kev, there you are." At the sound of Megabyte’s voice, Kevin = turned and saw=20 his two friends approaching. Lisa was going to love this. Judging by the = telepathic comments he had been receiving, Megabyte hadn’t been = too impressed by=20 Lisa’s refusal to acknowledge his presence. Kevin had to admire = her will power,=20 ignoring that loud voice resounding in her mind for the last few = minutes. Megabyte stopped, and Jade nearly ran up the back of him. "Lisa!" he=20 exclaimed, a lopsided grin on his face. "What are you doing here? What a = pleasant surprise." Kevin groaned inwardly. [Acting isn’t one of your strong = points, Megabyte. It=20 really isn’t.] Of course losing the sarcastic tone would have = helped. [Well it’s Lisa’s fault for ignoring me,] protested the = redhead. [Would you=20 prefer I started with 'hi, Lisa, you’ve been ignoring me = telepathically so I’ve=20 come to see you in person?'] Lisa glared at Megabyte, giving him a look that would have melted the = iceberg=20 responsible for sinking the Titanic. "I wouldn’t put it past you," = she said=20 icily. "Nice to see you too, Lisa," Megabyte replied, a look of annoyance = crossing=20 his features at that last comment. Jamie looked between the two obviously wondering if he’d missed = something. He=20 frowned, a small crease forming across his brow. Poor guy. He = didn’t know the=20 half of it. "I thought that comment was totally uncalled for," piped up Jade, = coming to=20 Megabyte’s defence. "Serves you right for ignoring…" [Jade…] ‘pathed Kevin warningly. He changed the subject = hurriedly before Jade=20 said something they wouldn't be able to explain without giving away = their=20 'secret.' "Lisa, this is Jade. She’s…" Not a good idea = continuing that sentence.=20 "I’m Megabyte’s girlfriend," chimed in Jade sweetly, an = evil gleam in her=20 eye. This was obviously Jade’s idea of payback for those comments = the American=20 had made earlier. Part of Kevin had to smile though. He had to admit, = Megabyte=20 deserved it. "Don’t mind Jade," said Megabyte hurriedly. "This is just her = idea of a=20 joke." [Then why are you blushing?] asked Jade, the saccharine tone still in = her=20 ‘voice’. She glanced innocently around and smiled at = Megabyte broadly. "Oh,=20 Megabyte, don’t be silly." She lowered her voice as she continued, = and fluttered=20 her eyelashes. "It's just that we haven’t been *together * that = long… If you=20 know what I *mean *." Megabyte shot her a filthy look as his face turned even redder. It = was=20 probably lucky for Jade at this point that Tomorrow People = couldn’t kill. Kevin=20 stifled a grin as he entered the conversation quickly, trying to steer = it onto a=20 safer topic before Jade said anything else she would regret later. = "Megabyte,=20 Jade, this is Alex and Jamie MacDonald. They’re friends of = Lisa’s." "Megabyte?" Alex asked, a look of disbelief on his face. "Is that = really your=20 name?" Kevin noticed that although the boy had been watching his brother = and=20 Lisa closely, he'd kept out of the conversation until now. Even though = he'd been=20 concentrating on Ewan while they'd been talking, the concern he'd felt = for both=20 of them had been obvious. "It’s what my friends call me." Megabyte spoke quickly, glaring = at Jade who=20 sensibly said nothing. Judging from that smug expression on her face = she’d=20 already got the reaction from Megabyte she had been after. Alex nodded, suddenly very quiet in comparison to the way he'd been = when he=20 and Kevin had first met. Poor guy was obviously wondering what was going = on,=20 much the same way his brother was. "So how do you guys know Lisa?" Jamie asked, shooting a quick glance = in her=20 direction. Kevin wondered again what exactly their relationship was. = They were=20 more than just friends. That much was becoming clearer with each passing = minute. "I met them a long time ago," said Lisa in way of explanation. = "Things=20 happened and we lost touch. I haven’t seen them in years." [You mean you left and didn’t bother telling us where you = were,] pointed out=20 Megabyte. [Isn’t that what you really meant?] At least he had the = sense to use=20 telepathy and for that Kevin was glad. "So this is quite the reunion then." Jamie gestured back towards the = carpark,=20 completely oblivious as to the conversation going on around him. "You = guys have=20 got to tell us all about it over afternoon tea. Lisa doesn’t speak = much about=20 her past." He smiled, but Kevin could see an expression of pain cross = his face=20 very briefly. He’s not happy with Lisa keeping secrets. If only he = knew what=20 that secret was. [Poor guy, he hasn’t a clue has he?] Oops. He = hadn’t meant to=20 broadcast that last thought. [And it’s going to stay that way. Promise me that please, = guys?] Lisa’s=20 telepathic voice sounded desperate, in comparison to the forced smile on = her=20 face. She must be desperate if she was resorting to telepathy. [Look, = Megabyte,=20 I’m sorry, okay? I was scared after what happened, surely you can = see that?] "Yeah afternoon tea sounds great," Megabyte replied. "I’m never = one to turn=20 down free food. Lisa can tell us everything she’s been up to." He = started to=20 follow Jamie, glancing back at them as he added telepathically, [We were = all=20 scared, Lisa, but some of us didn’t run away. We’ve been = worried about you. Did=20 you ever stop to think about how we would feel when you disappeared? = Adam beat=20 himself up about it for months.] [Masters threatened my mother, Megabyte. I couldn’t run the = risk of it=20 happening again.] Lisa sounded defensive, but her reply came out almost = sounding=20 rehearsed. Was that what she'd been telling herself all these years? Is = that how=20 she'd justified her decision? Megabyte snorted as he stopped briefly to pick up a stray piece of = fern at=20 his feet, throwing it back into the bush. [My dad offered to help. He = would have=20 helped you set up a new life. You didn’t have to take off and do = it on your=20 own.] It was going to take a lot to convince Megabyte, Kevin knew. He'd = been=20 hurt by what had happened and true to form had just ignored it, hoping = it would=20 go away. The trouble with burying things was that they had a habit of = being dug=20 up again when you least expected them. [Can we continue this later?] Lisa gave Jamie a shaky smile as he = waited at=20 the end of the bush track for them to catch up. "You’re very quiet there, Lisa. Is everything okay?" Jamie = sounded concerned=20 and again a slight frown crossed his features. He knew something was = going on=20 but couldn't work out what, and from what Kevin was picking up from him, = it was=20 starting to get to him, though he was trying hard to cover up those = feelings.=20 The poor guy didn't realise that the way he was broadcasting those = thoughts, the=20 only person who wouldn't be picking up on them would be Alex. "Yeah, Jamie, I’m fine. It’s been a shock seeing Kevin = and Megabyte again,=20 that’s all." 'That's all?' Jamie leant and kissed her on the cheek very gently as though to = reassure=20 her. "Hey it’s okay, I understand. It’s not everyday your = past catches up with=20 you is it? A hot cup of tea and one of Mum’s kiwifruit muffins = will make you=20 feel better." Jade looked up from where she'd been bringing up the rear with Alex = and Ewan,=20 quite oblivious as to why both Lisa and Megabyte were reacting the way = they=20 were. [Maybe we should meet at the spaceship later and then you can talk = to the=20 others too.] Jade knew about Lisa, but only that she'd been one of them = and had=20 left without telling them why or where'd she gone. By the time Jade had = become a=20 Tomorrow Person, they'd all buried the hurt under layers of pretending = it didn't=20 matter and tried to move on. [Okay,] Lisa sounded hesitant as she glanced at Jamie, obviously = trying to=20 gauge his reaction to her excuse. He squeezed her hand, in response to = the=20 unsure look she gave him, and Kevin could again feel the concern = radiating from=20 the New Zealander, though the annoyance he'd felt earlier was beginning = to=20 subside. [Just keep the conversation to everyday things for now. = I’ll explain=20 everything later if you do, I promise.] Kevin wanted to believe that, he really did but a part of him knew it = wouldn't happen. He knew she would come to the spaceship but he had a = feeling=20 that it wasn't going to change what had happened, wasn't going to just = magically=20 put things right. Magic was for children, and those who believed that = everything=20 always turned out right. He knew from experience that life wasn't like = that. At=20 least not *his * experience of life. [And if we don’t?] As he realised Megabyte's question and the = tone in which=20 it was asked weren't going to help Lisa's current state of mind, Kevin = felt=20 guilty about his last few thoughts. Maybe they should give Lisa the = benefit of=20 the doubt first? At least listen to her explanation. He gave Megabyte the telepathic equivalent of a sharp kick. [Try and = see this=20 from Lisa’s point of view. Just concentrate on those muffins Jamie = mentioned for=20 now, and you can save the third degree till later. Okay?] "Did someone mention muffins?" Megabyte asked Jamie brightly as they = crossed=20 the carpark heading towards the other main picnic area, his = characteristic grin=20 lighting up his face. "Your mom bakes? I think I like her already." **** <DIV>End of part 2a</DIV> <DIV>****</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV>"Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad = for my=20 health." - Duo Maxwell, Gundam=20 Wing. ________________________________________ = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; =20 </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A=20 href=3D"http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes">http://www.angelfir= e.com/ab7/shadesandechoes</A> ________________________________________= </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_017A_01C19224.99A52720-- - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow (3a/4) Date: 01 Jan 2001 12:10:20 +1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0172_01C192BD.48A2FD40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Where The Winds Blow (3a/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimers in Part 0 Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz **** Chapter Three=20 Lisa looked around as she teleported into the spaceship. The phosphorus = light reflected off the strange symbols on the walls the same way in = real life as they did in her memories. Even though she'd tried to forget = the ship, it had still been part of her dreams, impossible to completely = forget, much the same way the other Tomorrow People had been. She felt = the presence of the ship in her mind, welcoming her home as it had done = that first time.=20 Her eyes sought *him * out first, before she even realised what she = doing. He was leaning against one of the walls of the ship, his eyes = following her the same way hers did him. He'd cut his hair. He'd cut = that beautiful long hair. She looked at him again and decided it didn't = look as bad as she'd first thought. The shorter length emphasised the = lean outline of his face, the face that she'd spent hours trying to = forget but at the same time forced herself to remember. He looked older = of course, but then so she supposed did she. So did all of them. Lisa looked around the ship again, this time looking long and hard at = the others. She'd been so busy trying to hide her shock from Jamie that = she hadn't really taken in the changes. Kevin was the one who was really = so obviously different. When she'd known him he'd been a child. Now he = was a young man. He'd grown so tall, so wiry. Part of her mind found it = hard to relate the Kevin in front of her with the boy he'd once been.=20 Megabyte was taller too, and had filled out. The young teenager was gone = forever, though she doubted he actually acted like the man he now was. = From what she'd seen earlier that day she doubted it very much. Even = though he seemed a lot more subdued than he had when they'd first met = all those years ago, part of her wondered how much of that was due to = her reappearance. He moved to stand next to the blond British girl, = Jade, and Lisa smiled to herself watching the body language between the = two. Yes, Megabyte Damon had grown up, that was for sure. "You must be Lisa." A pretty dark girl pushed past Megabyte and gave her = a quick hug. "Hi, I'm Ami. It's so nice to meet you, finally." So there = was more than just one new Tomorrow Person since she'd left. Ami looked = more similar in age to Megabyte than anyone and Lisa couldn't help but = wonder how long the boys had been on their own before she'd stepped in = to fill the gap. The gap that Lisa herself had left. 'It's so nice to = meet you.' Lisa wished she could really believe that. Ami's multitude of = tiny braids flew about her face as she gestured with her hands and Lisa = noticed how enthusiastic she seemed. Lisa had felt that enthusiastic = about being a Tomorrow Person once. Before Masters had ruined it, before = he'd threatened everything she held dear.=20 Adam just stood there, unmoving. He looked at her with a sad expression = in his eyes, almost as though he suspected what she was planning. Lisa = felt her heart go out to him. Those large chocolate eyes had always = melted her intentions. In truth that had been the main reason she'd = disappeared all those years ago without telling the other Tomorrow = People, or more particularly without telling him. She knew that once he = gave her that look she'd lose her resolve much the same way she felt it = crumbling now. She forced herself to remember Jamie sitting at home waiting for her to = check in later that evening. He didn't know where she was of course, = just that she'd had an errand to run. Lisa laughed inwardly, a laugh = that reflected the anguish she was feeling inside. Is that all they are = to you now? whispered an inner voice. An errand to run? Something else = to discard as you cling onto that pretence of normality you've spent = years building up around yourself? Jamie. Remember Jamie. It would be so easy to forget him, to go back to = how things had been before. Lisa felt a wave of guilt, tinged with = sadness wash over her. Things could never go back to the way they were, = of that she was sure. Too much water under the bridge. Besides, the = reasons she had left in the first place were still there. They would = always be there. "Lisa. You look.well." Adam spoke at last, very quietly and calmly, but = still unmoving. She reached out tentatively with her mind and tried to = read him, but his mental shields were slammed down tight. Just like mine = are, she realised ironically. You and I are alike in a lot of ways Adam = Newman, so much alike.=20 "You promised us an explanation as to why you disappeared. Remember?" = Typically Megabyte hadn't forgotten what she had promised earlier. He = hadn't even let her get used to being at the ship, to being back with = the other Tomorrow People. Lisa realised her assessment of him earlier = had been right. Megabyte might be older, but his attitude, his = directness, was still the same. "It's complicated, Megabyte. I told you that before. I was scared, I had = to protect my mother. Masters threatened her. What if next time he had = killed her? I would never have forgiven myself." Lisa spoke the words = almost like a mantra. It was the same thing she told herself every night = before she went to sleep. She'd had to do what she'd done. There hadn't = been a choice. Megabyte nodded. "I get that part, Lisa. He pulled a gun on Dad too." He = came up beside her, looking her straight in the eye, and she looked = away, unable to meet his gaze. I remember that, Megabyte, she thought. = It's different for me though. It was your father's job. He knew the = risks, my mother didn't. She didn't understand. "That still doesn't = explain why you just disappeared without telling us. We're all in this = together. We're all Tomorrow People." Lisa corrected him before he went any further with that particular = argument. "*You're * all Tomorrow People, Megabyte. I'm not a Tomorrow = Person, not any longer. I decided that a long time ago." The young girl, Jade, looked shocked as her eyes flitted between them. = She stepped forward for a moment, and then seemingly changing her mind, = stepped back again sitting herself on one of the bench seats against the = wall. "Why would anyone want to stop being a Tomorrow Person? How can = you even think such a thing, Lisa? Don't you think about all the stuff = we can do, how we can make the world a better place?" How could she be = so na=EFve? Surely she'd been part of the group long enough to = understand the risks. Lisa sighed. The poor kid was in for a hard ride. = Sooner or later everyone learnt about life the hard way. If it was only = about making the world a better place, didn't Jade think she would be = still here?=20 "There's another side to all that, Jade," Lisa tried to explain. "What = about the danger we put the people in that we care about? Is it really = fair on them? I've seen that side and it scares me." 'It still scares = me.' "We've seen that side too, Lisa," Adam still hadn't lost that quiet tone = but Lisa could see he wasn't convinced. Adam had always seen the good = side of everything. He had a very definite view of right and wrong. He = seemed to think it was their job to protect the world from the growing = evil within it. She for one didn't want the job of protector of mankind. = Not when it put others' lives in danger. Others she cared about. Her = mother. "It can be really hard when your family isn't behind your decision." = Kevin spoke quietly, from where he was leaning against one of the = consoles, but the tone in his voice made Lisa wonder if he was speaking = from experience. She thought she felt a sense of sadness coming from = him, but only for such a short instance that she wondered if she'd = imagined it. Why was Kevin of all people trying to support her? She had worried for = months afterwards about how her leaving would have affected the younger = boy. The two of them had felt a connection when they had broken out very = soon after each other. He and Megabyte had saved her from Galt's machine = too, she remembered. Strange how all those buried memories were = resurfacing. She'd put that part of her life behind her and tried to = forget it had ever happened. She hadn't even used her powers until she'd = seen them in the Forest Park earlier that day. Well apart from the odd = bit of teleporting when she'd been running late. 'Okay.Davis, you're not = perfect.' For all intents and purposes, and in the ways it actually = mattered, she wasn't a Tomorrow Person now. She was a normal human being = and that's what was important. It was the belief she'd clung to all = these years, what had kept her going. If she was normal no one could use = her to hurt the ones she loved, to hurt her mom. Ami nodded, and Lisa noticed the annoyed look she was giving Megabyte. = She was glad she wasn't on the receiving end of it, much as she was glad = of the support. "I'm still not convinced how happy Mum is about me being = a Tomorrow Person. Sometimes I get the impression she still thinks I'll = grow out of it. It's not a subject we tend to discuss very often. If we = do we end up arguing. She reminds me about the amount of trouble you = guys have dragged me into and I remind her how important some of that = 'trouble' is. I remind her of how many people we've helped, how many = people we've saved." The discussions that Ami had had with her mother = wouldn't have been the same as those Lisa had had with hers, as much as = Ami would like to think she could relate to what she'd been through. She = wondered how much of that trouble Ami's mum had seen first hand. Her mom = had been introduced to the concept of the Tomorrow People and the barrel = of a gun at the same time. It hadn't been a good combination. Megabyte coughed, obviously having heard enough as he shot a glare in = Ami's direction. "I can see where Lisa is going with this and I don't = buy it. What gets me is not so much the fact that Lisa disappeared. Well = yeah that does get me, especially after everything we went through = together with Masters." Lisa shuddered. 'That everything as you put it = is still gives me nightmares,' she thought. "What gets me," he continued, his eyes seeming to increase in brightness = as he shifted his glare from Ami and addressed Lisa directly, "is that = you disappeared without telling us. Dad offered to help. At least then = we would have known you were okay. Have you any idea how hard that was? = It was months before we gave up trying to find you, tried to stop = imagining what could be happening." It was months before I could stop = wondering if you guys were okay too, Lisa remembered. True, General = Damon had offered to help, but if he'd known where she was, others could = have found out too. What if someone had threatened the others to find = her? Would the man have given up his own son to protect her? Lisa = doubted it and she wouldn't have blamed him. She had also known there = was no way she could have put him in that position. She couldn't tell = Megabyte the real reason she hadn't taken up his father's offer. It = wouldn't help the situation now one little bit. Jade reached out and gave his arm a squeeze, and a look flashed between = them before she added in her two cents worth. Yes there was definitely = something going on between Megabyte and the younger blonde British girl. = "Look, Lisa, this is all in the past. You're back and that's what = counts. We know you're okay now. Things can go back to the way they were = before you left."=20 Lisa shook her head. Na=EFve much, Jade? One look on Adam and Megabyte's = faces told her a different story. Both of them had been hurt badly, as = had Kevin. Each was coping with it differently, but she knew the damage = she had done. Damage that could never be repaired. At least Kevin seemed = to understand where she was coming from, seemed to be able to relate to = it but when it came down to it she had to wonder if even he would be = able to forgive or forget. "Forgive or forget?" exclaimed Megabyte, his face turning red. "You just = don't get it do you? You've decided that you don't want to be a Tomorrow = Person anymore and to hell with the rest of us. You can't just walk away = and pretend it didn't happen, Lisa. It doesn't work like that. The = idea's a load of crap and you know it."=20 "Have you even listened to a word I've said?" asked Lisa, feeling the = anger rise. Megabyte wasn't even trying to understand her point of view. = In fact she was sure he had just rudely eavesdropped on her thoughts = too. But still, she hadn't really gotten to know them properly all those = years ago. The only one she had really gotten close to had been Adam. = She would have liked to but. "Maybe if you'd stayed more than five minutes you could have." Megabyte = sounded as angry as she felt. "You didn't even give me a chance to get = to know you before you up and left. Maybe if you'd given the rest of us = a chance instead of thinking you knew everything..."" "That's not fair and you know it!" Lisa was beginning to think she = hadn't missed much not getting to know him better. The guy was so = tactless! And hadn't General Damon ever taught him anything about = manners? The last time she'd looked Tomorrow People didn't eavesdrop on = each others thoughts without permission. Adam positioned himself between them, finally moving away from where = he'd been standing all this time. "Guys, " he pointed out. "A screaming = match isn't going to help anything. Neither one of you is trying to = listen to the other's point of view." Poor Adam. Still trying to be the = leader, still trying to make things right. It was too late for that now. = Too late for everything to go back to the way they'd been before. "I thought I was being very reasonable about the whole thing. I wasn't = the one who left." Megabyte's voice started to rise in volume and Lisa = didn't have to be a Tomorrow Person to feel the anger coming from him. = Didn't have to be a Tomorrow Person? Back five minutes and she was = starting to think like one of them again. She had to leave now before = either of them said something they'd regret later, before she lost her = resolve to do what she had to. "Megabyte." started Kevin, the hurt in his eyes evident as he looked at = his best friend and then back at her. Poor Kevin. He didn't deserve = this. They were going around and around in circles, with no one winning. = Lisa had been involved in arguments like this before and she knew where = they ultimately led. Nowhere. She didn't need this at the moment, she = really didn't. "I can see I made a big mistake trying to come back. Luckily I only came = to say goodbye." Lisa avoided the other Tomorrow People's gazes before = continuing, focusing her eyes on the view through the window above the = bench where Jade was still seated. She knew how Adam in particular would = be taking this.' I didn't mean to hurt you like this again, but I don't = have a choice. Can't you can see that?'=20 She needed to do this before he had a chance to say anything. Before he = had a chance to tell her to stay. "Goodbye."=20 The word sounded so cold and unfeeling. If only they knew how much this = was hurting her. She knew how much she was hurting them. Lisa closed her eyes and readied herself to teleport, pleased that she = couldn't see their reaction. She had to leave before any of them got an = inkling of how she was really feeling, how much this was killing her to = do this to the people she cared about. Before they had a chance to see = the tears welling up, before the dam of emotions she'd hidden all those = years burst. Goodbye.=20 Goodbye, Adam.=20 I'm sorry.. **** End of part 3a "Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health." - Duo Maxwell, = Gundam Wing. ________________________________________ = =20 http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes ________________________________________ ------=_NextPart_000_0172_01C192BD.48A2FD40 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> Where The Winds Blow (3a/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimers in Part 0 Feedback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nzChapter">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A></P= > **** Chapter Three Lisa looked around as she teleported into the spaceship. The = phosphorus light=20 reflected off the strange symbols on the walls the same way in real life = as they=20 did in her memories. Even though she'd tried to forget the ship, it had = still=20 been part of her dreams, impossible to completely forget, much the same = way the=20 other Tomorrow People had been. She felt the presence of the ship in her = mind,=20 welcoming her home as it had done that first time. Her eyes sought *him * out first, before she even realised what she = doing. He=20 was leaning against one of the walls of the ship, his eyes following her = the=20 same way hers did him. He'd cut his hair. He'd cut that beautiful long = hair. She=20 looked at him again and decided it didn't look as bad as she'd first = thought.=20 The shorter length emphasised the lean outline of his face, the face = that she'd=20 spent hours trying to forget but at the same time forced herself to = remember. He=20 looked older of course, but then so she supposed did she. So did all of them. Lisa looked around the ship again, this time looking long and hard at = the=20 others. She'd been so busy trying to hide her shock from Jamie that she = hadn't=20 really taken in the changes. Kevin was the one who was really so = obviously=20 different. When she'd known him he'd been a child. Now he was a young = man. He'd=20 grown so tall, so wiry. Part of her mind found it hard to relate the = Kevin in=20 front of her with the boy he'd once been. Megabyte was taller too, and had filled out. The young teenager was = gone=20 forever, though she doubted he actually acted like the man he now was. = From what=20 she'd seen earlier that day she doubted it very much. Even though he = seemed a=20 lot more subdued than he had when they'd first met all those years ago, = part of=20 her wondered how much of that was due to her reappearance. He moved to = stand=20 next to the blond British girl, Jade, and Lisa smiled to herself = watching the=20 body language between the two. Yes, Megabyte Damon had grown up, that = was for=20 sure. "You must be Lisa." A pretty dark girl pushed past Megabyte and gave = her a=20 quick hug. "Hi, I’m Ami. It’s so nice to meet you, finally." = So there was more=20 than just one new Tomorrow Person since she'd left. Ami looked more = similar in=20 age to Megabyte than anyone and Lisa couldn't help but wonder how long = the boys=20 had been on their own before she'd stepped in to fill the gap. The gap = that Lisa=20 herself had left. 'It's so nice to meet you.' Lisa wished she could = really=20 believe that. Ami's multitude of tiny braids flew about her face as she = gestured=20 with her hands and Lisa noticed how enthusiastic she seemed. Lisa had = felt that=20 enthusiastic about being a Tomorrow Person once. Before Masters had = ruined it,=20 before he'd threatened everything she held dear. Adam just stood there, unmoving. He looked at her with a sad = expression in=20 his eyes, almost as though he suspected what she was planning. Lisa felt = her=20 heart go out to him. Those large chocolate eyes had always melted her=20 intentions. In truth that had been the main reason she’d = disappeared all those=20 years ago without telling the other Tomorrow People, or more = particularly=20 without telling him. She knew that once he gave her that look she'd lose = her=20 resolve much the same way she felt it crumbling now. She forced herself to remember Jamie sitting at home waiting for her = to check=20 in later that evening. He didn’t know where she was of course, = just that she’d=20 had an errand to run. Lisa laughed inwardly, a laugh that reflected the = anguish=20 she was feeling inside. Is that all they are to you now? whispered an = inner=20 voice. An errand to run? Something else to discard as you cling onto = that=20 pretence of normality you’ve spent years building up around = yourself? Jamie. Remember Jamie. It would be so easy to forget him, to go back = to how=20 things had been before. Lisa felt a wave of guilt, tinged with sadness = wash over=20 her. Things could never go back to the way they were, of that she was = sure. Too=20 much water under the bridge. Besides, the reasons she had left in the = first=20 place were still there. They would always be there. "Lisa. You look…well." Adam spoke at last, very quietly and = calmly, but still=20 unmoving. She reached out tentatively with her mind and tried to read = him, but=20 his mental shields were slammed down tight. Just like mine are, she = realised=20 ironically. You and I are alike in a lot of ways Adam Newman, so much = alike.=20 "You promised us an explanation as to why you disappeared. Remember?" = Typically Megabyte hadn’t forgotten what she had promised earlier. = He hadn’t=20 even let her get used to being at the ship, to being back with the other = Tomorrow People. Lisa realised her assessment of him earlier had been = right.=20 Megabyte might be older, but his attitude, his directness, was still the = same. "It’s complicated, Megabyte. I told you that before. I was = scared, I had to=20 protect my mother. Masters threatened her. What if next time he had = killed her?=20 I would never have forgiven myself." Lisa spoke the words almost like a = mantra.=20 It was the same thing she told herself every night before she went to = sleep.=20 She'd had to do what she'd done. There hadn't been a choice. Megabyte nodded. "I get that part, Lisa. He pulled a gun on Dad too." = He came=20 up beside her, looking her straight in the eye, and she looked away, = unable to=20 meet his gaze. I remember that, Megabyte, she thought. It's different = for me=20 though. It was your father's job. He knew the risks, my mother didn't. = She=20 didn't understand. "That still doesn’t explain why you just = disappeared without=20 telling us. We’re all in this together. We’re all Tomorrow = People." Lisa corrected him before he went any further with that particular = argument.=20 "*You're * all Tomorrow People, Megabyte. I’m not a Tomorrow = Person, not any=20 longer. I decided that a long time ago." The young girl, Jade, looked shocked as her eyes flitted between = them. She=20 stepped forward for a moment, and then seemingly changing her mind, = stepped back=20 again sitting herself on one of the bench seats against the wall. "Why = would=20 anyone want to stop being a Tomorrow Person? How can you even think such = a=20 thing, Lisa? Don’t you think about all the stuff we can do, how we = can make the=20 world a better place?" How could she be so na=EFve? Surely she'd been = part of the=20 group long enough to understand the risks. Lisa sighed. The poor kid was = in for=20 a hard ride. Sooner or later everyone learnt about life the hard way. If = it was=20 only about making the world a better place, didn't Jade think she would = be still=20 here? "There’s another side to all that, Jade," Lisa tried to = explain. "What about=20 the danger we put the people in that we care about? Is it really fair on = them?=20 I’ve seen that side and it scares me." 'It still scares = me.' "We’ve seen that side too, Lisa," Adam still hadn't lost that = quiet tone but=20 Lisa could see he wasn’t convinced. Adam had always seen the good = side of=20 everything. He had a very definite view of right and wrong. He seemed to = think=20 it was their job to protect the world from the growing evil within it. = She for=20 one didn’t want the job of protector of mankind. Not when it put = others’ lives=20 in danger. Others she cared about. Her mother. "It can be really hard when your family isn’t behind your = decision." Kevin=20 spoke quietly, from where he was leaning against one of the consoles, = but the=20 tone in his voice made Lisa wonder if he was speaking from experience. = She=20 thought she felt a sense of sadness coming from him, but only for such a = short=20 instance that she wondered if she'd imagined it. Why was Kevin of all people trying to support her? She had worried = for months=20 afterwards about how her leaving would have affected the younger boy. = The two of=20 them had felt a connection when they had broken out very soon after each = other.=20 He and Megabyte had saved her from Galt’s machine too, she = remembered. Strange=20 how all those buried memories were resurfacing. She’d put that = part of her life=20 behind her and tried to forget it had ever happened. She hadn’t = even used her=20 powers until she’d seen them in the Forest Park earlier that day. = Well apart=20 from the odd bit of teleporting when she’d been running late. = 'Okay…Davis,=20 you’re not perfect.' For all intents and purposes, and in the ways = it actually=20 mattered, she wasn’t a Tomorrow Person now. She was a normal human = being and=20 that’s what was important. It was the belief she’d clung to = all these years,=20 what had kept her going. If she was normal no one could use her to hurt = the ones=20 she loved, to hurt her mom… Ami nodded, and Lisa noticed the annoyed look she was giving = Megabyte. She=20 was glad she wasn't on the receiving end of it, much as she was glad of = the=20 support. "I’m still not convinced how happy Mum is about me being = a Tomorrow=20 Person. Sometimes I get the impression she still thinks I’ll grow = out of it.=20 It’s not a subject we tend to discuss very often. If we do we end = up arguing.=20 She reminds me about the amount of trouble you guys have dragged me into = and I=20 remind her how important some of that ‘trouble’ is. I remind = her of how many=20 people we’ve helped, how many people we’ve saved." The = discussions that Ami had=20 had with her mother wouldn't have been the same as those Lisa had had = with hers,=20 as much as Ami would like to think she could relate to what she'd been = through.=20 She wondered how much of that trouble Ami's mum had seen first hand. Her = mom had=20 been introduced to the concept of the Tomorrow People and the barrel of = a gun at=20 the same time. It hadn't been a good combination. Megabyte coughed, obviously having heard enough as he shot a glare in = Ami's=20 direction. "I can see where Lisa is going with this and I don’t = buy it. What=20 gets me is not so much the fact that Lisa disappeared. Well yeah that = does get=20 me, especially after everything we went through together with Masters." = Lisa=20 shuddered. 'That everything as you put it is still gives me = nightmares,'=20 she thought. "What gets me," he continued, his eyes seeming to increase in = brightness as=20 he shifted his glare from Ami and addressed Lisa directly, "is that you=20 disappeared without telling us. Dad offered to help. At least then we = would have=20 known you were okay. Have you any idea how hard that was? It was months = before=20 we gave up trying to find you, tried to stop imagining what could be = happening."=20 It was months before I could stop wondering if you guys were okay too, = Lisa=20 remembered. True, General Damon had offered to help, but if he'd known = where she=20 was, others could have found out too. What if someone had threatened the = others=20 to find her? Would the man have given up his own son to protect her? = Lisa=20 doubted it and she wouldn't have blamed him. She had also known there = was no way=20 she could have put him in that position. She couldn't tell Megabyte the = real=20 reason she hadn't taken up his father's offer. It wouldn't help the = situation=20 now one little bit. Jade reached out and gave his arm a squeeze, and a look flashed = between them=20 before she added in her two cents worth. Yes there was definitely = something=20 going on between Megabyte and the younger blonde British girl. "Look, = Lisa, this=20 is all in the past. You’re back and that’s what counts. We = know you’re okay now.=20 Things can go back to the way they were before you left." Lisa shook her head. Na=EFve much, Jade? One look on Adam and = Megabyte’s faces=20 told her a different story. Both of them had been hurt badly, as had = Kevin. Each=20 was coping with it differently, but she knew the damage she had done. = Damage=20 that could never be repaired. At least Kevin seemed to understand where = she was=20 coming from, seemed to be able to relate to it but when it came down to = it she=20 had to wonder if even he would be able to forgive or forget. "Forgive or forget?" exclaimed Megabyte, his face turning red. "You = just=20 don’t get it do you? You’ve decided that you don’t = want to be a Tomorrow Person=20 anymore and to hell with the rest of us. You can’t just walk away = and pretend it=20 didn’t happen, Lisa. It doesn’t work like that. The idea's a = load of crap and=20 you know it." "Have you even listened to a word I’ve said?" asked Lisa, = feeling the anger=20 rise. Megabyte wasn’t even trying to understand her point of view. = In fact she=20 was sure he had just rudely eavesdropped on her thoughts too. But still, = she=20 hadn’t really gotten to know them properly all those years ago. = The only one she=20 had really gotten close to had been Adam. She would have liked to = but… "Maybe if you’d stayed more than five minutes you could have." = Megabyte=20 sounded as angry as she felt. "You didn’t even give me a chance to = get to know=20 you before you up and left. Maybe if you’d given the rest of us a = chance instead=20 of thinking you knew everything..."" "That’s not fair and you know it!" Lisa was beginning to think = she hadn’t=20 missed much not getting to know him better. The guy was so tactless! And = hadn't=20 General Damon ever taught him anything about manners? The last time = she'd looked=20 Tomorrow People didn't eavesdrop on each others thoughts without = permission. Adam positioned himself between them, finally moving away from where = he'd=20 been standing all this time. "Guys, " he pointed out. "A screaming match = isn’t=20 going to help anything. Neither one of you is trying to listen to the = other's=20 point of view." Poor Adam. Still trying to be the leader, still trying = to make=20 things right. It was too late for that now. Too late for everything to = go back=20 to the way they'd been before. "I thought I was being very reasonable about the whole thing. I = wasn’t the=20 one who left." Megabyte's voice started to rise in volume and Lisa = didn't have=20 to be a Tomorrow Person to feel the anger coming from him. Didn't have = to be a=20 Tomorrow Person? Back five minutes and she was starting to think like = one of=20 them again. She had to leave now before either of them said something = they'd=20 regret later, before she lost her resolve to do what she had to. "Megabyte…" started Kevin, the hurt in his eyes evident as he = looked at his=20 best friend and then back at her. Poor Kevin. He didn't deserve this. = They were=20 going around and around in circles, with no one winning. Lisa had been = involved=20 in arguments like this before and she knew where they ultimately led. = Nowhere.=20 She didn’t need this at the moment, she really didn't. "I can see I made a big mistake trying to come back. Luckily I only = came to=20 say goodbye." Lisa avoided the other Tomorrow People's gazes before = continuing,=20 focusing her eyes on the view through the window above the bench where = Jade was=20 still seated. She knew how Adam in particular would be taking this.' I = didn't=20 mean to hurt you like this again, but I don't have a choice. Can't you = can see=20 that?' She needed to do this before he had a chance to say anything. Before = he had a=20 chance to tell her to stay. "Goodbye." The word sounded so cold and unfeeling. If only they knew how much = this was=20 hurting her. She knew how much she was hurting them. Lisa closed her eyes and readied herself to teleport, pleased that = she=20 couldn't see their reaction. She had to leave before any of them got an = inkling=20 of how she was really feeling, how much this was killing her to do this = to the=20 people she cared about. Before they had a chance to see the tears = welling up,=20 before the dam of emotions she’d hidden all those years burst. Goodbye. Goodbye, Adam. I’m sorry…. **** End of part 3a</DIV> <DIV>"Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad = for my=20 health." - Duo Maxwell, Gundam=20 Wing. ________________________________________ = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; =20 </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A=20 href=3D"http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes">http://www.angelfir= e.com/ab7/shadesandechoes</A> ________________________________________= </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0172_01C192BD.48A2FD40-- - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow (3b/4) Date: 01 Jan 2001 12:31:04 +1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001D_01C192C0.2DD38EA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Where The Winds Blow (3b/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part 0 Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz ****** "Megabyte, that was rude." Jade sounded very annoyed, and she had every = right to be. Obviously Lisa's disappearance had affected the redhead = more than he'd ever let on, and her reappearance had caused all those = buried feelings to come straight back up to the surface and out in = anger. Still it didn't make it any easier to watch, or decrease the feel = of the after effects. "Adam, are you okay?" Ami asked. The Australian had leant against the = central column of the ship and grown silent as Lisa had said her final = words and disappeared out of their lives again. Adam was hurting. Kevin = didn't need to be empathic to sense that. His friend's shields might be = strong but one look on his face had given away exactly what he was = trying to hide. Adam smiled a small slow smile that said he was anything but. "I will = be," he said. "The trouble is I can see some of where Lisa is coming = from. I don't agree with what she's done but I can understand why she's = done it. When someone you love is in danger, you don't always act = rationally. You don't always do what you should." A shadow swept across = his face momentarily and was gone.=20 Adam always had to try and see the good side of people and come to their = defence, even when it was killing him inside. He might have been trying = to justify Lisa's actions as much to himself as to the rest of them but = he didn't really believe what he was saying. Adam wasn't as good an = actor as he thought he was. Judging from the emotions coming from the = other Tomorrow People, no one was buying it. Adam always tried to fall = back on platitudes but unfortunately things were too far gone for those = in this situation. Kevin grimaced as he realised how cynical he'd become = over the last few years. His initial excitement about being a Tomorrow = Person hadn't lasted very long, especially once a few home truths had = hit home. Being different wasn't always as much fun as people liked to = make out. "Yeah but you've got to think of the big picture too," pointed out = Megabyte, still staring at the spot where Lisa had been standing moments = before. The American was calmer now, but still far from losing his = initial anger. He blushed. "Okay maybe I did come on kinda strong back = there." Kinda strong? Understatement of the century.=20 "Kinda strong?" asked Ami, echoing his thoughts. "Come on, Megabyte, you = practically drove the poor girl away." She shook her head in disgust and = rolled her eyes upwards as if to accentuate what she was saying. "Mr = Tactful strikes again." "Gee thanks, Ami. Lay on the guilt trip, why don't you?" Megabyte glared = back at her for a moment and then settled himself down on the bench next = to Jade, leaning back against the wall his eyes half closed. Oh great, = just what they needed, another round between Ami and Megabyte. Even = though Ami was right, this wasn't the time or place for this. Kevin = could see Megabyte was hurting but he was far more worried about Lisa = and Adam. You would've had to be blind to miss the way the two of them = had been looking at each other.=20 "Maybe we need to look at this from Lisa's point of view," He told them, = trying desperately to get the conversation back on track. Why was he so = determined to stick up for Lisa? Maybe it was because he'd been there. = Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. "I know what it's like to have = to choose between being a Tomorrow Person and not being a Tomorrow = Person." "But you are a Tomorrow Person," Jade sounded puzzled as she tried to = understand what he was getting at. Jade had been lucky, the way her mum = had just accepted the whole TP gig. Kevin felt a slight pang of jealousy = sweep over him, not for the first time, but ignored it. "That's because I decided it was more important to me than other things = in my life. Maybe Lisa couldn't make that same choice I did. I gave up = my family to be a Tomorrow Person. She couldn't." The words were out of = Kevin's mouth before he even thought about what he was saying. He'd = never told the others why he'd disappeared from their lives for a period = of time. He'd never told them why his family had suddenly decided to = take an extended working holiday overseas. Overseas. So that he would be = as far away from the others as possible before they made him choose. Of = course at that stage his mum had still been convinced it was just a case = of taking him away from the friends who were trying to fill his head = with rubbish. She had been going to make him choose between reality and = fantasy. She just hadn't wanted to believe just how real that so called = fantasy had been. Adam gave him that patented look of concern he used when one of them was = in trouble. The 'I don't understand, but how can I help look,' that = Kevin knew so well. "You gave up your family? Kevin, what do you mean? I = thought you decided to stay with Aunt Ruth after your family shifted = away." 'You make it sound so easy, Adam. I decided? If only it had been = that way, if only things had been that simple.' Kevin corrected him, trying not very successfully to keep the emotion = out of his voice. "My parents, or rather my mother decided that if I = couldn't give up being a Tomorrow Person then I wasn't part of their = family anymore. She seemed to think that that whole thing with me being = bitten and nearly dying from that mutant mosquito was a punishment for = me having my powers." That was the simplified version of what his mum = had said. The actual words she'd used were going to haunt him for the = rest of his life. He'd thought she'd taken the news okay at first. Not = really okay to be honest, but that she would be able to live with it. = She'd given him a while to ponder the 'error of his ways', as she'd put = it, lulled him into a false sense of security and then hit him with the = ultimatum. Still he wondered if maybe she hadn't really believed up to = that point. Up to that point when he'd insisted months later that she = had to see what he meant, had to see his powers in action. That he = wasn't just telling her a fairy story. Every time he'd tried to explain = properly or show her before that, she'd just change the subject and not = wanting to upset her any more than she already was, he hadn't pushed it. "That's crazy," pointed out Megabyte, watching Kevin closely. Crazy? = That was one word for it, he supposed. Parents were supposed to support = their kids, not turn against them. They weren't supposed to make them = choose like that. "You've met my mum. You know what's she's like. I never told her about = my powers until that affair with Culex. After all I had to tell her = something when I came out of the coma. Aunt Ruth seemed to think I = should." Kevin shook his head as he remembered the look on his mother's = face when he'd eventually demonstrated his powers to her. The fear he = picked up from her, as she watched him teleport. She was scared of him, = scared of her own son. Aunt Ruth had no idea her sister was going to = react that way, no idea of all. Looking back the whole denial thing = should have been a clue, but Aunt Ruth hadn't seen what was really = coming any more than he had. She'd tried to take Kevin's side and argue = on his behalf but Mary Wilson hadn't listened. Poor Aunt Ruth, she'd = been so convinced that telling his parents had been the right thing to = do.=20 "You mean she thought it meant you should give them up?" Adam seemed = shocked. "She made you chose between being a Tomorrow Person and your = family? Did you try to explain that being a Tomorrow Person is part of = who you are? You can't just give it up." Try telling that to his mother. = Kevin wondered, not for the first time, if Adam's own family knew about = his powers, about who and what he really was. He doubted it. "I tried explaining it, tried till I was blue in the face. I told her I = had responsibilities, that I couldn't just switch them off. Even if I = didn't use them, they'd still be there." Kevin shook his head sadly. = "When she started screaming at me and calling me evil I left. I wasn't = going to hang around for the spawn of the devil speech I knew was coming = next. I haven't been back since." The hardest thing to take had been his = father's reaction the whole time his mum had been ranting on at him. His = father, whom he'd thought he had a good relationship with, had just = stood there and said nothing. He hadn't even tried to stand up for his = own son. When push had come to shove he'd just stood there, in his = wife's shadow as usual. He'd been so worried about keeping the peace = he'd just let Kevin leave. He hadn't even cared, or if he had he hadn't = shown it. His father had made a choice that day too, and it hadn't been = the one Kevin had been expecting.=20 He glanced around the ship, taking in the shocked faces of the others. = Megabyte was sitting upright now, a look of disbelief on his face. He = had an arm around Jade to reassure her, as her distress at what she was = hearing became obvious, their argument of earlier that day seemingly = forgotten. Adam's posture had visibly slumped even further than when = Lisa had left, the expression of shock still on his face. Ami was trying = to reassure him with one of those soft smiles of hers as he felt her = mind brush against his own. She was trying to find out how he was = coping, really coping with what he'd just shared. "I'm not saying that = Lisa's mother said that to her. Just that when faced with a choice like = that, not everyone makes the same one. Besides I'd known you guys longer = I guess. I knew I had your support. Lisa had just been through all that = stuff with Masters threatening her mother, I hadn't." And now he was = sounding like Adam, trying to make excuses for her. 'Lisa, why couldn't = you have made the same decision I did?' Because she had a mother who = cared about her and he didn't. That's what it boiled down to, of that he = was sure. Jade pulled away from the American and threw her arms around him. "Oh = Kevin, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Of course Jade didn't know, she = wasn't a mind reader. Kevin grinned in spite of himself. Somehow that = saying didn't have quite the same ring to it that it was supposed to. = Adam wasn't the only one who hid things under strong mental shields. = They all did that, to a certain degree. They seemed to need to, to = survive. What would happen if they couldn't? Even though they were = telepaths the thought of sharing everything including all his fears = completely scared him the same way he was sure it scared all of them. "It was a while ago now, Jade. I've come to terms with it, honest I = have." Who was he trying to kid? He'd never come to terms with it. = Still, she didn't have to know that, did she? It might be in the past, = but for part of him, it would always feel like yesterday. Kevin gave = Jade a small smile of thanks before continuing. "I guess what I'm trying = to say is that we need to show Lisa that whatever her decision was or = is, we'll be there for her. We mightn't like her decision but she knows = where to find us if she ever changes her mind." Adam finally seemed to come to life, moving away from the column he'd = just about been glued to since Lisa's departure, a hesitant look on his = face. "Are you sure you're okay, Kevin? I mean do you mind if I.?" Kevin nodded. He knew what was coming next, as he was sure they all did. = "Go after her, Adam. I'll be fine. After all I have friends here. Lisa = has no one." He watched as Adam initiated the teleport, following the psychic trial = Lisa had left barely ten minutes before. 'Go after her, Adam.' The = Tomorrow People were a family, Kevin had had that feeling reinforced = since he'd returned to the fold. They'd welcomed him back without = question, and just believed the reasons he'd given for his absence. They = could do that for Lisa too, he was sure. She had to know whatever she'd = done in the past, whatever her decision had been, it wasn't too late to = come back. At least if she didn't return, Adam would know he'd tried to = convince her, wouldn't spend the rest of his life wondering what if. He = needed to do that, if he was going to get through this, whatever way = things turned out. As Megabyte cleared his throat, Kevin could feel the growing feeling of = guilt coming from his friend. He was obviously regretting some of what = he'd said. They were all guilty of that to some degree. That was one of = the things about being human. Funny how *they * still thought of = themselves as human even though there were a lot of people out there who = didn't. "I hope she listens to what Adam has to say," Megabyte put Kevin's own = thoughts into words. She'll listen, Megabyte. But whether she actually = takes any notice and really hears it, that'll be the thing. The redhead shrugged as three pairs of accusing eyes met his own. "Hey I = can't be perfect all the time.After all I'm still hanging out with you = guys aren't I? You okay, Kev?" 'I'm trying to be, Megabyte.' Kevin nodded. "Sometimes I just wish that things were different that's = all. Life sucks sometimes, you know?" And it didn't get any easier to = deal with as time went on. It didn't matter how much he tried to forget, = those memories were going to haunt him. Even though he knew he'd made = the right decision, it didn't make the hurt go away. Nothing could do = that. He just had to pretend to move on, pretend it was in the past = where it belonged. He'd become very good at pretending since becoming a = Tomorrow Person, a bit too good in fact. Ami moved over from where she'd been leaning against the far wall and = put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. As Megabyte and Lisa had started = talking or rather arguing she'd moved away from them, watching the sea = swirling outside the ship. It was almost as though she wasn't sure she = should interrupt, wasn't sure what to do exactly.=20 Kevin sat there for a moment just enjoying the telepathic presence of = the others and of the ship, all giving their unspoken support in their = own way. Megabyte grinned as he broke the silence. "If the world didn't suck we'd = all fall off." Kevin groaned. He knew he could count on his friend to throw a bad joke = in there somewhere. "Remind me why I'm still a Tomorrow Person again = someone?" Watching his friends, his family, it wasn't an option. They were all in = this together and he wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, it had been = hard to walk away from his other family, but he'd make the same decision = if he had to do it again too. In his mind there hadn't been a choice. = How could he even consider leaving people who actually cared about him? As he watched Megabyte duck as the girls threw mock punches at him, = Kevin's thoughts went back to Adam. If anyone could reach Lisa, it would = be him. 'Bring her back, Adam,' he thought. 'Help her to make the same = decision I have.' ******* End of Chapter Three ****** "Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health." - Duo Maxwell, = Gundam Wing. ________________________________________ = =20 http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes ________________________________________ ------=_NextPart_000_001D_01C192C0.2DD38EA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> Where The Winds Blow (3b/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part 0 Feedback to <A=20 href=3D'mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nz"Megabyte'>anneo@paradise.net.nz</A><= /P> ****** "Megabyte, that was rude." Jade sounded very annoyed, and she had = every right=20 to be. Obviously Lisa’s disappearance had affected the redhead = more than he'd=20 ever let on, and her reappearance had caused all those buried feelings = to come=20 straight back up to the surface and out in anger. Still it didn't make = it any=20 easier to watch, or decrease the feel of the after effects. "Adam, are you okay?" Ami asked. The Australian had leant against the = central=20 column of the ship and grown silent as Lisa had said her final words and = disappeared out of their lives again. Adam was hurting. Kevin didn't = need to be=20 empathic to sense that. His friend's shields might be strong but one = look on his=20 face had given away exactly what he was trying to hide. Adam smiled a small slow smile that said he was anything but. "I will = be," he=20 said. "The trouble is I can see some of where Lisa is coming from. I = don’t agree=20 with what she’s done but I can understand why she’s done it. = When someone you=20 love is in danger, you don’t always act rationally. You = don’t always do what you=20 should." A shadow swept across his face momentarily and was gone. Adam always had to try and see the good side of people and come to = their=20 defence, even when it was killing him inside. He might have been trying = to=20 justify Lisa's actions as much to himself as to the rest of them but he = didn't=20 really believe what he was saying. Adam wasn't as good an actor as he = thought he=20 was. Judging from the emotions coming from the other Tomorrow People, no = one was=20 buying it. Adam always tried to fall back on platitudes but = unfortunately things=20 were too far gone for those in this situation. Kevin grimaced as he = realised how=20 cynical he'd become over the last few years. His initial excitement = about being=20 a Tomorrow Person hadn't lasted very long, especially once a few home = truths had=20 hit home. Being different wasn't always as much fun as people liked to = make=20 out. "Yeah but you’ve got to think of the big picture too," pointed = out Megabyte,=20 still staring at the spot where Lisa had been standing moments before. = The=20 American was calmer now, but still far from losing his initial anger. He = blushed. "Okay maybe I did come on kinda strong back there." Kinda = strong?=20 Understatement of the century. "Kinda strong?" asked Ami, echoing his thoughts. "Come on, Megabyte, = you=20 practically drove the poor girl away." She shook her head in disgust and = rolled=20 her eyes upwards as if to accentuate what she was saying. "Mr Tactful = strikes=20 again." "Gee thanks, Ami. Lay on the guilt trip, why don’t you?" = Megabyte glared back=20 at her for a moment and then settled himself down on the bench next to = Jade,=20 leaning back against the wall his eyes half closed. Oh great, just what = they=20 needed, another round between Ami and Megabyte. Even though Ami was = right, this=20 wasn't the time or place for this. Kevin could see Megabyte was hurting = but he=20 was far more worried about Lisa and Adam. You would've had to be blind = to miss=20 the way the two of them had been looking at each other. "Maybe we need to look at this from Lisa’s point of view," He = told them,=20 trying desperately to get the conversation back on track. Why was he so=20 determined to stick up for Lisa? Maybe it was because he'd been there. = Been=20 there, done that, got the t-shirt. "I know what it’s like to have = to choose=20 between being a Tomorrow Person and not being a Tomorrow Person." "But you are a Tomorrow Person," Jade sounded puzzled as she tried to = understand what he was getting at. Jade had been lucky, the way her mum = had just=20 accepted the whole TP gig. Kevin felt a slight pang of jealousy sweep = over him,=20 not for the first time, but ignored it. "That’s because I decided it was more important to me than = other things in my=20 life. Maybe Lisa couldn’t make that same choice I did. I gave up = my family to be=20 a Tomorrow Person. She couldn’t." The words were out of = Kevin’s mouth before he=20 even thought about what he was saying. He’d never told the others = why he’d=20 disappeared from their lives for a period of time. He’d never told = them why his=20 family had suddenly decided to take an extended working holiday = overseas.=20 Overseas. So that he would be as far away from the others as possible = before=20 they made him choose. Of course at that stage his mum had still been = convinced=20 it was just a case of taking him away from the friends who were trying = to fill=20 his head with rubbish. She had been going to make him choose between = reality and=20 fantasy. She just hadn't wanted to believe just how real that so called = fantasy=20 had been. Adam gave him that patented look of concern he used when one of them = was in=20 trouble. The 'I don't understand, but how can I help look,' that Kevin = knew so=20 well. "You gave up your family? Kevin, what do you mean? I thought you = decided=20 to stay with Aunt Ruth after your family shifted away." 'You make it = sound so=20 easy, Adam. I decided? If only it had been that way, if only things had = been=20 that simple.' Kevin corrected him, trying not very successfully to keep the emotion = out of=20 his voice. "My parents, or rather my mother decided that if I = couldn’t give up=20 being a Tomorrow Person then I wasn’t part of their family = anymore. She seemed=20 to think that that whole thing with me being bitten and nearly dying = from that=20 mutant mosquito was a punishment for me having my powers." That was the=20 simplified version of what his mum had said. The actual words she'd used = were=20 going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He'd thought she'd taken = the news=20 okay at first. Not really okay to be honest, but that she would be able = to live=20 with it. She'd given him a while to ponder the 'error of his ways', as = she'd put=20 it, lulled him into a false sense of security and then hit him with the=20 ultimatum. Still he wondered if maybe she hadn't really believed up to = that=20 point. Up to that point when he'd insisted months later that she had to = see what=20 he meant, had to see his powers in action. That he wasn't just telling = her a=20 fairy story. Every time he'd tried to explain properly or show her = before that,=20 she'd just change the subject and not wanting to upset her any more than = she=20 already was, he hadn't pushed it. "That’s crazy," pointed out Megabyte, watching Kevin closely. = Crazy? That was=20 one word for it, he supposed. Parents were supposed to support their = kids, not=20 turn against them. They weren't supposed to make them choose like = that. "You’ve met my mum. You know what’s she’s like. I = never told her about my=20 powers until that affair with Culex. After all I had to tell her = something when=20 I came out of the coma. Aunt Ruth seemed to think I should." Kevin shook = his=20 head as he remembered the look on his mother’s face when he'd = eventually=20 demonstrated his powers to her. The fear he picked up from her, as she = watched=20 him teleport. She was scared of him, scared of her own son. Aunt Ruth = had no=20 idea her sister was going to react that way, no idea of all. Looking = back the=20 whole denial thing should have been a clue, but Aunt Ruth hadn't seen = what was=20 really coming any more than he had. She'd tried to take Kevin's side and = argue=20 on his behalf but Mary Wilson hadn't listened. Poor Aunt Ruth, she'd = been so=20 convinced that telling his parents had been the right thing to do. "You mean she thought it meant you should give them up?" Adam seemed = shocked.=20 "She made you chose between being a Tomorrow Person and your family? Did = you try=20 to explain that being a Tomorrow Person is part of who you are? You = can’t just=20 give it up." Try telling that to his mother. Kevin wondered, not for the = first=20 time, if Adam's own family knew about his powers, about who and what he = really=20 was. He doubted it. "I tried explaining it, tried till I was blue in the face. I told her = I had=20 responsibilities, that I couldn’t just switch them off. Even if I = didn’t use=20 them, they’d still be there." Kevin shook his head sadly. "When = she started=20 screaming at me and calling me evil I left. I wasn’t going to hang = around for=20 the spawn of the devil speech I knew was coming next. I haven’t = been back=20 since." The hardest thing to take had been his father's reaction the = whole time=20 his mum had been ranting on at him. His father, whom he'd thought he had = a good=20 relationship with, had just stood there and said nothing. He hadn't even = tried=20 to stand up for his own son. When push had come to shove he'd just stood = there,=20 in his wife's shadow as usual. He'd been so worried about keeping the = peace he'd=20 just let Kevin leave. He hadn't even cared, or if he had he hadn't shown = it. His=20 father had made a choice that day too, and it hadn't been the one Kevin = had been=20 expecting. He glanced around the ship, taking in the shocked faces of the = others.=20 Megabyte was sitting upright now, a look of disbelief on his face. He = had an arm=20 around Jade to reassure her, as her distress at what she was hearing = became=20 obvious, their argument of earlier that day seemingly forgotten. Adam's = posture=20 had visibly slumped even further than when Lisa had left, the expression = of=20 shock still on his face. Ami was trying to reassure him with one of = those soft=20 smiles of hers as he felt her mind brush against his own. She was trying = to find=20 out how he was coping, really coping with what he'd just shared. = "I’m not saying=20 that Lisa’s mother said that to her. Just that when faced with a = choice like=20 that, not everyone makes the same one. Besides I’d known you guys = longer I=20 guess. I knew I had your support. Lisa had just been through all that = stuff with=20 Masters threatening her mother, I hadn’t." And now he was sounding = like Adam,=20 trying to make excuses for her. 'Lisa, why couldn't you have made the = same=20 decision I did?' Because she had a mother who cared about her and = he=20 didn't. That's what it boiled down to, of that he was sure. Jade pulled away from the American and threw her arms around him. "Oh = Kevin,=20 I’m so sorry. I didn’t know." Of course Jade didn't know, = she wasn't a mind=20 reader. Kevin grinned in spite of himself. Somehow that saying didn't = have quite=20 the same ring to it that it was supposed to. Adam wasn't the only one = who hid=20 things under strong mental shields. They all did that, to a certain = degree. They=20 seemed to need to, to survive. What would happen if they couldn't? Even = though=20 they were telepaths the thought of sharing everything including all his = fears=20 completely scared him the same way he was sure it scared all of = them. "It was a while ago now, Jade. I’ve come to terms with it, = honest I have."=20 Who was he trying to kid? He'd never come to terms with it. Still, she = didn't=20 have to know that, did she? It might be in the past, but for part of = him, it=20 would always feel like yesterday. Kevin gave Jade a small smile of = thanks before=20 continuing. "I guess what I’m trying to say is that we need to = show Lisa that=20 whatever her decision was or is, we’ll be there for her. We = mightn’t like her=20 decision but she knows where to find us if she ever changes her = mind." Adam finally seemed to come to life, moving away from the column he'd = just=20 about been glued to since Lisa's departure, a hesitant look on his face. = "Are=20 you sure you’re okay, Kevin? I mean do you mind if I…?" Kevin nodded. He knew what was coming next, as he was sure they all = did. "Go=20 after her, Adam. I’ll be fine. After all I have friends here. Lisa = has no=20 one." He watched as Adam initiated the teleport, following the psychic = trial Lisa=20 had left barely ten minutes before. 'Go after her, Adam.' The Tomorrow = People=20 were a family, Kevin had had that feeling reinforced since he'd returned = to the=20 fold. They'd welcomed him back without question, and just believed the = reasons=20 he'd given for his absence. They could do that for Lisa too, he was = sure. She=20 had to know whatever she'd done in the past, whatever her decision had = been, it=20 wasn't too late to come back. At least if she didn't return, Adam would = know=20 he'd tried to convince her, wouldn't spend the rest of his life = wondering what=20 if. He needed to do that, if he was going to get through this, whatever = way=20 things turned out. As Megabyte cleared his throat, Kevin could feel the growing feeling = of guilt=20 coming from his friend. He was obviously regretting some of what = he’d said. They=20 were all guilty of that to some degree. That was one of the things about = being=20 human. Funny how *they * still thought of themselves as human even = though there=20 were a lot of people out there who didn't. "I hope she listens to what Adam has to say," Megabyte put = Kevin’s own=20 thoughts into words. She'll listen, Megabyte. But whether she actually = takes any=20 notice and really hears it, that'll be the thing. The redhead shrugged as three pairs of accusing eyes met his own. = "Hey I=20 can’t be perfect all the time…After all I’m still = hanging out with you guys=20 aren’t I? You okay, Kev?" 'I'm trying to be, Megabyte.' Kevin nodded. "Sometimes I just wish that things were different = that’s all.=20 Life sucks sometimes, you know?" And it didn't get any easier to deal = with as=20 time went on. It didn't matter how much he tried to forget, those = memories were=20 going to haunt him. Even though he knew he'd made the right decision, it = didn't=20 make the hurt go away. Nothing could do that. He just had to pretend to = move on,=20 pretend it was in the past where it belonged. He'd become very good at=20 pretending since becoming a Tomorrow Person, a bit too good in fact. Ami moved over from where she'd been leaning against the far wall and = put a=20 sympathetic hand on his shoulder. As Megabyte and Lisa had started = talking or=20 rather arguing she'd moved away from them, watching the sea swirling = outside the=20 ship. It was almost as though she wasn't sure she should interrupt, = wasn't sure=20 what to do exactly. Kevin sat there for a moment just enjoying the telepathic presence of = the=20 others and of the ship, all giving their unspoken support in their own = way. Megabyte grinned as he broke the silence. "If the world didn’t = suck we’d all=20 fall off." Kevin groaned. He knew he could count on his friend to throw a bad = joke in=20 there somewhere. "Remind me why I’m still a Tomorrow Person again = someone?" Watching his friends, his family, it wasn't an option. They were all = in this=20 together and he wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, it had been hard to = walk=20 away from his other family, but he'd make the same decision if he had to = do it=20 again too. In his mind there hadn't been a choice. How could he even = consider=20 leaving people who actually cared about him? As he watched Megabyte duck as the girls threw mock punches at him, = Kevin’s=20 thoughts went back to Adam. If anyone could reach Lisa, it would be him. = 'Bring=20 her back, Adam,' he thought. 'Help her to make the same decision I = have.' ******* End of Chapter Three ******</DIV> <DIV>"Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad = for my=20 health." - Duo Maxwell, Gundam=20 Wing. ________________________________________ = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; =20 </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><A=20 href=3D"http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes">http://www.angelfir= e.com/ab7/shadesandechoes</A> ________________________________________= </DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_001D_01C192C0.2DD38EA0-- - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.