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From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Where The Winds Blow (4/4) Date: 02 Jan 2002 10:08:40 +1300 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00FC_01C19375.739FE540 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Where The Winds Blow (4/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part 0 Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz **** Chapter Four As Adam materialised he found himself standing on a beach. For a moment = he almost thought that he was still on Taphini, but quickly realised the = movement of the ocean was the only similarity between the two as he saw = the lights from the surrounding hills reflected on the water. He = shivered, though he wasn't sure it was entirely from the cold, and = wished he'd brought a jacket. It might be summer on this side of the = globe but like his native Australia, the evenings were beginning to get = chilly as autumn grew nearer. "I love this place." Adam jumped as Lisa's voice sounded nearby. In the = half dark he could see her sitting on a large jagged rock. Even watching = her silhouette made him realise that she'd left the girl behind he'd = once known and become a beautiful young woman. "Watching the waves = reminds me of the island," she continued almost to herself.=20 So she'd come here to be reminded of what she'd left behind? That = sounded promising. Maybe she might be more open to coming back than he'd = first thought. Think positive, Adam, he told himself. Maybe if he came = across that way it might help dispel some of her own doubts and fears. He walked over, feeling the damp sand sticking to his shoes, and sat = beside her. At least she seemed calmer than she had when she'd left the = ship. That was a relief. Hopefully she would stay here long enough to = hear what he had to say. As he tried to work out what exactly he was = going to say, he glanced around. It was so open on this beach, so = exposed and isolated. A long expanse of sand and rocks, with nothing = inbetween. Even the lights from the hills seemed miles away.=20 He ran the sole of his shoe down the side of the rock, trying to shake = some of the sand off. Somehow he felt better for having something to do = while he was putting his thoughts together. It seemed to make it easier = for some reason, gave him something else to concentrate on. "You still = miss it then?" Great way to start, Adam. Just what she needs to hear. Lisa turned to face him, solemn eyes meeting his own, looking past = whatever he projected into his very soul. He allowed his gaze to linger, = the way her longer hair suited her, framing her dark face. He noted = absently that even her nose was perfect, the cute way it flattened ever = so slightly at the bottom, and wondered how hard she would rail against = the notion of any part of her being described as cute. God, he was = supposed to be convincing her to come back to them, not getting = sidetracked by how beautiful she was. Looking at her again made him = realise just how much he'd missed her. Lisa had been the first person = he'd really connected with since. "Yes I still miss it." Lisa's reply interrupted Adam's train of thought. = "I miss being a Tomorrow Person too you know. There were times after I = left when I felt so alone, so vulnerable. I kept telling myself that I'd = done the right thing. After a while I started to believe it." She hadn't = been the only one who'd felt alone. Even though he'd had the others, she = hadn't been there and that had made the difference. "Do you still believe it?" Adam couldn't resist asking the obvious. Part = of him wanted to know, needed to know. Lisa nodded, the pale glow of the moonlight reflecting off her red = sweatshirt as she hugged it closer to keep out the cold. Red suited her. = 'Come on, Adam, try and stay focused. She could be wearing an old sack = and you'd think it suited her.' "I think that's why what Megabyte said really hurt me. I know I did the = right thing, I know in here I did." Lisa pointed to her head to emphasis = her words, though her voice lacked that sound of conviction that should = have been noticeable if she'd really believed what she was telling him. = What Megabyte had said hurt her because a part of her was scared he = might be right. Part of her knew she shouldn't have left, Adam could see = it reflected in her eyes, just as part of her was begging him to tell = her she'd been right. But he couldn't, not when he believed so strongly = that she hadn't.=20 "But it wasn't easy. He made it sound as thought I just left and never = looked back. I did look back. For a long time I wondered if there could = have been another way. A way which wouldn't have hurt the people I cared = about. But there wasn't. I couldn't take the chance of something = happening to Mom. I just couldn't. I'd already lost one parent, I = couldn't risk losing another." Walking away was never easy, but it still = wasn't always the right thing to do. Surely if she'd told him her plans = and her worries, they could have found another solution. Any other = solution to keep her away from the path she'd chosen. She looked up at = him those eyes searching his, seeming to almost be begging for = absolution for what she'd done. An absolution he couldn't give her. Adam nodded, unsure of the right thing to say and yet trying to show = some support in the hope it might help her to talk. An inner voice = laughed at him. The same way you talk about your problems? Try = practising what you preach. "I know what it's like to lose someone = close, Lisa. Believe me I know. Don't worry about Megabyte. He's = hurting. He'll calm down and then he'll regret what he said. That's just = the way he is." Adam reached out and hesitantly put his arm around her = and to his surprise instead of pushing him away, she just sat there = unmoving. Moving closer he could feel the warmth of her body next to = his, the way the smell of her perfume seemed to permeate through her. = She glanced at him, almost as though she knew and moved away ever so = slightly. For an instant he felt something akin to guilt from her, but = then it was gone. "When Masters threatened Mom, I felt so helpless," she continued. "What = if he had tried it again and the next time we couldn't stop him?" "Masters is dead, Lisa. I saw him die. You don't have to worry about him = anymore." He could see the disbelief reflected in her eyes as she stared = at him for a moment, trying to take in what he'd just told her. He = nodded, trying to reassure her. Part of him had always been relieved = that his own parents didn't know about the Tomorrow People. At least = that way they could never be used against him, but still part of him = regretted his decision. He often wondered if they had tried to find him, = had wondered why he'd just left one day without word. Maybe he should = send them a card or something just to let them know he was okay, or = maybe it was better in the long run for all of them if he just left = things the way they were. He doubted they would react well to the news = anyway. Even though he couldn't see them reacting as Kevin's parents = had, part of him didn't want to put his doubts as to *how * they would = react when put to the test. Sometimes it was easier just to pretend his = past didn't exist, and just concentrate on building his future, a future = which he was trying desperately to make Lisa a part of. Lisa's look of disbelief vanished to be replaced by one of fear. He = wasn't sure if it were fear for herself or for him. "But Adam, don't you = understand? There's always going to be a Colonel Masters. If it's not = him, it's going to be someone like him." He knew that, well at least = part of him knew that. It was just that he tried not to think about it. = Even though it was na=EFve, he hoped that one day the Tomorrow People = would be able to just co exist on this planet, without having to always = look over their shoulder and worry about people's reactions when they = found out about their powers. Why did the human race always have to lash = out at the things they didn't understand, the things that frightened = them? As he searched for a response to give her, to make her understand = that she had to move past that, her next words stopped him cold. "Besides there's other things to think about now."=20 "Other things?" What other things? What the hell was she talking about? = Those words made him realise the he knew nothing about what she'd been = doing over the past few years. Maybe she already had a full life, a life = which had no space for him or the others. Don't be silly, Adam. Of = course she has room for you. She's still a Tomorrow Person, whether she = wants to admit it to herself or not. You've got to try and convince her = of that.=20 "Other things." Lisa shifted away from him, suddenly sounding stiff and = uncomfortable. She ran her hand across a pile of sand sitting on the = flat part of the rock, tracing small triangular patterns in it as she = spoke. Funny how they both seemed to be take refuge in playing with = sand, when they were trying to hide their true feelings from others. = Maybe it was easier to trace patterns than face up to the re-occurring = patterns in their lives? "I've made a new life for myself. A life where = no one knows about the Tomorrow People. I can't go back to the way it = was before. It's too complicated." "I can help you Lisa, we all can." Adam reached out to her again but = this time she made a point of showing she didn't want him too close by = moving away in a very deliberate action, that feeling of guilt once = again coming from her. Whatever it was he was sure it was something they = could sort out together. After all how complicated could it be? "You don't understand. I haven't told Jamie. He doesn't know about the = Tomorrow People. I can't expect him just to suddenly accept that side of = me when I don't even accept it myself." "Jamie?" Who the hell was Jamie? Wasn't that one of the names Jade had = mentioned earlier?=20 "My fiancee."=20 Oh God.=20 Adam felt a cold hand crawl inside him, grab his heart and twist. = "Fiancee?" he repeated, feeling himself go cold as he slammed his mental = shields down fast. The raging current of thoughts and emotions he'd felt = coming from Lisa suddenly stopped as she did the same. Surely she knew = what those two words had done to him. She had to.=20 After what seemed like forever, Adam broke the long uncomfortable = silence that had grown up like a wall between them. "You're engaged to = this guy and you haven't told him you're a Tomorrow Person?" He heard = his voice saying the words, but part of him hardly registered that he = was even speaking, the state his mind and emotions were in. Lisa = engaged? She was going to marry someone else? How? Why?=20 "I'm not a Tomorrow Person." Lisa's voice had a harsh quality to it that = hadn't been there before. "Haven't you been listening?" He had been = listening, that was the trouble. He'd heard what she'd just said only = too well. Hadn't she been listening to him? Maybe he needed to resort to = other means to make her understand. [You can't just turn it off, Lisa. Even if you don't use your powers = you've still got them.] "You just had to do that to get your point across didn't you?" Adam decided to ignore that comment and continue with what had to be = said before he lost his nerve. Even though he was hurting he had to put = his own feelings to one side and point out the obvious, both for her = sake and for her fiancee's. He spoke quickly; the sooner he got this out = the better. "Have you thought about Jamie? You can't be considering = basing this marriage on a lie. And besides we don't know what might = happen if we have children. What if your kids turn out to be Tomorrow = People? He needs to know what he's getting into now." "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," she replied stiffly. And = when would that be if ever? Surely she must have thought all this = through or did she think if she ignored the possible consequences they = would just go away? "I think you're already there," He pointed out, realising that someone = had to. He loved her too much to see her get hurt over this later down = the track. He knew full well that she wouldn't want to hear it, but it = still had to be said. "You've got responsibilities. It's not just about = you anymore. You've got to consider what he wants to do, how he will = feel about it." Adam listened to himself and felt something break = inside. Here he was losing her to someone else and he was trying to = protect that someone else. Even when faced with losing everything he = still had to do the right thing, still had to think of the greater good. = What was wrong with him? "What if he thinks I'm some kind of freak? What if he likes me for who = I'm pretending to be, not who I am? Or should that be what I am?" Lisa = sounded scared, and a small ripple of hope ran through him as he = realised that she'd used the word like, not love. Come to think of it, = she hadn't once said *she * actually loved the guy. Surely if they loved = each other, if she loved him, she'd trust him enough to know what would = happen if she told him. Yes, but she hadn't trusted him enough to tell = him the truth about herself had she? "If he loves you it won't matter." As Adam tried to reassure her, to say = the right thing, his choice of words echoed through his mind. If he = loves you it won't matter. How could someone not love her? He had tried = not to after she had left and failed miserably. The whole mess with Lucy = Allen had been an example of him trying to move on after realising she = probably wasn't coming back. After that he had just buried his feelings = along with that other things in his life that he hadn't dealt with very = successfully, and tried to forget. He'd been succeeding quite well or so = he had thought. Until today that was, until now. "I'll do it when the time is right," Lisa promised, not sounding very = convinced. Adam mentally rolled his eyes. The time would never be right, = he knew that and he knew she did too. How the hell had he let his life = get to this? Even with the opportunity to regain what he'd lost and put = things back on track, he still couldn't seem to get it right. She rose to her feet and glanced at her watch, shaking the sand out of = her open shoes. "I have to go, Adam. I promised Mom I'd be home half an = hour ago. You remember how she is." 'Promised Mom or promised Jamie?' The thought took Adam by surprise. = Where had that come from? Lisa was still talking. "I'll keep in touch, promise." She closed her = eyes, concentrated and teleported leaving Adam staring at an empty beach = before he'd even registered that she was leaving him.=20 Promise?=20 Promises are made to be broken, he thought sadly. He'd never see her = again, he knew that all too well. He stood there for a moment, lost in = thoughts of what might have been, should have been.=20 Goodbye Lisa. Have a good life. The cold wind whipped around him, and he hugged himself to try and keep = warm. He felt a drop of moisture on his cheek and looked towards the sky = looking for the rain he knew wouldn't be there. Must be seawater carried = by that wind, he told himself firmly, ignoring the urge to stand there = and just let the emotions out that he'd tried to keep a grip on all = these years. He looked towards the heavens again for a few minutes and = shrugged. What was the point anyway? It wasn't going to solve anything. = Better to bury them again, back down where it belonged. If he let = himself give into those feelings now, he'd be no good to anyone. He = shook his head. Better to bury them, again, much better.=20 He walked along the lonely beach for a few minutes, throwing a few stray = shells towards the waves as he gazed out to sea, trying to pull himself = together before he headed back to the others.=20 The Tomorrow People. His family. His future. Hopefully one day it would be Lisa's again too. ****** ~Fin~ "Stop making me repeat myself. It's bad for my health." - Duo Maxwell, = Gundam Wing. ________________________________________ = =20 http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes ________________________________________ ------=_NextPart_000_00FC_01C19375.739FE540 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 (4/4) by Anne Olsen Disclaimer in Part 0 Feedback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nzChapter">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A></P= > **** Chapter Four As Adam materialised he found himself standing on a beach. For a = moment he=20 almost thought that he was still on Taphini, but quickly realised the = movement=20 of the ocean was the only similarity between the two as he saw the = lights from=20 the surrounding hills reflected on the water. He shivered, though he = wasn’t sure=20 it was entirely from the cold, and wished he’d brought a jacket. = It might be=20 summer on this side of the globe but like his native Australia, the = evenings=20 were beginning to get chilly as autumn grew nearer. "I love this place." Adam jumped as Lisa’s voice sounded = nearby. In the half=20 dark he could see her sitting on a large jagged rock. Even watching her=20 silhouette made him realise that she'd left the girl behind he'd once = known and=20 become a beautiful young woman. "Watching the waves reminds me of the = island,"=20 she continued almost to herself. So she'd come here to be reminded of what she'd left behind? That = sounded=20 promising. Maybe she might be more open to coming back than he'd first = thought.=20 Think positive, Adam, he told himself. Maybe if he came across that way = it might=20 help dispel some of her own doubts and fears. He walked over, feeling the damp sand sticking to his shoes, and sat = beside=20 her. At least she seemed calmer than she had when she’d left the = ship. That was=20 a relief. Hopefully she would stay here long enough to hear what he had = to say.=20 As he tried to work out what exactly he was going to say, he glanced = around. It=20 was so open on this beach, so exposed and isolated. A long expanse of = sand and=20 rocks, with nothing inbetween. Even the lights from the hills seemed = miles away.=20 He ran the sole of his shoe down the side of the rock, trying to = shake some=20 of the sand off. Somehow he felt better for having something to do while = he was=20 putting his thoughts together. It seemed to make it easier for some = reason, gave=20 him something else to concentrate on. "You still miss it then?" Great = way to=20 start, Adam. Just what she needs to hear. Lisa turned to face him, solemn eyes meeting his own, looking past = whatever=20 he projected into his very soul. He allowed his gaze to linger, the way = her=20 longer hair suited her, framing her dark face. He noted absently that = even her=20 nose was perfect, the cute way it flattened ever so slightly at the = bottom, and=20 wondered how hard she would rail against the notion of any part of her = being=20 described as cute. God, he was supposed to be convincing her to come = back to=20 them, not getting sidetracked by how beautiful she was. Looking at her = again=20 made him realise just how much he’d missed her. Lisa had been the = first person=20 he’d really connected with since… "Yes I still miss it." Lisa’s reply interrupted Adam’s = train of thought. "I=20 miss being a Tomorrow Person too you know. There were times after I left = when I=20 felt so alone, so vulnerable. I kept telling myself that I’d done = the right=20 thing. After a while I started to believe it." She hadn't been the only = one=20 who'd felt alone. Even though he'd had the others, she hadn't been there = and=20 that had made the difference. "Do you still believe it?" Adam couldn’t resist asking the = obvious. Part of=20 him wanted to know, needed to know. Lisa nodded, the pale glow of the moonlight reflecting off her red = sweatshirt=20 as she hugged it closer to keep out the cold. Red suited her. 'Come on, = Adam,=20 try and stay focused. She could be wearing an old sack and you'd think = it suited=20 her.' "I think that’s why what Megabyte said really hurt me. I know I = did the right=20 thing, I know in here I did." Lisa pointed to her head to emphasis her = words,=20 though her voice lacked that sound of conviction that should have been=20 noticeable if she'd really believed what she was telling him. What = Megabyte had=20 said hurt her because a part of her was scared he might be right. Part = of her=20 knew she shouldn't have left, Adam could see it reflected in her eyes, = just as=20 part of her was begging him to tell her she'd been right. But he = couldn't, not=20 when he believed so strongly that she hadn't. "But it wasn’t easy. He made it sound as thought I just left = and never looked=20 back. I did look back. For a long time I wondered if there could have = been=20 another way… A way which wouldn’t have hurt the people I = cared about. But there=20 wasn’t. I couldn’t take the chance of something happening to = Mom. I just=20 couldn’t. I’d already lost one parent, I couldn’t risk = losing another." Walking=20 away was never easy, but it still wasn't always the right thing to do. = Surely if=20 she'd told him her plans and her worries, they could have found another=20 solution. Any other solution to keep her away from the path she'd = chosen. She=20 looked up at him those eyes searching his, seeming to almost be begging = for=20 absolution for what she'd done. An absolution he couldn't give her. Adam nodded, unsure of the right thing to say and yet trying to show = some=20 support in the hope it might help her to talk. An inner voice laughed at = him.=20 The same way you talk about your problems? Try practising what you = preach. "I=20 know what it’s like to lose someone close, Lisa. Believe me I = know. Don’t worry=20 about Megabyte. He’s hurting. He’ll calm down and then = he’ll regret what he=20 said. That’s just the way he is." Adam reached out and hesitantly = put his arm=20 around her and to his surprise instead of pushing him away, she just sat = there=20 unmoving. Moving closer he could feel the warmth of her body next to = his, the=20 way the smell of her perfume seemed to permeate through her. She glanced = at him,=20 almost as though she knew and moved away ever so slightly. For an = instant he=20 felt something akin to guilt from her, but then it was gone. "When Masters threatened Mom, I felt so helpless," she continued. = "What if he=20 had tried it again and the next time we couldn’t stop him?" "Masters is dead, Lisa. I saw him die. You don’t have to worry = about him=20 anymore." He could see the disbelief reflected in her eyes as she stared = at him=20 for a moment, trying to take in what he'd just told her. He nodded, = trying to=20 reassure her. Part of him had always been relieved that his own parents = didn't=20 know about the Tomorrow People. At least that way they could never be = used=20 against him, but still part of him regretted his decision. He often = wondered if=20 they had tried to find him, had wondered why he'd just left one day = without=20 word. Maybe he should send them a card or something just to let them = know he was=20 okay, or maybe it was better in the long run for all of them if he just = left=20 things the way they were. He doubted they would react well to the news = anyway.=20 Even though he couldn't see them reacting as Kevin's parents had, part = of him=20 didn't want to put his doubts as to *how * they would react when put to = the=20 test. Sometimes it was easier just to pretend his past didn't exist, and = just=20 concentrate on building his future, a future which he was trying = desperately to=20 make Lisa a part of. Lisa's look of disbelief vanished to be replaced by one of fear. He = wasn't=20 sure if it were fear for herself or for him. "But Adam, don’t you = understand?=20 There’s always going to be a Colonel Masters. If it’s not = him, it’s going to be=20 someone like him." He knew that, well at least part of him knew that. It = was=20 just that he tried not to think about it. Even though it was na=EFve, he = hoped=20 that one day the Tomorrow People would be able to just co exist on this = planet,=20 without having to always look over their shoulder and worry about = people's=20 reactions when they found out about their powers. Why did the human race = always=20 have to lash out at the things they didn't understand, the things that=20 frightened them? As he searched for a response to give her, to make her=20 understand that she had to move past that, her next words stopped him = cold. "Besides there’s other things to think about now." "Other things?" What other things? What the hell was she talking = about? Those=20 words made him realise the he knew nothing about what she'd been doing = over the=20 past few years. Maybe she already had a full life, a life which had no = space for=20 him or the others. Don't be silly, Adam. Of course she has room for you. = She's=20 still a Tomorrow Person, whether she wants to admit it to herself or = not. You've=20 got to try and convince her of that. "Other things." Lisa shifted away from him, suddenly sounding stiff = and=20 uncomfortable. She ran her hand across a pile of sand sitting on the = flat part=20 of the rock, tracing small triangular patterns in it as she spoke. Funny = how=20 they both seemed to be take refuge in playing with sand, when they were = trying=20 to hide their true feelings from others. Maybe it was easier to trace = patterns=20 than face up to the re-occurring patterns in their lives? "I’ve = made a new life=20 for myself. A life where no one knows about the Tomorrow People. I = can’t go back=20 to the way it was before. It’s too complicated." "I can help you Lisa, we all can." Adam reached out to her again but = this=20 time she made a point of showing she didn't want him too close by moving = away in=20 a very deliberate action, that feeling of guilt once again coming from = her.=20 Whatever it was he was sure it was something they could sort out = together. After=20 all how complicated could it be? "You don’t understand. I haven’t told Jamie. He = doesn’t know about the=20 Tomorrow People. I can’t expect him just to suddenly accept that = side of me when=20 I don’t even accept it myself." "Jamie?" Who the hell was Jamie? Wasn’t that one of the names = Jade had=20 mentioned earlier? "My fiancee." Oh God. Adam felt a cold hand crawl inside him, grab his heart and twist. = "Fiancee?"=20 he repeated, feeling himself go cold as he slammed his mental shields = down fast.=20 The raging current of thoughts and emotions he’d felt coming from = Lisa suddenly=20 stopped as she did the same. Surely she knew what those two words had = done to=20 him. She had to. After what seemed like forever, Adam broke the long uncomfortable = silence=20 that had grown up like a wall between them. "You’re engaged to = this guy and you=20 haven’t told him you’re a Tomorrow Person?" He heard his = voice saying the words,=20 but part of him hardly registered that he was even speaking, the state = his mind=20 and emotions were in. Lisa engaged? She was going to marry someone else? = How?=20 Why? "I’m not a Tomorrow Person." Lisa’s voice had a harsh = quality to it that=20 hadn’t been there before. "Haven’t you been listening?" He = had been listening,=20 that was the trouble. He'd heard what she'd just said only too well. = Hadn't she=20 been listening to him? Maybe he needed to resort to other means to make = her=20 understand. [You can’t just turn it off, Lisa. Even if you don’t use = your powers you’ve=20 still got them.] "You just had to do that to get your point across didn’t = you?" Adam decided to ignore that comment and continue with what had to be = said=20 before he lost his nerve. Even though he was hurting he had to put his = own=20 feelings to one side and point out the obvious, both for her sake and = for her=20 fiancee's. He spoke quickly; the sooner he got this out the better. = "Have you=20 thought about Jamie? You can’t be considering basing this marriage = on a lie. And=20 besides we don’t know what might happen if we have children. What = if your kids=20 turn out to be Tomorrow People? He needs to know what he's getting into=20 now." "I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it," she replied = stiffly. And when=20 would that be if ever? Surely she must have thought all this through or = did she=20 think if she ignored the possible consequences they would just go = away? "I think you’re already there," He pointed out, realising that = someone had=20 to. He loved her too much to see her get hurt over this later down the = track. He=20 knew full well that she wouldn't want to hear it, but it still had to be = said.=20 "You’ve got responsibilities. It’s not just about you = anymore. You’ve got to=20 consider what he wants to do, how he will feel about it." Adam listened = to=20 himself and felt something break inside. Here he was losing her to = someone else=20 and he was trying to protect that someone else. Even when faced with = losing=20 everything he still had to do the right thing, still had to think of the = greater=20 good. What was wrong with him? "What if he thinks I’m some kind of freak? What if he likes me = for who I’m=20 pretending to be, not who I am? Or should that be what I am?" Lisa = sounded=20 scared, and a small ripple of hope ran through him as he realised that = she'd=20 used the word like, not love. Come to think of it, she hadn't once said = *she=20 * actually loved the guy. Surely if they loved each other, if she = loved=20 him, she'd trust him enough to know what would happen if she told him. = Yes, but=20 she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him the truth about herself had = she? "If he loves you it won’t matter." As Adam tried to reassure = her, to say the=20 right thing, his choice of words echoed through his mind. If he loves = you it=20 won’t matter. How could someone not love her? He had tried not to = after she had=20 left and failed miserably. The whole mess with Lucy Allen had been an = example of=20 him trying to move on after realising she probably wasn’t coming = back. After=20 that he had just buried his feelings along with that other things in his = life=20 that he hadn’t dealt with very successfully, and tried to forget. = He’d been=20 succeeding quite well or so he had thought. Until today that was, until = now. "I’ll do it when the time is right," Lisa promised, not = sounding very=20 convinced. Adam mentally rolled his eyes. The time would never be right, = he knew=20 that and he knew she did too. How the hell had he let his life get to = this? Even=20 with the opportunity to regain what he'd lost and put things back on = track, he=20 still couldn't seem to get it right. She rose to her feet and glanced at her watch, shaking the sand out = of her=20 open shoes. "I have to go, Adam. I promised Mom I’d be home half = an hour ago.=20 You remember how she is." 'Promised Mom or promised Jamie?' The thought took Adam by surprise. = Where=20 had that come from? Lisa was still talking. "I’ll keep in touch, promise." She = closed her eyes,=20 concentrated and teleported leaving Adam staring at an empty beach = before he'd=20 even registered that she was leaving him. Promise? Promises are made to be broken, he thought sadly. He'd never see her = again,=20 he knew that all too well. He stood there for a moment, lost in thoughts = of what=20 might have been, should have been. Goodbye Lisa. Have a good life. The cold wind whipped around him, and he hugged himself to try and = keep warm.=20 He felt a drop of moisture on his cheek and looked towards the sky = looking for=20 the rain he knew wouldn't be there. Must be seawater carried by that = wind, he=20 told himself firmly, ignoring the urge to stand there and just let the = emotions=20 out that he'd tried to keep a grip on all these years. He looked towards = the=20 heavens again for a few minutes and shrugged. What was the point anyway? = It=20 wasn't going to solve anything. Better to bury them again, back down = where it=20 belonged. If he let himself give into those feelings now, he'd be no = good to=20 anyone. He shook his head. Better to bury them, again, much better. He walked along the lonely beach for a few minutes, throwing a few = stray=20 shells towards the waves as he gazed out to sea, trying to pull himself = together=20 before he headed back to the others. The Tomorrow People. His family. His future. Hopefully one day it would be Lisa’s again too. ****** ~Fin~ </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_00FC_01C19375.739FE540-- - 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: "Mandi Ohlin" <weird_web@hotmail.com> Subject: (arfic-l) Kind of Busy Now (1/1) Date: 02 Jan 2002 03:36:37 +0000 TITLE: Kind of Busy Now AUTHOR: Mandi Ohlin E-MAIL: weird_web@hotmail.com CATEGORY: Crossover, Humor, General Insanity RATING: PG (language) PART: 1/1 FANDOM: New Series Tomorrow People/other (saving it for the Author's Note) DISCLAIMER: After the story to avoid spoilers. SUMMARY: Lisa never gets involved in the Tomorrow People's adventures... because she has enough to deal with in her apartment complex. FEEDBACK: Sure, even if it's just to tell me I've lost my mind. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm gonna get smacked for this, I know it. This was inspired in part by Anne's "Where the Winds Blow" (a far superior story) and a whacked-out conversation on New Year's Eve about evil bunny rabbits. It's a one-sitting, unpolished piece that I had to get out of my system and is *not* to be taken seriously. I'm not telling what this is a crossover with til after the story. Timelines are purposely skewed. Telepathy is indicated by []. Please don't kill me. Kind of Busy Now by Mandi Ohlin September 1997 [Lisa? Lisa, you there?] [Uh, I'm kind of in the middle of something. What's up?] Megabyte did not have the greatest store of patience, so he wasn't exactly thrilled at how long it took Lisa to respond. He wished that Adam had thought to contact her, but the Australian was a bit distracted. Besides, as annoying as Lisa could be, she deserved to know what was going on. [It's Kev. He's in the hospital.] [WHAT?] Her mental shout nearly bowled him over. [What happened? Is he--] The telepathy cut off there, punctuated by a feeling that Megabyte could only term as the "oh-shit" feeling. [Lisa? You okay? Lisa?] [I'm fine. Someone hit an... animal on Route 80.] Obvious lie there. [What happened to Kevin?] [He's in a coma. There's something weird going on here, Lis. We might need your help.] [Yeah, sure, I'll - WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING?] In her shock, she forgot to avoid broadcasting what she was shouting. [A case of beer? All that for a case of beer?] [Are you sure you're okay?] [No, no, I'm not.] Another pause. [Um, look, I'll come to the Ship when things get... quiet... here.] She sighed mentally. [That "no killing" rule - you're sure there aren't any exceptions?] [Take my word for it.] [Damn.] * * * * * October 1997 "Where were you?" Kevin asked as Lisa appeared in the bowels of the ship. "We were starting to..." He stopped, staring at her. "...worry." Lisa scowled. Her T-shirt and jeans were torn and looked as though they were singed in a few places. Her hair was a mess, and there were leaves and twigs sticking out of it. There was dirt all over her clothes, and what looked like a three-toed footprint on the front of her shirt. "I *don't* want to talk about it." * * * * * January 1998 After five rings, Lisa finally answered her cellphone. "Hello?" "Lisa? I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours!" "Adam?" She had to shout over the crashing sounds in the background. "Uh, I'm sorry, I'm kind of busy right now!" "This is important!" "I know, but--" There was a tremendous boom and Lisa yelped. A second later, Adam heard the distinct thud of a cellphone hitting the floor. The crashing sounds abated slightly, and Adam could hear a female voice - not Lisa's - shouting over the racket. "All right, I'll tell you! I'm trapped in a room where an alien and a rabbit with high explosives are trying to kill each other!" As Adam blinked, wondering if he'd heard that properly, the voice added, "NO REHAB, Mom! I am NOT on drugs!" Lisa grabbed the phone again. "Adam? You still there?" "Was there someone shouting about an alien? And a rabbit with high explosives?" There was a pause. A long, awkward pause, punctuated by static, crashing and shouting. "Lisa?" "She's on drugs," Lisa answered abruptly, and there was a screech of indignation. "Um, I'll call you back!" * * * * * April 1998 "I can't believe she carded me," Kevin muttered as he the three other Tomorrow People sat in a booth in Crystal's Bar. The owner, a friend of Lisa's, had just taken their orders and embarrassed Kevin. "Well, you are underage," Lisa pointed out. "She treated me like I was twelve!" Megabyte snorted. "Not her fault you're so short, squirt." "Didn't she ask for your ID, too?" Adam asked. "Shut up." Megabyte scowled and changed the subject. "So where's your apartment?" "Four blocks up the street from here," Lisa replied, smiling. It was good to see the guys again. Maybe she'd be lucky and nothing would be blown up, broken or summoned from alternate dimensions courtesy of the guys in her apartment building. "It's about ten minutes from school." "And you only pay three hundred dollars a month?" Kevin asked. "I don't know, but that sounds cheap for such a nice place." Lisa sighed. "Actually--" She paused as a rumbling sound could be heard in the distance. "Did you guys hear that?" Megabyte, whose attention had wandered to the baseball game on TV, stood up. "Hey, guys, check it out." The game had been interrupted by a news bulletin. "Late breaking news! A robot has left a small town in ruins! Among the ruins, a pet food shop, where only a few bags of alfalfa hay were stolen, a Spencer's gift shop, where only a Baywatch poster was stolen, and a telemarketer office. There were no survivors at the telemarketer office." As the report continued, two guys got up from the bar. Lisa followed them out, with the rest of the group trailing behind her. "Hey!" she shouted at the pair getting into the pickup truck. "Should I be worried?" "No more than usual," was the response as the pickup truck pulled away from the curb and sped down the street. The four Tomorrow People stood there, staring at the city skyline and at the big shadow moving in the distance. "Could I stay at someone's place tonight?" Lisa asked tiredly. It was faint, but Adam could definitely hear a voice coming from the direction of the destruction. A tiny, high-pitched voice of someone who had either OD'd on caffeine or was perpetually hyper. "Ooooh! What does THIS button do?" Something crunched, and all the power for three blocks went out. Lisa flinched. "Please?" * * * * * March 1999 "One thing I love about being here," Ami sighed as she stretched out on the warm sand. "The quiet." Adam smiled. "Your mother again?" "Isn't it always?" His answering comment was cut off by a sudden wave of panic, fear, and terror... which was followed by a scream and a splash. "So much for quiet," Megabyte muttered as they scrambled to their feet to help the person staggering out of the water. When he saw just who was stumbling towards them - and what she was wearing - he fell back down on the sand, howling with laughter. Moving as best as one could while wearing a sopping grey-and-white bunny suit, Lisa scowled at him. "Quit laughing and help me out of this damn thing!" * * * * * January 2000 [Hey, guys?] [Lisa! You're awake!] [Are you okay? The "Y2K coma" thing's been all over the news!] [They said some guy kidnapped a bunch of you from the hospital!] [You know your Mum's been ranting at the police all night?] [I'm fine,] Lisa replied groggily. [Tell Mom I'm at my apartment.] [What happened?] Adam asked once the others had calmed down. [Do you know?] Lisa sighed. [I'm not sure. Is "un-coma-dified" a word?] [I don't think so,] Megabyte answered. [Just say you don't know if you don't.] [I had it explained to me by an imbecile who tried using puppets.] Ami was completely confused. [What?] [Don't ask. Will someone let Mom know I'm okay before she kills someone? I'm going to get some food and a shower.] Megabyte yawned. [Yeah, sure. Later.] He exchanged glances with Adam and Ami. [Is it just me, or is she getting weirder?] [I heard that!] Adam grinned. "Just for that, *you* get to tell Mrs. Davis." * * * * * August 2000 "Why do you read that?" Ami asked. Megabyte was sitting at the Damon kitchen table, a copy of the National Enquirer in front of him. "Just for laughs." He turned to Adam, who was staring blankly at the oatmeal in front of him. "Hey. Earth to Adam. Adam!" Adam blinked, surprised. "Sorry. I'm just thinking. Have you heard from Lisa in the past few months?" "No, but what else is new? She doesn't want anything to do with us." "Megabyte, she's just been busy. She at least checks in occasionally." "Probably just enjoying her summer." Megabyte turned the page and froze. "Uh, Adam? Take a look at this." Adam took the article from him and read it out loud: "Chupacubra photographed at a resort in the Caribbean. 'She liked Mai Tais,' said one local." "Look at the picture. Who's that in the background?" Adam and Ami stared. Behind the photo of a green dragon-like creature with a ferret on its head, two figures could be seen: a ponytailed guy with sunglasses running for his life, and a familiar girl chasing after him, holding a broken guitar over her head like a club. "This doesn't look good," Ami observed. "No kidding. She's in the Caribbean and I'm stuck in Vermont. How fair is that?" Megabyte took a bite of his bagel, blinking at the stares he was getting. "What?" * * * * * October 2000 "Hey, nice party," Megabyte observed, taking in the crowded apartment. Lisa nearly dropped her soda when she saw them, eyes widening in shock. "What are you guys doing here?" "Looking for you," Adam replied. "Aren't you supposed to be wearing a costume?" Megabyte asked, indicating the witch costume Lisa was wearing. "Cute, Megabyte. Real cute." Jade was studying the dragon decoration hanging from the ceiling. "This looks so real!" She reached up to touch it, but Lisa pulled her away. "Don't! That's, ah, likely to fall at any second. Torg can't tie a knot to save his life." She started ushering them out the door. "Let's talk outside where I can hear myself think." Out on the front porch, she turned to face them. "Look, guys, it's not that I'm not happy to see you, but Torg and Riff's Halloween parties *always* get out of hand. And not in a good way. How did you find me here?" "You left the invitation on the porch," Adam said, taking it out of his pocket. "What's all this about a demon coming every Halloween to take someone's soul?" "Um..." Lisa paused, biting her lip. She couldn't keep pretending the insanity around her didn't exist. Even though she wanted to keep her friends out of it - they had enough to worry about without dealing with everything that came with knowing Torg and Riff - she couldn't keep lying to them. "Okay, look, you guys aren't going to believe this, but that invitation? It's not a joke." "Sure," Megabyte said sarcastically. The sudden screams from inside cut off any more skepticism. There was a buzzing noise, a screech, and a thud, and general pandemonium erupted. Ignoring her better judgment, Lisa ran back inside, pushing through the crowd. "Five bucks on the squid-on-a-stick!" someone shouted. Lisa found Crystal in the crowd. "What's going on?" she asked just as another guy in a vampire costume came up and asked, "What'd I miss?" "Well..." Crystal took a deep breath. "The Red Ranger got the demon by the face with the hand of his robot arm, but the demon got him in the face with the squid-on-a-stick. Then the demon grabbed the human taco by the leg which started a tug-of-war with the dragon decoration that sprung to life to save him." "I knew it looked too real!" Jade exclaimed. Crystal kept going with the air of someone who was used to recapping the bizarre. "Then, as the generic super hero tried to pry the squid tentacles off Riff's face, they all collapsed on each other and collapsed in this big knot of bodies." Lisa turned to Megabyte, who was gaping in shock. "You were saying?" Ami looked nervous. "I think we'd better leave." "So who's that, then?" Adam pointed to the ceiling. Crystal sighed. "Oh, and the demon hunter's narrating things from the ceiling fan." "Wow," the guy in the vampire costume said. "I sure picked the wrong time to take a leak." "Let's go," Lisa muttered. * * * * * (Still) October 2000 "What," Megabyte demanded as they hurried outside, "was that?" "That was kind of standard around here," Lisa muttered. Adam stared at her. "You're joking." Lisa sighed. "God, I wish I was. And you haven't even met Bun-bun yet." Ami was peering down the street. "If the demon's in there," she said, indicating the apartment, "then what's causing all the screaming over there?" "Hey! Out of my way!" They all looked down. "The hell?" Megabyte asked. Lisa grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the way so the two animals could pass. "What?" Lisa asked. "Never seen a talking bunny rabbit with a switchblade before?" "Not one in a Halloween costume," Jade answered. "Or one that mugs children for candy," Ami added quietly. Adam squinted at the retreating pair. "Was that a ferret?" "Whoo-hooo!" They looked up to see the guy in the taco costume being flown out the window by the dragon. "The chalupa wins again!" Megabyte shook his head. "You weren't kidding about being busy, were you?" "Yep. Why do you think my rent is so cheap?" Jade watched the dragon fly off. "Chalupa? I thought he was a taco." * * * * * December 2000 "Megabyte, why are you bothering to call?" Lisa asked. "It's got to cost plenty from Vermont!" Megabyte grumbled. "Dad's orders. Wants to monitor my calls. I'm supposed to be grounded." "How long did it take you to violate that?" "Three hours. Now I'm grounded til Christmas. Like that'll work. Why do you have me on speaker phone?" "I'm trying to clean some things up, and I know you put me on the speaker too." "Dad's orders. Not my fault I have no privacy." Adam spoke up. "Lisa, we were wondering if you'd stop by today." "Well, I might be able to--" There was a muffled boom. "Oh, dear." There was shouting in the background. "Bun-bun, don't just throw stuff around helter-skelter when you're looking for something!" "You're one to talk." "I'M NOT THROWING AROUND HIGH EXPLOSIVES!" Lisa let out a deep sigh, and Megabyte started laughing. Adam punched him in the shoulder. "Let me guess. Busy?" "For the time being. I'll pop in when I'm done with damage control." "All right. Merry Christmas, Lisa." "Merry Christmas, guys." She hung up. Megabyte was lying on the floor, still chuckling. Adam nudged him with his foot. "Get up. It's not that funny." "No, I just had an idea." Megabyte sat up. "I've been trying to figure out what to get Lisa for Christmas." "No explosives, Megabyte." "Not that." Megabyte's grin was nothing short of malicious. "I'm thinking Lisa could use a pet bunny." * * * * * ~fin~ DISCLAIMER: "The Tomorrow People" and all related indicia belongs to Roger Damon Price, Thames, Tetra, and someone else. The online comic "Sluggy Freelance" and all related indicia is the brainchild of Pete Abrams and can be found at http://www.sluggy.com for those interested. Most of the incidents here were taken from the comic. No permission, no profit, no lawyers. AUTHOR'S NOTE PART 2: For those who care, the stories alluded to here are "Demon Summoning Week," "The Sci-Fi Adventure," "Aylee vs. Bun-bun," "Robot Rampage," "Mecha Easter Bunny," "Kiki's Virus," "On the Run: The Caribbean," "The Hunt," and "Spitting Image." And yes, I am insane. But the comic is proof that Anya was right all along: bunnies are evil. (At least talking mini-lop bunnies with switchblades.) Happy 2002, everyone. Running for the hills (and bed), Mandi _________________________________________________________________ Join the worldÆs largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com - 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.