Emerald Eyes

Thanks to: Christi for her friendship, and my brain for causing me no end of sleepless nights.

Alan Gado awoke slowly from his slumber. A new day dawned for the old lion. He often wondered how many he'd have left. He was just a day shy of his 50th year, and his head had many gray hairs to show for it. Slowly, he rose to his feet, and approached the shower. He had a long day ahead of him. A full schedule of meetings and such with members of the UN, ass-kissing several government representatives and other bureaucratic bullshit awaited him. But when it was all over, at nine o'clock in a small restaurant in a small town in southern France, he'd have his birthday present.

Brushing his wild blonde hair back, he began to dress himself for the day ahead. He pulled his hair into a relatively respectable ponytail, and then draped a powder-blue shirt over his body. A tan overcoat and slacks followed, then a red and black striped tie.

"I hate ties," he muttered as he fidgeted with the offending garment.

Gado checked himself over, and then walked outside. It was unusually warm for a September morning. Just like that night they met…

25 years ago

"You'll be working with a partner on this, Alan. Jennifer Burtory, formerly of MI6. She's supposedly one of the best freelance spies out there."

"British, eh?" Gado said thumbing through the file, "and a hot tomato at that… I think I'm going to like this job."

"Nice to see I don't disappoint," a woman's voice sarcastically called. Alan turned his head, catching a glimpse of her for the first time. She was tall a slender, with dyed black hair. Her emerald eyes entranced the young mercenary. She approached with a seductive swagger that enthralled Alan even more. She turned mere feet from him, and walked over to the General.

"Alan Gado, meet Jenny Burtory. Jenny, this is the mercenary I was telling you about. Tops in the field."

"Alan quickly rose from his seat. "Ummm… uuuuuh… I mean nice to… uhhh… Hi."

Jenny smiled and chuckled to herself. "Good evening, Mr. Gado."

"Uuuuuh… hi…"

Jenny laughed aloud. "You already said that." Alan went red in the face for a moment. Jenny took a step towards him, and kissed him on the cheek. "I like you, you're cute."

She walked away with the same swagger that had mesmerized the young mercenary before. It was long after she had left the room that Alan was able to regain some semblance of composure.

"She sure is something, isn't she?" the elder general said, giving Alan a slight nudge.

"Ah, Mr. Gado. I'm Ambassador Han Song Ryol of North Korea. Please, sit down…"

Alan nodded, and sat across from the small, Korean man. He had agreed to meet him in order to discuss Zoanthrope relations in Asia, prior ro a summit on the matter to be held in Beijing at the end of the month. But somehow, Gado was distracted.

"Now, Mr. Gado, I'd like you to know that my government fully supports Zoanthrope rights. We're no strangers to first had knowledge of what heresy and prejudice can do to a people…"

"Great, they're using my cause to paint themselves the helpless victims…" Alan thought to himself. Gado knew all to well what it was like in North Korea…

25 years ago

It had been barely eight hours since they met, and already their lives were in each other's hands. The heart of Pyongyang, not a friendly face in sight, all they had was each other. The mission was simple, infiltrate and NK base, steal a few important documents, then hide out for a few weeks while reinforcements arrived. It was the place that was dangerous…

"So… Jenny, was it? Need some company after this gig?" Alan said as he attached the plastique to the door. He back away, and activated the charge, quietly, the door blew off its hinges. Alan rushed to catch it, and set it quietly alongside the wall.

Jenny giggled in a sly, seductive manner. "Can't hide from the man with the bestial senses, eh Gado? No strings animal passion, Alan, and you're paying for the drinks."

"The General hands out platinum credit cards to his 'outside contractors.'"

Jenny held her index finger to her lips, with a coy smile, telling her companion to quiet down. "First things first honey. Ninja business." She secured the tether to her waist, and began repelling down the elevator shaft.

"Be careful. It smells like death down there."

"Don't worry about me, Alan…"
"Alan? Alan? Mr. Gado? Are you awake?" Han Song Ryol asked.

"Huh? Oh, I apologize, Mr. Ambassador, my mind was elsewhere."

"Ah," the man said, "From the look on your face, with a woman, no doubt!" Alan said nothing. "My people tell me it is your birthday, Mr. Gado. Now, a man shouldn't work on his birthday, right? How about we reschedule. I have an opening Wednesday, 4 o'clock. My secretary will be in touch." With a jovial handshake, the small Korean man walked away.

Alan took a sip of his drink. "Sleaze." He muttered under his breath.

The day passed in an unusually slow pace. Meeting after meeting, handshakew after handshake, and politician after politician. It was all Alan could do to keep focused.

25 years ago

"They should be here…" Jenny said nervously. "Where are they?"

"Relax, they'll be here" Alan said.

"We don't have time to relax, Alan, we need to get you to a hospital! She bent down to check on the bandage over Alan Gado's left eye.

"It's not bleeding as bad as before." On their way to the rendezvous point, they had gotten into a skirmish with some North Korean soldiers. During the fighting, a grenade detonated near Jenny. Selflessly, Alan threw himself in between her and the blast. It was too far away to do any real harm, but a piece of shrapnel managed to lodge itself in Alan's left eye.

"I don't care, Alan." Jenny said, making sure the wound was as clean as possible. Alan let out a slight chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"You're worried about me." Alan placed his hand over her cheek.

"Alan…" Jenny said remorsefully. "You shouldn't get involved with me… it's not fair to you…"

"Its my choice, isn't it?" He drew her close for a kiss, but as fortune would have it, the helicopter chose that moment to arrive, its whirling blades ruining the moment. Alan would be taken to a nearby MASH, while Jenny, presumably, to her next assignment.

Alan walked into the small, café in St Tropez, on France's Mediterranean coast. The place was empty, just as he had asked, save the waiting staff. Dimly lit through the veil of candles, he saw her. She sat at a table, in her usual sensual red attire. She was a stunning as the day they met, the same flawless face, the same hair, silky hair, the same curve of her lips, and same emerald eyes that drew him to her. He took a seat across from her, and shot a glance to the band. They began playing a soft sonata, to not intrude on the conversation of their guests.

"Happy birthday Alan." She said in that silky, seductive voice.

"You look as beautiful as you did all those years ago…" Gado said, giving in to the nostalgia. Every year since that day, they would meet in this same café on Alan's birthday. Every year they'd enjoy the other's company, and when they would part the next morning, they'd promise to do it again next year.

But this time, Alan had other plans.

He motioned for the waiter to get their drinks. It was always the same, a glass of water for Alan, and a red wine for Jenny. The same thing, for 25 years…

The waiter brought out something different, as per Alan's request: 2 glasses of white wine. At first, jenny looked befuddled. It had always been the same for 25 years, why change now?"

She examined the glass, until she noticed a small ring-shaped object in the bottom of the glass. She reached in, still confused, and took it out. She held it to the light. A solid gold ring, with a large white diamond in the center of two bright green emeralds. She gasped… it was an engagement ring.

"Alan…" she said fighting back tears… "I told you… it's not fair to you…"

"That is my choice, Jenny. This is yours."

Jenny slumped her head, almost in sorrow. Tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks. 25 years… and Alan kept trying. He never gave up on them, no matter what. There were years when all they'd see of each other was this one night, and yet… he never forgot…

"Alan…" she said sadly. Alan's heart began to sink. He prepared himself for this possibility, but it still hit him like a truck. She looked up at him, eyes welled with tears.

She held up her hand, the ring slid on the appropriate finger. "Yes."