Title: FLASHBACK
Characters: Dominic x April
Rating: T
Summary: A little scene that happened between Father Dom and his ghost-girl April back in his youth, when he hadn't sworn into priesthood…
Length: One-shot
Disclaimer: I do not own Father Dominic.
Other: I know this will sound very UN-character like of Father D, but remember: he isn't yet a priest in this, and he's a nineteen-year-old hotheaded boy.
FLASHBACK
She suddenly stopped and pushed my face away. "Dominic."
"What?" I said, to the beautiful glowing figure in my arms.
"I…"
"Oh, not again." I let go of her without gentleness.
"Please…" she pleaded. "Listen to me."
"Say whatever you want," I said airily, looking to one side and crossing my arms across my chest, deliberately avoiding the intense gaze of her startlingly pale blue – but beautiful, and fully possessing the potential to suck anyone who dared to stare too long, into them – eyes. "I'm listening."
She sighed. "Look," she said. "You don't know how much I want this.
But…it's just not meant to be. A person – especially a person with your…abilities – cannot be involved with a dead spirit. It is not written in the book of Nature."
"Oh," I said, exasperated. "And you've read the 'book of Nature'?"
"Dominic! Please…don't make this more difficult for me…"
"Well, if it's that difficult for you," I said. "then why don't you bloody stay?"
"I told you!" April lashed out. "I…"
"Well," I said. "You know, I might just have understood if it was an age difference thing or…if I had a club foot or something, that you wouldn't want to be with me. But hello! – to me, everything seems fine! We're both nineteen – ADULTS, in case that might be a bother – I don't have any deformities AND we both love each other! I don't see what's wrong! Oh, yeah, fine, you're not alive. So? Big deal! If it doesn't bother me, why in God's name does it matter to you so much?!"
April fell silent, seating herself on the edge of the chair. She looked down, her pretty blonde gently curling hair falling in her face. "Why," she said softly. "Why won't you understand?"
"Maybe you should try answering that question!" I half-shouted. "Why don't you understand!?"
No answer.
"You know what," I said, finally. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we're just not meant to be together. Even if your stupid stubbornness is the only freaking thing in the way of our happiness. Yeah, fine, then. I'll just go."
I bent down and roughly grabbed my shirt from the floor, then turned on my
heel and started walking. But before I had barely taken a couple of steps, I felt a warm hand on my bare shoulder.
I turned only my head. I said nothing.
"Don't go out without putting on your shirt and a sweater. It's cold out."
"Thanks for the concern," I said unfeelingly, brushing her fingers off of my shoulder and turning back to go out.
"No." She grabbed my arm with surprising strength and stopped me from
going. "You'll fall ill."
"So?" I said, losing my patience. "I'll fall ill! Why are you bothered?"
"Dominic!" April said. "Stop acting like a child!"
"Oh," I said, mock-laughing. "So now I'm being a child! I see!"
April shushed me. "Please," she said. "Stop yelling. You'll wake up the lady next door."
I looked at her slack-jawed. Here I was, trying to be unreasonable, and all she cared about was the lady next door! This was too much. I was so outraged that I spilled these thoughts out into my words. "April!" I cried. "How can you care about the lady next door in such a situation?! I'm trying to convince you to not break up with me, and you're worried about old Mrs. Gelleher!"
April smiled like one would during a little child's temper tantrum. "Oh, Dominic." She finally looked like someone had broken down her wall.
She rushed into my arms and captured my lips in her own.
& & & &
"April…?" I was confused. "You aren't glowing as brightly as usual…"
April looked down at herself. "Y-You're right, Dominic…" she said, sounding as if she was afraid something terrible would happen when the words slipped out of her mouth. Which did seem to be happening.
"What's happening…!" she panicked. "I-I don't understand! Dominic! I'm fading!"
I looked at her wide-eyed, in horror feeling frustrated at being so helpless. "April!" I cried. "Don't go!"
"I…I can't stop it! Someone…something's pulling me away!"
"NO!" I was panicked, frightened and clueless. Even as a relatively experienced ghost-helper of nineteen years, I had never come across this kind of a scenario ever before, and I was at a complete loss as to what I should do.
"April!" I cried, nearly in tears. "I…don't know what's happening!..."
"DOMINIC!" Tears were free-flowing down my April's cheeks now. She was clearly suffering. And yet I had not the faintest idea how to stop this horrific thing from happening as it gleefully unfolded before my despairing eyes.
"APRIL!" I darted forward in an effort to have any last physical contact I could have with her… But to my growing horror, my fingers slipped right through her, like they would through smoke. She was weeping distressfully, obviously in pain, holding out her arms at full length, calling out to me to save her, as she slowly faded away into thin air…
"April…" I called, when finally only the faintest whisper of her remained. "Oh April…what happened…"
The only form of relief delivered to me was when April looked like her pain had ceased. She had a strange but calming look of peace on her face.
"Dominic." Her voice was quiet.
"April…"
She smiled as if to say, "Don't worry. Sleep well tonight. Everything's going to be all right." Then she disappeared.