It was raining outside and her clothes were still a little damp from walking through the rain, her favourite charcoal sketch had smudged around the edges, managing to turn into a blur and she was pretty sure one of Anna's kittens had snuck away some of her oil pastels last night. But, Kaitlyn was smiling. All these things might have upset her had this been any other day. But today? Today the heavy gray sheets of rain seemed to radiate the colour of his eyes. The black charcoal was reminiscent of his hair and even with the missing pastels, she still had all she needed to complete the image before her.
It wasn't one of those pictures-the ones that started with an itch in her palm and an inevitable future - but for the first time in her life, she wished it was. Kait was just about finished- a touch of gold here, a curl in the black there was all that remained. She still had an hour though so she took her time, carefully filling in the details. She let her hands take control and her mind began to wander. She thought of the last two years of her life that had been so much better than she could have ever imagined.
Two years. That's how long it's been she thought. Two years since the whitewash of fear and panic that was a constant drumming in her heart disappeared. Vanished, along with Mr. Zetes. And love and light had taken its place.
Thinking of love left her thinking of him. Gabriel. The love of her life. Even now, after two years, he still looked at her as if she were a queen and she still viewed him as a knight. My knight. Just this morning, she'd woken up in his strong arms and felt even the tiniest anxieties she might have had about today melt away.
And then his eyes opened. He looked startlingly handsome with his dark curls twisted in a messy bedhead, pale strong arms and his breathtaking crooked half smile but it wasn't any of these things that held her thought. It was his eyes. Even in their sleepy gaze, she could see love beyond anything else and she was surer of her love for him than she'd ever been about anything.
"Chiaroscuro," Kaitlyn said, "Did you know that that's the first impression I ever had of you? Black and white."
Gabriel considered this and then replied with light humour in his voice, "You know I'd be offended if my first impression of you wasn't 'medieval witch'." He air quoted the last two words and leaned in to kiss her. "I can't believe it's today," he whispered against her lips, "How did a guy like me end up with a girl like you?"
"Through the use of endless, clichéd western movie lines," she told him, running her hand through his shiny black hair and smiling. It was her new smile. The smile that erupted on her face whenever she was near Gabriel. Or when she thought of him. Or when someone brought up his name. Really, mostly anything that reminded her of him brought on this particular smile.
He answered with his own hundred megawatt smile and a lingering disbelief in his eyes."I really, honestly, truly can't believe you're mine," He tightened his arms around her, "Too bad we can't just stay in bed all day."
"We can't. Or have you actually forgotten?" Kaitlyn lifted a brow.
Amusement flickered in his melting gray eyes. He sat up in the bed and lifted her up in his arms. "As if I could forget. Today's going to be a great day!" he said. And then he kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that had her wondering whether they could really stay in bed all day.
Simply thinking of this one innocent moment had her blushing. Gabriel was so much more now than the black and white boy she had first seen stepping out of the California Youth Authority bus. It wasn't just the good in him that had surfaced since their proclamation of love. He had so many different sides to him now that she had never known before. He was funny, smart, thoughtful and so much more. Even now, she would see a new him and get goosebumps all over.
Going to the Fellowship after the incident with Mr Zetes had certainly been a good idea. The visit had done more than just help Gabriel control his powers. The pure firestone hadn't disintegrated the way Mr Zetes' had. It had left a million tiny pieces that the Fellowship had collected and woven together into a magnificent tapestry which now hung above a fireplace in the living room of the Fellowship Headquarters. And these remnants of the crystal had given Gabriel a wonderful gift. The ability to connect minds with one or more persons at a time, for as long as he wanted, without them completely losing their minds. Kaitlyn could still remember the first time Gabe learnt of this possibility and she had never seen him more tense than the first time he'd experimented one-on-one telepathy.
She'd volunteered, of course, said she knew him better so it might help but Gabriel had refused. He'd given her a look of quiet desperation and told her he might lose control. "I can't bear the thought of losing you. Not again. Never again."
These words from the past made her smile again. To think he managed telepathy so easily now when before even a touch of the minds would have been enough to turn the other person into a permanent vegetable. The five-way link had broken but now Gabe could turn it on and off whenever he wanted to. Kait remembered the complete look of joy on his face when the very first experiment had turned out to be a success.
Her own powers had increased too. She was definitely a telepath now. Not like Gabriel though and not much like Frost had been either. She could see into people's minds and know their…not thoughts exactly but more like their auras. What they wanted to happen. Their worst fears, their hopes and their dreams. Her predictions had gotten more accurate too…and more pleasant. Now they weren't just gory images of the future but also included the occasional full-of-joy image. She'd predicted Lydia's psychic ability and that had definitely left her happy. Like Lewis, she also had psychokinesis. They were the perfect couple.
"That's beautiful Kait," a voice said behind her, bringing her back from her memories to the complete picture before her. It was a picture of Kaitlyn with Gabriel's arms around her standing next to Anna and Rob while Lewis rested his arm on Gabriel's shoulder. They all looked happy standing in a garden that was covered in white fairy lights that looked beautiful against the dimming sky in the background.
She turned around to see Anna, tall and wise, leaning on the doorway. She looked elegant and glamorous as always in a dress identical to the one Kait had painted her in—knee-length pink silk tied at the waist with a sideways white bow. Anna was smiling but had slight tears in her eyes. "I've missed you."
Kaitlyn ran and hugged her best friend whom she hadn't seen in the last 4 months; ever since she and Gabriel had moved in to New York City and resumed their scholastic careers—Kait taking art classes while Gabriel tried out his dreams in the music field once more. Sometimes, when they met up after college, he'd play some of the music he'd composed just for her. Suffice to say, his music had a way of plucking at heart strings and leaving the audience wanting more.
Anna and Rob, however had decided to stay back in Canada with the Fellowship. Anna's sweet nature and Rob's enthusiasm to help others were just the qualities the Fellowship required most and both of them were more than happy to, at first, help, and then, to take permanent residence there when asked to join the counsel.
Right now, Kaitlyn and Anna stood hugging in the studio of her New York apartment overlooking Central Park. The scholarship agreement had actually had a lot more money in store for them than they had realized. And so they'd moved here. To the city that held Gabe's childhood. Kait had smiled then and she smiled now. The musings of the city for Gabe and the beauty of the park for me. Perfect.
"Gabriel told me you'd be up here," Anna said after a whole five minutes which is when Kait released her from their bear hug. "I've known him 3 years, Kait, and I've never seen such joy in his eyes… Come to think of it, I've never seen you this happy either."
Kait knew she was smiling from ear to ear but she also knew that Anna understood completely. After all, she and Rob had been going steady for over a year and a half now.
"I wouldn't make many jokes if I were you…You and your special someone can be made plenty fun of too!" Kait said laughing. "Speaking of, where is he, anyway? You two didn't come together?" Kait looked behind Anna but to no avail.
"We did but he and Gabriel got talking at the door and decided they better clear out before you have to start getting ready, which should be right about..."she checked her watch, "now! Hurry up, Kait! We can't be late!"
Kaitlyn had been applying fixative to her painting as Anna spoke. Now, she rolled up the giant painting together and watched her best friend with amusement. It was the first time she'd ever seen her flustered.
The doorbell rang as Kaitlyn and Anna were coming down the steps of the studio. It was Lydia and Bri, both in the same pink dress as Anna and both with large smiles on their faces.
"How's the girl of the day feeling?" Bri asked the moment she crossed the threshold, throwing her arms around Kait. Without the influence of the dark crystal, she had begun to look, and act, more like the teenager she was. Her dark hair and vivid face now brought to mind the first ever picture Kait had seen of her. Wholesome and pretty. Every now and then, a dark shadow would cross her features when someone brought up her old life. The rest of the time though, Kaitlyn couldn't think of anyone better if you had a fun and loud evening in mind.
"Congratulations! I mean not yet but for the whole thing in general," Lydia said meekly from behind Sabrina. Somehow even with two years of friendship behind them, Lydia was still very shy. It suited her though…suited her counterpart as well, Kait thought smiling inwardly.
"Lewis and Renny met the guys downstairs and I think they're planning to go out and do some guy bonding or whatever until you're ready so come on…you haven't even changed yet!" Bri went on impatiently.
Alone in her room, Kait slipped on her own dress. It was similar to the others' except it was ankle length and while theirs' had been pink with a white bow, hers' was white with a pink bow. Alone, she thought about how well things had been going with Bri and Lydia at the Fellowship.
Being the kind of couple that enjoyed the road, Lydia and Lewis had decided to handle the research work for the Fellowship around the same time she and Gabe had moved here. They worked together, on the constant lookout for psychics—the Fellowship now offered help to the psychics who'd gone wrong and sought out young psychics to teach them the way of the old race. Slowly they wished to rebuild the dying Fellowship.
Bri would still be in school till the following summer and after that, she was planning on working at the Lost Kids Foundation. When asked, she'd simply said, "because I wish someone had been able to find me when I'd been locked up at the institute. If I'm able to get these missing kids back to their parents, it'll feel as if some of the time spent learning new tricks was worth something, you know? "
An excellent choice of career path too, Kaitlyn thought, there are few who can remain hiding when Bri is the one searching.
But the ones that remain hiding, hide themselves well, her mind replied. The thought left her heartbroken. On the way back from the Fellowship, she and Gabriel had made a stop at Kaitlyn's old house but her father had been gone. Nowhere to be found. No one even remembered he existed. He'd vanished just like Mr Zetes and after a month of fruitless searching—with Bri's help of course—Kait had cried herself to sleep in Gabriel's arms and given up on ever finding him, hoping that, wherever he was, he was at peace. Kait feared she might start crying again but thankfully Anna chose this moment to knock on the door.
"Are you dressed Kait? I think we should start on your make-up."
"Yeah, come on in."
An hour later, Kait stepped out of Lydia's car and was ushered into a small tent behind an outcrop of trees. She could hear light music playing in the background. It was one of the songs Gabriel had written for her but she could tell it wasn't him playing. Rob, Lewis and Renny soon joined them in the tent wearing identical black suits. They all congratulated and hugged her and laughter infused the talk around her but she couldn't concentrate on what her friends were saying anymore. All she could feel was the adrenaline in her veins from the excitement this moment was to bring.
And then the music changed. They had all rehearsed this so they knew it was the cue. Lewis handed Lydia a small pink bouquet from the side table and they left the tent together. Renny and Bri followed suit a moment later. Anna hugged Kait once more, dried her eyes and left arm in arm with Rob who glanced back to give her an encouraging smile. And that was it. She was alone. She had five minutes, she knew, before she too had to leave the tent herself.
Kait, I have a surprise for you. Take as long as you need.
It was Gabriel communicating his thoughts to her. But it confused her. Surely no present could keep her from him a moment longer than she had to.
It was then that her father entered the tent.
At first, neither of them said anything. They just stood there staring at each other.
"Dad?" Her voice came out hoarse and wobbly and a second later, she threw her arms around him. "Where have you been? I searched for you. Endlessly. But I couldn—"
"Shh…It's okay. I'm fine. Don't cry." He wiped away the tears in her eyes that were threatening to spill over. "I know you think I was in pain but in all honesty, I don't remember much of anything...it's like I was asleep. All I know is that yesterday, a young man woke me up and told me what's been happening while I was...asleep. Something about a Mr Zetes?"
Kait nodded as her father explained and her tears slowed. She tightened her arms around her father, laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, unable to let go of him. They stayed like that for a long while before she could finally speak again.
"You're sure you're okay?" she asked softly, "Isn't there anything I can do for you?"
Her father pulled away from her and searched her eyes.
"You can answer a question of mine. This boy who woke me up and explained everything...he also told me he loved you Kait and that he was going to marry you today. Is that true? Do you love him?"
Kaitlyn nodded around her still fading tears and smiled. So Gabriel had found him. He always seemed to do things that left her speechless and full of admiration. Love for him swelled in her chest and her eyes watered all over again.
"If that's so then we better not keep him waiting." And with that he handed her the largest bouquet on the table and opened the tent flap onto the world beyond. The garden before her was just as she'd seen in her precognition the night Gabriel had proposed—decked out in all kinds of flowers and filled with, not only music from the instruments but also from the million and one birds that seemed to have gathered to sing just for her; courtesy of Anna, she was sure.
Kaitlyn put her arm through her father's and started to walk with slow steady steps just as she had practiced. She didn't look towards the end of the aisle, afraid that if she saw him standing there, she'd forget all her practice and run to him so, instead, she looked at all her friends who had come to see her united with Gabriel. She could pick out Tamsin who was the new leader of the Fellowship, Marisol who had recovered completely and presently taught a kindergarten class and Joyce who now worked at the Fellowship, helping others correct their wrongs the way the Fellowship had helped correct hers.
And then she was at the end of the aisle and she looked up, finally, into his smoldering gray eyes. She could tell he was worried about her and wanted to make it okay. She reluctantly let go of her father's hold and walked into Gabriel's welcoming arms.
"Thank you. I love you so so much." She whispered in his ear and drew away from him so the ceremony could begin. His eyes were shining with happiness and she realized that hers probably mirrored his. She tried to visualize the scene from someone else's eyes. The sun was beginning to set and they were surrounded in a halo of white light. To the leftmost, stood Lydia and Bri, gorgeous in their light pink dresses, Anna, being the maid of honor stood a little closer to the center. To the rightmost stood Renny and Lewis and like Anna, Rob stood a little closer to the center—Gabriel had asked him to be the best man. And right in the middle Gabriel and Kaitlyn stood with their hands clasped together, their faces the very picture of happiness.
And then it was time for the vows and as decided she was going to be the first to speak. She had prepared a speech but now, as she gazed into is eyes, she threw all those practiced words out the metaphorical window.
"Gabriel, you are always there for me whenever I need you. You always know how to make everything alright. I don't know how you do it but your very presence has a way of calming my worst fears. I know who you are to the very core and I can't find a single thing that I might object to. You are perfect. And you are mine. From today on to forever. Gabriel, do you take me as your wife?"
It was as if Gabriel's eyes had shattered like glass and she could see all that he was. And under all his thoughts, she could sense a single emotion that seemed to have taken over his entire being, filling him completely. He loved her more than he could say. Loved her in a way that couldn't be put into words.
"I do" He said, his voice full of emotion and even as he spoke, Kaitlyn's hand began to itch and she felt the need to draw. She let her mind do the work while she focused her attention on what Gabriel was about to say and he looked right into her eyes to say it.
"Kaitlyn, you are everything beautiful, brave and gallant. Everything that makes me want to be a better person for you. I didn't know what friendship or love meant before I met you. I had had glimpses but never really felt the real thing. You have taught me to be patient, to be happy, to be alive. You have taught me all that and so much more and I don't think I can ever really make up for all the times I've hurt you. To this day I don't understand how you can love me knowing who I am. But I can promise you my undying love. I can promise you a life of absolute happiness. I will never let you be unhappy again. So, Kaitlun Fairchild, do you take me as your husband?"
"I do! Of course I do!" she squealed just as the image forming in her mind completed and it was one of such happiness that Gabriel, sensing the escalated emotion, gave her a questioning look and in reply, she sent him the image. She saw his eyes widen with surprise and then an ear splitting smile cut across his face. He took her in his arms and held her tight even before the minister had the chance to declare them 'man and wife'
Three years later, she saw that very image come to life. She was sitting on the floor next to Gabriel, in the living room of their apartment, playing with a one year old baby girl. An extremely cute baby girl who had inherited her mother's creamy Irish skin and smoky blue eyes and her father's shock of curly black hair. Our baby girl, Kaitlyn thought to Gabriel as the little girl went on playing with her soft toys. In response, Gabriel leaned in and gave her a soft, warm kiss. The kiss held his gratitude, his love. And so the image was complete.