Title: Always
Pairing: Prof. Membrane/OC
Genre: Romance, Family
Rating: K+
Word Count: 5'842
Language: English
Summary: From Single to Married to Mother to Dead, she never expected her life to change so drastically ever since that one meeting.
Disclaimer: Don't own it and you know it!
Before I had even met Membrane, I grew up in a small town. I lived with my mother, my father and my two older brothers, who were four years older than me. My brothers and I never got along, I think it was because I was too smart for them to handle, and my parents always treated me like a princess. My parents both worked, unlike some parents who only have one working while the other is a stay-at-home, and I had to rely on myself to do things, since my brothers hated me. My dad worked as a doctor, while my mother worked as a lawyer. My brother hadn't even thought of jobs, and they were 16 and in need of cash and cars, and they didn't do well in skool. I, however, worked hard in skool and skipped too many grades to count. I was in college before they had even thought of what they were going to do in life. I had thought of my life's plan earlier on, when I was seven. I was going to be a businesswoman and own a huge company, which I did two and half years after I graduated college.
Once I became the owner of my own company, I made hundreds of dollars. I supported charities and everything I could think off. I was famous just for being a rich woman who owned a company. And it was what I wanted in life. Nothing else.
No love life, no husband, no children, nothing. I was happy being alone and helping others with the money I made.
And yet, here I was at the age of 25, having my very own mother set me up on pity dates!
The men my mother set me up with talked to much or to little, or weren't very bright, or could only talk of themselves. Those that actually wanted to know me never had a chance too, before I left because my company called me. I had lost count on how many times my mother has tried to tell me to turn off my cell or take it away from me. she even has the nerve to try to coax me out of being a business woman! Quit my job... Does she want me to end up like my brothers who work as waiters or in the fast food business? God lord, I rather hope not.
As I thought about whether or not I should skip Christmas (which was in a few days) with my parents, just to teach my mother a lesson, my office phone let out its shrill tone. I pressed the speaker button and leaned back into my leather chair.
"What do you want, mother?"
"Hello to you too, honey." she greeted, sarcasm dripping in her words. I rolled my eyes. "But, as I am a lawyer, we'll get down to business."
"Let me guess, you want me to bring fruitcake when I come down for Christmas?"
"Oh, hush up. You know what I'm talking about."
"I'm not bringing a date home for Christmas, mother, nor am I going on dates. I refuse to be subjected to your torture anymore."
"Torture? Those men were very nice!"
"Goodbye, mother, I'll see you at Christmas."
Before she could interject, I pressed the 'end' button. I sighed in annoyance, going through my draws in my desk and bringing out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. I pulled one out and lit up, taking a long drag. Even I needed a smoke sometimes.
The phone went off again and I sighed again, pressing the speaker button once again. My secretary's voice spoke to me.
"Boss? You have a meeting in ten."
"Thank you, Jak."
I ended the conversation and sat up, finishing off the smoke before tossing it in an ashtray. After I did so, I stood up, straightened my suit and left to have my meeting.
This was my life and I loved it.
A few hours before I left to go see my parents for Christmas, I had a once last meeting to go to.
The man I was meeting with was the face of science, Professor Membrane. He was a scientist, one who used every type of science to educate and help people of every age. People adored him, just because he was so damn smart and so damn enthusiastic. I doubt he knew he could charm practically any woman in this whole world into his bed, he is a handsome and intelligent man after all, but I didn't want to tell him. Plus, he's to busy making people love science. In fact, the meeting we were having was for money so he could have his own television show, just to make even more people love science. I hadn't understand why he would come to my company for money, but I had a feeling it was from when I helped him with one of his charities.
I smoothed out any wrinkles in my suit, fixed my hair, before I opened the door to the board room.
Membrane sat in one of the seats, alone. He wore his usual outfit , goggles, white lab coat , gloves and boots with his black hair in that ridiculous style. I arched my brow, why was he alone? I actually expected some of his lawyers or fellow scientists in the room with us. But it was just us.
I walked over to him, and he stood up so we could shake hands. We greeted each other while we shook before I sat down in my seat to prepare for business.
"Is anyone else joining us, Professor Membrane?" I asked him. He chuckled.
"No, no. I thought we could do this ourselves." he told me. "After all, great minds think alike."
I smiled. "Of course."
We then started business. We talked of the pros and cons of his decisions (there were no cons), what my company would benefit from this, what the future would hold for us. We soon made an agreement, and after we actually started a conversation. I was surprised in myself, and in him. I was never one to have conversation after meetings, and it was rumored that Membrane got what he wanted and left to go back working in the name of science.
I surprised myself even more when I started laughing at a brilliantly told science joke. He chuckled along with me. Once my laughing fit was done, we chatted some more. And, dare I say, we even started flirting!
Membrane had unbutton his top button on his lab coat by now, so he could talk to me easier. I had tossed my jacket on the back of my chair, with the few top buttons on my dress shirt undone. He was leaning in his chair, with his arms on the armrest, while I was leaning forward with my head in the palm of my hand. He was telling me another joke about science, causing me to laugh afterwards.
He took of a sip of his water, which I had brought to us during the middle of one of our conversations. The person who delivered it to us looked shocked that I was smiling and laughing, and left quickly to tell the rest of their co-workers.
"You know, Membrane," I began. He looked at me. "I'm surprised I'm actually enjoying your company."
He chuckled. "Really now?"
"Of course. I'm even surprised you stayed this long to chat with me." I confessed. My eyes widened. "Oh, dammit, what time is it?" I checked my phone and cursed. "My mother is going to have my head! I'm sorry I have to go, but I have to go meet my family for Christmas."
I pulled my jacket off my seat and placed it in the crook of my elbow. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Professor Membrane. Hope to see you again."
Before I was out the door, he spoke up. "Why not after Christmas, at Bloaty's Pizza?"
I stopped, looking back at him with slightly wide eyes and red cheeks. He couldn't possibly know that Bloaty's was my favorite place, right? Not unless he called my mother- "I would love to." I said, smiling at him, before I left.
My mother forgave me for being late, once I told her everything that happened in my business meeting.
I cleared my schedule the day of my first date. My first date, that my mother hadn't set up, and it was at my favorite place to eat. It felt really good.
Membrane met me up a few minutes after I arrived. We greeted each other, complimented on what a nice day it was, then entered Bloaty's. We waited in line for almost twenty minutes before we ordered our pizza and sat in a both to wait. We chatted, laughing and enjoying our time before our pizza finally arrived. We ate happily, munching on our slices.
We talked of our likes and dislikes, our families, what our lives were like, and our careers. Soon enough our pizza was eaten and we walking out in the streets.
We walked to the park, and sat down and chatted. It wasn't long before we had to part ways, and he asked me on another date.
Of course I said yes.
News of our dating reached everywhere, because of my mother I'm sure. We had never mind, and we didn't go on dates often since our careers were keeping us busy enough, and I had more than enough women, even some men, that sent me hate mail. I never minded their immature behavior, because I had Membrane. We had only gone on so very little dates in the time we knew each other, but I had found out I loved him.
I was sad today, since I had to cancel one of our dates for the sake of a very important meeting in another state.
My mother had phoned me before the meeting, to wish me luck and all that. She didn't need to do any of that, I never leave a meeting empty-handed. I always win.
After the meeting, my chauffeur drove me back to my hotel. I took the elevator to my rented room, entered, and sighed, shutting my door behind me. I resided in one of the room on the top floor, and they were wide and spacious. A queen-sized canopy bed was pushed against a pale wall, with a huge flat screen a few feet across from it in the wall. My suitcase was under my bed, and my labtop was on a nightstand beside it. A jacuzzi bathtub was in the corner by a huge window, no curtains, and the bathroom was across from it in a small closet.
I walked across the carpeted floor, grabbing my pajamas from my suitcase on the way, and onto the tile. I turned on the jacuzzi tub and started undressing as it filled with bathwater. Once it was filled with water and bubbles, I entered and closed my eyes.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. Me, thinking it was house keeping, told them to go away. They ceased their knocking, only to begin a few seconds later. I ignored them, hoping they would go away.
The knocking continued, and I was so tempted to wrap a towel on, open the door and yell at them, when it finally stopped. I sighed, happy to have it gone, and started relaxing. Not long after, the lock on my door clicked and whoever did it entered my room. I turned my head around to look at them, ready to tell to get the Hell out, but the person there made my eyes widened.
"W-what are you doing here?" I squeaked, blushing red. Membrane walked over to my bath and got down on his knees.
Then he took out a ring and proposed.
We married eight months later, in a huge section in the park. All his fans and our friends and family gathered in their seats. Newscasters broadcasted our wedding live, and anyone who couldn't show up watched it on their television. My father was the one to walk me down the aisle, while my mother embarrassed herself nationally by sobbing uncontrollably about how I finally found someone to spend the rest of my life with.
My dress had lace sleeves with a sweetheart-cut bodice. The skirt of my dress was covered in the same lace as my sleeves and it had a two-foot trail, unlike my veil that was almost twelve feet long. In my hands was a small bouquet of violets, the same shade of purple as my hair, which was in it's usual bun. I wore no jewelry, and went natural on my makeup.
Membrane looked very handsome in a black tuxedo, with a violet in his breast pocket. He still wore those damned goggles, but I was perfectly okay with that, and spoke his vows perfectly, with his same enthusiastic voice. Once the rings were on, we were able to kiss, and the audience cheered so loud. My brothers wolf-whistled.
We walked down the aisle, hand in hand, our families close behind. We never had a bridal party. But our families were hugging and kissing us, telling us 'congratulations'. Before we left the wedding, I threw my bouquet towards the guests, not caring who caught it and kissed my new husband once again.
We had our reception at Bloaty's.
In the beginning of every marriage, it's always great. I think it's because of all the sex they have, and not actually the love they want.
Me and Membrane had sex once, on our wedding night, then continued working a day after. Everyone was expecting us to be on a honeymoon, or even be having one. But we decided that we didn't want one, and no one questioned us about it ever again. Neither one of us didn't even mind that we were spending the same amount time we did before we got married; barely any. We were so caught up in work.
And it we were so caught up in work for the next three years, before my mother called us and invited us to spend our next wedding anniversary with her and my dad. We didn't even know our wedding anniversary was coming up, so we agreed.
We celebrated our anniversary at my parent's, where my mother started chatting to me about children. I wanted to get off the subject, as quickly as I could, when the rest of my family started agreeing with my mother. Saying things like, 'Why aren't you pregnant yet?", "You guys should get some kids soon.", "Kids are great to have!", and "There's no true joy than your own child." I was about to start yelling at them, telling them we weren't ready for kids and we were far to busy to have any, when Membrane spoke up.
"Actually, I would like to have children as well." he agreed, placing his hand on mine. I stared at him with wide eyes, ignoring the proud look my family was giving him.
On the drive home, we talked about children. I remember asking him why he wanted children, and he told me he wanted someone, an heir of sorts, so he could teach them the value of science. I watched as he passionately talked about how his child would be smart and how they would change the world forever.
That's when I confessed I couldn't have children.
It was a four months later when he woke me up in the middle of the night, after coming back from work, and told me he had created something ingenious. I sat up, rubbing my eyes tiredly, and asked him what it was.
He then started explaining to me about cloning, only slightly different, and how it would involve a mixture of both of our DNA's. He told me how our 'child' would grow in a tube, resembling a womb, and in nine months the child would be set into our world and grow like any other child would. The child would be like any other child. It would grow, live, eat, sleep, talk, and walk. I watched, again, as he passionately talked about how amazing this child would be, and how it could change the world of science.
This is where I told him, if we did this, that I didn't want our child be surrounded by the press and how this would be done in secret.
He was slightly sad and angry that he couldn't change the world of science with this, and we fought about this. In the end, I won. Like always. He sighed, resting on the bed beside me and brought me close. We agreed on doing this and he kissed me on the forehead while we fell asleep.
Tomorrow we would start creating our very first child.
Nine months and eight days later, we introduced Dib Membrane to the world. He looked like his father, with black hair that spiked and his feature. The only thing we had in common we our amber eyes.
As Membrane told our families and the news of our new addition, I held our son proudly. I knew I shouldn't have felt this way about him but I felt we shared a bond, unlike the ones that were created when a baby spend the time in their mother's womb. This one I couldn't tell was weaker or stronger than any other, but it was there none the less. I was proud to have him, even if I never gave birth to him. He was my son and I loved him.
A gentle smile came onto my face as Dib took the finger I was wiggling at him and started sucking on it. My free fingers lightly grazed his bare stomach, making a small giggle break free from him. They were right.
There was no greater joy than a child.
I still continued working. I took a maternity leave, mind you, caring for my new son. Though he was created, he still needed to be treated like any other baby. He needed to be loved, changed, taught and feed by his mother. Then after the maternity was up, I left to go back working.
Membrane and I hired many nannies for our son, all of them paid very well to teach, clean and make sure Dib was never hurt. If I did find any signs that he was hurt, I interrogated each of the nannies until I found out which one did it, then fired them. No one was ever going to hurt my son, not when I was alive.
We, as his parents, missed when he first crawled, first sat up, first ate by himself, his first words, first steps and even his first tooth. The worst thing was I barely saw him to even know any of these things. The nannies wrote notes and read them later, only to sneak into my son's room and kiss his forehead and tell him how proud I was of him.
A few days later, when I read a note on how he cried for me, I took out a baby book one of my family members got me and started writing everything from the notes down in the lines on the paper. By his second birthday, I had fully filled out everything that lead up to that point in his life. Then at the back on the book I wrote how much I loved him, how I was so proud of him, how I was sorry I missed all those memorable moments and how I thought he was going to be a great man. I thought for awhile before I smiled.
Then I wrote how much I wanted to give him a sister.
I told my husband what I wanted to give Dib by his third birthday. He told me he'd think about it.
I waited weeks after he told me that. I sat in my office thinking about what he would say, I blanked out during meetings as I wondered when his decision would be made and my coffee has gone cold so many times as I though about girl names.
He eventually agreed on the decision and I kissed him so many times you almost needed a crowbar to tear me off. He chuckled at my joy and we started creating our new addition in the next hour. I phoned my mother about our decision, and she was so happy for me that I had decided that I wanted to give Dib a sibling. After a long chat about how Dib was doing and about my nieces and nephews, she told me goodbye so she could tell the rest of the family. A few calls later from my friends and family so they could congratulate me and Membrane and say how happy they were for us, I went home to my son and hugged him. And even though he couldn't understand what I was telling him, I told him.
I think I saw him smiling.
Eight months, two weeks and three and a half days later, Gazelene Membrane entered our family. Just in time too, since Dib's birthday was only a little more than a month away. She was almost a direct opposite of her brother. When he came into this world, he would cry so loud I almost needed earplugs to even hope of drowning his cries out. But my little girl? She was dead silent, I almost thought she was dead until I heard a whine come out of her.
She was beautiful. Her hair was the same purple as mine, in fact she looked like an exact replica of me when I was a baby. She hasn't open her eyes yet, but I'm hoping for amber so people can know she's Dib's sister. I wanted at least one sign that she and Dib had a resemblance.
Membrane was once again on the phone chatting with our families, friends, and the news to tell them of our little girl while she was being held in my arms. Dib was beside me, sitting with his neck craned so he could see his new sister. I chuckled, bringing her into his view. He tilted his head in confusion, making me smile. "This is your new sister." I told him.
He smiled brightly, fixing his round glasses on his face. "Sistah?" he asked me happily. When I nodded, he leaned down and pressed a sloppy kiss on her forehead. "Ah love you, sistah."
She opened her amber eyes to see him.
Dib was overjoyed that stayed again. I took another maternity leave to take care of Gazelene, but ended up taking care of both of them. While I put her down for a nap, Dib wanted to watch movies or play games with me. Of course I agreed and ended up playing until his sister cried for me. He raced around my feet as I took care of Gazelene. I barely got to sit down and rest before Dib would run to me from his room, where he should be taking a nap, and falling asleep against me while we watched 'Mysterious Mysteries'.
When I left to go back to work, he cried so loud, it made the oh-so-usual-quiet Gazelene to start crying as well. The nannies took care of them, like they were paid too.
I gave the same amount of attention and procedures I did with Dib when he was a baby. If they hurt her, they were fired. But I did miss all of the moments I did with Dib, and that made me even more sad when I realized I was missing all the important events of another one of my children's lives. But I did do the same as I did with the notes the nannies gave me. I read them and wrote them down in a another baby book I got from the same family member from before. At the back of the book, I wrote how much I loved her, how I was so proud of her and everything I wrote in Dib's, minus the sister part.
I always remembered waking up to find Dib and Gazelene, when she was able to get out of her bed without Dib's help, asleep in me and Membrane's bed, cuddled up next to me. Dib with his favorite blankie, the one with aliens and spaceships flying around, and Gazelene with piggie soother in her mouth. I yawned, before carrying them back to their beds and making them breakfast before I got ready for work.
One time, the two woke up crying and ran all around the house before finding me in the kitchen making them pancakes. They hugged my legs tightly, sniffling. "Me and Gazzie dun' want yah to leave, mommy!" Dib would cry out, hugging me tighter. Gazelene nodded.
I only smiled and kissed their head before finishing their bacon.
I was in my office, almost six years after Dib's birth, when my secretary entered through my doors. I looked up at her from my computer, raising my brow.
"What do you want, Dia?" I asked. Jak had been fired for trying to flirt with me before Membrane proposed to me. I didn't really care that he was gone, I never liked him anyway.
Dia was silent for a few moments and when she opened her mouth to speak, Dib bounded into the room with Gazelene walking in behind him. He jumped into my lap, hugging me tightly. My eyes were wide through the whole moment, shocked to find my kids here. I never expected to see them here. In fact I didn't even think they knew where here was! I looked at my secretary, only to find that she left the room and shut the door behind her.
I looked back at Dib, who was snuggling into me.
"What are you doing here, young man?" I asked him sternly. He stiffened at the tone in my voice and he sat up to look at me. "How did you even get here?"
He cringed at the tone in my voice. He must have thought I was going to react differently than this. "Uhh... Me and Gaz kinda...tricked our nanny into driving us here..."
I raised a brow, obvious not impressed. He shrunk back and got back onto the floor, standing beside Gaz who stood by the trash can beside my desk. I crossed my arms over my chest, giving them my best 'mom stare'. Dib looked embarrassed and in his baggy 'Mysterious Mysteries' T-shirt and shorts, he looked like a little nerd. Gazelene, however, looked not embarrassed at all and in her pigtails tied with pink ribbons with her little pink'n'black dress, she looked more like that cute little girl who everyone loves.
Then I realized my children came all this way to visit me, since I never spent time with them, and my mind became set. I saved my document, logging out of my computer, and stood up. I picked up Gazelene, she wrapped her arms around my neck in the same second, and grabbed Dib's hand. Then I walked out of my office with my kids. Dia was looking at me with wide eyes.
"Where are you going, boss?" she yelled after me. I ignored her, pushing the button on the elevator to go down. We got in and the door closed us behind us, muting Dia's voice for the time being, and Dib pressed the button to go the main floor.
We rode down in silence and when the door opened, I walked out with Dib and Gazelene. My workers were looking at me with wide eyes, as if seeing me out of my office was such a new thing, when my cell started vibrating. I released Dib's hand and brought the phone to my ear. Dia's voice bursted through the phone.
"I quit." I told her, before pressing end and dropping my cell into someone's drink.
I left to home to be with my kids.
I became a full-time mom after I quit my dream job. Dib and Gazelene, though she never showed it, were so happy to have me back forever. They were happy when I fired every single one of the nannies, gave all my old suits to goodwill, bought new clothes like jeans and T-shirts, let my hair loose and cut all ties with my company. I swear Dib might have to go to the hospital from how much he's smiling.
Membrane found out about me quitting a few days later and was happy that I settled down with the kids. My mother called me and told me, in a joking way, that she was going to throw me a parade in the honor that I had finally quit work. I laughed and told her the kids would enjoy seeing the show.
I never had a dull moment with Gazelene and Dib. We played together, watched movies, played at the park and did so much and more. I spend their birthdays with them, and throw them big parties with all their friends and their cousins. We even head down to the arcade to play video games (Dib likes any game that has the supernatural, especially aliens, in them while Gazelene likes to play Vampire Piggies. She's a good gamer.) and head down to Bloaty's for some pizza time. (Gazelene has my pizza taste.) I loved spending times with my kids, it was the best moments in my life.
Most times, I try to invite Membrane to join us, but he always claims to be working. Whenever he's home, we argue. I yell at him that he needs to spend some time with his children, and he yells back that he's so close to figuring our something that could help the world. I yell at him about the times he would tell me about teaching the kids the value of science, and he yells back that he's doing that by working. I sometimes accuse him of cheating on me, and he assures me of no such thing. I never believe him and we don't talk for weeks.
He ignores us, there's no doubt about. He never shows up for their birthday, never shows up for any meal of the day, never tells us he loves us, never kisses me... Hell, that man didn't even show up on their first day of skool! He doesn't even come home anymore.
I miss the man I fell in love with.
Two years after I became a full-time mom, I committed suicide. You read right, I killed myself.
I was tired of being ignored by him. Tired of us arguing, tired of him working at every living moment of the day, and tired of him ignoring our children. They need him. And I love them with all my heart, but I had to do this. I can't be around this anymore.
The sharpest knife was in my bag as I walked towards his workplace, his lab. Dib and Gazelene were at skool, oblivious at what was going on. This morning, after I kissed them goodbye and told them I loved them as I dropped them off, I started crying. They were growing up so fast, so greatly. My handsome Dib, with his eccentric quirks and slightly bigger-than-most head, and my beautiful Gazelene, with her dark nature and gaming habit.
I entered Membrane's lab and asked the lady at the desk where my husband was. She told me he was alone in his lab, pointing me in the direction. I thanked her before meeting my doom.
He was alone, as the lady said, hunched over another one of his science projects. I felt furious and walked over to him, patted his shoulder to get his attention. He tensed, as if he knew who it was, and turned around to face me. I grabbed his face and pulled it down, kissing him one last time. He returned it, confused at first. I pulled back soon after, crying. He wiped some away with his gloved hand, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I pushed back, taking a few steps away. He looked at me confusingly.
The knife was pulled out and I placed it to my throat. His eyes widened. "I love you so, so much." I told him.
"No! Don't-"
I dug the knife's edge across the tender flesh of my throat, a veil of red flowing right after. I fell to the ground, my vision blurring as I starting feeling my life slip through my fingers.
I felt something hold me, heard voices yelling, smelt the coppery scent of blood, but saw nothing. Only my life flashing before my eyes like they said happened. I smiled at all the memories as they escaped my mind and played right in front of my eyes. Something wet hits my face and it almost feels like rain, but I'm too consumed of watching my two beautiful children grow up and play.
I'm sorry I had to do this, Dib and Gazelene, but always remember that I love you.
Always.