Thank you all for your reviews. I'm glad to see I've kept you all on edge! Mwahahahaha! Anyway, this chapter introduces Leah Turner, Alex's mom mentioned in the Author's Note in the last chapter. This may attract more "aww, so sad, poor baby" comments from those of you who are Alex fans, but I kinda liked doing this. Or maybe I'm just weird. One more thing: This is gonna be kinda short. Sorry. Now, then: Enjoy chapter 2!
Theme Quote of the Story: "I hope there's someone out there who can bring me back to you." -The Calling,"Wherever You Will Go"
Chapter 2: Four Green Eyes, A Thousand Tears
Cindy whipped her head in his direction.
"What?" she asked.
"RUN! NOW!" he panicked and nearly jerked her arm off as he ran off with her.
"What's going on?" she asked, scared and confused. They heard a ray gun power up. In a panic, Jimmy shoved Cindy under a bench the last second before the green light yanked him off his feet.
"CINDY!" his voice cried from his heart.
"JIMMY!" she did the same from under her bench, "DON'T WORRY! I'LL SAVE YOU!"
But it was too late. A spaceship looking like a chicken uncloaked itself from the disguise of leaves and shook the real ones everywhere.
"Yolkians!" Cindy ran through the shower of leaves and desperately tried to reach him as the ship started to take off.
"CINDY!" Jimmy called as she sprinted behind him. She looked in his eyes and held them there.
"I LOVE YOU!" he said after an eternity of that moment. Then the ship took to the sky and Cindy tripped on her face. She lay there, her body convulsing with tears.
'Why is this happening?' she thought, 'Is ever villain out to destroy us, again? All we want to do is get married! Is that so much to ask?'
"I LOVE YOU!" Jimmy's last sentence echoed in her head, which she slowly lifted up.
"Jimmy loves me," she said out loud to nobody, "That's why he's marrying me. He's risked everything for me before." She staggered to her feet and said, "Now it's my turn again." She got out her cell phone and dialed Libby.
"Libs," she said, "Meet me at the lab...yes, Jimmy's lab. It's urgent...The Yolkians came and ambushed us! They took Jimmy! Get the boys, too; I'll call Alex."
"I passed my doctor's exam today, Mother," Alex said as she sat up straight in her chair, "That means I'm a doctor now!"
Leah Turner was in a simple white dress, kneeling on a quaint bed (black iron rails), rocking back and forth cradling a baby doll in a blanket. She was positioned with the bed head on her right, facing Alex in her chair. But Leah wasn't looking at her daughter; her dark-gray marble eyes were locked on the doll. Her black hair was taking on a gray hue now.
"You can be anything you want to be when you grow up, baby girl," Leah crooned to her doll as if it were Alex, "Anything at all. No matter what it is, you'll be the best, because the doctors said my child was a genius."
"I am what I want to be, Mom," Alex said, "I'm a pediatric surgeon now, and a cardiologist! I always knew I could do it, and I have! I know you're proud of me, too."
"It's time to say our prayers now, sweetie," said her mother, oblivious to what her real child had just said, "We're going to ask Heavenly Father to bring Daddy back safely from space now." Alex's eyes started to lose their shine.
"Yes," she said dimly, "Daddy would be proud, too...But he's not here anymore, Mommy. You know that." Leah stopped rocking for a minute, then resumed whispering her prayers as though she'd never heard her.
"It'll be okay, sweetie," she whispered, "Daddy's just a little off course. A slight problem; he'll be back in time for your big 1-0."
Bowling For Soup's "Come Back to Texas" suddenly played from Alex's pocket; it was her cell phone. Glad to be distracted from a painful memory, Alex quickly stood and turned her back to her mother, taking out her silver flip phone.
"Turner," she answered her phone, "Cindy? What's wrong?...(Her face turned grim.) I'm on my way." She put her phone back and turned back to Leah, who was now looking up at her.
"I'm so sorry, Mom," she kissed her on the cheek, "I've got to go. My friends need me." Leah held Alex's hands, and Alex looked at her inquisitively.
"What is it, Mom?" she asked.
"Daddy's not dead," Leah stated and smiled, "It might take a long time, even years...(she moved Alex's hair out of her face and touched it)...but he'll be back. I know it." Alex's eyes widened.
"Mom?" she softly asked, amazed, "Do you know me? Do you know who I am?" Leah stared at her, then her eyes glazed back over to their oblivion of reality. Alex couldn't recapture the moment; it was gone. Alex sighed.
"Bye, Mom," she said sadly, "I'll be back again." She slowly walked out of the room and stood for a moment in the hall. Then she burst into tears and ran out to her red motorcycle. Right now, her friends needed her.
Surprise Chapter Epilogue that I just now came up with: Leah stood and walked to the window, her eyes no longer glazed.
"I'm so sorry, baby," she said, watching her daughter speed off, "but as long as everyone thinks I'm crazy for saying your father will return, what can I do? I didn't ask for this." She looked sadly at her doll.
"I just told the truth."
Author's Review:
Not much to review for this chapter. The theme quote above is not the only quote I'll be putting up. There will be many more to follow. Some will be song lyrics, some philosophies, some from Strong Bad E-mail! Boo-yah! Or cartoons and junk like that. Yeah...review, please, and let me know what you think of Leah!
Speaking of whom: In case any of y'all are confused about her, she's not really crazy. She's just been saying that her husband will come back from space for so long that they committed her. Sad, huh? See you next chapter!
