Our Own World
Chapter Six
Until We Meet Again...
Hello to all who is reading this! :)
So the time has come, yes, the last chapter of Our Own World! It's been a pleasure writing this and I wanted to thank everyone personally who read/favourited/followed and reviewed. It would have been a little longer, but I got no requests of things that people might have wanted me to write about, so I've gone to my last chapter (Which I would have anyway after requests) So anyway, I hope you enjoy and please drop me a review or PM with a rating out of 5 (5 stars being the best). Thank you.
-Molly
Review Replies:
Bonnie Salvatore – Hee! Thank you no problem! :) I haven't watched VD yet... I'm really behind so yeah... ;)
Maltararox21 (Katie) –Hahah, yeah Mal is protective. I like that about him :) Hee! Thank you! Oscar is an ass, so glad I got his character perfectly! ;) I know right? CoD is out today! Whoop! Hahah, you never fail to make me smile with the things you say in your reviews! Noooo! Blaise and Mal together? NEVER! Hehehe, I do know how much you love that! LYLAS too!
Barnu – Thank you!
The Sarcastic Polar Bear – Hee! :D
Oryt (Hannah) – Hahah, sorry about that! Hahah, yup! Me included! He is isn't he? He just doesn't appreciate Natara at all!
Jamzie13 (Jamie) – Sorry it took so long to update! But thank you!
Mal's POV – Age 18 onwards
It had been about a month now... since my Mom had passed away. It was nearing my birthday, the first of many without her. I was past the tears now and only felt a constant wrenching deep in my heart. Cynthia wasn't passed the tears and seemed to be constantly crying; her boyfriend, Mitch, was also around our house all the time, trying his hardest to comfort her. Not that I didn't appreciate his efforts, but honestly, saying 'it's alright' is not helping. Clearly it isn't alright. And I don't think it would be for a while... maybe even forever. Cynthia has had to become my legal guardian even though I think that I'm old enough to take care of myself. She insisted though and in the state she's in I decided that it was best if I didn't argue.
I can still remember that night as if it just happened...
"Mom?" I called as I opened the hospital door to her room, peaking my head in.
"Mal... Cynthia..." She whispered and her voice was quiet and weak.
Her breathing was heavy and she looked like a skeleton... so thin. My heart skipped a beat every time I visited her and noticed her getting worse and worse. I had just heard the worst news possible from the doctor who had been monitoring her.
'She probably won't make it through the night.'
I had fought back the tears and tried my hardest to stop my anger from boiling over and hitting him. He couldn't do anything after all, but I needed someone to blame. Anyone. This wasn't fair, but I figured that someone was punishing me for my behaviour over the years. The constant trouble and fighting.
Cynthia and I had sat either side of her bed and spoke to her, actually having the first proper conversation that we had, had in years. No telling me off for anything, none of Cynthia's problems. None of that. Just a genuine conversation about random things. We mainly focused on memories and had a couple of laughs. It was nearing midnight when Mom started drifting away and we all knew it. She struggled to keep her eyes open and coughed constantly. It was now that she took our hands and started talking to us individually. She started with Cynthia, telling her to find love and start her own family. And look after me of course. Then she turned to me and I swallowed. I didn't want her to have her last ever talk with me because I wanted her to stay here on earth, alive and well again. Cynthia had started crying already but I was still fighting the tears, determined to be strong for my family. Her voice and words still ring true in my ears now...
"Malachi... I know that despite the trouble you get into that you're a good man... please, for me, promise me that you'll get yourself out of it. Get a job that you love and actually start living your life..."
"I will Mom. I promise."
"Good... Thank you..." She squeezed my hand lightly "And, look after your sister. She needs you... I love you so much Son..."
"I love you too Mom."
"... Mal, where's your father?"
"I-I don't know... he said he'd try to come... but-"
"I understand... I doubted they would let him out anyway..."
I saw the pain in her eyes then, as she said those words. Not from the Cancer... not this time. She was heartbroken... devastated that she couldn't see Dad once more before she died. I knew he would never come. He would never keep his promise. We didn't say anything else, but sat together listening to her heart monitor as it slowly dimmed... until there was nothing left but a horrid elongated beep. I held her hand the entire time and watched her. It was only when she was gone that I broke. I couldn't hold it anymore. Cynthia released a heartbreaking sob and I let tears escape my eyes and run down my cheeks. I couldn't believe she was gone... in those split seconds she had drifted away and left us. I begged her to wake up, for her to come back... but she never did. The doctor had come in and recorded her time of death, saying he was sorry for our loss. I crossed the room over to Cynthia and held her as she cried into my shoulder. We had sat there for a long time, mourning the loss of our mother. Little did I know that it would get even worse in a month.
I had been forced to go back to school for the last week of our school lives, where my friends had welcomed me with open arms. I felt to numb to show them any emotion though, even to Natara. I had caught her glancing over at me quite a few times during lessons but found myself unable to feel anything. I was completely numb from head to toe. Normally, I would have felt my heart race in my chest a little and maybe flashed her my usual charming smile. But not now.
On the last day, after school Natara had tagged along with me, saying that she needed to talk. I didn't argue, maybe it would have been nice to have her around. It always was when Mom was dying and she made me forget. Or block it out at least. I had been getting into more fights than usual over this past week and almost fractured someone's skull. Luckily Ken had pulled me off or I don't think I would have stopped. I was getting out of hand and I knew it, but I couldn't stop. I had promised my Mom that I would, but now that she was gone it seemed that things took a turn for the worst.
We arrived outside my house and immediately went upstairs. My sister was crying in the living room again, with Mitch, and I thought it best to give her space. We sat down on my bed and Natara placed her bag on the floor. I didn't speak, or even look her in the eye until she made me.
"Mal," she said softly "I know it's been a rough month for you... but I need to tell you something..."
Natara slipped her hand into mine and I stared at them for a long moment before entwining our fingers together. She smiled and I could feel the slightest smile tug at the corner of my lips. I sighed and lifted my head so I was looking into her beautiful emerald eyes. Ever since Prom night I couldn't help but notice how perfect she really is. Everything about her was perfect, even when she had no make-up on or her hair was windswept. Nothing could faze her beauty. She reached over and stroked my cheek before continuing, her voice soft and gentle. I could tell she didn't want to say what she came here to tell me, but I knew it must have been big. And it was.
"Mal... I got in. To the academy I applied for."
"Really?" I let the first genuine smile appear onto my face in a long time. "Natara, that's great!"
I gave her a quick hug and she laughed lightly.
"Yeah... I guess so..." I scrutinised her face and noticed she didn't seem happy about it that much.
"Nat, what's wrong? Aren't you happy? You got in!"
"I know... I know. But-" She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm going to Quantico... in Virginia."
My smile faded and I sat there utterly shocked. Natara had often talked about wanting to become an FBI Agent, but I had forgotten that she had actually applied to go there. Let alone get in. She was leaving? Just like that? After everything that had happened over the last 14 years, all the things we did together. She was just going to leave San Francisco behind and walk away... I couldn't believe it.
"Nat... I-I..." My voice trailed off and I couldn't think of anything to say.
"Mal, I'm so sorry... but this is a huge opportunity and I can't pass this up. Please tell me you understand..."
All I could do was nod my head, words wouldn't leave my lips. I don't know what I would do without her, how I would cope with losing Natara and Mom at the same time. We both sat in silence for a while, unsure of what to say. Finally, my speech came back to me and I said the one thing that was on my mind.
"When are you leaving...?"
"In a couple of days." She replied in an almost inaudible voice. "I'm sorry... I don't want to leave..."
"No, Natara, you do want to leave. And that's alright. I want you to follow your dreams, wherever they take you."
"But-"
I didn't let her finish and pulled her into a tight hug. My heart was killing me, more than normal, but I tried to ignore it. I felt Natara wrap her arms around me and bury her face into my chest. I stroked her hair gently and let her cry. I even allowed a few pent up tears roll onto my cheeks as I cradled her.
"I'm going to miss you Mal..."
"Me too, Nat, me too..."
We stayed together for hours after that, holding each other. She comforted me about my loss and actually managed to make me feel a little better, and I reassured her that everything would be alright, no matter where she went. We would always be best friends. I told her that we'd meet again someday, regardless of how long that might be. And I prayed that I was right. Natara seemed concerned about me getting into trouble, and I didn't blame her, she was probably right. But I promised her that I would get better, and I would keep that promise. Not only to her but to my Mom as well.
I decided that I couldn't wallow in my own self pity forever after Natara had left and Ken had joined the army, Amy had gone to work with forensics along with Kai and as for Blaise, she and I stuck together throughout college. Cynthia and her new husband, Mitch (yes they got married) had moved away to Centerscore.
So in my early twenties I decided to join the SFPD, with Blaise. Now Captain, Maria Yeong welcomed me with open arms, which I honestly didn't expect. She trained me over the years and pretty soon I was promoted to Detective. I got suspended a number of times, but it wasn't my fault. The guys shouldn't have pissed me off. Much to my surprise Ken had turned up one day at the precinct and joined the SFPD as well. Then along came Amy who worked with Eric down in the crime lab. She told me that Kai was still studying more since he wanted to be, and she quotes 'The best, most sexy forensic tech EVER.' I laughed at how stupid she sounded, but it was Kai's words, which didn't surprise me. I was partnered up with Ken when Blaise decided to move on for a while and things pretty much stayed the same after that. Well, until the Maskmaker case.
I had been called back in from suspension and assigned to a new case. I had walked onto the crime scene which was a series of run-down docks just a few blocks away from the touristy hub of Fisherman's Wharf, along with Captain Yeong. I saw an all-too-familiar sight: a circle roped off by police tape and a huddle of grim-faced officers. I walked over to the scene where I saw a young woman with a plaster mask on her face. I walked over towards the body when a young woman in a dark suit stepped out from the circle and snapped a picture. Her hair obscured her face, but I noticed her shoulder-length coffee coloured hair. My initial thought was creepy-ass-woman-who-likes-to-take-pictures-of-dead-people. But I was so wrong. As I approached and told her to back away from the crime scene, she stood up and turned to me.
"Well I would but- Mal?"
She gasped and so did I. No way.
"Natara?"
I didn't hesitate to hug her, she laughed lightly and Maria watched us, confused.
"Oh my God, what are you doing here?" I asked, pulling away.
"I got assigned to the Maskmaker case, to help with profiling... It's good to see you, Mal."
"It's good to see you too, Nat."
"Detective Fallon. You know this young woman?" Maria said, walking over to us.
"Yeah, we practically grew up together."
We looked into each other's eyes and I saw the same beauty and shine that I had seen all those years ago. Natara looked so much older, so much more mature. I knew then that I was in love with her, my heart started beating faster and I could hardly breathe, I was that happy to see her again. Captain Yeong ordered us to get back to work, and we obeyed, but all the while we stole glances at each other and slipped a memory or two. I knew that this was going to be the best time of my life. I had everyone I cared about around me, and I couldn't be better. Who knows what adventures we'll have?
Thank you for reading. Please remember to drop a review and rating for me? Love you all and hope you enjoyed!
-Molly
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