Here we are at the final installment of Chasing Heart! I hope you all enjoyed this exciting sequel and that the end to this story is just as surprising and thought provoking as the ending of Keeper. Thank you all again for your support, and without further ado, please sit back and relax as always! :D
Gregory snapped to attention when he noticed Vanessa beginning to stir, inching a bit closer to her bedside in his chair. After the incident at the metal shop, Gregory had accompanied her in an ambulance straight to the ER, where he remained with her up until this very moment.
"Vanessa?" He called her name quietly. "Vanessa, can you hear me?"
The raven haired girl blinked her eyes open, looking around groggily as she sat up a bit, rubbing her head. "G- Gregory...?" She mumbled, her vision taking a moment to focus before he came into clear view. "What... happened?"
"Well, what's the last thing you remember?" Gregory asked.
"Gee... it's really fuzzy, but... I remember fighting Mr. Turner, and-" She stopped then, sitting up more as her eyes widened. "Mr. Turner! Gregory, he did this! He was the one behind all of the-"
"I know, I know, Vanessa." Gregory calmed her. "I know everything. I came back with Ralph after you had been pushed into that pit, and-"
"Wait... Ralph came? Where... no one saw him, did they?"
"Only me." Gregory said. "He left when he made sure you weren't in any more danger. He saved your life, Vanessa."
The girl smiled a bit, looking up at him. "No... you both did. And... and Mr. Kingsley too, he... he tried to stop Mr. Turner. You have to tell him to come here so I can thank him... apologize. Mr. Turner made him do everything."
Gregory's face fell a bit then. "I can't do that, Vanessa... you see, Mr. Kingley... he... he's gone."
"What do y'mean, he's gone? Just go back to the school and-"
"He fell into the melted metal... Mr. Turner pushed him in there after Ralph got you out. I tried to stop him, but... Mr. Turner almost got me too. Ralph managed to save me, but couldn't get to Mr. Kingsley in time."
Vanessa furrowed her brows sadly, exhaling deeply. "Poor Mr. Kingsley..." She breathed, holding her head. It was then she noticed that she was shaking. "Why... why am I trembling so much? Look at my hands..."
Gregory bit his lip, looking up at Vanessa sadly as he exhaled. "Well... the doctor said that may stick around... and..." He trailed off, glancing away.
"And what?" Vanessa shifted a bit, and noticed something then. She slowly lifted up the blanket, her eyes widening when she saw the condition of her legs. "Gregory..." Her voice began to shake. "This... this looks really bad..."
"Y- Yeah... the doctor said... he said... that they won't be the same... you may be able to walk, but... you won't be able to run anymore."
Vanessa looked at Gregory with disbelief, silent as her eyes glazed over with fresh tears. She sniffled as she looked down, covering her legs with the blanket as she took in a shaky breath. "W- Well... at least I'm still a champion... right?"
"Huh?" Gregory tilted his head.
Vanessa chuckled a bit through her tears. "I... I won the race, Gregory... I... I did what I always dreamed. I was a part of the track team."
Gregory blinked, smiling sadly. "Yeah... and... you'll always be a champion to me."
The two smiled at each other, before Gregory leaned over to give Vanessa a warm hug, which she happily returned. The entire day, the two kept each other company; talking, laughing, crying. That night, as Gregory watched over a slumbering Vanessa, he gasped when he heard something outside. When he heard someone coming in through the window, recognizing who it was, he made a quick and quiet dash for the room's linen closet, hiding inside as he peeked through a crack in the door. Vanessa was woken gently by the individual, and when she opened her eyes, she smiled, sitting up a bit.
"Ralph...!" She whispered loudly. "How did you get here? Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"
Ralph crouched down, smiling back. "No... there are not many humans about in the night. Are you healing well?"
Vanessa's smile faded then, and the sighed lightly before telling him what she had been told about her condition. "I... won't be able to run anymore, Ralph."
Ralph's expression saddened considerably, gently placing a hand on her head. "I have healed wounds before... but not like this. I'm sorry... I cannot help you."
"It's okay... you saved me, Ralph, and you helped me chase my dream. That's more than I could ever ask for, Ralph. You're... my hero."
His smile returned, and he looked down, reaching into his shirt for something. "There will come a day where you will capture your dreams again, Vanessa. Until that time... when we meet again... I want you to have this." He took out the wooden carved heart he had once given to Kira, gently placing it around Vanessa's neck. "You have taught me to hope once more when I thought I had none left. Hope... that all will be remedied in another life."
"Thanks, Ralph..." Vanessa smiled. "But... what do you mean by another life?"
"You see, we are all like trees. When a tree dies, it becomes part of the Earth, and new life grows from it. It is in that new life we have another chance to remedy all who have wronged us."
Vanessa smiled at the heart, but realized something, looking up at him. "So... are you going to go back to your Kira tree?"
"Yes... I wanted to see you before I returned."
The girl swallowed thickly, her bottom lip trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. "I... I'm never going to see you again... am I...?"
Ralph frowned deeply at this, leaning in as Vanessa reached up to hug him, crying into his chest. "Don't be upset..." Ralph said. "I promise, our paths will cross again in a different life. I will make sure of that." He smiled gently. "But until then... Gregory, take care of Vanessa in my stead."
Vanessa heard shuffling as Gregory jumped, stumbling out of the linen closet. "How'd you know I was here?" He exclaimed.
"I have my ways." Ralph smiled, and Vanessa giggled as Gregory brushed himself off.
"Well... as for your request... I promise, I'll always stay by Vanessa's side." He smiled.
Vanessa looked up at Ralph as he looked out the window to the moonlight. "So... is this goodbye...?"
"Yes, for this life, I wish you farewell." Ralph smiled sadly as he leaned down to hug her again.
"I love you, Ralph." She smiled as a few more stray tears dripped down her face.
"And I love you." He wiped her tears away, giving a nod to Gregory as he waved timidly.
In a moment, he was gone, vanished without a trace.
Gregory sat beside Vanessa on the edge of the bed, hugging her gently. She looked up at him, smiling a bit.
"So... now that you're going to be sticking around... maybe it'd be good if I knew your REAL last name." Vanessa said.
Gregory groaned playfully, wiping at his face. "Oh boy... can you TRY not to laugh, please?"
"Can't make any promises..." Vanessa giggled, and it would be this night that began a life long friendship, a string to cross from one life to the next.
Vanessa sighed lightly as Gregory wheeled her into school once she was well enough to return.
"Nervous...?" Gregory asked.
"N- No, of course not..." She frowned.
"Don't worry... you'll be fine." He reassured her, stopping to go and open the doors before rolling her outside.
"Uh... Gregory? Why are we going out here? We're going to be late for class."
"We need to just stop somewhere, first." He smiled, rolling her across the field to the track. He frowned when he saw the sad expression on Vanessa's face, but assured himself it wouldn't last long. "Hey, don't be sad... I have a surprise for you. You know how I told you they were renaming this track?"
"Yeah... guess they could keep it as 'Bo Turner Field...' why?"
Vanessa blinked as she saw other students coming up to them from the track team; Taryn, Candace, Randy and Simon, all smiling.
"Vanessa, look over here!" Taryn said, and something was covered up by a blanket just in front of the track. "On my count everyone! One, two, three!"
All the kids flipped off the blanket, and Vanessa stared in awe as her name was now engraved on the plaque; "Vanessa VonStark Field, Ode to a True Champion." Vanessa's eyes watered up, laughing with surprise as she wiped at her face. "This... is this real? My... that's my name!"
"Of course it is, silly, we went to the school board and requested we change the name!" Simon smiled. "You deserve it, Vanessa."
"Oh oh, and you have to be the first to run on the track to honor the new field!" Candace piped.
Vanessa's smile faded then. "G- Guys... you know I can't... my legs..."
Taryn smiled, going up to Vanessa and patting her shoulder. "That's what we're here for. We're going to help you run the first lap on the new track."
Vanessa blinked in surprise, squeaking a bit as Gregory gently lifted her from her wheelchair, holding her up. The other kids came, supporting her as they carried her over to the track, and she smiled as she arrived at the starting line.
"Okay, on your mark, get set, go!" Randy exclaimed
They ran down the track, all of them laughing together as they helped Vanessa run. They went all the way around, nearing the finish mark. When they crossed it, they all cheered, and Vanessa held her arms up and cried out happily. It was a special day etched into all their hearts, a day in which each of them overcame the impossible.
It was the beginning of a brighter future ahead.
Mr. Litwak whistled to himself as he pulled into the driveway of his home, turning the car off before heading inside. He smiled when he settled in, hearing the TV playing in the den. "Hey honey, how're you feeling today?"
His wife smiled from the den as he walked in, kissing him when he sat down. "Oh, nothing special."
"Are you ready to go out to the preserve?" He asked.
"I sure am!" She smiled, squeaking a bit when Mr. Litwak scooped her into his arms, laughing as he carried her to the car. He made sure she was seated securely before getting in himself, and the couple drove out until they reached a great wooded area and a sign that said "Walker Preserve."
Mr. Litwak got out of the car, going to the back where he took out a walker, bringing it around before helping his wife out. She took the walker, thanking him before he gently placed an arm around her, and the two headed down the dirt path into the woods.
"Oh... it gets more and more beautiful every year..." She smiled lightly.
"Sure does... do you remember the way to your favorite spot?" He asked.
"Of course... hopefully these legs will get me there..." She chuckled lightly, taking one step at a time. They made a turn, heading down a bit further until they reached, right in the middle of the forest, a cluster of cherry blossom trees. "My... there's even more this year... I'll have to find the... right one..."
"Okay honey... let me take out that little map you marked it off on..." Mr. Litwak said as he dug into his pocket. As he did so, a light breeze grazed over them, and his wife slowly moved forward, stumbling a bit as she abandoned her walker. She had a certain tree in her sights, one in the middle that was a bit larger than the others. When Mr. Litwak noticed she had abandoned her walker, he gasped, going over and catching her before she fell. "Honey, be careful!"
"This is the one." She smiled, looking through her blouse pocket to pull something out, nodding to herself.
"Aw, hun... your medal. You're not going to leave that here, are you?"
The woman smiled lightly. "Yes." She shakily reached out, hanging it on a low tree branch. "I know he won't come now... but he will find this. He deserves it... I won't be around forever, dear... and I want him to have this to remember me by."
Mr. Litwak smiled. "I don't think he'd forget you."
His wife closed her eyes for a moment, comforted by the gentle breeze. "Heroes around the world earn medals for... all sorts of things. So... so this is my medal for him, because... because he's my hero."
Mr. Litwak helped his wife to her feet, looking into her eyes lovingly. "I love you, Vanessa VonStark." He said.
"And I love you, Gregory Litwak."
"Hoo boy... will never get used to that awful last name..." He rolled his eyes as Vanessa giggled. The two began to make their way back to the car when suddenly, he heard his phone ring. He dug it out of his pocket, one of those larger, "dinosaur" cell phones used in the late 1990s. "Hello? Oh, hey Randy! I- ... oh don't worry about it, was just out with the missus. What was that...? Oh, a new game's being delivered to the arcade tomorrow? What... say that again? Oh, Sugar Rush! Yeah, I heard that it's a good one, I'm sure the kids will love it! Well, you can stop by around 8 am tomorrow, we can get the console plugged in and ready to go before I open. Okay Randy, see you then!" He smiled, hanging up just as they reached the car, opening the door for Vanessa and helping her inside.
As they pulled away, a pair of eyes in the tree tops watched over them, smiling gently as the breeze blew through his hair. He looked down upon the cluster of cherry blossom trees, noticing the medal dangling with a key and a seashell which had been there for many decades now, fluttering in the wind.
"I will always be with you." Ralph said to himself. "I will always keep our friendship in my heart."
The End
Well readers, we have reached the end of yet another story, and I thank you once again for your support! Please leave your reviews and hope to see you again soon in the future! :D