"David, do you have a minute
"David, do you have a minute?" Dr. Jones inquired as the rest of his class filed out.
"No, do you?" Shorty asked, placing his books momentarily on his father's desk.
The teacher ignored the question. "I've got some errands to run this afternoon, do you want me to drive you home first or can you walk?"
"Should of known it didn't have anything to do with the class." Shorty picked up his books once again, heading for the door. "Yeah, I can walk. I've got to go to counseling anyway."
A few minutes later, after a quick drink at the water fountain, Shorty was sitting in front of Adam's desk once again.
"First of all, do we have any updates?" Adam asked casually. Shorty noticed him taking out his notepad and reviewing last session's results once again.
"I guess so. I'm not really sure what to make of it yet."
Adam's raise of an eyebrow was enough to make his younger companion continue. "He and Willie had a.. disagreement yesterday. She was pretty mad at him, I guess."
"Were you in the room with them?" Adam seemed a little surprised that Shorty would know if they'd been arguing.
"No, I had just come home from school. I stayed in the hallway 'till she left."
"They didn't realize you were there, then?"
"I don't think so. If Dr. Jones did, he certainly didn't let on." Shorty wondered why Adam was so interested in whether or not he'd actually been present during the row. He supposed his counselor was simply concerned about them being okay with having such a discussion in front of the teen.
"And.. that's it." He decided it was best not to tell Adam about Marion's being in town. That was something he was sure his father didn't want anyone to know right now. He hadn't even intended Shorty to know at first.
Adam eyed him, obviously aware that his patient wasn't telling him everything he might have liked to. "Okay," he said at last. "Now, according to my handy-dandy book that tells all about how to be a boring psychologist, I'm supposed to tell you how you can make yourself feel better about the situation." He winked. "But I personally detest being the boring type."
Shorty nodded. His friend's statement was obvious.
"I'm going to tell you some things that might take your mind off it, and hey, who knows, it could make you feel better." Adam shrugged. "I personally don't believe that there's any way to 'make yourself feel better' about anything. But it's worth a try."
"What sort of distractions did you have in mind?" Shorty asked, his curiosity pricked.
"Ever thought about baseball?"
"Not bad for such short notice." Indy observed, eyeing the hotel room's thickly furnished interior. "Why are you here?"
Marion sighed. There was no good way to distract the man when he had a goal in mind. "I think you know why."
"Wish I did." He muttered, settling in one of the chairs by a table which was covered with coffee, cream, a sugar bowl and a vase of flowers.
"Indy, I came all the way across the world for you, don't play dumb with me now." Marion sat down in the chair opposite him, looking him straight in the eyes.
"For me?" Indy's eyes widened slightly. "So you're not just here to inform me about some loco job that someone back from your place wants to bribe me into accepting?"
"You wish."
"Marion, whatever you may accuse me of, you can't know how much I've thought about you since I left." It was hard, trying to express his feelings in a way that she wouldn't throw in his face again. How could he tell her he cared for her if he couldn't even stay with her for more than a few months?
"I never said I thought you didn't remember me." Marion pulled her black bangs behind her ears, her deep blue eyes sparkling. "But I have a difficult time trying to figure out how I'm supposed to make any progress with that Scott woman around."
"Progress? Towards what?" Indy asked spitefully. "You and I both know there's nothing that either one of us can do."
"Does Willie know you're here?"
"No.. it's not her business."
"You don't seem to realize how important it is to a woman to know that the one man she adores will always be hers." Marion was trying not to show it, but it was obvious what she was driving at. "If you love her, go to her instead of coming to see me."
Indy winced. She was right, of course. But he didn't want to see Willie. They'd practically just broken up again.
"You can't toss us back and forth forever, Indiana Jones."
The archaeologist looked down at the carpeted floor. Marion was the only person he knew that could make him feel so guilty in under five minutes of talking. "No, I suppose not." He muttered humbly. Or at least, he hoped he sounded humble enough to escape Marion's wrath. If he didn't appear to repent right now, she'd probably not give him the chance later.
"Indy, listen to me." She reached across the table, her delicate hand lifting his eyes to meet her own. "I want to be with you."
Jones felt shivers jolting away through his body from his cheek where her ice-cold hand lay gently. She didn't remove it. "But love can't compromise."
