A/N: Here we are yet again-another Tuesday, another update! Hope you enjoy this chapter-Darcy's on her way home, finally. Those of you who have travelled will understand all too well her eagerness to return to the comforts of home :)
Thanks to all who have taken the time to comment-they all bring a great big smile to my day!
Ch. 13
They'd agreed on meeting in the lobby at 5am.
To give herself as much time as possible the next morning, Darcy had packed all non-essentials, had cleaned up her room and performed a cursory sweep the night before. Despite these preparations, her alarm buzzed at 4am-an ungodly hour.
"Ugh…" she moaned, swatting at the alarm. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and sat there, trying to gather her bearings. Casting a curse on the asshole who had arranged a 6am flight for her, she got up and stumbled to the bathroom.
"Buck up, Darce," she told her reflection. "This gets you home sooner."
The thought of being back home with Jane and curling up on her favourite beaten-up chair reading glamour magazines gave the young woman the push she needed. Surprisingly her hair cooperated for her to be able to place it into a loose bun at the top of her head-small miracles. She applied just enough makeup to hide the worst of the fatigue, brushed her teeth, and packed all her toiletries in her suitcase.
Standing in the doorway to the hallway, suitcases in hand, she took one last look at her room and sighed. Her departure from Grande Motte was going to be a bittersweet one. As much as she looked forward to going back home and-especially-seeing Loki again, she was going to miss the warmth and sunshine of the Mediterranean.
Jean-Francois was waiting for her in the lobby, reclining on the sofa, head thrown back and eyes closed. Darcy dropped her luggage off near him and walked over to the front desk to hand in her keys and pay for the room. She thanked the clerk, and when she turned back towards her travelling partner she found him standing, suitcase in hand,
"Good morning," she said, picking up her own bags. "I half thought you were asleep."
"I would be if I didn't stand up," he replied, hiding a yawn with the back of his hand. "This is much too early for me."
They walked out to the parking lot. It was still pitch dark outside and the wind had picked up, the cooler breeze sending shivers up Darcy's bare arms. "Geez, you can really feel it when the sun's not out, can't you?"
"It's the water," Jean-Francois explained, hoisting their luggage into the trunk of his Renault. Unlike Loki's pretty but impractical Mercedes, the Renault had no problems taking in the two travellers' suitcases. "It always cools everything down at night."
Before they knew it, they were on the road, the Mercure fading in the rear-view mirror.
Darcy looked out her window but couldn't see anything except for a few darker shadows. "It feels like I just got here," she said, her voice sounding loud in the car.
"Vacations-and fun business trips, I guess-always feel like that," the young man agreed. "The closer you get to leaving, the slower time moves, and once you get there it's like someone has their finger on the fast-forward button."
"I wish someone could hit the fast-forward button and get me home faster," Darcy joked.
Jean-Francois nodded in agreement. "It is a long way home, isn't it?"
They drove the rest of the way to the airport in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Darcy's mind went back to the previous evening, when she and Anika said their goodbyes. They'd hung out on Darcy's balcony, sharing a bottle of wine and watching the sunset, jumping from topic to topic, avoiding any mention of either Gustave or Loki.
They fell quiet as they observed a yacht pull into the harbour, both women lost in thought. Slowly the sun disappeared behind the buildings on the western horizon, its last rays casting a pink glow across the sky. To the east, the first stars were making their appearance.
"Do people in South Africa wish on the first star of the evening?" Darcy asked, silently wishing for a safe trip home.
Anika turned her attention to the American. "Do you mean 'Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight?' Yes, some of us do that, too." She smiled, her gaze wandering to the darkening firmament. "When I was very little I used to wish that I could fly so that whenever I got bored at school I could just jump out the window and fly away to somewhere more exciting."
Darcy chuckled. "Hell, I'm grown up and I still wish that-except I'd be flying away from work."
The other woman laughed. "Oh, Darcy, I'm going to miss you. I really need someone who makes me laugh. There just aren't enough people in my life blessed with that ability."
"Hey, I'll just be a Facebook message away, you know. I can send you random messages that make no sense, like a picture of a tube of toothpaste."
The girls' laughter turned to side-splitting cackling. "That would make my day like you can't imagine."
"Is it really that bad, though, back home?" Darcy was almost afraid to ask-she recalled Anika's confession of seeing a therapist to help her deal with everything, and couldn't imagine how hard it would be if she was surrounded by bitter, humourless people.
"No, it isn't," Anika admitted. "Although I think I need to find a few zanier people to hang around with-it's been a long time since I've had as much fun with someone as I've had with you this week."
As it always seemed to do, the wind picked up once the sun had gone down. Darcy pulled her legs up onto her seat, hugging them close to herself, trying to stave off the worst of the chill.
Anika began to rub her arms and was the first to cave. Standing up, she said "You have an early flight, Missy-it's going to do neither of us any good to stay up later than we need."
"I guess you're right." Darcy stood up and followed her into the room, closing the door behind her. She watched as the other woman collected her things and stood by the door.
Anika, Loki, Gustave... Even Jean-François and Carmen. Darcy had forged solid friendships in the few days she'd been overseas. Although she felt richer for having met these people, it was bittersweet to part ways knowing she'd likely never see any of them again-except for Loki, of course.
Anika bridged the gap between them, enveloping Darcy in a solid hug. "I'm really going to miss you," she said. "You've made this week feel more like a vacation than work."
Darcy hugged her back just as soundly. "Likewise. And I'm serious-you're going to regret friending me on Facebook. I'm going to up your weird meter by 110%."
"That had better be a promise," the South African said as she opened the door. "Safe travels, Darcy. Take care of yourself."
When the door closed, Darcy stared at it a moment before sighing and turning back to her room. "Might as well get my stuff organised," she muttered to the silence, walking to the closet which held her suitcases.
After they'd figured out how to drop off the rental car's keys, Darcy and Jean-François made their way into the tiny airport. The ticket counters were in the process of opening, with a short lineup of about twelve people waiting patiently.
"Good timing," Darcy complimented, standing in line behind the last traveller.
In no time they had their tickets and had handed off their luggage. "See you in New York," she told her suitcase, tapping it a few times as it was hoisted onto a conveyor belt.
The two bought croissants and coffee at the small café and sat down in the waiting area. To Darcy's surprise the little airport filled up quickly and soon enough there was only standing room left. She pulled out her ticket and looked at her seat number. "2F," she said, nudging her friend. "What's your seat number?"
The young man turned his iPhone off and dug around in his jacket pocket for his ticket. "4A," he replied. He grinned, chuckling to himself. "We can always communicate by semaphore."
"Semaphore? What's that?"
"Basically it's like sign language but with flags."
Darcy laughed with him. "That would be fricking hilarious. Can you imagine the stewardesses? They'd keep thinking that we're calling them over."
Jean-François opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by an announcement.
"Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs. Nous demandons aux voyageurs tenant en main un billet pour les rangs 15 à 26 de bien se présenter..."
"Looks like they're not going to seat us business class folks, first," Darcy commented, watching as nearly half the travellers crowded the boarding counter all at once.
"That's ok," her friend replied, eyeing the crowd uncertainly. "I think it's safer if we stay behind and let the herd climb on first."
"Smart plan," Darcy agreed, sitting back down.
The plane seemed too small and too crowded for Darcy's liking. Maybe she hadn't gotten enough sleep, maybe she'd woken up too early, or maybe she was just sick of travelling. Either way, she was feeling unusually antisocial and was relieved that the person in the seat next to hers was a teenager with earbuds tightly fixed into place.
Once the plane was in the air she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, drifting off into a light slumber.
She woke up as the plane was in its descent towards Charles de Gaulle airport, the clouds as thick as they had been in her last stopover in Paris. Maybe Loki's right, she mused, maybe the sun never does shine on Paris.
The taxiing took about eight years (or so it felt that way) before they reached their gate. One of the perks of sitting at the front of small planes, Darcy realised, was that you got to disembark first. Once in the gangway, she stood out of the way of other passengers and waited for Jean-François, taking the opportunity to stretch her stiff limbs. Yoga was definitely going to be on her short-term forecast, she promised herself.
"Hey," the young man greeted her as they met up. "Was it me or was that plane extra loud?"
"I can't really say," Darcy admitted. "I slept the whole way over."
"Well, you're lucky, then, because you missed the two screaming kids." He shook his head in disbelief. "You would think that parents would come prepared for a flight-load up some new games on the old smartphone or something."
"You'd think so, but then again not everyone has the gift of common sense," she agreed, as she followed him. When they were off the gangplank and had reached the first hallway, which was lined with electronic screens displaying connecting flights, Darcy paused. This was too busy, too French, and way too early for her to keep up. "I'm gonna let you take the lead if you don't mind. Way easier that way."
The young man nodded and they joined the crowd at one of the screens so they could make note of which gates their flights were leaving. Once they'd figured that out they made their way to customs, which was only slightly busier than when she and Loki had passed through on their way to Grande Motte.
The walk to their gates seemed to span for miles: down escalators, up escalators, through hallway after hallway, up more escalators. Eventually they came to a concourse that forked out onto a number of corridors. They double-checked their tickets and were dismayed to find that this was where they would part ways.
"Man," Darcy complained, "you'd think our gates would be closer since we're both headed in the same direction." She gave Jean-François a hug and took a step back. "Thanks for everything-for taking us to Aigues Mortes yesterday, for the drive to the airport and for the company. It's been a blast hanging out with you."
"Same here," the young man replied. "Hopefully we get to do this every year. Maybe Australia next year?"
"I don't think my boss's budget would handle that," Darcy laughed. "Maybe we could come visit you in Quebec City."
"You know you don't need a global conference to do that. You should come by this winter for the Carnaval or to stay at the Ice Hotel."
Darcy's eyes grew comically wide. "Ok, the carnival sounds fun, but an ice hotel? That's a little bit chilly for those of us who aren't Eskimos."
He raised one eyebrow and gave her a playful look. "You'd be surprised how warm two people can get when they share a sleeping bag." He seemed to catch almost immediately how his comment could be taken as a come-on, because he added "I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult to convince Loki."
"Are you sure you don't moonlight as an agent for the tourism board?" Darcy teased. "Because you've pretty much got me sold."
They both chuckled and Darcy finally took the first step towards the corridor that led to her gate. "Bon voyage," she said, waving, before turning and walking away.
The three hour stopover flew by, to her great surprise (and joy). Darcy had divided her time between the executive lounge, where she sent 'I'm on my way home' emails to friends and family, and shopping. She picked up an oversized Chupa Chups lollipop (which ended up being filled with regular-sized lollipops) for her niece, an assortment of fancy chocolates for Jane (and a pack for herself too), a specific brand of nougat that Vijay had requested and-of course-a few bottles of wine at the duty-free shop for her mom and herself.
When she finally boarded the plane and found her seat-window seat again, yay!-Darcy realised the magic of the trip had dissipated. The clarion call of home was tugging at her whole being and she felt a restlessness that hadn't been present until that very moment. Once again she was relieved to be paired up with a less-than-chatty neighbour, this time an older businessman who had his nose stuck in a copy of the Financial Times and who seemed just as content to ignore her as she him.
Rifling through her side of the centre console, she managed to locate a pair of headphones. She sent a quick prayer to the Airplane Powers That Be for the entertainment system to be functional, and was relieved to see her screen light up. Although the selection of movies was very good, her gloomy mood made her pickier than ever; finally she settled on LA Confidential-one of Jane's favourites which she'd never agreed to sit down to watch.
She leaned back as Danny Devito began the opening narrative, curious to see what Jane saw in this movie.
When the flight attendant came by, Darcy opted for the light meal, which consisted only of the chef's choice, cheese platter and dessert-and this was fine by her. With a canapé with thin slices of beef and cheese, broccoli slaw with a poppy seed vinaigrette, a baguette and a berry crème brulée, it was just the right amount of food to leave her feeling sated but not sick. Maybe I'll have room for breakfast in a few hours, she thought wryly.
By the time it was lights out, Darcy had watched LA Confidential-which she'd loved-as well a few episodes of Big Bang Theory. Her eyes were closing on their own and she was relieved when they closed the blinds on the windows and turned the lights down, simulating night time.
But sleep wouldn't come, no matter how tired she was. Her bed was reclined as far as it would go, her pillow was fluffed just right, she was cozily nestled under her blanket and she had her usual cure for insomnia-Iron & Wine-playing on her iPod. It was then that she realised the extent to which Loki's proximity had affected her even from the start, how being near him had helped her calm down, even when they'd simply been friends.
Missing him dearly, she scrolled through her iPod until she came across The Black Keys, which reminded her of him. Long before Little Black Submarine was over, Darcy slept soundly, a smile on her lips.
As planned, Darcy had been able to eat some of her breakfast, enjoying her last truly French croissant with some fresh fruit. Go figure, she mused, I get the hang of this airplane eating thing just in time for it to be over.
By the time the plane began its descent the young woman had played Cut the Rope, Candy Crush and Plants vs Zombies, and was bored almost to tears. She reminded herself: just another hour or so, Darce, and your feet will be on solid ground. She sighed deeply and sat back in her seat, staring ahead, her focus on nothing in particular.
"You look like you're ready to be back home."
Darcy turned to face the older gentleman who occupied the seat next to hers. He smiled, and the corners of his kind grey eyes crinkled slightly. "Yes," she concurred. "I am very ready to be back home. Business trips to southern France are nice and all, but eventually you start to miss the comforts of home."
The man nodded. "That, I understand. Sometimes I travel so much I'm afraid of forgetting where home is."
It was nice to have someone to speak to. Darcy sat sideways in her seat, her attention focused on her neighbour. "Are you headed home right now?"
"Yes, I am. I've been on the road for almost three weeks; it's going to be nice to see my wife again and get a few games of golf in before I have to head out again."
"Three weeks?! I had trouble with only one-I can't imagine what that must be like."
He shrugged, the gesture making him look tired. "You do what you've got to do, I guess. At least I get to fly business class. I think I might have a different opinion if they made me travel back there, though," he said, hooking his thumb towards the economy section.
"What is it that you do?"
"I work for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, in acquisitions," the man said. "I was looking into a few offers we've received from private collections-items they want to donate."
"Cool! What an exciting job!"
"Yes, it certainly is." He shifted in his seat, turning a little to better face her. "And what is it that you do? I'm Stuart, by the way."
"I'm Darcy," the young woman replied, accepting his proffered hand. "I'm a Systems Development Scientist with a company called Globalcomm Industries."
"Also very interesting, I'm sure," Stuart commented genuinely. "You must have the opportunity to work with many different types of clients."
Darcy couldn't believe that a guy who travelled the world to pick up pieces of art would think her job as being interesting. "I guess so, yes. Although in my eyes it's not very exciting. Nothing like what you do."
The man smiled. "The grass is always greener on the other side, Darcy. Oftentimes it wouldn't take much for me to trade places with you-I envy those whose work remains within an established framework, something that's dictated by logic. Dealing with eccentric millionaires doesn't present me with much of that."
"Wow… I hadn't really thought of it that way," Darcy admitted. "But I also get to deal with eccentric millionaires, too-they're sort of everywhere." At that moment, her ears popped-a sign the plane was beginning its descent.
The conversation ended while they both began to gather their belongings. Darcy shoved her backpack in its cubby and slipped her shoes back on. She looked out the window, wispy clouds giving way to blue skies and sunshine.
It was a gorgeous day to be coming back home.
Once the plane had landed safely and was taxiing along one of JFK's many roadways, Darcy sent Jane a quick text letting her know she'd landed safely and would be home sooner than later (she hoped).
When they'd reached their gate and the passengers began to disembark, Stuart turned to her and offered his hand. "Darcy, it was lovely making your acquaintance. Best of luck in everything."
"Thanks, Stuart," she replied, shaking his hand. "I really hope your deals come through. That way maybe you can get a few extra games of golf in while it's still nice outside."
They both grabbed their belongings and lined up to leave the plane. Darcy felt lighter than she had in days-since Loki had left, to be specific-and was looking forward to the comforts of home and her usual routine. She stopped to use the restrooms on her way to Customs, where she took advantage to text Loki, letting him know she was safely on the other side of the Atlantic and that she missed him very much.
She'd been warned by Jane to be very thorough on her declaration form, but this only made her more nervous as she made her way through the airport. Would they question her about the wine, or any of the food she was bringing back, or-holy shit-the dagger?! If they were going to grill her about anything, it wasn't going to be about Chupa-Chups or chocolates-it was going to be about the sharp, pointy weapon (safely) stored in her suitcase.
When she arrived at Customs, Darcy's heart sank. The room was packed with hundreds of travellers lined up in the snaking queue. Unlike at the bank, however, there were more than two agents open and things were moving along at a reasonable pace. With every step she took forward her backpack seemed to gain five pounds and by the time she'd reached the front of the line she was ready to lie down and take a nap.
Despite her uneasiness with passing through Customs, the experience was surprisingly positive. The agent was friendly and sported an easy smile; after having asked all the requisite questions ("Where have you been travelling?" "How long have you been away?") he inquired about the dagger, asking what its purpose was. When she replied that it was a Christmas gift for her brother, the agent smiled and said "well, I hope he likes it!"
And that was it. Darcy stood there waiting for more questions, or for an invite to go back to a room to discuss said dagger, but the agent simply stamped her declaration form and handed her passport back, wishing her a good day.
Still in semi-shock, she proceeded to the baggage claim area where her flight's luggage was just beginning to drop onto the conveyor. She let out a sigh of relief when her suitcase was among the first to appear, grabbing it and heading for the exit.
One taxi drive. That was all that separated her from her home-from her bed, from her favourite chair, from Jane.
As she stepped out into the arrivals area, her eyes shot upwards, looking for the signs directing her to the taxi area. So focused was she on her goal that she almost missed a familiar face waiting for her.
"Darcy!"
Huh? Darcy looked in the direction of the voice and laughed out loud when she saw her best friend waiting for her.
"Jane!" She ran over to the other woman, wrapping her in a crushing hug. "Oh my god I'm so glad to see you!" When she pulled back, her gaze fell on a clock, and she noticed it was just shy of half past twelve. "But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"
Jane waved a hand nonchalantly. "Please. Work can wait. I want to hear all about your trip." She reached down and took hold of the suitcase's handle before setting off for a parking lot, Darcy following close behind.
As they reached Jane's car, Darcy's phone began to screech about the Spanish Inquisition.
"What the heck is that?" Jane asked as she hoisted the luggage into her trunk.
"It's what happens when you leave your iPhone unattended around Loki," Darcy replied, rolling her eyes. "It does that every time he sends me a text."
Jane paused just as she was closing the trunk. "That's what's off!" she said, frowning. "Where is Loki? Why isn't he with you?"
Darcy realised that her friend had no idea what had transpired in the latter part of her trip. "It's a long story," she said. "I'll tell you all about it in the car."
"Wow," Jane said after Darcy had told her the story of Gustave and Loki's urgent departure. "That's horrible! Have you heard if he's going to pull through?"
"Yeah. Loki mentioned something about Gustave killing him for everything he's been put through once he's healed, so I'm going to guess that he's going to be fine. Being a parent must be such a mind job"
The other woman nodded solemnly. "I can't even take care of a potted plant. I've no idea how I would manage with a baby."
They drove for a while in silence watching the familiar scenery go by. Darcy closed her eyes and let herself sink back into the seat, the sound of Vivaldi's Adagio in G Minor lulling her into a near-coma. Leave it to Jane to drive around to music that would put anyone to sleep, she thought.
"So you and Loki are still an item, then?" Jane asked.
"That's the plan, yeah," she answered. "I'll just feel better when he's back in New York. I can't help but shake the feeling that everything's going to be different now that we're not in France."
"That's normal, Darcy. You guys seem to have fallen so hard for each other in so little time… it makes sense that you're wondering whether it's for real."
Jane pulled the car up to their duplex, nabbing a rare spot right in front of their home. "I should finish work this early every Friday," she commented, turning off the engine.
Entering into her home was cathartic for Darcy. As soon as the Jane closed the door behind her, she felt herself relax nearly to the point of melting into a puddle. "You don't realise how happy you are at home until you spend a week away," she said, smiling. She fought the lame urge to run to her chair and hug it; instead, she kicked her shoes off and walked to the kitchen for a glass of water.
She wasn't surprised that the room was spotless, and was even less surprised to find the refrigerator filled with take-out containers. "Ok. We're ordering Thai for dinner tonight, but tomorrow we're going grocery shopping." She peered at her friend over the fridge door. "Have you ever tried mussels? They have the best mussels ever in southern France-I want to try and see if I can figure out the recipe."
"Hey, you know the drill," Jane replied, leaning against the doorway leading from the kitchen to the hallway. "You cook it, I eat it. I'll try mussels if you say they're that good."
"Oh! Speaking of good," Darcy remembered the chocolates she'd picked up for Jane at the airport. She rooted through her bag and pulled out the small packet of fancy confections, tossing them to her friend who acted like a kid on Christmas morning.
Although it was just shy of two o'clock, Darcy was exhausted. Her internal clock thought it was eight and was telling her to gear down for the evening. A few loads of laundry, she told herself, a bit of unpacking, dinner and a movie, and then a good night's sleep in my own bed.
It was really good to be home.
A/N: Fear not, gentle readers; Loki returns next week in Chapter 14! Don't forget to leave a few words-let me know if this is still interesting or if I've totally lost you :)