Ok, now at last the end has come! This is the last chapter and the story is finished.
Epilogue
Briefing Lester and persuading him to let Eve and Adam return to their time was not as tricky as it first appeared. It had only taken Nick about an hour to answer his questions and the man had caved. Now the only thing they needed was for Eve's leg to heal properly, then find another anomaly to their time and say the goodbyes.
Later that day, Nick sat at his brand-new desk, doing his best to litter it again and trying to focus on the rebuilding of the anomaly map, lovingly named "Matrix", which had resulted in shining eyes by Connor; but somehow he couldn't concentrate. Thoughts of Helen floated through his mind, theories about her purposes, yet they were all banished as soon as his mind; and it only was for a heartbeat, remembered Jenny as she had woken up yesterday and the way she had smiled at him. Nick had enjoyed being with her that day, had liked the feeling of her body leaning on his, her laughter and the gleam in her eyes, the scent of her hair and the taste of her lips.
Still he felt guilty about what had happened to her. She had been kidnapped by his wife. Well, to be honest, Helen had been legally declared dead some years ago, so technically they weren't married anymore, technically he was a widower.
I should stop thinking of her as my wife... She isn't anymore...
And he hadn't forgotten Claudia either, but the moment he had teared up her photo on the graveyard, he had decided to move on. He had lived too long amidst memories, he needed to let go of his past in order to have a future. Though it had hurt much; more than he was expecting and he had suffered through the most difficult hours of his life (at least up to that point), it had allowed him to open his heart for Jenny, knowing she was closer to Claudia than she thought. She wasn't a replacement for her, but the Claudia within her got more present with every day that passed. Maybe the universe was making amends after all, allowing him some peace after losing Helen, finding her again, losing her again along with his best friend, finding Claudia, losing her again, and then being confronted with Jenny.
Looks like there is some justice out there...
And still while he sat at his desk, surrounded by sheets of paper written in his distinctively bad handwriting, he just tapped the pen on to the desk in a neverending stakkato that calmed him even. It was there, tap-tap-tap, a rhythm never changing in pace or in tune. Which reminded him of the way Jenny had looked at his piano and he had to smile, not knowing that he was.
As his thoughts finally broke and pushed him back into reality, he decided that right now he should at least try to focus, knowing in an instant, it was impossible with Jenny crossing the lines of his thought processes.
Eve sat in her room on the bed and slowly got bored. Rather irritably, because Adam had left a good while ago, Connor took him to the scientists and he had resisted until she had said it was all right. But that still left her where she was right now, alone in her room, leg streched in front of her, with nothing really to do except to stare on the ceiling.
She was startled when she saw the door open slowly, but it turned into a pleasent surprise as Abby walked in, some queer thing on wheels in front of her.
"What's that?" Eve asked, both concerned and fascinated by the thing.
"It's called a wheelchair. I thought you might want to be a bit more mobile. Maybe I could shove you outside and we could talk a bit. What do you think?" Abby stated and pushed the chair towards her, lifting a small bag she had been carrying. When she saw Eve nod enthusiastically, she opened the bag to reveal a set of clothing which she could spare. Though Abby had to help the girl with the trousers and to put her in the wheelchair, only seeing Eve's eyes lit up because of the fact that she'd be doing something, clearly made her feel better. It wasn't long until she was able to turn the chair around and walk with her through the corridors of the ARC, aiming for that little garden with the oak in the middle. The same place they had taken her the last time, only it seemed so long ago now. And Eve was even more quiet than she had been then, but it was only due to her helplessness. They stopped at a bench not too far from the trees and Abby sat down, hoping her company would comfort Eve. After a few moments of silence, Eve spoke softly; her eyes closed in bliss over fresh air and sunshine.
"This is peculiar. I never thought your leader would allow me going outside, now that he knows what I am. I thought I'm a potential risk to human life."
The words made Abby cringe with pity, once again she thought that Eve and Adam didn't deserve that kind of rejection.
"You know, I totally agree with Nick. It isn't important that you're not 100% human, and I don't see you as a monster. Or a threat." Reassuringly she looked at Eve, hoping the girl would see the honesty in them. Suddenly Eve looked away, her gaze aware, but not frightful.
"Eve, what's wrong?" asked Abby, fearing the worst. She was calmed by Eve's happy smile.
"There's Jenny."
Turning around to look towards the door, Abby saw Jenny come closer, slowly and her eyes all over the place, but determined. Seemingly the strain of what had happened was taking its toll, but Jenny was too 'professional' to let it show so plainly. But compared to her usual self, all business and hard-ass (though that wasn't even touching it slightly), now she was overprotective, often glancing over her shoulder as if she was expecting to be followed. And she kept very close to Nick. But like it was, Jenny was acting like everything was normal and that made Abby smile a bit. It would take a bit of time, but Jenny would get better. As a matter of fact, she looked a lot better now, after they all had decided yesterday that both Nick and Jenny needed a break. Her thoughts and observations stopped as Jenny reached the bench and smiled at both of them.
"May I join you?" she asked, her gaze quickly scanning the surroundings again and Eve looked at Abby for confirmation.
"Sure, have a seat, Jenny." Abby said and waited for the woman to sit down next to her, before she dared to speak again.
"How are you? And don't say 'fine'! I know that trait from Nick, and I can see that you're not entirely fine."
Both women saw Jenny grimace and sigh, obviously that had been exactly what she had wanted to say.
"Ok, I'm not entirely fine, but I'm close to it." Jenny said with a slight chuckle. She clearly was thinking about something else than her health or Helen's place, it was something that made her feel better inside. Abby remembered the fact that both Nick and Jenny got to the ARC together this morning. She had been suspecting something like this, she had even talked to Connor and Sarah about it, but she wanted to be sure. However, it was vitally important that she was approaching not from the front, more let Jenny confirm that there was something going on between the two of them.
"So, hows Nick?" she asked, managing a cheery voice, but grinned playfully as she saw Jenny look at her, trying to keep a straight face. Didn't work very well, her eyes told the story.
"Erm, ok I think. He picked me up this morning at my house." Jenny hated lying to Abby, she liked the young woman very much, she was something like a little sister for her. But that didn't mean that Abby wouldn't tell everything around, if she slipped. But as Jenny looked at Abby and Eve, the both looked like they didn't believe her, so it must have been a very obvious lie.
Damn, I should really find my skills faster...
"What?" Jenny asked looking sternly, but the unease in her gazes couldn't be hidden from them.
At last Eve smiled, like she had figured it out or had been suspecting something for quite some time.
"You like him, don't you?" the young woman asked, her black eyes set firmly on Jenny and every reaction of her. At last Jenny gave in, sighed and looked at the ground.
"Is it so damn obvious?" she asked and frowned at them.
"Only for us." Answered Abby, slightly chuckling at her shocked expression. "To be honest, I've been suspecting for quite a bit. Tell me everything, please!" she begged, even folded her hands to give her eagerness the cloak of needing. Looking at her, Jenny had to laugh; Abby looked like she begged her mother for a pony. But she couldn't refuse her claim, no matter how hard she tried.
"Well, he offered his guest room for me to stay, that was why we arrived together. I can't go home, not now; even thinking of being alone there gives me the creeps." Hoping that would satisfy Abby's curiosity, Jenny stopped talking, but Eve with her keen observations had already realized that there was something Jenny wouldn't tell, so she decided to step into the discussion.
"There is something else, isn't there? Something you refuse to say. Are you two mates?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as Jenny coughed and gasped at her in surprise.
"Mates? Me and Nick? No! He was just polite and offered me shelter for two nights." But her look gave the lie to her words and she only needed to see Abby's and Eve's faces to sigh again and continue.
"We kissed. The night before... well you know. And we kissed yesterday. And we shared the bed." Seeing Abby's eyes get wider along with her smile, Jenny quickly added "Nothing happened. We just shared the bed. I asked him to."
Eve frowned confused, she didn't understand the meaning of 'kissed' but it was plain that it had to be something good, or else Jenny wouldn't seem so happy about it, and neither would Abby smile so broadly. So she smiled too, hoping that she could later ask Abby the meaning of that word.
"So, you're staying at Nick's place, hm? For how long?" Abby asked, clearly not wanting them to rush into anything but neither did she want them to end it before it really had a chance to start properly. Seeing Jenny shrug but smile made her think that even though Jenny was a bit out of sorts, she would try to get this to the next level. Whatever the next level in 'liking Nick Cutter' was.
"I don't know. He hasn't said that he wanted me out of his place, but neither did he ask me to stay." Suddenly Jenny's smile faltered as her hand subconciously reached up to her cheek and she remembered how she looked like now. "And what tells me that he'd even want me now, the way I look? I look like I've had a close encounter with the pavement." Bitterly Jenny stared at the ground, her left hand carefully resting on her cheek.
"You don't know yet, if there'll be a scar. It could be that nothing is visible." Said Abby, but her doubtful glance didn't ensure Jenny in the slightest. Their talk subsided again and a few minutes they all were silent, until Eve had the courage to speak again. Her blck eyes set frimly again on Jenny, she smiled at her.
"You know, I have a lot of scars and after the first one I thought that it was actually a good thing."
"Why that?" asked Jenny, shaking her head, clearly not understanding what the girl meant by that.
"Well, the first scar I received was because I had killed something. I needed to fight the thing and I won. The scar was proof of that, at least for me. And with every new scar I sustained I thought that they are nothing more than evidence that I remained victorious against my offenders. And so it will be with the scar I will have on my knee, it is nothing more than proof for me." Eve said quietly, looking openly in Jenny's eyes.
"There's something I heard once on Discovery Channel. It was something about prehistoric cultures or so, its quite a while ago. They said that when the young men were hunting for the first time and managed to kill something, they were marked by the oldest with a small scar on their shoulder. It was evidence for the other members of the family that this man was now officially a hunter and able to protect the women and children. I think, that's pretty much the same. It was you after all who shot Helen with the dart and for that you got these wounds. So even if they are visible in the future, you could think that you received them, while you were setting Helen up. And to be honest, to get Helen captive was something never accomplished before." Abby looked at the older woman next to her, who shot disbelieving glances at both of them. They were right, though it was slightly weird to think that way, but she wasn't used to scars, at least not so plainly ones. But still, there was a slightly pinch of fear in her chest and now it wasn't aimed at her own feelings. Jenny hesitated for a moment, not wanting to seem so concerned about other peoples cares about her looks (because she normally wasn't, she was confident about her body), yet she decided to ask their opinions at least.
"The problem is, what will Nick think of that? He blames himself for them and I don't know what to say to him." She asked, her brow deeply frowned and her gaze bound to the earth beneath her shoes.
"It's you he cares about, Jenny. And thats all that counts, if you ask me." Abby laughed slightly at her and after a moment of surprise Jenny smiled, sseing her point and admitted she was right. Glancing at the wheelchair, Jenny saw Eve smile knowingly and her eyes were filled with a happiness she hadn't yet seen.
A month later.
The anomaly glittered and glinted in the fading light of the sinking sun towards the western horizon. A quick exploratory mission had proved that it indeed led to Eve's and Adam's world and they had been brought to the anomaly site (much to Lester's relief) to be sent back. Eve's wounds had completely healed, sooner than expected, but the medics told them that it was probably a result of her being a different species. They called her a human subspecies, which was much nicer than calling them just hybrids. They had also figured out how Eve's keen sight was achieved, but Nick couldn't remember what they had said. He was good with extinct creatures, not with the higher levels of human anatomy.
And even though they had told her to take things easy for a while, Eve couldn't resist teaching abby a few of her attacking skills, mostly ducking and moving quickly. Connor had tried to, but Adam had looked that if the boy called him Stephen again, he just might strangle him. Luckily he hadn't, but it had been very close. They all got so used to seeing them both every day that it hurt a little to see them go now. But it was better that way. It would have been just another prison for Eve and especially for Adam, if they stayed at the ARC. They needed freedom and due to the fact that their animal's instict returned, they had gotten more impatient with everyone with the days that passed.
But understandably, Eve and Adam had been incredibly happy when the news had reached them, they'd be finally sent home. They had hugged and screamed and hugged a bit more, Adam was so happy he actually had whirled Eve around laughing.
And now they were all gathered in front of the anomaly to bid their final farewells to each other. Eve had changed her tattered excuse for clothing with one of Abby's trousers and tops; and Adam, well for him they had actually bought something, because none of Stephens clothes were available.
And as they were standing in front of the rotating light of the time rift, Eve received back her claws and Adam got; kind of as a present from Connor; a bowie knife, which the boy had snatched from the armoury. The girl hesitated only briefly, before hugging Connor, who stood a bit stiffly around, before hugging her back. Adam clapped him brotherly on the shoulder. They moved on to Abby, who hugged Adam a bit longer than appropriate and wished Eve all the best and then came Sarah.
Slowly, person after person, including Becker who looked wary yet friendly at them, but received no hugging (which was prbably because of the fact that he was armed), the reached Jenny and Nick last. There the both divided forces and while Adam said farewell to Jenny, Eve stood in front of Nick, looking at him thoughtfully for a few moments ere she spoke at last.
"Farewell, my friend. It has been a pleasure knowing you. Maybe we meet again in the future, though I only hope it will be under happier circumstances than this time." She said, her black eyes boung to his blue ones, a faint smile gacing her lips. It was both happy and sad to leave, and she knew it. For the first time Helen had created them, it was up to their own will where they would go or where they would stay.
"No more running, no more hiding from Helen. I'm not sure I can get used to that. However I'm glad for Adam's sake, he deserved freedom more than anyone else. And I wanted to thank you at last."
"Thank me? What for?" Nick asked, a bit puzzled.
"For not thinking we're vicious monsters. For believing in us. For setting us free at last." Her eyes gleamed up at him and Nick smiled back, while she stepped forward to wrap her arms around his waist.
"You don't have to thank me for that. I have to thank you, because if it hadn't been for you two, I probably wouldn't have Jenny here. And for that I thank you." He said as they parted and Eve looked for a long while in his eyes, as if she was searching for something in them.
After a few minutes in silence, her smile got a bit brighter as though she had found whatever she had been looking for and was happy about that.
"Send my regards to Helen." The young woman said quietly, her smile turning quickly into a smug grin and Nick couldn't help thinking how lucky Helen was being still in coma and not available for fighting. Eve would have probably killed her and if she hadn't, Adam would have for certain. But Nick grinned back at her and nodded silently, that would be a bit fun at least.
Eve continued to grin as she walked towards Jenny, who stood smiling waiting for her. They hugged long, each one drinking in the happiness of the other. Looking at each other again, Eve could see the light in Jenny's eyes and decided it must be because of Nick. Glancing quickly to her left she saw, a bit away, Nick and Adam talking to each other, both relaxed and calm. Because she knew how Nick felt towards Adam, that he saw the man called Stephen whenever he looked at him; he had even slipped sometime and had called him Stephen, it made her all the happier to see them smile.
Returning her gaze back to Jenny, she thought that probably it was because of this woman that Nick was calm.
"I wish you only the best, Jenny. And here, in memory of our friendship, because it is possible that we'll never meet again." Eve pulled out a little thing wrapped into some fabric of her old clothing and handed it over to Jenny. Curious she peeked inside and gasped in surprise, for it was a tiny work of delicate art made of something white and shaped into a small crystal not unlike the shards of the anomaly. It hung on a brown leather band, probably a necklace of some sort. It must have taken quite a long time for Eve to make it and Jenny was astonished by the delicacy of the work and touched that Eve had used so much time in making it for her.
Smiling she took her gaze off the gift and looked Eve in the eye.
"Thank you, Eve. It's beautiful and I'll tresure it forever. But I have no gift for you, I wasn't expecting this." Sheepishly she looked to the ground, ashamed not to have thought of getting the girl a present after all she had suffered through to help her.
"If I could decide what to get, I'd only want a promise from you." Eve said, looking at her calm and quietly and Jenny met her gaze, eager to find out what it might be.
"You name it. What do you want me to promise?" she asked curious and watched Eve's gaze flicker at Nick once more, as if she was checkin he wouldn't look at them or overhear her.
"Take care of him. He needs you more than you know. Maybe even more than he knows himself." The young womand said with a nod in Nick's direction and smiled brightly as Jenny took her hands in her own and gripped them tightly.
"I will, don't worry. I promise."
They were interrupted by Connor, who told them they'd better hurry because the anomaly was weaening and probably not holding for much longer. Eve hugged Jenny quickly one last time before she joined Adam, who stood entranced by the beautiful and terrible shards of the rift hovering in mid air. He seemed a bit frightened of what would happen next and so Eve took his hand carefully and smiled encouragingly up at him.
Without further words, they turned around to look at he others again, but Eve smiled and walked alongside Adam through the anomaly, which closed right behind them.
Later that evening.
This house is too quiet...
Nick couldn't help thinking that as he tried to focus on his work. He had to write a report for Lester, but somehow the silence distracted him too much. Usually, even a few months ago, he would have been happy about silence, but now the non-existing sounds drove him nuts.
That's probably because you're used to sharing the house with Jenny...
That could be, it was a simple explanation and they usually are the most accurated, but how could it be then that the house suddenly felt empty as he sat on his desk, absentmindedly tapping the smooth surface with his fingertips. Jenny had announced yesterday that she should try and sleep in her own house again, she was feeling that she was a burden for him. Of course that was nonsense, but Nick could understand her motive. So she had left in the morning, taking what few clothing she had stuffed in that bag of hers and had driven home.
However it was, Nick couldn't concentrate on his work, he couldn't since a few days, so he got up and wandered slowly through the silent rooms and corridors and couldn't help but thinking how he suddenly felt alone in his own house. Not that he wasn't used to that, but he had grown used to having someone here now and often, while he wrote some report or a theory, Jenny was curled up on the couch, watching television or reading some book. And to be honest, often when she did that, Nick abandoned his work and just sat there and watched her silently, seeing her frown or grin or laugh a little while she was oblivious to his observations.
Her nightmares were fewer now and she was good with sleeping alone, but again, not that he wanted to complain, it had been very nice to share the bed with her. Lord knows, he remembered all too well the peace and comfort he had felt while she was sleeping huddled at his chest, smiling in deep slumber. It wasn't until then Nick realized he was leaning in the doorframe which led to his spare room where Jenny had slept. He didn't have the time to change the sheets or even make the bed, so Nick stood and looked at the ruffled blanket and the pillow on which Jenny had rested her head less than 48 hours ago.
That was when it hit him.
You miss her...
Doubtless that was true, yet he refused to give into the urge to call her and invite her over. That would have been pathetic and honestly, she had been here the last month or so. She probably needed some time for herself also. So instead, he descended down the stairs again; leaving the room exactly as it was, though he had no idea why. He searched for something to do in order to keep his mind busy, but he was just too restless, so there was nothing that distracted him well enough to not think of Jenny. As he returned to the living room, his gaze fell upon the piano, which Jenny had so affectionately touched.
True enough, the piano was his after all, but he hadn't played in ages. When he had been younger he hated it, because his parents wanted him to play some instrument. But the older he got, the dearer the piano became to him. This piano had been a birthday present from his father, handed over with the words that if he played piano, then at least it should be on a Steinway. And even though Nick hadn't touched it's keys for at least some years, somehow he couldn't bear to part with it. It was a reminder of his family, though his father had died some years ago, before Nick had gotten involved with dinosaurs and such.
However it was, now he slowly walked over, stroking the old oaken wook almost lovingly before he sat down on the bench in front of it and carefully lifted the lid which protected the keys. He tried a few tunes, just to see if it still sounded right (which it did, much to his surprise) and then, before he even knew what he was doing, he started to play softly, a song he hadn't played in years beyond count for him. And while the slow, steady tunes echoed throughout the emptiness of his home, he smiled slightly, finally he had found something to banish the silence from his house and the loneliness from his heart.
Meanwhile
Jenny sat on her couch, wrapped in a white dressing gown, her hair wet from the shower she had taken earlier, and she was handling the small piece of jewelry which Eve had given her. Now, as she looked at it closer, turning it over and stroking the pale white surface, she found that it really looked like some shards of the anomaly, lined up in a circle. It was probably ivory, though where the girl had gotten it, no one could tell her now, but it was beautiful. While her gaze was bound to it, she had to think again of what eve had made her promise.
Take care of him. He needs you more than you know...
She would, undoubtedly, but the truth was that she didn't know if her presence would be truly comforting for him. She remembered the way he looked at the small scars on her cheek, they were indeed barely visible, but the both of them knew where to look to see them and she supposed the others saw them too. But she had gotten used to staying at his place. To wake up in the morning and know someone would be there, sharing the house, her life literally, making coffee for her and all that little gestures of affection she liked so much about him, if she'd left the kisses out. And the kisses were the best of all, and so far nothing more had happened. On that note Nick had been a real Gentleman, he hadn't rushed her, never pushed her anywhere she didn't want to be, had told her that he'd never cross a line if she wasn't admitting him to. He had left the decision with her to give the signal when she was ready. And that had really impressed Jenny. She knew he liked her a lot, liked her, not the image of Claudia she was, she could tell from the looks he gave her and the kisses and comfort they had shared.
Smiling about the memory of that morning after they had shared the bed, the way he looked at her, being so happy she was with him; she stood up and made her way upstairs in search for some clothes and then she wanted to get to bed.
But her mind couldn't be silenced, neither as she picked her clothing nor as she stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom to brush her hair. Jenny's gaze fell again at the gift from Eve, she had laid it next to the sink before she had started to brush her hair.
You could go to him, you know...
Her mind quaked from somewhere inside her head, but she ignored the implication. She didn't want to appear as the damsel in distress, and most certainly that would be the case if she turned up at his house again. Truth was, yesterday when she had gotten home, she had checked first if all the windows were shut and all doors secure, but still she hadn't found sleep there. And the idea of sleeping in her bed tonight again wasn't appealing at all, with that silly fear inside her. Helen was in the ARC, guarded, handcuffed and still comatose, but she didn't feel safe house offered no more shelter to her and she was frightfully nervous of all sounds outside, fearing almost that there was something which could attack her during the night. It had happened once, it could happen again.
Jenny thought of what had become of her; a frightened girlie, scared of being alone at night and of monsters looming in the dark places outside. It was ridiculous really, she was an adult after all; she had learned long ago that there was no Bogey Man. But there were monsters, though not the ones in your closet, yet monsters nonetheless. She had seen some of Helen's creations and prayed to God they died all. And she counted Helen as a monster too, maybe the most vicious of all.
And Nick had protected her, he had risked his own life in order to safe hers. And after that his presence was enough to ensure her that there was nothing to be scared of.
A longing for the gentle and caring vice with the scottish accent washed over her and she let it happen. Jenny remembered the way he kept looking at her, mostly on occasions when he thought she wouldn't notice, but she did. And every time he did that, staring at her, she had to supress a shudder because of the intensity of his gaze. Shaking her head, Jenny decided it was a very bad idea to think of him and his gazes at her.
He needs you more than you know...
Eve's voice drifted through her mind again as she got dressed, her still damp hair in a ponytail at her neck, and Jenny froze to the spot as the truth hit her.
He may need you really. And you need him even more!
Without further thought of what she was doing or why she decided with some finality that she wouldn't stay here. Repeating that, Jenny hurriedly picked together some clothes, casual ones, and stuffed them into a larger bag along with her mobile and her ARC ID-card. While she got her shoes, her gaze fell upon the small gift which lay next to the sink still. It seemed a bit forlorn and Jenny only hesitated for a moment, before she opened the brown leather band and put it quickly around her neck. It fitted nicely, and it suited her well. It wasn't heavy in any way, she barely felt it. Smiling at her counetrpart in the mirror, she grabbed the bag and hurried downstairs, shutting the lights off as she did so, before she could rethink again and pine on it afterwards. Glancing at the watch in her Volvo she saw that it was already close to eleven, but she knew Nick would still be awake. He thought too much and so his brain couldn't be silenced until sometime after midnight.
As Jenny arrived at Nick's house she was smiling still. Everything was known to her, the surroundings feeling safe and the house in front of her lit by some lights within, which cast their warm rays towards the street. But as Jenny stepped closer she frowned at the sound she heard. At first she mistook it for some CD Nick was listening to, but the tunes were too clear for that. And then she realized that the sounds came from a real piano, probably the one in Nick's living room, it's music coming clear and pure out of an open winod at the front of the house. Curious she listened while she walked closer to the front door, Jenny didn't want to knock just yet, because that would certainly make him stop playing. She smiled even broader as she recognized the song itself. It was the Moonlight Sonata from Beethoven, which gave her another glimpse of Nick's personality. The piece was a classic after all, and though it was filled with a hint of sadness, it was calming in its slow pacing and the repeating tunes. Listening silently, not moving an inch; Jenny thought how great it sounded right now. She had never heard it played real but he never missed a single tune of it and the sound flowed slowly out of the window and seemed to clench right at her heart. She imagined him sitting on the bench in front of that huge instrument, a glass of Single Malt standing on top of it, his eyes closed and a smile upon his lips, while his fingers stroked the keys of the piano slowly.
God, how much I'd like to be a piano right now...
Blushing brightly, Jenny forced herself to stop listening (and especially imagining) and raised her hand to knock on the doorframe. Immediately the piano stopped, the last tune floating forgotten into nowhere, Nick probably frowning about the late visit. Somewhat sad to have to imagine the song, Jenny waited anxiously, planning on how to explain her presence. He spotted his shadow at the end of the hallway and saw him coming closer.
Then, suddenly and totally unforseen she had a somewhat crazy idea. Normally she would have tried to push it away, bury it as deep as possible, but right now it seemed good to her. Maybe some light craziness could actually do them both some good. Nick was serious too many times lately, even sometimes she was with him. He was concerned about her and that really annoyed the hell out of her.
At least now you can imagine his annoyance because of your fussing...
Grinning mischievously she put the bag down and waited until he opened the door.
Nick was a bit stunned to see Jenny standing in front of him, her damp hair in a slight ponytail, looking as if the thought to visit occured to her while showering.
Don't think of that...
Before he could even open his mouth to speak, Jenny covered his lips with her own, kissing him with a passion both pleasant and daring. Her slender hands snaked around his neck and automatically he pulled her closer, allowing the fire to spread between them.
As they finally, after some minutes probably, pulled apart; Nick looked only a little puzzled of the force of the kiss and the longing underneath it, but smiled nonetheless.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Jenny Lewis?" he asked, still not letting go of her.
"Well, what can I say? My house was so silent and I thought I'd look what you were doing. Maybe we could do something together." Her eyes under her raised eyebrows gleamed a bit more, as she saw the understanding in his gaze and the grin it produced. He drew her inside, without a word he picked up her bag and set it next to some cupboard in the hallway, before he kissed her again and felt the loneliness subside, leaving him to drown in the feeling of her; while he gently stroked her cheek.
"Stay with me." She whispered at his lips and for once in his life Nick did as she was asking him.
And later, he watched her sleep in his bed, the moonlight from outside making her pale skin gleam in unbelievable beauty, while her hair lay free across the pillow and Nick touched the small necklace Eve had presented her with. The ivory shone brightly against her pale chest and he let his hand wander to the small scars on her cheek, kissing each one of them gently, the touch made her sigh softly and she huddled closer, the sweetest smile on her lips. Nick remained motionless, admiring her beauty against the gleam of the moon, partly seen through a not entirely closed curtain.
And before he fell asleep himself, holding her slender body to his, breathing the scent of her hair and her skin, he thought that he'd never want another woman than her. She was now the epicentre of his universe; to live forever in the shining light of her smile and laughter was everything he wished for as sleep overcame him at last.
The End
Well, guys, one last time I would be thrilled to get some reviews, maybe some comments on the finished work...?