HELLOOOOO! WELL, IT'S TIME FOR THE LAST CHAPTER, THE EPILOGUE. WRITING THIS WAS BITTER SWEET, IT WAS
GOOD TO GET IT OUT BUT AT THE SAME TIME VERY SAD. I'D LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
WHO READ AND/OR REVIEWED MY FIC. FOR MY VERY FIRST FANFIC WE HAVE, WHAT, 180ISH REVIEWS? THATS
FLIPPING AMAZING! I CANT TELL YOU HOW WONDERFUL IT'S BEEN TO BE A PART OF THIS LITTLE DARREN SHAN
COMMNITY. I'M REALLY SAD THAT IT HAS TO END, BUT DON'T WORRY THERE'S A SEQUEL COMING SOON ;) THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SHARE MY STORY WITH YOU(even though i dont own any of these characters), ITS BEEN
WONDERFUL. THIS EPILOGUE WON'T ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT IT WILL HOPEFULLY PROVIDE A LITTLE
CLOSURE.
ITS BEEN AMAZING,
NICOLE
I woke up on a bed, and the first thing I noticed was that it was hot. I lay still for a few minutes with my eyes closed. How many times had I woken up in a new and strange place with little recollection of what happened? Too many times to count. Although whenever I did wake up somewhere new I always knew Steve was a part of it-he always is! I rolled my eyes and found myself staring at a revolving fan on the ceiling.I sighed and processed my thoughts, my brain was forcing me to relieve that last final fight. I felt a wave of uncertainty make its way through my body. Now was the hard part-the aftermath. I took a deep breath and breathed in the hot and humid air. With a groan I hoisted myself up and took inventory of the state of my knee. It was covered in a big bandage, and when I tried to move it, it hurt like hell. I noticed that above the bandage was a breezy skirt, that left me feeling girly and exposed. Not the way I needed to feel right now. Regardless of that I stood up and tried to exit the bedroom I was in. Giving the room a quick look over I deduced we were in some tropical, tacky vacation home. Finally, Steve had taken me somewhere I wanted to go.
I hobbled and dragged my leg past the bright blue kitchen and into the lounge filled with wicker furniture and large-leafed tropical plants. I looked out through the huge windows and saw that it was midday on a beach. I heard a loud snore, and turned to find Steve asleep on the couch. I walked over to the opposing chair, and sat facing Steve. His short, jet black hair had grown out and was hanging over his eyes, his lips twisted into an unflattering snarl and his eyes squeezed shut. My heart sighed, he looked like he was having a nightmare and I wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms, but I knew we had problems to sort out and I had to be strong.
As I stared into his face and waited, I was tormented with a set of flashbacks. They came fast and I could barely figure out what was going on before it was gone. They all had a common theme though: times when Steve used and hurt me. I understood what my subconscious mind was trying to tell me. It didn't think that I should stay with Steve anymore. It was like my subconscious mind was a different person, it's thoughts were "He took you away! He tied you up! He took your blood, your humanity and your virginity! He let you get raped and abducted and shuffled around from numerous people, and he sacrificed his own son! He doesn't care for you and watched as you almost died in front of him. There isn't anything he won't do to gain power-get out of there!"
It didn't matter what my subconscious mind threw at me. I still sat there, and waited for Steve to wake up. Some part of me still believed we shared a bond so strong that we could fix ourselves, the other part of me thought I was unnaturally obsessed with him.
A few minutes after twilight, Steve awoke. At first, he stared at me in shock and awe, and then sighed, "Oh, it's you." His voice was low and husky, he cleared his throat and his eyes shifted over me.
"Boo. I'm the boogyman." I replied flatly. I saw the small of a smile on his lips as he stretched his arm back to smooth over his hair. I felt my heart flutter when his shirt hiked up a bit and I caught a quick peek of those wonderful, plentiful abs. He caught me looking and started to smile coyly, but I asked
"So where are we?" I was surprised at the lack of emotion in my words.
He mumbled a few words before I could make out, "Mexico. We got you immediate medical attention back in Europe, but we needed a permanent place for you to recover where they wouldn't..ask so many questions."
I covered my mouth with my hand, "It's uncommon for 16-year-olds to be shot in the knee?" I asked surprised.
He looked at me and said, "Yeah, usually doctors just see a lot of arrows."
I allowed myself to laugh, and then there was an uncomfortable silence. I was torn and confused.
"Nat, I know what you're thinking and I know it's been bothering us both but you must know I thought you were dead." He pleaded with me.
I looked up at him, remembering the pain and the weakness I had felt. "No, that's what almost happened." I replied maliciously.
He groaned and stood up. Starting to pace he said; "Your appearance-it freaked me out! Like I thought I was hallucinating!" His arms flared out from side to side. "I thought I was seeing some ghostly-dead image of you, because Darren had already killed you! He-I thought you were dead, and your spirit had come back to warn me not to seek out revenge for you! So, you see, I was-well I was shocked. And then I was very distressed but I never actually knew it was you-in the flesh-baby." He finished his plea by kneeling in front of me and taking my hand, kissing it and whispering to it.
Was he being truthful? Did I look so bloody and dismayed that he thought I wasn't real? A living, screaming person is not how I would perceive a ghost. Everyone around Steve noticed me …maybe, the thought of my death was such a horrifying ordeal for Steve that he became blind to any other logic. I wasn't one of those girls who would sit around and wonder if my boyfriend loved me. Oh yes, Steve loved me very much. So maybe that is how he would respond to my death. I could feel my insides warming and suddenly felt very shy. Of course, if things didn't turn out well and Tiny hand't slipped up then I would be six feet under and maybe not so forgiving right now. But I didn't feel like tormenting or hurting him any longer. I just wanted him to hold me again.
I stared at him with evil eyes, "I am completely and utterly dismayed.." He looked up at me with a look of sheer terror on his face
"-that I can never, ever successfully seem to stay mad at you." I sighed and he picked me up and I held on to him. I didn't let go. I never wanted to be apart from him, and the feeling of being back in his arms was euphoric. I clutched to his side and hoped that I could always be his. If I was being truthful, I'd say that the relationship wasn't healthy-I wasn't healthy. I was so in love with Steve that he could do whatever he wanted and I'd never leave. I just couldn't deal with not seeing him.
I eventually looked up at his face, and he was crying and smiling. Without his voice cracking or even changing an octave he said; "I was so scared you wouldn't want me. I've done so many demonic things to you Nat, and you're the only person in the whole entire world who's crazy enough to stay with me. There's nobody like you. I'm going to evermore spend infinity loving you, as deeply as you have loved me." His voice tickled deep into my ear, and his hot breath was on my face. I could feel my pulse start to rush, that's what happened when I was this close to him. His arms held me, and he slowly kneaded each of his fingers into the small of my back. I heard him chuckle, "You get this excited from a hug?" He bent his head a little lower to kiss me, and oh how it made my bad knee weaker. I opened my mouth and tried to stick my tongue out but he chuckled and pulled away. I felt my insides burn with desire, I had some ideas of how he could spend 'infinity' making it up to me.
I looked back at Steve, and saw a confused expression on his face. He lead me over to the kitchen counter and propped me up on it. I could see a bead of sweat on his forehead. He turned around mysteriously, and when he returned into my view he had a box. I recognized that kind of box. A small smile was on my lips. I felt a giggle escape.
He opened it, and a silver ring with an incredibly large rock was on it. "I've been thinking about this forever. There never seems to be the right time. If I can be honest, I'm scared that an event like the bridge will happen again, and that you won't be able to forgive me. And so I'm going to be very selfish and ask you to marry me, that way I know you will always have to stay and be mine."
He got down on one knee, "The day I found you was the day I found all my answers. Nat you've solved my every problem-ones that I didn't even realize existed. You're the best in me and that's why I want you to marry me. Natalie Tanner, will you be mine?"
I let out a nervous laugh, ran my hands through my hair and said, "Uhh, well I kinda already am but yes!"
I jumped down and he took my hands in his. He grabbed both my hands and lifted them above my head. He stared at me, very intensely but very romantic. There was such a soft expression on his face, and I was completely enthralled and stared at him in a trance. He took my right hand and kissed each finger. He did the same with the left, but slipped the ring on quite methodically. Once the ring was on, I watched his eyes look up and down my body and then back to the ring. He had a tight lipped smile on his face, but I could tell he was very happy. He took my hand again and rubbed the ring and my hands, getting used to the new texture. He placed my left hand on his forearm, and started to walk with me trailing behind him. He had only touched my hands and didn't say a word-but oh how I was turned on! It was so intimate..and the look on his face..
Steve led me out to the porch and we sat on a swing, gazing at the moon. I looked back at my dark haired lover, his eyes glanced to me and I felt my heart skip a beat. Yes! I knew this was the man for me. I'd dated guys before but NEVER had I experienced such a bond as I experience with Steve. Every little thing he did provoked an internal response in me. Our personalities fit perfectly together and he knew when to lead and I knew how to follow. I smiled at him, a big toothy grin and he just stared at me, shaking his head but laughing too. I think a good word for this moment, would be perfect.
We didn't say any words, but a million thoughts were conveyed. His arms were around my waist but then he started to run them through my hair, and I lulled into the motion and lay my head on his shoulder. Then, he tugged on a bit of hair and tipped my head back. He turned and kissed me, and I remembered my plans from before. I swung myself around sideways over his lap, and carefully placed my lips on his, not moving. We both sat there, lips on lips, but neither of us wanted to start. It was a teasing game to see who could outlast, and it was pure torture. Eventually, he started to rub his hands up and down my sides. He tazored me at my hips, and I opened my mouth and gave a small squeal. He took that opportunity to run his tongue over my lips. I heard myself moan, and he delved inside. When I tried to use my tongue, he pushed it away. I put my hands around his neck, and his moved his to the small of my back. He kissed my neck, biting playfully, and I decided to be brave and give him a hickey. I heard him chuckle, deep in his throat. I blushed, he made me brave. He made me want to do things I never would have thought of doing. My attention returned to his lips, and I started to lead a slow, deep kiss which quickly turned frantic. My body was quite strained, I could tell this would eventually lead to the bedroom, but Steve seemed to be drawing it out. Every once in a while, he'd stop and look at me, sigh, or just smile.
And we sat like that for hours, kissing perfectly under the moonlight. Now and then we would break, and I would lay my head on his chest and he would rub my back and tell me how I was beautfiful, or why I was the only perfect girl in the entire world-but that just made me want to kiss him more.
I think that on this day-in this moment, I have made up my mind about that 'fateful day in the forest'. It was not the best or worst day of my life; it was the beginning of an eternity with my lover.