DISCLAIMER: I don't own Early Edition or any of its characters. I just like to torture them. Please don't sue.
The door to Gary's apartment burst open and he flew in, Sora in tow.
"Man! It is *cold* out there!" she cried. "I love it! And I love the winter, and...oh, look, Gary, it's snowing..."
He came to the window beside her. It *was* snowing. Big, thick, heavy flakes coming down in torrents.
"Snow is my favorite weather, you know that?"
"Yeah, Sora, I knew that. I kind of like it myself when it's not so inconvenient. It's kind of early, though. Not quite November," he said, looking over at the calendar.
"So? This means that there'll be more come real winter. Hey, tomorrow's Saturday. What do ya say? You, me, Stanford Park, snowballs..."
"Sounds great...but the paper..."
"Bernard," she reminded him. The older gentleman, Lucius Snow's best friend, had made it possible for Gary to have a lighter load, even days off when it was called for.
"We'll see what the morning brings," he told her.
"I need to get home, Gary. It's late."
"Of course," he nodded. He leaned in and they shared a short but sweet kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow, paper or no paper. But no guarantees about the snowballs."
She smiled. "I'll agree to that." She walked across the hall and down the stairs, throwing a goodbye to Marissa over her shoulder as she left.
The next morning dawned overcast, and Sora was well aware of it when she awoke.
~I love it when I get my perfect days~, she thought. ~There is nothing better in the world than a snowy patch with a gray sky.~
The phone rang at eleven o'clock, and Sora knew who it was.
"Gary?"
"Hey, Sora. I had to take care of a few accidents but I have a few hours free, until four-thirty. Do you want to meet me at the park, or McGinty's, or what?"
"I'll meet you out front of McGinty's."
"Okay. See you there."
It was a close call to say who actually won the snowball fight, but by the time they were through they were so tired they didn't really care.
Sora convinced Gary to plop down in the snow with her and make two snow angels, which, Gary admitted, was more fun than he'd remembered.
Gary stood back and admired their work. "Not bad. I don't think I've ever seen such a big snow angel, though."
She rolled her eyes. "I do at least one every year. It's good for the soul."
"On that I will have to agree with you." He turned and looked at her, with her red hair all glittery from snowflakes, and stars in her shimmering blue eyes, and in that moment was sure he was spending the afternoon with the most beautiful of all God's creations.
He led her to a park bench, where she sat close to him for warmth, and they spent the last hour he could spare just talking.
At home that night, he reflected on the day he'd spent. Or rather, the company he'd kept.
~I had the greatest time I can remember having in a long time. It's so great being around Sora because every moment is a memory in the making. It's always different,~ he thought. ~She's always been the greatest.~
That brought on a flood of memories from his senior year, when they'd been high school sweethearts. They had had so many plans and hopes and dreams. He wondered what life might be like now had he not lost her address when he left for college. There would have been no heartbreak from Marcia, no paper, maybe even a few kids. He smiled. ~There's no reason that can't still be part of the future.~
A few days passed, and the snow melted a bit, all but disappearing. Sora assured him that it would be back with a vengeance later on.
The next Saturday the paper arrived as usual. He fed the Cat and sat down to read.
The headline was big news. "TRAGIC RAILWAY CRASH Seventy-seven deaths" It was late in the afternoon, so he set it aside to worry over later.
It was the small article on page four that made his blood run cold. "No...it can't be. Sora...killed...the same time as the crash!"
Immediately he called her apartment, but she was gone. He tried to call Bernard as well, but he wasn't home either.
"Now what?" he yelled sarcastically at the Cat.
"Meow."
"Oh shut up!" he called, going to his armoire and throwing on the first shirt and pair of jeans that he could get his hands on. "I'll go look for them. Either one." On his way out he told Marissa what was going on, and what to do if one of them should show up. "Yeah, if Sora gets here, tell her to stay away from Park Street, and if Bernard gets here send him to the train station and call me. I'll call every fifteen minutes."
"Okay. I'll be right by the phone and I'll keep the line clear."
Gary wandered the streets of Chicago. He re-read the article a few times.
"Freak accident...three homeless guys and Sora killed. Trash can fire burned down to an almost-empty can of gasoline, but of course there's just enough, so it explodes, partially destroys two deserted buildings, too."
The quarter-hour check-ins brought no news. Gary didn't know what to do. He tried going by the alley where the trash can was supposed to be, but it wasn't there. Apparently one of the kids dragged it in later. Gary searched for the gas can but it wasn't there either. He even searched several nearby alleys in case the paper had the wrong address, but it wasn't. He tried calling the railway headquarters but no one believed that an anonymous caller could possibly know that a switch was stuck halfway between two settings and that a train would derail.
He kept walking from one accident scene to the other, supposing that whichever one he was closest to at the time would be what he would end up preventing. He kept calling Marissa, and kept trying at both Bernard and Sora's. He called the stable where Sora worked, and no, she wasn't there but they'd call him if she should come in. He called the restaurant where Bernard lived and worked, and he had left early that morning and they didn't know where he went, but they'd call Gary if they heard from him.
Neither one had a cell phone, and the city was simply too big. He'd only be able to do one or the other.
His heart ached. He had to save Sora, or he might as well fall in front of the train himself. But if he did save Sora, he would always have those 77 lives hanging over his head.
Unless...
He checked the train article again.
He checked his watch.
He didn't have that much time.
Sora was walking idly down the street when three young men came running out of an alleyway in front of her. She frowned but continued on her way. But then Gary came running out, too.
"Gary--?"
"No time!" he yelled, and the next thing Sora knew she was being jerked in a different direction and hitting the ground across the street very hard.
*KA-BOOOM!*
The explosion filled her ears, and she could feel heat even where she was. She screamed, not knowing what was going on or if she'd live to tell about it.
There were sirens, fire trucks, she assumed, and fire noises, crackles, collapsing floors. She was aware of Gary sitting up and then of him lifting her off the ground and into his arms, cradling her very tenderly.
Tears streaked her cheeks as she looked back where she had been standing, now surrounded by flames, and if that was an explosion she would have been right in its path. Gary was kissing her hair, her face. She remained oblivious to conscious thought for several minutes as she watched firemen hosing everything down.
Finally she spoke.
"What just happened?"
"There was a gas can in the trash can where those guys were burning paper and cardboard to stay warm."
"And I--we--me and them--"
"Yes...you would've died." At this point he was crying too, silently, but there were definitely tears being shed. She buried her face in his chest.
"Sora, Sora, I almost had to sacrifice seventy-seven lives to save you."
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
"There was a train that was going to crash. I couldn't get a hold of Bernard. I couldn't get the guys to believe me over the phone, and it took me a while to think to go to the place and point it out to one of the guys there. By the time I convinced him to take a look and got him to stop the train, I almost didn't make it here."
She pulled herself up tighter, closer to him, dropping her gaze again. He was warm, and she had a serious case of chills. "They were at the same time?"
"Yes. But if I'd had to make a decision, I would've been here. If you had died, life would be nothing. I might have put myself in front of that train to stop it. Truth is...I love you, Sora."
She jerked her head up. "What?"
"I...I love you."
Emotions tumbled one over the other. Relief, happiness, astonishment. "Oh, Gary, I love you too. I have been waiting so long to hear you say that..." Of course, there came a fresh stream of tears.
Their noses touched, and then their lips met in a kiss unlike anything Sora remembered, even from high school.
When it broke, Gary put an arm under her knees and stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. He was far less shaken by the event than Sora, because he'd been expecting it, so even though he was okay, he knew her nerves were still on edge, and she was too emotionally raw to even think of anything but the here and now.
He knew it must have looked funny for a guy to be carrying a grown woman down the street like that, but there were times when stuff like that just didn't matter. He carried her to McGinty's and into the office, where he set her in a chair.
"Hello, Marissa," he said in a somber tone. "Everything is okay, but I think Sora here could use some hot tea."
Marissa could sense the mood that had followed the pair in, and simply nodded in reply, heading for the kitchen.
Sora looked up at him. "Would it be too much to ask to sit in your lap? I need to be close to you right now. I'm still scared. I might have lost you."
He nodded, helping her to her feet and then back off them as he settled into the chair.
She laid her head on his shoulder, cuddling her forehead against his neck. "Did you really mean that, what you said about loving me?"
"Yes."
"I did too. I mean, I've felt that way for quite a while, but I didn't want to push you..."
"I have too. I just didn't realize it."
Silence pervaded the room. Sora did not cry this time, she was too happy. She had never felt more loved than she did in that moment. Gary loved her, so all was right in her world. Nothing else mattered.
Marissa finally came back with her cup of tea. Sora sipped at the hot liquid, wondering why anyone would drink coffee when there was such a heavenly substitute.
"What happened?" Marissa asked gently.
Gary looked up at her. "The train is okay. Sora's a bit shaken, but nothing that won't pass."
Marissa nodded, and left the two of them alone.
Sora finished her tea and set the mug on the desk. "I'm tired, Gary."
"You want to go home?"
She nodded.
"Can you walk this time?"
Sora smiled. "If you come with me."
"I was going to."
"Are you sure you'll be okay now?" Gary asked as they entered her apartment.
"I'll be fine."
"Well, if you insist." He put his arms around her waist and he kissed her again.
She smiled up at him. "I insist. See you around?"
"More than ever."
As he left, she closed her door and locked it. She leaned against it and from there sank to the floor.
~What a day!~ she smiled.
A/N: So they both finally admitted it. *authoress turns and looks at her cast of characters* About time!
Okay, I actually don't have any more written. I'm not out of ideas, but I'm not sure where I want to go from here. I need a few things to happen between now and my *next* big event. Big events usually don't happen one after another. (Besideds, it kind of has a set date.) Now is the time that I *might* be open to requests. If they actually make sense to write. (NO, I will NOT kill Sora. Don't e-mail me to ask that.) What I'm saying is don't e-mail me with stupid things that would never work.
The e-ddress is: RenaissanceGrrl@excite.com
The door to Gary's apartment burst open and he flew in, Sora in tow.
"Man! It is *cold* out there!" she cried. "I love it! And I love the winter, and...oh, look, Gary, it's snowing..."
He came to the window beside her. It *was* snowing. Big, thick, heavy flakes coming down in torrents.
"Snow is my favorite weather, you know that?"
"Yeah, Sora, I knew that. I kind of like it myself when it's not so inconvenient. It's kind of early, though. Not quite November," he said, looking over at the calendar.
"So? This means that there'll be more come real winter. Hey, tomorrow's Saturday. What do ya say? You, me, Stanford Park, snowballs..."
"Sounds great...but the paper..."
"Bernard," she reminded him. The older gentleman, Lucius Snow's best friend, had made it possible for Gary to have a lighter load, even days off when it was called for.
"We'll see what the morning brings," he told her.
"I need to get home, Gary. It's late."
"Of course," he nodded. He leaned in and they shared a short but sweet kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow, paper or no paper. But no guarantees about the snowballs."
She smiled. "I'll agree to that." She walked across the hall and down the stairs, throwing a goodbye to Marissa over her shoulder as she left.
The next morning dawned overcast, and Sora was well aware of it when she awoke.
~I love it when I get my perfect days~, she thought. ~There is nothing better in the world than a snowy patch with a gray sky.~
The phone rang at eleven o'clock, and Sora knew who it was.
"Gary?"
"Hey, Sora. I had to take care of a few accidents but I have a few hours free, until four-thirty. Do you want to meet me at the park, or McGinty's, or what?"
"I'll meet you out front of McGinty's."
"Okay. See you there."
It was a close call to say who actually won the snowball fight, but by the time they were through they were so tired they didn't really care.
Sora convinced Gary to plop down in the snow with her and make two snow angels, which, Gary admitted, was more fun than he'd remembered.
Gary stood back and admired their work. "Not bad. I don't think I've ever seen such a big snow angel, though."
She rolled her eyes. "I do at least one every year. It's good for the soul."
"On that I will have to agree with you." He turned and looked at her, with her red hair all glittery from snowflakes, and stars in her shimmering blue eyes, and in that moment was sure he was spending the afternoon with the most beautiful of all God's creations.
He led her to a park bench, where she sat close to him for warmth, and they spent the last hour he could spare just talking.
At home that night, he reflected on the day he'd spent. Or rather, the company he'd kept.
~I had the greatest time I can remember having in a long time. It's so great being around Sora because every moment is a memory in the making. It's always different,~ he thought. ~She's always been the greatest.~
That brought on a flood of memories from his senior year, when they'd been high school sweethearts. They had had so many plans and hopes and dreams. He wondered what life might be like now had he not lost her address when he left for college. There would have been no heartbreak from Marcia, no paper, maybe even a few kids. He smiled. ~There's no reason that can't still be part of the future.~
A few days passed, and the snow melted a bit, all but disappearing. Sora assured him that it would be back with a vengeance later on.
The next Saturday the paper arrived as usual. He fed the Cat and sat down to read.
The headline was big news. "TRAGIC RAILWAY CRASH Seventy-seven deaths" It was late in the afternoon, so he set it aside to worry over later.
It was the small article on page four that made his blood run cold. "No...it can't be. Sora...killed...the same time as the crash!"
Immediately he called her apartment, but she was gone. He tried to call Bernard as well, but he wasn't home either.
"Now what?" he yelled sarcastically at the Cat.
"Meow."
"Oh shut up!" he called, going to his armoire and throwing on the first shirt and pair of jeans that he could get his hands on. "I'll go look for them. Either one." On his way out he told Marissa what was going on, and what to do if one of them should show up. "Yeah, if Sora gets here, tell her to stay away from Park Street, and if Bernard gets here send him to the train station and call me. I'll call every fifteen minutes."
"Okay. I'll be right by the phone and I'll keep the line clear."
Gary wandered the streets of Chicago. He re-read the article a few times.
"Freak accident...three homeless guys and Sora killed. Trash can fire burned down to an almost-empty can of gasoline, but of course there's just enough, so it explodes, partially destroys two deserted buildings, too."
The quarter-hour check-ins brought no news. Gary didn't know what to do. He tried going by the alley where the trash can was supposed to be, but it wasn't there. Apparently one of the kids dragged it in later. Gary searched for the gas can but it wasn't there either. He even searched several nearby alleys in case the paper had the wrong address, but it wasn't. He tried calling the railway headquarters but no one believed that an anonymous caller could possibly know that a switch was stuck halfway between two settings and that a train would derail.
He kept walking from one accident scene to the other, supposing that whichever one he was closest to at the time would be what he would end up preventing. He kept calling Marissa, and kept trying at both Bernard and Sora's. He called the stable where Sora worked, and no, she wasn't there but they'd call him if she should come in. He called the restaurant where Bernard lived and worked, and he had left early that morning and they didn't know where he went, but they'd call Gary if they heard from him.
Neither one had a cell phone, and the city was simply too big. He'd only be able to do one or the other.
His heart ached. He had to save Sora, or he might as well fall in front of the train himself. But if he did save Sora, he would always have those 77 lives hanging over his head.
Unless...
He checked the train article again.
He checked his watch.
He didn't have that much time.
Sora was walking idly down the street when three young men came running out of an alleyway in front of her. She frowned but continued on her way. But then Gary came running out, too.
"Gary--?"
"No time!" he yelled, and the next thing Sora knew she was being jerked in a different direction and hitting the ground across the street very hard.
*KA-BOOOM!*
The explosion filled her ears, and she could feel heat even where she was. She screamed, not knowing what was going on or if she'd live to tell about it.
There were sirens, fire trucks, she assumed, and fire noises, crackles, collapsing floors. She was aware of Gary sitting up and then of him lifting her off the ground and into his arms, cradling her very tenderly.
Tears streaked her cheeks as she looked back where she had been standing, now surrounded by flames, and if that was an explosion she would have been right in its path. Gary was kissing her hair, her face. She remained oblivious to conscious thought for several minutes as she watched firemen hosing everything down.
Finally she spoke.
"What just happened?"
"There was a gas can in the trash can where those guys were burning paper and cardboard to stay warm."
"And I--we--me and them--"
"Yes...you would've died." At this point he was crying too, silently, but there were definitely tears being shed. She buried her face in his chest.
"Sora, Sora, I almost had to sacrifice seventy-seven lives to save you."
"What?" she asked, looking up at him.
"There was a train that was going to crash. I couldn't get a hold of Bernard. I couldn't get the guys to believe me over the phone, and it took me a while to think to go to the place and point it out to one of the guys there. By the time I convinced him to take a look and got him to stop the train, I almost didn't make it here."
She pulled herself up tighter, closer to him, dropping her gaze again. He was warm, and she had a serious case of chills. "They were at the same time?"
"Yes. But if I'd had to make a decision, I would've been here. If you had died, life would be nothing. I might have put myself in front of that train to stop it. Truth is...I love you, Sora."
She jerked her head up. "What?"
"I...I love you."
Emotions tumbled one over the other. Relief, happiness, astonishment. "Oh, Gary, I love you too. I have been waiting so long to hear you say that..." Of course, there came a fresh stream of tears.
Their noses touched, and then their lips met in a kiss unlike anything Sora remembered, even from high school.
When it broke, Gary put an arm under her knees and stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. He was far less shaken by the event than Sora, because he'd been expecting it, so even though he was okay, he knew her nerves were still on edge, and she was too emotionally raw to even think of anything but the here and now.
He knew it must have looked funny for a guy to be carrying a grown woman down the street like that, but there were times when stuff like that just didn't matter. He carried her to McGinty's and into the office, where he set her in a chair.
"Hello, Marissa," he said in a somber tone. "Everything is okay, but I think Sora here could use some hot tea."
Marissa could sense the mood that had followed the pair in, and simply nodded in reply, heading for the kitchen.
Sora looked up at him. "Would it be too much to ask to sit in your lap? I need to be close to you right now. I'm still scared. I might have lost you."
He nodded, helping her to her feet and then back off them as he settled into the chair.
She laid her head on his shoulder, cuddling her forehead against his neck. "Did you really mean that, what you said about loving me?"
"Yes."
"I did too. I mean, I've felt that way for quite a while, but I didn't want to push you..."
"I have too. I just didn't realize it."
Silence pervaded the room. Sora did not cry this time, she was too happy. She had never felt more loved than she did in that moment. Gary loved her, so all was right in her world. Nothing else mattered.
Marissa finally came back with her cup of tea. Sora sipped at the hot liquid, wondering why anyone would drink coffee when there was such a heavenly substitute.
"What happened?" Marissa asked gently.
Gary looked up at her. "The train is okay. Sora's a bit shaken, but nothing that won't pass."
Marissa nodded, and left the two of them alone.
Sora finished her tea and set the mug on the desk. "I'm tired, Gary."
"You want to go home?"
She nodded.
"Can you walk this time?"
Sora smiled. "If you come with me."
"I was going to."
"Are you sure you'll be okay now?" Gary asked as they entered her apartment.
"I'll be fine."
"Well, if you insist." He put his arms around her waist and he kissed her again.
She smiled up at him. "I insist. See you around?"
"More than ever."
As he left, she closed her door and locked it. She leaned against it and from there sank to the floor.
~What a day!~ she smiled.
A/N: So they both finally admitted it. *authoress turns and looks at her cast of characters* About time!
Okay, I actually don't have any more written. I'm not out of ideas, but I'm not sure where I want to go from here. I need a few things to happen between now and my *next* big event. Big events usually don't happen one after another. (Besideds, it kind of has a set date.) Now is the time that I *might* be open to requests. If they actually make sense to write. (NO, I will NOT kill Sora. Don't e-mail me to ask that.) What I'm saying is don't e-mail me with stupid things that would never work.
The e-ddress is: RenaissanceGrrl@excite.com