Disclaimer: Okay, I've seen this in a lot of the fanfiction.net stories I've read so I figure I should do it too. I'm not sure if it is fanfic rules or something but anyways: I don't own any of the "In a Hearbeat" characters (I want Shawn Ashmore!!) except for the ones I make up (which aren't many), Disney or whoever owns the show does, except I guess now they don't cuz of the fact that they are CANCELLING THE FRICKEN BEST SHOW IN THE WORLD! Anyway, forward march!
Please read the following author's note. It would mean a lot to me. Thank you. =0D
Author's Note: Okay, first and foremost, I would like to thank the following people for reading, reviewing, and genuinely liking my story that I am absolutely gung-ho about: Thanks to Ivy Leaves, Aricraze, Twirlgirl04, Josephine Rayne, ICEE chick, Scarlet182 and any other person I may have forgotten. Secondly, I want to know why the hell they are canceling "In a Heartbeat" and they aren't even telling us when or why if anyone knows. In this very chapter I was going to ask if any of the fans knew anything about why the show was like never on Sundays anymore and why there were no new episodes. Then I was went to read the fanfic "When Four Years Pass" and I saw the headline note and I was so sad! Please speak out and if you have any scoop on what's going on with the show let me know because I don't know what I am going to do if I can't get my Shawn Ashmore fix every week. Come to think of it, I should have guessed that they were going to end the show cuz of the way they had Tyler and Val kiss in the last new episode. That was so touching! Sniffle, sniffle. So, anyway, fill me in "In a Heartbeat" fans! Thirdly, (and I know this is probably the longest Author's Note in like the history of the world, but anyways) I want everyone who asked that I did capitalize the first three words of every paragraph on purpose. I saw it in a book I was reading and decided to do it for spite in that chapter. Fourthly, I also want to know anything and everything you know about Shawn Ashmore and his twin? I didn't know he had one. And, I want to apologize for misspelling Catie's last name. Oh, and how do you spell Val's last name? Lanier or Linear? Let me know? Anyway, if you have any questions or comments for anything from up above, feel free to write it in a review. Alrighty then, on with the story and please send me more reviews - I'm enjoying them a lot! And you know, I am trying so hard to keep this story suspenseful and full of irony, and you guys are just making my job so much harder! Anyway, keep on reading! ~ Chilly Penguin
Oh, and PS: Since you guys were complaining and all that the last few chapters weren't long enough, I think I more than made up for it in this chapter.
Chapter 10: "We'll Meet Again"
It had been almost a year now since Val and her family "disappeared" or "vanished" a.k.a. entered the Witness Protection Program and moved to Myrtle Beach. For Tyler Connell, it seemed like forever. But, as he had vowed, almost ten months now, he was still waiting for the glorious day when Val Linear would return to him.
His senior year was coming to a close, and he still didn't have a girlfriend. That may seem like a bad thing, but in this case, it was a very good thing, believe me. That meant that he had kept the vow he made to himself. He knew in his heart that Val was the only one for him. His heart belonged to her. He prayed for the day when he could tell her.
His search for her continued on, but still he had no luck whatsoever. He decided it would do him a lot of good to go on a vacation for a while; make it a kind of escape. He had only one more week of school left, and then he'd be free.
~*~
"I've been living this life for almost a year now, and they still haven't found 'Adam Wood' or whatever the hell his name is yet. All that I know is that the clerk injured in the crime is perfectly fine now and returning to a normal life again, without threat. So why can't I?" she demanded. In stating the obvious, Val is really depressed. She wanted to go home to Kingsport. She wanted to return to the EMS squad there and she wanted to see all her life-long friends who had no idea what happened to her. She continued, " I have nothing. Nothing. No life, no boyfriend - not that I want one right now but still - no nothing. I mean, I'm not living the life that was supposed to be mine! I miss Tyler. I miss Catie. I want to phone him so bad right now but I can't. That would totally blow my cover. I can't get over him. I'm pathetic. My life is NOTHING!!" she shouted.
And she started crying uncontrollably.
~*~
Tyler Connell spent the whole airplane ride thinking about Val. He just couldn't get her off his mind...
An hour and a half later, Tyler got off the plane, gathered his baggage, and was off to rent himself a car. His car of choice was a year 2000 Dodge Neon in the color of silver. He liked keeping things simple. He wasn't in to having big, fancy things. Not that he couldn't afford it, he was just a simple guy. (I think that's a real good quality in some cases, myself).
Tyler got into his rental car, and thought that since he was planning on staying there for most of the summer, it would probably be a good idea for him to go to the grocery store to supply himself with some food. He'd rather not starve.
Because of the fact that he was going to be staying here for quite some time, he had rented a condo on the beach. It overlooked the ocean and everything.
Tyler searched the town he was driving through for any sign of a grocery store when finally, he spotted one and entered the half-full parking lot.
~*~
Val Lanier woke up that morning feeling a little bit better than she had the night before. She lay in bed for a while, just looking out her picture window at the sparkling blue ocean. After a few minutes, when she was fully awake, Val got up and took a nice warm shower that massaged her tense body. She got out, dressed, did her hair, and decided that today - since it was Saturday and all - she was going to go to the grocery store, and get some food and magazines. She was going to pack herself a nice picnic, and spend the rest of the glorious day by the ocean, just relaxing, and reading up on the latest Hollywood gossip.
~*~
Tyler pushed along his shopping cart through the grocery store, covering every isle, gathering food and other supplies he thought he'd need. He got some snacks for on the beach - since he was going to be so close to it, he figured he'd spend most of his time there - meat for dinner, milk, orange juice, pop, cereal - the normal everyday food.
He rounded the corner, and he saw her; it was as if he saw an angel floating down from Heaven. Everything from her blue-green eyes and blonde hair, he was positive it was her.
She was looking interestedly at some magazines, obviously debating which ones she should buy. He watched as the strap of her periwinkle-blue spaghetti-strap tank fell, and she replaced it back in place with just one single sweeping motion.
Tyler took one step closer, then another, and then said uncertainly, "Val?"
Val Lanier recognized that voice. It belonged to Tyler Connell. She looked up and there he was, standing right in front of her, way too good to be true.
"Tyler - " she began quietly, then hesitated and recovered with a feeble, " - what are you talking about? My name is Haille. Haille Mathews."
She tugged on her blonde hair nervously. It was a lot shorter than Tyler remembered it being. It was just long enough to cover her ears, and it was spiral curled on top of her head. It looked awesome. She looked awesome. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for the truth, his face bearing a quizzical expression.
"Val - I know it's you," Tyler began.
Val finally gave in. "Shhh - yes, it's me. Please call me Haille in public, okay?" she pleaded. "Just pay for your stuff; I'll pay for mine. Meet me in the parking lot and I will explain, okay?" Val rattled off.
"Um - okay?" he replied. I knew it was her, he thought. I just knew it!
He almost leapt for joy right then and there, he was so incredibly happy.
They each paid for their things and met in the parking lot, where Tyler told Val, "You look great. I've missed you," he said sincerely. "Now, would you mind telling me what's been going on? I've been searching for you what seems like forever," he demanded seriously.
"Can I trust you?" Val inquired although it didn't really matter what the answer was.
"Of course you can trust me."
~*~
"...they still haven't caught the guy and I've been this life for almost a year, and it's not my life, and it's just been so horrible, Tyler!" Val's composure completely broke, and she just began crying her eyes out.
Tyler felt so sorry for her. He went over to her and embraced her tightly, stroking her blonde hair.
In a few moments time, she stopped crying and looked up into the concerned face of Tyler Connell, the love of her life.
Tyler peered at the tear-stained face of Val Lanier intently for a minute before kissing her passionately on the lips, until they collapsed onto one another, breathing loudly.
"I love you," Tyler breathed.
I love you too! Val wanted so much to scream. But she knew she couldn't. She was still in the Witness Protection Program, and that could put him in grave danger. "Tyler - I don't love you," she lied. "Like that, anyway."
She watched, with her heart broken to a million pieces, as the beaming face of Tyler Connell changed instantly into a grimace at her words. Lied words, but he didn't know that.
"But the kiss-" he protested.
"Was a kiss between friends," Val interjected with a steady voice, totally costuming how she felt inside.
Val watched sadly as Tyler got up and slumped out of her home, most likely forever, just before the first of many tears slid down her tanned face.
~ So, what do you guys think? Let me know! I think a few more chapters will finish this up. ~
Please read the following author's note. It would mean a lot to me. Thank you. =0D
Author's Note: Okay, first and foremost, I would like to thank the following people for reading, reviewing, and genuinely liking my story that I am absolutely gung-ho about: Thanks to Ivy Leaves, Aricraze, Twirlgirl04, Josephine Rayne, ICEE chick, Scarlet182 and any other person I may have forgotten. Secondly, I want to know why the hell they are canceling "In a Heartbeat" and they aren't even telling us when or why if anyone knows. In this very chapter I was going to ask if any of the fans knew anything about why the show was like never on Sundays anymore and why there were no new episodes. Then I was went to read the fanfic "When Four Years Pass" and I saw the headline note and I was so sad! Please speak out and if you have any scoop on what's going on with the show let me know because I don't know what I am going to do if I can't get my Shawn Ashmore fix every week. Come to think of it, I should have guessed that they were going to end the show cuz of the way they had Tyler and Val kiss in the last new episode. That was so touching! Sniffle, sniffle. So, anyway, fill me in "In a Heartbeat" fans! Thirdly, (and I know this is probably the longest Author's Note in like the history of the world, but anyways) I want everyone who asked that I did capitalize the first three words of every paragraph on purpose. I saw it in a book I was reading and decided to do it for spite in that chapter. Fourthly, I also want to know anything and everything you know about Shawn Ashmore and his twin? I didn't know he had one. And, I want to apologize for misspelling Catie's last name. Oh, and how do you spell Val's last name? Lanier or Linear? Let me know? Anyway, if you have any questions or comments for anything from up above, feel free to write it in a review. Alrighty then, on with the story and please send me more reviews - I'm enjoying them a lot! And you know, I am trying so hard to keep this story suspenseful and full of irony, and you guys are just making my job so much harder! Anyway, keep on reading! ~ Chilly Penguin
Oh, and PS: Since you guys were complaining and all that the last few chapters weren't long enough, I think I more than made up for it in this chapter.
Chapter 10: "We'll Meet Again"
It had been almost a year now since Val and her family "disappeared" or "vanished" a.k.a. entered the Witness Protection Program and moved to Myrtle Beach. For Tyler Connell, it seemed like forever. But, as he had vowed, almost ten months now, he was still waiting for the glorious day when Val Linear would return to him.
His senior year was coming to a close, and he still didn't have a girlfriend. That may seem like a bad thing, but in this case, it was a very good thing, believe me. That meant that he had kept the vow he made to himself. He knew in his heart that Val was the only one for him. His heart belonged to her. He prayed for the day when he could tell her.
His search for her continued on, but still he had no luck whatsoever. He decided it would do him a lot of good to go on a vacation for a while; make it a kind of escape. He had only one more week of school left, and then he'd be free.
~*~
"I've been living this life for almost a year now, and they still haven't found 'Adam Wood' or whatever the hell his name is yet. All that I know is that the clerk injured in the crime is perfectly fine now and returning to a normal life again, without threat. So why can't I?" she demanded. In stating the obvious, Val is really depressed. She wanted to go home to Kingsport. She wanted to return to the EMS squad there and she wanted to see all her life-long friends who had no idea what happened to her. She continued, " I have nothing. Nothing. No life, no boyfriend - not that I want one right now but still - no nothing. I mean, I'm not living the life that was supposed to be mine! I miss Tyler. I miss Catie. I want to phone him so bad right now but I can't. That would totally blow my cover. I can't get over him. I'm pathetic. My life is NOTHING!!" she shouted.
And she started crying uncontrollably.
~*~
Tyler Connell spent the whole airplane ride thinking about Val. He just couldn't get her off his mind...
An hour and a half later, Tyler got off the plane, gathered his baggage, and was off to rent himself a car. His car of choice was a year 2000 Dodge Neon in the color of silver. He liked keeping things simple. He wasn't in to having big, fancy things. Not that he couldn't afford it, he was just a simple guy. (I think that's a real good quality in some cases, myself).
Tyler got into his rental car, and thought that since he was planning on staying there for most of the summer, it would probably be a good idea for him to go to the grocery store to supply himself with some food. He'd rather not starve.
Because of the fact that he was going to be staying here for quite some time, he had rented a condo on the beach. It overlooked the ocean and everything.
Tyler searched the town he was driving through for any sign of a grocery store when finally, he spotted one and entered the half-full parking lot.
~*~
Val Lanier woke up that morning feeling a little bit better than she had the night before. She lay in bed for a while, just looking out her picture window at the sparkling blue ocean. After a few minutes, when she was fully awake, Val got up and took a nice warm shower that massaged her tense body. She got out, dressed, did her hair, and decided that today - since it was Saturday and all - she was going to go to the grocery store, and get some food and magazines. She was going to pack herself a nice picnic, and spend the rest of the glorious day by the ocean, just relaxing, and reading up on the latest Hollywood gossip.
~*~
Tyler pushed along his shopping cart through the grocery store, covering every isle, gathering food and other supplies he thought he'd need. He got some snacks for on the beach - since he was going to be so close to it, he figured he'd spend most of his time there - meat for dinner, milk, orange juice, pop, cereal - the normal everyday food.
He rounded the corner, and he saw her; it was as if he saw an angel floating down from Heaven. Everything from her blue-green eyes and blonde hair, he was positive it was her.
She was looking interestedly at some magazines, obviously debating which ones she should buy. He watched as the strap of her periwinkle-blue spaghetti-strap tank fell, and she replaced it back in place with just one single sweeping motion.
Tyler took one step closer, then another, and then said uncertainly, "Val?"
Val Lanier recognized that voice. It belonged to Tyler Connell. She looked up and there he was, standing right in front of her, way too good to be true.
"Tyler - " she began quietly, then hesitated and recovered with a feeble, " - what are you talking about? My name is Haille. Haille Mathews."
She tugged on her blonde hair nervously. It was a lot shorter than Tyler remembered it being. It was just long enough to cover her ears, and it was spiral curled on top of her head. It looked awesome. She looked awesome. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for the truth, his face bearing a quizzical expression.
"Val - I know it's you," Tyler began.
Val finally gave in. "Shhh - yes, it's me. Please call me Haille in public, okay?" she pleaded. "Just pay for your stuff; I'll pay for mine. Meet me in the parking lot and I will explain, okay?" Val rattled off.
"Um - okay?" he replied. I knew it was her, he thought. I just knew it!
He almost leapt for joy right then and there, he was so incredibly happy.
They each paid for their things and met in the parking lot, where Tyler told Val, "You look great. I've missed you," he said sincerely. "Now, would you mind telling me what's been going on? I've been searching for you what seems like forever," he demanded seriously.
"Can I trust you?" Val inquired although it didn't really matter what the answer was.
"Of course you can trust me."
~*~
"...they still haven't caught the guy and I've been this life for almost a year, and it's not my life, and it's just been so horrible, Tyler!" Val's composure completely broke, and she just began crying her eyes out.
Tyler felt so sorry for her. He went over to her and embraced her tightly, stroking her blonde hair.
In a few moments time, she stopped crying and looked up into the concerned face of Tyler Connell, the love of her life.
Tyler peered at the tear-stained face of Val Lanier intently for a minute before kissing her passionately on the lips, until they collapsed onto one another, breathing loudly.
"I love you," Tyler breathed.
I love you too! Val wanted so much to scream. But she knew she couldn't. She was still in the Witness Protection Program, and that could put him in grave danger. "Tyler - I don't love you," she lied. "Like that, anyway."
She watched, with her heart broken to a million pieces, as the beaming face of Tyler Connell changed instantly into a grimace at her words. Lied words, but he didn't know that.
"But the kiss-" he protested.
"Was a kiss between friends," Val interjected with a steady voice, totally costuming how she felt inside.
Val watched sadly as Tyler got up and slumped out of her home, most likely forever, just before the first of many tears slid down her tanned face.
~ So, what do you guys think? Let me know! I think a few more chapters will finish this up. ~