Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the "In a Heartbeat" characters, (although I want Shawn Ashmore!) except for the ones that come straight from my imagination. The Disney Channel owns them, or at least did. I also am not making any profit of this, but if I did, believe me, I'd have a lot more money than I do now!
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed my story, although I think that I am losing my readers with all my babbling because the reviews are coming less and less. *Sniffle, sniffle* Please review even if it is to criticize my story. Anyway, I think that one more chapter after this one will finish it up.
Chapter 12: "Too Late?"
The whole three-hour long airplane ride home to Kingsport from Myrtle Beach was totally agonizing Val Lanier and her family. They just wanted to get home, to step into their familiar home again. Val just couldn't wait to see all her friends again, especially Tyler. But Catie, Hank, and Jamie too, because she missed them so much. She knew as soon as she got home - even before she unpacked her things - she would go up to the EMS station and ask Alex, the coordinator, if she could once again join the squad.
Finally, after what seemed like days, the plane finally landed. The Laniers got into their awaiting car and drove back to their home in Kingsport.
It felt so good to go into their home. To go into their bedrooms and living room where all their memories had been preserved for over a years' time. Val and her sister, Brooke walked slowly around their home, finally feeling happy for the first time. They studied their family pictures, looked long and hard at all of them - especially ones of their father who had passed away over two whole years ago.
"Mom, I'm leaving for a while, ok?" Val called to her mother.
"You go right ahead, dear," she said, as memories flooded back into her mind also.
"Love ya, bye." Val walked out to the old, dusty garage in their backyard and opened the rusty door. There stood her silver Oldsmobile Alero, still looking as brand-new as when she first bought it. She slid onto the soft leather of the driver's seat and felt in Heaven. She switched on the radio to her favorite station as she was driving down her driveway, noticing it hadn't changed a bit. This brought a smile to Val Lanier's lips. She had a blast singing along to songs she liked as she drove along.
Finally, she saw the sign that read: Kingsport Emergency Medical Station.
She walked into the station, not seeing a soul in sight. She remembered where Alex's office was and knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," came his manly voice from the other side of the door. He sounded a bit stressed.
Val quietly stepped into his office. Alex looked up, and as soon as her saw her standing there, his jaw dropped in awe.
"Val?" Those were the only words that escaped from his mouth. He was too stunned to say anything else.
"Yeah, Alex. It's me. How've you been?" she asked.
"Um - great, how 'bout yourself?" he asked.
"I'm doing much better now than I have been, trust me," she replied.
"Val - may I ask where you've been. Or better yet - what happened to you?" Alex asked quizzically.
She explained what had happened over the course of the last year, and then finished with saying, "Alex, would you mind if I join the squad again?"
"No, of course, not Val. Whatever I can do for you. You've been through a lot, huh?" he asked sympathetically.
"Yeah. But now that it's finally over, and I'm home now, I think it'll all turn out okay," she replied, so sure at what she had just finished saying. "Are Hank, Tyler, and Jamie still on the squad?" she asked, curious.
"They sure are. In fact, they are due to arrive...just about now," Alex said to her.
"Mind if I go say hi?" she asked.
"No, go ahead. I'm glad you're back," Alex replied honestly. "It just hasn't been the same without you here, Val."
"Thanks, Alex. I missed you too."
Val walked out of Alex's office and strode silently into the EMT common room. Hank Beechum and Jamie Waite both looked up when they heard quiet footsteps in the hall.
"Val?" Hank and Jamie said simultaneously.
"Hi Hank. Hi Jamie," she said as they both walked over and gave her a big hug.
"You look great," Hank said. He absolutely loved her hair like that.
"Thanks," she said, somewhat blushing at the compliment.
"Where have you been Val," Jamie asked, looking at her as though she were some movie star.
"Okay, guys, why don't you sit down for a minute," Val suggested. They did. "Okay, long story short: I witnessed a crime at the local grocery store. The clerk there was shot. I hid in a closet and saw the guy. It was that 'Adam Wood' guy that fell on the pickle jars, remember? Anyway, I hoped he hadn't seen me, but he did and he kept threatening me. The only way my family and I would be safe was to enter the Witness Protection Program. So, for the last year or so, my name has been Haille Mathews and I have been living in Myrtle Beach, completely miserable without all you guys," Val finished, looked at the men looking at her with awestruck expressions.
"Val, that had to completely suck," Hank said, never being good at choosing words for that kind of situation.
"Yeah, it did. But guess what? I'm joining the squad again!" she said happily.
"Val, that's great!" Jamie said enthusiastically and Hank echoed the same.
"I know! I'm so happy," she paused. "Where's Tyler? Isn't he supposed to be here?"
Hank and Jamie's happy faces crumbled into frowns. "Um - yeah, he should have been here by now," Jamie said nervously.
"Well - okay then," Val said. "Listen guys, I'm going to come back later. It might be a good thing if I unpack some clothes for me to wear," she told them.
"Okay, see you later, Val," they said in unison.
"Bye guys!"
Val walked out of the EMT station. Just then she spotted Tyler. He was talking to another girl! She caught him just in time to watch his plant a kiss on her cheek. The girl he was kissing hopped into her red sports car and drove off.
Val walked until she was only feet away from Tyler. "I'm too late, aren't I Tyler," she whispered. Silent tears were flowing down her face.
Tyler looked up and spotted Val. Her accusation had gone completely over his head. He said instead, "Val - what are you doing here?"
She ignored the statement and repeated, "I'm too late, aren't I Tyler?" A sob escaped her throat.
"Too late for what, Val?" Tyler asked her desperately.
"Never mind," Val said angrily and began to stride away from him.
"No Val. You are too late for what?" he asked, equally as angry now.
Val spun around as he touched her arm. "Tyler - I lied," she said simply, her anger dwindling away, and just turning into heartbreak.
"Lied about what, Val?" he asked desperately.
"I was lying when I said I didn't love you," Val whispered
"Why did you lie to me about that, Val? Do you know how much you hurt me?" he asked her.
"I didn't want you to get hurt. I was in the Witness Protection Program, Tyler, and even I wasn't safe. I knew that I would not be able to live with myself if you got hurt because of me."
She began to cry hysterically.
Tyler kissed her tears away lovingly.
"You know I would have done anything to be with you, right?" he asked her.
She didn't reply. She loved Tyler so much. "Am I too late, Tyler?" she asked him yet again.
"No, of course not."
"But what about you chickie friend?" she asked him.
"Ah, she's on some desert island by now," he replied with a chuckle as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips.
She returned the kiss. When their lips parted, he asked her, "So, what are you doing here anyway. I thought you were in the Witness Protection Program."
"Good news. The guy was caught. I am in Kingsport to stay," she replied. "Is that a good thing?" she questioned playfully.
"Of course." They walked hand in hand back into the EMS station.
~ So what do you think guys? I think one or two chapters will finish it up. Hope you guys liked it. And to all Tyler/Val fans who thought I was totally gonna sabotage their T/V romance, I proved you wrong, didn't I? I mean, after I pulled your leg a little? ~
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed my story, although I think that I am losing my readers with all my babbling because the reviews are coming less and less. *Sniffle, sniffle* Please review even if it is to criticize my story. Anyway, I think that one more chapter after this one will finish it up.
Chapter 12: "Too Late?"
The whole three-hour long airplane ride home to Kingsport from Myrtle Beach was totally agonizing Val Lanier and her family. They just wanted to get home, to step into their familiar home again. Val just couldn't wait to see all her friends again, especially Tyler. But Catie, Hank, and Jamie too, because she missed them so much. She knew as soon as she got home - even before she unpacked her things - she would go up to the EMS station and ask Alex, the coordinator, if she could once again join the squad.
Finally, after what seemed like days, the plane finally landed. The Laniers got into their awaiting car and drove back to their home in Kingsport.
It felt so good to go into their home. To go into their bedrooms and living room where all their memories had been preserved for over a years' time. Val and her sister, Brooke walked slowly around their home, finally feeling happy for the first time. They studied their family pictures, looked long and hard at all of them - especially ones of their father who had passed away over two whole years ago.
"Mom, I'm leaving for a while, ok?" Val called to her mother.
"You go right ahead, dear," she said, as memories flooded back into her mind also.
"Love ya, bye." Val walked out to the old, dusty garage in their backyard and opened the rusty door. There stood her silver Oldsmobile Alero, still looking as brand-new as when she first bought it. She slid onto the soft leather of the driver's seat and felt in Heaven. She switched on the radio to her favorite station as she was driving down her driveway, noticing it hadn't changed a bit. This brought a smile to Val Lanier's lips. She had a blast singing along to songs she liked as she drove along.
Finally, she saw the sign that read: Kingsport Emergency Medical Station.
She walked into the station, not seeing a soul in sight. She remembered where Alex's office was and knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," came his manly voice from the other side of the door. He sounded a bit stressed.
Val quietly stepped into his office. Alex looked up, and as soon as her saw her standing there, his jaw dropped in awe.
"Val?" Those were the only words that escaped from his mouth. He was too stunned to say anything else.
"Yeah, Alex. It's me. How've you been?" she asked.
"Um - great, how 'bout yourself?" he asked.
"I'm doing much better now than I have been, trust me," she replied.
"Val - may I ask where you've been. Or better yet - what happened to you?" Alex asked quizzically.
She explained what had happened over the course of the last year, and then finished with saying, "Alex, would you mind if I join the squad again?"
"No, of course, not Val. Whatever I can do for you. You've been through a lot, huh?" he asked sympathetically.
"Yeah. But now that it's finally over, and I'm home now, I think it'll all turn out okay," she replied, so sure at what she had just finished saying. "Are Hank, Tyler, and Jamie still on the squad?" she asked, curious.
"They sure are. In fact, they are due to arrive...just about now," Alex said to her.
"Mind if I go say hi?" she asked.
"No, go ahead. I'm glad you're back," Alex replied honestly. "It just hasn't been the same without you here, Val."
"Thanks, Alex. I missed you too."
Val walked out of Alex's office and strode silently into the EMT common room. Hank Beechum and Jamie Waite both looked up when they heard quiet footsteps in the hall.
"Val?" Hank and Jamie said simultaneously.
"Hi Hank. Hi Jamie," she said as they both walked over and gave her a big hug.
"You look great," Hank said. He absolutely loved her hair like that.
"Thanks," she said, somewhat blushing at the compliment.
"Where have you been Val," Jamie asked, looking at her as though she were some movie star.
"Okay, guys, why don't you sit down for a minute," Val suggested. They did. "Okay, long story short: I witnessed a crime at the local grocery store. The clerk there was shot. I hid in a closet and saw the guy. It was that 'Adam Wood' guy that fell on the pickle jars, remember? Anyway, I hoped he hadn't seen me, but he did and he kept threatening me. The only way my family and I would be safe was to enter the Witness Protection Program. So, for the last year or so, my name has been Haille Mathews and I have been living in Myrtle Beach, completely miserable without all you guys," Val finished, looked at the men looking at her with awestruck expressions.
"Val, that had to completely suck," Hank said, never being good at choosing words for that kind of situation.
"Yeah, it did. But guess what? I'm joining the squad again!" she said happily.
"Val, that's great!" Jamie said enthusiastically and Hank echoed the same.
"I know! I'm so happy," she paused. "Where's Tyler? Isn't he supposed to be here?"
Hank and Jamie's happy faces crumbled into frowns. "Um - yeah, he should have been here by now," Jamie said nervously.
"Well - okay then," Val said. "Listen guys, I'm going to come back later. It might be a good thing if I unpack some clothes for me to wear," she told them.
"Okay, see you later, Val," they said in unison.
"Bye guys!"
Val walked out of the EMT station. Just then she spotted Tyler. He was talking to another girl! She caught him just in time to watch his plant a kiss on her cheek. The girl he was kissing hopped into her red sports car and drove off.
Val walked until she was only feet away from Tyler. "I'm too late, aren't I Tyler," she whispered. Silent tears were flowing down her face.
Tyler looked up and spotted Val. Her accusation had gone completely over his head. He said instead, "Val - what are you doing here?"
She ignored the statement and repeated, "I'm too late, aren't I Tyler?" A sob escaped her throat.
"Too late for what, Val?" Tyler asked her desperately.
"Never mind," Val said angrily and began to stride away from him.
"No Val. You are too late for what?" he asked, equally as angry now.
Val spun around as he touched her arm. "Tyler - I lied," she said simply, her anger dwindling away, and just turning into heartbreak.
"Lied about what, Val?" he asked desperately.
"I was lying when I said I didn't love you," Val whispered
"Why did you lie to me about that, Val? Do you know how much you hurt me?" he asked her.
"I didn't want you to get hurt. I was in the Witness Protection Program, Tyler, and even I wasn't safe. I knew that I would not be able to live with myself if you got hurt because of me."
She began to cry hysterically.
Tyler kissed her tears away lovingly.
"You know I would have done anything to be with you, right?" he asked her.
She didn't reply. She loved Tyler so much. "Am I too late, Tyler?" she asked him yet again.
"No, of course not."
"But what about you chickie friend?" she asked him.
"Ah, she's on some desert island by now," he replied with a chuckle as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips.
She returned the kiss. When their lips parted, he asked her, "So, what are you doing here anyway. I thought you were in the Witness Protection Program."
"Good news. The guy was caught. I am in Kingsport to stay," she replied. "Is that a good thing?" she questioned playfully.
"Of course." They walked hand in hand back into the EMS station.
~ So what do you think guys? I think one or two chapters will finish it up. Hope you guys liked it. And to all Tyler/Val fans who thought I was totally gonna sabotage their T/V romance, I proved you wrong, didn't I? I mean, after I pulled your leg a little? ~