Disclaimer: You all know what these are suppose to read: don't owe anything (except for Mira), making no money, blah blah blah. Enjoy!
Session Six: Uninvited
She had gone back to the south bend of the trenches the next night. She went back the night after that, and the following night. Every night for the rest of the war, Mira and Gren could be found sitting together at that spot. Night after night, she would find secerity and shelter from the war in his arms and gentle words. He was the one shining becon of hope that she had found in the chaos around her. After every dusk she could gaze in to the eyes that blended with the twilight and see that she meant the same thing to him. She was his only link to sanity.
A few days after their first meeting, she found herself slipping out of the infirmary earlier and earlier every night. They would spend the night in conversation, finding they had many common interests. Music was the main one.
Mira snuggled closer to Gren, drawing warmth from him to fend off the desert cold that always moved in at night. "So you play the saxaphone and the piano. Not to mention you write some of your own stuff?"
Gren tightened his arms around her. "Yeah. And you play the violin, piano and the guitar. And you write your own music as well."
"But you've played at bars and have had your own band."
"Well, when the war is over, and the band starts up again, why don't you join us? I can guarentee a spot."
When the war is over...they had many of those phrases. Plans made by hopeful hearts
and unlimited minds. When the war is over...he had said it many times before, but Mira could sense a differnce in the phrase that he used tonight.
"Join a band or go into the family business. That's a tough choice."
"What's your family's business? I don't think you ever told me."
Mira laughed. "No, I don't think I told you either. It's, uh...business."
Gren looked down at her suspiciously. "Busisness? You had to think about the answer 'business'?"
"Well, it's a special kind of business. The kind you're not suppose to talk about."
"Ah. Got it. So, what do you say about the band?"
Mira thought about it for moment. It had been her choice to go to war as a medic. And she hadn't regretted that one. "Sure. I would love to join your band. But my promised spot, what would that consist of?"
"Well, we always need a guitarist. But I would love it if you would join as my wife."
At first she didn't think she had heard him correctly. Had he asked her what she thought he had? No, it must have been the wind playing tricks on her. But she had to know. Gently pulling herself out of his embrace, she turned to face him.
"What did you say? I don't think I heard you."
He leaned forward and she saw his twilight eyes seemed to be emitting a light from a inner fire. They reminded her of stars, brilliant, blinking and out of reach.
"After the war, would you marry me?"
The word escaped her lips before her mind processed it. "Yes."
All those promises, ideals and plans shattered into splinters when they were faced with reality...after the war.
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There was just certain things in life that Jet Black hated. Babysitting a sulking Faye was definately in the top five. Trying to ignore her, he went back to making dinner while Faye continued to smoke. He didn't have to wait long before she spoke.
"I don't get why Spike can listen in on their conversation."
Jet supressed a weary sigh. "Because he's still hurt. He can't get into his bunk. And the only couch on the ship is in that room."
"Still, he could be in here with us."
"If Mira and Gren wanted to speak in private they can relocate."
"Well if they don't mind Spike being there, why should they mind me being there?"
"Leave them be!"
Faye blinked startled, wide green eyes over at Jet. He could tell he had startled her with his shout. But enough was enough. "Don't be sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."
Faye threw herself back against the bulkhead and continued her sulking smoke. "I don't see what the big deal is. It's our ship."
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"It's MY ship and I said leave them be!"
Gren and Mira stopped their conversation at Jet's shout. Both looked at each other with upraised eyebrows before turning to look at Spike. He just shrugged his bandaged shoulders.
"Nothing out of the norm."
Mira nodded and turned back to Gren. "So how did you find me?"
The tall, thin man lifted his narrow shoulders. "I didn't just find you. I found you a long time ago and watched you ever since."
"You watched me?"
"Just to make sure you were alright."
"I can take care of myself."
Gren's good natured smile turned softer and took on a sad look. "I know."
Spike watched the interchange like it was a ping pong match. Mira always had been a tough person to read, but he knew when she was uncomfortable with a situation. And she was on pins and needles with this one. Perhaps he could help her out a bit.
"Gren, the last time I saw you, you were traveling to your death en route to Titan. How did you survive your internal injuries?"
Spike noticed Mira get up from her chair and leave the room. Gren and Spike both watched as she headed off to the cabin wing of the old fishing ship. Spike watched the ex-criminal very closely. Gren turned dissapointed eyes from the doorway to the floor.
"Mira found me. I was unconscious and almost dead."
Spike grinned. "She seems to be good at finding people in that condition."
"Yeah, she does. She nursed me back to health, treated my drug problem and gave me a clean start. But every dream has to end. She left shortly after."
"Why?"
Gren stood up and stretched his muscles. "She's going to have to tell you the rest of the story. The only thing I can say would be biased. She had her reasons. And now as I look back, I see she was right."
"So how did you find us?"
Gren turned before walking through the door towards his quaters. "She's not the only one that keeps tabs on friends."
"Why do you do it?"
"Because I love her."
Spike nodded his head. It wasn't the answer he had wanted to hear, but he had to know. He laid back down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Was that her reason for keeping tabs on him? Spike let out a short laugh. She couldn't possible love him. Julia loved him. And a love like that only comes around once in a lifetime.
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Mira closed the door to her room and crawled onto the bed. She had never expected to see Gren again after that fateful day. It was cold, she still remembered that biting wind as she and Gren walked through the streets of the Jupiter city. A shiver ran down her spine due to the remembrence and she pulled the blanket around her, allowing herself to become lost in the memory.
There was only one more month till their wedding. Plans were made, things were bought, everything was set. They had decided to eat out that night and walked to a small restuarant that often let the band play there on weekends. They never made it to the restuarant.
Mira hugged Gren's arm, moving closer to him as the wind picked up. "Did you hear about Josie and Simon?"
"They broke up, didn't they?"
"Yeah, they did."
"Do you know why?"
Mira nodded her head. "He ran off with her best friend."
"Ah."
She remained pensive for a moment, before asking a question that had been preying on her mind. "Gren, in theory, if I failed to meet your needs, would you go elsewhere to have them met?"
He laughed lightly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Are you afraid I'm going to run off with your friend?"
"No, I'm not. But I am curious what your answer is going to be."
"No, I will not run off with somebody else."
Mira stopped and looked him in the eye. "You didn't answer the question. If I failed to meet your needs, would you go someplace else to have them met?"
Gren shifted uneasily on his feet. "In theory, yes."
She walked away then and there, fearing if she waited, she never would leave. She never saw him again, till she found the drifting ship headed for Titan.
Mira shoved her face in her pillow. She should have left him in that ship. She felt the urge to cry, but couldn't summon up the tears. So she did the next best thing and wept without the tears.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her dry sobs.
"Who is it?"
"It's Gren. I think we need to talk."
Untangleing herself from the blankets, she opened her cabin door and stood there. "What about?"
"After you saved me a few months ago, why did you leave?"
"I wanted to see if you had changed."
"I assume that since you left, I hadn't changed."
Mira dropped her head.
Gren reached out and gently lifted her chin up, so he could stare into her blue eyes. "You need to hear the rest of the story."