Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, I'm just playing with them for a bit. I'm not making money by writing this, so no point in suing me!
Life is always full of surprises, and not necessarily nice ones. I figured that out by the time I was ten, when Suzy Keeps told me she loved me and promptly gave me my first, real kiss. The next week, BOOM, she was in love with Joseph Spiney. So much for love springs eternal...or was that hope?
***
Darien sat on the ledge, letting his legs swing where they were hanging over the edge. Not exactly the safest thing to do considering how tall the building was, but he had never been the type of guy to do safe things.
"You might want to consider moving away from the edge."
He smiled, recognizing the lilting tones of his Keeper's voice. "And what are you going to do if I don't?" The former thief turned to look at her. Her expression was the usual serious, with hints of a smile trying to break through.
"I can't do much of anything, considering you are larger and a bit stronger than me. I was just offering a suggestion," she replied. Claire carefully leaned against the ledge, facing the opposite direction to Darien. "It's very high up here."
He grinned. "Yeah, I noticed that. I like it. No one but me and the birds. And maybe the occasional plane," he commented as the sound of jet engines could be heard.
***
Now, I know I'm nowhere near as smart as Kevin was, but I'm no country bumpkin. I could see that something was bothering Keep, and it wasn't just the height.
***
"So, how's tricks?" Darien asked jokingly.
"Hmm?" Claire shook her head and looked at him.
"Are you okay? I don't normally see you up here. Okay, I don't normally see anyone up here.."
The Keeper sighed deeply, and this worried him as she was not the type to sigh deeply. At least not as long as he'd known her.
"So much has happened these last few days. For us both," she finally said after a minute of silence.
Darien nodded, finally getting what was up. "Kevin sure as hell knows how to put people through the hoops, even from the grave."
"Don't say that!" Claire suddenly blurted out. "He..he wasn't making anyone do anything they didn't already want to. You chose to be a part of this from the start. You could have said no."
"Yeah, and ended up in jail for the rest of my life."
"Another choice you made," she replied, heavy sarcasm lacing her tone.
He turned himself more towards her. "What is with you?" Darien queried, his tone hard.
Claire seemed to become flustered and began to walk away. Before she got far, she felt his hand grab hold of her left upper arm, pulling her back toward him. They fell together and nearly went over the edge, but fortunately Darien kept them upright.
He swung his legs over to the roof, keeping his hold on her. "Why did you come up here?"
"I would appreciate it if you let go.."
"Why did you come up here?" he asked again.
"..of me," she finished tersely, still ignoring his question.
"Answer my question first and I'll consider it."
"Not good enough."
"Okay, answer it and I *will* let go."
She sighed and lowered her head in defeat. "There are some things that happened, while you were Kevin, that they didn't want me to tell you..."
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"I don't know why I came up here," she answered, gazing up at him. There were tears in her eyes, and his worry for her returned. He loosened his grip on her arm and instinctively pulled Claire in to a hug.
She stood there stiffly, fighting the need to let go.
"I'm sorry."
That simple phrase broke down the dams and she began to cry, burying her face in Darien's shirt, looping her arms around his waist. In an attempt to soothe her, he rubbed her back with one hand, the back of her neck with the other.
Slowly the tears stopped, but instead of pulling away from him, Claire leaned her forehead against his chest. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and found herself greeted with that smell she had gotten when she had kissed Kevin..well, it was Darien that she had kissed, even if it was his brother in control at the time. It was no surprise then that the scent of sweat, mingled with a musky cologne, assaulted her senses now like it had earlier. That kiss had felt so..bittersweet. Reminded her of what had been and what could have continued being. If only they hadn't both been so stubborn.
"Hey," Darien said quietly, gently nudging her to pull back, which she did.
"Hey." She wiped at the wetness on her cheeks, and gave the former thief a little smile as he helped.
"It's pretty heavy stuff, eh?"
"Yes, I suppose it is," Claire replied, letting out a wry chuckle.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Maybe not right now. Another time."
Darien looked in to her eyes as she said this, then nodded his assent. Without giving it a second thought, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then took her hand and led her downstairs to her lab.
Once there, he released her hand, then asked, "You gonna be okay?"
"For the moment, yes," she replied, starting to sound like her old self. She even gave him a smile, telling him she was good to go.
"I'll be around for a while, but if you want to go have a drink later..?"
Claire pursed her lips, but it was obvious from the mirth in her eyes that she wanted to laugh. "You trying to pick me up, Darien?"
"Can't stop trying," he replied, grinning at her.
Unexpectedly, for both of them, the Keeper reached out and caressed his cheek, a sad smile suddenly appearing on her lips. She then shook her head gently and withdrew her hand to her side once again.
With no further words, she entered her lab, leaving Darien to stand there and contemplate her actions.
Life is always full of surprises, and not necessarily nice ones. I figured that out by the time I was ten, when Suzy Keeps told me she loved me and promptly gave me my first, real kiss. The next week, BOOM, she was in love with Joseph Spiney. So much for love springs eternal...or was that hope?
***
Darien sat on the ledge, letting his legs swing where they were hanging over the edge. Not exactly the safest thing to do considering how tall the building was, but he had never been the type of guy to do safe things.
"You might want to consider moving away from the edge."
He smiled, recognizing the lilting tones of his Keeper's voice. "And what are you going to do if I don't?" The former thief turned to look at her. Her expression was the usual serious, with hints of a smile trying to break through.
"I can't do much of anything, considering you are larger and a bit stronger than me. I was just offering a suggestion," she replied. Claire carefully leaned against the ledge, facing the opposite direction to Darien. "It's very high up here."
He grinned. "Yeah, I noticed that. I like it. No one but me and the birds. And maybe the occasional plane," he commented as the sound of jet engines could be heard.
***
Now, I know I'm nowhere near as smart as Kevin was, but I'm no country bumpkin. I could see that something was bothering Keep, and it wasn't just the height.
***
"So, how's tricks?" Darien asked jokingly.
"Hmm?" Claire shook her head and looked at him.
"Are you okay? I don't normally see you up here. Okay, I don't normally see anyone up here.."
The Keeper sighed deeply, and this worried him as she was not the type to sigh deeply. At least not as long as he'd known her.
"So much has happened these last few days. For us both," she finally said after a minute of silence.
Darien nodded, finally getting what was up. "Kevin sure as hell knows how to put people through the hoops, even from the grave."
"Don't say that!" Claire suddenly blurted out. "He..he wasn't making anyone do anything they didn't already want to. You chose to be a part of this from the start. You could have said no."
"Yeah, and ended up in jail for the rest of my life."
"Another choice you made," she replied, heavy sarcasm lacing her tone.
He turned himself more towards her. "What is with you?" Darien queried, his tone hard.
Claire seemed to become flustered and began to walk away. Before she got far, she felt his hand grab hold of her left upper arm, pulling her back toward him. They fell together and nearly went over the edge, but fortunately Darien kept them upright.
He swung his legs over to the roof, keeping his hold on her. "Why did you come up here?"
"I would appreciate it if you let go.."
"Why did you come up here?" he asked again.
"..of me," she finished tersely, still ignoring his question.
"Answer my question first and I'll consider it."
"Not good enough."
"Okay, answer it and I *will* let go."
She sighed and lowered her head in defeat. "There are some things that happened, while you were Kevin, that they didn't want me to tell you..."
"What do you mean? What happened?"
"I don't know why I came up here," she answered, gazing up at him. There were tears in her eyes, and his worry for her returned. He loosened his grip on her arm and instinctively pulled Claire in to a hug.
She stood there stiffly, fighting the need to let go.
"I'm sorry."
That simple phrase broke down the dams and she began to cry, burying her face in Darien's shirt, looping her arms around his waist. In an attempt to soothe her, he rubbed her back with one hand, the back of her neck with the other.
Slowly the tears stopped, but instead of pulling away from him, Claire leaned her forehead against his chest. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and found herself greeted with that smell she had gotten when she had kissed Kevin..well, it was Darien that she had kissed, even if it was his brother in control at the time. It was no surprise then that the scent of sweat, mingled with a musky cologne, assaulted her senses now like it had earlier. That kiss had felt so..bittersweet. Reminded her of what had been and what could have continued being. If only they hadn't both been so stubborn.
"Hey," Darien said quietly, gently nudging her to pull back, which she did.
"Hey." She wiped at the wetness on her cheeks, and gave the former thief a little smile as he helped.
"It's pretty heavy stuff, eh?"
"Yes, I suppose it is," Claire replied, letting out a wry chuckle.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Maybe not right now. Another time."
Darien looked in to her eyes as she said this, then nodded his assent. Without giving it a second thought, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then took her hand and led her downstairs to her lab.
Once there, he released her hand, then asked, "You gonna be okay?"
"For the moment, yes," she replied, starting to sound like her old self. She even gave him a smile, telling him she was good to go.
"I'll be around for a while, but if you want to go have a drink later..?"
Claire pursed her lips, but it was obvious from the mirth in her eyes that she wanted to laugh. "You trying to pick me up, Darien?"
"Can't stop trying," he replied, grinning at her.
Unexpectedly, for both of them, the Keeper reached out and caressed his cheek, a sad smile suddenly appearing on her lips. She then shook her head gently and withdrew her hand to her side once again.
With no further words, she entered her lab, leaving Darien to stand there and contemplate her actions.