Title: After the Rain

Disclaimer: It's almost midnight, and here I am, still wishing Christopher
Ralph was mine! Lets see, how long has it been now? Well, when did the show
start? Any ways, if you don't recognize it, it's mine. If you do, well, it
belongs to some lucky person who sure doesn't deserve to own it cuz they
haven't done anything right yet. Other wise, Jaime and Caitie would be
together by now, and everyone else in the world wouldn't be throwing
chocolate at the T.V screen.(Cough, Cough. A-hem) Wait, if the show is over,
no one can own it anymore right? O.K, race you to it!

(A/N~ Sorry you had to witness that long, pathetic display of a disclaimer.
Oh well, I'll make this part short. I want to specify, cuz people are still
getting confused. I am not Val! Val is just the sweetest person ever who is
posting my stories for me. My name is Jael, and my Pen Name is Pastel Siren,
and you can E-mail me at Siren eyes00@aol.com My account hadn't kicked in,
so I cant post stories. So Val posts them for me. I wrote every episode of
The Monopalous Series, Hiding from the Truth, and Caitie's Fairy Tale, and
a few 55 fics which I can't remember the title's. But I always put in my
authors notes that I am not Val, so please be sure to look for that. Thank
you,and thanks for your great reviews. Oh I guess that was kinda long.
Sorry. Please Enjoy)

Episode 7: "The Monopalous Series"

AFTER THE RAIN

Jaime's eyes cringed as he felt the light stinging them. He squinted his
eyes open to see his curtain waspulled up a little, and the sunlight was
shining through. He looked at his clock. 1:00 p.m. "It's too early!" He
mumbled.

His blankets were twisted around him, and one leg was hanging off his
mattress. He was flat on his stomach. He grabbed his pillow and pulled it
over his head.

Someone entered his room, and pulled the curtain all the way up. Jaime felt
the light warm against hisbody. It suddenly grew very hot in his room. "Get
up," the person called to him. He was too tired to recognize the owner of
the voice. "Get up." It called again.

"No." He cried back. The person came up to him and pulled his blanket off
him. "Now." It cried, and realizing the seriousness in the persons voice,
Jaime got up and stammered into his closet to get dressed.

While he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, he recalled the dream he
had that night. His whole body shook at how real it had been. It was an
awful dream. He spit, and rinsed, then went out to find out who had woke
him up, and how much trouble he was in.

"James Waite, sit down." His mother called. "Oh!" He thought. "So it was
mom. Great, she sounds pissed."

"Yeah mom?" He asked sitting down, letting out a big yawn.

"Where were you last night?"

"What?" Jaime looked confused.

"What do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I wouldn't notice my son
sneaking into the house at 5 inthe morning? Oh, and by the way, if your
going to sneak in, you should at least learn to do it a little quieter."

Jaime stared at his mother in horror, as the events of last night flashed
into his memory. It hadn't been a dream. It really happened.

"James, are you listening to me?"

Jaime couldn't hear her. He thought back to everything that had happened.
When he found Caitie. What her sister had asked him. What Caitie had told
him. How could this be real? How could Caitie be, dyeing?

"James?James? Jaime?" She snapped.

"Mom? Can we please talk about this later?"

Mrs. Waite could see the sadness in her sons eyes. It must've been mother's
instinct, but his sorrow struck pain all through her body, and chilled her
to the bone. She knew her son was going through
some kind've pain. "Jaime? Son, are you O.K?"

"Yeah, mom I, I, mom please, can we just talk about this later?"

"O.K, but your not off the hook yet O.K?"

"O.K."

Mrs. Waite kissed her sons forehead.

"Thanks mom."

She nodded her head, and walked away to make lunch for her 3 younger sons,
Michael, Jeremy and Kyle.

Jaime headed back into his room, stripped down to his boxers and put on a
comfortable T- Shirt. He plopped back down to his bed, and laid on his back,
staring at the ceiling, recalling the events of last night.

It wasn't a dream. And even if it was, it would be the most horrible
nightmare he'd ever have in his life.

FLASHBACK

"Is Caitie going to die?"

Jaime starred shocked at the little girl's question.

After he had come back to reality, and the million thoughts that had just
entered his mind disappeared, he could finally ask what he had been trying
to get out for what seemed like an eternity, but really had only been about
30 seconds.

"What do you mean?"

"She won't tell me anything. No one will. I'm 8, not stupid. Is Caitie
going to die?"

"Please, please tell me what you mean?"

Realizing he didn't have her answer, Rheayn ran back into the house. Jaime
took off after her, and without knocking, he stormed into the Roft's home,
and demanded to know what was going on with Caitie.

Kathleen Roft turned and looked at the young man a little shocked. "Change
your mind about that coffee?"

"What's wrong with Caitie?" He demanded forcefully and angrily with a touch
of fear in his voice.

"Huh?" Kathleen looked confused. "Well, after that little episode we had
the other day, I'd say shehas an attitude problem, and she's disrespectful.
Other that than, I really don't know what's wrong with her. Well, there is
the way she dresses. That dark Goth look is way to depressing."

Jaime starred at this women in awe. How could she say such things about
Caitie? Caitie was wonderful. "What are you talking about? Caitie is the
most amazing girl I have ever met in my life. So maybe she does have a
little bit of an attitude, but it's comical. She's a wonderful person,
and if you can't see that, maybe you shouldn't be her mother. You shouldn't
deserve to be her mother."

He was now open to a little bit of knowledge of what it was like for Caitie,
but he had no idea of just how much Caitie went through.

Kathleen Roft looked exceptionally angry. "Did you come all this way just
to make fun of me, and judge my parenting skills. How dare you barge into
my home with these threats."

"I didn't threaten you. And, that's not why I came."

"Than why did you come?" She was now standing right in front of Jaime.

"What is wrong with Caitie?"

"I thought we all ready went over this?"

"No. I mean, there's something else. What is she hiding from me?" He held
his breath, not sure if he was ready to hear what this women had to say.

"Oh. You mean that whole tumor thing? Nothing's wrong with Caitie. She
thinks she's going to die just because she got some little brain tumor.
Caitie isn't going to die. She's fine. She's always been fine. There's
never been any symptoms."

She sat back down on the couch and Jaime stould still, and speechless. He
couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't breath.

And suddenly, his whole body filled with rage. Raged that Caitie hadn't
told him, raged that she was sick, and raged that this women, her mother,
didn't seem to care at all.

The little girl was crying now, and she got up and ran back into the hall. "
Rheayn, where are you going? Get back here and finish watching this movie
with me." Kathleen called to her daughter with a touch of loneliness and
paranoia in her voice..

Jaime marched up to her. "You You" But he couldn't finish, and as the women
glared at him, he turned back and headed to his motorcycle.

He sped out of the driveway, his tires screeching against the concrete, and
driving over the speed limit, he hurried along the streets of Kingsport. He
had to find Caitie. It was all he could do. Find Caitie.

But where would she be? He thought. And suddenly it hit him. The bleachers.

As he headed to the school, his speed matching his rage, it started to rain.
The rain poured down harder and harder with every second. It became so
thick he almost couldn't see. But he made it to the school.

He parked his bike, threw off his helmet and ran to the bleachers. He ran
so fast, you would've thought he was on the track team.

When he got to the start of the bleachers he stopped and caught his breath.
Slowly he walked to where they usually would hang out. The rain was lightly
dripping through the stairs. But Caitie was soaked. She must have just
gotten there.

He walked up behind her, and she sensed him. She turned around and saw the
pain in his eyes. "You know don't you." She said, her voice muffled and
sad, and he could tell she had been crying.

He didn't shake his head, but his breathing had increased and his chest was
rising up and down with a great motion that she could see. His mouth hung
open as he was still trying to catch his breath, and she knew he knew.
"Jaime!" She cried. I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. I didn't
want it to be like this. I tried to tell you. I swear I tried, I just,
Jaime I couldn't."

Her eyes filled with fear and sadness, and she moved into him just wanting
to be in his arms. He didn't accept her, but he didn't move. She just laid
her body onto his chest, and her face looked offto the side. He looked down
at her. He couldn't be mad at her now. She needed him more than ever.So he
finally took his arms, and wrapped them around her.

She then moved her arms around his back, and cried loud enough for him to
hear despite the pounding of the rain against the metal above them. He felt
her body quiver and held her tighter.

When Caitie calmed down, she looked up into his eyes, and immediately knew
what he was thinking."I'm sorry Jaime. So sorry you didn't hear it from me.
I wanted to be the one to tell you, I just couldn't stand to hurt you. Your
my best friend Jaime Waite. And I guess I just wanted to protect you."

"What about you Caitie? How about letting me protect you. I want to be
there. Always. I want to help you. Please, let me help you."

Caitie started sobbing again, and let him know that she had accepted his
offer by holding him as tight as she could. They went and sat down leaning
up against a pole, and held each other until the rain stopped, and he took
her home.

They snuck into her house. Every one else was asleep, and they went into her
room. Caitie changed into some thing warm and dry, and laid in her bed.
Jaime walked over to her, and tucked her in. For the first time in her
life, Caitie was being tucked in, and it felt good.

But there was something Jaime had to know. "Caitie, are you going to die?"

Caitie starred up at him her face emotionless, and after a few minutes
answered, "Yes. If they can't remove it, yes."

That was the last thing that was said. Jaime kissed Caitie's forehead, and
placed his hand on the side of her face. He turned around, and headed back
to his bike to head home.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Jaime lye in his bed and tears flooded his eyes. He looked over at the
picture of him and Caitie together. He ran his hands through his hair. It
was still a little damp from the rain.

Eventually Jaime got up, got dressed, brushed his teeth, headed out for
brunch, and carried on with his day, trying to keep it as normal as
possible, as if nothing happened. But deep inside he new that things would
never be the same.