1.1.1.1 Chapter 4
Early the next morning, Harper sneaks into the house quietly, hoping not to wake Chris or Beka. He closes the large door as softly as he can and walks up the stairs to his room. Before even touching the handle of the door, he looks from side to side to make sure no one was up, knowing he would get the biggest lecture of his life if Beka found out. No one, so, he proceeds to open the door, carefully trying to mute the sound it made. Harper makes it in, turns to make sure no one has saw him, and watches the door as he closes it just as masterfully.
He turns smiling to himself and saying, "Man I'm God!" He walks into the bedroom and starts to talk to himself again, "I swear I am—" he stops short and sees Beka snuggled up to Chris, who's arms are wrapped around her body. "—Such a dead man, if they wake up right now," he finishes in a whisper, his eyes wide.
Harper freezes and doesn't dare breath. He gingerly walks backwards the way he came in, opens the door, walks out and quickly, but quietly, closes the door. A little shocked, Harper swallows hard and starts to talk to himself again, "Come on Harper…it's not like she hasn't done this before. No big surprises. Hey, I knew this would happen with him. I could see it from the first time I saw those two together. Then again, I wasn't expecting to actually see them together. Okay Harper, you got to promise me that you're not going to say anything—Okay Harper, I promise—Shake on it," he holds up both of his hands and puts them into a hand shake, "Now, remember that promise—Yes Mr. Harper I will remember—Because trouble begins when you break your promises, remember last time…—Yes, Mr. Harper, I remember last time. It won't happen again—Good, now, let's get something to eat."
Harper runs down the stairs and finds his way into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Luckily for him he didn't have to because the robots were already down there and made it for him.
*
Beka wakes up and finds Chris's arms still wrapped around her body. She smiles and gently kisses his fingers. He wakes up at her touch with a soft moan and smile, and pulls her closer to him. The morning sun greets them through the lighter drapes in the window, creating a type of brilliant glow. Beka wishes she could just hold on to this moment forever and never leave. Chris feels the same way. He buries his face into her hair and holds her for a while longer. He has never felt this way about anyone before. Most of the men Beka has been with were mostly jerks, and they would use her for pleasure for a night or so, then dump her like a bag of bricks. Or something prevented her from being with the guy, and she couldn't stay so she would leave and dump the man. One time one of her 'lovers' hit her because she refused to do what he wanted. She left him, but she never forgot and made a promise to herself that would never happen again. Chris would never do that she thought to herself, and took in a deep breath.
"I love you," those words sounded so surreal coming from him at that moment.
Beka's head was a little dizzy and only half-awake, but managed to respond, "I love you too." And for the first time, she said those words with true meaning to a man who meant them too.
"Do you think we should get up?" he whispers into her ear.
She groans on objectiveness.
He smiles and says, "Neither do I…"
"But we have to," Beka finishes. She sighs and says, "Okay, but, can we just stay like this a little longer?"
"Yes, we can do that," where the only words spoken for what seemed like an eternity.
~~~~~~~
Beka walks into the kitchen with Christopher and they see Harper quietly eating with his head down. Beka sits on the stool next to the table.
"What would you like for breakfast Ms. Valentine?" Chris begins.
"Wow, I never had a guy cook me breakfast before," she says.
"Today's your lucky day then! Now, what would you like?"
Beka thinks for a minute, then answers, "How about the traditional, bacon and eggs?"
"Comin' right up," he says and takes down a pan.
Beka turns her attention to Harper, who hasn't said so much as a 'hello' since they came down, which was really weird because, well, it was Harper.
"Harper? Are you okay?"
Harper, with out looking up, says, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I mean, it's not like I…" he stops himself before saying anything more.
"It's not like you, what?"
"Don't break your promise Harper. You know what will happen if you do…" he tells himself.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing," Harper says, still looking down at his plate. "You know I think I'm gonna go and see if I can upgrade those bots of yours, Chris. They could really use it. I'll be in the machine room."
Chris looks up and slowly replies, "Sure."
Harper gets up and walks out, leaving a puzzled couple behind.
"Okay. That was weird," Beka says.
Chris looks up at Beka, "Do you think he might have…come home early?"
She shakes her head, "No, he was still wearing his clothes from yesterday." There was a pause and she begins again, "Unless…"
"Unless what?"
Her eyes widen with realization, "What room was Harper's again?"
The realization hits Chris, "Oh, no. We didn't…"
"Yeah, we did."
"Should I…" Chris offered.
"No, he'll get over it. It's not like he's a little kid anymore."
He shakes his head in agreement, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, here's your breakfast. Hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will," Beka says and gives him a little kiss as thanks.
~~~~~~~
Harper is down in the basement fixing up a robot when Beka walks in. She waits until all the sparks are done flying everywhere. He turns to see her and jumps back a little.
"Jeez Beka, you scared me."
"Afraid I was the Boogieman?"
Harper raises his goggles and gives Beka 'the look' and says, "Ha, ha. Very funny. So, what did you want?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just checking in on you, that's all."
Harper grabs a wrench and starts to work on the robot again, "Uh-huh. And why aren't you with your…Chris."
"He said he had to go get some stuff for dinner tonight…"
Beka looks at Harper again.
"Harper, are you okay? I mean, are you really okay."
Harper puts down the wrench, turns, and starts to confess, "No, no I am not, Beka. I just…I saw you, you know. In bed with—you know…"
"Okay. It's not like you haven't known about stuff like that before."
"Yeah but its different now, Beka."
"Different?" she questions the little man that stands in front of her.
"Yeah, different. With all the other guys, you'd just leave them, or they'd leave you. I've seen you two together."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"He's not going to want to leave you, and you're not going to want to leave him…" Harper trails off.
The sudden dose of reality shot through Beka's body. What was I thinking? I should've known this was going to happen. Why didn't I pull back? Is Harper right? Of course he's right. God, what was I thinking! I guess its like they say, 'you reap what you sew.'
Beka looks up to Harper with the sudden realization, "Harper, what have I done? What have I done?"
Harper holds his friend as she sighs with a heavy heart in his shoulders. "It'll be okay Beka. I'll help you through this. It'll be okay."
Great goin' Harper. Now you know why we make these promises in the first place—Shut up.
Early the next morning, Harper sneaks into the house quietly, hoping not to wake Chris or Beka. He closes the large door as softly as he can and walks up the stairs to his room. Before even touching the handle of the door, he looks from side to side to make sure no one was up, knowing he would get the biggest lecture of his life if Beka found out. No one, so, he proceeds to open the door, carefully trying to mute the sound it made. Harper makes it in, turns to make sure no one has saw him, and watches the door as he closes it just as masterfully.
He turns smiling to himself and saying, "Man I'm God!" He walks into the bedroom and starts to talk to himself again, "I swear I am—" he stops short and sees Beka snuggled up to Chris, who's arms are wrapped around her body. "—Such a dead man, if they wake up right now," he finishes in a whisper, his eyes wide.
Harper freezes and doesn't dare breath. He gingerly walks backwards the way he came in, opens the door, walks out and quickly, but quietly, closes the door. A little shocked, Harper swallows hard and starts to talk to himself again, "Come on Harper…it's not like she hasn't done this before. No big surprises. Hey, I knew this would happen with him. I could see it from the first time I saw those two together. Then again, I wasn't expecting to actually see them together. Okay Harper, you got to promise me that you're not going to say anything—Okay Harper, I promise—Shake on it," he holds up both of his hands and puts them into a hand shake, "Now, remember that promise—Yes Mr. Harper I will remember—Because trouble begins when you break your promises, remember last time…—Yes, Mr. Harper, I remember last time. It won't happen again—Good, now, let's get something to eat."
Harper runs down the stairs and finds his way into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Luckily for him he didn't have to because the robots were already down there and made it for him.
*
Beka wakes up and finds Chris's arms still wrapped around her body. She smiles and gently kisses his fingers. He wakes up at her touch with a soft moan and smile, and pulls her closer to him. The morning sun greets them through the lighter drapes in the window, creating a type of brilliant glow. Beka wishes she could just hold on to this moment forever and never leave. Chris feels the same way. He buries his face into her hair and holds her for a while longer. He has never felt this way about anyone before. Most of the men Beka has been with were mostly jerks, and they would use her for pleasure for a night or so, then dump her like a bag of bricks. Or something prevented her from being with the guy, and she couldn't stay so she would leave and dump the man. One time one of her 'lovers' hit her because she refused to do what he wanted. She left him, but she never forgot and made a promise to herself that would never happen again. Chris would never do that she thought to herself, and took in a deep breath.
"I love you," those words sounded so surreal coming from him at that moment.
Beka's head was a little dizzy and only half-awake, but managed to respond, "I love you too." And for the first time, she said those words with true meaning to a man who meant them too.
"Do you think we should get up?" he whispers into her ear.
She groans on objectiveness.
He smiles and says, "Neither do I…"
"But we have to," Beka finishes. She sighs and says, "Okay, but, can we just stay like this a little longer?"
"Yes, we can do that," where the only words spoken for what seemed like an eternity.
~~~~~~~
Beka walks into the kitchen with Christopher and they see Harper quietly eating with his head down. Beka sits on the stool next to the table.
"What would you like for breakfast Ms. Valentine?" Chris begins.
"Wow, I never had a guy cook me breakfast before," she says.
"Today's your lucky day then! Now, what would you like?"
Beka thinks for a minute, then answers, "How about the traditional, bacon and eggs?"
"Comin' right up," he says and takes down a pan.
Beka turns her attention to Harper, who hasn't said so much as a 'hello' since they came down, which was really weird because, well, it was Harper.
"Harper? Are you okay?"
Harper, with out looking up, says, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I mean, it's not like I…" he stops himself before saying anything more.
"It's not like you, what?"
"Don't break your promise Harper. You know what will happen if you do…" he tells himself.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing," Harper says, still looking down at his plate. "You know I think I'm gonna go and see if I can upgrade those bots of yours, Chris. They could really use it. I'll be in the machine room."
Chris looks up and slowly replies, "Sure."
Harper gets up and walks out, leaving a puzzled couple behind.
"Okay. That was weird," Beka says.
Chris looks up at Beka, "Do you think he might have…come home early?"
She shakes her head, "No, he was still wearing his clothes from yesterday." There was a pause and she begins again, "Unless…"
"Unless what?"
Her eyes widen with realization, "What room was Harper's again?"
The realization hits Chris, "Oh, no. We didn't…"
"Yeah, we did."
"Should I…" Chris offered.
"No, he'll get over it. It's not like he's a little kid anymore."
He shakes his head in agreement, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, here's your breakfast. Hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will," Beka says and gives him a little kiss as thanks.
~~~~~~~
Harper is down in the basement fixing up a robot when Beka walks in. She waits until all the sparks are done flying everywhere. He turns to see her and jumps back a little.
"Jeez Beka, you scared me."
"Afraid I was the Boogieman?"
Harper raises his goggles and gives Beka 'the look' and says, "Ha, ha. Very funny. So, what did you want?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just checking in on you, that's all."
Harper grabs a wrench and starts to work on the robot again, "Uh-huh. And why aren't you with your…Chris."
"He said he had to go get some stuff for dinner tonight…"
Beka looks at Harper again.
"Harper, are you okay? I mean, are you really okay."
Harper puts down the wrench, turns, and starts to confess, "No, no I am not, Beka. I just…I saw you, you know. In bed with—you know…"
"Okay. It's not like you haven't known about stuff like that before."
"Yeah but its different now, Beka."
"Different?" she questions the little man that stands in front of her.
"Yeah, different. With all the other guys, you'd just leave them, or they'd leave you. I've seen you two together."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"He's not going to want to leave you, and you're not going to want to leave him…" Harper trails off.
The sudden dose of reality shot through Beka's body. What was I thinking? I should've known this was going to happen. Why didn't I pull back? Is Harper right? Of course he's right. God, what was I thinking! I guess its like they say, 'you reap what you sew.'
Beka looks up to Harper with the sudden realization, "Harper, what have I done? What have I done?"
Harper holds his friend as she sighs with a heavy heart in his shoulders. "It'll be okay Beka. I'll help you through this. It'll be okay."
Great goin' Harper. Now you know why we make these promises in the first place—Shut up.