A/N: Songs used are "Only Time" by Enya and "Breathe" by Faith Hill. This is the last story of season one, but season two will be coming shortly after this one.
Only Time
Who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows?
Only time...
"What's wrong Luka?" Abby asked him the next day. Luka was sitting at a table in the lounge, his head in his hands, his arms propped up on the table.
"I shouldn't have let the twins go to school today," Luka whispered.
"Why?" Abby asked, confused.
"Something doesn't seem right. Something's gonna happen," Luka told her.
"What do you think is going to happen?" Abby asked him.
"I don't know. But one of them is going to get hurt. I know it," was Luka's response.
Abby sighed and sat down next to him, rubbing his back.
"I've had this feeling all day, Abby. I just can't get rid of it," Luka whispered again as thunder rumbled outside.
~*~*~*~*~
Lightning flashed, following the thunder that had ripped through the air moments earlier. Mariana stared out the window at the storm raging outside. The trees were blowing wildly in the wind. The sky was black. The lights inside the room barely kept the room lit well enough to see the board for the notes. The dark sky wasn't just blackening the world outside the school, but the world inside the school as well.
There was a knock at the door and everyone jumped in their seats, startled. The teacher walked over to answer the door. "Yes?"
"Can I see Mariana Watkins, please?" the boy outside asked.
"Why?" the teacher asked.
"We need to talk to her about a program that we're gonna be having soon. We want her to sing," the boy replied.
The teacher looked at Mariana and said, "You can go Ana."
Mariana got out of her seat and walked forward. She left the classroom, closing the door behind her. "Hey, Ryne," she greeted the boy.
Ryne smiled. "You actually know who I am."
Mariana looked at him, confused and said, "Yeah."
"Well, come on," he said, and started to walk down the hall. Mariana followed.
~*~*~*~*~
And who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose?
Only time...
Mitchell was doodling in his notebook. Thunder boomed and a flash of lightning pierced the blackened sky. He jumped slightly and then looked back at his doodle. A heart with Mariana's name inside.
Why did he feel the way he did now? That he would never be able to be with Mariana? He loved her; he never wanted to be away from her, ever. And he knew she loved him too. So, why would they never together? Why did he have this strong feeling that he would never be able to hold her, or kiss her again?
There was a knock on the door, and again, he jumped. The teacher answered it and a boy outside said, "Can I please speak with Mitchell?"
The teacher nodded, "Sure. You can go Mitchell."
Mitchell nodded, closed his notebook and stood up. He walked out the door and shut it behind him. "Hi Warner, what do you want?"
Warner smiled and said, "Follow me. I gotta talk to you, and your girlfriend."
Warner turned down a hallway that the school never used. "Warner, are we supposed to go down here?"
"Chill, Mitchell. We're fine. We all need to talk privately. We can do that here," Warner said.
Mitchell's heart began to race. "We? Who's we?"
"You, me, Mariana, and Ryne," Warner said.
"Mariana's here?" Mitchell asked.
Warner nodded.
"With Ryne?"
Warner nodded.
"Yes, right in that room," Warner pointed into a lit room. "Let's go in."
Warner turned into the room and Mitchell followed. Ryne was leaning against the wall directly in front of the door. Warner turned and walked deeper into the room, smiling. "Hi Mariana."
"Warner?" she asked in a confused tone.
Mitchell quickly turned and saw Mariana standing at the back of the room, leaning against the wall. When she saw him her eyes lit up and she smiled, straightening up. "Mitchell!"
Mitchell started walking towards her, but Warner put a hand up to his chest stopping him. "You get one minute to talk to her, and she gets a minute to talk to you. Say all you've ever wanted to say to her, and then we're gonna go to a different room to discuss something privately. And Ryne will stay here with Mariana and talk to her privately."
Mitchell opened his mouth to ask him what this was all about but Warner stopped him. "Look, go talk to your girlfriend, or we'll just go and talk now."
Mitchell looked at him and walked past him, wanting to see Mariana. She looked scared, and he wanted to be there to comfort her.
"Remember Mitchell. Everything you want her to know. In a minute," Warner said. "You can start…now."
Mitchell looked into Mariana's eyes. Tears were filling them and one tear was slipping out. He wiped it away and smiled at her, "Baby, I love you. I love you a lot. You know I do. Everything will be okay. Don't be scared. I love you. Everything will be okay, baby," he pulled her closer to him and whispered in ear. "As long as I live you'll be my girl. I promise you that. I love you more than anything. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side."
"Minutes up," Warner said and the two people looked at him. His face was a mask of pure pain, matching his voice. It was hard for him to listen to them talk. "Ana, you have a minute starting…now."
Mariana looked back into Mitchell's eyes. "I don't know why he wants us to do this. But I love you too Mitchell. I'll always love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you too. I love you and…and…I'm so scared. I don't know what to say, or why we're supposed to do this. I-I love you Mitchell."
Taking his head in her hands she pulled it closer to hers and kissed him. She stroked his cheeks as she kissed him. A while later she heard a strangled voice, "M-minutes…up."
The couple pulled apart and looked up. Warner's face was red, tears in his eyes, and he was staring at the clock, not at them. After a moment he looked back. "Mitchell, come with me. We need to talk."
Mitchell nodded, looked back at Mariana, and kissed her again.
"I said now!" Warner shouted.
Mitchell rubbed Mariana's shoulder and as he walked past she grabbed his hand. "What's going to happen Mitchell?"
"I don't know," he said softly, shrugging.
"Let go of him now Mariana!" Warner shouted.
Mariana quickly dropped Mitchell's hand. Mitchell took one last look at her, smiled and then followed Warner out of the room.
After they had left the room the door quickly closed so that there was only a slit between the door and the frame. Mitchell looked at it and said, "What's happening in there?"
"Nothing," Warner said stopping.
"That guy better not touch Mariana," Mitchell said. "Or hurt her."
"Don't worry. That's not part of the plan," Warner said.
"And what exactly is the plan?" Mitchell asked.
"You know, it was really painful to stand in there and listen to you guys talk about how much you loved each other. And you kept kissing!" Warner said. "But I don't have to worry about that anymore."
"What is the plan, Warner?" Mitchell asked.
"This."
~*~*~*~*~
Who can say why your heart sighs,
As your love flies?
Only time...
Mariana wanted to run and follow him as Mitchell left the room. Instead, Ryne walked over to the door, and closed most of the way. "What are you doing?" she asked him.
"I'm giving Warner and your boyfriend some privacy," Ryne replied.
"Why are we here? I thought you guys were planning something and wanted me to sing," Mariana pointed out.
"That's just what we told your teacher so that we could get you here," Ryne said.
"So, why am I here?" Mariana asked.
"So that you could see your boyfriend," Ryne said.
"Why?" Mariana asked. Ryne wouldn't answer. "What's happening out there? What are you going to do? Why am I here? Come on! Answer me! What the hell is happening?"
~*~*~*~*~
Mitchell looked away from Warner back to the door. His heart was pounding in his chest, and now it was pounding harder. "What's happening in there?" Mitchell asked. "Ryne better not be doing anything to Ana."
"So full of love," Warner chuckled. "Look at the situation you're in, and you're worried about your girl who's safe and sound in there. Don't worry. He won't be hurting her. I made the plans, and I know for a fact that hurting her is not in the plans."
"Then what's wrong? Why is she yelling?" Mitchell asked.
"She's just getting a little antsy. Wants to know what's going on," Warner said. "I don't want to make her wait in fear much longer. Why not answer her question."
Mitchell's eyes grew wide with fear.
~*~*~*~*~
Alexandria was in biology, copying the notes when an immense wave of fear hit her. She looked up. Mariana was scared. Alexandria could feel it.
The fear started to hit her, faster and stronger. Alexandria swayed slightly in her chair. Michael leaned over, "What's wrong Alexandria?"
Alexandria shook her head, breathing heavily. "Nothing."
Quickly she got out of her chair and started walking towards the door.
"Alexandria, where are you going?" the teacher asked.
"Oh! Sorry, may I please go to the bathroom?" Alexandria asked.
Thunder boomed, shaking the windows in the room. A gunshot followed. The teacher's eyes widened. "No, you may not!"
Alexandria didn't listen. She spun around fear filling her body and not leaving. "Mariana!" she screamed, running towards the door. The teacher was right behind her grabbing her and pulling her back. Alexandria broke free and ran forward. The teacher came over and picked her up, dragging Alexandria kicking and screaming behind his desk.
He leaned against the wall, holding Alexandria who was still kicking and screaming, not knowing what to do.
~*~*~*~*~
The principal heard the gunshot ring through the air. He sat up straight and alert. Surprised at his calmness he pressed the button that sent the automated telephone message they had created when school violence had been at an all-time high telling the teachers to get the students out of the school through the windows as soon as possible before one of the shooters was able to reach the classroom. Luckily it was a one-floor school.
After he had sent the message he walked out into the office and told the secretaries to leave the building. Then he walked into the hall to meet with the school police.
"We called the station for reinforcements," one of the police-men said.
"I sent out the message to the teachers," the principal said.
"We should start looking," one of the police-men said.
"I'm going with you."
"That's not necessary, Principal."
"No, I'm going."
"Okay, whatever you say."
~*~*~*~*~
And who can say why your heart cries,
When your love dies?
Only time...
The gunshot rang through the air, answering all of Mariana's questions.
"Mitchell!"
"Shut up you bitch!" Ryne said, opening his coat and grabbing a holster that was tied around his waist inside it.
"What the hell are you doing?" Mariana yelled. "Why are you doing this to us?"
"Shut up! You think you're the ones being victimized here? What about Warner? He loves you! And you just walk around with that little boyfriend of yours! Well, not anymore!" Ryne yelled.
"Mitchell!" Mariana screamed and started to run forward.
"Stop running!" Ryne shouted. "And stop screaming you bitch! I'll be lucky if I'll be able to hear when we leave!"
"You'll be lucky if you don't go to jail!" Mariana yelled. "An accomplice to murder! You call Warner the victim? He just killed someone! Mitchell didn't do anything to him and he just killed him!"
"You're right! Your boyfriend didn't do anything! You're the one who spent time with the so-called 'love of your life.' You're the one who did this to Warner, made him crazy! You're the one who did this to Mitchell!" Ryne yelled.
"What? I spend time with my boyfriend and he has to die? It doesn't make sense! Other girls get to spend time with their boyfriends, and some psycho lunatic doesn't kill them!" Mariana yelled.
"Shut up! You made him a psycho lunatic! You couldn't just say 'hi' to him in the hallway?" Ryne yelled.
"I didn't know he felt that way about me!" Mariana yelled back. "That still doesn't give him the right to kill someone!"
"You killed Mitchell. You caused Warner to go crazy! You killed your boyfriend, you're causing Warner to go to jail, you're causing me to go to jail," Ryne pointed the gun at her. "You deserve the death penalty. But you'll be considered one of the 'victims.' So, I'll take care of your death sentence for you!"
Ryne pulled the trigger.
~*~*~*~*~
Who can say when the roads meet,
That love might be,
In your heart.
Now she's mine, Warner thought, even as he heard her scream Mitchell's name. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do with the body. With a little bit of luck they could blame the noise on something else.
He saw the long row of empty lockers going down the hallway. He walked over and kicked one open. Running back to Mitchell he checked for a pulse. The boy wasn't dead yet, but he soon would be. Every ten seconds there was a flutter of a pulse, nothing more.
He began dragging Mitchell towards the locker. He picked Mitchell up and started to figure out how to stuff him in the locker. Mitchell was heavy. The dead weight, Warner realized.
He heard Mariana and Ryne fighting inside. He shook his head. He had picked Ryne to help him because he thought he'd be able to handle her once she heard Mitchell being shot. He hadn't realized Ryne would fight with her. And blame her! For his craziness?
He'd have to have a talk with Ryne later. He set Mitchell on the ground, tired, as he tried to figure out how to put him in the locker. Another gunshot rang through the air.
Warner turned around and glared at the door. If Ryne had hurt her he'd be dead! Warner walked towards the classroom to investigate the gunshot.
~*~*~*~*~
And who can say when the day sleeps,
the moon still keeps on moving
If the night keeps all your heart?
Night keeps all your heart...
Alexandria had tears streaming down her face but she kept kicking her teacher, surprised at his strength and endurance to keep holding her even as she bruised his legs.
"Mariana!" she yelled as Michael ran up.
"Calm down, Alexandria," he said to her.
"I can't calm down! My sisters there! Something's happening with my sister! Oh my God, I'm so scared! She's so scared! I need to get to her!" Alexandria yelled kicking even harder.
Michael walked closer and whispered in her ear, "Alexandria, you've got two lives to think of now, not just your own."
"My sisters there, Michael! I can't just sit and calmly wait to find out she's dead!" Alexandria yelled, a little more subdued now.
"You don't know that she's there," Michael said. "You don't know for sure!"
"Yes I do, Michael. Yes I do! She's there!" Alexandria shouted. The phone rang and the teacher nodded for another student to answer it, not wanting to let go of Alexandria for fear that she would run off into the gunpoint of the shooters.
"Like we haven't already been through enough hell! My father almost kills Ana, we're kidnapped, I'm raped and now this?" Alexandria shouted without realizing what she had just told her class.
Michael took a step back, stunned. "Alexandria, calm down. You're hallucinating now! You were never raped! It was…it was just a dream, remember?"
Alexandria blinked, realizing where she was and what she had just shouted. "Oh, yes! But still! We've been through enough! Ana doesn't need to die! I don't need to lose my twin!"
"Alexandria, be quiet for a moment," the teacher shouted and Alexandria glared at him. "That was a call from the principal. Someone open the window, we all need to go out there as soon as possible. Go to the parking lot and stay there. Now!"
The class jumped into action, running to the window and opening it. All the students were out in half a minute. The teacher walked over with Alexandria who was still kicking and screaming. "I need to go find her! She could be lying and dying and if I don't get to her, she won't make it! Let me go! I need to go find my sister!"
The teacher tried a couple times, but each time Alexandria kicked around even more so that he could not shove her out the window to Michael who was waiting for her. "I'll bring her out through the doors. Hopefully we won't come up to the shooters. She's not going out this way though."
The teacher walked away from the doors and Michael jumped back through. "What are you doing Michael? You go back out there!" the teacher shouted.
Michael shook his head. "No, I'm going with you and Alexandria."
"Fine," the teacher sighed. "Come on."
They walked out the door and peered into the hallway. No one was there. They began running, Alexandria kicking and trying to escape. Another gunshot rang through the air, and the fear drained out of Alexandria.
"Mariana!" she shouted.
She kicked her teacher in the groin. In pain he dropped her. Alexandria got up and started running down the hall, Michael following. Michael grabbed her and dragged her back. Together with the teacher, still gasping in pain, they dragged Alexandria outside the school building.
"Mariana!" she shouted again and burst out into tears.
Once the doors shut and Michael and her teacher let go of her, Alexandria burst forward, running to the doors again. Rain poured down around the students and staff standing outside.
"You can't come in here!" one of the secretaries said.
"My sister is in there, dying!" Alexandria yelled. "Again! The second time this year! You have got to let me in there so that I can get to her!"
"You can't go back in here," the secretary repeated.
Alexandria took a step back, sobbing. "Go to hell! All of you!"
With that she took off running
towards the hospital, Michael close behind.
~*~*~*~*~
Who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose?
Only time...
Warner took in the scene before him. Ryne standing over Mariana's body. She was lying on the ground, her hand pressed against her stomach where blood seeped out of a bullet hole. Her eyes filled with pain and tears as they stared out. Every once in awhile her eyes would close before she'd quickly open them.
"You bastard," Warner said as he raised his gun and shut Ryne in the back of his head. Ryne fell to the ground, blood spattering the wall as the bullet cracked his head open.
Warner fell down before Mariana's body, some of Ryne's blood covering him. "I'm so sorry Ana. This wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to be hurt. We were…we were supposed to go on together. Lead a good life together. I'm so sorry."
He touched one of her bloody hands. She flinched at his touch. Warner sat back, putting his hand over his shirt by his heart then moving it up to his head. He looked back at her. She was still staring at him, hatred in her eyes. He whispered, "I did this to you. I'm so sorry!"
He raised his hand with the gun up to his temple and shot a bullet through.
Mariana watched as he fell to the side. His handprint on his shirt and head, in her blood.
After he fell to the side, dead, she took one last look at Ryne's dead body before darkness overtook her.
~*~*~*~*~
And who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows?
Only time...
Alexandria rushed into the ER, Michael close behind. Luka was sitting behind the admit desk, Abby rubbing his shoulders. He looked up when he heard the doors open and stood up when he saw who it was.
"Alexandria, what's wrong?" Luka asked.
"There's someone shooting in the school. Mariana was shot. I know it," she said.
Luka closed his eyes, sighed and then opened them again, "How do you know?"
"I just know. Twin thing," Alexandria said, bursting out into tears. Luka quickly walked over to her and hugged her.
Looking over her shoulder he shouted, "Someone, go find Mariana's file, in case she comes in."
~*~*~*~*~
Who knows?
Only time...
The police looked around, afraid of what they were going to find. They had heard two more gunshots. But all activity in the school had stopped, and it seemed as if the shooters hadn't moved from one area of the school. As they approached the hallway that no one used, the smell of blood reached them.
They turned into the dark hallway, thunder rumbling in the distance. Beneath the thunder they could hear the faint sounds of ambulance's stopping in front of the school.
They continued walking, shining the flashlight over the hallway. A light was on towards the middle. They walked towards it. And a body came into view.
One of the policemen in the front ran over to the body. The others turned, with the principal, into the lighted room.
"Oh my God," the Principal whispered at the sight. Three bodies strewn across the floor, two with their brains blown out, the third lying with her hand over her stomach, her chest rising as she took a breath every minute or so.
"Do you know these people?" the policeman asked.
The principal nodded. "That one is Ryne Taylor. He's friends with Warner Gardner."
"Judge Gardner's son?" the policeman asked, stunned.
The principal nodded, "And the last one is Mariana Watkins – I mean, Mariana Kovac. That's what she calls herself now that she's been adopted by Dr. Kovac."
"The girl who was stabbed by her father," the policeman said. The principal nodded his head. "Go check Ryne," the policeman told the principal then pointed to the other policeman in the room, "Go check Warner. I doubt they're alive though. I'll check Mariana."
"He's dead," the principal confirmed.
"Here too," the other policeman said.
"She's alive," the policeman said. "But she's shutting down. We gotta get her out of here now."
He raised his walkie talkie to his mouth and spoke in it. Soon, four stretchers were in the hallway.
"He needs to get to a hospital now! I'm doubting that he'll make it, but we gotta try!" the policeman in the hall shouted.
One of the EMT's ran over.
"We're in here! Just bring one in now, there's only one alive in here!" the policeman by Mariana shouted.
One of the EMT's ran in. "Which one?"
"This one," the police man replied and the EMT ran over with the stretcher.
"I've seen her before," the EMT said. "Twice, I think."
"Yeah, we gotta get her to a hospital now," the policeman said. They got Mariana on a stretcher and rushed her out behind Mitchell's.
The students outside were crying as they watched Mitchell and Mariana be placed inside the ambulances.
Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, students moaned and sobbed, and ambulance and police sirens screamed. The other bodies were brought out, covered by a blood-soaked white cloth as the door to Mariana's ambulance were shut and Mariana was sped off to County.
~*~*~*~*~
Who knows?
Only time...
The air in the emergency room was tense. A call came through the speakers. "We've got two criticals on the way from the high school. ETA ten minutes."
"All right," Randi said.
"An, please come in," Michael whispered.
"She'll be coming in," Alexandria whispered back. The tears had stopped; her face was red and puffy from having cried though. She sighed shakily, "Let's just hope she's one of those criticals though, and not heading down to the morgue."
Randi picked up the remote. We can check to see what's happening at the school on TV. Flipping the TV on the news broadcasters were saying, "And that ambulance is taking the last student from the school to the hospital. The last two ambulances are carrying the dead victims, the two ahead of them the living. The two students who are alive are in serious condition."
The weary principal and policemen crossed in front of the camera. The reporter grabbed one of the policemen. "Can you tell us about what happened?"
"All four students that were brought out are the only students who were left in the school. By time we got to them all of them had been shot. The guns were also in the school, lying by two of the bodies. That's all the information we can give out. We don't really know what happened. We can do finger-printing on the guns to try to figure out what happened, but our best bet to hear the whole story is if at least one of the students who are still alive lives. Of course, we hope neither one of them will die."
"What is their condition?"
"Critical. Very critical."
An ambulance pulled up outside and Jing-mei, Carter and Haleh rushed out. "It's not Ana!" Carter shouted as they rushed to an exam room. Alexandria peaked at the student on the stretcher.
"Mitchell! It's Mitchell!" Alexandria exclaimed, Michael paling at the sight of his best friend dying.
Another ambulance pulled up and Dave, Abby and Luka ran out to it. They opened the doors and the stretcher was placed on the ground, an EMT bagging the student on it.
Luka's heart leapt into his throat, "Mariana!"
They rushed her in, passing Alexandria who started screaming.
"She's lost a lot of blood! She stopped breathing on the way here, we started bagging her," the EMT said.
"I can take over," Abby said and resumed the EMT's work. Luka looked in the file.
"Dave, Malik's outside the door. Tell him we need some O pos blood," Luka said and closed the file.
After ten minutes Luka saw Carter, Jing-mei and Haleh walk out of the exam room next door. The rest of the ER staff had gathered outside the exam rooms and Jing-mei asked them something.
Michael was holding onto Alexandria, who was sobbing. Luka could hear the reporters outside. Finally someone outside shakily picked up the remote planning to turn off the TV. But their fingers couldn't work and they only ended up changing the channel. But at least it wasn't a news channel, it was MTV. On the TV was a program about the life of Faith Hill.
Luka, Dave and Abby kept working hard for an hour. Half-way through Mariana's heart stopped and they tried their best to get it going.
Finally, after an hour, Dave and Abby both stopped. Abby patted Luka's arm and said, "Honey, she's…she's gone."
Luka stopped and then angrily threw his gloves at the wall. He pulled up a stool and sat down, staring at her body. He grabbed her hand, gripping it hard, sobbing. He was glad the blinds had been shut; he didn't want Alexandria to know what had happened until someone walked out there and told her. He looked up at the clock. Shakily he said, "T-time of d-death…"
His voice broke up as he sobbed some more, dropping his head to Mariana's motionless body. Dave finished, giving Abby the time and Abby began to cry as she picked up the pen and jotted the time down.
Dave tore of his gloves, staring sadly at Mariana's body. "I-I'll go tell them. Abby nodded and walked out of the way of the door so no one could see her crying. She knew they'd hear the solid beep of the monitor though. She walked over to begin disconnecting it as Dave quickly slipped out, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Jing-mei rushed up to him and everyone inside heard her whisper to Dave, "Mitchell was DOA. Apparently he was Mariana's boyfriend. How is Mariana?"
Dave couldn't respond right away, and everyone knew what he was going to say. Alexandria screamed some more and burst out crying, sobs wracking her small body. On the TV screen was Faith Hill's music video "Breathe." It was nearing the end of the song and Abby was about to turn off the monitor when she heard a beep and then nothing. No one else seemed to hear it but her. Slowly, she turned her head towards the monitor to make sure it wasn't just her imagination, her hopes that were making this beep a working heart beat again.
Outside Faith sang:
"Just breathe…"
