Part 4 - The Revelation
Rommie walked over to a window and stood there, looking out, with her arms crossed in front of her. She remained silent. For a moment I didn't know what to do, but than got to my feet and walked to her. I stepped beside her and looked out the window for a second. She was still standing there like paralyzed and so I turned to her. I saw a small glistening tear trailing down her cheek and hugged her. She turned to me and I saw that another and another and another tear accompanied the first one. I looked in her deep dark eyes and saw that the memories broke free from their hideout deep down in her soul. She leaned on me, put her arms around me and began to shake. I tried my best to comfort her and suddenly the flashback of me, holding her in my arms after she was forced to kill Gabriel came alive. For the second time, my faithful companion needed my help. It hurt me to saw her so miserable again, but on the other hand it felt good to be needed by her. I knew that she will calm down eventually and didn't want to force her into anything. So we just stood there for some time, without saying a word, just holding each other, knowing that we both wished it could last forever. We knew, that the sins of the past have been unearthed again and it felt like a catharsis. We felt that we have to go through this to be able to start anew.
I really don't know how long we stood there. It grew dark in the room, but I didn't care. I felt like Rommie was the only bond that kept me alive and holding her was just like clinging on a string of life. Slowly she stopped sobbing and looked at me. Her eyes were still red of crying but I could see a new hope in them. A new hope for a better tomorrow.
"I'm sorry Dylan for being so sentimental. But I can't help. It all came back to me: Tyr's betrayal, me lying to you about Harper's death, your unwillingness to forgive me, you in the Kalderan prison. And more: destruction of Andromeda, dark years that followed, me almost loosing hope I'd ever see you again. And most of all, my fear as we met today. Dylan, I am kind of a warship, still. But I was scared to death that you might not have forgiven me. And I thank you that you did. This way I might be able to forgive myself too."
I was a bit surprised to hear her last statement. So I thought for a while how to respond and than answered: "Rommie, please, understand one thing: you have nothing to forgive yourself. You did some things that were not exactly by the Protocol, yes. But you more that equaled them by making this great sacrifice. I couldn't expect such sacrifice from no one, me included. If I were in your place I'd probably break and end up somewhere sitting in a dirty bar, drinking myself into oblivion and pitying myself for the things I haven't done, but should have done. So, please, don't be so hard on yourself. It would be better if you were hard on me. Everything you did was to put yourself on every possible mental torture, just in order to pay for the sins you thought you committed. But it was far too much. Your sins have been forgiven long time ago. So don't carry this guilt within any more. I too have committed sins. I hurt you and the others when it wasn't necessary. And therefore I am begging you to forgive me my sins too. You weren't the only one who crossed the line. I did it too. Perhaps even more than you think I did. Can you forgive me, Rommie? Can you forgive me for being such an idiot all the way? Can you ever forgive me for being so cold hearted to you?"
She looked at me with a small smile on her face and relief in her eyes: "Dylan, there is nothing I would have to forgive you. Although it did hurt me, you being with Trance and rejecting me when I needed your support. But I understood you even then and I forgave you almost instantly. Just promise me one thing, will you?"
"Rommie, anything you want!"
"Promise me, you'll be there for me when I need you. And I need you now; desperately! I need to feel that I'm worth being at your side. I need to feel wanted and loved. I must know that I did what I was supposed to. Could you do this for me, please?"
Her eyes were pleading and I couldn't help but smile at her: "Yes, I will always be there for you, Rommie! You are more than worth being at my side and you definitely did what you were supposed to, even more. I can't promise you we'll be happy all the time. But I can promise you, you'll never ever lose me again. It took me a long time to realize that, but now I'm completely sure. I just want you to be with me, to help me and to relieve my soul. I need you too. We have lost so much time. It might not be of such importance to you, but it sure is to me. I feel like I've finally stepped out of the darkness."
She smiled happily and kissed me passionately.
I still quite don't know how we came to our room. I remember only the overwhelming love and passion that took us in the wild dance of emotions, extracting only the best of us and letting all the past darkness to dissolve in the vision of a new, brighter tomorrow. It has been ages since I felt this way - being cherished, wanted and giving all of my deep love to someone. The memories resembled the blizzard of compassion and her comforting presence, her endless love. Presence that has so long been missed. Love, which I almost forgot I was capable of feeling and expressing. All the time we spent in darkness, in oblivion, in rejecting the reality was gone. There was only one thing that mattered - finally we were both experiencing the giving and taking of someone's best.
Next morning I woke up and stared at Rommie, lying and sleeping peacefully beside me. Her face was partly covered with the hair, so I strode it aside to see her beautiful face, face I've been missing for so long. She seemed so innocent while asleep. Like a child, knowing it's safe and loved. And the lines of sorrow on her face seemed to have disappeared altogether. I couldn't get my eyes off her and as if she'd felt it, she slowly opened her eyes. At first I saw a ray of fear in them, but as they rested on me, smile returned into them and her lips gave me a shining smile.
"Morning, Rommie," I said and kissed her tenderly. She returned my kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck.
After we parted, she snuggled close to me: "Morning, Dylan. I love you!"
"Did you sleep well, honey?" I asked and caressed her hair.
"I haven't slept that well in years. Dylan, would you believe avatars could have nightmares? I had them. All these years there wasn't a single night when I wouldn't dream of all the horrible things that happened and I always woke up in fear that you might be dead. Tonight I had no bad dreams. Only nice ones. Thank you for returning, Dylan. Thank you for making me happy."
I stood up and went to the window. It was a sunny day, so I figured we have been asleep for quite a long time. I heard Rommie getting up behind me and the soft sound of her bare feet on the floor as she came upon me. I suddenly felt her arms wrapping around me and her body leaning on me. She laid her head on my back and sighed with relief.
I turned to her and took her in my arms: "Look, Rommie, there's such a beautiful day outside. Why don't we dress up and go to your ..... our ..... place? I feel like being reborn again. My fears are all gone and all I want to feel is your closeness, your love, my love for you and my endless desire to hold you like this forever."
We kissed again. I don't think I'll ever get enough of kissing her. I felt like someone who's been lost in a desert and at the end of his strength, when death almost covered his tired eyes, he suddenly saw a beautiful oasis and with his last power walks up there and finds everything he needs to survive; not only water and food, but also his true love.
Rommie broke from me to look me in the eyes. Her big dark eyes were so happy that it almost hurt. My god, what has she been through, how much have I missed her! As she softly spoke, I could hardly understand her. But after a while her words did come through to me: "Dylan, I love you more than you can imagine. Let's go to our place. Let's start our new life under the bright sun."
FIN
Rommie walked over to a window and stood there, looking out, with her arms crossed in front of her. She remained silent. For a moment I didn't know what to do, but than got to my feet and walked to her. I stepped beside her and looked out the window for a second. She was still standing there like paralyzed and so I turned to her. I saw a small glistening tear trailing down her cheek and hugged her. She turned to me and I saw that another and another and another tear accompanied the first one. I looked in her deep dark eyes and saw that the memories broke free from their hideout deep down in her soul. She leaned on me, put her arms around me and began to shake. I tried my best to comfort her and suddenly the flashback of me, holding her in my arms after she was forced to kill Gabriel came alive. For the second time, my faithful companion needed my help. It hurt me to saw her so miserable again, but on the other hand it felt good to be needed by her. I knew that she will calm down eventually and didn't want to force her into anything. So we just stood there for some time, without saying a word, just holding each other, knowing that we both wished it could last forever. We knew, that the sins of the past have been unearthed again and it felt like a catharsis. We felt that we have to go through this to be able to start anew.
I really don't know how long we stood there. It grew dark in the room, but I didn't care. I felt like Rommie was the only bond that kept me alive and holding her was just like clinging on a string of life. Slowly she stopped sobbing and looked at me. Her eyes were still red of crying but I could see a new hope in them. A new hope for a better tomorrow.
"I'm sorry Dylan for being so sentimental. But I can't help. It all came back to me: Tyr's betrayal, me lying to you about Harper's death, your unwillingness to forgive me, you in the Kalderan prison. And more: destruction of Andromeda, dark years that followed, me almost loosing hope I'd ever see you again. And most of all, my fear as we met today. Dylan, I am kind of a warship, still. But I was scared to death that you might not have forgiven me. And I thank you that you did. This way I might be able to forgive myself too."
I was a bit surprised to hear her last statement. So I thought for a while how to respond and than answered: "Rommie, please, understand one thing: you have nothing to forgive yourself. You did some things that were not exactly by the Protocol, yes. But you more that equaled them by making this great sacrifice. I couldn't expect such sacrifice from no one, me included. If I were in your place I'd probably break and end up somewhere sitting in a dirty bar, drinking myself into oblivion and pitying myself for the things I haven't done, but should have done. So, please, don't be so hard on yourself. It would be better if you were hard on me. Everything you did was to put yourself on every possible mental torture, just in order to pay for the sins you thought you committed. But it was far too much. Your sins have been forgiven long time ago. So don't carry this guilt within any more. I too have committed sins. I hurt you and the others when it wasn't necessary. And therefore I am begging you to forgive me my sins too. You weren't the only one who crossed the line. I did it too. Perhaps even more than you think I did. Can you forgive me, Rommie? Can you forgive me for being such an idiot all the way? Can you ever forgive me for being so cold hearted to you?"
She looked at me with a small smile on her face and relief in her eyes: "Dylan, there is nothing I would have to forgive you. Although it did hurt me, you being with Trance and rejecting me when I needed your support. But I understood you even then and I forgave you almost instantly. Just promise me one thing, will you?"
"Rommie, anything you want!"
"Promise me, you'll be there for me when I need you. And I need you now; desperately! I need to feel that I'm worth being at your side. I need to feel wanted and loved. I must know that I did what I was supposed to. Could you do this for me, please?"
Her eyes were pleading and I couldn't help but smile at her: "Yes, I will always be there for you, Rommie! You are more than worth being at my side and you definitely did what you were supposed to, even more. I can't promise you we'll be happy all the time. But I can promise you, you'll never ever lose me again. It took me a long time to realize that, but now I'm completely sure. I just want you to be with me, to help me and to relieve my soul. I need you too. We have lost so much time. It might not be of such importance to you, but it sure is to me. I feel like I've finally stepped out of the darkness."
She smiled happily and kissed me passionately.
I still quite don't know how we came to our room. I remember only the overwhelming love and passion that took us in the wild dance of emotions, extracting only the best of us and letting all the past darkness to dissolve in the vision of a new, brighter tomorrow. It has been ages since I felt this way - being cherished, wanted and giving all of my deep love to someone. The memories resembled the blizzard of compassion and her comforting presence, her endless love. Presence that has so long been missed. Love, which I almost forgot I was capable of feeling and expressing. All the time we spent in darkness, in oblivion, in rejecting the reality was gone. There was only one thing that mattered - finally we were both experiencing the giving and taking of someone's best.
Next morning I woke up and stared at Rommie, lying and sleeping peacefully beside me. Her face was partly covered with the hair, so I strode it aside to see her beautiful face, face I've been missing for so long. She seemed so innocent while asleep. Like a child, knowing it's safe and loved. And the lines of sorrow on her face seemed to have disappeared altogether. I couldn't get my eyes off her and as if she'd felt it, she slowly opened her eyes. At first I saw a ray of fear in them, but as they rested on me, smile returned into them and her lips gave me a shining smile.
"Morning, Rommie," I said and kissed her tenderly. She returned my kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck.
After we parted, she snuggled close to me: "Morning, Dylan. I love you!"
"Did you sleep well, honey?" I asked and caressed her hair.
"I haven't slept that well in years. Dylan, would you believe avatars could have nightmares? I had them. All these years there wasn't a single night when I wouldn't dream of all the horrible things that happened and I always woke up in fear that you might be dead. Tonight I had no bad dreams. Only nice ones. Thank you for returning, Dylan. Thank you for making me happy."
I stood up and went to the window. It was a sunny day, so I figured we have been asleep for quite a long time. I heard Rommie getting up behind me and the soft sound of her bare feet on the floor as she came upon me. I suddenly felt her arms wrapping around me and her body leaning on me. She laid her head on my back and sighed with relief.
I turned to her and took her in my arms: "Look, Rommie, there's such a beautiful day outside. Why don't we dress up and go to your ..... our ..... place? I feel like being reborn again. My fears are all gone and all I want to feel is your closeness, your love, my love for you and my endless desire to hold you like this forever."
We kissed again. I don't think I'll ever get enough of kissing her. I felt like someone who's been lost in a desert and at the end of his strength, when death almost covered his tired eyes, he suddenly saw a beautiful oasis and with his last power walks up there and finds everything he needs to survive; not only water and food, but also his true love.
Rommie broke from me to look me in the eyes. Her big dark eyes were so happy that it almost hurt. My god, what has she been through, how much have I missed her! As she softly spoke, I could hardly understand her. But after a while her words did come through to me: "Dylan, I love you more than you can imagine. Let's go to our place. Let's start our new life under the bright sun."
FIN