Chapter 14

Tyana brushed a piece of blood-coated hair from her eyes, cursing herself silently for letting her 'secret' slip.

"I thought you didn't associate with him anymore" Bret said, an eyebrow rising accusingly.

Tyana sighed, her eyes shining, "Bret, I dream of him…"

***

Jeff ducked suddenly, narrowly dodging the bullets that flew at him from all directions. He stooped into a roll and hunted cover behind a large crystallized bolder with profanity scribbled obscurely over it in a blood red. He panted heavily; trying to get his breath back in hope to find the woman he'd come here looking for. And there she was…

Tyana sauntered gracefully unharmed through the snow not too far from him, the blizzard blurring her figure so that he could only just make it out. Just when he had positioned himself for a hopefully clear run to reach her she came from another direction. And another. Jeff looked about him confused, squinting to make her out through the snowfall. It became apparent there was three of her, all walking happily through the snow, kicking it about in a childish fashion that his heart told him she never had a chance to do.

"Hey you" a whispered voice came from beside him. Jeff glanced over, not sure what to expect but definitely not anticipating to find Tyana sitting there next to him, her smile naturally seductive. He did a double take, finding that the three playful figures in the snow where still ambling about joyfully.

"What's going on?" he queried, his mind reeling in perplexity.

Tyana took his hand gently, and suddenly all the sounds of gunfire was drowned out.

"They're trying to tear me apart" she replied, kissing his hand briefly. She smiled, amused, "Only it's not working…look" she nodded in the direction of her three look-alikes and the snow around them began to clear. Jeff smiled with her, noticing their blissfully happy expressions.

"It's not is it?"

For the first time ever Jeff heard Tyana's sweet laugh and he genuinely felt his heart melt at its sound.

"Nope…" her bright smile faded and slowly the gunshots became loud again; "Jeff I'm leaving soon…this is goodbye"

Before he could respond Tyana faded away. Desperate for an explanation or a chance to keep her at his side Jeff's eyes shot to where her doubles danced in the crisp white. All at the same time they all stopped their fun and slowly their eyes raised to meet his. He watched on as their faces contorted, their mouths dropping open in agony. Jeff clambered to his feet worriedly, the fear of death flooding him when he saw Tyana in suffering. Then all three sunk to their knees in the snow, clasping their hearts, their movements in complete sync.

"Ty…" Jeff called, willing his legs to carry him to the nearest figure. Only they wouldn't move for him and all he could do was watch on as specks of ruby appeared on the snow, dripping from the clasped hands each girl had over her chest.

The scarlet continued to drip until the figures were pulled into one being, her eyes gleaming with sadness.

"I'll miss you" she called out, her words lingering in the close atmosphere before she wilted away from this reality, a flash of light enveloping her.

Jeff stared at the spot where she'd once been and as he wandered over to it with a broken heart crimson life slipped from his eyes in lament.

She was…gone.

Jeff shot up from his nightmare, grateful that the agony of witnessing it was over but the sickening feeling that Tyana was hurt still twisting his stomach into knots. Before he could even catch his breath he reached for the phone and dialed in her number from memory. He waited anxiously as the ringing continued. And then,

"Hello?"

"Ty, thank god" he breathed, relief drowning him as he slumped back onto his pillow, his hand rising to his sweat drenched forehead.

"Jeff, what's wrong?"

On the other end of the line Tyana brushed her short turquoise hair from her eyes, trying to hold in a painful grunt as she sat herself up in bed. She glanced at the clock, 6.53 am. She clutched her side that had only that night been aching and listened to Jeff as he told her of how he'd just had a bad feeling that she was hurt.

"I'm fine, really. Are you ok?" she asked, the first part of her answer reassuring, the second worried.

Jeff sighed, relieved beyond all belief, "Yeah, yeah, just…freaked." He mumbled a quiet 'whoa' and unbeknown to him at the other end of the line Tyana smiled warmly, her cheeks glowing a beet red. He had been thinking of her, dreaming of her probably. As childish as it made her feel she couldn't help but smile as the warm glow encircled her.

"Well, if all you wanted was to know if I'm ok then I guess I should bid thee a good night, fair kind and gentle sir." She murmured to him quietly, without a clue where the strange words had come from.

Jeff smiled affectionately, "What time is it where you are Ty?"

"Nearly 7 in the morning. And you?" she smiled curiously, wondering why he wanted to know when she had a feeling he should be sleeping.

"Far too late to say…but I don't think I'll be able to sleep…do you mind talking to me for a while?"

Tyana pushed herself out of her bed, careful not to irritate her fresh wounds, beaming with a glorious shine, her eyes sparkling happily. She replied gently, her voice just above a whisper, her statement drenched with a warmth Jeff was certain only she could possess, "Do you even have to ask?"

Well over an hour later they finally hung up when Jeff's eyes had began to stick, the only conversation on his behalf 'hmm's' and quiet mumbles of agreement. Tyana smiled as she thought of what he must have looked like, no doubt sprawled across his bed, clasping the phone tightly to his ear, his lips curled in a partial smile as he found a tender comfort in hearing her voice slid over him. Of course, to her that was just a wish…a hope that she gave someone that much joy, a joy they returned. And she sighed as she thought of how ridiculous she was being. She hadn't a clue that everything she was hoping was true and that where Jeff lay comfortably stretched over his bed, his lips were curved sweetly, smiling with the ease she leant him.

Her communicator beeped loudly then, drawing her back from her own dreamlike reality and despite the pain it involved in getting up to answer the device she did so happily.

"Morning Bretty!" she cried sweetly, propping the communicator up so that she could move about getting dressed while he spoke about whatever it was he had on his mind.

"Good morning, uh, Ty" he responded unsurely, not in full understanding as to why she was in such a good mood this morning, especially since they'd had somewhat of an argument the night before. "What are you so happy about?" he asked of her with one eyebrow raised.

She shrugged, pulling a sweater on over her baby blue tee that read 'Not even if you were the last boy on earth', "just perky I guess. Is that a crime?"

Bret shook his head, secretly unconvinced, "Guess not…and speaking of which that reminds me…you say you dream of Jeff?"

The words had parted his lips as Tyana was pulling her hair out from where it was caught under her sweater and she froze. Slowly the turquoise goddess turned to face him, an obviously displeased look upon her face. Her hands dropped to her side and one sat confidently on her right hip,

"Are you comparing that to a crime?"

Bret sighed, only now realising his un-thought out sentence was obvious capable of causing offence. "No, I didn't mean that.
Look Ty it's just that, and I know you hate hearing this but he Iis/I something to be wary of. Dreams are powerful things and with him frequently occurring in yours you're to be careful that you don't become too trusting—it could put what little we have left to complete of this mission in the utmost danger"

She looked blatantly unimpressed at him, her lisp curled grimly, "And why would that be? What, you reckon Jeff's one of them? That he's not worthy of trust?"

Bret sighed, his head beginning to pound, "Tyana all I know is that I can't keep tabs on everyone that may be against us, I'm simply suggesting that you're careful"

"No you're not, you're frailing suggesting that I shouldn't associate with him anymore! God, Bret do you never give in? Dang, I've got one more frailing card to get and then I'll never see him again so shut the frail up! I don't need this" she shouted enraged, disbelieving that after she'd shared the secret of her dreams with him that he would still treat Jeff as though he were as dangerous as the card holders. The green haired wonder was such a pain in the…

"Tyana don't you dare shout at me! You're the one that's keeping this mission from moving forward, possibly ending it, and I refuse to allow you to damage our cause!

"HE IS OUR FRAILING CAUSE!" she screamed, for the first time pointing out that he was the one the entire world back home had fallen for. "God, why do you think I even did this Bret? Why do you think I risked death or murder to join this mission?"

"Well I thought you wanted to help, not fall in love!"

she stared at him and suddenly felt very angered that he wasn't there with her in the flesh so that she could slap him.

"I AM HELPING! I'm helping everyone!" she yelled, her arms flailing about in her anger.

She exhaled deeply, calming for long enough to stare at him deeply, her eyes glistening with fresh tears that she would never ever shed.

"Bret, do you really know why I'm here? Why I took the chance…?"

Bret gazed back at her, only then realising that it went deeper than a profound want to help. There was a lot more past lurking behind those violet eyes of hers and as he peered into them he noticed that she was just about ready to tell. In no time at all he'd know the specifics…he'd understand why she did what she did…acted the way she acted. He'd know.

"Why?" he asked quietly, knowing she was ready to spill, knowing he was ready to listen.

She bit her lip and smiled gently, "Him"

And as Bret stared at her he knew she was telling the truth.

Tyana laughed in a delightful tone, her chuckle as mild as a child's, and settled onto the edge of her bed, staring down at her hands with a half smile. She sighed, titling her head gently to catch the skin of her hands in a different light before pulling the sleeves of her sweater over them and beginning to tell her story…