CHAPTER 18
You're the reason I live
You're the reason I die
You're the reason I give
When I break down and cry
Don't need no reason why
-Aerosmith, "Angel"
"'Morning, angel."
Alison nearly fell out of bed. She'd been using her hands to slide up and against the headboard so she could sit up and properly address Rafe, but her elbows betrayed her and buckled. Luckily, she didn't fall, and she managed to sit up after all.
"What did you just say?" she asked incredulously.
"Good morning?" guessed Rafe innocently.
"No, after that."
A slight blush spread across his cheeks.
"I called you 'angel,'" Rafe admitted, smiling for God knew what reason.
He couldn't help it.
Did all the women in his family make him this happy? He must have been the luckiest man on the planet...
Alison sat, resting against the headboard, dumbstruck.
"I don't know why," continued Rafe. "You just- You just looked so beautiful and so peaceful that I couldn't help it."
He placed a finger to his lips and that irrepressible smile of his.
"You know what, Alison? It doesn't matter why I said it. It's true. You are my angel. Somehow, you found me, and you reintroduced me to this city and these people. You brought me back to my family, and I don't care how much time it takes. I know in my heart that I will remember, one way or another."
"Wait, time!" exclaimed Alison, finally regaining her senses. "Rafe, do you have your watch? You know, your pocket watch?"
"Yeah," he said, not knowing where she was going with the question.
He reached into his pants pocket and retrieved it.
Alison reached for the watch, and he willingly handed it to her.
It was just a watch. He didn't understand why it meant so much to her...
Alison released the faceplate and examined the watch carefully.
"You don't have to tell me that I'm early, really early," Rafe assured her. "Lucy already told me. I was just so excited. I couldn't wait-"
"Twelve numbers," murmured Alison. "There's twelve numbers here."
"Yeah, twelve, clockwise numbers," Rafe agreed. "It's a watch. What'd you expect?"
"Rafe, Rafe, listen to me," said Alison, placing her hands over his. "It's really important that we find out what happened to you. We don't know how much time you have left here."
"How much time I have left?" Rafe repeated, taken aback. "Alison, what are you talking about?"
Alison sighed, threading her fingers through the hair closest to her scalp.
"It's really long story. Trust me."
"Well, you said we don't have a lot of time," said Rafe. "So start talking, please. I need to know everything. Who am I? Who am I really?"
Rubbing the leftover sleep from her eyes, and repositioning herself so that she was more comfortable, Alison began her tale.
"Alright, Rafe, I'll tell you everything, or, at least, what I know.
"You first met Lucy back in Transylvania, about a year ago. She and Kevin - They weren't married then - they went there to try and research her background, see where she came from, because, like you, Lucy didn't really know anything about her family either."
"So we just sort of ran into each other, and then I came back to the States with her and Kevin?" Rafe speculated.
"No, at first you sort of just hung out, you know, spent a little time together. Lucy and Kevin, they wanted you to come back with them, but you said you couldn't. Later on, though, you showed up here, in Port Charles."
Rafe's brow furrowed.
"I don't understand. Why wouldn't I accept their offer and come back with them?" he asked, scratching his head. "Wouldn't I want to spend as much time as possible with my new family?"
Sighing, Alison rested her head in her hands.
"Please," Rafe implored her, lifting her chin with his hand. "Please tell me, Alison."
"Well, Rafe..."
She paused.
"You may think I'm an angel, but what brought you to Port Charles was anything but angelic. In fact, it came straight from hell itself..."
You're the reason I live
You're the reason I die
You're the reason I give
When I break down and cry
Don't need no reason why
-Aerosmith, "Angel"
"'Morning, angel."
Alison nearly fell out of bed. She'd been using her hands to slide up and against the headboard so she could sit up and properly address Rafe, but her elbows betrayed her and buckled. Luckily, she didn't fall, and she managed to sit up after all.
"What did you just say?" she asked incredulously.
"Good morning?" guessed Rafe innocently.
"No, after that."
A slight blush spread across his cheeks.
"I called you 'angel,'" Rafe admitted, smiling for God knew what reason.
He couldn't help it.
Did all the women in his family make him this happy? He must have been the luckiest man on the planet...
Alison sat, resting against the headboard, dumbstruck.
"I don't know why," continued Rafe. "You just- You just looked so beautiful and so peaceful that I couldn't help it."
He placed a finger to his lips and that irrepressible smile of his.
"You know what, Alison? It doesn't matter why I said it. It's true. You are my angel. Somehow, you found me, and you reintroduced me to this city and these people. You brought me back to my family, and I don't care how much time it takes. I know in my heart that I will remember, one way or another."
"Wait, time!" exclaimed Alison, finally regaining her senses. "Rafe, do you have your watch? You know, your pocket watch?"
"Yeah," he said, not knowing where she was going with the question.
He reached into his pants pocket and retrieved it.
Alison reached for the watch, and he willingly handed it to her.
It was just a watch. He didn't understand why it meant so much to her...
Alison released the faceplate and examined the watch carefully.
"You don't have to tell me that I'm early, really early," Rafe assured her. "Lucy already told me. I was just so excited. I couldn't wait-"
"Twelve numbers," murmured Alison. "There's twelve numbers here."
"Yeah, twelve, clockwise numbers," Rafe agreed. "It's a watch. What'd you expect?"
"Rafe, Rafe, listen to me," said Alison, placing her hands over his. "It's really important that we find out what happened to you. We don't know how much time you have left here."
"How much time I have left?" Rafe repeated, taken aback. "Alison, what are you talking about?"
Alison sighed, threading her fingers through the hair closest to her scalp.
"It's really long story. Trust me."
"Well, you said we don't have a lot of time," said Rafe. "So start talking, please. I need to know everything. Who am I? Who am I really?"
Rubbing the leftover sleep from her eyes, and repositioning herself so that she was more comfortable, Alison began her tale.
"Alright, Rafe, I'll tell you everything, or, at least, what I know.
"You first met Lucy back in Transylvania, about a year ago. She and Kevin - They weren't married then - they went there to try and research her background, see where she came from, because, like you, Lucy didn't really know anything about her family either."
"So we just sort of ran into each other, and then I came back to the States with her and Kevin?" Rafe speculated.
"No, at first you sort of just hung out, you know, spent a little time together. Lucy and Kevin, they wanted you to come back with them, but you said you couldn't. Later on, though, you showed up here, in Port Charles."
Rafe's brow furrowed.
"I don't understand. Why wouldn't I accept their offer and come back with them?" he asked, scratching his head. "Wouldn't I want to spend as much time as possible with my new family?"
Sighing, Alison rested her head in her hands.
"Please," Rafe implored her, lifting her chin with his hand. "Please tell me, Alison."
"Well, Rafe..."
She paused.
"You may think I'm an angel, but what brought you to Port Charles was anything but angelic. In fact, it came straight from hell itself..."