San Marcos
Two Days Later
I realize things now that I didn't before. I don't know if it's surviving the moment of death that jarred my memory, but now I understand what has to be done, and why I have to do it.
Vaughan Rice called back this morning with his congratulations on our success at stopping the first wave. Thankfully he was light on the compliments. This isn't over, and we all know that. He never said a word about anyone else back in England, and I hope he keeps it that way. My only connection to CIB is that we're backed by them. It's a business arrangement. I loved Michael, and I still do, but that isn't my concern anymore, because it wasn't his.
The war against terrorism is going quicker than we expected. Coalition forces have already captured vital structures and executed successful tactical strikes. The rumor is that it could be over in a matter of weeks. I intend to be present in the room when the cease fire order is given. I intend to finish my job and give those serving in the field, not to mention those we lost in the line of duty, the honor of standing right there with them till the end.
But first things first. Sophomore year of college looms ahead of me and I wonder if I can maintain two world-saving positions or if I will have to quit. I never wanted to drop out of college, and I don't intend to, but sometimes life throws us a curveball, sends us down a path we never intended. When I was born, I was never supposed to live. When I was in school, I wasn't supposed to graduate a year early. And when I was accepted to summer school I wasn't supposed to meet a man and enter into our nation's service. But all of those things happened, and they happened to me.
And yet, all I can think about is what happens next.
****
I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
It lasted forever
And ended so soon
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed
Los Angeles had clouds again. Jason was on the roof, watching them and the passing traffic below as if he felt transcendental somehow. When you've been in a fight to save the world, everything seems just a little less and just a little more significant at the exact same time. Lan was standing behind him and he turned and looked over his shoulder at her. "We did it, huh?" he said. "We stopped them."
"Yeah, we stopped them," she echoed him. "For now."
"Yeah, for now." He nodded gravely. "But when it comes time, we'll be there. You know it."
"You bet."
The two old friends smiled at each other, then Jason grabbed Lan into a huge hug. The things they had been through together were beyond anything I could have come up with, and they were teammates to the end. Now there was another fight and they were always game for another fight. After all that's what they did.
"So what do you think happens next?" he asked her.
"Well, our fearless leader's on bed rest … and our team looks like they've survived a riot …"
Jason
was smiling when he said, "We have absolutely no idea."
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
****
It was late in September
And I'd seen you before
You were always the cold one
But I was never that sure
I laid back in the medical facility bed, taking long deep breaths. It still hurt just a little to breathe. According to the expert medical opinion of CTU's medical staff, it would hurt for a while. I hadn't bothered to ask if they'd wiped my blood off the phone yet, and I had ceased to care. The pain had dulled, and my brain was playing back the moment on a tape loop, trying to figure out why I wasn't dead. I had cheated death one more time. Death and I went head to head a lot, and once again I'd won, but I wasn't celebrating. I was watching reruns of La Femme Nikita on cable.
The door opened soundlessly and none other than my favorite detective shut it behind himself. I glanced up and took a good look at him. The wound on the side of his head had all but healed, and he offered me a low-key smile. I returned the small gesture. Life is made up of small gestures. Detective Smith sat beside me on the end of the bed, glancing over at me with something between awe and amused disbelief taking up residence in his timeless green eyes.
"How are you doing?"
I muted the television, set down the remote and exhaled, wincing again when I did. I'd have to use my ability to hold my breath for twelve minutes more often now. "I … I don't even remember all the things they told me I hurt."
"For starters, you got the wind knocked out of you, cracked a pair of ribs, had a concussion, and a few lacerations," he listed everything off for me. "In short, you nearly killed yourself. When you didn't have to."
"Yes, I did."
"Why?"
"It was a necessary sacrifice."
He smirked slightly when I said that.
You were all by yourself
Staring up at a dark gray sky
I was changed
Frank took my hand, and his grip was strong, firm and charged with comfortable warmth. The look in his eyes took away all the nervousness I had about him being prepared to handle what he would have had to have seen soon enough – he had taken it in stride, taken everything like it was part of life, something I needed to learn. He squeezed my hand gently. "You say that a lot," he told me.
"Only because I mean it." I looked into his eyes for a heartbeat of a moment. "You're okay, though?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. I mean, it's weird, but…" He looked back at me. "What it is really doesn't matter. What matters is you and your friends have the tenacity, the honor to go out there and fight the fight, no matter what happens. Even things like this," he concluded, nodding at me and my many injuries. "You do what you have to do."
"Something like that," I exhaled. "It's a lot to handle, this. For anyone."
"Look, I live in L.A., and I'm a cop. I've seen a lot." He smiled thinly. "Now, I'm not saying I'm ready to pick up a stake…"
"… I'm not asking you to…" I was quick to insert.
He nodded. "But I'm damn ready to appreciate what you've done."
"Haven't done it yet," I said. "It's not over yet."
"Well, it's over now."
"For now."
"Good enough for me."
He leaned in, closing the
distance between us with a fluid grace. His lips were warm and gentle, full of
a simple, undemanding fondness, and I realized he was kissing me, and I was
kissing him back, and I didn't know where this was going or where it might end
up, but I realized also that I didn't really care.
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
****
'Cause I wanted to hold you
I wanted to make it go away
Standing outside the infirmary door, Derek smiled quietly to himself, waited a moment more, and then went on to join the rest of the group, still with a fire in his eyes and a smirk on his face. Nobody would ever get out of him why he was grinning like an idiot, except that he'd told me so. He wouldn't let me off the hook about that for weeks. In that respect – and others – he's the brother I never had.
At CTU Lex dialed my cell phone and got my voice mail. He smiled to himself. All that had been needed to finally get me to back down was the distinct possibility of my own death. He was so amused that he sat there listening to my message. There was no further validation needed to know that everything was all right.
And I wanted to know you
I wanted to make your everything all right
****
I'll always remember
It was late afternoon
In places no one would find
Leticia and Chloe were in the kitchen, with Weiss and Ben sitting on the couch. This was the state of normalcy they'd all been trying for. It was Weiss who spoke first, leaning back into the couch and staring at the paint job on the ceiling. "I still can't believe it," he said to no one in particular.
"There's some weird stuff out there," Ben told him.
"Tell me about it," Chloe said, a smile accompanying her sarcasm. She grabbed more lovely beverages and she and Leticia started moving across the room.
"Where are you two going?" Weiss asked, looking over.
"We were going to go up to the roof with Jason and Lan."
"We may as well come along," he decided, and he and Ben joined the pair, offering their assistance in the transportation of lovely beverages. What kind of a day it was when all you had to worry about was not dropping the lemonade glass.
"When does the shock wear off?" Weiss asked his comrade as they headed for the stairs.
Ben shook his head. "It never goes away."
"It doesn't?"
"No, because there's some
amazing stuff out there, too."
In places no one would find
All your feelings so deep inside
It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry
****
Nine of us stood on the rooftop, looking up at the sky.
Ambivalent cloud cover fell across our faces and we didn't have much to say. Each of us looked from one to the other in a silent concordance. Each of us bore the evidence of what we had been through in this one day on our bodies, in our hearts, and coming out in our eyes. We were all from different walks of life. The odds of our crossing paths at all were marginal, and yet we had all found each other to be able to stand together this moment. Each of us was another's strength, weakness, soul, body, mind, heart. What had happened between us, because of us, and what had happened to the world were the kinds of things that didn't just throw people together – they formed bonds that could never be broken, like some kind of destiny. Whatever happened next, it would be together or not at all.
The sunlight began to break through the clouds.
End.
****
Acknowledgements:
You should know the Life Serial roll call from Coventry, Their Law and Heaven's Fortune: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), Richard Speight Jr. (Lex), Carlos Bernard (Tony Almeida), Will Patton (Jackson Haisley), Xander Berkeley (George Mason), Erik von Detten (Kevin Blaisdell), Sara Gilbert (Paula Schaeffer), Alexis Denisof (Stephen Claire), Enrique Murciano (Christopher Gautreau), Greg Grunberg (Eric Weiss), Karim Prince (Jason), Lizette Carrion (Lan), Lisa Sheridan (Chloe), Idris Elba (Vaughan Rice), Andrew McCarthy (Ben Carroway), and of course the amazing Ethan Embry (Det. Frank Smith/Derek Barnes). Not to mention Tisha, the normal half of the two of us.
Music List:
Part 1: "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence
Part 3: "No One" by Cold
Part 4: "Red" by Sandra Collins (implied)
Part 5: "Unstoppable" by The Calling
Part 6: "Send Me An Angel" by Zerometer
Part 7: "Lies" by Evanescence
Part 10: "How" by The Cranberries
Part 11: "Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park
Part 12: "Where Will You Go" by Evanescence
Part 13: "Easier To Run" by Linkin Park
Part 14: "My Last Breath" by Evanescence
Part 15: "Cry" by Mandy Moore
With this being the last Life Serial volume, at least for a while, I thought I'd let you know what happens to the characters and their many unresolved conflicts. Continue to the next chapter for a bonus music video set to Dakota Moon's "Look At Me Now" and find out what's in the future for our heroes…
