Author's Notes: This is a fic done
to the lyrics of "No Ordinary Love" by Slade. The bits in italics are
flashbacks ;-)
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just take em out for a spin once in a while :)
------------------
A single tear trickles slowly down my cheek as
I sit under the stars, thinking of the past and everything I had. Slowly an
image forms in my mind; the face of a beautiful woman, a woman I haven't thought
about for many years. Ameret, my first love, the woman I loved more than
anything in the entire universe. A sad smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as
I allow the memories of her to surface, the way the day seemed brighter every
time she smiled. Another face comes to mind, that of Marcus, and I breathe a
heavy sigh, remembering all the good times I had as a young man, before the
weight of the world finally caught up with me. Marcus and I were friends even
before I knew Vince, our fathers raced on the same circuit for many years. We
were as close as brothers as kids, got into trouble together as teenagers and we
just grew closer as we got older.
Another tear falls unnoticed as I recall the day Ameret, his older sister, came
to live with them for the first time. Their mom had been sick for several months
and, when she finally succumbed to her illness, Ameret was sent to live with her
brother Marcus and their father, James. The first time I saw her, I knew I
wanted to spend my life with her, but she saw me in the same way she saw Marcus,
as a younger brother. I chuckle softly as I remember the first time I told her I
was in love with her...
********
Angry black clouds move overhead as I run up the long driveway, towards Marcus'
house. I skid to a halt, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath but the
air is heavy and I can't seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs.
"Sure sign a storm's comin!" I mutter wryly. I spin around at the
sound of soft laughter, the brewing storm forgotten as I come face to face with
the object of my recent fantasies.
"What's the matter Dom? Don't you like storms?" she quizzes me, her
silky voice bubbling with amusement, pale blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Nah, I prefer nice sunny days," I respond, keeping my tone light as I
struggle to make sure she doesn't hear in my voice just how nervous I am
suddenly. My heartbeat sounds overly loud in the stillness of the morning, as if
the world has paused while it waits for me to confess my feelings. The woman
before me has been the center of my life since she walked in three months
before; she's all I can think about during the day, and she haunts my dreams at
night. The logical part of my brain tells me that she can't hear the thundering
of my heart against my ribcage but logic is something I don't seem to be able to
grasp at this moment.
"Why? So you can show off your muscles for the girls?" she laughs,
winking seductively. My heart leaps as I see that wink, suddenly sure that she
feels the same way about me that I feel about her.
"No, so I can take you for a walk along the river and tell you how much I
love you," The words spill out before I know what I am saying and my breath
catches in my throat as the seconds tick by slowly. The silence lengthens and I
feel a distance beginning to form between us as her smile slips, her eyes no
longer filled with laughter, as they had been moments before. My chest tightens
as she shakes her head, the luscious mane of golden hair moving like waves on
the ocean with every movement.
"Dominic... I..." She hesitates, but her denial of my love is obvious
and I turn away, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes that I'm sure is there.
Without letting her say another word, I walk back down the driveway, my heart
breaking with each step.
********
The first rays of sunlight begin to slide over the empty landscape around me,
ushering in a new day. It's one more day I'll spend alone, with only my regret
for company. My hands, resting limply in my lap, are wet with my tears but I
don't care any more. It's been eight months since the day Tran killed Jesse and
the pain of that day grows with each day, as I try to come to terms with the
fact that I've lost everything. More memories of my youth pour into my mind as
my grief threatens to consume me completely...
********
"Shit!" I curse quietly as I sit in my room, staring out of the window
and watching Ameret leave the house with her brother. It's been six weeks since
the day I screwed up, and I know that my dumb confession is the reason she's
been avoiding me.
"The Valentine's card probably didn't help matters, ya idiot!"
I berate myself, knowing those two things were the reason for the strain on my
friendship with Marcus. I still can't believe I was stupid enough to write that
dumb message in it either... "Ameret, you are the most beautiful woman I
have ever seen. Your sweet smile brightens up each and every day. You are the
only woman for me. Since you came my way, no one else can compare. Be mine".
Sighing angrily, I grab my jacket from the chair and storm out of the house,
hoping a long walk might help to cool the emotions boiling inside me.
Darkness descends around me, the deep red colour of the sky sending shivers down
my spine as the sun sinks slowly behind the horizon. I don't know how long I've
been walking or, I realise suddenly, where I am but I don't care. Silently, I
curse myself again for my stupidity.
"You should have asked Marcus to drop some subtle hints, find out if she
was interested" I mutter to the darkness, knowing he would have done all he
could to help me. He knew I loved his sister, he'd sensed it from the beginning,
and all Marcus ever wanted was for me to be happy. And now it's too late; Ameret
hates me and my best friend is avoiding me, both hurt by a single moment when I
acted without thinking of the consequences. Slowly, a smile spreads across my
face as an idea comes to mind, a way for me to repair the damage I've done. If I
apologise to both of them, they might find it in their hearts to forgive my
indiscretion, and maybe we can all start anew! Turning on my heel and ignoring
the sudden pain in my chest, I begin walking back towards home, hoping I'm not
too late to undo the harm I've caused.
Walking all night, the pain in my chest coming and going, I finally get back to
town as the sun begins to rise on a new day. Smiling broadly, I'm in good
spirits as I hurry back to make amends, dismissing the slight feeling of
foreboding, thinking it is simply worry that my apology will not be accepted. I
break into a run as I turn the corner into our road, reaching her house and
taking the steps two at a time as I hurry to try and make things right. Gasping
for breath, I knock twice on the door, composing myself as I wait for either of
them to answer. Seconds stretch into minutes as I wait and fear begins to build
as I start to panic, wondering where they are.
"Maybe they've gone into town?" I tell myself, quashing the fear as I
bolt down the steps and head towards town. I take only a few steps before I see
her, the woman I love, walking slowly down the street towards me. My soul sours
as I see her, my smile widening as I rush up the road to her. As I get closer,
my heart sinks; I can see she's been crying and the pain on her face terrifies
me. Shivering in dread, I stop a few feet from her.
"Ameret?" Calling her name softly, I wait for her to close the
distance between us. She stops in front of me, her eyes read and puffy as she
looks up at me, taking a few moments to focus.
"Dom?" she breathes quietly, her voice filled with agony and sadness.
"I've been looking for you all night. There's something I need to tell
you..."
"Me too. Where's Marcus? I need to talk to both of ya. It's really
important," I tell her, trying to keep the fear from my voice. As she
begins to answer, everything around me suddenly falls out of focus...
I stand there, unable to comprehend what is being said to me, not wanting to
believe the words I'm hearing. Ameret looks at me, tears running down her cheeks
as she tries to make me understand what has happened.
"Dead? How?" I manage to whisper, my eyes filling with tears as my
world collapses around me.
"It was an accident. A hit and run. The driver didn't even stop..."
Her voice breaks as she tries to explain, her own grief finally overcoming her.
My body aching with the pain of our shared loss, I draw her into my arms,
stroking her hair gently in comfort, our sobs mingling as we both allow
ourselves to grieve. Her sobs slowly abate as she tries to regain her usual
composure, and she draws away from me slightly. Without thinking, I lower my
lips to hers, kissing her gently. She stiffens in my arms, pulling away and
staring at me in disbelief, a mixture of anger and disgust on her face.
"How dare you?!" she screams at me, slapping me hard across the face.
With a disgusted shake of her head, she turns away from me, stepping out into
the road as she walks out of my life forever...
********
"No!" I beg quietly to the emptiness of the desert, not wanting to
have to see this again, but the memories won't stop now. As the sun sets and the
night draws its dark veil over the sky once more, the events of that fateful day
force themselves back into my mind, leaving me no option but to relive the last
time I lost everything I cared about...
********
The screech of car tyres catches my attention and my head snaps round just in
time to see a dark blue ford swing into our road. Misjudging the corner, the
driver loses control and the car skids sideways for a few feet before it flips.
Rolling over and over, it barrels down the empty street... right towards Ameret.
Before I can even open my mouth to shout a warning, the car ploughs into her,
throwing her into the air. Her body falls into a crumpled heap a few feet from
where the car has finally come to a stop, and she remains there, unmoving. I
race to her side, my feet slipping on something wet on the road and causing me
to fall beside her. As I look around, bile rises in my throat as I realise that
it was blood I slipped on... her blood, pooling around her and inching slowly
outwards in an ever-increasing flood.
"Ameret?" I call to her softly, desperately wanting her to answer me.
She doesn't reply, she just remains still on the tarmac and, with my heart in my
mouth, I reach out and lay my hand on her shoulder. Tenderly I turn her over,
fighting hard to suppress the scream of denial that fills my lungs as the cold,
hard truth hits me.
She's dying; there's nothing I can do to stop it and nothing I can do to save
her.
I gather her broken body into my arms, not noticing as her blood seeps into my
shirt. Stroking a lock of blood soaked hair from her face, I murmur
incoherently, incapable of forming the words to speak properly. Pressing my lips
against hers, I hold her. I'm desperate to close my eyes, not wanting to watch
her die, but I'm unable to tear my gaze from her face as her life ebbs away...
********
My heart contracts as I see her again, cradled in my arms, as she draws her last
breath and slumps back against my blood covered body. It's a sight I have seen
many times in my nightmares, but it never gets any easier to see. It was a sight
I swore I would never see again, and it was a promise to myself I had managed to
keep... until the day I tried to pull off one last big hijack and messed up
everything. And now it's happened again; the woman I love has died because of my
actions and I'm the one to blame.
"I'm sorry Letty. I gave you all that I have inside, and you took my love.
But my stupidity and arrogance cost you your life." More tears fall as I
see your beautiful face, the way you try to fight a smile when you're trying to
be serious but your eyes shine with laughter.
"Did I ever tell you what I believe Letty? That there's nothing like you
and me baby? Even the love I felt for Ameret doesn't match what I feel for
you," I sob, curling into a ball in the dirt of the Mexican desert as I
finally see what I've done. Marcus once told me that he believed every person
had a soul mate, someone they were destined to meet, and love unconditionally,
in each lifetime.
"I know now that was what you were. You were my soul mate baby. Happy
Valentine's day Letty," I whisper into the night, hoping you can hear me in
Heaven. My tears flow freely and I know I'll keep crying for you, because this
was no ordinary love. The love we shared was a love that only happens once in a
lifetime, and I will never again know that love. I loved Ameret with all my
heart; but I loved you with every fibre of my being. Mind, body, heart and soul
were yours, and will be yours forever...
