Disclaimer: Still very tired but I'm getting better. I am feeling a little
discouraged but I'm trying hard to fight it. Thanks for all the reviews.
I am trying a little something different in this chapter so please tell me
what you think.
You Can Always Count on Me
Marci had just finished for the day when she decided to look in on Arianna. It was not unusual for her to work late but she was still pretty upset about Doyle. Marci looked in through the open office door to see Arianna sleeping on a sofa that lined one of her walls. All the light in the room came from a series of backlights along the walls. The upward light gave the room an eerie feel that did not help to ease Marci's mind. Seeing Arianna sleeping upset her, muses rested but rarely slept. Only when they are under a lot of emotional and physical stress do muses actually sleep. Arianna was so together and calm that Marci had never seen her sleep before. Marci pulled a chair up next to the sofa so she could watch her until The Mistress of Solitude came to take her home. A sudden knock on the door startled Marci out of her rest. She looked up to see Erik motioning for her to come out into the hallway.
"How is she?" he asked as he looked in on her.
"She's sleeping. I've never seen her sleep before and it worries me." she replied softly.
"She'll be fine. She just needs some rest." he said still trying to convince himself that what he said was true, "The Mistress of Solitude will be down soon. I'll stay if you want to go home and get some rest."
"Thank you. I think I'll do just that." she smiled as she turned to leave.
Suddenly there was a flash of white light. Erik instinctively turned his head away while Marci walked toward it. Erik had no idea what was going on until he heard the light speak.
"How is my daughter, Marci?" it asked.
"She is still a little upset. But she is doing better. You remember Erik don't you?" she replied motioning to Erik.
"Yes I do. But I doubt he remembers me. Hello Erik, I'm Aries." he greeted Erik.
"Arianna's father. Yes I remember you vaguely but I know of you. Arianna speaks of you often." Erik responded.
"I came to see how she is doing. Do you think she would mind if I checked in on her?" he asked.
"I'm sure she would like it if you did." Erik answered, "She misses you."
Arianna awoke to the sound of voices outside her office door. She smiled when she recognized Erik and Marci. They are so worried about me she thought. Then another voice drifted to her ears. A voice she had not heard in years but had never truly forgotten.
"Father?" she breathed as she sat up suddenly.
She heard his familiar footsteps in the hall and her mind drifted back. She was a little girl and there was a storm. She had always been afraid of lightning and she would cry every time a storm blew in. The sound of her father's footsteps always chased her fears away. It was almost as if the fear knew he was coming and would run as soon as it heard him. He put his arms around her as he whispered a song in her ear. Suddenly the storm was no longer scary and she felt safe. Arianna came out of her flashback as he walked into the room.
"Father." she greeted him breathlessly.
"Arianna dear. I've missed you so much. How are you?" he whispered in her ear as he hugged her.
"I'm fine now that you are here." she whispered into his shoulder.
"You know I'll always be here when you need me. You can always count on me." he smiled a he held her.
"And you can always count on me to always need you." she hugged him back, "I'll always be your little girl. But you might want to go, mother is coming soon."
"Yes I might want to. She probably wouldn't be too thrilled to see me. Luckily I have you." he joked.
"Bye dad. I hope to see you again soon." she said hugging him again.
"You will. I'm glad to see you're alright." he sighed, not wanting to leave her.
Arianna watched him leave and wiped her tears away. Her mother would be there soon and she didn't want to see her with tears in her eyes.
You Can Always Count on Me
Marci had just finished for the day when she decided to look in on Arianna. It was not unusual for her to work late but she was still pretty upset about Doyle. Marci looked in through the open office door to see Arianna sleeping on a sofa that lined one of her walls. All the light in the room came from a series of backlights along the walls. The upward light gave the room an eerie feel that did not help to ease Marci's mind. Seeing Arianna sleeping upset her, muses rested but rarely slept. Only when they are under a lot of emotional and physical stress do muses actually sleep. Arianna was so together and calm that Marci had never seen her sleep before. Marci pulled a chair up next to the sofa so she could watch her until The Mistress of Solitude came to take her home. A sudden knock on the door startled Marci out of her rest. She looked up to see Erik motioning for her to come out into the hallway.
"How is she?" he asked as he looked in on her.
"She's sleeping. I've never seen her sleep before and it worries me." she replied softly.
"She'll be fine. She just needs some rest." he said still trying to convince himself that what he said was true, "The Mistress of Solitude will be down soon. I'll stay if you want to go home and get some rest."
"Thank you. I think I'll do just that." she smiled as she turned to leave.
Suddenly there was a flash of white light. Erik instinctively turned his head away while Marci walked toward it. Erik had no idea what was going on until he heard the light speak.
"How is my daughter, Marci?" it asked.
"She is still a little upset. But she is doing better. You remember Erik don't you?" she replied motioning to Erik.
"Yes I do. But I doubt he remembers me. Hello Erik, I'm Aries." he greeted Erik.
"Arianna's father. Yes I remember you vaguely but I know of you. Arianna speaks of you often." Erik responded.
"I came to see how she is doing. Do you think she would mind if I checked in on her?" he asked.
"I'm sure she would like it if you did." Erik answered, "She misses you."
Arianna awoke to the sound of voices outside her office door. She smiled when she recognized Erik and Marci. They are so worried about me she thought. Then another voice drifted to her ears. A voice she had not heard in years but had never truly forgotten.
"Father?" she breathed as she sat up suddenly.
She heard his familiar footsteps in the hall and her mind drifted back. She was a little girl and there was a storm. She had always been afraid of lightning and she would cry every time a storm blew in. The sound of her father's footsteps always chased her fears away. It was almost as if the fear knew he was coming and would run as soon as it heard him. He put his arms around her as he whispered a song in her ear. Suddenly the storm was no longer scary and she felt safe. Arianna came out of her flashback as he walked into the room.
"Father." she greeted him breathlessly.
"Arianna dear. I've missed you so much. How are you?" he whispered in her ear as he hugged her.
"I'm fine now that you are here." she whispered into his shoulder.
"You know I'll always be here when you need me. You can always count on me." he smiled a he held her.
"And you can always count on me to always need you." she hugged him back, "I'll always be your little girl. But you might want to go, mother is coming soon."
"Yes I might want to. She probably wouldn't be too thrilled to see me. Luckily I have you." he joked.
"Bye dad. I hope to see you again soon." she said hugging him again.
"You will. I'm glad to see you're alright." he sighed, not wanting to leave her.
Arianna watched him leave and wiped her tears away. Her mother would be there soon and she didn't want to see her with tears in her eyes.