- Chimera of Life -
Story Five: Righteous Mirage
Chapter Six By Heartfire~*~
She crept stealthily through the small patch of forest within the Center. According to her research, Trowa Barton was assigned over Sector 74, a secured area that even she cannot enter. She wanted to talk to him… or at least see if he had been brainwashed…
No… That option shouldn't even be considered. Blake wouldn't let just anyone guard his center, so there couldn't be any doubt that… he was brainwashed. A feeling akin to sympathy coursed through her at the thought of Trowa, then of Quatre… Sweet Quatre who had never stopped calling just to make sure that she was all right… a good friend- if she would ever let him move to that position… but she never did. She was too afraid of emotional imbalances. It would upset her once… again…
Her train of thought paused when she saw Trowa, walking with a purpose, parallel to her path. Without thinking, she followed him from a good distance, to the outer sector where she lost him in the thick, dense trees.
Slightly irritated, she scanned her surroundings, but she didn't see a single clue as to where he went. Well, she might as well start looking.
She finally found him, talking to a slim, blonde woman… The woman stomped her foot in frustration and Dorothy saw anger on Trowa's usually placid face…
'So… he was never brainwashed… neither was she.' The surprised thought overcame her… Relief coursed through her. She watched as Trowa grabbed the woman's wrist and told her something- demanded something… The tension around the woman disappeared, replaced by utter deject and then her whole body went limp.
Trowa let her go and the moment she was free, she ran away… away from him… A look of utter despair came over Trowa's face.
'What just happened?' The only thing her mind could process was that… these two had somehow overcome Blake's mind control… but how?
Almost as if he sensed he was being watched, Trowa turned around and met her eyes. Dorothy stood up from where she had been hiding. There was no use hiding, after all…
Trowa Barton was an ally… an ally in a lose-lose kind of relationship because they both know a secret about each other… but what of the girl?
She stood up then frowned when she saw that flicker of surprise in Trowa's eyes. Surprise at the sight of her… Yet, had he not seen her before? Why was he so surprised? 'Maybe he's afraid I'll tell…?' Acting instinctively, she shook her head and placed a finger over her lips.
Somehow, Trowa understood why she was there… and that she would not divulge him. As though something called to him, he turned to look at the compound, the opposite of the way the woman had ran to. Curious, she turned to look just as the emergency lights flickered on and off.
"Lieutenant Matthew, Lieutenant Matthew, please report to the Emergency room."
'Thursday…' That was the only thought that came to mind, forgetting Trowa, when her feet moved to the direction her heart ached to be, unknown by her reasonable mind. She stopped where she usually observed him… in that room above head.
All two weeks she had tried her best to ignore him… to not lay sight of him… yet now, here she was, drowning for a small vision of him…
He seemed a different man today… She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but… he seemed… tired? She stayed as long as he did. She didn't even bother to check her watch, only to make sure that he had something to drink while he operated on the patient. Once she saw that his cup of water was empty, she had gone to one of the orderlies and made sure that his next drink had ice in it…
Her hand went out to touch the glass when she saw his frantic movements. The once beeping green light had turned to a straight line and she could almost feel his desperate agony while he shocked his patient again and again… Two of his assistants had to hold his arms to make him stop… another two grabbed for the instruments grasped in his hands… and then she saw how his shoulders slumped… he finally realized that the man on the table was dead…
They let him go… She had wanted to go to him… but for the first time in her life, she had finally accepted… She's afraid…
'I'm scared…'
The hand on the ceiling high mirror went back to her side as she stilled her body, forced her body not to move to the man who was obviously in pain below… He left the room through the same doors she had seen that third Thursday and she could already picture him against the wall with his head in his hands…
The vision she created tugged at her heart… How could she have not seen what he was going through during that time? How could she have not seen his pain?
A sigh escaped her lips before she moved away from the mirror and finally walked back to her room. So much to think about… She couldn't even remember the woman Trowa was talking to, but she knew that after she'd sorted her muddled thoughts, she'd remember her. For now, she must come to terms…
…
He'd finally shaken himself from that state of depression- finally! People were starting to wonder… well, his orderlies anyway… nurses and the Blakes… He must keep his smile in place and his damn hot pink lab coat. These past few days were just the worst ever. Onie's little accident- thank God Blake was away!- his patient's death…
And what about Ms. Dorothy Catalonia?
A huff escaped his lips and he turned to his other side. 'To hell with Ms. Catalonia…' The very thought heightened his senses and he caught a whiff of that perfume of hers from his dark suit. Jessie rolled his eyes in frustration then buried his face into the pillow. "I have got to bring that to the cleaners!!!"
He twisted this way and that some more until his blankets lay askew around his legs then with a frustrated growl, he stood up and donned his shirt. There's only one thing he could do now…
He walked to the door with one thought in mind- follow mom's advice.
"Hot chocolate… I need hot chocolate…" Maybe that'll ease his stress and make him relaxed enough to-
He stilled in his tracks when his eyes fell on the person before of him, leaning against the wall in front of his door… dressed in seductive light yellow silk that hinted of unending curves and slopes…
"Okay… Maybe I already fell asleep and I didn't know about it…"
The evident shock on his face… that unconscious coherent mumble… it was so adorable that she couldn't help the slow curve on her lips…
Jessie took a double take. He was dreaming! Did he just saw Dorothy Catalonia smile??? In all these weeks, he'd never seen her do such a thing- and damn!!! It's creating havoc in him… 'Wonder what would happen if this was for real…'
She was just walking around… just trying to pry and straighten her muddled thoughts then she found herself standing in front of his door… She stood there for God knew how long… and she didn't even know what she was waiting for! She didn't until… his door opened and he came out looking so ruffled and utterly male in low-slung pajama pants and shirt that showed his muscles that…
Her heartbeat kicked… So… how should she start this? She had never really gone up to a man and… well… "Let me get one thing straight… The ball is in my court, correct?"
Jessie frowned in confusion and nodded at the same time. He hadn't expected that statement from her.
Dorothy kept her eyes on his face as she stepped closer. She doesn't really know what she should do but… she followed her instincts and let her body do the talking. Her hands reached up to his shoulders- he was a head taller than her- just perfect- and slowly went behind his neck.
She saw his eyes darken and felt strength and power from within her. A smile lit her face, delighted at such a feeling and then she pulled him down to her lips to taste him… to feel those firm lips on hers… to play with his tongue…
He couldn't be dreaming- not when his whole body was this hot and tingly and… damn! "Dorothy… Dorothy what… what are you doing?"
"What do you think?" Dorothy's hands slowly trailed a path down his muscles and she felt them ripple under her fingers. Excitement and arousal bubbled within her.
'Oh damn she's killing me!' His hands went around her small waist and felt no hindrance of underwear within those soft folds of electrifying silk… "Dorothy… I…" He kissed her lips and then focused on her lower lip. "I… You… You need to tell… me…"
He felt her smile. She couldn't help but smile! How delightful of him to still wait for her like that… Ah well, time to give him a little lesson about herself. Dorothy pushed him into his room then she closed his door with one swift push from her foot.
"Too bad… I never… tell…"
…
Their breathing was haggard as they lay atop each other on the small bed made only for one… Her silken strands of hair covered half his chest while his arm was around her back in a locked embrace.
"Any regrets?"
Dorothy slowly shook her head then placed her ear back where she could hear his heartbeat. "None at all."
"This changes everything, you know…" They are going to live reality soon… they have to settle everything down before… something happens…
"This changes everything, yet it changes nothing." Dorothy pushed herself up from his chest to face him, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulders.
Jessie nodded. "We're enemies…"
"Nothing can change that." Her eyes were as serious as his and didn't falter from his gaze.
"Unless of course if one of us opens up…"
Dorothy raised her eyebrow at him.
Jessie gave an embarrassed grin. "It was just a suggestion."
"I can not see myself doing that…"
"Yes. Neither could I…" It's not yet time.
"I don't trust you." Dorothy rolled off his chest to lie on her side. She was being truthful… for her sake and his.
"And I don't trust you… but…" His hands reached for her hands and his thumbs rubbed her inner wrists slowly, inciting a tremble within her. "That doesn't change the fact that I like you…"
Dorothy let him hold her wrists for a couple of minutes more before she pulled away and turned from him… Nothing could change that one fact.
Silence encompassed the room that once erupted with moans of pleasure.
With a sigh, Dorothy brought her feet onto the floor and then grabbed her nightgown and robe at the same time. Jessie could only watch as she donned her clothing but when she finally stood up, he couldn't stop himself and reached out.
His large, warm hand suddenly anchored her right hand. Somehow, she knew that even if she struggled with all her might, he would never let go…
"May… May I see you again? Tomorrow?" He sounded too hopeful, almost akin to begging and damn! He had never begged in his entire life- well, save for his parents and sisters!
His uncertain voice made her smile softly and without turning back, she gave her answer. "You may…" She would like to see him again.
Jessie smiled and his hold slackened.
Dorothy moved away, a hand around the thin strand of silk around her waist that served as her belt and an idea struck her mind. "After all… I," She pulled the belt away from the robe then dropped it on the ground. "… forgot something with you…"
His eyes followed the slow, fluttering drop of her thin scrap of silk and when he looked up, she was gone… His right lip turned up in half a smile before he stood up from his bed in all his naked glory and then bent down to pick that one memento she gave…
"See you tomorrow…"