Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: Thank you to Fiery Feral, Lucy, Mayra,and CatJerica for sticking with me! Lucy, if you can bear with me through this chapter, Jesse and Lexa will start to come back into the picture with the next chapter. Their return is gradual, but they're coming! Fiery Feral and Mayra, you have been so faithful and encouraging, thank you so much! CatJerica, thank you, your review came at the perfect time. I was feeling a bit discouraged, and you brought tears to my eyes. Thank you. Here's another cliffhanger for you! :) I've got the final chapter written now, I'm just working on expanding the final scene a little more, based upon the advice of my wonderful beta-readers. So I will be able to finally update more frequently and finish posting before I leave for vacation. Thank you!
Things More Beautiful—Chapter Fourteen
They stared at each other in shock.
"Shalimar…" Brennan choked and swallowed convulsively.
"No," She gritted her teeth, "Don't say it."
He walked to her and took her by the shoulders and was stunned by her strength as she pushed him violently. He lost his grip, but was unmoved, and took her shoulders again, his grip painfully strong. She desperately tried to pull away from him, but he held her fast and pulled her close. She was like a cold statue in his arms, and she managed to get her hands between their bodies, and pushed against him steadily. Still he held her, his arms tightening, pulling her to him with urgency, but making his hands gentle.
"No," She murmured incessantly. "No."
"Shalimar, it's ok, it's ok." Brennan whispered against her hair. "We don't know that you're infected."
She took a deep breath, sagged, and began to tremble. Brennan managed to turn her while still encircling her with his arms. Her face was bloodless, her eyes wide and staring, and her mouth shook, but she nodded as he led her down the beach a few paces for privacy. Shalimar shook her head, desperately trying to regain her equilibrium, her mind, and her clear vision. Brennan stood in front of her, blocking her sight of the others. She felt weak and rested her hands heavily on the sides of his hips, and Brennan could feel her fingers trembling. Faintly he heard her whispering.
"Just don't leave me for a few minutes, please."
"Shal, I'll never leave you." He hoarsely promised. Still her head was down, her face averted, like a woman in a violent storm. His jaw clenched tightly, over and over again, but he willed himself to relax and continue in a soothing voice. "Here, let's get you some water." Firmly, he clasped her about the waist, and they walked a few more paces, pausing to pick up a canteen, and then sat down against a large boulder. She drank deeply, and nodded tightly, handing him back the canteen. She cradled her hand against her stomach, and he realized the glass shard was still embedded in her thumb. He bent and tried to take the piece of glass, but she jerked her hand away.
"No."
"Shal?" His hands hovered in the air hesitantly.
"Don't touch it," Her voice shook. "We can't risk you getting cut too."
"I won't." He firmly reassured, holding out his hand.
She stared into his eyes and then slowly placed her hand into his.
"Good." He smiled tenderly at her, and then bent his dark head, concentrating on pulling out the glass. "There," He rinsed the area off with water from the canteen. "As soon as we get onto the ship, we'll have that cleaned properly."
"I'm glad you're here, Brennan."
He glanced back up in surprise to find her eyes studying him gratefully. He swallowed, his throat tight. "I'm glad too, Shal." He pressed a long kiss to her injured hand. "As long as we're together."
She reached up with her good hand, tangling her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck, gently tugging his head down, kissing him with trembling lips.
They pulled apart after a long moment, resting their foreheads together until excited shouts broke them apart.
Because of the unfolding drama, they hadn't noticed that a lifeboat had at last struggled to the end of the pier, where it bobbed frantically up and down in the unruly surf. They stood up in shocked disbelief as a man slowly and carefully stepped onto the remaining portion of the pier and pulled himself up. He walked toward them, holding a flashlight. They sobbed in relief, running toward him as he made his way, clinging to the shivering uprights as the sea sloshed up onto the pier. His eyes widened when he saw the staggered crowd huddled around the beach.
Brennan and Shalimar pushed their way to the front. "We've got seventeen people here," Brennan wasted no time informing him, "Most are injured."
The man quickly nodded. "I'm Quinn." He held out a wet hand, and they briskly shook. He scanned the beach with a furrowed brow. "I'm from the Marie Annalea. We saw the papala spears and thought maybe a fellow fisherman or two had gotten caught down here at the beach, so we just brought one dinghy." He gestured over his shoulder to the small lifeboat behind him.
Deliberately, Shalimar turned and stared up at the fury of the mountain. One dinghy…it could hold three people, four if they pushed it. Half an hour to the ship, half an hour back. Anywhere from four to five trips back and forth…? The fiery red river was inexorably running down the mountain. Shalimar could see it, judge it, all too clearly from the beach. We can't all make it to the ship. Some people may have to die... Panic few up from her throat, choking her, bulging her eyes, drying her mouth. She staggered, her knees betraying her, almost giving way. Horrified, she grasped the wooden pier support, taking deep breaths, struggling for calm. Somehow, we'll make it. I have to believe that. She closed her eyes to the fire. I will not let this thing beat me, not now, not anymore. Straightening, her shoulders thrown back, her face set, and her step determined, Shalimar turned back to Brennan. He was staring down at the small boat with the sailor, discussing the number of trips needed.
"There are two dinghies aboard ship, we could bring them both back with us," Quinn offered, eyeing the lava flow nervously.
"That might work," Brennan nodded quickly, following the man's gaze.
"The sea is rough, and the water's full of sharks and rays, it takes brute strength and control to row right now." Quinn pressed his lips together. "I've a small crew aboard, and right now all hands are needed to control her. Can anyone here row the second?" He scanned the sickly crowd doubtfully.
"Brennan can do it." Shalimar's voice rang with confidence.
Brennan and Shalimar exchanged looks, and then Brennan nodded in agreement.
"Ok then," Quinn started to walk back down the pier.
"Let's go." Brennan started after him, stopping when Shalimar didn't follow him. "Shal?"
She shook her head. "I'm not going this time, Brennan."
He crossed his arms and stepped close to her. "What are you talking about?"
Her face was white, determined. "There are severely injured people here that need medical attention. You need to take them first."
"No."
"Brennan—"
"You're going now." His voice held a soft warning.
She laid her hands on his crossed forearms. They were wet, and the muscles were knotted with tension. For a single moment, she caressed them. "I'm ok right now, Brennan. There are others that are not. I have to stay and help here. You go and come back."
He stood very still, staring down at her. His eyes seemed an unearthly molten fire in the darkness of his face. "You expect me to leave you here and take others instead?"
"Yes." She threw her head back defiantly to stare directly in his eyes.
"Even that animal?" Brennan, with a savage nod, indicated Jimmy.
"I have to, Brennan, I have to do this."
They stared at each other, and to both of them, the world, the fire, the people, the death and destruction faded away. It was quiet, a grave and heavy silence between them. Oddly, Shalimar thought she could hear Brennan's heart beating, fast but strong, a reassuring measure of life. He seemed to have no face, no body, only those eyes that burned with an inner fire so hot that Shalimar almost flinched from the feeling of heat.
Without turning, Brennan shouted, "I'm coming, Quinn!" Still staring down at Shalimar, he shook his head. "I'll take some others for now. But, Shalimar, you have to understand something. You say you must do this. I'm telling you that there are certain things that I too must do, or I won't be able to live with myself. Do you understand?"
"I know." She sighed. "But for now, for this moment, Brennan, you have to go."
"Let's go!" Quinn screamed from the boat.
Brennan glanced fearfully at the descending fire, grabbed Shalimar's shoulders, and gave her a rough kiss. He released her suddenly, and she stumbled slightly, bracing her shaking legs against the pier as Brennan knelt down and lifted an unconscious woman into his arms and gestured with his chin for another man with several rockfish stings to follow him. Brennan whirled, carrying the woman easily. "I'm not through with you, Shal. I'll be back."
"I'll be waiting." She promised.
He stared at her before turning on his heel and disappearing into the swirling blackness.
Shalimar watched Brennan disappear. With a sudden heaviness she sank to the sand. The desolation that swept over her, bitter and powerful, at the realization that they were separated, threatened to defeat her. Sobs sounded behind her, and she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Resolutely, she pried her eyes back open and stood up. It was dark, an inky blackness that was lightened only by the lava and flame behind them. Errant puffs of wind blew this way and that. There was no color. People were only shadows of lifeless gray and charcoal. There was only the crimson fire backlighting the scene, flickering and hellish. The heat pressed them, smothering them, burning their noses and lips and eyes; but sweat dried on them before forming, so they felt dry and tight and chafed.
"Now what?" A voice spoke fearfully.
She looked around at the people who seemed to have come under her care, all staring at her, depending on her. Her heart pounded, and she smoothed back her hair—it felt like an impossibly long tangle. Now what? She cleared her throat.
"All right," She said with an attempt at briskness. "We have to get organized. The boats will be back in about half an hour, I think. There's fourteen of us left, we have to decide who's going next."
"How much time do you think before the lava covers the beach?" Someone whispered. It sounded loud in her pounded ears.
"I don't know." She faltered, turning to look. The second fissure was still steadily firing spews of lava into the air. Above the fountain the jungle was blazing. She forced herself to look away. "We can't think about that right now."
Brennan strained and groaned against the oars as he fought the wild waves, struggling to make his way back to shore. The lagoon was as wild and tossed as the North Atlantic in a winter storm, and the waves bashed against the wooden boat until it seemed that the entire craft would crash down into the sea, board by board. It was shaky, and water sloshed against his knees, drenching him. There were so many jellyfish and starfish in the water, and even small fish that washed up into the boat in the highest waves. He spat out a mouthful of seawater as it rained over him, frantically blinking the salt out of his eyes as looked up at the island, the volcanoes, the fire. The jungle close behind the beach was blazing. Soon, the last line of coconut palms would be burning. The wall of descending lava wasn't far behind the fire. So fatigued, he felt stupid and slow as he sluggishly gave a mighty heave against the oars, gasping as a school of thousands of rainbow fish clouded around his oar like a swarm of mosquitoes. Several sharks swam maddening around him, in a wild feeding frenzy. He pulled back in fear as two slammed aggressively into the boat. The wood creaked and shuddered, and his lips fell into a grim line as he pulled even harder on the oars. He had to get back to Shalimar. He glanced again at the island. This time, he could see faint figures through the murky darkness, lined up on the shaky pier, ready and waiting for their turn on the boat. A smile flitted across his strained features. Shalimar had been busy, getting her little group organized. It couldn't have been easy getting order out of that terrified bunch. His oar bashed against a sting ray, and he grimaced as the vibration ran all the way up the oar and down his shaking arms, numbing his tensed muscles so that he almost lost his grip. He clenched his teeth, digging in deep into the raging water, forcing the little boat onward. Where were Jesse and Lexa? Damn it! Why did Shalimar insist on staying behind on the island? He didn't understand anything anymore.
"You're the stubbornest creature on this earth!" He screamed into the wind. The words were whipped right back at him, barely audible in the roaring wind. Fourteen people left, including him and Shalimar. He groaned against the oars.
Finally, beyond exhaustion, he shuddered as the boat was slammed into the pier. He made it. He hissed in a painful breath as he pulled himself onto the pier, arms shaking from the stress. Pale faces stared up at him. Shalimar wasn't in sight. He brushed past the injured agents, hurrying down the pier. It was so damaged that every step was treacherous. With each wave it shuddered, with each burst of wind it trembled, with each step it shook. Narrowing his eyes, Brennan searched around the beach. She wasn't standing. He jumped off the pier in frightened horror, shouting hoarsely.
"Shalimar! Shalimar!" He stopped short, his stomach clenching with knowing dread. "Oh, God. No, please…"
Shalimar was lying in the sand a few yards off the pier. Her eyes were glazed, already unseeing, and she was violently, helplessly, convulsively retching.