Disclaimer: Ahh.. the penultimate chapter of The Bodyguard. I can't believe we're almost at the end of this story. Amazing or what? Sorry for the time it took me to update, my spell checker is an evil thing, as is my computer as a whole. Don't own anything to do with LXG and now, without any further ado, the Shout outs;
Clez:- Thanks Clezzy, so nice of you to say so and please, don't well up! ::Hands you a tissue:: Hope you enjoy this part.
Funyun:- Yeah poor Alice. Sadly not everyone has happy endings, no matter how much we may want them to. I nearly made you cry? Aww... wow. Here is the next part, only one left after this.
Freedomfighter82:- Well Freedom, I don't want to come right out and say who Alice really was, but there are some hints throughout the story. The biggest hint is in this chapter and there were many hints in the last part. But yeah, Tom has his guilt to deal with and yes, the chess took place while he was being carried out of the cavern.
TARilus:- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. Ah, the last two parts... well, Tom still has a few matters concerning his guilt over trying to kill everyone and drugging Mina...
Lyn:- Thanks!
Silversnow:- I would never abandon you.But I couldn't really leave it there for two reasons. One is there are still some loose ends to tie up... the second is I would be hunted down and killed. I think I'll pass on the popcorn.. I don't trust your food.
Steffi-333:- Tom lives and Alice is gone... gah, I've become much more fond of her than I thought I would be. Hope you like this part.
Crystal Nox:- The chess game was supposed to confuse you at first, to make you pause and go 'huh?'. Just me indulging in my love for the surreal. Oh and it was an important part of the plot...
Niani:- Only one more now. It's quiet possible I'll write a sequel, depends if other people would want one.
Silent Bob 546:- You found it hilarious? I found it a very annoying part to write. It just didn't want to be written at all...
Graymoon74:- Do you want to know the reason why that reminded you of her? Because that's exactly who she is. I never come right out and say it but well done for spotting the hints!
LotRseer3350:- Correct and wait no longer, here's the next part.
And now... the penultimate part of...
The Bodyguard.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Flawed.
Tom lay on his back, his eyes closed as if in peaceful sleep. Those watching him had no idea however, if his sleep was indeed peaceful, or if he was haunted by the memories of what he had been made to do and what he had chosen to do. After Dr. Jekyll had cleaned Tom's wounds and washed the dirt away, the young American looked almost as if he had never even been through his ordeal. Apart from a bruise on his right cheek and a slight cut under his hair line, there were no visible signs of injury – at least none on the parts of his body that were not covered by the hospital sheets. Mina Harker sat in the hard chair by his bed, her eyes never straying from almost still form of Tom Sawyer.
Somewhere nearby was Dr. Jekyll was doing something, keeping a careful eye on his patient without seeming to. Mina seemed oblivious to this however as she watched Tom, marveling at the way his chest would just rise and fall... rise and fall... rise and fall... rise and fall...
"Why hasn't he woken up?" A voice said, startling Mina out of her musings. She looked to her left, where the voice had come from. Though she couldn't see anyone, she knew it was Skinner standing there – who else could it be?
"It could be because his mind is not yet ready to face us." Mina said quietly, so quietly that her words were almost lost in the air. There was a sharp intake of breath however that told her the words had indeed reached Skinner.
"Why would his mind do that?" Skinner asked in disbelief. Mina sighed lightly and reached out a hand to brush some of Tom's loose hair away from his face. Emotions flashed across her face as she thought about Skinner's question before she answered him in a defeated tone.
"Misplaced guilt."
He wandered along his chosen path, knowing by instinct which parts of the darkness were safe and which would lead him astray, to the demons of his own soul. A pale light began to dawn to his right, so slowly that he did not even become aware of it until it was a clear, bright white. By this time he was now standing so the light was directly to his right. The path vanished at this point, fading away at the place where the darkness met the light.
Tom faltered, his gaze shifting around nervously, suddenly unsure. Should he head towards the light? Or should he carry on in the dark? To delay making a choice Tom unclenched his fist, lifting the Ankh into the light to get a proper look at it. An Ankh was the Egyptian symbol of life... Tom wasn't sure where that snippet of information came from but he had a feeling it was a gift from Alice. Speaking of gifts... a faint frown creased his forehead as he noticed tiny letters carved into the back of the silver. He took a few steps towards the light, trying to see the letters well enough to make out the words.
His heartbeat was a comforting sound to the female vampire as she sat there, waiting for him to wake up. It's steady beat was almost like music... Mina was starting to doze in her seat when the beating sound began to slow. Her cool blue eyes snapped open in panic. At the same time her body rose in one fluid monition to bend over Tom's still form. His heartbeat continued to slow and there was nothing Mina could to change it.
"Dr. Jekyll!" She called out, a hint of the panic she was feeling creeping into her voice. Tom's breathing continued to be steady and if it wasn't for the fact Mina could hear his heart beating she would never have realized there was anything wrong in the first place. Dr. Jekyll hurried over to them, his hand already reaching out to check Tom's pulse. An expression of dismay crossed his face at the faint and weakling heartbeat and he pulled his hand back as if burnt before turning sharply on his heel and crossing the room to get some adrenaline. Mina remained standing by Tom's bed, a confused expression on her face.
The ailing heartbeat... it had stopped fading away but at the same time it had not improved. What was going on?
Tom paused, turning the ankh this way and that, the sliver glinting in the light. He could just make put the words that had been delicately carved there; 'Deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole we go...'. The words did not enlighten Tom as he had hoped and even though he knew it was a message from Alice and probably an important one at that, he still did not understand.
"Great... that girl always has to give riddles doesn't she. Even when she's not here." Tom said aloud, lowering the piece of jewelery and tightening his fist around it again. For some reason he was loath to put it in his pocket because that would mean letting it go... letting her go and right now he needed the contact with the outside world.
Tom looked around, for the first time noticing he was standing in the light. He looked over his shoulder, back at the darkness, marling at the fact he didn't hurt anywhere... not in body or soul. He felt at peace, calm. Everything that had happened to him didn't matter anymore, because it didn't touch him. Even the all consuming guilt was gone. As he looked at the darkness, his keen eyes picked up a dirty gray light shining faintly beyond the darkness. But that was so far away and he felt as if he was floating... the bright white light called to him and he turned back to face it, a blissful smile on his face.
This was his reward.
The adrenaline had done nothing to help Tom. His heartbeat carried on getting weaker and weaker and now Mina watched his chest with an almost morbid fascination, watching it rise and fall. Dr. Jekyll stood there as well, knowing he could do nothing else to prevent the heart from stopping, all he could do was try and start it again if it stopped.
"Please come back to us Tom." Mina whispered, her eyes still on his chest. Rise and fall... rise and fall... rise and fall... fall... fall...
Tom felt so happy. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so good about himself and something told him that just a few steps away something even better was waiting for back to us Tom...
He paused, a frown on his face as he tried to understand the words. Tom knew that voice surly... it... it was Mina... but what did she mean? Didn't she want Tom to be happy? Didn't he deserve it after all he had been through? And why did she want Tom to come back, he wasn't going anywhere... was he? Tom blinked at the stray thoughts wandering though his mind. Of course Mina wanted Tom to be happy.
...Don't you dare die on me Sawyer...
Jekyll's voice this time... and he seemed worried, almost scared. Die... Tom didn't want to die... he just wanted to be at peace. So why did this all seem so wrong?
... you can't give up kid...
Skinner. Now Tom knew something was wrong and he tried to stop his feet as they carried him deeper and deeper into the light. They were out there and somehow Tom just knew that he shouldn't move further into the light. It wasn't his time to get his reward, not yet. Regretfully Tom forced his unwilling legs to turn around. It felt as if he was wading against a strong current that threated to sweep him away.
Pain shot through his body and he stumbled, almost being swept away into the light. Gritting his teeth, Tom took another step away from the clear white light of death, heading for the dull gray light. His fist tightened even more around around the small piece of silver in his hand, feeling it cut into skin. Every footstep caused him agony and he knew that he was heading back to life – why else would it hurt so much?
There was a stunned silence as the group gathered around Tom Sawyer's bed looked on in disbelief as Jekyll tried to give Tom the kiss of life. He lifted his head to look at Mina, giving a slight shake of his head. Mina recoiled as if she had been hit. Jekyll bowed his head, taking a step back from the still form on the bed.
A sudden intake of breath sounded in the silence and Tom's body arched, as the green eyes shot open, looking round wildly as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Dr. Jekyll's mouth dropped open in shock, the utter surprise on his face quickly fading to one of relief.
"Dear Lord, Tom, don't scare us like that..." Jekyll muttered, unable to believe that his friend had just effectively come back from the dead – or so close to the dead that it made no difference. Mina moved to Tom's head where his eyes were still darting around the room in panic.
"Shush.. it's alright now Tom." she said soothingly. Tom's eyes locked on her and the wild look in them faded. A flash of guilt swept across them so briefly that she wasn't sure she had seen it in the first place. Slowly the eyes drifted shut and Tom slipped into a natural sleep.
It was some hours before Tom gave any indication he was ready to wake up. He stirred restlessly, his body twisting under the sheets as if caught in some feverish nightmare. Even so, his eyes opened gradually as if his mind had not been involved in the torment of his body. For a while he simply stared up at the ceiling, ignoring both Dr. Jekyll's and Mina's attempts to get him to talk. His mind went over his... dreams? Visions? What ever they were, they left a strong impression in his mind – he just wasn't sure if it was a positive or negative impression, everything was so jumbled and confused.
Almost as if in a trance he shifted his gaze to his left hand, which lay above the covers, in a tight fist. Willing it open, the fingers slowly uncurled, one by one. Finally his palm lay exposed to the air and his breath caught in his throat for a second as he stared at it.
There was no silver Ankh in his hand.
Skinner had to jog to catch up with Mina as she walked rapidly along the hallways of the Nautilus. After Tom has slipped into his healing sleep, the invisible thief had excused himself from the infirmary. He stayed away for two days as the ship headed away from Egypt. Where it was going he didn't know and right now he didn't care.
"Poi! Mina, wait up!" He called. Mina stopped and half turned towards him, her head dipping in greeting. Now that he had caught up with her, he didn't know what to say. There was a reason, he reminded himself, why he had stayed away from the infirmary – he never knew what to do when the subject of ill people came up.
"How... how is Tom?" Skinner blurted out. A shadow seemed to fall over Mina's features at his question and she shrugged lightly, as if to dismiss the subject. Skinner waited for her answer anyway and she lifted a black gloved hand to her head, pressing two fingers against her temples.
"He is not doing so well Mr. Skinner." She said at last. "He seems to be harboring an intense amount of guilt over how he behaved in this whole afire and nothing I or Dr. Jekyll say can shake him from his belief. It is destroying him... and unless he snaps out of it we will loose him..."
"No." Said Skinner, his voice so determined that Mina looked at him in surprise. "We are not going to loose him. Remember when I said he was our trigger happy American?" At Mina's nod and slight smile – so slight it wasn't really there – he carried on. "Well I was right. He's ours and we're not going to loose him to some bastard like that Big." There was a flurry of black leather as Skinner spun on his heel and marched down the hallway, heading right for the infirmary. Mina suppressed her smile, at both Skinner's words and actions, hoping that Skinner would succeed where she had failed.
They needed their optimistic friend back. His optimism kept the rest of them from going crazy as well.
Skinner entered the infirmary, his gaze landing at once on the curled up American Agent who lay with his back to the door, his head tucked almost as low as his knees. At once all of Skinner's planned speeches vanished and he was left with a blank mind. How could he find the words to try and make Tom feel better? He moved over to where Jekyll was sitting at his desk, making some notes in a book of some kind. The two exchanged a few words before Skinner nodded.
"Hey Sawyer, doc says your fit enough to be let out the infirmary soon." Skinner said, in what he hoped was a cheerful tone as he walked over to Tom's bed and sitting in the chair next to it. Tom didn't answer him and apart from a slight stiffening of Tom's body there was no reaction.
"Nemo's been busy since we left Egypt, working on some kind of tracking device that can be as small as your fingernail. Nuts that one is. I mean how could he fit all the wires into such a small space? But he just looks all serious and knowledgeable, telling me that I should... open my mind more. I'm inviable and naked, how much more open-minded does he want me to get?"
"Skinner." Tom said suddenly. The invisible man paused in his talking and looked hopeful but Tom didn't move from his curled position. "Go. Away." He said, his voice harsh and raw, almost as if he had been crying for hours. Skinner froze at the words. The unspoken words were almost as loud as the spoken ones.
I don't want your help.
Skinner's shoulders slumped in defeat and he silently stood up, leaving the infirmary. Tom heard him go and some tears rose to his eyes as he realized Skinner wasn't going to fight him, to try and make him open up. Didn't that just prove that he didn't deserve to be here?
Tom leaned against the railings on the conning tower and shut his eyes, letting the sun warm his bones. Spots of light played across his closed eyelids, creating patterns that swirled slowly around. Jekyll had finally let him leave the infirmary with the instructions that he was to rest as much as he could. Tom had nodded, answering all of Jekyll's questions with single word answers. Part of him knew that his friends were just trying to help but he didn't care. Everything felt so cold and gray and once, Tom had found himself regretting turning away from the light. What was the point of his life?
He had been hurt so badly and so many times. He had betrayed those he thought friends and all for what? So someone could get revenge on Tom for killing his brother. A tear slipped past Tom's eyelids and fell, hitting the railing.
"I want to live." He whispered, as he bowed his head, letting the blond locks fall around his face. Tom wanted to shake this feeling off, to feel alive again. The metal door leading inside creaked open and someone stepped out onto the platform, shoes clicking on the floor. A faint scent drifted towards Tom, a perfume that he knew belonged to Mina. Suppressing a sigh he opened his eyes, staring down at the railing, the eyes filled with tears that would not fall. He couldn't see Mina, but he could hear her as she moved closer and closer to him. He kept his head bowed as she stopped a few steps behind him.
"Tom." Mina's soft voice said and it sounded so wonderful to him, so sweet after the harsh tones of Big and Smith. Yet even her voice didn't sound the same, somehow it sounded duller, almost as if the shine had been rubbed off. The American didn't answer her and after an short pause she tried again.
"Tom, I did not come here to talk to you, as you have made it quite clear you are not ready." Mina told him. Tom found himself turning to look at her, almost against his will, a faint spark of curiously in his eyes. It was the first positive emotion he had displayed since Egypt and inwardly Mina rejoiced at it – some hint of progress at last!
"Then why?" Tom asked her, wrapping his arms around his chest in a protective gesture, almost as if he was hugging himself.
"When you were in the infirmary. before you woke up the first time there was something I took from you. I have come to return it." Mina said, holding her hand out, palm upwards. Something on it shone in the light, casting little silver rainbows. Tom moved towards her, staring at the silver Ankh. So he had been given it after all, it was real.
In a daze he reached out for the ankh, taking it slowly from her hand and holding it in the sun.
"We are here when you need us Tom." Mina said calmly. Tom didn't answer her, too wrapped up in the ankh and his thoughts. Mina watched him for a few moments, wondering what exactly was the importance of the ankh and what was going on in Tom's head. "It would seem as if you have a choice to make." Mina added at last, turning and leaving him alone. He lowered his gaze again, turning his head to stare out to the sea.
"It would seem that way." He muttered, feeling his hand tighten around the piece of jewelery.
TBC...
Okay, I am thinking about a follow up story to this one, and I do have a plot in mind, but would anyone [besides 'Niani' of course.] be interested in reading it?
- Sethoz
