Egon left the kitchen, his mind cluttered as he made his escape to his lab. His only refuge in this building. The only place he truly felt comfortable and at peace. He slid into the large room, his heart still hammering in his chest. He didn't mean to grab Janine; it just happened. It was as if, for a moment, he had no control over his body. A mere observer. But he'd told her the truth. As inapproatiate the kiss was, he didn't regret it, nor was he sorry it happened.
Then why has it taken you so long? the now familiar voice in his head wondered. He ignored it, not wanting to admit the answer to himself. Instead, he picked up a couple of tools and made his way to his new project, determined to block out the questions that were forming in his head.
Hours later, he was deeply immersed in spare parts and non-physical theories when he realized he was no longer alone. Glancing over a converter, he looked out towards the one empty space in the lab, the double doors. No one was there.
Abandoning his project for a brief moment, he wiped his hands on his lab coat and stepped out into the open. He found the person leaning over a table, looking through one of the spellbooks Ray had left up there. Egon eyed the intruder warily.
"Lose your way?" he asked dryly. Christopher looked up from the spellbook, over to Egon.
"This laboratory is unbelievable," he stated, glancing around the room. "There are things here, not even I could conceive."
Egon stood there, arms folded. "What do you want, DeWinter?"
Christopher smiled. "Merely a discussion Egon, only you and I."
Egon mulled it over a moment, then walked over and shut the lab doors.
"All right, speak," he told the blond aristocrat. Christopher sat down on a small stool, regarding his twin.
"I wish to speak of Janine."
Egon left the doors. "There's nothing to discuss. Janine's not leaving with you."
"Ah, so you plan on keeping her from what she desires."
"I don't plan on keeping her away from anything," Egon retorted. "Janine's confused. It's been a very rough couple of months for her."
"Janine isn't as confused nor as fragile as you would believe," Christopher said. "She's a very strong-willed young lady."
"You don't know her," Egon countered. Christopher smiled mockingly.
"I believe I know her more intimately than you."
Egon glared angrily at him, then turned away. Christopher stood up.
"Egon, Janine is a very capable young woman. I know you know that as well as your colleagues. I believe she has decided what she wants to do; whether she wishes to go to stay. You and I must accept that."
Egon looked back at him, for a brief moment the wall coming down, showing his true feelings. then his guard came back up.
"I can't accept that," he stated. "I won't."
Christopher watched him. "But you can't stop it Egon. There has already been change."
He opened the lab doors and stepped out, leaving Egon with his thoughts.
It was late. Janine was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair, her mind going back to that afternoon with Egon and the kiss. Why now? After all these years, why now did he choose to kiss her? Granted, they've shared kisses before, but nothing as emotional as the one this afternoon. Recalling it now, she felt the tell-tale flutters in her stomach.
No, she thought, brushing her hair harder. Not now. This can't be happening now. But it was. The same feeling she felt the first time Christopher had kissed her. Oh God, what is happening to me, she thought miserably.
Christopher was standing in the bedroom doorway watching her. He wasn't sure what had happened earlier at Janine's place of work, but it had clearly upset her.
"Janine," he called out to her softly. She stopped in mid-brush, looking up at him. It was clear in her eyes that she was upset.
"What is troubling you so?" he asked, walking further into the bedroom. Janine smiled at him, shaking her head.
"Nothing. It's nothing Christopher."
Sitting besides her on the bed, he plucked the brush from her hands, and gently began to brush her hair. "I don't believe you, my love. You've been troubled since earlier today. I'm merely concerned. I do not wish to see you upset."
She sighed, leaning back against him. "I'm not upset. I'm only thinking."
He nodded, not quite believing her.
"Janine, I know you are still undecided on if you should return with me. I would love to have you come with me when I leave, but I do understand your obligations here. I will not love you any less if you stay."
Janine nodded, not bothering to try to stop the now flowing tears. She finally made her decision, and it would kill her to tell him what it was.
Then why has it taken you so long? the now familiar voice in his head wondered. He ignored it, not wanting to admit the answer to himself. Instead, he picked up a couple of tools and made his way to his new project, determined to block out the questions that were forming in his head.
Hours later, he was deeply immersed in spare parts and non-physical theories when he realized he was no longer alone. Glancing over a converter, he looked out towards the one empty space in the lab, the double doors. No one was there.
Abandoning his project for a brief moment, he wiped his hands on his lab coat and stepped out into the open. He found the person leaning over a table, looking through one of the spellbooks Ray had left up there. Egon eyed the intruder warily.
"Lose your way?" he asked dryly. Christopher looked up from the spellbook, over to Egon.
"This laboratory is unbelievable," he stated, glancing around the room. "There are things here, not even I could conceive."
Egon stood there, arms folded. "What do you want, DeWinter?"
Christopher smiled. "Merely a discussion Egon, only you and I."
Egon mulled it over a moment, then walked over and shut the lab doors.
"All right, speak," he told the blond aristocrat. Christopher sat down on a small stool, regarding his twin.
"I wish to speak of Janine."
Egon left the doors. "There's nothing to discuss. Janine's not leaving with you."
"Ah, so you plan on keeping her from what she desires."
"I don't plan on keeping her away from anything," Egon retorted. "Janine's confused. It's been a very rough couple of months for her."
"Janine isn't as confused nor as fragile as you would believe," Christopher said. "She's a very strong-willed young lady."
"You don't know her," Egon countered. Christopher smiled mockingly.
"I believe I know her more intimately than you."
Egon glared angrily at him, then turned away. Christopher stood up.
"Egon, Janine is a very capable young woman. I know you know that as well as your colleagues. I believe she has decided what she wants to do; whether she wishes to go to stay. You and I must accept that."
Egon looked back at him, for a brief moment the wall coming down, showing his true feelings. then his guard came back up.
"I can't accept that," he stated. "I won't."
Christopher watched him. "But you can't stop it Egon. There has already been change."
He opened the lab doors and stepped out, leaving Egon with his thoughts.
It was late. Janine was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair, her mind going back to that afternoon with Egon and the kiss. Why now? After all these years, why now did he choose to kiss her? Granted, they've shared kisses before, but nothing as emotional as the one this afternoon. Recalling it now, she felt the tell-tale flutters in her stomach.
No, she thought, brushing her hair harder. Not now. This can't be happening now. But it was. The same feeling she felt the first time Christopher had kissed her. Oh God, what is happening to me, she thought miserably.
Christopher was standing in the bedroom doorway watching her. He wasn't sure what had happened earlier at Janine's place of work, but it had clearly upset her.
"Janine," he called out to her softly. She stopped in mid-brush, looking up at him. It was clear in her eyes that she was upset.
"What is troubling you so?" he asked, walking further into the bedroom. Janine smiled at him, shaking her head.
"Nothing. It's nothing Christopher."
Sitting besides her on the bed, he plucked the brush from her hands, and gently began to brush her hair. "I don't believe you, my love. You've been troubled since earlier today. I'm merely concerned. I do not wish to see you upset."
She sighed, leaning back against him. "I'm not upset. I'm only thinking."
He nodded, not quite believing her.
"Janine, I know you are still undecided on if you should return with me. I would love to have you come with me when I leave, but I do understand your obligations here. I will not love you any less if you stay."
Janine nodded, not bothering to try to stop the now flowing tears. She finally made her decision, and it would kill her to tell him what it was.