AN: So I've been trying not to do this since there are still 3 chapters and an epilogue of RLH to go and I didn't want a third story pulling my attention away from that. But what can I say? I'm impatient and I couldn't hold on to this any longer. So here it goes-my new story. This is just a short prologue. I already have most of the next chapter written. I want to work on the next chapter of RLH next, but I should have the first full chapter of this up by next weekend.
It take place during the end of season 5/beginning of season 6. It's cannon until 5x18 "Live or Let Diorama." It follows the last few episodes of season 5 pretty closely but with a few changes which will become clear. Then from the end of season 5 on, it goes its own way completely.
October 2005
The musty aroma of timeworn tomes welcomed him as he entered the shop. He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent. It reminded him of her. A year ago, the thought of a her would have been laughable. Logan didn't get attached—not to women. But there was something about the feisty brunette with the sapphire eyes that had intrigued him. And despite his best efforts, he'd gotten attached.
She was gone now, and a part of him knew he should move on. But he couldn't; not under the circumstances. Life had gone on during the four months that had passed, but that didn't mean he'd stopped looking. He thought he might be looking for her forever, always waiting for that moment when she'd appear again.
She was everywhere. In the warmth of a coffee sliding down his throat; in the busy hustle of a newsroom; in the scent of a book.
She was everywhere…and she was nowhere.
With a sigh, Logan pushed his thoughts of her aside and made his way into the bookstore. He was in the mood for something warm and familiar—like an old friend. He was usually one who enjoyed exploring something new, something different. He liked thrill and adventure. He wanted his books as exciting as his life. But not lately. These days, he found himself craving something he knew the end of. He had enough mystery in his life at the moment; when he opened a book, he wanted to know what to expect.
He headed towards the American classics section. As he made his way deeper into the shop, the display table and shelves gave way to towering stacks. Rows and rows of floor to ceiling hardcovers created a labyrinth of literature. He imagined she would love it here. And there he went, thinking of her again.
He ran his hands along the volumes, stopping as he neared the end of the aisle. His fingers whispered over the titles until he found an old, leather bound copy of The Sound and the Fury. He pulled it off the shelf, opening it up to a random page.
that blackguard Caddy
Were you trying to pick a fight with him were you
A liar and a scoundrel Caddy was dropped from his club for cheating at cards got sent to Coventry caught cheating at midterm exams and expelled
Well what about it I'm not going to play cards with
Logan shut the book, finding his Faulkner less soothing than usual. He'd been extra on edge the last few days. Maybe it was all the wedding stuff.
His sister, Honor, was getting married in a few months. And he was in town for the wedding shower—apparently they were coed these days. He was happy she had found someone she wanted to spend her life with, and it wasn't like Logan was anywhere near ready to be in her place; in fact, the thought of 'til death do us part,' still gave him the sweats. Besides, he'd never even been in love; he didn't think. Still, lately he couldn't help but wonder if she could have been the one to get him there—if he'd only been given the chance.
He shook is head of his thoughts, looking up to place the book back on the shelf. His hand was halfway to its destination when it froze—when all of him froze; except for his eyelids which blinked disbelievingly.
Blue eyes blinked back through the gaping hole where Faulker once sat.
She was everywhere…and nowhere.
Her paralysis dissipated before his did and he stayed immobile as she turned away, disappearing from the frame of books that had revealed her to him for the first time in months. She was gone so quick that he wasn't entirely convinced she wasn't just another figment of his imagination. He'd been thinking of her a lot that day, it wouldn't be the first time his mind had played that trick on him. But her hasty exit was not in line with his usual illusions. In his mind, she never ran. In his mind, he couldn't smell the heady scent of coffee mixed with her vanilla body cream. In his mind, the blue of her eyes had faded to a dusty cornflower, not the bright cobalt he'd witnessed mere moments ago. She wasn't in his mind; she was real.
"Ace."
AN2: So there you have it. A nice cliff hanger to start you all off with. I'd love to hear your theories-you can give them to me in your reviews!