Sunrise over the tango factory's A/N: since about the second chapter, I have been racking my brains to come up with an ending for this story, I wanted it be 'happy' but was fully aware that writing Elizabeth into the story would cause problems. I sat and stared at my bedroom wall, a thousand and one crap story lines racing about my mind, each one crappier then the last, I even (God forgive me) thought about killing Elizabeth, but when I posed the question to raging tree trunk (Liz) she was appalled, and quickly stopped the idea from developing by saying she have me killed in my sleep!
In a way I am glad as I myself didn't want Elizabeth to die, but annoyed as she had now destroyed my half decent story line (curses). In the end, it was Raging tree trunk who struck on this idea, which shall be expanded on in Chapter 8…I'm going to stop now, or the A/N will be longer then the story…Bye bye. Thanks for the reviews, just tell me what you liked...or (gulp) what you didn't like. :D
Lister was flicking idly through a magazine, he'd have no doubt read it 151 times maybe more but that wasn't that was stopping him from enjoying his reading time. He found himself watching the clock, counting down the minutes till Rimmer returned after talking to Elizabeth about his 'proposition'.
"This is crazy" he groaned to no one in particular, "I'm worried about the arrogant smeg head, oh Lister man get a grip, you must be having a break down…no I'm not the kind of person who has a mental break down, I'm too strong minded and well balanced…but then again…I AM talking to myself, no scrap that I'm arguin' with myself, that's even worse. Smeg! I'm gonna end up in a loony bin, well I'm going to end in up in another loony bin, straight after I leave this one…"
"Problem, sir?" asked Kryten, leaning in the door clearly intrigued about Lister's one-sided discussion.
"No" said Lister sulkily, knocking the magazine off his bed "just have delusional and disturbin' thoughts and I'm slowly loosin' my mind"
"So everything's normal then," joked Kryten, coming fully into Lister and Rimmer's quarters.
Lister, for the 12th time in as many minutes, turned to look at the clock.
Sensing his tension, Kryten asked, "Everything alright, sir? Only you look a bit preoccupied…"
Lister sat up, "you're gonna think I'm goin' strange, Kryten but…I'm actually concerned about Rimmer"
Whatever Lister was expecting to happen next, be it Kryten screaming in horror, or dragging him to the nearest hospital and demanding a cat scan, nothing could have prepared him for what came.
"Me too!" said Kryten, not in the least bit embarrassed at proclaiming it, "I was that worried about it, I was mopping the same patch of floor for nearly 20 minutes…"
Lister exhaled "what's wrong with us?" he asked, "When did we suddenly became even slightly interested about anything that smeg head did or said?"
"I think it's because we've seen a different side of Arnold J. Rimmer." said Kryten, sitting next to Lister "we've seen how in the presence of Miss Elizabeth, he becomes a calmer, pleasanter, less smeg heady person" he chuckled "you've got to admire a woman that can make Rimmer smile without having to hurt you first!"
Lister nodded, he agreed with what Kryten was saying, when he was with Elizabeth Rimmer a completely different person, it was a bizarre version of Dr. Jeckel and Mr Hyde.
Kryten then left, as he was seriously behind on his cleaning.
Lister found himself pacing the room in anxiousness. He jumped as Rimmer finally returned, the expression he wore on his face gave nothing away.
"How'd it go?" asked Lister, frantic to find out what had happened.
Rimmer sighed, "she said yes!" he screamed. Lister screamed along with him before racing tom him, wrapping one arm around his shoulder, jumping up and down and cheering in celebration. It took a few moments for them both to realise what they were doing, they quickly let go of each other, disguising their awkwardness with coughs.
"So what did she say?" asked Lister,
Rimmer beamed "at first she was just staring at me like I was a nutter-"
"No change there then" laughed Lister
"Shut up you irritating smeg head" said Rimmer, although it wasn't said with his usual venom, he continued, "So I began gabbling about it was a stupid idea and all she had to say was no, but then she sort of smiled at me, and it was then that I knew, she wanted to go ahead with it!"
Lister grinned, "Man, this is great!"
"I know," said Rimmer, "I could hardly believe it when she said 'yes'!"
Lister sighed as Rimmer shook his shoulders excitedly then danced off to the fridges- it really was a madcap idea, but- he was in love. People did mad, crazy, bizarre, wondrous things when they were in love.
It was then Lister realized that Rimmer had touched him. Normally Rimmer would curl his lip in disgust and make some snide comment rather than touch Lister, even if touching him meant he won Vending Machine mechanic of the Year… It just WASN'T done and that was why Lister felt so bad about what he had to say.
"Rimmer man, stop dancin' and listen to me"
Rimmer did no such thing, and to make matters worse, he was singing 'Pretty Women' at the top of his voice.
Lister stroked the edge of his bunk. He'd been in love once. He knew the sort of stuff love made you do, and singing and dancing without any shame was one of them.
The girl he'd loved…he'd do anything for her. He once roller bladed across an entire city almost to a train station to wish her goodbye on her holidays, even though he couldn't roller blade.
He'd once spent his entire months wages as a paperboy on a signed poster of her favorite rock star. Even doing extra paper rounds to pay for it; and when he learnt to drive the first thing he did was take her to the seaside and go paddling in the sea in the moonlight. - But then she'd stuffed it all in his face. Met a rich boy. Decided he wasn't "good" enough. Left him- and although much, much later after a failed marriage and a messy divorce she realized it and tried to reconsider.
The pain had been like thousands of corkscrews piercing his heart, and he couldn't love her anymore. Couldn't love anyone. The pain was too intense.
So when Rimmer suggested his madcap plan. He realized. Maybe it wasn't so crazy after all; he just wanted to prove to Elizabeth how much he loved her. After failing to get Rimmer's attention, Lister was at the end of his tether. "Rimmer!" he bellowed, yanking the hologram from his personal paradise.
"What?" he asked, looking at Lister, still smiling.
"The consoles fixed, we're leaving tomorrow"
Lister watched as Rimmer's face flashed from confusion to immense sadness, but to his surprise he nodded.
"I know" Rimmer sighed, sitting down "I just didn't want to remember..."
Lister nodded, but said nothing, what could you say? Was there anything that could make this situation better? He doubted it.
"Do I have time to say goodbye?" asked Rimmer,
Lister shrugged his shoulders "probably, but. I'm not knocking another can of larger over for you?" Once the words had been said, Lister swore at himself, if he had a failing, it was in times of severe sadness or awkwardness he always sad the wrong thing.
"Look man" said Lister, walking over to Rimmer "It's not what your put through, but how you deal with it that defines you.
"It's not what your put through, but how you deal with it that defines you..." Lister repeated "you see, this is a pretty crummy situation havin' to leave the girl you love behind...well actually I don't think I've ever heard of a crummier situation...but you've dealt with it pretty well
Rimmer frowned "I have?"
"Yeah!"
"I've dealt with it by crying, being moody and snapping at you...that's dealing with it?" said Rimmer, looking at Lister with raised eyebrows.
Lister nodded but as soon as he realize what had been said he stopped "well, kind of… but look at the solution you came up with for this situation! You knew that you could never been together properly, so you came up with this...this plan that meant you each had something to remember the other one by, and something to immortalize your love in forever..."
It was as if something inside Rimmer's head had slotted back into place, his eyes sparkled, and he stood up.
"Yeah, I dealt with it pretty damn well, not better then well I dealt with it better then anyone ever could…I rock!" he said announced proudly. "and now If you don't mind, I'm going to have one last 'meeting' with the women who has sent me crazy with love since the age of 13…don't wait up!"