Disclaimers 'n' crap: Haihai peeps! Well, this will be the final chapter in this quickie ficcie. I know that this chapter is really short, but I just hope it delivers. By the way, anyone unfamiliar with the whole Scott/Raiden/Michelle/Rosemary thing should read Chapter 4 (Mending and Breaking Hearts) of The Last of the Cliffhangers Unit. I think that should explain everything…Anyhoo, you know the rest. Enjoy!
Michelle stepped forward. "Scott," she said, her voice shaking slightly "I…I came to apologize…for breaking in like that earlier…I shouldn't have…"
"No, Michelle," said Scott, cutting her off "I'm the one who owes you an apology…and an explanation. C'mon." He led Michelle out of the room. Rosemary and Raiden turned to each other.
"Do you think we should…" Rosemary began.
"They'll be fine," said Raiden.
"This place is kinda like my retreat," said Scott once he and Michelle were back in Scott's secret room "All my important stuff from my former life in Higher Ground is in here. When I get to a certain level of distress, I come here, where I feel the most at home. Some others ease this kind of homesickness by putting themselves inside a virtual simulation, but I prefer authenticity."
"I see," said Michelle "But if there's nothing of real value to anyone else in here, why do you keep it a secret?"
"Because everything in here is of great value to me," said Scott "Besides, I was afraid that if anyone else knew about or entered this place, it might lose that feeling of home. And now you know." Michelle looked downcast.
"So," she said "You kept everyone out to keep this place pure."
"You could say that," said Scott "However, there is one thing…" He walked over to a drawer and opened it. He pulled out a small green box. "Shelby won this at an art fair. She never wore it." He opened the box. Inside was a long pin with a water insignia on it. "I want you to have it." Michelle picked it up and looked at it.
"It's beautiful," she said "Thank you, Scott." She put the pin in her breast pocket and buttoned it.
"Now," said Scott "Leave, and forget you ever saw this place." There was a resolute glare in his eyes. Michelle bowed her head.
"Alright," she sighed "Goodbye, Scott." She left the room and closed the door behind her. Scott stared at it for a few minutes before sitting down on the floor. He pulled out the picture of Shelby that he kept in one of his dog tags.
"Forgive me, Shelby," he said to the picture "You have to understand, Michelle's not so bad, but she's still not you." Scott sighed. It was odd that he was talking out loud to a photograph attached to dog tags from an institution that declared him mentally unstable by law. He didn't really care just then. As long as he had this room…these memories…
The End
And that's it. I
might do some more Higher Ground fics…just not right now. Don't forget to review! Thanx!
