The Power of Hope
Epilogue
By: Lily Handle
Author's Note: Well, it's officially finished. This ends the Power of Hope, the fourth story in the Hope Series. Means I gotta think of what I want to write next. Bummer. Just kidding! On a more depressing note my email won't let me send replies to messages. I don't know why, but the Yahoo guys are working on it, so if you send me something and I don't get back to you right away it's because of that. Not because I hate you. I love you readers! Please read and review!
She sat on the bench to the second floor balcony, the one that over looked the Mediterranean and the huge cliffs that the Chandler vacation villa sat perched on. Temporarily the Italian branch of Chandler Shipping, the second largest branch of Chandler Shipping, was now the headquarters for the company while the Chandler Mansion was being repaired. Michael Chandler was a little bothered by the move. He was so far away from his farm he felt like he was constantly wearing an itchy sweater. His discomfort was nothing compared to his sister, who he was now watching. Hope loved Italy. Before beginning her career as a doctor she had packed up her bags and lived here for a year. She said it was the people, their food and their customs that drew her to the country. Only this time he could tell she was suffocating. Michael understood. Their parents, for all their well meaning intentions, were keeping too close an eye on both him and Hope. He figured the argument he'd just witnessed between his mother and Hope over the therapist his mother wanted her to see was Hope's breaking point. He'd been waiting for that. Now, it was time to help her jump ship.
"She's wrong you know," He said, stepping out onto the balcony.
"Sorry," Hope sniffed and rubbed at her eyes like a little child, "I shouldn't have yelled at her like that."
"Hope, I think you're right," Michael said carefully, walking over and sitting down next to her.
"Oh. Sorry, I guess I just expected you to take Mama's side."
"Why? Because I think it's a good idea to talk about personal feelings with a stranger who will then report back to Mama and Papa about what fancy metal disorder you're suffering from?" Michael snorted, "Hope, I'd rather lock myself in a vault for three years."
"All I've done since getting back from Canada is talk about my feelings, my thoughts," Hope sighed heavily, "I'm tired of talking about it with people who don't understand."
"I can see where that can be frustrating. Mama also wants me to go, you know. She thinks there's some deep seeded psychological reason why I didn't tell her about my powers and insist I talk it out with someone."
"I know she's trying to do what she thinks is best, but," Hope shrugged.
"She doesn't understand," Michael ran his hand over Hope's hair, "I don't think anyone here really does. I don't think we can."
"At least you admit it," Hope grumbled.
"Hey, I know when I'm beat," Michael smiled, "So, I'm breaking out."
"Breaking out?"
"Yup, planned my escape and everything."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to backpack through the rainforest for a couple of weeks. I leave in three weeks on boat to Spain, then I'm hopping another boat to Africa. I've never seen the Congo."
"You'll get lost there, you know."
"Nope, not with the plants to guide me, and I'll bring a GPS and satellite phone just in case."
"You've been inoculated?"
"Getting the shots in Spain," Michael sighed, "I've got to get outta here, Hope. No people, no parents, no one for just a couple of weeks. Then maybe I can go back to the real world again."
"I know how you feel." Hope laid her head against the balcony railing, "You have no idea how I well I know how you feel."
Michael chuckled, "Oh, yes I do. That's why you're escaping first."
"What?"
Michael reached into his pockets, "Tomorrow morning, three am a flight to Florida. From there you hop a boat which will take you to an island in the Keys, and then you get on another ferry which will take you to the island my private hut is on."
"Michael…"
"Nope, don't say no. You want to be alone, I understand that feeling, and you can't be alone here. I don't think backpacking the Congo is your thing, and since you sold all your vacation properties when you started working at Charity you've got no place to go. Take as long as you need at my place. There are no phones, no computers. You're lucky you've got indoor plumbing."
Hope sighed, "Sounds like heaven right now."
"Exactly," Michael took her hand and slipped the ticket and instructions he'd typed up into it, "Come on, I'll keep your secret. No one will know where you've gone, and if they try to find out, I'll send them on a wild goose chase and say you're in Sydney or something."
Hope launched herself at him and hugged him tight, "Thank you, Michael, thank you."
He hugged her back, "Anytime, sis, anytime."
Two weeks later Michael answered the door bell, since the staff had been sent on a long vacation, and found Logan standing on the other side of the door. He blinked in surprise at the man and stared.
"Is the Doc here?" He asked gruffly and Michael narrowed his eyes at him.
"No and she doesn't need you reminding her of what happened to her," He snapped, "Get off our property." Michael went to slam the door in his face, but Logan slammed a hand against it held it open.
"Where is she?" He asked, his eyes hard and determined.
"I wouldn't tell you even if I knew. Now leave, or I'll make you."
"You know where she is," Logan said.
"So what if I do?" Michael shot back.
"I just want to talk to her," Logan said through tightly clenched teeth.
"Talk? Talk?" Michael gave a derisive laugh, "I've seen how you talk, sir, and I'd rather you'd stay away from my sister. She's safe where she is, from you and anyone else who's looking for her."
Logan scowled, "Look, bub, it's up to your sister to decide that."
"She made her choice. Now leave."
"She wouldn't walk away with out telling me," Michael was almost swayed by the slight desperation he heard in that statement, but his protective instincts were stronger.
"I don't care what you think, buddy, get off our property."
"I'll find her eventually, bub, it's what I do."
Michael stopped pushing against the door and glared, "Are you threatening her? After everything you've done to her, you'd threaten her? My parents might still see you as the concurring hero, and that you're perfectly okay for my sister to associate with but I don't, not anymore, so stay away from her."
"I just want to know where she is," Logan said with strained patience.
"And I told you to leave, and remember, I can make you." The two glared at each other until Logan took a step back.
"If she contacts you, tell her I'm looking for her, that I just want to talk. I don't care what you think of me, rich boy, but I do care about your sister. I can't leave it like this, got it? Just tell her."
Michael swore viciously, "You're one son of a bitch you know that? You're on the wrong side of the Atlantic and that's all I'm telling you."
Hope walked along the white sand beach, the crystal blue waves lapping at her feet, and the purest sunlight beating down at her. She was staying at her brother's vacation home in paradise, taking a break from the world in general. There was no radio, no television, and no newspaper where she was. If she wanted contact with the outside world she'd have to take a ferry to another island thirteen miles away, there she could get all the information she wanted. Of course she didn't want any information on the world outside the little one story vacation home. It was more of a hut, actually, with a single kitchen, a modest sized bedroom and bathroom. The porch had a hammock and a few chairs, but besides that it was two miles of beach to the left and the right of the hut. Perfect for someone looking to escape. After what had happened before she left, she had craved solitude and a total lack of responsibilities. Hope stopped in her tracks and stared at the waves as the sun slowly set. Other people would be awed. They would have paid hundreds of dollars for a view like this, and all she felt was…was lonely.
She had never handled inactivity well. She wasn't exactly a social butterfly, but she'd been here a little over two and a half weeks and now she missed having some company. She turned her face up to the sun and sighed. She'd probably stay until the end of the week, then pack everything up and head back to Bayville. Bayville, going back and facing the demons she was trying to outrun. The idea was slightly less terrifying then it had been two and a half weeks ago. She could face it, or so she told herself.
But right now, Hope needed something to do or else she'd start getting cabin fever. She started to head back towards the house. Maybe she would drop in on her neighbor, who was five miles up the road and see if he was looking for company. Maybe she'd just borrow one of his talkative parrots to keep around for a while. Ricardo, her neighbor, never minded if she dropped by or if she played with his parrots, he had sixteen and was all too happy to let someone take one for awhile.
As she climbed the steps of the back porch she dropped her sandals and her wide brimmed hat in the hammock and stepped inside. Immediately, she froze, staring in wide-eyed surprise.
"Logan?" He stood in the middle of the hut wearing cut-offs and a rather tacky Hawaiian shirt. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but she could tell he had been watching her as she stood on the beach.
"Hello Doc," He said simply while she still stood there in shock. She had been thinking about him. A lot. Images of him dripping in blood and images of him playing with the students warred in her head. She thought about how he could be sweet and gentle with her and then how she'd seen him slice a man practically in two. She had been trying to decide how she would handle him when she returned, but here he was. It was time to face up to those demons.
"Somethin' wrong?" He asked and Hope realized she'd been staring.
Quickly she looked away, "What are you doing here?"
"People were getting worried. It's been awhile and no one's heard a word from you since your brother snuck you away. He's been tellin' everyone that you're safe, but I thought I'd check on you myself."
"My brother told you where I was?"
"No, but finding people is my specialty." Silence fell between them while Hope tried to think of something to say. "Want me to leave?"
Leave? No, though she knew they had so many problems to work through, she couldn't bare it if he left. She looked at him, and shook her head, "No, I don't." And she ran to him. She threw her arms around him and held tight. The next thing she knew she was kissing him, desperately trying to lose herself in him.
"We need to talk, Hope," He said holing her at arms length.
She shook her head again, "I'm tired of talking. Tired of thinking, Logan. Have had just my thoughts for company for too long. For once I know what I want, what I need. Please, don't leave me alone, Logan, I can't stand to be alone anymore." He studied her, watching her with those intense eyes that always saw too much. She was terrified he'd walk away. She understood the reason he'd refused her that night he had woken her from the nightmare. She hadn't been thinking straight then, but she was now, he had to see that. He had to.
"God, I missed you." He said gruffly then pulled her back into his arms and kissed every doubt she had right out of her mind.
"Nice place you got here," Logan said later, much later. The afternoon sun was gone, replaced by the balmy night and silver moon. Hope was curled up against his side, her hand resting over his heart, and she was perfectly happy to stay that way.
"Bonus that you can see all of it from the bed," Hope muttered against his neck. Sex, when done right could be very liberating, she thought, and when one had such a talented partner there was no reason to ever leave bed ever again.
Logan chuckled, "Besides the neighbor, you're alone out here?"
Hope propped herself up on her elbows to look at him, "My brother owns the place, but he's somewhere in the Congo by now. He won't be walking in here anytime soon."
"A good thing, since I don't think he likes me much, but not what I was worried about," He reached up and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face, "I was worried about you, Hope."
"Logan," She sat up now, pulling the blanket up to cover her chest, "I know, I left on bad terms. I was in shock from, seeing…that…"
"Hope, that lives in me." He looked away from her, and his eyes seemed to look into himself, "You have to understand that I live with that…animal part of me. Most of the time I can control it. Keep myself from losing control, but not all the time. I never know when I'll snap. I was already in that…state when he told me you were dead, something in me snapped." She could clearly see the shame written on his face and gently placed her hand against his cheek.
"I think I got a taste of something like that when I lost control in that shed." She took his hand in hers, running her thumb over the places where his claws would appear, "It was like something just pushed me out of the way and took over my mind." She looked at him for conformation on that and he gave a slight nod, "I can't say I really understand. I've never dealt with something like it before, but I'm willing to try. I think…maybe I can learn to understand that part of you."
"Hope," He started but she shhs-ed him. She wasn't finished yet.
"I think…" Hope shook her head at the wrong choice of words and looked into his eyes, "I can forgive you for what you did. Maybe because I wanted to do the same thing, maybe because McKenna was such a bastard, I don't know, but it's not important why. I forgive you, Logan, I honestly do."
"You can forgive yourself, too Hope," He said softly and she looked away out the window.
"I don't know, Logan. I don't think I can."
"First step to movin' on is forgiveness."
"Oh? And what if I don't want to move on?" She snapped, "What if it's what keeps me from doing it again?"
Logan chuckled, sat up and cradled her in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, "But, you won't allow you're self too. You value life too much and control. And, I'll keep an eye on ya."
Hope sighed, maybe it was time she got over what happened to her. She wasn't afraid to fight back anymore, she had McKenna to thank for that, so why couldn't she forgive herself? And she realized, she did. With that Hope felt better than she had in weeks. The weight that had been resting on her shoulders was gone. She settled back into Logan, content.
"See, was that so hard?" He said against her ear.
"Well, you don't have to sound so smug."
"Babe, just wait until you get back to the Institute, I'll have more reasons to sound smug."
"Huh?" Hope tilted her head back and looked up at him.
"One, you gotta get back to training. You did okay with those guards, from what Maverick mentioned, but you need work." Hope snorted, "And, Chuck wants you to start teaching."
"Teaching?" Hope scrambled around to face him, "Teach what?"
"The kids, Doc."
Hope rolled her eyes, "Of course, the kids. I meant, what would I be teaching them?"
"Field medicine, what else? Chuck decided that since Red and the Squirt have benefited from working with you, so everyone else is going to learn as well."
Hope sighed, "I haven't taught medicine since I had interns, which I believe was three years ago, and I was teaching them surgery."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you everything I know."
"Oh joy, more training." With that Logan started tickling, and tickling quickly deteriorated into a much more adult form of entertainment.
Author's Note: Ha! Ha! Ha! (Lily dances around) Look it! Look it! It took four original stories, a handful of short stories, and fifteen chapters for Hope and Logan to finally end up in bed together! (continues to mambo around) Well, I figured any longer and you reads would lynch me. Of course, now I have to decide what story I want to write next…oh poot.