The Waiver 8 (AKA: The End of Early's Well-Earned VACATION!)
The silence was unbearable.
She took a deep breath and stared at me with those eyes. Eyes that have seen so much pain.
"Cassie?" I prompted.
She started to speak, then stopped.
I attempted a smile. "Hey, now. Don't leave me hanging here. If you're going to say no, then drop the axe already."
She shook her head. "I'm just trying to figure out how to say . . . yes."
I pulled my hands from hers and cupped my face, leaning back. "Ah, yesss!" I hissed.
"Yes." she echoed.
I dropped my hands, opting to use them more efficently.
She laughed when I grabbed her by the waist and stood up.
"Cassie, I don't know how we're going to pull this off on a ship, but we ARE getting married."
Cassie pressed her cheek against my chest. "I love seeing you like this." she said, her voice muffled.
"Like what?" I asked, self-conciously.
She shrugged and pulled away. Not too far away, just within my grasp.
"Like an idiot in love?" I ventured, bravely.
She beamed and yeah, blushed a little. "Something like that."
We just held each other then, not wanting this moment- without fear, without pain, without guilt, -this perfect moment, to end.
Back in the war days, we were all each other had. When I really think about it, just when I started to push Cassie away, is just when I started to lose control.
I sighed. "So now what do we do."
"I dunno. Never been engaged before. Have you?"
"Engaged." I repeated, letting the word roll off my tongue. "I like how that sounds."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh great, I agreed to marry Ax."
"En-gage-eh-duh. Duh."
She started to laugh, but I put an end to that quick.
Cassie put her arms around my neck, pulling me deeper into the kiss.
I don't know what I would have done if she had said no. What I would have done with myself.
I willed the image from my mind. No need to think like a desperate man anymore.
Cassie said yes.
Since we had moved onto the ship, Cassie and I had both agreed to not sleep in the same bed anymore. Not with the others around.
That night, the rules were tossed out the proverbial window.
In her room, the lights off, the sound of our breathing.
I lay behind her, silently.
Cassie's head was resting on my left arm, my right around her waist. I watched the rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed in and out.
Was she still awake? Only one way to be sure.
I gently kissed the back of her neck.
She stirred and slowly turned around.
"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?"
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Yeah, on purpose."
Guiltily, I smiled. "Okay, you got me."
"Men," she scoffed. "They can't even be left alone long enough to sleep! Just causing all kinds of mischief."
Mischief. So many things I could say to that.
Instead, I just raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"Jake . . ." she warned.
"Cassie." I said in the same patronising tone.
I gathered her close to me, accidentally making myself aware of just how warm her body was. How good she smelled. How-
I swallowed. Bad idea.
Hoping Cassie wouldn't notice my little. . . well, okay not so little, predicament, I chastly kissed her on the forehead and slowly rolled so my back was facing her.
From somewhere behind me I heard a snicker.
Great. So she knew.
"Hey, it's not my fault you know." I defended myself. "I can't help it, okay?"
I felt her lips moving against my neck as she spoke. "Jake, it's okay. It happens. It's . . . natural and I'm sure-"
"Oh geeze, please don't start talking like my parents!"
We both laughed. "Well, how am I supposed to make you feel better."
All guys are alike. I'll admit it. We all think the same. But I had always believed that no matter what you're thinking, the only thing that seperates a gentleman from a pervert is how he acts on these thoughts.
I'm a gentleman. So, I remained silent and let that one slide.
When I didn't speak up, she gently smacked my upper arm. "Jake! I can't believe you!"
See, even we good ones get blamed. Women. Yeesh.
"What? I didn't say anything! You're the one who asked how to make me "feel better" and I just chose not to give any suggestions."
She paused for a moment, "Yeah, but you were thinking about your 'suggestions'" She mumbled.
That's it.
I turned around quickly and pulled her into my arms, not caring if she felt my "little predicament"
"And you never think of that?" I accused.
"Well, I nev-"
I cut her off. "What, huh? Men are all pigs and only think of one thing, right?"
She opened her mouth to speak, I again interrupted.
"You know what, that's sexist, and I'd expect more than that out of you. I am VERY disapointed."
She smiled as she finally realised I was just kidding.
"Now who's talking like a parent?"
I suddenly felt very serious. Cassie caught onto my mood and her playful little smile vanished.
It was like someone had popped a hole in the hull, draining the mood out of the room.
"Cassie? A while ago, back on Earth, you told me that you did sometimes think of you and I . . . that way. Were you just saying that to make me feel better?"
Silently, she shook her head.
Oh, don't screw this up, man. You've hurt her enough.
I leaned in and gently kissed her.
This can't be wrong, it just can't.
She touched my face and I pulled away.
I wasn't nervous. I wasn't afraid.
I was just . . . warm. Warm everywhere. Inside and out. My arms, my chest, my . . . heart. Warm, through and through.
"Is this too soon, Cassie?"
She rolled onto her back taking me with her. Still kissing.
I whispered a protest. "Cassie, I'm, like, a billion times your size, I'll crush you to death." I was only HALF-kidding.
"It's right, Jake."
I slowly nodded. She was right. IT was right.
That night, I forgot about Ax. The cold of space. The guilt. The dead. The fear of hell.
I lost myself in Cassie's arms.
And I gave her all I had.
End of Chapter 8
This draft of chapter 8 is FINAL! No exchanges, refunds or substitutions! (or porn... of course if you really want the ORIGINAL non approved chapter 8- I deleted it but I could retype it from memory someday after this thing is finished)
REVIEWER'S CORNER:
J-Rae: Don't worry, it'll be ooookkkaaaay.
Raspberry: I actually DID take your advice and started a more "angsty" fic. (hear no evil)
there's just a LOT of exposition and set-up to do before I can get to the "angsty" parts.
After all, I DO have to devise a whole new universe.
Gorrable: Hmm. Yeah, you're right. I just didn't like that "super-happy" alternate, so I made
an excuse for not having to post it.
Raspberry(again): I think after I finish these two series (A LONG time from now) I'll do a, like,
book #5- based fic which breaks up R/T and paves the way for some marco/rachel. And make all my
dreams come true!
Angel of Hearts: Yay! New reviewer! Come to the fluff side, my young apprentice!
mickEmousina: Sorry, I never got around to e-mailing you. I was just so frustrated with this fic,
I threw up my hands and swore of all things waiver. Including the reveiwers.
I catch you on the next review, though, k?
Momo Claus: Man! I didn't even think of Hanson! Well, you know what? They suck, so they don't
count. ha-ha I'm STILL right!
Early: Shut up, don't review your own fics. Someone back me on this!
Dysphoria: Yeah, they DID. So, I trashed the whole damn chapter. They'll get together later.
Six months, remember? Plenty of time. lol. BTW: You forgot Bob Marley! Ha!
Chava: Whoa. I could start a whole new fic responding to THAT thing! I'm not even gonna try,
just read these next few chappie's and see for yourself if I paid attention to what you said. :)
Tristaine: Thanx. (hey, you write a short review, you get a short response.)
I usually don't believe in re-submitting a chapter. I think once something is put out there, it's now a challenge for the author to fix the mistakes in further chapters.
Hell, KA made lots of mistakes cough Oatmeal cough and she couldn't just snatch the books out of people's fingers and replace them! "Gimme that! Sorry kiddies, that book's an embarassment, so it just doesn't exist now. Bye!"
However, this is the internet, I'm not KA, and my chapter eight sucked, so screw my scruples.
Random Reviewer: "Scruples? The person who referred to Jake's you-know-what as a "cliff-HANGER" has SCRUPLES! Go figure."
Hey!
Random Reviewer: "Maybe if you wrote your chapters as long as your GOD AWFUL NOTES, I wouldn't be so crabby. Early? Shut up."