Part Nine
Liam and Renee sat side by side on a bed in the room at resistance headquarters that Renee and Street had moved all of Liam's things into. For a long moment they just sat neither saying anything but each drawing comfort from the other's presence. Finally Renee broke the silence.
"You should be able to find something to wear. Street and I moved all your stuff into here." Renee moved to one of the boxes and withdrew Liam's favorite leather jacket.
"It helped to keep your things close. It made you seem less far away." Renee said softly. "I'll say. It's a Liam shrine in here." Liam said with a small smirk on his face.
Renee giggled. "Don't get too big of a head, flyboy." Renee replied coyly. Liam grabbed Renee playfully and pulled her into his arms.
"So I take it you missed me?" Liam said as he moved his head closer to Renee's.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Renee answered demurely. She moved her head instinctively closer to Liam's until their lips touched. Suddenly Renee felt her entire world spinning, with the only point anchoring her to the earth the sweet pressure of Liam's lips against hers. Hands entwined behind necks each memorizing the feeling of hair, necks, shoulders. Renee lost conscious track of how much time was passing but after what could have been hours or mere seconds she pulled back and turned toward Liam. He could see tears glittering in her eyes.
"Liam, I..." Renee started but Liam stopped her.
"Shush. You don't have to explain." Liam said as her pulled Renee in to his arms and lowered them both into a sitting position on the bed.
"I want to." Renee responded, pulling away slightly but not leaving the comfort of Liam's arms.
"Liam, do you feel like you've been away eight months?" Renee inquired.
"I don't know." He answered. I have these two conflicting feelings. One half of me feels like the last time I saw you was yesterday. But at the same time I feel like it's been years since I've seen your smile, heard your voice."
"Liam you have to understand. For me it's been eight months. At first I devoted all my time to finding you. I searched for months. I used Doors International resources; I even took a submarine down to the bottom of the ocean to find you. But I let the Atavus out. I was so lost. I didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I could think to do. I didn't think. I devoted myself to getting rid of the Atavus. But then Boone walked into my life." As Renee spoke Liam moved to interrupt her but she placed a gentle finger on his lips.
"Let me say this while I still can." Renee implored him.
"He was so strong and focused and he wanted the Atavus gone as much as I did. I depended on him. But he left. Twice. Liam, I care for him. I'm sorry." She finished as Liam pulled away from her and stood up.
"Liam, listen to me." She said as she pulled him around to face her.
"Before I lost you, I loved you Liam. More than I've ever let myself love anyone before. And when I though you were dead, I was lost. But he made sense to me. Liam, I'm sorry." She finished.
"Renee, you don't have to apologize. We were never...you don't owe me anything. Liam said. He took a few steps away and turned away from her. After a moment he turned back around.
"Renee, what do you want? I mean, who do you want?" he asked his voice dropping to a level Renee had to strain to hear.
"I don't know." Renee answered.
"And I don't want you to decide right now. I'll be here for you. I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Liam reached out and gave Renee's arm a reassuring squeeze.
"I guess I should leave you to change your clothes." Renee said as she gave Liam a half-hearted smile.
"And Liam?" she said from the doorway.
"I missed you." She finished with a small smile and then she was gone.
Liam and Renee sat side by side on a bed in the room at resistance headquarters that Renee and Street had moved all of Liam's things into. For a long moment they just sat neither saying anything but each drawing comfort from the other's presence. Finally Renee broke the silence.
"You should be able to find something to wear. Street and I moved all your stuff into here." Renee moved to one of the boxes and withdrew Liam's favorite leather jacket.
"It helped to keep your things close. It made you seem less far away." Renee said softly. "I'll say. It's a Liam shrine in here." Liam said with a small smirk on his face.
Renee giggled. "Don't get too big of a head, flyboy." Renee replied coyly. Liam grabbed Renee playfully and pulled her into his arms.
"So I take it you missed me?" Liam said as he moved his head closer to Renee's.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Renee answered demurely. She moved her head instinctively closer to Liam's until their lips touched. Suddenly Renee felt her entire world spinning, with the only point anchoring her to the earth the sweet pressure of Liam's lips against hers. Hands entwined behind necks each memorizing the feeling of hair, necks, shoulders. Renee lost conscious track of how much time was passing but after what could have been hours or mere seconds she pulled back and turned toward Liam. He could see tears glittering in her eyes.
"Liam, I..." Renee started but Liam stopped her.
"Shush. You don't have to explain." Liam said as her pulled Renee in to his arms and lowered them both into a sitting position on the bed.
"I want to." Renee responded, pulling away slightly but not leaving the comfort of Liam's arms.
"Liam, do you feel like you've been away eight months?" Renee inquired.
"I don't know." He answered. I have these two conflicting feelings. One half of me feels like the last time I saw you was yesterday. But at the same time I feel like it's been years since I've seen your smile, heard your voice."
"Liam you have to understand. For me it's been eight months. At first I devoted all my time to finding you. I searched for months. I used Doors International resources; I even took a submarine down to the bottom of the ocean to find you. But I let the Atavus out. I was so lost. I didn't know what to do. So I did the only thing I could think to do. I didn't think. I devoted myself to getting rid of the Atavus. But then Boone walked into my life." As Renee spoke Liam moved to interrupt her but she placed a gentle finger on his lips.
"Let me say this while I still can." Renee implored him.
"He was so strong and focused and he wanted the Atavus gone as much as I did. I depended on him. But he left. Twice. Liam, I care for him. I'm sorry." She finished as Liam pulled away from her and stood up.
"Liam, listen to me." She said as she pulled him around to face her.
"Before I lost you, I loved you Liam. More than I've ever let myself love anyone before. And when I though you were dead, I was lost. But he made sense to me. Liam, I'm sorry." She finished.
"Renee, you don't have to apologize. We were never...you don't owe me anything. Liam said. He took a few steps away and turned away from her. After a moment he turned back around.
"Renee, what do you want? I mean, who do you want?" he asked his voice dropping to a level Renee had to strain to hear.
"I don't know." Renee answered.
"And I don't want you to decide right now. I'll be here for you. I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Liam reached out and gave Renee's arm a reassuring squeeze.
"I guess I should leave you to change your clothes." Renee said as she gave Liam a half-hearted smile.
"And Liam?" she said from the doorway.
"I missed you." She finished with a small smile and then she was gone.