AN: Apologies for the long delay - I couldn't find the USB key that this was on... :)
Quinn snatched at the waiter as he wandered past again. "What was her husband's name?"
The waiter's brow furrowed at the intensity this patron was showing over the tragic little tale he'd told. "I think it was something weird… started with Q."
"Quinn?" Colin suggested.
"Yeah, that's it." The waiter went to move away but Quinn pulled him back and started firing questions at him about how and where and when this Quinn and Rebecca met.
"Look, man…" The waiter suggested gently. "I don't really know any more than I told you… I started working here after it all happened so it's all second hand."
Maggie put her hand on Quinn's arm. "Thanks anyway." She told the waiter. He nodded and headed over to serve someone else.
"I'm going to talk to her." Quinn announced, his voice tense. He got up from the table abruptly.
Remmy stood and blocked his progress. "Q-Ball, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, she was married to your double and he probably got lost Sliding just like we did."
"What if she doesn't know?" Quinn asked. "What if all these years she's had no idea what happened to her husband?"
"Quinn, you don't even know for sure that he did go sliding." Maggie pointed out. "Quinn!"
Quinn was already heading towards the doorway that Rebecca had disappeared though. He turned back towards them without stopping. "She deserves to know the truth." Then he turned on his heel smoothly and continued on his way.
"If she's still grieving this badly after five years," Colin turned to the others. "Then how is she going to react to seeing someone who looks like her husband? Especially if she doesn't know about doubles."
The Sliders looked at each other grimly. "Come on." Remmy said and they followed after Quinn.
It wasn't until he called her name and she stopped dead in her tracks without turning around that Quinn began to realise that this might not have been the smartest move. It was just that he couldn't bear to let her go. He wanted to know who she was. What she was like.
She turned then and his heart stopped. God she was beautiful. Her eyes engulfed him as unshed tears bloomed within them.
"Quinn." She breathed.
He tried to form words but they all stuck in his throat. He had to say something – to somehow tell her that he was not her husband. He imagined he could feel his friends behind him, frozen as he was, unable to speak in time to prevent more pain.
She seemed to be moving towards him in slow motion. Slow, deliberate, calm even. He had to say something!
"Um… Rebecca, I'm really really sorry… but I'm not him." He finally managed to choke out as she reached him, her hand moving up to brush his cheek so very gently.
She smiled then. A sad little almost-smile that tore at his heart. "I know."
Somehow he had hold of her hand. The one that had stroked his face. Holding her hand felt so unbelievably right that it was almost frightening.
"Please…" She murmured and right then and there he would have given her the entire world if he'd had the power. "Please let me believe… for just a moment…"
He didn't know what she wanted until she leaned in against him and put her arms around him. He held her back, surprised at how easily she fit into his arms. Quinn's heart ached as she pulled away slightly and began tracing his eyebrows, cheeks and jawline softly with one finger. She closed her eyes and breathed him in.
So under her spell was he, that Quinn didn't even consider stopping her as she pulled his face towards hers and pressed her lips against his – again with that almost unbearably sweet softness. The kiss was short and quite chaste really but it left him with nerves on fire, breathless and heart thumping like crazy.
Her hand moving up to stroke his hair away from his forehead, she gave that almost-smile again.
"Thank you." She said simply, turned and walked away.
"Rebecca, wait!" Quinn called out desperately just as his friends moved in behind him and Remmy put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let her go, Quinn." He said softly.
Hope you like...
