Chapter Seventeen – "If Now Is All There Is"

Previously: Kendall, Jonathan and Lily discovered nothing in the Casino's second basement but Ethan and a gold necklace that Di identified as belonging to her not-so-dead half-sister, Dixie. Zach, Ryan and Derek arrived on the scene to rescue a perfectly all right Kendall. Derek was bitterly disappointed that (a) nobody in the second basement needed to be rescued and (b) the Vanished were nowhere to be found. He advised everybody to go home, including Zach whom he no longer believed was responsible for the Vanishings, in spite of Ethan's strongly stated belief that Zach was behind everything . Krystal decided her family would all be better off at the Police Station, so the Chandlers exited the Mansion, except for Adam, who disappeared. Meanwhile, Amanda became increasing upset because she couldn't reach Janet, and Di began to believe the worst about Dixie. We rejoin our story as Zach and Kendall do their best to relax while their whole world continues to spin out of control.

"We probably should get some sleep," Zach said to Kendall between long, deep kisses.

Despite their marriage, they were still living in separate condos, conveniently across the street from each other. Without discussing the matter, they had gone to her place when they left the Casino's second basement. Getting there a little after midnight, they fell together on the couch without a word, numb and exhausted. At the moment, they were still on the couch, locked in each other's arms, still exhausted, but slightly less numb.

"Sleep?" Kendall asked weakly, coming up for air. "How is that supposed to happen? My Mother is missing and the Maniac who kidnapped her along with most of my town is still on the loose. And I'm next."

Zach shifted slightly so he could look her square in the eye. "You're not next, Lovely. Nobody's gonna get to you but me. Are we clear on that?"

"I still don't want to sleep," Kendall told him nonetheless. "I'm too wired. My mind won't shut down."

Zach kissed her on the nose.

"What's on your lovely mind, Lovely?" he asked playfully.

So she told him.

"Why did you put the Casino key and floor plans in the Zendall wall safe? Why didn't you tell anybody there's a second basement? Why is there a second basement?"

He burst out laughing. "Nobody can say that you don't how to kill a moment!"

When she didn't join in his laughter, he decided to answer her as truthfully as he knew how.

"The second basement reinforces the foundation, or so they told me when they built the damn Casino," Zach recounted. "I had both basements checked as soon as I found out what the Script said. So I knew they were empty. As for the Casino, the sale hasn't closed yet. I kept the key and floor plans at Zendall because that's my office now. Everything sound reasonable?"

"Who's the buyer?" she asked him. "You never said who the buyer is. Not that it's any of my business."

"My son," he told her with no hesitation. "Ethan. Given your history with him, I wasn't too sure how you'd feel about that."

Kendall was delighted. A reconciliation between Zach and Ethan was at least number 3 on her Wish List.

"That's good," she told him, meaning it. "Maybe it can be a start of a new chapter for you two."

He nodded happily. "Maybe. How's about a new chapter for you and me?"

She laughed. "The thing of it is, Zach, you make me so damn giddy, I keep forgetting that my world is falling apart. What kind of person does that make me?"

Zach knew.

"The perfect person," he told her. "Now can I ask you a question?"

Kendall laughed again. "If it's about where our clothes are, the answer is, in several piles somewhere on the floor. Except for your shirt, which is over there on top of that lamp where it landed when I tore it off. I can't believe I did that.""

Zach could believe it.

"My question is, why don't you think I'm the Maniac?"

Kendall stretched and smiled. "I have my reasons," she explained.

"Is it because you're blindly in love with me?" he asked hopefully. "Kendall, could you be taking a leap of faith because you love me?"

Kendall kissed his lips tenderly before she burst his balloon. "I am blindly in love with you, Zach, but leaps of faith are not my best event. Actually, Lily analyzed the mystery and convinced me you were in the clear. It's a matter of motive, means and opportunity, none of which you had. Disappointed in me?"

"Devastated," he admitted, only half-kidding. "Lily, huh?"

"Uh-huh," Kendall confirmed. "She's a natural detective. We oughta hire her. Any more questions?"

Zach thought up a new question as he played with Kendall's hair.

"Okay. My question is, shouldn't we relax for a space of time so we can be effective later on? Who knows what's going to happen next?"

"I know what's going to happen next," she stated sadly. "I'm going to vanish like everybody else. Typical Kendall. I finally find my lobster and pfft I'm gone. Into a Black Hole, or a Third Basement or worse."

"Your lobster?" he asked, never having seen the relevant "Friends" episode. Or any "Friends" episode.

"I never get to have a happy ending," Kendall elaborated. That isn't how my character has ever been written. Ever. Not that I'm feeling sorry for myself. I'm only being honest. In my considered opinion, this is it, Zach. Now is all we have."

He had never seen her so vulnerable, so utterly defenseless. It was as if every bad thing that had happened all day long had finally crashed down on her. This wasn't the brave, reckless girl he had fallen in love with. This was a Kendall he had never even seen before. A doomed Kendall, who hadn't even a shred of hope.

"All right, if now is all we have, let's grab hold of it!" he told her passionately, trying to bring her to life again. "And never let go!"

"Until I vanish," she added.

"I won't let you vanish," he promised, holding her so close all they could hear, all they could feel, was each other's heartbeat. "I'll find Erica and everybody else. I'll bring the Maniac to justice. Nobody will ever hurt you again. You'll have your happy ending, Lovely. And so will I."

None of her believed him, but all of her wanted to. His body, equal parts of fire and steel, was suddenly her refuge. She yearned to melt into him forever, so they could never be apart again even for a instant. And she would be safe. And she would be saved. And she would be loved.

"What else could we do together to relax besides sleep?" she asked him throatily, hoping he could read her body, as well as he could always read her mind.

"Several things," he began, his voice so intimate, so intense, she felt it more than heard it. She measured his mouth with her own, her tongue beginning a duel with his, as his gentle, forceful hands began caressing the parts of her that were longing most for his touch. At the same time, her hands began their journey to places on his body they had never before encountered except in her dreams. When he began to moan, she felt first surprised, then exhilarated. Next she was matching him moan for moan as the world began to fall away and all that existed for them in all of Creation was each other.

At which point, Zach's cell phone went off, the ringtones playing "The Stars and Stripes Forever".

"No! she cried out to the Universe. "Not now! Not yet!"

Sighing with all his soul, he answered the call.

"Zach, I'm in trouble," the voice on the other end told him. "I swear I never thought I'd say this, but I need your help. I'm at the Dump, where they buried Uncle Michael, if you could call it that. Don't fail me, I beg you! Above all, hurry!"

The line went dead.

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Ethan calling for Zach's help? What could that possibly mean? And why meet at the Dump of all places? Please return for the next thrilling installment! Reviews are cherished!