Hey guys, sorry about the last depressing chapter, this one is slightly less depressing, i promise. Okay first of all i want to say that, i really don't like Rick. Trust me all the RickxKaren stuff has it's eventual purpose, and i've managed to make him not so bad in this chapter.
I'd also like to thank you guys for reviewing, sorry about the whole Jack killing thing, i could say it was an accident, but would you believe me?
11. Wiping the slate clean
It was a full year (harvest moon year, remember these are only four months) after Jack's death and Karen was standing watching over Jack's watery grave.
"It's been a year now, as I'm sure you know." She told the waves and they seemed to roar in answer.
"I think I'm going to stop mourning now and move on with my life. As you must know Elli is pregnant, and Gray and Mary are finally an item. Me and Rick are the only ones on our own, we're friends now. I don't think I want more, I don't think I can get over you, but I want to try. So this is it, I'll still visit you, to tell you what's going on, but I won't visit so often. I hope you're okay wherever you are."
"Please don't hate me for moving on, I'll still always miss you." She said feeling tears form in her eyes. The waves continued to roar, answering everything, like a noble sea creature. She held a bunch of red roses in her hand and threw them into the water watching them be engulfed by the clear blue waves. She then turned and headed home.
It was the early hours of the morning and the sun was still lazily making its way up into the sky. The sweet smell of the morning dew wafted into Karen's nostrils. Outside she saw Rick on the bench waiting for her like he had done all those years before.
"Good morning Karen, did you do it?" He asked kindly, bringing her into a hug.
"Yeah, I told him I'm moving on." She told him, sounding relieved.
"How'd he take it?" Rick joked good-naturedly. Karen smiled, something she wouldn't have done only a week before.
"I think he's okay with it. As long as I visit him every so often." She said calmly. She felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, she was officially out of mourning.
"So what do you want to do for your first free day out of mourning?" Rick asked casually, as though it was something her asked everyday.
"Truthfully I want to curl up under my blankets and cry. But instead... let's have a picnic with everyone." She suggested, a small smile tugging at her lips. Rick thought for a moment and then made a face.
"Everyone meaning "the couples"?" He inquired, eyebrows raised. "The couples" was their name for Popuri and Kai and Ann and Cliff, who spent all of their time together, being well... coupley.
"Yes I suppose so, would you rather invite some of the non-couples?" Karen asked jokingly. Rick shook his head quickly. "The non-couples" meant all the people who had either stayed single or lost their partners, in other words the oldies like Gotz, the Mayor, Barley or Carter.
"Alright then, the couples it is." Rick said with a sigh.
"Right, you can make the picnic then." She told him, grinning playfully.
"Why me?" Rick asked sounding put out, his voice rising higher than a man's voice should. Karen smiled and looked innocent for a moment.
"Oh, would you rather I made the picnic?" She asked innocently, her green eyes wide. Rick shook his head quickly and sighed.
"That's what I thought." She said slyly before heading back home.
They met later outside the lake at the foot of Mother's hill. Karen set out the red and white checked picnic blanket and sat down opening the basket. They all helped themselves to some cheese sandwiches and talked happily.
"A lot has changed in the last year, huh?" Popuri said sweetly, causing a morbid attitude to fall among the friends. Her one harmless sentence had triggered memories of Jack. Realising what she had said she quickly clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. She took it off again only to mouth sorry at a glaring Ann.
"Yes, but let's look to the future..."Ann said, trying to lighten the mood. Karen simply stared at the picnic blanket until the bright patterns gave her a headache.
"Maybe we should have a picnic another day, it may rain..." Ann said thinking up an excuse.
"The weather's perfect Ann. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, it's time I got over J...J...Ja... him." Karen said swallowing hard. Ann's eyes widened with worry and Popuri began to twiddle her hair nervously.
"You're right Karen, it is time we moved on." Rick said with a worrying emphasis on the "we". He looked at Karen the whole time, his eyes questioning. "what does he mean" Karen asked herself. Ann and Popuri gazed at her quizzically as though expecting her to answer a question that no one had asked, however Cliff looked absent-mindedly at the sky like nothing was happening.
"Erm... yes, so let's just... enjoy the picnic." Karen said quickly stuffing another sandwich into her mouth. Everyone resumed eating, pretending that nothing had happened. Grey clouds soon appeared in the sky signalling it was time for them to take cover.
"Looks like rain, so much for perfect weather." Cliff said beckoning for them to take shelter under one of the bushes on the hill. The rain began to pour, with giant raindrops the size of golf balls.
"It's raining really hard..." Ann said, dodging a giant drop headed her way. Suddenly lightening zipped across the sky, lighting it up. Popuri jumped and screamed, making everyone else jump with her. Kai wrapped his arms protectively around her and Popuri cooed happily. Cliff edged nervously closer and brought Ann into a tight hug, while Karen and Rick awkwardly watched the raindrops.
"I say we make a run for it." Karen said determinedly. Popuri shook her head wide eyed while Ann assessed the situation.
"No I don't wanna!" Popuri whined, looking at Kai for support.
"Looking at the size of those raindrops, I'd say it'd be a gamble." Ann said edging further back into the bush.
"Water never harmed anyone." Karen pointed out.
"Yeah but think of the lightning, I'd say the storm is right overhead, I wouldn't go out in that." Cliff said wisely as he watched a water droplet trickle down his nose.
"I say we stay here then, who's with me?" Kai said sitting down as a sign of his rebellion. Popuri nodded and sat down delicately on his lap.
"Yeah, let's stay here until it clears up." Ann said, sitting down too. Cliff sat down next to her and nodded.
"Well I'm going anyway, Rick are you coming?" Karen asked, her eyes willing him to obey her.
"Erm... sure okay. I'll come with you." Rick said, glancing back between her and the storm. Karen smiled warmly and waved goodbye to the others. She then dashed out into the storm, water splashing around her. Rick reluctantly followed, getting hit by giant raindrops on the way.
The cool rain dripped down her skin as her clothes saturated completely. The thin shirt Rick was wearing was soaked and it clung to his thin frame. They reached the Goddess pond, and Karen gave up, dashing into the mine for shelter. Rick ducked in with her breathing heavily.
"I'm freezing." She said shivering.
"Me too." Rick said, wiping the steam off his glasses.
"I'm sorry, this is my fault, I hope we don't catch pneumonia." She said worriedly. Rick nodded in agreement and sniffed.
"What do we do now?" He asked. Karen shrugged and sat down on a boulder.
"I guess we wait out the storm." She said. He nodded and took a seat next to her on the boulder. He nervously wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. Karen's heart fluttered as a conflict raged inside her. Although she and Rick were close friends again, she didn't know if she wanted to open up that can of worms again. She still felt guilty after Jack's death, it hadn't been that long.
"Too fast?" He asked nervously removing his arms.
"No." She replied, before she realised what she was saying. Rick grinned and wrapped his arms around her again. They sat there for a while, on the cold boulder, sharing each others limited warmth.
"Karen..." Rick said after a while removing his arms again and turning to face her.
"Hmmm...?" Karen asked softly.
"I'm sorry." He said warmly. Karen looked at him, her eyes wide.
"What for?" She asked. Rick laughed nervously and looked at the muddy floor.
"Everything. I've been... a terrible person. Since we broke up... I don't know who I've been, not the Rick you used to know that's for sure. I've done terrible things to you for the last few years and I'm so sorry. Now here I am, thinking I have the right to hug you again, like nothing's changed. I'm so sorry." Rick said.
Karen saw water drip from his eyes, wondering whether it was just the rain or actual tears. She had no idea what to say, what Rick had said was true. He'd ruined her life for the last few years and yet, the Rick she'd known for the last year and all those years before was different. She had loved that Rick and he'd only changed when she had dumped him for Jack. Jack being gone had changed him for the better and now Jack was gone forever. Karen leaned close to Rick and kissed him gently on the lips, they were warm on hers. Rick was shocked and Karen felt his heart beat faster in his chest. After a while Karen looked Rick in the eyes again, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, I... can't... Jack." She said bursting into tears. She stood up suddenly and dashed into the rain, leaving a shocked Rick sitting in the mine.
She headed to the sea, forgetting about the rain beating hard against her and the thunder roaring at her. She stood on the beach and looked out over the sea. A thin mist was floating above the sea, like a giant white ghost. Karen's face was sore from the cold and she felt the rain sting her harder like angry wasps.
"I'm sorry Jack." She screamed into the sea. "You hear me, I'm sorry." The oceans roared harder, crashing against the sand. The thunder and the sea roared together at her, as though teaming up to punish her. She collapsed on the beach crying into the white sand.
"Please Jack forgive me..." She whispered, her throat sore and her voice hoarse from screaming.
"Forgive me..."She whispered, falling into a deep trance. A fog was around her and everything was warm and fuzzy, she was where the storm couldn't hurt her anymore. There she saw Jack, standing in front of her, alive and healthy.
"Jack, you're not dead, you're alive!" She exclaimed running over to him. But he didn't get any nearer.
"I'm sorry Jack." She shouted at him, but he just stared serenely at her.
"Karen I'm dead. Don't apologise, forget me, I'm gone." He said smoothly, his voice echoed angelically, he was glowing his face lit like a golden sun.
"No, don't leave me please." She screamed at him, running towards him again.
"Karen, you're asleep, wake up. Please wake up. Karen, please." Jack said, but his voice had begun to sound like Ann's. Karen blinked and he was gone, she was lying in the hospital bed. Ann was standing over her begging her to wake up.
"Jack?" Karen said weakly, her eyes searched the room for him.
"Jack's dead Karen." Ann reminded her worriedly. Karen sighed and relaxed her head on the soft white pillow.
"He's really gone." She agreed, looking at Ann. Ann nodded and gave Karen a hug.
"You fainted on the beach and Rick found you. He even carried you to the hospital, who knew he had that kind of strength..." Ann said laughing. Karen smiled weakly, and made a gesture showing she wanted water. Ann nodded and retrieved a glass of water for her. She then handed it to Karen and watched as she gulped it down gratefully.
"Popuri went out to get us tea, we've been with you all night." Ann said smiling.
"How many times has Jack indirectly put me in hospital now?" Karen joked, putting the glass on the drawer next to her.
"Only two surprisingly, though it seems like more." Ann said seriously. "So Rick told us what happened..."
"Really?" Karen said raising her eyebrows and Ann nodded. "I still miss him you know."
"I know." Ann said sympathetically. "So what happened with you and Rick?" She asked, trying hard not to sound gloating.
"Erm... didn't he tell you? I would have thought, being Rick, he would have." Karen said coldly. Ann's eyes widened and she shook her head slowly, showing she had no idea.
"He really is changing then. Well we were in the mine getting out of the rain and he... wrapped his arms around me. Then he asked if it was too soon, so I said no, without thinking really. I don't know what came over me, I just... didn't think. So then he apologised for everything and went on about how he had been a jerk. He was a jerk, he was the jerkiest jerk in all of jerktown and I... arghhh." Karen explained her face reddening with anger.
"Well anyway, I said things are different now and so... I...I...I kissed him, okay? It was dumb I know and feel terrible about it, I can't believe I did that to Jack!" She said sounding hysterical. Ann took a deep breath and sat down on Karen's bed.
"Karen, Jack is dead. So you might as well move on and Rick has changed. Everyone else has a boyfriend so, unless you want to live alone with twenty cats, you should give Rick a chance. Try being like you were, I know he'll never quite replace Jack, but at least you won't die alone..." Ann said, trying her best to cheer Karen up. By Karen's face she could tell she was not impressed, Ann sighed and looked hopefully at the doorway, waiting for Popuri.
"Where is Poe with that tea...?" Ann said awkwardly and Karen shrugged. Right on cue Popuri pushed through the far too white swing doors with two cups of tea in her hand.
"Sorry, I could only carry two so I didn't bring one for Karen, do you think she'll mind... oh Karen, you're awake! That's great... you can have my tea!" Popuri said quickly, sounding like a mouse on caffeine.
"Poe, what have you been drinking?" Ann asked worriedly.
"Coffee, lots and lots of coffee. I wanted to stay awake so when Karen woke up from being all...like crazy so I drank lots of coffee. So now I feel kinda funny, but good funny. But enough about me, what happened with you and Rick, Karen? He seemed happy, did you kiss? You did, didn't you? Cool, you guys are gonna get married and then we'll be sisters-in-law!" Popuri said, not even stopping to take a breath. Ann and Karen sat with their mouths wide open staring astounded at Popuri.
"Popuri..." Ann began looking worried,
"Yeah?" Popuri asked with a scarily big smile on her face.
"Lay off the caffeine." Ann said. Popuri pouted and groaned when Ann went off to talk to her and tell her what happened with Karen and Rick, while Karen got rid of the headache Popuri had so kindly given her. When they returned Popuri looked even more excited and Ann looked incredibly frustrated. Ann looked at her watch quickly and sighed.
"It's two in the morning. Karen, do you want us to leave you to get some sleep?" Ann said kindly. Karen could tell that the part she had missed out purposely was "so we can get some sleep too".
"Yeah alright." Karen said with a nod, even though she wanted to protest that she'd been knocked out and had already slept enough.
"Oh, but I wanted to stay!" Popuri whined her puppy-dog eyes shining. Ann hastily dragged Popuri out of the room and waved goodbye to Karen. All Karen could hear after that was the distant voice of Popuri shouting "bye Karen"! Karen relaxed her head on her marshmallow soft pillow.
Her head was buzzing with the many thoughts that were in her mind, mainly the Rick and Jack situation. But there was still the fact nagging in her brain that Jack was in fact dead. She looked around the room, listening to the whirring of the hospital equipment and wondering how Elli and the doctor could sleep living above all the machinery. Karen closer her eyes, trying to empty her mind of all thought and concentrating on getting some rest.
She felt like she could never sleep again, so much had happened and every trouble in her life had been caused by the one thing that had ever truly been good in it, Jack. Soon the room began to blur and she slipped into her dreams, where Jack would dwell for the entire night.
She was woken in the morning by the sounds of her parents bursting through the milk white swing doors of the hospital. Her mother nudged Karen awake and stroked her forehead gently. Annoyance bubbled up in Karen, here where some of the last people she wanted to see waking her up.
"Morning sweetie, how did you sleep?" Sasha asked fluffing her pillows delicately.
"Great, I was unconscious." Karen said sarcastically. Jeff timidly gave her a hug and handed her a croissant they had freshly bought from the inn. Sasha seemed unfazed by Karen's rude comment and continued fluffing her pillows.
"Sweetie, you know I meant after you were unconscious." Sasha said her teeth gritted.
"Fine." Karen said casually, munching at her croissant.
"Well how are you feeling now?" Sasha asked taking a seat at the end of Karen's bed and making it sink uncomfortably low.
"Great, my head hurts, I was woken up when I really needed my rest and now my legs are falling asleep because you're sitting on them!" Karen yelled. Sasha stood up quickly looking shocked.
"Well you obviously need your sleep. We'll come back later." Sasha said quickly looking at Jeff in horror.
"Don't bother." Karen murmured. Sasha scowled and stormed out of the hospital followed quickly by Jeff, leaving Karen with a fulfilled feeling in her gut. A few minutes later Rick walked in looking rather worried.
"Hey Karen, you're Mom and dad looked upset, is everything alright?" Rick asked glancing at the doorway as if formulating an escape plan.
"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" Karen said casually looking at the wall.
"Erm... well no reason I guess. I came to make sure you were alright and you look okay... I mean great... I mean beautiful. That is to say you look sick... but not bad sick... I mean you always look good... at least to me." Rick finished looking at Karen hopefully. Karen just stared at him wide-eyed watching Rick sweat with satisfaction.
"I'm fine." She said shortly. She then looked at Rick expectantly waiting for him to go. But she knew he wouldn't. Being Rick, she knew he couldn't resist asking the question that he'd come to ask, all she had to do was wait.
"Erm... about last night..." Rick began scratching his head in panic. Karen raised her eyebrows dangerously, just what she'd been expecting.
"What about last night?" She asked sounding innocent. She watched Rick's every move analysing his body language and his expression. She could tell he was worried, he had no idea what to say next. She watched him swallow, "this should be too easy" she thought.
"You kissed me, remember. You said you forgave me. I don't know what that means for us, or if it means anything. So just tell me what you want, do you want to be friends or more?" Rick asked sounding calm.
Karen could tell how many times he had practised his little speech in front of his bedroom mirror. But she was impressed, almost amazed, Rick almost sounded like he knew what he was saying. For once she had no idea what to say back to him, she couldn't tell from his body language what he was thinking.
"Well... I don't know. I'm still not over Jack and his death... I don't know if I'm ready to move on." She said, she had decided to be honest with him.
"I know it's hard for you and I know it still hurts. But I only want to support you in... recovering, whether that means as your friend... or more." Rick said taking a deep breath. She was very impressed, he had anticipated what she would say and had already practiced a speech. She wondered how he'd found time to practice so thoroughly, but judging from the bags under his eyes she decided he had pulled an all-nighter.
"I don't know..." Karen said unsurely. Rick nodded and looked at the floor for a moment.
"Could we maybe give it a try? A try is all I'm asking for, just one date and we'll see how it goes, would that be okay?" He asked hopefully. She thought for a moment biting her lip.
"Okay, one date." She said after a while. Rick grinned from ear to ear, she could tell he was holding back a cheer. Instead he calmly nodded and exited the hospital, leaving Karen smiling.
Later that day Karen was released from hospital with a warning to take better care of herself. After that she headed over to the inn to explain what was happening with her and Rick. She found them sitting at one of the tables drinking hot chocolate. They smiled and greeted her with a huge hug, before offering her a large mug of creamy hot chocolate.
"I'm weaning Popuri off Coffee." Ann said pouring a shaking Popuri another mug of hot chocolate.
"Yeah, I had so much last night and a bit this morning. Fine quite a lot this morning, but I can stop any time, I swear." Popuri said, her hand shaking violently.
"You do know caffeine is a drug right?" Karen asked sipping her hot chocolate casually.
"What?" Popuri asked sounding shocked. Being a good girl the idea of taking drugs was awful to Popuri and the fact that she was addicted worse.
"It's not illegal though so don't worry. Just don't drink too much okay, try to just have one cup in the morning okay. You're young, you don't need coffee." Karen said knowledgably.
"She's right Poe. So anyway, would anyone like anything else?" Ann asked standing up. Karen and Popuri shook their heads and drained their mugs of hot chocolate quickly. Ann standing up was a sign that she wanted their mugs to clean, she adored cleaning.
"So where and when are ya gonna have the date?" Ann asked washing up the cups lovingly.
"I don't know, it's all up to Rick." Karen said with a shrug. Ann nodded and put the cups back where they belonged.
"Wouldn't you rather help pick? So even if it's a drag with Rick you can still enjoy where you actually go." Ann asked.
"And how many exciting places do you know here, ones that wouldn't be a drag if Rick's dull?" Karen asked. Ann looked at the floor in silence.
"Exactly." She said smugly, smiling that she had won.
"Well I think you should let Rick decide. So you can see how much he's willing to treat you and how much he thinks about what you would like." Popuri said twiddling a strand of her bright pink hair.
"That's a great idea Poe!" Karen said making Popuri blush and giggle, it was not often someone complemented Popuri's ideas.
"So it's decided I'll let him decide where we go and as for where... I'd say the 25th is a good day, it's after all the major spring festivals." Karen said. Popuri and Ann nodded in approval.
"So... what are you guys going to do now?" Ann asked boredly. Karen shrugged and Popuri continued twiddling her hair.
"We've got nothing to do." Karen said and Popuri nodded in agreement.
"Huh. Well that's odd." Ann said shrugging.
"Yeah." Popuri said. So for the next hour they sat discussing what they could do and each rejecting ideas.
"It's like old times, not a lot going on." Ann said smiling. Karen chuckled and Popuri giggled softly.
"It's true, a lot's gone on this past year, it all got so much more interesting when Jack came." Popuri said.
"And more confusing." Karen added. They sighed and lay on the oak table.
"We should work at our jobs harder." Popuri said. Karen and Ann looked at Popuri strangely.
"Poe, do you even have a job?" Karen asked curiously.
"Yeah." Popuri said looking at Ann to back her up but she shrugged.
"What do you do?" Ann inquired.
"Erm... well I used to help with the chickens at the poultry farm. Now I'm a professional housewife!" Popuri exclaimed happily, making Ann and Karen sigh.
"I'm... gonna go now." Karen said edging away from Popuri.
"I wish I could." Ann said sadly and she dashed up the stairs. They went, leaving Popuri alone, wondering why everyone had gone.
