Rolling in the deep
Zandra stood by the bay windows, looking outside with her arms crossed over her chest. Paris stood and watched her for a few seconds before sighing deeply.
''Are you okay?'' He asked, unnecessarily since he knew the answer already. Zandra slowly turned around and faced him with a sad look onto her face.
''No. How about you?'' She asked. Paris thought for a second before shrugging his shoulders.
''I don't know.'' Is was all that he was able to say. Zandra looked at him for another second before placing both of her hands onto the back of her neck.
''I don't know what I'm suppose to be thinking right now.'' She mumbled and looked away, outside again.
''It's a lot to take in. My head is spinning, so I can't even imagine what you're feeling.'' She said, still with her back towards him.
''You know, I grew up without my dad...'' Paris began but he was soon interrupted by Zandra, who now turned around and walked over to him.
''It would not be that way. You will love this baby, and you'll be there for everything. And we can work out a way to be together.'' She placed both of her left hand onto his shoulders and cupped his cheek with the other.
''Don't let her do this.'' She said again as a tear ran down her cheek. Paris embraced her and pulled her close to him.
''Don't let her take you away from me.'' She whispered as she clutched hard onto his uniform jacket.
Fiona stood smiling at them. Musa was the first one up onto her feet and practically ran over to her and the two friends hugged.
''You look great.'' Musa said as they broke apart. And she did. There was a new glow and energy about Fiona, one that they haven't seen for a really long time. It looked like her time away this last couple of months had been healthy for her.
''Thanks, I feel great.'' Fiona replied her with a big smile and Riven walked over to her and the two shared a hug as well. Fiona looked over at Tulio and her smile faded slightly. The two looked at each other for a moment.
''Hi.'' She said quietly. Tulio smiled back at her slightly and replied with a hi.
Paris and Zandra broke apart again and she dried a tear away from her cheek before folding her arms across her chest again.
''I'm sorry that you and Chel were lied to. I know that you would be married right now if that hadn't happen.'' She said sadly.
''But it did, and now things are different. But you need to think long and hard about what it is that you really want! Because whatever that is, that choice is final.'' She added, making Paris at her and he knew that Zandra was like her brother in that way. If she gave you her word, that's that. No turning back.
''And I'm not ready to let you go.'' She said with a hint of her confident and fearless tone in her voice, but Paris knew how scared she really was. He smiled slightly before looking down into the floor.
''Me and Chel... we would have been married. And could we go back at this point? There is so much that had happened, only in a few weeks.'' He said and looked towards the windows and sighed before turning back to her slowly.
''But one thing, one amazing thing that happened because of all of this, is being with you. And I've gotten to know you on this level, deeper probably then when we were together last time.'' He smiled over at her, by the thought of the last couple of weeks that they had spent together. Zandra, she was... uncomplicated. She didn't play mind-games and she was always straight forward. It was one of the many things that Paris feel for from the very beginning.
''All that we share, I don't doubt for a moment what we could be. The life we could have together.'' He added. This making Zandra smile slightly in a hopeful way. She took a step closer to him and placed both of her palms at the back of his neck.
''We can get beyond this.'' She said. Paris sighed.
''Can we?'' He said and frowned his eyebrows and placed his hands onto her waist.
''Yes, it's maybe not the life we always imagined but it's ours and we can still have it. Everything we wished and dreamed for can still be ours.'' She smiled, but it soon faded away into a serious look.
''Forget about what you think is right. Start with now, start with you. What do you want?'' She asked.
''Don't think about me, Chel or Jack wants. What do you want? It's a simple question, and it has a simple answer.'' She added. Paris sighed in frustration. The problem was, he wasn't a hundred percent sure what he wanted.
Musa and Riven left a few minutes with her bags, leaving only Fiona and Tulio alone together. Another few awkward seconds past before they both decided to speak, only to do it at the same time. They laughed slightly.
''You go first.'' She smiled. Tulio sighed and nodded.
''You do look much better.'' He said. Her smile grew wider and she looked down into the floor for a moment before back up at him, flipping her fringe away from her face.
''I know that it might be a lot to ask for, but I need to see Amazonia.'' She said, Tulio was about to protest, but she spoke again before he could.
''There is a couple of things that I need to say to her, and I need to apologize. To both of you!'' She added. Tulio folded his arms across his chest and shook his head while he looked down into the floor.
''I don't think I'm comfortable to leave you to alone, not after what happened last time.'' He said and looked back up at her again. He did think that Fiona looked to feel much better, and he maybe was slightly over protective, but after Amazonia feel down the stairs, could anyone really blame him? Fiona nodded her head and ran a hand through her hair.
''Please Tulio.'' She pleaded. Tulio sighed again and thought for a second before telling her to follow him.
Paris and Zandra stood beside each other, leaning against the desk. Paris sighed and took her hand in his and kissed it.
''You give me so much joy, and you have since day one. You were so good, beautiful.'' He said, Zandra couldn't help to prevent her from smiling slightly.
''I used to believe that love meant wanting to be with someone, all the time, all my life. And that's true, but I didn't expect that love would make me wanting to be somebody. Something better, stronger, wiser... worthy.'' He said quietly.
''You asked me what I want. You said that it's a simple question, with a simple answer and I get that now. And what I want... is to be that man that you see, when you look at me.'' He said before his voice died out. Zandra nodded, but she frowned her eyebrows like she didn't understand what he meant. Paris took a deep breath again before continuing.
''And I know that man would never walk away from a child that he conceived in love.'' He said and Zandra could see it in his eyes.
''I want to be with Chel and the baby.'' He said. She tried to prevent them from coming, but the tears ran down her cheeks.
Tulio walked inside his and Amazonia's bedroom, seeing her standing by the bed, folding a tiny knitted sweater and placed it down onto the bed. She smiled as he walked over towards her.
''Fiona is back, she wants to talk to you.'' He said, slightly concerned. Amazonia seemed to be slightly taken back and didn't say anything for a second or two, before slowly nodding her head.
''Okay.'' She said and put her hands onto her hips and stretched her back slightly.
''I'm going to be right outside if you need me.'' He said. She tilted her head slightly and frowned her eyebrows.
''Now you're not being fair.'' She said with a serious tone. Tulio raised his hands in defence and shrugged his shoulders.
''Just in case.'' He added before going back over to the door and opened it for Fiona to step inside. Tulio gave Amazonia a look before going outside and closed the door after him. The two young women looked at each other for a few seconds before Fiona smiled slightly.
''Hi.'' She said. Amazonia smiled back and said hi back. Another second past.
''You look great, you really do.'' Fiona added, making Amazonia to smile wider.
''So do you.'' She laughed slightly and Fiona did the same, before her smile faded away and she looked down into the floor in shame as she took two steps closer to her and looked up to face her.
''I'm not expecting for your forgiveness. But I need you to know, I never meant for you to fall down the stairs.'' She said quietly, making Amazonia's smile fade away into a more serious look instead.
''I know.'' She said and nodded.
''I will always love Tulio and he'll always be an important part in my life. But I know that he loves you, and I was so angry and I guess I just needed someone to blame.'' Fiona said before her voice died out.
''But I'm not angry anymore.'' She added. Amazonia sighed and nodded her head before she herself looked down into the floor for a second before looking back up.
''I'm glad you feel that way, because it was never my intention to hurt you or cause you any pain.'' She said. Fiona smiled and nodded her head.
''I know that now. And maybe one day, we might even be able to be friends.'' She said. Amazonia smiled again and nodded her head in agreement.
''I'd like that.'' She said. Fiona reached her hand out for a friendly handshake and Amazonia reached out hers.
Zandra ran down the corridor and down the stairs the fast as she could. She just wanted to run away and be alone, but this was not going to happen as Paris chased after her.
''Zan! Zandra, wait!'' He called after her as she ran outside into the gardens and he followed her.
''What?'' She yelled and turned around. Paris caught up with her and stopped in front of her and caught his breath for a second.
''Do you remember your seventh birthday?'' He asked and placed his hands onto his waist. Zandra got confused and slightly angry as she frowned her eyebrows.
''What?'' She asked.
''Because I do. And my eight, ninth and all the others after that.'' He said.
''All those nights when I laid awake in my bed surrounded by all my presents thinking; Wow so many people love me in my life, why not my dad? Or my mom, where are they and why can't they be here?'' Zandra started to sob again and looked down into the ground. Paris looked at her for a few seconds.
''We should have been together and have all this together. This was everything that we wanted.'' He said. Zandra looked up at him again with smudged mascara and she brushed it off the best she could with her finger.
''What about this time we've been together, didn't it mean anything to you?'' Zandra asked. Paris shook his head and took her hands in his.
''It meant everything, I can't even describe to you how much you mean me.''
''Then why Paris?'' She said. Paris had to grit his teeth slightly as he looked at her.
''Because some things can't be undone. Too much has happened.'' He said and his voice died out. Zandra turned away to look in a different direction and pressed her arms as close to her chest as she could.
''And I hate this, whatever decision I make someone is going to get hurt. I don't want to hurt Chel, I don't want to you, I don't want to hurt anybody.'' Paris voice died out and Zandra turned around to look at him again.
''I know that she loves you, and I know that you love her. But no one will ever love you, the way that I do.'' She sniffled quietly and he cupped her cheeks with his palms and pulled her face closer to this and pressed his lips together with hers. They pulled away slightly and leaned their foreheads against each other. Paris dried a tear running down Zandra's cheek with his thumb. Then she walked back over to the door leading inside, and just before she was about to go through it, she turned back and looked at him again. Their eyes meet and they looked at each other for a few seconds, before she disappeared back inside. Paris sighed and ran a hand through his hair and sat down onto the ground.
Jack, Breanna and Chel stood outside into the mansion courtyard, waiting nervously about what would happen next. Suddenly the entire courtyard filled up with a female voice.
''Section four, five and six get ready to take off to the ranch immediately.'' Zandra's voice said. Chel and Jack looked at each other wondering what was going on. Paris walked outside from the mansion and down the stairs towards them.
''What's going on?'' Jack asked his best friend.
''She's going back to the ranch and run things from there, for now at least.'' Paris sighed.
''You ended it?'' Jack asked hopefully. Paris nodded his head.
''Yeah, I know where I want to be.'' He said and looked over at Chel. They looked at each other for a few seconds before she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Paris wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a kiss onto her forehead.
''You made the right decision.'' Jack said and smiled over at them. Chel rested her head against Paris's chest and smiled over at Jack.
''I know I did.'' Paris replied him and wrapped his arm around Chel's shoulders.
''And now when Zandra leaves, I need you to move back here to help me run things.'' He said. Jack didn't want to, he wanted to stay with Breanna. But he knew that he couldn't argue, that would only raise suspicion.
''Of course.'' He said. Paris looked at Chel again, before down at her stomach.
''Can I?'' He said quietly before looking back up at her. Chel smiled and grabbed his hand.
''You never have to ask.'' She said and placed his hand on top of her stomach.
''It's kind of quiet in there.'' He said. Jack rolled his eyes and scoffed quietly. Breanna smiled and elbowed him.
''For now.'' She replied him with a wide smile. Paris still had his eyes focused onto Chel's stomach.
''Wow.'' He gasped slightly, it was still so surreal.
''We're having a baby.'' He smiled.
''We're having a baby.'' He said again, smiling even wider and cupped her cheek. Chel grinned from eyes to ear and nodded her head. Finally, she could be able to enjoy her pregnancy, and share it with the only man for her.
A little more than twenty minutes later, several of the ships were full and the others were close to being full as well. Chel and Paris still stood with Jack and Breanna and watched. They all got a glimpse of auburn hair and saw Zandra walking outside with Oliver and several other bringing her luggage outside. To hide the fact that she was in a weak and delicate position, Zandra had put her messy long hair into a messy bun at the top of her head and shielded her blood-shot eyes with a pair of sun-glasses. Paris sighed sadly, Chel noticed and took a hold of his hand and squeezed it lightly.
''She's going to be okay, she'll get over this.'' She said. Paris looked at the princess before back at his ex-girlfriend who now stood by one of the ships.
''I think it's more than that.'' Paris said sadly as he looked at the ships filled up. Chel and the others looked at him.
''What do you mean?'' Chel asked. Paris looked at her again and sighed before looking back over the court-yard.
''I don't think this is the only thing troubling her.'' Paris said.
''I think the worst thing for her is that you can give me a child… and she can't.'' He added before looking down at the ground. Chel and Breanna looked at him with sadden eyes.
''She… she can't have a baby?'' Chel asked quietly. Paris shook his head and looked up again.
''A few years ago, it was right before Leon brought her and Nick here. Her mom died during an car accident and her dad died a few days later at the hospital. Both she and Nick managed to get away unharmed.'' He said.
''Then some time later she found out by accident that she would not be able to get pregnant. The doctors couldn't say for sure but it's possible that something might have happened during the accident.'' He said.
''I think it bothers her more than what she would like to point out. I recognized the look in her face when you told me, it was the same one she had when she found out.'' Chel looked from Paris over to Zandra who now boarded the main ship, followed by Oliver and the door closed behind them before taking off.
After a quick visit with Bellator, Jack and Breanna went back to the beach-house for the night. Chel and Paris went inside and sat together into his study, watching the sky turn from light-blue to shades of red, orange, yellow and pink. Chel sat across his lap and rested her head against his chest and let out a deep and satisfied sigh. It was they hadn't been apart in the first place. All of the feelings and their love was still there, if not even stronger now because of the baby.
''Our first night together as a family, are you still a little overwhelmed?'' She asked. Paris thought for a second.
''Yeah, it's pretty unreal. I guess when you're waking me up at three in the morning to make you a peanut-butter and banana sandwich... then yeah.'' He said.
''Yeah, that will kick it in.'' She said. Paris chuckled and kissed her head. They sat there together in silence for a few minutes before Paris took a deep breath.
''There is something that I want to talk to you about.'' He said. Chel sat up slightly so that she could face him.
''Yes?'' She asked, slightly curious, enormously terrified that he was going to tell her that he had changed his mind.
''What I'm going to ask you, is a huge deal.'' He said and Chel frowned her eyebrows slightly and nodded.
''I want you and Teddy to move in here. As fast as possible.'' He added. The request seemed to catch Chel slightly off guard.
Zandra and the others walked out from the ships back at the ranch. When she stepped outside, she took a look at it and if felt just like the first time she sat her foot here. The time Nick had lied to her, believing that Paris betrayed her, and it felt just the same. She looked down at the dry ground beneath her and kicked into the dirt slightly. That same feeling of emptiness. She might be a warrior. But behind her armour, she's just an ordinary girl with feelings. She was soon snapped out of her thoughts when Oliver walked up besides her.
''Do you want anything?'' He asked her. She thought for a second before shaking her head.
''No, I just want to be left alone.'' She said before going inside and straight to her suite and looked the door behind her. She looked around the room and sighed. Everything was just like she had left it. She took of her high-heel boots and let them fall down to the floor without placing them neatly next to each other. Slowly, she walked over to the sitting area and sat down into one of the arm-chairs and sighed deeply. She sat there quietly for a few seconds before reaching down to the pocket of her uniform jacket and took out her cell-phone and went to the media file and started to browse through her pictures. Pictures of her and Paris together, then she broke out in tears again. She pulled up her knees close to her chest and rested her forehead into palm. Outside the windows, Oliver stood and watched her with a sadden expression. He felt so sorry for her.
So, Paris decided to go back to Chel and be with her, Teddy and the baby. Good or bad? And poor Zandra, she can't conceive a baby on her own. :-(
Fiona and Amazonia making peace? Is it even possible that they ever can become friends? And is Fiona really sincere with her apology?
Next time: Zandra takes the morning off to do an errand, Tulio will have to face Paris, he's not happy and Breanna's world both reaches that top and the bottom.