I'd like to thanks 3 people who really lighten my days lately! abbieseal, LucyRider17 and miaparker, your reviews are such a great pleasure that I can't say thank you enough! I post a new chapter in the evening and when I wake up the next day I always find a nice review. So really, thank you. When you write a story, you have doubts, you have questions, and when you read such sweet comments, you're just ecstatic! (PS : now you know I'm addicted to you, please, never stop reviewing!)
Also, I'd like to thank those of you who read the story and don't review. I know you're there, and it's a big support.
Soul mates
"Malcolm, do what you have to do with that bloody tattoo. Thomas, ask me whatever you need to know and I'll answer, ok?" Alexandra commanded them as soon as she entered the room. She had gone directly to the lab after her altercation with Damon and Lucas. They both nodded, quite surprised by the turn of events.
"Where's Lucas?" Thomas asked.
"He's not coming," Alexandra cut coldly. "Now, let's work. We have already wasted enough time."
Alexandra was angry. She had a lot of mood swings recently and today was not an exception. Too many things had already happen in one morning. She wanted to take her life back under control. Focusing on the work she had to do was the best solution she had found.
"I've got plans. Maybe you can tell me which one looks like the one your father used," Thomas said, not wasting time.
"Okay, we do that."
Thomas reached for his plex and launched a hologram, projecting plans on the wall.
"Do you recognize this?"
"No."
"And this one?"
"No..."
"Okay, this one maybe?"
"Yes! Well, no. I mean, it´s almost this one, but different."
"Okay, show me. What's different?" Thomas inquired.
"It was not that big, and… this was not round, it was a square."
"Okay, can you… Can you modify directly on the plex?"
"You know what, I'm not very good with that. Do you have some paper and a pen? I think I can draw this plan now I know what you want."
"Uh… Malcolm?"
"Yep, I've got some paper somewhere," he replied, searching for it. "Found it," he beamed, giving it to Alexandra.
She grabbed the paper and a pen and started drawing the plan she had in mind. Thomas was standing behind her, staring at her work.
"Do you really need to be that close?" She inquired, upset. She didn't like to be observed.
"He needs to see what you're doing," a familiar voice said.
"Wow, Lucas, what happened to your face?" Thomas asked.
"He met someone's fist," Alexandra replied quickly without looking at him. "So, Thomas, once I've finished that, what else should I do?"
"I'd like to scan your tattoo," Malcolm interfered in their conversation.
"Okay," she nodded simply.
The rest of the afternoon was spent working on the portal and on everything Alexandra knew that could help. Lucas didn't try to argue with her again. She casted a few quick glances at him, but nothing like staring.
Malcolm had scanned her tattoo and had studied it with Lucas. The calculations seemed complete. All they needed was a new portal and calculate the entry point to insert into the calculations. Lucas was really thrilled by the news. Soon, he should be able to travel through time again. Maybe even create a new time fracture and not use the one Charles had created.
"Ok, I really need to go now," Thomas said, stretching his aching body. "I'm hungry and tired. I'm not gonna be very helpful as long as my stomach is empty and I don't have my quota of sleep. I'm off."
"Ah, I'd better go too. I haven't finished some work at my lab and it needs to be done," Malcolm continued.
"Shall we meet tomorrow at… 8?" Thomas asked Lucas.
"8, that's perfect. Good night guys."
Alexandra looked at the two men leaving and noticed Lucas staring at her. That was it, he was doing this thing again.
"It's just the two of us then," he smiled playfully.
"O-kayyyy," she frowned. "I guess I should go too," she mumbled.
"Or you could stay," he said in a longing voice.
"Like that could happen," she grimaced.
Someone clearing her throat made the two of them turned their heads to the door.
"Maddy?" Alexandra grimaced. She had a strange feeling of déjà vu. "What's going on?"
"I have to give you this," she said, handing her a piece of paper carefully folded.
"What is it?" She asked, perplexed.
"I don't know. I didn't open it. He just said to give it to you."
"He?"
"Damon."
With no time to stop him, Lucas stole the paper from Maddy's hand and ran behind his desk.
"Well, well, well," he smiled mischievously. "What does our dear friend have to say?"
"Lucas!" Alexandra warned him.
Lucas hid the note in his pocket and folded his arms on his chest proudly.
"Give it to me," Alexandra commanded him, holding her hand open in front of him.
"Nope."
"Lucas," she growled. "Give it to me," she insisted.
"Come and get it then," he challenged her, an arrogant smile on his face.
Alexandra held his gaze and walked slowly to him. She stopped inches away from him and ran her fingers lightly across his belt, dangerously close to his sex, making him stiffen. Lucas had to fight to keep his breath steady. Then she slowly but surely let her fingers go into his pocket and grab the paper, well aware of the arousal growing up next to her hand.
"Thank you," she said, a playful smile spreading all over her face.
"You're welcome," he eventually managed to say.
"I'm running late. Maddy, I'm comin' with you," she told her friend. "Good night, Lucas." She reached the door, then stopped. "See you here at 8," she grinned without looking behind her.
"Here at 8, yes," he smirked, his heart still pounding in his chest. Oh no, he was not going to miss her the next day. Yet, he had another plan for the two of them and she would see him earlier than she thought.
When Alexandra came back home, she was surprised to find Trinity waiting for her. She was pacing in front of her house, mumbling incomprehensible things.
"Hello…" Alexandra started.
"Alex, look, I know you've been through a lot and all, but you can't come back like that and destroy everything I took so long to build," Trinity blurted out without any warning.
"Pardon?"
"You're sweet, I like you, but here, no, you can't do that," she continued.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you know how Damon was when you disappeared? He was a mess, blaming himself for everything that had happened. It took me months to bring him back to the man he was. And now, you've come back and it's like he forgot the last year with me. I have never seen him happy like that before. He smiles again like he used to. And it's not thanks to me."
"I'm… I'm sorry, but are you blaming me because he seems happy again?"
"Yes! No! I mean… I'm happy for him, but…"
"Trinity, what are you trying to tell me?"
"I want you to let him go," she said seriously.
"Let him go? Where? I'm lost."
"God, I've never thought I would one day have this kind of conversation," she muttered to herself.
"Wait, what kind of conversation?"
"The kind of 'don't touch this guy, he's mine'," she replied hopelessly.
"You want Damon?" Alexandra couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from kicking up.
"Yes," she answered eagerly, almost desperately.
"And you're asking me if I'm okay?" Alexandra grinned in disbelief.
"Yes."
"You don't need my permission for that, neither does he!" She chuckled awkwardly.
"Oh yes, I need it, and so does he."
"Okay, calm down Trinity. I don't have that kind of responsibilities! If Damon wants to be with you, and if you want to be with him, then I have nothing to say about it!"
"You… He… I don't exist if you're around."
"Don't say that." Trinity's pain was hurting Alexandra's feelings.
"It's true! No one else does."
"It's just Damon's way to prove to me that he's happy I'm back. Nothing more."
"I don't want to be afraid to lose him each time you call him. He rushes up every time to rescue you," she confessed. Alexandra's heart sank at her visible sadness. If she was honest, she knew Trinity was not lying. Damon had always been there for her, and above all since she was back.
"I'm sorry. I've never asked him to do that. And I swear to you, if I had known you were together, I would have never… It won't happen again."
"Wait… Huh… We're not together. I mean, we were like… It was almost like we were, before you came back."
"I know I might have been a little bit… possessive with him in the past. But he knows I don't love him. Maybe he's a little bit confused because I'm back, that's all," she tried to reassure her.
"I don't want to be his second choice."
"Trinity, you have nothing to worry about. I won't steal Damon from you. I love him, more than a simple friend, yet not as much as a boyfriend. He's more like a brother to me. I'd really like to see him with someone like you."
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"I feel so stupid…"
"It's okay," she swore. "I won't tell anyone you played the jealous and possessive girl," she taunted her.
"Right," Trinity smiled for the first time, her anxiousness gone for good. "Very sympathetic of you."
"I know," she laughed. "I'm this kind of friend!"
"What's so funny, girls?" A voice asked from behind them. They both turned to see Damon, looking dubiously at them.
Trinity's cheek blushed in a second, leading Alexandra to beam. She found her very refreshing. Trinity was really genuine and Alexandra would do her best to help her to go out with Damon. She was sure it could work.
"Nothing of your interest," Alexandra responded.
"Okay, I better go," Trinity said. "Oh, and Alex, thanks."
"You're welcome," she replied gently.
Damon watched trinity leave. Once she was gone, he turned his glance back to Alexandra who was staring at him with a simper on her face.
"Hi," he said sheepishly.
"Hi," she smiled lightly.
"I wanted to apologize for…"
"Let me guess, your stupidity?" She mocked.
"Alex…"
"Your macho attitude?"
"Alex," he shook his head, smiling.
"Oh I know, maybe your total lack of self control."
"Ok I've got it! I've been a dick. Happy?"
"Not yet," she teased him. He stopped her before she could speak again, putting his hand on her mouth.
"Shhh…" He chuckled, amused. "I'm really sorry," he said, serious again.
"It's okay," she said. "I read your note."
"You did? I wasn't sure you would receive it."
"Well, I managed to," she smiled, thinking about what she had done to have it back.
"So, we are okay?"
"Come on," she invited him, opening her arms for a hug. He exhaled, relieved. He took her in his arms and carried her suddenly in the air, making her turn. She uttered a little cry, laughing.
"You're mad," she grinned when he put her back on her feet.
"Not as much as you," he mocked.
"We are so similar," she said thoughtfully.
"We would be great together."
"Don't start…" She sighed.
"But it's true!"
"Damon, you know me well and I know you well. That's why I'm sure you knew that trying to kiss me after the party or fight with Lucas wouldn't really help you win me over," she said honestly. It was time for her to clear a few things up with him. "I think you did it because you thought I was going to go back to Lucas and that maybe, if you tried first to be with me, it might end differently. Am I wrong?"
"No," he confessed sadly.
"You don't have to think like that."
"You know, I wished many times that you would have never met him so you would have been with me."
"Maybe, maybe not. Damon…" She thought about what she wanted to say. Maybe it was a good time to tell him the truth after all. Time to give him back his freedom. "I know you love me and I'm sure you know I love you too. I know you would make me happy, but I'm not sure I would make you happy. I would not love you enough, not as much as you do, not as much as you deserve to be loved."
"It would be enough. Having you would already be enough," he replied eagerly.
"No, it wouldn't. We are there for each other, we care for each other. You know me and I know you. We work together as a team and we are good at it. But I've experienced… something else before you. Another kind of relationship that made the difference."
"Passion."
"I don't know what it is… was. But it's too late. I consider you like a brother. I would do anything for you but I can't give you this one thing you're asking me for. I'm sorry."
"I can give you time… To think. I know you feel something for me. I can sense how I make you feel… Physically. I make you nervous."
"Damon, I love you so much. But I don't want to be your girlfriend. I don't want all the stuff that goes with it. I just want us the way we are now. I want to feel free to love you as a friend, the greatest friend I see in you. I don't want to continue feeling this awkwardness that had installed between us. If you don't think it's possible then maybe we should... Maybe we should stop seeing each other."
"If I was him, I would have never let you go."
"But you're not him," she replied more harshly than she intended.
"If you say so," he said, clearly annoyed.
"It would not be fair to let you believe that something could happen between us, Damon. The fact that I'm not with Lucas is not going to help you."
"I'm still waiting for you to realize how wrong you are."
"I am not the one. I am not your one."
"Alex, I love you. But clearly you love Lucas and even if I don't like to admit it, he loves you too. You have some strange force field effect on each other. Physicists should study it," Damon chuckled drearily. "And I can't compete with your love, it's too strong, too deep… too unique. Like soul mates." Damon had suddenly found the word he had searched for so long to define her relationship with Lucas. It was obvious for him now that he clearly had to move on.
"Damon…" She sighed, shutting her eyes. "It's not about Lucas. It's not about you. It's me. I told you that." Alexandra was embarrassed by Damon's insinuation. She was trying hard to stay away from Lucas and apparently she was not doing a great job. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry it happened. But I just can't help it."
"I guess it's okay. I can't blame you for being honest, can I?" He gave her a small smile.
"No, I guess you can't."
"I just need to find someone else to fall in love with. Easy task," he mused.
"I know someone who might be interested," she grinned. It seemed to lighten his mood.
"And who would that be?" He smiled crookedly.
"Trinity."
"Trin?"
"Yes,Trin," she mocked. "This little blond girl you're working with sometimes…"
"No, she likes me, but…"
"But she's so ugly, stupid and all, not very your type," she taunted him.
"Shut up," he shoved her, embarrassed.
Alexandra knew Damon would not forget about her so fast, but it was a good start. Trinity was going to be the solution to this problem. Not that Damon was a problem, but his envy of being with her was not helping. Alexandra was going to do everything that she could to make them go together. She wanted him to be happy and it was what he would be. It was the least she could do for him. And knowing he would be in good hands once she'd be gone was a sweet idea to cling to.
