With this scene Episode 5 is finished (: It is much longer than the usual chapters but I hope you are going to like it.
Becoming a hero
(S01x05 – Part4/4)
Barbie was sitting on one of the beds at the corner a few feet away from the group of people watching as families and friends were sitting together talking quietly among each other and hoping against all odds that they would survive the next hour. He pressed his lips together in a tight line. Only few of them knew how small their chances actually were. He glanced at his left in time to see Phil putting music on. The tunes of Beethoven filled the air and Barbie suppressed a smile. He never would have guessed Phil liked classic music. He watched as the DJ looked around in content. Barbie took a deep breath leaning against the wall. These were their last minutes and even though he was sure no matter what he did now, he would end up in hell; God knows he had done enough terrible things to deserve it; he decided he needed to make some amends.
"Phil" he called out. The DJ turned his way, his eyes guarded and mistrusting, his steps careful as he slowly approached him. He could not blame him; their last meeting at the hospital wasn't the friendliest one. Actually neither of their meetings was.
"Beethoven?" He asked to start an easy enough conversation.
"Keeps the folk mellow." Phil answered with a half-smile and his shoulders dropped losing its tension. Barbie looked at his profile a moment longer before making up his mind and leaning down to take something from his backpack.
"Got something for you." He said and stood up, holding an old watch out for him.
"What are you doing?" Phil asked completely astonished as he carefully took the watch from his hand.
"It is your watch." Barbie said matter of factly as if it would explain everything.
"It is my grandfather's watch." Phil corrected frowning not completely understanding what was going on.
"Yeah, I figured it probably had some sentimental value." Barbie said with a half-smile.
"I bet on the Browns, Barbie. That is losing, fair and square." Phil was looking at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head. He was completely lost and confused.
"Well, maybe I am getting out of that line of work. Good luck Phil." Barbie said finally, folding his arms in front of his chest. And he meant it. He started to turn sentimental, maybe because of the death lurking close by, maybe because of the fact he had told Julia one of his most feared secret… Maybe because he against all odds wished he could be the hero he had never been and he never would be but one that everyone seemed to think he was.
As Phil walked away still not completely understanding what was going on, Barbie looked around and was not really surprised when his eyes landed on Julia. She was sitting alone, her knees pulled up as she drunk something from a plastic cup. And like ever since he had met her, his body started to move her way on its own accord but this time he stopped fighting against the invisible force pulling him to Julia. They only had minutes left, why fight the inevitable.
She looked up way before he reached her, proving his theory it was not just him who could feel whenever she was nearby. She could feel his presence too.
"Last call?" She asked and poured another cup of wine as he sat down next to her. "An editor gave me this bottle after my first byline. Been looking for a good excuse to drink it ever since." She added and offered the cup to him.
He took it from her putting the cup to his nose inhaling the sweet smell of the wine. He pulled one leg up resting his left arm on his knee as he glanced up to her. "It worth the wait?" He asked finally.
"It is horrible." Julia said with a half-smile and he had to laugh on that taking a sip from it. "My bosses always hate me." She added rolling her eyes.
They sat in silence for a moment before she stated to talk again. "You know, I still miss Chicago, but… Peter always said I would grow to love this place."
They were sitting there next to each other in a comfortable silence and things seemed to be easy again between them. It felt just so right and natural being with her as it was before the flu, as it always had been since they met.
"Where do you think he is now? Some flophouse in Vegas?" Julia asked suddenly and Barbie turned away in a slight annoyance. They were never going to get free from Peter's ghost…
"Julia…" It was all he could say. He did not want to spend the last of their minutes talking about Peter.
"Well, I made my peace with it." She said and for a moment her voice sounded as if she actually meant it. "Besides, maybe he was right. You know, I didn't understand the place before the dome came down. But now after everything we have been through…" Barbie stared at her in surprise. She sounded for the first time really in peace with the whole Peter situation. He also couldn't help but pick up on the way she trailed off. After everything they have been through. They who? The town or… "I am glad I got to be part of it." She said finally taking the cup from his hands and taking a sip herself.
Barbie was thinking hard about what he was about the say next. He wanted to make amends, he told Julia his deepest secret from military time and he wanted to tell her his other secret… the biggest one he had. She deserved to know. He had to tell her what really happened with Peter.
"Julia there is something that you need to hear." He started with heavy heart.
"You don't have to say anything." She shook her head but Barbie lifted his hand.
"No, no you don't understand…" but before he could have said anything he was interrupted by Alice and Caroline.
"Help! Please! Please we need help! Has anyone seen our daughter?" Caroline shouted in panic around.
Julia and Barbie moved at the same time, jumping from where they were sitting and running to the desperate couple.
"Alice?" Julia was the first to get to them. "I saw your daughter at Visitors' Day." She said.
"So did we but then she took off." Alice nodded her voice breaking with worry.
"And we-we haven't seen her or her friend, Joe since." Caroline added her eyes running around the room just in case the teenagers were there.
"I-I am going back out there." Alice shouted suddenly and turned on her heels to run back up but the guards stepped in her way immediately effectively stopping her. All the while Barbie stood a few steps behind them watching carefully with his hands on his hips half-inserted in who will win the fight of wills.
Julia spun around suddenly catching his attention and he barely had time to grab her elbow as she hurried past him.
"Whoa, whoa. Where… where are you going?" He asked pulling her closer to him. She was up to something and he might have not really cared whether Alice and Carline in the end managed to get out he did care a lot about what Julia was up to and where she was heading.
"When I followed Junior down here a few days ago we found another way out. We gotta find those kids." She said and hurried away. Barbie followed close behind. Partly because he actually did care about those two noisy teenagers but mostly because the thought of letting Julia leave his sight and letting her face death alone was something he could simply not accept. Ever…
-0-0-0
They were driving around the empty town looking for the kids. Chester's Mill looked like a real ghost town. The streets, the park and the houses all empty and deserted. Unfortunately there were no signs of Joe or Norrie either. Barbie glanced down at his watch. It was 1.13. They had exactly two minutes left. What would you do if you knew it was your last day? His comrades used to play around with that question. Now he only had 2 minutes left. And what was he doing? Driving around the empty streets of a town he didn't really know about up until 6 days ago; looking for two kids. A sarcastic smile found its way on his lips. Just like a hero would do. Still he did not mind. There was actually no other place where he would have rather been and that was because of the amazing woman sitting next to him. If he was about to die, he wanted it to happen when he was next to someone who had such an impact on his life he could not even imagine was possible before. Julia tamed him. Her presence changed the beast in him into a real hero. Within those few days, even without her realizing it, she had changed him into a better man.
"Julia." He trailed off as she stopped the car. They had exactly one minute left.
"I know." She said, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Barbie watched her profile, wanting her beautiful face to be the last thing he saw. Suddenly a bright white light blinded them, making them close their eyes. There was silence for a moment as both of them opened their eyes again in surprise and shock. They were alive. How? Barbie felt his mind going blank. It was not possible. He glanced at Julia, she was staring ahead with wide eyes as well.
"How?" She muttered finally in disbelieve.
"I have no idea." Barbie said honestly looking around fanatically. Everything seemed to be as it was one minute before. As if the bright light, as if the bomb would not have happened at all.
"Do you think it disappeared?" She asked turning to him her eyes still wide with shock. He looked at her and did not have to say a thing. Julia started the car and they drove up to the edge of street where the dome started.
They got out of the car at the same time and slowly, carefully made their way to the Dome. Outside everything was ruined, everything was either black or grey and everything was destroyed. Up until the dome.
"Oh my God." Julia whispered beside him barely audible. She was echoing his exact thoughts. This was insane. It went against every logic, every rule he had known up until now. She stopped a few steps away from the dome watching him carefully as he walked up to it.
Slowly and hesitantly he lifted his left hand to touch it. It was there. The fucking damn thing was still there, smooth and intact as if the bomb had never happened.
Barbie made a fist and pressed his lips so tight they all but vanished. His fist made contact with the dome and he was pushing with all of his strength against it, his frustration making his eyes fire up in anger until he let his hand slip down. He stood there broken his shoulders dropped. They were truly stuck now. None, not even the military could destroy this thing. They might not have died, but their lives were over, none could save them. The feeling of lost and desperation filled his whole body making him angry and he felt like punching something until his knuckles were bruised and red from blood.
Suddenly he felt Julia stepping up next to him, her shoulder barely touching his as she slipped her hand into his. The gesture surprised the hell out of him but it was more than welcomed. That small touch, that small gesture unfroze his heart, chased away the desperation, anger and violation that filled his body moments before and replaced them with warmth and care. Maybe… maybe not everything was lost yet. He glanced outside again, gripping hard on her hand to make sure she was real and to reconnect with his other side. The one that did not want to solve every problem with a fight, the one that dared to hope and love and who had the potential to turn into a hero instead of the villain. They needed to survive this. He wanted to make sure they did… for her. Because she deserved better.
Next will be finally the Episode 6! Can't wait to get there!
yas-m: I think so too. I don't think Barbie ever told anyone else about what happened in Iraq. Funny how he started to open up to her even before they actually got together.
Romantic In Denial: Agreed, Barbie is just so perfect (:
knuckles99heidi: Thank you! I am happy if you think so, it was pretty hard to write it.
newtonks: Actually before I started to write these one-shots, I wasn't paying so much attention to those feelings either. But now I just love them so much more!
maricejayo: Actually, I wish I could see into Julia's head as well. ):