Disclaimer – oops forgot to put one of these up. Anything you don't recognize belongs to me though im not getting paid to write this and im sorry if any of it offends it is not intentional.
Chapter 3 - Raining-
Its been three months, three wonderful months since I first met Ray at that club and since then we have been in a semi-serious relationship. Well that what I call it anyway. Ray is perfect, he is sweet, charming, gorgeous, romantic, smart and we both love to take long walks and talk about just about anything.
Its raining today. The busy city is covered with a thick, dark blanket of cloud and the noisy streets are full of people with multicolored umbrellas moving in all directions. I've always loved the rain and that particular damp smell that hangs in the air. It reminds me of my childhood summers that I spent at the Storm's house when my parents were away on business. When it rained Johnny and I would always go outside to play and get absolutely soaked and then afterwards when it stopped we would both of us sit in this big, brown, old and slightly smelly armchair with a huge duvet wrapped around us and a mug of hot chocolate. It was always a favorite past tine of mine and always made me smile.
" hey...what you starin at?" came the up beat and familiar voice of Johnny. We were sitting at a Starbucks just around the corner from the Baxter building and I hadn't noticed that I was starin out the window until I heard Johnny's voice. I turned around, he was looking at me with his usual playful smirk holding his coffee on the table next to the napkin that the blond waitress had given him(no doubt with her number written inside of it).
"just lost in thought is all" I told him with a hint of a smile. He looked out at the rain and then smiled back at me, silently telling me that he knew what I was thinking about.
"want to get wet Hailo?" he asked cheekily
"NO!...I don't I cant I have to get back to work"
"work...when did you get so serious? I remember you were always the one that pulled me out in the rain when we were kids... you were the cause of every cold I ever had" he laughed lightly.
"yeah when we were kids. Things change especially since we grew up, well since I grew up anyway"
"awww come on Hailo I know you better than that...you never grew up either your still the wild child that loved to get wet in the rain and pull tricks on people.
"yeah well id love to go down memory lane with you Johnny but I gotta get goin see ya later"
"right ... uh what you doin later wanna get a drink?"
"cant im meeting Ray for dinner tonight so ill call you tomorrow"
"right...bye" then he waived and smiled slightly as I turned and left to head to Mavery.
Ray, what was so great about Ray, he was just another guy like anyone else, why did she have to spend so much time with him. It has been three months for gods sake isn't she fed up with him already...she must be, most of her relationships never made it past the two weeks marker(which is generally longer than any of mine) and why cant I figure it out. She is my best friend. Maybe I should get Sues opinion on this.
I stood up and stretched with a sigh and lifted the coffee cup and white napkin and tossed them into the bin on my out. I knew the blond waitress who had given me her number was watching but honestly I couldn't be bothered, which was rather strange. Recently I had only been on a handful of dates and wasn't my usual flirty self with women maybe I was ill or something.
I got through the doors at Mavery and was immediately blinded by flashes from cameras and deafened by question that were being shouted at me by a heard of hungry reporters.
"Dr winters can you tell me about your project?"
"Dr Winters is it true that your experimenting with radiation?"
"has Mavery invested his own money into your project?"
"what is project H?"
"are you sleeping with Mavery?"
the constant string of questions followed me all the way up the hall until I walked into Mavery's office.
"what the hell is going on?" anger piercing my voice
"how does the press know about my project? Who told them?"
Mavery was sitting calmly behind his overly expensive oak desk . He was a short middle aged man who thought himself at times to be a bit of a ladies man according to some of her colleagues.
"I may have hinted to the press this morning about your project"
"why did you do that? Project H is no were near ready to be made public"
"oh calm down Hayley... I didn't tell them the details i'll leave that to you, but you know Mavery labs is first and foremost a business and this business needs publicity"
"so your using me and my project to get you money" my voice was raising so high by this time I was turning red. He looks at me then with a fierce glint in his eyes and slowly stood up.
"have you forgotten how much money I have invested in to your experiment? Its been three months and there still has not been a single set of positive results and I am running out of patients"
"it takes time and im still doing research"
"then I suggest you research faster. In one week im making Project H public at the press conference "
"when I started here you told me that I would have complete control of my project "
"you do, you have all the funding you need, all the recourses and staff you want but do not forget that you are working for me Hayley" he said with a sickening smile.
"you bastard" I said while swinging the door open and storming out back to the comforts of my own lab. I needed to calm my boiling temper... and take my meds to slow my heart rate before I passed out.
Back at the Baxter building
I was busy feeding Amy her lunch in her high chair when the door opened and in came my brother Johnny with a rather confused look on his face. I didn't ask what was wrong he probably would have just given me the usual "nothing" answer. He went over to the coach and started flicking through the channels (which really gets on my nerves). Amy started laughing in her chair she had managed to stick the end of the plastic spoon in her nose...again. I smiled at her, she was so beautiful it was so hard to believe that she was mine, I loved every minute of being a mother more than I thought possible. I couldn't imagine my life without Amy or Reed I loved my family so much.
Taking the spoon out of her nose and washing her face I picked her up and placed her in to her play pen with her favorite bear Mr giggles.
" so you want to tell me whats up" I said casually
" nothing"
typical I thought
" well could you stop doing that its drive me mad"
"sorry...what do you think about Ray" he said quietly
"Ray?...the guy that Hayley's been seeing? I only met him once...hes nice...good for her ...why?"
"no reason"
I waited for exactly ten seconds
"its just that she's been seeing him for three months... thats a long time... for her anyway...I just wondered what was so great about him"
"three months isn't that long...maybe he's different than all the other guys she's dated maybe she has strong feelings for him...maybe she's falling in love with him"
"WHAT...NO" he suddenly shouted "I mean she cant be..she would never do that"
"its not something you can control Johnny... its just something that happens"
he was silent after that just staring at the t.v. Though I knew he wasn't watching it. He suddenly got up and went upstairs to his room.
"well I don't know whats happening Amy but I think your uncle is starting to grow up" I told her smiling
she smiled back lovingly.
She cant be. Its not possible. She wouldn't. And Rays not even her usual type . She's too free spirited, too stubborn, too wild, too flirty and far too beautiful to even consider being in love. No Sue's wrong DEAD WRONG.
I knew she wasn't though, I didn't need her to tell me what I had already thought myself but I didn't want to admit it...Hailo is in love with...Ray.
"What am I gonna do?" I almost whispered into my hands.
Mavery Labs
I sat there in my lab silently staring at the very interesting white wall. I had calmed down a little though I hated being pushed into things especially when it was to do with my work. I picked out my mobile and pushed in the number I needed.
"hello?" came the familiar voice which made me smile
"hi Ray its me"
"hi gorgeous I have been thinking about you all day did you get the roses I sent?"
" yeah they are gorgeous but you know you don't have to spoil me so much"
"I like to"
"listen about tonight ..I think i'll have to take a rain check im piled up with so much work and my boss is laying on the pressure so thick that I can barely breath... do you mind?"
"na course not we can re arrange for another night no problem how about tomorrow for lunch?
"thats great ...you know you are the best"
"only because you made me that way I have to go I have a meeting in five i'll see you tomorrow... bye"
"bye"
as I hung up I remembered that I was gonna spend tomorrow with Johnny, how could I forget like that. I silently looked at the papers piled on my desk and sighed heavily. I really didn't want to do the boring paper work . I looked around the Lab for anything else to do but my staff were all busy as usual. I decided that i was gonna have the day off I needed to re charge and stop thinking about that bastard Mavery.
"hey guys lets just leave the work for today and have some fun ok"
they looked at me as if I had grow a second and third head
"what cant I give my staff the day off?"
they smiled at me and started to pack up.
I grabbed my bag hung up mu lab coat and went for the door.
My feet knew were they were going before I did. I was outside the Baxter building. It was almost an instinct I had to go to Johnny when ever I was upset, angry, nervous,or just bored he always made me feel better.
I sensed she was here before I heard her voice talking to Sue. I immediately got off my bed were I had been sulking and bounded for the door. There she was standing in the hallway smiling brightly as Sue was telling her about something Amy had done.
"hey there..thought you were working"
she looked at me and for the briefest second time stopped
"yeah I know bad day so I thought if you weren't busy..."
"that we could do something after all? Thought you were going out tonight?"
"yeah well I canceled thought I could use some best friend time instead and have boyfriend time tomorrow do you mind?
"well ill have to cancel on that date I had planned but im sure I could spare up some time" I said sarcastically, trying not to show just how overjoyed I was that she was here instead of with that Ray.
"well thank you very much" she said in the same sarcastic manner
"what you wanna do?...wait I know its still raining right?"
"what..yeah it is but I am not..."
"yes you are come on" I grabbed her hand before she could protest any further and dragged her to the balcony and back into the pouring rain"
"Johnny " she whinned
I lifted my arms and started spinning in circles like we used to when we were kids. Hailo looked at me with a wide smile and her hair sticking to her face, I lifted her own hands and started spinning with her . We were laughing so hard that we slipped on the wet floor on to our backs.
"so...remember when we did this last?" i asked
"yes we were just out of high school and I was about to leave for uni and you were going in to the space program and there was a thunder storm outside. I also remember that we got really really drunk that day"she started to giggle at the hazie memory.
"yeah" that was what happened though I remembered a little more than she did, how could I forget that single moment in time when they shared their first kiss. I knew that she didn't remember it though, we were really drunk but I still hoped that somehow she would remember. I can still remember the feeling of her warm wet lips on mine, I thought I had been being struck by lightning the feeling was so intense and afterwards she smiled the prettiest smile I had ever seen... and then she passed out in the mud.
I looked over at her she was beginning to shiver. We had been sitting in the rain for about an hour. I stood up and pulled her with me.
"time to get the duvet and the hot chocolate I think"
"yeah...oh but what about our armchair? She mumbled at me like she was a child again
"well we can sit on my big bed and watch cartoons. Its not as good as the smelly brown armchair but I doubt we would both fit into it now anyway"
"yeah I know... ok i'll make the hot chocolate"
ten minutes later we were in my bed cuddled up one of the corners to get warm again though I used my own body heat to warm her up, the duvet was just for comfort. Bugs bunny was on the t.v. What more could you want on a stormy afternoon. I peered down at Hailo who was snuggled up between my legs with her head resting against my chest... sleeping soundly with her mouth slightly open.
"Damn I think im smitten...again"
one week later
" Good morning. Today I am proud and excited to announce to you all of the project that is currently being funded by Mavery Labs, this project called project H is lead by our own specialist Dr Hayley Winters who will give comment in a short while. Project H is, simply put an end to all illness. What we are doing is striving to find a universal cure to eradicate illness across the world even incurable diseases like AIDS. Ladies and gentlemen of the press we are sitting on the verge of a scientific and medical breakthrough that will no doubt plunge this great city and this great country in to the future and its all happening here at Mavery Lab".
He droned on for what seemed like hours and hours and of course taking all the credit for himself and his oh so precious business, not much mention of the minds behind the work is there you scumbag I thought to myself. I hated giving speeches but I couldn't let him take complete control over my work it was bad enough that he as taking it public without my permission. He called my name and smirked in my direction (yuck) there was a brief applause as I stood up to say my piece.
"well...um... project H is indeed a search for what we call a universal cure...it is however still in the very early stages of development..."
"Dr winters how exactly are you developing this cure?"
questions already why cant they just be patient?
"well we are experimenting with plants. You see all of our medicines come from plants or a product made by plants so what we are doing is trying to create a new sub species of plant that will have healing properties to cure all illness"
"how are you going to create a new species of plant?"
"we are exposing a range of different plants to different forms and different intensities of radiation"
"what about the risk of radiation poisoning?"
"there are risks within all experiments but every precaution has been taken here to reduce and danger and I think that the outcome of the project far out ways the possible risks"
"what about you personal relationship with Dr Mavery?"
"my relationship with Dr Mavery is strictly professional...thank you no more questions" i hated that people thought that i would be interested in that sniveling little man.
As I left the room I felt Mavery's cold stare bore onto my back and the creepy feeling start to tangle with my insides. God I hate that man. I decided to go straight home to relax in a bubble bath and afterwards have a huge slice of chocolate cake.
I closed my eyes and breathed in the lavender scent that filled my bathroom.
"ahhh that feels so much better"
my mobile started to ring and vibrate on the side table that I had covered with scented candles.
"OH NO NO NO NO NO GO AWAY!!!"
I was determined not to answer but after the seventh ring I picked it up
"hello? This had better be good"
"hey smart girl just saw you on the news...im impressed you actually started to sound a little like Reed "
I smiled at his smart ass comment
" you ...were watching the news ha was you're t.v. Stuck or were you somehow unable to switch the channel?"
"very funny but hey I forgive you...so you kinda sound like you need to party"
"im relaxing in a bubble bath actually so leave me in peace"
ignoring her last comment he continued
" right so anyway there is a party tonight wanna go its at eight"
"ok"
"great I will come round for you at eight then, see ya"
"bye"
well thats that then I guess suddenly feeling loads more better.
Baxter building
"sue have you seen my notebook?"
"which one you have lots?"
"umm the red one"
"in your lab were you usually leave it"
"no I checked its not there"
I regretfully got up and started searching. Why is it that men can never find anything. I glanced over at Amy who was in her playpen and I noticed something unusual. I walked over and spotted the red notebook that reed was looking for
"how did it get over here?"
I held it out to Reed and he looked at me puzzled, shrugged took the notebook and gave our daughter a swift kiss before sweeping away back into his lab. I glanced back down at Amy who was sleeping snuggly. There was a sudden noise from upstairs and I glanced up to see Johnny coming downstairs with his usual grin.
"hey im off out see you later and give Amy a kiss from her uncle!"he chirped as walked out of sight. He was different recently and I had realized why. It was Hayley. Ever since she moved in to the city Johnny has been different and she liked it, seeing her brother happy though she did worry that maybe he was starting to like Hayley a little bit more than he should. I can still remember when they were fresh out of high school, Hayley was spending the summer at our house since her parents were away on business, Johnny and been mooning over Hayley for months though he took great effort in hiding it. Before he could tell her about his feelings for her she told him she was leaving for uni so he didn't say anything and ended up getting drunk the day she left and spilling out all his feelings for her to me. He got over it though and Hayley never knew anything about it Johnny probably doesn't even remember telling me. That was all years ago.
Outside Hayley's house
"hay you're ready finally" I said as I saw Hailo come out the door with that dazzling smile
"well your the one who was late in the first place...as usual"
"in not always late" I complained
"right and Ben's the tooth fairy"
the image of the big orange rock with wings and a wand fluttered through my mind and I couldn't help but chuckle at Hailo's sense of humor.
"lets get goin then Hailo" I opened the door for her to get in the car but before she could move a black car came speeding down the street and a masked man pointed what had to be gun out the side window. It took me a second to react. I pushed Hayley down using my own body to shield hers at the same time there was an ear piercing bang and then the sound of the car speeding away.
"JESUS...Hayley are you alright?" I asked urgently with panic showing in my voice
there was no reply from under me
"HAYLEY!!!!!?"
A/N I know cliff hangers are a bitch. I will update very soon. The part about Amy and the notebook may seem rather random but I promise it is significant. Read and review. Let me know what you think should happen
i know that i had promised to write more in this chap but i really wanted to write this. i am planning to have it finished before Christmas so i can start new one in the new year.