Day 7

I do not own anything

Christine woke up for the first time in the week without any nightmare. She thought about the night before and smiled. Erik Reddington was more than a grumpy man when you got to know him. He was nice enough to leave a whole box of matches for her.

Still being sleepy, she walked into the kitchen to find some coffee. it is Christmas but she did not have any family left to visit. And she didn't want to start to work yet.

Christine got to change and walked out, trying to be as silent as she could, her neighbor was still sleeping for sure.

" It is so cold." Christine pushed the coat closer to herself and left the building.

Christine took a walk to the park. Everything was covered in white. The snow could hide all of the city's dirty secrets, even the saddest place would get to wear very beautiful clothes in winter.

She saw a bus and decided that she did not want to walk anymore. After thirty minutes, Christine walked in the Hyde park through the Queen's Gate and then followed the path to Kensington square. She found a small lake there. The ducks swam toward her in the hope of some food. She felt bad for them because she didn't have any food. Then Christine saw a man sat on a bench on the opposite side of the lake, who started to thrown something on the lake for that duck. And looked like he stood up and wave with her. The ducks left to swim to him. And the man started to do more sign, in the hope to invite her to come to his place. So Christine walked along the lake bank and came closer to where the man feeds the ducks.

" Erik? It is a surprise to see you here, are you stalking me?"

" The shocking thing here is that a stranger called you over and you ran to him. How can I stalk you when I was here first? I am not a fortune-teller."

" hah hah, very funny, Mr. Reddington. Anyway, what are you doing?"

" We did promise a Christmas party for those ducks, remember?" he showed her the ducks which were swimming happily in the lake with his treat.

"oh, right. I forgot about that."

" great, the ducks will be very disappointed with you." Erik gave her haft of his bread and she started to feed the ducks.

" so, our little trip did not help much, huh?"

" well, at least you slept earlier than before the trip. So, we got something."

" sorry to wasting your night."

" It is better than staying at home all night. Why don't you tell me those things that the old fortune-teller told you last night and we will decide if my night was wasted or not." Erik threw all the bread to the lake and stood up.

So Christine told him everything as they walked to the exit, she even told him that the old fortune-teller admitted that she was a liar.

" so, why do you feel annoying just because she admitted she was a liar? Wasn't that what you wanted?"

" no… because… that time… that was when I started to believe her words. While I was a woman who only believes in what I could see, if my best friend told me just a small piece of this story, I would laugh at her."

" leave your best friend alone and mind your own business first, dearie." Erik laughed. " what confused you?"

" everything that old fortune-teller told me made me confused. You should have put yourself in my shoe."

" and she told you about France? What a weird thing to say. Maybe you should come there to understand all of this mess."

"that is the craziest thing I have ever hear, you want to take me there by your Austin?"

" I am affair that would be our of his langue, but I am just saying that…" he paused " I don't want to confuse you more in this, but… this fortune-teller promised you the man of your life was waiting for you at the end of this Journey. I don't want to confuse you more, but don't you think it sound… romance and mystery?"

" what confuses me most was…" Christine said simply. " …. She told me I was born in France."

" well, your Green Card said otherwise."

" yes, I remembered when I was ten, we walked past the Holborn medical clinics, my mom often told me that I was born in there."

" you should forget about the whole thing! I shouldn't drive you to Brington, I thought I was doing the right things. It is obviously driving you insane."

" maybe I should get back to work. Being busy will get my mind off that kind of thing."

" what stopped you then?"

" well, I had a very bad idea of giving myself a running nose so… it is nothing serious, but it will be a bit hard to work with my current situation."

"well, they always said that it would only take one week to cure a running nose but doing nothing seven days was what you need to be completely healed." Erik teased. " I am affair you are going to stay like this without any complaint. If you are cold, you should go home and stay in your bed. My car is parked right opposite the Prince's Gate, I will take you home."

oOo

Austin didn't want to move from its parking. Erik told Christine to sit in the car and he would push the car. As soon as the car started to move, all Christine has to do was release the gas.

" It is nothing too complicate." He was sure. " just slowly push the left pedal and then the right pedal when the car started to move, and then push both of its and try not to hit anyone."

" it sounds complicate." Christine disagreed.

The tired slipping on snow and Erik slipped down on the icy road because of it. Inside the car, Christine saw the whole thing and she started to laugh. In that in spine moments, she decided to try and turn the key. The motor vehicle screech throaty and then start running and Christine laughed harder.

" stupid car." Erik said as he sat next to the driver seat. " are you sure your father was a pharmacist, not an engineer?"

" I am pretty sure." Christine smiled as she tried to help him clear the snow on his head and clothes. " I am sorry that I laughed… but you have to admit, it was pretty funny."

" hah hah, did you see me laugh?" Erik mumbled . " now, let see what you can do with it, look like this trash like you more than me even though I was the one who saved it from the city dump."

" oh no, I can't drive, I told you that before."

" well, there is a first time for anything." Erik smirked. " just keep your feet on the left pedal and then slowly release it as you start to increase your speed."

The car started to slip on the ice, Christine, for the first time in her life, was terrified. Her hand holds on to the wheel so hard, Erik thought she was about to break it in haft. Christine tried so hard to focus on Erik's lead, but the way the car moved just scared the daylight out of her. But apart from making a few clicks brakes that stop the car twice, Christine did get them home safely.

" that was a.. rather interesting experiment." Christine turned off the car.

" That means we should practice more this week if you want."

" with pleasure."

" Great, that means I won't have to be the only one who drives us if we want to go out for supper…"

" But I thought you love to drive."

" I don't love it that much." He said as they walked into their building.

(TBC)