-gasps- a quick update! lol. number six might take a while, though...
apologies in advance to anyone expecting detailed descriptions of new york. i've never been there, i'm afraid. and pardon any dodgy americanisms. i'm scottish.
Ch. 5
"This is amazing."
John gazed in awe at the view stretched out below him. From his vantage point, he could see most of New York. The grid pattern of the streets suddenly looked like a huge patchwork quilt, the little cars running between them like coloured seams.
"Is the view not like this from the Tracy Industries building?" asked Maria, her arm linked around his.
They were standing at the top of the skyscraper block in which Maria lived. The wind whipped at their hair, throwing it high- that is, Maria's. John's was far too short for it to bother him. Maria gave a small "tch" of frustration and attempted to tie her dark hair back.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked once she'd sorted herself out. John turned to look at her, drinking in the features he loved so much. He took her hands again, trying to figure out what to say.
"Maria, I love you. I wish I could spend the rest of my life with you. But I can't ask you to do that unless you know everything about me. The risks involved, the-"
"What risks?" Maria cocked her head to one side. She stepped closer to him. "I'd take you for who you are, not what you are. If there are difficulties, we'd find a way to overcome them. Tell me what is so terrible you think I wouldn't be able to accept."
John took a fortifying breath.
"I am a member of International Rescue."
TB
Lunch was a very generous buffet in a room next to the conference room. Brains quickly found himself in a group including Radcliffe and another scientist who'd also given a talk that morning, Freda Schmiekel. Catrìona stayed by his shoulder the whole time.
"I was, ah, f-fascinated by the, um, t-talk you g-g-gave this m-morning, Graham. I was, ah, w-wondering if your, ah, n-new material was, ah, available? I know th-that my employer w-would be v-v-very interested in p-p-purchasing some."
"It's due to go on the market in August, Hiram," replied Radcliffe with a smile. "I'd have it out sooner but I still need to run a few tests on it, I'm afraid. We don't know yet how much heat it can withstand. Who is your employer? I was under the impression you worked freelance."
"I d-d-do, but I, ah, am m-m-mainly employed by, ah, Jeff Tracy."
"Ah, now there's a man who's well into keeping us all safe," said Radcliffe. Brains felt his stomach lurch.
"Pardon?"
"Well, with all the money he's poured into developing safety equipment and better safety standards on various ventures."
"Huh? Oh, oh yeah," replied Brains, relieved.
"Now, Miss MacLeod, I believe it's your turn tomorrow, isn't it?" said the older scientist with a warm smile. Catrìona grimaced.
"Don't remind me. The last time I did anything close to public speaking was in fourth year at school, and apparently it's not even part of the course anymore. The worst bit is, once I've done this, I'll have no excuse for not doing demonstrations for school parties or anything else that turns up at Jodrell Bank."
Radcliffe laughed heartily at this.
"Probably not. I must admit, I had no intention of doing anything like public speaking until I had to do a short talk for a school trip that was coming to the labs one time, completely off the top of my head. The man who was supposed to be doing it, Bob Green, had taken ill, so I was press-ganged into doing it. Funny thing."
"What?"
"Well, the talk went very well, and now I love doing presentations and the like. In fact, I go to the primary schools in my area throughout the year to do little experiments with the children, and I lecture in the nearby university. For me, there's nothing better than imparting knowledge onto younger minds. If nothing else, it keeps your own mind active, and reminds you how well you revised when you were a student." The three chuckled. A small ringing came from Catrìona's bag.
"Excuse me a wee minute."
Brains watched her as she left the room, reaching into her bag for her phone. On her way, Meyer caught up with her and tried to grab her attention. She shook her head politely, but he didn't seem to take the hint. He tried grabbing her arm, and Brains felt a strange surge of anger inside him. Fortunately, Catrìona managed to shake him off and hurried out into the corridor.
"That Meyer will need watching, I think," muttered Radcliffe, who had seen the whole thing. "I've heard too much about his reputation to think that he just wanted a quick chat about the world of science."
TB
John leaned against the railing of the balcony, allowing the wind to whip his hair about, just as it had done on top of the skyscraper earlier. The afternoon was growing old, and the sun was glowing less brightly, casting a warm orange glow over the city around him. His thoughts played over the events that lunchtime.
At first Maria seemed to think he was joking. She smiled, and shook her head, like she did when he told her some awful joke. Her smile faltered when his didn't appear. She turned and leaned against the wall around the edge of the roof.
"You're a member of International Rescue?" John simply nodded, giving her time to absorb it.
"I trust you John, and if you're teasing me-"
"No teasing. I promise." He held out his badge, which he'd taken with him. He handed it to her and let her study it.
"I know someone, who was rescued by you once. She said the badge looked just like this. She didn't mention a blonde though, just two men with dark hair."
"My two brothers, Scott and Virgil. You've met Scott."
"Yes..." she nodded slowly. Finally, she looked up.
"This is what you meant when you talked about risks?" John nodded.
"I work on Thunderbird Five, which is a space station. That's how we monitor people's calls; find out when someone needs rescuing. I work on a monthly rotation basis with my youngest brother, Alan, and Scott goes up twice a year so that Alan and I can spend time together."
"That doesn't sound too risky. It sounds more like I'd miss you for a while, even though you'd be a call away. I could live with that, for the seven months I could be with you."
"There's more. When I am on Earth, I'm sometimes needed on rescues, the more difficult ones. And Alan sometime gets extra time planet side to spend with his girlfriend."
Maria stretched up and kissed him. "Well, you'll both simply have to be fairer."
"Maria, these rescues are dangerous. I could easily be injured, or even killed-" She silenced him by putting her finger on his lips.
"I'd rather have a short time with you, than love you from afar. I can face the risks and the times apart, if it means I am closer to you." She wrapped her arms around him, leaning her face against his chest. John was sure she'd hear his hart thumping.
"I love you, John. I can handle who and what you are. In fact, I feel proud of you. You and your brothers risk your lives for strangers. What woman couldn't love a man like that, despite the risks?"
John returned the embrace. Then he straightened his arms, pushing her a little distance away. He knelt on the cold concrete of the skyscraper roof, and dug into his pocket. He produced a small box. Maria's eyes shone.
Opening the box, John uttered the time-honoured words.
"Maria, will you marry me?"
The ring had been specially made after talking to his father quietly. They'd agreed that, if Maria was willing, then John should take whatever steps necessary to make them both happy. John had then started looking for a ring. When Jeff found John looking over a jewellery catalogue, the Tracy patriarch had motioned for John to follow him.
In Jeff's bedroom, John had watched as his father had taken down a box wrapped in brown paper, to protect its dark purple velvet covering.
"This was your mother's jewellery box," Jeff explained. "I plan to give a set to each of you boys' wives should you ever chose to get married. Maria's will be the garnets, I think." Jeff handed John a box with the set inside. John gaped at his father, unaware that his father had ever even thought of something like this.
"And this," said Jeff, reaching onto the shelf for another box, "is something your Grandmother and I did years back after your mother died." John could have sworn he heard a sniff.
"Do you remember your mother's engagement ring? Silver thing, pretty plain?" John nodded. The only pattern on it had been a small, swirling design.
"We had that, both our wedding rings and my engagement rings smelted together. The result was split into five pieces, one for each of you boys, and incorporated into a special ring for each of you." Jeff lifted up a ring adorned with what looked like a tiny knot.
"This is a Celtic love knot. I thought you'd like that best."
John felt his eyes moisten. Without a word, he embraced his father.
Now that ring adorned Maria's finger. John supposed he should call his father, tell him he'd finally done it, but he didn't feel quite ready just yet.
flicking through the tv channels once, i came across a programme which was showing the preparations for a wedding. the bride's father had died several years before, and the mother had never re-married. as a present for her daughter, the mother had both her and her late husband's wedding rings smelted together, and made into a pendant for her daughter to wear as a necklace at the wedding.
please be kind, i don't normally write romantic stuff. this could easy fall into the usual cliché, but i'll do my best to keep that from happening.