Chapter 23: Everything I Do...

The cold days of winter changed slowly to warmer weather, bringing back the lovely sounds of the birds and life in general all over the planet. In the Northern Hemisphere, in what used to be one of the brightest and most modern civilizations, the spring also brought back hope in the hearts of the survivors of the old island of England. The survivors who were now under the protection of the RDF were slowly but strongly rebuilding the cities and old towns that were destroyed after the rain of fire. Nature was wise and the green of the fields returned after a few seasons like a blessing for the ground and the lives of those who saw once again the light and the blue sky of the cold land. Every woman, man and child took a walk in the country, enjoying the warmth of the first sunlight on the skin in months.

A woman walked alone in an unknown direction, following the direction of the spring wind. A single tear left a mark on her pale face, but she left it there, tired of hiding her feelings for so long. Her green eyes lost the brightness they once had but they showed a determination that had saved thousands of lives so many times. This time she wasn’t saving the planet with her professional decisions, but she was saving the life of the one she cared for the most with her own sacrifice. The still cold wind blew her brown hair over her face, pushing her tenderly in the direction that mother earth decided for her. With her heart in pieces, she put her hand in her pocket and took a picture from it. While she walked, she tenderly touched the printed faces of her friends and her husband. Breathing deeper, she kissed each one of the smiling persons for the last time. Her walk took her to the north shore and to the salty smell of the ocean. For the last time, the woman turned around and watched the land she left behind. A small boat came into sight and she turned to face it. A small smile crossed her lips when an old man waved to her from the boat and shouted with an Irish accent “I will be right there Mrs. Smith”. The woman, a little ashamed, looked at the ground, not used to the fact that she had to use a fake name for this, her last adventure. After a few minutes, she climbed on the boat with the help of the nice old man and they began the trip, following the direction of the wind one more time.

“So you’re going back home, Mrs. Smith?” asked the old man, knowing exactly that the name wasn’t hers, but knowing from experience that everyone had a reason to lie sometimes and that they had the right to keep that in private.
“Yes,” she answered sadly, enabled to look into the clear blue eyes of the old man. The old sailor nodded and walked away, leaving her the solitude of the sea. The woman silently thanked the man and looked into the horizon watching as the sun slowly went down. She took the picture from her pocket and with a final look at the happy faces and to her past, she opened her hand and let the wind take it away from her. The picture flew slowly over the boat and into the sky before it finally was lost in the horizon. While the sun finally set, Lisa closed her eyes, asking for forgiveness to them and for help, to God.

***************

A month before…
Just a couple of days after the accident, Lisa was released from hospital with instructions for her full recovery. Rick was right next to her every moment, never leaving her side. She enjoyed the feeling of his full attention for her and just for her. It was just too sad to know that after all that year they had spent together, just in this very moment he realized he loved her. It was just a cruel joke of destiny that she had to leave him.
They went back home and everybody was there waiting for her. They made a small welcome back party for her. Roy himself cooked a cake and Dana was in charge of the decoration of it, so the result was obviously a weird blue, green and pink masterpiece. The Trio was all over Lisa, not letting her do anything. They would run for a spoon, they would run for a glass of water. Miriya was near her in a protecting mode, like a bodyguard and Max just let her deal with her own feelings of the almost lost friend in her own way. Claudia was sitting next to her; holding and patting her hand like a mother. They all laughed and enjoyed the company of each other and tried to leave behind the sad memory of almost losing their friend.

It was Rick who said their goodbyes at 7 o’clock and took her to bed. They walked in silence to their bedroom and Lisa felt weird to walk again up the stairs hand in hand with Rick. She looked over to him and saw a new glitter in his baby blue eyes and her heart pumped faster, feeling that he looked at her the way she always prayed for him to look at her, with unconditional love. Rick smiled at her and suddenly took her in his arms and kissed her on the lips.

“Did I say today that I love you?” he asked holding her in the air.
“Like a thousand times, but I don’t mind hearing it one more time,” she answered, feeling like she was flying.
“You don’t? Well, then I will say it again, I love you,” he said opening the door and moving her straight to bed.
Lisa laughed a little and waited for him to do everything and climb into the bed with her. The night was cold but they were finally together, feeling the warmth of their bodies and their souls. They didn’t talk; they just watched each other for a long time before they fell asleep holding hands.

The time went fast and all the love around her made Lisa forget the horrible threat that was over her. After almost three weeks since she was back home, the reality hit her with a warning she didn’t expect and with someone she least expected.

“Where is Dana? I’m supposed to take her of her today,” Sammy asked one morning at breakfast.
“She was right here,” said Roy, looking up from eating his toast.
“She is probably with Max in the garden; they found a nest of birds in one of the trees the other day,” answered Rick calmly. They all relaxed until a sudden silence overtook them. Lisa looked at Roy and he looked at Rick, who looked at Sammy.
“I think I am going to look for her,” said Sammy standing up and leaving out the back door.
The strange feeling remained over them until Claudia and Miriya came into the kitchen.

“What’s with the silence?” asked Claudia frowning and taking a cup of tea.
“Nothing, nothing… it’s just that we were wondering where Dana was,” said Roy, trying not to alarm them.
“She’s with Max watching some videos upstairs,” answered Miriya, sitting next to him.

They sighed and relaxed after that. “I guess Sammy is just freezing her butt off for no reason. You are all just paranoid,” said Roy grinning before Lisa kicked his leg under the table.

“It’s been a while since Sammy left to look for Max and Dana outside,” commented Rick after 10 minutes, “I don’t think she would still be looking for them, right?” he said and then everybody noticed her long absence.

“I think it’s better if we go out for her before she gets a cold,” said Roy, feeling a little guilty for his previous comment about her.

They called downstairs to Max, Kim and Vanessa and informed them about what had happened. Max stayed with Dana at home and they all went outside to look for the little red head. Lisa felt the strange feeling over her and walked a little faster. They spent fifteen minutes looking for her and the weather was getting worse by each moment. The frozen wind slapped their faces and their calls for her were growing stronger and more worried.

“Where the hell is she?!” asked Roy and Claudia nodded worriedly.

Lisa walked ahead in no particular direction. She suddenly stopped and listened carefully. The wind moved the leaves of the trees and that was all they heard until they could hear the heavy and slow steps of someone walking over the dead leaves on the ground. Far in the distance, they saw the small figure of Sammy walking, covering her arms around her and falling on the ground. They all ran to pick her up. Sammy was soaking wet and freezing.

“What happened?!” asked Miriya who was the first one there and helped her get up.
“I…I…f-f-fell…in…the…r-r-river” answered Sammy and would have fallen again if weren’t for Rick who caught her in his arms.
“C’mon! Let’s go back or she will freeze to death!” said Rick and they all ran back to the house.

Max opened the door and ran to boil some water when he saw her coming in Rick’s arms. They moved her next to the fire and took away her clothes. After a few minutes and when she stopped shaking, Lisa asked her what happened.

“I was looking for Max and Dana and I reached the river bridge. I thought they were in another place and I was going to come back, because it was getting cold, but somehow I fell from the bridge into the river. The water was fast and cold and I couldn’t get out for a few minutes…I reached a rock and held on there until I was able to stand up and walk back home,” said Sammie shaking a little and drinking from her hot tea.
“But how you did you fall into the river?!” asked Claudia.
“I...I’ am not sure, it was like someone pushed me over the side but there was nobody there…or at least I didn’t see anybody,” answered Sammie.
“You probably made a wrong step, that’s all,” said Kim with a worried face, “I am just glad you are all right,” she said holding her friend’s hand as Sammie smiled.
“So, where were you anyway?” asked Sammie, looking at Max.
“I was upstairs!” he answered and then Dana came into the room and jumped into Sammie’s lap.
“Poor Sammie, she’s cold,” said the little girl.
“I am fine,” said Sammie holding the girl and they went on and on talking.

Lisa stood quietly there and listened to the rain that had started falling outside. She knew that wasn’t an accident. She looked over at them from her corner and bit her lower lip in worry. Rick saw her and walked next to her.
“You ok?” he said holding her.
“Yes, I am fine,” she lied.
“She’s fine, don’t worry…” he said looking into her eyes. Lisa smiled and thought how much she would like for that to be true.

When the rain stopped, and after announcing that she was going outside to look for something, Lisa went outside and followed the path to the river. Everything was normal on the bridge and she looked around into the woods until a small reflection took her attention. She walked to the forest next to the river and followed the light. What she saw was the reflection of a knife in one the trees, holding a piece of paper. With her heart beating fast, Lisa took the knife and read the paper.

“Last warning,” she read aloud and shook in fear. Her assumptions were right. The accident of Sammie wasn’t an accident. Lisa’s eyes filled with tears and the cold wind remembered the reality of her life.

Feeling observed, she walked back home quickly and tried to hide how scared she was for her and her friends and family. That night at dinner she remained in silence, but nobody noticed except for Dana who walked over and hugged her.

**********************
The night before her four week deadline passed, Lisa walked over to Rick and put her arms around him. He smiled at her.
“What was that for?” he asked tenderly to her.
“Just because I felt like it…” she said feeling how her throat closed and she almost couldn’t breathed because of her sadness.
“Someone is emotional…” he joked and turned around and held her close to him “are you near that time of the month?” he said grinning. Lisa laughed and hit his arm.
“No!” she said and put her hands around his neck, “I will not hug you again if you are going to act like a jerk!” she warned him.
“Ok, ok…sorry, please never stop hugging me,” he said touching his nose to hers.

Lisa couldn’t answer that. She knew that was a promise she couldn’t keep.

“I need to tell you that I love you and everything I did and will do is because I love you more than my own life,” she said, serious now. Rick looked at her strangely.
“Hey, what was that for?” he asked, making her look at him in the eyes. Lisa did everything to hold her sadness away.
“Just because I want you to know, that’s all,” she lied with a smile on her face.
“I love you Lisa, I don’t know how I was so blind before…” he said pressing his forehead against hers.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, Rick. Your love brought me back to life…” she said softly.
“You know…I think I know when I fell in love with you,” he said trying to make her lose her sad face.
“Since when?” she asked curiously.
“Well, I always felt attracted to you, since the day I called you an old sourpuss,” he said laughing and she hit him again in the arm.
“Ouch! Well, ok…I always felt attracted to you, but you were so out of my league. I never really expect you to notice me at all and of course there was the little thing that I was obsessed with Minmei…I couldn’t see or think about anyone else then…” said Rick being honest.
“I know…” said Lisa remembering those times and she immediately held him closer.
“But…I think I fell in love with you that day when we fell into that water tank and I saw you soaking wet and laughing at me, remember?” he said, kissing her forehead. Lisa nodded smiling.
“You were so…how can I put it into words…” said Rick trying to find the words “You were just the real you. Not the captain, but the person. There we were, in a life or death situation and you were laughing at me, with your long hair wet and wearing that sexy flying suit…” he added rolling his eyes at the memory, enjoying it.
“Hey! You just like me in tight clothes!” she complained, laughing.
“No, no…I admit that I love it, but that day I also saw you, the real you… the person I see now. All defenses down, strong, funny, smart…just you,” he said smiling against her lips.
Lisa closed her eyes and felt the electricity running around them. The attraction was almost magnetic, pushing them to kiss each other.
“I remember the first time we kissed,” said Rick excitedly as he broke the kiss a little to breath and talk, “even if it was an order…your order…it was so exquisite…” and then Rick kissed her again.

They kissed and Rick slowly pushed her against the nearest wall. Lisa found herself between him and the wall. She looked at him and saw his need, his need of her. Lisa realized this was the last time in her life she was going to be able to be with him, as his wife, as his friend and as his lover. Feeling all her emotions mixed up, she kissed him and Rick took that as a yes for his actions. He took her arms slowly and pushed them against the wall, holding her there, kissing her jaw line and moving to her neck. Lisa closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling.

The made love against the wall with passion, and then he moved her to the bed and continued making love all night tenderly, until they both couldn’t move anymore. When Rick was asleep, Lisa took that time to watch him and memorize every line of his face, every angle, every hair of his head. She memorized how he breathed, how he moved…she didn’t notice when she began to cry in silence and held herself against him, praying that all the situation was just a nightmare and she was able to stay with him forever.

The next morning, they all went to work and Lisa wrote a letter to each one of them. To all of them she told the truth, about Jake and his threatening of them. She tried to explain her reasons as well as she could. To each one she told something personal and unique: To Claudia, she told her how much her friendship meant to her, that she was like a sister. To Roy she explained more why she made the decision to leave and that now his job was to watch over his son or daughter. Lisa asked for Max to watch over Rick. To Miriya she asked to try to understand why she wasn’t a coward and to take care of everyone, especially Dana. To the Trio she just sent her love and told them to always take care of themselves and to always be happy and lovely as they were now. The hard letter was for Rick, asking for him not to look for her, telling him that she loved him more than anything in her life, asking him to forgive her.

She couldn’t look at any of them. She left the letters for them on the base and after sending her resignation letter to Gloval; she changed clothes and walked away from the base leaving behind her family, her life and her love. With a single tear, Lisa felt the warm wind of the spring pushing her to an unknown direction and a new adventure, alone.

*******************

A small little boy ran in the forest, escaping from two older boys.

“C’mon Peter! Give us that thing!” shouted one of the older boys, running after him.
“I will not! You are going to torture the puppy!” shouted the little boy holding against him a light brown puppy dog.
“It’s a little beast! It bites me!!” said the second boy, running faster.
“You bother him! What do you expect!” said the small blond boy with black glasses.

They all ran until Peter stopped because the road was blocked by a huge rock. The puppy was hiding under his shirt and the two older boys stopped and looked at him with big, mean grins.
“Now Peter, give me that dog or we will hurt you…” said the first boy, who looked like the boss.
“Yeah…and we don’t want to hurt you or we will have to do our own homework,” the second boy joked.
“I will not! Leave us alone!!” shouted Peter back, shaking in fear. The puppy hid even more in his shirt and cried.

The two boys were walking toward Peter when a shadow over the rock stopped them.

“Stop right there! Leave him alone,” said a voice over the rock. The boys tried to look but the sun was behind this person, so they couldn’t see.
“Who are you? This is not your problem!” said one of the kids.
The voice grinned and who ever it was jumped in front of Peter who was still holding the puppy.
“It is my problem when you are attacking someone in my gang, you know?” said the voice of the mysterious kid, who wasn’t as tall as the two boys. They couldn’t see a face, because the person had a hat.
“Who the hell are you?!” said the older kid, walking to confront him but then stopped when the mysterious person looked up. The boy’s eyes grew wider and they both ran away like they saw a ghost.

Peter finally breathed in relief when the mean boys were out of sight.
“Thanks!” he said sitting on the floor and letting the puppy out of his shirt.
“Your welcome. I am glad they recognized me; if my mom knew I was in another fight, I would be dead!!”
“By the way, nice entrance!”
“Thanks, I was practicing it…It is more dramatic. I think it suits me,” said the kid, taking off the hat.
Peter smiled when he saw the face of his savoir. When the hat came off, a pile of long light brown hair came out and framed the face of a girl with baby blue eyes.
“It’s a good thing that you protect us from the bullies. Even the older boys are afraid of you, and you are just eight,” said the boy, now concentrating on playing with the puppy. The girl smirked in a very familiar way.
“Well…” she said coming to play with the dog, too, “maybe I am eight years old, but I do know how to punch. It’s a good thing that the reputation of Sarah Hayes is well known,” said Sarah holding the puppy and laughing when the dog licked her face.