Title: Witness
Part: 1
Author: Irene
Email: Not Known
Disclaimer: he usual; I bow down to the great and powerful Katim's and company, by whose good graces I mangle these characters. . .
Summary: Think 'the day after' and let me take it from there. . .
Category: Unconventional - Kyle/Liz
Rating: PG-13
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Make me a witness
Take me out
Out of darkness
Out of doubt
I won't weigh you down
With good intention
Won't make fire out of clay
Or other inventions
Will we burn in heaven
Like we do down here
Will the change come
While we're waiting
Everyone is waiting. . .
Witness by Sarah McLachlan
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
She hadn�t planned it, this day of all days. To get out of bed. To shower and put clothes on. To leave the sanctuary of her room and go and face the world. But here she was. One foot after the other, moving almost without her bidding. Heading through town. Heading towards the one person who might least want to talk to her.
And yet here she was.
Knocking on the Valenti�s door.
The sheriff answered it after a minute�s wait, his expressive face haggard and shell-shocked, a look she was pretty sure he could see on her�s, as well.
�Miss Parker. . . Didn�t expect to see you today,� he said softly, with a slight and tired smile.
And she knew what was he was thinking. What the last thing he�d known was. How the world had been ordered when last he�d checked in on it.
�Where�s Max?� His eyes seemed to say. Like he�d never expected to see them separated again.
Like she had. . .
She physically bit her cheek, hoping the sudden stab of pain would keep the tears from restarting. That it would keep her from giving in to it all over again.
That wasn�t why she was here. Not directly, anyway.
�I�m not intruding, am I, Sheriff,� she asked, hoping her voice didn�t falter, but then glad that it had, seeing the way her tone stilled whatever heart-wrenching question the man had so clearly wanted to ask her. �How. . . how�s Kyle feeling today? I was. . . I was hoping I could see him.�
Valenti�s smile was soft and suddenly warm. She knew he didn�t completely understand what was going on here -- the unasked questions, the unresponded answers -- but the man�s sensitive soul bade him hold his tongue. For which she was grateful.
�Sure. . . I�m - I�m sure he�d be happy to see you, Liz,� he said, stepping awkwardly aside, motioning her in.
It took her a moment to adjust to the sudden darkenss of the Valenti living room - all the blinds were draw tight against the day�s sun and the only break in the gloom was the glow of the television across which the manic movements of two of the American League�s finest flew. Kyle sat slumped on the couch, hand glued to the remote, dressed in the same clothes he�d warn the day before. At the museum.
The gaping hole in his worn grey t-shirt seemed to jump out at her, its ragged edges hauntingly familiar.
He made no notice of her and his father, unsure of how to handle it, opted to play host.
�Something to drink, Liz?� He asked and she nodded, grateful to have something else to focus on for a moment. She was also grateful that he�d dropped the formal �Miss Parker� that seemed so much the reminder of tensions past. �Coke, OK?�
�. . .um, sure, Sheriff. Coke�s fine. . .� She gave him a faint smile.
He had turned to leave, after a glance at his silent son, but then stopped, placing a worn hand on her arm, moving her a few steps away.
�Liz,� he began, with clear difficulty. �I. . . this has been weighin� on me for a while now and I. . . I just have to say it.� He sought her eyes, seemed relieved to see them fixed on his. Continued. �All these months. . . when I thought. . . When I was watching you all. . . I know how scared you all must have been. . . I�m just sorry I made . . . what you had to do any - any harder than it had to be. . .�
For a moment, she couldn�t speak, so utterly taken aback by the statement. By the admission. Over the past few days, Sheriff Valenti had proven, in both word and action, that he was a man to be trusted. And respected.
Now, more so than ever.
She felt a warmth and a feeling of gratitude deep in her chest, and once again, the tears threatened to flow. She bit her lip, managed to keep all but a stray back and then took a deep breath.
�What�s important, Sheriff, is that you were there when they. . . when we needed you. . . Without you, Max would be dead. . .� She trailed off, thrown by her own words. Not having intended the mention.
�Without Max, Kyle would be dead.� Valenti�s tone was matter-of-fact, but his hands were still shaking.
She took one in her own, hoping to steady it, and held his gaze for a moment.
Then, with a barely preceptible nod, he went off to the kitchen and the sodas.
And Liz turned back to the couch. And Kyle.
Who, it turned out, wasn�t as unaware as she�d thought.
There was a dry cough and then a question.
�So, Liz. . . where�s Spaceboy?. . .�
| 1 | Unfinished