Disclaimer: Declan Dunn, Peggy Fowler, Dr. Hess and the rest of the Mysterious Ways universe belong to Carl Binder, Peter O'Fallon and Lions Gate Productions. Diane and Mike belong to me, if you wanna use'em, please ask first. No infringement is intended, please don't sue, yadda yadda yadda.Notes: I only just started watching the show a week ago, so I apologize if I have all my facts screwed up. This is also my first Mysterious Ways fic, and feedback would be very much appreciated. I got this idea from watching the episode, "Twins", last night. It contains minor spoilers, so if you didn't watch, you may not wanna read.
Until We Meet Again
©2000, By: Ash Carroll
Declan Dunn sighed quietly as he doodled in his notebook with a pen. Another one of Dr. Hess' boring lectures on how nothing was coincidence. It was the same thing they'd heard for the past week, and while Declan found the concept interesting, the lectures were not. He wished the man would give them some actual examples or something. Instead he was reduced to drawing retarded stick figures while Hess droned on.
"So, there's no such thing as coincidence?"
"Everything in life happens for a reason, with a plan," Hess replied in his thick German accent.
Declan watched the petite brunette with interest as she continued to challenge the doctor.
"How many people in this room like pizza? You're saying that we all like it for a reason, with some sort of plan in mind?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying."
"Really? And what might that be? Let me guess, we're meant to take over the world and put all the other fast food chains out of business."
The laughter rippled through the class as Hess floundered for a counter to his student's argument. The girl smiled triumphantly, presumably because she'd succeeded in one-upping their professor. Declan pushed the black horn-rims up on his nose and elbowed his friend, Mike, seated next to him.
"Who is she?"
Mike looked over at the girl and shrugged. "No idea."
"I'm gonna find out."
Mike snorted. "Yeah, right. We're complete geeks, man. There's no way she'd even give you the time of day."
Declan shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't try."
"Suit yourself, man," Mike replied.
Dr. Hess had just dismissed the class and Declan tried to catch up to her, but she'd disappeared out the door and down the hall by the time he'd made it through the crowd of students. He stuck his tongue out at Mike, who was looking at him with his signature 'I-told-you-so' expression. Shaking his head, he exited the room, walking toward his next class.
~*~*~* *~*~*~
He'd been laying in bed for a while now, but sleep was eluding him. He stared at the ceiling, thinking. Nearly two weeks had gone by and he hadn't gotten any closer to finding out who she was. He didn't even know her name. Didn't know anything about her, really, except that she was smart and she was a smartass. She loved to show up the professor, which she did very well.
And she was gorgeous.
Amber eyes, curly brown hair and skin the color of fine dutch cocoa. Well, he'd made up his mind. He had to get to know her and he would.
Tomorrow.
He fell into a restless sleep, only to be awakened a mere two hours later by the buzzing of the alarm clock on the bedside table. He reached out from under the covers and slapped it off, dragging himself out of bed and into the shower. Several hours later, he was walking down the hall toward his class. Stepping through the door, he saw that she was already in her seat and miracle of miracles, the one next to her was vacant. He sent Mike a triumphant look as he dropped into the empty chair.
Hess walked in and started class, but Declan couldn't concentrate on a thing he said. He was too busy planning when he was going to ask her out. It would have to be after he worked up the courage to speak to her, of course. 'Come on, Dec, this is stupid. She's just a girl.'
Just a girl.
Sure, she was just a girl. Like a Rolls Royce or Bentley is just a car, and a Harley is just a motorcycle, and the Concorde is just an airplane. She wasn't just a girl, she was a girl who'd captured his attention. There was something about her . . . he didn't know exactly what it was; only that it intrigued him, made him want to get to know her better. For that matter, get to know her at all.
Dr. Hess concluded his lecture and Diane elbowed her friend as they made their way toward the door.
"You're off today. What's up?"
"I'm transferring to Pennsylvania."
Diane turned a surprised look on her. "Why?"
"My brother's pretty sick. I think I need to be there right now. I'll keep in touch, though, I promise."
"It's too bad you're leaving because I think you've got an admirer," the blonde said, nodding her head toward Declan.
The brunette spared her friend a warning look. "Di . . ."
"I'm serious, Peg, he's been staring at you all through class." Diane winked. "And not just today."
Peggy looked back at him. Brown hair, brown eyes, nice build. He'd actually be pretty cute if he'd lose the glasses. He caught her looking and quickly averted his eyes. She laughed quietly to herself. So he was the shy type. She could relate, she was shy herself. She sighed. She was moving cross-country and she'd probably never see him again. No use dwelling on what would never be.
Mike walked over to Declan, tapping him on the shoulder as the two girls left the room.
"Hey, lover boy, let's cut outta here."
Declan looked up, startled out of his thoughts. He turned to the side and muttered a curse. He'd missed her again.
~*~*~* *~*~*~
He arrived for class, dropping himself into the chair beside the one where she normally sat. He had to admit he was a little worried. It had been three days and he'd seen neither hide nor hair of the petite brunette. He doodled all through Hess' lecture having become bored without her there to argue with him. After class was dismissed, he hurried to catch up the the blonde friend, hoping to find out what had happened to his mystery girl.
"Hey, wait up!"
Diane turned around and waited for the guy to catch up to her.
"Where's your friend," he asked between gasps of air, "you know, the, uh, brunette."
He flushed pink, embarrassed at having asked the question and Di stifled a laugh. "She transferred to Pennsylvania."
Transferred? She transferred? "Did she say why?"
"Something about her brother being sick. Sorry, that's all I know." She smiled apologetically. "I gotta go or I'm gonna be late for my next class."
He nodded dumbly as he watched her walk down the hall. She'd transferred cross-country. Oh, this was just wonderful. Still, there was a small part of him holding out hope that they would meet again, in another time, another place. Of course, that would take a small miracle, but then again, he knew better than anyone else that miracles did exist.
The End . . . of the beginning.