"Tis Better to Have Loved and Lost..." Part 4 By Meg Clark 10/31/97 11:32PM A hotel room in Paris. Darien gulped and gazed warily at the video phone in front of him. He took off his feathered hat and undid a few of the buttons on his vest. "I really...really...really do not want to do this," he muttered. He reached out and tapped in CrimeNet's number into the keyboard. The screen flickered and turned on. There were a few beeping noises, and suddenly an image of a well groomed woman tapping on a keyboard came into view. She looked up at him through glasses that were at least an inch thick, "Good evening, Agent Romeo. How may I help you?" "Yes, Shirley, could you get me Commander Jackson?" he answered. "Sure. I'll put you right through. Did you bring your shark repellent?" she cracked. "Thank you, Shirley," Darien replied with a faint smile. The sceen flickered and a dial tone sounded as the call went through. Before Darien was even ready to confront the raging mass of temper that was about to come, the Commander appeared on his screen. Obviously annoyed. Darien took a breath and began, "This is Agent Romeo, do you re--" "I read and see you, Agent Romeo," the Commander snapped; there was a certain cold edge to each of his words. There was another pause, and suddenly he burst into an explosion of shouting. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" he screamed, he slammed his fist on his desk, causing his coffee cup to jump considerably into the air, "I told you to contact me at 2200 hours!! Do you know what time it is, you worthless sack of pus?!?" "Past 2300 hours, s-sir?" "RIGHT!! You had better have a good exuse!! WELL?!?" "I-I was t-talking to Ms. Sandiego and lost all track of t-time, sir. I--" "What was that?" the Commander asked, leaning over his desk to glare into the camera, "You were talking to Ms. Sandiego?" "Yes, sir." "Then I take it you successfully introduced yourself to her?" "Very well, sir." Commander Jackson relaxed in his chair, clasped his hands together, and smiled. "Good job, Agent Romeo," he said softly. Darien exhaled in relief. "Are you ready for me to bring her in yet?" he asked. "No," the Commander replied,"Not yet. I want her to trust you completely. If we try and catch Carmen now she may find a way to escape us. We have to catch her and crush her when her guard is down. I'll notify you in the future of when and where to bring her. Your job is to continue your task until then. Over and out, Agent Romeo." The screen went to static. Darien just sat and stared blankly at the screen. "Why doesn't this feel right?" he whispered into the silent room. * * * * * * 11/5/97 6:58PM Central Park in New York City, New York. Carmen shivered as she gazed up at the dark, shadowy obelisk looming above her. It was a dark shade of grey against the starry night sky. Yesterday she had caught a plane from Paris to New York and she was now waiting in Central Park at Cleopatra's Needle. A cool night breeze swept through the leafless, snow laden trees. She clasped her white, full-length, felt coat tighter around herself, and reached into her pocket bag to pull out a small, silver, pocketwatch. "Six fifty-nine," she muttered, putting the watch back in her bag. She turned to look down a path to the right of her. There was suddenly a faint clip-clop, clip-clop noise somewhere down the path. As she watched, a white coach with two white horses pulled up in front of her. The driver shouted a few words to the horses to stop them. One of them snorted and pawed the ground impatiently. She smiled as she looked towards the handsome man in the tuxedo in the back seat. "Am I late?" he asked, hopping out of the coach and walking over to her. He held out his gloved hand to her and smiled. Carmen smiled back, "No, you're right on time, Darien. And what a pleasant surprise," she said as he kissed her hand. Darien helped her up onto the maroon velvet seat of the carriage and closed the door. "Where to, Buddy?" the driver grunted. "Ah, a few times around the park. After that I have dinner for two planned at this wonderful restaurant," he replied, turning to Carmen, "I hope everything turns out all right. This is the first time I've ever tried to be...GASP!...myself!" Carmen laughed, "To be truthful, Darien, I'm glad you're being yourself. I'm not sure I liked that...other person that you were before." Darien nodded as the carriage began to move, "Once again, I'm sorry for how I've behaved. I suppose I need to rewrite my rules." "Who says you even need rules to be romantic?" Carmen asked. Darien thought this over for a minute, "You're absolutely right, you know that?" * * * * * * * 11/5/97 7:06PM Central Park in New York City, New York "Did you get the polaroids, Zack?" Ivy asked. "Yeah," Zack replied as he climbed down from his lofty perch in the tree, "But why are we following this Darien guy anyways?" Ivy helped him down from the lowest branch and looked down the path that the carriage had gone down. "Because CrimeNet would be doing something by now, and I have a gut feeling that this guy has something to do with it. I don't know exactly what yet, but I'll find out," she said, there was a sound of determination in her voice. Zack flipped through the polaroids and looked at each one. There was one of the carriage driving up, Darien getting out, Carmen getting in, and the carriage leaving. He shook his head, "So you think this guy is an agent? Why would they just send one? You'd think Commander Jackson would hit Carmen with all he's got; other than just one agent that ends up dating her." "Mabye," Ivy said, "Mabye not. We'll just have to wait and see." * * * * * * * 11/5/97 7:45PM The Sign of the Dove, a restaurant in New York City. "Darien, it's beautiful!" Carmen said as she and Darien walked through the restaurant doors. She ran her hand over the dark wood of the grand piano in the entrance. "I'm glad you like it. A friend of mine told me about it," Darien replied, "Uh, two please, non-smoking," he told the host waiting at the podium in front of them. They followed a waiter in a tuxedo into the room, and were shown to a small, round table with two chairs. Carmen waited as the waiter took her coat. Underneath was a lovely hunter green, velvet dress and chiffon scarf thrown over her shoulder to match. As she sat down, she gently touched a petal of the long stemmed rose on their table. "Good evening, Sir and Madam," the waiter said with a cordial smile, he handed them two menus and continued, "Welcome to The Sign of the Dove. My name is Mark and I'll be your waiter tonight. We hope your dining experience is wonderful. May I ask what you will be having to drink?" the waiter asked, readying his pen. Darien looked to Carmen, "How's champagne?" Carmen smiled. "Champagne it is," he said to the waiter, "Your finest." Carmen raised her eyebrows slightly in amusement. "Are you ready to order or should I give you more time?" "No, I think we're ready," Darien said, looking over to Carmen. Carmen nodded and looked at her menu, "I'll have the Garlic Pasta Caliente." Mark scribbeld on his notepad and looked to Darien. "I'll take the Crab Meat Fettucine." Mark scribbled on his notepad, "Would you like to order an appetizer?" Darien looked at his menu, "The stuffed chicken sounds wonderful." "Excellent choice, Sir. I'll be right back," Mark replied, and walked off. After the waiter had walked off, Darien turned to Carmen, who was still looking around. "You know," he said, "this place is actually an eighteenth century carriage house that once belonged to Alexander Hamilton." "Really," she said, "It's lovely. I bet the food is, too." There was a pause between the two. Darien all of a sudden felt a flush of nervousness. (Rule #16: Always keep the conversation going.) he thought to himself. Carmen fidgeted with her scarf. She tried not to show it, but she was nervous as well. A feeling she rarely ever felt, and she had to admit she was baffled as to why she was feeling this way now. As she dwelled upon that question, she flashed a casual glance towards Darien. He simply sat and looked back at her; looking as though he was struggling to say something. They both sat and stared at each other expressionless for quite a while. "Soooo, tell me more about yourself," Darien said, breaking the silence, "What did you do before you became a thief. Or were you one all your life?" "No. Surprisingly enough, I was an ACME detective," Carmen replied. Darien was genuinely surprised, he hadn't read this on his case file, "Really?" "Yes. It was fun for a while, but then it just got too easy. I needed something to keep my mind busy. In the last years I was there I thought I was going to go absolutely crazy trying to decide to stay or leave. I loved my friends at ACME dearly, but if I didn't find something to do quickly, I knew something would get a hold of me first. I was afraid I'd end up like the cold-hearted criminals I had chased for so many years if I allowed all of this emotion to build up inside of me any longer. So I left. It was really hard, but I finally left," she finished, there was a certain look of longing in her eyes. She blushed and looked away, "I guess I should just save the emotional outbursts for later." Darien reached out and put his fingertips under her chin and gently lifted her face up. "Everyone does what they have to do; you can't blame yourself," he whispered, "And believe me, I don't mind listening to what your feeling. It's good for you to get it all out." Carmen smiled faintly and took his hand, "Thank you." * * * * * * * 11/5/97 9:05 PM The Sign of the Dove They talked non-stop right through the appetizer and the main entree'. They had eaten rather slowly, so by the time they were finished, an hour had already gone by. "So where do you think those left socks that you put into the dryer go?" Darien asked Carmen, downing the rest of his champagne. Carmen swirled her last bit of champagne in her glass and knitted her eyebrows in thought, "I don't really know actually. Maybye there's a hidden, extra-large lint trap in the back; or a government conspiracy to collect socks from people all over the world to collect their DNA. But you're right, those left socks always seem to disappear. Wait a minute, how do you even know it's the left sock? It could be the right one!" "Hey," Darien replied pointing his finger, "That's right! You don't just put your socks on in the morning and say, 'Oh darn, I put my socks on the wrong feet!' " Carmen laughed and looked over at the waiter as he approached their table. "Are you ready for you're check?" he asked smiling. "How about dessert?" Darien asked, looking towards Carmen. "That sounds nice. I've been eyeing the dessert tray over there." she answered, pointing to the tray with about a dozen or so desserts on it. "I'll bring it right over, Madam," the waiter said and walked away. He picked up the tray and brought it to their table, setting up a small stand beside their table to place it on. He pointed to a small bowl with a creamy looking sauce and strawberries in it. "Now this is our special Strawberry Crem\'e9--" CRASH!! The waiter was cut off by the sudden sound of a dozen china plates crashing to the ground. He gasped and looked towards the kitchen doorway where a young, scrawny-looking waiter was gaping in horror at the pile of broken dishes on the ground. "RICHARD!! You imbecile!" the waiter cried, shaking his fist. Carmen and Darien both chuckled as the waiter stormed off to confront the trembling young boy. Darien then turned his attention to the tray of desserts the waiter had left behind. "Hey, these are all real," he said, poking the whipped cream on one of them, "Most restaurants shellack these things to death. I wonder what it would be like to bite into a lacquer coated dessert." Carmen laughed, "Probably like the left sock that got lost in the dryer. This place must be really expensive to have all of these de-- Darien? Is there something wrong?" Darien had scooped up a spoonfull of whipped cream and was looking at it intently. He looked at it. Then he looked at Carmen. He looked at it again. And then back at Carmen. A devilish smirk smile crossed his face. "You wouldn't!" Carmen gasped. But he already had. He turned the spoon around and flicked the whipped cream right at her. She blinked and started giggling as a dallop of white fluff landed right on her nose. She then looked at the dessert tray, still stifling her laughter, and dipped her hand into a red, pudding-like sauce. She looked at Darien. Smiled. And flung the material at him, spattering it all over his face. After that, all hell broke loose. There was cre'me caramel and blueberry pie flying across the table at breakneck speeds. Custards and cakes were soaring through the air, and the sound of thier laughter rang throughout the entire restaurant. As Carmen readied her hand to fling a kiwi slice at Darien, a booming voice froze both of them in their tracks. "ENOUGH!!" the maitre d' shouted. He stood puffed up in front of them like an angry bear, his face was a menacing shade of red and his dark eyebrows were crossed in rage. Carmen and Darien both looked up at him like small puppies who had just been caught chewing to bits their master's brand new pair of leather pumps. They were a pitiful sight; covered from head to toe with bits of cake and cream of every color you could think of. A spoonful of chocolate pudding fell from Darien's nose onto his lap. Carmen struggled desperately not to laugh. "I am afraid I have to ask you two to leave," the maitre d' went on slowly. He gave one last huff, slammed their check down on their table, and walked angrily off in the other direction. Carmen and Darien both looked at each other and giggled. * * * * * * * 11/5/97 9:25PM Outside the Sign of the Dove "I haven't done that since I was a kid!" Darien cried out to a still laughing Carmen. "I've done some crazy things in my life," Carmen replied between laughing, "But this has to be the craziest!" "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Oh look! Bannanna Cream Pie!" Darien said, pointing to a spot on her face, he scooped it up with his finger and ate it. Carmen giggled again and picked up a bit of cake from his right arm, "Looks like..... Devil's Food Cake!" she finished, putting it into her mouth. "Carmen Sandiego and Darien DeMarco! The Walking Dessert Trays!" Darien announced to the busy streets. After they had both gotten their laughter out, Darien hailed a taxi and opened the door for Carmen. When they got in, the cab driver gave them a strange look, fixed his turban, and muttered something in a foreign accent that sounded a bit like, "New Yorker's...". Carmen turned to Darien, "My henchman is coming to pick me up at Cleopatra's Needle when I call him." Darien nodded and leaned over the seat to talk to the can driver, "Um, Central Park please." After he leaned back Carmen gave him a warm smile, "I really had a great time tonight. And personally, I hope I'm not being too forward, but I'd really like to get to know you better. I mean, you've already heard the soap opera that is my life." Darien racked his brain for an answer, and suddenly a feeling of dread washed over him. It was the perfect solution that could either make or break his relationship with Carmen. He wanted to suggest what he was about to suggest, but a little voice in the back of his head kept chanting: (Rule #23: When it comes to talent, never dive into uncharted waters!) He pushed the little voice aside and went with his instinct, "What do you say you come to my apartment this Saturday night for dinner. I'll cook myself." Carmen smiled, "Veery brave, I can't wait!" *\ * * * * * * 11/5/97 9:32PM Cleopatra's Needle, Central Park in New York City The small red helicopter landed with an astounding silence in an open clearing in Central Park. Its spinning blades slowed down slightly but did not stop. Carmen turned to Darien, "Well...goodnight...", she said. She seemed a bit reluctant to leave. As she turned to leave Darien tapped her on the shoulder, "What? No goodnight kiss?" Carmen laughed, "After the Garlic Pasta Caliente? You are brave!" They both laughed and leaned in for a kiss that lasted a bit longer then they both expected. * * * * * * * In the cockpit of the helicopter, Al Oy rolled his eyes and looked at his watch, wondering sarcastically if he should shut off the engine to save fuel. * * * * * * * After the kiss Carmen pulled back with a rather flustered look on her face, "Well..." she gasped, still trying to catch her breath. At the moment, they were both at a somewhat pleasant loss for words. Even Darien was in a bit of shock. "Well...I..." Carmen mummured. "Uh...yeah..." Darien replied. "I...had a great time. I'll see you Saturday night. How's eight o'clock sound?" she said. "That would be great. Here's my address," he said, taking out a scrap of paper and writing down his apartment's address. He smiled and handed it to her, still feeling woozy, "G-goodnight." "Goodnight, Darien," Carmen said softly, and walked away. Darien watched silently as the helicopter took off and disappeared over the trees. "I'm screwed..." he muttered. To be continued...