| Chapter 56 Wash away the thoughts inside That keep my mind away from you No more love and no more pride And thoughts are all I have to do Remember when it rained I felt the ground and looked up high and called your name Remember when it rained In the darkness I remain "Brian Thomas," Marie said laughing. Brian grinned, looking into her crystal blue eyes. They were walking in the garden, hand in hand. The day was clear and warm. Brian stopped walking, pulling her to him. Marie glanced around, "What are you doing?" "This," he whispered, leaning in and kissing her......................... "The rain was pouring down as Brian waited. He was on his knees in front of Marie, he'd just asked her to marry him. His heart soared when she picked up the cup and drank it. He smiled, taking her hand and placing the ring on her finger, "I love you." He watched as Marie's eyes grew wide and tears brimmed them, "How did you...?" "I saw you look at it. I knew you liked it, so I left my bag there on purpose so I could go back and get it for you," he said. Marie stood up, pulling him with her, she pulled him into a hug, murmuring I love you over and over again. He smiled at her with tears in his eyes as she pulled back, uttering the formal answer to his question. "Brian, I will walk with you for the rest of my life. I promise to complete you as you complete me. I have taken your cup, and accept your offer. I love you, as you love me and will for the rest of my days," she said. He pulled her in, taking her lips with his, the rain pouring down................................ He sat down on the bed looking at Marie, "Is everything OK?" She nodded but there were tears in her eyes. That scared him. "Your crying, what's wrong?" he asked, glancing over at the doctor. The man only smiled at him. "Baby, what's going on?" he asked, looking back at Marie. "I'm fine," she said. "But you passed out.....something's wrong," he said, fear etching its way up to the surface. He watched as she shook her head, "Nothing's wrong. The reason I passed out is ...um that I'm pregnant." It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they did, his emotions overwhelmed him. He was so happy!....................... Brian stood in the garden, hearing the thunder come closer. His heart was in his throat as he waited for his bride to walk down the isle. Finally the time had come, and Marie and her father walked toward him. He couldn't hide the joy he felt, as he smiled at her. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He listened as the priest went through the ceremony. His voice shook as he said his vows, and his hands as he placed the ring on her finger. The rain started to come down as he leaned in to kiss his wife ................................... A loud crash of thunder startled Brian from his dreams. He jerked awake, blinking his eyes rapidly. Then it finally hit him that he'd been dreaming. Darkness surrounded his soul and tears brimmed his eyes. He lifted his hand to his face, wiping away the tears. Another clap of thunder startled him, and he raised up, looking out the window. Through the darkness he could see the rain was pouring down. He sat up, the memories flooding his mind. He had to get back to Marie, he missed her so much. Silently he wept, rocking back and forth, listening to the rain outside. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tunk silently walked into the throne room. He hadn't slept all night, thinking about the proposal the king had made. His heart went out to the young man, knowing it must have taken a lot for him to come and ask him what he did. He sat down in his chair, waiting for the days session to begin. A clap of thunder could be heard from outside. Tunk sighed, wanting to get this over with. He knew he would take heat for what he was about to do, but he felt compelled to do so. Something in the kings eyes haunted him, and his decision could only be the right one. He hadn't talked with the king this morning, thinking it best not to. The less people that saw them together, the better for both their sakes. Kelah entered the room, followed by Anthony and the council. They all took their seats. Anthony cleared his throat, "I call today's session into order. Now when we left yesterday, we were discussing ........." "Excuse me my lord," Tunk said, "But I have something to say before we get started." Anthony nodded, "Alright Ambassador James, go ahead." Tunk looked down at his papers for a moment, taking a deep breath. He then looked up, talking directly to Anthony, "I wish to relinquish my claim on the mines." Anthony's mouth dropped open before he could get a grip on his composure, "Are you certain?" "Yes my lord. I've given this much consideration and I believe that my people could do better elsewhere. The time it is taking for these discussions, we could be looking for another site. I also believe that the compromise reached between us, would not serve my people well, so I relinquish Kholath's claim on this land," Tunk said. The council whispered back and forth between each other at this unexpected event. Anthony was stunned, wondering what Nick said to the man to get this kind of response. "Well, if that is the case, we will draw up the papers giving 100% of the mines to the people of Jeptim," Anthony said, "The ceremony will be Saturday night, followed by the traditional banquet. Gentlemen, you are dismissed." Tunk got up and left the room quickly, not wanting to stay around. He had done his duty, now it was up to the king to keep his end of the bargain. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tears of hope run down my skin Tears for you that will not dry They magnify the one within And let the outside slowly die Marie stood in front of her balcony doors, watching the rain pour down. She felt uneasy, a nervousness in her gut that she couldn't shake. She took a deep breath, touching the glass with her hand, her mind taking her back to her most treasured memories of Brian. The first time they kissed, the first time they made love. His smile, and the way it lit up his eyes. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall as it played in her head like a movie. She didn't want to watch it, it hurt to much, but her mind wouldn't stop. Scenes of them walking in the garden, talking, laughing. Brian on his knees in the rain, asking her to be his wife. The look on his face when she told him they were pregnant, and the joy on his face at their wedding. It was all to much. She felt as if she would explode right then and there. Over and over the memories played, torturing her mercilessly. A.J. and Howie came into the room. "Morning princess," A.J. said, "We got breakfast here." Marie didn't turn around, she couldn't. All she could do was stand there and cry. Howie and A.J. glanced at one another. A.J. walked over and touched her shoulder, "Aww Marie, come here." She turned and fell into his arms sobbing. Howie was there, rubbing her back as A.J. softly talked to her, trying to calm her down. "Shhh honey, it's gonna be alright," he cooed. She shook her head, "It won't stop." "What?" he asked. "The memories," she cried, "I see him everywhere! Please make it stop!" she begged, clinging to him for dear life. A.J. stroked her hair, starting to lead her over to the bed, "Come on, lets sit down." He felt her tense in his arms, and looked down. Pain etched her face, and fear sprang up in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Howie asked, seeing it also. "Pain," she managed, grabbing her stomach as another wave hit her, "Ow!" A.J. and Howie glanced at each other, both on the verge of panic. "Honey, is it the baby?" Howie asked. Marie grimaced, leaning forward, her arms around her stomach, "I-I think s-s-so," she panted, tears streaming down her face. A.J. bent down and picked her up, heading to the door, "Get the doors D!" he yelled, when Howie wasn't right with them. Howie ran ahead opening doors. Marie leaned on A.J.'s shoulder as he carried her down the hall, "I can't l-lose it. It's all I-I have l-left of Brian," she cried. "You won't baby," A.J. said, as he ran down the hall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The lightening blinded him as a crashing thunderous sound filled the room. Brian blinked, wiping away his tears. He took a deep breath, and instantly regretted it, coughing profusely. Slowly he gained his composure again, able to breathe in short shallow breaths. The storm outside was raging, but it was nothing compared to his emotions. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to leave. He couldn't get Marie off his mind, and he had an uneasy feeling. He glanced over at his clothes again, contemplating if he could make it. Suddenly the lights went out as another rumbling of thunder hit. This was it, probably the only opportunity he would have. Brian quickly pulled the IV's out of his arms and flung off the oxygen mask. He slid down to the floor, holding onto the bed for support. His legs were weak and he could barely hobble over to the chair. His eyes were adjusting to the darkness in the room as he pulled on his jeans and slipped his feet into his shoes. He winced as he pushed the foot of his injured leg into the shoe. He grabbed his shirt, slipping it on, then turned towards the window. Holding the wall he staggered over, opening it up and pushing out the screen. Mustering all his strength, he pulled himself through the opening, dropping several feet to the ground below. He lay there for a moment, trying to get his bearings. His muscles were already shaking with fatigue as he struggled to stand up. Leaning against the stone wall, he glanced from side to side, making sure he was the only one out in the rain. When he was satisfied that he was, he breathed a silent prayer for strength, then started toward the stables. Gritting his teeth as the pain flared up in his leg, he pressed on. The stables weren't but maybe a hundred yards from the building, but it seemed like a hundred miles to Brian. He stopped once, when his legs felt as if they would give out on him. With a shaky hand he wiped the rain from his face, and continued on. Finally making it to the stables, he leaned against the building, panting for air. He swallowed hard, forcing himself not to cough. He knew if he did, someone might hear him. Using the building for support, he made his way inside. Several unicorns were in their stalls, all seemed nervous. Brian passed a few stalls, the unicorns in them backing as far away from him as they could. "Please," Brian begged, reaching out to one. The unicorn shook its head, turning its back to him. Brian sighed, moving on to the next stall. He was met with a solid white unicorn. The creature had golden hooves and a golden horn. But it's eyes were what struck Brian the most, they were the palest blue he'd ever seen. He stared at the creature, captivated. Those eyes seemed to hold a knowledge in them, an understanding almost. Brian shivered, grabbing onto the stall as his legs finally gave out. He held himself up, leaning on the half door, "Please help me." The unicorn slowly walked over and nuzzled his face, purring. Brian smiled at the friendly gesture. He got his feet back under him and slowly transferred his weight back to them. The unicorn watched him intently. "I have to get to Cystaleia, do you know where that is?" he asked. The unicorn nodded its head. "Oh thank God!" Brian breathed, "Will you take me?" Again the unicorn nodded. Relief washed over him as he flipped the latch on the stall, opening the door. The unicorn walked out, looking at Brian curiously. Its eyes fell on the tattered leg of his jeans, then it looked at him as if it knew he was hurt. Brian looked around for some tack and a saddle, but didn't get very far as he flew into a coughing fit. He sank to his knees, holding his chest as he coughed. The unicorn walked to him, pushing his head with its nose, all the while purring. Brian reached up and touched the creatures face as he struggled to get enough air to calm his breathing. After a moment he had finally calmed down, and tried to stand back up. He didn't make it, slinking back down to the floor as his muscles gave out. He sat there, leaning against a stall, spent. He closed his eyes, despair filling his soul at the realization that he was stuck there. He didn't have enough strength to get up, let alone saddle the unicorn. He knew at any minute they would discover he was missing, and not long after they would find him here. As much as he didn't want them, tears streamed down his cheeks, as the exhaustion set in. The unicorn watched him for a moment, then walked over and nudged him, letting out a quiet whine. "I can't," Brian cried, looking at him. The unicorn nudged him again. This time the only reply he got was Brian sinking to the floor, laying on his side, shivering. The creature looked up when it heard voices. Men were shouting to each other and lights could be seen sweeping across the courtyard. "Shit," Brian mumbled, hearing them too. As the men drew closer, the unicorn knew it had to do something to help this hurting soul in front of him. He quickly lay down next to Brian. Brian lifted his head as the unicorn lay down next to him. With the last of his strength, Brian scooted closer to it and grabbed a fist full of mane as he swung his leg over the creatures body. Brian held on as it rolled upright and stood up. "Thank you," he whispered as he adjusted his weight on the unicorns back and leaned forward onto its neck. With both hands he grabbed its long mane and wrapped it around his wrists, tying himself to the creature so he wouldn't fall off if he passed out, which he was feeling like doing. The mens voices were getting closer as the unicorn stepped out of the back of the building, heading into the woods at full speed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What the fuck are they doing in there?" A.J. asked, for the millionth time. Kevin and Howie just shrugged their shoulders as another scream could be heard from Marie. Nick ran down the hall, seeing the three standing outside the medical ward. "What's going on?" he asked, panting to catch his breath. "Marie started having pains," Howie answered, wincing as another scream filled the air. Nick looked at them in shock, "Its way to soon." "No shit," A.J. said, pacing back and forth. "Does Ana know?" Nick asked. Kevin nodded, "She's with her. The docs kicked us out." The four hovered around the door, moving as nurses ran back and forth from the room. With each passing second, they became more and more worried. The amount of equipment being hauled into the room gave them chills. After a while Marie's screaming had stopped, this beyond anything else worried the men. "God I can't stand this," A.J. said, trying to peer into the closed shades on the window, "Why won't someone tell us what's going on?" Kevin put a hand on his shoulder, "They will when they have things under control." Nick leaned against the wall, doing his best not to cry. He felt like this was his fault. That Marie was so upset about Brian, that this happened. Howie walked over and looked at him, "Hey." Nick sniffed, blinking away his tears, "Hey." Howie stared at him for a moment, "You aren't blaming yourself for this are you?" Nick shrugged. "Nick, none of this is your fault. No one's blaming you for Brian being taken, and whatever is wrong with Marie, that's not your fault either," Howie said. Nick shook his head, "It is D. I was selfish to keep you guys here. If I'd sent you back, none of this would've happened." Howie sighed, "Yeah, I guess not. But you know what else wouldn't have happened? Brian wouldn't have met the love of his life. He wouldn't be married, and happier than I've ever seen him. Sure you can say this wouldn't have happened, but if you had sent us back, they would've just taken someone else close to you, like your mom, or Ana." Nick rested his head in his hands, knowing what Howie said was right. Even if the guys hadn't been here, they would've found someone else to carry out their plans. He looked up when a nurse left the room, only to come back a few minutes later with clean linens. Nick glanced at Kevin, seeing the same worried expression in the older man's eyes. Several minutes passed, the tension of not knowing what was going on eating at them all. A.J. was cussing up a storm, pacing back and forth. Pretty soon they knew he would explode and go tarring into the room demanding to know what the �his choice of expletive' was going on. Just as he was about to do just that, the door opened and Ana came out. All four gathered around her, seeing the tears in her eyes. "What happened?" Kevin asked. Ana bit her lip as a few tears slid down her cheeks, "She....she um," taking a deep breath she finished, "She lost the baby." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remember when it rained I felt the ground and looked up high and called your name Remember when it rained In the water I remain Running down...... Brian held on as best he could, leaning on the unicorn as it flew through the woods. He was shivering non stop, and each breath was a struggle. He closed his eyes, resting his head on the creature. The moment his eyes shut, Marie filled his vision. He had to get back to her, had to let her know he was alright, even if he wasn't. He cringed as another wave of pain hit his stomach and filled his senses with the taste of Krystal. Moaning he buried his face in the unicorns mane, shielding it from the relentless rain, "Please God, help me," he murmured. As he breathed in, his lungs clenched and he started coughing. He struggled, gasping for air as his vision blurred. The last thing he saw before the darkness took him was a vision of Marie, begging him to come home. Song used: Remember When It Rained, Josh Groban, Closer You can listen to this song here under the Files section. Chapter 57 |