Darkness Series
Part 10: Seeing The Light

"Jarod, I need your help."

 

He raised his head as she walked in through the door, his legs curled up under him, as he sat in an armchair with a Braille textbook in his hands, Charlie at his feet.

 

"It's obviously been a bad day, Nicole." She sat down on the armrest of the chair and Jarod slid an arm around her waist, turning his closed eyes to face her. "What can I do?"

 

"I got a new patient today."

 

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so unusual?"

 

"Please, Jarod. I'm serious."

 

"Okay, sorry. What's wrong?"

 

She paused and he pulled her down into his lap.

 

"Nicole, what is it?" He placed one hand on her cheek and gently kissed her. "Tell me what it is and how I can help."

 

"I want you to come and help me with a patient tomorrow."

 

He nodded, waiting for her to continue.

 

"He was playing basketball when he was knocked out. When he came around his vision was a bit blurry, and it's only got worse since. He was brought in to me, and I've found that I can correct the detached retinas."

 

"But he's scared the operation will leave him completely blind,” he finished for her.

 

Nicole nodded, her head resting on his shoulder, as Jarod considered. "What do you want me to do?"

 

"Convince him that it's necessary. His parents believe me when I say that the risks are small, but he says he won't go through life being dependent on a white cane or a dog."

 

"He should fall in love with his doctor,” Jarod told her, grinning. “Then he'd be okay."

 

"Would you be willing to share?"

 

He kissed her again, laughing. "Hmm, probably not."

 

* * *

 

Jarod slid his hand around her arm as they started to walk towards the hospital, his other hand on Charlie’s harness.

 

"You haven't fallen again, Jarod? Or cut yourself?"

 

"Hi, Phil." Jarod grinned. "No, not this time. Besides, I'd have to work a lot harder to break my leg now."

 

"So how's life?"

 

"Good. Really good."

 

"I'll bet."

 

The man smiled and then turned away from them, entering the building by another door. Nicole glared at Jarod, her voice stern.

 

"Since when do you call doctors by their first names?"

 

"Since you invite them around for dinner - Doctor Austen."

 

She playfully smacked him. "Behave. You're here in a professional role."

 

"As what?" Jarod raised an eyebrow, his expression one of innocence. "I haven't read up on this particular pretend. I don't even have a last name picked out or anything."

 

Nicole laughed and led him towards her office. He waited outside, chatting with her secretary, as she collected what she needed and walked with him up to the room. He stood slightly to the side, listening as a nurse reported on the condition of the patient.

 

"How's he doing?"

 

"Refusing anything we try to give him. He didn't eat dinner last night or breakfast this morning."

 

"Hmm, sounds familiar," Nicole commented as Jarod laughed. Outside the door, she stopped, but he spoke first.

 

"You go in. I'll wait until he's ready."

 

"You're a mind reader," Nicole told him with a smile.

 

"Only with you."

 

She squeezed his hand and then let go, walking into the room and partly shutting the door behind her so that he could no longer clearly hear what was being said until she called his name.

 

"Jarod!"

 

The man pushed the door open, hearing a clearly audible gasp as he entered the room. "Jarod? Is that you?"

 

"J.R.?"

 

Jarod’s eyes opened in surprise as he took several careful steps towards the source of the voice and then felt Nicole's hand on his arm, directing him to a chair. When he was safely seated, with Charlie lying on the linoleum at his feet, the man grinned.

 

"How are you doing, kiddo? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

 

"What happened to you?"

 

The man laughed. "I'm blind, of course. I have been for almost ten months."

 

"How?"

 

"I was inside a building when it collapsed."

 

"Jarod?"

 

He turned as Nicole placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes?"

 

"I'm going to leave you here while I go and visit a few other patients. I'll be back in a while. Don't go wandering off on me."

 

"That'd be great, wouldn't it? You might never find me again." He chuckled. "Although I'm sure a certain busybody doctor in emergency would track me down and reunite us."

 

She laughed. "Just be good."

 

His eyes danced behind his dark glasses, but Jarod's voice was demure. "Yes, Doctor."

 

* * *

 

"Do you have a collection of all the people I've helped here, just so I can feel better about myself or something? First Rachel and now J.R."

 

She laughed. "Is he willing...?"

 

"As soon as you say the word,” he responded quickly, hearing the slight concern in her voice. “On the condition that I visit him every day until the bandages come off."

 

"Ooh, gee, that could be asking a bit much of me,” she commented. “That means I’ll have to bring you here each day."

 

"Not at all,” he laughed. “I'll go by taxi or walk or something. It’s not that far."

 

"Yes, you probably would, too," she retorted drily.

 

"Definitely,” Jarod agreed. “You should know, after all this time, how stubborn I am."

 

"Well, I did have that idea, yes," Nicole admitted.

 

He grinned. "If you've only got an idea then I'll have to work harder just to prove it to you."

 

"Oh no, please! I couldn't cope." She unlocked the car door and walked around to the other side, getting in and starting the engine. "It was bad enough when you were learning to walk again."

 

"Come on, that was fun," he teased.

 

"For you, maybe. You didn't have the job of preventing you from walking too much or too often."

 

"Just because you came out once at two in the morning to find me making laps of the hall..."

 

* * *

 

"Okay, J.R., last bit."

 

There was a moment of silence.

 

"I can't see,” the boy stated softly.

 

Nicole laughed. "It helps if you open your eyes, J.R."

 

He sat still for another few seconds before lifting his eyelids, gasping as a wave of color and light seemed to sweep over him.

 

"He can see." Jarod was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, his arms folded and a satisfied smile on his face.

 

"He sure can," the doctor agreed.

 

Nicole fixed her eyes on the boy's face as he looked from right to left, his eyes gradually focusing on objects in the dimly lit room. For a moment, a feeling similar to regret tugged at her heart, as she wished Jarod could have a chance to experience the same thing, but she pushed it away in order to concentrate on the young man in front of her.

 

"J.R., I'm really sorry but we need to cover them again for a while."

 

"What? Why?"

 

"Because your eyes haven't looked at anything for the last week and so if we left them uncovered now, you'd strain them." Giving the doctor no chance to speak, Jarod provided the explanation. "It would be like spraining your ankle and not giving it a chance to heal before you played basketball on it again."

 

Nicole nodded in agreement. "But each day we'll lengthen the time that we leave them uncovered until you can go home and life can get back to normal, although we'll have to check that it hasn't caused any lasting damage."

 

The boy spoke hesitantly. "Can I... have some time now?"

 

Nicole consulted her watch. "You can have twenty minutes." She glanced up at the boy's mother, who had stood watching the consultation, tears standing out in her eyes. "How about if your mom and I go and get coffee while you and Jarod have a chat?"

 

The older man lowered himself into the seat beside the bed and waited. J.R.’s voice was hesitant.

 

"How… do you cope with that?"

 

Jarod raised an eyebrow. "I thought we had this discussion a week ago."

 

"But that was when I thought that maybe I'd be..."

 

"I know. It's different now." Jarod smiled. "I'm so glad for you, J.R."

 

"But you... will you ever see again?"

 

"I don't know." He shrugged. "It doesn't seem to matter anymore. Life goes on."

 

"What are you going to do?"

 

Jarod grinned. "I'm going to get married."

 

"To Dr. Austen?"

 

"If she accepts me," he agreed.

 

J.R. grinned. "You haven't asked her yet?"

 

"No, so no dropping hints or I'll suggest she bandages your mouth as well."

 

The boy laughed and then looked more closely at Jarod's face.

 

"You don't look that different from when I last saw you."

 

"Except that I can't see you," Jarod replied quietly.

 

"It's not fair," the young man protested.

 

"When has life ever been fair - to either of us?"

 

"I met you."

 

"Hey, I said fair,” Jarod joked. “Not beneficial."

 

J.R. laughed and Jarod grinned at the sound, turning as he heard the door open to admit the two women back into the room.

 

* * *

 

Jarod heard the rain and went into the bathroom, turning on the heater as he put a fluffy towel on the basin. He jumped as thunder crashed, eyes flying open in shock, before laughing at himself, going back into the living room and putting on a CD that was only just audible over the noise. As he sat down, something made him turn his head sharply to one side and Jarod could tell, from his knowledge of the room, that he was facing a window.

 

Getting up, he walked in that direction, only halting when his knees bumped into the window-seat. Jarod curled himself up on it. A flicker of light seemed to break through the dark that had made up his world for months and Jarod turned his head as the thunder loudly crashed almost immediately afterwards, tensing as a possible cause for the change flashed through his mind.

 

It couldn't be.

 

There was no way it was happening.

 

It had to be something else - but what?

 

He thought through the things he had read from material Nicole had given, him but nothing matched what he was experiencing now. Again, just before the thunder boomed, there was a faint flicker and Jarod lifted his head, fixing his eyes unseeingly on some point outside. The flickering occurred several more times before the thunder died down and he turned away from the window. It could be - it really could. If it was, then...

 

He stopped himself. It was useless to get all excited about something that might not happen. He’d painfully and slowly learnt the lesson of patience and he would now put it to the test. He wouldn't tell her. If it were true then he’d have lots of time. If not, he didn't want to excite her unnecessarily. He shook his head, sat back down on the sofa and picked up his book, listening to Charlie sigh as he changed position on the rug.

 

Several minutes later he heard her coming in through the front door and, closing his eyes again, Jarod raised his head.

 

"I put the radiator on in the bathroom so you can go and warm up."

 

Nicole came across and kissed him. "How did you know I'd get caught in it?"

 

"Because I know exactly what you’re wearing today and it’s not appropriate for bad such weather. Because of that, Murphy's Law said it had to happen." Jarod laughed and put out his hand to feel her wet top. "Go and get warm and dry."

 

"First let me light the fire. This room's freezing. You ought to have put the heater on in here too."

 

"I didn't notice." He shrugged. "I was enjoying the sound of the storm."

 

"You wouldn't have enjoyed being out in it," Nicole told him quickly.

 

"Which was why I didn't go,” he laughed. “I'm no fool."

 

"Implying that I am?" she teased.

 

He grinned as he listened to her strike the match. "Not at all. I was talking about voluntarily being out in it - and you had to come back to me!"

 

She groaned as she got up, an eye on the fire to make sure that it would remain alight. "That was awful. Honest, but awful."

 

"Well, as long as I was right..." he began.

 

"Okay, that's it. I'm going. You can waste your smart remarks on the air."

 

He heard her footsteps cross the parquet. Immediately he refocused his attention on the sound of the fire, hearing it crackle as the wood ignited. Opening his eyes, Jarod sensed a lightening of the darkness before him and got up, slowly walking towards it. A sudden pressure on his legs caused him to stop short, and Jarod put out a hand to the dog.

 

“It’s okay, Charlie,” he murmured softly. “I know it’s there.”

 

The place where he knew the fire must be was now almost a red haze before him. Jarod raised a hand and could tell from the heat that he was standing only a short distance from the flames and guard. Jarod understood the reason he hadn't noticed it before. Whenever he went anywhere, he wore dark glasses, and now kept his eyes closed for almost the whole time, whether inside or out. There had never been a reason for him to leave them open before this, but now he was impatient for day to arrive, so that he could look up and perhaps even see the sun. With a sigh, he turned and carefully made his way back to the chair.

 

* * *

 

Lying in bed, he heard her leave the house and start the car. She didn't wake him before she left, but sometimes he would already be up. This morning he had lain impatiently with his eyes closed as she got up and dressed. Now he pulled back the curtain that covered the windows. At once the darkness lightened, becoming a dark gray and, when he stared at a certain spot, a faint red color. Jarod exhaled slowly, suddenly realizing that his hands were trembling. It was true then. It hadn't been a mistake, or a figment of his imagination. Jarod closed his eyes and the familiar darkness returned.

 

Opening his eyes again, he heard a gasp as the black lifted. It took him a moment to realize that the sound had come from his own throat. Getting up, he felt his way to the bookcase in the room and pulled out a folder. His fingertips raced over the pages and found what he wanted. Recovery could take any time, from a few days to more than a year. His blindness having been somewhat shorter than Nicole’s, he could hope that his vision would be quicker than hers to come back.

 

Without realizing what he was doing, Jarod shut the book and replaced it on the shelf. He got his clothes and, followed by the dog, walked into the bathroom, feeling the strong sunlight on his face from the window as he turned on the shower and took off the things he wore in bed before getting under the running water. As the water fell, drops caught the sunlight and reflected it into his eyes, making points that were almost silver. He leaned against the wall, feeling the cool tiles behind his back and the warm water in front. His eyes moved rapidly, but there was no difference between one spot and another in terms of contrast. Sighing, he quickly finished showering, rinsed the suds from his hair, turned the water off and stepped out, drying himself and dressing.

 

* * *

 

Nicole's secretary looked up to find Jarod standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb, with his right hand on the harness and the left in his pants pocket, and the woman smiled.

 

"Hi, Jarod. She's nearly done."

 

"That's okay." He came into the office. "Actually I wanted a chance to consult her and thought that this was as good a place as any."

 

"Consult her?" She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

 

He nodded. "There's a couple of little things I want to check up on, and besides," he grinned, "I'm looking forward to hearing her voice when she isn't half-asleep."

 

The woman laughed. "I'll tell her you're here."

 

"No," Jarod stopped her. "Don't tell her it's me. Just tell her she has a patient."

 

Nicole looked up as her door opened and Jarod calmly walked in, sitting down opposite her with a grin as Charlie curled up at his feet. Her tones were demanding.

 

"Okay, what are you doing here?"

 

Jarod rolled his eyes. "Consulting my doctor, of course. What's it look like?"

 

"Don't be smart,” she told him with a grin.

 

"I'm not." He paused. "Nicole, I really am here to consult you in your professional capacity."

 

"And does that mean I can charge you in my professional capacity as well?"

 

He shrugged. "If it makes you happy."

 

She laughed. "Okay, what's up?"

 

His reply was blunt. "I think I'm getting my sight back."

 

"You... what?" Her voice sank to a whisper. "Are you sure?"

 

"No. Not positive. That's why I'm here. I want you to tell me."

 

She sat back in the chair, staring at him. "What can you see?"

 

"Whereas everything was black, now it's pretty much all gray and if there's a lot of contrast, I can see stronger light as a kind of red color. Like the sun," Jarod waved a hand, "or that light on your desk."

 

Nicole glanced from the lamp back to him. "And when did you first notice?"

 

"Almost a week ago, on the day of that big storm."

 

She raised an eyebrow. "You waited a week and didn't tell me?"

 

Jarod grinned. "I waited a week and you didn't notice?"

 

"Hmm, good point." She laughed. "Anything else?"

 

"I… think I can see shadows. I was going to the park today when I heard a bike coming and then I saw a darker shape as it passed."

 

Nicole stood up. "All right, we'll do the normal round of tests."

 

He grabbed her arm as she passed. "What do you really think?"

 

She placed a hand on either side of his face and lowered her mouth to his. "I think soon you won't have any more regrets, ever again."

 

* * *

 

He listened to the regular sound of her breathing but Jarod couldn't sleep. All the feelings running through him were more tangled and confused than they had been on the night when he’d learned that she loved him but now, even more than then, the major one was fear. He pulled himself up in bed and got out of it, silently leaving the room and taking his keys off a hook by the back door. As he opened it, he inhaled the cold air of late October, hearing the soft pad of paws as he stepped onto the veranda, feeling the hard boards under his bare feet as he pulled the door closed behind the two of them. For a moment, Jarod felt like rushing back into the house, packing his things and taking off, but, even as he shifted in his seat, the door opened.

 

"Jarod, what are you doing?"

 

"Trying to get a tan?"

 

He kept his face turned away from hers, his eyes traveling slowly from right to left in the pale gray that he could now see. She came over and sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.

 

"Isn't it a little early to be doing your deep thinking yet?"

 

"I didn't mean to wake you."

 

"You didn't."

 

He turned towards her, an eyebrow raised, and she laughed. "Okay, you did. And I want to know what's possessing you to sit out here at this hour."

 

"If you're chilly, we can go back in."

 

"I think that's a good idea. I don't want to have to nurse you through pneumonia."

 

"I didn't get it the last time you thought I would," Jarod reminded Nicole as he got up and followed her back into the house, Charlie trotting at his heels.

 

"Let's not tempt fate a second time, okay?"

 

Jarod sat in the living room chair, his eyes fixed on a red gleam that denoted the sunrise through the large window, listening to her shut and lock the door.

 

"If I didn't know better, Jarod, I’d almost have believed that you'd been planning a rapid and silent flight when I came out to find you." When he didn't reply, she came over to sit in front of him. "You weren't, were you?"

 

Slowly he nodded and could feel her stiffen, her voice almost a whisper. "Why?"

 

"I... I'm scared." His admission was low and Jarod knew he couldn’t have made it to anyone else.

 

"Of what?" she begged.

 

Jarod could hear the unshed tears in her tone, hating himself for what he’d thought about doing to her and what he was about to say. "Of you."

 

She drew back as though he had slapped her and he could see the movement of her silhouette in the light behind her.

 

"Why?"

 

There was a sense of great incomprehension in her tone and he turned towards her, surprised to feel the tears on his cheeks, having failed to realize that he was even crying. "Because of what's happening."

 

Nicole froze as the words sank in and she was able to understand what he was afraid of, mentally kicking herself for not having considered before that it was bound to happen. Although she’d been using the earlier situation as a watermark for this one, it had nevertheless been different, at least in part because she and Paul had known each other before, but now...

 

She moved to sit on the armrest of the chair and gathered his head in her hands. "Jarod, I will still love you after you can see again properly. I'll love you even more because you'll be able to share the other things I enjoy so much."

 

"Can you be so sure?"

 

Gently she wiped away the tears, kissing him softly on his forehead and his mouth. "There’s been times when I've felt guilty, because there's been something I’ve seen on television, or when we've been in the park that I've wanted to talk to you about, but then I’ve had to remember you weren't able to appreciate it as much as I did. When you can see again, I know that you'll be able to enjoy those things as much as I do, and I'm so looking forward to that."

 

Jarod wrapped his arms around her waist as she finished speaking, lowering his head so it rested on her chest. Nicole stroked his hair as he stared into the red ball that was the sun as much as he could see it. Finally she pulled away a little and looked down at him.

 

"Don't you think I've got reason to be concerned too, Jarod? You've never even seen me and I, at least, know what you look like."

 

He felt himself raised out of the negative feelings that had been weighing on him, ashamed that in the selfishness of his emotions, he hadn't even considered hers, when the teasing tone in which it had been stated struck him. He raised his head, seeing a darkened shape that he only held more tightly.

 

"Jarod, let's wait until it actually happens before we go making any decisions that could affect our whole lives. Deal?"

 

He nodded and blinked the last of the tears out of his eyes, raising his hand and holding it against her cheek.

 

"Deal."

 

* * *

 

Jarod opened his eyes to reveal the light gray into which he could now look and then closed them again, rolling over and slowly rubbing both hands on his temples, willing the throbbing away.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Headache," he retorted shortly.

 

"Another one?" She came over to sit beside him. "You've been straining your eyes again, haven't you?"

 

He shrugged and opened his eyes, able to make out her shape and the bright red of the shirt she was wearing, which formed a blur in his sight. As the action increased the pain in his head, he shut his eyes again with a groan.

 

"You lectured J.R. about the damage he’d do if he strained his eyes and then you go and do the same thing," Nicole scolded and he opened one eye, glaring at her out of it.

 

"Those who can, do..." he snapped.

 

"And those who can't should learn how," she finished for him.

 

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember that being the way the saying went."

 

"That's how it goes with me." Nicole stood up. "I’ll get something to make it all better. Don't run off on me now."

 

He grinned weakly, shutting his eyes, but sat up when, several minutes later, he felt her hands on the sides of his head.

 

"What...?"

 

"If you wriggle like that, it'll come off."

 

Jarod raised a hand to feel the satin material covering his eyes and opened them to darkness as he turned his head in her direction.

 

"Why?"

 

"Because it'll give your eyes a chance to heal. If you really strain them, you'll put your chances of recovery back days or even weeks. And we'll put drops in every day from now on."

 

"I just don't think you want me to see you at all!" Jarod proclaimed in disgust at being denied his newfound ability, despite understanding the logic in her argument.

 

She laughed. "Well, that could be it." Opening his hand, she put two tablets into it and closed his fingers over them. "There's a glass of water at four on your table."

 

He reached for it, swallowing the capsules, and lay down again, feeling her hand softly stroke his cheek, relaxing at the gentleness of her touch as the pain in his head slowly began to fade.

 

"Anyone would think you loved me."

 

She lowered her mouth to his, kissing him softly. "Maybe, just maybe, I do."

 

* * *

 

As on every other occasion, Jarod caught his breath as the light hit his open eyes, as soon as the mask was removed. For a brief moment he looked down, blinking rapidly until his pupils adjusted.

 

Then he looked up.

 

Before today, she had been behind him preparing the drops, but finally she was standing in front of him and he seized her both hands, his eyes traveling over her face as his breath caught again. Slowly, almost disbelieving, he raised his hand so that it finally came to rest on her cheek, feeling the familiar touch of her skin under his fingertips and having to use that to convince himself that it really was her.

 

"I thought you said that you were a boring person," he murmured in amazement.

 

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not?"

 

"You're..." Jarod hesitated, unable to come up with a sufficient adjective. "You're indescribable."

 

The light coming through the window turned her brown hair auburn and it formed into large, loose curls that stopped just above her shoulders. Her eyes were coffee brown and now glowed warmly as she watched him examining her features. Her fine eyebrows framed her eyes perfectly and her cheeks glowed faintly under the intentness of his gaze as her pink lips curved into a smile.

 

"I hate to say 'I told you so', but..."

 

They both turned to the woman in the doorway, but Jarod had seen Ann on other occasions, and her features were not the novelty that those of the woman in front of him were, quickly turning his gaze back to the woman he loved, his eyes demanding an answer.

 

"What did she say, Nicole?"

 

The brunette smiled as she turned back to him, a blush making her cheeks glow more. "She said you'd fall in love with me all over again once you saw me."

 

Jarod smiled. "I think I just did."

 

* * *

 

Sitting in the chair, his eyes running over the furniture in the room, Jarod recalled the first day that he had been permitted to see. He had wandered vaguely around the house after she left for work, his eyes taking in the objects that sat in front of them, often without recognizing them until he was actually feeling them. He had reached for items, frequently only to miss. His perception of depth and distance was still a little poor, although she assured him it would come back, but then, when he needed to pick up something, it had been easier to close his eyes and do it in the dark. It had been frustrating but nothing more than Nicole had prepared him for and the days that had passed in which he had been able to see clearly had already made a substantial difference in all aspects of his vision and his life. Now he resettled the newly acquired glasses more firmly on his nose, got out of his chair and, followed by Charlie, left the room.

 

Going into the bedroom that had once been his, Jarod opened the cupboards to look at the racks of clothes that still sat there. It was strange to think that he had worn them all numerous times but with no idea of how he looked in them.

 

How he looked.

 

Jarod suddenly paused.

 

How did he look? He hadn't really seen himself since the morning of the bomb, having forgotten that things such as mirrors existed. Slowly, almost fearfully, he turned to the object that he knew stood in the corner.

 

"A mirror isn't a lot of use if you don't open your eyes."

 

Jarod did as he was bid, having been unable to prevent his eyelids from closing as he turned, and looked sideways to find Ann standing in the doorway, a key swinging on one finger and her green eyes dancing with laughter. He narrowed his own eyes.

 

"You like doing that, don't you?"

 

"It is kind of fun, yes." Grinning, she came into the room, running a hand through her short, blond hair. "There’s a few hours before I’ve got to be at work and I thought I'd check you were behaving yourself."

 

"Good,” he told her with a grin. “I want your advice."

 

"Wow!" She sat down suddenly on the bed. "Are you sick or something?"

 

He laughed as he looked at her. "No, not really. Nothing you could fix anyway."

 

Ann grinned, instantly understanding. "Well, what's up?"

 

"Want to go for a walk?"

 

She narrowed her eyes. "I sense an ulterior motive."

 

"You're right, but I won't tell you what it is until we get there."

 

"First, finish what you were doing when I came in," she told him firmly.

 

He looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"

 

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, you were about to take the first full-length look at yourself that you've seen in months."

 

Jarod smiled. "I'd say you were right, but I wouldn't want to pander to your ego."

 

She snorted. "Just look, will you?"

 

Almost fearfully, he turned his head to the left, the rest of his body slowly rotating also. He took in the sight of the new shoes on his feet, moving over the blue jeans he wore to the pale blue shirt, open casually at the neck. His hair, he saw immediately, was somewhat shorter than he normally wore it and his glasses gave him a professorial air. In other words, Jarod thought as he eyed his reflection, he looked respectable, neat and nothing at all like he remembered himself appearing. A small grin slowly formed on his face.

 

"So, did I do a good job?" queried a laughing voice.

 

He shrugged, a teasing look coming into his eyes as he turned to her. "Not bad, I guess."

 

Ann jumped indignantly to her feet. "Hey, do you want my opinion or not?"

 

"If you're my only option..." he trailed off, shrugging again.

 

"Then stop being so smart and let's go."

 

* * *

 

As the two people and the dog entered the store, the gray-haired owned turned with a smile.

 

"Jarod, sir, how are you today?"

 

"Very well thanks, Bill,” Jarod told him. “Did it come in yet?"

 

"Finally arrived last night, I'm glad to say. But is this..."

 

The show-owner’s blue eyes looked Ann up and down as Jarod laughed. "No, this isn't her. This is her friend and she's going to help me make the final decision."

 

"Just a moment then, sir, and I'll get it for you."

 

Ann nudged Jarod as Bill went into the back of the shop. "And since when are you on first-name terms with the shop-keepers in this town?"

 

"Since I decided to do a little shopping," he retorted with a grin.

 

"And can I guess what you're buying in a jewellery store?"

 

He shrugged. "Probably."

 

Ann grinned. "And I take it this is going to be a complete surprise?"

 

"If it wasn't, do you think you'd be here?" he demanded.

 

"Hmm, good point."

 

Jarod laughed. "I've been trying to decide the best way to ask her - and that's another thing I want your advice on. But first, tell me what you think of this."

 

He opened the box that had been put on the counter in front of him and Ann picked it up, seeing the cluster of diamonds, set into the thin gold band, catch the light. "It's beautiful."

 

"What did Paul give her?" Jarod asked softly.

 

She glanced at him sharply. "Nothing like this. His was pearl. It was his mother's ring."

 

Jarod nodded. "Good. So, what do you think?” His eyes danced. “Should I get it?"

 

"If you want her to love you even more than she does already, definitely."

 

He laughed and pulled out his wallet, taking a card and handing it to the man who waited patiently behind the counter. As Bill moved into the back of the shop again to process it, Ann looked up at Jarod.

 

"Is the name thing settled?"

 

He nodded. "Nicole and I sorted it out about a week ago, as soon as I could see well enough to sign the forms."

 

Ann laughed. "And now you'll have to do it all over again for her."

 

* * *

 

He held the door of the restaurant for her and then followed her inside, the waiter leading them to a table, tucked away in the corner. Nicole sat down in the chair that was held for her, her back to the restaurant, and he took his seat opposite.

 

"So what's the occasion?"

 

He grinned. "You don't think we have things to celebrate?"

 

Nicole smiled. "Probably. I'm just curious to know which particular one we're celebrating tonight."

 

"Hmm," Jarod paused thoughtfully. "The anniversary of you first taking me out to dinner, or close enough to it. I thought it was time I returned the favor."

 

"Does that mean you're paying?"

 

"Unless you have an objection."

 

"Not at all. I'm just curious, since you aren't working right now and never remained at one job long enough to get a pay check..."

 

"Remember how I said I'd send the Centre broke to keep you happy?" He paused as she nodded. "About a week before the explosion I set up a bank account that would siphon off a certain sum of money daily from one of the major Centre accounts, without them knowing. When the Centre was destroyed, the account remained active. After we arranged a full set of identification, I pulled out a certain bankcard and arranged for the name on it to be changed. Voila! An instant source of funds to spend on you!"

 

Nicole giggled as she picked up the glass that the waiter had just placed in front of her. "Ann was right. You are too clever for your own good!"

 

He picked up his own glass, his gaze fixed on her. "Here's to friendship."

 

"And much more."

 

Jarod nodded as he took a sip of the wine, his expression suddenly and completely serious.
 
Part 11

 

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