Together (1/4)
By Nicole Mayer
The sun hung low in the sky as the weary group trudged after it; always searching for the end of the road but unable to reach their goal. Shadows danced over the landscape, and long, skeletal fingers reached out through the sparse trees and rocks.
At the forefront of the group were two people. One blonde head, and the other so dark, yet they blazed on into the sunset as if nothing would ever stop them. They walked hand-in-hand, and with a closeness that was very rare. United, not only by their quest for a common goal, but by the simple touch of one hand on another.
Alien birds called wildly in the distance, and other heads were lifted in delight at the amusing sound. Even after so many months of travelling, each day brought some unique discovery on the planet that was their new home.
However, the front walkers did not stop. They appeared to be in a world of their own, oblivious to the beauty of sunset, the sounds of the wild, and the half-concealed amusement of everyone else. Nothing mattered, but the two of them...
"This is all your fault!" Devon Adair fumed at the man walking beside her. Holding her hand, no less.
"My fault?" asked John Danziger incredulously. They'd had this conversation a thousand times over, but somehow, neither of them could let it drop.
"Yes, your fault! You and your misguided sense of machoism! I was perfectly alright by myself..."
"Well, who's idea was it to go check out those plants in the first place!" Danziger shot back at her.
"We needed to talk," Devon explained. She absently lifted her right hand to brush the hair from her face, then winced as she realised Danziger's hand came with it. Giving an exasperated sigh, she brushed the offending strands away with her free left hand.
"I just can't believe this," she complained yet again. Danziger grunted in agreement, looking out to the barren plains. He heard the familiar sound of the transrover behind them, and turned to get a better look.
"Hey, watch it!" snapped Devon.
"Cool it, Adair, the engine sounds a little off. Let me go talk to Alonzo."
Alonzo Solace grinned in amusement as the pair awkwardly turned and made their way towards him. He could see the intense frustration on both of their faces, which made the whole situation even funnier.
"What're you stopping for?" Alonzo called from the driver's seat.
"He thinks there's something wrong with the engine," explained Devon.
Shooting her a dirty look, Danziger continued, "I thought I'd take a look at it."
"Uh, I hate to say this, man, but, *how*?" asked Baines from the other chair, openly chuckling.
Danziger looked down at the joined hands.
"Oh, no you're not, John Danziger! There is NO WAY I am crawling under that machine!" flared Devon.
"Come on, Devon, it won't take long..." he wheedled. "No."
He tugged her arm, but she stood her ground firmly. Danziger began to get really annoyed. Who was she to tell him what he could and couldn't do?
He strode forward, and she yanked back on his arm. "This is ridiculous!" shouted Danziger.
"I know it is!" she shot back.
Pulling hard this time, Danziger finally felt Devon move.
"Adair, I need to fix this now!"
"Not with me, you don't!" she returned. "Yes...I...do!" With that, Danziger gave a tremendous yank, and knocked Devon off her feet. She stumbled forward into him, muttering, "...not again..." and they collapsed in a heap upon the dusty ground.
Tears threatened to well in Devon's eyes. This was *not* how any one was supposed to function, much less the leader of a group. Struggling to regain her breath, Devon realised that Danziger's face was mere inches from hers. She closed her eyes, and sighed. Would it ever end?
"We really must stop meeting like this!" Danziger joked feebly. It was the only thing he could think of to say. Curls of his hair were spread in the dirt, and he smiled impishly up at Devon. Opening her eyes, Devon saw the mirth in his eyes and began to smile back. The whole situation was completely ridiculous - two grown adults squabbling like a couple of children. And rolling in the dirt, no less.
"Sorry, Devon, I guess it was a bit out of line," Danziger offered.
She sniggered softly. "Can you imagine us even managing to get under the vehicle? I mean, we can't even walk properly!"
He began to laugh now, and soon Devon's laughter joined haw.
Sprawled on top of John Danziger, lying in the dirt, in the midst of an unknown continent was something Devon had never expected, but that's what this journey was. One of new experiences, and more surprises than she'd ever dreamed possible. As she laughed, she realised how free she had become since leaving the stations. The old Ms Devon Adair would never have let her emotions get the best of her, but here she was now, completely undignified and laughing.
When their chuckles had finally subsided, Devon and Danziger clumsily began to get up.
"Baines, can you take a look at the engine?" Danziger finally conceded.
"Sure," he replied.
"We'll keep going," Devon decided. "It's not far to tonight's campsite."
Hand in hand, Devon and Danziger resumed their trek forward. It took a while for them to regain the rhythm, and they shuffled crazily for few moments. As soon as they were out of earshot, a gale of laughter exploded from the colonists who had lurked behind the vehicle.
"I swear, John, they're laughing at us again," commented Devon, glancing behind and glaring.
"Ah, let 'em laugh," replied Danziger. "They'll get over it eventually," he added.
Sighing, Devon said, "I hope so."
She wondered again how she had let herself get into this situation. It had all started five days ago, on that innocent spring morning when she had accidentally pushed Danziger into the river...
***
Devon strode down to the banks of the river, feeling the early morning sunlight warm her face. She sighed happily with the sensation of being alive. Each new day caused a special appreciation within her, because she knew how close she had come to losing it all.
Only a month ago, she had never dreamed this possible. With her mysterious illness, Devon had believed she was going to die. "My mind was filled with visions of my own death," she remembered aloud. She would never forget the stricken expressions of her friends as they reluctantly placed her in the cold sleep chamber...
But she had underestimated them all, underestimated the strength of their beliefs and the determination not to leave her behind. So here she was now, alive, healthy and once again leading the colonists to New Pacifica. Everything was back to normal.
Or almost normal. Devon's forehead creased into a frown, as she recalled the one thing that was bothering her. Danziger. They had a great friendship, and closeness that Devon never suspected she could have with any man. Not since Uly's father...
"No, don't think of him!" she chided herself. Bad memories such as that were best forgotten. If the experience had taught her anything, it was to never let herself get involved with a man again. Because her heart would only be abused and eventually broken.
Then why did she feel her heart jump whenever Danziger smiled at her? When he casually brushed past her, or touched her arm gently? Devon hadn't really paid attention to these things before she got sick. But when she had woken, Danziger had been there for her and promised he would never leave her behind.
Reaching the water's edge, Devon reminded herself of her decision. No matter what she felt, and no matter what Danziger felt (and he *had* been paying an awful lot of attention to her lately) she could not get involved. Especially as the group looked up to her as a leader. Leaders weren't allowed to have emotions. They had to be strong for everyone.
Hearing a noise behind her, Devon instinctively turned. It was HIM.
"Hey, Devon!" called Danziger.
"Hi!" she replied with a half smile. No matter what her heart and mind said, she was still glad to see him.
Danziger joined her by the water's edge, and they chatted idly for a few minutes. Then Danziger's tone grew serious. "Devon, we need to talk."
She recognised the intensity on his face, and again wanted to avoid the issue.
"Talk? We are talking," she babbled. "You and me, having a conversation right now..."
"I mean really talk," Danziger interrupted her. "There are some things I need to say." He took a deep breath. "When I thought I'd lost you..."
Devon listened as he told her all the things she didn't need to hear. How he was devastated when she was sick. How he realised how much she meant to him. And that he knew she felt the same way.
"Devon," he said hoarsely, "I love you." He tilted her chin, so that she would meet his eyes. But she would not look at him.
"John, we can't do this."
"Why not?"
"For one thing, it's not practical. How would the others react if they knew that their leaders were involved?"
"That's their problem," Danziger offered simply.
"No, it's not!" Devon protested. "I can't let my personal feelings jeopardise everything we've worked for. No matter how much I want..."
Her voice broke off, and Danziger stared deep into her eyes. Seeing the pain and confusion that whirled there, he did the only thing possible. He leaned forward and kissed her.
Devon's mind whirled as his lips fell upon hers. She responded to the kiss, feeling the intense connection between them even though it shouldn't happen...
And then another memory intruded, of brutal kisses and terrible pain... Shocked by the fear, Devon violently pulled away. She wasn't ready to deal with this!
"What's wrong?" Danziger whispered softly into her ear.
"Stay away from me!" she yelled, and blindly pushed. Danziger lost his balance on the loose gravel, and fell backwards into the river. He hit the water with an enormous splash.
Devon was horrified by what she had just done. But she couldn't explain her actions, she barely understood them herself. Only that it was not safe.
Coughing the water out of his lungs, Danziger glared up at her from his position in the river. "Okay, I get it. You want nothing to do with me. Well, fine!"
With as much dignity as he could muster, Danziger stood up and strode towards the shore.
"It's not that!" protested Devon. "We just can't - not now - the timing's not right..."
"And it's never going to be right," Danziger said bitterly. "No one's ever going to be good enough for you, Ms Devon Adair!" With that, he marched back towards camp as Devon let the tears trickle down her cheeks.
***
Two days later, Danziger announced that he and Walman were leaving. They planned to take a scouting vehicle, and make a run for New Pacifica. Danziger never asked Devon for permission, but just made a general announcement to the group. And his proposal had sounded so reasonable that no one had any real reason to oppose it.
"We've lost so much time already," Danziger had explained. "And it's going to be difficult for the whole group of us to make up that time. What I suggest, is that Walman and I act as a scouting party for the rest of the journey. We can travel non-stop all day, and nights as well if need be. We'll find the best route for the Transrover, and once we get to New Pacifica, we can start setting up. There's a lot of work to be done before the colonist ship arrives."
So he was leaving, and there was nothing Devon could do about it. He had stiffly asked her to help look after True, and she had agreed. True was understandably upset, but Danziger had promised he'd call her every night on Gear.
"After all, it's only a couple of months." So even True had reluctantly agreed.
Supplies were organised and packed for their expedition as the colonists travelled forward into unknown territory. The terrain was gradually changing, and it seemed Julia had a new plant form to analyse every day. She had warned everyone to be wary of the changing vegetation, because each one held potential danger.
It was the morning that Danziger and Walman were scheduled to leave when Devon decided she couldn't just let Danziger go. Not without trying to apologise, at least. So she called him over, on the pretence of studying a new type of shrub.
"Looks like a regular plant to me," muttered Danziger. He had avoided Devon ever since the incident at the river, and still refused to meet her eyes. Idly kicking one of the many rocks strewn across the ground, Danziger wondered what Devon wanted.
"Danziger, we need to talk," she began, but he cut her off with a mirthless laugh.
"Sorry, Adair, I already tried that one. You threw me in the river, remember?"
She winced, and Danziger went on.
"So I don't think we have anything left to say."
Devon stared off into the distance, mustering her courage to tell him what she knew she had to. "Danziger - John, I'm sorry. It was just an accident."
He grunted in acknowledgment, staring at the ground. "It's not that I don't like you. I like you, a lot, more than I've liked anyone in years. I even think," she paused, and took a deep breath, "that I might love you."
Danziger's head snapped up, and he looked at the woman beside him with surprise. He'd never expected her to admit her feelings. "However," she went on, "perhaps it's best that you go away for a while, so we can sort out our feelings. When we get to New Pacifica, maybe we can start over..." she offered, somewhat lamely. It wasn't what her heart wanted to do, but in this case, her head had to win.
"I just wanted to, you know, clear the air a little. I want to part as friends."
Danziger's mouth twisted into a parody of a smile. "I should've guessed as much. Always the diplomat, aren't you."
"Please, John?" she asked, the apprehension in her voice evident. He looked into her deep blue eyes, and couldn't resist her. He knew he never could.
"Okay, friends. No strings attached."
Devon smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I'll miss you the next few months."
"Me too."
Devon smiled again, and injected an air of normalcy into her voice. "Well, we really should take a look at this plant." Still focussed on Danziger, she stepped forward and failed to notice the rock beneath her foot. A look of disbelief crossed her face as she tripped.
Hands flailing, she managed to grab at the plant in hope of softening her fall. The leaf snapped off in her right hand, and sap trickled into her palm. Landing hard, Devon stared at her hand with a surprised look on her face. There was an odd tingling...
Danziger rushed over, and made to help her up. "Wait - no..." Devon began as Danziger's left arm reached out to grab her sticky hand. His fingers closed around her palm as she instinctively copied his movement, and he pulled her to her feet before she could finish the sentence.
"Yuck, Adair, what's on your hand?" asked Danziger when they were both standing up, away from the plant.
"I tried to tell you, something from that - hey, I'm stuck!" Devon tugged on her hand, but she could not free it. In fact, she couldn't even unwind her fingers.
"Okay, Danziger, very funny. Now let go!" "I can't," he replied, a look of surprise on his face. "My hand's just as stuck as yours!"
"Must be something from the plant," Devon said. "Okay, on the count of three, pull. One, two, three!" Gripping her right elbow with her left hand, Devon pulled as hard as she could.
Danziger was doing the same thing. "I," puff, "can't - break - free!" With that, Danziger gave a tremendous yank and Devon lost her balance. They collapsed in a heap.
Devon groaned as she realised she was sprawled across Danziger's chest. Sweat trickled down her face from the exertion, and she groaned aloud.
"I can't believe this is happening..."
End of Part 1.
Story Notes:
Hi everyone!
Here's one of my latest stories : "Together". I will be posting one part per day, and to those of you asking about "Legends II" - it should be out *very* soon!
As I am not currently subscribed to the list, I would really appreciate it if someone (anyone!) could let me know if this showed up.
Also, Alvar Wenzel, where are you? My messages keep getting bounced back!
NOTES: "Together" primarily focuses on two characters and their relationship, however, everyone does makes an appearance so if you're holding out to see your favorite person, you won't be disappointed.
This was originally envisioned as a serious drama/romance, yet somehow, it changed. [Must be those fingers with a mind of their own again!] It was written during a very stressed time of my life, which may explain it a little. So now, I'd classify this as romance/humor with a little drama.
Special thanks goes to my wonderful sister Janice for reading this and laughing in all the right places, as well as for her continued support for all my fan-fic.
DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained within belong to Universal/Amblin Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
Nicole Mayer
Here's one of my latest stories : "Together". I will be posting one part per day, and to those of you asking about "Legends II" - it should be out *very* soon!
As I am not currently subscribed to the list, I would really appreciate it if someone (anyone!) could let me know if this showed up.
Also, Alvar Wenzel, where are you? My messages keep getting bounced back!
NOTES: "Together" primarily focuses on two characters and their relationship, however, everyone does makes an appearance so if you're holding out to see your favorite person, you won't be disappointed.
This was originally envisioned as a serious drama/romance, yet somehow, it changed. [Must be those fingers with a mind of their own again!] It was written during a very stressed time of my life, which may explain it a little. So now, I'd classify this as romance/humor with a little drama.
Special thanks goes to my wonderful sister Janice for reading this and laughing in all the right places, as well as for her continued support for all my fan-fic.
DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained within belong to Universal/Amblin Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
Nicole Mayer