Hello, this is my first fan fiction, written in English, so please BE patient!

All the characters (except for one or two) don’t belong to me, I just use them! Not for money, not for fame, just for fun!

For German readers, I will write this story in German too, but later!

Ha, Britta, you wanted me to write it in English, so here you have … J
 
 

Remains Of  Life
By Dara

It was dark. He didn’t know, how long he had been going through this forests. It seemed to be an eternity. It was May, still cold. But it could be, that his cold came from inside. He realized, that he couldn’t go on any longer; he had lost too much blood, too much power. His breath was deep and his heart raced. He fell on the fresh and wet grass. He was tired and he knew, if he didn’t find anyone soon, he would die. His consciousness started to fade away.

***

The wind blew strongly against the partly opened window and a leaflet sank down to the floor. It was already night and the crickets were chirping aloud. Rika sighed silently. Somebody out there needed her help, she could feel it. Her hands trembled slightly, while she washed them carefully under the running water. She didn’t like visitors, she didn’t like company. She loved to be alone in this seclusion. As long as she could remember she’d been living here. She had always been alone after her parents had died. She sighed again and took a deep breath. But out there was someone and he needed help. She straightened herself, took her coat and went outside.

At first she couldn’t see anything. But she was sure, that he was there. She concentrated and closed her eyes for one little moment. Then she turned left und went into the woods. She felt his dreams as she felt them every time. She could hear him before she saw him. He lay in the moss, his clothes were damp and torn. His breath was barely audible and he was unconscious. She got down to her knees and touched his forehead. It was hot and his sweat was mixed with blood. Rika tried to get him on her shoulders, but he was bigger than her. He had to wake up, he had to help her.

“Hello? Can you hear me? Wake up! You’ve got to move! My house is just a few meters away.” She shook him slightly. “Do you understand me? Wake up, we’ve got to move!”

He pushed himself to open his eyes. Why did she shout so loud? Why couldn’t she leave him alone? By the way, who was this woman? He tried to focus, it was dark but he could see the shape of the woman holding him. It was hard to understand, but then he remembered. He needed help. “Help me!” he croaked.

“I will, I promise, but first we’ve got to go! Come on, get up, I can’t carry you alone!” She pushed him up. Finally he put his arm around her neck and together they stumbled to the cabin.

“Just up the stairs and then you can sleep!” she gasped. With their last bit of strength both went upstairs. Rika pushed a door open, a bed was in the middle of the room. She put him down carefully. “I will undress you and clean the wounds. Tomorrow I will call the doctor and the police!” she whispered.

“No police, no doctor. I just need to sleep!” He grasped her arm rather violently. She moaned about the sudden pain she felt. “Please, no police!” He let her go.

She saw right into his eyes. She felt his pain and his fears and she saw the plea in his eyes. She sighed and gave him a little smile: “Okay, no police, no doctor! Well, not for the moment! We’ll see, how you feel in the next days! Can you undress yourself, I will bring some water and towels. Maybe there are some of my father’s clothes left, that will fit you.”

He breathed out deeply and laid himself back. She turned to the door and wanted to go away, when she hesitated. She turned back to him and said: “Oh, by the way, my name is Rika, you’re in my cabin.”

“I’m Kyle, Kyle Russel. Thank you, Rika!” He smiled back to her. She nodded and left. Kyle sat up and started to pull off his Sweater and his jeans.

After ten minutes Rika returned. In her arm she had an old pyjama and some towels. In the other hand she had a pitcher with warm water. When she entered the room, her visitor was sleeping. Silently she sat beside the bed and started to clean his wounds. He had been shot in the leg, but it wasn’t bleeding anymore. She tried to remove the dirt without reopening the wound. Then she washed his body. There were lots of splinters. She stood up and got tweezers, then she carefully removed the splinters. She concentrated on her work and didn’t realize that he watched her.

***

He woke up when she started to clean him. His sight got better again and finally he could recognize his surroundings. He looked around. It was a nice and warm little room with quite a low ceiling. The furniture was old; on one side of the room there were a wardrobe and a cabinet, in front of the bed was a small chest of drawers. In the corner was a second door. >Must be the bathroom,< he thought. On the other wall there was a window with white-blue-checkered curtains and under it there was an antique writing desk. It didn’t look like the woman used this room, so there must be another bedroom. Kyle looked at the woman cleaning him.

He was stunned. It seemed he was dreaming. Mother. The same long, red curls like her. He could smell the shampoo she used. But it wasn’t her, this was Rika. She had told him her name. Her hands were warm and gentle, her skin had the colour of bronze. He knew that most red haired people were pale and burned their skin by the sun very easily, but she seemed to be used to sun. When she noticed his glance she turned her head to him. A red curl had fallen into her face. She looked at him: “I didn’t want to wake you up. I hope it doesn’t hurt too much?” She had green eyes, dark green eyes. She was beautiful, with full lips and long eyelashes, she was tanned and he could see some freckles on her little snub nose.

He grinned weakly: “No, it doesn’t. Thank you!” Her smile widened.

“You don’t have to thank me that much. I had to help you.” She shrugged her shoulders.

 “So you live with your parents here?” Did he really try to start a conversation? He couldn’t believe it himself.

“Yes, I did. They died a few years ago. I like it here, it is wonderful, peaceful.” She wetted the flannel and started to wash off the blood. While she did so, he stared at her. She nearly looked like his mother, maybe because of the hair, maybe because of her skirt. He knew the picture of his mother, Jarod had shown him. - Jarod, he had to find his brother.-

“You need rest! I will apply an ointment I made. It will ease the pain of the burnings. I don’t think that the bullet is still in your body. I can see the wounds on either side of your leg. I hope it doesn’t become inflamed.” Her voice was deep, calm and quiet, he had to listen carefully, though she spoke very clearly. He cleared his throat and said: “I don’t think so, I always recover very well.”

She smiled: “Seems like you are used to aches and cuts and other injuries?”

“You can say so.” His face darkened.

Rika felt the change in his mood. She saw some pictures of a bald man with an oxygen tank beside him. She felt the violence coming from this man. She stood up and gave Kyle the pyjama. “It’s old, but warm. Should fit you!” Her eyes fell on his body. He was very masculine and strong. His muscular chest moved with his breath. She could see a tattoo. >Prisoner, he was a prisoner, be careful, Rika< She didn’t listen to the voice in her head, instead she left the room and went downstairs. She knew: for now she could trust him, he wouldn’t hurt her, not yet…
 
***

Two days after:
It was about 9 a.m. when he woke up again. He felt better and tried to get up. But he couldn’t. When he tried to get on his feet, he felt the sharp pain in his wounded leg weakening him. Slowly he sank back on the pillow. He couldn’t afford to faint. He examined himself: he had a fever but the wound seemed to have healed properly. He closed his eyes and moaned. At this very moment, his elderly brother was with their mother, a family reunion but without him. The pain he felt was not the pain of his injuries, it was emotional.

Rika came back, out of the garden behind the cabin. She brought some herbs and plants.
She wanted to make a medicine like her mother used to. The ointment would help to cure and prevent an infection. She smiled at the thought of her mother; she had taught her so much. All the  knowledge of alternative medicine for example and the love for art and music. She missed her. Rika put the basket on the kitchen table and made breakfast. While she had to wait for the water to boil, she prepared the ointment and a little meal for her patient. She listened carefully and smiled; he was awake.

“Good morning, Mr. Russell. How are you today?” She put the tray on the chest of drawers and approached the bed.

He watched her: “You can call me Kyle. I’m better, thanks. Maybe I can leave tomorrow.”

She examined him. “Maybe, but today you will stay in bed.”

She put the bandage away and cleaned his wound again. “You were right, you’ve got great healing powers.” She smiled again and put the new ointment on it.

“What’s that?” He was curious, she seemed to know a lot of medicine.

“Self-made ointment and a little bit of moss, no chemicals. Are you hungry? I brought you breakfast.” He nodded.

“It’s not much, but fresh! Do you like coffee?” She helped him to sit up. She put the tray on the bed (it had legs for that) and started to leave: “Call me, if you need something, I’m downstairs!”

When he smelled the breakfast, he realized how hungry he had been. There were two big loafs of bread with butter. On another plate lay slices of cheese, ham and meat. He smiled. This was the best breakfast he’d ever had. Neither in the Centre nor the other prison had there been such a rich breakfast. And it tasted wonderful. He took the cup of coffee and drank. When he had finished, he put the tray down on the floor beside the bed. He heart noises from downstairs. He listened hard. She sang a little, charming song. He could remember this song, it was a song his mother used to sing, when he couldn’t sleep very well. He closed his eyes and listened. A tear was running down his face but he didn’t notice.

***

the third day
Rika couldn’t concentrate, her thoughts wandered to Kyle constantly. She liked him, she didn’t know why, but she did. He was really handsome and maybe because of the lack of company in the last years she enjoyed helping him. >He will leave you as soon as possible< she reminded herself. But she couldn’t help it, she liked him.

She heard some noises and looked outside. The sun was standing quite high, she had to prepare the dinner. But first she would see how her patient was doing. She went upstairs and entered the guestroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked outside.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She sat beside him and followed his gaze.

“It’s lonely!”

“Yes and no! There aren’t many people around here. The next village is about 10 miles away. But I like it, sometimes the postman is coming or a rancher. I’m here with Pronto, some animals and my garden.”

He looked puzzled: “Pronto?”

“Yeah, my horse. I need one, my car has been broken for years now and sometimes I’ve got to go to the stores.”

He was even more surprised. “You don’t have a working car?”

“Nope, no telephone, no TV, no Radio, no car. Oh, if you need the news, there must be an old radio in the car, it should work, I think.”

“No thanks, I don’t need it. But you’ve got electricity!”

“Yes of course, I’ve got running water, too!” she laughed, “I don’t like the TV or the radio, it’s full of … feelings!” She hesitated, but then, why shouldn’t she tell him? “Though I have a record-player!”

He stared at her: “What do you mean, it’s full of feelings!?”

She stood up: “I’ll prepare dinner, do you like asparagus?” Without waiting for an answer she left.

***

Two days later:
She came upstairs, carefully balancing the tray with his dinner. It was hot and she filled his dish a little bit too much.

“Here you are!” she gave it to him. She watched him when he tasted the meal.

“Hmm, that’s great!” he murmured. Again there were pictures of him in a dark cell, but it couldn’t be right, these memories were so old, he must have been about 8 years old! No one was in prison at the age of eight!

“You like it?” She asked. He nodded and ate very fast.

“Take time! I’ve got more downstairs!” she laughed. He looked at her and tilted his head to the side.

“Full of feelings- what did you mean by that?” he asked again, while he ate the meal. She sighed, but her smile didn’t fade away.

“You won’t stop asking me until I tell you, will you?!” He grinned and nodded.

She sat on the chair by the writing desk. “I’ve got the second face.” He looked at her. There was no reaction, he just waited for her to continue.

Didn’t he understand? Whoever she told about it changed his mind. Wondered whether she had gone mad or tried to get away, because she was abnormal. But he didn’t. He looked at her and was interested, his mood and his behavior didn’t change. That was something she hadn’t expected from him, something she hadn’t seen coming.

“So what?” he asked and took a piece of potato on his fork.

“You do know, what the second face is, don’t you?!”

“Of course, I know. Emotion reader, seeing what happened by touching things…”

“Kind of. I can sense people, sometimes I can read not only the emotions but also the thoughts. I have visions from the past and about the future. It’s very disturbing, if there are many people around you.” Her smile was weak. She made her typical gesture to take a strand of hair out of her face. There was silence.
Finally he spoke, lost in thoughts, “So you’re more than Angelo.”

“Who is Angelo?” He looked at her.

“A nobody, a nothing.”

She was puzzled: “Well I hope that I’m more than a nobody!” But then she realized what he meant. She saw the picture of a boy in an air vent, lonely and frightened.

“Where is this place you lived in?” she dared to ask.

“Which one?”

“I see pictures, you in a gray cell and alone, it’s very silent there. And the man, the man with the oxygen!” She shuttered unwillingly. She didn’t want to let his memories in, but she couldn’t help herself.

For a moment he was stunned, she really had the second face or the so-called sixth sense. Some people thought they had it, but normally it was only a wish and not the reality.  He remembered his dreams the days before; did she see them too? She must be very frightened of him then.

“I…”

“It’s okay, if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll understand..” She stood up and wanted to leave.

“Wait!” Kyle nearly knocked the plates over. She turned back to him. “When do you think I’ll be able to walk again?” He wanted to ask something else, but he couldn’t.

She examined his leg. “Well the fever is gone by now and the wound isn’t open anymore. The bullet hit the sinew, it will take time for it to build up again. But we can start today, if you want.” Rika was hurt, she thought that he had realized that she wouldn’t call anyone, that he was safe here. When he nodded she brought the tray to the kitchen and then returned.

“First we should try to stand, okay?” She put the quilt away and offered him her shoulder. “Here you go my prince!” she said and smiled. He grinned back and put his arm around her neck.

“Thank you madam!” Together they pushed themselves to a standing position. They stood there and when he lost the balance they fell back onto the bed. Rika got up very quickly, straightened her hair and said rather breathlessly: “No, we should start an other way. I will move your leg to strengthen it, then we will try it again.”

Kyle couldn’t help but laugh: “You sound like a real doctor!”

“Really?” She grinned: “Well then, my patient, be nice and work with me!” She took his foot and moved it carefully, while he watched her.

***

Third week
“I decide who lives or dies, I decide who lives or dies, I decide who…”
Kyle woke up with a start. He tried to focus, where he was and why he was here. He was freezing but the sweat was running from his forehead. It was always the same dream. Raines, the gun and him. He was forced to kill someone, otherwise he would be hurt by Raines. HE got the control, he decided who lived or died. But he knew, that this was wrong: Raines had had the control, Raines had always said who should die. He remembered, that he used to want Raines as a friend, a father, but now he no longer understood why. He felt the urge to kill or hurt someone, and he knew instantly who it would be.

He calmed down and took several deep breaths, when he recognized her. She stood in the door, wearing a T-shirt and the red, curly hair seemed to shine because of the dim light from her bedroom. She didn’t move, just stood there. The silence between them lasted over 5 minutes. They looked at each other, knowing what the other one was thinking. Finally he reached for her. Slowly she came closer.

“I won’t hurt you, I promise.” Kyle whispered and took her hand. It shuddered uncontrolled.

When she finally spoke he realized that she was crying: “What the hell was this? Who are you?” He hugged her tightly.

“If I only knew.” She lay down on his chest and got calmer. She pulled her legs onto the bed and lay beside him. He didn’t want to break the touch and held her. After one minute she had fallen asleep. He didn’t want to wake her, so he covered her with the quilt and watched her sleep. He could smell her shampoo again and closed his eyes. This woman affected him, was his last thought before he fell asleep, too.

***

The next morning
When Kyle woke up, she had left the bed. Nothing remained from last night. His leg still hurt, but he could do at least a few steps without help. He walked slowly to the bathroom and took a shower.  After he did so, he looked into the mirror and decided that he didn’t liked the three-day-beard he had now. Rika had bought a razor, so he shaved everything off. He washed his face under cold, running water and dried it with a towel when he recognized another door. It was the door to her bedroom, he was sure about that.

Barefoot he went to the door. Slowly he pushed the door open. Her room wasn’t much bigger than his one. The same wallpaper and curtains, same carpet. She had a big dressing-table instead of the chest of drawers, but a huge wardrobe too. Over her bed were two shelves with photographs on them. He went closer and saw Rika standing besides two elderly people smiling broadly. She must still have been a teenager, when these pictures were taken. He looked around; her room was clean, it smelled like her. On the huge double sized bed there was a teddy bear on one side. He smiled and touched it; it was soft and fluffy. As long as he could remember he had never had a toy in the Centre. Slowly he went back to his own room.

The door downstairs slammed. Rika was back. She had been in the village to buy things, while he slept. She was not in a bad mood, but didn’t know what to say about last night. She had seen terrible things, his dreams were cruel and sad. She sighed, his dreams were not only dreams, for him they meant memories and the reality. She shook her head again; How could these people do that to children? Suddenly a thought came to her mind: >You were lucky, they didn’t catch you!< She swallowed hard. That was true, she was special, like this Angelo, she could have been one of these kids, too. She was ashamed, but she felt relieved that it wasn’t so.

She took the bag upstairs. Outside Kyle’s room she took a deep breath, before she went in.
“Good morning! I brought you something!” She gave him the bag. He had cleaned himself she realized and a small sorrow about this came to her mind. But she concentrated on him. He unwrapped a huge package. “I thought, you might be a little bit bored.” She said. What he held in his hands was a brand new laptop.

“This is amazing!” he blurted out  and opened it. It was one of the newest on the market. “It must have cost a fortune!”

“Yeah, it did. But I have enough money, I don’t need so much, living here. I sell some of my ointments and teas regularly and my parents.. well, I inherited some money.” She was happy that he liked his gift. “I’ve got another one, maybe it will help you against your nightmares?”

She had hidden her arm behind her back all the time and now she revealed a little teddy in her hands. It looked quite the same as the one she had in her room. “I make them myself, it’s a hobby of mine. If you don’t like it, I understand. You’re a man. I mean, men usually don’t have teddy bears in their bed.” She said hurriedly.

He took the bear and smiled: “It’s okay, I will put it on the chair then.” She smiled and turned to the door. “Rika?” she turned back and looked at him questioningly.

“Thank you!”

She grinned even wider: “You’re welcome! I didn’t have lots of company these last years, it’s refreshing having you around.” With this she left.

Kyle still held the teddy in his hands. He examined it and then he finally decided to give it a name. “Major Charles, your name is Major Charles,” he whispered and put the teddy on the chair, so that it watched him. Then he put the plug into the socket and turned on the laptop.

Suddenly Rika yelled from downstairs: “Oh, I’ve got a telephone line somewhere, you’ll need it, if you want to go online, won’t you?”

He grinned, under pain he went to the desk and searched on the wall. At last he found what he was looking for, another socket for a telephone. When he had everything ready he started to surf the internet. He had so much to do.

***

four days later
 
“Hey, I didn’t give you that to play all day!” she scolded him, “We will do our exercises now!” Firmly she took the laptop away and pushed him up. “Go on, we will try the stairs today!” He looked a little bit puzzled and started to laugh.

“It fits you well, Rika. This grim face!” She stuck her tongue out at him. He put his arm around her. He didn’t dare to tell her that he could walk without it, he liked it that way.

Rika stood in front of him, two steps lower and waited. “Go on, first the healthy one, than the bad one!” She was a little bit impatient today. He still grinned and made the first steps. “Did you exercise in secret?” she wondered. There was a little ache in her heart, if he could walk so well, he would leave her soon.

“No, but as I said before, I’m very talented,” he said sarcastically.

“Go one then, genius. To the kitchen; from now on you will eat downstairs!” She took a step back.

“Aw, no breakfast in bed anymore?” He grinned childishly. She couldn’t help but grin, too.

“If you are a nice boy…” She was on the landing and waved her hands, when he lost balance. She could barely catch him, he was too big, she couldn’t support him and he dragged her with him to the ground. He realized that he was laying on top of her.

He could feel her breathing and he whispered: “Then what?” Their eyes met and neither of them moved.

“You…You,” she croaked breathlessly.

“Yes?” he didn’t dare take his eyes off her. She was that beautiful, he had never felt something like this before. Slowly he lowered his face to hers. Without closing their eyes, their lips met. First it was only a slight touch that he barely felt. But then she deepened the kiss. They laid on the landing of the steps and kissed.

She was hungry, hungry for him. His breath on her skin, his touch, his smell. She didn’t want to stop that kiss, never ever. She put her arms around him and deepened the kiss. Their breathing got harder. She stroked over his back. She pushed him, so that she was lying on top.

Through the kiss she whispered: “You’re too heavy for me.” He laughed, but didn’t interrupt the kiss. His hands wandered over her body, she had never felt like this. She didn’t want him to stop. He touched her breast, her hips, her back, everything. She moaned and took his hands. She led them under her t-shirt. His hands on her bare skin, warm, soft they moved around examining every inch of her body. She began to move her hips to the rhythm of his breath.

The clothes disturbed him, he lost his patience and wanted to get rid of them. They undressed each other in a hurry. He’d never had a lover before, but this felt right, damn right.

He sat up and she sat on him. He pushed her away, only a little bit.

She looked at him: “What..?”

“Shh” he gently placed his finger on her lips. Slowly he let his finger wander down over her lips, the chin, the throat, the chest. When he touched her belly his touch deepened, with both hands he wandered further. He watched her while he did so. She bent under his touch and sighed deeply. He took a hand away and when she protested he took her head with it. He held her hair and watched her losing control. “Please!” she begged and closed her eyes. He moved faster and faster. He took her knees and pushed her hard against him. She twisted wildly and moaned louder.

***

the next day
Kyle went down to the kitchen, he still had difficulties but he forced himself. When he was on the landing he remembered the last day. After they’d had sex, they’d parted with mixed feelings. Since then, they hadn’t spoken to each other. She stood there in a dress and did the laundry. She didn’t looked at him when she said in a small voice: “I’m not ready yet, you can go outside if you want. It will take another 10 minutes.” He came closer to her. He was only a step away from her. She stumbled and tried to put some distance between them. He grabbed her arm and forced her to look into his eyes. Her eyes filled with tears. When a tear rolled down her cheek he picked it up with his finger and licked it. Then he kissed her again.

She was frightened. It had been so strange yesterday. She didn’t know how to react. When he came so close she felt her skin burning. God, she wanted him, she loved him. And for the first time in her life she wanted to know what her opposite thought. But this time she couldn’t read his feelings or his mind. It didn’t work. He touched her, forced the eye contact. She was lost in those brown eyes, she couldn’t imagine how to live without him. A tear fell on her cheek. He wiped it away. When he kissed her, it was like heaven. She could breathe freely again. And then finally she could feel what he felt. The same, just the same. She sighed with relief and answered the kiss.

***

4 Month later (October)
Kyle was working in the garden. He enjoyed it. His upper body was bare and the sun was standing high, though it was quite cold. He could hear Rika chasing the chickens. He smiled.

“Oh, come on you little beast! It won’t hurt! Come here, puutpuut!”

“You shouldn’t lie to it! It hurts a hell!” he laughed.

“Oh shut up, honey!” She shouted angrily and jumped after a white chicken, but she had no success.

“Okay, no chicken today!” she muttered after 15 minutes. Kyle couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

His leg had healed four months ago but he didn’t leave. He didn’t want to, he had Rika. He liked her, no, he loved her. She understood so much; with her next to him, he didn’t have any nightmares. He had told her everything about the Centre, Raines, his family, his youth. And she understood. He worked hard and watched every move the Centre made. They bought lots of equipment so he could penetrate the Centre security systems. He was a Pretender, he could do whatever he wanted to do. He especially watched the moves of this Parker woman and Dr. Green. Of course he watched Raines and his doggy Lyle. He knew, there would come a time when he could get his revenge. And then he would decide who lives or dies.

Rika understood him. She understood his wish for revenge. She was Irish, she told him, and the Irish people know the concept of honor and the right of revenge. He watched his brother running away, he couldn’t understand why he didn’t disappear. He knew, that the meeting with their mother Margaret had failed because of Raines. Oh yes, he hoped that the burning really hurt a lot! He watched this ice lady chasing his brother, if she dared to catch him, she would regret it!

He implanted a worm, so all the electronic information came to him. There was no longer just the laptop. No, the cellar was full of computer hardware. Information means power, power means control.

He got back to the cabin. In the kitchen Rika prepared the dinner.

“Hmm, what will it be today?” he murmured into her hair.

“Well, no chicken! That’s for sure!” She cleaned some potatoes.

“How sad. What about dessert?” His hands lay on her hips and he pushed her slightly. She started to giggle.

“No Kyle, I’ve got to..” He kissed her neck and licked it.

“Oh, Kyle, please no, I’ve got to…” she breathed deeply.

“What?” he asked innocently, while he rubbed her belly.

“Hmm, forget it, it was not important!” she whispered and turned herself around to face him.

“No no,” he smiled, “The dessert is coming after the main course!” He started to let her go.

“Don’t you dare to leave me like this!” she shouted impatiently.

“Tsktsk, my little girl is getting violent!” He shook his head.

“Oh, shut up and kiss me!” she bellowed.

***

December, 24th
He came in and shook the snow out of his hair. He put the tree to the side and shouted: “Rika, I’ve got one!” He took his shoes off.

When he moved to go to the living room, she yelled: “Don’t you dare to come in, I’m not finished yet!”

So he waited outside and wondered what she was doing. After 10 minutes she came into the kitchen: “Okay, I wrapped your gifts, now we can decorate the tree!” She smiled and ran to the tree leaning on the wall. She examined it. “Uhm, this is it? A little bit big, don’t you think?” She stood there, her hands at her hips, looking a little bit disappointed. “You wanted one with one top, straight, 1.50 meters high and here you are!” he grinned. She looked roguishly at him and smiled: “It is perfect, don’t take me so seriously!” She hugged him. “Go on then. Put it next to the fireplace, I’ll bring the decoration.”

After two hours and the supper, they sat down beside the Christmas tree and watched the fire.

“When do we open the gifts?” Rika asked impatiently.

“Tomorrow!”

“Aw, no, I want them now, can’t we..?”

“No, we can’t,” he held her tightly and kissed her ear.

“But what are we going to do then?”

“I know something.” he whispered. She looked at him. He looked back. She grinned, he grinned.

“I would like that!” She whispered back.

“I knew, you would!” With that he lowered her to the floor and kissed her.

***

They lay silently and felt the heat on their naked skin.

“Are you thinking about your family?” she asked quietly.

“I wonder, how they are doing, how they celebrate.”

She concentrated and closed her eyes. She pressed herself against him and smelled his scent.

“Your mother is with your sister, they are together and well!” she whispered.

He watched her and then he kissed her on her forehead: “Thank you!” She smiled. Suddenly she held her stomach. “Oh” She was bewildered.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, I just had the feeling…”

“What?”

“I don’t know, it’s strange!”

“Does it hurt?” He touched her stomach, too.

“No, it’s just warm, like there is… No, it can’t be.” She shook her head firmly.

“Tell me, Rika, what is it?”

“I don’t know, for a little moment, I got the feeling, there was something moving inside me.” He looked puzzled.

“Oh, forget it, its over!” She smiled again and hit him slightly. “Can I have my present now?”

“No, tomorrow!” He stood up and put her over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” She protested laughingly.

“What do you think? I am bringing the little girl to bed!” He snapped and ran as fast as he could with her to the stairs.

***

New Years Eve
He looked out of the window. “This was the best year of my life! First I met my brother, he never let me go. Then Raines got badly burned. And, saving the best for last, I met you!”

She stood beside him and smiled: “Oh come on, you broke out of jail, got shot and blown off!”

“It was well worth it. It would be worth everything! I wonder what can top that. But we’ll see in the next years.”

Her face darkened suddenly, she felt sad and uncomfortable.

“Don’t say these things!” she whispered voicelessly and came closer.

“But it’s true, I would die before I would leave this behind and get back!” He hugged her. She couldn’t suppress the tears.

“What’s wrong with you? You seem to be a little bit depressed these days?”

She faked a smile.

“It’s just the season, it lowers my mood.” She couldn’t tell him, that he wouldn’t be alive the next New Years Eve. She didn’t want to believe it herself. >You can change the future,< she heard her father’s voice. He’d said this every time she had cried because of the visions, when she had been a child. >I can change the future and I will,< she thought.

“We don’t have any fireworks!” He said.

“We don’t need it. It’s snowing very strongly, you wouldn’t see a single spark!” she laughed.

“Well then, what do we want to do?”

“I don’t know, maybe we could go to the shed and listen. Maybe the animals will speak!”

“Why the hell, should the animals speak?”

“You don’t know the legend? God gave the animals the ability to speak in human voice once a year!”

“You’re sure that it was on New Years Eve?” he asked slowly.

She hesitated: “Oops, could be on Christmas eve!” she giggled.

“But you’re not sure?”

“No”

 “So then lets check! There is enough straw, where we can lie and wait!”

***

She woke up with a start. He lay beside her and dreamt. This time it was one of his worst nightmares. She saw the pictures of the woman, he was supposed to kill. She saw this Raines hurting Kyle, the pain when Kyle was taken away from Jarod. She could smell the Centre air, she felt the same desperate hate for his tormentor that he felt. She could hear him murmur: “I decide who lives or dies, I decide who lives or dies.”

She wanted to comfort him and placed her hand carefully on his arm. Suddenly he grabbed her and held her strongly. It hurt her and she gasped: “Kyle, you hurt me, Kyle!” He tried to hit her. She barely could move away and screamed: “My God, Kyle, wake up, it’s me, Rika!”

She cried. The animals in the shed got fidgety because of the noise.

He woke up, holding his hand over her, ready to beat her. He gasped in shock. “Rika, what have I done? My god!” He recoiled with tears in his eyes.

She shook her head and came closer: “You had a bad dream, that’s all!”

“But I could have hurt you!”

“But you didn’t!” she said firmly and hugged him.

“We should…”

“Nothing, we should go back to the cabin and forget it. The animals won’t speak to us anymore and I am freezing!” Rika stood up and took his hand. He looked at her with an undefined expression.

“I love you ,Kyle!” she said and took his other hand. “It’s not your fault, it’s theirs and we will make them pay!” Her face hardened, when she said that. He looked into her eyes and finally he stood up, too.

“You won’t! I don’t want you to come near these bastards! You’re mine, they will not have a chance to get you!” He hugged her.

***

End of February
Rika got up quickly. She looked at the man lying in her bed. He was still sleeping. She felt it again. She hurried to get to the bathroom. She kneeled down in front of the toilet and choked.

“What’s wrong?” Kyle stood in the door and watched her.

She forced a smile onto her face and said: “Nothing, I think I got indigestion. It won’t take long!” she calmed him.

He knelt down behind her and touched her stomach. Then he made a decision. “I will see, if I can find a website about medicine. Go back to the bed until the uncle doctor comes.”

“Oho, the uncle doctor! Then I will be a nice girl and go to bed then!” She joked.

Two hours later Kyle came back into to the bedroom. He had pieces of paper in his hands and was reading.

“Did you sit like this the last two hours?” She asked.

“What, yes, why?”

“Well you’re naked!” she shrugged her shoulders and giggled.

“Well then the doctor has to come to bed, too!” He got under the blanket and pressed his body against hers.

“Hey, this is cold!” she yelled.

“Pshh, little girl, I am the doctor and I know what’s good for you!” he said.

“I don’t think, I like my doctor, he’s making me freezing!”

But Kyle didn’t listen, he nodded and said: “Okay, I am ready, we’ll start!” And then he examined her.

“And? What did the uncle doctor find?”

“You won’t believe it!” he murmured and read the papers again.

“Oh, come on, try me!”

“Okay, did you have sex the last month?”

She giggled: “But uncle doctor, I wouldn’t do something dirty!”

 “No, I’m serious!”

“Oh sorry, yes doctor, I had sex!”

 “Was it good?”

“IS this a question of my doctor or my lover?”

He grinned: “Both!”

She licked her lips and lay back: “It was great, doctor, amazing.” He smiled.

“Well, you’re a woman?”

 “I hope so!” again she giggled.

“Well, if you had sex with a man and you’re a woman, you are pregnant!” he said and waited. Suddenly he realized, what he had said. She was pregnant, she had his baby in her womb. He couldn’t believe it and carefully touched her belly.

“Our baby!” he murmured. He looked at her. She took a deep breath. She remembered Christmas Eve.

“The best present you gave me on Christmas!” she whispered. He kissed her. “She will be a wonderful baby.”

He stopped: “Why do you think, that it will… Oh, no, that’s not fair, I mean there must be a chance that it could be a boy, I mean, the sex is developed later!” She grinned broadly but didn’t say anything.

“But we could work on it!” He saw in her deep green eyes and knew what she thought about it.

***

Two weeks after
“How is she doing?” he asked Rika, when she entered the room he sat down.

“My god, I’m hardly in the third month!”

“Little pregnant girls shouldn’t yell so loudly at me.” He put an arm around her and with the other hand, he clicked enter. Both waited a minute. As long as he had developed this virus, he downloaded every bit of information out of the Centre. He got lots of answers on his hard disk.

His attention fell on an email: “Mr. Lyle, we got your reservation, hope you will enjoy your stay….”

“So the little bastard is going on holiday in the desert!” he said and wanted to close this window when she said: “No, he is going to kill someone!” He looked at her and saw her stare.

“What do you mean?”

“He wants to kill someone.”

“Whom?”

“Dark hair, brown eyes, strong, clever, prey!” she breathed hard because of the vision she had.

“Jarod!” Kyle looked at the email. “I’ve got to go and help him!”

“No! You can’t!” she cried out frightened!

“I’ve got to! He is my brother!”

“Please, don’t leave me! You could be murdered, please Kyle!” she cried.

He hugged her: “I will not let it happen, I promise! But I’ve got to help Jarod. He is my brother.” She nodded unwillingly.

“I know!” She stood silently behind him, when he ordered a ticket for a flight and when he rented a car. She couldn’t breath or move, so she stood there, watching him plan his last journey. Silently her tears were falling.

***

Next day

They hadn’t slept well. They made love as if it was for the last time. Rika had told herself, that her feelings didn’t have to be true, that everything would be all right. And Kyle just thought proudly that he would see his brother and that he would tell him, that he would be father soon. In the morning they were unusually silent, had breakfast and then they said their good-byes.

“I’ll call you as soon as possible. I will bring Jarod with me, then you will get to know him.”

He kissed her and went away. He’d repaired the car, so he drove away out of sight. She couldn’t help herself, she cried again. Her hands on her jelly, she whispered: “I love you Kyle, I’ll wait. You will come back, nothing is going to happen!”

***

His flight was long and when he landed, over 6 hours had passed. He wanted to call her, but he hesitated. She must be asleep by now. But then he dialed. He had bought them a mobile phone. She answered after two rings. Breathless she asked: “Kyle?”

“Yes, its me, I thought you wanted to talk while I’m driving.” She laughed free.

“You don’t like being alone?”

“Not anymore, I’ve got a wife, she was around me all the time and I got used to that.”

“We’re not married, Kyle!” He hesitated, he saw a large shopping hall on the left.

“I will call you back in ten minutes, will you wait?”

 “Of course, but what…” But he disconnected the line.

He ran into the hall and went straight to a jeweler. He looked at the windows and went in.

“Can I help you?” the vendor asked him.

“Yes, you can I want the most beautiful ring you have!” He smiled broadly. He had made up his mind. After he had killed this Parker bastard he will ask her to be his bride. After ten minutes he had bought a beautiful ring with a brilliant diamond on it. He had had a gravure made on it. He was in a really good mood.

“Hey little girl, how are you two going?”

“Kyle, what happened? Where have you been?”

“I went shopping and after that I went to a bank.”

 “What did you want in a bank?”

“Surprise!” He sat in his car and drove out of the town. They talked about 3 hours on the telephone when he finally said: “Go to bed, I will call you in eight hours.” Rika protested but he disconnected the line. She went to bed and concentrated on him. Saw the landscape he drove through, felt calm like he did. She fell asleep, connected with him by more than the telephone.

***

Next day
He sat in his car and looked for a sign of Lyle. He had heard that there was a man fitting Jarod’s description who had been jailed the day before, but he had been released. He tried to simulate what happened after this. He turned outside the town and drove around. Then he found what he was looking for. A car cemetery – that fitted. He drove in and watched the scene. He could see two cars standing in front of an old warehouse.

He dialed the mobile phone’s number: “Kyle?”

“Hey, Rika! I found them!”

“Be careful!”

“I promised, I would! I just wanted to say… “

“What?”

“I love you and I thank you, and if I come back, I want you to be my wife!”

She laughed and cried at once: “I will be, Kyle.”

“I know, I wouldn’t allow you otherwise! I bought you a ring.”

“I’m keen to see it, it must be beautiful!” she whispered.

“Not as beautiful as you!” he said and disconnected the line. Than he walked into the warehouse…

***

Rika sat on the bed, holding his sweater and concentrating. And then she got the connection. She felt him rescuing Jarod, felt the hate he felt for this Lyle. It felt good when he hurt this bastard. She felt the anger Kyle felt when he saw this Parker woman. The uncertainty when his brother asked him not to hurt her. The relief when the brothers celebrated their reunion.

She didn’t care about the cold in the room, she only concentrated on him, her will- be-husband-to-be, the father of her baby. She felt this amazing feeling when he rescued the woman, though she didn’t understand, what the story was.  And finally she felt the showdown, the angst about his brother. And then when he was shot she felt the pain, and she saw the face of the murderer. She could feel the tears of Kyles brother on his skin, the cries and the cold. And when Kyle Russell died in the arms of his brother, there were a lonely, pregnant woman crying aloud again and again. And she was holding a sweater of her lover and shuddered all over her body.

***

5 Months later
“You’ve got to press, Rika! I can’t help you, you’ve got to push!” The female doctor was holding her legs, while Rika gave birth. “There is the head, now, push the last time! And Push, push, push  --- there you go!” The doctor stood up and held a small bundle in her arms. “You’ve got a beautiful little daughter, Rika. Well done!” The young woman sobbed. “Nu, it is over. There she is, you have done it!” The doctor put the baby in her arms.

“Our little girl, poor little girl, your daddy isn’t here. He would have loved you. He wanted you so much!”

“Which name will the little girl have?” the doctor asked. Rika looked up and at these word the tears fell even stronger.

“He called me his little girl, he said he loves me.”

“I know it is hard to lose those you love. But now you have a little daughter, she will need all your love!”

“She has it, all I can give! All my life!” Rika took the small fingers and kissed the baby carefully. “Her name will be Lenna Margaret Kyleen. Kyle would have loved the name!” The doctor nodded and left her room. Rika still cried and held her baby. She whispered: “And I promise we will have our vendetta!” Again she kissed the baby and closed her eyes.

***
Epilogue

He watched her and his child. And if he still had had a heart, it would have broken now. He wanted to talk to her, but she didn’t recognize him. He was dead, he couldn’t hold his baby. Rika was right, he loved the name and came closer. The baby opened her eyes and seemed to see him.

“My little Lenna, please look after your mommy, will you. She needs you very much,” he whispered and kissed her. The baby's blue eyes twinkled and she moved a little bit.
 
 

The end

Okay, I think that was it, you won’t believe how I cried while writing this. This story was in me, I wrote it nearly in one piece! Maybe, if I have the time and leisure, I will write a sequel but for now this will have to be enough. I hope you enjoyed reading it!  ulikluge@web.de