22: Way of the World
The hours took forever, the second longest night Jack had lived through. Well, more or less lived through. At long last, the sun started a steady climb in the Ohio sky, soon to be replaced with West Virginia. It didn’t take long for Tristan to wake, he needed less sleep than an average human to get by. Jack and Rosalie were changed from what they had been in before-he in simple black slacks and a white shirt, she in light blue jeans and a black tank top. Tristan was back to looking like a Greek god again-his hair golden, his eyes rich blue. “Can you do that at will? Change your appearance?”
He nodded once. “Yes. I changed yesterday as that is what Rick and Annette knew of me. The way I am is usually the way I am-the way Jack saw me for the first time.”
“Where’s David?” Rosalie asked, turning to look at the back of the carriage.
Jack and Tristan took that chance to share a look, a look that spoke volumes. A look that said hell would be waiting when they returned. “He’ll be back” Tristan simply answered.
She frowned then brushed it off. Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief and stood, stretching his arms above his head. The carriage was at a standstill, the first time in many hours. Tristan walked back to his room, returning seconds later. “I’ll be gone for a bit. We’ll leave as soon as I get back.”
“David…”
“He’ll find us love. Don’t worry.” She turned her gaze to Jack’s face. His eyes-which when she had first seen him had been copper-were the familiar liquid gold that she was used to seeing. She would be glad when they were the green that she loved.
Sometime in between, Tristan had left the carriage, silent as a ghost. Rosalie slid out of Jack’s arms and into one of the bathroom, correcting God knew what. Jack shook his head-when would she learn that in his eyes she was perfect? At the same time, his gaze turned to Tristan’s door. He took a deep breath and walked down the hall towards it, his legs felt as heavy as lead. He hesitated in front of it, he knew what he was about to do was very stupid. But his hand gripped the handle and turned it soundlessly. The room was neutral white, egg-shell white. It accommodated a single, simple bed, a desk that was neatly stacked with books, a map that when looked at closely had small dots that moved sporadically-these dots were of the entire coven though he noticed that Rosalie had been added. He saw that Tristan was about ten miles away from the carriage, Rosalie was in the bathroom still, David was some fifty miles or so south from the carriage, Michael was in North Carolina, no doubt back with the coven as he could see Sarah’s just to the left of him, Luke’s directly above them.
He broke away from it and gently opened the bottom drawer. Inside were thousands of small crystal balls, no bigger than the palm of a small child’s hand. He swallowed and gently took one out, sliding it in his pants pocket. He would have to put it inside a jacket, the bulge was too noticeable. He slid it shut again and leaved through a few books, he had looked at the map and saw that Rosalie was still preoccupied in the bathroom, Tristan and David were still very far from the carriage. He found what he was looking for and jotted down what he needed, placing the books back in the exact way he had found them. Only when he was safely out of the room did he breathe a sigh, going to his own room. He dug out a black jacket, carefully removing the precious cargo and transferring it to his left pocket.
He came back out and walked outside, before he shot away from the carriage, heading north as to avoid David and Tristan who was heading east. He stopped until he was certain no one would see or hear him. He removed the paper first, reading over his handwriting quickly, his other hand taking out the crystal. It lay in his hand which was several feet away from his body. Slowly, he spoke, careful with the wording as he didn’t want to do something that would attract attention to him: “Oh great and powerful ones, come to me, allow me to see inside your world, your secrets I swear to keep, show me, show me…My greatest fear…Is it real?” Slowly, the ball rose from his hand, a blinding white light flashed from it, he was unable to turn away from it. The rest happened in a blur: the ball spun madly out of control, the light changing from white to blue to red like some kind of American flag on fire, and then he felt a hard jolt that rattled his whole body and slammed him into a tree a good fifty yards. “Damn” he grumbled, standing, brushing dirt off his back and pants. He had his answer which left him at an ease again. He walked back to where the glass ball lay in the soft earth, looking perfect. He pocketed it and started off back towards the carriage.
Rosalie stood outside the carriage, the guards protectively near her. She smiled when she saw him come out of the thick forest. “Where did you go?” she asked, pulling ever so slightly at the cuffs of her jacket.
“Out.”
“Well you should have asked me.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back.” He quickly strode back inside the carriage, back to Tristan’s room, returning the ball to its proper place, shutting the door behind him. He swiftly stepped off and took her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Yep.” He led her to the west, away from David, Tristan, and the broken tree. It was quiet, too quiet, though since two vampires were walking through the forest it made sense. Again, Jack’s hand trailed over Rosalie’s left hand, particularly her left finger. She smiled at the feel of it, how matter how light the touch, her body always tingled when Jack’s body touched hers.
It was mostly overcast, though suddenly a bright patch of sunlight poked out. A shaft of it cut across them, catching ever so faintly on Rosalie. Jack inhaled sharply, again taken by her beauty. “What?” Rosalie asked him, not sure what to make of it.
He smiled. “You’re just the most beautiful thing in my world. You always have been.” They had stopped walking then, Rosalie looking at Jack, their hands still interlocked. His hand left hers and gently traced her face, much like that late-September night years ago. With her eyes closed, she felt it ease its way down her cheek, across her lips. She kissed his hand the way she had before and his reaction was identical to the first time. She smiled and did it again, feeling him shiver again. Slowly, his hand worked its way into her hair, running through it so many times she was certain he had touched every strand. She smirked, keeping her head up, looking at him until his lips were on hers, pressing down gently, then harder, dragging her body into his, holding her tightly on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running through his midnight hair, kissing him deeper, with more passion than she had ever given before.
Jack broke away first, breathing deeply, his lips at her neck, faintly kissing her there. She sighed and tilted her head back slightly, Jack’s body easily adjusting, his lips back on hers, desperately, hungrily, wanting and needing all at the same time. Once again, he broke away first, despite every part of him wanting her again. She looked up at his face, smiling. He returned it, his hands once again tracing her face.
Like the first day that had been reunited, both were afraid to speak. Somewhere up ahead, a bird cawed, the wind blew gently, something rustled in the trees, something small and unobtrusive. Neither of them heard any of this, the only thing they saw was the other’s face, the only the thing they felt was the other’s body, both taut and wanting yet able to restrain for the time being.
Slowly they walked back, Rosalie in front of Jack, his arms around her waist, his lips whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Though he couldn’t see it, he was certain she was smiling his own face held a never ending smile that radiated throughout this entire body. He hoped that if this was a dream, a figment of his imagination, he never wanted to be told otherwise-let him be unaware, in his own world, for this was heaven on earth-his body so close to Rosalie, feeling her around him, and some part of him chided quietly, telling him that of course he wasn’t dreaming.
This was as real as it got.
Master watched, watched it all, smiling. “Yes, enjoy the time you have now, Jack. Cherish every moment with her for they are limited.” Master turned its gaze to IT which had accidentally taken a wrong turn earlier, though master didn’t seem to mind. Like Jack, master had a sudden feeling of ease.
Master watched them reach the carriage, Jack helping Rosalie in, following swiftly behind her. Dr. Crane watched as well. “Like watching two teenagers.”
“They may as well be” Master said quietly.
“Yet…Seems right somehow.” Master didn’t answer and Dr. Crane left.
The hours took forever, the second longest night Jack had lived through. Well, more or less lived through. At long last, the sun started a steady climb in the Ohio sky, soon to be replaced with West Virginia. It didn’t take long for Tristan to wake, he needed less sleep than an average human to get by. Jack and Rosalie were changed from what they had been in before-he in simple black slacks and a white shirt, she in light blue jeans and a black tank top. Tristan was back to looking like a Greek god again-his hair golden, his eyes rich blue. “Can you do that at will? Change your appearance?”
He nodded once. “Yes. I changed yesterday as that is what Rick and Annette knew of me. The way I am is usually the way I am-the way Jack saw me for the first time.”
“Where’s David?” Rosalie asked, turning to look at the back of the carriage.
Jack and Tristan took that chance to share a look, a look that spoke volumes. A look that said hell would be waiting when they returned. “He’ll be back” Tristan simply answered.
She frowned then brushed it off. Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief and stood, stretching his arms above his head. The carriage was at a standstill, the first time in many hours. Tristan walked back to his room, returning seconds later. “I’ll be gone for a bit. We’ll leave as soon as I get back.”
“David…”
“He’ll find us love. Don’t worry.” She turned her gaze to Jack’s face. His eyes-which when she had first seen him had been copper-were the familiar liquid gold that she was used to seeing. She would be glad when they were the green that she loved.
Sometime in between, Tristan had left the carriage, silent as a ghost. Rosalie slid out of Jack’s arms and into one of the bathroom, correcting God knew what. Jack shook his head-when would she learn that in his eyes she was perfect? At the same time, his gaze turned to Tristan’s door. He took a deep breath and walked down the hall towards it, his legs felt as heavy as lead. He hesitated in front of it, he knew what he was about to do was very stupid. But his hand gripped the handle and turned it soundlessly. The room was neutral white, egg-shell white. It accommodated a single, simple bed, a desk that was neatly stacked with books, a map that when looked at closely had small dots that moved sporadically-these dots were of the entire coven though he noticed that Rosalie had been added. He saw that Tristan was about ten miles away from the carriage, Rosalie was in the bathroom still, David was some fifty miles or so south from the carriage, Michael was in North Carolina, no doubt back with the coven as he could see Sarah’s just to the left of him, Luke’s directly above them.
He broke away from it and gently opened the bottom drawer. Inside were thousands of small crystal balls, no bigger than the palm of a small child’s hand. He swallowed and gently took one out, sliding it in his pants pocket. He would have to put it inside a jacket, the bulge was too noticeable. He slid it shut again and leaved through a few books, he had looked at the map and saw that Rosalie was still preoccupied in the bathroom, Tristan and David were still very far from the carriage. He found what he was looking for and jotted down what he needed, placing the books back in the exact way he had found them. Only when he was safely out of the room did he breathe a sigh, going to his own room. He dug out a black jacket, carefully removing the precious cargo and transferring it to his left pocket.
He came back out and walked outside, before he shot away from the carriage, heading north as to avoid David and Tristan who was heading east. He stopped until he was certain no one would see or hear him. He removed the paper first, reading over his handwriting quickly, his other hand taking out the crystal. It lay in his hand which was several feet away from his body. Slowly, he spoke, careful with the wording as he didn’t want to do something that would attract attention to him: “Oh great and powerful ones, come to me, allow me to see inside your world, your secrets I swear to keep, show me, show me…My greatest fear…Is it real?” Slowly, the ball rose from his hand, a blinding white light flashed from it, he was unable to turn away from it. The rest happened in a blur: the ball spun madly out of control, the light changing from white to blue to red like some kind of American flag on fire, and then he felt a hard jolt that rattled his whole body and slammed him into a tree a good fifty yards. “Damn” he grumbled, standing, brushing dirt off his back and pants. He had his answer which left him at an ease again. He walked back to where the glass ball lay in the soft earth, looking perfect. He pocketed it and started off back towards the carriage.
Rosalie stood outside the carriage, the guards protectively near her. She smiled when she saw him come out of the thick forest. “Where did you go?” she asked, pulling ever so slightly at the cuffs of her jacket.
“Out.”
“Well you should have asked me.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back.” He quickly strode back inside the carriage, back to Tristan’s room, returning the ball to its proper place, shutting the door behind him. He swiftly stepped off and took her hand. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Yep.” He led her to the west, away from David, Tristan, and the broken tree. It was quiet, too quiet, though since two vampires were walking through the forest it made sense. Again, Jack’s hand trailed over Rosalie’s left hand, particularly her left finger. She smiled at the feel of it, how matter how light the touch, her body always tingled when Jack’s body touched hers.
It was mostly overcast, though suddenly a bright patch of sunlight poked out. A shaft of it cut across them, catching ever so faintly on Rosalie. Jack inhaled sharply, again taken by her beauty. “What?” Rosalie asked him, not sure what to make of it.
He smiled. “You’re just the most beautiful thing in my world. You always have been.” They had stopped walking then, Rosalie looking at Jack, their hands still interlocked. His hand left hers and gently traced her face, much like that late-September night years ago. With her eyes closed, she felt it ease its way down her cheek, across her lips. She kissed his hand the way she had before and his reaction was identical to the first time. She smiled and did it again, feeling him shiver again. Slowly, his hand worked its way into her hair, running through it so many times she was certain he had touched every strand. She smirked, keeping her head up, looking at him until his lips were on hers, pressing down gently, then harder, dragging her body into his, holding her tightly on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running through his midnight hair, kissing him deeper, with more passion than she had ever given before.
Jack broke away first, breathing deeply, his lips at her neck, faintly kissing her there. She sighed and tilted her head back slightly, Jack’s body easily adjusting, his lips back on hers, desperately, hungrily, wanting and needing all at the same time. Once again, he broke away first, despite every part of him wanting her again. She looked up at his face, smiling. He returned it, his hands once again tracing her face.
Like the first day that had been reunited, both were afraid to speak. Somewhere up ahead, a bird cawed, the wind blew gently, something rustled in the trees, something small and unobtrusive. Neither of them heard any of this, the only thing they saw was the other’s face, the only the thing they felt was the other’s body, both taut and wanting yet able to restrain for the time being.
Slowly they walked back, Rosalie in front of Jack, his arms around her waist, his lips whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Though he couldn’t see it, he was certain she was smiling his own face held a never ending smile that radiated throughout this entire body. He hoped that if this was a dream, a figment of his imagination, he never wanted to be told otherwise-let him be unaware, in his own world, for this was heaven on earth-his body so close to Rosalie, feeling her around him, and some part of him chided quietly, telling him that of course he wasn’t dreaming.
This was as real as it got.
Master watched, watched it all, smiling. “Yes, enjoy the time you have now, Jack. Cherish every moment with her for they are limited.” Master turned its gaze to IT which had accidentally taken a wrong turn earlier, though master didn’t seem to mind. Like Jack, master had a sudden feeling of ease.
Master watched them reach the carriage, Jack helping Rosalie in, following swiftly behind her. Dr. Crane watched as well. “Like watching two teenagers.”
“They may as well be” Master said quietly.
“Yet…Seems right somehow.” Master didn’t answer and Dr. Crane left.
