Chapter 13.1 – Epilogue

*grins* I’m cheating slightly. but for those people who have read this diary I figured I’d post part of the last chapter in my book here. and of course, I still haven’t finished chapter 12, but doggone it, I’m only 3 scenes away. (there are 2 scenes in the last chapter, and without futher ado, here’s the first one.)

Chapter 13 – Epilogue

“A year ago tonight we lay

Below this same remembering sky

I kissed you…

I never meant to let you go.”

-The Cure “Anniversary”

Kevlar stood outside the cabin as the smell of wildflowers filled the air. He traced his hands lovingly along the wood railing and stared out into the last remains of deep twilight. He touched the wooden tongue of the windchimes and listen to their clear sound for a moment. He closed his eyes for a moment, but opened them again and smiled to himself slightly. With a whispered benediction he turned and walked back inside.

Kevlar sat down on the couch just as Lauren closed the book. She reached over and gently placed the book on the center of the table. She stood up and traced her fingers along the edge of the table as she walked over to where Kevlar sat.

“You should have taken the offer.” She said. Kevlar opened his mouth to speak but Lauren held up a hand to forestall him. “You should have taken the offer, but I’m glad you didn’t.” She shook her head. “No matter how headstrong you might be, no mattter how much you might think you don’t deserve to be happy, You should have taken the offer. But, you would never be able to forgive yourself if you had.” Lauren smiled and tilted her head. “And It’s selfish for me to say it, but I’m glad because I don’t know if I could stand being here without you.

“Call it dorky, call it whatever you want. But it’s so wonderful to have someone who tries to do the right thing. Someone who tries to keep things from getting worse. You help remind me of what I need to become; what I need to be.”

Kevlar sat quietly through the remainder of Lauren’s speech and held still for a few moments in the companionable quiet. “You’re right about one thing, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself had I walked away from my friends. We all claim to be trying for something greater than what we are. It’s the nature of humanity.” Kevlar shrugged slightly then continued. “I am a different person than the one who loved Rhee. She knew it, I knew it, and we both knew that in the end, this was the choice I had to make; if I were to be true to myself.” Kevlar’s eyes glittered as he touched Lauren’s hand. “When you start a path, you have to finish it. To do otherwise is to do more harm.” Kevlar looked intently at Lauren. “My path is with you. Our path runs together. Maybe for a short while, maybe it will be forever.” Kevlar smiled as Lauren stared opened mouth back. “There are no claims of true love Lauren. Hell at this point I am not even sure I can feel true love, it is part of the price you pay for being a monster. But I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?” Lauren ask in a whisper.

“I would rather try, than to give up.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“But what she did for you. What she sacrificed for you.” Lauren started, then stopped.

“She saw things out to the end. She saw a way to give me a chance, to give me a choice. But in the end, you made as much of a difference as she.”

“And you gave up salvation, you gave up heaven for your friends,” Lauren stated.

Kevlar shrugged, “I made my choice.”

Lauren hugged Kevlar fiercely, “and I hope, and pray, that in the months and years in the future, you won’t regret your choice. Because I don’t know if I could live with that.”

“Always question, never regret.”

“But how can you be sure?” She presisted.

“Sureness, isn’t a part of the world Lauren. But I know enough to say that regret won’t be something that will cross my mind.” Kevlar grined and pulled Lauren into a hug. “Besides, didn’t you say you had an idea for what we could do next?”

Lauren smiled through her tears, “You could say that, Are you ready to start driving?” she broke the hug and started gathering her things.

Kevlar blinked, “Driving?” He started to say something and stopped and started over, “Sure. Where are we driving?”

Lauren picked up her coat and grabbed Kevlar’s jacket. “I’ll tell you in the car.” With a toss, she threw the jacket to Kevlar who caught it with ease. “I have a few promises to keep myself.” She dashed out the door and called out, “Now get a move on it, we don’t have all night!”

Kevlar stood up slowly and slipped on his jacket. He walked over to the book and touched his lips to his fingers, then touched the book. He walked to the door, turned off the light and stepped outside without looking back.

***

(part II to follow later)