Deserter: New Life: Chapter Seven-A Good Beginning

Rain stretched in bed. She’d been with Sam for six months now, and her ESP wasn’t a problem anymore. She had amazing abilities with it, and was able to do more than she’d ever imagined.

Sun was streaming through her window and she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and planted her feet on the floor. Her hair hung in wild curls all around her face and she shoved it away from her eyes before padding to her clothes on the floor.

Black pants, black shirt. Her style hadn’t changed in all the past months, she thought wryly, tugging on her pants and shirt. Rain headed for the cafeteria barefoot. The nurses and helpers avoided her, giving her a wide berth when she passed them.

An old woman smiled at her and Rain flashed her a warm grin. The woman’s name was Trina, and she’d taken to Rain immediately, and Rain to her. The unlikely pair spent a lot of time together. Trina was full of history and Rain listened like child being told a story, absorbing the past and stories like a sponge.

She now knew that New Nantes was founded by a native of a city in France, and that’s where the name came from, Nantes being that city. That had been a hundred years earlier, and now there were many cities around the planet, most densely populated.

Sam and Rain spent a lot of time together as well, but they didn’t talk so much. When Rain had found out that Sam had been a Ranger she’d felt betrayed. Sam had told her the story of how he’d first seen her and how he’d ended up on New Nantes. Understanding hadn’t come easily, but Sam had been persistent, not allowing Rain to walk away from him so easily.

When Rain entered the cafeteria Sam was already seated at their usual table, eating a plate of scrambled eggs and ham with toast and coffee. Another place contained three pancakes, two donuts, sausage, and butter and syrup were nearby.

Rain wasn’t surprised. This was Sam’s usual meal. Big man, eat big, is what he always said when she asked about the large quantities of food. Rain wondered what Sam would so if he couldn’t get food for a few days. She asked him.

Sam looked up at her from a mouthful of ham. “Starve and die a slow and painful death,” he managed around the ham.

Rain supposed he was right, being as large as he was. The same size as Riddick, roughly, she thought, and grinned at him. Then she went to get her own food. Sausage, eggs, toast and that was enough for her. She poured a mug of coffee and sat across from Sam. She felt him slide his leg over to hers and rub it sensuously. She could feel that he wanted her, but they hadn’t gotten together just yet. ‘Soon,’ she told him silently, and he grinned at her, taking another bite of ham while watching her, his legs rubbing against hers.

The only reason Rain was waiting was because she wasn’t sure she could control her powers if there was a sensory overload, which was possible with sex. She took a bite of her eggs and another of her toast before washing it town with a sip of coffee. The hot liquid seeped into her throat and stomach and she closed her eyes to enjoy it.

Sam watched Rain eat as he ate himself. She was beautiful. Over the last few months she’d told him about her past, so he knew who she was, and what she’d been. But the change was obvious. Rain had opened herself to him and now she didn’t jump every time he got close to her.

When breakfast was over, Sam walked with Rain to the outside of the hospital, stopping at her room to pick up her boots. They went for a walk everyday, usually ending up with Rain pressed against the ground under Sam, getting kissed senseless, but she wasn’t complaining.

A half mile into the walk, Sam turned to Rain. “How long you planning on staying here?” he asked. He prayed she’d say she wanted to stay here, with him.

Rain looked at him sharply, unsure of his meaning. She could find out if she wanted to, but she wouldn’t invade his privacy that way without his permission. “Uh, I don’t know,” she murmured, wondering if that was a hint. Did he want her to leave? “I’ll just take Ven’s ship when I leave, I guess.”

Sam reached behind his head and rubbed his neck. His hair was getting longer and hung just below his collar. He smoothed it down again before looking at her. Her face was impassive, fixed in a cool mask. It was a look he hadn’t seen in almost three months.

“I don’t want you to think-”

“I’ll just be staying-”

They both started talking at the same time. Rain closed her mouth abruptly and pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to leave? ‘Cause that’s not a problem, I was gonna head out anyways.” She did her best to sound nonchalant.

Sam was speechless. She was leaving. He felt like the ground had fallen out from under him and he was standing on nothing but air. His stomach chased after the missing ground and his heart thudded painfully, threatening to burst. Or crack, he thought, or break. Sam shoved is hands through his hair, unsure of what to say. He couldn’t let her know this was killing him, to hear her say she was leaving. That she’d been planning on leaving. She even had the ship to take off in. “Uh, no, you don’t *have* to leave, but if you have it all planned out...” he trailed off, moving his hand in a “what can I do” sort of gesture.

Rain felt her heart split and didn’t know what to do about it. She kept her face a pleasant, but stony mask and nodded. “Um, yeah. I was actually thinking about taking off early next week.” Rain was confused but hiding it. What had happened between breakfast and now? Everything had been going so great, but it looked like Sam was sick of the company of a monster.

~~~

Rain tossed her last bag into the ship. It was hard, both ways. First, she was leaving Sam, the best thing to ever happen to her. Second, this was *Ven’s* ship, not hers. Ven and Brand... her thoughts strayed in their direction and she prayed they’d made it out of that mess all right, and that they’d found their sister.

She wondered where Riddick had gone after Rhea, and if he’d found what he was looking for. So many questions, and now, so much pain. Rain clenched her jaw and her eyes, forcing back tears before heading back into the hospital. Sam was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, staring blandly into a mug of black coffee.

Rain sat across from him quietly, tempted to dig into his head, but containing herself. Sam looked up at her and smiled dismally. For a guy that had seemed like he wanted to get rid of her, he was sure acting depressed. Rain tried to put on a brave, devil-may-care grin and felt like her face would crack, just like her heart. Her smile faltered and tears threatened to push up past her defenses.

“So, I guess you’re all packed up,” Sam whispered, swishing the cooling coffee around in his mug.

Rain nodded and it seemed like Sam flinched. His coppery hair was hanging in his eyes, but for once he didn’t bother to push it away. It hung over his collar and past his ears, and his golden eyes were dark. The stubble on his jaw was thick and dark, like he hadn’t bothered to shave since that fated day a week ago. Rain’s fingers itched to reach across the table and caress his rough cheek, but even though the distance was mere inches it seemed like a canyon separated them. It seemed Rain could hear a painful cracking as another piece of her heart fell apart.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a small gasp, before pushing upright. She stepped around the table, cupped Sam’s cheeks in her hands and placed a kiss on his soft hair. Then she turned on her heal and strode out of the cafeteria and out of his life.

Sam watched her receding back and laid his head on his crossed forearms when she disappeared around the corner. The urge to break down and cry was overwhelming and strange, because Sam hadn’t cried since he was a little boy. He drew in a choked sob then pushed away from the table, still feeling Rain’s soft lips on his hair. They hadn’t hardly talked at all in the past week, and he wondered what had gone wrong.

He strode down the hallway towards Rain’s room and passed her friend, Trina, as he went.

“Sam! Get in here!” Sam jerked to a halt and looked through the open doorway to the little old woman watching the HV set. Her weathered face was set in stern lines and she clutched her cane like a weapon.

Sam entered the room slowly, wary despite his usually easygoing relationship with the elderly woman. “What’s the matter, Trina?”

Trina smacked her cane down hard on the tiled floor, causing Sam to jump slightly. “Don’t ‘What’s the matter’ me, young man. What did you do to Rain?” she demanded. Her rheumy old eyes glared at him angrily and he sucked in a startled breath.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, ma’am. Rain was sick, and now she’s better. She felt it was time to leave.” Sam was trying to convince himself as much as Trina... maybe even more so.

Another angry smack. “Don’t give me that bull shit.” Sam’s eyes went wide at the vehement curse word coming from the usually friendly woman. He’d never heard her swear in the two years she’d been living in the elderly ward of the hospital. “That girl came in here crying her eyes out last week, weeping about how you wanted her to leave and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even come in here before she left.”

Sam was dumbstruck. He rocked back on his heals and staggered backwards to lean weakly against the wall. “She did? I mean, she was? Crying, I mean?”

“Of course, you dolt. Now go after her!” Trina pointed the end of her cane at the door.

Sam flashed her a lopsided grin and rushed out the door, calling out a relieved thank you as he went racing down the hall. Trina smiled to herself and turned back to the HV.

Sam tore out of the building, hope clawing at his insides. There might still be a chance.

~~~

Rain walked slowly towards her ship and finally got onboard. She was just getting ready to hit the button to close the hatch when she heard her name. She must have forgotten something, she told herself, because why else would Sam come after her?

“Rain!” Sam called, watching Rain’s slim form framed in the hatch door. She didn’t turn around to look at him and he prayed he wasn’t to late.

It was to late, Rain thought. She couldn’t go back and beg Sam to keep her. To let her stay with him. Tears built up in her eyes and she couldn’t contain them any longer. They spilled down her cheeks unchecked and she kept her back to him. She heard his heavy steps on the ramp and then felt his hand on her shoulder.

“Rain,” he murmured. Still, she didn’t turn to him. “Rain,” he whispered, leaning forward so his mouth was near her ear. “Look at me, Rain. Please look at me,” he pleaded.

A tiny shudder racked her body and he heard her choked sob. Worried now, he clasped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. The tears running down her cheeks brought him short and he froze, staring into her face. Rain’s head was tilted downwards and her long hair fell in front of her face. Sam reached down and pushed it behind her ears, then cupped her chin in his hand so she was forced to look up at him.

“Rain, don’t go.”

Her eyes snapped to his, shocked green melding with welcoming gold. “What?” she whispered shallowly.

“Please, Rain, don’t leave me here. Don’t go. Stay here with me,” he begged, tempted to drop to his knees and plead with her to stay. To give him his heart back so this pain in his chest would go away.

“You want me to stay?” she asked incredulously.

Sam nodded mutely, feeling tears well up in his own eyes. And for once, he let them come. A single tear escaped his eyes and rolled down each lean cheek to get absorbed in his stubble. “Please,” he choked out around the emotion building in his throat and threatening to suffocate him.

Rain nodded, hope and warmth flooding her. “Yes, I’ll stay. Yes! YES!” And she launched herself at him, tangling her arms around his neck and he pulled her close, laughing, pressing kisses to her hair, her nose and cheeks, then finally her mouth.

Sam captured Rain’s mouth with his and tangled his hands in her riotous hair. She threw herself into the kiss, opening her mouth under his and moving her tongue against his. He groaned against her mouth and she moaned back, threading her fingers in his hair, loving the smooth texture.

And they stayed locked together like that for a long time, holding one another. It was the happiest day of both their lives.

~~~

The End

***

Back to Menu