Breaking
Chains
Part 5
by Rooks
© Copyright 1999 by Rooks
E-Mail: njdingle@yahoo.com
Disclaimers and warnings: See Part 1.
Chapter 12
Alone, in her apartment, Gabrielle found it much more lonely and frightening than it had been during the day. Everything seemed so unfamiliar, and yet once in a while, something would jump out at her with a flash of recognition that made it all the more eerie. Little things...a stainless steel can opener... a wooden hair brush...a photograph of herself before she cut her hair.
She walked around uneasily for most of the day, and had a cup of coffee for dinner. She had found a daily planner, but it hadn’t indicated anything that might have caused her to lose her memory. Talking to the neighbours on the downstairs floor, she learned that she had been brought home one day after she had fallen and hit her head. She had been trying to get a photo over Shakespeare bridge. The day after, she had been gone. That was all the explanation there had been.
Having her entire life missing was unnerving, but the possibility that there was a very tall, dark and strong woman out there who might accidentally hurt her made it worse. She was so confused about what to do. Her nerves were jangled. Her head told her she should stay away from Faith, especially after everything she had seen. But her heart...
The onset of night didn’t help either. There was no starlight, the sky overcast with clouds. In the distance, she could hear thunder rumbling, dry and ominous.
A knock made her jump out of the kitchen chair. Her eyes flew to the door, then to the gun sitting on the kitchen counter. She swallowed.
"Gabrielle?" Faith’s muffled voice called. Another knock. "Gabrielle are you in there?"
Gabrielle sat frozen, heart thumping in fear.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the other side of the door, Faith pounded again. "Gabrielle I know you’re home, I can see the light on. Please let me in, I have to talk to you."
"Faith...I. Please...I just want you to...I don’t think you should come in."
"But Gabrielle this is important."
"No Faith. Ms. Joyce told me this is what would happen."
"That’s what I have to talk to you about! You can’t trust her Gabrielle."
"Faith...just...please come back later. We can meet at a restaurant or something tomorrow."
"There might not be enough time for that! Gabrielle, you’re in danger."
"The door is locked, Faith."
"Come on, just let me in, please..."
"Faith, you’re scaring me!"
"Gabrielle..."
"No!" Gabrielle cried frantically.
Faith held her breath in frustration. She had to see her! There was no way she was leaving. So, unable to find the right words, Faith did the only thing she could think of. She took a step back, then slammed her shoulder into the door, bursting it inwards.
She heard Gabrielle shriek as she crashed through and fell to her stomach. She looked up, and Gabrielle was just escaping out the window, and up the fire escape.
"Gabrielle!"
Faith ran to the window and looked down, then up. Gabrielle was dashing up the stairs as quick as possible, blind with panic.
"Gabrielle wait!" Faith sprang up the iron wrought stairs after her. The air was fresh. She reached the top and gazed out over the flat expanse of roof. There were protruding box-like vents, and a handle-less door that led back downstairs. Gabrielle stumbled about in plain sight, obviously having realized she had nowhere else to go. She had a strange gun in her hand. She was obviously terrified.
"Gabrielle..."
Gabrielle whipped around and pointed the gun up at her. Her hand was shaking violently.
Faith approached her cautiously. The wind was warm and dry. Buzzing with the tension of an approaching storm. It whipped Faith’s hair into her face.
"Gabrielle...will you please just listen to me? I have something to show you."
"Faith...this, th-this is just what happened with B-Blythe..."
"Gabrielle, I’m not going to hurt you!"
Gabrielle started backing away. Tears were in her eyes. "Faith...I don’t...I’m..."
Faith took a deep breath. She was close to Gabrielle, only a few meters away. "Listen to me ok? Josephina did not kill Blythe. She was downstairs getting the newspaper with the reviews."
"No...I saw..."
"Gabrielle wait! Take this. I can show you! Here..." Faith’s eyes widened. She reached into her jacket pocket.
"...this is for you!"
She heard Gabrielle gasp in fright. Then a crack, that echoed like thunder against the buildings. And felt the bullet slam into her shoulder. She cried out and it spun her around. Her arms flew wide and a fiery pain spread through her chest. Her legs buckled, and she was falling...falling...
Then she was on her back, staring up at the roiling clouds above. Breath blown out of her chest. The sharp bite of the necklace was in her clenched fist. Pain burgeoned in her shoulder, and she squinched her eyes shut and moaned in agony.
"Oh God! Oh Faith...! Faith!"
Gabrielle’s beautiful face filled her vision, tearful and distressed. Faith tried to say something, but couldn’t quite mouth a word.
"I’m sorry...Faith I’m so sorry!"
Faith smiled weakly.
Then pain filled her mind, overwhelming pain, and mercifully, she fainted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thunder clapped and Gabrielle touched Faith’s cheek after her eyes had rolled back into her head.
"Faith...Faith! Wake up!"
She shook Faith’s limp form, trying to ignore the ugly red stain that was spreading under Faith’s jacket. She looked at the gun in her hand in horror. Then, in disgust, heaved it over the side of the building. She clutched Faith’s shoulders.
"Please wake up!" She sobbed.
Her eyes fell to Faith’s hand. The arm was outstretched, lying flat against the tar roof. Faith’s hand was loosely clenched about something. Gabrielle peeled back the fingers to see what Faith had been reaching for in her coat. What she had been sure was a pair of scissors.
It was Blythe’s necklace. The silver hoop, with the sapphires. She recognized it immediately, and took it in her trembling palm.
"Oh my God. What have I done?"
The sky opened up then, with the suddenness of a summer storm. Thick rain sheeted over them, drenching them both, though Faith was oblivious. Gabrielle tried to shield Faith’s face with her body. That not working, she pulled Faith’s shoulders off the dirty roof and held Faith’s head against her chest.
Something, a shadow flickering across a puddle, made her look up. She gasped in surprise. There was a figure there, looking at the two of them.
"Ms. Joyce! How...how did you get up here?"
"I saw your window open. I figured you were up here." Ms. Joyce didn’t move, and her voice was strangely flat.
Gabrielle’s throat tightened. "I...I shot her." She said softly. Her tears blended with rain running down her cheeks.
Ms. Joyce nodded. "So I see." She didn’t make a move forward. Gabrielle could have sworn that a smile flickered over her face.
Gabrielle felt a charge of panic. "Come on, you have to help me get her out of here. She needs to get to a hospital!" Gabrielle turned away, and started struggling with Faith’s limp body. She heard Ms. Joyce approach her from behind.
"Stand up Gabrielle."
"No! We have to help her..."
"I don’t believe you’re going to be helping anyone."
Gabrielle looked around in frustration. And through the rain, saw the gun in Ms. Joyce’s hand.
"What are you doing?"
"Something that should have been finished a long time ago."
Gabrielle felt a prickle of fear run up her spine. And then somehow, she knew. She understood everything. The necklace clenched in her hand told her as plain as day.
"You!"
Ms. Joyce smiled. But the smile wasn’t echoed in her eyes.
"But...why?"
Lightning flashed and thunder cracked above them. Gabrielle realized that with the pounding storm, no one would hear her scream.
"It’s a story from a different time. And I’m not about to explain it to you." Ms. Joyce shouted. "Now stand up, and get away from her."
"I’m not leaving her," Gabrielle declared furiously, and pulled Faith’s head to her chest.
"Oh no?" Ms. Joyce shifted the gun to point at Faith. Gabrielle paled.
"That’s right," Ms. Joyce smiled as Gabrielle rose, gently setting Faith’s head down on the ground, and turning her face away from the pelting rain.
Ms. Joyce motioned Gabrielle away with the gun.
"You can’t just kill me and get away with it," Gabrielle tried to bluff for time she didn’t have. She hoped she didn’t sound as scared as she felt. "Someone will see. There’ll be evidence. This isn’t nineteen fifty."
"I don’t think I need to worry about that, do I? We’re talking about fate. Everything happens in a chain. After all, you fell in love with her, didn’t you?" Ms. Joyce jerked her head at Faith’s prone body.
Gabrielle swallowed. "What are you going to do? Shoot me dead in cold blood?" she challenged, trying to keep the fear from her voice. She had to shout to be heard.
Ms. Joyce smiled. The sight made Gabrielle shiver with a cold that was even more pervasive than the rain. "I never said I was going to shoot you dead."
Ms. Joyce reached into the folds of her coat. She drew out a pair of scissors. Gabrielle’s mouth went dry with instinctive terror.
"These are for you, my dear."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consciousness returned to Faith gradually. The pattering of rain on her cheek jarred her out of the dark, safe place her mind had been hiding. With it came the pain, now a steady throb in her shoulder. She groaned quietly.
She was soaked through and chilled to the bone. Her eyes flickered open and she looked around blearily before trying to move.
Not far away, Ms. Joyce was pointing a gun at Gabrielle. Gabrielle was trying to talk her way out of it. Faith’s heart started into rapid panic, adrenaline fueling her.
Ms. Joyce’s back was half-turned towards her. If she could just...
Gabrielle’s eyes flickered in her direction. The blonde did her best to keep her face impassive, but in that one look Faith had caught a connection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabrielle’s soul surged with hope when she saw Faith stir. She whipped her eyes back at Ms. Joyce, hoping the woman hadn’t seen.
She hadn’t. Gabrielle knew her moment was now. Ms. Joyce was only half turned away from Faith, with the gun in one hand and scissors in the other. If Faith got up, Ms. Joyce would see her.
Gabrielle ran. Away from Faith. Ms. Joyce jumped at the sudden movement, and fired a shot in the air. Gabrielle halted, close to the edge of the building. She could see the haze of street lamps below, and warm wind rushed up over the lip.
"Oh no you don’t my dear. I can’t have you running. This bullet has to be in the right place."
"What’s the difference?" Gabrielle asked shakily. "You’re just going to kill me anyway."
"It’s not whether you die. It’s how you die that counts. And trust me, some ways are much more painful than others."
Gabrielle stood rigid. Behind, she saw Faith stagger to her feet.
Ms. Joyce straightened the gun, locked her elbow. "Now hold still my dear. Compared with what’s coming, this will only hurt a little."
Gabrielle grimaced as Faith loomed behind. But it was too late. She saw the recognition on Ms. Joyce’s face. The old woman spun around and stepped away from Faith’s awkward lurch towards her.
Ms. Joyce laughed. "Oh Josephina! You aren’t supposed to be here when this happens." She warily alternated the gun on the two women. "Don’t think I’m going to take it any easier on you just because you were the one my mother loved. You need to die as well. After you’re blamed for her murder that is."
Gabrielle glanced at Faith. The tall woman’s arm hung uselessly at her side. Her face was ashen.
"You’ve got it all wrong Lizzie," Faith growled. "I wasn’t Josephina. She was."
Gabrielle breathed in quiet shock and realization. Yet somehow, she wasn’t surprised. It was as though she had known the truth all along.
But for the first time, Ms. Joyce’s face clouded in doubt. "I don’t believe you..." She glanced in alarm from Faith to Gabrielle, unbalanced.
Faith didn’t wait. She lunged at the gun in Ms. Joyce’s hand, and sent it skittering to the roof. Ms. Joyce jolted into action. She screamed and stabbed the scissors into Faith’s wounded shoulder. Faith howled in anguished pain and fell to her hands and knees.
Gabrielle and Ms. Joyce both dove at the gun together, but Gabrielle reached it first. Ms. Joyce kicked it out of her hand. It slid away through the puddles. Ms. Joyce’s eyes were wild. She screamed. Gabrielle caught Ms. Joyce’s wrist as it came down. She held it away, struggling to get off her knees. Ms. Joyce wasn’t as strong as she was. But a bony hand slapped her face hard, and Gabrielle fell back, off of her haunches and landed heavily on her rear. Her head cracked against the low edge of the building, dazing her.
Ms. Joyce was on top of her, shouting madly, even above the thunder. Gabrielle managed to block the scissors stabbing down again, but it cut her arm and she cried out in pain. Ms. Joyce’s eyes flashed when she saw the necklace still clutched in Gabrielle’s fist. She tore it away, crying "yes!". Then raised her arm for another strike. The scissors held aloft, frozen against the lightning. Gabrielle crossed her arms over her face.
Then Faith was there. She hit Ms. Joyce in the back like a bullet, a yowl of rage and pain ripping from her throat. Knocked forward to the edge, a look of horror washed over Ms. Joyce’s face. She teetered. Arms spinning. Then with a shriek, fell overtop of Gabrielle. She struck the edge, and flipped over.
Then she was gone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faith wobbled unsteadily, then sank to her knees, pain and cold making her feel weak. She looked at Gabrielle. The blonde was soaked through. A small patch of thinned blood stained her arm. But she was still the most beautiful thing Faith had ever seen. Faith held her arms open, and smiled weakly.
Gabrielle started crying and flung herself into Faith’s embrace. Faith put her one good arm around Gabrielle’s back and squeezed her as tightly as her wounded body would allow. Gabrielle drew back and suddenly their mouths met desperately. Passionate under the now gentle spray of rain. An aching moan came from Faith’s throat. She hadn’t thought she’d ever feel this again.
The moment was far from perfect. She was soaked, wounded, and on the brink of passing out. But Faith knew that it would be the moment she would remember for the rest of her life.
"It’s over," Gabrielle whispered, when they finally broke.
"I’ve...I’ve lost a lot of blood..." Faith slurred, reality intruding on them. "I need to get...to a hospital..."
Gabrielle nodded, and slid her arm around Faith’s back. "Can you walk?"
Faith nodded and rose with Gabrielle’s help. But the blood rushed to her head and, dizzy, she collapsed.
"Faith!"
"Call an ambulance," Faith said, a hard buzz filling her ears. Her vision swam. "No wait...just...stay with me until..."
Faith’s eyes fluttered shut against the welcome wash of darkness. She sighed in relief.
The last thing she felt was Gabrielle’s hand in her own.
Epilogue
"Faith?"
Faith opened her eyes. A bright wash of blurry colour greeted her. She squinted.
"Faith...are you all right?"
She concentrated, and the image of Gabrielle’s face coalesced before her. The white walls of a hospital room behind her, nurses and orderlies walking past the doorway, going about their duties. She turned her eyes to the woman above her.
"Gabrielle?" she croaked.
"Oh Faith!" Gabrielle cried and flung her arms around Faith’s neck. She buried her face in Faith’s hair.
"Hey..." Faith tried to hug back, and gasped at the throb in her shoulder. She awkwardly patted Gabrielle’s back with her other hand. "Easy...I’m a wounded woman here."
Gabrielle sat up and wiped her eyes. She sniffled. "I was so worried about you."
Faith was rapidly adjusting to her new environment. It appeared to be one of the recovery rooms of the ICU. She moved her arm slowly, feeling out her range of motion. "Well, don’t feel too bad. If I don’t move quickly, my shoulder doesn’t hurt much."
"They um, gave you some drugs for the pain." Gabrielle stared at the sheets. "Can I get you anything Faith? Some water or something?"
"No. This is an IV going into my arm, if I’m not mistaken." She waggled her arm and the tube shook. "Did I really lose that much blood?"
"You lost a lot," Gabrielle said softly. Her eyes were still lowered.
Faith noticed a bandage covered Gabrielle’s forearm. She frowned. "Are you ok? Are you in pain at all?"
Gabrielle stared at her. "You’re worried about me?"
Faith looked at her confusedly. "Uh...I guess so. Is that bad?"
"Faith, I...I shot you."
Faith shook her head negligently. "Oh that. It’s nothing. Not like I haven’t been shot before..." she stopped when it didn’t seem as though Gabrielle were cheering up at all. The blonde looked like she was on the brink of tears. "Gabrielle?"
"I’m so sorry Faith. I’m so sorry."
Faith reached out and took Gabrielle’s hand. She squeezed it until the blonde looked at her. "It’s ok. I understand why you did it."
"I was so scared..." Gabrielle looked ashamed. "I guess I’ve got a pretty active imagination."
"Hey, if I had been having visions like those, I would have done the same thing. Probably worse."
"Still. I should have listened to you."
"It’s all right." Faith smiled. Then she said, "I forgive you."
Gabrielle’s eyes shone. "Thank you Faith," she whispered. "I needed to hear that."
"Just don’t ever do it again."
Gabrielle almost started crying, and smiled emotionally. "I promise."
Faith was still getting used to the fact that Gabrielle was really here, and it wasn’t a dream. It seemed like a miracle. She put her hand on the side of Gabrielle’s head, fingers combing through her short blonde hair. She lost herself in Gabrielle’s beauty. Gabrielle’s hand touched her cheek.
Then Gabrielle was leaning down and they met in an achingly sweet kiss that lasted longer than either of them expected. To her credit, Gabrielle avoided Faith’s wounded shoulder, but Faith wouldn’t have cared anyway. She just wanted to touch Gabrielle, right now, this moment.
Gabrielle broke away flushed, and rested her forehead against Faith’s.
"What now?" she said after a minute. A bit uncertainly.
"What now?" Faith whispered.
"Where do we go from here?"
"You mean after everything that’s happened."
"Yeah."
Faith swallowed nervously, but didn’t take her hand away from Gabrielle’s cheek. "Uh...you know I’m not the best person to talk to about...long term plans."
Gabrielle smiled at her fondly, genuinely happy for the first time since Faith had awoken. "I’m just glad that we have the possibility of long term plans together."
"To...together?"
"Yeah. And that one of us isn’t destined to kill the other."
"I guess that’s a good thing," Faith managed a crooked smile. "Although I’m still not sure I understand it all completely."
"No?"
"Or if I’m all that happy with it."
Gabrielle frowned uncertainly. "What’s not to be happy about?"
Faith looked down. "I’m just not sure I like the idea of my feelings being a continuation of someone else’s."
"You don’t think it’s romantic?"
"Romantic?" Faith said incredulously. "What are you talking about?"
Gabrielle shrugged. "I sort of like the idea of love spanning lifetimes. And soulmates. It’s the stuff love stories are made of."
"Love stories?" Faith said. She smiled when a blush crept into Gabrielle’s face. "I guess I should read some of those."
Gabrielle reddened and lowered her eyes, embarassed. For the first time ever, the blonde was without words.
Faith brushed her thumb over Gabrielle’s cheek. "Soulmates huh. Does that explain why my past life looked like you, and your past life looked like me?"
Gabrielle nodded solemnly. "Two halves of the same person, remember?"
Faith couldn’t put a word on the connection that she felt, just lying here, touching Gabrielle, letting Gabrielle’s fingers caress her face. So she basked in it for a while, without saying anything more.
Gabrielle started to speak, then stopped. She seemed uncertain again, like when she had first brought up the subject of long term plans.
"What is it?" Faith asked.
Gabrielle shifted uncomfortably. "I was wondering...I have something to ask you."
"Yeah?"
"Well, I...I don’t have very fond memories of my apartment. Mostly scary ones. And the cops are going to be investigating that building for a while. On the other hand, I have very...very...fond memories of your apartment. So I was wondering..."
A strange aching emotion filled Faith’s chest. Like a muscle inside her had grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go. "You want to come live with me?" she asked, awed.
"Only for a little while." Gabrielle said softly. "And...not if you don’t want to."
"No," Faith said. "I want to. I’d love it. You can stay with me as long as you like."
The smile that filled Gabrielle’s face was worth a thousand lifetimes. Faith couldn’t help but smile back. They both took a deep breath together, realizing they were on the brink of something incredible.
"I guess we’ll have to start making plans, won’t we?" Faith asked. "Like getting your cameras and shit over to my place."
Gabrielle giggled happily. "Yup. A lot of that part of my life is coming back to me you know. I remember how to use the equipment...and I remember taking specific pictures. I’ve even got a vague image in my mind of a house I might have grown up in. I have an album with pictures of little Tracy running around in some front yard somewhere."
Faith smiled. "Tracy." She considered. "You know, I like that name. But I think you’ll always be Gabrielle to me."
Gabrielle smiled. "I don’t mind." She squeezed Faith’s hand. Then she leaned down and kissed Faith again. It was a long time before she came up for air.
"So when can we bust you out of here?" Gabrielle whispered huskily.
"Just give me some pain pills and I’m ready," Faith replied.
"I’ll go get the doctor." Gabrielle rose, but Faith pulled her back. "What?"
"Don’t leave just yet," Faith put her hand behind Gabrielle’s head and pulled her down.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faith walked out of emergency with Gabrielle. Her arm was in a sling, but it didn’t hurt at all any more. The wonder of drugs. She took a deep breath of city air.
Gabrielle smiled up at her and wrinkled her nose. "Not the greatest smell in the world, huh?"
"It’s better than a hospital."
"I’ll get the car," Gabrielle said. "You just relax."
A few moments later, Gabrielle pulled up in a black Honda. She shouted through the passenger window, "Goin my way?"
Faith grinned and got in. The seats had kitchy, faux-sheepskin covers. "Nice."
"Hey, I found the keys at my apartment." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Personally, I think it’s someone else’s car. I sure as hell don’t remember it."
Faith laughed. Then she just smiled, and watched Gabrielle as the blonde backed the car out of the emergency bay. Gabrielle caught her looking.
"What is it?"
"You’re here. You’re staying with me."
Gabrielle smiled and patted her hand. "Yeah. Now let’s go home."
Faith nodded and looked out the window. The sun was shining. She thought she could smell daisies on the breeze. It was a beautiful day.
"Let’s go home," she echoed softly.
Gabrielle drove past the ambulences. She circled through the hospital parking lot. Then she turned the car out onto the street, floored the gas, and they took off.
•••
(c) 1999, Rooks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Began Feb 6th
Finished April 30th
Actress Blythe Danner was not informed of the obvious theft of her name for the production of this fan fiction. However, her fabulous acting talents weren’t harmed.
Author’s Note:
I feel as though I should justify my theft (sort of) of someone else’s plot. Well, for those of you who have see the movie, you’ll know that I did change quite a few things, but there is also quite a bit that stayed the same, for a couple of reasons. I thought it really leant itself well to an uber-Xena story, and it also let me have fun with some uber-cliches that we all love. Also, I could focus on some aspects of my writing other than coming up with a good plot.
But when it comes down to it, the real reason I did it is because I love the movie, and I love these characters, and I thought they’d make a great story together.
And finally, a little bit of dialogue was stolen from the master of dialogue himself, Elmore Leonard.
Comments are all welcome!