User blog:Fadingsilverstar16/LAL Chapter Seventeen Preview (for those still interested)!

It's almost Halloween, my pretties, and it's almost been a month since I posted that Chapter 17 was done. Blah blah I'm terrible blah blah I really need a schedule blah blah I'm warning you, I really don't think this is my best writing blah blah blah. I won't even bother making excuses for why it's so late this time. (I've totally been working on it every day, though! I swear!) This chapter is pretty big in terms of the plot, though. The preview I have for you here doesn't contain many spoilers (and trust me, there's lots of spoiler-worthy things in this chapter), but maybe it'll tide you over until I can get it done and edited? Please don't hesitate to point out any grammatical mistakes or spelly to me. This is not the final product (although the final final product really won't be much different, I don't think), as it hasn't been put through the Sprink Machine of Awesome Editing yet, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Now watch, ladies and gentleman, as Gigi tries character development again! Can you spot the romance? Good, because I sure can't. xD

Also, I'll spoil the title of this chapter for you, too, just because I feel bad for taking so long. The name of this chapter is Choice. Interpret that as you will. >D

-- I sing the song of the fading  silver star...

It was around ten when the storm began to die down. There hadn't been a clash of thunder in a while, not since we'd been inside Mendez's house, which was now a pretty good distance away from us. The rain and wind, though cold as ever and still strong enough to be an inconvenience, were also starting to ease up. It would be a while before it all stopped completely, but that was a start, right?

Both guns hidden safely away, I flexed my newly freed fingers to help get rid of the numbness in them and then pulled my jacket tightly around myself, clenching my teeth to keep them from chattering. What I would've given for a tall, black cup of coffee loaded down with sugar and caffeine, right then. At least it would've served as a distraction from my worsening cold and the nagging thought in the back of my head that something was bound to go wrong.

It really figured that my mind would choose to get paranoid after I'd already accomplished what I'd been sent out to do. The money wasn't an issue, anymore. The only task left for me was to make sure that Noah and I got safely back to headquarters. The worst of it was over.

But even so, I still felt a pang in my chest every time I wondered about what would happen once we were back in Vancouver. Deep down, I couldn't deny that there were a number of ways things could turn very bad, very fast. I'd been lucky, so far, and there was no telling when that luck was going to run out. If I'd been found out before I'd been able to find out where Wilshire lived, I would have ended up in a situation even worse than Noah's was.

My train of thought was cut short as the itch at the back of my throat decided to spike, bringing on a coughing fit that made me stop and double over. One of my hands flew up to cover my mouth, the other went to clutch at my stomach. If Noah hadn't been there to take hold of my arm and keep me steady, I would've fallen over, just like I had before.

Of course, the coughing itself did absolutely nothing to get rid of the irritation. In fact, it was actually adding to the searing pain, like my throat was trying to tear itself apart. After the fit itself was over, even something as simple as breathing was uncomfortable for me to do.

Trying not to shiver as another gust of wind blew past, I cleared my throat and stood upright.

“Thanks,” I muttered, giving him what I hoped was a reassuring look. It probably wasn't too reassuring though, since Noah did look a little reluctant for a second, but then he nodded and let me go.

“Yeah, anytime,” he looked away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Um... maybe we should sit down?”

I shifted my gaze down the street, and then back to Noah. He was starting to look a bit weary, too. Maybe a few minutes of rest wouldn't hurt.

There was a small wooden bench with a lost umbrella sitting on it a little ways away from where we were standing, but neither of us felt up to walking over there. In the end, we decided to sit down right there on the sidewalk, satisfied to stay where we were.

For the second time that night, I thought of checking to make sure the check was still there, but stopped myself for fear of getting it wet or making a wrong move and smudging its ink. Instead, I laid my hand over my jacket's right pocket, pressing on the wrinkled leather only hard enough to feel the paper inside. Really, the move was for my own comfort more than anything else, meant to combat the anxiety trying to creep back into my system. Rhodes would have his money soon enough, I told myself, and then Noah would be finally be okay.

Well, no. That wasn't completely true. Being set free wouldn't spell the end of Noah's problems. Even after all of this ended, he'd still have his scars to deal with, and not just the physical ones.

I turned my head, studying him. The rain had made his hair damp and matted against his head, making gooseflesh crawl up his neck and no doubt starting to seep through his jacket like before. It had also long since rinsed away the blood on his hand, and was currently doing the same to the cover-up on his face. It wouldn't be much time before the X on his cheek was bare again, along with with the other cuts and bruises around it. They did seem to be healing up alright, though few of them did look a bit red around the edges. Most of them were probably sore, too.

Nevertheless, Noah neither did nor said anything about it, just sitting there with his gaze fixed straight ahead. The emotionless look I'd seen him put on multiple times before was back, but something about it was... different, this time. Although he would try to conceal it as best as he could, I'd always been able to catch that one little hint of emotion that he would let slip past that mask. Whatever he was truly feeling had never failed to show, no matter how much I had to search his face to find it.

But now there was nothing. His face was blank and his eyes were empty. He'd perfected his mask, but it was all a lie, dammit. I knew it was a lie. I'd had more than enough experience with lies in my lifetime to know. The incident with his father still had to be fresh in his mind. Underneath that stoic facade was some one who'd been tortured and betrayed and... dear God, I couldn't even imagine what he must have been feeling. It was probably ten times worse than what I'd felt during the little conversation we'd had not too long ago, back when we were sitting here for the first time. Not only that, but I'd had comfort as well.

I shuddered as the memory of Noah's touch ghosted over my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before being blown away by the wind, and I immediately understood what it meant. Maybe it was time to return the favor.

It would be easy. All I needed to do was lay my hand on his shoulder like he'd done to me, just to let him know I was there. Simple enough. No need to be nervous.

Maybe a bit too slowly, I began to reach towards him.

“Heather?”

I stopped for a moment, fingers just short of brushing the fabric of his coat, and then retracted my outstretched hand, laying it on my lap as if nothing had happened. Not looking in my direction, Noah didn't notice, and kept waiting for a response.

“Um... yes?” I answered.

“What's going to happen after this is over?” he paused. “I mean, what are you gonna do your mission's done?”

Truthfully, I'd been so caught up in the bigger issues at hand that I hadn't thought much about what exactly was in store for me once Noah was free. Still, why would he want to know something like that, in any case?

I decided not to ask why.

“Well, for one thing, it's not like I have a choice about whether or not I'm going to stay with the organization. I guess once you're in the clear, they'll give me a day off or whatever, and then I'll receive my next mission,” I rubbed my sore neck, wincing at how hoarse I sounded. “I'm not too sure about this, but I think the second mission is when I'll actually be required to... kill someone.”

“Do you think you'll be able to handle it?”

Not even needing to think about it, I shook my head and let out a short laugh.

“Nope.”

-- I sing the song of the fading  silver star...

Disappointed? Annoyed at how non-spoilery it is? Did you like it? Did you not? I'm receptive to all feedback. C'mon guys, I know in my soul that there has to be a word I misspelled or an embarassing grammar mistake or another dumb screw-up I made. Pointing out my mistakes helps me learn, so go for it! :D

Hope you liked it,

Gigi

(P.S. Hurr hurr, does a certain moment in this chapter remind you of something that might've happened before? Also, just as another little thing for you to consider, I'm probably gonna end up owing all of the characters in this story apology letters. The ones that Noah and Heather get are gonna be five pages long. xD)