THE
SECOND TIME YOU FALLTHE
SECOND TIME YOU FALL© Katta
Author's Note: This and all future stories of the TYR soap will let Ike survive In The Face of Mine Enemies. He's not essential in all the stories, but the point with soaps is that stories blend into each other. The conversations in Spanish etc., are usually not very important for the stories, but if you want any translation, please contact me.
The other fugitives were well on their way before they reached the same conclusion. When the bullets started flying in the air they ran quickly and dared not slow down until they saw the bell tower of the town church. ”We made it!” Ramón cried.
Sandy looked at the familiar building with a stunned expression. Then her face lit up.
”We’re alive”, she whispered.
She turned to Ike and for the first time she let her lips embrace his. Ike tasted her warm blood in his mouth and carefully licked it away from her bitten lip. They paid no attention to Lou’s and Ramón’s amazed gazes, nor of anything else, until Sandy felt a hand on her shoulder. The touch almost made her bite through her lip again, but instead she quickly separated herself from Ike and spun around to see who had caused it. The sight of Joaquín Saura, the town verger, made her smile with relief. To her great surprise, the man looked in absolute horror at her. Then she realised what she must look like, and when she wiped her mouth from the kiss, the bloodstains on her hand confirmed her thought.
”We were… kidnapped…” she said. It sounded incredibly lame when said in this situation.
”By gunsmugglers!”, Ramón filled in. When he was no longer in mortal danger, the adventure of it all dawned to him. ”They have taken señora Coátl’s house, and they kept us prisoners in her barn.”
It was an unlike story to a peaceful man like the verger, but he had no reason to doubt it. The appearances of the youngsters confirmed Ramón’s words.
”All of you?”, he asked. Seven people had been reported missing, but these were only four. ”Where are the others?”
”They’re coming after us”, Lou said, and then she added: ”I hope.”
It wasn’t until then it occured to her that since the others had to move
much more slowly, it was quite possible they hadn’t made it. She kept this
thought to herself, because the others did not seem to embrace it. Ike and Sandy
were still more concerned with each others than with anything else, and to Ramón
this was the happy ending, and it would have been completely inconceivable to
him that it could be anything but happy. They were taken to the church, where
the priest quickly let them in and sent the verger off to get the sheriff. Once
he had done this contribution to the maintaining of the law, the priest turned
to his unexpected
houseguests with great care. He provided them with food and resting places and
tactfully hinted that they might want to freshen up. At this last comment his
eyes turned to Sandy, and when he had left the room she asked Ike: ”Exactly
how awful do I look?”
He viewed her from head to foot. She was a ghastly mess, there was no questions about it. Her face and neck were full of bloody lines, and huge masses of hair lay in disorder around her body, some of it still trying to preserve the original set. A ghost just risen from the grave could not have been more hideous - nor more appealing. She certainly looked more like the madwoman she had played than a fine young lady, but all this was proof of her greatness to him. What would he with a fine young lady? All her tantrums and sarcasms aside, she was simply delightful.
<<You’re beautiful>>, he told her.
”You liar!” She laughed. ”I can’t wait to wash up.”
Since none of them were exactly looking their best, they all hurried to do so.
”I hope they’re alright”, Sandy sighed as she tried to scrub the drying blood from her face.
”I thought you weren’t worried”, Lou said.
Sandy snorted at this remark.
”My brother and sister haven’t made it safely home yet, and you don’t think I’m worried? What am I to you, some sort of monster? I know I look one at the moment, but honestly!”
Lou felt a little ashamed of herself. She hadn’t shown her concern herself, so why had she assumed that Sandy would? They had all been through a lot of pressure lately. The only way to pull through was to stay calm and hope for the best, she knew that. The thing was that Sandy had been pretty bad at that. Sooner or later she would move restlessly about, drumming the walls or her legs with her hands. Watching the other girl, Lou realised that Sandy focused on what she had gotten back, clinging on to these every day things to keep control. This beauty care for one thing. Her hands shivered when she arranged her hair, oh so slightly but fully noticeable.
Lou forgot about her thoughts when Sandy released the last hairpins and all the enormous masses of hair was let down to its full extent. She felt a sting of jealousy knowing that even if she let her own grow it would never be that rich, and probably not that long either. However, the jealousy was soon overshadowed by pure fascination.
”Jesus!” she whispered.
Sandy turned to her, and when she noticed her glance she laughed a little.
”I never cut it”, she said.
”Can you sit on that?” Lou asked, measuring the length with her eyes.
”When it’s down like this I can”, Sandy answered. She tried to sort out all the knots with her fingers, and grimaced at the attempt. ”I would need a good, solid hairbrush and several hours to get some style on this mess. Well, at least it’s better than before. If I find a string I’ll tie it up, and that will be that. Are you done?”
Lou splashed some more water on her face and then agreed to leave. They put their miserable clothes back on - hopefully they would get to change them soon - and returned to the others. Only, now the vicarage was more crowded than before. Sandy gave a joyous cry and threw herself in her mother’s arms.
”Oh, mamá, it’s so good to see you again!” she said. Mrs. Fernandez gently hugged her daughter.
”Same here, hija. I’m so glad you’re all back, I thought I would die when you disappeared and I didn’t know where you were.”
”And we are all back!” Sandy’s eyes met Carlos’, that were sparkling with joy.
”Fair sister Rapunzel, I salute you!” he said and let action follow his words. ”You were magnificent! Although I do think you should let someone take a look at that head of yours.”
This comment got Sandy’s thought into other tracks.
”Did you send for the doctor for Nita?”
”Of course. He’ll probably be here by tomorrow. The midwife is taking care of her now.”
”Good.” She was satisfied, and Carlos smiled at her.
”You know what they say, all is well that ends well.”
At this moment, Sandy’s eyes strayed into Ike’s direction. He had reunited with Buck, who was telling him about their way back. Although none of them looked in her direction, she simply couldn’t look away. But this isn’t the end, she thought to herself.
The next few days were completey chaotic, and it took a while before Ike had the time to try and meet Sandy in private. He found her in her room, where she was busy writing. He bent down to give her a kiss, and she accepted it while she swiftly moved her papers.
<<What are you writing?>> he asked her.
”An article about our kidnapping. A girl has to work! The newsteam would never forgive me if I didn’t give them all the details. I’m trying to figure out an ending. ’The surviving members of the gang have been taken to state prison’ sounds a bit dry, doesn’t it?”
He had to agree, and she sighed.
”I knew it! Maybe I should include that part about Vallejo’s funeral.”
Ike looked quizzically at her.
”You haven’t heard? Nita demands that he’ll be buried properly in the graveyard. She says she won’t have him haunting her. It’s a good angle, but I fear that the readers will think she’s completely nuts.”
She chewed her pencil in thought and then shrugged.
”Oh, who cares what the readers think? I’ll put it in. Lena’s going to love it. I really miss that girl. You know, all this really proves is that this town and I definitely don’t get along.” She raised her eyes and looked at him. ”Maybe it’s time for me to head back to Chicago.”
Ike was startled. To him, she was a part of Reina Isabella. He had never thought of her leaving, even though she had told him she was only there for a temporary visit.
<<Are you leaving?>>
”Am I?” She sighed. ”Sit down, Ike, we have to talk about this.”
He reluctantly sat down on her bed, knowing that whatever they said now, things were going to change one way or another.
”I’ll be honest with you. If you stay and I stay, I don’t think I can stay away from you.” She laughed joylessly. ”Simple logic. I guess you could go home. Blame your old injury or something, nobody’s going to ask any questions. But that wouldn’t be fair to the Giróns, would it? They still need their house done. Me, on the other hand, if I leave, who will miss me?”
<<I’ll miss you.>>
”Ike, don’t.” She turned away from him. He couldn’t stand the sight of her rejecting back and wrapped his arms around it. When he felt her body relaxing in his hold, he kissed her neck. She sighed of delight.
”Alright then”, she said. ”I’m not expecting any promises. But these few weeks, I want to be all yours. No third shadow between us.”
His hands around her chest signed: <<None.>>
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