FicWad

Disclaimer see ch1.

Alas the end draws nigh...

****

Chapter 13: Five Years Later

The ruby-haired girl ran through the streets of a small Pharaen village as fast as she could. She was late. Her mother wanted her home before noon.

'I'll get the naughty chair if I'm late,' the little girl said. However she did not notice the discarded clay pot in her path and she tripped over it.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she tried her best not to cry out.

'Are you all right, little girl?' a rough but gentle voice asked.

She looked up to see the face of a complete stranger. 'You're new...what's your name? I'm Ruby.'

The stranger smiled and crouched down beside her in the dirt. 'Now, Ruby, it isn't safe to talk to strangers.'

Ruby pouted and regarded him oddly before a smile crept over her face. 'You don't look dangerous. And if you hurt me I'll scream so loud that all of Pharae can hear me.'

The stranger chuckled. The girl was amusing. 'Can you help me find someone?'

'Sure! I know everybody here!' Ruby exclaimed happily.

'I'm sure you do. I'm looking for a woman. She's got green hair and is good with a bow.'

'There are many people like that here...' Ruby pouted before her face lit up again. 'I know! I'll take you to Mommy! She'll know who you are looking for! Come on!' Ruby cried and seized the stranger's hand dragging him with her.

Rebecca was teaching archery to the villagers at the rate of one copper per season. It was a very reasonable rate and people flocked to her to be taught.
She smiled to herself as she watched her students eagerly shoot a stationary target. Some missed their mark horribly, but some were not half bad. She made a decent living for herself and she never went hungry, but somehow her happiness seemed hollow.

Always one thought would come back to taunt her.

Why did Raven leave?

Shaking her head she decided to call it a day. Besides it was weekend and the youngsters wanted to have fun.

'Alright, guys. Let's call it a day. I'll see you all Wednesday,' Rebecca said. She needed rest and time to think.

Quickly the youngsters ran to their homes. Rebecca figured it must be around noon. Where was Ruby? If she was late again...

'Mommy!!'

Rebecca smiled as she watched the red-haired girl run towards her. She seemed unusually excited.

'Mommy, there's someone here to see you!'

Not again! Rebecca thought miserably. Probably one of those miserable peddlers that would not go away.

'He said he's looking for a girl. I told him you'd know who he's looking for...' Ruby blabbered as she pulled her mother towards the house to meet the stranger waiting in the living room.

Rebecca halted. She could not believe that Ruby did something so foolish!

'Ruby! What have I told you about bringing strangers home!'

'But...'

'No buts! You should know better than that.' Rebecca reprimanded her sternly. By this time Rebecca was inside the house.

'Go to your room, Ruby.'

The red-haired girl nodded solemnly before she crept up the stairs to her room. Unbeknownst to Rebecca the little girl snuck back down the stairs and crept behind a chest in order to spy into the living room. She wanted to see what happened to the stranger. If her mother could direct him towards the girl he's looking for...

Rebecca smoothed her hair and wiped her face before entering the living room. The last thing she wanted was a nosy stranger in her house! And least of all a peddler!

'I am not interested in any...' she started to say automatically but her breath caught in her throat as soon as she set her eyes on the stranger.

It can't be...I must be imagining things... she thought.

Her eyes travelled over the man's face. Everything seemed familiar and foreign at the same time. His crimson hair, the grim line that his mouth made...his ruby eyes...

'Raven?' her voice came as a hoarse whisper.

'Yes...Rebecca...' Raven answered in an equally hoarse voice. In all of Elibe he did not expect the girl's mother was Rebecca!!

'What are you doing here?' Rebecca asked in a daze.

'I...was looking for you...but it was a mistake. I did not realize that you were married.' Raven hastily said as he walked towards the door.

Rebecca blinked uncomprehendingly a few times. 'Who said I was married?' she muttered mostly to herself, but Raven heard her. Those few words stopped him in his tracks.

Swallowing hard he turned around to find Rebecca standing right in front of him. A strange look was in her emerald eyes.

'What are you doing here?' she asked harshly.

Raven found no words to say to her. His eyes locked onto her emerald ones. He felt completely awkward. A tear slid down her face as she clenched and unclenched her fists. He made a move to wipe her tear away, but she slapped him harshly across the face. It hurt him more than any battle wound ever did.

'You bastard! What gives you the right to waltz into my home after five bloody years?! Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? You enjoyed doing that didn't you!' Rebecca screamed in his face as more tears poured down her cheeks. She thought she was finally over Raven, she could move on with her life...

Raven swallowed hard. In his entire long search he did not expect Rebecca to slap him and yell at him.

What did I expect? To have her rushing into my arms and welcoming me? he asked himself sarcastically.

'Rebecca...'

'Shut up!' Rebecca yelled as she hammered a fist into his chest. 'Just shut up...' she whimpered softly as she dropped her head.

Sobs shook her slender frame. Raven could not stand to see her like that. Gently he wrapped his arms around her, even though he knew she would probably beat him into a bloody pulp. She had every right to do that and he would not lift a finger in defence if she did.
Surprisingly she did not fight. Sobbing against his chest Rebecca gripped his tunic tightly and finally let out all her grief and pain and that she bottled up for the past five years. She still loved Raven.

Raven quietly held her until her tears dried. He felt terrible. Rotten to his core.

'Why did you leave, Raven? Why?' whispered Rebecca against his chest. Her muffled words added to Raven's guilt and he screwed his eyes tightly shut.

'Tell me why!' Rebecca demanded and pushed him away from her. Anger finally dominating her heart.

'I...I wasn't ready..'

'Don't give me that crap!' Rebecca hissed. 'The bloody least you can do is to tell my why you left!'

Raven opened his eyes peered deeply into Rebecca's. He saw hurt and anger and lots of confusion reflected in her emerald orbs. Little did he know that his eyes reflected much the same.

'I was scared, Rebecca. I've never loved someone so much...I loved you so much to the point that it hurt. I was scared that I'd hurt you. I was no good for you, Rebecca.'

The fire of anger died in Rebecca's eyes and she dropped her head. She did not fail to note Raven's usage of the past tense. That only meant one thing.

He did not feel anything for her anymore.

Tears dripped from her eyes onto the wooden floor. Raven felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He was beyond rotten. But he knew what he had to do. She had a life before he interrupted it. It was time that he left her to go on with her life...

Gently he lifted her face and forced her to look in his eyes. 'Rebecca...I did not mean to disturb your life and to bring you pain. You're doing well for yourself...your boyfriend is a lucky man...' he whispered the last part as he gently withdrew his hand.

Rebecca looked at him with confusion as he reached the door. 'What are you talking about, Raven? You were the only man that ever touched me...'

Once more Raven stopped in his tracks. He could not believe what he was hearing. Turning around his confused and hopeful gaze met Rebecca's. She read the question in his eyes and smiled.

'Ruby is your child. Our child.'

Her small smile faded. 'I'll not force you to stay. You are free to go if that is what you want.'

Raven was lost for words. He never knew he could feel so many emotions at one time. Happy and sad, confused and thrilled but most of all terrified and shocked. He gave a few unsteady steps towards the closest couch. His face was pale from shock and his mouth hung agape. His breath came in short and hard gasps.

Rebecca sat next to him. Suddenly she felt tired and drained. She did not want to fight with Raven anymore.
'Raven...whatever you do...that's up to you. You don't have to feel forced to stay. I know you don't love me anymore....'

'I do,' Raven cut her off before she could convince herself of more obscenities. 'I love you, Rebecca...I-I'd like t-to stay...if you and Ruby would have me...'

'You mean you're my Dad?' Ruby suddenly squeaked startling both Raven and Rebecca. She stood wide-eyed next to Raven and peered deeply into his ruby eyes. Eyes that resembled her own in every way.

Raven gave a barely perceptible nod. Rebecca was too startled to speak.

'Why did you make Mommy cry?' Ruby asked with a frown. Raven felt like the lowest life form on the planet.

'I was stupid.' Raven replied simply much to the girl's satisfaction.

'Mommy doesn't know this but I heard her cry a lot most nights. She say "Raven, I miss you" a lot, but then she pretends she never said it when I asked her who Raven was. Your name is Raven?'

Raven nodded. He tears stung his eyes, but he did not bother to blink them back. Slowly the clear droplets rolled down his cheeks. His closed his eyes, not knowing what to think or feel anymore.
A little hand wiped across his cheek. Raven opened his eyes to find Ruby standing on her knees between him and Rebecca on the couch.

'Don't cry, Daddy. I'm not mad at you.' Ruby said sweetly as she wiped more tears away from Raven's face.

'You don't have to call me that...' Raven said in a chocked voice.

'But I want to!' Ruby pouted and suddenly she hugged Raven's neck. 'You're my Daddy,' she whispered softly, contently.

Before Raven could react to anything that Ruby said or did he found Rebecca hugging him as well. Suddenly Ruby let go of Raven and stood up on the couch.

'I've got to tell Uncle Dart about this!' she squealed in excitement and bolted out of the house before Rebecca could tell her otherwise.

'Is she always such a bundle of energy?' Raven asked with an amused smile.

'Yes, but today's special.' Rebecca replied as she stared into his eyes. 'You know, I named her after you.'

Raven frowned. He was unable form the name "Ruby" for either "Raymond" or "Raven".

'Your eyes. They are the colour of rubies,' Rebecca said softly as they kissed . All their longing and pain and love spilled over in the kiss. The holes in the souls healed as they tightly embraced. Rebecca rested her head against Raven's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He stroked her hair, glad to find it loose and falling in small waves down her back. She looked so beautiful without braided pigtails or a bandanna.

'What are you smiling about?' Rebecca asked as he gazed down at her.

'I hated that blasted bandanna.'

'You mean this one?' Rebecca asked as the produced the hated orange cloth from her pocket.

Raven chuckled. 'Yeah, that one,' he said smiling at his beloved Rebecca.


*******

Aww...this chapter makes me think of puppies....hmmm, fluffy puppies.....

Thank you for reading this story and following it to the end.
And thanks to everyone that commented along the way.
And to those that will still comment.

'Till next time...

Saicha out!

;p