Once Again

By Danii

Summary: Two old friends meet at the mall.

Disclaimer: I own no one. Don't sue.

Distribution: If you want it, ask and you can have.

Dedication: To all the nice people who give feedback to writers

Rating: PG

Short and Cute

First TIM story, so be kind please...

Once Again
by Danii

I couldn’t believe that it was him. Sitting there, his forehead scrunched in thought as he sat on a bench in the mall. Beside him was a load of paperwork, several sheets of which were sticking out of the pile, ready to fall. Every once in a while, he would steady the stack of papers, making sure that they wouldn’t fall. But I wasn’t staring at the papers.

I looked him over. He was still as handsome, if a bit older, and even though I could see him concentrating on what he was supposed to be doing, the small glimmer of mischief, which I had known for years but only seen for a few days, was still in his eyes. His face was the same, with perhaps a few more laugh lines to it, but it had remained youthful. The one thing that was different was his hair. It was still the kind of somewhat wild hair that looks the same as when you get out of bed, but now it was slightly more conventional; it looked good to my eye. My teenage mind told me that he was a hottie, but my memories stamped that thought out. You don’t think of friends like that,
especially friends like him.

I wondered what he was doing there, not to mention what all the papers could be about. Then again, his little home had never had a desk; it hadn’t even had a very flat rock. I wondered why I could see him, why he had returned. But mostly, I wondered if I should
talk to him.

I mean, I was the one who had said the goodbyes nine years ago. I was the one who had walked away. He’d listened to me talk about games and new friends, his eyes alight with joy for me, and then I’d given him his key and walked away. I remembered it so clearly,
despite the tears that had been in my eyes as I hugged him goodbye. Nothing could ever make me forget him, or that goodbye.

He must have felt my eyes on him, because he looked up. Those eyes I remembered so easily, with their soft chocolate brown and light amber highlights that hadn’t been dimmed by the years that had passed. The kindness was still in those eyes, not to mention the hint of a smile yet to come. I loved his smile. It cheered me up when I was frightened, and its memory had pulled me from more slumps then I could count. Funny; I had only seen it when I was frightened.

He found me, and the odd expression on his face told me that he must not completely recognize me. That was understandable. I had grown during all these years, from a shy, scared child into a rather social young lady. My hair grown out, my body now one of a slender teenager instead of a cute kid. Yet, something must have caught his memory, because he kept his gaze on me.

I decided to go over then, and did just that. When I got closer, he started to stuff his papers in a sack that was sitting next to him. Either he wanted to make a space for me to sit, or he didn’t want me to see what was on those papers. I didn’t care either way, because it was him.

He continued to stare at me with those familiar eyes, still nonplussed as to who I was. So I made it simple for him.

"It’s good to see you, Ralph…" I said, my voice catching in my throat only a little. It was hard to talk to the invisible best friend you’d thought you never see again.

His eyes lit up with recognition, nervousness, then joy, and he stood up to hug me. As he did, I could feel the muscles beneath his suit just as I had when I was little. There was nothing sexual about it; they made me feel protected, safe. I hugged him back. It was so nice to see him.

"Jessica…" he said as he pulled away, "It’s so nice to-" His eyes dimmed, and I could see worry written on his features.

"It’s been a while," he said, "how are you doing?"

"Fine. Good." I answered, the joy in my tone easy to hear, "I’m meeting my boyfriend here in a couple minutes…"

His eyes lit again, but this time with surprise, and perhaps a hint of sadness. "Boyfriend, eh? Treating you right?"

"Yeah, he’s sweet. A real good guy…"

"Good." He said, the dark worry only slightly fading from his eyes, "Wouldn’t want anyone to take advantage of you…"

"Don’t worry about me, Ralph, I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, I remember."

He looked so dejected; my heart cracked just a bit. It must have hurt him just as much, maybe even more, than it had hurt me when I’d walked away from him. From the only friend I’d ever known. I had to cheer him up.

"So what is an invisible best-friend doing here?" I asked, my voice light to mask the emotions I was experiencing at the time.

"Paper work." He told me, looking tired, "Lots and lots of paperwork. I’m just glad the Agency won’t ever give me a desk job, because this stuff is boring as hell…"

"Agency?" I questioned. What was he talking about?

"Yeah, the Agency…" he said gently, obviously aware that he had to tell me, but not liking it one bit, "I work for a top-secret government agency…like the FBI, but we’re currently under the funding of the U.S Parks Service…"

I was so confused. What was he talking about? Ralph, my Ralph, wasn’t an agent for the government…"But how can you-"

The joy was completely gone from his features, and those wonderful eyes seemed so lost. "Jessica, I…My name isn’t Ralph…"

I jumped back as if struck. What did he mean? He was my friend!

"My name’s Darien. Darien Fawkes…" he explained, standing up to put his hand upon my shoulder. I felt the urge to step away from him, but I stayed. He was Ralph!

I didn’t say a word, so he continued. "I was a thief for many years, until my brother, a real genius, implanted me with a gland that allowed me to go invisible at will. But the stuff that makes me like that affects my blood so that I get a little crazy if I don’t get this other stuff, counteragent. So the Agency sort of blackmailed me with it, and made me
work with them. It’s not like that any more. I’ve gotten to love my job, and the people I do it with…but anyway, back then when we got your case…"

Ralph, no Darien’s eyes bored into mine, that familiar gaze begging me to understand. And I was trying. I was trying so hard, because I really did care about him. He was my friend…

"My boss told me to pretend to be Ralph. Told me that otherwise they would use some really nasty method for getting you to talk. So I did what I was told. I was Ralph."

"But you ARE Ralph!" I cried, grabbing him by the shoulder. He gently took my hand, pried it off his arm, and held it in his own.

"I’m not Ralph." He said, sounding as if he wished it weren’t so, as if he really wanted to be a man who lived near the rocks in the woods, "But never, ever doubt that I don’t care about you. That you weren’t my friend, or that you still aren’t. You’re a very special girl, Jessica, and even though I only knew you for a few days, it hurt me deeply when you said
goodbye, even though I knew that it was for the best. I wish I could have met you a different way, but…"

"But?"

"But we didn’t. But now, I…I’d like to meet you differently." He said, his voice like that of a small child asking what would make everything all better, "Now that we have the chance, I’d like to meet you as Darien, and continue the friendship we started once again."

I looked at him. He was a little older, a little wiser, but it was still him. Still my friend from so long ago, with his lovable grin, and his strong arms that had pulled me close and made me feel all better, like the dad I had lost when I was four. Nothing had changed in him, but now I knew him for what he was. A man. A very kind, loving, wonderful man. I felt like he was an older brother, or maybe a fun-loving uncle. Family. I couldn’t deny him or myself the chance to renew that.

"Sure, Darien. I’d love to…"

He smiled, and then hugged me, just like he had that last time. But I knew that this wasn’t an end. It was a beginning. I pulled away, and he picked up his things. We walked back to where I had been waiting with smiles on our faces. This would be an interesting date, I thought. Then I thought of my mom. I could call her on my cell-phone…double date, maybe…

"So, you seeing anyone?" I asked.

He just looked at me. "No."

"Good."

"What are you-"

"Don’t worry about it, Darien."

"But-"

"Oh, shut up, Ralph…"