Section I, Next Section
Author's Note: There really is a San Diego, Chester, Saint Louis, and Bronx Zoo and putting in them in my story I truly mean no harm whatsoever.
(Enter Opening Song)
HIPPOPOTAMUS
Jump in the Line ~ Harry Belfonte
Never was he quite sure when he first made contact with her green eyes that curved into this sweet wonderful smile that truly bewitched him to the depths of his soul. He only knew that she was there before him, and everything in the world suddenly made sense to him. He looked up from his book he was reading and slowly took off his glasses and sighed. Today he came to him to tell him that she was engaged... to someone else. Normally, his first instinct told him to immediately grab a shot of whiskey or something stronger, but the memory of when they first met stopped him immediately in his tracks. He instead grabbed a glass of water and drank it slowly and felt it pouring down his throat and he coughed hoarsely to himself. As he calmed himself down, he slowly sat back in his office and looked wryly at his nameplate: Edmund Hurst, Professor of Biology. How strange it would be him a professor when he was a lad he dreamed nothing else, but being a zoologist. He closed his eyes and grabbed the glass again and thoughts of remembrance of being too scared crossed his mind. Every time there was an obstacle he was just too scared. What a pity for the poor sad man who sat behind this desk. A gentle knock came from the door abruptly taking him out of his thoughts.
"Hullo?" An English voice called from outside the door and then opened the door a crack. "Is it okay for me to come in?"
"Yes, Louie," he laughed to himself at her timing and watched the young and barreling chestnut-haired woman easily make her way through his office as if she owned it. She sat down and looked concerned at his face. "Hurst, are you quite all right?"
"It's Jems," he sighed to himself wearily and looked up at Louie's blue eyes. Compared Genevieve Elliot, Louie Bingley was a horse of a different color. Jems had long silky blond hair that just cried for a man to touch it while Louie's dark hair just looked as if she were out of the cage cleaning animals, which she was. The distinction of their personalities and the way the held themselves was in so many was different where Jems was always the superior and Louie the inferior.
Louie closed her eyes and decided to pursue the issue cautiously and softly whispered to him, "I'm so sorry, Hurst. I know how much she meant to you."
"No, you don't!" He cried with true anguish in his voice. "Louie, for G-d's sake you've never felt the passion I felt! His head slowly bent down to his desk and he cried. "Go away, Louie. You can't help me." He mumbled softly into his desk. "No one can, I think."
She nervously leaned forward and touched his hand and looked deep into his eyes and stated simply, "I'm not sure what to do, Hurst. Tell me please. I want to help you and I can't stand standing by and watching my friend suffer like this." She banged her hand on the table and furrowed her fist and said determinedly, "Do you want me to beat her up and ask her why she could play with your feelings like this? Because I will, Hurst. Just give me the word." She stood up and looked like one who could truly beat someone up at that moment.
Edmund laughed at her and stood up slowly and let his hands fall through his dark hair and flashed his hazel eyes on her, "No, Louie. That is not necessary. Thank you for the thought, though." He sighed and sat back down in his chair and said quietly, "All I want now is a good friend."
Louie flashed her smile at him and sat back down and said simply, "And that's what I am, Hurst." She walked down the room admiring his diploma from various universities. A bachelor's degree in Harvard, the master's at Columbia, and then the final doctorate at Harvard where he attended Medical School in Veterinary Sciences. She whistled aloud and said to him, "Impressive. I never knew you were so distinguished. You could go anywhere and do anything instead of being stuck here in this office teaching undergrads courses."
Edmund rolled his eyes knowing she was hinting at something for Louie never said anything without suggesting something that would be foretold, "What is it, Louie?"
She looked at the diplomas still and rubbed her chin and sighing, "I was just thinking about something you once told me. You told me that those who went into their professions and received their degrees...if they did not even try to benefit society with their knowledge their gift that they would never achieve the greatness that is destined for them." Louie bit her lip and then turned to him and smiled. "Teaching others to achieve greatness is good, Hurst. I admire that, truly I do. Now, don't take it the wrong way when I suggest this to you. Why don't you chase your own greatness?"
He picked up his pen and twirled it around a wry smile forming around his lips and asked, "You don't think I'm a great professor, Louie?"
She sat down in a chair and chose her words carefully, "That you are Hurst, but don't you ever itch to do something else...something greater?"
He hesitated before asking his next question for it could condemn him or just lead him into something that Louie knew and he didn't, "What did you have in mind?"
A brilliant smile crossed her face and her face immediately was radiant as she leaned forward and wrote something down on a sheet of paper, "Meet me here tonight at 8 o'clock. If you are late you can't come. Do you understand?"
As she headed toward the door she looked at his stuffy outfit complying with shoes with tassels on them, a white dress shirt with a navy suit jacket and of course the pocket protector. With a wry grin at his outfit she added, "Please if you can dress informally."
"What do you consider formal?" He looked at her outfit and chuckled to himself for she was clad in hiking boots, white T-shirt, and khakis. To complete the outfit she had a nice ponytail holding her hair back. She looked at him and wrinkled her nose and smiled to herself and said, "Certainly not that." With that she walked out of the door for a moment she relieved Edmund of his woes by deterring them with thoughts of what she was up to.
To: cbings@sdzoo.comFrom: lobings@chesterzoo.com
Chuck,
Talked to Putnam at Ahearst Zoo in Australia. Lots of talking, but finally managed to convince him to let us to have the Panda you need. Had to pull lots of strings. You owe me. Talk to you later about recent developments. Call me for further details.
Louie
She sighed and looked at the computer screen and thought of nothing else to say to her brother and Assistant Director of the San Diego Zoo as well as once of the star nutritionist of the zoo. She never knew how he received the title of Assistant Director, but he was always competent and easy to talk to with matters concerning the zoo. That is why she mainly sent his short messages like this because she didn't need to go in-depth for he already knew what to do. And strangely enough, it did not bother him that she held the titles of Director of the San Diego Zoo, Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom, Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri, Managua Zoo in Jamaica, and Bronx Zoo in New York. She never knew how she became wormed up into this mess, but all she really knew is that it was great that she could count on her Assistant Directors to do a mostly good job and she was gracious in giving them the credit that they well deserved.
To: ebennet@bronxzoo.comFrom:lobings@chesterzoo.com
B.
Yes, you. You know who you are. I'm going to stop off there after a visit to Chester and pay you a visit. And you better have everything tip-top. I'm not kidding. I have a guy you might be interested in. Seriously. Keep the lookout. E-mail you more details. And stop harassing me about St. Louie. I know about him. You keep reminding me everyday. Keep the eye on the ball, okay? He just calls you up to razz you. And you well deserve it. Ha, ha.
Louie
With a smile on her face she immediately started up her next e-mail.
To: fgd@saintlouiszoo.comShe stopped typing as a message came in for her on the e-mail screen and her mouth opened with a squeal when she saw who it was and let out a loud laugh.From: lobingley@chesterzoo.com
D-
If I have to hear one more word from Bronx that you are harassing her with e-mails...
To: lobingley@chesterzoo.comShe closed her eyes and then took a couple of Tylenol and smiled to herself and waited for eight o'clock this evening. For then Hurst will find out what she had been keeping from him and that she wasn't just the simple zoologist as he had thought. At eight o'clock his whole perspective would change and she had a feeling she would be tempting him with something he could not possibly refuse whatsoever. Until then, she sighed. She picked up her cell phone and began dialing until she heard the gentle baritone of Darcy's voice. She looked at her watch and sighed to herself as she began barreling in into listening to his complaints. It was going to be a long evening and a long conversation for Darcy as she knew him liked to go on about complaints for he was not as agreeable as Bingley about being an Assistant Director to a woman. Sometimes, she half-wished she would just give it to him so he would not bother her anymore about it. But, the other part the evil part, of course, enjoyed holding the reins over such a domineering man and it gave her delight that he would have to dance to her tune.From: fgd@saintlouiszoo.com
If that scalawag from Bronx is e-mailing you about harassing her, I assuring you boss, I have done nothing of the kind. If anything she has truly started it and asked for it and I have been just giving her what she deserves. I'm not going to take any blame in the situation with that lunatic of a woman.
Now, let's get straight down to business, which is why I did e-mail you. Lou, you keep promising for better cages and I am not receiving any from your end. I am scared that the elephants will break out and stomp on the hippopotamuses and then where will we be? Just stuck waiting for the charge like the hippopotamuses and a major catastrophe. I don't care if you have to e-mail me or call just get back to me soon about it.
-Darcy
Part of her wished she could for once meet a man who would not sing nor dance to her tune and take a stand against her. The other part was quite satisfied with the status quo. Hurst had been in many ways right about her for she had never knew love, nor wished to. Work was her passion and mind filler and she had nothing else to be wanting other than that. Sometimes she'd look around on planes and feel a strange yearning coming while looking at mothers and their small children, but for the most part she could say she was happy. She looked down at her watch in the airport and shut her laptop. It read 7:45. She already had the tickets.
"Darcy, I will fix it as soon as I possibly can. You have my word on that," She promised him ending the conversation and got up where she was and brushed the dirt off her pants. Most of her colleagues thought she was going back to Chester, however, she knew differently. And she would not reveal it to anyone, not even in her mind, where she was going to go with her friend. She truly felt for a friend and to keep the person whom she knew he cared deeply about in his thoughts she was going to give him a whirlwind he could never see coming nor recover from.
When she saw him she fought the urge to swoon aloud and catcall in the airport. Who would have thought that Edmund Hurst looked that good in khakis and a white T-shirt with hiking boots. She dismissed the thought in her mind she nodded at his bookbag and smiled at him and said, "I like a man who can be on time. Lord knows, it is hard to find one."
He rolled his eyes at her and put something on her head, which was a nice baseball cap. As he put it on her head he smiled and patted her head with much ease, "I saw it at an outdoors store and I thought of you."
She smiled and fought the urge to laugh at him and said matter-of-factly, "You mean you didn't have a pair of khakis? What is wrong with you?" She laughed at him aloud while he rolled his eyes and huffed. "Oh, stop acting irritated, Hurst. The only one who's allowed to do that is me."
He smiled and let his book bag land on her feet and said quite apologetically, "So sorry, dear. Just clumsy me, I guess."
She folded her arms and then picked up the bag while wincing and handed it to him and stuck out her tongue, "Stop acting like a child, Hurst. My gosh, what did you have in that bag? Rocks?"
"No," he put the book bag on his back and grinned at her good-naturedly as a professor of Biology could do with worrying if his glasses would slip off his nose. "Bricks. I thought it would be more practical."
"Ha, ha," she scowled at him acting very much like a little child. "Well, ready to go? Here is your ticket." She gave him a ticket and started walking very fast away from him, so fast he practically had to run to catch up.
"Louie!" he huffed and slowed down once he caught up to her. "Where are we going?" He looked down at the ticket and frowned. "This doesn't say."
Louisa Hurst turned around and stopped in her tracks as they reached the gate and smiled at her friend, "Would you like to know?"
"Why do I have a feeling you love a good intrigue?" He sighed to himself and clutched his bookbag for dear life. He eyed her warily, "What makes you I'm going to trust you?" As they both entered the gate onto a private plane and sat into their seats.
She leaned over and sighed as she whispered in his ear, "And what makes you think I'm going to hurt you?"
He sat back his eyes closed leaning against the seat sighing to himself. In, out. In, out. She's not the devil. Repeat. She's not the devil. Watching her easily drink a cup of water he raised his eyebrows and remarked to her smoothly, "You are used to having your own way, aren't you?"
She furrowed her eyebrows at him and asked innocently, "What makes you think that?" She sipped another drink smoothly, meeting his eyes and said demurely, "Me? Get my own way? Ha."
He folded his arms and scowled at her as they started liftoff and said just as smoothly, "Well, we'll have to work on that." She shot him a surprised glance as he opened a book contently and shot out, "Surprise doesn't become you, Louie. Try to act more, okay?"
Jen took off her glasses and smiled at him wryly, "A perfect case of influenza." She sighed and sat down her chair looking into the poor brown-haired chimpanzee's throat. She brushed back her light brown hair and then stood up to face him at her full height of five foot tall. "I would recommend the basics, sir."
Richard Fitzwilliam bit his head and shook his head, "Lots of fluids, eh? What about the chicken soup?" He joked with the doctor who rolled her unusually deep blue eyes at him while tilting her head.
"Oh, come off of it, Rich," she collected her things and put them in her bag. "Is there something you actually needed or was a monkey with the flu your problem?" She folded her arms at him and tapped her foot impatiently.
He laughed aloud at her and commented looking at her, "You're beautiful, Jen. Just beautiful." He watched the woman shift back and forth foot to foot while she looked at him half-exasperated.
"Yes, yes. Rich, we all know that," She grinned and put on her bookbag easily while trying to keep her composure towards him. "Please tell me something new."
"Jen," he said abruptly to her closing his eyes tightly so he wouldn't have to see her face while announcing the news to her. "I'm getting married."
She closed her eyes and sucked her breath indiscreetly and then slowly opened them again to meet his hazel eyes which had wonderful green covered with brown specks and said to him seriously, "Rich. I-I'm happy for you. You are my best friend...and I'm happy for you." She hugged him while he held her tightly and while patting her back.
"Jen," he said huskily to her while softly pulling away. "You are okay with this?"
She looked down at the floor and looked into his eyes. Then when she turned her head away from him for a millisecond she caught sight of the chimp trying to make an escape. She rushed passed him quickly to pick the chimp up and give it a mild scolding before putting him in his 'sick' corner. While she was doing this, Rich observed her with concern. As the Assistant Director to the Chester Zoo it was well known who really ran the place, Louie Bingley. His job was mainly to oversee the zoo grounds while she was gone. A zoologist at heart, Louie Bingley with her sister and brother pooled together to buy zoos. At first, it never appealed to Charles Bingley but once he got into the game it was as if he was always there. Carol Bingley on the other hand, took out her pool, splurged her money had been living off her brother and sister since. Of course, he did not like being second-in-command. In fact, it felt like he was second-in-command in everything, especially relationships.
"Jen..." his voice trailed off again while he took the chance again to ask her. "Are you okay with this?"
She sighed and smiled to herself before meeting his eyes once again, "Georgie will make you happy. I am sure of this. Don't worry, kiddo. I'm great." She raised her eyebrows and smiled to herself, "Now, I am just thinking...oh what to wear!" She laughed aloud and Richard joined in her laughter. "Now, if you don't mind...can I go?"
He nodded and she went out the door she slowly shut it and leaned against it trying to hide the tears in her eyes. She then sighed and ran into the hallway where she bumped into an attractive good-looking man with a muscular build and stunning chocolate colored eyes. "Pardon me," she mumbled.
"Hey," he said in his awkward English accent. "What's wrong?" When she started to shake her head, he smiled and said, "Don't you deny it. I have a second instinct about these things."
"Well," she sighed. "There was this guy."
"Why are we always the problem?" He mused aloud to himself. "Go on."
She furrowed her eyebrow and said, "You know, I don't feel comfortable talking until I know your name."
He flashed his green eyes at her and offered her his hand, "Name's Lancaster. Nate Lancaster."
She shook his hand and smiled, "Call me Jen. Everyone does."
"No last name?" He commented to himself.
"Are you crazy? I'm not about to give my last name to a guy I just met," she raised her eyebrows at him curiously.
He looked down kindly at her and started walking with her, "Okay. Start talking and I'll start listening."
She shook her head in wonder at him and scratched her head, "What guy listens?"
"This guy. Now talk."
The first sound he heard was a crash to wake him up, and then total blackness. He looked around and all he could feel was wet and his loss of breath. At that point he realized what must have happened. Edmund remembered his head hitting against the side of the plane before slipping out of unconscious. He remembered screaming and yelling, and then the final crash and cry from Louie. So many things jumped in and out of his mind at that moment he could remember what he acted like. His expression and what he said to her, but all he could remember is her yelling for him to save her. Save her from this madness.
He looked around as he tried to desperately to swim and then swam underneath the wreckage and started yelling like crazy with fire blazing around him. Sweat poured down his forehead and his feet felt numb, but his only concern was getting out of there. He saw land straight ahead and realized they must have landed into a lake. He looked around for her desperately. Never was he quite so desperate. In all of his life, he wanted nothing more than just to survive. He quickly swam to her when he spotted the mass of brown hair and her forehead tipped into the water. He flipped her head over and swam towards the mainland using all of his strength to push her over. Immediately he tried to use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When she started choking and spitting out water he sighed in relief and started praying aloud. She opened her blue eyes to meet his and he focused his green eyes and smiled tiredly, "Don't you ever scare me like that again. Promise me that?"
"Sure," she said weakly and immediately fainted back into unconsciousness until he shook her back awake with worry crowding into his eyes.
"Louie."
Shake. Shake. No response.
"Louie," he whispered to her with tears about to spill over. "Louie. You can't die on me." Shake. "I won't allow you to die." Shake. Shake. "Louie?"
"Mummy," a timid sad whimper fell out of her mouth. "I don't wanna get up. It's too cold."
"Louie," he hugged her and cried softly to himself. "Louie, you have to get up. I don't know what I'd do without you. You are the best friend I have. Louie?"
He saw he open her eyes fleetingly and mumble to him, "Edmund, I'm not about to leave you. Just...I'm okay." She sat up slowly coughing out more water and asked aloud, "Hurst, we are we?"
He shrugged and ran his hand through his brown hair and focused his green eyes finally upon the surroundings around them and bit his lip carefully and considered, "I'm not sure."
She furrowed her forehead and looked inside her book bag which she had on still and saw a map, "By my calculations, when we crashed we should have been over Kenya."
He nodded slowly at her taking this in and laughing to himself lightly, "That's nice, Louie. But, where does that leave us now?" Edmund picked up a piece of sand and let it fall out of his hand. "Where do we go now, Louie?"
For once in her life, Louisa Bingley was taken aback, "You know, I'm not quite sure, Hurst. I really don't know."
To: jensecond@chesterzoo.com
From: ebennet@bronxzoo.com
To the Chester Zoo Second-in-Command,
Jen,
I know Richard hardly ever checks his e-mail so relay this message to him for me. I haven't heard from Louie and she promised me she'd call as soon as she got to Chester, and you know Louie, she's never not on time. Maybe, she got distracted or something, but I'm trying like crazy and I'm starting to get worried about her and so is Fitzbarfretch Darcy. Give me a call when you get information.
From,
E. Bennet
"This is your entire fault," she said abruptly to him without no certain reason whatsoever. She narrowed her eyes and flipped her ponytail off her shoulder which sprayed water in his face.
"What?" He widened his eyes and shook his head and laughed aloud until he started choking. "Unbelievable! Just like you to blame all of this on me." He scratched his head and narrowed his eyes while grinning. "How do you figure?"
She shrugged and sighed and twirled her hair fitting the excess hairs into her ponytail again, "It has got to be someone's fault, and it can't be mine... so it's yours." While she said these words he rolled his eyes and looked at her tiredly.
"Louie...I'm tired," he winced when he looked at his knee which was bleeding. "How about we just find somewhere to sleep, eh?" He kneeled forward and clutched is knee and felt his back and marveled when he saw he still had his backpack on. He looked closely at Louie and peered and smiled. "You've got your pack on still."
"So do you," she said defensively folding her arms. But, Edmund shook his head at her and pointed to the cave which he saw straight-ahead and started walking. Without a word she followed him although it was getting harder to see him for it was getting dark.
"Hurst?" she spoke up. "Are you still there?"
He turned around to look at her, "Yeah, Louie, I am. Don't worry about me." They both swiftly climbed the grueling trail which lead into the cave compounded with mud and rocks, dirt, and above all, bugs. Although, dealing with this did not bother Louie as much as it would another woman. For after all, she dealt with this in every day life. As the sat down finally inside the cave both bone tired she reached in her pack for water. After she took a sip she offered it to him which he looked at her gratefully.
Laying back on the packs, using them for pillows, without a word Edmund began to fall slowly asleep with his arms propped up underneath his head. However, from Louie's side there was much rustling until she spoke up deciding to talk, "Edmund?"
"Yes, Louie?" he mumbled half-asleep for he was an extremely fast sleeper.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?"
"I don't know."
Suddenly, she shot upright a thought occurring to her bringing fear washing all over her face, "Oh, no..." she groaned aloud not meaning it for it to be heard. "What are they going to do?"
"What is it, Louie?" Edmund sat upright and crouched beside her and put his hand on her shoulder while she shrugged him off. When she shook her head no, he put his hand on hers. "Come on. You can tell me anything." His green eyes looked at her steadily. "You have nothing to fear from me, Lou."
She hesitated and looked at him fearfully, "I-I...No, I can't tell you this, Hurst."
He grinned and chuckled at her and furrowed his eyebrows, "How can you be sure that I will be mad at you if you don't even tell me what is wrong, Louie?"
"It is just I-" she cut herself off and closed her eyes while hesitating. Feeling the fear that penetrated from her eyes he winced to himself. Seeing his physical pain at her discretion she whispered, "It's not you, it's me. It's...oh, no! The zoos!"
"Zoos?" He looked at her with confusion written over his face at her outburst. "Come on, the zoo will do fine without you."
"You don't understand, you never will," she cried to him taking his hand off hers. "You don't understand that the zoo is me. And I--" She hesitated again while breaking off and met his eyes silently. "I can't tell you this."
He sighed and sat down and looked at her carefully and said calmly, "You know, I don't think you understand, I am not your friend because of your being a zoologist. I am your friend because you are you Louie..." His voice trailed off as his sagged down and he yawned aloud. "Gosh, I didn't realize how tired I was."
"Hurst," She said softly to him thinking to herself that of all the people she knew he knew her for what she really was. Not a zoologist, not a zoo director, but Louie. She closed her eyes while she said this though, for she was scared for the first time in her life. "I am the zoos I work at. Bronx: Me. Saint Louis: Me. San Diego: Me. Chester: Me. I am the zoo director of those zoos and each and every one of them carries a part of me. If I leave, the thing I wonder what will happen to them?" She shook her head and said sadly, "This is the part where you get mad for I didn't tell you the truth about myself."
"Good for you that you are a zoo director," he said sleepily. "You know, I really don't care what you do. I care what you are and nothing else, Lou. At first, when I found out I was mad because I understood before you did what those meant and symbolized. That is what I was mad about. Nothing else."
She let a silence go by as she thought to herself. Then she said shortly, "You knew? How?"
"Zoo magazines, Louie," He said half-asleep now and obviously straining himself to keep awake to hear her words. "I'm a Professor of Biology. I was going to find out one day. I was hurt, but nothing else." Then he paused for a moment. A long pause that she almost thought he fell asleep, but then he added sleepily, "Then I understood why you hid it, and for the same reason I never asked you myself about it."
She sat in the cafeteria eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when he walked up to her smiling with his brown eyes. She only gave him a mere nod of acknowledgment. He easily sat down without being asked and propped his feet up on the table like she had hers.
"Hello, Jen who has a last name but won't give it to me because she doesn't trust me yet," he grinned at her with his chocolate eyes.
She rolled her blue eyes while saying slyly, "Hello, Nate. Is that short for Nathan or Nathaniel?"
He gazed at her with a determination only she herself could have matched. Game, play, set, match. "Trade for a trade, kiddo. Your first name for mine. What does Jen stand for anyway?"
She looked up at the sky thoughtfully, which in this case would be the disgusting ceiling, and wiped her mouth off with a napkin, "I don't know. Nobody calls me by my first name often enough I quite often forget. Any help?"
"Sure?" he smiled with a glint in his eyes, "Prozac, Valium, assisted suicide..." His voice trailed off with a list of options."
"Oh, ha, ha," Jen said sarcastically. "You are quite funny. Fabulous, really."
"Thank you."
"Jennifer."
"What?" He asked in surprise at her simple statement.
"Well," she grinned at him as she stood up about ready to leave. "You asked my first name, and I told you it. Anything else?"
"Are you available?" He stood up with her with a grin.
"What?" She asked in surprise, but trying not to show it.
"Well, I would like to go on a date," He grinned at her. "I hardly think this counts for one." He watched her throw away the remains of her sandwich and turn to him uncertainly.
"Well...," She hesitated at him as she grinned. "You do you realize you are the rebound."
"I like rebounds," he said simply. "That means you get another shot of greatness."
Her eyelashes folded down and went up to meet his eyes, "Okay. I will. By the way, you never told me Nathaniel or Nathan?"
"Thank you, you won't regret it," he smiled at her. "And it's Nathaniel."
To: sickywicky@nix.com
From: nates@nix.com
Wicky,
Hook. Line. Sinker. I've got her rolled in. All I need to do is reel her in and see what my secrets my catch has. Report to you soon. I am sure I will have fun getting the zoo secrets out of this one.
From,
Nate
Without any kind of warning she slung it at him only to leave his facial expression of one with confusion written all over it. He wiped the imprint of mud that was placed upon his faced and looked at her sleepily saying very good-naturedly for the situation he was placed in, "What was that for?"
She rolled her eyes and kneeled down beside him clad in a pair of khaki shorts she had changed into which were inside her book bag, wiped her ponytail around and picked up two sticks looking at them carefully while ignoring his question, "Do you think this will work?"
"What?" He looked at her stunned. As he was a baby deer caught the sight of headlights without his mother to tell him what to do. When he saw her ignoring his question, he tried again, "Um...Lou?" He looked at what she was doing carefully and tried not to laugh. There was she, sweat pouring down her forehead determinedly sawing two sticks together. He bit his lip and thought to himself and asked did he really want to know the answer to his question. The conclusion was yes. "Lou? Why did you throw that at me?"
She scowled at him taking her frustration with the sticks out on him, "Because you wouldn't get up, lazy bum!" Unable to get the sticks to work, she placed some leaves nearby the sticks which she had found earlier and started blowing on the sticks, leaves and ground. While she was accomplishing this feat, Edmund sat nearby and looked if he was going to burst out laughing. "Shut up," she said before he could say anything.
"What in the world?" He looked at her aghast and stood up shaking his head. " I didn't even say anything!"
In total frustration, she picked up the sticks broke the in half and threw them in the trees. The she picked up a medium-sized rock and kicked it into the lake. "Oh, but you were going to. Weren't you? Well, just shut up!"
He looked at her and his green eyes began twinkling brightly, "It looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed, did they? Temper, temper. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"
"Oh, and you are Mr. Perfect!" She shouted hotly at him and then snapped, "Well, I'm sorry Hurst, but I'm not like you! I am not used to being stuck here all alone in the middle of nowhere with YOU! How do you think I feel without my zoos which I know are going to go to pieces, and I which I wanted to show..." She stopped shouting and finished weakly. "To you."
Edmund sighed and looked at the sky and breathed in, before sitting down beside her and then asked, "Why did you want to show me the zoos, Lou? Did you think I'd actually be impressed by it?" He shook his head. "Oh come off of it. You know me better than that, don't you?" When getting a defeated response from Louie he stood up and said angrily to her, "You know, you are not the person I thought I knew. The Lou I know wouldn't give a damn about zoos. You know, the only thing she would care about?" When Louie shook her head and looked up at him, astonished that he is losing his temper for it is a thing he never does. "She would care about how well she does her job, and if she loves it." He stopped and looked at her messed up ponytail and dark eyes and said softly. "That is the Louie that convinced me to come here with her." He reached into his bookbag pocket and pulled out a stack of matches. "Here, I brought this because I know that sometimes you like...anyway." He held them out to her, "Here."
She took them from his hand and looked down at them and as he was about to walk away she said, "I'm not good at being myself. I guess I never really was." She fingered the matches in her hands and then looked up into his eyes and whispered, "Why are you so good to me?"
He leaned up against a tree, still on the defensive, and responded, "Why do you lie to me?"
She remained silent for a moment and then titled her head towards the sun and said, "I never intended to, but it's just that I like to maintain a distance."
"I see."
She quickly said to him, "You are one of the few friends that I have."
"And funnily enough," he retorted to her, "I don't know who your friends are, Lou. Except for me, of course." He smiled to himself as he joked, "If you can truly know yourself."
She nodded and smiled, "You'll never know who true that statement seems to me." Louie looked at the trees and stood up while picking up the matches. "I can't figure out myself why I needed to impress you." Edmund didn't respond to this. He thought it wise just to let her talk aloud. "My friends now that is a funny question. I suppose they would be my assistant directors. Charlie and I are good friends, I suppose. You know...he's my brother and I still don't trust him with his own zoo at San Diego. Why is that, Hurst? Richard Fitzwilliam is the assistant at Chester...he's really shy, but you'll like him. Too reserved for me, but is some ways he does a better job than I would expect he would. Then, my two good friends other than you. Elizabeth Bennet who is at Bronx. Funny gal. And Jen...my unofficial second-in-command. You know, right now she'll be heading this disaster."
"So, Charlie is the only one related to you?" Edmund asked her taking it all in.
"No," she sighed. "Jen is. She's distantly related. She's my aunt through Pops. Even though, I'm older than her. You know his whole reputation." Well, everyone in the world did. That is the reason why Jen didn't like to give out her name for it would connect her to the Bingley family. Luckily, though even though she was born out of wedlock Jen was acknowledged by the Bingley family. It was hard to deny the resemblance to Pops anyway. They looked and acted too much alike. Louie laughed at the thought of her mother trying not to acknowledge Jen at all. Too much like Caroline.
He spoke up then, "Do you maintain a distance with them too?"
"Always."
"Then how do you know what a friend actually is if you keep maintain a distance from all the people you know?" He threw a stick into the bushes, and then looked furiously at her. "I'm sick and tired of you pretending it is okay for you to pretend it is all right to be something you are not. And, not just to me, but---to everyone you know! Do you know how frustrating it is? To think I have connected with you, reached you somehow, and find it was all a lie!" He shook his head and gave her a sideways grin. "This I believe is where we should part." And with that he walked away from her.
She laughed aloud when she heard his voice on the answering machine sounding desperate and saved it to replay again. How she loved the sound of those words, Help me, Jen, coming from His Pompousness, Fitzwilliam George Darcy, no less. Although, she herself was concerned about Louie. But, she didn't dare show it. One thing she learned from Lou was to never show your emotions if you could possibly help it. She heard the doorbell ring and furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn't expecting anyone to come soon. Who could it possibly be? She groaned to herself to open the door. She was planning on taking a nice long shower and this totally disturbed her plans. As she opened the door she was taken aback at the sight of Nate Lancaster holding a single flower in his hand, looking positively sexy.
"Oh no," he groaned as he looked at her. "You didn't forget, did you?"
She looked sheepish as she looked at her attire of ragged jogging pants and a nice white T-shirt and frowned at him while saying, "Why isn't this sexy enough for you?"
"Oh, yeah," he smiled at her laughing. "Nothing turns me on more than seeing a girl in sweatpants. Let's just skip the whole going out. I'm just totally keyed up now."
She rolled her eyes and said seriously, "I'm sorry, Nate. I have been just way too busy. You don't mind waiting while I change do you?" She motioned toward the couch and said, "You can make yourself at home."
Nate shook his head and smiled, "Why bother? We could have a good time here." He grinned and pulled out his cell phone. "I could cancel the reservations and we could have a pizza between us and watch old movies." He sat down at the couch while Jen looked at him in astonishment. "Do you have Top Hat? I love that movie. Ginger has all the right moves."
She snatched his cell phone away from him and smiled and said, "It's Fred who has all the right moves and I want to go out. Just wait, and I'll reappear soon." She furrowed her eyebrows and hesitated, "You don't want anything to drink, do you?"
"No," he shook his head. "Scat, cat!" And he laughed as she ran up the stairs as fast as she could but not before shooting him a look which almost took his breath away. He mumbled to himself, "This is going to be harder than I expected. A challenging one, is she."
He browsed through her movie collection for a while and hearing her come downstairs shortly he said aloud, "You have the full trilogy of the Godfather! You are my kind of woman. You bought this?" He looked at its new condition of the videotapes, and turning around to see her he dropped them stunned. "I'm sorry." He picked them up awkwardly.
"That's all right," she grinned at him and added. "My father bought them for me. He said he would never forgive me if I had my own place and didn't have the Godfather. For some reason, he said guys liked it."
He grinned at her, "Oh, give it a chance. I'm sure if I tried I'd like..." He looked at the movie collection of Pride and Prejudice. "Pride and Prejudice. Is it a deal? I watch Pride and Prejudice and you watch the Godfather."
She looked at him uncertainly and then smiled good-naturedly, "Deal. You just have to bring the popcorn."
He smiled at her and groaned, "Aww, you are making me do the hard part, dear. Please something else?"
She laughed at him as they walked out of the door. While she locked her apartment she turned to him and said, "Oh, be quiet. You are very silly."
"Add charming, brilliant, and good-looking to the list and I will," he stated matter-of-factly.
"I'll add something to that list and believe me, it won't be good," she put her keys into her purse. "Are you ready to go, Nate?"
"Anytime that you are, Jen," he smiled at her and then added suddenly out of the blue. "Did I mention you look wonderful tonight?"
She blushed and looked down at the ground before getting into his car, "No, you didn't."
"Well Jen," he said softly to her almost in a whisper, "You look wonderful."
"Nate, I-" She was taken aback for once. "Thank you."
To: nate@nix.com
From: wicky@nix.com
What in the heck are you doing? I am spying on you. Act evil, and then you will rule the day. But, I see what you are doing. Court the girl, get into her heart, and then find out the secrets. Good plan, my friend. Just remember to report back as soon as you can.
Wickham.
To:ebennet@bronxzoo.com
From: jensecond@chesterzoo.com
What in the heck am I doing? I'm not supposed to be going out. I have enough problems. Thanks a lot for the advice. Now what am I supposed to do? Notify me as soon as possible if you hear from Lou. I haven't heard from her and I am getting very worried. I will have to take extreme measures if I don't hear from her.
Jen
P.S. Get Darcysoundslikeagirlsname off my butt. His job is to annoy you, not me.
Jen looked at him and laughed as she rolled her eyes as he told a rotten joke in the restaurant. She looked into his brown eyes thoughtfully, and tried to keep her mind focused and found it astonishingly hard to. It seemed to her that every word she was saying to him was coming out extremely tongue-tied. And, when he accidentally touched her hand when he handed her a menu goosebumps flowed in her body. It was as if this was a game that she was desperately losing. It was true that she was naturally extremely shy unless she was around her work which was often. But, the truth of it was that other than her infatuation with Richard Fitzwilliam she had never been in love. She grinned at Nate and said, "Why are we here today? Do you have any hidden agenda?"
He stuttered and was taken aback until he met with her blue eyes and gasped, "No hidden agenda, Jen."
"Then why?"
He narrowed his eyebrows and leaned forward closer to her, "Why is it hard to believe that I just want to be here to know you?"
She shook her head and said, "Nobody wants to know me." She looked down at the menu and asked, "What are you going to have?"
"Why?" He asked her watching her eyes avoid his, and sighed in exasperation. "Look, believe me, when I tell you this; I am just a guy wanting to get to know a good-looking woman that I know. Is that wrong?"
"If you are me, well yes," Jen retorted to him. "No guy doesn't want me, they want something else."
He shook his head and looked into her blue eyes and said calmly, "What is it going to take for me to prove that I'm a man worthy of you?"
"For gosh sake!" Jen leaned forward to him. "Don't say things like that!" She looked at her watch. "The only thing I want is for you to be yourself. I don't any pretending or romantic lines. Argue with me if you want. I don't care. Don't look like you are a hound dog in heat towards me."
"Why?" He asked smiling at her. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
She leaned back into her chair and frowned. "Why? I'm comfortable, aren't you?"
"Because for the first time you are hearing from a man's lips that you are not a woman of possibilities, but..." He hesitated here and tried to not notice how attractive the expression of her eyes were, but he couldn't win. He never won. "What a magnificent woman you are." Stop it, he told himself. Do your job. Stop it. She is not THAT alluring. Stop it. Stop it. But, when he met her sapphire eyes, he couldn't.
Of course between the two of them who were stranded in the middle of nowhere, Edmund usually had the better of the temper. It was calmer, and more easy-going; unlike the fire that existed in the Bingley temperament. The Bingleys were mostly Welsh anyway, and although it did not provide much of an excuse it suggested a reason for the bad temper. Other than Charles who was considered a freak of nature for his happy-go-lucky attitude that he always carried. Lord knew that Patricia Bingley his mother never had it. And, that poor fool that was roped into marrying her even had a temper. So anyone associated with the Bingleys had to learn the lesson of forgetting and forgiving. Edmund didn't think much of this idea, but knowing Louie for years even before the lies had existed between the two of them had taught him that she would never come up to him and apologize. After trying to construct a somewhat livable habitat for them to live in out of the sticks he had found and leaves from the trees for shelter from the blazing hot sun he sat down next to the lake brewing in his anger.
"I'll teach her a lesson!" He proclaimed to himself as he sat down throwing rocks into the lake being especially productive. He threw the rock that the had in his hand and started pacing back and forth while grumbling to himself, "Why does it always have to be me? For once, I would like to see her come down on her knees and beg for forgiveness." A twisted smile formed on his mouth and twitched back and forth as he conducted the speech she would supposedly give. "Oh great one, I bow to you. I could never attain the greatness of you. I'm not worthy!" He chuckled aloud to himself taking great delight in his fantasy. "What could I ever do for you, Great One?" He straightened himself up as he talked aloud to himself as if narrating the fictional scene. "Of course, it would be quite difficult to forgive her for such a horrible thing she had done to me." He let out a dramatic pause; the secret actor that he was. "She had after all, wounded me to the soul. However, after a suitable period of time I would establish a proper punishment for Ms. Bingley." He laughed aloud to himself once more as he realized the perfect punishment, "I would tell, no--demand! That she would throw all of her pitifully worthless crappy Diamond Darcy books out into the sea to never be seen or heard of again."
"What!" A forlorn moan came from the trees and out bounded the spoken female in question. "You can't do that to me. They are my purest pleasure; my home away from home."
Edmund rolled his eyes and folded his arms and scoffed at her, "Oh, you have sincerely got to be kidding me. That is a horrible writer and I don't know how in the world she manages to stay published."
Louie scowled at him and then a sly grin grew on her face, "Oh Hurst, how in the heck would you know anyway? Have you been reading her books? Which one is your favorite, dear?"
"Well, woman," he cleared his throat and thought carefully, then added snidely. "I can't call you lady, for that you are definitely not. "I would say none of them." When her face started to grow with anger he held his hands up and explained, "You see, they are not realistic. A guy doesn't do that to women. It's either he likes a gal or not. No questions about it. If he does, he'll walk up to her and ask her for a coffee while hoping she will say yes. And," He looked down while kicking a rock and then looking back up to finish his sentence. "When he realizes he truly loves the girl he could just be looking down on the ground for a second or something, and then when he looks up it seems to him as if something that was there without him realizing it. He spends all of his time with this woman laughing, telling stories, and just being himself. Then, he realizes that throughout the conversations and laughter they shared they fell in love. You can't write stories about that. You just can't. Love just happens; it's an unsuspecting curse that peeps up on you most of the time when you are not even looking for it. It happens just like that." He snapped his fingers to demonstrate and shakes his head mournfully while sighing to himself. "You can't write stories about that. It can't be expressed. To know what love truly is you have to have the feeling of knowing you could give up everything for just one laugh or look from her. Give me a book about that, that is truly real and I'll say you are the best author on earth."
Louie let a pause go before she spoke up to him and cleared her throat while she looked down then finally managed to look into his green eyes, "I'm sorry about Jems, Hurst. I don't know how many times I can say that to you. I wish I could fix the pain."
Edmund looked at her in surprise and walked away from her, then stopped and looked into her eyes intently and said, "Don't you realize that this isn't just about Jems anymore?"
She closed her eyes and looked at him painfully when it dawned upon her what he actually meant, "It is too soon, Hurst. I don't want to be a rebound."
"Why? Everyone is a rebound sometime in their lives," Edmund pointed out to her his green eyes sparking.
She folded her arms and braced herself for what she knew she would have to say next if she wanted to be true to her feelings, "Did it ever occur to you that I do not want it?"
"No," he answered shortly.
"And, why not?" She asked him somewhat furious even though she was the one causing the pain.
"Because I can tell you want it too."
"I do not!" She shouted at him.
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"When will you stop acting like a child, Louisa?" He finally took all of his pent up frustration in her. "I am not going to wait forever."
She laughed hysterically at him while picking up a glob up mud and throwing it his eyes and while he tried to rub it out and leaned down to the ground and picked up a glob himself and threw it at her face. With delight, the adults they were enjoyed a mudfight trying to ignore what was possibly occurring between the two. When she finally gave into the defeat she turned to him and asked, "Do you think we will ever get back, Hurst?"
"I hope so, Lou. I hope so."
In the olden days he would have been called a womanizer, one that looked dashing and debonair that knew exactly how to catch the ladies' eyes. He had been slick at breaking and gutting out hearts that no one knew how to blame him or when to. Perhaps, it was the tender look that faceted his blue eyes that were mixed with humor and such a solemn seriousness that made the ladies love him. Then again, as one of his daughters's liked to joke, it was more often than not his pocketbook. Nonetheless, he always had one on his sleeve. Even now, at seventy-five he had one hanging onto him. One who was likely waiting for that exact moment when he croaked, little knowing that everything they hoped for had been given away.
As he settled back and sighed in his chair he thought to himself tuning out the pompous businessman who seriously thought he knew more than Pen Gwilim Pennant Bingley. Most of those who knew him though called him Pops. No explanation given for the name, for he did not really look like a grandfather in his young days. Nowadays, he certainly looked the name. However, sometimes it was just easier to address him in that manner. An ironic grin grew when he realized that he only one who didn't call him Pops was his daughter.
Jen Margaret Florence Freichfras was her full name, and she was his only illegitimate daughter. He had begged her a million times to take his last name for it was quite obvious of whose child she was. When he was fifty-five she was born to the world to a woman he desperately loved, and she passed right after giving birth to Jen. So Pops, with a long face gave the child a Welsh name that he hoped she would one day deserve.
At the time of Jen's birth, his eldest daughter, Patricia Natasha Bingley, was 35 and already the mother of ten-year-old Louisa, eight-year-old Caroline, and one-year-old Charles. When Pops announced his intention of claiming Jen she was extremely upset and demanded that he would not sign the birth certificate; thus Jen remained without a legal father. He took her in, of course, and he spent every moment he could smelling her baby smell in the nursery to teaching her how to read. She was the love of his life, and this made Patricia extremely jealous. Never had he had this parental feeling for Patricia, nor did he feel this protective of her. There was other reasons that Patricia was jealous of Jen, too many to mention those. However, it was not kind to speak that way of the dead.
While he sat and waited a spell came over him. He had them quite often now, when the memories of the past would shine straight through his eyes to burden him. While closing his eyes once more, a frequent memory popped up into his sight. A memory he tried to forget and was doomed to remember. It was the night after Jen had received her doctorate from Harvard University at the age of fifteen. His child genius who he was so proud of, and that night he was still basking in the glow of the night. Without his knowing, Patricia knocked on the door and entered to the room and with a sad look on her face as if thinking about something intently and finally realizing the truth. She grasped her hands and looked at him with such a pain he hoped he would never see again, and spoke to him earnestly.
"You know Pops," she had sighed to him. "I'm sorry I am not her; your favorite. I admit I was harsh on her all of her life, but I was angry. You have to understand that. Mam had died, and you took in a lover so easily. One that you claimed who was your true love. How do you think this felt to me? The memory of my mother who I loved so dearly was dying inside at your words. I married well to my fourth cousin whom you approved. I tried to be the daughter you wanted me to be, while she rebels against you all she can. And, still you love her more! What would you have me do, Pops." She cried to him in tears looking upon his face. "Father, I'm not as young as Jen. Or have as much promise as she does, but please tell me for once that you are proud of me. For once, please."
He closed his eyes and hated the knowledge of knowing that the next day she had died in a freak airplane accident with her husband without the true answer of his heart. He supposed he had been proud of her in his way, but at that moment; he was as always comparing her to Jen. Furrowing his brow and shifting back into the reality, he concentrated on he secretary as he announced he had another visitor in the room. He looked up as she entered the room, and even though he could not help it that his face lit up happily. He furrowed his brow and looked up at he her somewhat impatiently when he remembered why her presence was required.
" Bore da, y mab tad," He heard someone walk in saying cheerfully. He turned his head and smiled, with his blue eyes and meeting hers and was taken aback how much they twinkled like his. Good morning, my fine father.
" Bore da, y ferch braf," He spoke to her as she easily took a seat in the office. No matter where she entered, she had a distinct way of making it her own home. "Dydw i ddim yn gwbod." Good morning, my fine daughter. I don't want to wait.
She cleared her throat and looked at him concerned while leaning forward and sighed trying to guess his meaning before realizing it. When she did she winked at him flipped her hair which was a mixture of auburn, brown, and slightly blond, "Wyt ti?" Are you?
"Ydw!" Yes I am! He felt like yelling at her when he caught her sly grin. Jen and him hardly ever fought except when he tried to find something from her that she would not reveal. He tried to deceive her by abruptly changing languages on her. "Qu'avez-vous été jusqu' à cela que vous ne me dites pas?" What are you up to that you will not tell me?
She rolled her eyes and caught onto his came while fingering her fingernails and saying slyly, "Warum müssen Sie wissen?" Why do you have to know? And, she raised her blue eyes up to the father who had them just like hers, "Haben Sie Angst? Nicht vertrauen Sie mir?" Are you afraid? Don't you trust me?
He sighed as he looked at his daughter and looked down. She was so young. Quite innocent, really. At twenty she was smarter than most, and he did trust her. "No es confianza, más querida. Es negocio." It is not trust, my dearest. It is business.
She rolled her eyes and scoffed as she bit out in the same language as he did with anger in her tone, "No me diga eso!" Don't say that to me! She stood up and then closed her eyes and tried to calm herself before replying almost sadly, " Soy enfermo y cansado de usted que me trata como un niña. Cuando cuando usted realiza que no necesito su ayuda, y que usted no tenga que saber mi cada movimiento. Lo siento, yo están apesadumbrado pero puedo dirigir esto." I am sick and tired of you treating me like a child. I don't need your help anymore, and you don't have to know my every movement. I am sorry, but I can maintain control of this.
He looked down in his hands which were cracked and not as strong as they used to be. Jen is grown up? He laughed silently to himself. When did that happen? He looked wistfully at her, for once. She had been pressured all of her life, and part of that was his fault. Yet now, more than ever he needed to realize that she has grown up. "Eu sou pesaroso sobre você, minha filha. É minha falha." I am sorry about you, my daughter. It is my fault.
She nodded her head a couple times fully detecting his meaning and hoarsely whispered, "No., não é. Eu qui-lo." No, it is not. I wanted it. She walked towards him and cleared her throat while quickly changing tongues. "Sono venuto qui per consiglio circa Louie." I came here for advice about Louie.
He looked down and thought to himself a long time before responding, "Non lo avete bisogno. Potete ora maneggiarli." You don't need it. You can handle it now. When he looked up, he met her eyes and she realized what had happened in a millisecond. A conversation and something drastic had changed. He had trusted her.
"Tad?" She cleared her throat and tried again sighing. "Father, thank you." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. Something she never done before and which he accepted.
"I'm still going to give advice sometimes though," He grinned at her. Realizing the gentle joy in his voice she turned back and grinned. She stuck out her tongue, childlike and then whispered thoughtfully aloud so only he could ever hear it.
"You know, father. I wouldn't expect anything less."
To: nate@nix.com
From: wicky@nix.com
Nate,
The first mark will be made tonight. Be prepared for it and remember to cover your tracks. No matter what you are trying to deny now; you are involved and will have to face the consequences of what is to come. Be ready for nothing will save you now if you don't chose the right side.
Wickham.
Nathaniel Lancaster's eyes grew wide with fear when he realized what he would have to do now. Chose between honor and truth or the treachery he had already condemned himself for. It was not a question of which one he had to chose in order to save himself, but how to run to warn someone who needed to be warned. For after that first mark had fallen, there was no way he could do anything more for her.
He looked around the room and sighed to himself while picking up the monkey and setting it into his cage, closing the door and sighing as he completed the job for the night. Almost everyone else had gone home, so he looked up sharply and in surprise as someone entered the room. But, as he heard the footsteps he automatically knew who it was. Someone who had betrayed him. Someone who had stepped across the bounds, but in the hopeful chance she would realize her innocence was taken advantage of he never told. That is why he chose not to look at her for he could feel the nervousness, and seemingly business-like attitude pouring from her. Without looking up he said softly, "Georgie, what are you doing here?"
"Wickham sent me."
He looked down and ruffled his blond hair and sat down in a chair, "Oh. Did he? What does he want?" He smiled ruefully, and then sighed. "Look, he is not going to get it."
"You know, what he wants."
He stood up from his chair and yelled at the woman he once thought he loved passionately, "He's not going to get it! I am not that kind of man. You will have to kill me first to get the information you are wanting."
She pulled it out swiftly, and looked at him directly in the eyes, "Do not say that I warned you." She looked at him with a twinge of fear as if remembering something, and then trying to lose the memory. She tilted her head as if concentrating and said somewhat desperately, "It's not you he wants."
He nodded his head, "I know, but he is not going to get her."
She suddenly spread out a vicious grin, "And the other, dead or alive will not live soon."
"What are you doing?" He cried with panic, not completely realizing what she was saying aloud to him. What information she was giving to him knowingly, but in his fear ignored it. "This will not solve your problems."
She tilted her head and grin slyly, "Oh really? Just a piece of advice; she's next."
"Why are you doing this, Georgie?" He looked at her suddenly understanding everything. "Was this always your plan?"
She looked at him silently with no answer passing through her lips. She looked at him determinedly knowing that if she did not do this now, she never would.
He looked at her with confusion trembling while looking at her with utter fear and tried another question. One that might give him some results. "Who?" And, without a word she left and slammed the door swiftly as he fell down to the floor unable to wince or cry in pain. He had been caught so off guard and the bullet came so abruptly he had no time. With is brain slowing down, his last thought were of her. With great effort, he closed his eyes and the warmth of his body started to cool as the monkey in the change started screaming in the fear of the loudness that had touched the room.
"Why do ducks go quack, quack?" She called out sleepily asking no one in particular while her eyes fluttered against the sun's brightness. Not particularly caring that nobody had provided her an answer, she stretched her arms and deadpanned groggily, "Because they like to drive me quackers." As in response to her lame attempt of a joke the sky rumbled in warning to rain, but the timing stated a very firm groan from Mother Nature. "Oh, I thought it was funny!" She sat up and folded her arms. Looking around, she bit her lip when she realized that Edmund wasn't to be found. Standing up abruptly, she brushed the bugs that tried to cling onto her knees and legs while asking once again to nobody particular, "Where's Monkey Boy?" She looked around while calling out his name only to receive no response from Dr. Edmund Hurst. Shielding her hand across her forehead to block the sun she pursed her lips and him-hauled while muttering to herself, "Where is he?"
"Louie!" She heard him call triumphantly from a huge cliff, which was right above their cave of wonders. "LAND HO!"
She folded her arms defensively and narrowed her eyebrows, "For your information, Edmund Hurst I am not a land @$#@. Thank you very much, but I have some dignity." When he looked at her aghast at her sudden fury. She added, "Yes, I know I'm the only woman here, but believe me you are more likely to see me fish out those goods to you---NEVER!"
"WHAT?!" He yelled down at her. "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
"My dignity!"
This had to bring a grin to Edmund Hurst's face. Any man, no matter whom unbelievably serious he was, had to find humor in the remark. He muttered in his brain that she was ASKING for this remark, begging and pleading for this to be thrown at her. A fool would let this one pass by, and Hurst was many things, but he was no fool. "Oh really? I wasn't aware you had any, dear!"
She gritted her teeth and clutched her fists, "Oooooo.... That was SO uncalled for. Come down here you big chicken! I'll give you what is coming to you; oh you can count on that!"
Edmund just flashed an easy grin on her feeling mighty safe on top of his little rock, "My dear, that sounds nice, but we are friends. And, I am a gentleman. Plus, I don't have any cash on me. I know you are feeling sudden urges to strip in the wilderness, but you must contain them."
"WHAT!" Her eyes shot daggers to him and if looks could kill, Edmund would be falling off his nice comfy rock, face flat on the ground. This vision brought a smile to Louie's face, but when she considered the facts it would be bad. For one, too messy. And other, she wasn't that desperately hungry yet. She might wait another day to kill him off for food or something. She watched him as he slowly and carefully climbed down and looked at her wearily before grinning again. She let him clear his throat a couple times before demanding impatiently, "What!?"
He furrowed his eyebrows and circled around her with his hands behind his back, "My dear woman, whatever is the matter?"
She flew at his with a menacing glare and swung into the air with her fist barely missing him while he coolly unclenched her fist and smiled upon her, "Tsk, tsk. Now, what have I told you about losing your temper?"
She sharply slid her hand out from his and stuck her tongue at him, "Me? Lose my temper? HA!"
He shook his head woefully and sighed, " It is a shame. You will never grow up, will you?"
"I am grown up, thank you very much!" She hissed like a snake about to eat it's prey, but he wasn't fazed for one single bit. And to prove it she started climbing on the rock and looked back for an instant, "And believe me, I can do just FINE without you!"
"Oh, I am sure you can," He retorted while grinning at her. "Go along, dear girl." With a mischievous grin he added, "Mooooo!"
"STOP THAT!" She blushed beet red and whined. "Do you have to keep bringing up that incident? It happened a long time ago. So what? I thought the cows were dogs, and from a distance they did!"
He folded his arms and retorted, "And you call yourself a zoo director?"
"MUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYY!" She whined to him while throwing rocks at him. "Stop it!"
He shook his head and sighed while frowning, "Oh, don't whine, Lou. It doesn't become you."
"I am not whining!"
He lifted his eyebrows and looked at her sharply, "Oh really?" While she looked down and shifted hesitantly, thinking about her actions he smiled, "It's not like you to act whiny, dear."
Then, she folded her arms and retorted just as sharply and condemningly, "It's not like you to act like a pompous a**."
He gritted his teeth as he looked down upon her face wanting desperately to fly at her. Why did he always seem to lose his temper around her? Did she enjoy doing this to him? Maybe, she should have came with a warning label. He tried to hold it in, after all, usually he was a very fair man. He never lost his temper, but he let this woman into his life. Suddenly, he knew exactly what Henry Higgins felt with Eliza Doolittle. "WELL, FINE! I may be that, but you are nothing except a little spoiled brat who gets her way." He bellowed right back at her with his green eyes blazing with fury. And, suddenly he began laughing sarcastically. "Look at us. You the director of many zoos, and I a renowned college professor squabbling like we are little kids." He looked down at his hands helplessly and muttered, "Why do you do this to me?"
"Me?" She scowled while jumping down easily. "You started it, Monkey Boy."
He grinned at her, "Duck Face."
"Tramp!"
"Drama Queen!"
She laughed at him and smiled while remarking, "You've got me there." She paused for a moment and sighed deeply, "Thank you for that, Hurst. I needed a laugh."
"Always happy to oblige, dear," he said slowly. "Lou?"
"Yes?"
"Oh, nothing." He picked up a stick and twirled it easily in his hands and then spoke up suddenly, "I found a town about fifteen miles from here. I could barely see it, but it's there."
She smiled briefly at the thought of returning back to civilization when a thought flashed through her mind. When she concentrated on his face it seemed nothing more than friendliness and laughter around her, and somehow that made her feel lonely. That he had touched love only for a second with someone else and she not at all. Maybe, it was only a flash of a second or two in her brain, yet somehow it still seemed to be instilled. It was a deep thought, and she wondered what had brought that on. She looked at his face and concentrated deeply her voice surprisingly serious, "Why are you so good to me, Hurst?"
He furrowed his eyebrows and looked back at her for a moment while thinking and suddenly smiled, "Because I care. I always have even though..." His voice trailed off as he sat down and laughed, "Did you know when I first met you I hated you on sight?"
A grin slid up her face as she met his green eyes, "Why?"
He thought carefully, "Now, I'm not sure. It's so long ago I don't know why I even thought of it. It's just that...sometimes I think of that." He looked down and picked up a stick and then said changing the subject rapidly, "We should make it in five days if we walk slow, but three if we keep our pace up."
Louisa nodded, but was thinking of something else, "Hurst, why did you hate me so then?"
He shrugged while starting to walk towards the rock to climb over it, and avoided the question, "Do you think we are lost?"
"To who?"
His green eyes concentrated on her face, "I'm not sure. Someone has to be looking for us, don't you think?"
"We are not lost," Louisa whispered hoarsely. "We are just traveling down a different paths."
He sighed wearily and then smiled ruefully at her, "Then why does it seem so hard?" He concentrated on the trail ahead of them when they both finally climbed over the rock and left the security of the cave forever. He pointed out to the two trails, where they could barely see them, "You see, they are two paths. We could either choose to take one together and get lost or take each path separately." He flashed a glance at her looking into her eyes carefully, "I know what we have to do so why is it so hard?"
"Because it just is," Louisa fumbled with her words knowing that he was not just talking about the paths which lay ahead, and quickly she understood him. "It just is." She echoed softly to herself. "Hurst....we have to go now."
"We do?"
"Yes, we do."
He stood up and looked at her as if seeing her for the first time and murmured to himself, "Yes, I think we do."
"Why do I feel like I have just given up my childhood?" She turned to him while looking on the aftermath of the party that was held for her newly entitled Ph.D. Wistfully, he bent down as she did picking up confetti and while standing up he looked into her blue eyes steadily.
"Because you have, dearest," he said softly. He smiled as he added, "Pops loves you for it, so does Aubrey."
"But, what about you, Richard?" She inquired him, searching into the core of his soul.
"I love you for who you are," he whispered softly and bit his lip and regretfully said, "Yet, you are so young. I have to keep reminding myself of that."
"Why, Richard?" She looked at him defiantly.
"For no matter what anyone else thinks, you are still fifteen, naive, and need to be protected," he stated matter-of-factly to her. "Perhaps, you need it even more than Georgie."
She walked forward a little ways forward, then took a moment to pause while turning her head and smiled at him, her blue eyes wistfully for once, "No one has protected me, Richard. I've never needed it."
"I have, and am," he stated, and at once he wished he took it back.
"Have you?" She inquired, not angry, but surprised. She cocked her head and looked at him perculiarly.
"Forever, dearest."
"Jen!" Someone banged on her door abruptly while she was studying some paperwork. Her eyes were tired; herself, fatigued from half worrying about Louisa and the other half carrying on the responsibilities of the zoos. In so many ways, she had to take on a lot for a twenty-year-old. She opened the door quickly to meet Nathaniel Lancaster with a frenzied look on his face.
"Jen, I've got to tell you something," he looked sad and yet for some reason scared. "I promise you, I had nothing to do with this."
"What?" For once, she forgot all her paperwork, her stress, and even for a moment her life itself. For the next second would have her heart sinking rapidly.
He looked at her concerned and took a deep breath, "It's Richard."
"What?"
"You have to leave now," Nate said harshly in panic, not wanting to explain. "I mean it."
When he tried to pull away from her she tugged his T-shirt and yelled at him, "What about Richard?"
With sorrow in his eyes, Nate knelt down and explained to her softly while Jen slumped down and clutched his hand in desperation. After telling her what happened, he softly said to her in a tone that Jen thought in her mind that Richard would have shared, "Jen, I can't protect you anymore."
There he stood his fingers stuffed into his pockets and bent down towards her. She had her face down looking at the hardwood floor of her flat sobbing, and gently her lifted her chin and made her look into his eyes. Truth was, Nathaniel was that much older than Jen so he didn't really know how to handle this situation. All of his life he had been taught three lessons; fend for yourself, be vindictive, and the strongest win. Being nice never entered into the equation, but he was extremely lucky most of the time because he was a good actor. Caring about someone was the hard part in life, and slowly he sat down beside her and finally spoke, "Jen, are you all right?"
She rubbed her eyes, and grabbed a Kleenex he handed to her grasping onto it for its life while mumbling softly, "No." A second went by as Nate hesitated not knowing what to say next, and she took a moment to add, "But, I will be." Her hand slid over her face as she finally looked up at the ceiling as she thought to herself, "You know, I loved him."
"Did you?" Nate's eyebrows went up and waited for her to continue.
"Some thought it was a little schoolgirl crush, I was so young," she bit her lip and struggled to maintain her composure. "It was if-- Of course, when he told me he was to be married to someone else I was hurt." She turned to him for once and stated, "You were there so you know that. But, I never regretted anything I ever did or said to him except now. How could I not see that there was trouble? I know it was no suicide; Richard is not like that."
"What do you think it was?" Nate hesitantly asked her, wrapping his hands nervously with a catch in his voice. But, Jen was too emotional to notice his behavior, and even if she had been it was likely she didn't want to.
Jen shook her head while standing up, "I don't know. Father doesn't have any enemies, nor my cousin."
"Which one?" Nate said to her innocently his eyes unwavering at hers. "I don't think you mentioned them, have you?"
"No," Jen said softly to herself. "I don't think I have. Well, there is Carol, Louie, and Chuck."
"Do you trust them?" He asked her, and then regretted it. Wickham would hate him for this, but he wasn't there to see Jen's eyes deep blue with anguish. He wasn't there to feel her pain, so let him be angry when he deals with the same situation.
"Yes, I think," Jen said confused and thought. "Louie, I trust the most. Chuck wouldn't hurt a flea, but Carol......?"
"What about Carol?" He asked her anxiously.
"You are on to something aren't you, Nate?" She looked at him carefully. "How much do you know?"
He shook his head and stepped back warily, "No, I can't do that."
She stepped forward and narrowed her eyes at him, "Did you know--" Her voice lifted higher as tears appeared in her eyes again, "Did you know about Rich?"
"No!" He exclaimed too quickly and she looked at him sadly to make him finally bow his head while mumbling, "I...suspected."
"And you didn't tell me?" Her voice snapped at him angrily. "How could you do that? Don't you realize what you have done? You assisted with a man's murder!" She then narrowed her eyes, "Or was it you?"
"I did not!" He stepped back defending himself. "That wasn't me, I swear. I had nothing to do with that." She stood there stunned and angry that he would actually be admitting this to her. "Don't you see? I had to let him die to protect you!"
"Who's trying to kill me, Nate?" She looked at him with full suspicion. "Who killed Rich?"
"I don't know that." He exclaimed with anguish. "I don't know how many people is supporting that man at all. I just know you are not safe."
"Am I not safe from you?" She asked straightforward.
"Yes," he said honestly. "I'm supposed to kill you now."
"Oh, really?" She lifted her eyebrows quite coolly, not trusting him any longer. "Then why aren't you?"
"Because for the first time in my life, I care for something," he stated softly. When her look didn't soften against him. "Look Jen, you are not safe. I can only advise you when I can, but I can't protect you from being dead any longer. There are certain people in your family you cannot trust."
She folded her arms and inquired, "Such as whom?"
"I can't tell you that," He said honestly. "I'm not allowed to." Seeing her glare at him once again, he offered, "I can only tell you what I know if you ask. But, I am not supposed to do that. Jen, I could be killed by doing even that much."
"And am I supposed to say thank you?"
"No," he said. "I just want you to know how serious the situation is."
She nodded, "I think I am getting the picture." She thought for a minute, "Chuck?"
"No."
"Louie?"
At this he shook his head, "The plane was set to crash and they sent snipers out to kill her. They haven't found her yet. Luckily, she has someone there. She will need him."
"Why did they want to kill Louie?" She wondered aloud.
Nate shook his head again and shrugged, "I don't know. Part of the plan again. I'm not told everything. Certain parts are kept confidential from me."
"How strange," Jen mused but decided not to discuss it with him.
"Carol?" This name was harder to say because she knew the former two wouldn't hurt her, this one she was uncertain.
"I--I..." Nate gulped and this was enough of an answer for Jen.
"Thank you, Nate," she said knowing that this could hurt him eventually. She dismissed the thought and concentrated, "Not father...right?"
"I am sure," Nate said bluntly, but then hesitated while affirming that thought. "Yes, I am sure."
"Elizabeth Bennet?"
"Okay," Nate sighed to her. "I'm not in control of the North American side. If I were you, I would check it out myself. Bennet, I am sure not. Darcys are uncertain...I wasn't given information to that detail."
"And," almost hating to ask it.
"No, he is not." He smirked. "Of that one I am sure."
She nodded and sighed, and then walked away from him while asking, "I can't leave now. Father needs me, and Richard's funeral..."
"Go, Jen," Nate insisted huskily. "They are counting on your emotional attachment to Richard."
"Who is starting this, Nate?" She looked at him, wanting to trust him even though she knew she couldn't.
He looked at her sadly and stated, "Jen, you know I cannot tell you that. Leave now." He leaned forward and grabbed her shoulders softly, tenderly with tears in his eyes, "Leave Jen...I don't want to see you dead."
She looked at him in anguish fighting for her emotions. A part of her even though she knew what he was, and what he stood for wanted to grab and kiss him and let him know everything she wanted and felt. The other part was the part that was scared of him, and angry and disappointed. Sadly, she looked upon his face, "I--Nathaniel...you know who I am, don't you?"
He nodded, "I always have."
She stepped away from him looking at him, "I don't know who you are."
"Don't trust me," he advised her huskily. "Don't send me e-mails saying you need help, don't ask for me." He backed away from her as if she were a serpent of some sort, "And don't tell me you care...Jen!" He shook his head with his hands shaking as his voice caught. "Leave Jen, Maintenant! Si vous avez jamais senti le désespoir, si vous avez jamais vouliez sauvegarder quelqu'un et ne pourriez pas, si vous vous êtes jamais inquiétés de n'importe qui pour la première fois dans votre vie et l'avez juste réalisé; la promenade loin et ne regardent pas." Now! If you have ever felt desperation, if you have ever wanted to save someone and couldn't, if you have ever cared for anyone for the first time in your life and just realized it; walk away and don't look back. And without any glance in her direction he walked out of her doorway, leaving her speechless. She swallowed and wiped the final tear that lay upon her cheek before picking herself up fully.
Looking down on the floor she then brought her blue eyes staring to the sky, and she looked blankly while whispering, "Je volonté." I will.
He was a cool one, that was what he was. If his brother was the researcher; the supposedly zoologist. At this, he loved to laugh at. Then he was the rake, the ladies' man, but overall the politician in England's fine Parliament. He was of course, in the House of Commons for he wanted power, although he could have had the House of Lords if he had wanted it. Yet, he chose not to make those aware that he was really a Lord as much as possible. This lead him to be one of the most sought after bachelors in London society. Although, he didn't carry as much weight as before---he learned to be watchful of those scathing monsters. That is right; mothers. Desperate mothers who had no-brain daughters. They never set him up with a woman with a half-brain, just none. This showed their desperation to him. He was a cool one that was right, and this made them want him all the more.
The phone rang and he picked it up and answered it. Those who knew him well, knew he wasn't actually like that. It was his facade. Overall, as his best friend liked to put it--he was a teddy bear. At six foot two, he was dark, dark, dark. Dark hair, dark eyes, and dark glasses. In every way different than his blond-haired blue-eyed brother.
"Hello, is this Aw-bri Fitzwilliam?"
Cabinet Member Aubrey Fitzwilliam immediately hung up on the poor man, and winked at his secretary. "Another one."
Beatrice Reynolds sighed and lectured, "All the poor man did was pronounce your name wrong, Aubrian."
Gritting his teeth Aubrey said, "I told you never to call me that, Bea." He grinned when he received a glare from her before finally giving in, "All right. I'm a little touchy about the name, but it's pronounced A as in A-Bri. Not so hard, is it?"
Reynolds chuckled to herself and smiled, "You were definitely too spoiled as a child."
"Thank you," He stated as he leaned forward to look at his agenda book making a mark, "Thank mother for spoiling me. See it upsets dear...Bea very much." While laughing at her, he picked up the phone as it rang. "Fitzwilliam."
"Aubrey, it's me," he heard a rushed frantic voice on the phone; surprising considering who was on it.
"Calm down, dear," he soothed. "What is wrong, Jen?" As Reynolds heard her name, she stood up like a jack-in-the-box to see what was the matter. After all, news was news.
"It's Richard," she cried. "He's dead." He heard it all spilling out then couldn't find anything again. Something fell out of the equation at that moment.
"Oh," he took his glasses off and said. "How-- Jen, are you still there?"
"Yes, but Aubrey... I can't tell you anymore," she heard her voice muffled and he could tell she was packing. "I'm coming to your flat to explain everything, and then...I can't say."
"Jen," he narrowed he's eyebrows. "What happened? Tell me."
"Not now, Abe," she insisted, using her nickname for me. "Soon."
"Jen, love you." He said concerned for her. He could just imagine the state she was in for everyone knew how much she loved Richard. Richard...his kid brother. No, it couldn't be true.
"Love you, Abe," she said sadly. "Bye."
As he hung up the phone, he turned to Bea and stated, "Cancel all of my appointments. I'll write out a formal explanation later."
"What is wrong, Aubrey?" Reynolds went past the formal code for really they didn't have one.
"It's my brother, he's dead."
"Oh, dear," Reynolds looked at him in shock. "What are you going to do?"
Aubrey sighed and forced a grin, "Save the day?" He shook his head and then shrugged, while saying grimly, "I'll tell you what I'm going to do...I'm going to get to the bottom of this."
"Louie wouldn't like it," Reynolds remarked.
"Well, Louie isn't here, is she?" He snapped and then said apologetically, "I'm sorry that was wrong of me. I know how Louisa Bingley is, but for once I truly think she would understand that I'm an 'annoying pest that can't mind my own business." He grabbed his overcoat. "Good day, Reynolds."
"Good day, Mr. Fitzwilliam."
"Rich, where are you? Are you hiding again?"
"Boo! I scared you didn't I, Aubrey?"
"Yes, you did. Come now, Mum will be scared."
"Would you?" Not waiting for him to answer the question, Rich continued. "I'm lucky. Fitz only has himself, you know."
"Yes."
"But," Richard looked at him smiling. "No matter what I'll always have you."
"Kiddo, I can't protect you all the time, you know."
"Yeah," Richard shrugged. "But, it's knowing that you are there most of the time."