Re: Ghosts - ch.37 -- The Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman Fan Exchange

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4, 5, 6 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 11:07:15 04/21/03 Mon
Author: dqfan
Subject: Re: Ghosts - ch.37
In reply to: dqfan 's message, "Re: Ghosts - ch.36" on 12:00:58 04/20/03 Sun

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

The cabin... The inn�

Every square foot of Vashon Island was a part of Sophie - and the beginning of her life with Peter. Her heart held more memories of this place than she could ever recall in an instant. But an instant was all that she had.

Artie was waiting to fly her back to Vegas and to Peter. Sophie's purpose in being here tonight superceded all her memories. She stood alone in this stark cabin, not to relive her past, but to protect her future. And to do that, she had to retrieve Peter's box. She should never have left it here in the first place.

Sometimes Sophie wondered if any of the decisions she'd made that night were rational. Spiriting Peter out of the hospital�thinking she could help him when no one else could�knowing in her heart that they were headed into something neither of them was prepared for.

"Burying a box in a cabin�" Sophie muttered to herself as she walked toward the window. The dresser, though covered with dust and clutter, was still there beneath it - right where Sophie had moved it that first night.

As she began to clear the dresser and nudge it away from the window, her blame intensified.

"I should have done this long time ago�" she sighed, staring down at the floorboard.

Her only excuse, really, was her infamous on-again/off-again relationship with Peter. There were so many times over the years, alone, in faroff places, when Sophie couldn't bear to even acknowledge all they had shared�all she had left behind�and given up. Out of pure self-preservation, Sophie would banish Peter from her thoughts then, and with him, all memories of that night and the curious little box.

As time went on, the box's importance, too, seemed to fade. Never once did Peter mention it. Sometimes Sophie wondered if it contained anything more vaulable than his marble collection from the fifth grade. Then again, maybe its only value was as a symbol of their rocky, unorthodox past?

Oh, there were lots of reasons why she hadn't done this before. But when she came right down to it, Sophie supposed they all had to do with trust.

Did she trust that Peter would forgive her for hiding it? Did she trust that he would ever be completely free of his addictions? And most importantly, did she really and truly trust in their longevity of their love?

Until their wedding a year ago, there was always a small part of Sophie that wasn't sure. It was the part of herself she'd constantly run from. The part that told her marriages didn't last and no man could ever love her enough to accept the fact that she couldn't have children.

She and Peter had put trust and forgiveness to the test so often in their relationship that Sophie wasn't certain marriage would ever be a good idea. With their recent arguments in Vegas still fresh in her mind, Sophie should have had even more cause to doubt their decision to wed.

But, in the past year, she'd learned a thing or two about marriage and the personality traits she and her husband undeniably shared. Over-achieving, self-doubting�reckless to a fault. Trust and forgiveness came hard for them.

Ironically, marriage, as they'd come to discover, was pretty much a lifetime deposit of trust and forgiveness. If you were lucky, the love part was a given. But the trusting and forgiving part� That you had to keep on contributing, over and over, no matter how much love you had.

For all Sophie knew, this trip could turn out to be a ridiculously wild goose chase. After all, what were the chances that box would even still be there? And if it were, it would still be locked, with no key. All she could do would be to bring it to Vegas and let Peter decide.

Crack it open, throw it in the desert, be happy, angry, understanding, or not. Sophie was about to dip into the trust and forgiveness bank of Peter's love and hope for the best.

Falling to her knees, on the hardwood cabin floor, Sophie tipped the loose board up with her fingernails and lifted it to one side. Heart pounding, her lip between her teeth, Sophie held her breath and said a quiet prayer before taking a peek.

Exhaling deeply, Sophie hung her head and placed both palms flat against the floor. Sometimes life worked in very mysterious ways.

"I knew it�." she said softly.

There, just as she'd left it, sat a tiny porcelain box, waiting patiently for her return.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"You are leaving?" Gianni and Artie had only begun to explore their mutual love of deep-water fishing when Sophie burst through the front door of the inn.

"Yup, all set, Artie," Sophie grinned, clutching Peter's box tightly in her hand.

"A box?" Gianni asked, astounded. "You came all this way for a box?"

"Gotta say I'm a little disappointed, too, Sophie," Artie chimed in, agreeing with his newfound friend. The missus was gonna find the ending to this story pretty darn boring�

"Sorry, fellas�" Sophie chuckled. "Wish I had time to explain."

"Geez, you're right!" Artie exclaimed, looking at his watch. "If you wanna make that 5am flight we'd better get going."

"You will come back soon?" Gianni begged, his sentimental side getting the better of him. "You and Pietro? I will make my marinara�" he tempted one last time.

"Soon�" Sophie smiled, placing the box carefully in the bottom of her daypack. "I promise�"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I don't like this one bit, Sully!" Michaela could barely keep her voice to a whisper in the early morning light.

"He's just sleepin', Michaela," Sully did his best to speak on Peter's behalf.

"Sleeping? In bed, with no clothes on, with a woman who is NOT his wife!" Michaela fumed.

"Wake him up!" she insisted vehemently.

"Michaela�." In his most soothing voice, Sully attempted to place his hand on his wife's arm.

Unwilling to hear a word in protest, Michaela slapped it away harshly. "Wake him up, Sully, now! And don't touch me!"

"Whaddid I do?" he sulked, irked by that last part.

But, from the look on his wife's face, Sully knew better than to expect a reply.

Obligingly, he concentrated his sights on the bed, focusing particular attention on Ivy's right arm.

Suddenly, it fell across Peter's chest, waking him with a start. "What the�" Peter grumbled, disoriented.

"Happy?" Sully turned to his wife, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

"Oh, you're incorrigible," Michaela was still scowling, but her voice had softened considerably.

Sully moved close to his wife's ear, his lips brushing against her lobe. "That was just talent," he whispered. "Later, I'll show you incorrigible. C'mon�"

As Sully and Michaela slipped unnoticed from the room, Peter strived to recover his bearings. God, he had actually fallen asleep with Ivy! Luckily, she seemed more dead-to-the-world than he had been. Concerned, Peter noticed Ivy's arm across his chest. Tentatively, he lifted the covers. Good. No other body parts in contact�

Gently, Peter lifted Ivy's hand and slid safely out of bed.

Dressing from the waist down, Peter glanced at the clock. 8am. Ivy would probably sleep for at least another hour. All things considered, the evening had gone well. And, surprisingly, he'd even managed to grab a few hours' sleep. He'd dreamt of Sophie, of course, as always. This time it was their early days on Vashon Island. Precious memories of so long ago�

Peter glanced around nervously. The room looked good. The stage was set. The bed was warm and he was�

Perhaps a little overdressed. Self-conscious, Peter undid his belt buckle and the top button of his pants. Better, he observed himself in the mirror.

Time for breakfast, Peter went quietly to the phone and dialed Reggie at the concierge desk.

"Bring it up about nine," he whispered into the phone, ignoring Reggie's pleas for what he termed "the juicy details."

What to do next, Peter wondered. There was no way he was taking a shower and risk being naked when Ivy awoke. But, something personal would be good. Shaving would be a nice touch, Peter decided with a grin, heading into the bathroom.

Taking his time, Peter assembled the hotel's complimentary razor and soap and began frothing his face. From the bedroom area, he could hear Ivy beginning to stir.

"Stay calm� Don't panic�" Peter told himself, carefully swiping the razor across his skin one last time.

"Peter?" Ivy's voice sounded hoarse from the drug.

"Mornin'," he appeared at the bathroom doorway, wiping the last vestiges of soap from his chin with his towel.

Even groggy from her drug-induced slumber, Ivy was instantly aroused by the sight of him. "Hi, there�"

Time to play this right. "Hi, yourself, Beautiful," he whispered, kneeling beside the bed and kissing her deeply.

"Sleeping Beauty is more like it," Ivy winced, holding her forehead. "I must have had too much to drink last night."

"That never happens�" she mumbled, surprised by the outcome.

Alarms went off in Peter's head. "Uh-oh�Can't let her think about this too long."

"A lot of magical things happened last night," he assured her, tracing her collarbone with the tips of his fingers.

"Maybe you could refresh my memory?" Ivy invited, tugging on the zipper of Peter's pants.

Peter held his breath. "Ah� I'd love to�" he stammered, taking her hand from his pants and bringing it to his lips, slowly kissing each finger. "But, I've ordered room service. It should be here in about five minutes."

Okay, it was probably more like ten, but Peter was afraid of what Ivy might be able to accomplish in ten minutes. "Why don't you go take a shower?" he suggested helpfully.

"Sounds good," Ivy purred, affording Peter quite a view as she stepped out of bed.

Ignoring the bathrobe Peter had placed on the bed, Ivy wrapped her arms around Peter's neck, pressed her naked body along his length, and kissed him with unrestrained passion.

The feel of her breasts against his bare chest was more than Peter could take. Okay, maybe he was a spy, but he was a human spy, for crying out loud! Instinctively, his body began to respond to Ivy's overtures and her pleasure at his reaction was unmistakable.

"Sure you won't change your mind," she asked, a tempting pout on her face as she hung lazily about his neck. Whatever had happened last night, Ivy definitely wanted more of it this morning.

"Maybe after breakfast�" Peter promised, as he gently loosened Ivy's grasp. "When I've regained my strength," he smirked, kissing her lightly.

Then, he stepped back, hoping she'd accept his rejection without further protest.

"See you soon�" she smiled, blowing him a kiss on her way into the bathroom.

The closing of the bathroom door filled Peter with more overwhelming relief than he'd felt since he'd escaped the giant black bear with David's father. No, on second thought, this was scarier, he decided, as he poured himself a glass of water and waited for his body to calm.

Worried, Peter listened for the shower. What if Ivy was in there thinking? Putting two and two together and not coming up with four? Anxiously, he waited�

Ivy stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and tried to make sense of her evening. Perhaps she had had a little too much to drink - even for her. But enough not to remember a night in bed with Peter Scarbrow? Was that actually possible? Still, the sheets on his side of the bed were warm, and Ivy had the vaguest recollection of feeling his chest beneath her hand as she slept. The sink held Peter's shaving utensils and the discarded intimacy kit seemed to tell the rest of the story.

Perplexed, Ivy swept her hair up into a shower cap, then smiled. On her neck was the hickey Peter had given her last night as they kissed on the couch. Oh yes, she definitely remembered that! And this morning� Peter's kisses were so velvety soft, passionate and tender - all that Ivy had imagined. And more fulfilling than Gus' five-minute endurance marathons could ever hope to be.

Maybe she was making too much of this. She got drunk. It happens. Peter was here with her, loving her, and in absolutely no hurry to leave. There'd be time very soon for a repeat performance - one she'd be cold sober and wide-awake for. And once she and Peter were married, every night would be hers for the taking.

What more could she ask for? Satisfied with her assessment of the situation, Ivy stepped into the shower and turned on the faucet.

Running water had never sounded quite so beautiful to Peter. "Thank you," he closed his eyes gratefully.

A knock on the door interrupted Peter's blissful moment of silence. "Roooom Service�" Reggie announced sprightly.

Not nearly as sprightly, Peter answered the door, glad to see a friendly face - even if it was Reggie's.

"Sooo�how did it go?" Reggie asked, sounding suspiciously like a reporter from the National Enquirer.

"It didn't," Peter replied mischievously, with a twinkle in his eye and a very smug look on his face.

Thrilled with his success, Peter poured himself a well-earned cup of coffee and waited patiently for Reggie to absorb that last comment. It only took a few seconds�

"Are you telling me she bought it?" Reggie was flabbergasted. Never in a million years did he think Peter's little plan would work.

"Boy, you're good even when you're not," he whistled, awestruck.

"Thank you�I think," Peter quipped dryly. "Now tell me about Sophie? How is she?"

Reggie's happy-go-lucky smile faded fast. Darned if Peter have to go and ask him the one question he didn't have an answer for.

Peter picked up on Reggie's discomfort instantly. "What is it?" he asked with concern. "Has something happened to Sophie?"

Reggie chose his words carefully. "Not that I know of�"

"What does THAT mean?" Peter struggled to keep his voice low.

"I haven't seen her in a little bit," Reggie flustered.

"How little bit?" Peter was going to yank this out of him somehow.

"Since yesterday afternoon, around 5:30�" Reggie admitted, closing his eyes and scrunching his face in anticipation of Peter's reproach.

"WHAT?" Peter's vocal chords strained into the loudest whisper ever on record.

From the bathroom, Peter heard Ivy's shower turn off. She'd be out in a few minutes. "Explain�Fast!" He demanded of Reggie.

Reggie snapped to attention. "At approximately 5:30 yesterday, Sophie approached me at the concierge desk and asked if I would take her place and go see Mrs. M. out at the prison, advise her of your plans."

"Why couldn't Sophie do it?" Peter questioned, uneasy about the switch.

"She said she had something she had to take care of," Reggie reported with a shrug.

"And you haven't seen her since?" Peter didn't like the sound of this at all. What on earth could Sophie have had to do that was so important?

"I suppose, she could've made it back to her room without me seeing her," Reggie offered hopefully. "I haven't checked there yet�"

"Okay," Peter tried not to panic. "We'll search the rooms first."

"Right�Check�" Reggie nodded, ready to resume action.

Peter couldn't imagine what had happened, but his instincts told him something was very, very, wrong. "Reggie?" he asked softly. "Did Sophie say anything else?"

Subdued by Peter's obvious worry, Reggie replied with a nod. "She said she'd be back before you missed her."

Peter's shoulders slumped at the news. "Too late, Soph�" he whispered under his breath.

Just then, the bathroom door began to open�

"Whatever you do, don't leave!" Peter hissed, never in a million years expecting to hear himself saying those words to Reggie.

Resolutely, Reggie planted himself by the breakfast cart, sturdier than a sequoia in Yosemite.

"Peter, did you say something?" Ivy called.

Reggie's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched Ivy sashay into the room, casually tying her bathrobe. No wonder the busboys held a lottery every day to see who'd deliver Ivy's next meal.

"Oh, hello�" Ivy smiled sweetly at Reggie. "Breakfast smells wonderful."

Relaxed from her shower and feeling altogether too amorous, Ivy snatched a strip of bacon from the tray, took a bite, and then proceeded to feed Peter the rest.

Suddenly, Reggie couldn't get the theme song from "Jaws" out of his head. Especially when Ivy added, for Peter's benefit, "I'm famished�"

Peter swallowed the bacon and smiled. "Did you enjoy your shower?" he asked seductively.

"Uh-huh," Ivy nodded, placing her hands on Peter's waist. "They have some wonderful massage oil. I was hoping maybe we could try it later."

"Oh, I really don't wanna hear this�." Reggie thought to himself, his mind reeling, not sure he could take much more.

"Love to�" Peter leaned in to kiss Ivy passionately, making sure his palm brushed firmly against Ivy's breast.

"Merciful God in Heaven, there's a waiter in the room!" Reggie wanted to shout from the rooftop.

This was his punishment for wanting to know all the juicy details�what Peter did to make all those women crazy. Reggie just knew it. Okay, fine. He'd learned his lesson. Some mysteries weren't meant for the common man�like the fountain of youth�or the Sphinx�or why Oreo filling couldn't be sold separately. So, he was wrong. He realized that now. He'd never be Peter Scarbrow�never master the lean, kiss, brush�never know the joys of bacon or massage oil. And he didn't want to know any more. He just wanted to get out of this room before he went blind! Was that really too much to ask?

"But, the waiter, here, just told me Charity left a message at the front desk for me to call her," Peter's face was suitably chagrined as he gestured toward Reggie.

Reggie raised his eyes to the heavens in gratitude. Maybe the psychological scarring wouldn't be permanent�

"Must be something about the hearing. I'll just go up and give her a ring," Peter added quickly.

Reggie shrugged sheepishly as Ivy shot him a look that withered several potted plants in his vicinity.

"You could call her from here," Ivy tried her very best.

"Thank you," Peter kissed her again for good measure. "But I have to get dressed for the hearing anyway. You're still coming with me, aren't you?" he asked, hoping Ivy would be flattered by the invitation.

"Of course, I am�" Ivy reassured him. There was no way on earth she'd miss it.

"Good, then, I'll come back here and pick you up in about an hour." Peter gulped down the last of his coffee, threw on his shirt, grabbed his jacket, and hung his tie loosely around his neck. "How does that sound?"

"Perfect�" Ivy cooed, grabbing him by the collar for a memorable goodbye.

"Here we go again�" Reggie muttered, clanging a few breakfast dishes for good measure, as he cleared.

"I'll see you soon." Peter let his lips and hands linger. Now wasn't the time to rush her. Ivy couldn't have any doubts about his fidelity.

With a departing nod to Reggie, Peter exited the room right behind him, closing Ivy's door tightly on his way out.

"Get rid of the cart and meet me upstairs!" Peter's instructions were low and brief, as he rushed to catch the elevator.

Overwhelmed by Peter's ability to shift gears so seamlessly, Reggie could only watch in admiration as Peter disappeared behind the elevator doors.

"He is good�"

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Re: Ghosts - ch.38 & 39 -- dqfan, 14:07:56 04/23/03 Wed
- Re: Ghosts - ch.40 -- dqfan, 14:14:49 04/23/03 Wed
  - Re: Ghosts - ch.41 -- dqfan, 16:44:35 04/25/03 Fri
    - Re: Ghosts - ch.42 -- dqfan, 14:19:25 04/26/03 Sat