Free part thirty seven

Free part thirty seven

**
Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
I want to walk in the open wind
I want to talk like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you

{Refrain}
So baby talk to me
Like lovers do
Walk with me
Like lovers do
Talk to me
Like lovers do

Here comes the rain again
Raining in my head like a tragedy
Tearing me apart like a new emotion
Oooooh
I want to breathe in the open wind
I want to kiss like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you

{Refrain}

So baby talk to me
Like lovers do

Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
(Here is comes again, here it comes again)
I want to walk in the open wind
I want to talk like lovers do
I want dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you

{Repeat last verse to fade}
("Here Comes the Rain Again" by the Eurythmics)
**

***"I love you," she whispered, as another clap of thunder shook the ground they walked on.***

(From Liz)



The wind picked up, blowing the tops of the trees wildly. The sun was completely blocked by the rolling clouds, leaving the earth in shadow. The wind was suddenly cool, sending goosebumps rising to my skin. Thunder boomed, sending tremors underfoot.



I jumped and clutched Lucky's arm. I could feel his muscles moving beneath my fingers. Contracting and relaxing, their rhythm the same at all times. I jerked myself from my thoughts as Lucky and I ran through the forest, trying to beat the storm.



I tried running a hand through my tossing hair, but it continued thrashing about, despite my efforts to calm it. My eyes stung. I was fighting for each breath, and finally I felt I could run no longer. I was shaking with the admission I had made to myself, even if Lucky hadn't heard me.



The enlarged root met with my feet before I could change my course, and I lost my grip on Lucky. Instantly, my world stopped. I fell onto my hands, scraping them up in the process. My foot was entangled in the root, and a dull pain began to spread upwards from my leg.

< Lucky... >

His name was on my tongue. I couldn't hear anything above the wind or thunder, and I hadn't the courage to raise my eyes.

< What if he's gone? >

A familiar shoe entered my vision. "Elizabeth?!"

< His tone, something's wrong... >

I immediately berated myself for the pointless chatter in my head. I looked up into Lucky's face. It was contorted with worry or anxiety or was that just plain fear?

< He'll take care of me. >

The thought went through my head like the lightning that shot through the sky overhead.

Lucky threw off his backpack and knelt beside me, supporting my weight carefully. He held me up off of the ground and examined the situation with my foot with his eyes. His hands soothed me with little pats, as if reassuring a small child. I bit back an urge to tell him to quit with the condescending act.

< Now is not the time. >

Lucky eased me into another position, so that now my foot was in front of me and not behind me. He settled me on top of the pack, and went to work on my foot. In seconds he had it freed, and he gave me a hand up.

< Pain. >

I cried out, my leg instantly buckling. Lucky caught me, pulling me up against him. His worry was not lost on me as looked down into my face. I had an unexplainable urge to feel his lips against mine. I reached up and touched Lucky's chin lightly. His mouth was hovering inches above mine. My pulse raced, and for an instant, I forgot the pain in my leg.

In that instant, rain poured from the heavens and drenched the two of us.

< Wet! >

**

(From Lucky)

Liz was in my arms, up close against my chest when the rain began. Right off, I wanted to shield her from it. True, the trees did keep the majority of the rain from pouring on our heads, but what reached us was not a little bit of water.

< When it rains, it pours. >

"Only in monsoon season," I whispered to myself, returning my attention to Liz. She evidently hadn't heard me, she was blinking and trying to huddle closer.

"Are you going to be all right?"

< What if she's really hurt? >

"Are we?"

Liz's question puzzled me.

"Are we what?"

< When in doubt, ask. >

"Are *we* going to be all right?"

< Oh, that. >

"Yeah. You know I won't let anything happen to you..."

I tried to ignore my gut feeling. It was telling me all was not well.

< Instincts, Spencer, use them. >

Liz was my first priority. And she was hurt. I nestled her on the now-abused backpack again, and touched her kneecap gently.

"Tell me when it hurts," I said, pointedly. I slowly ran my hands down her leg, and she didn't make a sound, except for the sucking in of her breath. When I reached her ankle, she whimpered. I probed for swelling, holding her foot in place when she tried to shy away.

"It's not broken, that much we know," I murmured, helplessness washing over me.

< What now? >

"But you have no idea how badly I'm hurt, right?"

I nodded, doing my best to conceal my fears. We were caught in a monsoon, in the Australian forest, forty minutes of good walking away from any sort of civilization, and that only a road.

< Yup, we are in trouble. >

Liz watched my face. More specifically, my mouth. I hadn't realized I was chewing my lips. I forced myself to relax.

**

(From Liz)

< He's so worried. >

Lucky worried his lower lips between his teeth. His gaze was far off, but I could see something in the depths of his eyes.

< He's not talking to me. >

I couldn't decide if I wanted to facilitate the conversation or not. It was my fault, after all, that we were in this mess.

"Lucky?"

My soft question brought him out of his thoughts. The rain still poured down on us, making it hard to understand. This forced our closeness, bringing us within inches of each other.

"Yes, baby?"

< He called me 'baby'. >

I shook myself.

"What kind of trouble are we facing, exactly. I want to know what I just got us into."

Lucky's surprise showed on his face, and he edged away, a sure sign of nervousness.

"Don't sugar-coat it for me, either," I added, off-hand.

Lucky licked his lips. He sat back on his heels.

**

(From Lucky)

< Maybe I *want* to sugar-coat it. >

I fought to control my breathing.



"Baby, I don't know how to do this..."



Liz leaned toward me, raindrops rolling down her face.

"Just tell me, Lucky."

"I-"



"Lucky, how deep are we?"

I sighed.

< Honesty is the best policy. >

"Pretty deep. The nearest road is forty minutes away, minus the injury, and the rainstorm. Who know how long it'll take us now."

Liz was shivering. I reached out and grabbed her upper arms, then rubbed them vigorously.

"We'll get through this," she said through her now-chattering teeth.

"We have to," I added, tugging her to me.

The heat I felt, was rushing to my face at an amazing speed.

"We have to keep moving."

< Whoa. >

"But, Elizabeth..."

"I said, let's move."

"Yes, ma'am."

I picked up the backpack, now knowing that inside it was a key to our survival, and slung it over my shoulders. As I slid my arms in the straps, Liz hung awkwardly to my waist.

I reached for her, once I was strapped in, and bent to pick her up.

"Save your energy," she told me, her voice strong. She grabbed onto my shoulder. "Just don't let me fall over."

< She's strong. >

I slid an arm around her waist and helped her hobble over the first few feet of ground.

< You knew that already, Spencer. >

I watched her grit her teeth and keep moving.

< You already knew. >

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