| §*ß*§ Chapter Five §*ß*§ Grace posed, snapping her fingers and transporting both Helena and herself from Wyndemere to the plush, if cramped, back seat of Nikolas Jaguar. Helena shifted uncomfortably behind the driver's side seat. Hang all the mistletoe I'm going to get to know you better This Christmas Gia sang along at the top of her voice as she maneuvered Nikolas' car through the traffic. She moved her head from side to side, smacking her Wrigley's Doublemint gum. Beside her, in the passenger seat, sat a few bags from the outlet mall filled with gifts and decorations for the tree. "I thought we were going to see Nikolas, not Gia. Why would I care about Gia?" "You cared enough to make that phone call last night," Grace gently reminded. "How do you know about that?" "I'm an angel, Helena. I know everything." "Really? Then you know why I made the call. Gia Campbell is an improper influence on my grandson. Stefan ignores the danger so it is my duty to step in and protect him." Grace looked at Helena with great sympathy. "You actually believe that, don't you? Does it make any difference that Nikolas disagrees?" "Nikolas is young. He doesn't know what's best for him. I do." "Well, as always, you'll get what you want..." And as we trim the tree How much fun it's going to be together This Christmas Gia turned the car onto the narrow twisting road that she always used as a shortcut to save time when returning from the outlet mall upstate. Her music was so loud that she didn't hear the first rumble under the hood. As she made the first curve, she felt the steering wheel tighten a bit. She turned down the stereo, clasping both mittened hands onto the wheel. There was another loud rumble. Gia gasped as the car started to vibrate. She tried to brake, pressing the pedal all the way to the floor. The car failed to slow. She strained to stay on the road, forcing the steering wheel with all her might. The next rumble was followed by a tiny explosion. The hood burst on fire and the entire car seemed to be locked into motion. The brakes were dead. The steering was non-existent. The dark car streaked through the night on a collision course with destiny. The road had straightened, but the front tire hit a patch of black ice and careened off the road into a tree. Gia's airbag inflated, saving her head from contact with the steering wheel. The front of the car had smashed into the tree, crushing the expensive European metal against her legs. She was trapped. The small fire under the hood spread, filling the car with thick black smoke. Helena choked, covering her face with her arm. She looked over to Grace, only to find her gone. "Grace!" she yelled. "You can't leave me in here! The car is going to explode!" "How would you know that?" Grace asked from outside the car, tapping her fingernail against the small window next to Helena's head. "Because that's what I ordered!" "Why would you sabotage Nikolas' car?" "He's not in it! I found out that Gia had borrowed it for the day...Get me out of here!" Helena gagged, her eyes watering from the smoke. She watched as Grace disappeared. "Grace!!! Help me!" In the front seat, Gia was moaning in agony. Helena could tell that she was crying. Gia managed to reach the car phone. A shrill tone cut through the air as she switched on the speaker phone. "It works!" she cheered. The entire front of the car was ablaze. Gia kept trying to free herself, but she couldn't even feel her legs, let alone pull them from the crushed front end. She was aware of pain, but couldn't focus on it . There was only one thing that she could focus on and that was the phone. Dialing the number, she prayed it would be answered. "Hello?" said a chipper voice. "Nikolas...Is that you?" "Gia? You sound strange...where are you?" "There's been an accident....the car...." "You wrecked my car?! I should have known better than to lend it to you-" "NIKOLAS!" Gia shrieked. "You have to listen to me-" "God, Gia. Are you hurt? Where are you?" Helena noted the concern in his voice. She decided to ignore it. He couldn't possibly have actual feelings for Gia. "The car..." "Forget about the car!" "No, the car..." Gia stopped to cough, then continued. "Something was wrong with the car. I couldn't steer or brake. It caught on fire. I couldn't stop it." "It's okay. We'll find out what happened. The only thing that's important is that you're okay. Are you at GH?" "Nikolas," Gia said in a raspy voice, trying not to choke on the black smoke, "I'm still in the car...it's on fire....there's all this smoke..." "Get out of the car, Gia!" Nikolas yelled. "Please, hurry up!" "I can't...I'm stuck...I can't move, Nikolas, I'm going to die in this car." "NO! You're going to get out of the car..." "The front end is smashed. My legs are trapped. Oh God, Nikolas, I'm so scared," she cried, panic coursing through her. "Shhh...call the police-" "There's no time. I know that I'm not going to make it. Nikolas, I have to tell you something-" "Where are you!" Nikolas said, his voice filled with panic as well. "I'll come...just tell me where you are..." "How are you going to get here? I have you car..." "I'll ride Sheba!! Just don't give up...You will NOT die, Gia..." "Nikolas! Please, I...I smell gas..." "What?!" "The gas line broke...the car is already on fire...I'm losing time..." "No, Gia, NO!!" "I have to tell you something, Nikolas. Something that I've known for a long time." "Gia..." "Nikolas, I love you! I do...I've never loved a man the way I love you," She was crying hysterically, ripping the red mittens from her hands and throwing them. "You are my heart..." During the phone conversation, Helena fought against the glass, choking and slobbering as the smoke filled all the space. "I'm not going to die!!!" She tried to ignore the pain in Nikolas' voice as he realized that Gia was as good as dead. "Sparky!! I lo-" he started to say, but was cut off by a loud scream. There was a loud roar before the phone melted and could no longer carry the connection. As the Jaguar exploded into a ball of fire, Helena magically found herself on the outside of the car, watching the blaze. She wiped some soot from her face, taking a second to admire her employee's handiwork. She looked around for Grace, but found that she was still alone. With nothing else to do, Helena watched. Fifteen minutes later, a fire truck, a police car, and an ambulance arrived. Helena admired the strong bodies of the men that the public's tax dollars paid to put out fires. Bored, Helena decided to walk back to civilization. She walked through the field, only to find herself caught in a pair of headlights. She scrambled to get out of the way, only to remember, as the car drove through her, that she wasn't actually there. She recognized the long car as Stefan's limousine. She returned to the scene of the accident to spy. Before the driver had even stopped the car, the back door was flung open and Nikolas raced to a police officer. "Where is she? You saved her, didn't you?" The police officer looked down at his shoes for a moment. "Do you know the owner of this car?" "He is the owner of this car," Alexis said, she and Stefan coming up behind Nikolas. "A friend of his borrowed it." "Oh...well, as you can see, the car is destroyed. They're having a hard time putting out the fire. The wind doesn't help-" Nikolas sprang forward, grabbing the man by his lapels and forcing him against a nearby tree. "Who gives a damn about the car!?!!?" he roared, totally losing control. "Where is Gia?" "Nikolas-" Stefan started, trying to pull his nephew off of the police officer. "Let the man talk." "The car had already exploded when we arrived on scene. The firemen pulled one body out of the car..." "WHERE IS SHE!!" "Nikolas, listen to what he's saying to you..." "I am listening! He said she was in the car and that they pulled her out. The ambulance!" he said, letting the man go and trudging across field to the parked ambulance. The swirling lights of the emergency vehicles made the scene even more shocking than it was. "GIA! Where are you?" Alexis ran after him. Stefan stayed with the police officer. "The driver of that vehicle is dead? Is that what you were trying to tell my nephew?" "Yes, sir," the man said, straightening his coat, "the person we pulled out of the car was dead. We can't be sure that it was...Gia?...because of the fire...you'll probably want to wait for the DNA tests..." Stefan walked away to join Alexis and Nikolas. Helena stood by Nikolas' side as he harassed yet another emergency worker. "Where is Gia?" The paramedic pointed to the truck. "Sir, I'm sorry, but the driver of the car didn't make it." "I don't believe you! I want to see, Gia. I want to make sure that she's okay." "We can't let you see the body, Sir. She'll have to be identified in the morgue." "Body? Morgue? What are you talking about? Gia is fine...I need to see her." "Nikolas, please," Alexis tried to soothe, leaning against him supportively. "Gia didn't make it." "It's for the best, Darling," Helena added. "You'll see! She was just in the way!" "Let me take you home, Nikolas. There is nothing to be accomplished out here," Stefan said patiently. Nikolas turned to look at his uncle with huge disbelieving eyes. "I need to see her, Stefan. She told me she loved me...but I didn't get to tell her that I loved her, too..." "She knew, Nikolas. Everyone could tell that you were quite enamored of Miss Campbell-" "But I didn't get to tell her! I have to tell her! I want to see her," he said, clutching Stefan's arm. "I have to see her...Please, tell them to let me see her." Their eyes locked and, Stefan nodded, pulling Nikolas into his arms. Stefan addressed the paramedic, "Please allow us to view the body." "No, I can't. It's standard policy that in incidents such as these..." Alexis flipped open her purse, dug out her wallet, and pressed a wad of money into the woman's hand. "Isn't it interesting how you left your glasses and you couldn't see us over here breaking your policy?" "Yeah...interesting..." The woman stuffed the money into her uniform pocket and went to the back of the truck. She pulled out a gurney. She unzipped a heavy black bag and stepped away. Nikolas went forward. He looked down at what used to be Gia. Beyond Recognition... He collapsed on his knees beside the gurney, burying his face against his leg as he wailed at the injustice of life. Stefan sat down to hold his shivering nephew. Alexis kneeled beside them. Helena took a peek at Gia's lifeless body. She quickly backed away. The girl wasn't pretty anymore. As much joy as she wanted to get from that, she couldn't quite be happy. Nikolas was sobbing and screaming incoherently in Stefan's arms. Helena turned her back. She couldn't stand to watch his pain. She kept telling herself that it was for the best... "What have you done?" Grace asked, appearing beside Helena. Uncomfortably, Helena replied, "I didn't know that he would be so overcome with emotion because of ...her." "What did you think he would do when you murdered the woman he loved?" "He didn't love her!" "You could have fooled me..." "He did not love her!" Helena persisted, turning back to the scene. Stefan looked to Alexis. She bit her lip, nodding. Stefan mouthed the words, "Call the doctor." Alexis pulled out her cell phone and walked back to the car. "Nikolas," Stefan said calmly, "let's go back to Wyndemere. You need to rest..." Grace tilted her head, studying the unfolding events. "Is this what you call love, Helena?" Helena whirled around to reply, only to find that she was no longer in the field, but in her bedroom alone. She looked down at the soot on her hands and sat down in the chair by the closet. It had been real. That, she didn't doubt. And this Christmas Will be, a very special Christmas For me. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Music: This Christmas by Donny Hathaway |