“Oh my god I never saw anything like this”
“Now do you understand my fascination?”
Nick merely muttered “uh huh” as he stared out of the helicopter window.
They circled the bright ice capped crater for a second time....
He could hear Heather having a conversation thru the headphones with the pilot. She was asking him to go round again before landing ....to take them over the south east ridge.....
They held hands tightly and let themselves be entranced by the sights below them
For Nick it was all new....
For Heather it was both a return to somewhere deep in her heart and a painful reminder of how her life turned around....
They landed about ten minutes later and clamboured out of the helicopter dragging their backpacks from behind the seats.
Before the pilot left they double checked their radios and cell phones.
This time National Geographic were taking no risks that contact could be lost.
Moving to shelter of trees whilst the helicopter left ....
They covered their eyes avoiding the dust filled twister that the rotor caused at take off
Nick looked a little worried as the helicopter disappeared over the Ridge
“You ok?”
He coughed to cover his anxiety “Uhm.....yeah ...sure ....where do we go now...?”
Nick’s eyes followed her pointing finger up the hill to a barely visible building
He took a deep breath....“The mud hut?”
“Yeah the mud hut.....”
Heather slung her back pack over her shoulder and started off ahead of Nick.....
He caught her arm and checked one last time...“You are sure about this aren’t you honey?”
“Yes Nick..... I gotta do this...”
“Okay .......then lemme go first”
Heather smiled ....... “Okay my hero .....lead the way”
Nick grinned “Great follow me...”
He turned and looked ahead before turning back to her......
“Uhm Heather?.......which path is it...?”
Ahead of them three small tracks.
Heather giggled and pointed to the track furthest right
“Alright!!”
He waved his arm dramatically “This way!”
He was so cute when he was being “in charge”
She followed him closely holding onto his outstretched hand.
Reaching the top.....Nick stopped .....grasping the wooden rail “fencing in” the hut.
“Are we there yet?”
Heather pushed him smartly in the back and he executed a perfect “comedy fall” thru the door and into the hut!!!
“Hey there’s no lock on the door?”
Nick who’s gonna walk in?....not like the neighbors just “pop”
round!”
“No I guess not”
Heather stood at the door to the hut ...unmoving
Nick threw his back pack on the nearest bunk....
He turned and saw the indecision written on her face
“Which bunk was yours?”
Slowly she pointed to the one on the left .....jammed up against the wall....
Nick sat down on “her” bunk and held out his hand to her...
She edged closer...stepping tentatively thru the door looking back once or twice.
Nick simply stayed seated with his fingers slightly curled waiting to take her hand Heather reached out her hand to him and their fingers slipped into each others ..
Nick didn’t pull her just let her get to him at her own speed ....
It could only have been ten or twelve steps but it was the longest walk she had ever taken!!
He kept hold of her hand until she had sat down next to him...
then he slid an arm around her shoulder and caressed her face .....
coaxing her to look into his eyes.
“I think you just did the most difficult part of this trip”
Heather smiled and let herself be kissed.....
Her heart pounding with trepidation.....she wanted it to be pounding at Nicks “nearness”.........but she knew it was being in this hut......
There were no traces of her last visit....nothing of hers...nothing of Simons.
Her clothes presumably taken by the police forensics department...
though what they hoped to find from the clothes she had with her heaven only knew.....they already had the clothes she'd been actually wearing!!!
The bedding had been taken ....everything...
All her personal possessions had been returned ....her camera...purse etc............
Here inside the hut in broad daylight.... sun shining thru the cracks in the woodwork the place didn’t seem so imposing or threatening as it had that night
All the same she was glad they would not be spending the night there......
Nicks sweet voice disturbed her thoughts
“Honey you wanna tell me what you’re thinking or do you just want me to ....”
Without a moments thought she blurted out...
“This is where he attacked me....I was sleeping...dreaming about you....and then he was there...all over me..I....I just kicked out at him ..somehow pushed him off me and tried to get away....”
Nick watched her face ..her eyes ...watching for a sign that he should say something .....that she needed a squeeze of the hand .....or a touch of his fingers on her cheek.....he watched her fingers absentmindedly scratching the patch on her forearm where the plaster cast had made it itchy and sore....
“He must have broken my arm then...”
Heather looked down at her arm....
she was drawing blood .....the pressure from her finger nails digging so hard....
Nick fought the bile back in his throat and tenderly grasped her hand stopping her itching.........Heather stared ahead .....trembling..
She would not cry ......she was NOT gonna cry...... “I tried Nicky ..I really tried to stop him.....he was just so fast and too strong...
I was sleepy .....I hardly knew what was happening ....I couldn’t ..I just wanted to run and run.....as far as I could .....I’m sorry Nicky”......
His arms enveloped her as she gave in to the emotions “revelation”
had evoked....
Relief mostly ...painful memory certainly.
Her body shook with memories....tears fell..and continued to fall
Nick could say nothing.....and do nothing more than hold her tight ...
stroke her hair and love her more deeply than ever..
She had told him!
It must have been hard for her.
He could tell by the way she blurted it all out .....there was no easy way for her to do it so she had to spew it out!
Then erupt emotionally and let the tears pour out....
Quite a metaphor in the shadow of her beloved Cotopaxi
Exhausted from crying Heather slept in his arms for an hour. Patiently he cradled her still body ...listening as his name left her lips in silent whispers as she dreamed.
A smile creasing his lips.......if she stirred he sang softly... reminding her that he was “there” and he would take care of her.
She drifted back to sleep....
The sound of Nick’s cell disturbed them both.....
Nick grabbed it and answered “Yeah?...no we’re fine...I’ll call you ok?....yeah ....yeah bye”
Heather rubbed her eyes and sat up.
Nick arched his aching back....
“Who was it?” “Phillippa”
“I think she has a crush on you...”
“You do huh?”
“Yeah ...I watched her when she saw you ...she practically orgasmed”
Nick smirked “She was very quiet about it”
Heather snorted...“maybe she’s repressed”
A mischievous twinkle entered Nick’s eyes “Maybe not ALL women are as noisy as you!”
“EXCUSE ME CARTER!!!!”
Nick chuckled “Hey !...I didn’t say I didn’t like it .......just making an observation”
Heather prodded him sharply in the stomach “OK Carter.... next time I’ll be sooooo quiet ....you won’t even know”
Nick stood and stretched... “Oh I’ll know sweetheart .......I’ll know....”
“Gonna keep you to that Carter..wait till we get back to the hotel” Nick grinned “Deal?”
“Deal!!”
They shook on it.
“Come on lemme show you the view”
Nick watched her bounce out of the hut marvelling at her strength
He joined her at the wooden railing
They had not taken in the view from here when they arrived...
The mountain was beautiful and even at this distance you could make out the crater carved in the ice cap.....
Nick watched Heather’s eyes light up seeing her volcano again....
Standing behind her his arms around her body crossing her chest....
her hands covering his arms ....he felt a strange peace ....
Maybe he was close to God ....
Maybe he was just feeling the warmth that comes when the woman you love confides her deepest secrets to you....
Maybe both.....
The sun was now quite high.....yet when the breeze whipped up it was a little chilly ...
But all in all it was a perfect day weather wise.....
Heather scanned the view below....
“Nicky?..... I need to go to down there...”
She pointed toward the rocks below.
Nick’s voice became firm.
“Honey I’m gonna tell you now..... I’m not letting you stand in the river bed again...I’m all for getting you “closure” but I don’t think I can take you standing in the place you got ....”
he swallowed hard “swept away!!”
Heather turned in his arms her smile making his heartbeat quicken.
“Nicky I don’t think I can stand in the river bed....”
“Oh okay...well Uhm...good!....Uhm...pretty scary stuff”
Heather hushed him with a finger to his lips..
“Nicky...the river bed in under water .....several feet under water....”
Nick blinked two or three times........then smirked...“I knew that!!!”
Heather grabbed their back packs and threw Nicks at his chest
“Come on Dr Livingstone!!
He followed her down the path muttering about what the hell this doctor had to do with anything.
They reached the bank and followed the trail alongside the river....
Heather slowed her pace then stopped suddenly.
Her voice matter of fact.
“It was here I think ....I remember “it” came around the bend up there...there’s no way up the bank here...... I had nowhere to go....couldn’t outrun it....”
Nick felt a cold shiver run thru him...
He wasn’t sure he liked this part....
He stared into the murky water .....
his mind picturing her stood in a muddy river bed.... half dressed ...in the pouring rain no matter how hard he tried .....the image would not go...
“Nick?”
His trance snapped off as her body got slammed into by the water....
“Are you ok baby?”
His eyes glistening...he murmured low “This is were I nearly lost you”
Heather reached up a hand to touch his face .....
Nick slid his hand over hers ..... kissing her palm....
“Your name was the last thing that left my lips before it hit me.....
I remember that more clearly than anything”
“What was the next thing you remember....?”
“Waking up to your face....”
Gazing into the blue of her eyes in sharp contrast to the muddy brown River brought together Nicks jumbled thoughts .....
He suddenly realised he needed closure of his own....
Pulling her close to his chest he held her fiercely....his fingers laced in her hair....
his eyes screwed tight shut....
Nick willed the image of her body being battered by waves of mud from his mind..
Mentally he broke each and every one of Simon’s fingers in that waiting room back at the hospital ....
Heather held him tight ...registering the tremble in his body....
the depth of his breathing...the way his hand was clenching and unclenching in her hair They stood for another forty five minutes just staring at the water ...the rocks....the volcano...as if saying goodbye to it all....
Standing in silence.
Their fingers linked together ..a loving tender squeeze all the communication necessary......their eyes met now and again.....
reassuring each other .......checking for signals it was time to leave!
Ultimately Nick made the first move....sensing a change in Heathers “body language”
“Baby?...we should make a move to go”
She smiled loving how his instinct to protect her kicked in at the right time....
In due course she would come to to learn his “protective instinct”
was always present!
Nick pulled out his cell phone.....getting no signal he tried his “walkie talkie”
The set came to life and he held a brief conversation with the pilot.
Heather gazed up at the volcano .....her volcano
“Baby he’s on his way we gotta get to the pick up site.....please tell me you know the way....”
Heather looked up at him ..the sun shining in his blond locks
“You are very handsome you know that?”
Nick blushed.... “Tell me again when we get back to the hotel”
“Are you gonna make it worth my while?”
Nick gave a her a look that would have melted the ice on the mountain had they been up there!!
“Oh Nicky one last thing I have to do”
She rummaged in her back pack and pulled out her camera bag.
Camera devoid of film ....lenses all packed and slotted in their spaces.
Nick looked puzzled....“One last picture huh?”
Heather shook her head “No”
Without another word she took the camera out of the bag and tossed it into the river...followed by each lens .....finally emptying all the bit and pieces nestled in the bag......the final touch she threw the bag in too!
Nick watched in astonishment .........speechless
Heather dramatically wiped her hands and looked at him....
“End of an era Nicky......did you say the pilot was on his way?”
“Wait wait....what did .....you mean...end of an era......?”
Heather took a deep breath “Remember back in Florida ....you told me to choose between you and my volcanos?”
Nick blushed “yeah....?”
“Well I chose you....there was no real contest Nicky....this was the final act of choice....”
She waved her arm towards the river....
Her eyes never left his....
“You mean I don’t hafta share you with that anymore?”
Nick jerked his head back indicating the mountain behind him...
“I’ll always love them Nick......but just a few short months ago..
I discovered a greater love.... a love so much more tangible ....
and I will do anything to keep it....”
Nick’s eyes grew misty with unquenchable love “You could marry me!”
Heather grinned
“I believe I’m already doing so Mr Carter “
Nick tightened his hold on her hands.... “No I mean.....tonight....... at sunset...by that small pool at the hotel....y’know the one with all the plants and palms and stuff?”
“Nick we can’t ........that’s crazy”
“Sure we can!”
“Brian will be livid...he wants a church wedding...”
“Brian’s not marrying you ..I am!”
Heather giggled .....“What about the guys Nick ...they will kill us”
“No they won’t .......they’ll understand....trust me....
besides we can always have a “blessing” or something all churchy when we get back...y’know just to please the friends and folks.....actually make that a definite......”
He pulled her closer caressing her face......her hair......
“but right now....I just want us married”
Heather smiled the most beautiful of smiles and Nick knew he’d won
They wandered back to the pick up site and met up with the helicopter
The sense of peace settled over Nick once more as they flew over the Volcano and back towards Quito
Heather took one last look and waved to the summit.....before turning her attention to her soon to be husband...
They cuddled up and shared a few soft kisses....
Nick pulled out his cell phone and dialed Phillippa’s number
“Phillippa?..... yeah Hi.... it’s Nick Carter....we’re on our way back to the hotel....listen can you do us one last really big favor ?....can you make sure the “small” pool area is cleared and “private” for say 7pm...ish … oh and Phillippa..?...very important......find us a priest...!”
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