[Fiction] Interlude to Keys

[Neil Preston]

They were back in the living room in Rio, still so very close.

"This is it, isn't it," Neil said sadly. "It's okay. Maybe ..." maybe we will have another chance. Maybe we will find each other again. Maybe we will get over this and everything will be all right between us. Neil knew he was lying to himself. Nova was going back and he was going somewhere else. Nova had her future with DWoB, Gerard's conspiracy group, and ... Meghan.

Neil had to get back to work somewhere around the globe. There would always be a disaster to keep him from sorting through his life. The plan had worked ... not really ... so far in his life. Still, there were worse things to waste his life in.

Nova moved away slowly. She had to get back. She looked sad, but what could he do?

"I will always love you," he said quietly. Over all the things he wanted to say, it was the bolt that came the strongest from his heart.

[Doctor Nova Madigan]

Nova clung to Neil in the darkened living room, one arm draped over his shoulder, the other around his waist. A sense of impending doom hung over her, and she knew that everything familiar was about to end. There would be no more romantic snuggles under the Southern sky, no more nights together, no more spur-of-the-moment showers, no more of Neil's dishes in the sink, no more of the scent of his skin filling her with a sense of comfortable familiarity. All that lay ahead was uncertainty. More than anything else, she felt loss. Her chin trembled involuntarily, and she knew that tears would follow if she spoke.

"Neil," she said, and the tears began. Her voice cracked, but she pressed on, looking up into Neil's eyes. "I love you too." Nova squeezed him fiercely, burying her face in his shoulder. "What are you running from?" she asked.

Why is this it? What are you running from? Why can't we be normal? Why does it have to be like this?

[Neil Preston]

"I'm not worthy of you. I never have been Nova."

He hugged her close and drank from the scent of her hair.

Yet another thing I'll miss, Neil told himself.

"I'll mess you up. I'll hurt you and I love you so much all I want to do is see you happy."

He pulled her closer and kissed her for what felt like the last time.

"You have to go back. I'll move out to the guest room."

Stepping back slightly, he added,

"It will turn out for the best. You'll see."

[Doctor Nova Madigan]

Nova kissed Neil passionately, as if she could re-kindle the fire. Then Neil stepped back, and she felt cold all over. Nova took both of Neil's hands, and held them firmly. They were warm. Unwilling to say good-bye so quickly, unwilling to let Neil walk away so quickly, she held on to them and savored the small warmth there.

"We'll talk more about arrangements later," she said, wiping a tear away with her shoulder. "Until then, don't do anything rash, okay hon?"

[Neil Preston]

He responds with a nod and she's gone from their ... home? ... house? Neil doesn't know what to call it anymore.

The house were I live, he told himself.

It was a strange quiet in this house that had been a home. He planned to moved his things out casually, just like he planned to move out because moving away was easier than facing up to who he was and what he wanted. For Neil, it was just another step down that all too familiar road.