Chapter 38 One Year Later

The girl with the car. Or rather, the ultra-cool hypercar. That was Michelle's nickname ever since she got back to college from her road trip. Of course, the initial reaction from her friends was far more ludicrous. When she had walked into her dorm two days before college officially commenced, their jaws literally dropped. After they got over her new appearance, they hugged her death and chewed her out for not texting them even once in practically two months or even checking the forty-six messages they sent her. They got her postcards at least, although they were surprised to know she had been to Vegas. Michelle didn't have the spirit to tell her friends everything that happened yet so she left it for a later date and flopped onto the bed for some much-needed sleep.

That was more than nine months ago. Since then Michelle had told her friends more or less what had happened over the summer. Leah and Brynn declared that Michelle had the craziest vacation ever and didn't quite believe it all. They were especially shocked by the fact that Michelle actually drank and got drunk on her birthday. Michelle couldn't help smiling at their reactions. But as she narrated the events, she found herself missing the crew, the feeling of the adrenaline during an escapade, and the thrill of driving. But more than anything, she missed one person with all her heart. And she tried hard not to think about him. Because if she did, she knew she would break down into pieces. And she couldn't afford that. She had to stay strong for him.

But he slipped into her thoughts more than she could handle and most of the time she withdrew from her daily life to read her diary. It was the only way she felt she could stay connected to him – before he faded from her memory. Although she knew it would never come to that.

Two months after returning home Paige had visited her. The crew was back in Reno and was at the old base. Brook was still in custody but like Jackson, he was moved to Reno because of jurisdiction issues. Soriano was trying everything he could to get Brook out and Paige reassured Michelle that she shouldn't give up hope. She also told her that Brook asked about her and misses her. Michelle swallowed at that and told her to tell him she was waiting for him. Paige promised she would.

Since then Michelle hadn't heard from any of the crew. She waited each month for some news but there was nothing. She scanned the news unsure what she was looking for but found nothing. The only unusual piece of news that startled her was an obituary declaring the death of Sergeant Justus Kromer, the leader of the Inferno Ghosts from the nineties. Michelle wondered how Brook would react to that and if he even knew. She wished she could be with him at that moment.

"Hey, Michelle? We're going to shop for grad party dresses and then we're gonna chill in Freda's Ice Monkey. You coming?" Leah called through the door of her room.

"No it's okay, you guys go ahead," Michelle said.

"But we haven't gone shopping together in ages," Brynn said coming into the room.

"I'm not really feeling like it. You guys go on without me." She insisted. Brynn and Leah exchanged looks.

"Michelle, are you sure you're okay? You've been kind of down lately." Brynn said. "Is it because of him?" Leah nudged her.

"She probably doesn't want to talk about it," she whispered. Michelle smiled wanly at them.

"I'm fine you guys." She said.

"If you're sure... we can stay and hang out here if you like," Leah suggested.

"No, I don't want you guys to miss out. Go; get something that'll blow everyone away. You have to look your best tomorrow." Michelle said.

"Okay then. We'll bring you back a pistachio choco cup." Brynn said, waving. Michelle turned back to her diary after they left. After rereading her birthday entry she got up and went to her nightstand. A pair of headphones lay on the top – the pair that Brook had given her. She put them on and plugged them into her music player on the loudest electronic music she had. She wanted to forget, be transported away from her thoughts and loud music did the job well enough. She also pulled out Brook's handkerchief out of her drawer and held it close to her mouth, inhaling his scent as she cuddled up in her bed.

"I miss you so much." She whispered, closing her eyes. She envisioned Brook standing in front of her, his beautiful blue eyes on hers, a soft smile playing on his lips. His hands found their way around her waist pulling her close. She wanted to run her hands all over his tanned skin, feeling his strong rippling muscles. She wanted to place her head on his chest and hear his heartbeat. She could almost hear it, along with his voice, and feel his breath. She imagined his warm urgent lips on hers, the last kiss he'd given her more bittersweet than any other. Tears fell from her eyes and she clutched the handkerchief tighter.

She got off her bed and went to the window. Her room had a great view of a field that was used for a variety of sports. At the moment it was lit up by the floodlights from a practice hockey game earlier. It was empty and rather lonely, Michelle thought. She had declined to go with her friends earlier to watch the game and started to regret not going out with them now. She desperately wanted company at the moment, even if only to distract her from her dismal thoughts.

As she watched the empty field, a car drove into it and parked right in the middle. Michelle frowned. Who would be careless enough to do that? The coach would flip if he knew. Michelle peered closely at the car. She wondered why it looked familiar. She got a jolt when she recognized it. She threw her window up and stuck her head out trying to see the car better. It was black with purple detailing and looked like it cost six or seven figures – there was only one car she knew looked like that. Michelle tore off her headphones and ran out of her room. She had to confirm something – she had to assure her eyes that she wasn't hallucinating. That wasn't Brook's Bugatti.

She stopped at the edge of the field, panting. The driver of the car got out and faced her directly about thirty feet away. No distance could fool Michelle's eyes – and yet she wondered if her daydreams had become very real or else she was fast asleep and dreaming the whole thing up. Because that couldn't be her beloved Brook standing in front of her.

She walked slowly towards him as though afraid he would disappear if she hurried. She had to touch him at least – make sure he wasn't a figment of her imagination. Maybe it was, at least, a realistic personification of her obsessive dreams of him. But then the figure spoke.

"Hello, Michelle." The voice – the one she hadn't heard in months. Even in her dreams she couldn't imagine it clearly. It was real. It was Brook. Her Brook.

"Brook?" she called with wide eyes. He smiled – it was the most relaxed smile she had ever seen on him. it was like all the tension, all the pain she had last seen him with was gone.

"Brook!" she cried again and stripped down the field towards him. She flung herself into his arms just as he opened them to catch her. She collided against his strong chest and squeezed her arms around him tight. His warmth and very firm muscled body assured her he was real.

"Brook, oh Brook! It's really you!" Michelle cried, tears leaking out of her eyes though a wide smile of joy labeled her lips.

"It's me alright. Did you expect me to be a ghost?" Brook asked with a grin. She wrapped her arms around his neck tighter.

"I was so afraid I thought I might never see you again! But how? How are you here? What happened? Why didn't anyone tell me you were here? Why didn't I – oh never mind, I don't care, as long as you're real!" Brook laughed and kissed her forehead.

"I know you have a lot of questions but all I want to do right now is savor this moment with you." He brushed the tears from her face.

"Why do you always cry around me? Am I such a heartbreaker?'' he joked. Michelle slapped his chest.

"I haven't seen you for months and heard nothing from the crew and you expect me to not cry if you show up like a mythical figure in front of me? Brook Havens, you really don't know me at all!" Michelle buried her head into his shoulder and let her happy tears fall. Brook leaned into her, hugging her tightly.

"You have no idea how much I missed you – but if you're just gonna keep crying, I better go away." Michelle raised her head and saw his mischievous grin.

"Brook Havens, you're mine and you are never getting away from me again!" she said, half crying half laughing.

"I'm your captive, Michelle. I thought my captor would be more forceful." Brook said, running his hand through her hair.

"What were you expecting?" Michelle asked, tilting her head to one side.

"A few more kisses..." Brook whispered near her ear. She tugged him closer by his neck and pressed her lips to his. It was like the flame that lay extinguished for the last nine months reignited and Michelle felt like they had never been apart. He responded and kissed her back, his lips warm and passionate between hers.

"Oh Michelle... I am never gonna get tired of that," he said, smiling against her lips.

"Good, because you'll be getting a lot more of it," Michelle said.

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." He said. Michelle raised her eyes to his.

"I broke my promise to you the first time Michelle. I was a fool. Now that I'm back, I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I'll never leave you again. I'm yours, Michelle, for life." Fresh tears glimmered in Michelle's eyes and she hugged him tight.

"And I'm yours. I've always been yours. I was meant to be yours. As for breaking your promise - if you ever do that again, I'll handcuff you to myself!" She said sternly. Brook smiled widely at her.

"I wouldn't mind that. But tell me what I can do to make it up to you." He said.

"Just shut up and kiss me!" Michelle said. Brook laughed hard.

"Too easy. If that's all it takes to make it up to you..."

"So what are you waiting for?" Michelle asked with a raised eyebrow. Brook shook his head.

"Nothing." He crashed his lips back on hers, all his passion breaking out. It felt so good, tasting each other's lips again; they lost themselves in the moment, forgetting that they weren't invisible to the dorm buildings around them where everyone was gapping at them from the windows. It wasn't until an angry yell from the end of the field startled them did they break apart. It was the football coach yelling for them to get off the field and take that car with them. Michelle giggled.

"This isn't as private as the inside of your car," she said.

"What do you say you and I find someplace we can be alone? We have a lot to catch up on." Brook said huskily as his fingers trailed up and down her arms.

"I'd like that," Michelle whispered, kissing him once more on the lips.