Somewhere In Time

Well, here it is, the final chapter! I wish it was a bit longer, but I really wanted to get it out there soon! Hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: Don't own Fake Back at Drake's manor, Berkely placed a gentle hand over Diana's shoulder. "I can't take this," she sighed, leaning her head on the man's shoulder. "First Randy falls ill, then Dee pulls this stunt, and now both of them are out in the middle of the night in the wilderness and God knows what could happen." "I'm sure they'll be fine," Berkely reassured her. "Drake is searching the grounds right now. Besides," he said, turning her chin toward him, "Randy is too capable and Dee too stubborn, to let anything happen to them." Diana tried to smile, but she was consumed with worry for her friends. She was glad that Berkely was here, though. All day he had been out on the hunt. At first Diana had been surprised he didn't remain at the house and take advantage of Ryo in Dee's absence, but, then again, there was nothing Berkely loved more than the hunt. In more ways than one. Berkely, himself, couldn't say why he had avoided Ryo that day. Some sense of intuition simply told him where Ryo's heart belonged, and it wasn't with him. What a shame, he thought, that such a handsome specimen as Ryo should need someone as tactless and bull-headed as Dee. Oh well, he would just have to console himself with someone else later on. Right now, Diana needed him. She looked out across the meadow again, hoping to see some sign of her friends returning. Was that a figure moving in the distance? In the dark it was difficult to tell. Yes! There was definitely someone on horseback moving toward them. Jumping up, Diana raced to meet them, hoping against hope that everyone was all right. Berkely and a frantic JJ followed close behind. Out of the shadow she saw Dee's horse emerge, and on top of him rode a very shaken, fatigued Ryo, with a very bloody Dee draped across the saddle in front of him. Next to him Drake appeared, shouting orders to his staff to prepare a bed and fetch the doctor. "Never mind the time," he said when one of the servant hesitated, "I'll make it worth his time." "Diana," Ryo called wearily when he saw her running up to him. His eyes looked vacant and bloodshot from tears. "Randy! What happened?" she cried, watching as Drake and JJ carefully pulled Dee's unconscious form off the horse. "I- I don't know. I found him like that, lying at the bottom of a ravine," he said slowly, as if he still couldn't believe it. "Wait!" Ryo cried as Drake and JJ moved toward the house with Dee. "Wait!" Ryo jumped from the horse and went to run after them, but stumbled with weariness. "Randy, its ok. They'll take care of Dee, don't push yourself. You've been out all night, you need to rest," she said, putting a hand on his arm to steady him. But he shook her off. "No, I have to stay with him. He stayed with me when I was ill...I have to be there for him... I-" his words faded as his body went limp. Quickly, Berkely slipped an arm around to catch him and scooped him up in his arms. Ryo murmured a protest, but was too weak to do anything about it. "Let's get him back to the house. Quickly!" shouted Diana and Berkely obligingly followed. Ryo was riding, riding, further and further on into the night. The pounding of the stallion's hoofs echoing the thunderous pounding of his heart. I have to find him, I have to find him, he kept repeating in his mind. Under normal circumstances, it might not have been so hard to pick up Dee's trail, but in the blank night the signs were difficult to read. Dee's horse seemed to know where is was headed, though. Ryo was trusting the animal to lead him to his fallen master. Suddenly, a great, gaping darkness loomed before Ryo, he pulled in the reigns sharply to stop his momentum, but nearly went over the edge. The horse tossed his great head and pranced about furiously. Ryo dismounted and looked down into the ravine, his heart fell to his feet. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but there appeared to be the body of a man far at the bottom, fallen among the rocks. Carefully sliding down the steep slope, Ryo stepped over to the fallen body. "Dee!" he whispered, the air knocked from his lungs as he saw the man's beautiful features smeared with blood. "Oh God, Dee!" he said, putting his hands on Dee's shoulders and shaking them to arouse the man. Dee lay still, unmoving in the darkness. But he was alive. His pulse was weak but it was there as Ryo pressed his fingertips to the man's throat. Quickly taking off his jacket, he removed his shirt and, without hesitation, tore it into strips and bandaged Dee's head wound the best he could. It took some time to haul the unconscious body up the steep incline. Dee was dead weight and Ryo had to be careful not to jostle him too much or loose his footing on the treacherous ground. Somehow he made it to the top and managed to sling Dee across the saddle. Then he jumped on the horse himself and rode with as much speed as he could back toward the manor, fighting to see his way through his tears. "It's a good thing I found them when I did. Ryo was riding hard, but he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. I think he was in shock from seeing Dee in that condition," Drake explained to Diana and Berkely as they sat by his bedside. "How is Dee?" Diana asked. "I'm not sure, the doctor's in with him now." "I hope he isn't seriously hurt," Diana replied. kelykely rubbed her shoulders and said, "You really should get some rest yourself Diana." "I'll be fine," she replied stubbornly. "Drake, could you send for some tea and honey please?" Berkely asked. Drake nodded and left the room. "I said I was fine," repeated Diana. "I don't need someone else collapsing tonight, so indulge me and drink the tea, for me?" he said persuasively. Diana never could refuse the charismatic man when he used that tone with her, "Very well." "Dee..." Ryo muttered, coming out of his stupor. "Where's Dee?" he asked, lifting himself up. "The doctor's with him. Don't rush yourself," Berkely told him, pushing him back down. But Ryo wasn't so easily lulled now that he had gotten some rest. He shoved Berkely aside and turned to Diana. "Where is he?" he demanded. She was about to protest, but she could see in Ryo's eyes that he was determined. "I'll show you," she said, walking to the door and motioning Ryo to follow. As they walked down the hall, Diana could feel the tension in Ryo's body growing with each step. When they reached Dee's room, Diana paused and knocked. They heard shuffling within and then a short, middle-aged man with round glasses stepped out to meet them. "Doctor Knox, how is he?" Diana asked, praying for a positive diagnosis. "I think he'll be all right, there aren't any broken bones and I stitched up the head wound. However he took a hard blow and it will be a while before we will know for certain how damaging the concussion actually is." Looking up, the doctor saw Ryo's face grow pale, fear filling his eyes. "You can go inside if you wish. Just remain quiet," he said, opening the door for the tall, sandy-haired gentleman before him. Bracing himself, Ryo walked passed the doctor and into the dimly-lit room. Dee lay as still and unresponsive as ever, his head bandawithwith fresh linens and resting on a large pillow. Try as he might, Ryo couldn't stop the tears from coming. He stepped quietly to this lover's side and took his hand. He felt so cold... Dee's hands were usually so warm. "Dee," Ryo whispered, bringing the man's hand up to hold it against his cheek, the tears spilling over onto Dee's fingers. Ryo leaned over and looked into the face of this man he had grown to love with all his heart. "Dee, there's so much I want to say to you. There's so much I have to make up for... will you let me do that? Will you open your eyes for me so I can tell you?" he begged, gently tracing along Dee's cheek with his free hand. How could he have possibly thought of rejecting this man? And now that he knew the truth of his feelings, was it too late? '...don't have any regrets...' Dee's words came back to haunt him over and over again. If only I could have one more chance, Ryo thought, if only God will give me one more chance to be with Dee, I promise, I'll never have any regrets ever again! "Please!" Ryo said aloud, tears streaming down his face, "Please give me a chance to tell him I love him..." Slowly, sunlight filtered through the high windows in Drake's manor and passed it's first beams over the bodies of two men within one of the rooms. Both were breathing deep and steadily. One man with dark-blond hair lay with his head upon the other's chest. His eyes fluttered open as the light hit him. He rubbed the dried tears from his eyes and looked up to see the other raven-haired man staring down at him with the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen. "Dee," Ryo whispered, fresh tears springing to his eyes. Relief and joy flooded through his body. He felt like the luckiest man alive. "Who are you?" the man before him asked. Ryo felt as if someone had knocked the air from his lungs, he couldn't breathe. "Just kidding," Dee said smiling now. "Ryo?" he asked when his lover continued to stare at him with a blank expression. "Ryo, snap out of it!" he shouted, sitting up. Suddenly Ryo's arms were around him, his tears soaking the front of Dee's shirt, his shoulders shaking. "Don't ever forget me! Please!" he pleaded. "I was joking, Ryo! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you so badly," Dee said, stroking Ryo's hair and enjoying his warmth. After a moment he said, "I know you're happy to see me, but could you not squeeze so tight, I'm a bit sore." "Oh!" Ryo abruptly released him, "I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? Are you ok? Do you need anything?" "I'm fine, relax," Dee said softly, trying to calm his love as he continued to run his fingers through the man's hair. "Dee," he said, resting his head once more over his chest, "I'm so glad you're better. I was so scared. And I was so stupid before!" He looked up into those piercing green depths, "Can you forgive me?" Surprised by the strength of Ryo's words, Dee just looked looked at him for a moment. "Of course, I love you remember?" he replied simply. "Yes, I remember," Ryo said tenderly, his eyes shining. "And, Dee I want you to know... I love you," he said, looking deep into Dee's eyes. Dee was shocked into silence, for once at a loss for words. "And you realized this last night?" he asked. "Yes." "I thought so," Dee said, a sadness in his voice. He looked away from Ryo's gaze. "Dee?" said Ryo, "I thought you'd be happy." Turning back to face him, Dee tried to smile, "I- I am happy... happy that you care for me, but... I'm not sure if you really do love me." "How can you say that!?" Ryo demanded. "Because extreme situations like this can heighten emotions. Being afraid for my life and being in love with me are two different things." "Why are you saying this?" cried Ryo, desperation in his voice. "Why don't you believe me?" Dee's head was beginning to ache and he was getting frustrated. "Because I don't want you to say you love me because you're afraid, because I was hurt! I want you to love me for me!" "I do!" "The last time I saw you, you were still shrinking away from me, and now you're shouting your love, what's changed?" Dee said accusingly. "I- I just wasn't being honest with myself before!" Ryo replied. "But you are now?" "Yes." "We'll see," said Dee and before Ryo could say anything else, the doctor had come back to examine Dee and Ryo was shooed from the room. The next few days were miserable for Ryo, he did everything he could to show Dee he had meant what he said, but he was still skeptical. "Why, Diana?" Ryo asked as the two of them sat in her study one evening. "Why doesn't he believe me?" She looked at Ryo and sighed. Love never was easy, was it? she thought. "I think he wants you to be sure, Randy. If you decided to go to California with him and then changed your mind, it would break his heart. He's giving you time to be sure." "I don't need time!" Ryo shouted, uncharacteristically moody. He'd been on edge lately and Diana was worried. His shoulders sagged, his hair was tousled and there were dark circles forming under his eyes. She had never seen him in such a state before. "I've even talked with Bikky about moving to California! I'm finally willing to give Dee what he wants and now he won't let me!" he shouted and started pacing the floor. "Randy, calm yourself. If you feel that strongly then a few months here or there won't make a difference," said Diana, glancing at Ryo for his reaction. She'd been dreading having to tell him the news. "What do you mean?" asked Ryo. "Dee's going back to California. The doctor's given him the ok and he's leaving... tomorrow," she said then held her breath, waiting for him to explode. But the silence that followed was worse. Diana watched as Ryo sank down into the sofa, his face drawn. A hand went out to touch the fabric of the sofa. The same sofa where they had made love. It seemed like so long ago now, so much had happened. Dee had said he would never leave him, but he was. Ryo put his head in his hands... he was a man defeated. "Are you sure about this Dee?" Diana asked, watching as his bags were loaded onto the carriage. "Yes," said Dee. Then paused, "I think so..." "It's not too late. To be honest, I don't see why you're even doing this. Were you only interested in chasing Randy? Is that why you're leaving just when he's decided he wants you?" Diana asked. She knew she was treading dangerous ground, but if she didn't speak up, Dee and Ryo might stay miserable forever. "Of course I didn't like just the chase! I love him, but Ryo seems to have a habit of picking up strays. I don't want to be just another person he feels like saving," Dee replied bitterly. Sighing, Diana pushed on, "I never thought you would let such stubborn pride rule your life. Or ruin it, for that matter," She turned on her heel and walked away from him to her own carriage waiting in the shade. "Good bye, Dee," she said cu, no, not bothering to turn around. When she arrived back at her house, she found Ryo in a frenzy. His suit coat was hastily thrown on and he was shoving on his boots. "Where are you going?" Diana asked, somewhat bewildered. "To stop him," was all he said. Diana smiled. "I'm not letting him go without hearing me out," and with that he stood up and raced to the door. In his life, Ryo had known too much loss, too much hurt, and he wasn't about to let love slip away from him now. Dee had been unrelenting in his pursuit, but Ryo could be just as persistent. Whatever it took, Ryo would see it through until Dee was his again. Pulling open the large front door, Ryo rammed into the chest of a tall, dark man waiting on the other side. "Excuse me! I'm in a hurry!" Ryo shouted, then looked up to see Dee standing there, his mouth gaping. Then a warm, inviting smile spread over his face. "Going somewhere?" he asked. "Dee!" cried Ryo, and then he was in his arms. "Don't go! Please! You said you'd never leave me! I want to be with you! Always!" "Ryo..." he whispered into his hair, his arms tightening possessively about the smaller man. Tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "Does that mean you're following me to California?" he asked with a grin. "Yes!" he said, looking at Dee through his own tears. Then, standing in the sunlight, Dee brought his lips down over Ryo's and kissed him, deep and long. When they finally pulled apart, Ryo whispered: "I'll follow you... anywhere..." ******** OK! Finally finished! Pretty much... I will be writing an epilogue, but give me a bit of time for that! Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! I also have a couple other Fake fics in the works so keep checking in! ^_- Reviews welcomed!