Rebirth. (CC,A/I,TEEN) Completed 18-Apr-05

[StargazerUK]

A/N; Final part. I hope you enjoy. David xxx


Chapter 11


“You’re going to have to stop smiling at some stage, Alex.” Isabel instructed, barely able to contain her own feelings of happiness despite being unable to resist the urge to try and curtail Alex’s joyous expression. “If the others see you like this they’re bound to know we’ve been up to something.” She added coyly.

“I know.” Alex agreed. “But I’m afraid it will be a little while yet before I can force my lips to do as they are told. Thanks to you, I’m still not fully in control of my faculties and the way I’m currently feeling it might be sometime yet. Anyway, it’s not as though we were up to no good. I think a little kissing might be within the realms of understandable behaviour, considering what we have both been through.” He added defensively.

Isabel dropped her gaze and concentrated on Alex’s left hand, which she had firmly entwined in between her own hands. Slowly she lifted her gaze to look at her companion. “I’m still married.” She stated mournfully.

Alex nodded hesitantly. “That’s not something I am likely to forget in a hurry, Isabel, but if you were happily married and still with your husband then we wouldn’t be here and I would never have approached you, let alone kissed and made out with you but you’re not happily married and you’re not with him so I think we are allowed our own moments of intimacy.” He reasoned. “I’m in no rush, Isabel, and I’m not going anywhere. Well, not without you I mean.” He corrected himself with an embarrassed smirk. “We’ll take things slow but I won’t shy away from you just for proprieties sake. I don’t care what people might think I just care what you think. I know the others will understand and as long as it is what you want, that’s all I am worried about.”

Isabel tightened her grip on Alex’s hand. “It is what I want, Alex. More than you’ll ever know but I want to make sure it’s what you want.”

“Me?” Alex asked incredulously. “You have met me before, haven’t you?” He joked, causing Isabel to smile. “I know I have a lot to catch up on but I went into that coma loving you and I came out the same way so nothing has changed for me. You, on the other hand, have had a little adventure of your own but as long as you are where you want to be now, that’s all that matters.”

Isabel released one of her hands from where it had been holding onto Alex and slowly reached up and caressed the side of his face as she made sure she looked deep into his loving eyes. “I’ve spent weeks and months hating this van. Despising its very existence simply because of what it represented, us having to leave our homes and loved ones and scurry away as though we had done something wrong when we hadn’t. Now I sit here on the back seat with you in my arms and I find I want to stay here forever. I don’t want to move, I don’t want to get out of this van and as horrible as it sounds I don’t want to go and get our friends and family.” She continued to touch his handsome features with the very tips of her fingers, her contact feather-light but filled with longing. “I’ve never been happier to make a selfish statement in my life.” She let out a brief laugh before refocusing on Alex. “I do love you, Alex Whitman.”

Alex looked at his most beautiful companion as a playful thought passed through his mind and a smile broke out on his face. “I know.” He stated softly.

Isabel’s face suddenly matched Alex’s as she too began to smile. “You remembered!” She remarked with an amused tone to her voice.

“I promise you it is the one thing I will never forget. Not least because it is something I won’t have to work on to remember. As long as you keep looking at me the way you are now I will always know and never doubt that you love me.” He turned his head slightly and kissed Isabel’s hand that still cupped his cheek. “But in fairness I can’t only reply ‘I know’ when you say you love me, it isn’t reasonable.” He explained. “So what I propose is that each night, just as you are falling asleep I’ll take my turn and tell you that I love you. That way not only will I be returning your loving words but also you might dream about me, with any luck.”

“I’m afraid it’s already too late for that.” Isabel informed Alex as she reluctantly started to disentwine herself from her companion, knowing they had to get back to the others. Alex looked back, a little perplexed. That hadn’t been the answer he had been hoping for. Isabel decided it was time to put him out of his misery so she leaned in until her lips were a mere fraction away from his right ear before whispering. “It’s too late as I already dream about you every night. How do you think I found you?”

Alex didn’t know if it was her beautiful words that sent him giddy or the feeling of her warm breath on the side of his neck but he could feel his head spinning. Suddenly Isabel pulled the sliding side door open, allowing the bright sunlight to pour into the previously darkened van and Alex felt himself snap out of his stupor, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Stepping out into the warm sunshine Alex stretched and let out a slightly strangled cry as he tried to remove the stiffness from his limbs, the back seat of the van being even less comfortable than it looked, which took some doing.

Once Alex had finished stretching and moaning about his aching shoulders and lack of leg room in the back of the van Isabel grabbed her bag and linked hands with Alex as they turned towards the hospital.

“I’m just about ready for lunch.” Alex enthused. “There must be something about being madly and passionately in love that burns calories as I think I could eat a horse.”

Isabel looked at Alex with raised eyebrows. “I think there has to be more to it than that.” She reasoned. “Else how do you explain Michael and Kyle?”

Alex stared back at Isabel for a long moment before he shook his head. “No! I’ve got nothing so you must be right.” He acknowledged. “Maybe it’s to do with male hormones or something.”


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Eve stepped out of the nurses changing room and headed on down towards her assigned nurses station. In truth she hadn’t slept much, which had been down to a combination of worrying about what was going to happen with Alex and the fact that she had been admonishing herself for fretting over something she shouldn’t have been involved in.

Her brain was trying to tell her not to get so involved. Her job was to take care of the sick and to nurse them back to health, hence the title of her job. That would have all been fine if she hadn’t have been the type of woman that she was. She was a good nurse, a damn good nurse and she was good at what she did but there was so much more to her and her job. She could have done her job without getting involved, without taking the time to get to know the people she looked after but she wouldn’t have done it so well and the people in her care would have suffered as a consequence.

That was what had brought her to Alex. When she had been assigned to look after him she could have just gone through the motions and still got her job done but it didn’t hurt for her to take an interest. Who did it hurt if, while she changed his bed with the aid of Sarah, she told him about what was going on in the world or what book she was currently reading? At first Sarah thought her friend was crazy for talking to an unconscious man but after a period of time it gave their patient an identity over and above the name Adam that they had given him.

Simply working with the notion that somewhere there had to be family or friends looking for her patient meant she was determined to do all that she could to make him better, ready for their arrival.

Now that had all been fine in theory but in truth she never fully believed she would get to put it into practice, how wrong she had been. The events of the last ten days had been surreal to say the least but now, as she approached Alex’s small ward at the end of the corridor she had a sinking feeling that when she got there Alex would be gone.

She didn’t know what the young women that had come to visit Alex were involved in, not that they looked like they were involved in anything, but their need for secrecy and impassioned plea for 24hrs to sort things out with Alex was suspicious to say the least. That had been made all the more freaky by the sudden return of Alex’s memory while being looked after by the tall girl, Isabel! It was all very odd and firmly within the realms of the twilight zone or something similar.

“Hey, Sweetie.” A familiar voice called, distracting Eve from her mission to check on Alex. She turned to see the smiling face of Sarah greeting her as she came up behind her before continuing on to the nurse’s station.

“Hi, Sarah.” She replied while trying not to make it too obvious that she had been a million miles away. “How’s Alex?” She tried to ask casually, failing miserably.

“Fine, I think!” Sarah added with a slight frown.

Now it was Eve’s turn to frown. “What do you mean, ‘you think’?” She repeated as she moved over to Alex’s room.

Her mood now matched her heart as it sank at the sight of the empty room. She turned quickly to find Sarah looking over her shoulder at the same sight. “Alex’s friends showed up this morning and asked to take him to the cafeteria for something to eat. I didn’t see anything wrong with it so I let them go.”

“And they never came back.” Eve stated mournfully, her head dropping.

Sarah looked at her friend for a moment in uncertainty. “No, they came back.”

Her comment made Eve’s head snap back up. “They did?” She asked as she felt her excitement build. “Where are they now?”

“That’s the thing.” Sarah stated rather sheepishly. “I’m not exactly sure. When they came back it was well into the afternoon and I must confess to having been a little concerned. I shouldn’t have worried because when he finally came back not only did he look deliriously happy but he was surrounded by a whole gang of friends.”

“A gang of them?” Eve echoed. A grimace now firmly fixed on her pretty face.

Sarah nodded and smiled. “There were the two girls I met this morning, Liz and Maria. There were also three guys…”

“What about Isabel?” Eve questioned.

“The tall one?” When Eve silently nodded Sarah continued. “She looked like she was joined at the hip with Alex. In all the time the group stood and chatted with me she never left his side once nor did she let go of his hand. It was very endearing and it seems at the very least Alex remembers which one was his girlfriend.” Sarah smiled.

“But you haven’t seen them since?” Eve pressed although she was fairly sure of the answer already.

Sarah shook her head slowly. “That was what was strange. When I went off to check on some other patients Alex pulled me into a hug as thought it was our last goodbye or something…” Sarah suddenly went wide-eyed when she realised what she had said. “Oh, Eve! You don’t think he’s left, do you?”

Eve shrugged but again she felt she knew the answer. “That’s exactly what I think. I’d hoped to say goodbye myself but I think they must have had a good reason not to hang about. I’m not sure what that reason is but I had a sneaking suspicion that they would slip away.”

“I can’t believe he would leave without saying goodbye to you.” Sarah stated truthfully. “Maybe they didn’t have time, for whatever reason.” She offered.

“That will probably be it.” Eve half-heartedly agreed. “They probably needed to go and couldn’t wait for me.”

“They might have been bank robbers or diamond smugglers.” Sarah offered as a joke. It was the only way she could think to lift her best friend’s mood.

“Maybe.” Eve forced herself to agree simply to show willing when it came to her friend’s efforts to cheer her up. “But knowing Alex as we did it was more likely he cheated on a math test at school than robbed a bank.”

Both women let out a polite but brief laugh. “Are you going to be alright, Sweetie?” Sarah asked her friend as she rubbed her arm in a comforting gesture.

“I’ll be fine, Sarah. Thanks.” Eve gave her loving friend a quick hug.

Sarah started to back away, up the corridor. “I just need to get some paperwork from reception with regards a new patient, then I’ll be back to give you the shift handover.”

“Take your time.” Eve called. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”


Eve stood leaning in the doorway for a couple of minutes as she looked at what had been Alex’s bed. She knew Alex well enough to know that if he had left without saying goodbye there was a damn good reason. He certainly hadn’t done it out of spite or a lack of concern for her feelings.

Shaking her head to try and knock herself out of her melancholy Eve stepped up to the bed and started to strip the bedding off so she could put on clean sheets. She was so fixed on her job at hand she hadn’t noticed the tall figure standing in the doorway.

“I hadn’t finished with that.” A familiar voice called.

Eve spun around and was surprised to find Alex standing in the doorway looking terribly smart in his new clothes. “Alex! I thought you’d left.”

“What, without saying goodbye?” He questioned with a smile. “That would have gotten me in trouble on two fronts.”

As he spoke Isabel stepped into the room behind him and smiled at Eve. “We made each other promises. You gave me 24hrs so the least I can do is keep my promise and allow you to say goodbye.” Isabel stepped forward towards Eve. “But as I said at the time, it wasn’t like he would go without saying goodbye of his own accord. We all know how hard you worked, looking after Alex and we’ll never be able to repay you.”

“Having said that,” Alex cut in. “We did get you a very small present.”

“You shouldn’t have.” Eve countered. “What is it?” She suddenly asked hurriedly.

Alex reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded envelope and handed it to Eve. Eve didn’t know what to make of it and she wasn’t much wiser when she opened the envelope and found two cinema tickets. Then, after a moment, it hit her. “You don’t mean for me to ask Peter out, do you?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Alex glanced at Isabel for a moment and smiled before looking back at Eve. “Speaking as one of the many men in this world who wouldn’t know a good think even if it jumped up and smacked them on the nose I will be eternally grateful for a strong, independent woman who isn’t afraid to go and get what she wants, even if I am too clueless to realise.”

“And speaking as said strong, independent woman I have to say there’s something to be said for the appeal of the reticent man.” Isabel added. “They say still waters run deep and trust me when I tell you Alex is pretty deep.”

Alex turned to Isabel again. “I can’t workout if you just insulted me or not.”

Isabel turned and looked at Eve pointedly. “See what I mean.”

Eve smiled and nodded. “I guess you are right but I’m still not sure.”

“Not sure about what?” Peter Ellington asked as he stepped into the room. When the three faces simply stared back at him in silence he let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I really have to stop doing that it’s just I have to do my rounds and I either have to keep leaving halfway through a conversation or join in halfway through. I’m never there for the whole thing.”

“Sounds like you need to stop and take a breather.” Alex surmised. “Sit down and have a conversation with someone.”

“Maybe something like grabbing a cup of coffee?” Isabel chimed in with a broad smile. “Or a trip to the cinema?”

“The pair of you are persistent.” Eve nodded. “I’ll give you that.”

Peter simply frowned as he scratched his head. “I’ve come in at the wrong time again, haven’t I?”

Suddenly Alex felt Isabel squeeze his hand and he knew it was time to go.

“I have something to ask you both.” Alex began. “I need to know, we are friends aren’t we? I know I haven’t been out of my coma very long but you have looked after me so well over the last eighteen months that I just can’t ignore what you have done for me.”

Peter was more confused than ever but when he looked at Eve she simply nodded to him in understanding, which was all the reassurance he needed as he looked back. “You’re right, Alex. We are friends.”

“Then as my friends, but not as my doctor or nurse, I am sorry to tell you I am leaving.” He stated sadly.

“No, Alex. You can’t.” Peter couldn’t help himself. He didn’t have half of the information that Eve had gleaned but he was solely concerned for Alex’s wellbeing.

Alex held up a hand to stop his friend. “Eve, I know I have told you very little about what has gone on and Peter, you know even less. All I can tell you is that we have done nothing wrong but if you call the authorities or police my life gets very complicated, very quickly. The only thing I can tell you is that if I tell you who I really am and you tell the police the first thing they will do is inform my parents.”

“You don’t want them to tell you parents, I don’t understand.” Peter admitted. “They probably think you’re dead, you’ve been gone so long!”

“Peter, my friends and I are wanted by the police for something we didn’t do. I must stress no one got hurt but they still want to talk to us. The less I tell you, the better but you have to know I can’t go home yet so if they tell my parents I am alive they will just be left in torment while they wait for me to come home, which can’t happen.” Alex explained.

“But you will go home, eventually?” Eve asked softly.

Alex glanced at Isabel who gave him a gentle smile. “Maybe, someday. At the very least I will see my parents again but not for a while yet.” Alex let out a heavy sigh. “It’s just you two have done so much for me and looked after me so well I didn’t want to simply sneak away, I owe you a proper goodbye even if I can’t give you a proper explanation.”

“What do you want us to do?” Eve asked, uncertain about what Alex wanted from them.

“Just let us go.” Alex stated mournfully. “I wanted to say goodbye to you as my friends but, if asked, I want you to simply say I went without your knowledge.”

“Is there anything else we can help you with?” Peter asked, concern evident.

Alex glanced at Isabel before looking back at Peter. “As clichéd as this sounds I have everything I need right here. I know you are worried about my health but you’ll have to trust me when I tell that I am in safe hands.”

“So you’re going to go?” Eve asked mournfully. “Do we need to give you a head start or is there anything particular you want us to say to the authorities when we report you gone?”

“Nothing.” Isabel cut in, shaking her head. “You don’t need to lie or cover for us, we’ll be fine. Ten minutes after we leave here we’ll have dropped off of the radar so don’t get yourselves in trouble on our behalf.” She smiled appreciatively.

“So this is it.” Eve could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “After eighteen months you’re just going to leave me?”

At this point Alex was speechless as he felt the sheer emotion of the moment start to over take him so he simply stepped forward and pulled Eve into a hug.

“I never realised how tall you are.” She cried into his chest as he held her close. “I don’t think I have ever been so happy and yet, at the same time, so sad at a patient leaving.”


“I should hope not.” Alex joked as he stepped back. “I try to make my presence felt wherever I go. I always aim to make an impression.”

“Well let me tell you that you succeeded.” Eve countered with a smile.

As Alex shook hands with Peter and said his goodbyes Isabel stepped forward and hugged Eve. “Take good care of him for me.” Eve leaned up and whispered into Isabel’s ear.

“I promise.” She replied as she stepped back.

“I know where you both are.” Alex said with a smile. “Don’t be surprised if you get some anonymous emails or phone calls in the next couple of months.” Alex winked. “You’ll know who they are from. We won’t be able to tell you where we are but we can at least let you know how we are getting on and that we are safe.”

“So we will see you again?” Eve asked more out of hope than confidence.

“You can count on it.” Alex grinned as he took hold of Isabel’s hand once again and stepped out into the corridor. With one final wave the young couple strode silently up the hallway and off to meet their waiting friends.


After wiping her eyes Eve placed her hanky back into her pocket and she felt something. Pulling it out she realised it was the envelope that Alex and Isabel had given her a few minutes earlier.

“What?” Peter asked nervously when he saw the smiling face of Eve looking at him, apparently making up her mind about something.

“Are you going to help me make this bed or not?” Eve suddenly asked with a mischievous tone in her voice.

“But I’m a doctor.” Peter frowned.

“And I’m a nurse so I know where to do the most damage!” Eve fixed Peter with a steely glare. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

Peter looked at the petite nurse for a moment. “You’ll have to tell me what to do as I know you nurses have a set method.” He asked as he hurried around to the opposite side from Eve.

“Doctor?” Eve suddenly asked without looking up from her bed making.

“Yes, Eve?” Peter replied.

“I’ve been given these two tickets for the cinema and I was wondering what you are doing Saturday night…”


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Alex and Isabel hurried across the road to the waiting van. As they approached the side door slid open and they leapt in before the door slammed closed behind them and the van pulled away.

“About time and all.” Michael called from the front as Alex and Isabel settled into the middle seats. “What exactly did you two do in here at lunchtime?” Michael suddenly asked without any preamble.

Both Alex and Isabel exchanged a panicked look and blushed. “Why do you ask?” Isabel finally replied.

Michael shrugged. “It’s just that when we left it earlier it didn’t have tinted windows.”

Everyone enjoyed watching both Alex and Isabel squirm in their seats. Isabel desperately looked for a change in subject as she allowed herself to sink into Alex’s loving arms. “So where are we going now?” She finally asked.

“Well unless you have someone else you are connected to and want to save we can go anywhere we like.” Michael offered, clearly feeling on a roll with his witty remarks.

Isabel tightened her grip on Alex’s hand. “I have who I want and I’m not connected to anyone else. To be honest I don’t care where I go, I’m not being drawn anywhere but right here.”

“New York.” A voice called.

Everyone turned to look at Kyle.

“What did you say?” Max asked in amazement.

Kyle frowned when he realised everyone was looking at him. “What, why are you all looking at me?”

“You want to go to New York?” Liz asked slowly.

Kyle simply nodded.

“Do you have any particular reason for wanting to go to New York?” Maria asked.

“Not that I am aware of.” Kyle shrugged. “I just thought it might be nice to visit. I don’t know why it appeals to me but I like the idea of going.”

“You never know.” Alex added. “You might meet someone.”

“You know what, dude.” Kyle countered. “I wasn’t going to say anything but I was thinking the same thing myself.”

“And you have no idea why you want to go to New York?” It was Isabel’s turn to ask.

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” Kyle was getting slightly annoyed. “Can’t a guy just have an unexplained urge?”

The remainder of the group all exchanged knowing looks and smiles.

“New York it is.” Max stated.

“Thank God.” Kyle exclaimed. “Now maybe you’ll all stop acting strange and leave me to get some sleep.” Kyle slid down on the back seat and closed his eyes.

The friends all looked at each other before Liz spoke in hushed tones. “You don’t think…” She trailed off. “I mean…we’re not talking about a subconscious connection, are we?”

Isabel looked at Alex for a moment before looking back at Liz. “Stranger things have happened.” She offered.

Max smiled. “And there’s only one way to find out.”



The End.