Why Does Kirk Look So Surprised?!!?

Why does Kirk look so surprised?!!?

Faithfully

Warnings: Tissues might be needed. I needed a reason to have a good cry. Also discovered it's hard to type when you can't see the keyboard.....

I remember the first time I saw her. Well, I heard her first. Me and Lars had gone out to dinner. As we walked back to our cars, we passed a small dive bar. The voice that came floating out the door intoxicated me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Lars, still yabbering away, plowed into me. Almost in a trance, I walked into the bar. She was standing on the small basement stage with four other musicians. I found a table in the back and sat, barely aware that Lars had followed me. No one noticed we’d entered the place. She finished singing Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. The crowd applauded.

“Y’all liked that one?” she giggled. The crowd yelled their appreciation. “What do you want to hear next?”

“The Boxer!” “Nothing Else!” “Sound of Silence!” “Faithfully!”

“Hey! Hey! Hey! You know I don’t do Metallica!” she laughed, pointing to the guy who’d called out my own song, before turning to get a drink “Well, not in San Fran anyway!" There was laughter in the crowd. “Let’s end the night on a high note” she laughed with the band. They launched into Faithfully by Journey. Again, I was entranced. That last note I thought she’d never let it end. It floated in the air effortlessly. The crowd happily cheered them. Her. I turned to Lars “Damn! She’s good!”

“Are you thinking with your head or your brains?” the little Dane snarked with a laugh at me.

Laughing slightly, “Probably both!”

Me and Lars left the place as the house lights came on. Over the next couple of weeks, I saw her perform as many times as I could. I would always sneak in after they had started performing. Not once was I recognized. Well, the barkeep recognized me, but kept his mouth shut and even helped get me in and out without too much hoopla. A couple of times, I sat on the backbar to watch. Her. The barkeep was the one who told me that she was single. And her name. Y/N. That name struck a chord in my heart. Y/N was a natural on the stage. Every night, she would turn down the request to sing any Metallica song.

One night as I tried to sneak out the back, I plowed into Y/N. Literally. I parked her on her ass.

“oohff” escaped her as she landed on the floor.

“Oh man! I’m super sorry!” I pulled her to her feet “You ok?”

Rubbing her butt, “Yeah.” Then she grinned “It’s all good. You ok? I kinda mowed into you a little hard there.”

“Yeah, I’m good.” I could see that she was blushing. I think I was too. “You sounded good tonight.”

Y/N looked down at her hands for a second, then back up at me “Just tonight?” she said softly.

“You noticed?”

A huge smirk plastered on her face “You are kinda recognizable.” She crinkled her nose a little “And kinda tall.”

“Yeah, that has been a problem over the years.” She giggled. “Can I take you out to dinner?” I asked feeling like a teenager.

Shrugging her shoulders slightly, “Sure. Not sure what’s open at 2am, but sure!”

We ended up at a Taco Bell.

The first time I kissed Y/N it was like we were both zapped by static electricity. What was supposed to be just a kiss quickly became something much more. Ok. We ended up in bed.

We started dating. Seriously dating. I had her at my side as much as possible. The age difference – she’s 8 years younger than me – doesn’t bother me. Y/N claims that it doesn’t bother her either. The height difference – I’m 6 foot 1, she’s 5 foot 2 – quickly became a constant joke between us. Well, everyone. She’s even shorter than Lars!

A month later, I asked Y/N to move in with me. “You know what’s going to be said about that, don’t you?” she grimaced slightly.

“What?” as I wrapped my arms around her.

“That I’m mooching off you” she put her hands on my chest.

“You’re a better singer than I am” I caressed her hair.

“That’s debatable” she sighed out.

Turns out, we both suffer from serious performance anxiety. We both manage to cover it up pretty good once we get on stage. Getting us there can be another story.

One night, while cuddling in bed – after we’d fucked each other silly – I finally asked, “Why won’t you sing Metallica songs?”

“I don’t have the voice for it” Y/N stated simply. “I don’t have the power. I’d love to be able to sing the heavy songs, but my voice just lacks … something.”

“I think you’d do a great version of Nothing” I smiled at her.

“Maybe” she grinned.

I took her camping that weekend. We ended up spending most of the weekend in the tent as it poured down rain. If memory serves me right, neither of us could walk straight as we packed up the truck, giggling the whole time.

Y/N walked slowly out of the bathroom one morning about two months after the hiking trip. Her face pale. Her hands shaking. The pregnancy test stick wobbling in her hands. “James” her voice shook. I just pulled her into my lap. “We were so careful” she whispered.

Seeing the pink plus sign on the tester, “I know” I kissed her forehead. “One must have broken.” I rocked Y/N in my arms a moment.

“James?”

“Yeah?”

“Stop rocking me.”

“What?”

“I’m nauseous enough. Please stop rocking me.”

“Oh god” I stopped rocking. But snugged her tighter to me “Sorry.”

“I’m so old” she whimpered.

I kissed her forehead. “I know this won’t be easy.” I kissed her forehead again. “We need to get you the best baby doctor.”

Wrapping her arms around my neck, “They are called OBGYN.”

I held her tighter, “I got you.”

Within days, I’d found her the best one in the city. Ok. Avi found the OBGYN. The doctor called it a Late In Life pregnancy. And it would not be easy. And that we should consider all the options. ALL the options. Y/N quickly batted down the hardest idea immediately. “No. If we aren’t supposed to become parents, then the Fates would not have let this happen. I’m not going to throw it away.”

“Ok. I got you.”

“I know that you already have kids.” The worry plain on Y/N’s face.

“I do. But, I’m willing to move forward with this.” I put my hand on her belly, “If you are.” Y/N just nodded and snuggled up closer to me. I held her tightly.

During one of the baby doctor visits, a sonogram was performed. We were both excited to see our baby. Then Y/N’s face paled “Doc?”

“Yes Y/N?” she smiled.

“What’s that?” Y/N pointed to a small bulge on the side of the image.

Moving the wand, “Well look at that!” the doctor smiled. “Twins!”

I just looked at Y/N. With a look of total panic etched on her face “Twins?” she whispered.

“We’ll manage” I whispered into her hair.

She nuzzled into my neck “mmk.” Then sighing “I will need to stop performing.”

I looked into her eyes “Why?”

Smiling “That’s one less stress in my life.”

I huffed out a laugh “That’s true!”

Then we heard the heart beats. Two little washing machines swishing away. The doctor gave us prints of the sonogram. I stuck one on my mic stand in my vocal booth at HQ. Y/N put one on the fridge at home.

The following weekend, Y/N put on her final performance. Rubbing her growing belly the whole time! Me, Lars, Kirk and Rob showed up. Y/N even pointed us out. When she announced that this would be her last performance, the crowd was shocked into silence. Until she announced why. The applause grew in the crowd.

“Ok. So. What should be my last song for y’all?” she smiled at the crowd, hand on her belly.

I had already schemed with the other three. We yelled out “Nothing Else Matters!” louder than everybody else.

Y/N, leaning on the mic stand and holding her belly, laughed loudly. “Well, only if you four dorks” pointing at us “get up here and join these four jerks!” she hiked her thumb over her shoulder at her bandmates. Her band was behind her almost begging us to take the stage. As we walked to the tiny little stage, the audience went nuts. As part of my scheming, Avi had made certain that me, Kirk and Rob had guitars at the bar. Lars was stuck with the drum set already there. I stood behind Y/N as she sang my song. Perfectly. When done, Y/N took her bow. We encouraged the crowd to keep applauding her. Turning around, she saw what that eight of us behind her were doing and she smacked my bicep. Hard. But laughing. Flipping my guitar to my back, I grabbed Y/N and planted a deep kiss on her. Right there. On that tiny little basement stage. I heard the crowd go quiet. Then they burst out cheering. From behind the drumset, Lars yelled “Get a room!”

Kirk chimed in “They already did!”

The place busts out in laughter. I eased us out of the kiss, smiling at her. She wrinkled her nose at me, then rested her head on my chest.

The four of us pushed Y/N and her band to front of the stage to take their well deserved bows. When the house lights came on, I handed off my guitar to Chad and took Y/N’s hand leading her off the stage. I again kissed her, my hand resting on her belly. Her hand covered mine as her other arm wrapped around my waist. I almost carried her out to my truck.

Y/N made me call my grown kids to tell them the news. “They don’t need to find out from the gossip rags.”

Over the following months, Y/N began having some serious medical issues. The doctor put her in the hospital. With two months to go. It almost drove her nuts with the restrictions they had on her. They actually counted the number of steps she could take in 24 hours. I stayed with her, trying to keep her spirits up. I’d sit in her room and play guitar. I wrote several songs there.

As baby delivery time got closer, Y/N was – at times – exceedingly uncomfortable. I would sit on her bed rubbing her belly. Or her back. Or her cramping feet.

One night Y/N woke me up, smacking me hard. “James!” I bolted upright. “James!” she was panting hard. The stupid call button had fallen off the bed. I hit the button as I held Y/N. She clutched my wrist, eyes wide in both pain and fear. “It’s too soon” she almost begged me.

The door crashed open with all the night nurses entering the room. Within minutes, Y/N was being pushed to delivery with me running behind the bed. I held her hand as the contractions quickly became strong. The doctor was soon there too. Concerned over all three heartbeats, natural delivery quickly became a Cesarean. A barrier was lifted over Y/N’s midsection. The nurses let me get up by Y/N’s head. I wrapped my hands around her head and the back of her neck, my lips right beside her ear. She rested her forehead on my cheek. Her fingers clutched at my wrists.

Our first child – a son – was laid on her chest. Screaming. Y/N started giggling hard “He’s a Hetfield!” Our second child – a daughter – was also laid on Y/N’s chest. We both rested our hands on the naked little beings. Our kids. Y/N started crying softly. I joined her, kissing her temple. Once the stitches on Y/N’s belly had been done, the doctor checked out the kids. Both were a little underweight, but acceptable for twins. Then we are told that our son was born on the 6th. Our daughter on the 7th. Even though they were born only 4 minutes apart. Y/N giggled softly leaning her head into my arm, “At least they get their own birthdays!” I joined in the giggling.

The kids were taken to the nursery for a full check out as they wheeled Y/N back to her room. The lead night nurse leaves a couple of clipboards on the bedtable, “You’ll need to get these filled out soon. Please.”

“Can those wait till morning? Y/N really needs some sleep” as I watch Y/N fight to keep her eyes open.

“Sure” the nurse smiled before leaving the room.

I stretch out on my side next to Y/N. She leans into me. I gently rub her eyebrows “Sleep.” I feel her body sag into sleep a few moments later. I lay there gently rubbing her eyebrows, letting my fingers glide over her forehead, down her cheeks, over her lips softly. She snorfels softly in her sleep, nuzzling deeper into my chest. My hand naturally went to rest on her belly. I almost smacked her as the large baby bump was gone. I leaned my head on hers.

The blinding sun shining in the window woke me. I stretch slightly as I am still cradling Y/N. The mother of my twins. Heaving a sigh, I kiss her forehead. I detangle myself to go use the bathroom. When I exit, I pick up the clipboards. One for our son. One for our daughter. Their names blank. Our names had been printed out as the parents. I look at the woman sleeping in the hospital bed in front of me. My heart is not sure if it wants to break or is so full it’s breaking. I have three grown kids. It hits me that I am going to be in my early 80’s when these two graduate high school. Heaving a sigh, I reclaim my spot next to Y/N. She snorfels awake.

“hey” she whispers.

“Hey” I kiss her forehead “Mom.”

She starts to snicker, then reaches for her stomach. “Stitches.” Looking up at me, she kisses my chin “Morning Dad.” She snickers again, “But then you are used to being called that.”

I nod, “I am. But it’s always special to hear it.”

There’s a soft knock on the room door. “Come” I call out.

It takes two nurses to wheel in the basinets with our kids. They are being a little fussy. I push the button to raise the head of Y/N’s bed. One of the nurses hands Y/N our son. “They might be a little hungry.”

Y/N blushes some “I think the diner is open” as she looks at the wet spots forming on the front of her hospital gown.

Smiling “Can I show you?” I ask her. Y/N gently smiles at me blushing even more. I gently pull open the front of the hospital gown. Cupping our sons’ head, I guide his little mouth to her wet nipple. He latches on almost immediately. I take Y/N’s hand and guide it to the back of our son’s head, holding it so he can happily feed.

“You’ve had kids?” the first nurse looks at me.

“Three” I smile back at her.

“Then, I will leave you to it” the first nurse grins as the two leave the room.

I collect our fussing daughter and pace with her until our son is done. “Here” I smile as we trade kids. I pace the room more, gently patting our son on the back. The small bundle lets out a massive belch.

“Like father like son!” Y/N snarks softly at me. I chuckle softly.

Again, we trade off kids. I pace the room burping our daughter. She lets out a smaller belch. We both snicker. I put our daughter into the bassinette. As I go to lay our son into the other, they start fussing again. I look at Y/N and she just nods smiling. Shifting our daughter a little, I put our son down next to his sister. It seems that both kids sigh before drifting off to sleep. I push the empty bassinette into a corner of the room and push the loaded one close to the bed. I collect the clipboards and retake my spot next to Y/N.

“So. What are we going to name our kids?”

Heaving a sigh “I was thinking ….” her voice trails off.

“Yes?” I kiss her forehead.

“For our son, Forest. For our daughter Ivy.”

Nodding, “I like those.” I kiss her forehead again. “How about middle names?”

“I don’t know.” She looks at me “Tents?” We both bust out laughing as Y/N holds her stitches.

Our son is named Forest Cliffton. His middle name a combination of Y/N’s dad’s name – Milton. And Cliff.

Our daughter is named Ivy Elizabeth.

Y/N and the kids have to spend at least a week in the hospital. But the whole crew – including wives, girlfriends and partners – from HQ drop by to meet the newest editions to the immediate family. Both Lars and Kirk show up to help shift Y/N and the kids home. Rob, Chloe and Jess have evidently already been to the house as it’s been cleaned up. Groceries are in the fridge. Sheets have been changed. Garbage taken out. There are several premade dishes in the fridge for us.

Just getting Y/N into the house and tucked into the sofa has exhausted her. The kids are happily asleep in their car seats. I let them sleep there. We all sit around the living room talking about our kids. Kirk’s youngest is just a couple of years old. All four of us have kids in their teens or older. I get calls from my older kids wanting to know how their younger siblings are. I send them photos of Forest and Ivy in their car seats.

It seems like it’s just been days since the twins came home. But they are beginning to teeth. I hear Y/N whimper and watch her wince while feeding Forest.

“Stop biting Mama, you little milk vampire!” she chuckles gently at our son.

“That bad?” I grin at her as I hand off Ivy and collect Forest.

“You have been gentler to my boobs than your son!” she grins as she positions Ivy. “Ouch!” Y/N shifts Ivy a little “A second little milk vampire!” I reach down, wipe off Y/N’s other boob and lick off the seepage from my hand. “Cleaning up after your son, hmm?” she snarks softly at me. I just nod at her smiling face just before she winces again. “That’s it. You two are getting weaned!” Wiggling my eyebrows at her, I chuckle. “And if you use what I’ve pumped in the fridge for your coffee again, you’re going to be in trouble!”

I just chuckle as I walk with Forest into the living room, burping him. He finally rips a loud one. Into my ear. “Yeah, I probably deserved that one!” Hoisting my son a little higher in my arms, I set about making my coffee. As I open the fridge, I consider the small bottles on the second shelf.

“Don’t you dare!” Y/N snarks behind me. “Literally taking the food from your children for your coffee!” She’s carrying Ivy and adjusting her bra. Ivy coos at her mother. “I know you prefer it warm directly from the tap. But you are cut off.” She nuzzles the small face. I grab them and smooch them both, making them both giggle along with Forest.

“Well, if they are cut off ….” I reach for one of the small bottles.

Y/N smacks my hand “They are cut off from the tap. Not the milk!” she laughs.

Several months later, we have returned to the studio. It’s time to consider the AWMH Concert again. I pull Y/N into my arms “C’mere.” We snuggle for a minute. “I had a thought on the way home.”

She strokes my hair “And what thought is that?” she smiles serenely at me.

“Would you consider singing a couple of songs at the AWHM show?”

She leans into my chest “Let me think on that.”

Three months later, Y/N and I finish the AWMH Concert with Nothing. She did an amazing job.

Seven years later….

I’m in the studio with the others. We are putting the final touches on a song for the new release. Y/N had taken the kids shoe shopping. It’s been an off day for me. I can’t seem to get anything right. I’m frustrated. Even Lars is seeing that I’m having a hard time and leaves me alone.

Avi walks into the studio, his face pale. There’s a CHiP officer walking behind him. “Avi?” my voice shakes.

“James. There’s” he gulps, “been … an accident…”

“Where is Y/N and the twins?” I almost bark at him. I’m barely aware that Chad is there pulling my guitar and in-ear monitors off me. “Where?”

“Your children are bumped and bruised. They are in San Fran General” the officer speaks up, taking a couple of steps closer to me.

“Y/N?”

The officer’s eyes are kind. “She didn’t … make it.”

I’m aware that there’s someone screaming as I sink to my knees. Lars has almost knocked over his whole drum kit to get to me. That someone screaming is me. Kirk and Rob are pulling me to my feet. Lars slides me into the back seat of the officer’s car and sits next to me. The officer takes us with lights flashing to the hospital. Lars leads me through the hallways to a room. The twins are there, sitting on the bed side-by-side. When they see me, they collide with me. I pull them in, squeezing them to me. We sit there sobbing.

It takes me some time to calm. The twins have cried themselves to sleep. The officer has hung around. “Please tell me what happened” I plead.

“It was a wrong way entry to the freeway in a stolen delivery van. That van hit a sedan and both vehicles hit your truck head on.” He’s wringing his hands. “She didn’t suffer” he almost whispers.

I again break down sobbing.

Lars and Jess help me to plan Y/N’s funeral. Ok. Lars and Jess planned it. I couldn’t. The twins clung to me over those days. I let them.

Over the next decade, the twins and I managed to muddle through. We talk about Y/N all the time. Her massive silver tabby cat – Mithril - would occasionally sit at the top of the stairs, staring at the ledge in the bend of the stairs. There’s nothing there. Y/N had always wanted to put a fake plant there. But we never got one picked out. I shiver every time I see her cat staring at the empty shelf.

“Ok you two! School bus is leaving!” I yell up the stairs to the twins.

“Coming!” “On it Dad!”

They come storming down the stairs, tugging on jackets, carrying backpacks, dodging the cat.

Seeing my backpack on the table, “Where are you going, Dad?” Ivy asks, her fingers grazing the straps of the pack.

“I thought I’d go glassing for bucks up on the ridge after dropping you two off” I grin at my youngest child.

Ivy’s dark eyes – her mother’s eyes – look at me “Please take your avalanche beacon” she whispers.

I frown slightly at my youngest daughter “Ok. I’ll take it.”

She kisses my chin, “Thanks Dad.”

“Hey Dad, I’m going with Rudy after school to shoot some hoops. Is that ok?”

“Sure Forest. What time do you think you’ll be home?”

“Probably 4:30 or 5.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I’m supposed to go help Stacy with her English paper after school” Ivy speaks up.

“mmk. Same question, Ivy.”

“4:30 or 5ish.”

“Deal. Let’s roll out kiddos!” as I grab my wallet, backpack, phone and key fob. As we walk through the garage, I grab my avalanche beacon and attach it to my backpack. Ivy smiles at me.

After dropping them off, I head up into the hills to a trailhead that I’ve heard has been busy with elk this year. I wander through the wilderness, spotting several big bucks. I note where they are roaming. Checking the time, I turn and start my way back. As I’m navigating a trail by a ravine, I trip……

I snorfel awake. Y/N is laying in the bed next to me, smiling gently at me.

“There they are! Those stunning blue eyes” she purrs at me.

“Y/N? How are you here with me?” I rub my forehead, the remnant of a headache fading.

Her fingers are gently playing with my hair “James. I am not … there ..with you.” She heaves a sigh. “You are ….here ..with me.” I look into her eyes completely confused. “What’s the last thing you remember?” she smiles softly at me, her hand planted on my chest.

“I’d been out on the ridge glassing…” the images dancing in my head. “I was walking …. back to the truck. I tripped….” She just nods gently with a wonky smile. “I’m …?”

She nods. “You didn’t trip. The lip of the ravine collapsed. Your head hit a boulder about 15 feet down.”

“That explains the headache” I snark.

“It was instant and I’m glad for that” she winces some.

“Tell me please” I ask her softly.

“When your body hit the bottom of the ravine, the impact snapped your neck and broke your spine in three places.” She caresses my hair “If you had survived the fall … James, you would never have walked again. Nor been able to play guitar again.” She sighed heavily “Ever.”

It hits me what she’s just said. “You were there.”

Nodding, “James, I haven’t left your side since you collected the twins after I …..” she looks down for a second, then back to my eyes. “I was lying next to you every time you cried yourself to sleep. I would sing to you most nights. I was there begging you to put the beer or vodka back on the shelf at the store.”

The tears are streaming down my cheeks. My fingers cup her head. “There were times when I could have sworn you there. Holding me.” Smiling, she kisses the corner of my mouth. “Because you were…” She just nods slowly. I pull her into me, hugging her tightly, kissing the top of her head. Finally easing my hold on her, “Did it … hurt?”

“For a moment” she whispers

“You knew.”

Nodding into my chest, “I did. There was a concrete wall to my right and three lanes of traffic to my left. Trying to turn the truck, we would have been broadsided by cars on both sides. And all three of us would have died.” She’s wrapped her arms around me.

“So you sacrificed yourself …”

“To save our children. Yes.”

I again pull her tight to me. “How are the twins now?”

Putting a hand in the middle of my chest, Y/N pushes up, kissing me, then smiling, “Come with me.” She holds out her hand. Looking at me, Y/N crinkles her nose some “This might make you dizzy.”

Pulling me from the bed we’ve been lying in, the moment my feet hit the floor, the room blurs-spins-shakes before coming back into focus. We are sitting on the stairway ledge. Mithril is sitting at the top of the stairs. Staring. “Hi Mithril” Y/N greets the massive cat. It meows back at her.

“He can see you?” Y/N just nods. The cat meows again softly. Taking in the view, the twins are sitting at the dining room table doing homework. Y/N’s other large cat is sitting in Ivy’s lap. Staring at us.

Just then, Castor comes almost running to the stairs “Mom!” he steps over Mithril.

“What Castor?” Fran’s voice floats from the kitchen.

“First, the cat is staring again. Second, have you seen my sweatshirt?”

“Leave the poor cat alone and your sweatshirt is on the back of a chair in here” Fran walks out into the dining room carrying a couple of mugs. “Here you two go” setting the mugs down in front of the twins.

Forest takes his and sips some, whipped cream sticking to his upper lip.

Ivy’s fingers wrap around her mug. “Fran?”

“Yes, Ivy?”

“Why are you staying with us? Onkel Lars is our godfather” Ivy’s voice soft, verging on tears.

Fran sits at the table, “Yes, Lars is your godfather. But he doesn’t want to live in Colorado. You two have said that you don’t want to live in Denmark.” Castor sits at the table. “You are James’ children. I know how he’d want you two to be raised.” She shrugs some. “I wasn’t going to let just anyone raise you two.”

“You still love Dad?” Ivy looks at my ex-wife. Fran just nods slowly.

“But why are the others here too?” Forest asks bluntly.

Smiling at him, “Your older siblings want to be part of your lives too” as Marcella and Cali join the table with their own mugs. Fran smiles at the two young women.

Marcella leans on the table, “Tell us about your Mom.”

I pull Y/N into my lap on the ledge as the six people gathered around the table start talking. Telling stories. About Y/N. About me.

As the day fades, I see silver beams glowing out the window running across the landscape. Y/N sees my confusion. “Those are lifelines. They will all live long lives.”

“But whose that short one that fades?”

“Mithril’s” Y/N smiles at me. “The kids all have long lines. Even Fran’s is a long one” Y/N snuggles up close to me.

The people that have had to become family finally turn in for the night. Y/N helps me navigate off the ledge. Hand in hand, we check in on our twins. In our daughter’s room, Y/N gently brushes a stray hair from Ivy’s forehead. She sighs and snuggles into her pillow. In Forest’s room, Y/N tugs the blanket a little closer to his chin. He snorfels in his sleep. In my older children’s rooms, I check on them. As we walk down the hallway, I stop in what had been my bedroom. Fran is again sleeping in my bed. With both cats. “Thank you Fran” I whisper. Fran sighs and rolls to my side of the bed. Y/N and I walk into the hallway. Turning to Y/N, I hold out my hand to her.

Smiling gently at me, “Are you ready?” she whispers.

Nodding, I pull her to me. Kissing her. Her arms wrap around me. Leaning my forehead against hers, “Yes.”

She pulls my head to her, kissing me.

“I love you James” she whispers to me.

“I love you Y/N” I whisper back as we kiss again.

The hallway fades away. Our feet leave solid surface. Stars begin to fill in around us. Our arms wrap tighter around each other. I look into her eyes seeing the stars reflected there. Her smile glorious. It starts with a rumble. One that I recognize. Grass slowly fills in below our feet. A stadium materializes. Candlestick Park. A song echoes in my ears. From behind me I hear him …

“James! About time!” Cliff is running towards me. Red hair flying, his bass slung over his shoulder. “C’mon! I have some new riffs to show you!”