Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Ethan walked into his office, curiosity taking over as he wondered why Mia needed to talk to him. Doug was fidgeting and making excuses to leave “Oh my! Look at the time. I need to go home and sleep.”
“You don’t sleep until 3 in the morning!” Mia snapped as she pointed into the office “Don’t make me use force.” She threatened.
Doug reluctantly entered as he took a seat on one of the chairs “What’s with her?” Ethan whispered while Mia closed the door.
“You’ll know.” Doug smiled sympathetically.
Mia pointed at Ethan and then to a chair “Sit.” She commanded. He looked at her strangely but took the empty seat next to Doug. Mia walked around the table and invaded Ethan's chair behind the desk “So, a little birdie told me a little secret. Do you want to hear it Ethan?” her grin was plastered on and he could almost sense something bad.
Ethan shrugged but his eyes did a double take on Doug, who was not looking at him in the eye “You told her, didn’t you!!” he pointed his finger at Doug.
“She threatened me!!” Doug cried in his own defense.
“With what? A cheesecake?” Ethan was just kidding but Doug’s blushing face gave it away “A cheesecake.” He said in defeat “Just like that one time she asked if you had any deep dark secrets and you said no. She gave you a slice and you were spilling it all out. I can’t believe you, Doug.” He said with disappointment “I asked you to keep ONE secret. It’s not brain surgery.”
“Hey, you were lucky I kept it for this long. You know me and secrets.” Doug replied weakly.
Mia waved her hand to get the guy’s attentions “Hello. Back to earth, freaks.” She cleared her throat “Okay…Ethan, do you have something to tell me?”
He shook his head slowly “Not that I know of. Cheesecake boy already told you everything.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” her voice softened “I had no idea and I even blamed you for getting into a fight.”
“You made her cry.” Doug added.
Mia tilted her head at him “Get out.” She pointed at the door.
“Hey, YOU ordered for me to join you!” he got up and stomped out the door.
She let out a sigh and turned back to Ethan, whose head was lowered. Mia got up and took Doug’s seat “I’m sorry.” She said earnestly.
He laughed forcefully “Why?”
“Don’t.” she shook her head “You’re always trying to make things light. I know I hurt your feelings. Please, next time tell me the truth. We’re friends, we shouldn’t have lies.”
Ethan leaned his head to the side with a content smile “You’ve grown Mia.” He observed.
She turned her eyes away slowly “You’re right. Do you miss the old Mia?”
“Sometimes. But not the one that always played tricks on me. This Mia is more mature and has learned to think for herself as well as others.” Ethan observed.
“I guess the amnesia helped?” she laughed “I should thank Reina the next time I visit her.”
“You are still seeing her?” Ethan asked with concern.
Mia nodded “It’s like I’m drawn to her. I go back every once in a while to ask her questions. I can feel that she is very angry and sad. She’s really hurting but she masks it with hatred. I wish she could open up more.”
“Mia, this is a dangerous game you’re playing. I think you should stop seeing Reina. Your mind is very easily manipulated right now.” Ethan warned.
“Really? Then why haven’t you convinced me to like you?” Mia asked.
He was taken aback by her forwardness “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” She nodded “I know how you feel Ethan. Why haven’t you come clean?”
“You’re engaged.” He said flatly, reminding her of her engagement with Darren.
She shook her head “It’s been broken for a while. You know that. Why haven’t you fought for me?” she laughed at the insanity of it all “Of course not. Ethan Chan doesn’t ever do anything for himself, he’s so busy being the ‘good guy’.” She said with sarcasm while pushing her chair back to get up “Let me tell you something, chances only happen once. When you miss it, you need to learn to live with the consequences. This is your chance.”
His heart wanted to stand up and hug her in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to tell her that he had been waiting for the chance for a very long time and how deliriously happy he was that has finally noticed him. Yet, his mind would not let the heart be the winner “Chances are meant to pass you by. If they don’t, you will never know what you’ve lost until it’s gone.” He stood up, reached out his hand and moved the strand of hair that hung over her left eye “I’m the type of person that never takes a chance. There is another man that needs this chance, why don’t you give it to him?” it broke his heart to say it but he knew what was best for her. The real Mia would thank him.
She nodded with understanding “I see.” She turned and left his office without saying another word.
**********
It was close to midnight when Erin woke up thirsty. She sensed someone in the room with her but she didn’t know whom. She reached over to her left for the pitcher of water that she knew was there. She touched around for the glass as she picked it up and using her other hand, she tried to pour the water into the glass. The water spilled everywhere and she cursed in her head. She set the glass on the table but missed it completely as it crashed into the floor. She felt a stir on her right side but quickly moved off the bed to pick up the pieces of the glass before someone got hurt.
Erin tried her best to delicately touch the ground. Her hand was immediately cut when she was in contact with the broken glass “Ow!” she cried and her reflexes made her yank her hand back.
“Erin!” Ted’s eyes popped open as he saw her flinching in pain. He moved around the bed and saw that she had cut her hand “Why didn’t you wake me?”
She shook her head “I just wanted water. I can’t even get a glass of water, Ted." she turned to him with blank eyes "What am I going to do?”
“I’ll be here.” He reminded her as he set her back on the bed and began bandaging her finger with the first aid kit “I won’t ever leave your side.”
“You can’t do this forever.” Erin sighed tiredly, the medicine was still in her system.
“I can try.” He smiled but remembered that she could not see his face. He took her hands in his own “Erin, don’t push me away, please. I want to help you. We all do.”
She nodded eventually “I know.”
“Are you sleepy?” he asked. She shook her head “We could talk if you want.”
“About what?” she smiled at the thought.
“Anything.” Ted grinned, he finally got to see her smile “The future, what you went through…Brad.”
Erin’s eyes easily teared up at the thought of Brad “TK told me why he killed Brad.” She whispered “Reina wanted revenge for Andrew. TK was looking for me because he had to marry me to get my family as well as his family’s inheritance. He found Reina through Ah Bat and she told him about the P.R.A. and how to find me. But in exchange for the information, she wanted him to kill Brad. And he did.” She was choked up “I blamed myself for Brad’s death because if it wasn’t for me, he wouldn’t have to die.” She began sobbing uncontrollably.
Ted reached out to comfort her “Hey, hey…it’s not your fault. He would have found you eventually. And the only way to get you to marry him is to eliminate Brad. I’m not saying it was going to happen but I’m saying that you can’t change the past. There are too many what ifs, you have to let it go. You didn’t want him to die.”
“If only I can return to the past, I’d rather that shots go through me.” Erin’s tightened her grip around his neck “I’m scared Ted. I don’t know how long I can handle this. The only thing I have to live for is Shelly and the team. I can’t go back to work like this. I’m the big sister, now my little baby sister has to take care of me.”
“Don’t say that. You have me and the team. And Chuck…” he thought about telling her but felt it was better if Chuck told her himself “We all want you to get better. We still need your help to catch TK. He’ll be back for you. And when he comes, we’ll be ready.”
“The Mayor.” She pulled away quickly “Did you guys find him?”
“No. We’re guessing TK grabbed him first. I can’t believe he tried to kill you two with the fire.” Ted shook his head in disbelief.
“He didn’t.” Erin replied with knitted brows “He tried to get us out but Ted and Darren got there too quickly. He only managed to unlock our doors and then took off before the rest of the team came. I was surprise he wasn’t prepared.”
Ted frowned “He didn’t see it coming. So he didn’t want to kill you two.”
She shook her head “No. He never did. He was actually really nice to me. Now I know why.” She snickered at the thought of marrying the man that killed her fiancé with his own hands “He’s out of his mind if he thinks I would marry him.”
“That’s why he took Shelly, so he could use her as a hostage. The Mayor has the power to sign a marriage certificate, that’s why he took him in the first place.” Ted shook his head at the careful plan “He’s sneakier than we imagined.”
“Maybe not. After all he is siding with Reina. She’s a bomb waiting to explode, the plan will eventually backfire on him.” Erin predicted. Ted smiled as the old Erin was returning, she noticed there was a pause “What? Why are you smiling.”
“How did you know?” he wondered.
“I don’t, I was just guessing.” She smiled “I think my other senses are more sensitive now that my vision is gone.”
“It won’t be forever.” Ted assured her.
“How do you know?” she asked with a sigh and leaned back on the pillow “I could be one of those people on the street with a pair of sunglasses and a cane hitting everything and everyone in my way.”
“And I’ll be the one that pushes those people aside so you can walk in peace.” He laughed.
Erin’s smile faded “I don’t want you to feel obligated to take care of me because Brad asked you to. I don’t want to depend on anyone.”
“I know.” He nodded, she didn’t see the saddened expression on his face “I want to do this…Erin, I’ve been meaning to tell you--”
“I’m sorry.” She let out a short yawn “I’m very tired right now. How about we continue this some other time? You should go home and rest, I’ll be okay.” She confirmed.
He got her message as he nodded “Okay. I’ll be on the couch. Call me if you need me.” Erin nodded as she made herself comfortable on the bed.
***********
Ethan worked late into the night, his eyes dozing off every so often but he had too much paperwork to take care of. He nodded off for a few minutes and was awakened by a hard object pushing at his temple. He opened his eyes slowly and noticed a gun was pointed at his forehead “Yell and you’ll be saying hi to God…or the devil.” TK shrugged.
“What do you want?” Ethan asked in a shaky voice.
TK took a seat with the gun still pointing at Ethan “Your help.” He replied shortly.
“I don’t know you.”
“No, but you know Erin and the rest of her gang. Your book was really interesting by the way, I never liked to read but I found the hypnosis part very intriguing.” TK complimented. Ethan looked at him with fearful eyes “When someone says something nice, you usually respond with a…”
“Thank you.” Ethan finished.
TK’s head nodded “Very good. I guess people with an education is a little quicker. Anyways, let’s cut to the chase. I want you to hypnotize Erin. Make her fall in love with me.”
“That’s impossible.” Ethan shook his head “It’s one thing trying to convince a person that they are a chicken but to make their hearts lean to another person? Strictly impossible.”
“NO, that’s not the answer I wanted to hear!!” TK cried out suddenly, startling Ethan. He quickly cleared his throat and returned to his calmer side “Now, let me ask again. Can you do it?” he pointed the gun closer to Ethan.
Ethan was trembling as he was eye to eye with the barrel “I’ll try.”
TK shrugged after a moment “Good enough. I’ll be watching you.” He retrieved the gun and walked out of the office coolly. Ethan let out a sigh of relief, he wiped the cold sweat off his face. The guy was crazy if he thought Ethan had the power to manipulate the human heart. He noted to himself to talk to Erin if he got the chance to be alone with her.