| Fan Fiction |
by Shweta
“I can still remember,” he sighed aloud as he looked at the picture of him and Ariel holding out a peace sign. Ariel’s forehead was bandaged, and so was the wrist of the hand she had held up. “You were falling down the nasty cliff and I couldn’t do anything to stop the fall. I carried you away to the hospital, and treated you myself! You were so beautiful...I didn’t want anything to happen to you...so what if you were married?”
“I returned you safely to your husband thinking that it would be a joyous meeting, and that he’s off somewhere depressed, and what does he do? He kisses another woman...I know you are upset now, but I can make you see that there is a chance for you and me...this dinner, it’s going to be the first step for our friendship.” He smiled down at the lobster and wine he had arranged.
Dean had been patiently waiting for Ariel ever since he saw her face clearly after the blood had been washed from her face. But he gave up all hopes of love, when he saw the sparkling diamond on her finger, he treated her well, became her friend, and drove her to her husband’s house...Joe was it?
When he saw Joe kissing another woman, he wanted to punch Joe’s eye out...it had only been two months! Two months since Ariel’s death and he went ahead and kissed another woman! If Dean was in his place, he would have mourned over Ariel forever.
The doorbell rang just in time and Dean hurried to answer the door. He found Ariel there, with a very confused look on her face.
“What happened? Everything good?” He asked, even though he knew the answer. Ariel’s face showed every sign of distress, which meant that whatever happened, wasn’t good. Joe had been hoping the divorce wouldn’t happen and now his wish came true. Dean just knew that Joe played every last nasty trick in the book, to keep Ariel by his side.
“The judge didn’t grant us a divorce.” Ariel said softly. She knew Dean was waiting for the divorce to happen, and that he was waiting for her to come to him. She had tried to ignore his feelings in the past, but they were really hard to ignore.
Oh no, Dean didn’t force his feelings on Ariel, and neither did he demand anything. His first priority was friendship, and he wouldn’t upset her, she knew this much.
But it was still difficult to ignore the hope in his eyes, that were now growing dim because of her announcement.
“What do you mean the judge didn’t grant you a divorce? How is that possible? Did Joe bribe her or something?”
“No, he didn’t!” Ariel jumped to defend Joe, which annoyed her. She was trying to hate Joe and she still couldn’t stop defending him to people.
“Then why didn’t she grant you a divorce?”
“Well, she said the grounds for the divorce were unstable, and she gave us nine months to sort out our problems, and after that if we still want a divorce, it’s ours.”
“Nine months? What nonsense! Why do you have to stay married nine months to that man, the man you don’t even like? But...I thought, you were going to take an annulment...why did you choose divorce?”
“We don’t come under the laws for annulment because...um...well, because we consummated our marriage.” Ariel replied in a low voice. She was embarrassed to say the word, what happened between her and Joe, it was beautiful, and this word, consummated, was killing the beauty of that night.
“Oh...” Dean’s face went pink too. Ariel knew he was hurt, but she couldn’t lie for him. “Well, let’s enjoy our meal; we’ll talk about this later, shall we?”
“Ok,” Ariel agreed, and went over to the table. Her mouth watered instantly, as she realised she was starving. She hadn’t eaten anything since that morning, and then the whole court procedure had tired her out. “Wonderful spread, wine and Lobster!”
“Thank you, dig in.”
“Don’t mind if I do...”
Ariel and Dean ate in silence, and just when Dean’s lobster was done, his cell phone began to ring. The number was a new one, and Dean didn’t recognise it. Thinking it to be a patient, he went out to the balcony and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Dean? It’s Joe.” The reply came instantly. Dean’s insides started burning with anger. Joe? He had the nerve to call him!
“What do you want?” Dean asked abruptly, then breathed a sigh, and apologised and tried again. “What do you want, Joe?”
“I...want to talk to you, in private...please meet me tonight at ten, near my house, I trust you know where it is by now?” Joe giggled, and Dean giggled back. He knew Joe was a nice guy, but he couldn’t help but hate him. How could you not hate the husband of the woman you like? He was jealous, and angry over Joe, but that didn’t mean Joe was a bad guy.
“I’ll meet you there then.” Dean replied and hung up.
“Who was it?” Ariel asked as he returned. She was in the middle of cleaning her plate.
“Oh, just some patient.” Dean lied. Joe hadn’t asked him to keep things between them, but he sensed the situation called for some secrecy.
***
“Hey.” Joe smiled as he opened the door.
“Hey.” Dean replied and shrugged. “So, what did you want?”
“Come in...please, and pour yourself some wine.”
“No, I’m driving, and I already had too much.” Dean replied, and almost laughed at the casual way they were treating each other, as if they had been friends for a long time. “Get straight to the point.”
“Well, as you know, Ariel and I are married...”
“Soon to be were married...” Dean interrupted.
“Well, see, that’s what I need your help in.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I love Ariel, and always have and always will. We started out as enemies...well, at least she thought of me as an enemy, and then well, we fell in love, and it was beautiful. I want that love back...I want Ariel back. I know you’re harbouring feelings for her, that’s why I’m asking you to help me.”
“You want Ariel back? And you think I’m just going to give her up without any fight? Why would I want to help you?”
“Because we both love Ariel, and I think we both know who Ariel loves.”
“That can be changed.”
“It shouldn’t! Ariel loves me, and I love her...we just have some...misunderstandings, and...”
“Misunderstandings? You think she misunderstood you kissing that girl? She saw it with her own eyes, it had only been two months and you were already smooching someone else! She cried the whole night that day.”
“I’m...sorry...but that was the first time I had kissed a woman after Ariel’s death. I intended mourning over her forever, but...but...”
“The other woman was just too tempting? I’m sorry but that’s just a lame excuse. How can Ariel be sure you’d control yourself after you guys got back together, eh?”
“I love Ariel, I would never betray her!”
“Well, you already did. I like Ariel too, and I’m sure I’d fall in love with her if she gave me a chance. Once she’s over you, I’m sure the two of us could show you the real meaning of love.”
“Dean, please. You said yourself, you like Ariel, and well, I LOVE her! That day, the whole kiss scene, well, it’s not what it seems. Rainie consoled me when Ariel died, and I was just...”
“Consoling her back? Returning the favour? Well, I bet she can console you very well after your divorce with Ariel.”
“You don’t understand...”
“I don’t want to.” Dean replied. “I’m going, this was a useless visit.”
“Dean, wait.” Joe blocked Dean’s way to the entrance.
“Let me go, Joe.”
“I will, just hear me our once, ok?”
“I heard you enough, I won’t help you.”
“No you haven’t heard me out! Please, listen to reason.”
“Goodbye Joe.” Dean said pushing Joe to the side.
“But Dean...”
“Goodbye!”
***
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