Déjà vu

    by Arexu-chan

    Hello, dear Candyfans! Let me introduce to you my first fanfic, it isn’t a long and twisted story but just a short ministory about two so favorite characters. I don’t even dare call the parts of the fic “chapters”, I divided the fic into three parts because the composition is like this. Unfortunately I’m only a learner in English, I have no beta reader and mistakes can be frequent visitors here, but I really did my best working on this story now matter how short it is going to be. I want to say something that I just can’t neglect. Though I had planned this story long ago and started my work last month (I’m very slow I know), I felt a real urge to write the story till the end only after receiving shocking news that shook my whole being. Maybe I’m taking things too much to heart, time will show it, but now I feel that I have to do something for those who are so dear to me. That is why first of all this fanfic is dedicated to my two precious online friends that I found thanks to “Candy Candy”.

    Part I
    Reaching for the dream

    A briskly rattle of train wheels, tiny villages, woods and fields flashing by, the feeling of nervous expectation and awakening impatience – everything seemed to confirm that he was finally nearing the welcome moment when his dream would come true. He could barely sit on his place, his look swiftly moved from his watch to the window and back to his watch, passing this track over and over again. Every two minutes he stood up and leaned his head close to the window pane and peered forward trying to go ahead the train with his gaze. He knew that only a couple of minutes, no, just a few seconds more and the place that was the key to his dream would appear on the horizon. The train from New-York was approaching Chicago. Terence Graham Grandchester was finally going to make his dream come true.

    Opposite him Eleanor Baker watched her son’s abrupt movements with the corner of her eye, smiling inwardly. She was pretending no to notice Terry’s agitation and seemed to be reading the script of a new play she was going to participate in, but being a loving mother she couldn’t help sharing her son’s excitement. Moreover at this very moment Terry, who had been so reserved for a certain period of his life, represented quite an interesting sight.

    A voice from the loud-speaker solemnly announced that in ten minutes the train was arriving in Chicago and Terry jumped up from his seat and was about to pick up his suitcase – it had already been taken off from the shelf by Terry an hour ago – when his mother reached for his hand and invited him to resume his seat with a slight gesture.

    “Calm down, Terry. I’ll bet you were carried away by your emotions and missed the “in ten minutes” part of the announcement”.

    “As usual you’re right, mum. But I can’t put up with the idea of spending my time doing nothing but staring out of the window stupidly and waiting”.

    “… and doing clockwatching”, Eleanor Baker put away the script and looked up. “Honey, I understand now that all your ways are clear you can’t sit on your hands. Just try to take things a little bit slowlier. There are only several minutes. Not months, not years, Terry!”

    “Yes, not years…”

    How many years has it actually been? Six? Seven? A round dozen maybe? They appeared like a hundred to him, though he was perfectly aware of the number of years, month and days he had been deprived of her. Three years and a half had lasted his personal hell, three years and a half he needed to find the courage to take control of his destiny. The events of the last two days seemed to be so far away now.

    **********

    He was going to propose to Susanna. He     was believed to do it to be more specific. At first in private and then at the official dinner that Mrs. Marlow had appointed on the same afternoon in advance, which wasn’t surprising at all. The only thing that might have looked strange was the fact that Terry was the last person informed about it. Apparently Mrs. Marlow believed he wouldn’t be able to postpone his proposal for the third time and he would give in under her pressure upon his wounded guilt and duty feeling. He could as well have got accustomed to being manipulated and told what to do in Marlow’s house, however it was the last straw. Every day he woke up with the realization that he had to live in regrets and sorrow for the rest of his days, with his desperate need to see her, to feel her and to be with her and only her getting stronger and nearly unbearable. As a result having spent quite a lot of time meditating on the subject of love and duty Terry concluded that the only duty of a man was to protect and make happy the woman he loved.

    So it occurred to Terry that he’d been enough the puppet of the Marlows. He didn’t argue with the over-protective mother, however he entered the room of his soon-believed-to-be bride with no intention of connecting his life with her any longer. Oh, what a scene full of tears and pleadings broke out in the house! Susanna’s tears and pleadings however very soon gave way to a torrent of swears and threats from Mrs. Marlow’s part. Fortunately for Terry this time he had his “reinforcement” with him. While Mrs. Marlow was having a purely lady talk with Eleanor Baker, Susanna took charge of setting the mass opinion on the right track. A few moments later the whole reception room accused Terence G. Grandchester of being a heartless and irresponsible monster. On seeing his supposed bride’s enthusiasm all Terry’s doubts about her tendency to suicides vanished at once. She had evidently become more lively after replacing her wheelchair with a prosthesis. The tension in the house was too strong and Terry left this place once and for all as soon as he managed to make his way to the exit.

    Later he received a letter from Susanna which read that she was sorry for making the scene and most of all she was sorry that they had ended up like this. She confessed to him that after thinking things over that evening she realized that maybe to let him go wasn’t a disaster after all. She loved him but at least she realized that her life couldn’t base upon the unshared love any longer. She had understood it quite a long ago but had no courage to make the first step to freedom, hers and his. It looked like they both had needed something to trigger their break up, and strange as it might seem it turned out to be their engagement party.

    **********

    “What exactly are you going to do now, Terry?” Eleanor’s question brought Terry back to reality.

    “I’m going to visit the clinic where she worked during my last visit in Chicago. After that if I don’t meet her or learn where she is, I’ll go to the flat to where I used to write letters. I’ll go to the Pony Hill, the Andrew’s mansion, to the ends of the earth after all! Wherever she is I’ll find her. I’ll find my Lady Freckles and take her back”.

    The fervent answer pleased the young man’s mother to no end. Her son was back. Once again he was back thanks to the freckled lively girl, who was none other than the savior of her family. Eleanor Baker secretly wished she could accompany Terry and with her own eyes witness his son’s reunion with the love of his life. However it was impossible. No, not only because she was in Chicago on business and had to perform today, but from considerations that two young human beings in love would need some privacy after being separated for several years.

    It was natural that one part of her, the most motherish one, didn’t want to let him go alone and was afraid that her child could make a mistake, stumble somewhere, need her advice… No, Terry wasn’t a child any more. Eleanor Baker saw a man ready to overcome every obstacle on his way and challenge the destiny. Yet talking about obstacles…

    “What’s up, mum? Are we getting off or what? I understand that you don’t have to hurry anywhere but I beg you, have sympathy with me!”

    “I’m sorry honey. You’re right, we have more important things to do. Let’s go.”

    While getting off Terry could tell for sure he was carried by some intangible force as if the emotions that overwhelmed him burst forth, interflowed and materialized into wings.

    “Wings huh? How trivial!” Terry gave a half smile. “Is it what they call the Wings of Love? I guess I can do nothing but agree with it.”

    Part 2