“I don’t understand what your fascination with this waterfall is, but when you run out on me, I know exactly where to find you.”
Donna sighed. “I wasn’t running out on you. I was running from myself. I don’t like… who I am, right now.” She wouldn’t look at Richard.
“I do. Can I sit with you? I’d like to talk about this future that you say we don’t have.”
Donna waved to the spot next to her. “Please yourself. Your father owns the park. I can’t very well tell you not to.”
“Yes you can. I won’t force myself on you, Donna. Tell me to leave, and I’ll go.”
Donna lifted her head. Richard patiently waited. For a long while, she studied his eyes. She swallowed hard and held out her hand. Richard lifted her to her feet and wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her against his chest. “How did things get so complicated, between us? Why can’t we be the carefree children in the video?”
Richard softly chuckled. “We grew up, pet. At least one of us did.”
“Thanks a lot,” Donna snorted.
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
“Richard, you’re more grown up, than I will ever be. You see things as they are. You don’t let your self-righteous morals get in the way, like I do.”
Richard grinned. “That doesn’t mean I’ve grown up. It just means I’m spoilt. You’re right. I’m used to getting what I want – manipulating things, so they go my way.” He led her to the bench and cuddled her close.
“Richard, everyone wants things to go their way.”
“Yeah… but not everyone is in a position to make it happen,” Richard snorted. “Do you have any idea, how much I’m worth? Do you have the slightest notion, of what I can give you? What would be yours, if something happened to me? Donna…” he paused. “I don’t have any idea, where my bottom dollar is, and I don’t care. Without you… it means nothing. My life… means nothing.”
Donna rested her head against his shoulder and leaned her head back, looking up at him. She rested her palm on his cheek and turned her face up. Richard tilted his head and kissed her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, after a long pause.
Richard smiled and brushed the side of his nose against hers. “Sorry for what, pet? You were right. It’s not worth the risk, but what if we could figure out a way, so only Forrest was affected by the virus?”
“You mean like a vaccine – used once – and then thrown away?”
“Something like that.”
“I don’t know. It would depend on whether or not the virus remained active after death. If it does, Forrest would have to be treated as a biohazard – isolated - until no trace of the virus remained. But, to do that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why not just follow through with your previous plan? If you’re going to kill him anyway, why put him on display, like a lab rat. Just shoot him and get it over with.”
“We could have, but now that he’s in the hospital, all that’s changed. We can’t get close to him. That’s why we were trying to draw him out into the open, where we could take him out.”
“Well, if he’s dying, why not let nature run its course.”
Richard sighed. “Forrest has a nasty habit of finding a way out. Now that we’ve got the EHG virus – the real virus – if he were to get his hands on it…” Richard paused again. “I mean, can you imagine a world with an immortal Forrest?”
Donna’s eyes widened. “Hell no!”
“I don’t want our children living with that threat, Donna, and neither does Dad. So, can you see Dad’s motive?”
Donna sighed and nodded. “Yes, Richard. I can. So, what did he decide?”
“He hasn’t. He’s waiting to see what you find out in the morning. He said he’ll make a decision then.”
“So… he says and it’s law,” she made it a statement.
“Pretty much.”
“What if someone disagrees, or finds a better way?”
“I don’t know, pet. I try not to think about it a lot.” He discreetly glanced at his watch. “Why don’t we go home, take a shower and get changed, and then go have a meal in the cafeteria? That way, you don’t have to cook, and I can admire my beautiful wife, all evening.”
Donna softly smiled. “Sure, as long as it doesn’t have animal entrails and mountains of cholesterol, in it.”
Richard grinned. “I guess that means you don’t want a bowl of chocolate fudge ice-cream.”
Donna frowned and blushed. “I didn’t say that.”
Richard stood and brought her to her feet. He smiled and kissed her. “Come on. Let’s go get changed.”
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Not knowing exactly when the celebration would commence, in order to operate his bug network, Liu had been sitting in his vehicle, for the last three and a half hours. At least he had the constant chat in the cafeteria to keep him company, but after a while, even that got on his nerves, so he turned the volume down. Liu had learned a lot, today. Sir Richard, Sam, and even Richard had shown up, in the cafeteria, but the star of the show had remained in the shadows. If Donna didn’t show tonight, Liu knew he would be in hot water, with Forrest. He decided to turn the volume back up, but the screen remained dark.
Liu checked his connection to make sure the bug was still transmitting; it was. “They must have the lights off, or the celebration isn’t taking place, after all,” he mused.
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Richard and Donna walked hand in hand toward the cafeteria. Richard stopped her at the door and turned to face her. He grinned and kissed her. He produced a black scarf from his pocket. “I have something to show you, but first, I have to put this over your eyes.”
Donna narrowed her eyes and smirked. “I knew you were up to something.” Again, visions of her and Jared in her apartment in Shreveport threatened to spoil her night. She swallowed hard and pushed the pain aside.
Richard secured the blindfold and kissed the side of her neck. It made Donna feel slightly erotic. “This isn’t fair. I can’t see where I’m going.”
Richard chuckled. “That’s the whole point. You’ll have to trust me.”
Donna sighed. After everything he’s done to me, he expects me to trust him. “I do trust you, Richard,” she lied, trying desperately to stay in her role.
Richard led her to the middle of the dance floor and took off her blindfold. “VICi, lights on.”
The room filled with light and smiling faces. “Surprise!” everyone yelled.
Donna’s mouth gaped; her eyes glossed with tears. She slowly scanned the room. All the love and pain, of that special night with Jared tore at her heart with razor sharp claws. Donna stepped forward, putting her mouth close to Richard’s ear. “What is this?” she enunciated with a hiss of anger.
Richard swallowed hard; his eyes widened. “It’s your wedding present, pet.”
“What in the hell are you trying to do to me? How dare you do this to me, Richard?”
Richard glanced around the room; shocked at her reaction. People were wondering what was going on, in the middle of the dance floor. “Donna… people are staring at us. What’s wrong? Don’t you like your present?”
“No Richard – I don’t!” she pushed through her teeth. “What possessed you to build a replica of Jared’s music studio? Didn’t you stop to think how it might affect me?”
Sam started playing an unrehearsed number; ‘Lady In Red’, in honour of Donna’s red sequined gown. “People are staring at us, pet. Dance with me,” Richard suggested, pulling her into his arms. “Dance with me and we’ll discuss this.” Donna nodded and submitted, giving the crowd a plastic half-hearted smile. “I know how much you love music and performing. I wanted to build you something special. Jared’s studio was unique. I wanted you to have that here. Not as a reminder, but because I wanted the best for you.”
“But it’s exactly like his studio, Richard. Couldn’t you have made it a little different?”
Richard grinned. “It’s exactly like Jared’s because he helped with the design, when he was here.” And he knew exactly what he was doing, when he did. Hats off to you Jared. You’ve successfully lodged yourself in her memory. “Since you’ve perfected the virus, we decided to make this a two-fold celebration.”
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“That’s it!” Forrest shouted through Liu’s earpiece almost deafening him.
“I was wondering when you would say something. Do you think it might be possible next time not to yell quite so loudly, Sir?”
“Get in closer! I want to be certain she has a working virus!”
“Oh – I plan to get a lot closer, Sir.”
Forrest watched as the camera zoomed in and focused on the side of Donna’s neck. Liu pressed a control and the camera zoomed out again. Forrest saw Donna wince and rub the side of her neck.
------------
“What’s wrong pet?” Richard asked.
“It felt like something stung me.”
“Let me have a look. There’s nothing to see but a tiny red mark. Maybe your locket chain caught in your hair.”
Donna rubbed the side of her neck with her fingertips. “Maybe so,” she sighed and moved away from him.
Richard pulled her back. “Grandma is looking suspicious. Could we please just get through this evening? You can be mad at me when we get home. She already suspects we’re not getting along.”
Donna studied his eyes. “What difference would it make to her, whether we get along, or not? I don’t think she likes me, anyway.”
“Like I said, she likes things her way.”
Donna narrowed her eyes. “So do I, and right now, I feel like singing. Do you think Sam would mind if I cut in on his action?” Donna pushed away from him and approached Sam. She leaned close to his ear. “I need rescuing,” she whispered.
Sam grinned. “Name the tune, Pretty Lady. My fingers are at your disposal.”
Sheila approached Richard. “Do you think your wife would mind if I danced with her husband?”
“I don’t think she would come out of her skin, over an old friend,” Richard smiled, opening his arms.
Sheila watched Sam and Donna as they sang. “Your wife seems a bit taken with my boss.”
Richard grinned. “She is, but it will pass. On matters of romance, Sam has never been, nor will he ever be competition for me.”
Sheila studied his eyes. “Are you sure?”
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“The idiot!” Forrest’s voice was a low rumble. “What has he done to her? Poisoned her? We need her alive, or we’re both dead.”
Eli watched the screen with Forrest. “If I’m correct, I believe he has made her a tad more agreeable.”
“If he hasn’t…?”
Eli shrugged. “There’s always the Bahamas, or the Moon.”
Forrest glared at Eli. “That’s not funny.”
Eli arched an eyebrow. “It wasn’t meant to be,” he responded, deadpan. “Tomorrow will either be your finest hour, or your biggest disaster.”