DISCLAIMER: D.E.B.S. and its characters are the property of Angela Robinson. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
And She Said
By TexasWatermelon
The sun sank lower underneath the horizon, the darkening cityscape blanketing the huge ball of fire with black outlines of old Spanish buildings, creating a scene worthy of preserving on canvas for the rest of eternity. Unfortunately, the colors on my palette didn't do justice to the array of tints splashed across the Barcelona sky. Regardless of this realization, I dragged my paintbrush through the thick blotches of paint, mixing them together fruitlessly. It was impossible. Paint couldn't capture this beauty.
With a sigh, I threw my brush into the small container of water that sat to my left, setting my palette down on the grass. I gazed up at the dusky sky, letting the clock converter in my mind tell me that my friends were only just starting their day back in the States. I grinned ruefully as I imagined them, Max striding through the house confidently, opening up Janet's door only to roll her eyes as the girl asked where her misplaced spy gear was, Dominique kicking out whatever guy she'd illegally brought home for the night, all while Mr. Phipps' voice boomed through the hallways, making sure they got up.
My smile faded quickly as I realized that there was probably someone else in that house, a new Amy, a replacement. They were probably still looking for me, looking for us. But they wouldn't have hesitated to put someone else in Max's care. After all, she was the best at what she did. I may have been the Perfect Score, but she was always the better spy.
I shook my head slightly, knowing that I should have been happier than this. This was what I wanted. This was what I chose. To run away with my ex-criminal girlfriend so that I could go to art school in Barcelona. Lucy hadn't failed to give me exactly what I wanted, using a few remaining connections to get us an incredible place with an amazing view. She told me that it would help to inspire me, make me paint great things. As I looked at the canvas, I couldn't help thinking that I was failing her in that respect.
It was wrong that I was thinking like this. She'd risked so much for me, left everything that she loved for me. And I did the same for her. Don't get me wrong, Lucy made me happier than I ever would have been back at the academy, but I just kept feeling like there was something missing. I wanted to see my friends again, I wanted to let them know that I was okay. But it was too soon. Ms. Peatrie would be on me like rabid dogs on a fresh carcas the minute I stepped foot on American soil. The only reason she hadn't found me yet was because the Spanish government isn't all that cooperative.
I heard the sliding glass door open and close behind me, but I didn't turn around. I already knew who it was, and I didn't really feel like answering any questions right now. If Lucy saw my face, she'd know instantly that something was wrong. She could always read me so well.
She didn't say anything, however. She just sat down behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and putting her head on my shoulder. Just her touch, being this close to her made me feel warm inside, and it reminded me of the time when she took me out for a long drive while she had me "kidnapped", and we sat on the hood of her car wrapped up in each other. I never felt more complete than I did in that moment.
Though she never said a word, I could feel her telling me that everything would be okay. She was making a promise that I would see them soon, even if she had to pull a few hundred strings to make that happen. Lucy Diamond never broke a promise. And just having her by my side made me feel a million times better.
She said it wouldn't be easy. That things would be hard for us at first, because leaving behind everything you'd ever known was never a walk in the park. But I remember that I told her that I'd never asked for easy. I'd only ever asked for her. And that was something that I'd always have.
A genuine smile on my face, I picked my painting supplies back up, drying off my brush and dipping it into the paint. It was dark out by now, but it was still just as beautiful as before, the soft city lights like stars anchored down to the earth. A piece of touchable universe. Perhaps paint couldn't capture that beauty. But it could most certainly create its own. And perhaps that's all I could ask for.
The End