Team QueSt: The Next Generation

Trouble in Paradise Part 2

	Derrick showed everyone but Miana around the lab, as she never
came back.  She had found her way to the trailer that had been set up for
their stay there, as she never left it.  After the tour, Moniri was
playing with the girls in a safe area away from the site, and Jonny went
back to the trailer, where he found Miana.	
	"Knock, knock." said Jonny.
	"Oh, hi, Jonny.  Come on in." sniffed Miana, wiping the tears from
her eyes.
	"So what's the story?" asked Jonny.  "And why don't any of us know
about this guy?  I think Hadji would like to know about this."
	"When I was a sophomore in high school, Derrick was a senior and
an exchange student from Glasgow.  I shared a couple of advanced classes
with the seniors, and he was in them.  They teased me becasue I was the
"baby" in the class, and he stood up for me.  We fell in love, and we got
engaged.  He had his faults, and we had our ups and downs, but we loved
each other.  Or so I thought."
	"What happened?"
	"Summer came.  He had to return to Scotland, but he swore he'd
come back, as he wanted to go to college in the States.  He never
returned."
	"Ouch."
	"Ouch is right.  I waited for months.  It totally destroyed me.
There was no word from him until now."
	"Twenty years with no closure and no explanation.  No wonder
you're so upset.  Is this why you never told anyone?"
	"That is one part of my life I wanted to totally forget.  I burned
all my pictures of him.  All I have left is a small infinity symbol
pendant that matches his, and the only reason I still have it is because
of what the symbol means to me personally.  His giving it to me spared me
the pain of getting a tattoo I was considering for a number of years."
	"Where is it?"
	"Hidden.  In the depths of forgotten things I left in Bangalore."
	"You know, things are going to get interesting when Hadji joins
us."
	"I hope it's soon.  I need his strength."
	Moniri came in with the girls.
	"Mi, are you ok?"
	"Yeah, I'm ok.  I just finished telling Jonny the story."
	"Miana, will you be able to work?" asked Moniri.
	"Yeah, it'll be hard, but I can do it.  Besides, my role here is
important.  Although archaeologists and paleontologists use similar
methods, Derrick's specialization is in ancient civilizations.  He lacks
the background of ancient species that I have."
	"Personal issues aside, the two of you will make a good team,
especially when combined with Jonny's background in marine biology."
	"Well, paleontology apllies more to this situation, but an
understanding of underwater species will be helpful-- we can take
knowledge from today's species and do a comparison on what we find, and
possibly construct a working model." explained Miana.
	There was a knock on the door, and Derrick squeezed into the
already crowded trailer.
	"Dr. McCleod, I don't think..."
	"Jonny, they need to talk." prompted Moniri.
	Jonny's eyes narrowed.
	"You had better not hurt her." he warned.
	Jonny, Moniri, and the girls left.
	"Jonny and this Hadji must be very close in order for him to be so
protective of you."
	"They are, as is his wife Jessie and myself.  The four of us are
very tight.  What do you want, anyway?"
	"To explain."
	"I don't see where there's anything to say.  I just assumed you
found someone else."
	"No, I didn't."
	"Then why didn't you at least..."
	"Miana, one week after I came back, both my parents were killed in
a car accident.  I was totally devastated.  Not only that, but I was left
on my own.  I had to scratch to work my way through school.  I buried
myself in my work and studies-- anything to keep from having to face my
pain.  To me, the struggle of working my way through school was
preferable."
	"Derrick, I'm so sorry, but you could've..."
	"No, I couldn't.  I had all but forgotten, but by the time I came
to terms with the death of my parents, it was too late.  I tried to reach
you, but you had already moved, I guess to Maine.  I had no way of finding
you."
	Derrick out his hand on Miana's cheek.	
	"I never stopped loving you.  After you, I never dated again, and
I never married."
	"You never married?  Had no one else in your life?" Miana asked
in astonishment. 
	"No.  You have been with me all these years.  It's no wonder you
hate me the way you do.  Hadji is a very lucky man.  Tell me, how did the
two of you meet?"	
	"I was a student in one of his philsophy classes.  He was a grad
assistant, and I stayed in the room accidentally after the bell rang.
Seven years earlier, when I was eighteen, I saw him in my dreams, and he
saw me when meditating.  Our minds connected, and when we met in person
and were alone together outside of class for the first time, we clicked."
	Miana went on to to him the rest of her story.
	"That's incredible.  It's wonderful that after so many years of
pain with your family, that you were able to find happiness with Hadji and
the Quests.  They became the family you never had, and then you had one of
your own.  I'm happy for you."
	"Thanks, Derrick.  And, I'm sorry."  
	"No need-- I should be apologizing to you..."
	"Let's just forgive each other and put it behind us.  We have a
long assignment ahead of us."
	"Agreed." said Derrick.
	They shook hands, but somehow, that seemed unnatural.  Derrick
pulled Miana into a hug, but when the hug was over, he still held her in
his arms.  His deep black eyes stared into hers, and they started getting
closer and closer to one another.  They were just about to kiss, when she
pulled away.
	"No!  Can't..."
	"Miana, I didn't mean..."
	"No!  It's not just you!" she cried.  "Damn you!  It's not fair!
It's not fair!" Miana screamed as she ran out of the trailer.
	Moniri and the girls passed Miana as she left the trailer.
	"Miana!"
	Miana ran on, so Moniri went on in to confront Derrick..
	"What did you say to her?" yelled Moniri.
	"Nothing.  Nothing at all.  We made our peace."
	"It doesn't look that way, judging the way she took out of here."
	Moniri folded her srms, knitted her brows, and regarded Derrick
through narrow eyes.
	"Did something else happen?" she asked suspiciously.
	"No.  Not a thing." Derrick snapped as he left the trailer.

*******************************************************************************

	It was late in the evening, and Hadji and Jessie had just finished
their evening meal when Hadji had a pain in his head.  He winced as he put
his hand on his temple.
	"Hadji, are you ok?"
	"Yes, I am fine.  However, I get the feeling something is wrong."
	"With Miana?"
	"I do not know."
	"We'll find out."
	Jessie called Miana's cell phone, and Moniri answered.
	"Hello, is--"
	"Don't say another word.  Pretend I am Miana.  There is nothing
physically wrong with her, but things are complicated here.  Too much to
go into over the phone, but Miana is very upset.  I need to go.  Tell
Hadji that 'I am fine', meaning Miana, but that we are in the middle of
things and have no time to talk.  Thanks for calling.  Bye."
	"Bye." said Jessie, hanging up the phone and trying to supress a
puzzled, worried look.
	"Well?"
	"She's fine."  She was just very busy and couldn't talk."
	Hadji was trying to supress the same look himself, but shrugged it
off.
	"Ok." said Hadji.  "Well, I must get back to my tent.  Come on,
Rajan.  Good night, Jessie."
	"'Night, Hadji."