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(EARTH)
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THEY WERE IN THE PART of the airport they had left from all those days ago, still holding hands. Katerina let go first and they all took a few steps back to look dazedly around them, at the terminal full of people going about their lives. When Katerina shut her eyes, she saw the ones they had lost, the ones who had sat around in that very departure lounge introducing themselves: David, Claudia, Madeleine, Caleb. Nicole too.
“Are we really home?” Alice voiced what they were all wondering.
“I think we really are,” Noah nodded. His eyes were on Katerina. If they were back and it was actually and truly over, he had to talk to her. He needed to find out how she felt about him before she walked out of his life forever.
Before he could formulate words, Alice asked, “Are those men watching us, by the bathroom behind you Noah? Or am I just paranoid?”
They all turned to follow her gaze and saw immediately that not only were there three men in dark suits watching them, those men were also beginning to move towards them.
“What should we do? What do you think they want?”
“I imagine they want me, not you,” Josiah said quickly. “I’m the one who touched Wilhelm back on Kainnan. You should go, all of you. Get out of here.”
“What about you...” Katerina began.
But Noah grabbed her arm tightly. “He’s right. You’ve done your part. We’ve all done our parts. We need to go — now!”
Katerina hesitated a few moments longer watching the three men approaching. Until Josiah started yelling, “Someone help — those men are after me!” His yells got the attention of half the terminal including several security guards nearby who started towards them.
“Let’s go,” Noah urged Katerina again. Alice was already walking rapidly away, trying to stay inconspicuous.
Katerina put her hand on Josiah’s shoulder for just a moment. “Goodbye Josiah,” she said softly. “I forgive you for what you did,” and then she ran after the other two. She only looked back once, but a crowd had gathered by then and Josiah was lost to sight.
Once they exited the terminal Noah hailed a taxi. One pulled up immediately and Alice jumped in first. “Come on,” Noah told Katerina, “I can drop you home after I get my car.”
It was a moment Katerina would think about constantly for the next six months. She knew Noah was offering her more than just a ride — it was unspoken between them. He was letting her know he wanted to stay in contact, know where she lived, be there for her when she got home. But there were too many things holding her back. Kaia and the baby. Her experiences with Patrick — who was Wilhelm! She needed time to recover from that. Concern for her family and most of all the fact that every time she looked at him she would remember everything they had been through. Right then all she wanted, all she could imagine, was to forget Kainnan had ever happened and move on with her life.
So she said slowly, “Noah, I can’t. I have to do this on my own.”
“Hey, it’s just a ride.”
She shook her head. “We both know it’s more than that. Too much has happened between us to pretend. We may care for each other but it’s not enough. It...we couldn’t work. I’m going to walk away now,” she said painfully, “and I don’t want to see you again.”
“You don’t mean that!” he implored.
“There’s no other way,” Katerina swallowed back the tears. She was backing away from him now as if distance would make it easier. “I need to forget and you’ll only remind me. I’m so, so sorry. Goodbye Noah — have a good life.”
“Kat please, I don’t understand...” he pleaded. Yet he could not think of anything to say to change her mind. While he watched helplessly, she turned and walked quickly away. He watched her until she got into another taxi and it drove from his sight. Then he collapsed into the seat beside Alice.
“Noah, what happened?” she asked, concern on her face.
“I tried and I failed,” he said, closing his eyes and letting the tears come as their taxi left the airport and drove away from the start of it all.
