Writer's Bloc

Four weeks after the incident, Rance was released from hospital. His healing had come along very well so there was no reason to be kept in. As it turned out Rance did have insurance which covered the whole amount needed, even refunding Ria for the amount she'd paid on her card.

Rance was able to walk but due to the injury to his abdomen he found it difficult to stand properly, his core muscles still being tender and bruised. Ria walked on his weaker right hand side propping him up.

The day was wet, dark and cold. They walked from the hospital at Rance's request. He'd been cooped up inside too long for an outdoorsman and wanted to get plenty of fresh air.

"Oh shit." Rance murmured as they walked slowly. "That's Rebecca's brother ahead,"

Ria looked up. He was walking straight towards them, pausing a few metres ahead. "Hey Rance, how are you feeling?"

"I've felt better if I'm being honest." Rance quipped.

"I'm Rebecca's brother, Ian." He said as he held his hand out for Ria. She shook his hand quietly.

"I know who you are." Ian told her. Ria looked nervous at his claim. "Don't worry, I didn't come over to cause any drama. I wanted to tell you, Terrance, that I'm sorry about Rebecca's actions. She hadn't been well for some time. Her doctors diagnosed her with severe bi-polar disorder amongst other mental health issues. She'd been talking about you for some time and when you left she took it very badly. It doesn't excuse her actions but I hope it goes some way to explain why she did what she did."

Rance stood stunned. "I had no idea. I mean, I knew she had issues but I wouldn't have known how serious it was. I'm sorry things went so badly wrong that night."

Ian thanked Rance and looked over to Ria who was breaking her heart. "Maria, I know you're hurting and conflicted over the situation, but I want to tell you that we hold no hard feelings towards you. Our family have been dealing with Rebecca's illnesses for a very long time and we understand that you were only acting in the defence of yourself and your man. Rebecca is at rest and we feel relieved that she is finally at peace. You should take solace in that. Don't feel guilty for doing what you had to do."

Ria was crying but managed to thank Ian. He left the couple and as he walked away they left in the opposite direction. "I didn't realise how much pain she was in. I'm sorry I couldn't have opened my eyes and helped her." Rance said.

"I'm sorry I killed her. I wish we could have known and done things differently. I'll live with the knowledge of what I did for the rest of my life. I hope she rests in peace." Ria Added.

They walked slowly into the town and then up the hill. Rance had to stop three times on his way up the hill because his fitness had declined quickly while he was stuck in his hospital bed. Ria unlocked the door to the house and as they went in Rance noticed the large stain on his hardwood floor. "That will need to be rectified."

Ria closed the door behind them and walked to the kitchen. "Sit down and chill out. I have a surprise for you." He could already smell it.

She brought over a large mug of Henry recipe coffee. Rance took a little sip and was awash with memories of the woods. The coffee was even better than he remembered Henry's to be. "Did you use egg shells?"

"It's been on the heater plate since early this morning and yes I put broken shells in there."

She drank some and was instantly back in her grandmother's kitchen again. She sat next to him on the sofa quietly overlooking the view. "I've missed you. I've been looking at this view alone for the past three weeks and although the view was pleasant, the loneliness wasn't. I'm so glad you came through it."

"I'm sorry I've been away, but I'm back now and we can carry on where we left off."

Ria sat forward and turned to him. "Where did we leave off?"

His eyes met hers and he paused before answering. "We came here to test the waters. I understand if you aren't happy to stay here. It was a huge shock to the system to be thrust into that kind of situation. If you want to go to Burlington I'll be right next to you."

Ria spent the last two weeks living alone in the house and had pretty much come to terms with everything. "No. We'll stay here. I'm going to sell my house in Burlington. Do you still want to get a cabin somewhere?"

Rance smiled as he thought about it. "No, I needed inspiration. You give me as much inspiration as I need. You're my muse."

The words were simple but they had a profound effect on Ria. The fact that she was a muse for his art made her feel more intimately woven into his life than even marriage would. She leant over and kissed him, staring into his heavenly nebulas. "We should get ready for tonight."

Rance agreed and after finishing his divine coffee, followed Ria up to the master bedroom. The bed was as Rance had left it when he last slept in it. "Where have you been sleeping?"

"I slept in the left guest room because this is your room."

He looked at her with some disbelief. "This is your house now, your home. This is your room, because you're the queen of this castle."

Ria could feel her face flush at his words. "Maybe we can make that official tonight. But before today this was all still yours."

"This has all been yours since the day I met you. Now, I need a shower. It's been weeks since I got myself properly clean."

"Want some company?"

"Always, if the company is my beautiful queen."

They entered the bathroom. The space was immense, completely tiled in White with a large mirror wall to one side, the shower and bath on the opposite side. Rance turned on the shower and began to undress. Ria helped him to take off his shirt as his left arm was still weak. The muscle in his chest was healing well but it still wasn't strong or painless.

As he took off his pants Ria undressed. After three weeks of no sexual contact and high emotional stress they were both very happy to be together again. Ria helped him to wash and as Rance always did, she kissed his scars. "Medals of our battles." She said.

"That's a great quote. Can I use that in my book?"

"Your current book or another?"

"Current. It's a continuation of my memoirs. I've never written an autobiography. I'm used to writing fiction but I think this book might be a really great read. I just need to get it all together, and I'd like your involvement."

"I'm no writer." Ria reminded him. "I don't know the first thing about it."

"Don't worry. Together we can do anything."

His arms wrapped around her and they kissed, softly, slowly, tenderly. Their hands rediscovering each other's familiar shapes as the water washed their anxieties away for the briefest of times. There was no rush, they'd both been to the brink and back, now they could reconnect, finding their love for each other again.

Ria pulled away. "Let's dry off and lie down for a while."

Rance didn't speak; he just followed her as she led him from the shower. He stood as she dried him remembering how she took care of him when he bathed in the cabin. His memory of their first night back in The Falls was still hidden but his memories of the cabin were firmly engrained in his mind.

Wrapping him in a towel she again led him, back to the bedroom. He sat on the bed as Ria stood before him, his eyes searching her body looking at every intricate detail of her. He could smell her heavenly scent and hear her every breath. Placing his hands on her legs he felt the warmth of her velvet smooth skin. He kissed her belly causing ripples of nervous pleasure to undulate as his tongue made contact with her skin.

All his senses were in tune and all came together to create a fire of desire in his soul. "Did you really mean it when you said yes?"

Ria was holding his head as he kissed her belly. When he looked up and asked, her eyes brightened and she softly smiled. She lifted her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. "I'm wearing the ring you gave me, aren't I?"

He put the side of his face against her belly feeling the same feeling of near loss Ria must have felt after he rescued her, knowing that his death would have meant they would never again be together. It brought them closer than they'd been before, if that was possible.

They lay on the bed together staring into each other's eyes, stroking each other and sporadically kissing. Ria's fingers touched the bright pink scar on his chest. It was sensitive and uncomfortable for Rance, but her touch gave him a warm pain that he enjoyed. He put his lips to hers and pulled her tight as her arms surrounded him, their fires burning white hot. Rolling on to her back, Ria pulled Rance over her, his weight fully pressing down on her. She liked to feel his weight on her, his body's warmth fuelling her lust.

With her legs wrapped around his waist, he parted her soft folds and entered the delicate space within. Ria's reply was a vocal hum of appreciation welcoming her lover home. Slowly they writhed together, enjoying the intimacy of each other once again.

As they made slow love, Rance lifted his head to look into her eyes with a look of apology on his face.

"What's wrong babe?" Asked Ria.

He gazed at the wondrous woman beneath him. "Fate!" His only word.

Ria smiled as she felt a wave of pure love wash over her, her soul mate physically tethered to her in making that love. They admired each other as their physical act began to increase its tempo. They lightly kissed, all the while surveying each other's eyes and expressions.

Ria began to cry, not with sadness nor with anger but with happiness and love, her smile telling Rance all he needed to know. This love they made wasn't about the destination, it was only about the journey. The closeness they felt while connected was more powerful than any climax, more long lasting than life and more intricate than the countless neural connections within either of their brains.

After two hours of love making they disconnected and lay together in their positions, falling asleep. Ria had her Rance back and was damn well going to enjoy her life with him. After both being taken to the edge of oblivion, shown what pain death brought, they had both been given reprieve and second chances to be together.

Rance dreamt as he slept. The same old dream he always had, but this time with differences. As Helen approached the unstable slope Rance didn't tell her not to. Instead he told her he loved her. She stopped telling him. "You need to live. She's the one." Crossing the unstable ground safely before the rock slide caused a rift to open up between them. "I'll be waiting for you both, right here."

He woke up crying. Ria turned to him. "What's wrong? Did you have the dream again?"

He nodded and then shook his head confused. He couldn't speak through the tears. His throat constricted, his diaphragm convulsed, his face buried in a pillow. Ria stroked his head and softly cried with him. "It's ok." She told him in soft tones. "It's ok."

After a few minutes his composure returned. He took some deep breaths to settle his breathing. "She made it across safely, said she was waiting for us, told me you're the one."

It was Ria's turn to lose some composure. Her hand covered her mouth as she began to sob. He held her tight as she let her demons go, let go of all hatred and all anger. Once they were gone there was nothing left but the two of them and their love.

As evening drew in and the room darkened they left the bedroom and walked down to the ground floor. Both Rance and Ria stopped at the large stain on the floor. "The sooner that is taken care of, the sooner we can get on with our lives." He said.

"I wish it could have been different." Ria said in reply.

They pulled on jackets and walked out of the door. "Food or a walk?" Rance asked.

"A walk. I've been here four weeks and all I've seen is the hospital, and the road between it and this house."

They turned right and walked up the hill out of town. Rance stopped every few minutes to catch his breath and Ria stopped to enjoy the new views. "It really is a beautiful place."

After a short break Rance replied. "My mother loved to walk up here. Back then this house hadn't been built but I knew I wanted to live with a view over this valley."

On reaching the top of the hill they walked through a small copse. Rance was reminded of the cabin and how much he loved to be out in nature. They sat on a fallen oak as the sky darkened, the pretty patterns of the mackerel clouds intersected by the con trails of planes, criss crossing like rail tracks at a busy junction.

They sat together enjoying the silent company. Ria had heard plenty of silence from Rance in the previous weeks but this silence was audible. Time moved on, the night was clear with stars out in force. The tightly clustered milky way was faintly visible as they held each other. No words were needed. Their ability to instinctively know what the other was thinking was still intact. The night was cool but still. After a while Rance said. "We should sleep out here when the weather warms."

Ria had been thinking about sleeping there that night but agreed that warmer weather would make it more pleasant. Ria's stomach was doing its wild cat impression again so they began walking back towards town. She felt so much happier having Rance awake and able to converse with her, being able to look into his eyes and have him look back at her.

"Shall we go to Class!? I could just eat a nice steak right now." Rance said.

The thought made Ria's stomach growl again. "Oh that sounds good. Shall I call Kelly and Len to see if they want to join us?"

"Good call." Rance told her. "It'll be nice to see them properly away from the hospital."

Ria called them as they walked. Kelly told Ria she would call Len and meet them at the restaurant.

They met up with Kelly and Len outside and walked in together. Kelly ordered the spinach and ricotta tortellini, Len ordered the Parmesan risotto with roasted shrimp. Ria and Rance both went with the usual steak.

"Ian found us today as we were walking home from the hospital." Rance informed Len and Kelly.

"Oh Jesus, I bet that was pleasant." Offered Len in a sarcastic tone.

"Actually he seemed very apologetic about the whole thing, didn't seem to hold any bad feeling towards us." Rance replied.

"Must be a hard time for the family though?" Kelly asked.

"I imagine it will be very hard but apparently Rebecca had some severe mental health problems which obviously sent her over the edge when she found out that I was never going to be with her." Rance mused. "Poor girl."

Ria stayed quiet during the interaction between the others, not wanting to be involved and trying to keep her mind away from thoughts of the night four weeks previous. She drank more than she probably should have and was feeling quite buzzed when the meal arrived. Kelly could see she wasn't happy talking about the night it all happened. She changed the subject. "So How was your first day back together?"

Rias face changed straight away to a more relaxed state as she said. "It's been so nice to have him back. I'm going to wrap him in cotton wool and put him in a locked safe."

Rance didn't feel as fragile as she was making him out to be. "I'm fine. I'm alive and ready to take on the world."

"Maybe you should both have a holiday. Blow the stress out of your heads." Suggested Len.

"I think we're going to spend the next few days chilling out here and then visit Ria's town for a little while. Once we've spent some time there we'll decide on future plans." Rance told them.

"I'm still set on selling my place and living here. It's a beautiful place and in the last four weeks I've found it to be more welcoming than my first night. I think I could definitely call Marchant Falls home."

She took a bite of her steak feeling it's succulent tenderness as her teeth felt no resistance while chewing it. The flavour of the sauce firing memories of the last night they'd spent in the restaurant. Likewise it was causing Rance to remember too, only he wasn't remembering his conscious memories. The taste of the meal they'd also eaten on the fateful night was bringing back his forgotten memories.

Rance lost his breath and put his hands in the table as the recall sped through his mind until he remembered standing with Ria outside his front door before seeing the flash, hearing the crack and feeling the hard punch as the bullet pierced his upper chest. He remembered seeing Ria in the corner of his right eye running past him into the darkness as the second shot fired causing a searing hot pain just below his right ribs.

He'd been staring into space for 15 seconds. That's all the time it took for a ten minute memory to play fully in his mind.

"You ok mate? You look like you've seen a ghost." Len said.

"My amnesia has gone. I remember it all."

Ria put her hand on his. "We can go home if you want."

He shook his head. "I saw you run into the darkness as the second shot went off. You put your life on the line for me. You could have been killed."

"I would have died for you. If it meant you could live I'd have given it all up for you."

He pulled her to him and held her tight. "If I'd lost you I would have let go of life anyway. I won't go through that pain again."

Len smiled at them. "You two were made for each other."

"We were. We really were." Ria said looking deep into Rance's eyes.

They ate and talked about future plans. Rance told Kelly and Len that if it hadn't been for Ria he'd already be dead and that he was writing his memoirs about his life, this last part would now be easier since he could remember the account first hand.

They finished up and left to visit the bar. Ria was already well on her way to being drunk so she didn't have much more but the others decided to catch up. By throwing out time, they were all drunk. Rance invited the others back to the house. He didn't seem to have any trouble climbing his hill after all the drink.

They entered the dark house, Rance still recalling the events the last time he walked in while it was dark. Nothing happened this time. He walked to the kitchen, pulled out four glasses and a bottle of Jack. They sat in the sitting room looking out over the dark valley chatting. Kelly suggested playing never have I ever and before anyone could disagree she said. "Never have I ever, kissed two people at the same time."

Len said. "That's not fair. You're picking on me."

"Drink up Len." Rance told him.

Len went next. "Never have I ever, given a cop a sexual favour to get out of a speeding ticket."

Kelly made sharp eyes at him and took a drink.

Ria's turn. "Never have I ever, oh I don't know, swam naked in a public pool."

Kelly and Len drank as they smiled at each other. "Oh that look deserves an explanation!" Ria said.

Kelly blushed. "A few years ago we were, hmmm, having fun together. It wasn't serious but it happened. One night we ended up swimming in the communal pool in the centre of town and probably making it unsanitary for other users."

Rance laughed. "I never knew you two were bumping uglies. I think you'd make a great couple, but I digress. It's my turn for causing embarrassment." He gave Ria a small smile. "Never have I ever, had an orgasm while getting a piggy back."

Ria felt her face warm as she turned beet red. She took a drink and Kelly said. "I spilled, now it's your turn."

Ria shook her head covering her eyes. "It was the day after Rance saved my life up in Echo springs. My leg was broken and we were trying to get from the river to the cabin through deep snow. We'd been walking for two hours but I was feeling tired and hungry. Rance gave me a ride on his back. I was in a very awkward position and ended up," She took a deep breath. "Having an orgasm while he carried me."