Chased - Part 2

Episode F

         Then suddenly, it was as if Dr. Darien Strong had disappeared from the face of the earth.  Each day, Chase expected to see his irritatingly-attractive face stroll into the diner and wait patiently for her to serve him.  But every day, Chase found herself slightly disappointed when Darien did not appear.  It had been nearly two weeks since she tried to give him the brush-off and he had completely turned things around by saying that he cared about her, but Darien was no where to be found.
         Chase tried to convince herself that she wasn’t disappointed, and she certainly wasn’t worried about him.  But the fact was that even though she hadn’t seen him in a while, Chase was thinking about Darien a lot.  She had been alone for so many years, and suddenly, this stranger had appeared with a passionate interest in her.  He was strong and kind and attractive, and he had pursued her determinedly, even when she had tried her best to fight him off.  Has anyone ever cared about me that much? Chase wondered to herself.  What makes a man like him interested in a girl like me?
         Just before her sleeping pills took over, Chase’s mind would sometimes drift to an alternate lifetime where she had allowed Darien to be a part of her life.  She would vaguely remember the brief good he had done her in this life, and imagine what life would have been like with him around.  Then the medication would take over, and she would awake the next morning, empowered by her cynicism.  There’s no point in imagining ‘what ifs’, she would tell herself.  What’s good is gone... you finally got your way and he’s gone for good.  All the better that you don’t get distracted anyway.  Those kind of emotions only lead to pain and weakness.
         After a particularly hard night of fighting – where Chase had caught herself wishing she had help – she called in sick to the diner the next day.  She stayed at home, nursing her injuries, occasionally remembering the handsome doctor’s tender care that late night several weeks ago.  She tried desperately to put him out of her memory, and was thankful to be going to work when she awoke the next morning.
         But her relief was short-lived.  “Hey, Chase, you missed your lover-man yesterday,” Louie remarked as she passed through the kitchen.
         “Huh?” Chase grunted.
         “You know, Doctor Tall-Dark-and-Handsome?”
         “You mean Darien?” Chase asked, dumping plates into the sink.
         “Oh, it’s Darien, now, is it?” Louie snickered.  “He must be pretty good to have hooked you for this long.”
         “Get off it,” Chase snarled, rolling her eyes.  “We’re not... together.”
         “Yeah, come to think of it, he didn’t ask about you,” Louie said, sneering.  “Guess he’s tired of you already.”
         Chase worked through the rest of her shift in a bit of a daze.  He tells me he cares about me, then disappears for two weeks.  Then, all of a sudden, he shows up at the diner on the one day I’m not working, and doesn’t ask about me.  Chase looked thoughtfully out the window.  What’s going on here?  Either he’s interested and different from the rest, or he’s not and he’s just something else to pass the time.
         Curious, and beginning to feel a hint of loneliness, Chase knew what she needed to do, but it had been so long since she had gone out of her way for another person, and she was nervous.  It took three days to get up enough courage, but on the third day, on her way home from the diner, Chase stopped at Darien’s gym. 
         She walked in and tried to look casual, as if she were waiting for a friend, but she was actually intently scanning the room for Darien.  The young doctor was no where to be seen.  This was a silly idea, Chase scolded herself as she quickly turned to leave.  I shouldn’t have come here.  As she turned, she spied a young, blond-haired man across the mats.  Jesse, Chase remembered.  She tried to exit quickly as he glanced in her direction.  Maybe he didn’t recognize me.
         Chase slowly made her way home that night, finally willing to admit to herself that she was disappointed she hadn’t seen Darien.  He had been a good friend, which brought into focus the fact that she had none.  Chase really lived a lonely, solitary life, and she had told herself for so long that that was what she wanted, she almost believed it.  But the young doctor who had broken into her life helped her see just how unhappy she was.  The fighting gave vent to her anger, and the physical pain helped mask the emotional wounds she had been carrying for so long, and while she enjoyed the fact that her nightly battles were doing some good, she knew that it would never be enough to save her own family and heal her own pain.  Her own actions would never bring the salvation that she thought was possible.
         Her only chance of any kind of salvation from her painful and lonely life was in her relationship with the kind, strong doctor.  And he had disappeared.  Loneliness and sadness settled around Chase and by the time she fell into bed that night, not a few tears had been shed in regret.  Darien, Chase thought.  I really am very sorry.
         Melancholy smoothed the rough edges of her anger, and Chase absently went through the motions at the diner the next afternoon.  She served plates, filled drinks, and cleared tables with hardly a snarky remark to anyone.  She didn’t even bother to look her customers in the eye, simply scribbling their orders and rushing off to fill them. 
         Several hours into her mundane shift, Chase noticed one of her tables was newly occupied.  She dumped some coffee into the mug and waited for the customer’s order.  It didn’t come right away, and as Chase looked up, the customer finally spoke.
         “Told you I wasn’t giving up yet,” Darien smiled.  Chase nearly dropped the coffee pot.

Episode G

         Chase blinked her eyes, the rest of her frozen in surprise.  After a moment of blatant staring, she managed to speak.  “Wh-where have you been?”
         Darien grinned hopefully.  “Nice to see you too,” he replied good-naturedly.
         Chase shook her head.  “No, I mean – you just disappeared… why?”
         “I thought it might be a good idea for me to leave you alone for a while,” he explained.  The young woman studied him and his answer.  “What?” he asked.
         “I don’t get you,” she said, frowning.  “I just don’t get you at all.”
         He chuckled.  “When do you get off work?”
         “In about an hour.”
         Darien stood and placed a hand on Chase’s arm.  “Will you come by the gym when you get off?  We can talk then.”
         Without thinking, Chase began to mutter.  “Will you actually be there this time?” Immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth.
         Darien’s dark eyes sparkled in amusement.  “This time?”
         Chase fidgeted absently with the straws in her apron.  “I sorta, uh, went by the gym the other day… to, uh, make sure you were alright.”
         “I know,” Darien said.  “Jesse told me.  Said you were in a real hurry to… ‘jet’, was it?”
         His smile warmed her lonely heart.  “You were the one who left me there alone, Dare,” Chase reminded him and gave him a playful grin.
         Suddenly, Darien’s face beamed with joy. 
         “What?” Chase asked, curious.
         He looked down at her lovingly.  “You’re even more beautiful when you smile.”
         Embarrassed, Chase looked away, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ears.
         “Chase!” Louie bellowed from behind the counter.  “You gonna do some actual work today or just flirt with the customers?!”
         Chase and Darien exchanged an amused but slightly awkward glance as Darien turned to leave.  “You will stop by the gym, won’t you?”
         “Yeah, sure,” Chase replied.
         Darien hesitated, then exited the diner.
         Three hours later, he glanced impatiently at his watch as he leaned against an exercise machine.  The gym had closed an hour ago, but he kept the doors unlocked, hoping that Chase would still show up.  He thought that staying away for so long would finally force the young woman to admit that she was lonely and needed him.  In their brief conversation at the diner, he translated her teasing and slight grin as a glimmer of hope that he had been right – that she was glad to see him and beginning to open up to him ever so slightly.  But that had been three hours ago, and Chase was still a no-show.  Instead of drawing her closer, had he pushed her even further away?
         Darien decided to wait a bit longer, and as he looked up, saw a shadow of movement outside on the sidewalk.  The door rattled and swung open, revealing a determined-looking Chase in its frame.
         Darien was happy and relieved.  “I’m so glad you came!” he said, crossing the room toward her.  “I was beginning to think that…”
         “That I wasn’t coming,” Chase finished for him.  “Yeah, me too.  I’ve been around the corner pacing like an idiot for the past two hours, trying to convince myself not to come in here.  But then I got blind-sided by some punk kid who thought he’d get a few bucks out of me, and I realized it really irritated me because he was keeping me from what I really wanted to do.  So, here I am.”  She looked nervously at him, but Darien didn’t respond.  “So, let’s Yoda already.”
         Darien was confused.  “What?”
         “Let’s talk, mind-meld, whatever,” Chase said, slipping off her jacket.  “I’m ready to learn.”
         Darien shook his head and approached her.  “Chase,” he said slowly, “enough of this tough-girl act.  What do you really want to know?”
         Chase felt her heightened defenses melt under his warm, caring gaze, and like her jacket, her bravado slipped away. She paused then spoke in a small voice.  “Why did you come back?” she asked quietly.
         He gazed back at her, smiling.  “To save you.”
         “From what?” she asked hesitantly.
         Darien grew serious.  “Yourself.”
         His earnestness was too much to bear so closely, and after a moment, Chase took a few awkward steps away from him.  He followed her with his eyes as she walked thoughtfully around, finally lighting on the edge of the boxing ring. 
         She finally looked up again with a look of deep concentration on her face.  “Why did you leave?”
         Darien came a few steps closer.  “I had to make sure you really meant it.”
         <When I asked for your help… I didn’t mean it.  I had it handled,> Chase had said to him, hoping to injure him enough to push him away.  She looked away, disgusted at her behavior.  “I was such a bitch to you.”
         “Yeah,” Darien recalled, grimacing.  “But I knew why you were acting that way.”  He approached her and sat down next to her on the mat.  “You were scared and angry and hurting.  It’s been a while since you’ve… connected… with anyone.”
         Chase chuckled bitterly.  “Oh, I’ve been connecting, alright.  Connecting with their jaws, their shins—“
         “Their skulls?” Darien interrupted.
         She looked at him, expecting to see judgment on his face, but found only a questioning expression waiting patiently to be answered.
         Chase crossed her arms defensively and spoke with a cynical grin.  “You don’t believe in vengeance and justice and all that, do you?”
         “Quite the contrary,” he asserted, leaning back.  “But justice seeks only punishment that is equal to the crime.  What you’re doing… recklessly attacking and murdering random people… it’s beyond what true justice is.”
         Chase snorted angrily and stood, suddenly animated.  “I’m only doing what they did to me – ‘recklessly attacking and murdering random people’, which happened to be my family!”  Chase pointed accusingly at Darien.  “You have no idea what it’s like to watch your parents and your baby sister be blown to pieces right in front of you!”
         She huffed and Darien sat still, waiting for her to compose herself and continue.  After a few breaths, Chase spoke again, more quietly.  “I hate my life.  But because of that moment – when everything I loved was stolen from me – I live so that I don’t have to keep feeling that pain again…. and so that no one else has to either.”
         Chase finished in almost a whisper and sadness settled on her face as her grief consumed her.  She was so lost in her memories that she didn’t notice Darien slowly rise and approach her.  His voice, although gentle, startled her.
         “Chase, you think you’re escaping the pain, when you’re just increasing it,” he said kindly.  “You can’t ‘fix’ loneliness by heaping more loneliness on it.  You have to let someone in… and be close.”
         Chase raised her watery brown eyes to his.  “It hurts so much,” she whispered, holding her arms protectively.
         “And it might always hurt,” he admitted.  “But not always this much.”  He put his hands on her arms.  “You don’t have to fight alone anymore.”
         His words broke Chase’s tired and lonely heart.  He watched as she struggled to stop a sob from escaping, but despite her valiant efforts, Chase was no match for the powerful emotions Darien had stirred in her.  She quickly turned away, breathing deeply and hiding her tear-streaked face in her hands.  A sob erupted from deep within her, and Darien caught her in his arms as they both fell to the floor.
         Chase cried for a long time, until her breathing slowed and the tears fell less often.  After a while, she exhaled a long sigh and pulled back, slowly wiping her tear-soaked face.
         “Doesn’t that feel better?” Darien asked gently, smoothing her hair back.
         Chase smiled weakly.  “Ask me tomorrow.”
         Darien helped her to her feet.  “Alright, I will,” he replied pleasantly.
         Thinking about leaving, Chase started to pull on her jacket then stopped.  “Darien,” she said, suddenly looking earnestly at him.  “I really am sorry for being a jerk to you before.  I didn’t know what it would be like to be friends with you… or anybody, for that matter.”
         Darien smiled warmly.  “It’s forgotten,” he said, waving his arm.  “What do you think now about being my friend?”
         Chase answered with a cautious grin.  “I think I like it.”  They shared a smile. 
         A wide yawn delayed Chase from putting her jacket on.  “I saw that,” Darien playfully remarked.  “Why don’t you stay here tonight?”
         “I’ll be okay,” Chase answered, rubbing her eyes.  “It’s not that far.  I can—“
         “I know, I know,” Darien interrupted.  “You can handle it.  But, that’s the point, Chase – you don’t have to.”
         The young woman studied him, trying to decide if she was really ready to trust this new friend.  His faithfulness through the past few weeks told her she could. 
         “Okay,” she agreed.  “But you don’t have to give up your own bed.  I don’t mind sleeping on the cot.”
         “And then what kind of friend would I be?” Darien asked in mock indignation.  Chase was hesitant.  “This is what friends do for each other, Chase,” he explained patiently.  “I don’t mind… really.”
         Darien’s persistence and another yawn finally persuaded Chase to climb the stairs to Darien’s apartment.  As she laid her head on the pillow, she could hear him moving in the room below, and Chase wondered where her life had taken such a drastic turn.  Just a few weeks ago, she had been living her solitary life, waitressing during the day and fighting thugs at night, and letting pain and anger drive her.  Now, she was sleeping in the apartment of a new friend who was beginning to show her just how empty and destructive her path had been.  She had forgotten what it was like to have someone care about her, and a warm, peaceful feeling began to swell inside her as she realized that she wasn’t alone anymore.  For the first time in years, Chase fell asleep feeling safe. 

Episode G

         Bright sunshine and the smell of freshly-cooked eggs woke Chase the next morning.  She remained in bed, however, for quite a while, suddenly realizing that she no longer knew how to live her life.  Before, Chase was angry, cold, and reclusive.  But she no longer felt the need to remain that way.  Darien’s friendship had convinced her that there was still love and goodness in the world and she wanted to try to embrace it.  But opening herself up was a practice that Chase had long rejected and she wasn’t sure that she remembered how.
         First step, she told herself, is getting out of bed.  She splashed some water on her face and smoothed her hair and clothes before emerging from the bedroom.  Following the smells and sounds, Chase found Darien in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
         “Good morning,” he greeted her.  “How did you sleep?”
         “Great,” she replied.  “Probably the best sleep I’ve had in a while.”
         “I’m glad to hear it,” Darien said heartily.  “Would you like some breakfast?”
         Chase was slightly overwhelmed at his generosity.  “Sure,” she shrugged and hesitantly scooped a small spoonful of eggs onto a plate.
         Darien eyed her small portion skeptically.  “I don’t know you that well yet, Chase, but I know you eat more than that.”
         At his urging, Chase helped herself to a hearty helping of eggs and was quite full when they finished the meal.  After the clinking of forks to plates had stopped, Chase and Darien sat in silence.  Darien observed that Chase had begun fidgeting nervously.
         “Anything the matter?” he asked her.
         She answered without looking directly at him.  “I guess my people skills are a bit rusty.  I’m better with something to do.”
         Darien stood and carried his dishes to the sink.  “Well then, how about I let you help me clean up?”
         “Okay,” Chase agreed.  “It’s the least I can do.”
         As they scraped and cleaned, wiped and dried, Chase asked Darien why he wasn’t at work. 
         “Well,” he said with a smile, “I have a new friend that I’d like to spend time with.”  Chase smiled, embarrassed, and busied herself with drying a skillet.  Darien continued.  “I thought maybe later we could get into the ring and fight a little.”
         Chase looked up.  “Really?” she asked doubtfully.  “I didn’t think you’d want to encourage it, after…”
         “God works in mysterious ways, Chase,” Darien stated simply.  “It might sound weird, but I think you have a gift for fighting.  And frankly, the people around here need to see something that stands for good in this city.  Once we work through the anger, I think you could be more powerful than you realize.”
         The pair soon left the kitchen and made their way to the boxing ring.  Darien showed Chase the proper way to tape her hands, then gave her some very dangerous instructions:
         “Don’t hold back,” he said firmly.  “Pretend I’m just some angry thug that you’ve been tracking.”
         Chase replied hesitantly.  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
         Darien grinned and his eyes sparkled mysteriouly.  “You have no idea what I’m capable of.  Just trust me.”
         Okay, Chase thought dubiously.  They’re your bones, after all.
         The two young people began to stalk each other around the ring.  Chase took a few tentative jabs at Darien – just to test his reactions – but he didn’t bite.  Each eyed the other intently, like a predator observing his prey.  Darien threw several fast punches at Chase’s head, but she ducked them easily.  On the last attempt, Chase ducked then quickly gave a punch of her own, landing square on Darien’s jaw.  He shook it off and smiled.
         “Good,” he said, still following her every move.  “You’re not holding back.”
         Chase grinned confidently.  I was… until now.  And she suddenly let loose a flurry of hooks, fakes, punches, and jabs.  Darien was constantly on the defensive, swiping and ducking, yet he maintained his balance and never lost any ground.
         Early-comers to the gym began to filter in as the young pair continued their match, oblivious to the growing crowd of spectators.  Many were regulars who could not remember the last time Dare had lost a match.  Some wondered who the new girl was and how she got to be so good.  Most were awe-struck at the speed, power, and grace of the fighters in front of them.
         Darien and Chase never noticed the onlookers, but were locked into the rhythm of their match.  But suddenly, the rhythm changed and Darien went on the offensive.  He went after Chase again and again, nearly pushing her back against the ropes.  She fought back hard but grew increasingly frustrated as she lost ground.  With a grunt, she reared back to give a strong blow.  But Darien could tell she was getting angry and could read her body easily.  He blocked her coming fist with a strong open palm, and with deadly confidence, his other fist flew to her temple for what was sure to be the knockout punch.
         But just before Darien’s large fist reached Chase’s head, he froze – only a hair’s-breadth from her face.  She gasped, not in fear, but in surprise – Chase had never seen it coming.  She had been so focused on the action she was giving out that she had missed the most deadly attack coming in.  Chase and Darien stood frozen, breathing heavily from the physical exertion.  Sweat dripped into Chase’s eye and she blinked, and Darien quickly pulled his fist away from her face. 
         “How did you do that?” Chase asked, breathless.
         Darien, also out of breath, wiped his forehead.  “You got angry,” he said in between panting.  “When someone lets emotions control them instead of their training, they become scattered and undisciplined and unguarded.  I could read you like a book.”
          Chase simply stared at him.  Dare flashed a smile.  “Here endeth the lesson.”  He tossed her a towel and left the ring. 
         “So you’re teaching me how to fight?” Chase asked, following after him.  “I don’t get it.”
         Darien chuckled as he wiped the sweat off his face.  “Exercise is a great stress reliever, Chase,” he said.  “And like I said, I think you have a gift.  We can still fight the evil in this town, and at the same time give the good people some hope.”
         Chase arched a suspicious eyebrow.  “We?”
         “Yes, we,” Darien said emphatically, then turned to the dark-haired young woman.  “I can help you to become more powerful – and peaceful – than you’ve ever imagined you could be.  But you have to trust me… really trust me.”
         She studied him intensely, unsure.  He had bested her in the boxing ring – maybe she really could learn a thing or two from him, and not just about fighting.  Maybe there was some truth to his claims that he could help her.
         So for the next several weeks, Chase remained with Darien and allowed him to teach her fighting and training techniques that rapidly improved her combat skills.  Even after the training sessions were finished, the two were constant companions.  Chase found a kindred warrior spirit in Darien, yet there was something comforting and warm about him too.  Darien was fascinated with the intelligent and confident woman behind the cold persona, and he admired her abilities and determination.  He also cherished the fact that Chase had let him in, and the more he knew about her, the more he wanted to know.  They grew close quickly, learning each others tells – both in and out of the boxing ring.
         “How do you always do that?!” Chase cried angrily from the floor one afternoon.
         Darien shook his head with a slight grin and offered her his hand.  She took it and rubbed her chin as he helped her up.  “It’s your feet,” he said simply.  “I can tell which way you’re going and I know how and where to hit you.”
         Chase shot daggers at him.  “Well don’t!” she fumed.  “You’ve hit the same spot seven times!  It’s a wonder I have any teeth left!”
         Darien tried to be patient.  “There’s a saying by one of the old greats – a man named Mohammad Ali.  His motto was ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.’”
         Chase gave him an angry and confused look.  “Feet, Mohammad, and butterflies.  Can you say random?”
         “It means that you have to keep your opponent guessing at where you’re going to land,” Darien explained.  “Then when he least expects it, sting him.”
         Chase thought about his words and clarity gradually dawned on her face.  “Okay,” she said with a slow grin.  “Let’s try it again.”
         Their next bout was like nothing Darien had ever seen before.  Chase’s movements were suddenly smooth instead of punchy, seamless instead of calculated.  She glided past his attempts to make contact, and she seemed to be moving all directions at once.  Her body language had completely changed, and as a result, Darien was constantly on the defensive.  Chase’s right fist suddenly came from nowhere and landed with a ringing smack on Darien’s jaw.
         Like always, Chase immediately stopped after hitting Darien, as if she felt guilty somehow for landing a punch against her teacher.  She waited for him to speak.
         Darien held his stinging face for a moment, then grinned.  “Beautiful.”
         Chase’s drawn face allowed a grin.  “Really?”
         Darien smiled warmly.  “Like a butterfly.”
         The young woman beamed at his compliment, then noticed the growing red mark on his face.  “How’s your jaw?”
         “It stings,” he admitted.
         Chase grinned mischeviously.  “Like a bee?”
         After nightfall the next evening, Darien and Chase went out.  Darien was hoping that they could just enjoy the coolness of the night, but Chase was secretly hoping to bump into a hapless thug and test her new skills.  Sure enough, the two young people had barely walked a block when they heard agitated, angry voices coming from around the corner.
         “Ready for this, Butterfly?” Darien winked as they began to jog toward the direction of the voices.
         Chase rolled her eyes. “Stop calling me that,” she said half-heartedly.  “It’s so… girly.  And it sounds so—“ Gunshots rang out as they rounded the corner and witnessed the scene.  “…weak.”
         A dark, wiry man stood holding a smoking gun, and three bodies lay at his feet.  One body, much smaller than the others, lay slumped to the side, its curly blond hair soaking lifelessly in a puddle.
         The image of an exploding house flashed in Chase’s mind, and suddenly rage consumed her and she barreled at the man holding the gun.  He tried to aim again but she was too fast and she tackled him to the ground.  Chase landed on top of the skinny man and began pummeling him viciously, pounding her fists into his face. 
         “Chase!” Darien called as he caught up to her, but she could not hear him.  She could hear nothing but the screams of a little girl and the breaking of her own heart.  Chase couldn’t see that her fists had become covered in the man’s blood and that he had stopped struggling against her long ago.  Lost in rage and pain, she kept beating his face, grunting and screaming with every punch.
         Chase was oblivious to Darien’s voice, so he grabbed her and tore her off the groaning man.  Like lightening, Chase angrily spun around and punched Darien hard on the jaw.  Immediately, she realized what she had done, but her anger consumed her and she looked scornfully at him as he rubbed his jaw.  They were back in the alley the night they first met, and Chase gave him the same deadly glare. 
         After a moment, they heard a shuffling sound, and they heard rather than saw the skinny man scamper away, leaving droplets of blood behind him.  Chase was indignant.  “You shouldn’t have interfered!” she screamed.  “Look what you did!”
         Darien was equally angry.  “I saved you!”
         “Saved me?!” Chase trembled with rage.  “From him?!”
         Darien took a deep breath to keep his rising emotion in check.  “I saved you from plunging head-first back into a life that is pointless and painful and destructive,” he said pointedly.
         “At least destruction gives me some satisfaction,” she snarled, storming away from him.
         “You don’t know what true satisfaction is, Chase,” Darien called after her.
         She froze in her steps, then turned and approached him again.  She slugged him hard, then looked him squarely in the eye.  “That was pretty damn close.”
         Darien stared her down.  “How can you just throw away everything you’ve learned?” he demanded.  “Doesn’t it mean anything to you?”
         Frustrated and beginning to doubt herself, Chase backed away.  “Look, I tried it and it didn’t stick, okay?” she said, avoiding his eyes and trying to play it off.  “I’m not a butterfly,” she asserted.  “I’m a bee – I sting.”
         Darien softened his tone.  “But you are a butterfly, Chase,” he said gently.  “Don’t you see that?  You’ve changed.”
         Afraid what he was saying was true and angry at her own loss of control, every fiber of Chase’s being wanted to flee the alley.  She chose the easiest path – anger.
         “Butterfly, bee… whatever,” she said, turning on her heel.  “I’m flying outta here.”
         “Chase, don’t…”
         “Don’t worry about me,” she said flippantly over her shoulder.  “I’ll find true satisfaction on my own.”  And she slipped out of the alley into the lurking darkness.

Episode I

         It worked before… maybe it will work again.
         Darien sat pensively in his apartment.  His heart urged him to run after Chase and bring her back.  She captivated him with her strength and wit and beauty, and he missed her more than he expected.  But he reminded himself that begging would do his cause no good, and he wanted her to return because she wanted to – not because he had pleaded or persuaded.  So, like before, he would wait.  Darien was an exceptionally patient man – he would wait until the time was right to approach Chase again and simply invite her to come back.
           He kept an eye out for her, though, concerned that she might revert to her old ways of venting her emotions.  After locking up the gym each night, Darien would make a brisk circuit of the neighborhood, looking and listening for any sign of Chase in trouble.  He found no such signs, though.  In fact, the few times he discovered any proof of Chase was typically in the form of an unusually thrashed alleyway where splotches of blood stained the dirty ground.  Whether it was Chase’s or an opponent’s Darien didn’t know, but he was slightly comforted by the fact that he was only finding small spots of blood and not entire dead bodies.
         A week or so had gone by and Darien was out later than usual, having to himself dispose of a pair of neighborhood thugs who had been harassing regular visitors to the gym.  The harassment had been going on almost since Darien had opened the gym – local thugs didn’t like it when the people learned how to protect themselves – but the violence had escalated as of late and Darien decided to end the problem once and for all. 
         Still breathing heavily from his encounter, Darien rounded a corner and found himself near Chase’s diner.  Wondering if she would be working, he looked at his watch – 1:00am.  Recalling that she usually never worked past midnight because it cut into her fighting time, Darien started to cross the street for a cup of coffee.  But he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Chase stagger out of the diner, hanging sloppily on to a muscular arm. 
         Although he was in the middle of the street, Darien froze.  He didn’t want her to see him just yet, and he certainly did not want to see her shameful, drunken behavior.  But it was too late, and Chase spotted him standing rigidly in the street.  Her silly smile melted and her glazed eyes suddenly grew serious as she straightened her back.  Her muscular companion noticed her change and followed her gaze to the handsome doctor. 
         “You know that fella?” the burly man asked suspiciously.
         Chase’s eyes narrowed.  “Used to.”
         Darien was close enough to hear their conversation, but he remained still, staring intently at Chase.
         “So what happened?” the man asked.
         Chase broke her gaze and greedily threw back a drink from a dark brown bottle.  She looked defiantly at Darien and wrapped her arms more tightly around her companion.  “He thinks I don’t know what real satisfaction is.”
         “Maybe he doesn’t,” the man said quickly, “but I sure as hell do.”  He grabbed Chase’s waist and pulled her roughly to him, smashing a kiss on her face.  Chase slung an arm around his neck and hungrily kissed back.
         When they were done, Chase threw back her dark hair and dared a glance at Darien.  He was still standing in the middle of the empty street, staring back at her with his deep brown eyes.  He looked at her with disappointment and hurt.
         Chase grinned smugly, the alcohol telling her that she had won the confrontation.  “Come on,” the man tugged impatiently at her arm.  “Let’s get back to my place.”  Not looking back, Chase staggered after the burly man pulling her arm.
         Darien watched them go, sadness pervading his face.  You don’t know what you’re doing, Chase.

Episode J

         Chase awoke groggily with a sharp pounding inside her head and a soreness that throbbed along her arms, legs and other more delicate areas.  She was used to the morning-after soreness and hangovers, but she was not prepared for the burning sensation around her wrists and ankles.  She groaned and tried to sit up, but couldn’t.  She looked down over her scantily-clad body and saw thick, dusty ropes tying her tightly to the bed posts.  Angry and alarmed, Chase tried to pull together her soggy recollections of the previous twelve hours and vaguely remembered returning to her burly companion’s apartment.  He had been no different from any of the others she had chosen to spend the night with over the years, but she usually remembered at least something of the night’s encounter.  All Chase could recall now was making out with the man just outside his apartment, then opening the door and stumbling into darkness.
         She suddenly realized that she must still be in his apartment, although the man himself – what was his name? – was nowhere to be seen.  Expecting him to arrive at any moment, Chase was anxious to find an escape.  She glanced hurriedly around the drab apartment, but there was little more in the place than dirty clothes and the rickety bed she was tied to. 
         Growing increasingly suspicious, Chase pulled desperately at her bonds but they scorched into her skin as she twisted.  She hissed, but continued to struggle, eager for escape.  How convenient that he was at the diner last night, Chase thought of the man.  He must have been waiting for me – to bring me back here and have his fun.  I have a long list of enemies, Chase admitted as she twisted the ropes a little harder.  There’s a bunch of thugs in this neighborhood who’d love to get me back for all the trouble I’ve caused them.
         Chase paused as she thought about just how long the list of enemies was, and although her face didn’t show it, her heartbeat quickened as she realized just how vulnerable she was.  Her heart thumped rapidly, and with it, so did her head.  Lost in her thoughts and attempts at escape, Chase had almost forgotten her hangover.  But the nervous pumping of blood quickly reminded her that even if she hadn’t been tied down, Chase would be helpless in a fight: alcohol had poisoned her and sex had exhausted her.  Her head throbbed and the scant amount of light that filtered into the room made Chase’s eyes want to explode.  She continued to pull at the ropes, but with each attempt, Chase’s used-up body grew weaker.  After several more minutes of struggling, she dropped against the pillow, utterly exhausted and moaning in pain. 
         Down the hall, a door opened then slammed shut.  In that moment, the awareness of her own shocking vulnerability cut Chase like a knife, and she almost cried out.  Heavy footsteps tramped towards the bedroom, and despite her weakness, Chase began to pull more frantically at the ropes once again.  The door swung open, and her burly companion from last night stood leering at his captive.
         “Ready for more?” he snarked from the doorway.
         “Untie me, you freak!” Chase spat defiantly at him.
         He chuckled.  “Not a chance in hell.”  The man crossed into the room and stood at the foot of the bed, looking greedily down at her.  “The second I let those ropes loose you’d have ‘em around my neck.”
         Chase thrashed angrily against the ropes, indicating that hanging her captor was precisely what she had in mind.  The burly man chuckled again.
         “Now, now,” he said, running his finger along a rope tied to Chase’s ankle.  “Don’t be in such a hurry.  You’ve caused an awful lot of trouble for my boss lately, so he’s instructed me to keep you here…” the man stared icily at Chase, “… for as long as humanly possible.”
         The room went cold and Chase felt like vomiting.  She was at her most defenseless – weak, hungover, scarcely clothed, and tied securely to a bed, at the mercy of a disgusting thug who plainly was enjoying the torture that he was about to deliver.  Chase saw flashes of the past in her mind, and suddenly realized that her predicament – maybe even her impending death – was of her own doing.  She had chosen to fight and aggravate the criminal elements of the neighborhood; she had imposed upon herself a solitary and friendless life; she had rejected the help and friendship of the only person who had been determined to reach her.
         Darien! Chase thought, suddenly hopeful.  But then, she remembered just how cold she had been to him – not only last night but from the beginning.  Darien won’t come for me, Chase thought ruefully.  Human devotion could only take so much, and she had been exceedingly cruel to him last night in the street.  No one will come for me, Chase thought matter-of-factly, and no one will care when I die.
         Many excrutiating hours later, Chase believed her time had come.  The thug’s torture had been sloppy – which incurred even more pain – and had lasted well into the day.  Chase would not give him the pleasure of screaming or crying out: she simply grunted through clenched teeth until her throat was raw and hoarse.  Trickles of blood from her bound wrists and ankles mingled with that of various other wounds, and smudges of mixed dirt and sweat stained both Chase and the bedsheets.  As the dirty thug stood and left the apartment, Chase rolled her head to one side, hoping somehow to alleviate the excruciating pain that she felt in every pore of her body. 
How did I get here? Chase wondered, dazed from pain.  Utter hopelessness saturated her heart, and her thoughts were unhindered.  I should have never left Darien… when I was with him, at least one person cared if I lived or died… and now I am going to die, and there’s nothing at all I can do about it.  In fact, Chase wanted to die: she wanted the pain in her body and in her heart to end and she finally realized that even she was not strong enough to make that happen.  She physically felt her own weakness and regretted that she did not listen to Darien’s advice.  From the pit of her gut, Chase begged for death… and forgiveness.
The door down the hall opened and closed, and Chase braced herself for the thug’s return.  Footsteps approached the bedroom, and Chase could not bring herself to look at her vicious captor.  She tensed slightly, but could only manage to close her eyes and turn her head weakly away.
Strangely, the footsteps grew softer as they approached, and through her blazing pain, Chase did not hear the thug’s now familiar chuckle.  The steps approached the bedside and Chase wondered what new method of torture the man was about to dole out.
“Oh, Chase,” a familiar voice gasped.
The young woman painstakingly turned her head toward the voice.  It can’t be…
A tall, dark young man knelt by the bed.  “Chase, what’s happened here?”
Chase was unsure if the pain had caused her to hallucinate.  “D-Darien?”
The handsome doctor put a reassuring hand on her head.  “Chase,” he said softly.  “I’m here.”
Something inside Chase had survived the murder of her family.  It had survived all those cold, hard years of solitude and anger; it had survived Darien’s attempts at friendship, and it had survived the last several hours of torture.  But at Darien’s warm, gentle voice, the last hardened stronghold of Chase’s heart broke.  The pain and hopelessness was overshadowed by the joy and relief that she was not alone… she had a friend… she had a savior.  Hot, stinging tears rose from Chase’s throat and she nearly choked on a sob that had been growing since that day long ago when her house, her family and her heart were destroyed.
Chase could see Darien’s gentle smile through her tears.  There was so much she wanted to say to him, but after the gluttonous night and torturous day, she couldn’t force her brain to translate her scattered thoughts into intelligible words.  She could only lay helpless and dirty on the bed and look hopefully up at him.
“The man that did this to you,” Darien said firmly.  “He’ll be back.”  He spoke plainly, as if he were merely stating the fact and he appeared to have no intentions of doing anything about it.
Chase’s eyes grew wide and she strained to sit up.  “I can’t…  I can’t….” she repeated desperately, then her eyes turned to Darien.  “Please… I can’t…” she begged.  “Help me… please.”
He stared down at her for a long moment, then stood decisively, pulling something silver from his pocket.  He deftly flipped out a long pocket-knife and began sawing at Chase’s ropes.  He had loosed both her legs when the burly thug returned.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” he exclaimed.  “That girl’s mine!”
“Not anymore,” Darien said with authority.
Enraged, the thug charged head-long at Darien.  Dropping his knife, Darien easily avoided him and grabbed his attacker in a tight choke-hold.
Chase watched stunned as Darien spoke in a controlled voice over his scrambling victim.  “I do not want to kill you,” Darien stated coldly.  “But that decision rests entirely in your hands.  Even after the abominable things you have done – I will show mercy if you can show mercy.”  With those words, he turned the thug loose.  The thug clutched at his throat as he gasped for air, and he glared threateningly at Darien.  Darien replied with a nod towards the wounded girl on the bed and an ultimatum: “Release her.”
With lightening speed, the thug swiped up Darien’s knife and rushed at him.  Darien met him head-on and the two quickly became entangled in a fearsome fight.  They both clamored for control of the knife, but the thug managed to keep it and he dug the small blade into Darien’s side.  He roared in pain, and Chase grimaced when she heard it.
Soon, though, Darien gained the advantage and wrested the knife away.  Looming over his opponent, he stared down at him in righteous anger.  “To those who show no mercy, mercy will be withheld from them.”  And he plunged the knife into the evil man’s heart.
Heaving, Darien stood slowly and turned towards the bed.  Chase watched him as he silently approached the bed and began freeing her wrists from the remaining bonds.  He didn’t say a word – just calmly leaned over her and began cutting the ropes.  She could see the blood running down his side and sweat dripping down his forehead.  He had endured her stinging words, physical pain, and risked death – all for her sake.  Chase was awed…humbled… and grateful.  But her exhausted brain couldn’t find the words to say exactly how she felt.
“Darien…” she began softly as he loosened the last ropes.  “I… I’m…”
He tenderly placed her wrists in her lap and knelt before her.  “You’re free,” he said softly, looking up at her with a strange expression on his face.
Chase sat up slightly and looked deep into his eyes.  “Thank you,” she whispered.
Darien leaned up and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  “Let’s get you home.”
He spent the next several days tending to Chase at his apartment and helping her heal.  And not all the wounds were physical ones.  One night, Chase woke up in the middle of the night, startled to see Darien sitting on the edge of the bed and grasping her shoulders. 
He answered her quizzical look.  “You must have been having a nightmare.  You were tossing and turning and… crying.”
Chase rubbed her eyes and sat up.  “I keep remembering being back there… tied up… with no hope.”  She looked down.  “It was like losing my family all over again.  It was horrible.”
Darien lifted her chin to meet his confident gaze.  “No one will ever hold you captive again,” he said boldly.  “But you’ve got to let these feelings of guilt and loneliness go – they will hold you prisoner for as long as you let them.”
“I don’t know how,” Chase admitted in a small voice.
Even in the darkness of the night, Chase could feel Darien’s warm smile.  “I know you’re afraid that if you let anyone too close they’ll leave you and cause you pain.  But I’m not like that.”  He paused and let his hands close around hers.  “Trust in me, Chase.  I saved you, and I will keep saving you until the day you die.”
Chase was amazed.  How could this man love her so much after all the hurtful and horrible things she had done to him?  How could he be willing to make such a sacrifice for someone such as her?  “All I’ve ever wanted is some kind of peace,” she managed to say after a while.  “I don’t deserve your salvation.”
“But you do,” he assured her.  “You’ve changed, Chase, and you have so much more potential in you.  You might think you’re still the sharp, stinging bee, chasing after shadows and memories,” he said, gently touching her face, “but you’re a beautiful, shimmering butterfly, searching earnestly for a peaceful place to land.”