Did I know you? by akinarei (Iota #12: It's only forever)
Title: Did I Know You?
Author: akinarei
Fandom: Ophelia and Abby Mysteries
Theme: Iota #12: It's Only Forever
Pairing: Ophelia Jensen x Ethan Clement
Disclaimer: Wish I owned them. Sadly don't.
12. It’s only forever
“It’s only forever, it’s not long at all… lost and lonely…”
Opening lyrics including Underground, Labyrinth
It certainly felt like the oldest cliché in the book: sitting in a bar, nursing a lone beer, and watching the crummy news on the television while waiting for a contact. Such was the glamour of undercover work with the DEA. At times, Ethan despised it. But there was the other fifty percent where it was exciting and those were the times when he loved undercover working. And he was good at his job-one of the best, if he did say so himself. He took a swig from his bottle and watched the TV news reporter with little interest. His contact was late-that was usually a bad sign. When the reporter began to talk about a recent book signing in Summerset, Ethan was all ears.
“Hey, can you turn that up?” he asked the bartender. The man obliged and he listened to the report from the anchor.
“Steven Larsen, author of some of the most controversial crime expose novels was shot today at a book event hosted by the town of Summerset. With Mr. Larsen at the time of the shooting was Ophelia Jensen, the librarian of the local town library. Police are investigating the possible causes for the shooting and declined to comment anything. Current news is that Mr. Larsen is in the hospital in Des Moines and expected to recover. Now onto-”
“You can turn it down,” Ethan told the barkeep. Hoo boy, Jensen. What have you gotten yourself involved in this time? He wanted to pull out his phone and call her, asking her just that, but he couldn’t. Not until he was alone and away from prying eyes. This bar wasn't the most friendly place and if they found out he was DEA, he was good as dead.
“What a world, eh?” the bartender asked conversationally. “Author shot in a small town at a book signin’ no less. You a fan o’ his?”
Ethan shrugged. “My Ma is. Stephen Larsen this, Stephen Larsen that-I keep waitin’ to hear that she’s goin’ ta marry him.” He shook his head and aimed a rueful grin at the barkeep. “I expect she’ll be callin’ me to tell me about it. But now I’ve got one up on her.” He itched to pull out his cell phone and call Ophelia to make sure she was all right, but it wasn’t safe for him to do so. Surreptitiously, he peeked at his watch and decided that this was a waste of his time. His contact wasn’t going to show up tonight and that was bad news. He’d have to scrap this assignment.
Polishing off his beer, he tossed some bills down on the counter. “Thanks,” he muttered, shrugging into his coat and grabbing his helmet.
Once he was safely inside his hotel room, he pulled out his cell phone and called her. His first order of business was to make certain she was all right. He didn’t give a fig about Larsen.
“What’s really bothering you, Jensen?” he asked, when she fell silent.
“Larsen… it… there’s such a connection between us… I think I knew him in a past life,” she told him.
The sorrow pierced his heart keenly. Had he and Ophelia known each other in another life, he wondered bitterly. “So I guess he’s Mr. Right?”
“Not if my dreams are true,” she answered stoutly.
“No?” His heart soared at that answer.
“He sold me out to the Germans during World War II. No, I don’t think I’d risk that same hurt again.” She paused again. “Where are you?”
He grinned, even though she couldn't see it. “You know I can’t tell you that, Jensen.”
“It was worth a try.”
“Say, Jensen… do you think that we knew each other in past life, too?” His voice was wistful.
Boggy ground, she thought, on her end of the phone. “Likely not. But it’s better this way, don’t you think?” she asked. “I know that whoever Stephen Larsen was in a past life, he betrayed me and that’ll never be forgotten, no matter how many different lives we live or where or when we meet.”
“And I haven’t had that chance, right?” The bitterness in his voice surprised him.
“Yes,” she answered honestly. “Meeting in this lifetime, we create memories and forge connections that aren’t built on our past lives. It’s a new chance for new memories.” She paused, “And infinite possibilities. Just don’t betray me, Slick. I’d hate to have to give you boils, after all.”
He hung up feeling better. They hadn’t known each other in a past life, but she was right: it was better this way.
Author: akinarei
Fandom: Ophelia and Abby Mysteries
Theme: Iota #12: It's Only Forever
Pairing: Ophelia Jensen x Ethan Clement
Disclaimer: Wish I owned them. Sadly don't.
12. It’s only forever
“It’s only forever, it’s not long at all… lost and lonely…”
Opening lyrics including Underground, Labyrinth
It certainly felt like the oldest cliché in the book: sitting in a bar, nursing a lone beer, and watching the crummy news on the television while waiting for a contact. Such was the glamour of undercover work with the DEA. At times, Ethan despised it. But there was the other fifty percent where it was exciting and those were the times when he loved undercover working. And he was good at his job-one of the best, if he did say so himself. He took a swig from his bottle and watched the TV news reporter with little interest. His contact was late-that was usually a bad sign. When the reporter began to talk about a recent book signing in Summerset, Ethan was all ears.
“Hey, can you turn that up?” he asked the bartender. The man obliged and he listened to the report from the anchor.
“Steven Larsen, author of some of the most controversial crime expose novels was shot today at a book event hosted by the town of Summerset. With Mr. Larsen at the time of the shooting was Ophelia Jensen, the librarian of the local town library. Police are investigating the possible causes for the shooting and declined to comment anything. Current news is that Mr. Larsen is in the hospital in Des Moines and expected to recover. Now onto-”
“You can turn it down,” Ethan told the barkeep. Hoo boy, Jensen. What have you gotten yourself involved in this time? He wanted to pull out his phone and call her, asking her just that, but he couldn’t. Not until he was alone and away from prying eyes. This bar wasn't the most friendly place and if they found out he was DEA, he was good as dead.
“What a world, eh?” the bartender asked conversationally. “Author shot in a small town at a book signin’ no less. You a fan o’ his?”
Ethan shrugged. “My Ma is. Stephen Larsen this, Stephen Larsen that-I keep waitin’ to hear that she’s goin’ ta marry him.” He shook his head and aimed a rueful grin at the barkeep. “I expect she’ll be callin’ me to tell me about it. But now I’ve got one up on her.” He itched to pull out his cell phone and call Ophelia to make sure she was all right, but it wasn’t safe for him to do so. Surreptitiously, he peeked at his watch and decided that this was a waste of his time. His contact wasn’t going to show up tonight and that was bad news. He’d have to scrap this assignment.
Polishing off his beer, he tossed some bills down on the counter. “Thanks,” he muttered, shrugging into his coat and grabbing his helmet.
Once he was safely inside his hotel room, he pulled out his cell phone and called her. His first order of business was to make certain she was all right. He didn’t give a fig about Larsen.
“What’s really bothering you, Jensen?” he asked, when she fell silent.
“Larsen… it… there’s such a connection between us… I think I knew him in a past life,” she told him.
The sorrow pierced his heart keenly. Had he and Ophelia known each other in another life, he wondered bitterly. “So I guess he’s Mr. Right?”
“Not if my dreams are true,” she answered stoutly.
“No?” His heart soared at that answer.
“He sold me out to the Germans during World War II. No, I don’t think I’d risk that same hurt again.” She paused again. “Where are you?”
He grinned, even though she couldn't see it. “You know I can’t tell you that, Jensen.”
“It was worth a try.”
“Say, Jensen… do you think that we knew each other in past life, too?” His voice was wistful.
Boggy ground, she thought, on her end of the phone. “Likely not. But it’s better this way, don’t you think?” she asked. “I know that whoever Stephen Larsen was in a past life, he betrayed me and that’ll never be forgotten, no matter how many different lives we live or where or when we meet.”
“And I haven’t had that chance, right?” The bitterness in his voice surprised him.
“Yes,” she answered honestly. “Meeting in this lifetime, we create memories and forge connections that aren’t built on our past lives. It’s a new chance for new memories.” She paused, “And infinite possibilities. Just don’t betray me, Slick. I’d hate to have to give you boils, after all.”
He hung up feeling better. They hadn’t known each other in a past life, but she was right: it was better this way.