"Dr. Swift!" Camila cried. "I'm done with my rounds, what else do you need?"
Taylor was filling out the white board for their schedule that day when Camila barged in. She glanced at the Latina who was still catching her breath, clutching charts and a book underneath it. Taylor catches a glimpse of the book.
"What's that book you got there, Cabello?"
Camila peeks at the book she's holding. "Oh! It's a book by P. Edwards called The Undercover."
Taylor smiles, "I've always wanted to finish reading that book, but can't find time to do so. Do you mind telling me the part where I left off?"
"Sure thing! I would love to," Camila beamed. "Which part did you stop at?"
Taylor continues to write on the white board, "The part where Louise talked to her Uncle. I want to know what her Uncle told Louise that made her decide to let Amelia go."
"Oh! That's the most exciting part...except for the ending, of course." Taylor glances at the Latina once more before returning her attention to the white board while Camila starts to tell her the story. "Alright...so, major plot twist. Remember the old man that Louise's great, great, great grandfather helped eons ago?"
"Yeah?"
"Right! He happens to be the Uncle's great great grandfather! In short, the old man was Amelia's great, great, great grandfather! He was a spiritual alchemist in our world, but in Amelia's world, he was the greatest sorcerer! When he gave the Flame of the Alchemist's mark to Louise's great, great, great grandfather, that's when Louise's bloodline started! So, technically, Louise and Amelia's bloodline started from him!"
"Oh-kay? But what does it have to do with Louise letting go of Amelia?" Taylor asks with knitted brows.
Camila puts a finger up, "Almost there. Patience, Doctor..." Taylor sighs and urges her protégé to continue. "So, we all know that the Uncle has been in Louise's world way before Amelia came in – he was apparently, the best friend of Louise's father. That's because her Uncle was chosen to be the Spiritual Guide of Louise's father! But, of course, they don't know that because they are not allowed to reveal their true identity."
Little by little it started to make sense in Taylor's head. But the way Camila is explaining it, she hates to admit that it is in fact testing her patience.
"A Spiritual Guide's job is to guide the people with the Flame of the Alchemist mark. The Uncle fulfilled his responsibility by being the great friend of Louise–not just to her father–but to her whole family. He treated them as his own. For Louise and her siblings, he's like their second dad. But you know...bad things happened. The killing and stuff – Louise hid her true identity. The Uncle didn't know she survived her family's massacre until years had passed–"
"Cut to the chase, Mila!" Taylor spins around and rests her arm across her chest, all while tapping her shoe on the sterile floor, like an impatient teacher.
"Right! When the attack happened – you know, the part where a sniper was aiming at Louise's head–Amelia opened the gate to another universe to save her. The Uncle instantly senses that strong magic. When he reached the scene, he saw his daughter unconscious with blood on her head. Any father who'd see their daughter get hurt, will immediately get mad, panic, and seek out who has hurt her. But Amelia's father kept calm. He knew his daughter was fine. He let the paramedics take his daughter to the hospital. That's when he put the pieces together that Louise and Amelia knew each other. And that the only person he ever talked to about her daughter and Louise was no other than..."
"Lenny?"
"Nope. The Chief." Camila grinned. "Even before Louise told The Chief about her adventures with Amelia in the other universe, The Chief already knew everything about it because the Uncle revealed everything to her! But she didn't tell Louise because Louise needs to hear it directly from her Uncle."
"What exactly is everything that she needs to hear from her Uncle?" Taylor inquired.
"Jeez! You know, for a doctor, you are too impatient." Camila mumbled, but Taylor managed to hear what she said causing the blonde to narrow her eyes at her. The Latina only grinned at her and continued her story. "Amelia was destined to be the Spiritual Guide of Louise, but the Uncle didn't tell her that because it's forbidden. And Because of Amelia's stubbornness, she came to Louise's world unprepared and unaware of her true purpose because she hasn't reached her full potential to be the Spiritual Guide! All she wanted to do was to escape her world so she could explore and be free."
"Are you getting to the part where you tell me the reason why Louise decides to let Amelia go?"
"Almost there, Doctor. Hold your horses." Camila reassured her. "So, the Uncle told Louise that if Amelia continues to stay in her world without knowing her real purpose, the magic that runs through her veins will slowly disappear. We all know that Amelia was born with magic, right? So, if that happens...without magic, Amelia will get sick. She can't be treated by any doctors; she'll only suffer a slow and extremely painful death."
"Then, why didn't Louise just tell Amelia the truth? Why did she have to hurt Amelia's feelings?"
"That's the thing. Amelia has the pure blood of a sorcerer. Remember the old man? Yeah, she got the same blood as him. In order for them to unlock their real powers, they need to feel the pain of dying. Whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally. Of course, for the old man from way, way, way waaaay back before. He had an accident, right? And Louise's great, great–"
"Yeah, yeah. I remember!"
"Yes, that wasn't a real accident. He did that on purpose so he could feel the pain of dying. He chose the physical kind of pain. While Amelia..."
Taylor stares at Camila at the realization. "Louise couldn't bear to see Amelia suffer physically, so she chose to hurt her emotionally instead. And that's worse because she knows she's the only person who could do that."
"You got it, Doc!"
"Oh, how cruel! I mean...not Louise, of course, but the circumstances. They were left with no choice! That's just really cruel."
"I know..." Camila felt sad at the thought of it.
"So...how does it end?"
Camila perked up at the question. "Well, after Louise killed everyone who's after her, she was ready to turn herself in. But to her surprise, when the FBI and the police arrived at the scene, they all saluted Louise, including The Chief, who couldn't hide her smile because she was so proud of Louise!"
"Oh, really? But why?"
"Because Louise didn't know that those gangsters that she just knocked over were the most wanted and notorious people in the U.S.! Even before she fought them, there were already court orders from the President to catch them, dead or alive! Technically, Louise didn't commit any crime. For the U.S. government, she's a hero. The FBI even begged her to come back and swerve the country and offered her a high ranking position. But she refused, Louise chose to live by her own code now. You know why?"
"Why?"
"She believes that she was born alone and that she'll die alone; that the world just put a bunch of rules on top of it so people will forget about it. But she never forgets. She's living her life like there's no tomorrow because she believes that there isn't one."
"Oh...that's cool. But that surely wasn't the ending I wanted to hear. I want to know how Louise and Amelia's story ends."
Camila pursed her lips and winced a little, "See, that's the thing."
"What thing?"
"There's another version of this book which..." Camila quickly glances at her wristwatch. "Oh! The book launch is happening right now! And according to the author, P. Edwards...she's going to re-publish this book and release it with eleven alternate endings with varying degrees of rarity!"
Taylor gasps. Camila's eye twitches at the thought. "The catch is that she's not going to put on the book cover what version of the ending is in there. It's up to the fans and readers to figure out and find all those books with the eleven distinct endings!"
"Oh, that's another level of cruelty right there." Taylor comments. "But smart, too! Really smart marketing strategy."
Camila sighs as she remembers the sad reality, "Now I have to find and buy all those versions."
"When you're done collecting the other versions, can you tell me the eleven alternate endings?"
Camila's mouth was agape at what Dr. Swift said. She's a bit hesitant to answer because it kind of sounds a bit unfair because she's going to be on the hunt for those books, while Taylor benefits from it without doing anything.
Taylor tilted her head, waiting for Camila's answer. "Well? Do you want to get a passing mark on your internship?"
The Latina's ears perked up at the mention of her grade, "Oh–of course!
"Then start finding the eleven alternate endings!"
"B-But...I still have another round to finish," Camila reasoned out.
Taylor waved her hand, as if to dismiss her, "Forget that. I'll give that to another intern." She winked at Camila, causing the Latina to be momentarily dumbstruck at the Doctor's words before she snapped out of it and made her way out of Dr. Swift's office and headed off to the book launch.
☆
Meanwhile, at the book launch...
"Hi."
A little girl glanced up from playing games on the phone and stared at the woman who greeted her, holding a book and staring back at her.
"Hi...are you here to get an autograph from my mom?"
The lady's eyes widened, "Your mom? Uhm..." She then cleared her throat. "Yes, I'd like an autograph..."
"She just went to the ladies' room–"
"Jerrie, honey...did you get my phone from my purse again?" Perrie said as she kept on looking inside her purse.
"Yes, mom."
"What did I tell you..." Perrie stopped in her tracks and was momentarily mesmerized by the woman who was in front of her daughter. "Jade..."
The brunette flashed her a sweet smile in acknowledgement, and Perrie swore to all the gods her heart did somersaults and her stomach flipped in different directions when she saw Jade.
Jade glanced at the little girl, then at Perrie. "Jerrie?" She asks.
"Yes, that's my name!" The little girl confirmed.
Jade looks at her, "That's...a really nice name."
"Mom said my name came from someone she loved. And gave me the name because she loves me."
Jade's eyebrow shot up. She wasn't expecting the kid to say something like that. She smiles at her, "Is that so?"
"Mm-hmm..." The child hummed and returned her attention to her mom's phone. While Jade's glimmering brown orbs were staring at Perrie whose cheeks were turning scarlet at what her daughter had just divulged.
"She's uhm...she just turned four, and she loves to talk."
"Something that she clearly didn't get from you," Jade teased.
Perrie chuckled, "Y-Yeah."
It's been so long since Jade hadn't seen Perrie that gazing at her now seems like a dream. A dream in which Jade prefers not to wake up from. The blonde hasn't changed a bit. She's still dazzling and mesmerizing and holds some sort of authority that makes her alluring and oh-so sexy.
While Perrie couldn't be more thankful for her lucky stars that Jade came to her book launch today. Sure, there were days that Perrie wished so hard for Jade to come back, and then there were days she was so sure the brunette wouldn't come back. And yet, here she is, in all her glory. Captivating Perrie now more than ever.
"Do you know her mom?" Jerrie chimed in. "She wants your autograph."
Jade and Perrie came back to their senses. They didn't notice they'd been staring at each other for far too long when Jerrie spoke.
"Uh...yes, honey. This is...Jade, she's mom's..."
"Old friend," Jade continued for her, and crouched down so she wasn't towering over the child. "Nice to meet you...Jerrie."
The little girl put down her mom's phone to shake Jade's hand. The brunette took this as an opportunity to study the girl's features.
She has wavy blonde hair with freckles on her cheeks that were scattered like confetti, she has sun-kissed skin, brown eyes, and a distinct mark on her wrist – just like her mom.
Jade stood back up and turned her attention to Perrie, "Are you busy after the book launch?"
"Oh, uhm..."
"We're going to the candy shop, mom..." Jerrie reminds her. "Don't forget."
Perrie winced at almost forgetting their next destination, "Right...yeah, we're going to the candy shop."
Jade nods and smiles, "Alright. Maybe some other time."
"Uh...you know what? Why don't you come with us to the candy shop?" Perrie bends over so she can talk to her daughter. "You don't mind having mom's friend come with us to the candy shop, do you?"
"No, mom." Jerrie answered as she looked at Jade from head to toe. "She seems nice. And very pretty, too. She can always come with us." She grins at Jade then to Perrie.
Perrie shook her head at her daughter and felt relieved that she'd get to spend more time with Jade today.
☆
After their visit to the candy shop, Jade and Perrie ended up eating gummy bears as they sat on a bench in front of the playground while watching Jerrie, giggling as she slid down the slide and down a pool full of colored balls.
"So, how did you find me here in New Orleans?" Perrie finally asked.
"Uhm, well...remember your credit card?"
"Oh..." Perrie remembers her credit card that they used when they were in a different universe. Jade missed returning it to her after they returned to their world. And Perrie never bothered to look nor use her card since it wouldn't be useful now that it was activated somewhere else.
But it's not just because of Perrie's card that Jade managed to find her. The brunette after all still has Perrie's thong. Of course, Jade can't possibly tell her that. It's a good thing she still has the blonde's credit card as an excuse.
"I'm sorry you weren't able to use your credit card again after...you know..."
Perrie scoffed, "Nah, it's fine. I never have to use it again, anyway."
Jade nods. There were a lot of what-ifs swimming in her mind that day. It didn't help that her heart was skipping beats every now and then. They shared a short silence before Jade spoke again.
"I was surprised to see you as a number one best-selling author. I never thought you had it in you."
"Well..." Perrie scratches the back of her head. Even if she's written a lot of books, it still hasn't quite sunk in yet that she's had several number one books. "Have you read my recent book?"
"Yeah."
"Really? And?"
Jade chuckles, "Yes, really. Are you serious about the eleven alternate endings though?"
Perrie laughed musically, "To be perfectly honest with you, I only released ten alternate endings. I only said eleven," Perrie smirked at her devious plan. "I like to watch the fans panic as they try to find the last ending."
"That's a bit harsh, but fun."
"I know."
"But...why eleven alternate endings?"
Perrie froze. She didn't think Jade would ask and she wasn't prepared to answer her. It took her a while, but she finally told her the truth. "Because I still don't know how the story would end, so I created ten different endings."
"And the eleventh one? Is that going to be the final ending?" Jade inquired.
Perrie sighed, "I have yet to write it." She admitted. Jade turned her head at Perrie, she was taken aback by the blonde's answer. "Because the final ending would be the real one."
Jade blinked a couple of times, trying to understand what Perrie meant as she listened to her. She then returns her attention to Jerrie who was laughing and playing with the other kids in the playground.
Jade heaved a deep breath, "So...Jerrie, huh? Where's her...uhm..." As curious as she is, Jade can't seem to ask Perrie what she's been dying to know. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked about her."
"No...it's fine. She's uhm...I had her through In Vitro with the help of Dr. Swift from L.A."
"Did you say Dr. Swift?" Jade repeats. Her ears perked up at the mention of her best friend's name.
"Yes, Dr. Taylor Swift. Do you know her?"
Jade tilted her head to the side and looked at Jerrie again, "Yeah...I know her."
"When I quit being a Sergeant, I came to realize a lot of things. One of them is that I'm the only one left in my family. I have to do something to continue our bloodline. And the first thing I did was to have Jerrie. I let Dr. Swift work on it, and I can say I'm really impressed at the outcome. I mean, look at my daughter...isn't she lovely?"
Jade smiled as she watched Jerrie. "Yes...she is..."
They shared a short, comfortable silence. Just letting the breeze blow past them as they watched Perrie's little girl giggle her heart out.
"I'm sorry...I hurt you." Perrie suddenly said, causing Jade to turn her way. While Perrie was still looking at her daughter. "I never expected to see you again."
"I understand why you did that. It took a while to sink in, to swallow the bitter pill, but I understand everything now. That's why I'm here."
This time, Perrie turned to Jade. "Are you here to stay?"
The brunette smiled at her, "Only if you want me to."
Perrie paused for a while. If she was being honest, she's a bit choked up at the thought of Jade staying for good. She's still processing what the brunette had said. She can't believe that after all that she's done, Jade still chooses to be with her.
"You have no idea about the things I want from you." Perrie blurts out.
Jade's eyebrow shot right up, causing both women to burst into fits of laughter. Four years has passed and yet, it seems like nothing has changed between them. They still both feel the same way for each other. Sure, they were separated by circumstances – the timing wasn't right back then, but now, their time has come. And it's just the right time for both of them.
☆
They were now walking down the street to Perrie's house with Jerrie in between them. All three were laughing as they ate their ice cream. Unbeknownst to them, there were two people who were observing them from afar.
"Are we gonna tell them?" Taylor asked.
"They will realize it eventually," The old man smiled with a spark of joy in his eyes. "Great work, by the way. How did you pull it off?" James inquired.
"Of course...I'm the wizard of fertility for a reason," Taylor grinned. "I got Jade's DNA when she was unconscious from her head trauma. I then mixed it with Perrie's DNA when she asked for my help. Then, combined with today's marvelous technology and my personal glittery touch of magic...and poof! Jerrie was born."
"You always amaze me." James compliments the young sorceress, which causes Taylor to feel elated that the King has acknowledged her hard work. "I think my daughter already knows that Jerrie is her child, too. I'm sure she felt it the moment she saw the kid."
"And how would Perrie know that it's her and Jade's child?" Taylor asked.
"My grandchild is capable of magic," James stated, his eyes not leaving the trio walking down the sidewalk. "Perrie will soon discover that. Her child is the beginning of a new era – she's the key to our world and this world to finally become one. Alexander and I, we've always dreamt of it. It was our shared goal. That one day, our children are going to make it happen. And now, our children finally made it happen."
William Shakespeare once said: Feel the pain until it hurts no more.
Here's how love works: We fall in love, we get hurt. Whether we like it or not. Getting hurt is part of falling in love. In between falling in love and getting hurt, some people do the work to tolerate the hurt and love again; others simply don't.
The more you love, the more you will have to lose. The more you get hurt, the more that you learn from life's lessons. In the end, you can't have one without the other.
And here's the tricky part. You need to work to become a strong, independent, and comfortable person who can handle whatever happens next.
When you approach a relationship from a place of fear, scarcity, and suspicion, you put up walls. You live your life waiting for the pain – that's not fun at all. To get to a better place, work to create a life that fills you up. Find places where you can find community and connection – become a passionate, healthier, and happier version of you. When you find and finally realize your life's purpose, you'll grow out of the pain and be ready to take on what life throws at you.
Jade needed to feel that pain to fully realize her potential as a Spiritual Guide. She might've not been given a choice but it was for her own good. And Perrie isn't the selfish type who wouldn't want what's best for the love of her life. And look at them now.
-
♫ In The Name Of Love - Bebe Rexha x Martin Garrix