tale as old as time || FERRIS

[melon]

She didn't know why she was even bothering to go to this dance. It wasn't like she knew anyone and a part of her believed that that was a reason. Why shouldn't she branch out and meet other people? And the best thing about this night was that she never had to take off her mask. That statement was both figurative and literal. She could hide who she really was and no one would know the difference. She could and would go out and be social and she wouldn't be tied to the relationships that she could possibly make after this night. It was perfect really. So that was why she was bothering. She just had to think through the situation. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she exhaled softly and looked in the mirror at her reflection. The yellow dress that she had recently purchased was usually not her style. She had gotten it for cheap at a local thrift store even though it looked expensive. That was what she liked about it so much. It had only cost her twenty dollars, but it seemed to be worth more than that. Hopefully she wouldn't stand out at the ball. She didn't need any extra attention to be perfectly honest now.

She had managed to style her hair in thicker waves, and she had pinned them up on the top of her head. Holding it up with a few bobby pins, she thought it looked rather pretty. It had a sweepy look to it, and the up-do looked better with her dress than when her hair was down. She wore no necklace, and her neckline was clearly exposed. The mask that she had found at the thrift store was sitting to the side on her bed, and she walked to it after a moment. Pulling it on, she admired the way that her make up showed through it. She had put a lot of make up on for that reason exactly. It felt good to get dressed up sometimes, but she was afraid that she looked silly. She didn't want to be too overdone or anything like that. Furrowing her brow for a moment, she just shook her head. She would be fine. She could just go and if it wasn't going well for her than she could leave. Nothing was going to keep her there. Decision made, Archer pulled on her gold heels that matched the belt of the dress, and then grabbed her clutch. Shrugging on her light jacket, she hurried out of the apartment, locking the door behind her and giving her dog a bone to keep himself busy for the night. He hated when she left without him but she couldn't really bring him here obviously. Saying goodbye to him once more, she soon hurried down the long stairs.

Hailing a cab once she got outside, she told the driver the address and made up a small conversation with him. He had questions about her mask obviously, but she answered them willingly. He wished he didn't have to work so that he could be her escort. She had smiled at that and thanked him, but hadn't said much more after that. Relieved when they finally arrived, she paid for her fare and tipped him, walking easily to the front door of the place. Checking in her coat, she put the ticket in her clutch and then entered. Looking down at the people already gathered there, she took a deep breath. It was now or never. Walking easily down the stairs, she made her way into the largest part of the crowd, weaving her tiny body in between those who were dancing. She was on her way to a more secluded area when an arm caught hers. Tensing immediately, she turned to gaze at the stranger who seemed to want her attention. Her brown eyes swept over him carefully and she waited, not knowing what he was going to say or what he wanted from her. "Yes?" Her voice was quiet and hard to hear over the music but at the moment she didn't care. She wanted to know who this person was but of course he didn't have to take his mask off. There was something oddly familiar about him though, but she couldn't place it.

WORDS! words
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! wearing THIS
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

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[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

the main reason ferris had come here to the masquerade ball, which was so completely not his thing, was to see archer. he figured she was fairytale enough to want some sort of magical night. after what had happened between them in the dark room, ferris felt the desire to see her again, and to explain himself. he knew he was developing feelings for her, and that scared him, but he'd come to the point of admitting he couldn't run from it anymore. although it frightened him to know he would just eventually hurt her, he knew now that he had to give it a try. it wasn't only because they'd had sex - he'd had sex with plenty of girls before her without developing these feelings for them - it was something more. she was the little bit of sunshine he'd allowed into his life, and now he needed that sunlight to survive. now all he had to do was convince her that he wasn't just playing a sick joke on her when he told her how he felt.

thankfully, he had little trouble at the door since most of the guests had arrived by the time he showed up, and the attendants admitting people just wanted to get it over with so they could join in the debauchery within. when he entered, his senses were instantly assaulted with the cacophony of sensations in the ballroom. there were lights and fabric and sounds that he had never heard before, and he had to admit he was impressed. as a photographer, he saw the beauty in the still images of the world around him, but this moving masterpiece awed him. wandering rather aimlessly, he was passed by lovers and dancers and loners similar to himself, all while he stared around him as if in a trance. part of him wished he'd brought his camera, but another part of him was glad he hadn't embarrassed himself by doing so.

suddenly, he brushed up against a smaller form that wasn't moving past him, and he reached out to stop himself before he smacked into someone or something. his hand wrapped around a slender arm, and a girl - the 'something' he'd almost run into - turned and looked at him through the semi-darkness. he couldn't tell much about her other than her golden dress and her dark hair, and he was instantly reminded of archer and why he'd come here. however, when she spoke - perhaps it was the mask? - he didn't recognize the voice that said, "yes?" releasing the girl's arm, he bowed his head and backed away from her a step. "i apologize my lady. i wasn't paying attention to where i was going." glancing around, he realized a group of dancing couples had made their way into the particular room where they stood, and he was suddenly engulfed by the crowd. quickly, not really thinking, he swept the girl into his arms and waltzed her into the group, moving both of them out of the stampede and into the safer, rushing movement of the crowd.

to his surprise, the thrill of the spontaneous dance was actually fun, and he allowed himself to get caught up in it. he'd taken dancing lessons as a younger man, so he wasn't bad on the dance floor. allowing that training to take him over, he easily whisked the mysterious maiden through the rooms as the crowd flowed around them, moving them along with it. all too soon, the frenzied waltz ended and ferris reluctantly released the girl. offering her a small smile partially hidden by his mask, he grabbed two flutes of champagne off of a passing waiter's tray. handing one toward the girl, he raised his glass to her and then took a sip. "thank you for the dance, lady." he didn't know why he had become so formal. maybe it was the surroundings and the fact that he could be anyone he wanted to be. he didn't have to be his usual grouchy self. besides, if he was nice, he'd probably blend in more than usual anyway just because no one would suspect it was him. as he looked at the enchanting young woman, her black eyes glittering behind her mask, he found himself forgetting (for the moment) why he'd come.

(ARCHER) (721) (MMMM THE ANONYMITY BEGINS DUN DUN DUHHHHHH)

[melon]

Archer wanted to see Ferris here more than anything else, but how was she going to possibly find him in this crowd? All of the men looked the same. They were dressed in some type of tux and they had some type of mask on. It was hard enough for Archer to stand out among all of the young women dancing around in short dresses and pretty masks. She was never going to find him. And this seemingly handsome stranger was standing in front of her, acting as if he had just been passing by. And he was. Archer must have stepped into his way or something along those lines, and as she stared wondrously up at him, she wondered who he really was. She prayed and hoped that it was Ferris, but she couldn't place his voice or his stature. One would think that they'd be able to recognize one another because of how close they had been in the dark room, but that was not the case. As the memories of the dark room came flooding back to her, Archer blushed deeply. He cheeks heated with fire as she remembered what had happened between Ferris and herself and she tried her best to push those thoughts and memories away from her. She didn't know where that was going.

She didn't want to be caught spinning in a situation that she couldn't get herself out of. Ferris was a player. That was what it seemed and that was how he came off to her. She didn't want to get involved with that. That would only hurt her more than she already was. The fact that she had given into him, the fact that she had slept with him was enough already. It wasn't like she was expecting him to keep appearing all over the place but they had left the dark room without another word. She had managed to finally climb through the misplaced ceiling tile and had gotten them out. They had left that situation without exchanging numbers and Archer thought that that was how he wanted it to be. She wasn't going to waste her time hoping for something that was never going to happen. It was useless and she refused to let her heart get broken again. She decided to cut all ties with him now, and as she gazed up at this dark, mysterious stranger, she figured that this was the perfect night to lose herself once more. Hearing his deep voice stirred something deep within her, but she pushed that feeling of familiarity away from the entire situation. His formal words caused her lips to be teased with a smile. "It's quite alright sir. No harm was done, I presume?"

Oh gosh, what was she doing? She wanted to gag just hearing that and he probably wished that she would shut up. Ferris had said something about her never shutting up. Of course he would keep popping up in her mind! Forcing him out once again, she sighed in slight frustration and was more than pleased when this stranger pulled her onto the dance floor without questioning her or doing anything else. No exchange of names, no small talk, no nothing. This was exactly what she needed to get her mind off of things. While she hadn't had any lessons in dancing, and she certainly hadn't had the means to practice it while she was younger, Archer could move easily enough. And with him leading her, they actually looked like they knew what they were doing. Her form folded up against his naturally when he pulled her close, and as he spun her, her body moved gracefully, easily. The smile that lit her face touched her eyes through her mask, and her cheeks were brushed from the flush the dancing created. When they waltz finally came to end, Archer had to admit that she was a bit disappointed. She wanted to dance with him more. She wanted to spend more time with him for some reason. As he pulled them to a quieter area and handed her a glass of champagne, Archer sipped it lightly, glad for the slight refreshment.

"No, thank you sir." She said with a small nod of her head, the smile playing on her lips. Because of the formal speech, Archer couldn't hold the small laugh that escaped her for the moment. Covering her lips with her hand, she shook her head in apology. "I"m sorry. It's just this..all of this..I..I should just go. Thank you for the dance. Really." She said, thanking him once more. Her hand reached gently for his arm, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. This was not her scene. This was not her place. She was some poor girl who had found her costume at a thrift store. Everyone else was dressed to impress and Archer wore clothes that were hand me downs in the worst way. She was an idiot for coming here. It was a mistake. And try as she might, she could not get him off of her mind. She cursed him sideways and all ways for being this prominent, but she couldn't rid herself of him. Turning apologetically from the stranger, she stepped forward, ready to leave this ridiculous masquerade behind.

WORDS! 1072
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! wearing THIS
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

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[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

as the girl turned from him and rushed away, ferris felt foolish. the entire reason he'd come to this wretched event had been to find archer, and instead, he'd done in typical ferris fashion, and found another girl and whisked her off of her feet. what an ass he was. for the first time in possibly his entire life, ferris felt guilt wash over him and he sighed, shaking his head and putting it in his hand as he cleared his head. he didn't know why he couldn't get archer off of his mind, but for some reason he couldn't, and he had to get to the bottom of it or it would drive him insane. he watched the petite girl disappear, and his mind flooded with images of archer and the many times he'd run from her. he really had been an ass - both on purpose and unintentionally - to her since they'd first met in the aquarium. somehow, he would make it up to her. it seemed he would have to: to appease fate and himself. she consumed his mind like some sort of ecstasy, and he had to have more of her. the fire in her eyes, the angry way she stood when she was yelling at him, and the way she'd moaned in his ear in the dark room... he was going crazy the longer he was without her.

pushing aside his inhibitions that he would just hurt her just like he'd done everyone before, he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and pulled up google really quick. yes, he was going to google her. thankfully, it wasn't hard to find 'archer carrigan' in such a small town like sapphire bay, and he soon had her number. taking a deep breath, he pulled his mask off of his face and resolved himself to his course of action. opening up the keyboard on his touchscreen phone, he typed out a text message, assuming that would be a less intrusive course of action. plus, he wasn't sure he could hear her voice right now after he'd unwittingly betrayed her - or, rather, his feelings for her - with some stranger. even if they hadn't done anything, he still felt guilty for even thinking it. he didn't officially belong to archer, but his heart already did, and he'd betrayed himself.

archer, this is ferris. i know it's weird i got your number when you never gave it to me, but... the point is... i need to see you. i need to talk to you. i've been an ass, and if anything were to happen to you before i could see your face and tell you what i need to say... i don't know what i would do. please meet me? tell me a time and place. - ferris

the text message wasn't short and sweet as he'd first intended, but he'd needed to say everything he'd said. sliding the phone back in his pocket, forgetting he'd silenced it when he'd entered the party, he shoved his hands into his pockets and began the long walk out of the ballroom toward his towncar so he could get ready to meet her if and when she agreed to do so.

(ARCHER) (541) (*DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS*)

[melon]

She was glad that the mysterious stranger didn't stop her. She wouldn't have wanted to think of an excuse to tell him why she had to leave. Looking down as she walked quickly from the dance, she hurried up the stairs and weaved her way in and out of the large amount of people that were dancing and socializing. One man even stopped to ask if she was alright and she gave him a forced smile, letting him know that she was fine. When he released her she hurried forward once more, finally reaching the top of the stairs. She cast a look over her shoulder once more at the gorgeous set up and then sighed softly. She didn't belong here. She had only come here to try and find Ferris, but now she was convinced that it had been a mistake. What was she doing? What was she thinking? As she disappeared through the main entrance, she felt her phone buzzing in the clutch that she carried with her. Furrowing her brow, she opened the clutch and grasped her phone, her brown eyes lighting up as the light illuminated her face.

When her eyes read the words she felt like she was imagining things. Was this really Ferris? Or was she praying that she could find a way to contact him so badly that she was pretending to see a text message from him? Furrowing her brow in confusion, she read and re-read the text message. What in the world? His words were still there though, as plain as day. Archer, this is Ferris. She couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her features, but suddenly, the guilt hit her full in the face. She had just danced with another guy and she had had a wonderful time. That wasn't good. That wasn't something that she was ready to accept as alright in her life. Even though she held no commitment to Ferris, she still wanted to be loyal to him. It didn't make sense to her but she didn't know how else to explain it. Ferris already had a part of her heart whether she wanted to admit it or not, and now Archer hurried her pace, wanting to get into a taxi before making the phone call. She could just leave him a voice message or something like that. That would work just as well. After she hailed a cab, Archer sat down, her fingers typing the number excitedly.

The phone went straight to voice mail, but that was fine with her. As she heard his familiar voice her heart beat sped up quickly. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled and spoke quickly. "Hi Ferris, it's Archer. I need to see you too. I need to talk to you, and tell you what I really fe-" But her voice was cut off with a squealing of metal and the screams of not only the taxi driver but the people who saw the accident as well. Archer was silence almost immediately because she was sent flying forward, a gasp escaping her throat as she saw the wall of the cab in front of her. That was the last thing she remembered before she lost consciousness. Her phone stayed open and running as someone from outside of the cab called 911, their voice distinguishable on the voice mail. He reported the accident, saying that there were two cars involved and two people in each car. He gave a small report on the passengers, announcing that the petite girl in the cab was not moving at all. It was then that Archer's phone finally disconnected. It moments, sirens could be heard and the emergency response team arrived, hurrying to the cab. All of the other people involved in the accident had gotten out alive. Archer was trapped in the back of the car, her heart bleeding profusely from the open wound on her forehead.

She was extracted carefully from the car and the right steps were taken to get her into the ambulance. She was rushed to the hospital and a lot of the scans were run on her while she was still out of it. They gave her a mild sedative to help with the scans and keeping her quiet, and it also helped with the pain. Her wrist had been broken in the accident from the angle she had hit it on the middle partition of the cab. She had put her arm out try to brace her head but that hadn't been smart at all. Now that needed surgery as well. When everything was finally done with her, Archer was wheeled into a recovery room and connected to the necessary machines. Once all was said and done the hospital staff left her to rest. However, when she did wake up, all hell broke loose. The young woman's eyes snapped open and she looked completely terrified. It was then that the scream pierced the room as all of the memories of her past life came rushing back to her, clouding with her current memories and realizations. Nurses and doctors came running, trying to restrain the petite girl in her hysteria. Archer was successfully settled down, but her chest heaved and her eyes filled with tears. She sobbed in frustration in fear now, wanting nothing more than to go home to her family.

WORDS! 1078
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! wearing THIS I figured now you can just pretend the hospital staff called Noah or whatever. I forgot how that was happening... Sorry this sucks so much!
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

climbing into his old corvette, ferris revved the engine and turned to speed out of the parking lot. his mind was full of so many thoughts, and he felt confused but relieved, and guilt washed over it all. he had to see her, had to hear her voice. turning on the radio, he tried to use music to wash out his mind, but it didn't help much. then, suddenly, an emergency traffic report cut into the middle of one of his favorite rock songs, and he sighed. a taxi cab, sideswiped by a town car (go figure, probably some rich douchebag not paying attention to where he was going while fucking five women in the back of his car) was blocking the coastal highway and all traffic was being redirected to the mountain roads. as he came around a corner, he saw the redirected traffic: stopped still as everyone poured in from the larger highway and onto the more narrow back roads. as he slowed the corvette to a stop, ferris pulled out his cellphone and, seeing the flashing red light telling him he had missed alerts, realized he hadn't turned the sound back on. his heart leapt as he pressed the button and saw archer had called him. and he'd missed it! a voicemail was promising though, so he hit 1 and began to listen...

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connor saw the entire thing happen from the towncar swerving like some drunken idiot was driving it, until it slammed thoughtlessly into the golden taxi cab. usually he wasn't the 'good citizen' type - considering he was an outlaw and a criminal at the very best - but he hated innocent death. yes, he murdered for a living, and he enjoyed killing, but his killer mind hated seeing innocent people getting killed. there was something about a car accident that sickened in far worse than a gun shot to the head ever would. there was an injustice to death by accident that he couldn't settle. it was his perverted sense of justice perhaps.

the traffic screeched to a halt behind the accident, and connor ordered his man to stop the car on the side of the road as he leapt out. he'd probably seen more blood and gore than most of the emergency workers who would be showing up, so he leapt out and went for the crushed taxi cab. peering in through the windows as his phone came out of his pocket and he dialed 911, he tried to assess the situation. other people were gawking and dialing 911 as well, and connor rolled his eyes at them. staring wasn't going to do anything to help the people inside. when the operator came on the line, he calmly stated in his irish brogue that two cars were involved, the taxi driver was very muchly dead and the girl in the backseat wasn't moving but she appeared to be breathing shallowly. he knew better than to try to move any of them, so he reported their apparent injuries and told the operator where they were located: on the coastal highway just outside of town. knowing he could do nothing more, he returned to his car and told his driver to pull on through, to get them back to base. the last thing the leader of the irish mafia needed was his face on the evening news as the 'saviour' of the accident victims.

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what the hell? that was noah's first thought as he dropped his phone on the kitchen table and took a deep breath. his cousin donata had gone missing when she was sixteen, and the family had presumed her dead. she'd been raped by some irish fucker and then, in the aftermath of a gunfight and splintering beams holding up the house she'd been imprisoned in, her body had been lost and assumed dead. the incident had been so major that noah, who'd been her same age at the time, had heard about it from his grandfather. his father had told him it wasn't their concern - it was the problem of the old family, and they weren't a part of that - but noah had felt horrible about it. he'd never known her or even seen her, but the death of someone the same age as him rattled his mind and made him realize for perhaps the first time that death was a real thing.

now, he was receiving a phone call from the local hospital informing him they believed to have admitted a relative of his, and seeing as he was the only other person with the last name constantino in town - he was wellknown around town despite the fact he didn't live here; apparently people loved to gossip about him and allison - and the girl had been screaming the name, they had found his number and contacted him. and they believed he was just going to walk down to the hospital and tell them that he was related to this girl just because she knew his last name? how was he supposed to help them? he had a big heart and wanted to help people, but he hadn't even seen his cousin before she'd gone missing: how was he supposed to know her now?

plus, he was all hyper and shaken up after the amazing sex he'd had to allison, and he needed time to sort that out in his mind before he could deal with something this huge. even so, he knew what was more important right now. wondering whether or not his ex-wife would still hate him in the morning was going to have to wait. at the very least, even if he could do nothing more for the girl than confirm he was a constantino and she was going to be alright, then that was what he would have to do. changing out of his tuxedo and putting on a black tee shirt along with his favorite pair of jeans, he climbed into his towncar and told the driver to take him to the hospital.

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Hi Ferris, it's Archer. I need to see you too. I need to talk to you, and tell you what I really fe-- ferris's eyes grew wide and he literally shook with fear and pain and sadness as he heard the car crash and the metal bending and breaking and the screaming in his phone. what he'd been afraid would happen had happened, and he couldn't do anything about it other than listening to it on the voicemail. he heard an irish man's accent some distance away reporting the accident, saying the girl was shallowly breathing but not moving and the taxi driver was 'very muchly dead'. ferris closed his eyes and gripped the steering wheel tightly until his knuckles turned white and the blood ran out of his fingers, leaving them cold in the warm night air. when the voicemail ended, he shut off the phone and tossed it into the passenger seat. thankfully, the hospital was the opposite direction from his house, and he wouldn't have to deal with the traffic to get there. turning his car vehemently in the middle of the road, he pressed the gas to the floor and sped back into the night toward the hospital.

mental images of archer laying in her own blood, her chest barely rising and falling, a dead taxi driver in the front seat, people standing around staring... he almost grew sick on the drive to the hospital. she could already be dead for all he knew. the thought made him drive even faster which, considering the night's events, was probably not wise, but he didn't care. he had to get to her. he had to see her before he lost her forever.

dancing with some mystery girl seemed so trivia now, in light of what had happened to her, that he practically forgot he'd even gone to the masquerade ball in the first place. he forgot he was still wearing his tux and the mask he'd worn was thrown in the backseat. all that mattered, all that was in his mind as he drove wildly through the mountains, was archer. he loved her; he knew that now. he didn't know how he could love her when he still barely knew her, but he knew he did. it was like romeo and juliet, love at first sight, except he probably wasn't as nice as romeo had been. archer was most certainly his juliet though.

finally, after what seemed like ages, he crested the hill and pulled into the hospital parking lot. he parked as close to the door as possible and then rushed inside, demanding to know where archer carrigan was, if she was alive, and when he could see her. after being informed he'd entered the maternity wing and surely the girl he was referring to was in the main part of the hospital, ferris ran through the hallways until he reached the emergency station. finally, he got the information he'd asked for, and he was directed to a room on the fourth floor in the critical care unit. 'critical care' sent a shiver of fear down his spine, but the nurses assured him archer would be fine, she just needed to be closely watched due to the nature and location of her injuries. when the doors pinged open on the fourth floor, he saw a commotion going on and heard yelling and screaming. instantly, his heart leapt in his throat - had she relapsed? had her heart stopped beating? was he going to lose her after all of this? - and he raced out of the elevator and toward the commotion. inside a room near the nurse's station, he could see archer through the heads of the hospital staff trying to restrain her, thrashing about in her bed and screaming relatively incoherently. all he could make out in the cacophony was 'constantino' and 'connor' and something about 'an accident' which he assumed was the car accident she'd just been in. what other accident could she be referring to? and who was connor? maybe her brother? he didn't know anything about her family other than her own name, so maybe constantino was another brother? or her father or something?

when the staff finally got her restrained and calmed down, ferris made his way into the room after lying to one of the staff and telling them he was her fiance so they would let him in the room since only next-of-kin and the like were allowed inside. when he entered, he heard her sniffling, and seeing the bruises and blood dried on her cuts, ferris almost threw up. he didn't want to see her like this. he wanted to see his beautiful archer with her shining eyes and skin, not this broken version of her with the dull eyes and beaten features. somehow, he figured this was his fault. he should have listened when the world kept pushing them toward one another. he'd pushed her away one too many times, and now here she was. she'd gotten hurt because of it. the guilt from the evening - and from feeling like he'd hurt her as he'd suspected all along he would - swept back over him, and he took a deep breath as he reached the side of her bed. he'd never been good with comforting people since he was typically the reason they were upset to begin with, so he stood awkwardly at her bedside, tears shining in his eyes.

"archer..." his voice came out as a croaking whisper, and he closed his eyes in shame. opening his blue eyes, he looked into her battered face and said the first thing that came to his mind. "i love you... i needed you to know that... i was going to tell you the next time i saw you and... i guess this is it." he commented in a low voice, glancing around the washed out hospital room before looking back at her. "if i lost you... i thought about what could have happened... i didn't know... ugh, archer. it should have been me. i'm the one who deserved this, not you." he gently touched the top of her hand that didn't have tubes attached to it. he didn't deserve anything from her after how he'd acted toward her from the start. he'd shunned her after they'd had sex, and he'd been an ass to her since that first moment in the aquarium. he should have been the one who'd almost died here tonight, not her. it never should have been her.

(ARCHER) (2104 HOT DAMN xD) (THREE BOYS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! WHOOT!)

[melon]

Archer couldn't be out of here fast enough. The incoherent screams that were escaping her mouth obviously made no sense to the hospital staff that were working desperately to restrain her. They didn't want to sedate her because of her concussed state but if she didn't calm down soon, she was only going to make it worse for herself. They were worried that she was going to make more trauma for herself and that was something that they didn't want to see happen. The scans had come back and they hadn't been pretty. Her concussion was bad and the screaming probably wasn't helping her case either. One male nurse took charge of the situation however which only sent her into a more panicked state. Screaming once more about an accident and a man, they finally heard the name Constantino. There. They had something to work with at least. Archer seemed to settle miraculously after that after they had removed all unknown males from the room. Her chest was heaving from the screaming that she had been doing, and as the nurses checked her over once more to make sure she was really settled, they looked at her with pity in their eyes. They didn't know this young woman's story but they certainly felt for her. She had been through a horrible ordeal and it wasn't going well for her now. They just hoped that she had someone who would be here for her through this all.

And then they heard her fiance was here. One of the young nurse's smiled, and she squeezed Archer's hand. "You have a very worried husband to be here to see you Archer." Archer's clouded eyes looked up in confusion because of the pain meds that she was on and she wondered if she had heard the woman incorrectly. Husband to be? She wasn't engaged the last time she remembered and this sent her already stressed mind into overdrive. Furrowing her brow, her brown eyes closed out of painful confusion and she took a deep breath to steady herself. What was she going to do? How was she going to handle this? Her history came crashing back down on her at this very moment and it was extremely difficult for her to handle. She remembered the day like it was yesterday. She had been walking to her art class when it all happened. She had been so excited to get there because of the photographs that she had just taken. She wanted to show her teacher because he did believe her to be a promising talent. But it never happened. She never got to show him. She was kidnapped that day but the Irish family that was feuding with her father and her family. She never got to see her family again after that day. Archer...Donata, had been locked in the basement and chained to a pole like a common animal. They had questioned her, they had beaten her, they had threatened her. They wanted information but Donata had been tough even then. She had refused to give them what they wanted and when she did, they had made her suffer. She had been starved and hit but she still didn't break. The night she finally broke was burned into the back of her mind now and she wished and prayed that it would just go away. She'd give anything to forget that life all over again because it wouldn't hurt.

But she couldn't forget. This car accident had triggered something to shake loose and she despised it. As she lay shaking in her hospital gown, she remembered the feel of his rough fingers on her skin and the taste of the disgusting alcohol heavy on his tongue. He had taken her virginity that night as if it was nothing to him and that had devastated Donata. She felt dirty and used, and thrown away. It was then that her family had come. But they had come too late. She had been unchained and that idiot had been too drunk to chain her back up. She escaped the basement with her clothes, thankfully, and had done all that she could to escape. But her attempts were useless because as soon as she had reached the top floor, the damage was too much for the house to sustain. The entire house collapsed on top of her, and that was when she lost her memory. She had been rescued and saved, and she had started over thinking that she was an orphan. It was simple enough for her to accept. She was taken in by a new family and that was important to her. She had a place. And now she was here. Remembering it all as if it was yesterday. She would never be able to forget this again and that shattered her. She had been living a normal life. It was a lie, but it was easier than this. She was strong, but she didn't know if she was strong enough to accept this. She was such a strong individual and the fact that she had been defiled by a drunk was almost too much for her to handle. She wanted to make him pay. She wanted to make him hurt. But she would never see Connor again and that didn't comfort her. She wanted to make his life a nightmare just as he had done to her. Drawing in a shaking breath, it was then that she felt a soft hand upon her own as she laid in bed.

Her eyes shot open and she nearly attacked whoever was touching her. Tensing visibly, she looked up with her wild brown eyes and saw...Ferris. What was he doing here? More worry and desperation surged through her as she thought about how she could possibly tell Ferris this. However, his words filled her ears, and as she touched the hand that was attached to her broken wrist, she looked up at him sadly. What was she going to do? Then his words hit her like a smack in the face. He loved her. He loved her? Out of all people in the world, why had he chosen her to fall in love with? He wouldn't love her if he knew the truth, he just wouldn't. But when he admitted those three words, Archer knew that she felt the same way. She loved this boy for some reason or another. And it felt wonderful to have someone here for her. But she couldn't like to him. Not about something like this. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, her voice soft and hoarse. Ferris..how did you?" But then she remembered the voice mail she had left him. Closing her eyes in shame and guilt, she spoke. "I'm so sorry that you heard it.." She whispered softly and then looked into his bright blue eyes. They held so much sadness. And she was the cause. How could she make it better for him now?

"Ferris, I love you too. But...there's something I n-need to tell you." She needed him to know. She was about to launch into a small summary of who she was and what had really happened to her, but then there was a commotion outside of the room. Instinctively, she reached for Ferris' hand with her good hand, not caring about the tubes connected to it. She needed his comfort and his strength because she was petrified to see who was about to walk through that door now.

WORDS! 1072
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! wearing THIS
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

ferris's self-loathing consumed him as he stood at archer's bedside and looked down at his hand rested on hers. the moment was over quickly, however, when she awoke with a start, staring at him like she didn't recognize him. he'd heard her screaming those names, those words, and he'd heard a nurse mentioning something about amnesia. maybe she wouldn't remember him? maybe, even now as he looked at her and confessed he loved her, she didn't know who the hell he was. the thought tore him apart, and he hoped beyond hope it wasn't true. the way she tensed and reacted like a wounded panther surprised him. he'd never seen her react in such a way, but then again, he hadn't really known her that long. surely there were things about her he didn't know. but still, the way she looked at him had a distinctly... predatory way about it that intrigued him to say the least.

"it's okay, archer, it's me, ferris," he soothed her, thankful when she relaxed. "i'm sorry about that fiance bullshit, i had to tell them something to get myself in here. i... had to see you..." before she returned his words of love, she got a confused look on her battered face. she began questioning him about how he'd known, but then realization set in. her voicemail. the most horrible thing he'd heard in his life because it was real; it wasn't some movie. her voice had been there, and then it hadn't. it had been replaced that that bone-crunching screech of metal on metal, and he couldn't get that sound out of his mind. if she had been crushed like the driver had been... he shook his head slightly to get the images out of his mind. he wouldn't know what to do with himself if that had been her. he ached in pain for the family of the driver. I'm so sorry that you heard it... she whispered, her voice full of pain... for him. shaking his head, shaking away her apologies, he reached up a hand and gently touched her cheek, smiling sadly at her. "i'm glad you called me when you did, so i would know to come here."

then her admission of love hit him, and he sucked in a breath. actually hearing the words felt more powerful than he'd imagined, and he smiled gratefully at her as if she'd saved his life. he was still deathly afraid he would break her heart, but she loved him. that had to be good for... everything. then she admitted she had more to tell him, and he leaned toward her expectantly, but a commotion at the door drew his attention away. turning, he saw a tall, muscular blond man entering the room in a flurry of doctors and nurses.

noah pushed his way into the room, ignoring the hospital staff that was trying to kiss his ass and suck up to him because of his father's money. he waved them all away and took in the sight of the petite brunette and who he assumed was her boyfriend. now he recognized her. she'd grown up, and she had forgotten who she was, but he recognized her face from a thanksgiving photograph his grandfather had shown him once when he was fifteen. his family had been the only one not pictured because his father had turned his back on them, but the family had still been enormous, filling the entire frame with his cousins and uncles and aunts. he'd been jealous of them - having that time together - and he'd devoured their names and faces like a ravenous wolf. he remembered her, as he thought back on that photograph, as donata, the oldest daughter of his uncle furio who'd lost his wife to the after-effects of a fema accident. he knew by the way she looked at him, she had no idea who he was, but then again, none of his cousins had ever seen him: at least that he knew of.

"i'm... sorry to interrupt," he apologized, shooing the staff out of the door except for the doctor who remained to speak with donata and her male friend. miss carrigan, this is your cousin, mr. noah constantino. he's your next-of-kin, the doctor informed them, leaving noah standing awkwardly looking at the cousin he'd never met. with his hands pushed deeply into his pockets, he smiled nervously and then took a step toward the bed. "i'm noah... we've never officially met..." he didn't know exactly what to say since he didn't know how much she remembered of her previous life, and he'd never been a part of that to begin with.

ferris glanced over at archer, judging her reaction. this noah seemed nice enough, and he was huge. his muscles seemed like something otherworldly and a bit abnormal, but ferris kept that thought to himself. he gently squeezed archer's good hand and watched her, waiting for her reaction. he would let her take the lead in this one, and he would be right here beside her for it all.

(ARCHER) (848) (UGH, THAT SUCKED. SO SORRY XD)

[melon]

Archer couldn't believe that this was happening to her. She didn't even know what to call herself anymore and the confusion that was swelling up inside of her was almost too much for her to handle. Closing her eyes tightly for a moment, she did her best to make sense of the thoughts that were swirling inside of her mind and the emotions that were flying around in her heart. Everything was just...just so messed up and she didn't know what to do. What could she tell Ferris? He was going to hate her. He was going to think she was some disgusting woman that he wanted nothing to do with anymore. And would he even believe her story? Would he believe that she had actually forgotten everything that had happened to her because of a blow to her head? It didn't look too promising and she felt hopeless. She had finally found someone that she wanted to be with and it wasn't going to matter. At least he knew that she had loved him before she told him a secret that was going to ruin her innocence in his eyes. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she opened her mouth to speak, but everything was interrupted. She was never going to be able to work up the courage to tell him the truth again. Her eyes found Ferris for a moment, and then she looked back at the man who had entered the room now.

The only comfort she got was that his face was not that of Connor's. If Connor was to walk through that hospital door she would absolutely lose it. Her good hand wrapped quickly around Ferris' offered hand. She took it willingly, thankfully. Without him, she didn't know what she would do. Facing this man, who was apparently her long lost cousin would have been a lot harder without him. Her wounded brown eyes gazed up at the form of the man in front of her and for some reason a tremor traveled through her body. This wasn't going to be good. This discovery, these memories were going to make things awful for her and she didn't know how she was going to deal with it all. She wanted Ferris. She just wanted to leave with Ferris and never come back. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, no matter what had happened to her. She just wanted to be with Ferris. It seemed silly. She had only just met the young man but he was already everything to her and she didn't regret that. It frightened her, but she accepted it without an argument. Fate had shown them time and time again that they were meant to be together. She was no longer going to fight that. But maybe this was like a slap in the face. A cruel joke that Fate had even wanted to play. It was making her tell Ferris the truth and she was going to lose him forever. At that thought, she clung more tightly to his hand, inching closer to him even as she laid in the hospital bed.

She didn't recognize the young man in front of her because she had never seen him, not even in pictures. His name was familiar though and she wondered what he would think when he heard her last name was now Carrigan instead of Constantino. She knew that she needed to talk to him if he really was her cousin so she could explain what she remembered. Watching him carefully, warily, she listened to what he said to her and then looked to Ferris quickly. It was as if by looking at him, Archer was brought more comfort than she could ever receive in any other fashion. Keeping her hand in his thankfully, she spoke up as best as she could, her voice still extremely hoarse. "No. I guess we haven't. I..you didn't have to come here." And there was the old Archer. The one that didn't want sympathy or pity from anyone. She didn't want this young man to feel like he was obligated to help her just because they were family. "You don't have to help me. I'm not going to ask you for anything." She said strongly, trying her best to sit up in bed. But her whole body was on fire and in that moment she realized how much pain she was really in. If she could see her face she would feel sick. The large gash across her forehead held ten stitches, and her right cheekbone was an ugly purple shade. There was a cut across that cheek as well, and her right eye was bruised from the impact as well. She didn't look like the bright eyed young woman she once was. Now she was battered and bruised in more ways than one. It wasn't something she would willingly or happily accept now.

Looking down at her cast covered wrist, she shook her head and then looked to Ferris. "I just want to go home." Her defiance crumbled and her strength fell as she looked up at him with a pleading gaze. The hospital staff would not let her go though unless she was going to be supervised. She had a dog at home and that was it. She looked back to Noah, feeling a bit guilty because of the harsh words she had said to him. She just didn't want him to think he had to do this. "I know you're busy, and thank you for coming here..b-but. It's okay." She said, her voice catching at the last part of that sentence. She was used to being alone. She had gotten through life alone up until now. She wasn't going to hate a stranger for being kind enough to show up here. She waited now, wondering if either of the boys were going to say something, or anything.

WORDS! 1200
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! wearing THIS
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

noah's inordinate desire to know his extended family was a phenomenon unique to himself. his sisters and younger brother had never really cared about the old family like he did, having not been as close to their grandfather as he was. he'd had a strange fascination - and mild obsession - with the mafia life of his father's family, but he'd never been given the chance to explore it as fully as he would have desired. now, he was standing face-to-face with a cousin who had participated rather hands-on with the issues of their family, and the thought intrigued him. obviously, he was thoughtful enough not to start grilling her with questions about a life she'd forgotten until tonight and probably didn't want to remember right away. all he knew was she had gone missing, and it had been under rather dire and bad circumstances. if all of that was in her mind, noah doubted she wanted to rehash it.

when she said he didn't have to come here and then practically spat at him that she didn't want anything from him - the point being obvious: that she wasn't going to beg him for money or the like - noah instantly went into stonefaced mode. when there were emotions brewing behind his eyes, his face instantly lost all hint of what he was feeling. it was his defense mechanism in both life and the business world, and he'd successfully shut many people out over the years with the trait. slipping his hands into his pockets, he looked pointedly from ferris back to his cousin and offered her a tilt of his head. "i never assumed anything of the sort," he commented politely, deciding to brush aside her tone with the truth. his reconciliation with allison earlier in the evening had left him in a good mood. he didn't feel like arguing with anyone. "the family has never asked for anything from my father or me, and i don't expect them to now. i'm actually mildly surprised you haven't tried to get me arrested for even being here..." he trailed off, realizing this young man at her side probably had no idea why he would say such a thing. he highly doubted donata - or whatever she thought her name was now - would have told him her family was the largest mafia family in the midwest whether she'd remembered it or not. that wasn't exactly the type of fact you shared on a first date. hell, allison was married to him, and she didn't even know his extended family was part of the mob.

ferris, mildly confused as to why noah would think archer would have him arrested - was he some sort of crazy person or something? - looked at archer, and saw her looking back at him. she murmured that she just wanted to go home, and he smiled a small, sad smile. they both knew she wouldn't be released soon, at least not until her injuries were healed and she was strong enough to get around on her own. he felt her squeeze his hand with her good hand, and he looked down at her bruised fingers, squeezing back slightly so she would know he was here. glancing up at noah, ferris decided to help the guy out. he'd said something about him and archer never meeting, and although that seemed strange to him since he didn't have anywhere close to all of the facts, ferris knew if he had family he'd never met before he'd want to try to make it worth his time to get to know them. "is there anything you need done at your apartment? noah and i could help you out if you wanted, archer," he commented, hoping to smooth over the thin layer of tension which had settled in the room.

archer - so that was what she was calling herself now in this amnesia-induced life - looked up at him after her boyfriend stopped talking, and she told him she knew he was busy and didn't need to worry about helping her. shaking his head, noah waved her off. "it's no big deal. i don't mind helping, but it's up to you. i don't want to creep you out since you don't even know me." he smiled genuinely and shrugged his shoulders. he would like to help her since she was the only part of his extended family he'd ever known outside of his grandfather, but it would be up to her to allow him in. considering her old life was still coming back to her, according to the little bit of what her doctor had told him, he didn't want to rush her. he understood what it meant to take time to get to know yourself: he'd been doing that ever since arriving her and trying to woo allison back.

(ARCHER) (812) (CAN WE JUST GO BACK TO THE 2K WORDS ONE AND PRETEND I DIDN'T START SUCKING AFTER IT? XD)

[melon]

Her head was pounding as she lay quietly in the hospital bed. There were so many thoughts inside of her mind and she didn't know how to organize them. It was almost like she couldn't for some reason and that scared her. Was it because of the accident? What if it not only had given her memory back, but it had caused some sort of damage that the doctors hadn't found yet. What if everything was only going to get worse with her head from here on out? But her worries turned from her physical pain to the mental trauma that she was trying to battle with by herself. She needed to tell Ferris but she was also petrified to tell him. What if he didn't want her anymore after that? They had just confessed their love to one another but maybe she shouldn't have admitted it yet until she told him in the truth. Archer sucked in a breath as she felt herself growing upset once more, and she couldn't stop the warm tears that fell down her cheeks. Why did she have to remember? Why couldn't she had just remained blissfully unaware of the man that had ruined her? Trying her best not to cry more, she wanted to just curl up into a ball and never wake up so she didn't have to face this moment.

She was trying to be strong. She was trying to hold her head up and she was trying to push thoughts of her rape and her kidnapping to the back of her mind. Her small frame trembled from the effort, and her hand grasped Ferris' more tightly. Closing her eyes for a moment, she felt her chest constricting as it usually did when she had a panic attack. Well her past explained why she got panic attacks anyway. It was her body's way of reacting to that emotion trauma even if Archer didn't understand them. Heaving in a breath, she nearly choked on it and she felt herself begin to breathe more quickly. She couldn't do this. Not here, not now. She didn't want to do this in front of two men that were no in her room. She already looked weak enough and she didn't need to add more to her plate. But as the realization settled over her of what this really meant to her life now, she nearly lost it. Add that and the fact that she'd never be able to afford these hospital bills and you had a basket case of nerves. Feeling sick to her stomach, Archer tried responding to Noah's words of how he was surprised she hadn't had him arrested. Her broken hand went to clutch at her chest, and she forced a smile on her face, trying to remain normal and calm.

"I won't..have you arrested. It's...fine." She nearly gasped for air between each set of words and her wild brown eyes turned to look up at Ferris. He had seen her have one of these before. It was inevitable and the doctors were surprised that she hadn't had one before now. When they offered to help her out, she nodded quickly. "Thank you..both of you. I..my dog...is..." But then she lost it. She couldn't breathe. Her inhaler was in the purse that the doctors had placed in the hospital bag, along with the yellow dress she had been wearing earlier that night. That seemed like so long ago. It had been a moment that she appreciated and she almost wished that she could go back to then in that stranger's arms. She would take it over the pain that she felt in her heart. However, she wouldn't trade it for Ferris' confession of love. He grounded her, and as Archer held his hand, she closed her eyes tightly and forced herself to breathe. She just needed to breathe. Shaking now, her brow furrowed as she wheezed a breath. That seemed to do wonders for her, for as soon as she got that entire breath out, her pale face relaxed, and her breathing became more normal. But she still needed her inhaler. Opening her eyes, she found Ferris'. "Can you...I feel bad asking but can you, get my inhaler from that bag? It's in the purse." She asked sheepishly. He would probably see the dress and question where she was, but she figured that the mask would give it away. Trembling still, she looked up at Noah, feeling badly about snapping at him earlier. It wasn't fair. He was obviously just trying to help. "I'm sorry..about before. I just...it's a lot." Her voice caught on the last word but she stubbornly pushed her tears away. Crying wasn't going to get her anywhere. She was done being the victim. She was done being the weak one. The old Archer, the old Donata, was showing through now and she prayed the confidence and the courage would remain.

WORDS! 1032
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! oh please! your posts are amazing! mine are awful!
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

quickly, ferris could feel noah's presence becoming more than archer needed - or wanted - to handle. he heard her breath intakes becoming more rapid, and he recognized the behavior from that day in the aquarium. he didn't want her cousin to see her like this, even if the man could take it. although he'd only known her a short while, ferris knew the attacks embarrassed archer, and he didn't want a relative stranger here when she had one. when she asked him to retrieve her inhaler, he was more than glad to jump up to get it. he moved to the bag, grabbed it up, moved past noah and sat back down in his chair. he dug through the belongings inside and pulled out the inhaler and handed it to her. his fingers brushed her keys, and he got an idea as to how to get noah out of the room so he could be alone with her once more.

pulling the keys out of the bag, he glanced at archer and then stood up to speak to noah for the first time since the man had entered the room. "if you want, archer, i can give him the keys and he can go check on your dog?" he asked, all the while keeping his eyes on noah. shaking his head, noah waved away the keys. surely this girl, even if she was his cousin, wouldn't trust him in her apartment alone, especially with her keys. she'd just been in a life-threatening car accident and she looked pretty shaken up due to her panic attack. he knew she wouldn't trust him with the task, at least not alone. he wanted to help, but he didn't want to exacerbate her condition by adding extra stress on her. "it's fine. i'll see you around. i'll leave you two now. get some rest. the staff has my number if you want to call me to let me know how i can help out. if you need anything..." noah trailed off and offered archer a smile as he turned and reached the door. waving a small wave, he left and headed home.

ferris turned and looked at archer. his plan hadn't worked the way he'd initially seen it going, but it had worked all the same. dropping the keys back into the bag, he caught a glimpse of her clothes, and his throat closed up in surprise. reaching inside, he pulled the yellow dress out, the mask getting caught up in it and falling to the floor and he withdrew the garment. he recognized it. the girl he'd danced with... it had been archer all along, and he'd been feeling so guilty... "archer..." he stammered, looking over at her. "it was you... i thought... i thought i'd done it again, that i'd broken your heart... but it was you!" his relief that she'd been the one he'd been so inexplicably drawn to at the dance was so clear as he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead, looking into her eyes. "it was you. it's always been you." he smiled his contagious smile and gripped her good hand gently, kissing the back of her bruised knuckles. "at the dance... that was me you danced with."

(ARCHER) (542) (I APOLOGIZE FOR HOW EMBARRASSINGLY SHORT THIS IS...)

[melon]

Archer was doing her best to keep herself under control while Noah was there. The man must have already thought that she was a freak, so why should she make it even worse for him? Gasping for breath now, she watched as Ferris stood up instantly after she asked him to get her inhaler. She felt so helpless and she hated that. She was an independent young woman and she always had been, even as Donata. She hadn't been as world weary as she was in that life simply because she hadn't have all of this happen to her. Even in her new life with her new thoughts and experiences she had gone through a lot. Archer wasn't one to complain, but it had never been easy for her. Trying to take a deep breath, she did her best to regain her composure, but it was only possibly after she took her inhaler with shaking fingers and used it. It took only minutes to work and she felt like the pressure instantly lifted off of her chest. Resting back in relief, she found Ferris' eyes and thanked him silently with her own.

She felt awful. She felt like she was kicking Noah out and that wasn't what she was trying to do at all. She really was grateful that he had even bothered to come to the hospital. It meant a lot to her and she wished that there was something that she could do to show her gratitude. As Ferris stepped forward, she looked over at him in confusion, listening to the idea that he had in mind. While Archer would appreciate Noah's help she would feel a lot more comfortable if she went with him the first time he went into her apartment. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but well..Never mind. She didn't trust him. It wasn't like he didn't seem nice because he did. But she didn't even know him. Even when she did have her memory of being Donata she had never met him and that threw her off a bit. Why had he kept himself hidden from the family? It didn't make sense to her, but her mind still felt clouded over and fuzzy. She needed sleep. She was exhausted and that much was obvious. The pain was taking hold over her battered body once more and she realized now just how lucky she had been to survive that accident with a broken wrist and a concussion. It could have been so much worse than it was. She was thankful, but it still hurt. Her body ached from her head to her feet and she wished that it would stop. She knew the nurses would come in soon to give her her pain meds, which would send her to sleep. But she was afraid to sleep. She didn't want to sleep now.

What if she fell asleep and woke up and didn't remember again? What if something happened to her while she was asleep? What if he found her? So many things ran through her mind and she honestly didn't know what to think or do or anything. She did know one thing. She didn't want to be alone. She knew she couldn't expect Ferris to drop his life and be with her all of the time, but she prayed and willed he would stay with her for the first couple of nights. Just until she got her bearings back. Looking down, she listened as Noah said he was going to go, but to call if she needed anything. "I'm sorry Noah. And thank you. I really appreciate you coming here. I'll call you." She reassured him, wanting him to know that she really was a nice girl. She wanted to make things better with him, get to know him better. Sighing softly once more, she watched as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Archer and Ferris had their privacy, and she closed her eyes, still trying to fight the exhaustion that was setting over her. However, she was pulled from her sleepy state when she heard Ferris' voice once more. It comforted her, but there was something different about it at the moment. Furrowing her brow, she regretted that action because it sent sharp pains shooting across her head. Refusing to cry out, she sighed and looked at him in question. What had happened?

Hearing his sudden confession, Archer looked up at him in surprise and relief. She couldn't believe it. "It...it was..y-you?" If only she would have stayed. If only she had known. She wished she had been intelligent enough to notice the similarities. Then none of this would have happened. Trying not to cry from the relief, she took his hand as he leaned down to gently kiss her forehead. "It was you...I only want you. Please understand that Ferris. Please." She whispered, looking up at him sadly. He needed to know the truth. The relief that she felt at him being the one at the dance was enough to fuel her courage. He had been honest with her. She needed to be honest with him. Letting go of his hand in case he wanted to bid a hasty retreat, Archer looked down at her broken wrist. "Ferris, I still...I n-need to tell you something. And if you want to leave...I'll understand." She said quietly, her voice taking on an entirely different pitch. Archer was scared. She didn't want to tell him in fear of losing him, but he needed to know the truth. It was only fair and it was only right. Taking a deep breath, she started into a summary, not giving all of the details. She only wanted to tell him what he really needed to know right now.

Unable to look him in the eyes from fear of his shame and disgust, she spoke up. She felt dirty. She felt used. She felt like he wasn't going to want her after he knew she was so soiled. Her voice caught as she started the story but she refused to cry anymore. She couldn't. "I..this is going to be a lot and I don't know how you're going to take it and I'm afraid. But you need to know the truth." She finished, knowing she wasn't making any sense. She just didn't know how to organize the things inside of her head right now. "Ferris I had an accident when I was younger. I didn't know until tonight. No one knew until tonight b-because that accident gave me amnesia and well, who I am is not who I was. I just..I know this isn't making any sense. I don't even understand." Her voice rose and cracked for a moment, and she felt her throat closing from the sobs that she was trying to keep at bay. "My real name is Donata Constantino. When I was fifteen I was kidnapped from outside of my art classroom and taken captive in a basement. They chained me up and h-hurt me and..I...was...When I..." She couldn't do it. It was like she couldn't find the words. Inhaling sharply, she brought her brown eyes up and they were now filled with tears. He wasn't going to want her. He was going to hate her. She just knew it.

"I was raped. He was drunk, but that's n-no excuse r-right? He had the decency to unchain me and I was got out after he passed out from being s-so drunk. I...Ferris I understand if you don't w-want me anymore. I'm so s-sorry you fell in l-love with me." She couldn't stop the cries now. Archer couldn't even face him. She didn't want to see his face, his expression. Sucking in a deep breath, she laid back down, for she had pushed herself up into a sitting position, and curled up into a tight ball. Turning away from him, she gave him the chance to leave without even having to face her. Admitting what had happened to her was a lot worse than she ever thought it was going to be. Bringing her knees up to her stomach carefully, she sobbed, her cries muffled by her pillow. She wanted her old life back. That happy bliss was something she would accept over this unhappiness and fear any day. And now she would lose the only man who ever meant anything to her in her life.

WORDS! 1650
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! blegh no good.
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

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[ferris]

She won't ever get enough

Once she gets a little touch

his relief and excitement over the realization it had been archer all along at the dance was fleeting as he leaned away from her and saw the twisted look on her face. at first, he thought she may be in pain again, but when she started speaking, he knew it was inner pain that plagued her more than any of the bruises on her body. that body he knew intimately now, ever since that day they'd been locked in the dark room and he'd been a complete ass to her. his behavior toward her had been shameful from the start, and he didn't deserve her love and affection in the least. why she cared about him at all surprised him actually, and he accepted her love only because he knew if he didn't take what fate had been pushing him into since their first meeting, something else horrible was going to happen. he already felt a partial cause for archer's accident tonight, he couldn't handle any more guilt.

when she told him she needed to tell him something and then admitted she would understand if he left, he didn't understand. what could she tell him that would make him leave? was she married? was she really a man? what could be so horrible that he would leave? him, ferris mccullough, of all people would be the last person eligible to leave a room upon hearing any kind of news. if anything, archer should have left him long ago. looking at her, his brow drawing down in confusion, he cocked his head to the side questioningly. "what are you talking about, archer? why would i want to leave? nothing could be that bad..." he offered her a small smile, but it quickly faded as she struggled on with her confession. the shame on her face was clear, and it sent a shiver of dread through him. although he vowed he would take whatever she said at face value and wouldn't freak out, he was beginning to doubt his resolve. what could be this bad? had she killed someone or something? even that he thought he could handle. it was bad, but he could handle it. he just wanted her to get it over with, drop the bomb she was holding and just get it over with.

hearing her real name suddenly made the appearance of noah make sense. he had the same last name. so she had amnesia, no big deal. he could deal with amnesia. sure, old boyfriends she hadn't remembered until now could be a potential problem, but he was well known as being an asshole. other men didn't intimidate him in the least. but she continued with her story, telling him she'd been kidnapped and held hostage and hurt. "why would someone do that to you?" he asked in a small voice, not understanding. could it have been a random act of violence? was her family some royal family or something, and her kidnappers had taken her to get revenge? archer, or donata or whatever she wanted to be called now, could be a princess. he could deal with dating a princess.

then the truth spewed from her mouth like word vomit, and he sucked in a deep, stunned breath. raped. archer had been raped. when she was still donata constantino. when she had a life prior to this one where she loved him, before she knew who he was, before she knew she would forget who she was. ferris felt a mixture of revulsion over the act and over the fact that she'd been the one it happened to and severe sadness that she'd been through such a thing. a brief moment passed when he could almost picture the events she'd just described, the lecherous fucker on top of her taking the only thing she truly possessed before passing out on the floor beside her, leaving her alone and scared and violated in that basement. he backed away from her without even realizing he was doing it. he was caught up in those images, his imaginings of what had happened, and he didn't see the hospital room or hear archer's final words. who would do something so horrible to another human being? he'd always thought he was a bad person, that he was destined to hurt others around him, but he would never do something so... abominable. his anger that another man had had what he wanted, and had taken it without even asking, made him so furious he began to shake slightly with the rage.

"he... raped you," he stated flatly, his eyes unfocusing now as he glared at the window as if his vision could somehow cut through all of the bodies in the world until he saw the man who'd done this to her. rape was the number one sin in his book: the most unforgivable of crimes. his blood boiled. "who was it?" he asked, his voice tight as he struggled to control his rage. he wasn't angry at her - it hadn't been her fault she'd been raped - but he was infuriated that a man would take advantage of her in such a way. "if i ever see that bastard, so help me..." he trailed off, looking away from her and glaring back out the darkened window. "i will kill him."

(ARCHER) (890) (AT LEAST I MANAGED SOME GOOD ANGER IN THERE. XDD)

[melon]

She felt like her heart was in her throat, and her stomach was spinning. She felt like she was going to be sick and she was doing all that she could in order to calm herself down. The fingers of her good hand, since they were no longer entwined with Ferris', went to cling to her stomach instead. Her brow furrowed in pain and discomfort and she realized that the waves of pain hitting her now were from her accident. Of course she had inner emotion pain because of what she had just confessed to the man that she loved, but her physical pain was overwhelming. However, she would be strong. She would fight through the pain and she would talk to Ferris about this. He needed to know the truth about her. Eventually she would tell him everything but right now this was all that he needed to know. She didn't want to do anything else to hurt him. If he knew that her family was a part of the Mafia she knew he would drop her in seconds. It was selfish, what she was doing. But her heart was telling her what she needed to do and telling Ferris everything at once was going to scare him. She was intelligent to know this now.

She was already petrified that he was going to leave her for being used, for being soiled. He wasn't her first. She knew very well that she was not his first either but there was something different in that. He had had the sex willingly. He had given himself when she had wanted to wait. Connor had taken her innocence and her purity and it had devastated Archer at that time. She hadn't wanted that to happen. She remembered fighting him, remembered doing everything in her power to get him off of her. She had known that he was interested in her from day one because of the way that he looked at her when he was in the basement. He was never alone though and that had comforted her slightly. The other men wouldn't let him do anything to her, or so she had thought. But his look scared her. It was like he was hungry for her and she didn't want to know what would satiate his hunger. She was only fifteen. She was hardly old enough to be getting involved with a man in that way. Archer's breath caught as she remembered the rough touch of his fingers and the taste of his mouth on hers. She had wanted to be sick because of the alcohol.

Shaking her head a little now, she forced those memories out of her mind. She couldn't think about it. It was going to make things worse for her, and worse for Ferris. Looking at him now, she remembered his comment from earlier. "You were wrong. Something could be that bad..to make you want to leave. I won't s-stop you Ferris, no matter what." She finished, her tortured brown eyes welling with tears as she watched him react to what she had just told him. The warm tears trickled down her pale, bruised cheeks and she watched him in horror as he backed away from her. She knew that it would be too much for him to handle. She knew that he wasn't going to want her after that confession. Who would? She didn't even want to be around herself but she didn't have a choice. She wished that she could go back in time and pretend she was sick that day. Her mother would have let her stay home. But with that thought, her world came crashing down once more. Her mother. She was dead. Archer's mother...Donata's mother was gone. Archer felt like her heart was being wrenched from her chest now and she did her best to steady herself. She never thought she would feel this way. She hadn't even felt this way when Ferris and her had been together intimately and he had treated her like dirt after wards.

Her tiny body trembled violently now and she was doing her best to control herself. She could only shake her head when he asked who would do that to her when she spoke about being kidnapped. She knew of course but she couldn't tell him. And by not answering his question, she wasn't exactly lying. Shaking her head once more, she brought her good hand up to her face, her fingers trying to keep up with the tears that were falling down her cheeks. She knew that she looked awful and crying wasn't helping her situation. She just wished she could be stronger than this. She was stronger than this. Archer was. She didn't know about Donata. Trying to regain her composure, she took several deep breaths, but nothing seemed to be working. While she was no longer sobbing, the tears were falling silently. Let them she supposed. Looking to Ferris as she deciphered the shock in his voice, she tried her best to remain strong, to remain brave. If he wanted to leave she wasn't going to stop him. She had already told herself that. As he wanted to know who it was, Archer knew she could give him a name. Just something to make him take it easy, to relax. "Connor, his name was Connor. Ferris please." She brought her eyes up to find his, although he was gazing out of the window. She wished she could stand, to bring him comfort or anything. "Ferris I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't want you to go, but if you want to, I'll understand. I just..I h-had to tell you. So you could decide.." She said honestly and then looked down at her lap. She couldn't wait for this all to be over. She willed it to be just a dream.

WORDS! 1172
STATUS! complete
TAGS! ferris and archer
NOTES! ehhh
INSPIRATION! Lifehouse
CREDITS! Template By arro @ Caution!
Pic By PIC CREDIT GOES HERE
LYRICS! "If You Can't Live Without Me,
Why Aren't You Dead Yet?" by Mayday Parade

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