These Kisses, Part 4
By Missy

SERIES: These Kisses
PARTS: Four of Four
RATING: R (Character death and gruesome description thereof, possible language, mature themes, heavy angst)
DISTRIBUTION: To LW, Kai and FG so far; any other archives are welcome to ask, but disclaimers must be included, my email left intact. send a URL, and provide full disclaimers as well as credit me fully. Please inform me if you are going to submit my work to any sort of search engine. Â Please do not submit my work to a search engine that picks out random sets of words and uses them as key words, such as "Google"
Please contact me in order for this story to be placed on an archive, or if you want know of a friend who would enjoy my works, please email me their address and I will mail them the stories, expressly for the purpose of link trading. MiSTiers are welcomed! Please do inform me that you'd like to do the MiSTing, however, and send me a copy of the finished product. I'd also love to archive any MiSTings that are made of my work!
CATEGORY: L&L/Randy Triangle; Comfort/Tragedy
FEEDBACK: PLEASE?!
SPOILLER/SUMMARY: Laverne must make the most important decision of her life...after she passes away..
NOTES: The end! If it's sequel-worthy, feel free to let me know ;-)
****

Randy Carpenter knew what Laverne's decision would be, the very moment he saw her. She could not meet his eyes, even as he tried to capture hers.

"I gotta go back, Randy." She told him.

He nodded his head, "I understand." She threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Aww, Laverne."

"I'm...g-g-onna miss ya, Randy....I love ya..."

"I know you do." He gently parted her from his embrace. "Laverne, you made the only decision you could; I really think it was the best possible one, even if things aren't going to be as easy on earth as they are up here."

"S'OK," She smiled, "I always likeda challenge."

He gently gave her a squeeze, "You'll meet it head-on, I know you will." He released her, and she was enveloped in the embrace of her mother.

"Always remember how I love ya, Bambina," She soothed.

"Always, mama." She hugged the comforting weight of her mother, "I love ya."

Then, as she her mother's grip faded, the kind face of her father confronted her.

"Have a good life, Muffin," He said, softly.

"Love you, Pop."

"Ya gotta take care a' Cowboy Bills fer me...promise me that, OK?"

"OK, Pop..."

"Frank! Don't worry Laverne!" Josephine protested

"I ain't worryin' her! She's just gotta..." Her parents continued to argue, walking away from the beach, leaving Randy to take her home.

"I'll be seeing you, Laverne," Randy soothed, "Somehow."

She shook her head, "It's OK, Randy. I know this is goodbye." She stroked the side of his face gently, "Take me to Len."

He nodded his head, raising a single hand. Suddenly, she stood back on that brick-layered street. At one end, the calming, peaceful light that she had once walked within beckoned; at the other end, a dimmer, but nonetheless compelling light also called out for her.

Turning her back on heaven, she walked her way back to the living world.

***

Caskets are not for the living.

Laverne winced to life, recognizing, instantly, that she lay in a box...one opened eye told her that this was her best dress. She sat up, frantic to be rid of the casket, which she quickly climbed out of.

She nearly tumbled out of her heels, unused to the feeling of those wobbly spikes beneath her feet after...an eon? Without them.

Lenny kneeled by her casket, mumbling prayers. She recognized a few words, the closer she came to him. The closer her mouth came to his forehead.

Her kiss silenced him. His eyes opened, then, in fear, he jumped away from her, "Jesus, I'm crazy; I gone crazy...ya ain't..."

She placed a finger to his lips, "I'm here, Len."

"But why..." His eyes glossed over with tears, "Did ya come back...fer me?"

She wrapped her arms around him, "Sorta." She helped him to his feet, taking her shoes off and dumping them into a wastebasket, "I always hated those..." Laverne leaned against his shoulder as they exited the room together.

"About time ya came to yer senses, Len." When Carmine saw her, his eyes turned to saucers; he dropped to his knees and just stared in disbelief.

"Hey, Carmine." She returned with a smile.

He began mumbling his own prayers, as Lenny and Laverne continued to advance down the hallway, to a back exit.

"Laverne? Why did ya do it?"

"Do what, Len?"

"Give it all up...just fer me?"

She didn't understand how he could know where she had been, what she had done; but the divine, almost mystical connection they seemed to have still held up. She was stunned by the realization of it all.

"I had ta," She took his hand, and he squeezed it, gently, "I just had ta do it."

He smiled, as though he really understood. They each placed a hand against the door that separated their existence from the harsh world outside.

And, together, they pressed open the door, exposing them to a sea of shocked paparazzi. Cold, disheveled, and confused...but Alive.

End





Back to Part 3

To The Sequel: "Good For A Storm"