Laura Palmer (The Return Of Skye, Part I)

Walking out into the dark
Cutting out a different path
Lead by your beating heart

I was walking aimlessly through the path, trying to find Skye again. I'd try this at least once a week, if not more, since Skye disappeared. I'd keep popping up in Europe, since that was the only clue that I had from his vague note and blog post, but it was always a different country. Russia, Finland, Norway, France, Austria, Lichtenstein... 

This time I ended up in Italy. I had taken to carrying around euros (as well as my weapons) so I decided to walk around a little bit. Maybe I had gotten it right this time. Maybe I could focus on a person and not a place and end up where I wanted. Maybe... 

All the people of the town

Cast their eyes right to the ground

In matters of the heart

I walked through the dark streets silently, searching against all hope for some kind of sign. Many of the people looked at me oddly, and admittedly my attire would cause most people to give a second glance. Black leather jacket and gloves, nearly the colour of the starless sky above me, white tank top, cutoff jean shorts. Not-so-obvious shoulder holsters holding my revolver and the 9mm. My newly acquired Ruger SR22 was tucked into the hidden pocket in my jacket. My pocket knife was in my right back pocket, and the Balisong was in my left. My sheathed Karambit was on my right hip and my throwing knives were sheathed on my left leg. 

Authority figures never bothered me, they were either intimidated by my personal arsenal or the look in my eyes. Curious mobsters, assassins, and common criminals often approached me cautiously. 

"Ehi ragazza!" I heard a male call. I kept walking.

Sometimes they approached without caution. 

"Malvivente! Bella Criminale!" 

I exhaled sharply and turned around slowly. My command of the Italian language was poor, but I knew exactly what to say in this situation. "Vaffanculo!"

"Questa bella ragazza, un criminale e volgare." He chuckled before continuing. "Very few women are like that anymore." His dark eyes looked at me with amusement, the weak street lights cast an almost ethereal glow onto his auburn hair.

The night was all you had 

You ran into the night from all you had 

"And how exactly did you deduce that I was American?" I sighed, fed up of this guy and the fact that all of Europe seemed to be bilingual.

"You curse come un americano," he scoffed. 

"Look, did you want something Signore or can I be on my way?" I rolled my eyes and rested my hand on my Karambit's handle, threading my index finger through the brass-knuckle-esque hole. 

"Well any gentleman should help when a lady is lost. Espeically when la signora è bellissima e il posto è pericoloso." 

Found yourself a path upon the ground

You ran into the night; you can't be found

I gave a bark of laughter and the man raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"Do you really think I'd have any issues with how many weapons I have on me?" I gestured to my traveling arsenal with my eyebrow raised at the auburn-haired man.

His dark eyes appraised me and he nodded - although if it was in agreement, approval, or something else I couldn't place.

"Still bella, you should be careful when looking for a fight."

"Hey I'm not looking for a fight; I'm looking for my..." I paused, not really sure what to call Skye. 

But This is your heart

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

"Well he is a lucky man to have the love of such a donna letale."

"Wait a minute there pasta-face. No one said anything about love." I glared at him.

"Even a blind man can tell when a woman loves a man, the man is missing, and she is missing him." The man chuckled.

"Regardless, you can leave me alone now." I turned to walk away and caught him shrugging out of the corner of my eye. 

Pumps through your veins

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

"Maybe if you stop looking he will find you bella. That is a trick that often works for lost objects yes? So why not people?"

"It's a bit more complicated than a lost item..." I muttered darkly. 

Summer evening breezes blew

Drawing voices deep from you

Lead by your beating heart

As much as it annoyed me, the words of that Italian man wouldn't leave my mind. So I stopped searching through the path. I stopped myself from scanning crowds and cars in some kind of desperate hope that I'd spot him. Matt gave me more hours to help me stay busy. Opal talked to me about graduation being soon, and prom, and boys. She dragged me out to get my nails done with her. She introduced me to her friends. She and I took Alaska for walks and went out to see movies with Alice. She always knew somehow when I was in a bad place because her bright blue car would pull into the driveway and she'd declare that we were going to go do something, no arguments.

I have her to thank for my continuing sobriety and mental stability. I also have her to thank for these fake nails that make every-day life inconvenient as hell...

What a year and what a night

What terrifying final sights

Put out your beating heart

One evening, my phone rang. I jumped slightly, no one usually called me. I took one look at the caller ID and nearly cried. 

"Hello? Skye?" 

"Hey Tori..." he trailed off. He sounded horrible, numb. I knew that something had happened.

"Are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask. I just wanted - needed - to hear him talk.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay..." I heard him sigh and the static that comes with movement. "You think you could come pick me up?" 

"Of course, if you don't mind traveling though the path with me. Do you know where you are?"

"Yeah... I'm in Germany. The nearest street is... hold on it's too dark to read the sign from this far away..."

"Take all the time you need," I reassured him as I started to gather my traveling arsenal. If we ran into issues before I could path the both of us out I wanted to be prepared. Skye didn't sound at all like he could fight. 

"It's Ch...Chi..Chicago..kai....?" I heard him stumble over the name.

The night was all you had 

You ran into the night from all you had 

"Chicagokai." I had taken German as a language elective and a lot of the pronunciation stuck with me. Thank god, because if he was in France we would be screwed. At least he was somewhere I could ask directions.

"Yeah. There... I'll be by the water. There's water..."

"I'll be right there okay? Just hold on a few minutes. I promise."

I hauled ass into the path. The denziens screeched from the hasty intrusion but I didn't care. I barked at them to shut up and they did. 

Found yourself a path upon the ground

You ran into the night; you can't be found

"Skye?" I yelled as I came out of the path. I had no clue where in Germany I was. It looked to be some kind of park-type space in the middle of a warehouse district. 

"E-entschuldigen Sie! Sir?" I called out to a passing man. 

"Ja?" he sighed, obviously wary of myself and all of my weapons. Or the American accent.

"Wo bin ich?" I asked, needing to know where I was and how far away from Skye.

"Speicherstadt. Ah, Grasbrookpark. Straße heißt, dass Hübenerstraße." So far my guesses had been pretty spot-on. Warehouse district, park... some road...

"Welcher Weg ist Chicagokai?" I asked him, figuring this would be my last question. He seemed irked at my stopping him. 

"Süden. Dreihundert Meter." South. About a two-minute walk if I did some trespassing.

"Vielen Dank!" I thanked him as I started jogging in the direction the man had pointed. I heard him mutter something about verdammt amerikanischen but I didn't care too much. I was too focused on finding Skye to care about people assuming I was a lost tourist.

But This is your heart

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

I skidded to a halt when I found him, sitting with his back to a post by the water.

"Skye?" I asked softly. He was covered in blood. His clothes, his face, his hair.

"I just killed someone." No emotion, just words. He was in shock.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I sat down beside him and pulled him into me. I didn't care that the blood was getting on my clothes and my skin. He was stiff at first, not realizing what I had done. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around me and nestled his head into the spot where my shoulder met my neck. I rubbed his back and hummed softly. I felt his tears drip onto my skin so I ran my fingers though his hair.

Pumps through your veins

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

"You're alright now." I whispered. "I'm here darling, nothings going to hurt you. I'm here."'

Eventually his tears stopped falling. He moved his head so we were both kneeling face-to-face.

But This is your heart

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

"I...I'm ready to go home now." His voice was thick from crying.

I brushed the hair back from his forehead and slowly, gently, placed a kiss there. Skye leaned contentedly into me, wrapping his arms around me again. "Let's go." I whispered.

Pumps through your veins

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

The days since then have been... I don't know how to describe them. Skye was quiet at first, quieter than when he first arrived at my house. It unnerved me for the first day but then I realized why. He had a lot to think on, and his Alter was probably being too loud for his liking. 

He retreated back into the room that he had initially claimed and stayed there most of the time. He still came out for meals and to occasionally watch TV with me, but at night was when I felt most alone. I would lay in bed facing the other side, resisting the temptation to go to his room. 

This is your racing heart

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

Never before has emotional pain been so physical.

Pumps through your veins

Can you feel it? Can you feel it?