Vol. 2 Ch. 6 Hot Air Balloon

He should have told her right away rather than then. She had the right to know. 

If he told her, there would be a way for him to express his longings, and finally he could be true to his own feelings, but was she ready to know about it? Wouldn't she be thrown into another grief, knowing that her mother had died tragically, and her father had never once cared of her whereabouts?

In the shadow of those painful facts, she would be so agonized. Even if it would be easy for him to spit it out, the truths should be kept inside a chamber--  locked within his throat. It wouldn't harm him to wait for a little longer until the perfect moment arrived,  because her pain was his pain, and his concerns for her were on the top of all his yearnings.

"Rose, of course, you're Rose. Rosaline White." He laughed, but it seemed far-fetched. He cleared his throat afterward. Rosaline glanced to her left, avoiding his stare. 

"Rose, what's wrong?"

"You don't have to tell me, Val. I know it. I already know ."

"Know what?"

"That I'm.... " Rosaline cleared her throat. " That I'm.... Rosaline."

Her soft laughter filled the room, along with a friendly invitation for him to follow. He stood in a daze as he stared at her -- at the girl who had successfully played a trick with his mind.

"Chill out, I was only joking.  You know, when someone in the movie wakes up after a long sleep and asks the question, it'll make everyone feel nervous. I was just checking how you would have reacted."

Valentin pursed his lips -- unable to react. After a brief moment of contemplating,  he followed her laughter,  even  though it wasn't funny at all.

"What time is it?" She asked.

 "Ugh, probably, eight."'

"Oh!" Rosaline patted her temple. "I forgot I have to meet Pierre this morning."

"Pierre? What's for?"

"I'm going to borrow his books, and  maybe he and I will study together at his house today."

"Today? But, you're sick, Rose. You should get a rest. Let me get them for you."

"You don't have to. I'm feeling better and I'd like to  see him."

"You'd like to see him?"

"Yeah, hang out with him. " She shrugged.

A pain lurked in his chest.

"Rose, as a future doctor, you  know  cold wind is not good for your condition."  He reached her and then  pushed her back onto the bed.

"But, Val,  I've  made a promise."

He smiled, messing up with her hair. "You can see him tomorrow."

She ducked her head.  After pouting for a moment, she smiled at him.

"At least,  call and tell him that I couldn't make it.  Love you, Val."

"I love you too." 

She hugged him and  it made his heart feel warmth. He realized it was only a friendly hug and family warmth, but he would use this opportunity to show  how much he  loved her. 

Rosaline was being sweet,  but again his heart argued. Was it right to keep the truth from her? Would she hate him if she knew that he had been lying to her? He shook his head at the thought. Rushing off to the kitchen to make  pancakes-- her favourite food-- he couldn't wait to see her smile again.  Perhaps he would get a kiss on his cheek? Quickly, he shrugged off the idea.  She  told him that she loved him.... and it was enough. No matter what, he would do anything to be by her side --  to spend  the rest of his lifetime with her...

But... "Oh, no!"

***

"Rose,  pancake!"

They sat, staring at those pancakes he made. He bit his lips and then carefully took a bite first. He had to make sure that everything was alright. It tasted like… pancake, more or less, but something was  still missing. 

He turned toward her and found her still riveting on her plate -- didn't even blink for a second.   "Actually, I'm not sure about the taste , Rose."

Rosaline glanced at him and then, with a smile, took her spoon right away. "It's delicious."

"Really…?"

"Yeah. It really is."

They ate it until nothing left.

***

After they had finished eating those pancakes, Valentin told her to go upstairs to have a rest.  He scrubbed the plates until they were all shining and while doing so, he was whistling happily-- happy because his effort paid off with a smile and a compliment that had made his heart bloom. He stopped when the doorbell rang.

"Bonjour, Valentin! Is Rosaline inside?"

Valentin sighed. "He's quite persistent, isn't he?"

"You're coming  so early, Pierre." said Valentin sarcastically.

"Actually, Rose asked to see me. She promised to meet me in the morning. Since she hasn't shown up, I came to pick her up."

"Oh? Unfortunately, she's sick. She had a fever last night."

"What? Rose is sick? I must see her."

"I'm afraid," Valentin stopped him from going upstairs. "She has a contagious fever -- an extremely dangerous one. The cure of it hasn't been found. It'll be better for you and I, if we  stay away from her. Even I didn't dare to go inside her room."

"Really?" said Pierre. "Then we should take her into her room because she's standing right behind you."

 "What?"

Valentin turned toward her.

"Rose, shouldn't you in bed now?"

Rosaline smiled. "I'm healthy as a horse, but I don't think that holding my hands is a good idea to stay away from an extremely dangerous fever." She winked.

"Eh, it's ..."

"Bonjouir, Pierre, you're  here." Rosaline waved at him.
 

Valentin felt a punch on his stomach. He realized how ridiculous he was, but everyday he found it's hard to hide his feelings from her. 

"Bye now!" 

Her lips landed on his cheek. He couldn't believe of what had just happened. The blood rushed to his cheek.

"See you at noon, Val."

Valentin was in silence until he was finally able to pull himself together. "B- but wait, don't... don't you have to go to school today?"

"It's Sunday, Val." Rosaline rolled her eyes. "See you!"

***

Valentin bathed and dressed up. He had several plans in his mind -- plans which he would put into action immediately. Monsieur Dutiel had known that the police arrested him for a few days. It wouldn't be a surprise if Monsieur Dutiel  fired him.

"Monsieur, please... let me explain this.  I didn't do it. I didn't  try to steal at Madame Shaw's house.   Don't fire me. I really need this job."

"We- we owe a lot to a bank-- my aunt did. We should cover it in two months. I'm not sure if I can get the money without this job."

"It's okay, Son." Monsieur Dutiel patted him on his shoulder. "I believe you."

"You did your job well. It would be unfair if I fired you for a reason I didn't know for sure. Don't worry! You may keep your job here." Monsieur Dutiel said with a fatherly tone.

Valentin bowed. An air of relieve escaped  his lungs.

"Now, how much did you owe, son?"

"Fifty... fifty thousands simoleon." 

"Wow, that's a lot, son. It's beyond your two-month salaries."

"I know. May I borrow your money, Monsieur? I promise I will return it as soon as possible."

Monsieur Dutiel stared at him with a compassion, "I'm sorry, but my son is going to his new school next month and we've spent a lot for the store this year."

"However-" Monsieur Dutiel continued, "I heard that Madame Fouchier needed a help to find something  she had lost. She will give a reward for anyone who can find it"

"Madame Fouchier?" 

"Yes."

"I thought I heard someone mentioned my name here." A blond woman walked toward them with a smile, "Hello Gaston!"

"Oh, there you are, Estelle. Valentin and I were just talking about your missing object. I believe that this young man could help you." Monsieur Dutiel said, but soon, he excused himself to help a customer.

"That'd be great. I could really use a help. I lost it when I was exploring Celtic Foray several days ago. If you're willing to help, you may have the ancient coins you can find there. They will be worth a lot in the market."

"That's great, Madame. I'll find it for you."

"Okay, then, I must be hurry. I'll be out of town this weekend and the train is waiting. Au Revoir, Valentin! See you again, Gaston!"

She waved at them. After  she vanished from his sight, Valentin realized  the fact that Madame Fouchier had not informed him about the description of the object yet.

***

"What are you searching for, Rose?" Pierre asked her after he had led her to his desk and turned on a computer for her.

"Nothing. Only a news, Pierre." She answered, quickly clicking on a new blank tab of the browser. She could not spatially browse through the web about Eve Lisle with Pierre's eyes were also glaring at it. It wasn't long until Mr. Pivert came and –with his usual odd behaviors- managed to divert Pierre's attention away.

"Aargh! Could you believe that they had banned us to go to the Antarctic tomorrow since we might endanger the migrated birds?" Mr. Pivert shouted. His screaming echoed through the room and made her not able to concentrate on her searching. She chuckled and then after a click on the mouse, she found it. She found the news about Eve Lisle's death. Her eyes soon glued to the monitor.

The news was dated on January 1st, 2000.  She could only see a picture of the fire in the forest and the burning car. They did not announce the name of the child -- only  her  initial. The remaining body of Eve Lisle --30 years old-- was found in the car with a necklace proved to be her belongings. It had a locket with an initial of R&E. A woman named Helen White identified her. 

The news reported that it was an accident. The investigator team concluded that the man who drove the car lost the steering control after a truck almost hit their car.   A gas leak made the car explode.

A child, four years old, -- she paused as she read this --  was found near the scene.  Being thrown out quite far, the child was diagnosed to suffer several minor injuries on her head. She was taken to St. Claire hospital after the rescuer team found her.

That was it. She couldn't find more information, but the name Helen White convinced her, and the child would have been in the same age with her if she was alive.

Again, she stared at the news -- at the name of Eve Lisle-- imagining  her mother's condition when the rescuer team found her. She blinked. Haze was covering her gaze.

"Have you found it?" Pierre returned to her to follow her progress. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you crying?" 

"No." She rose from hear seat and then walked away, but Mr. Pivert confronted and surprised her.

"I know.  I know it! You must be crying for my son, right?" Mr. Pivert pointed his thumb toward Pierre.

"Oh, Pierre, my lovely Pierre, do you know how my heart aches for you?"

"No - no, Mr. Pivert. I wasn't crying. Something flew into my eyes, and it blurred my vision."

 "Lame excuses." Mr. Pivert opened his mouth and yawned. "I know you're lying. Young people  are so lame these days. You should tell him right away if you like him."

"But-" 

Mr. Pivert was right --at least,  about one point. She realized that she was lying about the reason she cried, and what a bad liar she was.

Mr. Pivert shifted to Pierre and then accused him of  making her cried. "What did you do to her?  Have I taught you not to make a woman cry?"

 "I-I  didn't do anything. Tell him, Rose. Tell him!"

Mr. Pivert laughed. "Rather than the two of you disrupt my quiet afternoon, why don't you take her to Isabel?"

Pierre's face blushed.

"Isabel?" Rosaline asked. "Who is she?" 

***

"It's Isabel all right." Pierre said after they had arrived on the grassland near the river before the Eiffel Tower.

"Wow! It's a...It's a hot air balloon."

Rosaline squealed full of excitement. All of her life she had never seen a hot air balloon so close like that. Sure, she had seen colorful balloons flying up in the sky, but never for once she saw it in close proximity. It was blue and  beautiful.

Her mouth fell open as the balloon started to fly. Behind her,  Pierre was singing a  song about love and nature. His voice was melodious.

"Rose, be careful." Pierre held her shoulders when she became closer to the edges.

She could not shut her mouth. Everything was beautiful. The blue sky above her head was getting nearer as the trees and houses at her feet became smaller. 

"It's my house!" 

It's weird that her house appeared like a small cubicle that she couldn't ever see her garden down below.  She wished Valentin was there to experience the amazing feeling of flying in the sky. She could see the whole village now : her school, the nectary, library, the train that had brought passengers to the city. "Pierre! Look! It's your house!"

Fresh breeze stroked her cheek as her hair waved to the birds flying north. They had passed the tall tower where she and Valentin had observed the stars in the night. She wondered if the telescope was still there, but she couldn't see it. Again, she drew nearer to the edge, and Pierre, patiently, held her shoulders.

"Everything is  beautiful." She  exhaled a breath of happiness.

The sun was shining brightly onto the river and made the water glistened and reflected the afternoon light -- spread out into different shades of colors: golden, blue, and green. For once, she wasn't afraid of looking down at the water.

"I see the Eiffel Tower!" Rosaline clasped her hands. Pierre smiled as he continued to sing.


"The wondrous  of universe is a gift for mankind. Today we have seen them, with all its glory before our eyes."

"And let this day be one of our unforgettable days as I see her smiling enchantingly toward the sun."

"What did you just sing, Pierre?" Rosaline swirled toward him. Still being fully excited, she smiled at him.


Pierre grasped her hands and pulled her close.

Resting his forehead on hers , he gazed at her reddish brown eyes. "I care about you, Rose,... a lot."
 
"Pierre..." Rose was saying something, but  a brush of Pierre's finger on the side of her cheek made her silent. 

"Ever since I  saw you,  my heart fell immediately. I care about you, and  I could not forget these hazel eyes  since the day you caught me from falling off a ladder."



  "I love you, Rose. Please... let me be more than as a friend."

Silence walked through them and as he leaned closer to shade her from the stinging sunray,  the tip of his nose almost touched hers. Fresh mint penetrated her lungs. It felt so intoxicating. In spite of the nervous tension she was having,  he was comforting her. His words soothed and flattered her fragile heart as their lips connected  in one direction. Gazing at his eyes, she realized how cute he really was and his kindness glowed through his bright-brown eyes. He leaned closer as she stood on her tiptoes.

The moment was right, and it felt right, but as soon as his lips could almost touch hers, his face turned into a boy with blond-sand hair and a soft smile. It couldn't be. She bowed her head immediately.


"I'm sorry."

He glanced away and felt the pain. The Eiffel Tower stood sturdily surrounded by skyscrapers --looking down at him and ignoring the agony of his heart that was just learning to fly, but fell down after hearing those words.

"Is it....  someone else?" He asked.



"No." She assured him, staring at him painfully. "It's because… I'm  not ready yet. I need time to figure out everything."

He breathed heavily. "I understand. I'll wait.  Whatever your answer will be, I'll wait for you."


  He leaned closer and then kissed her on her forehead. The  hot air balloon had finally landed.

"Are you okay?" Pierre caught her when she suddenly lost her balance.  Her head spun as the balloon touched the ground. Everything was rotating - including Pierre.


"I'm okay." Rosaline said softly. Again, she saw his smile and it felt so comfortable being around him.





Pierre felt her breaths against his cheek. The moment could be right again, but then...

"Val!" She shouted happily.

Few steps away, Valentin was standing.... looking poignantly at them.


To be Continued

Theme Song:"You and Me"by Lifehouse

Fun facts:
Hot air Balloon is a CC from MTS.To make it "look flying", I used Nraas's Debug Enabler.

Right after I added Pierre to the active family using the Master Controller, he had a wish for her.

Rosaline and Pierre aged up. However, according to the story, they are still 16 to 17 while Valentin is 18 ½ years old. He is taller than them because I'm using height sliders.
I used some CC from Around The Sims (Piano, Paintings, etc)

Next: Ch. 7 Two Hearts