Forgiven by Chrissy Bennett Summary: Hadji’s girlfriend was jealous of a friend of his. She apologizes, too late. Archivers: I don’t care. Just tell me. Category: A, Hadji/other HR Disclaimer: Lex owns Tai-Lee. Hanna Barbera owns Hadji. ********************************************************** A dark skinned girl walked through the rain and the wind and the darkness near the Quest Compound. The freezing droplets left dark spots on her silk blouse and denim skirt. *How could this have happened?* She gazed toward the lights of the nearby town and shuddered, not because of the cold that bit through her with every raindrop that fell, but because she was forcing herself to remember the tragic events of the week. *I’ve been dating Hadji for five years now; our anniversary was the day it all began. The Asian girl had come from Tokyo to visit June for a month. That’s when Hadji had started ignoring her. June had brought Tai-Lee to meet us. I was just being jealous, but it seemed as though Hadji suddenly didn’t know I existed.* A tear fell down her cheek as she remembered what had happened next. She had given Tai-Lee a warning at school one day. The Negro girl easily remembered the events as she lit a lantern in the darkness. *I had walked to the locker that June and Tai-Lee shared. I tapped her on the shoulder and waited for her to turn around. When Tai-Lee faced me, I said: "Stay away from my boyfriend, honey. Or you’ll be in for it." Then I walked away. How could I have been so cruel?* The girl shivered again at what the next event had been. The scene played in her head… for the millionth time. Her steps quickened so she could complete her mission before her curfew *The phone rang. When I answered, it was June. She was crying. All I could make out was that someone was dead. I wish I’d have known then.* She was still walking. Her tears mixed with the raindrops that constantly pelted her beautiful face. *Hadji had called. That’s when I found out the whole story. Tai-Lee’s parents had been killed in a freak accident.* Her steps were slowing as she recalled the most tragic event of the past week. She could now see her goal. *Her mother always wanted to go to Maine, so Tai-Lee had the body shipped to New York…* By now, she had reached her destination. The sat the lantern on the ground and read the. The rain suddenly stopped, as if to soothe the silent figure. Tai-Lee Natsume 1983-2000 Keneda Natsume 1954-2000 Kun-Me Takome Natsume 1957-2000 *and then Tai-Lee was killed in a drive-by shooting.* There was a large blank space at the bottom of Tai-Lee’s tombstone. She took a special marker out of her pocket and wrote a message at the bottom. Forgive me. She said a short prayer for her friend and stood up. A few moments later, she saw flashlights coming up the hill. She recognized Hadji and June. Suddenly, from behind her, a voice said: "I forgive you, Tricia." She whirled around just in time to see the soul of Tai-Lee Natsume vanish. "Thank you." "Who are you talking to, Trish?" "Oh, hey, Hadji. I was just saying goodbye." She stepped closer to him. "I love you, Hadji." She kissed him, and he knew that she would eventually tell him what she had been doing at Tai-Lee’s grave -- but that day was yet to come. For now, she just needed to know he loved her. "Promise you’ll never leave me?" she said. "I promise." The End (c) Christina Bennett