Heart of Gold (PG) Champagne Challenge #101

[darkstarrising]

Hi,

This is my offering to the champagne challenge for writing a brief story on relocation.

As always, I don't own any of the characters (Warner Brothers, CBS, and/ or Joel Silver do). I just enjoy playing with them.

Rating is PG

Please, enjoy!!

Heart of Gold

New York City, 1955

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We should be leaving together.

It was time. Time to change again, time to move on. Plans had been made, all had been made ready. A new life, a new name, a new opportunity to profit from the humans who would gladly see him dead. Often, the metamorphosis was a game, an adventure, a challenge to add to his vast wealth at the expense of those who tormented him. But not now. This time, the dream of a new life with one he loved had become a nightmare. This time, he had lost everything that he held precious. This time, the humans had won.

He stroked her pale cheek, cool even to his touch. No reaction, no sense that she even knew he was there. No indication that she ever would.

Sarah, my beautiful Sarah.

He recalled his first glimpse of her. How even from a distance, Sarah stood out in the crowd. Her smile was brilliant, her laughter, infectious. He was drawn to her on that platform, at first out of curiosity, but when their eyes met, he knew he was lost.

Excuse me, sir, but do you have a light?

He could still hear her voice, just as clearly as on that day. He had been momentarily stunned by her beauty and her charm, causing him to fumble for the gold lighter in his pocket. She was trying to look sophisticated and mature with the cigarette she held, but he knew just how young and how nervous she really was.

And how innocent. I should have walked away then, but I couldn’t. Your eyes were dancing with delight at my momentary awkwardness. But you weren’t being cruel, you were just being you. Playful, vivacious, curious. How could I have ever walked away from you?

The chance encounter led to a conversation on the train and an eventual exchange of names.

Sarah Whitley. The daughter of one of my business associates, a cold-hearted, ruthless man. Knowing the kind of man he was, I should never have befriended you, but I did. For one glorious moment in time, I was happy, we were happy, more than I ever thought possible. For one glorious moment, I forgot who I was and what I was. But the moment didn’t last. Just as I knew it couldn’t.

When your father found out that I was seeing you, he forbade you to ever go near me again. Even if he didn’t know what I was, he knew I was dangerous. All dangerous men recognize each other for what they are. You should have listened to him, my love. You should have heeded him, cried for a few days, then moved on. You should have found someone to love you, to protect you, to give you everything you could ever want in life. If you had, Sarah, you would be alive and well, and I wouldn’t have to leave you.

But you didn’t. You threw caution to the wind when you ignored your father’s wishes. You knew what I was, but truly, Sarah, you couldn’t understand what that really meant. I should have known better. I did know better, but my heart overrode my wisdom. So great was my love for you that I took you to my bed, made you a part of me, all against my better judgment. I told myself that it would end there. I should have known better.

You were not to be denied. Each time that we were together, your hold on me grew stronger, and I knew I could never let you go. The flirtatious young woman had become a sorceress who wove her magic spell on me so powerfully, that I agreed to madness. I agreed to make you as I am, my own for all eternity

This was wasn’t supposed to happen. By now, we should be in Europe, starting our new lives together with new names and new identities. Charles Fitzgerald and Sarah Whitley would no longer exist. Mr. and Mrs. Josef Kostan would emerge on the continent, enjoying life abroad until it was safe to return home, when all who had known you had turned to dust. Then, we could go anywhere, do anything, be whoever we wanted to be for all of eternity. Just the two of us, Sarah, together, forever.

Why did it happen this way? I may never know. Maybe God is punishing me for all my past sins, but why you? All you are guilty of is giving love and hope to a soul that has known nothing but hated and despair. What I do know is that the last kiss we exchanged will be forever on my lips. The last time your eyes held mine will never fade from memory. The last time you said my name will forever echo in my being.

And now the time has come, my love, for me to leave you. I will keep you here, hidden from the monster who seeks to destroy our love, in the hope that someday you will be restored to me. I cannot stay with you, for your father is searching for us, and if he finds us, we will both perish. For now, dearest Sarah, I leave you in the care of trusted friends, knowing that you will be safe. I must flee into the night, heart and soul broken in the knowledge that I did this to you. Forgive me, my love, I should have known better.

For you, Sarah, I will always be Charles. But for the rest of mankind, Charles Fitzgerald dies this night. From his ashes, a new man arises, one who leaves behind the better part of himself, in your heart and in your memory. He will leave this city and begin the charade again, but he will keep you forever in his heart. He will have learned from my mistakes, never allowing another to touch him and love him in the way that you have touched and loved me. Never.

It was time. If he didn’t leave now, he knew he never would. For both of their sakes, he had to make the break. One last look, one last touch. He couldn’t let go. His fingers grazed her pendant, the small heart of gold, the one he had given her as a token of his love. Gently, lovingly, he removed it and kissing it, placed it in his pocket. Now, it would be with him wherever he went, whoever he became, as an eternal reminder of what she had given him and what he had lost. He bent over her sleeping form, his lips to hers, bestowing a final kiss.

“I gave you this heart of gold as a sign of my love for you. Now, I take it back, but never my love. For now and for all time, Sarah, my heart and my love is yours.”

With that, Charles Fitzgerald was no more.

[coco]

dsr that was beautifully done. Challenge well met

Loved this line:

For you, Sarah, I will always be Charles. But for the rest of mankind, Charles Fitzgerald dies this night. From his ashes, a new man arises, one who leaves behind the better part of himself, in your heart and in your memory. He will leave this city and begin the charade again, but he will keep you forever in his heart. He will have learned from my mistakes, never allowing another to touch him and love him in the way that you have touched and loved me. Never.

[darkstarrising]

dsr that was beautifully done. Challenge well met

Loved this line:

For you, Sarah, I will always be Charles. But for the rest of mankind, Charles Fitzgerald dies this night. From his ashes, a new man arises, one who leaves behind the better part of himself, in your heart and in your memory. He will leave this city and begin the charade again, but he will keep you forever in his heart. He will have learned from my mistakes, never allowing another to touch him and love him in the way that you have touched and loved me. Never.

coco,

thanks...Charles is not only relocating literally, but figuratively as well. The man he was with Sarah had failed her and he couldn't continue as Charles. Out of his failure emerged Josef, a man who would never be hurt like Charles was.

[redwinter101]

This is lovely, dsr. It has a flow that's almost melodic and the perfect mix of Josef the realist and Charles the broken man.

All dangerous men recognize each other for what they are

Because he is, and always will be, capable of ruthlessness. He knows it - he knows himself - and that makes his concession to this overwhelming love even more powerful.

Forgive me, my love, I should have known better.

Ah the ache of regret. If only. No wonder he wanted Mick to avoid the same path.

Red

[darkstarrising]

This is lovely, dsr. It has a flow that's almost melodic and the perfect mix of Josef the realist and Charles the broken man.

All dangerous men recognize each other for what they are

Because he is, and always will be, capable of ruthlessness. He knows it - he knows himself - and that makes his concession to this overwhelming love even more powerful.

Forgive me, my love, I should have known better.

Ah the ache of regret. If only. No wonder he wanted Mick to avoid the same path.

Red

Red,

thank you!! You've captured it perfectly...this story was to show how Josef emerges from the wreck that is Charles, vowing never again to make Charles' mistakes. Charles is dangerous and cunning as well, but he let down his guard. If the turning had been successful, who knows what Josef Kostan would have been?

[wpgrace]

Oh Karen, Beautiful imagining of his parting from her... and REALLY nice story for the how and the why when he took back the heart necklace!

[Raven]

It's amazing how love can make the impossible seem...so accessible and so right...

For one glorious moment in time, I was happy, we were happy, more than I ever thought possible. For one glorious moment, I forgot who I was and what I was.

I love this...

Her smile was brilliant, her laughter, infectious. He was drawn to her on that platform, at first out of curiosity, but when their eyes met, he knew he was lost.

Oh, dsr, this passage is simply marvelous...

The flirtatious young woman had become a sorceress who wove her magic spell on me so powerfully, that I agreed to madness. I agreed to make you as I am, my own for all eternity.

I loved this, so very much, darkstarrising. The beauty of it struck me in so many ways...the love and the tragedy, all of it moved me very deeply.

[darkstarrising]

Oh Karen, Beautiful imagining of his parting from her... and REALLY nice story for the how and the why when he took back the heart necklace!

grace,

thanks...little things like that (why he had the necklace) bother me....there's a story to be told there...this was my attempt at it. But I also wanted to see if I could understand his thoughts as he left her and how it affected who he became.

[darkstarrising]

It's amazing how love can make the impossible seem...so accessible and so right...

For one glorious moment in time, I was happy, we were happy, more than I ever thought possible. For one glorious moment, I forgot who I was and what I was.

I love this...

Her smile was brilliant, her laughter, infectious. He was drawn to her on that platform, at first out of curiosity, but when their eyes met, he knew he was lost.

Oh, dsr, this passage is simply marvelous...

The flirtatious young woman had become a sorceress who wove her magic spell on me so powerfully, that I agreed to madness. I agreed to make you as I am, my own for all eternity.

I loved this, so very much, darkstarrising. The beauty of it struck me in so many ways...the love and the tragedy, all of it moved me very deeply.

Raven,

thank you so much!!! I take it as a great compliment that you find this so moving.

Yes, love blinds you to all you would not see. He knew better, not only from falling in love with a human, but falling in love and turning the daughter of a dangerous man.

It's hard to picture the Josef we were shown as being capable of falling so hard, but I believe he did. She captivated him in a way that no other had, and perhaps no other would again.

Sarah had enchanted him, loved him, given him happiness. Had the turning been successful, their lives together could have been bliss. As it was, the heart of gold is his only tangible link to her, to the happiness that might have been.

[mitzie]

This is such a moving story. I still have tears in my eyes. Your writing captured every emotion. I loved hearing about the necklace. Yes, he is not only changing his name and location, he is changing himself as well. Excellent story!!!! Bravo!

mitzie

[darkstarrising]

This is such a moving story. I still have tears in my eyes. Your writing captured every emotion. I loved hearing about the necklace. Yes, he is not only changing his name and location, he is changing himself as well. Excellent story!!!! Bravo!

mitzie

mitzie,

thanks...o no, no tears, no tears....but I'll take that as a compliment!! Josef is a very complex individual by the time we get to know him. He's been shaped by all of his past personas and the tragedy of Charles and Sarah explain his 'commitment issues'. He once gave the necklace to his love. Now it's all he has left of it.

[francis]

I love Sarah stories.
Your style here has a dreamlike quality, short sentences, almost poetry. Glimpses of Josef’s life going through his mind.

All dangerous men recognize each other for what they are. You should have listened to him, my love.

How true. And how tragic, this shows Josef’s guilty feelings. He wishes she would have never fallen for him.
Heartbreaking to see how Josef meanders from emotion to rational planning and back again. Josef is taking her heart with him, and leaves his heart with her. What a relocation.
Well done, darkstarrising.

[darkstarrising]

I love Sarah stories.
Your style here has a dreamlike quality, short sentences, almost poetry. Glimpses of Josef’s life going through his mind.

All dangerous men recognize each other for what they are. You should have listened to him, my love.

How true. And how tragic, this shows Josef’s guilty feelings. He wishes she would have never fallen for him.
Heartbreaking to see how Josef meanders from emotion to rational planning and back again. Josef is taking her heart with him, and leaves his heart with her. What a relocation.
Well done, darkstarrising.

francis,

thanks so much *hugs* I like Sarah stories, too. I wonder what would have happened if there had been a second season.

Here, Josef is getting ready to leave and he knows that every minute he stays increases the risk of being found. At theparticular moment this story captures, he's torn between the knowledge that he has to go (rational) and the desire to stay with Sarah (emotional). In the end, he leaves, but he takes a part of her with him. What he leaves with her is the memory of a man who can no longer exist.

[Moonlighter]

For you, Sarah, I will always be Charles. But for the rest of mankind, Charles Fitzgerald dies this night. From his ashes, a new man arises, one who leaves behind the better part of himself, in your heart and in your memory. He will leave this city and begin the charade again, but he will keep you forever in his heart. He will have learned from my mistakes, never allowing another to touch him and love him in the way that you have touched and loved me. Never.[/i]

~~~~~~

With that, Charles Fitzgerald was no more.

This was a really in depth look at Josef's reluctance and sadness at leaving Sarah. It really makes us understand why he has such a hard shell now. Well done, DSR.

[darkstarrising]

For you, Sarah, I will always be Charles. But for the rest of mankind, Charles Fitzgerald dies this night. From his ashes, a new man arises, one who leaves behind the better part of himself, in your heart and in your memory. He will leave this city and begin the charade again, but he will keep you forever in his heart. He will have learned from my mistakes, never allowing another to touch him and love him in the way that you have touched and loved me. Never.[/i]

~~~~~~

With that, Charles Fitzgerald was no more.

This was a really in depth look at Josef's reluctance and sadness at leaving Sarah. It really makes us understand why he has such a hard shell now. Well done, DSR.

Moonlighter,

Charles Fitzgerald was willing to take a dangerous chance, one that didn't work out. He opened his heart and his soul for this woman, losing all when her turning wasn't successful. Josef Kostan would not take the same chance.