| “Love is in the Air ( A Valentine's Day fan fic)” A short story based on the WB Series, “Tarzan” By Gabbyfan ***
Nikki was extremely enthused with the idea of spending Valentine's Day with this new guy she had started dating at school. His name was John also. He was a third year engineering student but was completely different from the typical geeky looking, short haired, straight laced, pocket protector wearing guy with glasses that you would associate with a nerd. Jane had seen a picture of him with Nikki at a party before. He was definitely cute with shoulder length brown hair usually worn in a ponytail, blue eyes trimmed with long lashes and a broad nose. It didn't hurt that he had tanned skin covering a toned muscular body either. 'In fact, he sort of looks like my John,' Jane thought remembering the picture. As Nikki rambled on about what she and her John were going to do, her thoughts drifted to John Clayton; a man she barely knew yet couldn't seem to get through a single day without wanting to see him or those beautiful mesmerizing blue green eyes of his. Every time she gazed deep into his depths she managed to lose herself, drawn to his wanting desire and longing for her like a moth to a flame. It was silly she knew but she couldn't help herself thinking that they belonged together...that their souls were intertwined, destined to be together for all of eternity. "John made reservations at this new Italian place over by school. He's not fond of Italian food but chose to go there anyway because I told him how much I love Italian. He's so considerate...don't you think, Jane?" Nikki asked, chomping down on some popcorn that she and Jane were sharing. "Yeah... sure sounds like it, Nik...um...that's great," Jane smiled absently at her sister. Her brown eyes hazed over giving them a faraway look. Nikki knew something was up with her sister. She was usually more attentive to her but with everything that had happened maybe it would take more time for Jane to get back to her old self. She had a hunch what was causing her inability to focus. "Jane?" Nikki asked, putting down the popcorn bowl. "Hmmm..."Jane mumbled still thinking of John. "Hello! Jane? Are you there?!" Nikki waved her hand in front of her sister's face trying to break her out her reverie. Jane blinked. "Oh, sorry...Nik...I was just thinking..." "Uh huh. Let me guess...John Clayton?" Nikki quickly blurted giving her sister a big fat grin. "Is it that obvious?" Jane asked as she leaned back against the sofa, resting her head and hugging a sofa cushion in her lap. "Jane...you forget...it's me...your sister. I always could read you like an open book!" Jane chuckled realizing that Nikki was right. Her sister had incredible intuitive powers when they were little. She always seemed to know what Jane was thinking. Jane had kidded her about joining the police force or the FBI as a profiler. "Nah...too serious for me" was her response. Some things never change. "Yeah, I forgot...sorry. What were you saying about an Italian restaurant?" "Forget about it...so what are you and John going to do for Valentine's Day?" Nikki asked, trying to get to the route of Jane's problem. Jane was amazed at her sister in how she could set aside her own needs for other people, especially for her over bearing and over protective sister. "Well, I...uh...I don't know really..." "What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you going to do anything special? After all, Valentine's Day is supposed to be REALLY romantic." Nikki had a dreamy expression on her face as she looked at Jane. "I don't know because I don't think John knows what Valentine's Day is." "Oh...seriously?" Nikki asked, now concerned that her sister was going to spend possibly the most romantic day of the year alone while she was out having a good time. "Well, can't you just like explain it to him? I mean...I'd hate for you to spend the day alone." "I think that would be kind of awkward for me to try to explain what romantic is to John. That sort of ruins the whole notion of being spontaneous and, well... being romantic. Besides, I'm not really sure where we stand in our relationship," Jane explained. "Well, you could come with John and me. I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Nikki offered, unwilling to let her sister be alone on Valentine's Day. "Thanks for the offer but no. You need to be with John without a third wheel and that's what I'd be...a third wheel. I'll be fine...really." Jane sounded unconvinced. "Jane, I'd hate for you to be alone Saturday." "Really, Nik...it's okay. I'll just rent some old movies like 'Casablanca' or 'Gone with the Wind' and cuddle up on the sofa...just me, this pillow and Cary Grant." Jane patted her sister's knee. "I'll be fine." "Suit your self," Nikki replied, grabbing the bowl of popcorn again. "Now...can we get back to my date with John and what I'm going to wear Saturday?" Jane cracked a smile and helped herself to some more popcorn. "Sure." "Great...okay, I was thinking about wearing that little black dress...the one with the lace trim..." ~~~~~~~~~ Neither Jane nor Nikki heard or saw the figure in Jane's bedroom. Tarzan had silently crept into Jane's window intent on surprising her but when he heard the girls talking, he decided to listen instead. Pausing at Jane's bedroom door, Tarzan crouched and turned his ear toward the living room. Apparently this Valentine's Day was a big deal for females. Wondering what all the fuss was about, he decided to ask his aunt about Valentine's Day and how he should be romantic since that was what Jane wanted. Sneaking back to the window, he crawled out and climbed to the rooftop where he would begin his journey back to his aunt's mansion. He was eager to find out what would make Jane happy on this Valentine's Day. Tarzan gracefully stepped over the roof edge of Kathleen’s mansion and entered the atrium, his current home away from the dense jungle where he grew up. It definitely wasn’t as large as the one in Africa but it was his very own little tropical oasis in this big city jungle called New York. Kathleen had told him that she hadn’t the heart to even go in the atrium after her brother…his father…had disappeared in Africa, letting nature and time shape it as they saw fit. It belonged to him now, along with half of the mansion, and so he had deemed himself caretaker of this plush foliage since he was its current resident. He loved to spend time here when he wasn’t with Jane, striving to make it perfect but never quite reaching his goal. Something was missing but he could never figure it out even after all the time he spent gazing at it. Tarzan had trimmed, weeded and even planted more trees and flowers, adding to its already glorious and beautiful splendor. Of course, he had wished he lived with Jane or her with him but that wasn’t possible yet, according to Jane. She had said she needed more time to sort through her feelings for him. He knew she loved him. It was just that Jane wouldn’t or maybe couldn’t allow herself to open her heart and let him in. God knows he had tried to make her feel what he felt for her. He just hadn’t found the right venue to her heart and soul…yet. ‘Maybe this Valentine’s Day will be my chance,’ he thought as he climbed on top of the platform overlooking his miniature jungle. He had a makeshift bed there and proceeded to undress, tossing his clothes over the edge in a neat pile. Tarzan didn’t like to sleep in his parent’s old bedroom. It was too lonely in there and he vowed to himself that the only way he would sleep in that vacant king sized bed would be with his one true love…Jane. ‘But that wouldn’t happen until she allows herself to experience her love for me,’ he thought as he cuddled up to his stuffed teddy bear from his childhood. He yawned once and soon fell into a deep slumber but not before he reminded himself to question Kathleen about Valentine’s Day in the morning. Dreaming of Jane, his lips parted in a sweet smile and subconsciously he let out a soft moan. He hugged his teddy bear tighter and rolled over, still dreaming of being with Jane. The next morning, Jane opened her eyes before her alarm went off. Lately she found herself having restless nights from worrying too much about John and his feelings. She tried to say all the right things but sometimes it never came out that way. John would get upset because he didn’t understand and then she’d always go find him and apologize to him trying to make things better between them. She wished she could be more like John who could speak volumes with just his eyes. One glimpse into those deep azure depths and she knew, without a doubt, that he truly did love her. So why was she so nervous about Valentine’s Day? It was just another ‘Hallmark’ holiday as far as she was concerned. Moaning to herself, she rolled over and hit the alarm as it suddenly went off. Jane threw the sheets off her and dropped down on the carpet doing twenty five pushups without breaking a sweat. ‘Ok…time for a shower and some coffee then off to work,’ she thought. ‘Maybe a good case will get my mind off of John.’ After taking a quick shower and grabbing a cup of java, Jane had a few minutes to spare before she had to leave for work. Planting herself at the kitchen breakfast bar, Jane thumbed through the newspaper. She noticed all the advertisements for Valentine’s Day; specialty chocolates, roses, diamonds and dinners for two. The paper was saturated with them. Getting a little disgusted at all the painful reminders that she’ll probably be alone Saturday, Jane threw the paper down and looked up. Nikki came strolling in, garbed in her night gown, with her hands behind her back. “What are you doing?” Nikki asked. “Apparently nothing,” Jane responded exasperated. “Good…because I need your help.” Sighing, Jane asked, “with what?” Nikki brought both hands in front of her revealing a black negligee in one hand and a red one in the other. “Okay, I can’t decide what to wear for John Saturday. What do you think…the black one or…the red one?” Nikki asked see sawing her arms up and down. “I thought you were going out to dinner,” Jane commented staring at her sister. Nikki flashed Jane a mischievous smile. “We are…this is for after dinner. I’m serving myself up as dessert.” “I see…well, in that case, the red one,” Jane softly chuckled. “Thanks!” Nikki yelled back as she skipped out of the kitchen and into her bedroom. ‘At least one of the Porter sisters will be having fun on Valentine’s Day,’ Jane thought. She gathered her badge and gun and headed for the front door. “I’m going to work, Nik. Don’t be late for school!” Jane yelled over the loud music that was now filtering out from Nikki’s bedroom. Shaking her head, she closed the door behind her and mumbled, “This is going to be a long day.” Jane arrived at the police station to find it decorated with lacy hearts, red balloons and red and white streamers. She forgot that the captain had insisted that the explosion of red and white would improve department moral. “Yes, this IS going to be a long day,” she reiterated to herself. She strolled over to her desk which was back to back with her partner’s, only to find Sam slowly spinning around in his chair whistling ‘Love is in the Air’. He stopped spinning around in his chair upon seeing Jane standing there with arms folded and raised eyebrows. “Taking your chair for a spin, Sam?” “Very funny,” Sam replied. “So what are you so happy about? Wait …let me guess. You’ve got a hot date for Valentine’s Day.” Jane guessed as she sat across from Sam, sifting through the cases on her desk. “It just so happens that I do have a hot date for Valentine’s Day,” Sam shot back. “So how much did you pay for her, Sam?” Jane needled him. She really enjoyed giving Sam a rise. “You’re killing me, Jane! I know you find it hard to believe but there are women out there who can’t resist the Sam-meister’s charms.” Sam countered, rubbing his chest with his palms and enjoying the volley between them. “Uh huh. Really…where did you meet her?” Jane inquired. “She’s a new recruit down in vice. I bumped into her at the copying machine and we hit it off right away. I’m taking her out for Valentine’s Day.” “The copier? How original, Sam” “Mock me if you will but I’m gonna get me some on Saturday!” “That’s great Sam. I’m happy for you,” Jane said. Her expression suddenly turned sad. “Whoa…wait a minute, Jane,” Sam said seeing her demeanor change. “What’s with the blue face? I thought you’d be looking forward to Valentine’s Day with monkey boy. You know…getting some jungle love,” Sam said smirking. “I should be but…I don’t know if John knows what Valentine’s Day is all about,” Jane explained, sighing. “Oooohh. Bummer! Well, you could give him some hints,” Sam offered. “I can’t Sam. That would be spoiling the romance. Besides, I don’t know how things are between us. It might make things worse.” “Get off it, partner! You know you’ve got the hots for him and you’re madly in love to boot. It’s written all over your face. Why can’t you see that?” “I don’t know, Sam. It’s just…well…he’s from the jungle, Sam. How am I suppose to love a wild man who hunts and talks to animals for crying out loud?” Sam chuckled. “That’s not so different from what we do. Listen Jane…if anyone can tame him…it’s you. Just relax and let yourself go with the flow. You know you want to.” Jane sighed. “I guess you’re right, Sam.” “Damn straight! Now, let’s see if we can go hunt some animals…I mean perps ourselves,” Sam said picking up a case file. “Oh and we gotta make a stop on the way before noon.” “Stop? Where?” Jane asked baffled. “The florist shop on 5th Avenue. I’ve got to get my order in before noon so I can pick it up tomorrow.” “Okay.” Jane was getting even more depressed than she was when she first came into work. It seemed everybody had plans for Valentine’s Day except her. Jane followed Sam out the door wondering what John was up to. Meanwhile, back at Kathleen’s mansion, Tarzan had woken up alone again. He passed the time waiting for his aunt to get up by taking a shower underneath the waterfall. As he stood there, enjoying the wet caresses of the falling water, he wished Jane was there with him sharing his morning shower. His thoughts drifted back to that day when Jane accidentally stumbled on to him showering. He had almost pushed through her unwavering defenses then but, at the last moment, she turned away saying she couldn’t. But he was a patient man and he would wait for however long it takes to get Jane to recognize that they belonged together. Figuring his aunt was up by now; Tarzan toweled off his toned muscular body and got dressed in brown baggy pants and a Linkin Park tee shirt. He headed down stairs to her study, knowing she would be going through her daily itinerary. He paused outside of her office hearing soft humming from inside. Curious, he approached the door and opened it. His eyes softened at the sight of his aunt. He absolutely adored her, thinking of her as his surrogate mother like Kala back home in the jungle. Instead of being hard at work, Tarzan found her humming to herself and arranging a bouquet of roses on her desk. He smiled warmly; glad to see that his aunt was in a good mood. Kathleen looked up as Tarzan entered. “Good morning, John,” Kathleen sing songed, beaming from ear to ear. Tarzan noticed his aunt was in an extremely excellent mood. He wondered what was different today. ‘Maybe it’s the flowers,’ he reflected. They weren’t there yesterday. He decided to ask. “Kathleen, did Mary bring you those flowers?” “No, John. Actually a friend of mine sent them to me. His name is William,” Kathleen explained. Grabbing a pair of shears she snipped off some leaves in order to make room for the whole bouquet in the vase. “Aren’t they beautiful?” “Yes.” Tarzan paused. “Do they make you happy?” Kathleen considered it for a moment then responded, “I guess they do John. A woman always likes to receive flowers. It means someone was thinking about them. John…what is this about?” Kathleen asked noticing her nephew watching her every move and interested in her responses. “Does this concern Jane?” “Yes. I overheard Jane and Nikki talking about Valentine’s Day. What is Valentine’s Day?” Tarzan asked, cocking his head to the side. Kathleen smiled, reminding herself to explain eavesdropping to John. “Oh, I see. Has Jane said anything about Valentine’s Day?” “No.” “Okay. Well, Valentine’s Day is a special day to show our love and appreciation for the people we care about but it has a special meaning to those people who are in love.” “Like Jane and me?” Tarzan interrupted. Kathleen knew John loved Jane and vice versa but she wasn’t sure if Jane had accepted her love for John yet. “Did Jane tell you she loved you?” “Not yet but I can see it in her eyes.” Not wanting to question him further, Kathleen commented, “I know you can but Jane made need more time.” Tarzan wasn’t phased by Kathleen’s response and continued on, wanting to know more. “What do people in love do on Valentine’s Day?” “Well, traditionally the man brings his love some flowers, chocolates and a card.” Kathleen gazed at John, seeing him pondering why. “The flowers signify beauty. If you give a woman flowers you’re telling her that she’s beautiful and delicate as a flower. The chocolates are an aphrodisiac meant to enhance the sexuality you feel. And the card is for expressing your feelings in words.” Tarzan weighed his aunt’s words in his head. Why go through all that to show someone that you love them? Kathleen noticed his trepidation. “John, never mind all the traditional stuff. If you want to give Jane something for Valentine’s Day, just give her something from your heart. Look deep inside your soul and think about what Jane means to you then show her. She’ll know that it’s from within you. You can’t go wrong then.” “Thanks, Kathleen.” Tarzan bounded back upstairs to the atrium to ponder what to give Jane. Swinging back up into the trees, he sat and turned his mind inside himself. “Look deep inside” his aunt had said. Absent mindedly, he picked up his knife and began twirling it around in his hand. ‘What am I going to give Jane to show her how much we belong together and how much I love her?’ he contemplated. Looking out to the plush greenery and flowers in the atrium, he let the knife slip out of his hand. It landed on the platform gouging a mark in the wood. An idea suddenly hit him. ‘I know Jane will love this.’ Climbing down from the platform, he wandered through the foliage to start working on his gift to Jane. Jane had survived the day but not without constant reminders about romance. Everywhere her and Sam went, they saw couples holding hands and kissing. Sam didn’t help either. He had brought a CD of loves songs and only agreed to stop playing them when Jane had threatened to toss the CD out the window. The entire city it seemed had been graffiti-ed with red flyers saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’. Love was certainly in the air except for her. Even the domestic disturbance call they went to back up, only because they were right up the street, ended in the couple apologizing profusely and groping and tonguing each other. Sam was even a little shocked by the sight mumbling “get a room” as they left the couple’s residence. Jane was thoroughly depressed and asked Sam to take her home. She was not looking forward to tomorrow. How would she feel if John showed up with flowers professing his undying love for her? It didn’t seem like John but right now she would take any sort of gesture from him. Jane entered her apartment to find it decorated with red and white candles. They were everywhere; on the tables, the tv, in the kitchen and, god forbid, even the bathroom. It looked like Cupid’s love nest. As she strolled throughout the rooms, she sniffed noticing a different scent in the air. Did Nikki burn incense today? She was really going overboard trying to impress her new beau. She would have to talk to Nikki about burning it in every single room; one room was fine but the entire apartment was too much. Jane back pedaled into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and took out the left over Chinese take-out she and Nikki had the night before. Closing the door, she saw Nik’s scribbled note; ‘Gone to the salon then over to Karin’s for dinner, be back late.’ Jane sighed. She was alone again not that she wanted to hear Nikki ramble on about her John. She just wanted the company. After devouring the leftovers and watching episodes of an “I love Lucy” marathon, Jane yawned and stretched on the sofa. It was time for bed. Gradually she made her way to her bedroom. She didn’t bother with the lights as she dressed for bed. Crawling under the sheets, Jane’s mind slowly drifted off, dreaming of John. The next morning, Jane came out of her slumber leisurely not looking forward to spending the Valentine’s Day alone. She wondered where John had been the past two nights. It wasn’t that she was worried about him or anything but usually he stopped by her window ledge to check on her. She missed him terribly and didn’t realize how much until today; the day when lovers were supposed to be together. Jane’s eyes pried open staring at the ceiling. Was she ready for today …a day devoid of any prospect of romance for her? She breathed in heavily and let it out slowly. What was that heavenly smell? Was Nikki burning some new fragrance this early in the morning? She sat up right in her bed, intent on chastising Nikki for getting up so early on a Saturday. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Nearly falling out of the bed, Jane excitedly yelled for her sister. Nikki wandered into the room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and shuffling her feet. “Jane…what’s the matter?” Nikki said still rubbing her eyes. Her feet stirred up something on the floor. “Nik…Look!” Jane cried. Focusing first on Jane, Nikki then glanced around the room. She held her breath at the sight before her. “Oh, Jane! It’s beautiful!” Nikki walked over to her sister’s bed and put her arm around her. “And you thought you weren’t getting anything for Valentine’s Day!” Both sisters sat there and gazed wide eyed at the room. Someone had literally blanketed her entire bedroom with wild flowers. There were hundreds of bouquets; loose and tied, some in vases and some were potted. But underneath it all, on the carpet, were petals from tropical flowers. They looked strangely familiar. Jane suddenly remembered where she had seen them before…John’s atrium. Smiling warmly, Jane spoke out loud, “They’re from John.” “I guess John does know about Valentine’s Day,” Nikki replied hugging her sister. She was thankful that Jane finally had someone to share Valentine’s Day with. Jane was almost in tears she was so happy. Never in her life had she imagined a field of wild flowers in her bedroom. She wondered how John had managed to decorate her room without her waking up. The fragrance was incredible and seemed to soothe her as she got dressed for the day. It didn’t even bother her that she would have to eventually pick them up. Humming to herself, she left the apartment and headed to John’s atrium, intending to thank him properly for the flowers. Tarzan had spent the entire day on Friday cultivating the flowers and preparing them for travel to Jane’s place. His aunt had helped, providing a truck for delivery. He knew Jane would be happy to receive flowers since they had made his aunt happy. But that wasn’t his special present for Jane. He would wait until Jane sought him out at the mansion and then he would surprise her. He had taken a quick nap in the afternoon and waited the rest of the night when he knew Jane would be fast asleep. By early morning he had all the flowers in place. Satisfied with the arrangement, he had gone home and fell asleep on the platform. He awoke the next morning, hearing a female’s voice calling his name. Quickly jumping down off the platform, he ran to the atrium’s entrance and smiled as Jane approached him. He didn’t want her coming in and spoiling his Valentine’s Day present for her. “Jane,” he breathed heavily, scenting her. He noticed a change in Jane’s presence. She seemed more relax…more inviting. “John…the flowers were beautiful. You didn’t have to get me so many. A single stem would have sufficed,” Jane smiled back. Seeing him standing there in his brown baggy pants pulled at her…drawing her in. ‘Maybe it’s the flowers,’ she thought. “Did they make you happy?” John inquired. “Very much so, John. Thank you. I just wanted to come here and wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day.” Jane gazed into his blue green eyes, seeing the love there. ‘Maybe I am ready to admit it.’ But before she could say anything, John grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear to close her eyes. “What ever for John? I just got my present for Valentine’s Day.” Jane hesitated, curious at what John was up to. “I have one more for you. Now…close your eyes,” he commanded. Jane closed them at let Tarzan lead her further into the atrium. They stopped about ten yards away. She was getting a little nervous now. What was he up to? “Now open them.” Tarzan squeezed her hand and waited. Anxiously, Jane opened her eyes. Her mouth parted in a gasp. She looked back at John then over to the tree in front of her. Tears formed in her eyes. It was then she knew, without a doubt, what John meant to her and her to him. There on the tree by the waterfall, John had carved a huge heart inscribed with ‘Jane & Tarzan Forever’. She couldn’t speak for what seemed like forever; her heart was in her throat drowning her in emotion. This was his sanctuary…his home which he protected with his life. It meant the world to him. By engraving this permanently in the tree, she knew they belonged together; that their love would grow just as sturdy as the tree and he would protect her, as well, with his life. Overwhelmed, Jane cried, “Oh, John. I love it. Thank you.” “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Tarzan ran his hands through her hair and turned her to face him. Wiping the tears away, he reached in for a kiss. “I love you, Jane.” “I…I love you too, John!” Jane finally admitted it to herself and to John. Happiness over came her and she cried tears of joy. “B…but I didn’t get you anything,” she managed to say. Tilting her chin up to face him, he gently placed her hand over his pounding heart. Finally hearing her say ‘I love you’ was all he had ever wanted. That was his special Valentine’s Day present. Grinning from ear to ear he said, “Yes…you did.” The scene ends with this song from London Beat "A Better Love" I remember how You are my safety zone I'll never find a better love not in a minute On the harbour bridge You are my safety zone I'll never find a better love not in a minute You are my safety zone I'll never find a better love not in a minute ....
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