By now, our horse was beyond use. The poor boy had fallen more times than we could remember. The ground was so soft and crumbled from the tremors and the ground was shaking so terribly he couldn't get a foot hold. We weren't anywhere near the top of the hills. I was sure we were done for. Lynda had sat down unable to stand, and tired of trying. Taylor and I were in an embrace. Scared unsure of what was to happen. A voice in the distance could be heard, a female voice. I was confused, it sounded like 'Jeannie.' I was sure it was my imagination. Then she stumbled up.

"I thought I was all alone out here," she yelled as she stumbled and crawled towards us. Through the mud, dust, soot and scrapes it was unmistakably Barbara Eden.

"We're doomed, there's no way out, and, and well it's nearly over," I cried.

"Don't give up, He'll get us out, He's never let me down," Barbara said clutching a silver cross which hung from around her neck.

She spoke with such faith, as if she was convinced that she was right and it was just mere moments before we were saved from the hell around us. Her face, though barely visible was sweet, blithe and comforting. Her voice calmed my nerves and I felt a sudden peace.

At that moment we suddenly were blinded by bright light from above.

"Oh God, I'm dead," was all I could think of.

Then my eye's focused, and I saw Lynda covering her face looking upwards. Barbara was doing the same, until she stood up and began waving at something with both arms. It was then that over the rumble around us I heard the blades of a helicopter. Looking up Taylor and I both saw nothing but a bright light. Then from behind the light shown a face. Unmistakably Zac Hanson was smiling down at us. Suddenly a rope ladder dropped downwards.

"You first Ms. Eden," I yelled out.

Barbara started up the ladder with a smile, "Told you."

Lynda followed, with Tay behind her and me taking up the tail.

The ladder swung madly about. It seemed it was doing it's best to toss us off on to the ground. Soon I found I was at the doorway and being pulled in.

"I told them I wouldn't leave, when we heard that your chopper went down I made them take me back," Zac told us as we lifted upwards.

"Where is Miss Halliwell," the pilot called out.

I remember poor Geri. We had left here there in the yard of that house. I hadn't thought a thing about her since we had left. And now she was alone. I started to cry again.

"Geri! We left her, oh no, we left her, I let her die, I couldn't help her, she couldn't move," I cried out loud.

"She didn't make it, we got her out of the chopper but, she, well she didn't make it," Taylor called back.

Barbara struggled to get me to look up. I didn't want too. I felt responsible for it. I couldn't explain how, but I did.

"Damnit, look at me," Barbara yelled. This startled me and I looked up.

"You can't blame yourself, you got her out, but. She didn't make it because of anything you did or didn't do. You didn't do anything wrong. You had to leave her, otherwise you would have died too. I know she wouldn't have wanted that."

She was right, it was strange but hearing it from 'Jeannie' made it hit home. She pulled me in toward her and hugged me. I began to cry again. Lynda put her arm around me and Barbara and smiled a teary smile. Taylor and Zac were having a bit of their own reunion. Zac was truly a site, the poor kid looked like he nearly had a heart attack. They spoke to each other and hugged. I was feeling better by now and I sat up back into my seat.

I looked over at Taylor who was looking a bit left out, forgotten. I hadn't forgotten him, God I wanted to hug him, hold him and kiss him. I wasn't sure what to do, but I followed my heart.

"Taylor, thank God your ok, I would have died if you hadn't made it," cried as I threw my arms around him.

"It's ok, really I'm fine, you saved me again you know," he said to me. The others looking a bit confused.

"You saved me in the elevator and you dragged me out of that helicopter, if you hadn't I'm sure I would have just laid there and gone out with a bang."

"Taylor, I'll never let you down, as long as I'm around you'll never be in danger," I replied to him looking into his eyes. Then Taylor leaned in and kissed me. I wasn't sure how long, or how passionately we kissed. I lost track of time, nothing registered. Well, not until we heard Zac clearing his throat extremely loud. We looked over at the audience. Both Lynda and Barbara were sitting there mouths agape looking confused and shocked. Zac was simply giggling.

Barbara looked a bit confused, Lynda had a smirk on her face and Zac, well Zac was just a giggle box. I knew now that I had to come right out and say it.

"Taylor, I, I love you."

"I know," Taylor started with a smile.

"You, know," I asked.

"Yeah, I mean what else could it be, you've been making it a point to save my life all day long. In the hallway when you got in the elevator, at the bottom of the elevator shaft and then in the helicopter," Tay replied with a smile.

"Oh Taylor, I was only doing what I knew I had to do, I," I started but he cut me off.

"And I'm doing what I know I have to do," he replied.

"But Tay I-"

"I love you too, ever since I saw you outside the elevator I've been dazed, I dropped my guard and finally let someone get close to me, and with this stuff going on now. It well, it helped me see how I've been acting lately, I've been ignoring my feeling's listening to our management trying to appeal to my fan base and all the people who love us. But I can't ignore how I feel inside, you've brought that out in me. I'm never going to let you go now, you've saved my life, from death and destruction, both physically and mentally," he continued, a tear dropping from his eye and trailing down his soft cheek.

"Taylor, what are you saying, I saved your life in the hallway when I got in the elevator, that's when we met," I started.

"You saved my life from pain and loneliness when I saw you, from then on you just kept on doing it, oh God I love you too," he cried as he hugged me.

He hugged me harder than I had ever been hugged before. I could feel his heartbeat through my chest. He looked up at me and kissed me. Silence again, the sound of propeller blades faded away. I sunk deeper into his embrace, the death and destruction beneath us seemed millions of light years away. All of my senses were filled with pure Taylor.

My hands felt his back and soft blond hair. My nose smelled his beautiful face, my mouth tasted his sweetness, my ears heard his breath, I felt nothing but him. When we parted I felt as if we had kissed for one hundred years. All my inhibitions, and worries toward him and the people around us were gone. I no longer cared if anyone saw how I looked at him. This was Taylor, my Taylor and nothing could change that now.

We smiled, tears forming in our lids. It seemed as if nothing could detract from this moment. Nothing until we heard the loud ominous cracking of the tectonic plate beneath us as the San Andreas fault snapped and all of coastal California began to crumble and sink into the ocean.


On to Chapter Five

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The Day the Earth Moved is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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