Life Is A Flower

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Ace Of Base Movement

Life Is A Flower

By Sentinel Cat

Disclaimer: Credit to Pet Fly, UPN and anyone else that Sentinel belongs to. I don't own them, just borrowing them a little bit. I also used some of Ace of Base's lyrics from her CD Cruel Summer off of their webpage, http://www.aceofbase.net/songs/hd.htm.

Notes: I got the idea for this story after constantly listening to the new Ace of Base's CD, Cruel Summer. I started noticing how their songs, in a certain order told a story. They just screamed Jim and Blair. I'd like to thank my wonderful internet friend, Isabel Tan for beta'ing this story. As well as a deep love for Ace of Base, she also has been cheering me up through some troubling times. This series is strictly for her. I hope this makes up for the cruddy life you've had lately.

Life is a Flower by Ace of Base

We live in a free world

I whistle down the wind

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

life is a flower

so precious in your hand

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

When every race is run and the day is closing in

I don't care about the world I'm living for the light

don't cry for me today, oh

Looking up, at the blue, blue sky, I hear the phone ring. I stare in astonishment as it continues to ring. Somehow, I know. It's Blair.

Walking over to it, I'm hesitant, not wanting to pick it up, because all my dreams could be so easily broken. I pick it up and answer, "Jim Ellison"

A silence. An eternity. There's a microscopic second of time, where the world stopped. Then, there's an answer. Time seems to rush in great speeds while I'm standing still.

"Jim."

"My God, it's you, Chief!! It's really you!!!"

"Yes, Jim. It's really me. Uh, I'm not sure how to tell you this. I guess the best thing to do is to just say it."

"Before you say anything Blair, I have to tell you something. I always promised myself that if I ever saw you again, I would tell you this and ask a question I've been wanting to ask for a long time. For over a year now, I've been with out you. Because I screwed up our lives, I lost you. And now, you're calling. I don't know what this means to you, but I sure know what it means to me. I love you, Blair. I fell in love with you from the moment we first met. Time has done nothing to change that. You own my heart, my soul and my body. It's all yours if you want it. I have to ask you, and I'll understand whatever answer you have, Will you marry me?"

We live in a free world

I whistle down the wind

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

life is a flower

so precious in your hand

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

I cannot be your judge Mr. Jailer is your host

he's keeping you inside, and hides you from the world

no catcher in the rye can help you from yourself

Listening to Jim was like hearing myself. Everything he was saying were the things I'd just been ready to say to him. But then I heard it for the first time.

"I love you, Blair.......Will you marry me?"

My heart stopped beating. Or that's what it seems happened to me. Jim was asking me to marry him. A fraction of a second later and,

:"YES!!"

"Blair?"

"YES, damnit, YES!!!!"

"You'll marry me?"

"Yes! Do you want me to say it a million times to get it through your head, Big Guy, yes. Yes, I'll marry you!!"

"Oh God, you really said yes?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh man, Chief, where are you? Wherever you're at, tell me. I'll go there now. I don't care if you're in New Zealand. About now, I could fly there without a plane."

We were in shock. I could tell it from the tone of his voice and mine. Have you ever heard of cloud nine? Well, that's where we were. I recognized that all the judgments we thought about the other, all the expectations we had, were gone. Just gone. Poof, disappeared. Mr. Jailer was releasing us from the horrific year we had just experienced because of our own stupidity. He was keeping you inside yourself, locked within, where no emotion could ever get out. But with these words, we're free. The both of us. You from the jail of your emotions, and me from expecting to much from you when you weren't capable of it. With those words we blossomed. Our lives unfolded like the blooms of a rose bush. Precious, exquisite, deep rich colors, that's what our lives would be now. Jim, we have a second chance. Our life is a flower.

We live in a free world

I whistle down the wind

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

life is a flower

so precious in your hand

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

please Mr. Agony release them for a while

learn then the consequence of living without life

We live in a free world

I whistle down the wind

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

life is a flower

so precious in your hand

carry on smiling

and the world will smile with you

In my office late at night. I've been thinking about loss. I've been thinking about Blair, and you, Jim. This past year, I've been praying that it's not too late. You were both stupid. You two got caught up in the expectations of everybody else, and didn't listen to the truth of your souls.

I don't know what I can do to provide the answers you need. Only the two of you can do that. God, I hope Mr. Agony releases them for a while so they can learn the lessons they need about love. Love is eternal! Especially the kind between Sentinel and Guide. All who know you recognize that element about you both.

I don't want to do this but I don't have a choice. You're on suspension, Jim. I'm not firing you right off, or making you go to the hospital for help, but it's necessary for the well being of everybody in our precinct.

Maybe you can use this time for yourself. To realize that the only way you'll have to be whole, is to go after your Guide. That's the only option you have left after losing all the rest here. I know you recognize you love him. Now you need to tell him. It's the only thing left.

The phone rings. I answer, "Captain Banks, Cascade PD, Major Crimes."

The answer?

"Uh, Simon, I know this is the last thing you'll be expecting, but could you be my best man at my wedding to Blair?"

I guess he already found the answer.

The end

Description:

The album version for Europe is the official single version. This composition is noteworthy due to its groove-oriented chord progression based on acoustic guitar, as well as for its cool violins and impressive backing vocals, including Jonas'.

This song was composed by Jonas and produced by Jonas with the producer duo Tommy Ekman and Per Adebratt.

Words from the band:

this song was originally called "Flower" but we changed it's name to "Life is a flower" after realizing that "Flowers" was a great album title. There are so many different styles and textures contained within the tracks, the record resembles a varied bouquet of flowers. In America the track is called "Whenever you're near me." It has different production and lyrics after the Americans thought that "life is a flower" was too European in nature

-Joker