Battle the Dark: Chapter 43

"It's been quite an experience, this whole last few months.  Somethin' to write home about, eh?" Sister Rebecca Katherine said, standing by Timothy, as he put the finishing touches on his stew.


"Ah, yes, Creena, certainly has.  I've made a decision.  I want to practice law again."


"That's wonderful brother.  Do ya believe my prayers worked to save Todd?"


"I knew you were going to ask me.  I just knew it."


"You're not the religious kind, this I know.  We've had this talk before."


"We have," he said, dishing up the stew,  "so why again?"


"It's summer, why are we eating stew?"


"Come, now, what does that matter?"


"And why does the fact that we had that discussion before matter, then?"


He rolled his eyes.  "All right, your prayers could have helped."


"Thank ya, brother.  I appreciate it.  Love it when you say you're wrong."


"You're a pain in my arse, dearie."


"Well, that makes two of us."  They began to eat.  She said, "And I heard you called me motormouth."


"Aren't ya?"


"Perhaps.  One thing I must say to ya, how do you explain the likes of Michael Leona, if there is no such thing as good and evil, eh?"


"Now when did I say there was no such thing as good and evil?"


"You said, 'there's no God, then there's no devil.'  That is the same."


"Sister, you are paining me."  They ate some more.  


She said, "Did you see their faces when they saw each other again?  Even Todd, so sick and dying, that was worth all of our troubles."


"Aye.  I've never had that in my life, dear heart."


"And neither have I, brother.  But, I can understand it, just by knowing them.  Puts a whole new face on the world."


"I'll admit that.  A whole new face."  


They ate in silence a few more minutes, before she said, "You like the states?"


"Yes.  I am glad you brought me here, Creena.  It's good to be around family."


"It is, surely.  Tomorrow, I go back to St. Anne's.  There is a special ceremony.  My staff thinks I am a heroine.  Goodness gracious, only doing what I know God would want."


He thought a moment.  "Sister, if there is a God, He is definitely pleased with you."


***


Jessica walked through the door of Devon's room to find he was not there.  The balloons she carried lilted in the breeze from the ventillation system and she searched around, puzzled.  He came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist.  "Hello, my dear.  Who are those balloons for?"


"For you," she said, "And in light of everything, I have decided to forgive and forget completely."


"Completely."


"Yes, no bringing up anything from the past."


"Then we have a problem."


"What?"


"That means we'll have to say "I love you" over and over again, every day.  Otherwise, we'd be bringing the past up."


"I think that is a workable agreement."


"I do also."  He went in for a kiss, and they stood, embracing as Viki walked in.  


"I wanted to tell you both that Todd and Blair are back.  They're with their children, at home.  Todd's slowly making a full recovery."  Viki said.


"See, all's well that ends well."  Devon said.


"I guess so."


He took her hand and they left the hospital, and passing by some patients, she handed the balloons to an elderly woman.


***


John greeted Natalie, at their apartment, with a lingering kiss.  "I missed you."


She said, "I missed you, too, and I am not the only one."


"Liam.  Is he awake?"


"No, but he will be soon."


"I can't wait to see him, and hold him."  She saw distress in his eyes.


"Something's wrong.  What is it?  Uncle Todd?  Is he all right?"


"He is," he nodded.  "He'll be fine, he'll need more time to heal, physically and emotionally from what he's been through.  Something is wrong with the world.  A world that somehow creates people, like the ones I met during this case.  One or two in particular.  Not sure where that kind of sick comes from.  Some of The Men of 21 got away.  They're still out there, and there's no telling what kind of men they are."


"And you will find them all and put them away."  She could see it was haunting him.  "Do you want to talk about it?"


"I will, just not now.  Just knowing you'll be there, when I need to, that makes it all okay."


"I'll be there, you just try and keep me away."  She said, kissing his mouth softly. 


"We're lucky."


"Yes, we are.  We're blessed."


"Yes, we're blessed."


***


Zeus entered Ray's office and sat.  Ray said, "What's new on your end?"  


Zeus placed a copy of The Sun on his desk.  "Nothing really.  Did you read that paper?  My information helped get Todd free.  He's calling me a hero."


"I did.  I read that.  So, what's your feeling on it?"


"I don't know.  The Sun heralding me as a hero?  It sort of...I think it was too much."


"You feel guilty that Todd appreciated you."


"I guess.  I took the man's life, for a long time."


"He knows.  But he also sees it for what it was.  You do realize that?"


"I do."


"And?"


"It's weird.  A good weird."  His eyes teared.  "And, there's one other thing."


"What's that?"


"Tea.  She accepted my call yesterday."


"I thought I asked if anything was new?"


He smiled, "I know.  It's not saying we're going to be together, but for her to accept my call, and listen to me, I mean really listen..." his voice trailed off.


"I can see this means a lot to you.  Have you considered asking her to come to therapy?"


"No, not yet, I mean until now, I had no reason."


"And now?"


"Now, maybe.  There might be hope."  He looked down to his shoes.  


Ray said, "Zeus, why is it so hard to accept praise?  You did the right thing.  You acted and you helped.  Those things can't go unnoticed."


"They can never outdo or overshadow the other things I did."


"But there were forces that were beyond your control."


"Because I was weak."


"I think we'll work on that.  This belief you have.  We will work on this over time."


"All right."  He got up and walked to the window.  "I feel, like I am alone in the world, all the time."


"Some people are, and they are by choice. "


"I'm not choosing.  I miss my kids.  I want to know them, as me.  Especially Sam.  He's growing up without me.  I know Todd is a great father to him, and Blair is his mother, no question about it, but I miss him.  I wish I could..."


"I think in light of everything, there's no doubt in my mind that over time, you will be able to have a relationship with him.  When you're healed, fully, I don't see Todd or Blair refusing you that."  He picked up The Sun.  "Maybe, first, you work on loving yourself, accepting your faults, whatever they are, and developing your own relationship with you.  Once you get that going, I think Tea might come around.  And, I do believe, as long as you're well again, Tea will let you be in the new baby's life."


"It's a dream.  It feels so far off."


"As your therapist, I can only tell you that it's not.  Let me call her this week and see if she will come in for work with you.  It's a start, right?  She can only say no."


"Right, okay.  Sure.  Call her.  And tell her....well, you know what to say."


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