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Chapter 13

Posted on 2010-03-03

The next day blurred with activity as the girls continued to play with their new toys and the puppy scampered everywhere, always underfoot. Richard taught Callie how to put the leash on and instructed her to walk the pup often. Not an expert in dogs, Richard researched quite a bit online and passed on his knowledge to his little sidekick. He informed her that since beagles are notoriously stubborn, a dog trainer could help them and calls were made for an appointment in the next week. The conversation also convinced Callie that another "princess" in the house might be a bit confusing, so with Georgiana's assistance, the little beagle became officially known as Princess Bella or Bella for short.

With all the excitement and people in the house, Jeannie became over stimulated and had a difficult time settling down and listening to direction. Will took her to his office, away from everyone, and sat with her for awhile. The two talked quietly about SKAT and her new toys. When Will mentioned the baby coming, Jeannie said she didn't want to talk about a baby. Will did not pursue it. He knew a troubled topic when he saw it and made a mental note to be sure to talk this over with Dr. Evans after the holidays.

Richard spent a good deal of time in his room, trying to sleep and to piece together the events of the past several days. He surfaced only long enough to get something to eat and to work with Callie and Bella, and then he'd disappear. Cammi had called to tell him that the power had been restored in the townhouse and that Dave had had Elise's car towed to a reputable body shop. She told him that Elise was exhausted and trying to rest, but that she'd promised to talk to him soon. He told Cammi that he was okay with that. He really had no other choice.

It seemed to him that this could be the most critical time of his life since his parents' deaths, which he certainly hadn't handled well at all. Of course, at that time his emotions had already been raw from the break up with Ellie. There she is again! As much I may try to deny it, since I first met her, she's influenced every decision and reaction of any consequence. I've been livid with anger, stung by rejection, and crushed by her supposed indifference, and yet, from that first day when I finally realized who she was in that school's office, she has never been out of my mind.

He argued with himself the entire day; at one point, it was all he could do to restrain himself from running out the door, stark raving mad. Instead, he searched for Callie and the pup and let his princess soothe him with her love and acceptance. He felt useful guiding her with little Bella. He knew that in the future, Callie would grow away from him, as all children do when they get older, but he also knew, for certain, that to some degree their bond would always remain. He and Will had talked about it many times. Will, he understood, held no jealousy concerning his relationship with Callie, secure in his new daughter's love. Both did, however, acknowledge that she would always be Richard's angel in more ways than one.

Beth spent many hours reading Olivia's journals, and she felt a kinship beginning to grow with the amazing mother that her husband loved so dearly. Several years in a row, Olivia had written entries on Richard's and Will's birthdays, making it quite clear that she and her sister-in-law, in their own ways, had made every effort to make the boys feel special. They did this despite the fact that their boys' birthdays fell so close to Christmas and New Years or that, for many years, the families celebrated thousands of miles apart. Beth had the feeling that after the two women were gone, neither man had celebrated their special day.

Last year, Richard had lain unconscious for most of his birthday. When not totally out of it, he suffered excruciating pain and remained uncertain whether his comrades would discover him in the bombed out school. The year before, he hadn't come home over Christmas at all; instead, he'd opted to only come home for a few days' leave over Thanksgiving. Will had told her that Richard missed Christmas a lot over the years and, consequently, wasn't around for his and Will's birthdays.

The new mistress of Pemberville Farm decreed that would not be the case as long as she was around. Going again to the cookbook and journals, Beth pieced together Richard's favorite foods and planned a dinner for that evening. While he was out with Jorge and Will, Beth and the girls baked a sheet cake and decorated it on the sly. Callie begged Jeannie to keep the secret, and, surprisingly, her older sister held her tongue.

After seeking advice from her husband, Beth called Elise and invited her and Cammi over for dinner. Elise thanked her politely but declined. Beth, in an attempt to allay Elise's concerns, told her that they were more than welcome and that she was making enough food to feed an army. With the addition of Marie's family, along with Dave, Beth said the birthday party would also be a reunion of the stranded from the storm over Christmas. Elise laughed quietly and promised she would think about it. When she hung up, Cammi asked what there was to think about and commanded her to show up. Shrugging her shoulders in defeat, Elise grabbed her purse and the two left the town house to go gift shopping.

At six o'clock, with everyone seated around the table, including Juanita and Jorge, the doorbell rang. Will excused himself to answer it and smiled at the two women standing sheepishly on the doorstep. After taking their coats, he lead them to the dining room, all eyes watching as they seated themselves where empty place settings awaited them in hopes they would attend. Richard smiled and thanked them for coming as they sat down opposite him and Dave.

"Have you both recovered from Stranded with Stephens Days?" Richard joked. Throw me a bone; please, anything will do. I should just be grateful she came, but I know I need more than that she's here out of some obligation for our Christmas hospitality.

"Mostly," Elise's eyes met his and penetrated down to his soul. "My townhouse is very quiet now. I used to relish all the silence, now it seems odd." Why can't I just say that I missed him?

"Well, our family can grow on you." If you let it.

"Yes, I think you're right. I haven't been part of a family in a long time. Not a real one, anyway." Please believe me, Rich. I'm working on it; I'm working on letting you in.

Beth proceeded to carry out a platter filled with roasted pork loin and Georgiana followed with bowls laden with potatoes, carrots and squash. Applesauce and freshly baked bread rounded out the hearty meal. "Elizabeth," Richard attempted to speak with his mouth full, "this is my all time favorite meal. How did you know?"

"I know all sorts of things about this family, thanks to Olivia." She went on to explain Will's thoughtful gift to her and then shared some stories about both Richard and her husband.

Experiencing only a moment of awkwardness, Elise felt at home in the beautiful farmhouse. After their initial exchange, she and Richard stole several glances across the table which escaped no one's notice. Seth and Georgiana remained a bit leery of her, but they kept it to themselves. Callie asked her why she wore her hair down that night. When Elise struggled to come up with an answer, Callie said she wondered if her hair was tired from being up in that tight bun all the time and needed a rest.

Richard's explosive laughter lightened the tense moment, and he told a few stories about the two of them at college; one of which involved a very windy, rainy day, an umbrella blown inside out and beautiful auburn hair caught in the umbrella's framework. Georgiana enjoyed hearing about her current school, not to mention a story on her very private cousin. When Richard finished, she and Elise talked at length about how BG had changed and what activities were available on campus and off. Glad that they were talking, Richard turned his attention again to Beth and thanked her sincerely for the meal made in his honor.

After the candle blowing ceremony complete with an additional serenade by Callie, the group moved to the living room where Will unveiled the family portrait to all. Everyone exclaimed at its beauty and at how Will had captured the joy of the day. Once again, both Cammi and Elise couldn't help but be struck by the love this family shared, as well as the strong bonds between them and their close friends. Elise prayed to be a part of it some day.

Instead of clothes, Richard received new tools and gift certificates for the lumber yard and car wash. "That's more like it," he exclaimed in mock indignation over his Christmas presents. Callie presented him with a card she made especially for him. On the outside, she had drawn a soldier with a big heart on his chest. Then, on the inside, he found what appeared to be a farmer with the same big heart walking a pony. She explained that he just changed uniforms, not his heart. He hugged her tightly to him and acknowledged to himself how much he loved that darling girl.

The last gift on the table looked as if it had been professionally wrapped. Richard picked it up and scanned the room to find Elise blushing. He opened the package carefully, relishing the fact that she was actually back in his life, no matter to what degree. He removed the paper, lifted the lid, and pulled out a very tattered and quite well-worn Army ROTC t-shirt. He looked at her in puzzlement.

"I'm finally returning it, after seventeen years," she said shyly. Please understand the significance.

"What did you do, wash your car with it or something?" he laughed. Why is she giving this back to me?

Elise shook her head, smiling. "I slept in it when he was away on business." Do you get it now, her eyes pleaded.

The impact of that statement reverberated through the room. Richard, astounded by her admission and its meaning, blinked hard several times, before he handed it back to her. "Then you need to keep it because he's away on business for about twenty-to-twenty-five years, so I hear." If anything of mine can give you comfort, take it until it's me who can comfort you.

She smiled broadly. "I hoped you'd give it back," she said as she took it from him and handed him another box that Cammi had been holding. "Here."

Richard returned the smile and ripped open the box to reveal a new Army shirt. Oh, God, Ellie, are you telling me we can start again? His expectant glance at Elise told her she had chosen the perfect gift. Once again remembering Beth's advice, he leaned forward and whispered mischievously in her ear, "Can I hug you now?" She nodded. Richard stood and walked around the table, then leaned down and gathered her in his arms. The embrace was much more relaxed than their earlier ones, and ended far too quickly for the likes either. Richard ecstatically realized that she hadn't stiffened or pulled back. In that brief moment, Elise had felt the warmth that had been missing from her life for so long. Every person sitting at that table understood what they had witnessed.

Before leaving that night, Richard thanked Elise and Cammi for coming, and he admonished Elise to take better care of his shirt in the future. They both laughed, each understanding what he meant. His eyes questioned hers again, before he moved in for another embrace. She gladly opened her arms and allowed herself to take his comfort and strength for a second time that evening. Cammi watched with tears in her eyes. Before leaving, she caught Richard's eye and mouthed "thank you".

He shook his head and mouthed back, "No, thank you".

Although he would never admit it, for the first time since his parents' deaths, Will looked forward to his birthday. After his wife's very personal Christmas present, he could hardly wait to see what his thirty-ninth birthday had in store. When he awoke that morning, the house stood silent except for the faint whimpering of Bella down the hall. Reaching over, he quickly realized his wife was not in bed. Sitting up, he looked over to the bathroom, fearing she might be ill, but he could hear or see nothing through the wide open door. What is she doing?

The answer came quickly, as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hallway back to their room. He dove under the covers and shut his eyes, feigning sleep. The fun and joy she has brought to my life – and the sex ain't too bad either! He smirked to himself. He could hear her moving as quietly as possible through the room; he desperately wanted to know what she was doing. He stirred a bit as he heard her leave again. What the devil is she up to?

He heard a slight tapping on the door. "Yes?" he called out in expectation.

"May I serve you breakfast, to the Master?" Beth's unmistakable voice asked quietly but with a decidedly saucy tone attached.

Will thrilled at the idea. "Yes, wench, do come in. I am starving." He heard Beth giggle as he sat up in bed and attempted to put a stern scowl upon his face. His expression soon gave way to utter amazement as his wife, decked out in a French maid's uniform, seemed to float into the room. Temporarily losing his ability to speak, his eyes followed her as she sashayed across the room with a tray loaded with breakfast foods which smelled heavenly. No, the food smelled good; she looked heavenly. Will attempted to get up from the bed.

"Oh, no, Master. Mistress has given strict orders that you are to remain in bed to break your fast this morning." Carrying the large tray, she moved closer to the bed and placed it on his lap, chuckling slightly at his dumbfounded expression.

Finally finding his voice, he asked in a pitch he had not heard come out of him since puberty. "And what, uhmm, mmmm," he cleared his throat, "what else did the mistress give orders for this morning?"

"Only that the children be kept from your chambers for at least an hour and that you be properly shaven before appearing to them and the rest of the family," she answered, pertly.

Will's eyes eagerly scanned the room to find the antique wash bowl filled with steaming water and all the necessary instruments laid out on the table beside it. Deciding he was very much in favor of whatever pregnancy hormone invaded his wife, he dug into his breakfast with happy abandon.

Beth loved watching the emotions play across her husband's face. His smiles always revealed the dimples she so cherished and when his eyes smoldered with desire for her, it still took her breath away. Today she felt no effects of morning sickness and being quite hungry herself, she hoped Will would let her share his feast. Trying to maintain the character she played, she moved about the room with her little feather duster, making sure that Will's hungry eyes followed her movements.

"Wench!" he bellowed, causing Beth to jump and almost fall out of her costume. "I need assistance here. I've dropped my napkin" Two can play this game.

Oh, you're good, Mr. Stephens! Beth arched her brow, walked over to the bed and bent down in front of him to pick up the napkin. She gingerly stood upright but not before feeling her husband's hot breath close to her skin. Commanding herself to stay in control, she placed the napkin back upon his lap and attempted to leave his side, but Will grabbed her wrist.

"Wench," he demanded again, "I feel quite fatigued. You shall feed me." His eyes challenged her to refuse, but she stared back in defiance.

"Yes, Master," she answered and immediately sat on the side of the bed. Ever so slowly, she picked up the fork, dipped it into her famous cheesy eggs and brought it up to his mouth. He devoured them quickly and demanded more. The little game continued until the plate was nearly empty. Eyeing the plate greedily, Beth fought her growing hunger, when Will placed his hand over hers and directed a forkful to her mouth. They quickly consumed the remaining food and the master banged the tray and the empty dishes unceremoniously to the floor.

Meanwhile, Georgiana had led the girls downstairs, where they busied themselves blowing up balloons and making signs to hang in the den. Richard and Seth had strategically moved furniture to make room for the new recliner they'd all bought for him. They chuckled, recalling that they'd told the salesman they needed the widest one made because they were giving it to a very, very large relative. On Georgiana's advice, they chose one that both he and Beth could fit in while watching TV. Seth asked his brother how he could stand all of the lovey-dovey stuff constantly floating around the house. Richard shrugged and replied he would use it for ammunition against them someday, but he admitted, quietly, that sometimes it became a bit difficult to tolerate.

As arranged between Beth and Georgiana, a very clean shaven and very satisfied Will escorted his glowing and appropriately clad wife down the stairs. When they rounded the corner and entered the den, the room erupted with a shout of "Surprise!" and Will stood speechless, astonished at what he saw. He loved the new recliner, and they all laughed as they listened to Seth's dramatic retelling of the salesman's expression as they described to him Will's supposed size. At the end of the celebration, Will, Beth, Jeannie and Callie piled up in the chair with little Bella jumping on at the last minute. Richard, noticing the tell tale signs of her lack of housetraining, saved the day by grabbing the puppy and running out the door with her.

Will honestly could not remember a day when he had felt so surrounded by love and laughter. Yes, their honeymoon had been delightful and had provided much needed time to build a foundation for their marriage, but this day when he felt enveloped in the love of all the people who meant so much to him, became one of the happiest of his life. That evening, as he walked down the hall to return to the bedroom, he paused at the picture of his mother. He stood there for some time, silently telling her of his contentment and thanking her for leaving the journals and the recipe book for his new wife to discover things about the family. He sensed Elizabeth walk up behind him and felt her slip her arms through his as she snuggled into his back. "Nothing but love and happiness," he whispered to his wife as he quickly spun around and lifted her up to carry her into their room.

The entire household awakened very early on New Year's Eve morning to the sounds of Jeannie yelling down the hall, demanding to know the location of her dog. She ran into Callie's room and began ransacking it while accusing her sister of taking her special new friend. Richard was first on the scene as his room sat between the two sisters' rooms, and he attempted to assist Callie while holding Jeannie at bay. When Beth arrived, followed closely by Will, Jeannie had broken away from Richard by biting him and actually breaking the skin. Just as she lunged at her wide-eyed sister, Beth grabbed her by her sleeve and pulled her off balance.

"Callie took my puppy! I know she did!" Jeannie screamed and thrashed around on the floor. She began biting herself, then began punching her legs and arms and pulling at her hair.

Richard scooped up a now crying Callie and carried her out of the room. Oh, my Lord, if this is what Will witnessed last summer, no wonder he was so upset. "Callie, honey, it's alright. I've got you. It's alright." I'm not sure I can let her go.

Georgiana met them in the hall. Gasping upon seeing Richard's hand, she steered them towards the bathroom. He stood with Callie still in arms as Georgiana, visibly shaken, poured peroxide over the wound, spread antibiotic ointment and quickly bandaged it. Richard sent her to check and see if Beth and Will needed anything, recalling the medicine he had retrieved from the house last summer that seemed to stabilize Jeannie quickly.

Beth and Will attempted to calm Jeannie by sitting on the floor and talking to her in very calm tones. She stopped her thrashing and stared at her momma. "I hate it here! I want to go home with my puppy! And I don't want that stupid baby, either." Before either parent could react, Jeannie kicked Beth in the stomach. It was not hard enough to do any real damage, but the realization that Jeannie truly meant to harm the baby shattered Beth while Will grabbed the hysterical child and attempted to lock her into a safety hold in his arms.

Seth stood in the doorway watching the struggle unfold in a horrible state of anger mixed with confusion and pity for the child. He had run to Jeannie's room when the commotion began. He had found her puppy in the jumble of her blankets and now held it. His arms fell to their sides and the toy dropped to the floor as he watched the parents attempt to calm her. When Jeannie kicked Beth, by instinct, he ran into the room yelling at her to stop, much as his brother had reacted to the scene last summer. Will, still maneuvered, unsuccessfully, to get her into the safety hold. The shock of hearing Seth's loud voice startled Jeannie for the quick second that allowed Will to secure her away from Beth and from hurting herself. When she saw her puppy, she began yelling again, this time at Seth for taking the dog, and she began her thrashing again.

In a very stern and commanding voice, Will told Jeannie that she needed to stop. Her head slammed against his chest. His arms, folded snugly around her body, prevented her from anymore thrashing, scratching or biting herself. Beth recovered enough to stand and ran down the hall to retrieve Jeannie's "as needed" medication from her purse. Without realizing it, her arm wrapped protectively around her stomach as tears streaked down her face. Just as she found the bottle, Georgiana approached her with a glass of water. The young woman's tears also spilled over as this was the first time she had witnessed such an outburst. Beth accepted the glass and thanked her with a weak smile.

When they reached Callie's room, they found Will still holding Jeannie firmly against his body and talking to her while the child continued to fight against him. They all watched as she spit in his face "Let go, your hurting me! I hate you." The child looked positively wild as she thrashed about. "I hate everyone in this house!" Seth set the stuffed animal down within Jeannie's reach and backed out of the room, afraid that he would say or do something to make matters worse. He grabbed Georgiana by the arm, and they both retreated to check on Callie and Richard.

After a brief struggle by turning her face away from her mother, Jeannie allowed Beth to put the pill in her mouth, and she drank the water without argument. At this point, she began murmuring incoherently and from experience Beth knew the tantrum was almost over as the combination of the medicine and the cycling of Jeannie's emotions would exhaust the troubled child. Will released his hold gradually, and soon, their daughter was rocking herself while holding onto the puppy. Picking her up, Will carried her out of the room and down the hall, Beth by his side. He tenderly placed Jeannie in her bed before reaching for his handkerchief to wipe off his face. Jeannie murmured that her puppy was tired, so she was going to stay with him and take a nap. Standing beside her bed, Will's hand reached over for Beth's. They stood watching Jeannie's now calm and peaceful face until it was clear that she had fallen asleep.

They walked back to Callie's room, and as soon as Will shut the bedroom door behind them, Beth collapsed into his arms, her sobs muffled by pressing her face into his chest. "Are you hurt, Elizabeth? Do we need to call Doc? I'm so sorry I didn't get to her quickly enough." He brought his lips to her hair and he held her possessively to him afraid to let her go or for her to see his own distraught expression.

"N-n-no, I'm alright. Just hold me, please. Just hold us and tell our little one not to worry or want to leave me. Please, Fitzwilliam, don't let our baby want to leave me." She sobbed again, holding onto him as if her life and the child's depended upon it.

Will's arms encircled her more tightly, and he whispered that everything would be alright, that the baby wasn't going anywhere. Movement caught his eye and he looked up to see Richard slowly opening the door to Callie's room. The two men locked eyes. Richard quietly said that Callie was okay, upset but okay. He held up his hand to show the bandage, assuring them as he did that his hand would be fine. Will nodded and, without a thought to his cousin's presence, scooped up his wife and carried her back to their room. Passing the shell shocked Seth and Georgiana, he told them they'd all talk in a little while but that the crisis was over. This time.

As Will approached the bed and sat down, he glanced at the clock. All this before 7am! Beth still cried softly against his chest but held on to his robe in a vice like grip. Gently taking her hands and kissing each one, he removed her robe and told her to lie down. Lifting her gown, he saw a bruise beginning to form from Jeannie's kick, and he flinched at the sight; sickened at what might have happened if Jeannie had not been finally subdued. Throwing off his robe, quickly, he slid into bed and took his wife back into his arms. "It's alright now, Elizabeth. Please, honey, please, calm down. I'm here; we're all here for you. I think this week has just been too much for her. She just got overwhelmed." God help me if she hurts my wife or baby. Please, dear Lord, help me! He smoothed her hair, placed light kisses upon it and her face as she began to calm down.

Beth answered with a vacant expression, "She'll be twelve next month. She's getting so big." It's happening. I know it; it's happening.

"Yes, but we all worked together to help her settle down. We're a team and that helped," he soothed.

"Georgiana and Seth must be terrified. And, poor Richard…" The tears began again.

"The war veteran will be just fine," he said, "and we'll talk to everyone in a little while. Right now, I'm concerned about you." He moved his hand down to her abdomen and caressed the spot where he always kissed and spoke to their baby. "Babies are well protected, my love. And no child would ever want to leave the perfect momma." As he bent down to place a kiss on the spot, he whispered to the little one, "Hang in there and trust Momma and Daddy." He knew as soon as he'd said it that Beth would pounce on it to echo Jeannie's words.

"She'll leave me someday, Fitzwilliam. I know it. Those nightmares I have are a warning. Someday, I'm going to lose Jeannie. She'll either run away or be victimized, or…" she sobbed again as she allowed the thought to go unfinished.

"Shush, Elizabeth, no more of that, now. Please, darling, try to relax and don't go borrowing trouble." He eased away from her. "I'm going to go and quickly check on Jeannie, and then Callie and I will come right back. Please, try to rest a little, even if you can't go back to sleep." He wiped her tears with his thumbs and gently kissed her before donning his robe and leaving her side.

Quietly opening Jeannie's door, he felt relief at seeing her sleeping soundly, holding onto the stuffed dog. Man, she cycles so quickly. Carefully closing the door, he walked past Richard's empty room and peered into Callie's, expecting to find both of them there. The room, however, stood empty. Even Bella's cage sat open. Checking Seth's and Georgiana's rooms, he found each of them in their beds but no Callie or Richard. Running down the steps, and admonishing himself not to be worried, he heard something like humming coming from the den. Rounding the hallway, he stopped short as he saw Richard in the new recliner with Callie on his lap and the pup beside him. He was rubbing her back and humming an unrecognizable tune with his princess tucked in his arms, asleep. Not sure whether Richard might be half-asleep himself, Will did not say anything and turned to go back upstairs.

What a horrible way to end our week together. Will fell back in bed as he, like Richard with his princess, stroked Beth's back and shoulders hoping that she could rest. He thought back to the delicious dinner she had prepared for him the night before and the guests at the table. His mother's meatloaf and scalloped potatoes tasted just as he had remembered. The green beans that Beth had put up this summer, with Juanita's help, were cooked to perfection, and the cake had been lovingly decorated by all four of the Stephens women.

After Will had made his wish, Marie announced that her wish had already come true. As all eyes in the room turned to her in confusion, she smiled brightly and explained. "Doc called me today. He wanted to tell me himself that the oncologist's tests were back and that the lymph nodes were clear." She paused to let the statement sink in around the room as only Ed and her children knew of the results. "Right now, I'm cancer free." She let out a little squeal of joy and Ed bent over to kiss her cheek. "Of course, I'll have to have regular mammograms; and I'll be on a medication that has shown some progress in fighting return tumors, but, well, my wish came true today."

Of course, everyone delighted at the news and Marie apologized for stealing the spotlight from Will. He assured her that she could steal it whenever she had news like that to share. Marie and her family had become very dear to him, and he had suffered along with his wife watching Marie endure the chemo process. As a group, they made a vow to be "cancer free" themselves and not let the dreaded disease have anymore power over them as they talked excitedly about the upcoming party.

Will shook his head at the memory of his birthday celebration. Jeannie had made him a butterfly out of pipe cleaners and tissue paper, and it had actually survived in her suitcase since leaving SKAT so many days earlier. It hung on the wall in front of his desk in his office, downstairs. Callie had made a beautiful card with a drawing of a cowboy on the front and of a daddy and little girl holding hands and walking through a forest on the inside. She told him she remembered the day, over a year ago, when he and she had taken a walk away from the cabins, and Will had given her the picture he had drawn of Elizabeth and the girls. She told him that she still had the picture hidden in her secret hiding place. His heart swelled with love and pride in his younger daughter. That child can light up a room in a heartbeat.

He soon drifted off a little, but he awoke about an hour later to the sounds of Beth in the bathroom. "Elizabeth?" he asked, with a bit of panic.

"I'm alright. Just the usual. Honey, could you please go get me some crackers and tea?" He quickly grabbed his robe and ran down the steps, hoping that her morning sickness would soon be a thing of the past.

At nine o'clock, Will had assembled everyone, other than Callie and Jeannie, in the living room. Callie had awakened and was eating breakfast in the kitchen, listening to Seth's iPod. She had already told her daddy and momma that she was a little scared of Jeannie, but that she forgave her. They all expressed worry and concern for Jeannie, but they were equally concerned for the way she lashed out at Callie and Beth. Will assured everyone that Dr. Evans and the team would come up with ways for them to deal with a crisis like that which had occurred that morning and that it was possible that Jeannie might need to be hospitalized to adjust her medication. He added, and Beth agreed, that maybe it was time that Callie had someone to talk to professionally as well to aide her in processing the things that can happen with Jeannie. Though still a little shaky, the family realized that a party had to be thrown in less than ten hours, no one would even think of cancelling it, and they all rallied behind the newlyweds, once again.

By ten that morning, Will was on the road to Ft. Wayne, with Jeannie drowsily sitting in the back seat of the truck, the effects of the medication and the exertion of the tantrum still evident. She didn't talk much; but her rocking was steady as ever. Will hated the look of pain he'd seen in his wife's eyes when she hugged her oldest goodbye. Where will all this end? I hope Elizabeth's not right in her fears, but sometimes I wonder… When Jeannie asked when she could come home again, Beth answered honestly that she didn't know.

Will was on his way back to Bryan when Richard called him on his cell. He assured him that, physically, Beth was fine, but that she had gone back up to bed soon after Will and Jeannie had left. He asked his cousin if he could do anything to help. Will thanked him and told him that he had already done so much by taking care of Callie that morning. The two men talked about everything and nothing, until Will pulled into the driveway.

Chapter 14

Posted on 2010-03-06

Will opened the door to the familiar, organized chaos that accompanied every New Year's Eve while the caterers, wait staff, and florists worked their magic. Will would hear no arguments and insisted on utilizing the same menu and DJ as he had last year, explaining to Beth that all she need do was to show up in the same dazzling manner as she had the year before. He hadn't noticed her nervousness over acting the new hostess. She had attempted to bring up the subject several times, but he continually brushed her worries aside, assuring her that after so many years, the party planned itself. He smiled and told her not to worry. In other words, he had no clue as to the level of her anxiety.

During the hours that Will drove to and from Ft Wayne, Beth stayed in their room trying to relax, to no avail. Between the episode with Jeannie and her nervousness over the party, she worked herself up into what her mother used to call "a tizzy". She had thrown the covers off a long time ago and now paced the floor. Suddenly, she heard Will's voice talking to the caterer. This is all too much for me, and he just doesn't understand. He wouldn't let me talk about my fears with Jeannie today, either. I don't know how to tell him how scared I am – about everything, even the baby. She continued, exhausted and exasperated, not a good combination.

Will bounded up the steps and quietly opened the bedroom door. "Oh," he said, as he spied Beth sitting on the loveseat, "you're awake."

"I never slept. I tried, but I couldn't." She looked up at him, expectantly.

"Are they too loud downstairs? I'll talk to the caterer. He turned to walk out of the room, calling over his shoulder, "You need your rest."

"No, I need my husband."

Will hastened to her side in a heartbeat, planting kisses down her neck. "You don't have to tell me twice, my love," he said, as he attempted to capture her mouth with his.

Beth pulled away for the first time in their marriage. "Apparently, I do have to tell you more than twice. I don't want sex; I want you."

"You want me for what?" Will tried not to feel the sting of her rejection; and he thoroughly looked her over now, quite concerned that he had missed something or that she was, in fact, injured by Jeannie. "Elizabeth, are you alright?"

"No! I'm not alright," she angrily retorted, her frustration rising, she threw her hands up in the air. "I tried to tell you several times this past week, and each time you blew me off." She turned and faced him, "I know I don't have to do anything for this party, as you have reminded me over and over, but you don't get why I'm nervous." Pausing, she let out a shaky breath, and then continued, "Except for a few people, like Marie and Ed, the guests tonight are going to be looking at everything. They'll wonder if I've changed the house, changed the menu, changed you. You're an important man in this county, and they're curious. I'm afraid I'll say or do something and disappoint you or embarrass you."

Will listened, but he just couldn't understand why she was so concerned. He continued to stand next to her but now shifted his weight. His instincts told him to engulf her in his arms, but his instincts had just got him rejected a minute earlier, so he stood still. "Elizabeth, most of the guests we're expecting were at the wedding, or they work on the farm. Remember? We even invited everyone on block you used to live on. Jordan's downstairs now, with Callie, and Richard's running them back to town later so Callie can spend the night with her."

"I'm aware of what my daughter is doing today, and who she's doing it with."

"I know that," he sighed, not missing her sarcasm. He took a deep breath, attempting to keep his temper in check. "I'm just saying that our daughter's friends and former neighbors will be here as well. They're coming to have a good time and enjoy the New Year, not to judge you." Again he watched her closely for any sign of physical distress, but he began to realize she was just plain angry.

"Okay, you're right. Not one person will notice that you're married now or compare this year's to last year's. Not one person will wonder if I've changed anything in this house, anything at all, or in you. I'm being foolish. You solved the problem."

"Sarcasm never really works that well for you, Elizabeth," he offered as calmly as he could, but the frustration rose within him.

"Patronizing me doesn't work well for you, either," came her angry retort.

"Look, I'm not going to fight with you about this. How can you be so upset when just yesterday you presented me with the most amazing day … Wait, it's the pregnancy thing, right? Your emotions are out of whack, and this morning was really bad, and …"

"And that's the other thing," she spat out, "you cut me off completely this morning when I was trying to tell you my fears about Jeannie. Will, these are real fears I have. I truly believe I'm going to lose her." In spite of herself, she let out a sob and turned away from him.

"Honey, I won't let that happen," he said as convincingly as he could, but her accusations were wearing down his resolve.

"What if it's out of your control? Look at the violence of this morning. She could have really hurt Callie, if Richard hadn't interceded so quickly. She deliberately kicked me, trying to hurt the baby. You can't deny that, Will." Beth now searched her husband's face for any sign of his understanding of her fears and concerns.

He began pacing back and forth, from the loveseat to the bed. He finally plopped down on the bed in frustration. "She's just overstimmed, you know, over stimulated, from the week and our announcement. She has to get used to the baby, that's all. Once she sees the little one, it'll be alright." His hands raked through his hair, and he suddenly felt very drained. As much training as he possessed, his emotional attachment to Jeannie, and seeing firsthand the effects of her issues had on his entire family, left him constantly in a quandary on how next to proceed.

"You don't sound very convinced, and I know I'm not," she replied shakily and turned back to face him. She could see the agitation sparking in his eyes, but she felt she needed to drive her point home. "She has never tried to hurt Callie before, Will; that's what I'm trying to get through to you. She spit in your face! Didn't that bother you at all?"

"Of course it bothered me, Elizabeth" Will's voice rose, in spite of his attempts at control, and he pulled himself off the bed to walk over to the window. "What bothered me more was my wife lying on the floor after being kicked in the stomach! I tried to remain calm and not shake the daylights out of her for hurting you, not just physically but by the words she said. Do you know how bad it makes me feel that I was so angry with her? I hate it that I react to her so emotionally when I'm supposed to be the one with all the training."

"Now, we're getting somewhere! Will, it's okay to be angry with her. Even though we know she can't really help it, what she does is frightening and devastating. Remember last summer? You admitted to Callie you were angry at Jeannie then," Beth reminded him. "It won't get any easier dealing with her outbursts. The doctors in Cincinnati told me that she could get much worse. They said that puberty could be terrifying. SKAT and Dr. Evans are great for her, but the fact remains that Jeannie has very serious problems. You can't tell me not to borrow trouble and not worry."

"I know that. But you were so upset." He tore himself away from the window and sat down next to her on the loveseat, desperate to touch her and to make her understand his point of view. "My God, Elizabeth, you were begging me not to let the baby leave you! How was I supposed to respond to that? You tell me not to take on things that aren't in my control, and then you say something like that. I would move heaven and earth for you, for the girls and for this little one," he cried while placing his hand on her belly. "But I can't really, can I? Then you tell me how frightened you are of losing Jeannie and all I can think of to calm you is to tell you not think about it. I know that doesn't help, but seriously, Elizabeth, what do you want me to say? What do you want me to do? Don't you see, it's you I love more than life itself?"

He placed his hand under her chin and turned her head to look at him. "I don't care about this stupid party tonight or about all the people who are coming. I just want to dance with my wife and show the world how lucky I am … how lucky I am to finally love and to be loved. I don't care what they think of the house, or if you've changed anything, because as far as I'm concerned, you've changed everything! And if you call me Will one more time…" Shut up; shut up, now.

Staring into his anguished filled eyes, Beth sat there frozen by his emotional words. Digesting all that he had so gut wretchedly confessed to her, she realized the full weight of what her emotions that morning had borne upon him. In her fears and misgivings, she felt the guilt now of not listening to him just as she had blamed him of the injustice. Tears filled her eyes again and she collapsed against him. "I'm so sorry, my love. I didn't know what I was saying this morning. Of course you can't keep the baby inside me! I just get so overwhelmed at times, with everything." She lifted her head to kiss him gently then nestled back into his embrace. "I'm trying so hard not to run away from issues, and I didn't physically run from you, but I see that I retreated nonetheless."

Will gently lifted her face to kiss away the tears and to give comfort to them both. Beth sighed in acceptance of his ministrations, but knew she needed to say more to clear the air entirely. Pulling away just enough so that she could look him square in the face, she continued, "Fitzwilliam, please forgive me for putting so much on you and expecting you to understand my nerves. It's just that sometimes…sometimes I… I fear that I won't live up to your mother," she sobbed again in earnest.

Live up to my mother?! "Elizabeth, no one could live up to my mother because she was my mother. You are my wife. You have every right to do whatever you choose in terms of this house, this party, anything…" ]i]Oh, dear Lord, that's it! Maybe she did want to put her own stamp on this party or to change some things, and I wouldn't let her.[i The realization hit him hard, and he gasped at his own obtuse stubbornness.

"Darling, it's alright. I should have explained myself more fully. It's just that so much has been happening. I should have been grateful to you for handling all the details and letting me see to Marie and all the Christmas stuff…"

Will reached over and placed his fingers over her mouth. "We both need to express ourselves more; feelings, doubts and fears, all of it. I need to listen to you and not think I can handle it all on my own." Beth reached over and, as he had done only moments before, placed her fingers over his mouth so that they were both finally quiet. Their eyes spoke to each other, and Beth fell once more into his embrace.

After a few minutes, Beth spoke quietly, "Fitzwilliam?"

"Hmmm" he was stroking her hair as he so loved to do.

"I think we just had our first fight as a married couple." She sighed deeply into his chest, and then kissed the spot.

"Who won?"

"We both did."

"Hey, if you two are done now, can I let the girls come up and play in Callie's room?" Richard called through the closed door.

A shoe thrown at the door answered his question.

Cammi watched in barely concealed amusement as Elise, still pouting, tried on her fourth dress as she looked in the mirror. "Is it just me, Elise, or do you feel the de ja vu vibe too?" she laughed as checked her own image in the mirror.

"I wish I looked like I did seventeen years ago. I can't believe how nervous I am. This is it; I'm wearing this one." Elise continued to scrutinize her appearance in the mirror.

"You said that two dresses ago. Elise, you look fantastic, no matter what. You do know that Dave will be here in about ten minutes, right? And listen, you may need soldier boy to bring you home if my night goes as planned, alright?" Cammi raised her eyebrow with a smile.

"Cammi, don't trifle with him," Elise warned her friend.

"I'm not. I promise. We've talked on the phone every night this week, and I really enjoyed our drive last evening to look at Christmas lights? …" She sighed dramatically.

"Hmmm, if you say so. You just tend to love 'em and leave 'em…" Elise raised her own eyebrow at her friend who then told her to pay attention to her own love life.

"Hey, Elizabeth!" Richard hollered down the hallway. "I need your advice."

Husband and wife looked at each other and each then shrugged their shoulders. Will was already dressed in camel colored pants, cream dress shirt and a tie that matched both. Beth nodded appreciatively at his handsome figure and explained that they would coordinate well together. He shrugged and declared whatever she wore would be fine by him. Then he decided that he'd take Callie and Jordan back to Bryan so that he could check out the babysitter as Jordan's mom, with most of her neighbors, planned to attend the party. Beth laughed at his protectiveness and teased that Mr. Darcy always took care of his own. Will smiled at her humor, but confided that he also wanted to make sure Callie had come to terms with the events of the morning and felt better. Still in her robe, Beth opened the door and called down the hall, "I'll be there in a minute, Richard".

Checking Callie's overnight bag, she gave her daughter a hug and smiled brightly at Jordan. "You know you're welcome anytime, honey," and hugged her as well. "You two have fun tonight but make sure you mind Brandy." Both girls nodded and skipped down the stairs. Will embraced his wife and kissed her goodbye.

"Next time I see you, you'll take me breath away," he whispered into her ear.

"What? I don't now?" she asked in mock indignation, pointing to the heated curlers in her hair and the terrycloth robe she wore. "Remember, you married me for better or worse."

"I don't remember that in our vows. I just remember something about worshipping me…" He darted away from her before she could swat him, and they both laughed as she reminded him that those were his vows, not hers. Running back up the stairs to steal one more kiss, he jogged down again to get the girls on their way.

Tightening her robe, Beth knocked on Richard's door. "Hey, soldier, what's the matter?" she asked as the door opened to reveal Richard sitting on his bed in his new trousers, but no shirt.

"This is all your fault. Nobody ever cared what I looked like before you sailed into our lives," He sighed dejectedly. "Now I have these clothes and have no idea what to do with them."

"You were in uniform all the time and had a really bad haircut. Nobody blamed you then. Now, you're a civilian and you need to dress like one." Noticing the black pants he already had on, she walked over to see his new sweaters and button downs lying on his bed. "Richard, I do adore you. One minute you have horse poop on your boots and you could care less; the next you're befuddled as to what to wear so that she'll notice you."

"That is hardly an encouraging picture of me, you know." He smiled as would a little boy at his mother. "Are you going to help me or laugh at me?"

"Both," she said as she held up a grey cable knit crew neck sweater, a black and grey striped button down, and black socks. "This will do quite well, I think." She moved to leave but then turned again, pausing only a moment before speaking. "Richard," she admonished gently, "don't compete with your old self. Show her who you are now. Walking down memory lane is nice, but you need to pave your own road with her, now. Do you understand what I mean?" He shrugged and shook his head. "You're so thoughtful and kind, nothing like the stereotypical military guy. When I see you with Callie, I sometimes wonder how you led your men." Richard snorted at that, but Beth forged on. "Don't laugh it off, Richard; I mean it. I think you led your men with your heart and a desire to see that each one got home safely. I'm sure you could be tough when you needed to, but I think your men followed you because of your heart." She stood with her hands on her hips, just the way Callie did when she imitated her momma, and Richard couldn't help but smile.

He started to object, but Beth put up her hand in and placed in front of his smiling face. "You can protest all you want, but I'll keep my opinion. Now, you have a chance to be a hero again. Just enjoy the night; don't think about seventeen years ago – just enjoy her tonight."

"Maybe I'll sweep her off her feet just like Will did with you to that sappy love song." They both smiled at the memory.

"You never know what a good power ballad can do, my friend." Beth laughed, kissed him on the cheek, and then excused herself to get ready for her hero.

Will returned in under an hour and checked with the caterer to insure that everything was ready. As he stood at the bottom of the steps, he heard Richard whistle softly. "Wow, Elizabeth, wait until he gets a load of you. It's a good thing that the guests will be here soon."

Looking at his watch, Will cursed the fact that his cousin was correct. In the fleeting moment that his eyes glanced down to his wrist, Beth began her decent. Seeing her on the first step left Will, for the umpteenth time since he had first met her, speechless. Unbeknownst to him, Beth had had her wedding dress altered. After the seamstress repaired many buttons (thanks to the over eager groom), she recut the dress to just graze Beth's knees and modified the neckline to scoop lower. Beth's slippers had been ruined during the climb to the cabin, so, instead, she wore three and half inch ivory heels which greatly increased her height. Truth be told, Beth had never before worn anything even close to stilettos, so, for days, she had practiced walking in them when no one was home.

Never taking her eyes off her husband, Beth's face glowed as she took each step. Will finally commanded his feet to move, and he met her half way up the staircase. Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "I thought nothing could top the way you looked on our wedding day; but tonight, Mrs. Stephens, you are even more ravishing. You will torture me the entire night, and I will demand everyone leave at one minute past midnight."

"You'll do no such thing," Beth laughed in reply, cherishing her husband's words and the desire she saw in his eyes. "Give them at least five minutes to get their coats."

And with that, the doorbell rang, announcing the first guests of the evening.

Richard would deny it later, but his eyes never strayed from the door. He wanted to be able to see Elise from the moment she entered the house. By eight thirty, he'd become anxious that she had lost her nerve and wouldn't come. Will walked by and said something about a watched pot, but Richard ignored the remark. Finally, he was rewarded as he watched first Cammi and then Elise, followed by Dave, walk through the door. One of the servers took their coats, and Elise's eyes scanned the room. She smiled when she saw Richard, then blushed as she realized he had been staring at her all along.

Her auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders in stark contrast to her ivory skin. She wore a form-fitting burgundy dress, elegant in cut and style. It accentuated her long legs. Her high-heeled shoes matched her dress perfectly and served to put her head and shoulders above almost every other woman in the room. At least as far as Richard was concerned. Cammi gave them a knowing smirk while Dave shook Richard's hand and thanked him for the invitation. The officer started to say something else, but thanks to Cammie's nudge, he finally noticed that Richard had never once looked away from Elise. He clapped Richard on the shoulder and allowed Cammi to lead him through the house.

"Hi," Richard managed the one syllable word. Smooth, man, really smooth.

"Hi, yourself," Elise smiled back. Welcome to awkwardville.

Shaking his head a bit, Richard admonished himself to get a grip and remember Beth's words of advice. "You look absolutely beautiful tonight."

"And you look very handsome in that new sweater." Noticing the bandage on his hand, she asked with concern, "What happened to your hand?"

"Oh, yeah, well –" He held out his hand for her to see. Noticing some apprehension in her expression, he shrugged, "It's nothing, really; we just had a rough morning here." Richard wanted to talk to Elise about Jeannie anyway, so this provided the perfect lead in. He gently touched the small of her back and felt thrilled that she didn't freeze at the feel of his hand, as he led her into the living room. Most of the guests had gathered in the dining room around the appetizers or in the den, where they stood listening to the lively music the DJ. played, so He and Elise were able to have a reasonably quiet conversation. Elise listened with concern to his description of Jeannie's tantrum and asked an occasional question.

"It must be devastating to watch her hurt herself and then maddening when she hurts someone else," Elise commented, feeling certain that Richard struggled both physically and emotionally over Jeannie's attempt to hit Callie.

"All I could think to do was to get Callie out of there as quickly as possible. Elise," he confided, "my military training says to fight back when attacked; thank goodness removing Callie kept me from doing something to that poor kid. Elizabeth is a saint as far as I'm concerned – and marrying Will definitely put her closer to it in the Lord's eyes, I'm sure." He smiled mischievously.

"You don't have to do that, Rich," Elise answered his attempt at humor.

"Do what?" What did I do?

"Use humor to lighten the mood. You're a master at deflecting your emotions. You were seventeen years ago, and, I imagine, you're even better at it now." She smiled knowingly.

"Hmm, I'm not sure I like the fact that you think you know me so well. It spoils my charm."

"On the contrary, it adds to it," she said with a gleam in her eye and Richard found himself actually blushing slightly at her soft expression and obvious attempt at a little flirtation.

Will, with Elizabeth at his side , stood near the DJ and thanked everyone for coming. "The Stephens family has been incredibly blessed this year," he said, holding Beth's hand and squeezing it possessively. "Georgiana graduated from high school and is doing well at Bowling Green; Seth is happy at Purdue and has not, as yet, organized a coup to take over the family farm; Richard came home for good and, more or less, in one piece; and this lovely lady lost all of her sense and agreed to become my wife." The guests clapped and laughed; some quite surprised that the usually reserved Fitzwilliam Stephens actually possessed a sense of humor. "We are also grateful for all of you," he lifted his free hand and motioned toward the gathered crowd, "friends old and new, who have added to our lives. And speaking of additions," he paused for effect, "Elizabeth and I would like to share with you all that we have another blessing to look forward to this summer – we are expecting a baby to add another blessing to our family."

A second or two of silence followed before clapping and congratulations resounded throughout the house. Elizabeth declared later the next day that the pause was due to people counting off the months to determine if their anticipated bundle of joy was the result of their relationship before or after the honeymoon. After Will completed his announcement, the throng pressed in on the young couple to offer hugs and laughingly comment about Will having wasted no time.

The caterers served an excellent buffet meal. Everyone present knew to expect nothing less, but they still appreciated the Stephens' generosity. Beth and Will separated for a time as different guests introduced themselves to the new mistress of the house and, as she had predicted, asked many questions and kindly commented on the changes in Will and the house itself. Beth accepted the praise graciously but smiled to herself at the truth: they had changed absolutely nothing on first floor of the house except for hanging the portrait of the new family in the living room.

While Will was occupied with one of their neighbors, Beth approached the DJ and asked him to begin the music by playing three particular songs. He smiled and nodded his understanding. Turning on his microphone, he announced that the dance floor was open and waiting for couples to enjoy some specially requested ballads. Will, in mid-sentence with one of men who worked at the farm, abruptly excused himself to go find his wife. He had a feeling he knew at least one of the songs about to be played. As he walked into the den, once again cleared of furniture, he found his wife waiting for him just inside the doorway.

"This one's for you," she said as their song I Want to Know What Love Is filled the air.

"I will never grow tired of this song," he whispered into her ear, as they moved slowly with the music.

Richard and Elise had just finished eating and were walking toward the den when they heard the familiar melody begin. He explained the story of the tune for the couple, and Elise commented on how romantic Beth and Will's entire relationship seemed. "Yeah," Richard grumbled playfully, "unless you had to live with the love struck fool for all those months." Turning around to face her, his smile reached up to his eyes as he asked her to dance.

Elise nodded her head, and Richard carefully took her hand in his and led her into the den. Several couples, including Seth with Rachel and Georgiana and Justin, were already enjoying the song. Just breathe Elise told herself as Richard's arms encircled her waist. Hesitantly, she wound hers around his neck. Very gently, Richard pulled her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She tensed for just a moment – not out of fear, but out of the sheer joy of having him so close to her after all of the pain filled years they'd been apart.

Richard sensed her hesitation. Oh, God, too much too soon. He pulled back slightly in order to see her face and with concern asked, "Are you alright, Ellie?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just…I'm just so glad to be here." She let herself relax and melted into his embrace.

The song ended, but before the couples separated, another began immediately. "What are you doing, Mrs. Stephens?" Will chuckled into her ear, as Peter Cetera's lyrical rendition of the Glory of Love wafted through the air: "I am the man who will fight for your honor."

"Setting the mood for a conquering hero," came his wife's pert reply.

"I have a feeling you're not referring to me," he laughed again but drew her closer.

"I think it fits you perfectly. Now quit talking and let me imagine that we're back in Sanibel with nothing more than the sound of waves in the background."

Most of the couples silently danced to the music. Richard had some suspicion about who chose the songs, but quickly recognized Beth's touch when the next tune involved Enrique Inglesias crooning, "Let me be your hero". Man, she is good. Will never had a chance. I wonder if Ellie's caught on to what's happening.

In answer, Elise sighed, "Someone has very good taste in music, wouldn't you agree."

"MMM HMM," her partner murmured in her ear; and, if possible, the couple moved even closer.

The evening seemed to fly by; soon, everyone crowded into the den to watch the crystal ball in the Big Apple come down at midnight. Beth and Will managed to secure a spot in the corner of the den as they reminisced about how they'd spent New Year's Eve the year before and, although difficult times followed for both of them and their families, how that night had a magical effect. "I'll never forget how excited I was to stand here with you, Fitzwilliam." Beth snuggled against her husband's chest, and then looked up at him with pure, unadulterated love. "Now, I realize how little I truly knew and felt then, and feel ashamed for what I put us through just weeks later."

"No, Elizabeth," Will placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her out of his embrace so she could see him clearly. "No more taking the blame. We both had to figure ourselves out and resolve many things before we were ready to be together. It's done, and it's past – just like our little disagreement earlier today." His smile brought out his dimples and Beth's breath caught at her most handsome husband's expression that was so filled with love. "I love you so much, Elizabeth, and Callie and Jeannie, too. We have so much to look forward to, but I'm not oblivious to the challenges; we will face them." He placed his open hand on the 'baby spot" as he called it. "And soon, I'll be changing diapers once again. This baby and the remainder of your pregnancy are going to be alright."

At this point, Will circled around Beth to stand behind her, and he slipped his arms around her, embracing her tightly as they watched and counted down to the New Year with everyone else.

Richard left Elise's side for awhile when Seth challenged him to a game of pool in the basement. He had fun and actually beat his younger brother for the first time in a long time, but he anxiously awaited a chance to get back upstairs. He laughed at himself, recalling a conversation with Will when his cousin had accused him of showing up for the good times and then skipping off again. No more of that. I can't imagine being anywhere other than right here. I finally fit in; I finally belong. This is going to be my year.

Searching through the first floor of the house, the hopeful lover couldn't find Elise anywhere. He came across Cammi and Dave as they were about to enter the den to watch with the others; Richard caught Cammi's eye. "Richard, she's so nervous. She tried not to be. She really tried not to think about being here that night all those years ago and all the years in between…"

"Where is she?" his tone of voice made his concern obvious. Ah, Ellie, don't do this to yourself. It's done and over; let it go.

"I'm not sure, but she might be out in the pool house. She said that your last talk out there really meant a lot to her. Or, she could be up in your room, although I doubt it. Richard, she –"

"I know; it's alright, Cammi. You two go, enjoy the moment. I'll find her." Just to be safe, he did run up to his room and, on a whim, he checked Jeannie's room. That room had once belonged to Will, and it was where he had proposed to Elise. He flicked on the light quickly and, turning, he almost missed her as she blended in against the butterfly mural. "Ellie?"

"I'm standing in a beautiful garden in the dead of winter," she said quietly. Her eyes shone, and she shifted her weight from one leg to the other in a rhythmic pattern. "Beth told me about this room, about what you and Will did for that special little girl. It's beautiful, but this room holds such a different memory for me." She could no longer control herself and let out a sob.

Quickly advancing into the room, Richard stood before her and tenderly offered his hand, which she gladly took and held. "Ellie, Elizabeth challenged me tonight to not compete with the man I was all those years ago, but I can't help but think about how naïve and full of myself I was." Elise moved to protest, but he cut her off. "No, it's true. If I had waited to ask you until later that year, maybe your father and Roberts wouldn't have come up with that cockamamie scheme." Again, Elise started to protest; Richard shook his head. "No, hear me out. I should have come after you and challenged the whole thing, but instead I cut and ran, just like I always have. But I'm not going to do that anymore. You've been through so much, and I know you have so much to work though and to heal from. You should take all the time for that that you need."

He looked at her steadily. "I just want you to know that I'm not going anywhere, Ellie. I'll be right here, helping you through it all, listening to whatever you need to say. I will fight for you this time, and, eventually, I'll win you back, away from the nightmare that that SOB left inside of you. But we don't have to win the war tonight, okay?"

Elise nodded as another sob caught in her throat. Her voice shaking, she spoke in a near whisper, "Jeffrey's mother once described me as a capable wife but not an extraordinary woman. She said she never believed my charade of the loving wife but couldn't understand why I stayed." Taking a deep breath, she lifted her eyes to meet Richard's. "To you, though, I was extraordinary. I want to be that woman again, Richard. Are you sure that you can tolerate only a capable principal right now?" Those blue eyes once again, with laser precision, sliced into his soul.

He swallowed hard. "What a horrible thing to call someone –'capable'. Ellie, you're so much more than that. You're even a pretty good principal as long as you leave my little princess alone." They both chuckled, for once welcoming his habitual escape to humor.

They startled when they heard the countdown begin downstairs. "Do you mind if we stay here, in the garden?" Elise pleaded with his already captured heart.

"No. I've seen Will kiss his wife more than I care to, so missing this one is no big deal." He moved closer to her and lifted her chin just slightly, so she could look straight at him. "You, however, I have missed for seventeen years. May I please begin this year with you in my arms? I ask nothing more than you can give."

"Yes," her voice barely audible, she sighed deeply when Richard's arms gently enfolded her very tense body. He lowered his head to kiss her forehead. In response, she took his face in her hands. As the crowd below yelled "Happy New Year!", the two lost souls began to find themselves again in a tender kiss that held a lifetime of promise.

Chapter 15

Posted on 2010-03-13

Richard awoke New Year's Day and in his mind replayed the night before while the house still slumbered. After the kiss in Jeannie's room, Elise felt it best that they return to the party. She did reach for his hand as they entered the den, and Richard decided he'd be happy with any physical contact that she would or could allow. They found Cammi and Dave at the door holding their coats, and Dave, sheepishly, asked Richard if he would run Elise back to town later.

"It would be my pleasure," Richard answered sincerely while eyeing the couple trying to escape without much fanfare.

Elsie shot Cammi a warning look that her friend laughed off; they could hear her laughing outside she and Dave waited for their car to be pulled up by one of the local teens Will hired every year to act as valets. "What do you think about those two?" Richard had asked Elise while snickering.

"I told her not to play around with him because he seemed like a nice enough guy, and you had told me about his track record." Elise sighed.

"Well, he's a big boy. He can handle himself, I guess." He turned to search her eyes attempting to determine her feelings. "Do you mind if I take you home a little after one? I don't like to be on the roads when the bars close – amateur night and all. Unless," he continued with a twinkle in his eye," you'd like to stay here for the night. Much safer than on the roads…"

"As tempting as that sounds," she answered with a faint blush to her cheeks, "I think I should go home, if that's okay with you." Richard shrugged his shoulders in answer. Elise smiled then began again, "Rich, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he answered with a little trepidation.

Anxiously, she looked at him before taking a breath and plunging in, "Seth and Georgiana don't like me very much, do they?"

"Wow, talk about changing the subject," he chuckled and then saw that she was quite serious, so he changed his tone. "Ellie, they just don't know you well enough, yet," he hedged.

"That didn't answer my question;" she shrugged, "or maybe it did." She walked into the living room and sat down.

"Hey," Richard followed and sat next to her. "We're starting over, right? We're taking our time, right? Just give them a chance, just like you want them to give you."

"What about Will and Elizabeth?" she asked quietly, wringing her hands worriedly.

"What about us?" Will inquired as he and his wife had walked up behind them.

"She's nervous about all of you." Richard answered, honestly.

The four talked uninterrupted for a few minutes until other guests started to leave. Will and Beth graciously invited Elise to visit their home at any time, and she and Beth had made plans to meet at some point during the next week for coffee after school. Elise had seemed pleased when they left the farm a little after one o'clock.

They didn't talked much on the drive into town, but Richard didn't feel uncomfortable with the silence. He asked her if she wanted to come over the next day as they planned to watch football and indulge in homemade pizzas. She accepted and offered to bring a salad which sounded good to him. He walked her to the door but made no request to come in and she offered none. He bent to kiss her lightly on the cheek, and they wished each other a "Happy New Year" before she slowly closed the door.

Returning to the present, he thought, I have to be happy with whatever she can give me right now. I'm nervous, so she must be darn near terrified. It's been seventeen years; what's a few more months? This time, though, we're going to get it right. He rolled over and slept lightly until the sounds of everyone else awakening and moving around the house roused him to start the day.

All too soon, Callie returned to school and Will drove to Ft. Wayne for his appointments and to talk with Dr Evans. Beth planned to go with him, but she awoke with a terrible bout of morning sickness. As Will had a child scheduled to see him at a little after nine, he had to leave her; but not before fetching the tea and crackers and insisting that she take it easy.

January was always a difficult month for Will to get through, but he had convinced himself that this year, with Beth by his side, the anniversary of his family's deaths would not seem do daunting. Last year it had barely been acknowledged while he was working with Richard in the hospital to get him ready to come home. He grimaced, remembering the first weekend Richard was home and the fight he'd had with Beth when she had broken it off between them. Shaking that bad memory from his mind, he decided to focus his thoughts on the meeting with Dr. Evans.

After his morning sessions, Will entered Dr. Evan's office for their appointment. He explained Beth's situation. The doctor understood and offered his heartfelt congratulations. The men decided they would attempt to get Beth on speaker so the three of them could discuss Jeannie's behavior on New Year's Eve.

Listening intently to the couple as they described the scene that morning and explained the details of Jeannie's violence towards Beth, Dr. Evans leaned back and thought for a moment before speaking. Beth couldn't see what was happening which caused her a little anxiety, but she remained quiet and waited. "Well," Dr Evans began, "obviously this is not what we would hope for in Jeannie, but I can't say I'm all that surprised. She doesn't take to change very easily, and the concept of a new baby is a big change. I would have hoped she'd be excited about being the big sister, but it appears she sees the new child as a threat." He paused in order to choose his words carefully. "She's had a rough time of it here these past few days. As a matter of fact, the team feels Jeannie probably needs some medication adjustments which would necessitate a hospital stay." He glanced at Will who nodded in agreement but his clenched jaw spoke volumes.

Although Beth expected this, she still gasped when the words were actually spoken by the doctor. Will heard her response and hated the fact that he wasn't with her. "Honey," he said gently, "we kind of saw this coming, right?" He looked over at the doctor who nodded his encouragement to continue. "She's grown so much taller lately, and her body is going through changes. She'll be twelve at the end of this month." He turned to look at the doctor. "Would you suggest a hospital here in Ft. Wayne, Dr. Evans, or maybe Toledo or Mott's in Ann Arbor?"

"I'd like to keep her here in Ft Wayne so the staff can visit, and so she can still get tutoring from us while there. This morning, I spoke to one of the attendings; they'll have a room open the day after tomorrow on the unit I'd prefer for Jeannie. Beth, you and Will can see her anytime, but siblings and other family are limited as it's still flu season."

"Yes, I know the drill." Beth sighed dejectedly. "Do I need to sign something?" She had forgotten that her husband could do that now, and she felt quite alone, almost as if she didn't have a husband, sitting by herself in their bedroom.

Will explained that he would sign the papers before he left for his next appointment. Dr. Evans suggested that if Beth felt up to it, she and Will could drive over the morning of Jeannie's admittance and then, maybe, again on the weekend, depending on how things progressed. Both men could hear the anguish in her voice as she agreed and then quickly stated that she needed to hang up.

"Jeannie's a tough case, Will," Dr. Evans stated the obvious. "There's so much we don't know about her birth family's history or what went on before Beth came into her life. You know as well as I how important the first year of life is for a child, especially a child like Jeannie. The increase in violence is quite troubling. I'm not saying we can't help her; I'm just saying that she seems to take the proverbial one step forward…"

"Yeah, I know. Elizabeth's terrified that something traumatic is going to happen to Jeannie. She has horrible nightmares," he confided while twirling his wedding ring around his finger.

"I don't doubt it," the doctor responded. "We just have to keep working with Jeannie's behavioral plans in concert with the medication." The two men talked for a few more minutes. Will looked down at the consent papers before him, reached for a pen, and taking a deep breath, signed them. Then, with a look of resignation, he excused himself to meet with two more children.

After Beth hung up the phone, her mind drifted back to the many times Jeannie had been hospitalized. Though, in reality, a hospital stay meant a time of respite for both Beth and Callie; for Jeannie, the stay meant no school, no parental authority, lots of fun and lots of attention. Coming back home usually involved a time of adjustment to re-establish Beth's authority and sometimes, the new medications caused serious side effects, and one time in particular, violent reactions by Jeannie.

She sighed deeply and prayed that this time would be different. She reminded herself that did not have to face this alone, and that Will loved Jeannie and understood her momma's reservations at another hospitalization. Hearing her husband's soothing words of comfort and gentle admonishment to rest, she decided to do just that.

Will couldn't shake a feeling of foreboding as he drove home to Pemberville. It didn't help that he'd passed a bad accident just outside of Ft. Wayne. Jeannie's distance during his visit with her, before he left SKAT, left him troubled as well. She seemed preoccupied with the puppy Richard had given her and didn't want to talk for long. Beth texted him during one of his sessions to say she felt better but was resting. Again, he hoped that by the end of January, her morning sickness would be a thing of the past.

When Will reached the house, he drove past an unfamiliar sedan in the driveway. Not thinking much of it, knowing that the vet had been called earlier about his horse, Magic, he still thought to check in with Beth first before going out to the stable. As he walked through the kitchen, he heard voices from the living room. He easily discerned Beth's, but he couldn't identify the male voice. Walking quickly down the hall, his wife met him as he entered the room that once had been so cherished by his parents. "Fitzwilliam," his wife grabbed his hand and squeezed it as if her life depended on it. "I'm so glad that you're home." He felt her trembling and saw in her eyes a flash of anger and what appeared to be anxiety: a combination he had never seen before. He girded himself, ready to pounce on this man, whoever he was, who was causing his wife such anguish. She continued speaking in a shaky voice, "Fitzwilliam Stephens, this is Samuel Johnson;. Mr. Johnson claims that he's my father."

Will stopped dead in his tracks and his breath caught as he turned to his wife in utter amazement. What?! Who is this man? Why's he coming to you now? Will's thoughts raced through is mind as he looked from his wife to the man rising from the couch with an offered hand. Slipping an arm protectively around her shoulders, he asked, "Honey, are you alright?" He led her to the loveseat positioned across from the couch, totally ignoring the older gentleman, thereby, snubbing the handshake.

"No," she answered honestly. "I'm just so glad that you're home, honey This has been a very trying day, what with Jeannie and now this," she whispered as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Her eyes pleaded with him to help her, and Will lost no time in taking over the conversation.
"Forgive me, Mr. Johnson, is it? May I ask why you decided to come and talk to my wife today, without any notice?" Will assumed the most formal and daunting demeanor he could muster, harkening back to the days of the huckster attorneys and con artists who came looking for quick buck from the young gullible man after his parents' deaths.

"Mr. Stephens, I assure you that I didn't force my way into this house, nor have I forced myself upon Beth in anyway. I came without notice because I was determined that this time I would talk to her and tell her the truth. She let me in because she's known me since she turned twenty-one," the man answered, quite calmly for all the emotional uproar he was causing.

"Elizabeth," Will spoke his wife without taking his eyes off the stranger sitting not five feet away from him. "Is this true? Do you know this man?"

Nodding her head, taking a quick breath to steady herself, she replied, "Yes, we both taught at the same school in Cincinnati. In fact, he was already there when I began, teaching Social Studies." Will noticed that she continued to shake and saw from the corner of his eye that she placed a protective hand over her still very flat abdomen. It was a nervous gesture he noticed she had taken on as soon as they knew she of her pregnancy.

"So, you've known each other since Elizabeth first started teaching and you're just now getting around to revealing you're her father?" Will demanded in a quiet, controlled anger.

"Beth," Mr. Johnson chose to speak directly to her, "should I begin again, or will you fill him in?"

"There's nothing you can say to me that my husband can't hear." She turned to Will, "He's only been here a few minutes. Right … right before you pulled in, he told me …" She stopped, closed her eyes, and willed herself to calm down. With a bit more composure, she continued, "I'm, well, I'm still kind of shell shocked."

Although he knew Beth fully capable of handling the situation, Will's intense need to protect her at all costs took over. "Look, Mr. Johnson, I suggest that you begin by explaining your presence here in our living room thirty-nine years after the fact."

Beth squeezed Will's hand again, as she tried to relax. There he goes, my Mr. Darcy. It should anger me that he's taking over, but I need him to do just that right now. How can this all be happening? Why did he choose this time to come forward? Her body leaned further into Will's; he, however, sat in the straightest posture he could muster while fighting with himself to maintain control and not to jump up and throw the grey-haired man out of the house.

Before anyone spoke another word, Richard yelled to Will from the kitchen asking why he hadn't come out to the stable when he arrived home. Will's horse, Magic, had been ill of late, and Richard planned to demand a full explanation for why Will hadn't come to check on her.. When he didn't receive a reply, Richard called out again, assuming they had gone upstairs, he continued down the hall.

"We're in the living room," Will called through gritted teeth. "We have an unexpected guest."

Twenty years of military training flooded through Richard's brain, and he moved with lightening speed into the room. His eyes darted around, taking in everything and everyone. Nothing's broken; they're sitting down; I don't see a gun anywhere. Wait, I've seen this guy before. "Will, what the h----"

"Lt. Colonel Richard Stephens," Will decided to play his trump card, hoping to knock the man off balance with the mention of Richard's rank, "this is a Mr. Samuel Johnson. He's from Cincinnati. He's a Social Studies teacher and has taught with Elizabeth for over twenty years. Just now, it appears that he decided to come on up to Pemberville to announce that he's her father," he delivered with a staccato that dripped with sarcasm and disdain.

"What?" Richard responded, dumbfounded. "Elizabeth, you really know this man?" She nodded. "Do you believe him?" Before she could answer that she really didn't know at this point, Richard was off, and running questions past Johnson just as fast as his cousin had. "What proof do you have? And why do you look familiar? Where do I know you from?"

Samuel Johnson sat infuriatingly still, a slight smile on his face. He appeared not all troubled by the two rather large, and obviously very protective, men sizing him up and down. Years of standing before a classroom of teenagers afforded him the ability to exhibit such a façade. In reality, he was praying to stand his ground and not give into intimidation. He had made up his mind to tell Beth Thomas the truth, and, come Hell or high water, he intended to go through with it.

"I believe my cousin asked you some questions, Mr. Johnson. I'd like to hear your answers before I decide whether or not to throw you out of my house," Will threatened.

"There's no need to get all worked up, gentlemen," Samuel found his voice. He turned to Richard. "I congratulate you on your skill in facial recognition, Colonel Stephens; you've obviously been well trained. You saw me in October, at Beth's wedding. Our paths crossed as you were exiting the sanctuary at the end of the ceremony" He turned to Beth as she gasped. "Yes, Beth, I was there. I've been to every significant event of your life – your high school and college graduations, your prom; I was even in the gallery of the courtroom when you adopted each of your girls. And I was at her funeral." Beth remembered little of her mother's services; it had all been such an emotional blur, but as she processed what he said, she did recall seeing him and wondered why he appeared so much more distraught than the rest of her coworkers who had attended..

"That proves nothing," Will interrupted Beth's musings. "All of those events were open to the public. Anyone could have attended. You still haven't answered the obvious question: what are you doing here now, after all these years and, quite conveniently, I may add, after she's married…"

"A rather wealthy man. Yes, I realize how it may appear," Samuel broke in, interrupting Will. "But that's not why I waited. I had just been getting around to explaining that when you came home, Mr. Stephens." He turned to Beth. "Do you mind me saying all this with them in the room, Beth?" He kept his eyes trained on Beth, rather than her intimidating husband.

"As I said before, my husband and I share no secrets, and Richard is very dear to me." She looked him straight in the eye and sat up in rapt attention. Richard, realizing his shabby appearance, sat down anyway and signaled to Will with his eyes that he was there for whatever support that might be needed.

"Okay," Samuel acknowledged the three with a nod, took a breath and forged on. "I was barely out of college when I started teaching at the school your mother attended. I had substituted there the year before, and this was my first full-time teaching job. I was twenty-four, newly married, too, and a baby on the way. Tammy was in one of my classes; she was a very troubled, very scared young woman."

"Just the kind to be easy prey, I'd wager," Will interrupted with disgust.

"Fitzwilliam," Beth began, "honey, I appreciate your support, but…"

"No, Beth," Samuel cut her off, "I probably deserve whatever either of you might think or say. At first," he continued, "I felt sorry for Tammy. From the beginning of the school year in August, the other students made fun of her clothes; they never fit right, and it didn't take long until the kids found out she was in foster care. She had a vulnerability about her. I wanted to protect her, to make sure she was safe. Several of the teachers began tutoring her trying because she was behind in most of her classes, and we wanted to help her catch up.

"One afternoon during our after-school session, we were reviewing the Civil War and talking about the issue of slavery. All of a sudden, she just opened up about the foster homes she had lived in and how she had been treated in them. She understood the issue of being thought of as less than human, as a means to a financial end. I sat there horrified and wanted to find some sort of justice for her. But somewhere that day, the lines got blurred, and instead of just wanting to protect her and comfort her, we…" he hesitated in his distress and humiliation. "…we slept – we had an affair."

"I beg your pardon, sir, but you don't have an affair with a seventeen year old, traumatized girl." Richard moved to the edge of his seat, restraining himself and, literally, sitting on his hands so as not to deck the man. "You were her teacher; she trusted you and you were supposed to protect her against people like you," he snarled.

"Not to mention the fact that you were married and about to be a father yourself." Will added with obvious disdain. He could feel Beth's strained breathing and her obvious discomfort. He turned to face her and took her hands in his. "Honey, does any of this make sense to you? I thought your mother told you she'd been with a senior, a football player?"

Samuel let out a disgusted snort, and then answered instead of Beth, "She had a crush on that lunkhead, but he wouldn't give her the time of day. He looked down, his lips drawing into a thin line, "Except to use her once, after a dance. I'm sorry to have to tell you all this about your mother, Beth. I don't like to speak ill of the dead."

"No, you just commit statutory rape with young girls." Will accused. "I've heard enough. Elizabeth; you don't have to sit here and listen to this. Your mother can't defend herself." He released her hands and held out his arms to encircle her as she cried softly against his chest.

"Please let me finish," Samuel begged, beginning to feel his resolve waiver. "After that, if you never want to see or hear from me again, Beth, I'll understand, but I must tell you the truth. All of these years of silence have been slowly killing me." He sat, his eyes locked on Beth's dejected form, and waited until she finally nodded and told him to continue. "The jock bragged to everyone about what he'd done with her all the next week. She felt further humiliated and scorned by everyone at the school. What he didn't know was that she was already pregnant and knew it. She didn't want to implicate me, so she humiliated herself by letting that jerk…" He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue, "Anyway, the following week, she acknowledge to me the knowledge that she was pregnant. I was terrified for more than one reason."

"Oh, I can imagine," Richard deadpanned, still sitting at the edge of his seat in agitation, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"She insisted on carrying and keeping the baby, but she concocted this whole story about the football player being the father. He denied it, vehemently, and his parents backed him up. Fortunately, Tammy had finally been placed in a good foster home. They allowed her to stay and helped her raise the baby, allowing Tammy to graduate from high school the next year."

That much Beth knew to be true, as she had met her mother's last foster parents many years ago. She had found them to be warm and loving people. They had shown Beth pictures of herself as an infant with her mom holding her and playing with her in their home. Suddenly, it hit her like a lightening bolt, Oh my God, he is telling the truth. This man is my father! She sat up straight and moved out of Will's embrace. "Then what happened?" she asked forcefully, much to Richard's and Will's amazement.

"I told my wife Susan about Tammy and the baby a few months later; it took me that long to get up the nerve. Our son, Luke, was five months old when you were born. Susan's reaction was what you would expect." He sighed bitterly at the memory. "After two weeks of making me sleep on the couch, she decided that she could forgive me if I confessed to our priest and never mentioned you or your mother again." In a small voice, he added, "I did both."

"But you still saw Elizabeth's mother, if you attended all of those things you said you did," Will accused him after a moment of dead silence when they tried to take in all that Samuel just confessed.

"Yes, I saw her, but we didn't continue…that is to say we never had… the affair ended before it began." Richard coughed and sent a warning look Samuel's way. "Believe what you want," Samuel bore up under the disgruntled scrutiny of the two men, "but I never touched your mother that way again, Beth. I would meet her from to time to time, especially when she worked at Kmart when you were little. I watched her work hard to support you, knowing I could do nothing to help. She wouldn't take a dime of my money. She said that if she couldn't have my love, she didn't want my money."

"And you never had to face the consequences for what you did to her." Will stood up and began pacing the room. He, too, was beginning to believe the story and it disgusted him on so many levels. "I'm sure a few 'Hail Mary's' appeased your conscience."

"Not at all, I assure you." Samuel replied evenly. "I've nursed an ulcer for years and bore my wife's understandable distrust for the balance of our marriage. She was afraid to get pregnant again, thinking that I would repeat my indiscretion. We did finally have another son ten years later. Both of my sons are much better men than their father could ever have hoped to be." He again turned his attention to Beth. "Their mother told them about me before she died this summer. She, too, had carried the guilt that a little girl had grown up never knowing her father. She wanted to clear her conscience from what she saw as her own inability to forgive me completely. Luke and Jason were shocked and, understandably, extremely angry with me for several months. Last September, they finally told me what their mother had confessed. She wanted them to learn from our mistakes, and I think that she wanted them to know that they had a half sister out there.

"They wanted to meet you, Beth; they still do." He looked at her expectantly, but saw only her anxiety. "I told them you had moved up north. I explained that you were living a good life and that you had plans to marry a good man. I couldn't stay away from your wedding, but I found myself quite unnerved when this gentleman," he pointed to Richard, "seemed to single me out from everyone sitting in the church. I didn't want to cause a scene and try to explain my presence, so I left.

"I've driven up here many times over the past several months, but I never found the guts to knock on your door. Then, over the holidays, my sons encouraged me to come up here again and tell you the truth. I want to somehow make this right, Beth." He reached into his pocket and drew out a check.

"You've got to be kidding," Richard began, and he, too, rose and stood by Will.

Looking intently at Beth, Samuel did not respond to Richard's jibe. "I saved a little bit of my pay every month, until I retired last spring. Little did I know that my wife had done the same. She revealed that to my sons as well. Combined, it still doesn't make up what I should have paid in child support over all those years when you were growing up, and it doesn't make up for you not having a father. Still, I'd like you to have it."

"And then your conscience will be clear?" Beth found her voice and her indignation. "This money will make it all okay, somehow?" She paused to gather her wits about her. "In your little meetings or conversations with my mother, did she ever tell you how, for days on end, we only had bread and butter to eat? Did she describe how we kept the oven door open in the apartment – the gas oven door – so we had some heat because the gas was included in our rent? That she didn't have the money to pay the electric bill? When the fumes got too bad, we'd shut it off for a while. Did you know that because of you, she hated men and taught that hatred and distrust to me?" She stopped to take a breath and gather her thoughts before she continued. "My mother lived in a fantasy world of romance novels and Jane Austen, desperately clinging to the hope that someday my father would come and rescue her, rescue us." Her angry words hit their mark as watched Samuels eyes grow wide before he bowed his head and wrung his hands. Even Will's jaw dropped, astounded by the last accusation she hurled.

"I don't want your money," she stated bitterly, through clenched teeth. "I don't need your money. Donate it to a shelter for women who get used by your kind everyday. I don't want to meet your sons; I don't want to be trotted out like Little Orphan Annie to assuage everyone's guilt. Get out of my home, Mr. Johnson; you are not welcome here; you are not welcome into my life. I have been blessed with the love of a man who cares for me enough to help me get over what you did to my mother and then to me." Beth stood up and started to walk out of the room only to find herself face to face with Callie, who had entered through the front door. Beth grabbed her daughter's hand and they exited together out of the living room and into the foyer.

"Who were you yelling at, Momma?" Callie asked in wide eyed amazement at her mother's flushed face. She had apparently been in the house long enough to see the two men she loved most in the world pacing and looking quite distressed as well.

"No one you need to be concerned about, honey," she answered, loud enough for the occupants of the living room to hear. Without another word, she ascended the steps with her daughter in tow.

"I think my wife made her feelings perfectly clear to you, Mr. Johnson. I couldn't even begin to explain all of mine to you, so I suggest you leave now, before I do figure out the words to match my feelings," Will growled, as he stood before the man who sadly shook his head.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised by her reaction. Tammy said Beth always ran from her troubles." He set the check down on the table, along with a piece of paper containing his contact information. "If she ever wants to know anything at all about me or my family, even if it's just for medical reasons, here's how she can get in touch with me. Donate the money to the school Jeannie attends," he said, as he reached the door Richard had opened for him.

Will stood his full height and towered over the man, "You may think you know my wife and daughters, sir, from all of your clandestine observations or looking at stories online. You have not, however, earned the right to know of my wife's amazing heart and my daughters' liveliness and creativity. I suggest that you stay away from them. I guarantee that I'll do whatever it takes to protect them," he threatened, none too subtly.

"I have no doubt of that, son, and I'm grateful for it. I pray that I will see you all again someday. I'm not sorry that I came, but I am sorry for the pain that I've caused her, not just today, but since before she was even born." With that, he turned away, willing himself not to weep until he was out of their presence. Slowly, showing his age, he slid behind the wheel of his car.

The cousins stood at the picture window until the late model Chevy drove out of sight. "Oh, my God, Will, does Elizabeth ever get a break? I knew I should have followed him out of the church that day." Richard groaned, cursing himself for his inaction.

"And, you would have done what?" Will interjected. "Thrashed a sixty year old man?"

"Like you don't want to do that right now?" Richard challenged. "He's, he's a --"

"'Predator' is the word you're searching for," Will supplied.

"He was actually a very good and well-respected teacher," Beth said as she descended the steps. Neither man had seen her, nor did they know for how long she had been standing there. Will raced up the steps to walk with her the rest of the way down. "Callie's in her room doing her homework. She has to finish reading Little House on the Prairie and complete a book report. I loved that book as a child. Watched the series, too. Michael Landon was the perfect father."

Will and Richard exchanged worried looks as they followed Beth into the kitchen. She began pulling food out of the refrigerator and placing pots on the stove. Standing at the sink washing her hands, she had just about fooled everyone when she broke down in tears. Will flew to her side in a heartbeat and led her to the table, urging her to sit down. Richard again cursed, under his breath, and left the couple to themselves. After taking a shower, he sought out Callie and asked her to tell him all about the book she was reading and then the two took turns reading it out loud.

Chapter 16

Posted on 2010-03-20

Elise sat at her desk staring at the mound of paperwork in front of her as her mind drifted back to the past several weeks since the party. She sighed as she recalled how she had greeted the New Year in the embrace of a man she had only been able to dream about for seventeen years. She couldn't believe they were making headway and that Richard seemed an even better man than she remembered. New Year's Day turned into a laid back affair with the men watching the games and occasionally surfacing to play cards or goof around with the Karaoke machine. Beth's singing voice impressed Elise, especially when she belted out her signature Pat Benatar "Hit Me with Your Best Shot".

Cammi had arrived later in the afternoon, once Dave had completed his shift. The couple was very much together, always holding hands or touching one another, and seemed quite besotted with one another. Catching Elise when no one was looking, Cammi confided to her that Dave was a very nice man and she had no intention of toying with him. "He wants me to move down here, Elise," she admitted in hushed tones. "He said he doesn't want to worry about me living in Detroit. I didn't have the heart to tell him I'm in a gated community with security guards who make more than he does – probably double."

"So what are you going to do?" Elise pressed.

"I have to finish up one client's family room, then I have nothing on the horizon in terms of business. The house is really too big for me, but in this economy, I don't know if I can get any money out it. Would you be willing to let me stay with you, until we decide where we might be headed?"

Elise had readily agreed to Cammi's idea, instantly looking forward to not having to be alone in the house at night. In her reverie, she had to admit to herself that she held hope for a time in the not too distant future when she would be comfortable enough to have Richard by her side every night and every morning. In all honesty, though, she knew that neither of them was ready for that.

Since then, Beth had met her several times after school to grab coffee, or in Beth's case, herbal tea, and to sit back and talk. Beth invited her to join the family for Tuesday night dinners, which Juanita prepared. Elise thoroughly enjoyed Mamacita, even if she grilled her mercilessly the first evening she ate with them. Richard only hugged her when she gave him permission, and he had made no move to kiss her since New Year's Eve. She respected him for his restraint, but she knew he would eventually need more from her. That's what therapy's for she thought as she entered her psychologist's door for her weekly appointment.

Although they allowed no subject to be taboo between them, Beth and Will spoke only a few times about Samuel Johnson. Beth insisted that she had no interest in a man who only acknowledged her when it was convenient for him. Will had tried to play devil's advocate in mentioning that the girls had no grandparents, but Beth assured him that his family and Marie's were all that the girls and their new little one would ever need. He also pointed out that Samuel respected his wife's wishes and only broke his silence after her death, which somehow, in Will's mind, at least made Samuel appear to be somewhat honorable. Of course, Beth then relayed the story to Marie who reacted with shock beyond belief. She suggested only that Beth not write the man off completely, as he did show some redeeming qualities, such as attending major events in Beth's life. Other than that, Beth had so many other plates spinning in the air that she let Samuel Johnson's drop.

Jeannie ended up staying in the pediatric psych unit for ten days. The attending psychiatrist did change two of her medications and, in conjunction with the team at SKAT, they devised new behavioral goals and plans for her. Her release from the hospital was scheduled to fall on the sixteenth anniversary of the Stephens families' accident.

Will awoke that morning in a cold sweat. His dreams of the accident came infrequently now; as a matter of fact, he had not had any nightmares since before his wedding, but it didn't shock him that his psyche needed to explore the theme once in awhile. He turned to find his wife awake and looking at him with a worried frown. "I'm okay," he said quietly. "If I wake up and you're still with me, I know everything is going to be alright."

Beth had awakened early not just because of her husband's tossing and turning, but because she had experienced her own anxiety related dreams that morning. She understood the need for new medications for Jeannie, and she prayed they would work effectively and without too many negative side effects. What scared her was that Jeannie seemed farther and farther away from the goal of reuniting her with their family on any kind of permanent basis. Beth had put her faith in SKAT's programming, and she hoped, with all her heart, her treatment there would bring her daughter home, with her, every day, but faith alone didn't seem enough.

After Jeannie returned to SKAT from her hospital stay, they celebrated her birthday by bringing the cake and presents to the group cottage, so all the children could take part in the celebration. Jeannie loved the cake as well as all of the attention, but she interacted only a little with her family and, even then, she mostly talked to Will, blatantly ignoring Beth. Callie approached her sister with caution and repeatedly sought out Richard, asking him if they could leave. Sadly, it was a party in name only.

On a mild early February afternoon, Elise sat in her office filling out paperwork when her cell phone rang. Hoping to see Richard's number on the display, she frowned when she recognized the number of the long-term care community where her mother lived.

"This is Elise Roberts," she answered.

"Elise, this is Patty, the nurse in charge of your mother today." The sympathetic voice on the other end began, setting off a panic alarm in Elise that something was wrong. "I'm sorry to report that your mother apparently had another stroke this afternoon."

Elise closed her eyes and asked if her mother was still alive, not knowing what she really wished the answer to be. When Patty evaded her question, but said she needed to get to Perrysburg as soon as possible, Elise knew the answer. Elise knew from past visits that family members were not told over the phone about their loved one's death unless they lived too far away to travel there within a certain time frame. After ending the call, she sat for several minutes with her head in her hands. The bell rang, announcing the end of the school day, and Mrs. Roberts squared her shoulders to attend to her bus duty.

A little over an hour later, Elise packed an overnight bag and started to leave her townhouse when she suddenly realized that she couldn't place one foot in front of the other. Forcing herself back into the room and collapsing on her couch, she sobbed for several minutes before reaching for her phone. Without thinking, she dialed a number and was actually surprised when Richard answered. "Hello, Ellie! I was just thinking of you." Richard smiled into the phone. There was no answer on her end. "Ellie? Do we have a bad connection or something?" Richard looked at his cell to make sure the call hadn't ended. "Ellie?" This time he heard her crying. "Ellie! What's going on? Are you hurt? Honey, say something!"

"RRRRichard," she finally answered, "ccccould you pppleease take me to Perrysburg? It's my mmmmoother. I think she may be dead, or very close to it."

"Give me twenty minutes, and I'll be at your door. Can you do that? Can you wait twenty minutes for me?" Richard raced out of the office, heading up the steps to his room.

"Yes, I'll wait for you. I don't think I can drive, anyway. I'm sorry to ask you."

"No, don't ever be sorry to ask me to help you with anything. Ellie, call Cammi and talk to her while I'm on my way to get to you, okay."

"Okay," she said mechanically and hung up. She punched Cammi's speed dial number and told her friend what was happening.

Richard quickly changed shirts, relayed Ellie's call to Beth, who told him to be careful and give Elise her love, and entered his Jeep in under five minutes. He was quite concerned about Elise's call, but at the same time, he was over the moon that she had called him to help her. He attempted to chastise himself for his insensitivity but couldn't help feeling the wonderful sensation of being needed by Elise.

When he reached her condo, he looked up and saw Elise seated, looking out her window. She had calmly washed her face, reapplied her makeup and made sure her hair was in place. Richard expected a tear-streaked, weakened woman to answer the door, but, instead, Elise Roberts, capable principal, let him in.

"Thanks for coming so quickly," she stated without emotion as she walked over to pick up her bag. "I may need to spend the night, but they have a guest room for such things at the community. My building principal said not to worry about coming in tomorrow, just to keep him posted. So, no worries there. Unless you want to grab a soda out of the fridge, I guess I'm ready. Would you like to take my car?"

Richard stared at the emotionless woman before him, not sure what to say or how to react. He knew that Beth and Georgiana were a little emotional, and he had seen Gloria, Will's crazy ex-girlfriend in some of her manic moments, but Elise's behavior didn't fit what he had expected. He followed her out to her car and took the keys she handed to him. After shutting the door for her and getting in on the driver's side, he looked sideways at her. "Are you alright?" he asked instinctively.

"I'm fine. Sorry about that little display on the phone. Don't know what came over me." She stared straight ahead, as Richard pulled out of the parking lot.

Don't know what came over me!? This can't be good. Richard stopped the car where it stood and turned towards here. Taking his finger under her chin, he moved her face sot that he could look her straight in the eye. "Mrs. Roberts," he said sternly, "I would like to speak with Ellie Simpson, please. I don't much care for you and your impassive facade."

Elise stared at him, unsure as to how to respond. "Richard, I'm fine now, but I do need to get to Perrysburg."

"I said, I wanted to speak to Ellie," he demanded, not letting his foot off of the brake.

"Rich," she whispered with her head down, "this is the only way I know how to cope right now. Please, can we just go?"

Satisfied that his Ellie was still in there, he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled out onto the road. Driving as fast as he could but still remain safe, Richard glanced at her several times and saw a few tears escape, only to be quickly wiped away. He squeezed her hand periodically, and only let go when he had to shift gears. Making a few comments here and there, he respected her silence and didn't push her to talk.

Pulling up to the driveway of the long term care community, Richard let go of Elise's hand. All too familiar with hospitals, Richard admitted to Elise he had never stepped foot inside a retirement home. She smiled slightly at his uneasiness and gently informed him that the term "retirement home" wasn't used very much anymore. She assured him that her mother had been well taken care of, explaining that this particular facility housed residents in their own apartments, or assisted living, or, as in her mother's case, they lived in what was called skilled nursing. At the front desk, the administrator who had been so nice to Elise when she was looking for a place for her mother almost two years earlier, greeted them. She held Elise's hand warmly and stated that her mother was still in her room.

After thanking the kind woman, Elise lead the way down the long hall, and felt her resolve begin to crumble. Richard noticed her pace slow and quickly took hold of her arm. "I'm here for you, Ellie," he said quietly and squeezed her trembling hand for assurance. "Whatever you need from me, you've got it.

"Thank you," she uttered through very dry lips. Her chin quivered and a tear spilled down her cheek as she stepped up to the door.

Pushing it open, she found her mother's lifeless body lying with her favorite quilt over her. The room's lighting had been subdued and an aide sat beside her mother holding her hand. "Miss Elise," the young woman stood up and reached for Elise's hand. "You know how much I loved your mother. I think she knew me this morning when I first came in to get her dressed. She didn't eat much at breakfast, but she was funny like that. She wanted nothing to do with lunch, and when I came back in a little after two thirty, well … Anyway, I just had to come by and tell her good bye before they came from the funeral home."

Elise squeezed the woman's hand, and Richard marveled again at Elise's composure. "You were very good to my mother, Jayla. Her eyes would light up when you'd walk in. I'm glad you took care of her today. I find it reassuring to know that she was with someone who loved her." The two women embraced, and Jayla bent to kiss Mrs. Simpson's forehead. Then, moving to leave the room, the aide smiled at Richard, but said nothing more.

"Do you want a moment alone with your mom?" Richard asked.

"No." she whispered as she touched her mother's hair and brushed her lips to her forehead. "I've said my good-byes every time I've left here. I always figured I wouldn't be here when she finally found her freedom." She stood with her back to Richard and, when he saw her shoulders start to shake, he moved beside her and put his arm around her waist. Stiffening only for a brief second, she then turned into his embrace and allowed herself to weep against his chest.

Within an hour, the funeral home arrived and took the body away to be cremated as had been her mother's wish. Elise set about packing those personal belongings of her mother's that she wanted to take with her. "My mother's whole life has been reduced to two boxes," she stated quietly, clutching one of the boxes tightly as they walked down the hallway toward the office. She accepted condolences from the staff and others who were visiting their loved ones. After signing a few papers, Elise turned to Richard and informed him that there was no sense in hanging around, so she turned to leave. She explained that she had brought the overnight bag on the off chance that her mother was still alive; even though she knew in her heart it wasn't so.

After stowing the boxes in Ellie's trunk, Richard slid into the driver's seat. "Ellie, what do you need right now?" He caressed her face as he asked her what she needed from him. "Do you want me to take you up to Cammi's? Are there other people you should call? Are you hungry?" His eyes were soft and full of compassion, as he once again reached for her hand and stroked it with his thumb.

Elise shook her head. "My parents came from very small families. One aunt still lives out west; everyone else had died. I'll call her later, but I don't think she'll want to come. There's no need. My mother wanted nothing in terms of a service or memorial. She made that clear many years ago. She put up with social functions because of my father's business; she absolutely hated being on display and always said--" She paused for a moment, trying to gain composure, then looked over at Richard, "Would you mind driving past my old house?"

"Not at all," Richard replied, earnestly, glad to be of some assistance to her. She told him the directions. Dusk began to fall, so as they drove, following the Maumee River, little was discernable, cloaked in darkness and shadow. When they reached the entrance to the gated community, Elise stiffened in her seat. Richard felt the reaction and slowed down to pull over. Turning to her, studying her, he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"No, but I think I ought to, anyway," This time it was Elise who reached for Richard's hand. "Just turn here; it's the second house on your side." They drove by slowly, and then Richard turned around and passed one more time. "You don't need to stop, Rich; after tonight, I don't ever want to think of this house again. My father died here and, as far as I'm concerned, so did my mother. There's nothing here for me anymore."

Richard pulled over and stopped anyway. He turned in his seat and held out his arms to encircle Elise, as she gladly moved as close to him as she could. "Ellie, there's something for you here, " he said tenderly, as he kissed her forehead and wiped the tears as they fell. After several minutes, she sighed deeply and returned to sitting upright in the passenger's seat.

"Thank you so much for coming with me today and for just being you, Rich," she said as he let her head fall back against the seat. "I don't think I could have done this without you."

As Richard drove the winding road back to Bryan, Elise stared blankly out the window. She didn't talk, but would periodically squeeze his hand and sometimes give him a weak smile. I don't know what to do to help her, he agonized to himself. I've never been good at this sort of thing Thinking of his reaction to his parents' deaths all those years ago, he understood that the people who were sincere in their sympathy were the ones he and Will were grateful for in the passing days and weeks. I'll just try to be what she needs.

They pulled into the parking lot in front of her town house and silently made their way to her door, with Richard carrying the boxes. Stepping into the kitchen, Elise put a kettle on to boil. She asked Richard if he wanted a sandwich or something, but admitted she had no idea what the refrigerator had to offer. Telling her to sit down and relax, Richard found some turkey and the fixings for sandwiches and quickly made two. Elise refused at first, but when Richard kept insisting, she finally ate a little over half and sipped her tea.

Richard cleaned up, then steered Elise into the living room. He had just turned on the fireplace when the phone rang. Elise picked up and greeted Cammi with the confirmation of her mother's death. She sat down next to Richard and, after a few minutes, relaxed her body enough to fall back into his embrace. When she finished the call, Richard took the receiver from her hand and stood up to place it back on the base. Without a word, Elise took his hand and led him upstairs to her room. Richard looked at her with mixed emotions as he followed.

Turning to see his confusion, Elise responded, "I haven't been held in a loving embrace for seventeen years. I know I have no right to ask you this, Richard, but would you please just hold me tonight? I want to feel that someone in this world cares about me besides Cammi."

Richard started to speak, but Elise placed her hand over his mouth and shook her head. Taking off her shoes and hose, she slipped underneath the covers. Richard moved to her side instantly and opened his arms, beckoning her to enter his embrace. She fell asleep after just a few moments, but Richard remained awake most of the night, wondering how to love this woman who had most decidedly crept back into his heart.

Around four in the morning, Elise stirred. The nightmare of her husband's harsh treatment and criticisms bellowed in her mind. Fighting for her life, she began pleading with him to let her go. "I can't breathe; I can't breathe! Please let go of me!" she cried as she struggled against the arms holding her tightly.

"Ellie, Ellie," Richard gently tugged at her arm, "Ellie, it's me. It's Rich. I'm not hurting you, Ellie. I'm just holding you." She stopped fighting him and, for a moment, he thought she would pull away; instead, she stilled and rested her head against his chest, trying to control her emotions and breathing. "Shshshhh. It was just a bad dream. He'll never hurt you again, Ellie. I promise you. He'll never hurt you again."

When she awoke the next time, the light had just begun to filter through the curtains. Richard's steady breathing, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, indicated that he slept deeply. Willing herself to not panic and to remember the gentle man holding her, Elise recalled the last twenty four hours and lay quietly, until she could no longer contain the strangling sensation that even Richard's loving arms produced in her.

She extricated herself from him quickly and quietly, so as not to disturb him, and shutting her bedroom door, walked into the spare bedroom to dial the number of her psychologist. Twenty minutes later, she heard Richard moving about, and she hung up to face him the best she could.

Meeting him at the doorway to her bedroom, she smiled weakly, "I hope I didn't keep you up all night."

"No," he answered, searching her face for any clues as to her feelings. "But you scared me just now when you weren't in bed when I woke up."

"Sorry, just needed to make a phone call. Can I make you breakfast?" she began walking down the steps, thinking that Richard would follow her.

"Will you talk to me, or do we have to act like nothing happened this morning, or yesterday for that matter?" He hadn't moved from the doorway.

Elise paused briefly, struggling to form an intelligent, sane response before continuing down the stairs. "Of course I'll talk to you," she answered. "I'm talking right now, aren't I?"

"You know what I mean," Richard retorted, shortly.

Standing at the bottom of the steps, Elise let her gaze move back up to see him all crumpled, unshaven and obviously upset from all their interactions. Her heart melted at the sight, but she remained so terrified, so bound up in her past, she didn't know how to let him in. "Rich," she started in almost a whisper, "please be patient with me. I'm trying. I really am."

"God help me, then," he sighed, as he ran down the steps, attempting to smile in encouragement. "You better know how to cook better than you did seventeen years ago because I'm hungry, woman." They both smiled at his gentle teasing.

"Honey!" Will called up the staircase, hoping his wife could hear. "I'm not trying to nag, but we need to leave if we're going to meet everybody at Mason's in half an hour." He adjusted the ridiculous red tie with white and pink hearts that Callie and Jeannie had joyfully presented their daddy last weekend as an early Valentine's present. He wore it proudly to SKAT for his sessions and even to the board meeting on Wednesday evening. Several men nodded sympathetically, but Will saw the tie as an emblem of his parenthood and of how much his girls loved him. Now, he was attempting to get their mother to quit worrying about how her dress fit, so they could drop Callie off at Jordan's and enjoy their evening.

Richard had left several minutes earlier, eager to pick up Elise and create a new Valentine's memory. They were talking everyday now, in the ten days since her mother's death. Sometimes he'd show up in person, right after school, and take her for coffee, but mostly, she would call him in the evening before going to bed. He didn't push; although, it took everything he had sometimes not to continue to ask her what she was thinking or feeling.

Elise could feel herself very slowly loosening up. She didn't flinch when their arms would touch or when he would place his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the diner. Her psychologist encouraged her to initiate holding his hand or hugging him spontaneously, but she didn't feel ready, yet.

"Daddy," Callie walked over to Will, carrying her overnight bag in one hand and Princess Bella's leash in the other. "We're going to be late, you know."

"Yes, I know, little clock watcher." Will teased, as he bent down to kiss her nose.

"I'm coming!" Beth called out, as the bedroom door shut behind her. "I can't get my hair to do anything I want it to, and this dress is getting too tight. I know I put a runner down the back of these stockings, and I couldn't find the earrings you gave me that match this outfit, perfectly….What?" she stopped her ranting and looked at her dumbstruck husband and Cheshire cat daughter as she descended the stairs in a glorious red satin dress.

"Momma, you're a movie star!" Callie exclaimed and giggled away with her puppy to wait for her parents by the kitchen door.

"Yeah," Beth laughed, "like Phyllis Diller or something."

"Hardly." Will found his voice. "You never cease to amaze me, my love. You really don't realize how beautiful you are." He paused for a moment to take in the heavenly sight of his glowing wife. "By the way, the earrings are already in your ears, but your neck appears quite bare this evening." Her hand reached up to her neck and she was just about to head back up the steps to remedy the situation when her husband continued. "Lucky for you, I have what you need right here" Will produced a slender box tied in a red bow. "Don't argue. Just open it."

Beth pulled on the ribbon, untying it, and opened the velvet box to reveal a brilliant diamond solitaire dangling from a delicate gold chain, which perfectly matched the earrings Will had given her on their four month wedding anniversary. He never tired of giving her presents, even though she scolded him about spending so much. The earrings had actually been his mother's, but he'd spied the necklace a month ago and couldn't wait to see her wearing it.

"It's gorgeous, Fitzwilliam," she exclaimed with a broad smile. "You're gorgeous. Every woman will envy me tonight. Even with you wearing that silly tie." She pulled on the tie playfully before rising up on tiptoe to grant a lingering kiss on his expectant mouth.

"Come on, my lady in red; let's make everyone jealous tonight."

Richard paced the short distance across Elise's front porch. Calm down, he chided himself. This is just dinner. You're going to make a fool of out yourself, if you don't stop. This is just dinner. Little did he know that Elise stood inside chastising herself with the nearly the same words. She could see him walking back and forth and hoped that only nerves accosted him – not the desire to bolt. Finally, Richard commanded himself: Get squared away, soldier, and rang the bell. The statuesque vision in black and red that opened the door instantly erased his nerves, and laughed at his appreciative once over.

"You're practically drooling, silly." She chuckled as she reached for her coat. "Can you help me with this?" she asked while passing it over to him.

Grateful for something concrete to do with his hands, other than what he so desperately wanted to do with them, Richard accepted the coat and held it open so that she could slide her arms into the sleeves and shrug into it. "Ellie," he found his voice, "you look amazing. You're stunning. You are payback for all the times I teased Will about his slack-jawed appreciation of his wife."

"I'll take that as a complement, since Elizabeth is quite beautiful and Will obviously adores her," she laughed as she closed the door behind her.

"You don't know the half of it with those two." Richard rolled his eyes.

After both settled into the Jeep, Elise turned to her date. "Rich, can we clear the air?" she boldly asked.

"Clear the air about what?" he responded, anxiously.

"The elephant in the room," came her pointed reply.

"Which would be…"

"This is our first date in seventeen years; if you recall, our last one did not end very well."

"Oh, that elephant." Richard chuckled. "I would actually describe that as more of a fire breathing dragon."

"Humor deflection," she accused him.

"Capable Mrs. Roberts," he countered.

"Touché," she laughed, and then added, "But, seriously, Rich, you've been so patient and kind these past weeks. I'm working hard to be what you need me to be."

"Ellie," Richard stopped at a light and turned to face her, "you need to work hard to find who you are, not what you think I need you to be or what you think I need from you. You need to find Ellie again for Ellie's sake. I see her sometimes, and I won't lie; it warms my heart. I ache for her. Somehow, though, you need to take all of those years of torment and use them to make you stronger, but not brittle and unapproachable."

"I know," she said with downcast eyes, before Richard raised her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I know," she repeated.

"So, now that we've slayed the dragon or elephant or whatever, we can relax and enjoy our evening with the old married couple, the dewy-eyed honeymooners, rounded out by the besotted cop and the man-eater." He rolled his eyes as he described the couples they would be meeting. "I say we stack up pretty well against this gang."

The four couples laughed, teased and ate in a secluded corner of the restaurant. Marie gained strength daily, and her hair, though coming in a bit grey, was styled in a becoming pixie cut. Ed still babied her, and though it peeved her at times, the couple had grown closer than ever; realizing that their love had burned brighter from the time of crisis. They looked at the other couples and smiled at the newness and awkwardness of Dave, Cammi, Richard and Elise. Ed smiled warmly as he remarked dryly to just Marie that he still felt the need to train a hose on Will and Beth, as their glances and gestures always smoldered when they thought no one was looking. His wife chuckled and told him that he could smolder, too.

On the dance floor Will continually whispered to Beth all the plans he had for them later in the evening, until she finally succumbed to his seduction and they left early, weakly citing her fatigue. No one bought that excuse. Speeding into the night in the old Mustang, Beth tormented Will to the point of him begging her to stop before he drove off the country road or parked right there and, propriety be hanged, he'd take her, under the stars.

Ed and Marie excused themselves next, thanking the remaining couples for a fun evening. As they excited, Richard remarked on the great friends that the couple had been to Beth and, now, to Will, and the obvious devotion they maintained toward each other after being married for twenty years. The table grew quiet as each thought of the work and commitment it would take to maintain a relationship for that length of time and, though not spoken, each prayed the one they came with would be the one to inspire that endeavor.

"And then there were two," Richard chuckled, as he and Elsie waved to Dave and Cammi as that pair exited the dining room not too many minutes later.

"Richard, I had so much fun tonight. It just felt good to spend time with adults, with no undercurrents, or playing at being the happy couple. I am so grateful you're still willing to put up with me, to forgive me for --"

"Ellie, come on," Richard interrupted, "we're past that, right? You and I both deserve to have fun and to enjoy each other's company." His handsome smile and gentle admonishment warmed her heart and, deciding to take the chance, she reached over and took his hand and wound her fingers through his. After a few seconds, Richard looked down at their entwined hands, then looked back at Elise, "We fit together, Ellie."

"I've always thought so." she replied, coyly.

"Really? Always?"

Elise paused, realizing she needed to explain to him just how much he had still been a part of her life during her horrible marriage. "I know I've danced around this before, Rich, but it's true. For seventeen years I dreamt of your voice, fantasized about your touch – I … I even wrote down conversations we might have had, and then I destroyed them, so he could never find them and use them against me … or," her voice dropped, "against you." She blushed at her confession, terrified to learn Richard's reaction to it.

Richard's mind raced with every kind of thought imaginable. She loved me that much? How could she torture herself in that way? I'd give anything to be able to read one of those conversations. I'll kill that man with my bare hands if given a chance. The accompanying emotions played across his face, causing Elise to draw inward and curse herself for what she had just said. Suddenly, Richard jolted back to the present and saw the effect his silence had had on her, as she now tried to pull her hand away from him.

"Ellie," he spoke, urgently cupping his free hand over their joined ones. "It's hard for me to put into words how I feel about what you just said. Part of me rejoices that you cared so much for me while another is saddened that you had only fantasies to sustain you for so long. Still, another could destroy that animal for hurting you so badly." He stopped, remembering how any talk of violence greatly upset her. "I'm sorry, Ellie, what happened is just so wrong, so very wrong." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"Ellie," he continued, his eyes boring into her very soul. "Do you believe that these hands would ever strike you or cause you pain?" She shook her head as tears teetered over the edges of her eyes. "Do you believe that this mouth would ever say threatening or disgusting words to humiliate or overpower you?" Again, she shook her head as her free hand lightly touched his lips. "Do you believe that I would ever use my body to force you to do anything you didn't want to do, or make you satisfy my needs and only my needs?"

"Richard, I…" She broke eye contact, trembling, knowing full well what he was asking of her.

"Ellie, do you believe I would ever force you? Ever," he persisted, gently raising her downcast face to look at him again. His sympathetic eyes searched her tear streaked face, and Elise could see his pain as well as feel her own when she saw a hint of tears in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, Rich, I believe; I know you would never do any of that to me. In my heart, I believe it, but in my mind?" She shrugged. "My mind sees it differently, sometimes. That's what I'm working to change. My heart knows; it knows that you're the man I've waited for all my life."

Gathering her into his arms, Richard sighed. "That's all I need to know for now, Ellie. That's all we need to know for the moment."