Sweet Dreams Are Made of This Ch. 12

"Like I said, that's not how we operate. We find ways to work within the law now. My brother was wrong, and he paid for it with his life. Donovan paid for everybody. We have no quarrel with you, or his daughter, or the girl's half-sister. We came here to tell you that, so that you know it ends here. Donovan's Watch is done, and Destination Purity is too, until we straighten out our priorities. What you see is who we are. We're not your enemies. I've done things I'm not proud of, but you have my oath for whatever it's worth to you, that it ends here. They're here to say it too."

Edwards spoke. "Randall Edwards. You got my word for me an' my boy Jake." Scuttling back into place, he looked abashed as the same woman who had muttered about Jahn marrying Jen and Fiona shot Edwards a black look. At least wife-beaters rated lower in her books than polygamists did, he thought.

"I'm Elise Decker: Polygamy's wrong and I'll see you in court if you try and sneak anything past the legal system." She said, voice imposing judgment, dripping condemnation. "But it's your life. Right now, I got no fight with you."

The skinny guy, last of Donovan's posse, was Jason Anthony. He too made the statement, then nervously stepped back.

Marcus Decker. Christopher Sanders. Julia Declan. Victor Jameson. Dale Farland. Rodney Orley. Frank Bertram. Louis Cross. Louis Gregory. All made that odd little prepared speech with varying degrees of sincerity, and though he didn't trust their values for a minute, it seemed like they were sincere about it. Names he was unlikely to remember, people he would probably never see again.

How pointless, he thought. I guess their god-sworn oath means something to them, but do they think it's going to make me believe them? What kind of fucked up gesture of goodwill is this?

Margrave spoke again, seeming to read his thoughts. "Might not mean much to you, but it means something to us... and that display was about us." Incredulity must have shown on Jahn's face because he continued, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket "This, on the other hand, is about you." He handed the paper to Jahn, a card stapled to it.

Frowning, he examined it. Seemed to be some kind of document, the copy of a title. To a home? What the hell? The card had Margrave's number and address on it.

"Way I see it, those hospital bills are gonna be a right bastard even when you and your ladies are working again. My brother can't make that right, but his estate can. No contest, I'm all the family he had left to will it to, and when everything clears, it's yours to do what you like with. If there's any costs beyond that, we'll do what we can to help, all of us."

Stunned, Jahn could only stare at them as most of the group nodded agreement with Margrave's statement. "I... thank you."

"You don't owe us any thanks for this; my brother owes you for what he did, and he's paying it. We owe Donovan, and we're paying down that debt as well." Margrave shifted uncomfortably for a moment, and Declan nodded to him, signaling that they were ready to leave.

As the crowd dispersed, filing into their vehicles and returning to whatever lives they lead elsewhere. The hatred remains, though, doesn't it? Jahn mused, considering the paper as the group left. Will reexamining your priorities really fix anything? Who pays the price for your kids?

***

Sitting between the sisters, he talked to them, painting his words with every bit of optimism he could give, because they needed whatever light he could give them, just as they had done for him. We sustain each other, he understood. He told them about the strange offer that Donovan's people had made, and about the spring wedding, how they would walk with their mother down the aisle to find their places at his side. They would make their vows to him, and he to them, sealing them together in a spiritual union more powerful than anything a government could offer.

"The honeymoons..." he reflected, a smile on his face.

"You loved that jacket, Jen, and Roger told me where I can get a replica. We'll watch that movie again together, and I might be clumsy at it, but I'll be the sexy pilot for you, you know it. I'll sing to you, all those great love songs, and we'll make love under the palm trees. Your body all over mine, mine within yours. I told you I'd love you as often as you needed me to, so remember it. Just say the word. Our child is going to come into a world where he knows his parents love each other, and love him."

"Don't ever think for a second that I've forgotten you, Fiona. We'll have our time together, you know we will. A candlelit dinner had in a quiet place where the dishes, glasses and wine sparkle. Maybe we'll visit a hospital after, and you can show me how to sing Threshold; there's something special in that, something spiritual. When we're done, I'll take you out under the stars, and we'll take in the night together, and then I'll simply take you, show you just how beautiful you are to me."

"We'll have to do something together as a trio, because it's the three of us in it for the long haul, you know. Did you know that your sister likes to dance too, Jen? I can't imagine anything better than rhythmic dancing under colored lights with both of my wives." Closing his eyes, he hummed another old tune, one he always seemed to mix up with the first.

"Hers. _Her_ parents," a voice rasping with disuse corrected him. "... holding you to that, Jahn...," came another strained voice.

When his own eyes flared open, he found two pairs of eyes staring back at him, one pair a sparkling blue, the other lustrous brown. The lips below them curved in gentle smiles, all the more lovely for the understanding that their owners had come back from their dreams to find him.

Awake.

~ The End ~