Fourth Vector Ch. 50

John crept into her arms. "Missed you," he said, hugging his mother tight.

That seemed to open the floodgates. Soon enough, Kat, Abigail, Evelyn, and Vera were crying tears of happiness as they surrounded the young boy. Jack got his turn a moment later when the blue-eyed boy looked up at him and asked to be held.

"There's my boy," said Jack, holding him close. "Did you miss your father?"

John nodded rapidly. "Stay here, Dada?"

Jack smiled. "Dada will be staying here for a long time. No more trips, I promise you that."

The little boy hugged his neck tight, and Jack found himself returning the hug with equal intensity.

"We're so happy to have you back," said Evelyn, hugging them all in turn before she reached Abigail. "And you, dear one. You look like you're ready to pop any day now."

"I feel like I'm ready to pop," grumbled Abigail. "I don't know how any other woman does it. This feeling is just awful."

"It will pass soon enough," promised Evelyn before adding a sly wink. "But that doesn't mean we can't pamper you until it does."

"Now I'm loving the sound of that," said Abigail, her tone brightening at once.

"Come into the Castle then," said Evelyn. "You all must be famished!"

For the rest of the day, Jack's family had the chance to catch up on everything they'd missed. John was nearly inseparable from Kat, and she was reluctant to even let the child out of her arms lest she miss any more moments with him. Jack and Vera got the chance to sit with their grandmother and tell her all about their travels while Abigail enjoyed the chance at putting her feet up and letting others take care of her for once.

"You know I could get used to all this pampering," said Abigail, putting her hands behind her head. "This could go on after I give birth, you know."

Jack gave her an amused look. "Duly noted. We'll keep that in mind once the baby comes."

"Speaking of, this is going to be the first Kincardine born in Kalmar in quite some time," added Vera. "How long has it been since the last time?"

"Too long," stressed Evelyn. "Not since Jack's father. Let's hope that we never have to have another one born outside the city for the wrong reasons again."

Jack smiled. "I'd say we're doing just fine on that front. No enemies on the horizon and no more wars to be fought. Galicia is finally at peace."

"How do you feel about that?" asked Evelyn. "You managed to outlive or outwit the prophecy. There aren't many people alive that can claim that either."

"You know the way I feel about prophecy," said Jack, making a face. "The fact that I'm still alive shows that not everything you read can be taken literally. Either way, I came to a point where I faced life or death. I chose life, and I would do so a hundred times over."

Evelyn swallowed heavily. "I couldn't be happier. I'm proud of you, Jack. I'm proud of all the things you've done and those that you have yet to do. You have a bright future in front of you."

Jack reached across and squeezed her hand. "Our family does. Our family has a bright future."

*****

The next morning started off great. Jack woke up in his own bed, something that he'd been missing for much of the last several months. Though the bed on the new Destiny was comfortable, it was still nothing like the one he had in the Castle.

Jack got up long before his wives and took his morning coffee in his main study. Even with the day looking like it would be a beautiful one, a dark cloud hung over Jack's head for a task that needed to be completed today.

That task wasn't begun until a couple hours later when Ambros and Arnold Perera stopped by his study.

Jack gave both men a solemn look. "Are we ready?"

Arnold was the first to nod. "As ready as can be, Your Majesty."

The three men left the city a short while later, going outside to a small graveyard not far away. It was the same graveyard that Jack had buried Art Chapman in, and now it was going to be the final resting place of Brian Mikkelson.

At Jack's direction, a site had been dug up and prepared already, and Brian's body had been brought from the city on a covered cart. A group of workers were able to remove the wooden coffin from the cart and lower him into the ground, before he was buried immediately after.

At which point, both Jack and Ambros took a few steps back, leaving Arnold a moment with the grave. The big Swabian soldier soon sank to his knees and started to cry once his friend was in the ground.

"Those two really were close, weren't they?" asked Jack quietly to Ambros. "You'd think they were brothers."

"They didn't start that way," replied Ambros. "But they became like that. In a way, I think it was their friendship that gave all of us hope that our partnership could work. They paved the way for Galician/Swabian friendship."

"And we'll be forever in their debt," added Jack.

Arnold took a few more minutes at the grave site before he stood up and wiped his face, returning to the other two men.

"I'm sorry that took so long," he explained in a weak voice.

"You have nothing to apologize for," replied Jack quickly. "We know what Brian meant to you."

Arnold nodded. "He was a great friend. The likes of which I never had before. I'll miss him greatly."

"You did well in honoring his last request," replied Ambros. "This is what I needed to see. I'm glad that I came with you. I never thought I'd see the day when one Galician and one Swabian would treat each other as brothers."

Jack turned to look at Ambros. "You don't have to leave so soon. You can stay for however long you like."

Ambros smiled fondly. "Thank you, Jack, but it is time for us to be getting home. We've been away from Swabia for too long, and we need to get back to our lives, right, Arnold?"

Arnold nodded silently before looking at Jack. "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty."

Jack put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Any time, Arnold. Thank you for what you've done today. You're a good man and we're all proud of you."

On the walk back to Kalmar, Ambros turned to face Jack. "You know, I'd like to have you back to Dagobern at some point. Whenever you get tired of being home all the time and want to travel again."

Jack chuckled. "That might be a while. It's going to be some time before I get on another ship again."

"We'll be patient," said Ambros, chuckling. "But you have a standing invitation in Swabia. Besides, your presence there would help me remind some lords about why they should never cross me."

Jack laughed alongside him. "You don't need my presence to do that. Yours alone will do the trick."

"True, but I like the extra reassurance," said Ambros with a grin.

The two men embraced once they reached the harbor, where they were bound for a small Swabian vessel for the journey home. Jack shook hands with Arnold and vowed to always keep up Brian's grave, something the other man appreciated.

"Goodbye then, Jack," said Ambros as he boarded his ship. "We've certainly changed the world, haven't we?"

"That we have," yelled Jack back. "Safe journey home. And don't be too hard on those lords!"

Ambros grinned, waved, and then disappeared inside the vessel. A short while later, the small Swabian warship left Kalmar harbor, departing for the eastern horizon.

And just like that, the last component of the Western alliance finally went home.

*****

Once everyone was gone, the situation in Kalmar quickly fell into old routines. Jack could be found in his study most mornings, trying to catch up on everything that had happened while he was away. He found out that most things hadn't bothered to proceed without him, and there was a small mountain of paperwork that needed his signature before it could be finalized. At times, that mountain seemed never-ending, and he was quickly consumed with work almost from the start.

There was one other tradition that continued once they were home, and that was Jack's nightly chats with Bill. The head of the Calland family would always show up at the Castle in the evenings, ready to sit with Jack and discuss a whole range of topics. As it turned out, this particular evening about a week after they arrived home was very fortuitous.

"Lindsay is pregnant," announced Bill with a smile as he sat down next to Jack. "She and Will just broke the news at dinner earlier today. Can you believe it? I'm going to be a grandfather."

"It couldn't have happened to a better guy," said Jack, offering his congratulations. "Well, guys. Will is a good man, and he'll make a good father."

"He's going to need some tips," said Bill, chuckling. "But luckily, there are a lot of people around him that can help. He's very excited though, and Lindsay has that typical matronly glow already. They'll be fine parents."

"Any chance they have wedding plans on the horizon?" asked Jack. "It seems like it's only a matter of time for them."

"Next spring," confirmed Bill. "They didn't want to do anything in the winter, so their plan is to wait until the weather turns. Once that happens, we'll have a nice ceremony at the rebuilt manor. It should be a great time."

"I'm happy for you," said Jack. "How did Lisa take it?"

Bill started to laugh. "I think she's probably still by Lindsay's side asking questions. She was ecstatic, and I have no doubt that she'll be out tomorrow shopping for baby outfits."

"If she finds any good deals, she'll have to let Abigail know," replied Jack. "I swear this baby is going to come any day now. And for everyone's sake, I hope he does so he makes his mother much less miserable."

Bill continued to laugh. "He, eh? Sure it's going to be a boy?"

Jack shrugged. "I'm not but it feels like it's going to be a boy to me. I'm just getting that kind of feeling. I don't care either way but Abigail is telling me she thinks it'll be a boy as well."

"John will be grateful to have a brother," said Bill. "And who knows--maybe one day your children and my grandchildren will get a chance to play together."

Jack grinned. "You can count on that, Bill."

The two men continued to talk for another few minutes before Bill dug some papers out of his coat's breast pocket. He unfolded them and handed it to Jack.

"By the way, I've been wanting you to see this," explained Bill. "That's the first draft of what I've written about our experiences in Apulia. This history project that I'm working on with Santino has sprung legs of its own. I told him I'd come visit him in Marmora so that we could compile our findings but this is the war as I remember it. What do you think?"

Jack quickly scanned over the passages, reading about some of the dark days in the early part of the war when the Swabian force seemed to be unstoppable. He was reminded of the emotions that he felt as well as the uncertainty of their cause. It wasn't until the end that he realized they would prevail in the conflict, and there were many times when the odds seemed almost too insurmountable.

"This is excellent stuff, Bill," said Jack. "Your attention to detail is fine. I can tell you wrote a lot of this down before you started this."

"Santino isn't the only one with a journal," added Bill with a grin. "But I have a favor to ask of you. I'm going to pitch it to Santino the next time I see him, but I'd like to add one more thing to our book--your history from the first moment you entered the West."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because you've been so pivotal to our fighting," explained Bill. "None of this could have happened without you, and seeing as you only entered the West for the first time nearly four years ago, I think it would be incredible to get that story on paper."

Jack let out a deep breath. "I just hope I remember most of it. A lot has happened in that time. It would be an incredibly long story."

"That's the nice thing about it," said Bill. "There's nothing else going on, right? No more wars, no more conflict. Plenty of time for writing if you catch my drift."

Jack chuckled. "I caught it all right. I'd be happy to help you but I think the more interesting part will be about the wars. No one will want to read just about me."

Bill gave him a funny look. "I think you're wrong about that, my friend."

Before Jack had the chance to respond, there was a knock on the door of his study, causing both men to pause. To Jack's surprise, Russ was the one at the door and he asked for a moment by sticking his head into the crack.

"Sure, Russ, come in," said Jack. "I didn't expect to see you so late!"

"I'll give you both some time," said Bill, pushing up from his seat.

"It's quite all right, Bill," said Russ, gesturing for him to sit back down. "I don't mind if you're here."

Russ took a seat opposite of the other two and sat down. The way he sat indicated to Jack that he was feeling some anxiety. He was hunched forward and holding his hands together while his foot tapped against the floor absentmindedly.

Something was bothering Russ and they were about to find out what it was.

"Jack, I... thought about many ways this conversation might go, and well, I'm not sure I have a good way to say this," explained Russ. "I want to retire. I think it's time. No, I know it's time."

Bill was the only one who had a serious reaction to the statement. His mouth fell open and he glanced at Jack, no doubt waiting for an answer.

Jack, however, wasn't the least bit surprised about Russ' request. "I've been expecting this," he said, causing some of the tension to escape from the admiral's body. "You've been thinking about it for some time now."

"Our conversation from a few months earlier," said Russ, nodding his head. "You remembered."

"I do," replied Jack. "Are you still wanting to get some peace and quiet? I know you mentioned that small fishing village as the ideal situation. Catching trout all day long without a care in the world?"

Russ grinned. "That's my plan. I even know which village I'm going to go to. It's a small one, about two hours south of Kalmar. My grandfather was born there. I think it's fitting that I go back now to retire there. And I think the navy is in good shape. There are no threats on the horizon. Now is a good time to step away."

"I agree with you," said Jack. "Have you given any thoughts about who would replace you? Another admiral?"

Russ swallowed heavily. "I have. Admiral Godfrey is a good man. He's talented and he has the most experience. I think he would be a fine chief if you put him in charge. Another factor is that he doesn't want the job, which is a good qualification if you ask me. Putting power into the hands of those that don't want it is a good safeguard against abuse."

"Right you are, Russ," said Jack before leaning back in his chair. He thought about the issue for a moment while Russ watched him carefully. "Okay, it's done. I'll send word to Godfrey in the morning that he'll assume command, pending a probationary period just to make sure he'll be a good long-term fit. But you can have your retirement, my friend. You've earned it."

Russ couldn't help the beaming smile that appeared on his face. "Thank you, Jack. I thank you greatly. It's been the honor of my life to serve Galicia, and I'm hoping that we've won a peace that is truly lasting."

Jack embraced the admiral and patted his back. "You're one of the finest naval commanders I've ever met, Russ. Victory in the war wouldn't have been possible without you. I wish you many days of peace and quiet in your retirement."

There was one last handshake between the two before Russ departed and Jack sat back down. Bill was quiet for a moment until he looked over at Jack.

"You know, Russ brings up a good point. Maybe I ought to look into permanent retirement."

"Don't even think about it," interrupted Jack.

Both men started to laugh harder than they had in some time.

*****

The next morning, Admiral Colin Godfrey assumed command of the Galician Navy. It was a small ceremony, only attended by Jack and several other senior officers. Jack personally added on an additional stripe to Godfrey's uniform, marking him as the chief of the entire fleet.

It was a solemn moment for those in the room. Russ had been in charge of the Galician Navy for twelve years and many of those standing there had been promoted into their positions by Russ. To imagine the formidable admiral now taking up a pair of waders and a fishing pole in some quiet village defied their imaginations.

And yet, Jack knew the navy would be in capable hands. Godfrey seemed nervous about his assumption of the role, knowing the awesome power that was now at his fingertips. Jack knew he would make a fine commander, and he looked forward to Godfrey having a peaceful tenor.

Just as Jack was about to head back to the Castle, he found Ben Torben at the foot of the Austere, looking frantic as he held his radio.

"What's wrong, Ben?" asked Jack, stopping near the man.

"We need to get you back to the Castle immediately," explained Ben. "Queen Abigail has gone into labor!"

The trip back to the Castle was achieved in record time. Ben almost rolled the vehicle making a sharp turn onto a steep street but they arrived at their destination mere minutes after receiving the news.

"Time to get this baby out of me," said Abigail as she was made comfortable and surrounded by doctors. Jack approached her bed and took her hand. "You got here really fast."

Jack chuckled. "As soon as we got the news, we hauled ass to get here."

"Let's just hope this baby does the same thing today," replied Abigail.

She was surrounded by help. Vera and Kat were two of the chief assistants throughout the process, making sure Abigail was comfortable and had everything she needed. They also coordinated the efforts with the medical staff and kept the entire family up-to-date on the progress.

Abigail's labor continued well into the afternoon. It was nearly time for dinner when the doctors instructed her to start pushing. At that point, Jack held her right hand through the ordeal while Kat took her left, coaching her along with the experience.

Finally, just shy of six o'clock in the evening, the baby finally arrived.

"Congratulations, Your Majesties, you now have a daughter," said the doctor, holding up the little girl for everyone to see.

"A daughter! She's so precious," cooed Kat, nearly jumping up and down with excitement.

Abigail could only smile. She was too exhausted to say anything but as soon as the baby was put against her chest, there weren't any words to describe the look on her face.

"We have a daughter, Jack," she said weakly, looking over at him. "A daughter."

Jack kissed her forehead. "We have a daughter," he echoed. "A beautiful one just like her mother."

That was certainly true. The baby's face was angelic and the small dark fuzz around her head was completely adorable. Already, Jack could tell that she would favor Abigail's side--a worthy tribute to such an incredible woman.

The rest of the evening was spent with just the family. The new baby mostly slept against Abigail's side as a steady stream of well-wishers appeared to see the new arrival. Through the evening, Evelyn, Greg, Russ, Lindy, Ben, and a whole host of others appeared to see Jack's daughter for the first time.

By the time that night had fallen, all of them were exhausted, and Jack resolved to spend the night right next to Abigail should she need anything.

One thing that hadn't been decided yet was the baby's name. Abigail hadn't wanted to commit to anything until the baby was born, and at this point in the evening, Jack still had no idea what name she was thinking about.

Like usual, she shocked him with her request when it did come just before bedtime.

"I've been giving a lot of thought about the name if we had a girl," said Abigail, softly rocking their daughter. "And I know what name I want to choose. I think you're going to be okay with it too."