From the Ashes

"Oh... umm..." Mary Lou looking away red faced. Her mind flashing back to the brawl she got into with Iona once she found out where she was staying. "I kind of kicked Iona's ass..."

"Really?!" Magnus asked, trying to keep his laughter at bay. "Why didn't you tell me, I would've brought popcorn."

"Well... it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I was just going to tell her what kind of a person she was... then it all got out of hand."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind," Haleema said, fighting back her own chuckle.

"Although... nah, you don't want to hear it. I don't want you to be in an enclosed space with a horny Magnus," Mary Lou said, gently patting his shoulder.

"Hey now," Magnus began to pout.

"What, if you don't want your friend ragging on you, don't come to her place of work," Mary Lou said, placing her hands on her hips. "Now I should get back to work, and you have someone to meet. Trust me, you're going to love Edna. She's a delight. Just be warned, you'll get a dressing down given he's her favorite grandson."

"Thank you, for the heads up, but I aim to make sure I pass with flying colors," Haleema stated gently rubbing his bicep.

"Now see, this is the kind of woman you need," Mary Lou nodded. "Yes Mom," Magnus said, rolling his eyes.

"You better come say goodbye before you go!" Mary Lou called after him.

"Of course, Mary!"

"So a double date for our first date?" Haleema whispered low as they waited for the elevator.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I was going to tell you... but that kiss kind of just stopped me in my tracks," Magnus said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh?! Well then, I'll just have to do it more often," Haleema said, snuggling up to him. Her eyes flickering over to the doors as they rolled open.

"Mother, why won't you just move in with me. You know we have the room..."

"For the last time Fergus, I am not giving up my home," Edna said heatedly, as her voice traveled down the hallway.

"Please Edna, Fergus is only worried about you. I would hate to know what would happen to you if Mary Lou hadn't shown up when she did," Marge said, trying to make her see reason. "At least until you get better."

"Fine," Edna sighed. "But only until I'm back on my feet."

"You ready to meet the folks?" Magnus whispered he held back long enough for them to finish.

"Mmmhmm," Haleema nodded. "I'm ready, I'm not going to leave you," she said, her hand gently squeezing his arm.

Edna was first to see her grandson. Her face brightened. A loving smile touched her lips, and a mischievous light flashed in her eyes as she took note of the woman on his arm. "Hi Maggy!" Listening to his groan and the woman's giggle behind her hand at the nickname she had given him when he was five. "Come, come!" Edna said, welcoming them into the room.

"Magnus!" Marge quickly rising from her seat. A very pleased smile was on her face at the sight of her youngest son. "How have you been, I wanted to call, but I was respecting your wishes," she said, placing her hands before her. "And who is this lovely lady?"

"Yes, yes. Come we must know," Edna nodded in agreement.

"It's fine... Maggy," Haleema whispered into his ear. Listening to his sigh as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Now you men, shoo!" Edna said, waving for her son and grandson to leave the room.

"So... your mother has told me you live in Montana now," Fergus said, trying to strike up a conversation with his son after minutes of silently staring at one another.

"Yeah," Magnus muttered; his thumb toyed with the latch of his case. "You ever think of coming back home?"

"I come back all the time when my schedule allows. I just don't see you," Magnus said, truthfully.

"I see," Fergus mumbled. His arms rested on his thighs; his thumbs tapped against each other as his fingers were interlocked. He had visited his father's grave, done a lot of soul searching and knew his mother was right. Wondering when he had become like this, he remembered the times he and Magnus would run around. The way he would always hang onto him. When was it that he started to be so hard on his own son? He never wanted that. He just wanted the best for his son. Like his own father had wanted for him. "That woman with you, she's quite stunning. Who is she?" Arching an eyebrow when his son's cheeks began to heat. "Oh, it's like that," Fergus said, he couldn't help it as a smile started to form on his lips.

"Her names Haleema, she's the lead singer of the band," Magnus stated.

"Oh? Is it anything I might have heard before?"

"No, not unless you're secretly into Death Metal," Magnus said, shooting his father a look.

"Death Metal?! What's that?" Fergus asked, confused. He was a country fan himself.

"Grandma would say its noise, but that was what I got signed onto play," Magnus said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, you were always strumming the blues. Something I think you picked up from your grandfather," Fergus said, getting a little misty eyed.

"What? It's good music."

"Not saying it isn't just thought that was what you would be playing," Fergus said, not bringing up the fact that he had read the article after the dressing down by his mother. He did not care for how it portrayed himself or his mother. Yet he couldn't see one lie that he spoke of, so he couldn't berate him for that.

"Yeah, but they're good people. Didn't think I would like it, glad I was wrong on that," Magnus admitted.

"That's good, a man must admit his faults," Fergus nodded. "I know your mother already spoke of this with you, so I won't rehash something that you probably don't want to talk about. You have to know I only wanted the best for you, like my father wanted for me. That was why I was so hard on you. Maybe I should have saw your talent as a gift and not some..."

"Hobby?"

"Yes," Fergus nodded. "The reason I put you at the ground floor of the company was because I knew you could handle it. I love your brother, yet sometimes he acts before he thinks. Why I kept him close to me. Running a business requires careful thought or lives could be ruined and revenue lost. It was why you always had a full paycheck even if the sight you were working at was shut down. Plus, this way the men would know your worth should something happen to us and know what kind of man you are. Maybe I did leave you there a little too long. For that I am sorry. Yet promotions are limited in our line of work. You know that, so I had to give it to the best person I knew was best for that position. Now after I see all of what you have done. I have to admit, I was wrong in pushing my way of living onto you.

You don't know how proud I am to see you succeeding in this. Granted I don't like how you speak to me or your mother, but that's on us, not you. I do want the best for you son, every father does. Mom was right, dad would have tanned my hide. Yet you didn't see how your mother has been like since you've been gone. You don't see the look of sadness and pain in her eyes every day you didn't call. She won't tell you how much it hurt her. Nonetheless, I had to see it every day, and it tore me up. Again, not bringing up the past," holding up his hands, "just stating the facts here. Not trying to get into an argument with you," Fergus said, seeing his son actually listening and not ignoring what he had said. Whether or not Magnus took it all to heart remained to be seen. "So you can see why I was so angry the other day. You didn't see how she cried once you left. Would you be pleased with someone if they made Iona cry before you learned the truth about her?"

"... No, I wouldn't have," Magnus admitted.

"So you can understand where I'm coming from."

"Yeah," Magnus said, scratching his cheek, looking off to the side. His eyes flickered to the door to his grandmother's hospital room as it began to inch open.

"Magnus," Marge stood in the doorway. A warm smile on her lips as she looked upon her son. She was quite taken by Haleema. The way she spoke about her son as they peppered her with questions made her hopeful that Magnus had found a woman that could take away the hurt that Iona had caused. "Won't you join us? Your grandmother would like to hear you play," Marge said softly, as she noted how her husband got to his feet.

"Can you still play that Lonnie Mack song?" Fergus asked, as his son got to his feet.

"Yeah, why?" Magnus asked, as his case gently bumped against his leg.

"Oh, I think it'd be a good song for that little lady," Fergus said, lightly placing his hand on his son's back as they entered the room.

"Maggy, you best keep this woman around," Edna said, from her bed as Magnus entered. "She's a keeper!" she stated lightly patting Haleema's hand as she blushed hard.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me," Haleema said, even if it was only for a short time she really liked Edna. She could even understand Marge's point of view when they were trying to help Magnus in saving his marriage. She knew he wouldn't like that, but this was the first time she had heard both sides. Haleema could see how from Magnus's view that it looked like they were taking Iona's side when in reality, they were only trying to help him the best, while wrong, way they thought they could without totally siding with Iona. Of course, they knew Iona was at fault. Yet the way Marge explained it to her, they had known Iona for so long, that she felt like a daughter to them. They just didn't want to lose her given that she herself had no family, but they didn't think Magnus would totally cut them off for their choices.

"If you can make Maggy smile like a goof, then you're more than welcome around my home," Edna said, watching her grandson blushing hard. "Isn't he just adorable," she whispered to Haleema as she nodded.

"Thank you dear," Marge said, looking up at her husband as he guided her into the chair. Her hand slipping into his as he stood beside her. Watching how her son had set his case onto the rolling table.

"Now, come and play for me," Edna said, ignoring the slight pain in her hip as she wiggled in the bed. Smirking when Haleema quickly got to her feet as Magnus strummed the intro to Flamenco. Her heart lifted as Haleema danced around, "So he now has his own little dancer, how Paul would've been so happy to see this," she thought to herself. Her eyes got a little teary as she watched the two of them. It reminded her of how she and Paul were like in their younger years. Looking down as Marge gently squeezed her left hand. Brushing her thumb along Marge's fingers.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." Magnus began to sing the intro to 'I found a love' by Lonnie Mack. Marge sat in surprise at the sound of her son's voice. Her eyes watched as Haleema's hands were folded like a steeple covering her nose and mouth as Magnus's fingers moved over the neck of his guitar. "I found a love, I found a love, I found a love. That I feel, whoa yeah." Marge looked up as Fergus had a warm smile on his lips. Wondering what the two of them had spoken about out in the hall.

Haleema's heart raced as Magnus leaned in as he sang. "I found a kiss." She felt her hips swaying to the notes of that blues song. She remembered him playing this song for them during his audition. She just never knew the lyrics. "I just want to tell ya that I can't resist. I found a love that I need, yeah, yeah." Her face was burning as his eyes never left her. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it will be, that I want to say right here." Her fingers pressed lightly against her lips feeling them tremble beneath them as Magnus went into the solo. She's never had anyone sing to her before, she's always the one with the microphone in her hand; and she was quite pleased that Magnus wasn't shirking his lessons. "The way the woman walk, you set my little soul back. The way you talk, she's my heart desire and, oh, believe me. I figured I would die if sometime I would call her in the midnight hour, yeah, yeah, OOW!" The clearing of a throat overshadowed the fading tones of the song as Edna's doctor stood in the doorway.

"Ms. Brown. I would hope you brought enough to share with the rest of the patients," the mid-thirties female doctor said, as she stepped into the room.

"Nope! He's my little muse," Edna said, winking at her grandson.

"Now Ms. Brown, you know how the others are going to demand their own little show now," she said, before looking around the room. "Could you give us the room?"

"Sure. Magnus lets go get the ladies some coffee," Fergus said, nodding to the door.

"You know how I like mine," Haleema said, with a coy smirk as she lightly kissed his lips.

"Y-yeah," Magnus muttered as those velvety soft lips left his.

"You go on, I'll look after this," Haleema said, taking his guitar from him. Quite enjoying the fact that she could still his words with a simple kiss.

Magnus's face burned as Edna's, his mother's, and Haleema's giggles filled the room as the door closed behind them as his father placed his hand on his right shoulder. Feeling his father's hand squeezing it as they walked down the hallway.

"It's good to see you happy son," Fergus said, lightly patting Magnus's shoulder as they waited for the elevator. "I am sorry for our part in the Iona affair. But at least she is behind you now, and it seems that woman does have a liking for you." Magnus couldn't say a word, simply nodding his head, pondering why a simple kiss made his mind go blank. "So... have any pictures of this house of yours?" Fergus asked, slyly eyeing his son. Watching as Magnus pulled out his phone. Whistling as he scrolled through them once Magnus handed him the device. "Just look at that land, it's gorgeous. That's a very fine and very big house son," he said, handing Magnus's phone back to him. "It sits on a hundred acres, that's what your mother told me that night after your breakfast with her."

"Yeah, most of it is forested..."

"I bet you, that's some good bow hunting land," Fergus chuckled. He enjoyed a good hunt when he had the time.

"Wouldn't know, only finished the tour a little over a month ago," Magnus said, as they walked towards the cafeteria where a Starbucks kiosk had been installed.

"Ah. I understand. Still, I wouldn't mind trying my hand, when you allow it that is," Fergus said, scowling when he saw the line. "So... while we wait, what's life on the road like?"

"Well... If Brandan and George would stop hogging the only bedroom on the bus it would be awesome. Then again... I doubt I'd have all that time with Haleema. Other than that, sometimes it's draining on you. Especially if the record label booked another show in the same state. Then we're hustled on board and whisked off to the other city. Whoever thought of roadies was a godsend. I don't know how we would break down all the equipment and make it on time if it was just us. Yet if it's just the one show. Late at night, on board the bus, it's quite peaceful. I had a lot of catching up to do. Bobby Dean, he's the guy I replaced after his death, left some big shoes to fill. Nonetheless, I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Are they like... you know," Fergus said, rolling his hand.

"Yeah. They're good guys, helped me out a lot when I first got to LA. Showed me how to navigate the city, where to eat if I want the best food. Where to party, if I was inclined to do that sort of thing..."

"Well, I'll have to personally thank them for looking after my boy." Magnus looked at his father. He knew his father was old school in what he thought about homosexuals having lived through the AIDS scare in the '80s. So hearing his father say that was stunning. "So you and this Haleema, what do you expect out of that?"

"I can't say. She's my age. No kids, if you were wondering. Her parents brought her up in the catholic church..."

"That's good, although you know your mother, but I doubt she'll put much fuss over it. She seems like a good Christian girl," Fergus nodded in approval. "Mom seems taken with her, so that should tell you something; and she never said a word to you, but she got a weird vibe from Iona. I don't know why, that's just what she told me."

"Wish she'd told me," Magnus mumbled as the line moved forward.

"I know, sometimes Mom is too tight lipped. But she's an old southern gal, and you know how those are," Fergus said, gently nudging his son with his elbow.

"Yeah," Magnus nodded. Placing their orders and moving off as the baristas worked quickly to make theirs and everyone else's coffees. Magnus and his father stood at a mid-stomach high table. Fergus's fingers drummed on the table as Magnus looked around. That was when he caught Eden shyly waving at him as she sat with a few of her coworkers.

"Well, in other news, your cousin Jenny is having another baby I hear," Fergus said, relaying the family news that Magnus had missed out on since he's been gone.

"That's what her fourth?" Seeing how Eden was pointing at him drawing the gaze of the two women and one man.

"Yeah, I keep telling Drew if he can't wear a rubber since Jenny won't go onto the pill, then either get fixed or have an army of little rug rats eating him out of house and home," Fergus chuckled lightly.

"What'd he say?" Magnus asked, knowing how they lived in the back country Drew might just want that.

"I'm paraphrasing here: 'Ergus if my 'iss wants 'em youngins, by golly I'm 'ive to her. And ain't no damn doc going to touch my... Well, you get the idea," Fergus said, a warm light touched his eyes at the sound of his son's laughter.

"Yeah, that does sound like Drew alright," Magnus said, wondering if he should go see his cousin. He hadn't seen her since his and Iona's wedding. Nodding as his father went into every detail of what whichever member of his family was up to.

"Here's the kicker, you remember your Uncle wanting to start up a shrimping boat company down on the coast?" Fergus asked, realizing what he had missed with his son when he had been trying to bully Magnus into seeing his way of things.

"Yeah, didn't you tell him he was an idiot?"

"That I did, again I was wrong. Seems he's doing quite well for himself. He's even expanded his fleet or so I hear. I don't get down to the coast much these days. Been too worn out running around putting in bids seeing how the economy is starting to pick up again..."
"Condon?! I have an order for Condon!" the barista called out.

"That would be us," Fergus said, his hand lightly patting the table.

"Mmm... just the way I like it," Haleema sighed as she held her cup in both hands. "Thank you," getting in another kiss, "I think I'll keep you," she said, with a coy smile.

"So, Magnus, we've been talking, and we both agree Haleema should come to Bill's wedding with you," Marge said, smiling at her son as Haleema snuggled up to him.

"Really now, making plans without me, huh?" Magnus looked down at Haleema who shyly sipped on her latte. Noting the rouge on her cheeks as she looked away.

"Well, you made our first date a double one, I thought I'd even the playing field," Haleema teased.

"You know, if you weren't so cute..."

"What? Come on, tell?!" Haleema said, fighting to hold back her smile. Her eyes grew wide, her heart hammered against her ribs, her hands almost crushed her cup, her breath rapidly increased, her womb quivered as Magnus whispered into her ear. "Magnus!" she gasped. Playfully batting his chest with her hand. "You're bad," Haleema whispered.

"Just you wait," Magnus replied as he brought his coffee to his lips.

"So Mom, what did the doctor say?" Fergus asked, turning a blind eye to their banter. He wasn't about to be the wet blanket when it appeared Haleema was helping his son to heal. He just hoped it would last for Magnus. He could tell Magnus was taken with the woman; he would hate for her to turn out to be just like Iona.