Halo Two - Five Ch. 02

"Would you like me to introduce you, or have you figured it out yet?"

I had wondered if his eyes had risen as far as her head of course, so I did the introductions anyway.

"Mrs. Constance Armstrong, I would like to introduce you to my father-in-law, Max Harper."

When the lights still didn't look like turning on I leant over and whispered in his ear.

"Brooke's mother."

Max recovered well. He took her offered hand, placed it to his lips and kissed the back of it. I rolled my eyes, and we then heard "Mother?"

She stood, and mother and daughter hugged at the foot of the lounger while Beth glared at her husband. Constance then knelt down, removing her sunglasses as she did so. She was eye level with my daughters and Brooke introduced them to each other. I thought the removal of my father-in-law's testicles was going to wait until they got back to their room, but Constance seemed to smooth the way by saying he was a perfect gentleman.

Beth still wasn't letting him off completely, and told him he could help with the bags. I couldn't see how, though, judging by the three members of the hotel staff with handfuls of bags from shops with French and Italian names.

We watched from our loungers as the procession headed indoors and the noise level around the pool increased once again.

"So my tits are bigger than my daughter's?"

I do hate it when women share stuff.

"Are you going to deny it?"

"For now perhaps they are. Get her pregnant and they won't be."

Not a chance was I going down that road.

"How was London?"

"It was fantastic; we got so much done. My husband is still there, of course, and will be for another few days, so I'm at a loose end and thought I would join you all here."

The waiter brought a tray full of drinks with him, so I assumed Brooke got to him at the bar on the way up to the rooms. Constance smiled, thanked him and turned to me as he took a step back and left.

"Don't go thinking all conspiracy theory on me, Rick; nothing is planned, either in front of you or behind your back. She wouldn't dare, and I'm not stupid enough to try; the fallout from all sides would be felt for some time."

"But you would, of course, facilitate anything that's asked, though."

She sipped her drink and put it down, smiling. "In a heartbeat, dear boy."

Tessa came rushing out of the hotel, her sister in hot pursuit. She stopped long enough to wait for her sister before both sat on Constance's lounger. Constance adjusted her position by placing her legs under her, not only to give the two youngsters more room, but to sit up as well. Both waited for her to place her sunglasses next to her drink.

"Brooke says you live on top of the hotel?"

She nodded her head and said, "I live in many places. We have a ranch with horses, and yes, we even have a penthouse suite at this hotel because we like it here."

Happy with her answer, the girls climbed off and dashed away in the direction of the children's pool, with us adults calling after them not to run too close to the adult's pool. When satisfied with their safety, the rest of us adults then dealt with the introductions. Max got his out of the way first, then went and sat closer to the children's pool, ostensibly to keep an eye on the girls, but no doubt hearing sounds of knives being sharpened to be used at a later date.

Constance watched for a while, then turned to Beth saying, "He really was a dear, you know."

Beth smiled and nodded.

"I know, but from the hotel door to your lounger his eyes never left your chest. He's going to have to remember that he's going to bed with my chest, not yours."

Constance took another look at Max and then back to my mother-in-law, a real wicked smile on her face.

"I happen to know the owner of this hotel. Do you think we should all go topless for the rest of the afternoon?"

I got up and joined Max while those three women conspired in ways to drive my poor father-in-law nuts. At the end of the day we did manage to get the children out of the pool with only three pleas for a few minutes more and, of course, a promise from Constance to join us for dinner.

My mother-in-law and Constance seemed to be joined at the hip for the remaining two days of our stay, and I was even allowed to babysit my own children while they all took in a show at another of the hotels down the road.

*******

Although we all met at the airport, it was in fact a parting of the ways, for a while at least. Tessa had school on the Monday, and her sister was due back at kindergarten, and my in-laws wanted to give them the full weekend to get over jet lag and rest up. Constance was in touch almost hourly with her husband, and planned to meet him in Washington on his return while Brooke and I went back to the ranch.

So it was hugs and a few tears and cast-iron promises made to my two girls that Brooke would come and visit real soon. I must admit I choked up a bit as well but, like all things, I had taken on a job and I had to see it through. I did still get the impression that I wasn't always the one steering this ship all the time, but I had to admit that it made for a fun ride.

The most important thing, though, was that Brooke, after waking a couple of times in the first few nights shaking, crying, and drenched in sweat, now seemed to be sleeping soundly without interruptions. She might murmur things in her sleep but, tucked into my arms, the nightmares about the wall of bodies seemed to have died away, or at least dropped to a level where they weren't vivid enough to break her slumber.

Whether or not this was because her subconscious knew that she could come to no harm in the arms of her lover, or that her own strength had driven away the bad dreams, was something that only time would tell.

*******

As the limo carried us up the drive one car stood out. Brooke took one look and groaned before the privacy divider was dropped.

"Ben! How long has he been here, and why was he even allowed on the grounds?"

The driver must have been expecting this because he slowed slightly as his head tilted towards the window so he could talk.

"He's still on the guest list, ma'am. Your mother never changed it when you left, so we allowed him in."

Ben did feel the need to back up what he was said by saying, "Ma'am, John is in the house with him, much to his annoyance. He seems to think he had freedom to roam. Ma'am, perhaps you could remind him he doesn't, since he's no longer involved with you."

Brooke's hand went out and patted Ben's shoulder, and his relief was seen from the mirror in front of him. The limo came to a stop the other side of the car in the driveway. As Brooke got out she looked at me, held my hand in hers, and said, "I'm sorry about this."

As for me, I nodded but didn't really understand any of it. The ranch house door opened and Maria came out, followed by a guy who basically shouldered her out of the way and ignored her as he passed. If it hadn't been for the security guard I figured was John, who saw it all and managed to catch her before she fell to the ground and hurt herself, then things could have got even more heated.

I was the wrong side of the limo when Brooke left it at the speed of a rocket and passed the guy on her way to assist Maria, who seemed to take it all in her stride. By now I was on the porch steps and this guy stood in my way.

"Who the fuck are you, and why are you with my fiancée?"

It all made sense now. My mind even grabbed a conversation we had some time back and played it once again in my head... "If I had listened to momma I would be married to Bernard now, with at least one child out there and another one in me already."

Bernard was tall and solid: I figured a good 6'3" and mid way into the two hundred pound mark. He seemed to believe his size and weight could bully anyone. Poor Bernard seemed to also think that standing on the step gave him more presence over me. That thought left him rather loudly when I punched him in the nuts and then moved aside as he folded up, trying desperately to gasp for air as he rolled down the steps of the ranch house.

I made it onto the porch just in time to pluck Brooke out of the air as she went to attack him for his assault on Maria. Damn, but she was strong when she was mad. John and Ben had him in an arm lock apiece and up against the trunk of the limo as Brooke was screaming that she wanted him out of here and arrested for assault on Maria. Another car came rushing up the drive and skidded to a stop as two more security guys dived out and took Bernard away.

Brooke was a woman possessed that late afternoon. She sat Maria down and I actually got to meet the chef as he came with water for Maria. The County Sheriff turned up next and took notes from everyone, and Brooke insisted that a copy of the security feed was made and handed over. I did find out later that the security feed had a hiccup when it came to me hitting Bernard, and there were two security people who swore blind that he fell down the steps.

Constance phoned when the Sheriff was about to leave, and I think he wished he had when he put the phone down. That poor man was as white as a sheet, and all he managed to add to the conversation with her was "Yes ma'am" - several times.

It was late evening when the dust had settled, well for that evening anyway. Brooke sent Maria and the chef home, and phoned the guard house to tell them all to order pizza and it was on her; just let two through to us, though. The knock on the front door came an hour later and I went to the door as Brooke went into the kitchen to fetch plates. This security guy I didn't know, but he smiled and asked me to tell Brooke that the live feed had been turned off as per her instructions.

I met her in the day room, her clothes already on the floor. "Security said..."

"I know; I heard." The look she gave me was half amused and half wondering - why was I still dressed? I dropped the pizza boxes on the table and, a minute later, I was as naked as her.

She moved to sit on the couch, and that's where we were for the next hour as she ran through a range of emotions from having a quiet cry to sucking in breath and seething when her mind went back to our arrival and confrontation with Bernard. I stood up and got her a glass of water while I reheated the pizza.

"Want to tell me about it?"

"No. but I feel I should."

It wasn't so much an arranged marriage; they had grown up together and people just assumed. But Brooke had doubts, and the more time she spent away at medical school and away from Bernard the more she was convinced she was right. Every time she came home he went so full out to get her to commit to an engagement that even her uncle noticed the tension. Halfway through her fourth year her uncle came to visit and gave her an out from the situation, at least in the short term.

She left school at the end of her fourth year and, with the help of her uncle, she was placed in a medical MOS so that she could continue her studies. The change of surname was at the suggestion of her uncle, so that Bernard couldn't have a hope of finding her. After two more years in the medical corps she realized she loved it, and asked to stay.

When I had met her, she was on her second tour in Iraq; she was only in the area doing a hearts and minds project at one of the local schools - simple health checks and inoculations. When they realized they were short of a medic for the assault on the town, and her last name raised no flags with the Master Sergeant who pulled her out of the school, that's how I was introduced to Brooke.

I'm sure there was more, but the pizza was warm again so we took advantage of it. She was attacking the wine she had brought up from the cellar a bit too heavily as well. When I mentioned it I got the glare for a second, and then a smile and a nod.

"Sorry, but he has that effect on me lately. I think the army gave me perspective and, when I look at Bernard now, all I see is him thinking I'm his free ride to an easy life."

Her statement went against everything she said next. She spoke fondly of them growing up at school and being close friends and often study partners. Bernard's attitude started to change through high school. When he was picked for the football team he expected Brooke to follow along and join the cheerleader squad. She had no interest in doing that and it lead to their very first argument.

She felt a new freedom in high school that she never felt in elementary school. All Bernard saw was a quick skip through high school and onto college football, until the coach pulled him to one side and told him that as a team player he was damn good at his job on the field, but he would never make it as a pro. It was from then on that a mean streak grew in him, and it showed mostly on the field.

He hid it well around Brooke until she told him she wanted to be a doctor. Bernard couldn't figure out why, since her family was loaded and she would never need to work. Even she believed that to be the real turning point in their relationship, but they both had a lot of years invested in each other and both they and the families still remained friends. When Bernard didn't get the football scholarship to the college he wanted, he knew his playing career would be limited to team player only.

It was just assumed that they would go to the prom together, so they did. Bernard booked a room for later and, when Brooke found out, she called her folks to get a ride home from the prom. He went full on after that to keep his ride into luxury; he wanted to be engaged before she went to college and, in her own admitted stupidity, she agreed - and regretted it from the day of the engagement party onwards.

When she came home for summer it seemed he had almost the whole summer planned out for them, from parties they just had to be seen at to days out with old school friends. Brooke paused just then to say that she started to look forward to college for a rest, not the other way around. It was during her fourth year at medical school that her uncle turned up to talk to her. Both he and Constance had seen everything from the sidelines and knew she wasn't happy, so he offered her an out.

The name change was a paperwork shuffle, and a way of keeping Bernard at arm's length so that she could at least breathe on her own without his permission. She liked the service so much she was already looking at finishing her training to become a doctor when her first tour started. Brooke took another step back and stayed a medic for that tour and, when the second came up, she was told that once she finished that one they were taking her off frontline and sending her back to medical school.

This time she looked at me, "And that gets you into my life, Halo."

I went to object but she beat me to it.

"I know; you're Rick. But in my heart your name will always start with Halo. It was Halo who saved my life that day, and Halo will always be my hero. It's the man I met afterwards that I fell in love with, and who helped fight the dragons. That's you, Rick - not Halo."

*******

The door opened then, and Constance walked in. Brooke didn't even blink, but I grabbed a pillow and placed it strategically over myself. Only then she did move. Brooke stood and walked to her mother and gave her a hug.

"I had the jet fly me down here to sort this out. I'm so sorry; it just slipped my mind that he was still on the access list. The poor boys at the gate all thought the worst when I turned up. I've put that right; it was my fault, not theirs."

"Want some warmed up pizza, Constance? I think your daughter has left some wine in the bottle."

The glare I got from Brooke over my remark was met with as innocent a smile as I could muster.

"Please be a dear, Rick, and put some clothes on. I may not be able to explain this situation to my husband if he ever finds out. A naked daughter I can of course explain; a naked Rick might take longer."

I walked over and pulled my trousers up off the floor and pulled them on. They tried to be quiet but I heard them.

"Shit! When you told me about his back I never realized it was that bad."

"Mine are mental, mother; his are physical."

I do hate it when women share. Thinking it best if I took the pizza into the kitchen to try to breathe some life back into it, and to pull another bottle of wine out of the rack, I came back into the day room as Brooke was putting on her dress. We all talked Bernard for a while longer, and then decided to leave it up to Maria, since Constance would have no hesitation in going after him if she decided to take it further.

She also reassured us both that he was now off the list at the gate and she was only here for the evening, before heading back to Washington and into the arms of her husband early the next day.

It was both a strange evening and an insight into these women. Not content with what was left of the pizza, we adjourned to the kitchen where both women set about cooking and drinking. It may have been pasta and something else with an Italian name, but those two women could sure cook. Perhaps it was the man in me, but I sat back and watched from the sidelines, stirred when told to, and grabbed things from the refrigerator when asked to, all the while listening to them talk.

There were no secrets between them; at least, none that caused the conversation between them to stall at any time. It was almost mother-daughter one minute and sisters the next. As we set about our pasta and more wine I was even included as we laughed, burped and hiccupped through our meal.

As a neutral I could see the love between them, just as I could now fully understand and appreciate the pain in Constance's eyes that day at Chequers. Her own daughter was in pain and her wealth and influence were useless to her. It was as the bottle finally yielded its last, and even the glasses had emptied, that the women admitted the night was now over and beds were calling.

I carried Constance while Brooke held on tightly to my shoulder. Her daughter kissed her goodnight and I waited for her outside the bedroom.

"What are you smiling at?"

This time I lifted Brooke into my arms and her head nuzzled into my chest as I spoke. "Oh, nothing; just never seen your mom wasted before. I had her pegged as a bit of a control freak."

She sighed. "To others maybe, but this place is special to her. My folks don't often invite people to the ranch. It's the only place they truly call home."

Brooke passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. I stripped her down, did my bathroom rituals, and joined her. By the time I had my arm around her the gentle noises of a deep sleep came back at me. I'm sure it was instinctual when her ass moved back and connected with my groin. As for me, my hand rested on her hip and I know I was smiling as I drifted off to sleep.

I followed the sound of laughter down the stairs the next morning. Constance was dressed and had a cell phone to her ear. She waved when she saw me and, judging by the tone of her voice, it was her husband she was talking to. I got a kiss from Brooke as Maria came out with my breakfast. It seemed that Maria didn't want any fuss, and said with a smile that the way Bernard fell down the ranch steps was justice enough for her.

Constance left soon after breakfast, and we took to the sun loungers for the rest of the day. I think Brooke figured it out as we dressed for dinner.

"Your leaving, aren't you?"

I nodded my head first, but she cut me off before I could say anything.

"Well, I'm not letting you go. It took a war to find you, so don't even think I'm letting you go."

We kissed and walked down the steps hand in hand to dinner. Brooke was a little subdued, but we both knew she was on the road to recovery, even if not very far down it. She had been shown she was no longer alone; the husbands and wives of the vets would see to that, as well as the people of her unit. I stayed another two days before I got the official notice from my boss.