The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 20

"But now, well it seems like he's from whatever discipline Marilen was. You were around then, surely you know where her powers came from?"

His movements stopped and he pulled back, his arousal fading as he prepared to confess what he already knew. No matter how much he wanted to protect his bride, he knew he could never bring himself to answer her question with anything but honesty.

"Tír na nÓg," he said with a barely audible whisper. "The lost realm of the gods, where dragon's fled, and mankind may never step."

Her heart stopped and her skin grew cold, the legends were true.

***** Family Outing *****

Dave almost managed to convince himself that Andrew had not caused the gruesome scene he had seen in the forest. That his son had not put himself into such great danger, and yet part of him knew the truth. He knew that if Sam ran the serial number from the grenade fragment he had found, that it would trace back to a stockpile that had gone missing in Australia.

It had no connection to them, Michelle had been careful about that, but it would raise questions that Dave didn't want asked. Eyes could turn towards their operation, and their already observed activities would be followed in a completely different way.

Michelle thought Dave was crazy, that his paranoia had finally gotten the better of him, and as he approached the house, he hoped she was right. His sat-phone and long-range coms were turned off and resting back where PFC Ford had drop him off several miles away. He was supposed to be meeting Sam, who was running recon on a farm that had reported sighting a strange animal the day before. It wasn't the wolf, but perhaps something equally dangerous.

While he had bought himself a few hours to investigate if Andrew was involved, he lamented the fact that so much of his time would be eaten up by running to his house from the drop off point. He could count on Sam to maintain his cover, but they had to meet up on schedule or risk drawing the attention of that watchful eye that Dave knew was studying them.

By the time he arrived, his body was coated in sweat. He had ditched his gear near the drop off point, but even without that extra weight those miles through the forest were brutal. Sara was sprawled out on the couch when Dave came through the door, a thin blanket draped across her legs and a sci-fi book open in her hand. There was a black cat resting in her lap, its eyes closed as her off hand caressed its cheek.

He feigned a half-hearted smile as he crossed the room into the kitchen, filling a glass and chugging its contents with a righteous fervor.

"You know, Dave, they invented these things called cars. They take you from one place, and as if drawn by an army of horses, whisk you to your destination at almost impossible speeds."

Dave listened to Sara's teasing comment, which was very much like her, but was surprised to be reminded of Andrew by the wit and intellect within the words she had used. Still, he smiled as he refilled the glass, "I'll look into that."

As soon as the cup was empty, he placed it in the sink and stormed into his room, shutting the door as he entered. Immediately, he knew his fears were well founded. While the room looked just as Michelle and he had left it, just above where their stockpile had been hidden rested a piece of paper folded into a standing V, on its side were the words, "We need to talk. ~A"

His eyes bunched and his biceps hardened as he clenched his fists. It had been almost two decades since Dave had been that angry, or felt that betrayed, not since Michelle and his last operation with SOAL, before the organization was dismantled and their lives were forever changed.

Returning to the living room, he found Sara reading her book, the cat looking over at him with a contented gaze before it turned onto its side and allowed Sara to caress its belly.

"Call him, text him, I don't care. He needs to get here now."

Sara raised her eyes and gave Dave a waggish grin, stating, "Already did."

Dave was taken aback, Sara's calm confidence softening the jagged edges off of his temper, and soothing his anger in a way he could not understand. He watched her for a few long moments as something nagged at the back of his mind, until he noticed it. Her eyes were an impossible shade of yellow, a set of amber pearls studying him with a predators grin. She was not afraid of him, and in a weird and unexpected way that comforted him.

She had always been an eclectic and carefree young woman, and why she chose to wear such strange contacts Dave didn't understand. For a second he thought that perhaps she wanted to make Andrew feel more comfortable for his natural purple eyes. But, knowing her, he figured she just thought they looked cool.

Her phone chimed, and as she picked it up she stated, "He may be a bit, so you might-" she paused and laughed for a moment, before she continued, "you might as well make yourself at home." Her chuckle settled down as she shook her head, finishing with, "Ohhh man, this is all kinds of weird."

There was a long pause as they stared at each other, Dave looking for some emotional aftermath from the bloody scene he had seen in the forest. He was too aware of how traumatic those events were, and began to wonder if perhaps Sara had not been involved. Sam had seen two sets of tracks scattered around that horrific site, and while Dave knew that Andrew had been one of them, he had assumed that Sara would be the other.

Her casual gaze brought him doubt, and as he continued to look for some telltale sign, Sara spoke, "There's braised game meat in the fridge, if your hungry. All your beers are in there as well, in case you need to, you know, take the edge off or whatever."

She turned her attention to her phone, reading a message and then shaking her head as she said, "Has Andrew always been this much of a worry wart?" as her fingers flew over the screen.

Watching Sara for another moment, Dave could see the intensity of her devotion for his son had not diminished — if anything it had gotten stronger. Dave turned and strode into the kitchen, taking her up on her offer; his training and experience in the military having taught him to never pass up an opportunity to fill an empty stomach. Further, he was glad for the distraction as his circled his flailing disappointment.

After a few minutes of preparation, Dave was seated at the small dining room table, a large piece of juicy, sauce-laden meat presented before him. He had never been much of a cook, and recognized as he bit into the surprisingly chewy cut of meat how spoiled Michelle had made him with her excellent cooking.

"What is this?" he asked between chews.

Sara looked over from her book and seemed to consider his question for longer than he expected, and just as the moment became awkward she tilted her head and stated, "Wolf," and then smiled as his eyes grew wide.

"She was involved," Dave thought as his eyes turned down towards his plate, Sara having returned to her book by the time he looked back up.

They stayed there for a long time, neither of them seeming to feel the awkwardness in the silence that surrounded them. Dave respected Sara for that, knowing that Andrew or Michelle would have needed to fill that void with something, with anything, to distract from their thoughts. With more work than he anticipated, Dave finished the soft and juicy piece of meat, and by the end his jaw was sore from all the chewing. By all accounts it should have been tender, and yet beyond any reason he could find, it was tough — as if the fibers of the meat refused to pull apart, no matter how much the cooking had softened them.

He was just at the sink rinsing his plate when there was a knock at the door, and before he could turn, Sara was out from her blanket and dashing across the room, a broad and joyful grin spread across her face. It had to be Andrew, Dave thought, confused why his son would be knocking.

"You don't gotta knock, silly," Sara said as she threw open the door, an infectious happiness bleeding out from every word. "We're all family h-"

Her words were cut short by the sight of the woman who was standing in the darkened doorway. By every measure she was gorgeous, her slender face framed with dark and curly brown hair. Dave figured she must have been in her mid-twenties, but the intensity of her eyes spoke to him of wisdom well beyond her years. He was reminded of his grandmother and the kindness he had admired in her gaze. He couldn't help but smile at the memory, but be confused by the unexpected comparison.

Dave remembered the old woman fondly, memories of the lessons he had learned flooding back to him as he saw a distant reflection of her in that woman's impossible eyes.

"Hey Sara," the mysterious woman stated with a sheepish smile.

"Don't you 'Hey Sara' me, you're wearing makeup and... not fair! A nice dress, too. I thought we were gonna keep this casual."

The woman laughed and pulled Sara in for a hug, and the intimacy of their embrace was not lost on Dave who continued to watch them from the kitchen.

"It's been some time since I've been in this situation, my sweet girl, and I would hate to give the wrong impression. Anyways," she continued as she pulled back, "it's not that fancy of a dress."

Sara was blushing as she withdrew from their embrace, the woman having an obvious effect on her.

"Really? How long has it been since you've introdu-"

Sara's teasing remark was cut short by the beautiful woman's finger as it pressed against her lips.

"Hello, Dave. My name is Karen, and I'm a... friend of Sara and your son." There was a brief pause as Karen and Dave locked eyes, the implication of what was happening dawning on Dave who stood in stunned silence. "Would it be alright if I joined you in conversation? While I know this is a private matter, I suspect I'll be able to ease certain parts of tonight's discourse."

"Ohh, for fuck's sake," Sara announced as she walked back towards the couch. "You're not a goddamn vampire, woman, you don't need an invitation."

Whether it was the shock of what he had just realized, or the strange otherness of the woman who had appeared, Dave found himself laughing at Sara's outburst with more intensity than he expected. Waving his arm, he welcomed her into his house.

The mysterious woman entered the room and took a seat at the dining room table, while

Sara went back to the couch. A moment later, the black cat returned to her lap and watched her as she said, "Karen, somehow I messed up your recipe. That meat is still super chewy and tough."

Dave moved to the side of the table and watched everything with intensity, seeming to study the interaction between Sara and Karen with interest.

After crossing the short distance to the fridge, Karen pulled the last few steaks of braised meat from its icy depths, placing the large plate onto the countertop and poking at the meat with a fork. Dave had no doubt that Karen had been in the house before, and suspected she knew the place well.

"How have you been cutting it?" Karen asked, her attention returning to Sara.

"Just like that, why?"

Karen laughed, her voice a musical sound that made Sara light up and smile.

"Well, that's your problem. You cooked this perfectly, but it's a remarkably lean cut of meat, and given its source my guess is that you need to treat it like flank."

Dave knew what she was leading towards, and kicked himself for not having cut it the way she was about to propose. He had ran the grill in his family for years, and learned early on that how you cut the meat was almost as important as how you cooked it. Despite his dawning knowledge, Sara just raised her eyebrows and put her ignorance on full display.

"You need to cut it into thin strips against the grain," Karen provided, trying to ease Sara's lack of understanding.

"I'm not trying to cut wood here, Karen. We're still talking about meat, right?"

Dave refilled his glass and together with Karen they stepped Sara through what they were talking about. As their conversation neared its end, it dawned on Dave just how weird their exchange had been. Karen seeming to fold into their life without effort, as if she belonged and had always been part of it. Sure, they were waiting for Andrew, which had allowed Dave to accept how Sara had welcomed her into that difficult moment, but never would he have expected to interact with her so soon, or so easily.

There was something about her that was comforting and put him at ease. Something that most people would not have noticed, but Dave became uncomfortably aware of the longer they were together. His anger was almost entirely gone, and their easy conversation had moved towards much more personal subjects as Dave found himself telling Karen and Sara a story about Andrew and how crazy he had been as a child — how he analyzed everything and made sure that all of his toys were in their precise and purposeful place in his room.

The sound of Andrew's car as it pulled up outside cut off their laughter, bringing a different type of joy to Sara and Karen that was obvious to Dave. Part of him was relieved to know that Andrew was safe, but he still found himself looking at his watch and grumbling.

Fifteen minutes was hardly enough time for Dave to get the answers he wanted, or to express the sheer scale of Michelle's and his disappointment in their son's actions. To help Andrew understand just how reckless he had been, or to try and understand why he would think he could defeat a creature like that — not that he knew what that creature had been, Dave was forced to admit to himself

Sara had Andrew in her arms before he even stepped into the house.

"Hey, Kitten. I see everyone's here already."

"We're just waiting on you, lazy little SD."

At the mention of that nickname, Dave saw his son's eyes flash towards him. There was worry etched into their edges, and yet there was more there that Dave had trouble identifying. Andrew was different, somehow older seeming and wiser, but behind all of that there was what Dave had expected to see in Sara but failed to find — fear.

"I'm almost out of time, Andrew," Dave bellowed as he stood from the table, his speech all prepared and ready to go. "What the hell-"

"Before we get into all that, Dad, I need to grab a couple of things and then we can go somewhere that might afford us a bit more time."

Dave stood in blank surprise, stunned by Andrew standing strong before him, seeming to be immune to his thunderous and righteous temper. Sure, Andrew had never put him in the position to unleash his anger at hm before, but Andrew's outburst still seemed different from the boy he knew.

"What are you talking about, Andrew."

"Just trust me, okay?"

For the first time since he arrived, they all noticed the fatigue that weighed Andrew down, his shoulders slumped and his body coated in sweat. His hair was matted and his lips seemed dry.

"I'll get the bag, sweetie," Sara stated as she ran to the back of the house, vanishing into the master bedroom while Dave continued to watch the strange family that Andrew had built.

"Andrew, you stubborn boy. I tried to tell you that training with Mr Spencer and Blacksmithing on the same night was too much, even for you."

Karen's words were sweet, and Dave felt her love for his son in her every expression. She walked over to Andrew, whose eyes were still glued on his father's as the two men measured each other's reactions. Her hand cupped the side of his face and brought a smile to his eyes, pulling his attention to the stunning woman who nestled up against him.

"I'll get stronger, and hopefully this is the worse it'll be."

Karen pulled back and shook her head at the small man, "That may well be true, but there's no need for it."

Dave had never felt more isolated in his own house before, their conversation happening as if he weren't even there, though he knew that Andrew had not forgotten him. They wanted him to hear what they said, and wanted him to be part of it. Dave and Michelle had just accepted Andrew's relationship with Sara, and Dave knew that this was how Andrew had decided to introduce Karen's unexpected presence.

"You know what just happened, and you're still trying to convince me that we have the time to take things slowly?" Andrew's words to Karen were a whisper, spoken with love and dripping with concern.

Sara came back into the room still wearing her running shorts, a sports bra and a form fitting t-shirt, with a large black bag slung over her shoulder. Dave expected to see some sign of jealousy from Andrew's wild and free spirited girlfriend, but instead she seemed to beam with happiness as she stopped and asked.

"Are you two about done? Seems like the grumpy old bear here has better places to be."

Dave eyed Sara, not expecting her wit to find him at a time like that. Andrew and Karen shook their heads at their partner, their eyes shining with the devotion he had grown accustomed to seeing from Andrew alone, and seeing it from Karen furthered his surprise.

"What the hell is going on?" Dave asked, not getting an answer before Andrew took Karen's hand and led her out of the house.

"There'll be plenty of time for answers in a few minutes, Dad. Just try and keep up..." Pausing, Andrew noticed Karen's loose but figure accentuating dress, her makeup done up in a subtle but effective way. With a smile, he turned his eyes towards his father and revised his statement, "Since some of us decided to make this a formal affair-"

"This dress is not that fancy, geez!" Karen interrupted.

"I guess it'll take a bit longer to get there," Andrew concluded.

Dave had never known Andrew to be so assertive, and found it to be a good look on him. Part of him wanted to put his foot down and to demand answers that very minute, but strange things were afoot, and something told him that he needed to trust his son. Whatever was going on would be made clear soon, and if it wasn't, then there would still be the same hell to pay.

To his surprise, Sara led their way out of the house and out across the field. Andrew seemed distracted as he looked to the edge of their clearing, in the direction back towards the road. Sara saw his expression and stated, "I'll explain later."

Andrew shrugged and kept ahold of Karen's hand. For the next several minutes they maintained a steady pace that Dave found difficult to maintain. If not for the three younger people leading his way, Dave would've been lost in the first minute, his footing seeming to slip from him more and more often the further they went. Never once did Andrew or Sara miss a step, and Karen only seemed to stagger when her flats slipped on the mossy terrain. It was as if they could see through the darkness, and moved with a purposeful ease he found impossible.

He knew the true source of their steady travel though, that they had made the journey enough times that the little light they were given was enough for them to find their way. That was what he convinced himself of at least. The longer they went, the more frustrated Dave became, until after almost ten minutes Dave grumbled, "We don't have time for these games, Andrew."

Stopping and turning around, Andrew faced his father, the small man seeming more insignificant than Karen had ever seen him by the comparison to his towering progenitor. She could see the family resemblance, but recognized how different Andrew was from the god like man that towered above him. It was no wonder the women of the town had been talking about Dave, he was gorgeous and manly, the moonlight making his strong and muscular body seem even more impressive than it had been in the house.

Andrew cleared his throat and looked slightly sheeping as he looked up into his father's glowering face. "This is as good a spot as any to get you ready for the last leg."