*I don't own them. Wish I did.
** Thanks to Alice Marie for help with the beta and Diana for help with wording.
Sequel to my story Once Upon A Time.
ONCE UPON A TIME – EPILOGUE
By SandySha
Sunlight streamed into the Great Room through the open French doors. A gentle, cooling breeze coming through the doors pulled the smell of bread, fresh from the oven, through the entire house. In the kitchen, the sound of women's voices could be heard speaking in Spanish as they hurried to finish dinner.
Streamers were hung around the Great Room in preparation for the celebration that night.
An older woman with blonde hair sat in a large leather chair in the room. On either side of the woman sat two small children, a girl and a boy. The little girl had golden hair, like spun silk and the little boy's soft curly hair was as dark as a raven's wing.
At the woman's feet sat eight more children. In chairs around the room sat adults, some with light blond hair and some with dark hair. Everyone was eagerly waiting to hear the story that was promised.
Catherine smiled as she looked across the room and saw her father smiling back at her.
The traditional telling of the 'The Story' had started almost 40 years ago in 1880. Grandpa Murdoch had captivated six-year-old Catherine and her four-year-old cousin Juan with the story of how, like knights of old, two brothers came home to save the kingdom of Lancer.
Grandpa Murdoch said there would come a time when Catherine would be telling the story to her grandchildren, and it looked like the time had come.
Until this year it had been her father, Scott, who had retold the story on the last day of the year. Now the tradition was being passed to her. Reluctantly, she had taken on the responsibility. If tradition held, Catherine would pass the storytelling to Lorrie, her first grandchild.
"Tell us 'The Story' Grandma," the little girl next to Cathy said.
"We have to wait until everyone is here, Lorrie," Cathy said smiling at her granddaughter.
"When will everyone get here?" the little boy asked impatiently.
"Soon, Jacob," she answered hugging the little boy.
Of course, everyone in the family knew there were stories of the family. They loved the stories of Uncle Johnny and Johnny Madrid. However, there was only one story that they called 'The Story.'
Cathy looked over the mantle at the pictures of the three men 'The Story' was about. Murdoch's photograph hung in the middle, with Johnny's picture on the right and Scott's on the left. All three forever smiling, forever young.
...********
The sound of the front door opening and then closing was followed by the sound of spurs jingling. Everyone looked up to see Johnny smiling at them. Even after all these years he still cut an imposing figure.
Johnny had aged more gracefully than others of his era. His dark black hair was gone, replaced by silver. Hours spent working in the sun had weathered his handsome face, but nothing could diminish the sparkle in his deep blue eyes or erase the laugh lines around those eyes.
"Am I too late?" he asked, his voice still loud and strong.
"Nope, brother," Scott answered. "We've been waiting for you. Couldn't tell 'The Story' without you."
Johnny laughed and took the chair next to his brother.
The little girl next to Catherine hopped down from the chair and ran to Johnny.
"Uncle Johnny," she said as she put her arms around her great uncle's neck. Others joined her and soon Johnny was covered in children.
"So, are we ready to hear a story?" Johnny asked with a smile that still lit up the room and made his face look years younger.
There were nods from around the room.
"Alright, which story do you want to hear? How about the one where I faced down four gunhawks that time in Tucson?" he teased them.
"It's New Year's Eve, Uncle Johnny," Lorri said. "We want to hear 'The Story,' you know that."
"Yeah, Papa Johnny," the little boy said from his spot next to Cathy, "you know that."
"Is that so, Jacob," Johnny smiled at his great-grandson. The boy had inherited his dark blue eyes and black hair.
Jacob nodded and slid out of his spot next to Catherine Grace.
Scott almost laughed as he saw the little boy saunter across the room like he'd seen Johnny do so many times. Jacob was going to be the spitting image of Johnny when he grew up.
Jacob stood in front of his great grandfather and gave the other children his best Madrid glare. One by one the others climbed out of Johnny's lap clearing a place for little Jacob to sit.
Scott laughed, "Did you teach him that?"
Johnny grinned, "Nope, brother, this one's a natural."
Jacob climbed into Johnny's lap and put his arms around his neck. "We didn't think you were ever gonna' get here, Papa Johnny. Aunt Catherine has been waiting to tell the story."
"Is that right?" Johnny hugged the little boy. "Well, I'm here now. Why don't you go back over there and tell her to get it said?"
Jacob nodded and started to hurry out of Johnny's lap before turning back around and giving one more hug, "I love you, Papa Johnny."
"I love you too, Jacob. Now go on. I'm not getting any younger here, and I want to see if your Aunt Cathy can tell the story as good as my big brother here," Johnny lifted the little boy from his lap and placed him on the floor.
Jacob ran across the room and skidded to a stop in front of Catherine. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked up at the older woman and said, "Aunt Catherine, Papa Johnny said for you to get it said."
Catherine Grace laughed as she looked from the boy to her Uncle Johnny. "Well, I better get it said then. Do you want to get back up here?"
Jacob nodded and retook his spot next to Catherine Grace.
As everyone sat down and prepared for the story, Johnny looked around the room at the faces of his family.
"What are you thinking, little brother?" Scott asked watching the smile play across Johnny's face. Even after all these years, Johnny was still his little brother and that was never going to change.
"Oh, just thinking of all the years we've had together," Johnny looked at Scott. There were tears in his eyes. "You never thought I'd live past 30 and look at me now. We've had a bunch of beginnings and endings just like the old man said we would. We've opened and closed a lot of chapters."
Scott nodded, "Yes, we have. Look at them, Johnny, look at what we've done." Scott looked at the faces of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, thinking how blessed he was.
"Naw, not just us, Scott. The old man started it all," Johnny's gaze went to the picture on the wall. The smiling image of Murdoch Lancer looked down on his kingdom.
"Would you do it again?" Scott asked.
Johnny nodded, "Yeah, guess I would. We've lost a lot over the years. There have been more tears and sorrow than I want to remember, but, yeah, I'd do it again. What about you? Would you do it again?"
Scott reached over and put his hand on his brother's arm. "You know I would. Even with all that we've lost, I'd do it again. I made it through it all because of you, John."
"Well, we're starting another new year," Johnny relaxed into his chair and put his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.
"Yes, we are. You think this next year will be better or worse than 1918?" Scott asked as he also stretched out and crossed his ankles, mirroring his brother.
"Not sure, Boston," Johnny looked down at his hands folded in his lap. "The world is a pretty sorry place right now, what with the war in Europe just ending and all."
Scott knew Johnny was thinking of the grandson he'd lost on the battlefields of France this past summer. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at his oldest daughter. Catherine was smiling at him, waiting for the brothers to finish talking before she started.
Scott tapped Johnny's arm. Johnny's head came up and looked at him. Scott nodded toward Catherine Grace.
Johnny looked at his niece and smiled, giving her a brief nod.
Catherine straightened in the chair and looked around the room. She'd heard the story she was about to tell dozens of times, but it never got old.
"Everyone comfortable?" Catherine asked looking around the room at her family. She was greeted with nods all around. She laughed when she saw exaggerated nods from Scott and Johnny.
Taking a deep breath, she began, "Many years ago my Grandpa Murdoch…." She looked up at the picture of Murdoch on the wall. Everyone's eyes followed hers. She cleared her throat again and swallowed the emotions that threatened to make her cry.
She started over, "Grandpa Murdoch said our lives are very much like a storybook, with many, many chapters and just as many beginnings and endings. Where one chapter ends, another begins.
He said the book opens when we're born. The chapters in the book tell the story, our story. Finally, when the last page is read, and the final scene is played out, the book is closed.
If we're lucky, someone, will come along, pick up the book, remember the story and tell it again.
Each generation either adds chapters to the book or starts a new volume. In that way, the story will never end.
He said that someday, it would be me sitting in this room telling the story of Lancer to my grandchildren and here we are."
She took a breath, tears pooling in her eyes.
"So, every New Year's Eve we gather in this room and 'The Story' is retold. We close one year and open another knowing the chapters of our lives, our story, will never be forgotten.
The story I'm going to tell you will be passed along to your children and grandchildren and all the generations to come. That's how you'll make Lancer live on… it will live on through you and your stories."
Looking at Scott and Johnny one more time, she took a deep breath, smiled and began:
"Once upon a time, there were two brothers…."
End
Happy New Year
January 2019