"In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities."

Janos Arany (The greatest Hungarian epic poet, 1817- 1882)

"Love hath no law but his own"

William Shakespeare

CHAPTER 1

Blessed silence finally reigned for what seemed like the first time in weeks to Saint John Hawke. Come to think of it, maybe it was the first time in weeks. Le and Joshua together were quite a handful, and while he loved them both unconditionally, he didn't envy his brother at the moment. String had taken all three boys for a weekend camping trip, and the bravery that must've taken he couldn't imagine. A three year old, six year old, and fifteen year old loose in the woods - that would be some kind of experience. Due to his brother's favor, he had the whole weekend to do whatever he wanted to do; it was all up to him. He had an open invite to join the campers anytime, or Caitlin had offered him to let him spend a while at the cabin. Alone time. It was an odd thing to him. Something everyone needed some of, the question was how much. String could enjoy long periods of time alone and love it; he also retreated and hid away from the rest of the world whenever something happened. Caitlin, on the other hand, was more of a sharer, liked some time alone, but much more of a social person than her husband. Opposites attract - that's what they say. He, well, he wasn't quite sure what he liked. So much time in imprisonment had forced him to be able to get along with most anyone for lone times in small enclosed area, but also caused him to savor the time alone too. Now, what to do?

\A/

The room was quiet other than the methodical hiss and beeps of the life-support machinery and the low undertones he talked in. Ellie remained silent and still, maybe always would. At least a couple of times a week he still made time to come visit her prone form, hoping that one day there would be more than that. Eventually she might come around, it had happened before to people, sometimes after months or even years. What could it hurt to help? Only dreams that may never come true.

"Hey Ellie," he greeted, only to receive the silent treatment he was expecting. "Joshua is doing pretty well. He and Le get along great, although they're a bit noisy at times. My apartment currently looks like a cross between a battlefield and a toy store that exploded. He and Chance could be brothers too, the age difference doesn't seem to bother any of them. Right now String is taking them all camping. I might join them tomorrow, don't know for sure yet. And Dom's been good. Lately business at the hanger has kept us occupied. Le's really enjoying being out of school for the summer, even helping out at the hangar where he can, although he can't get his commercial license until he turns seventeen. Won't be that long though, I guess. Time sure does fly. If there was one thing in the world I could have, it would probably be to make up the time - you, Le, String, Dom… I've just missed so much."

\A/

Opening the bottle and taking a long draw on it, Mike Rivers studied his friend carefully, trying to pinpoint the problem, then set the amber colored bottle down with solid thump on the coffee table. He really couldn't figure it out. Saint John had seemed ok last time he had seen him, which admittedly had been a while, but there wasn't anything to indicate why things would be different now. A quick visit to stop and say hi, that's all this was supposed to be, but something was seriously wrong.

"Alright, I give. What's eating you?"

Saint John didn't answer but proceeded with throwing the TV dinner into the microwave and mashing the buttons unnecessarily hardly. "You want one, Mike? I've got pork fried rice with and an egg roll, or country steak left. The egg roll tastes like rubber though."

"I'll take my chances with the pork fried rice," he answered, "just do me a favor and make sure this is my last beer."

Saint John nodded absently and pulled out his microwaved dinner, throwing Mike's in next as he took his food back to the living room and sat down with his friend.

"Ok, for real, what's bugging you?"

"Who said anything was?"

"It's obvious," Mike stated. "I know your brother took Le and ran off to go camping somewhere. What? He threatened not to return him or something? Feed him to the bears, mountain lions, or whatever else lurks around in the shadows once it gets dark at that heavenly, peaceful, and tranquil Eagle Lake?"

"No, nothing like that, although I have questioned my parenting ability a little in the last couple weeks. I mean, how hard can it be to raise two boys?"

"Whoa, hold up. Since when did you have two? Forgetting to tell Uncle Mikey that you've added to the clan? I need to know these things. And how is the special lady?"

"It's complicated."

"Oh just tell me."

"It's Ellie Mae, only it's her son, not mine."

"Ok, you were right; it is complicated. How did you end up with her kid if he isn't also your kid?"

"He, Joshua, was Ellie and her husband Arthur's son, but Arthur was murdered. Ellie and I had been seeing each other occasionally since then, nothing too serious, but I hoped maybe one day… Anyway, she got in a bad accident on her trip to Italy."

"And things didn't turn out so well," Mike surmised.

"She's still in a coma, has been for about six weeks. Josh didn't have any other known living relatives that could take him, so I adopted him."

"I see," Rivers commented, now feeling guilty for what he had intended to be harmless jokes. He didn't really know Ellie Mae all that well, but the fact was the same - she was in a coma, and his friend was hurting.

"I'll get over it eventually, and there's nothing you could have done about it. So, what did you come by for in the first place?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Nothing much, just to come by and check in on an old friend."

"Old friend?"

"Well you are older than me, even your brother is."

"By one day," Saint John countered, " still far from old."

"We'll see bout that. I can still beat you at most anything."

"Think so?"

"I know so," Mike taunted haughtily.

"You're on. Tomorrow morning, be here."