The final showdown with Louis-Phillippe (who I named for my favorite monarch Louis XIV and his brother Philippe d'Orleans). Should I end the saga here or would you like more of Sioux and Johnathan? Please Review and let me know.

Johnathan

She took a breath, prayed to the Gods of both her parents, and began.

'I died in Acapulco, a tragic stumble off a high cliff.'

Johnathan's breath hitched. 'You went off a cliff?'

'Yes.'

She hoped he would understand why she had to go off that cliff, because the circumstances of her past life were that extreme. She continued.

'I went to a lot of places. . . Cartagena, Paris, Zurich, and finally to that cliff in Acapulco.'

Sioux

After getting her affairs in order, meeting with her bankers in Zurich, her the foundation directors in France, and some unsavory characters in Columbia, it was time for her to confront Louis-Philippe. He agreed to see her at his villa in Acapulco. It was perched on a high cliff extending out over the Pacific ocean, on the north end of the bay in the 'traditional' area, where the famous in the mid to late 20th century vacationed. For years she had looked forward to spending most of January there. Louis-Philippe had entertained lavishly and as his hostess she had met and entertained many famous people. She especially held fond memories of the actress Merle Oberon who entranced her with tales from Hollywood's golden age and actor Robert Wolders, her partner who adored her and stood with her until the day she passed.

She had dressed carefully for this meeting in a diaphanous white caftan, gold strappy sandals, her long hair caught in a knot secured by two antique Japanese gold cloisonné sticks Louis-Philippe had gifted her for her thirtieth birthday. Louis-Philippe's long time Japanese majordomo Daisuke greeted her with a bow.

' Konbanwa (Good Evening) Samantha-san.'

Sioux bowed. 'Ogenki desu-ka Ojisan? (How are you honored Uncle?)

Daisuke smiled and replied in English. 'Well enough Samantha-san, well enough.'

Sioux placed a loving hand on the frail shoulder of the eighty year old man she loved, and would never see again in this life. She wept in her spirit.

'Where is he?'

'Office.'

The old man's eyes sadly followed her as Sioux walked through the rooms she had designed that opened to the vista of Acapulco Bay. The end was almost at hand.

Unlike the rest of the open airy rooms in the villa, Louis-Philippe's office looked like one of a barrister in Victorian England. All the windows were covered with heavy drapes, mahogany paneling and bookcases filled with rare editions and objects de art collected over a lifetime covered every wall. The room was darkly gloomy, and he sat at an ornate desk still and staring at her as she approached. He did not offer her a chair perhaps looking to make her feel a girl called to the headmaster's office for chastisement. She preferred to stand. . . a grown woman.

'You called Samantha.' He voice was low and clipped.

It was hard to see him clearly in the darkened room but his features and life force were etched in her spirit like a deep gouge cut by a diamond. He bore an uncanny resemblance to Laurence Olivier, especially as a young man. Now in his late seventies, he was a regal lion in winter.

'Our annual meeting isn't scheduled until January, is there something pressing?'

'Yes there is.' Sioux said simply. He waited.

'It is time for me to die.'

Louis-Philippe raised an eyebrow. 'You die for a living.'

'It is time for this life, the life with you for twenty five years to die. I will go to a new life.'

'With your crab fisherman?'

Sioux felt sick and faint from the sharp hit of adrenaline that rocked her. She quickly summoned her training and remained outwardly stoic.

'When you aborted the Bering Sea mission I thought it odd, and went back through your file.'

And patted a thin burgundy portfolio.

'Such a waste really. All the years of the finest education, training, and refinement I invested in you presented on a silver platter to a barely educated, thrill-seeking, brawling, blue collar oaf. Why would I allow you to do such a foolish thing?'

'Because you have no choice.'

Louis-Philippe smiled lazily. 'No, it is you who has no choice mon petite ami.'

Sioux assured him. 'Oh I have choices Louis-Philippe, I have choices, and have made my choice.'

Succinctly she outlined the motions she had put in place that would take down his cartel. He sat back and could not help to take pride at the depth of the thorough precision, and ruthlessness of her work. When she finished, he clapped slowly.

'Ah, the pawn has become a Queen. Believes she has taken out the King and declared Checkmate. Thinks the game over?'

Sioux's face was stone.

'I'm not playing. I'm simply done. You and yours will never touch me or mine. You will abandon the Bering Sea as a target. There are plenty of other seas. You have no need to be greedy.'

He studied her closely.

'You would truly destroy me cher?'

She narrowed her eyes and drilled his like a cold green laser.

'In a heartbeat. Louis-Philippe you know I am a monster, you created me. . .a formidable enemy. Do not make me annihilate you. It will give me no pleasure.'

Slowly he slumped in his chair.

'I feared this day was coming. You have been unhappy for a long time now, the light in your eyes growing dim with malaise of the spirit. Your fisherman has brought back your spirit. He must be a very unusual man. You love him?'

Sioux just nodded.

He held up a hand that trembled slightly.

'Ah, then go. I am an old man with neither the will, nor the energy to fight you.'

'You agree to my terms?'

'Each and every one.'

Sioux knew this man. Knew his word was his honor. He would not deceive her.

'Adieu a jamais.' (goodbye forever)

She turned and walked away from her life and fought hot tears. If she were to be completely honest, she had not been an unwilling victim in the course it had taken. She had loved Louis-Philippe in the early years, but the protégé / master dynamic had soured, then strangled long ago. In his way, she believed he had loved her too. There were people like Daisuke who she also loved. But there was no love in her past that could hold her. She was going to be free. . .free to love Johnathan. Free to make a new life that was entirely of her own making. There is fear in freedom. . .the unknown. But she had always been brave.

After Sioux left, Daisuke entered the darkened room and expertly hooked Louis-Philippe back up to the oxygen tank and the IV with his pain medication. Perspiration was causing the thick stage make up on his face to begin to run.

'Ah, my friend.' Louis-Philippe panted. 'I think I pulled it off.'

'That is good.' Daisuke knew it was important to him that Samantha-san not know about the cancer that was killing him rapidly.

'Daisuke she was magnificent.' His winced as he chuckled. 'She actually could have taken me down. Little did she know that I beat her to it. When I go, it all goes with me. And she is in love Daisuke. Now I can die knowing through it all, she managed to keep her spirit intact.'

Daisuke nodded as a single tear streaked his cheek.

Sioux walked along the cliff high above the villa at dusk. Knowing her death needed to be witnessed, she had timed the day of her visit to the party she knew the neighbors, some Saudi prince, was having. She could not be missed by the partiers milling around the pool and balconies. Where she got to the spot she had selected, she quickly scooped up the package she had hidden earlier. As she walked along the cliff edge, she started to stumble as if she was drunk. She noted she had caught the eye of most of the revelers. She stumbled to her knees and as she rose she appeared to lose her balance, arms cart wheeling, she fell back over the cliff out of sight, to the rocks and ocean below.

Johnathan

'The caftan had quickreleasefastening and under it I wore a FS 14 canopy parachute designed for steep descents and steerable. Trouble was, it sucks in higher winds and it was pretty windy that night. That's how I got beat up. Lucky not to have broke my fool neck.'

Johnathan turned her to face him and crushed her. 'Sioux, my legs are shaking. You scare the hell out of me. So it's done?'

She nodded and clung to him like her life depended on him. . .because it did. He raised her chin and held her face in his hands, kissed her gently, then held her eyes.

'I know you love me. You died and came back for me. If I could I'd do the same for you to show you how much I love you. I. Love. You. Always have, always will.'

He had to ask.

'You died. Who are you know?'

Her eyes were shinning as she reached up and traced his face with a trembling hand.

'The girl you met in Homer a lifetime ago. I always kept her identity safe, pure, and legal. I'm still your Sioux my love. Sioux Nighthawk.'

Endless Love - Lionel Richie

My love,
There's only you in my life
The only thing that's right

My first love,

You're every breath that I take
You're every step I make

And I
I want to share
All my love with you
No one else will do...

And your eyes
Your eyes, your eyes
They tell me how much you care
Ooh yes, you will always be
My endless love

Two hearts,
Two hearts that beat as one
Our lives have just begun

And Forever
I'll hold you close in my arms
I can't resist your charms

And love
and, love
I'll be a fool
For you,
I'm sure
You know I don't mind
Oh, you know I don't mind

'Cause baby you,
You mean the world to me
Oh I know
I've found in you
My endless love

Oooh, and love
Oh, love
I'll be that fool
For you,
I'm sure
That You know I don't mind
Oh you know-
I don't mind

And, YES
You'll be the only one
'Cause no one no one can deny
This love I have inside
And I'll give it all to you
My love
My love, my love
My endless love