The Girl, The Gold Ring, And Everything
The Five Of Hearts Series
By Thomas Mc


Chapter 11

Byron lay in the underground guest chamber that had been assigned to him and stared up at the rock ceiling. His mind was awhirl with everything he had experienced today.

This underground world was full of unexpected and amazingly beautiful wonders. What he found just as amazing, was the things he had learned while talking to some of the people that lived down here. For many of them this place had been their salvation. For some it was a place of safety. For some it was a refuge from a harsh world. For some it was a place to rebuild broken spirits. But most importantly, for all of them these tunnels represented home and family.

He could easily see how this place could have taken in a potentially dangerous creature like Vincent and produced the warm gentle intelligent soul that he and his sons had become. He hoped that he could do even half as good a job when it came to raising his own children. Then his thoughts strayed to Jennifer. She would bring the tunnel attitudes to everything she did including raising her children . . . 'our children?' The thought brought him up short. Just now he hadn't even thought about what her children might look like only that he wanted them to be his.

He thought about the ring that currently resided in his nightstand drawer back home. All of the barriers that he had imagined between him and Jennifer had fallen during the last few days. The only hurtle left was a fairly normal fear of rejection but he thought that with a little time he could get past that without too much difficulty.

He drifted off to sleep imagining what their life might be like, including the possibility of a child with Vincent's unique physical characteristics.

~ BnB ~

Jennifer spent most of the next day showing off more of her underground world to Byron. That evening they went back to the surface for dinner and a movie (she insisted that it was her treat). Dinner was at a rather upscale mid-town restaurant that he had never heard of. After the movie they returned to the brownstone and spent a few hours nuzzling before the fireplace. As before, when it came time to go to bed, they both found it difficult to retire to their separate bedrooms.

The rest of the days of his weeklong visit seemed to drift by in a kind of romantic haze as they steadily got closer to each other. Each night Jennifer spent a little more time talking and cuddling in his room before, finally, reluctantly, retiring to her own bedroom.

~ BnB ~

Byron woke up on New Year's Eve morning to find that Jennifer was in his arms and asleep. She stirred and her arms tightened around him. He thought back to last night. They had been cuddled up in each other's arms on his bed just talking about nothing in particular, the romantic comedy playing on the room's small TV completely ignored. There had been no sex involved, just the simple enjoyment of each other's company. They must have both fallen asleep.

Suddenly he felt a moment of panic. What if Vincent or her brothers found out?

Jennifer stirred in his arms and her eyes opened. His previous thought was driven from his mind by the half sleepy look of contentment in her beautiful blue eyes.

The next instant they were startled by a knock on the door followed by Vincent's voice. "Better get up you two or you'll miss out on breakfast."

Jennifer closed her eyes momentarily, shaking her head with a groan, then opened them with a shrug and a short nervous giggle. "It's nearly impossible to keep anything secret in this house." She glanced over at the TV looking slightly puzzled. "Did you turn off the TV?"

Byron shook his head. "No . . . Did you close the door?"

Jennifer shook her head. "Not me." She looked down, blushing. "I also don't remember pulling the bedspread over us."

Byron also blushed. "Well at least we still have our clothes on." He threw off the cover. "I guess we may as well get up and face the music."

Jennifer giggled again. "Based on what I'm feeling from my brother, it's more like teasing that we're going to face."

~ o ~

Byron and Jennifer entered the dining room to a sea of grinning faces.

"Enjoy your night, Sis?" Jacob inquired with a distinctive twinkle in his eye. Linda merely emitted a barely suppressed giggle.

"She must have been half asleep and lost her way last night." Commented Charles with a grin breaking through an attempted mock frown.

"For a bad sense of direction it seems mighty convenient." Added Brigit.

"Now, now, children, I'm sure it was all very innocent." Insisted Catherine though there was a definite twinkle of humor in her eyes.

Vincent and Brigit both coughed but Byron would swear that he heard the words 'Yea, right.' Buried in those caughs.

"Pay no attention to those clowns." Remarked Linda her eyes also dancing with humor. "You remember how much teasing Jake and I had to put up with when we, ah, crossed that line." Again she broke into a fit of giggles.

"Hey, we did not cross any line." Responded Jennifer with just a bit of heat and a very red face.

"You slept together, didn't you." Remarked Charles.

"The operative term is sleep." Jennifer shot back.

By now both Byron and Jennifer were so red, they were practically glowing.

'Alright." Catherine called out. "You two grab some food and a seat." She finished with a mock glare behind a suppressed grin at the rest of the table. "And the rest of you behave."

There were a few more sly jabs but for the most part the breakfast conversation returned to more typical topics. Byron was just relieved that there were no signs of displeasure exhibited by any of Jennifer's family.

The rest of the morning and afternoon passed more or less quietly. Byron and Jennifer went out for lunch and a quiet walk in the park.

As evening approached, the entire family headed below ground. This time they didn't go down to the community. Instead they walked some distance in the utility tunnels then started back up, ending up in some type of office building basement. They took an elevator marked private; Catherine had to use a card key to call it. When the elevator door opened they faced a large plush office that was already occupied by several people that all looked over at the opening elevator doors. Some of them even smiled a greeting at the newly arrived group. None of them seemed the least surprised about the appearance of Vincent and his sons. On the wall to their right as they exited the elevator was the Burch Industries logo. It took up most of the wall.

Dennis and Diana were here along with Joe, Sammy and Elizabeth. As usual Charles wasted no time connecting with Elizabeth. Byron also spotted the fashion supermodel Victoria Burch and her rich industrialist husband Elliot Burch over talking to Joe and Sammy. He remembered the first time he met them a few years ago while attending the play Blyth Spirit on Broadway with The Senator and his wife. He also spotted Charlie the horse drawn carriage driver who introduced her husband, Bill, to him.

Then Catherine began introducing Byron around. He was introduced to Thomas Johnson a well respected newspaper reporter and his wife Misty Spirco Johnson. Next he was introduced to FBI Agent James McClendon a distinguished middle aged man and his wife Jenny Aronson McClendon a very old friend of Catherine. Next Byron was led to another pair of middle aged couples. One Couple was Chris and Sharon Gains who happened to be Linda's parents. The other couple was Phillip and Becky Douglass. The two men were partners in a very successful financial investment company that had several influential clients, including Catherine and Elliot. Catherine then led them over to a couple in their early thirties. Danny Tanner was an investment consultant and his wife Karen was an accountant. They both worked at Chris and Phillip's company. Finally he was introduced to a very pretty woman in an NYFD paramedic uniform named Beverly Whyte. She wasn't currently on duty but she was 'on-call' until morning.

After all the introductions Byron and Jennifer went over to the wall of glass on the far side of the room. Byron found himself looking down on a spectacular view of Times Square and the huge crowd of bundled up New Years celebrants in the streets below (The temperature had cooled down significantly over the last few hours). Looking up he clearly saw the lighted ball ready to drop at midnight.

Sitting on a tripod on the far left end of the glass wall was a camera pointed out the window. Mounted on the wall next to the camera was a large flat screen television displaying what the camera was seeing. On the wall to the right, under the Burch Industries logo was a long buffet filled with all sorts of snack foods and drinks. Cheerful music was playing over an unseen audio system, enhancing the party atmosphere within the elegantly appointed room.

Byron and Jennifer got drinks and snacks then circulated among the other guests. Byron learned that Chris, Phillip, Danny, Becky and Linda had all been caught under the rubble of the 9/11 attack together. Jacob had been trapped just yards away and had managed to dig his way to the others. Charlie had been trapped in a wrecked subway car near the destroyed towers. It was a crew of people from the underground community, led by Vincent and assisted by Jennifer, that had rescued all of them a few days later. He also learned that it was during that rescue that Jennifer had been nearly killed in a secondary cave-in.

Soon midnight was approaching and everyone gathered in front of the window to watch the countdown. The music that had been playing most of the evening had been replaced by some radio commentator that was broadcasting from somewhere in the crowd below.

Just before the countdown started Elliot called for everyone's attention. "I would like to propose a toast. . . To good friends, both old . . ." He nodded toward Vincent and Catherine. ". . . and new . . ." He nodded toward Byron. "and to a happy and fortuitous New Year for us all." His gaze took in everyone in the room.

Everyone in the room lifted their crystal wine goblets in answer to Elliot's toast. "To good friends and a Happy New Year." They all echoed then downed their drinks.

Then the countdown began. "10 . . . 9 . . . 8 . . . 7 . . . 6 . . . 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The cheering from below and the calls of "Happy New Year!" reverberated around the office accompanied by lots of hugs and back slaps and more than a few emotional kisses, especially among the couples.

The rest of the room faded from their consciousness as Byron and Jennifer embraced and kissed in the New Year. Finally they pulled back a bit and looked lovingly into each other's eyes. Slowly they again became aware of the rest of the room as the pulled reluctantly apart. Then holding each other's hands they looked down on the cheering crowd.

Someone in the room began singing 'Auld Lang Syne'. By the time they reached the chorus everyone in the room had joined in. They all raised their wine glasses aloft in salute as the chorus began and Byron felt goose bumps run up his spine from the emotional atmosphere in the room as he put his free arm around Jennifer's waist. The song continued through four more verses, two of which Byron had heard before. The last chorus died away and wine glasses were lowered as silence enveloped the room. For several seconds the only sound was from the crowd below as everyone stood lost in their own thoughts.

Byron was acutely aware of Jennifer's presence beside him. He looked over at Jennifer to find her shining eyes looking back at him. Byron hoped that, in the future, when he thought of 'days of long ago' they would be filled with memories of Jennifer and him together.

Then the moment passed and conversations began to pick up again. Byron and Jennifer kissed again. It was a light almost chaste kiss but it was backed with a bright promise for the future.

Not long after that the guests began to trickle out to make their way home for the night. Byron and Jennifer left a little after half past one.

That night there was no intention to separate. They climbed into his bed together; cuddled and kissed for a short while then contentedly fell asleep in each other's arms.

~ BnB ~

The next morning they awoke in the warmth of each other's embrace with smiles that threatened to split their faces. This time when they came down for breakfast they were greeted by warm smiles and a few inquiries if they had slept well last night. It was obvious that her family was aware of the new state of their relationship and had accepted it. Byron was grateful for their easy acceptance.

After breakfast Byron packed his suitcase then he and Jennifer bundled up for the brisk winter air and went out for a walk in Central Park. A light snow had fallen very early that morning leaving everything covered in a light dusting of sparkling white. They stopped for lunch in a small pizza place that faced the park. That afternoon they went out to a movie and an early dinner at a nice Italian place nearby.

After dinner Jennifer dropped Byron off at the airport. He had to fly out that night because he had to go in to work the next morning. He was supposed to begin work on The Senator's new pet project. They parted with a kiss, a hug, and a promise that she would see him again in Austin in two days.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

AULD LANG SYNE

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of long ago?

Chorus:
For auld lang syne my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

:

And surely you'll buy your pint cup,
And surely I'll buy mine.
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For Days of long ago.

Chorus

:

We two have run about the slopes,
And picked the daisies fine;
But we've wandered many a weary road,
Since days of long ago.

Chorus

:

We two have paddled in the stream,
From morning sun 'til dine;
But seas between us broad have roared,
Since days of long ago.

Chorus

:

And there's a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o' thine!
And we'll take a right good-will drought,
For Days of long ago.

Chorus

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Continued in Part 12


'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.