CONQUERED
Chapter 25
The men had agreed. Dean and Laura got to go first so they could renew their vows.
"I told you once, my love, that I thought you were so far out of my league. To my eyes, you were the most handsome man I had ever met, and you were rich. Why would you be interested in me?
"You rescued me that one night, and you even asked me out on a date. I couldn't believe it. What did I have to offer? But I love you, husband. I want to spend my life with you. Forever and always," Laura promised him.
"I've always been a sucker for beautiful women in distress. I could see the shine in your eyes even then. Those beautiful women you think I could have chosen instead of you? They are all shallow. You are beautiful inside and out. You were real. My mother could see it, even if my father couldn't.
"This day I ask you to marry me and let us spend our lives together. To love each other till time itself comes to an end," Dean vowed, and kissed her.
Laura accepted a hug from Kate, Alexis, and Martha.
Martha and Anderson went next.
"I loved you the second I saw you. The most handsome man I had ever seen. Our one night was memorable and I'm not sorry. You gave me a son and he has been a joy. He in turn gave me my first grandchild who I love dearly.
"I want nothing more than to be your wife," Martha said to him, "if you'll have me."
"You stole my heart the second I saw you. I was young, stupid, and dedicated. I let you go when I should have stayed. Instead I served my country to the best of my ability. Yes, I have done things that would not make you proud of me. I followed you, Richard, and even Alexis as best I could. Did what I could when I could. I had enemies that would use you against me.
"All of that is behind me now. I want to be the husband that you deserved all those years ago. Marry me, Martha. We can spend the rest of our years proving we were made for each other." Anderson kissed her and slipped her ring onto her finger and she slid his ring onto his.
Alexis, Laura, and Kate hugged Martha. And Alexis and Michael were next.
"I'm young and I recognize that, but I don't feel all that young. I love you, I truly love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I asked you to marry me, so I ask you yet again. Will you marry me, so we can spend the rest of our lives loving each other?" Alexis asked the man she loved.
"You were the girl I didn't dare even talk to. So pretty and so smart and the daughter of Richard Castle. My mother, before she died, begged me to ask you. She could somehow sense that I was already in love with you. She lived long enough to know that she was right.
"I want to be your husband and continue to love you for the rest of our lives," Michael affirmed and kissed her. He slid her ring on her finger and she put his onto his finger.
Alexis accepted her hugs and now it was Rick and Kate while Libby stood to one side. Anderson held Libby in place with a light hand resting on her shoulder.
Rick and Kate were last and just as they stepped up they could all hear the rain start and hit the glass roof of the greenhouse.
Kate looked up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "It shouldn't have taken me this long to reach this point, but it did. It shouldn't have taken aliens showing up to get me to chase after you because I finally recognized that I could tell everyone that I loved you, Rick. I love you and I trust you. I trust you with my life and with my heart.
"I asked you once to marry me, so I ask you yet again. Will you marry me? I want nothing more than to be married to you, to spend the rest of our lives loving each other. I love you now, I'll love you tomorrow, and I'll love you always," Kate promised him.
"I told you once that you were extraordinary. I tried to get you to see what I saw in you, but you were being stubborn. I thought then, and think now, that you would be a mystery that I would never solve. I will be happy to spend the rest of our lives trying to solve your mystery.
"I love you, Kate, and I trust you again. I would be happy to be your husband for the rest of our lives. So yes, I will marry you." Rick kissed her and slipped her ring on her finger followed by Kate sliding his ring on his finger.
Suddenly there was a flash of lightning followed by a massive thunderclap that felt like it shook the place.
"Was that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kate asked him softly.
"That was the Universe talking, Kate. All you have to do is start listening," Rick told her.
"Mommy, kisses for me, too?" Libby wanted kisses to since everyone else was kissing.
Rick was holding Libby in his arms and she was getting yet another kiss from Mommy. "So what's next?" Kate looked up at the lightning flashes followed by a thunderclap.
"I think we're stuck for now. I doubt Richard's little boat is going to get us home in this," Anderson said.
"Blue Poppy restaurant and restrooms is back that way," Michael pointed. "The Visitor Centre and medical area along with The Coffee Shop is over there. Across a walkway is the Gift Shop."
"Coffee shop?" That had Kate's attention.
They were soon all in The Coffee Shop and found that the coffee was really old and seriously cold. So it all got dumped while Rick and Kate got busy making two new batches.
"These Danishes are seriously gross!" Alexis turned her head.
"Well, I need to use the restroom." Anderson left them.
"I'm going to go look at the restaurant," Dean informed them.
"Right behind you, babe." Laura joined him.
"I need the bathroom, Mommy!" Libby needed to pee. That had Kate taking her hand and heading for the restroom.
Martha stepped up to her son. "How do you feel, Richard?"
"Amazing. I finally realized that you were right. I was making decisions based on what little I knew and wasn't asking questions like I should have been. I was effectively putting words in people's mouths," Rick admitted.
"Now that we've cleared that up I'm going to go to the restaurant and look around, too." Alexis was glad to hear her dad finally admit it. Michael silently followed her.
Anderson, Kate, and Libby finally came back, and now all but Libby were standing around drinking coffee. "MONEY!" Kate suddenly announced.
"This is getting really old." Rick still took out more than enough to cover the coffee they were drinking.
Suddenly Michael came rushing into the room. "Anyone interested in Chinese?" He promptly ran back out since they had found something.
"Hell, yes!" Kate left them with everyone else right behind her. And only then did she realize that she had used a bad word, but it was too late; she kept walking.
Kate entered the Blue Poppy. "What have we got?" Alexis handed her a menu. "All of this?" Kate was amazed.
"Laura said the chicken is frozen but still good. We might not get everything since anything fresh has long since gone bad, but we think most of it. Lots of drinks, too." Alexis explained.
"I'll help," Rick offered and went into the back room to help Laura with what she had found.
"I'll take anything, babe!" Kate called after him.
"Wedding and a reception. Can it get any better?" Alexis questioned the group.
"It could stop raining," Kate said as she looked out of a window.
"Where do we sleep?" Michael wondered aloud. So far he hadn't seen anything like even a sofa let alone a bed. "This could last hours!"
"One thing at a time, babe." Alexis kissed him. They could solve that problem later. "Food first." Alexis went in search of cold drinks and found cold bottled water, Diet Pepsi, Blue Lemonade, Green Apple Soda, Fresh Lime Soda, Masala Soda, and Lime Cola.
"Diet Pepsi will work." She grabbed a can and left a bill on the counter to pay for it. She popped it open and started drinking.
"Where did you get that?" they questioned Alexis. She simply pointed. Soon everyone, with the exception of Rick and Laura who were doing all the cooking, was drinking something after leaving even more money on the counter.
O~O~O
"What have we got?" Kate was sitting with everyone else and watching Libby enjoy her drink of choice. She had already asked her if she liked it. Libby had pointed out the Blue Lemonade and watched her nod and keep drinking.
Rick and Laura came out with plates. "Your choice of Sweet and Sour Chicken or Orange Chicken. White rice only since everything else has gone bad," Laura informed everyone.
"I even taste tested it," Rick smiled wide; he had taste tested a lot while cooking.
"I'll bet you did." But Kate didn't care. It was Chinese.
Kate was satisfied and it was easy to see that Libby was satisfied. It might be missing vegetables, but they could make up for that when they got home. "We need to pay for this!" Kate suddenly remembered and watched Rick get up and leave money on the counter. It was probably far more than necessary, but they didn't take chances.
Since it was clearly still a downpour, including flashes of lightning that were thankfully a little further away, they realized they were still trapped.
More drinks and more money on the counter, and now they had split up and were going wherever they wanted to. Except Anderson was hunting everyone down.
"I found a land line and it works," Anderson told everyone he found. In a very short time he had everyone behind him. They followed him into a tiny office and he showed them the phone.
Kate had no real reason to be hopeful, but she was as she dialed her dad's phone from memory.
"No satellites means no cell service. How do you think you can call someone in Hawaii?" Anderson reminded her.
"This is Dad's work number, not his cell phone." Kate continued to listen to it ring and just keep on ringing till she finally gave up and hung up. "Anyone else?" Kate was willing to relinquish the chair.
Rick was next and listened to it ring endlessly with no one answering. "It was worth a try." He doubted that Bob would be in his office. If he was really smart he wasn't even anywhere near Manhattan.
"My turn." Anderson had a number of phone numbers he could try, and not all of them were in the States.
No one answered the first call. And no one answered the second call. He was just about to give up on the third. "Omar?" Anderson questioned carefully.
No one answered immediately. "Jackson?" he replied. "JACKSON! You're alive!"
"Wasn't easy, my friend." Anderson was pleased to hear his voice.
"Where are you, if it isn't a secret?" Omar asked him.
"Canada. Tell me quickly, how it is there?" Anderson just wanted a quick break down.
"It's hot now. Power's gone, water's gone. We use old fashioned methods to water the fields. No gasoline and the wife is pregnant. Thank the powers that be that all the animals are fine." They would all be dead without them.
"I found my son. We get what we can from the city after leaving cash behind. I bought a 93-foot sailing boat near Seattle. We have some food, mostly all vegetables. I would kill for a steak. OH, and I got married today." Anderson was all smiles after telling him that.
"NO WAY! I'm happy for you, my friend. Tell me what you know about the aliens." Omar knew next to nothing.
"We talked to them for about 2 minutes, but they hung up on us. They know we're having food trouble and that we need satellites for communication. It sounds like they have a plan, but they're not telling us."
"We are the peasants. I suppose we're lucky to be alive at all," Omar responded since it didn't sound like they were going to help any time soon.
Anderson broke it to him, "They told us we're down to 3.1 billion and still falling," and he heard something break. "Omar?"
Omar chuckled a little. "Still here. I just need to replace a pot now. I buried every weapon I have. Didn't want to be tempted. They need to hurry, my friend. If you are still in a city, any city, you do not have long." He knew only people with farms were doing well enough to survive this.
"We're not. We just go in to find things and leave cash behind to pay for it all," Anderson said.
"Nothing here to buy. Call again when you get a chance. I will pray for you, my friend."
"Take care of yourself, Omar, and take care of that wife of yours and your unborn child." Anderson heard him hang up and hung up himself.
"We did a couple of missions together. He's good and a good man," Anderson told them. "Anyone else?" He would give up the chair if there was.
"Who didn't answer, Dad?" Rick questioned him.
"Headquarters for the CIA. If there was anyone listening you would think it would be them. Martha?" Anderson watched her shake her head. "Alexis?"
Alexis shook her head. "Everyone I know uses cell phones. Only you old guys use land lines," Alexis teased and listened to him laugh.
"Some times the old ways are the best ways. I can't imagine what life is like for all those kids that had their noses stuck to their monitors. We have power because of the hydroelectrics, but even that's going to fail soon.
"Reservoirs need monitoring. Filters for generators need cleaning. Do you know how old some of these dams are? Not a bit of today's electronics in them," Anderson mentioned.
Rick answered his question. "1931. Hoover Dam."
"Precisely. No computer control there. Can't sit at your home and control the power output. Likely can't do that around here, either. Power will die here soon as well, and when that happens." Anderson shook his head. In his mind people would start to lose hope. If they didn't have the salt to kill themselves, all they had to do was steal something and vanish forever.
"I was joking when I said 2 billion," Alexis commented and felt Michael put an arm around her and kiss her cheek.
"I do have a question that you don't have to answer. Who has the football?" Anderson queried.
"JEEZ, GRAMPS!" Alexis knew instantly what he was talking about.
"If you were President and aliens showed up and started killing people, what would you do when you have hundreds of ICBMs with nukes sitting on top?" Anderson asked her.
Alexis knew the answer and so did everyone…but Libby. No one answered him.
"I need a drink," Alexis announced and left them to go get and pay for another Diet Pepsi.
O~O~O
In the end they stayed mostly right where they were, in the restaurant and greenhouse. They used table cloths for makeshift pillows and slept on the hard tile floor.
Kate had Libby in her arms and Kate found herself in her husband's arms. "Not how I dreamed of spending my first night as a married woman," she commented quietly after checking to make sure Libby was actually asleep.
"I'm not sure we're going to get a honeymoon, either, I'm sorry to say," Rick added since they couldn't get far. He hadn't bothered to ask how long aviation fuel would last even if Dean was willing to fly them all somewhere.
"No, I suppose not." She was at least married. It was just she was sleeping in her wedding dress on a tile floor in a restaurant. Alexis and Michael had moved to the greenhouse.
"She still needs friends, babe. This is no way for her to grow up. She's going to be seven next month." Kate had gotten her to tell her when her birthday was and that was next month.
"And we can't do anything about that until something changes," Rick said, and then he sighed.
O~O~O
Kate felt herself wake up and saw Libby standing there, looking down at her. "I need the bathroom." Libby wasn't stupid. If she didn't have a little help her little butt would fall into the toilet.
"Okay." Kate realized that Rick was on his back and wasn't holding her any longer. At least it looked like she had gotten some sleep even if it was on a tile floor.
Kate took Libby past everyone and into the greenhouse where everyone had gotten married. She saw that Alexis and Michael were awake and kissing softly while having their arms around each other.
"Sorry." Kate took Libby's hand and began to retreat.
"It's okay. I need to use the restroom anyway." Alexis gave Michael another quick kiss and left him.
"Hi!" Libby was happy to see him.
"Hi! How are you today?" Michael asked her.
Libby shrugged. "Okay. I wanna to go home." She should be sleeping in her bed. She needed to feed the chickens and check on her little chickens that were growing fast on her.
"So do I, sweetie," Kate said.
"Except it's still raining." Michael looked up and they could all hear the rain hit the glass. Then suddenly the sprinkler system came on and that had them all running for it.
Kate was beginning to be afraid that if she kept wearing her wedding dress she was going to eventually ruin it. "Still raining," Kate told Dean and Laura who showed up. Since Kate and Michael looked a little wet they didn't question her.
"Dinner for breakfast?" Laura suggested since they had few choices. Then just like that the power went out. "Or not." All of them looked up at the lights.
A moment later Anderson and Martha showed up. "The power is out everywhere. Could have been just the storm, so it might be local." It did sound plausible, but somehow they all knew that wasn't it. The hydroelectric power was out and the city was now dead. "Go try the water." Anderson looked at Laura who retreated to the kitchen.
Eventually, she was back and shook her head.
"Citywide it is. So the city water pumps are out." Anderson needed to think. "Not meaning to be gross, but if all you do is pee, do not flush. All the water we have is in the pipes and it's still raining."
"Mommy, can we go home now?" Libby had had it with this place.
"Not yet, sweetie. It needs to stop raining first." Kate felt for her but couldn't do much about it.
"Oh." She was and sounded dejected.
"You have a look on your face, Chris." Martha saw something and she didn't like it.
"I was just thinking. It's probably nothing." Things were bad enough.
"You might as well hit us with it now." Kate steeled herself for more bad news.
Anderson delayed. "The Marina has gates that will block us from reaching Richard's little boat."
Kate thought about that. "Which are on a magnetic lock and with no power, it's locked closed." Kate rolled her eyes and her head. Things had just gotten worse. "I need a drink. Is there any alcohol around here? And I don't care what time it is."
It turned out there wasn't any alcohol anywhere that they could find, so she was drinking one of Alexis's Diet Pepsi's instead. Libby got another one of her Blue Lemonades.
O~O~O
Hours later, everyone had used the restroom but only flushed if it was a number two. Just that they had to do it in the dark. They couldn't cook since they had no heat. They could drink cold drinks so long as the cooler could keep the cool inside it.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." She hadn't eaten breakfast, and all she had was her blue drink.
Kate remembered something and left Libby with the others. She went into The Coffee Shop and came back with a bag of something after leaving behind money to pay for it.
Kate ripped it open and handed it to her. "Here, try this. We'll go home soon. …I hope." It wasn't what Libby wanted, but she ate it because she was hungry.