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Chapter 35 - Chapter 35 - Beachfront Conversations

They had a lovely breakfast and continued to sit under the shade of the umbrella outside. Samuel felt completely at ease with Karen's family. They laughed and spoke like they had known one another forever. He was sure that holding Karen's hand, and the feeling of comfort that continued to flow into him from her, was helping more than he would admit. His brother sitting next to him was also very encouraging.

Henry began to bark and ran back through the house.

Anne smiled. "And that's his, 'Someone is at the door' bark."

The Lieutenant stood up. "I'll go see who it is. Excuse me."

Arles started to gather the dishes. "I'll get this sorted for you, Anne."

Anne sipped her coffee and smiled. "You are a gem. Thank you, Arles."

Samuel started to help.

Arles pointed at Samuel, "Stay. You're still recovering."

Samuel groaned and sat back. "Fine."

Arles pointed at Karen, "And you're visiting with your parents. Stay."

She playfully barked at him, causing him to smile as he walked into the house carrying an armload of dishes.

The Lieutenant walked out on the back porch with a dark haired young lady on his arm. She was wearing a sweat shirt and a short pair of shorts.

"Kelly!" Karen laughed and rushed to greet her friend. They hugged and giggled.

Samuel looked back at the Lieutenant who explained softly, "Softball friend."

Samuel nodded and stood up, "Hi. I'm Samuel."

Kelly shook his hand. "Hi, Samuel. I'm Kelly."

Anne smiled, "Sit down, Kelly. We have coffee."

Samuel held the chairs out for the ladies. "I'll pop in the house and get you a cup. Excuse me."

The Lieutenant looked back at Anne and rose his eyebrows. "I love these boys. I'm going to have them train my guys on manners."

Anne laughed behind her coffee.

Kelly sat next to Karen. "So. Your Mom told me you had gone out of town. Some, family emergency? Is everything alright?"

Karen smiled. "Everything is fine. Yes."

"And everyone is buzzing about a guy?"

Karen sipped her tea. "Really?"

Samuel returned to the table. "May I pour you some coffee? Tea?"

Kelly held out her hand for the cup. "Oh, I can do that. Thank you."

He handed it to her and sat down.

The Lieutenant pat Anne's lap. "I need to go make some phone calls. You alright?"

She smiled, "I'm going to go sort out the kitchen."

The Lieutenant pat Samuel's shoulder. "See me before you leave, son."

He shook his hand. "Yes, sir."

The Lieutenant and Anne both left.

Kelly and Karen continued with their bubbly conversation. Samuel grinned at their excitement. He was reminded of Genie.

"So, who is this guy?"

Karen took Samuel's hand. "Samuel. That's who."

Kelly looked confused, "Hang on. It's him? What about the other guy that was here-"

Arles walked out on the porch. "Hey, Sammy. Did you want anymore-"

Kelly pointed, "Him! I thought that was him."

Karen laughed. "No. That's Samuel's brother."

"I've been doing the washing up." Arles wiped his hands on his jeans and smiled. "Hi, Kelly. It's nice to see you again." He shook her hand.

Samuel pointed up at his brother. "This is Arles. He was staying with Karen while I was away."

"Arles?" She smiled. "What an odd name."

Arles rose his eyebrows and smiled, "I get that a lot."

Samuel looked up at his brother and mouthed, "No."

Arles shrugged his shoulders, "What?"

Kelly sipped her coffee, "Oh, that's good. I wanted to know if you would please come pitch tomorrow. Oh, please!"

Karen shook her head. "You're crazy. I can't do that."

"Why not?" Samuel asked her.

Karen looked back at him and sighed, "Well, blueberries for one…."

He laughed, "It is completely fine."

Arles sat down. "What? Blueberries?"

Samuel ran his hand through his hair. "It's…never mind."

Karen sighed, "Besides, it's a championship game-"

"No, it's not." Kelly insisted. "It's a rematch of a championship game."

Karen laughed under her breath. "That's much worse!"

"It's not on the books and they are bringing in a ringer, too. Come on, please! The entire base is coming down to see it. Imagine if you pitch! It would be a shut out! Oh, come on. PLEASE."

Karen laughed. "Oh wow."

Samuel crossed his arms and smiled. "Is she really that good?"

Karen blushed as Kelly threw her hands up, "Hell yeah, she is! This lady, lead our team to a state championship every year she played."

Samuel smiled, "She hadn't told me that."

"I was trying to impress you with my good looks instead." Karen teased.

"Well, that worked. Clearly." Samuel insisted.

Karen smiled, "Oh, Kelly. Let me think about it. Okay?"

"Okay." Kelly told her. "Just, let me know, one way or the other by tomorrow morning. I have to turn in the players' names before the game. It's at 2:00 tomorrow."

Karen rose her eyebrow at Samuel, who was positivity beaming at her.

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Arles stood next to Samuel on the snow white beach, barefoot. Both of them were looking at the sky. The clouds covered the sun and made the colors of the rays reflect as if it was the sunset, even though it was the middle of the day.

A large sand dune stood behind them and prevented them from being seen from anyone in Karen's home. That was helpful, since Arles was presently smoking a joint.

Samuel, wearing his Yankee's ball cap, looked back his brother and laughed under his breath. "What would her Dad say to see you smoking that shit?"

Arles grinned. "He's never noticed before. I've been out here a few times."

Samuel laughed.

"It's been a long, few weeks."

Samuel shook his head and held his hand out. "Give me some of that."

Arles watched Samuel inhale deeply, and close his eyes. "Oh, I need to get some more for us."

"Nah, man. I've already made friends with that art teacher. We're good."

Samuel grinned and handed his brother back the joint. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the sky. "This feels like home."

Arles nodded as he took a hit off the joint. "Yeah. How many hours have we stood, watching waves, and sorting out the problems of our universe?"

"The ramblings of a stoned mind." Samuel grinned.

"And that's before we smoked. It might have helped."

"I shouldn't smoke. Karen doesn't like it at all."

"And I still maintain that you shouldn't let a woman run your life. Are you sure about this engagement?"

Samuel looked surprised at his brother. "I am. Why?"

Arles handed Sam the joint.

"Her idea, or yours?"

"Mine." Samuel smiled. "I'm surprised you're asking me this."

"I'm your brother. It's my job. Well, don't get me wrong, I love Karen. She's like….the bossy sister I probably need."

"Bossy sister." Samuel laughed. "Genie isn't bossy enough?"

"Maybe, I'm just a bad enough case that I need two bossy sisters."

Samuel coughed.

"She's gotten into my damn head. This woman of yours is not only running your life, but mine, too."

Samuel laughed, "Running your life?"

"Damn it, Sammy. I'm serious. I'm with those girls last night, and that's all I could think about. They were trying to find a way to hurt me."

Samuel nodded and blew rings of smoke. "They might have been."

"Don't I know it?" Arles took the joint back and inhaled deeply. "Thinking of your girl, while I'm with another one."

Samuel looked back at his brother. "Thinking of her-"

"Not like that." Arles insisted quickly. "But, still-"

Samuel grinned, "Thinking of my girl when you have a stiff one."

Arles groaned.

Samuel teased. "Totally, consuming your mind-"

Arles looked back at Samuel, through is eyebrows, and flipped him off.

Samuel laughed and took back the joint.

Arles watched him. "Are you really alright?"

Samuel nodded, "Yeah. I just, don't have a lot of energy. I get tired quickly. Dad says it's because they keep me flat on my back for so long. I need to build back up my endurance."

"Do you remember any of it?"

Samuel blew smoke rings, and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Well, that's probably best."

"I don't know. Dad believes all of my memories will return, even those. I'm so glad I finally remember at least up until I was taken. That is so strange. Two weeks of my life is just….gone."

Arles nodded. "And you're okay?"

"There are certain things that don't work."

"Like?"

Samuel looked back at his brother and handed him the joint. "You've had medical training. You can probably guess."

"Damn." Arles shook his head. "And Karen knows?"

"She's being….so great about it. Very encouraging. And Dad believes it will….start working, again."

"Well, the electricity would have damaged all of that. It's tissue, too."

"Bruised the hell up. Well, it was. Karen told me it looked better this morning."

"They hit you?"

"I have no idea. I believe it's from the electricity. Dad would know, but I really don't want to ask him."

Arles shook his head. "Pisses me off someone would do that to you. That makes me want to go help Papa with everything."

"What is going on with that?"

Arles put the joint out and slipped it in his pocket. "Poltious has taken Papa to look over something with Luce. They believe the woman, who had put the price out for Soli, is a Queen wanting him to lead her army she's building of Vesuos. She claims that she's Soli's mother. Lartius has sent a delegation there to have a chat with her about it."

Samuel considered this new information. "An army of Vesuos?"

"Terrifying thought, huh?" Arles asked him as he started to smoke another joint.

Samuel crossed his arms. "Damn. That could be really terrible. This didn't happen before, did it?"

Arles blew smoke and coughed through a groan, "Nope! But, Dad says it not our fault at all. It is something that might still be, brewing, in our time and we've managed to find it early. There are a million explanations."

Samuel sighed. "They are going to come back."

Arles nodded. "They are. And they will be looking for you, or the actual Soli."

"Shit." Samuel said under his breath.

"And how about that? Before we had this talk, the only problem you had was with your man sausage."

Samuel laughed and shook his head. "And Arles is properly stoned. Your mouth does run off with you when you're like this."

Arles handed Samuel the joint, "I should remain in this state of mind."

"No. Imagine what you would tell my bossy woman." Samuel laughed.

"You're right. Need to avoid her with this." He nodded and looked back at the ocean. "Why don't you take medicine for that-"

Samuel shook his head. "No. It's still, well. It's not ready for any of that."

"Take care of the little man-"

"Little?!"

"It could save your life one day. That's what Papa says."

Samuel laughed and shook his head. "I really don't want to know why Papa says that."

Arles pat his brother's shoulder as he took another long drag off the joint. "Everything will return to a new normal. What with you and this, bossy woman."

"Oh, would you stop? She's not bossy."

"She is with me. She's killing my love life."

"She is trying to help you-"

"I don't need help."

"Do you want me to talk to her about it-"

Arles pointed at him, "No! In my experience, that only makes bossy people more determined. She's already insisted that she's going to take me to a club to point me in another direction."

"Dating my girl." Samuel shook his head in disapproval.

"Taking one for the team to keep the peace." Arles bracelet beeped. He looked down at it. "Proximity Alert, dear brother. And now would be an excellent time to take one, really long drag off that. Karen is on her way out here."

Samuel glanced back to see Karen closing the door to the beach house and walking towards them. He quickly took a long drag and handed it back to his brother.

Arles put it in his mouth and grinned, "I'll see you at Grand's."

He popped away.

Samuel continued to hold his breath as he felt someone walk up behind him. He exhaled and felt himself relax. Karen put her hand on his back. He turned to see her beautiful smile.

"Are you feeling better?"

He cleared his throat to keep from coughing and nodded.

She took his hand in hers. "We'll walk a bit, but I tell me when you need a break. Alright?"

He smiled at her. "I'm fine, Karen."

She wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "And you smell like you are rather relaxed."

He closed his eyes tightly, "Busted."

"Samuel. I don't mind you smoking. I really don't."

"You say with that look of disapproval on your face."

She rolled her eyes. "Just, not around the blueberry."

He smiled and caressed her face as her hair blew in the wind. "Never around the blueberry."

She giggled as he leaned down and kissed her. The sudden explosion of energy seemed to move from her lips to his. He grinned as he looked in her eyes. "The best feeling in the world."

She smiled, "Second best. You'll be well enough for the absolute best soon."

He laughed as took her sandals from her and held them with his trainers. She took his hand they began to walk on the beach.

"Dad really likes you, Doctor Bennett."

"I really like him. He's, nothing that I expected. I thought he would be…."

"All military?" She smiled. "Dad is never like that. Well, that I've ever seen. But, I realize I'm not one of his sailors."

"Him and Anne are so…..loving."

"Everyone always thought it was so odd for them to live apart for so many years. But, Mom wanted to make sure I always attended the same school, had the same friends, grow up next to the ocean. It was important to them."

"So, you always lived here?"

"Dad would have us, or me, go to see him whenever he could. And he came here several times. It worked out. When he was here, he was really here. You know?"

He kissed her hand and smiled, "I understand that."

"What about you? Living on an island, what was your school like?"

"My school was me, Arles, Genie, and Tony sitting around a table in the library of the house. Mum or Dad, sometimes Uncle Tony or Grandfather, would educate us. When we got older, Genie took it over."

"Headmistress from the beginning, huh?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "She taught us both how to read, do maths. All of that. She's six years older than me."

"That's hard to imagine. She seems just our age."

"Genie is great. Absolutely, without question, my favorite sister."

"Well, you can't even say that because now you have two."

He nodded, "Well, that's true. Two Genies. The world can always use another Genie."

She stopped walking.

"What's wrong?"

She led him away from the surf and sat in the dry sand. "You need to rest."

He rolled his eyes and sat down beside of her. "Alright."

She watched the ocean and laid her head on his shoulder. He leaned back on his arms and crossed his legs.

"And you can tell me what it is that's on your mind." Samuel told her.

She smiled. "How do you know?"

He kissed the side of her head, holding his lips there for a bit. "I always know. What are you thinking?"

She sighed. "A lot actually."

"Alright, first thing."

"I have lied to my Mom about something. And it's eating at me."

"You? What?"

"I told her that we were dating, before you came back from Caihiri."

"Well, we were."

"But, I told her that I had known you a while. I didn't want her to know that it was really days. Hours."

"She doesn't believe in love at first sight?" He teased.

"Samuel." She turned to face him. "Is it wrong to feel badly about that? She just talked to me about how she feels it rather soon for us to be engaged. But if I was happy, she didn't want to say anything to discourage us. And don't misunderstand me. She completely loves you."

He nodded. "Did you tell her about the blueberry?"

"No way." Karen told him as she looked back at the ocean and sighed. "I believe she will think that's the reason you asked me to marry you. And I don't want anyone to think that."

"I understand. Well, the blueberry doesn't have a way we can postpone that. But, we can postpone the engagement if you want."

She closed her eyes as if the idea was painful for her. "I just…had a different idea of what life would look like if I ever did this."

He nodded. "I never really had thought about it."

She looked back at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Really. I thought I would probably end up, living with Arles, working at a hospital on another planet. That was the plan."

She watched as he gathered a fist full of sand and slowly let it pour back to the beach. He grinned and seemed to relax.

"Samuel, I need to know something. But, I don't know how to ask you without it sounding….oh, I don't even know."

He rubbed his hands together and looked back at her. "Just ask me. There shouldn't be any secrets between us."

"Have you ever been engaged before?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No."

"That other girl that hurt you so…"

He took a deep breath and looked back at the sea. "Denise. That was her name. And. Well, it wasn't her fault."

"What happened?"

He leaned back on his arms. "That's a fair question. You should know. Hmmm. Denise and I met, through mutual friends. Well, no. That's not really true. I was at a…thing." He sighed and sat back up. "Okay. Well, let me just start at the beginning. I had dated some girls. But, never anyone longer than….maybe two dates."

"So, like Arles?"

"No." He insisted. "Not like that. I would meet someone, and there always seemed to be something I needed a plus one for. So, they would go with me. It was all innocent."

She nodded. "Okay. Makes sense."

"I went away, helping Lenox on his colony. I was there for a while. When I returned, Uncle Tony wanted me to come to some party he was having. In New York. She was there, and someone introduced us. She asked me out and we probably went to do something….umm….twice a week?"

"Really?" She looked surprised.

"She worked at this….place. Some, firm. It took a lot of her time. But, she really loved the attention that came with dating me. It helped her career, and put her in places she wanted."

"Baby, she was using you."

He nodded. "Well, that's a two way street. But, you're not wrong, and I knew it. I told Arles I felt she was really dating the rags, rather than me. Oh, she loved talking to the press about me and my family. We had to be so careful what we said around her. I had decided I needed to end it. She wasn't someone I could see myself with."

"Was she friendly?"

"Not, really." Samuel thought.

"You were together for how long?"

"Oh, it was months. I don't remember how many exactly. Seven? Genie could tell you."

"Why?"

"Several reasons. You say that she was using me, but I was really using her, too. It just wasn't as oblivious. One of which, it really pissed off my Dad. Oh, we fought so much. Seems like the worse we would argue, the more time I would spend with her. That drove him completely mental. She told the press all about us not being able to get along, and that just cheesed Dad off worse. But, it had also become a relationship of convenience. I needed someone as a plus one to things, and she loved to go. Genie told me I was mental, but she was always busy. And it just looks, sad, to always go someplace with your sister. I didn't know she was dating Legate at the time."

"And you made love with her?"

"No, I had sex with her. Completely different."

"To further piss off your Dad?"

He looked back at her, "If I'm honest, that part was for me. Not even really for her."

She smiled. "Just you admitting that, makes me believe that you would never lie to me."

He grinned. "I wouldn't. The truth is easier to remember."

"And she ended it."

"We had gone to a thing at the White House. Uncle Howie was being honored for something. I really don't know what. We left, went to get in the car, and the press distracted me. She got into the car and it left. I thought it was odd, but I just took another car back to the hotel we were at. She never showed up."

"Someone took her?"

He nodded and bit his lip. "Yeah. They had her for two days. They wanted me to pay a ransom, which I did, to release her. Dad advised me not to because it would only promote more people to do that, and I think he was probably right. She came back, told me I could have that life, and I never saw her again."

"Wow." Karen looked back at the sea.

"If she hadn't been with me that would have never happened to her. They didn't hurt her, but it was frightening. I understand why she ended it. She told me that no one would ever want to….well. Never mind what she said."

"If she hadn't been a….you know. I'm not going to get into this."

He grinned. "Insulting my old girlfriend."

"She's just. Wow. How could you be with someone like that?"

He rose his hands, "I question that myself. Especially, now that I look back at it. The sex wasn't even that good."

She laughed and shook her head. "I can't even believe you would admit that."

Samuel moved to sit behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as she sat between his legs. She laid her cheek to his.

"That's what I needed, Samuel." She whispered.

He moved her hair to her other shoulder and kissed her cheek. "I dated the worst so that I could see the best when I met you."

She laughed under her breath. "Gosh. The polar opposite of me."

He kissed her cheek and held her tighter. "I'm not the kind of guy that falls in love with every girl I see. I'm glad you asked me this. It is something you needed to know."

"Thank you for not being…weird about it. I wanted to ask, but was worried how you would react."

"Never worry about that. You deserve the truth. There's no secrets between us."

She smiled and held his arms. "So, you remember that crazy first week we met?"

"I remember you bought me a drink. No one had ever done that for me. And ate most of my chips. I loved that you wasn't shy. And then you asked my name. No one had ever done that. It was….so normal. That's all I want. A normal relationship."

"I don't know if any relationship is actually 'normal'."

"That's what Genie tells me. But, what I mean is, I want someone who will love me for me, and not for who they think I am."

She giggled. "Doctor Samuel Alistair Peter Tyler-Smith Bennett."

"Oh, good grief." He groaned and laid his head on her shoulder. "I'm dropping Tyler-Smith. No more Samuel Smith."

She laughed. "Alistair. I've never heard anyone called that."

"Sounds like a magician." He grumbled.

She giggled as he held her. Then, she became serious. "I only dated that one guy before you. I was always so focused on school, and softball, it left little time for anything else."

He kissed her cheek and asked her quietly, "Was he better than my horror story?"

"He was amazing. Tyler, was his name. Ironic enough. Tyler Kettler. He was a grade ahead of me in school. He joined the Navy, came back to this base, and within a year he was shipped out."

"What did you like to do together?"

"We would run, here on the beach together. He loved that. He told me he always wanted to live where he could hear the sea."

"We've never ran together. Have we?"

She smiled, "No."

"Would that be alright for us to do?"

"Sure. I would like that."

Samuel looked back at the ocean. "Where would you like to live?"

"I love the sea. The sound of it. I sat and just listened to it when you were gone. For hours. It was so comforting."

"Okay. We'll get a home by the ocean. Whatever you like. I actually have a flat on the island where my Mum and Dad live."

"No. You need to teach in New York. Don't worry about me."

"It's my job to worry about you, and our blueberry."

She giggled as he leaned in and kissed her cheek and neck.

"We could go back to our original plan and I'll ask you in five months."

She closed her eyes. "I don't want to do that. And the thing is, I don't know what I want. I'm so….sad…..and there's really no reason to be at all."

"Maybe you're just used to being sad. You haven't realized that I'm home yet."

She turned to look at his face. "Maybe, that's it."

He smiled and twisted his ball cap around backwards, "Let me try to convince you."

He rubbed his nose to hers and their lips met. The electrical sensation sent butterflies into Samuel's stomach. The longer that they kissed, the stronger the current between them became.

She brought her fingertips up and played with hair on the back of his head. It sent shockwaves through his body.

"Samuel."

He kissed the end of her nose.

"Are those things that took you going to come back?"

He laid his forehead to hers. "I think they will."

"What are we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, we're going to let me get better. And then I'm going to train, maybe give you some training."

She rose her eyebrows at him. "And the blueberry?"

He smiled like a loon. "I love our blueberry. So, much I can't even describe it."

"Enough for both of us?" She asked. "Samuel, I feel like the worst person in the world."

"You're not. This is normal. I promise you it is."

She sighed and nodded her head.

He held her tightly in his arms. "I love you, Karen. So much. Uncle Tony told me, years ago that true love finds you when you are a mess. Never when you are at your best. If that person can stick with you through that, they will be there through the best, too."

She smiled. "That is so sweet. Tony told you that?"

"All of this has just been so hard, Karen. I'm so thankful you have been right there by my side to help me get well. And, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. And we're going to get through all of this together. Alright?"

She leaned over and kissed his lips.

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