A BROTHER'S PLEA
Alex, Jake, Cody, and Monica sat around the conference table with a pot of coffee set out before them. They stared at the coffee pot. They had all been hitting it pretty heavily, and had really attacked it with relish in the last few hours. None of them wanted to be the first to speak. It had been a tense and stressful time. The doubts about Donovan's condition had caused more discord than anything. They had watched a dead man recover, a paralyzed man walk away. And now, they were faced with a faxed letter that Donovan had sent them from some remote tropical island where he and his family had escaped two weeks ago. Currently, Cody was holding the note and he had read it nine dozen times, and had somehow found the energy to read it again.
"So, it's true," Jake finally said, piping up first. "He's really doing it. It's not just an upper brass rumor?"
"It appears to be the truth, according to this fax," Cody said as he tapped the page. Cody stared down at the faxed note again. Damn. When would he grow tired of reading it? Two weeks ago, I had my mind made up, Donovan had written. I had written out a resignation letter and was prepared to present it to Shoemaker when I asked for leave time. Loralei talked me out of it and asked that I take this time away to consider it. I have done just that. My mind hasn't changed. As soon as I return, I will resign and leave you, wishing you all the best. I think it's time for my family and I to move on, to live our lives as intended. "God, he can't really mean this, can he?"
Monica nodded. "He can and does."
The team didn't realize that Farron and Kara had received a similar fax, but a more personalized version. Like Cody, Farron stared down at the paper and read the note a dozen times or more. I nearly died and lost the most important people in my life. You talked great sense into me, and for that, I will be forever indebted to you. Once ashamed to be your brother, I am now proud and grateful that you are back in my life. I don't know what I would have done without you. I know our bond has just been rebuilt from mere ashes, but I have to tell you that I don't intend to return to Chicago. Call it running, grief, fear, or whatever, but I just can't see myself back there again. I want to focus on the important things in life, the real things, the family I nearly tossed away. Maybe I'll make my way back, maybe not. Until then, I want you and Kara to stay at the house until we return to close everything down. Thank you, Farron. I love you very much, and I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize it.
Each time Farron read the fax, he nearly broke down in tears. His brother no more wanted to leave Chicago than any other person in town. He was hurting and probably felt a bit scorned. When he thought of Kara and the changes that were about to occur, he realized that he had never needed his brother in his life more than he did right at that second.
* * *
Donovan groaned a little when he felt the strong beams of sunlight shining on his face. Loralei had apparently risen before him and opened them. He smiled a little. She certainly knew how to pay him back for all his early morning risings, didn't she? He stretched a little and turned to his back. He noticed that the little bungalow was quiet and peaceful. From his vantage point, he could see Tristan's crib. He brought his body up to a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He grabbed his discarded pajama bottoms and slipped into them. He crept into the open and airy room that served as both a nursery and a bedroom for Rachel. As he shut the window in the room, he walked over to his son's crib. Tristan slept soundly, his tiny fist grasping his blanket for dear life. Although his movements would probably awaken his son, he didn't care. He leaned over and ran his thumb across his forehead. The slight touch didn't disturb Tristan in the slightest. He turned and reentered the bedroom, making his way over to a window closest to the front door. The early morning breeze was blowing through the window, rustling the curtains. He contemplated closing it as well, but an all too familiar squeal and giggle stopped him. He pulled the curtain back and found a smile touching his lips. Loralei and Rachel were out on their tiny strip of private beach playing happily in the sand. His two-year-old daughter was trying to bury her mother in the sand, but wasn't making much progress. It seemed that Mommy's legs were just a tad bit too long. He chuckled at first and then laughed out loud. Damn. It felt good to laugh, to be alive, to be happy.
At the intrusive sound, Tristan began to cry just a little. He backed away from the window and scooped his upset son into his arms. As he had done many, many times with Rachel, he cradled the baby against his shoulder and gently patted his back. "Shh," he said. "It's okay. I have a loud voice, I know. I promise to work on it." By the time Donovan made it to the door, Tristan had quieted again. He opened the door and watched his wife and daughter with amused eyes.
Loralei looked up and smiled a little. She touched her sand covered child. "Hey, look who finally woke up."
She turned her little head toward her father. Each tiny fist was filled with sand. She had apparently been shampooing with that as well. "Hi, Dah-dee," she squealed.
Loralei lifted Rachel into her arms and carried her back toward the doorway of the bungalow. She watched as her husband shook his head amusedly at the sight of his daughter. They'd be picking sand out of her clothes for weeks. "Don't look at me like that," she said. "So I indulged the kid. Sue me. Wanna trade for a second?"
He nodded. "Of course." Loralei set Rachel down just long enough to take Tristan. Donovan lifted up his daughter and brushed about a handful of sand off her shoulder. Despite the sand, he kissed her cheek anyway. "Hi, baby," he said softly.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed with all her might. "Lub Dah-dee," she said against his neck.
He closed his eyes and sighed, ridiculously close to tears. "Daddy loves you too, baby."
* * *
A couple of days later, Loralei awoke in the middle of the night, immediately noticing Donovan's absence beside her. She rose up on one elbow and saw him standing and staring out the window. She hadn't seen him like this in weeks. He had finally learned to relax and now he was tense again. She knew exactly what was on his mind. She slid out of bed and approached him from behind. She wrapped her arms around his waist and placed a gentle kiss on his back. He turned toward her and gathered her into his embrace. For a long moment, he held onto her and placed a gentle kiss to her temple before pulling away.
She gazed up at him curiously. She saw something in his eyes that hadn't been there just two weeks ago. Homesickness. "Are you okay?"
He nodded and exhaled a deep breath through his nose. "I'm great."
"Are you? You don't look so great," she said.
"I'm just thinking ahead, that's all. The future is uncertain and unpredictable. I hope I'm up to it, I hope we both are. I've never thought of doing anything else with my life, but I know it's time to move on." He took her hand and led it up to the middle of his chest. "I feel it in here most of all."
"Are you sure it's not regret that you feel? Are you sure you want to quit? I know that you've basically said your goodbyes to the team and your brother, but is this what you truly want? I know what happened scared you, but don't make the wrong choice for the right reasons. You brought your position to our marriage. I knew who you were before and I know who you are now. There are risks in everything, even in the most mundane of jobs. It's just a chance that you take. I won't push you, Frank, I won't argue with you, but I want you to be damn certain before you see Shoemaker. You've told your team, your brother, and me that your mind is made up, but I don't think it is. You don't have to lie to yourself. If you want it back, all you have to do is take it."
He took hold of her hand [the one still planted in the middle of his chest] and drew her to him again. He kissed her gently, allowing his lips to move to the side of her neck, and then up to her ear. "I do love you so very much."
"Me too, my love, me too."
* * *
Donovan grumbled incoherently as the phone began to ring shrilly. Who the hell would call them so early? Hadn't he unplugged the damn thing last night? As he grabbed the receiver [hoping that it hadn't awakened the children], he glanced down. Hell no. He had forgotten. He brought the phone up to his ear. "This better be damn good," he growled into the phone, wondering who the stupid fucker was.
"I think it is," Farron said with a mild chuckle.
Farron? What the hell? "Do you realize what time it is? There is a huge difference between here and there." He sat up sleepily and ran his hand through his corkscrewed hair. "Is everything okay?" He had directed his brother to call only if something dire happened.
"Yes and no," he said. "Frank I received your fax and I've been reading it over and over for the last two days. I finally got the courage to call you. I understand your need to move on and your reasoning behind it, but I must ask that you come back."
Donovan sighed. "Farron, I don't think…"
"Frank, please hear me out," he said, interrupting him. "How many times in my life have I come to you for selfish reasons?"
"Farron, this rehashing isn't necessary, we've moved past it, and I…"
He interrupted him again. "Please, Frank, think about it. How many times do you estimate? Fifty? Hundreds? Thousands? You know I've put most of that behind me, but this time, I'm coming to you again for purely selfish reasons. I need your help one more time. I need you in my life one more time."
Donovan's brow furrowed. Surely he hadn't gotten into serious trouble again? Who was after him now? More of his former Colombian hermanos? His brain ticked and calculated. He felt like the old Frank Donovan again. He nearly barked an order at Cody before he realized that he had left that life behind him. "Who is it? Who is targeting you now?"
Farron was touched by the deep concern in his brother's voice. He couldn't imagine what was running through his mind right now. "My wife."
Stunned, Donovan took the phone away from his ear, glanced at it stupidly, and then put it back up. "Your wife? Kara? Farron, what the hell are you talking about?"
"For the past several months, I've seen how wonderful you are with your children. You are a great father, one who I would like to be, but I need your help with that."
"Farron, what are you saying," he asked.
"I'm going to be a father. Kara's pregnant, Frank, she's having twins."
Jesus. What a bombshell. Farron? A father? Twins? "Farron, I don't know what to say."
"That's quite all right, I'm still shocked myself. I'm a little nervous about fatherhood. It's completely new territory for me. It is one thing I haven't tried yet. Don't leave Chicago, Frank, I need your help, your expertise. I want to be as good to my children as you are to yours. For that, I need you here."
Donovan was still quite a bit stunned about the revelation. "Twins," he said, amazed. "You will definitely have your hands full. I'm amazed, but you soooo deserve it," he teased with a smile.
Farron chuckled. "I suppose I do, huh? We wanted children and now we're getting two at once. It had to happen to one of us eventually."
He nodded, his tone serious again. "Yes, it did. I think it's wonderful, Farron, and I'm happy for you." He rolled his eyes a little. Jesus. Was he crying? "I'll come back. I'll let you use me one last time."
"Thank you. And Frank? I'm also glad you're in my life again. I feel as if a part of me has come back to life."
He impatiently swiped at a tear creeping down his cheek. Yes. He was crying. "So do I."
With that, they ended the call. Donovan was tempted to awaken Loralei and tell her the good news, but he hesitated. Maybe for a few hours, it could remain a secret, a wonderful secret between two brothers.
* * *
FINIS