Gaby, Jimmy Duran, Frank Kelly, Gunn, Kane, Quinn, Pamela, and Dennis Myers are mine.
Rated PG-13 : Harsh language; strong sexuality; violence; mature themes including child abuse and prostitution.
Please review, I need positive reinforcement.
The end of another story. Always a bit of a letdown, but it also means on to the next one, which will be mostly about Alex. I'd like to thank my beta readers, Jenny and Cecelia, and all who have read and reviewed. In particular, (in alphabetical order) Dagmar for her continued encouragement and great writing, MrQuinn for being my #1 fan (and his terrifically entertaining stories), Rach for her great reviews and greater TF stories, also Sierra, SilverRider, Ibonekoen, ScarletDeva, lil smiles, Shadowlancer, Lucid Lady, fan, and everyone else!
If anyone is interested in reading the author's notes for this story, they're on my website on the page for this story. (ff.net won't let me give the URL.)
Wes looked around the living room of the Collins house with a smile. It seemed like old times, a group of his friends and co-workers standing or sitting around, his father handing out drinks at the bar, music playing softly in the background. Jen had moved back in, Eric was almost back to his normal self. All seemed right with the world, for the moment.
Of course, this occasion was supposed to be serious, if not sad. Pamela Myers' body had been released form the morgue a few days ago, and Eric had had her cremated. This afternoon they had all gone out to the beach north of Silver Hills, the same spot where Jen, Lucas, Katie, and Trip had landed over two years ago. Eric had scattered her ashes on the water.
Then they had come here, for a sort of memorial gathering. Of course, none of them had known the deceased, except Eric. Maybe he hadn't really known her either. Wes had been concerned about his reaction to the ceremony, but he seemed to be fine, genuinely fine this time, just quiet. Understandable, under the circumstances.
Eric had asked him to invite Gaby. Steve Miller, Michael Zaskin of course, William Kane, Daryl Gunn, and Jimmy Duran were also here. It was a small group. Just right. He drifted to the bar, and sat on a stool.
"How's the booze holding out, Dad?"
"Not that much demand. I guess people don't feel much like drinking."
"Yeah, I guess."
Collins leaned on the bar. After a short silence he spoke quietly. "I brought all of this on, didn't I?"
"What do you mean?"
"I forced John Kelly out. Ruined him. Frank was right that I have some responsibility for his death."
"Come on. Don't blame yourself. You did what you had to do. The company would have gone down if you hadn't done it, and Kelly would have been ruined anyway. And so would you."
"I suppose that's true." Collins sighed. "We all make decisions in life. Sometimes they have results we don't want, or plan. But we still have to take responsibility for the consequences."
"John Kelly has to take responsibility for what he did, too. And so does Frank. No one forced him to commit a murder. He could have walked away. If he hadn't decided he wanted revenge, he'd still be free, still have a good life. And Pamela Myers would still be alive."
Movement caught Wes's eye, and he looked up to see Michael Zaskin approach. He smiled in greeting.
"Very nice -- um -- gathering," Zaskin said. "Not really a party, of course."
"Of course. Want a drink?" Collins asked.
"No, thanks. Actually, I wanted to ask you about the Atkinson deal."
"Looks like it's going ahead. They're satisfied that I live up to their high moral standards, so they've dropped their objections." His face creased into a smile as he looked back at Wes. "They're even willing to overlook the fact that you and Jen are living in sin." His expression turned into a frown. "Wish I didn't have to do business with those self-righteous bastards, but…"
"Gotta do what you've gotta do, huh, Dad?"
"Right." Collins grinned. "As for living up to their standards -- if they only knew..."
"Knew what?"
"I went to college in the sixties, you know. And your generation didn't invent sex."
"Huh. And I guess yours did." Collins just laughed as Wes gave him a skeptical glance, sure he was joking. Almost sure. "Anyway, I'd better mingle," he went on. "See you."
Gaby was waiting for him. She cornered him as he began to make his way around the room. He knew what she was going to say by the expression on her face.
"Did Eric even know I was coming?" she demanded.
"Sure. He wanted you to come. Asked me to invite you."
"He did? But he's hardly said a word to me!"
"I'm sure he will."
She glared at Eric across the room. "Am I supposed to just wait for him to get around to me?"
"You could always talk to him."
"He's the one who said it's over. I don't know if he even wants to get back together. It's up to him to do something now."
"He was under a lot of stress. This hasn't been easy for him."
"I know." She sighed, looking at Eric again. Wes saw him look back, and then away.
"Maybe he's wondering how you feel about it. Maybe he's afraid you'll say no," Wes said gently.
"Eric Myers? Hard to imagine him afraid of anything."
"Different people are afraid of different things. Eric's had a lot of rejection in his life. I think he sort of expects it."
"I guess." She smiled. "Sometimes I wonder how guys do it. Usually having to be the one who makes the first move." She sighed. "But -- I tried so hard to help him, and he pushed me away. I have feelings too. I need to know if he cares enough to make the effort."
"Okay, I understand," Wes said with a smile. "Well -- are you having a good time?"
She smiled ironically. "This is a memorial, isn't it? We're not supposed to have a good time."
"Somehow I'm finding it hard to be sad, when my father's been cleared and... other things have turned out okay. Not very respectful of the dead, but..."
"I know what you mean." Her face became thoughtful. "What's going to happen to Eric's father now?"
"He's pleading guilty to assault and a few other charges. He'll spend a few years in jail."
"I wonder what he'll do when he gets out. If he'll try to live a better life."
"Maybe. Maybe I'm cynical, but I kind of doubt it."
"And Frank Kelly?"
"He'll be in jail for a lot longer."
"It's a shame, really. He tried to destroy your father and ending up destroying himself."
"Yeah. I guess I could say something philosophical about the futility of revenge. But I won't."
They both turned as Kane and Gunn joined them. Wes saw they were wearing their jackets, and realized how late it was getting. A glance at the windows showed him a sky lit by sunset, the soft light outside dimming into evening.
"Thought we'd say goodnight," Gunn said. "We're about to get going."
"Well, thanks for coming. I'm sure Eric appreciates it."
"Glad to do it."
Kane took a last look around and smiled. "You have a beautiful house here. Thanks for inviting me."
"I'm sure you'll be back, hopefully for a happier occasion. See you." After a round of handshakes, they were gone.
"Maybe I should go, too," Gaby said.
"Hang out for a while. Give Eric a chance to talk to you alone."
"You really think he wants to?"
Wes smiled and laid a hand briefly on her shoulder. "I'm sure he does."
"I guess the party's over," Jen said.
Eric smiled perfunctorily. Wes and Jen were the only ones still sitting with him in that big living room. Mr. Collins was sitting at the bar, quietly talking with Zaskin. Gaby had gone out to the small balcony overlooking the garden. The others had left, all of them coming to him to say a few words of sympathy first. He hardly knew how to respond, except to thank them and shake hands. He still didn't really know how he felt, or even how he should feel.
"How are you doing?" Wes asked, seeming to read his mind.
"Honestly? I don't know."
"Just as long as you don't insist you're fine."
"I'm… better." He gazed across the room for a few moments. "I never thought she cared about me at all. But she knew where I work, what I was doing, even who my friends are. She didn't want to let me get hurt. A lifetime of thinking about her that way -- that she never cared -- and now it's all different."
"I'm glad you found out."
"So am I." He hesitated and added softly, "She died trying to protect me."
"Don't you dare start feeling guilty," Jen said.
"I don't, not really. Maybe it's selfish, but... it feels good, that she was finally willing to stand up to my dad for me."
"I don't think it's selfish at all."
"I wish I'd known this while she was still alive. Maybe I could have helped her."
"Are you going to keep in touch with your father now? When he gets out of jail?" Wes asked.
Eric grinned and shrugged. "Not if I can help it."
Wes smiled in return. "I guess all of this worked out pretty well."
"I don't know. It was pretty rough on you two, and your father."
"We've survived," Jen said, with a smile at Wes, taking his hand.
"I can see that." Eric turned his head to watch Gaby, standing with her back to them. "It was rough on Gaby, too."
"Why don't you talk to her?" Jen asked.
"Did she say anything about me, when you were talking before?"
"Yes," Wes said with a grin.
"Well? What did she say? You think she wants to get back together?"
"She's here, isn't she? That should tell you something." He sat back and dropped an arm around Jen's shoulders. "Eric -- I'm not going to do everything for you. You've never had much of a problem going after what you want. Just go talk to her."
"Yeah. But getting control of the Q-Rex was easy compared to this." As he watched her, Gaby turned to look in their direction, met his eyes, and smiled. Eric got up. He stopped long enough to look back at Wes and Jen. "Thanks, both of you," he said. "You've been good friends through this whole lousy thing. I know I didn't act very grateful, but I am." He turned away from their surprised faces and walked to the glass doors leading to the balcony. With only a slight pause, he opened them and went through.
"Turned out well, didn't it?" Jen said.
"Yeah, it did. Everything turned out pretty well, considering." Wes turned to smile at her. "How's it going at work? Have they forgiven you and Jimmy yet?"
"Most of them." Jen smiled ruefully. "Of course, some cops will never forgive someone who blew the whistle on one of their own. But even they have to admit a murderer doesn't deserve their loyalty. And we broke the case, that's what counts in the long run. It'll work out."
"Your first big case. It wasn't easy."
"No, it wasn't. But -- Jimmy gave me credit for identifying Frank as the killer. Lieutenant Quinn is very impressed. It wasn't a bad start to my career as a detective."
"You deserve credit. You spotted the clues, and followed up. You went after the truth, and you didn't give up, in spite of -- all the problems involved. Including me." Wes lifted her hand, playing with her fingers before interlacing them with his own.
"I'm glad you've forgiven me for moving out."
"I should have understood why you did it. And it just made me appreciate you more."
Her face softened, before she leaned in and kissed him quickly. "That's for being so sweet about it," she murmured.
"You know, speaking of living together, Dad says Atkinson disapproves of it. They think we're living in sin."
She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Should we care?"
"Well -- I thought we should do something about it."
"What do you mean?"
"You know," he said with a grin. "Make it legal. Make an honest woman of you." When she just looked at him, he went on. "Sorry I don't have a ring, but I thought you'd like to pick it out yourself. We can look for it together. But if you want me to get one myself, I will..." He trailed off, realizing she was staring at him with an expression of surprise, puzzlement, and uncertainty.
"Is this your way of proposing?" she asked.
He looked at her with a bit of alarm. "Atkinson has nothing to do with it, if that's what you're thinking. I guess I just always assumed we'd get married, someday. Don't you feel the same way?"
"Well -- that wasn't very romantic. You could at least ask properly."
He grinned again. "I guess I should do it right." Making a sudden decision, he stood up and reached a hand to her. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Minutes later they were outside, in the soft night air, the dimming light of sunset surrounding them as the breeze stirred Jen's hair and rustled the leaves of the trees and bushes around them. Wes led the way to a stone bench in the garden in back of their house, overlooking the pool, with a view to the ocean beyond.
"This is where we first kissed, remember?" he said. "First said we loved each other."
"Yes. We thought we'd never be able to stay together then."
"It's been a long time. Over a year apart. Now -- have I told you how much it means to me to have you here?"
She raised a hand to caress his cheek. "It means just as much to me, to be here, with you."
He grinned. "Um -- do you want me to get on one knee?"
She smiled. "That's not necessary."
He took her hands and looked into her eyes for a few moments, suddenly becoming serious. "I love you very much, Jen. I want us to spend our lives together. Will you marry me?"
Her eyes were bright as she moved closer to kiss him again. Her arms went around his neck and Wes hugged her tightly, both of them just holding each other, content in the closeness and happiness of that moment. She answered softly, her cheek warm against his. "Of course. You didn't even need to ask."
He chuckled into her ear before kissing it and running his hands over her back. "When do you think we should tell Dad? I feel like telling everyone."
"Mmmm, let's wait a little while. Let's just stay here right now."
"Okay." Wes glanced up at the balcony through a screen of branches, seeing Eric and Gaby obviously preoccupied with each other, before he turned his head to kiss Jen again. "I guess we can find something to do..."
Gaby looked over her shoulder at him, then turned back to the view over the garden and pool. Eric took a few moments to look for himself as he joined her at the rail. It was lovely in the twilight, with a soft breeze stirring the bushes and the faint smell of the ocean reaching them.
"I was hoping you'd come today," he said.
She shrugged. "Least I could do, I guess."
"I appreciate it."
There was a silence before she spoke again. "How do you feel?"
"Okay. For real this time." He smiled. "You were right, you know. My mother did care about me. She just didn't know how to show it. And I guess she couldn't handle the responsibility of taking care of me all by herself. Maybe she panicked. Maybe she really thought I'd be better off without her."
"Still, it was a terrible thing she did. Just leaving you like that."
"Yeah. She made a lot of mistakes. A lot. And now -- she's paid for them."
"Do you forgive her?"
"You know -- I think I do."
Gaby turned to face him with a smile. "That's good."
"Yeah," Eric said thoughtfully. "I feel like I've been stuck in that bus station for twenty years, still waiting for her to come back. Twenty years of being convinced no one ever loved me, not even my mother. Twenty years of being mad at the world, and everyone in it. I've been angry for most of my life. No one should be angry like that."
"Yeah. It's affected everything you do. Maybe you can start to let it go now." She turned back to the garden. "How about your father?"
"He's a different story. Some things can't be forgiven. I still hate him. But -- I've faced him now, and he turned out to be just a man, not the monster I remembered. I feel a little better about him, too."
"Good."
Eric paused, watching as Wes and Jen walked out into the garden below them, and moved into the shadows under a large tree to sit on a stone bench. He took a deep breath. "I know I took some of this out on you. And since then I've been afraid to face you. I'm sorry I was such a jerk."
He saw her grin. "You were. But I can understand why. I don't blame you. I just wish I could have helped."
"You did. It made me feel worse at the time, but you made me think about it, made me face some things. It helped in the long run."
"I'm glad."
"Do you forgive me?"
She was still smiling, with a hint of the old playfulness. "I probably shouldn't."
"But do you?"
"There's nothing to forgive." Her voice was serious now. "I should have been more patient."
"Gaby..." Eric watched her face as she smiled at him again in the dusky light. "I know I'm hard to get along with. I have a temper, sometimes I don't think before I say something." He hesitated. "I'm not romantic, and I never will be. I may not ever say the things you want to hear, or do the things you want me to do. I can't promise to change."
She was looking out at the garden again. "I don't want that kind of promise. I kind of like you the way you are."
He watched her profile. "If you'll give it another chance, I'll do my best."
Her voice was soft in the night air. "There are people who love you, you know. Wes. Mr. Collins." She paused. "Me."
She turned to him as he stepped toward her, raising a hand to touch her face, and then they were in each other's arms, and he was kissing her again as she held him close, the feel and warmth of her filling him, making him want never to let go. He hugged her tightly and pressed his face against her, breathing in the familiar smell of clean skin and hair.
"What do you say we get out of here, go to your place, and get naked and sweaty as fast as possible?" he asked.
He could feel her laughing. "And you say you're not romantic."
