Jim's Folly

Squabbit, did you catch that? Micha, as in your email address, and Kendalyn, the name you *happened* to suggest! Wow! I was actually shocked when I noticed your email was "Misha" whatnot. Honestly, I'd chosen Micha's name long ago. That's what your surprise was. Excited? Not all it was cracked up to be? Your choice. ^_^

By the way, chapter fifty is probably the last chapter. The end. Finis. Yeah, you got it. Jim's Folly is almost over.

Chapter Forty-Nine

It took Andrew two years to get in contact with Raven. By this time, she was teaching hip-hop at a low-class dance studio in a more dangerous part of Montressor, but she didn't mind. Her students were excellent and she loved her job.

Micha was two years old and prettier with each passing day. Silver was awfully fond of her, and the toddler followed him around almost everywhere he went.

Jim tried not to get jealous, but couldn't help feeling a little left out. 'Uncle Silver' was his daughter's pick over her own father. Oh well, Jim would constantly think. She chose a good man to look up to.

It was a dark afternoon when Raven received the message.

"Hey, Raven. Someone's here to see you."

She was sweaty and out of breath from her teaching. "Take a break, girls," she told her class and reached for a towel and a drink of water.

"Who's here to see me?" she asked the person who had given her the message.

The tall young boy shrugged. "He didn't say. He's a young guy, though. My age, I guess."

Raven frowned. A boy looking to learn to dance, perhaps? She was curious. The messenger led her to her visitor.

The boy waiting to see her was tall and thin, his back to her. He was dressed in blue jeans and a white collared shirt. His hair was black and straight, cut neatly.

The messenger cleared his throat. "Sir? She's here to see you." That having been said, he turned and left.

The boy turned, a smile growing on his face.

Raven paused, studying the face. Dark brown eyes, calm and clear. Full lips spread in a beautiful, gentle smile. Smooth skin, nice teeth…long eyelashes. So familiar…so…Ricky Jordan.

She gasped, staggering slightly. He reached forward, his smile growing.

"Hi," he whispered.

"It can't be," she breathed.

"You look great, Mom," Andrew replied, his smile fading faintly.

Tears began to well in Raven's eyes. This couldn't be her son…could it?

"You're so…grown up…" she whispered. He had to be sixteen by now.

"Well, you're married." His accent was even gone. She wasn't sure what to do.

Her eyebrows crinkled together. "Andy?"

He rushed forward and gathered her into his arms. "Oh, Mama, I've missed you so much!" he whispered into her hair. She sobbed quietly, her arms tight around his middle.

"Baby, my Andy, you're alive," she choked out, not letting go. The two held each other for what seemed like decades.

"So…" Andrew said, letting go of his mother. "When do I get to see Jim?"

Raven grinned. "Come home with me and you'll get to see him. Oh…did you want to meet your little sister too?"

Andrew's eyebrows crinkled with emotion. "I have a sister?"

Raven nodded, her grin widening. "She's two years old, Andy. I'll fill you in on the way home."

---

Andrew cried as he met his sister. She was precious. Pure perfection. Her eyes were no longer blue but a deep brown like his. Truly a replica. Her straight hair was in ponytails on top of her head, turning into little waterfall-looking sections on her head.

She wore a blue dress, and she hid behind Jim's leg shyly. Andrew and Jim met each other with a huge hug, skipping any formalities of a 'man hug'.

Jim knelt and scooped up his daughter.

"This is Micha, Andy. Sweetie, this is your big brother."

Micha frowned, looking at the big boy in front of her. Another boy to follow around. She cocked her head and turned to her dad silently, her eyes full of question.

"His name is Andrew, Mich." Jim's words seemed to sink in. "Andwew," she said quietly. Andrew's eyes flooded with happy tears. "She's beautiful, Jim," he whispered, touching his little sister's arm. She held a stuffed Captain Flint doll in her arms and watched Andrew some more, her thumb in her mouth.

"Silvew?" she asked Jim, her thumb muffling her speech. Jim chuckled and set her down. "He's probably in the kitchen, babe. Go look there, okay?"

"'Kay," she replied and ran off, her little legs pounding on the floor.

Andrew wiped his eyes and sighed. "Sorry. It's a little bit emotional seeing someone who looks…well, like my mother and me and you and…well…yeah."

Raven returned to where the two men were speaking and smiled. "Well, Andy, shall we sit and explain some things to each other?"

"Yeah," Andrew replied, nodding. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

---

Micha looked up from where she was perched on Silver's lap as he read the newspaper. The new boy was coming to sit down by her. She blinked her big eyes at him.

"Andwew!" she announced with pride. She'd remembered his name.

Andrew nodded. "Hey sweetie," he said. Silver stood, scooping Micha onto his shoulders. Holding out his flesh hand to Andrew, he grinned. "Nice t' finally meet ya, Andrew."

Andrew nodded. "I've heard nothing about you, but…nice to meet you too," he said in return. Silver chuckled and readjusted his hat. "I'm the fearsome pirate with the many counts of felony against 'im. I'm just rentin' a room here." Andrew's expressionless face was enough to cause Silver to reel over into heaps of laughter.

"I'm just kiddin', kiddo. I'm a pirate, yes, but I ain't dat bad. Ask Jimbo 'ere."
Jim shook his head, amused. Micha was having a lovely time sitting on Silver's shoulders. She took his pirate's hat off of her head and put it on her own. "Yo ho!" she proclaimed, raising her arms to the sky.

Silver scooped her down from his shoulders and tickled her tenderly. "Oh, you little mischief-box, you!"

She giggled insanely before scrambling out of his arms and out of the room. Silver grinned. "Well, I best be off and let you folks catch up now. Nice t' meet ya, Andrew."

Andrew nodded his agreement and sat, his mother and stepfather following suit.

"Well, Andy…where do we start?" Raven asked as Jim joined her, draping his arm around her shoulders.

Andrew licked his lips and didn't look her in the eyes. "Simon's dead," he said quietly. Raven paled. "Since when…?" she asked. Jim's eyes darkened. Good riddance if you asked him…

"He killed himself two years ago. It wasn't pretty…but I won't go into detail." Andrew frowned. How much he wanted to tell his mother…but so much he had to leave out.

"Where's Avery?" she asked. Andrew nodded. Of course she knew about Avery. She'd probably seen their duet on TV at one time or another.

"He…left. Two years ago as well. A short time after Simon died, he left me behind…and I haven't heard from him since."
Raven recalled some of their videos together, frowned slightly, but looked at her son in love.

"So…what exactly…were you…two…?"

"Friends, Ma." His statement was stern. He meant it.

Raven nodded, blushing. "Sorry…I had to ask."
Andrew bit his lip. "Yeah, the media plays on things like that…pretty boys singing together…yadda yadda, you know the rest. I'm sure you heard some of the rumors?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. There had been rumors about her son and Avery? She hadn't heard those ones…

"I heard something about you and a girl named…Ruby?"

"Oh, her. She was my bodyguard."

"Where is she now?"

"She left me at the docks with a ticket to Montressor. I have no way of contacting her because she also abandoned the company…just like Avery. So…" He shrugged.

Raven reached forward and clasped her son's hands in her own. "You have a family here, baby. We're not going anywhere."
Andrew smiled faintly, his eyes clouded with tears. "Tell me about my sister, Mama."

Raven smiled proudly, closing her eyes. Glancing at Jim, she nodded. "Well, it was a slow process…"

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