Frank and Joe returned to the house a few minutes later. Neither spoke as they made their way back to the house, both knowing their relationship could not be rebuilt in a hurry but content in the knowledge they had the rest of their lives to work on it.
Joe stopped just in the doorway. "Pierce?" he asked, shock driving his voice to a whisper. Pierce stood there with a bag in his hand and his coat on.
"Time for me to leave, Kid," Pierce told him gently.
"But the police," Joe objected. "They're looking for you."
"I know," Pierce informed him. "Don't worry about me," he told Joe. "I have actually decided to turn myself in. Next time I escape, I'll make sure it's in the summertime."
"Can't you stay a little longer?" Joe begged, looking at him with pleading blue eyes.
"No," Pierce denied. "I don't want to get you into trouble. I've already told Roxy and the boys goodbye," he added. "You're going to be alright," he continued, glancing at Frank. It was obvious he and Joe had reached some kind of understanding. "But if you ever need to talk to me, you know where to find me. You'll always be a welcome visitor."
"Really?" Joe asked. He knew he still wasn't a popular person behind bars.
"Really," Pierce assured him. "It would kind of make my month if I got to see you at least once in it."
"Back in New York?" Joe asked, his eyes troubled.
"You're going to go back there anyway," Pierce told him. Joe knew he was right. These past few days had been leading up to that.
"Not Bayport, though," Joe said. He couldn't deal with all the stares and whispers he was sure would come his way. He wasn't strong enough, not even with Roxy by his side.
"Anywhere you want," Frank said, putting a hand on Joe's shoulder. "You can stay here if you like and Callie and I can buy some land next to yours and put up a house."
Joe gave a wan smile at that. Frank, it seemed, was still a bit clueless, but he was moving in the right direction. Clueless. Dad! The thought registered with a flash of light. Joe gave a real smile. He grabbed Pierce in a bear hug. "Thank you. For everything."
"What's in the bag?" Frank asked, still suspicious of Pierce.
"Sandwiches," Pierce admitted. "Laura made them for me."
Joe walked Pierce to the door and watched him walk down the drive before closing the door. Frank was waiting silently where Joe had left him. "Want to go and play with your nephews for a bit?" Joe asked. "I need to talk to mom and dad and then, we'll have a real family reunion," he promised.
Frank sniffed, smiled and nodded his head. He went upstairs consumed with the joy of love and the spirit of the season. Miracles did come true on Christmas Eve.
Joe waited until Frank was out of sight then took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. Laura looked up from her task of washing the dishes and moved to his side. He embraced her with an intensity that left her crying with true happiness. Something she had not experienced in a long, long time. When Joe released her, he was smiling. Laura looked over at Fenton then back to Joe who nodded. She patted his cheek then exited the kitchen to give them some time alone.
Joe sat down beside his father who was still oblivious to his presence. His wallet lay on the table and he was staring at something he held in his hand. Joe reached out and took the picture his father held. He could tell it had grown worn from being handled so much. Joe looked at the picture as Fenton stared at him.
Joe saw what he thought was a stranger staring back at him. But he opened his mouth and breathed as he realized it was still him, only younger. Joe looked at his father. "You dismantled the gun before you hid it," he said.
"The kids," Fenton explained.
"Couldn't have gotten to it out there," Joe said. "You did it for me."
"I would do anything for you," Fenton declared. "I just...I just don't know how to make you believe me."
"Ah, Dad. I always thought you knew everything. Could do anything. I've only recently learned that you aren't omnipotent. You're human just like everyone else. I love you," Joe ended.
Fenton looked into Joe's eyes, a hesitant joy lighting his own. "Oh, Baby," he said, tears falling unchecked. "I love you so much. I never thought you could feel the way you did. I..." he broke off. Afraid to say anything that would come out wrong.
"It's okay, Dad," Joe said softly, taking his father's hand.
Fenton pulled Joe to him and buried his face in Joe's hair. "I'm never going to let you go again. Ever!" he declared fiercely.
"Oh, like I'm going to let you?" Joe joked.
"Baby," Fenton said, pulling back and holding Joe's head between his hands.
"Come on," Joe said standing up. "My kids need to meet their grandparents. And then you are going to have to help me move."
"Move?" Fenton asked in confusion.
"I thought we might move to Southport," Joe said as Fenton stood and put an arm around Joe's shoulders. "I have family near there that I would like to get to know better."
The End
Joe stopped just in the doorway. "Pierce?" he asked, shock driving his voice to a whisper. Pierce stood there with a bag in his hand and his coat on.
"Time for me to leave, Kid," Pierce told him gently.
"But the police," Joe objected. "They're looking for you."
"I know," Pierce informed him. "Don't worry about me," he told Joe. "I have actually decided to turn myself in. Next time I escape, I'll make sure it's in the summertime."
"Can't you stay a little longer?" Joe begged, looking at him with pleading blue eyes.
"No," Pierce denied. "I don't want to get you into trouble. I've already told Roxy and the boys goodbye," he added. "You're going to be alright," he continued, glancing at Frank. It was obvious he and Joe had reached some kind of understanding. "But if you ever need to talk to me, you know where to find me. You'll always be a welcome visitor."
"Really?" Joe asked. He knew he still wasn't a popular person behind bars.
"Really," Pierce assured him. "It would kind of make my month if I got to see you at least once in it."
"Back in New York?" Joe asked, his eyes troubled.
"You're going to go back there anyway," Pierce told him. Joe knew he was right. These past few days had been leading up to that.
"Not Bayport, though," Joe said. He couldn't deal with all the stares and whispers he was sure would come his way. He wasn't strong enough, not even with Roxy by his side.
"Anywhere you want," Frank said, putting a hand on Joe's shoulder. "You can stay here if you like and Callie and I can buy some land next to yours and put up a house."
Joe gave a wan smile at that. Frank, it seemed, was still a bit clueless, but he was moving in the right direction. Clueless. Dad! The thought registered with a flash of light. Joe gave a real smile. He grabbed Pierce in a bear hug. "Thank you. For everything."
"What's in the bag?" Frank asked, still suspicious of Pierce.
"Sandwiches," Pierce admitted. "Laura made them for me."
Joe walked Pierce to the door and watched him walk down the drive before closing the door. Frank was waiting silently where Joe had left him. "Want to go and play with your nephews for a bit?" Joe asked. "I need to talk to mom and dad and then, we'll have a real family reunion," he promised.
Frank sniffed, smiled and nodded his head. He went upstairs consumed with the joy of love and the spirit of the season. Miracles did come true on Christmas Eve.
Joe waited until Frank was out of sight then took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. Laura looked up from her task of washing the dishes and moved to his side. He embraced her with an intensity that left her crying with true happiness. Something she had not experienced in a long, long time. When Joe released her, he was smiling. Laura looked over at Fenton then back to Joe who nodded. She patted his cheek then exited the kitchen to give them some time alone.
Joe sat down beside his father who was still oblivious to his presence. His wallet lay on the table and he was staring at something he held in his hand. Joe reached out and took the picture his father held. He could tell it had grown worn from being handled so much. Joe looked at the picture as Fenton stared at him.
Joe saw what he thought was a stranger staring back at him. But he opened his mouth and breathed as he realized it was still him, only younger. Joe looked at his father. "You dismantled the gun before you hid it," he said.
"The kids," Fenton explained.
"Couldn't have gotten to it out there," Joe said. "You did it for me."
"I would do anything for you," Fenton declared. "I just...I just don't know how to make you believe me."
"Ah, Dad. I always thought you knew everything. Could do anything. I've only recently learned that you aren't omnipotent. You're human just like everyone else. I love you," Joe ended.
Fenton looked into Joe's eyes, a hesitant joy lighting his own. "Oh, Baby," he said, tears falling unchecked. "I love you so much. I never thought you could feel the way you did. I..." he broke off. Afraid to say anything that would come out wrong.
"It's okay, Dad," Joe said softly, taking his father's hand.
Fenton pulled Joe to him and buried his face in Joe's hair. "I'm never going to let you go again. Ever!" he declared fiercely.
"Oh, like I'm going to let you?" Joe joked.
"Baby," Fenton said, pulling back and holding Joe's head between his hands.
"Come on," Joe said standing up. "My kids need to meet their grandparents. And then you are going to have to help me move."
"Move?" Fenton asked in confusion.
"I thought we might move to Southport," Joe said as Fenton stood and put an arm around Joe's shoulders. "I have family near there that I would like to get to know better."
The End