A/N: As usual, I own nothing. This is the sequel to Darkness Permeates and is set in season seven so spoilers apply. This story has the same adorable characters we've all grown to love (most of us anyway) with a single addition and a few changes because of it. Because most of you will not have read Darkness Permeates (but I hope you will) I will graciously provide you with a short biography of the OC, Jake.
-Jake: Age, 32. Enlisted early at seventeen in the army and worked his way up quickly through Infantry, Airborne, Ranger, and Special Forces schools. Had a few traumatic events (battles) happen and left active combat in favor of training other advanced soldiers including Agents Finn and Graham. He now runs his own special bounty hunter service where he gets paid to deal with the underworld threats to innocents and not so innocents.
The timeframe is a few weeks after the end of season six and this story is from his POV. Hope you enjoy.
I tried. So hard, for her; I tried. I forced my body to move in ways it used to and ignored the pain that had built up in my mortal body. As promised by Willow, my bullet wound healed steadily. The stab through my chest, however, had a ways to go. The scar promised to be jagged from my constant pulling at the stitches but it had stayed closed for the last three days as I pushed through my morning exercises. Today I even imagined the pain to be less as I pulled myself up and lowered myself back down again from the bar where the shower curtain was supposed to be. Normally I would be afraid this thing would crash down under my body weight, but by widening my arms to grab it at the ends, not a problem with this small a shower, I could stabilize it enough to keep it from bowing in the middle. Gasping, I dropped down to my feet with a hand clamped over my chest. I pulled my hand away to pry the top off the bandage but the cut was still together. I stepped into the shower and turned on the water to gently beat across my skin.
I was feeling a little bit better everyday, but I wasn't there yet. I begged the hospital staff to let me go home but they told me I had to wait. Wait until today, that is. I stepped out from under the falling water and dried myself off and began to pull back on my clothes. I walked to the bed and lowered myself to the cool white sheets, pulling one hand behind my head to prop myself up. I glanced at my watch and closed my eyes waiting for my ride to show up. As promised, almost an hour later, there was a soft tap at the door. It opened to silhouette my savior in the white hallway light. I smiled as she crossed to my side and leaned forward to kiss me, both hands on the edge of the bed. My hand moved to the back of her head as our kiss deepened. The need for air finally made me lean back as my lung made itself known.
"Hello to you too, beautiful. So what's the deal? Ready to get me out of here?" She smiled brightly up at me and I stroked the hair gently out of her face.
"Very ready. This bed is nowhere near big enough." I kissed her mischievous smile and moved carefully off the bed onto my feet. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and we walked together out to the lobby where Xander was waiting for us. He approached me with a careful backslapping hug and a huge grin.
"Go ahead, say it."
"Say what, man?" I wasn't buying it.
"Whatever smartass comment you've thought up to razz me with this week."
"I would never. Well, not on the day you get to go home, anyway." I shook my head with a rueful grin.
"Thanks." He led the way out to his car and Buffy and I climbed together into the backseat. He chauffeured us out of the parking lot and started us down the road. He swung us first by my apartment so Buffy could put together a bag for me.
"I want you to have a few things so you can stay with me at the house." I wasn't going to protest; it meant I'd get to stay there without possible comment from her friends. I did remember to grab my computer and a few other essentials. As we were heading back down to the car with Buffy carrying my single bag I took a look around the parking lot.
"By the way, where's my car?" Neither of them could meet my eyes for a minute and it was Buffy who finally answered, stepping closer to me with a sweet expression on her face.
"Yeah, about that... I had to ask Xander to move it." I looked down at her innocent face and then shifted my gaze to Xander.
"But Xander can't drive a stick shift... Tell me you didn't crash it."
"I didn't crash it exactly. I more of, kind of, parked if more forcefully than usual. It stalled out and I couldn't start it again." Uh oh. At least it was probably still fixable. I took a breath and shrugged it off; nothing could bother me today. I fixed a smile on my face and threw my arm back around Buffy's shoulders as I continued down toward the car.
"So where is it exactly?" Just to be sure.
"It's in my driveway. Dawn even washed it yesterday so it would look good for you when you came home." We got in and she insisted on holding the door for me. I smiled and paid the toll on my way by and she waited till we were situated and on our way before continuing on with her train of thought.
"Remember to be careful with her. She still kinda blames herself for what happened to you. Well, the sword part anyway."
"We already talked about this. I told her it wasn't her fault. I even promised to help her train after I got out."
"Still..."
"I'll be good. I'll just have to show her that I'm getting well and she'll feel better."
"Just don't push yourself for her sake. I don't want you to hurt yourself again. Remember what happened the last time I came to visit?"
"I remember. Don't worry, I'll be careful." She had found me laying in bed gasping in pain and with blood streaming down my front. I had wanted to wait for the bleeding to stop before I called the nurse but she had quickly pressed the call button and put pressure on the wound to stop it for me. I shrugged off my memory as we pulled up in front of her house and Xander parked behind my car. I stepped out and slowly made my way to the blue beauty. Gently tracing her curves with a single finger I found a simpleton's smile on my face and quickly looked back at Buffy. She stood watching me, bemused and tolerant of my admiration for my car. I stepped back into her embrace and found her lips with mine.
"What? I've missed her too." She slapped my arm playfully and I turned around at the sound of the door opening. I was instantly enveloped in a strong hug from Dawn's arms. I returned it as best I could without pulling stitches and still managed to pick her up a little.
"I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Me too." Gradually we all made our way inside and into the living room. Buffy insisted on sitting me down and getting me something to drink immediately so I chatted it up with Xander a little while her and her sister were gone. Dawn came back first with a glass of milk and was followed a second later by Buffy with a tray of sandwiches, cut fruit, and cookies. I smiled as she fussed over me and made sure to thank Dawn especially. It worried me that she still felt bad; it really wasn't her fault what had happened to me. I reminded myself to have another talk with her later. I took a long look around the freshly cleaned living room, the smell of lemon still in the air.
"You guys didn't clean up just for me, did you?" Buffy blushed slightly and turned her head to the side for a second before facing me again.
"Well, yeah; kinda. This is a special day. And you deserve coming home to a clean safe place." I smiled and leaned forward to kiss her, still taking enjoyment from being able to do it in front of her friends. She smiled with a sparkle in her eye and I could hear the thoughts of her plans for tonight. Flushing, I turned away from her to look at the other oblivious faces around us. Clearing my throat, I forced a change of subject.
"So what's the plan for the rest of the day?" Xander and Dawn glanced at each other and then at Buffy before Xander answered me.
"Actually, the Dawnster and I are heading out to the mall for a few and we're bringing back movies for later along with dinner." That reminded me that I should stop by an ATM soon and pick up some cash. Buffy snuggled close to me as I finished the last bite of my sandwich and then stood to grab the tray and head for the kitchen.
"Buffy said she had something she needed to talk with you about." I smiled at Dawn and held out my arms for her to move closer. I held her close and whispered into her ear so softly I didn't think Xander could hear.
"You know I don't blame you, sweetie. But thank you for giving me time alone with your sister, we need it." I kissed the side of her head and she gave me a final squeeze before letting me go. Buffy came back into the room and Xander took the opportunity to excuse himself and Dawn. As they moved out the door Buffy disappeared again for a minute and I found myself on the couch nervously wondering what she might want to talk with me about. Was it about keeping me from patrolling? Or maybe she thought I was pushing myself to hard. She thought I'd done that when I was healthy. I hoped she didn't want to talk about getting pulled back; I don't think I could stand to have that talk yet. Maybe it was something different. Maybe it was something... special, between us. What could it be? She came back a minute later with my computer bag and took her seat on the couch next to me.
"I need to ask you something, but I'm not sure how to do it." I looked down at the laptop bag and then back up at her, still confused what this could be about.
"Okay. Well, I'm listening. Say what you gotta say, babe." She smiled up at me and patted the bag at her feet.
"I was wondering if you could show me how to do that website thing again. I kinda want to keep doing that. And I could really use the extra cash for Dawn's school stuff coming up." I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding as I gave a half chuckle.
"No problem whatsoever. So you kept the double-meat job, huh?"
"Well, yeah. I still have to show a steady job to keep Dawn. But I'd like to cut back my hours during the summer. They'll have more help anyway and I want to spend more time with Dawn... and you." I smiled as I reached past her for the bag and kept the wince from my face as I lifted it with my bad shoulder. I set it up quickly and in no time I was plugged in and online. I wrote down the website for her and put in a request for her username and password while she waited. I pulled up the hits for the local area and she took notes on the ones she might look up a little later. I walked her through it until I was sure she had it down and then we put aside the computer and just talked. Xander and Dawn found us like that, reclined on the couch with her leaning against the right side of my chest and my arms around her. During our long conversation I managed to get her to agree for us to start Dawn's training formally, but it wasn't all about business. We talked about simple things, mostly; enjoyable and peaceful things.
"Hey you two, what did you bring me?" I grinned as Buffy asked in her mock childish tone and I tightened my grasp around her slightly. Xander smiled as he moved directly toward the kitchen with the pizza boxes in his hand and Dawn made her way with her two bags to show us her hard won prizes.
"Thank you, Buffy. I love the new outfit you let me get."
"Thank you for that 'A' on your history test."
"Please, History is like so not a problem for me. Not after hanging around with Spi..." I looked sideways at her sharply as I felt Buffy stiffen slightly beneath my touch. Xander came back around the corner with the boxes held in both hands with paper plates and napkins balanced precariously on top. As he planted the pile on the coffee table the plates flipped forward and landed face down next to the boxes.
"Whoops." Dawn dropped both bags next to the couch and fled to the kitchen to get the drinks while Xander pulled out the video they'd rented and started playing with the VCR. Buffy and I rearranged ourselves so there was more room on the couch and Dawn took her place next to Buffy after passing out glasses of cola. The screen darkened and Xander moved back to sit next to the end of the table where he started opening the boxes. We reached eagerly for the pieces of warm sauce and cheese on round bread.
"At last, some real food." They chuckled as I bit into the piece with the relish of one who has choked down hospital food for weeks. The movie played and the conversation flowed as the pizza disappeared. My attention was focused more on Buffy and what she had to say about the movie than on the actual movie itself. I relished being able to just hold her in my arms and the feeling of warmth and comfort spread itself throughout my body. I felt myself relax... and if felt good. Eventually the movie ended and the screen went dark again. Xander reached forward to shut if off and Dawn stifled a yawn.
"Alright, kiddo. Off to bed with you; you've got school tomorrow."
"Aww."
"How many days left?" Her smile brightened as she answered my question.
"Four more days of class and then 'school's out for summer'." With hugs all around, she was careful of my chest and she squeezed her arms around me. "Goodnight Jake."
"Goodnight, sweetie." She disappeared up the stairs and Xander cleaned up the empty boxes and used plates and napkins. Buffy stood to follow him with the glasses after pushing me back against the couch when I tried to help. He left a few minutes later with our thanks for his help with Dawn and for the food. He smiled cheekily as she shook my hand and I punched him lightly in the arm before closing the door behind him. I looked around for a second, but Buffy had disappeared. I checked the kitchen, the backyard; the living rooms again, even the basement, but found nothing so I headed upstairs. Soft candlelight flickered from the cracked open door and I smiled as I tapped lightly at the door. The sound that answered me made me grin even further and in no way resembled actual words. A light push swung the door open fully and revealed my prize for all the pain I had endured.
She stood silently with her hair up in the single ponytail, wearing nothing but a smile, and she whimpered as a shiver caressed her skin, puckering her flesh slightly. There is nothing sexier than a woman who wants to be looked at, needs to be admired, and showing her how much you want to do both. Our minds intertwined as they had not in weeks, as our bodies touched for the first time. Light mental fingers traced down her skin all around every part but the most sensitive. She gasped under my touch, both physical and mental, and her responses only served to fuel mine further. Our lovemaking had often been like this, soft, gentle, even worshipful, caresses of each other's bodies and minds.
I woke up early the next morning to stretch out and run. I left quietly without her being disturbed by my exit. I told myself it would be important just to know if I could still do it, but it quickly turned into a competition with myself to see how long I could keep going. My scar didn't pull exactly, but the lung beneath it did feel the strain. I didn't even make it a mile before I found myself light headed and woozy. So they had saved most of the lung but my body still needed to readjust. I was standing, bracing myself with one hand on a fence from a house down the street when she found me.
"Are you okay?" She ran to my side and braced me with her shoulder. I waved my hand, still out of breath, to try and tell her I was alright but she was having none of it. She started to try and lay me down in the grass, but I kept my feet so she got us moving back to her house instead. Thankfully, she kept her early morning berating until after the front door was closed behind us and I was seated on the couch. I could breath more easily now, but was still feeling a little woozy. She went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water for me and came back to glare down at me. She stood with her hands on her hips after handing me the glass and I took a sip, waiting for the barrage to begin, admiring her sports bra and tight spandex pants.
"What did you think you were doing?" I smiled sheepishly up at her, still amazed at how put off my guard she could put me, even after all I'd already been through.
"I needed to know how much work it will take to get me back in the game."
"Already? You just got out of the hospital yesterday and you're already straining yourself. It's not even light outside. What would have happened if you had gotten attacked before I had found you?" Her anger gave way slowly to her fear for me and she relaxed her stringent pose to melt slowly into my arms. I held her close to me as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"I'm worried about you. I don't want to lose you again."
"Buffy, you're not going to lose me. I love you. I'm always going to come back." I kissed the side of her head and then worked my way down to her neck. We were curled up together like that as the first rays of sun broke through the window. She picked her head up and together we rose to go back outside. I stood behind her, wrapping her in my arms, as we watched the sun sweep away the fear of night from the sleepy little town of sunny-dale. My chin rested on top of her head and I closed my eyes as we stood together facing the new day. Finally we turned and headed back inside to get ready to face said day. I started getting things ready for breakfast but got pushed aside and ordered to sit back down. I was there at the center bar when Dawn came bouncing down the stairs and into the kitchen. Buffy tried to move the omelet without breaking it but it fell apart halfway to the plate. I winced as she dropped a piece but managed to save the rest for her sister's breakfast.
"Thanks, Buffy." I was released from Dawn's warm hug as she took the plate from her sister and took a seat next to me. Minutes later I had my own mostly together omelet in front of me but I waited for Buffy to cook hers before I took my first bite. All in all it wasn't that bad, and I've definitely had worse, but I reminded myself to teach her a few things when I got the chance. Dawn was shortly on her way off to school and we both walked her to the door to wave at Xander as she got in his car. Buffy turned to me after they had pulled away and she plucked at my sweaty shirt.
"You need a shower." I grinned as my arms wrapped around her sweaty sports bra and tugged on the back.
"Is that an invitation?" I picked her up and her lips found mine, distracting me pleasantly as I found my way up the stairs. A few hours later, cleaned and dressed again, we had time for more conversation. She pulled out her bills and we went over a few other aspects of her new employment prospects. As I was online already, I went ahead and checked my account balance, deciding I was still good enough off that I could afford to recover and spend some on Dawn's birthday gifts, but I would still need to take a job in the next few weeks. That was how long I had to get back in shape. I hoped it would be enough. I looked up as Buffy came back into the living room with two glasses of water and smiled as I saw her as though it was still the first time.
"What?" She asked as she handed me a glass and took her seat next to me.
"You're just so beautiful and I'm just so in love with you." I run a finger up to her face and gently moved a strand of hair out of her eyes as she flushed slightly with an answering grin. I kiss her gently, a simple sweet kiss that promises nothing more than my love. With a sigh we turned back to the papers before us and began to muddle our way through the financial world around us. She was trying to convince me that she should cut back her days at the double-meat palace to as few as possible and I was trying to point out that in my line of work there are few guarantees for assignments unless you go where the jobs are. Eventually she agreed to cut down from six days a week to four and see how it worked, but she had three jobs she wanted to do today or tomorrow so she had more breathing room.
"What are you doing?" She was heading out the door and I was holding it open for her from the outside.
"What do you mean?"
"You with the 'one foot out the door'age. I thought I was going to do this alone."
"Oh you did, did you? And what was I going to do? Sit here all by my lonesome?" She stepped in closer to me as I stood with my back against the door and she looked up at me with her lower lip sticking out. I smiled down as she pouted cutely up at me and wrapped her quickly in my arms. She let out a cute little sound of surprise as I caught her lower lip with first my teeth and then my own lips. She looked up at me after I released her mouth, her arms still around me, as she resumed her pout.
"Please? Just until you're fully able." I let out a sigh and pulled her to me, hoping to abate the power of her puppy dog eyes. It didn't work, though, as I gave into her anyway.
"Okay. I'll play at being home base guy for a while. But you be careful." She pulled back with a smile that made me feel a little better and then kissed me good bye before taking off down the street. I stood watching until she was out of sight and then headed back inside to change back into my workout clothes. An hour of working out in the basement left me sore and dripping with both sweat and a little bit of blood. I contemplated another shower but decided instead on heading out to take a look at the car. I found the keys in a drawer in the kitchen and tried to start it the old fashioned way. it wanted to turn over, I know it did, but something was stopping it and the car tried to lurch forward with every catch of the engine. With a sigh I opened the garage to see what kind of tools the slayer might have available. Buffy found me another hour or so later, walking up as I crawled out from under my baby. She fingered my now dirty and greased covered shirt and I was thankful I hadn't taken that second shower.
"You're all dirty." I wiped my hands on the rag towel and smiled at her.
"I'm kinda used to it. How did it go?"
"No big, just two demons that have been bugging this guy. Still, they got me twelve hundred a piece. I really kind of love this job." I chuckled as she stepped closer for a careful kiss.
"So what's next?"
"I don't know, figured I'd grab a snack and maybe see what you're doing." I gestured at my car in minor exasperation. I was grateful for Xander not leaving my car by the side of the cemetery, but this might be a little too much.
"I think the transmission is jammed. I can fix it, but I need parts and maybe a helping hand."
"Well, I think there's a junk yard somewhere outside of town. Maybe Xander would know where it is. He could probably give you a ride down there too." I glanced at my watch where it lay in the grass and decided he was still probably at work.
"I feel like taking a break. How about me giving you a hand with your 'snack' and you can tell me about your next hit."
"You really call them 'hits'?" I chuckled as we made our way into the house so I could get cleaned up a little. My face and hands were clean and Buffy and I sat together on the back porch sharing her snack of fruit and yogurt.
"So what's next for this afternoon?"
"Something about a nest down on fourth. Shouldn't be too big a deal. From the way the guy described it there are only half a dozen or so. I should finish up before daylight runs out and be back in time for dinner. Speaking of..."
"What would you like? I think I'm in the mood for Italian maybe, but you're the working gal."
"I don't know. How do you feel about Chinese?"
"I think I can do that."
"Are you sure? I mean, if you're not able..."
"Darling, if last night and this morning haven't proven that I am still fully able, then you and I need to go back upstairs." She grinned mischievously at me and fluttered her eyelashes suggestively.
"Promise?" With a groan I looked down at my grease coated shirt and shorts, feeling the grime that had worked its way down my back.
"Maybe some other time. When I'm not so... stinky." With a sudden lunge I caught her in my arms as she planted herself firmly in my lap.
"I like it when you're stinky. It makes you smell all manly, with the grease and the sweat and the..."
"Yeah, yeah; you're just saying that." Her kiss rocked me back and gave me little doubt to her conviction. I smiled against her and relished the young willing body in my hands for a long moment before I pulled back.
"If we do that, I won't get the car fixed and you won't go clear out that nest." Wait. Were those words coming out of my mouth? Why would my mouth be saying things like that? She kept her seat in my lap and gave me half a pout, but I could tell her heart just wasn't in it.
"Alright, later then. So you really think you can fix it yourself?"
"Shouldn't be too hard once I get the right parts. So how long have you had that jeep in the garage?"
"The geek-machine? That was my mom's. It hasn't been driven since..." Her eyes went distant and I felt the feeling she did from her reminiscence. She slowly focused back on my face and I smiled as though nothing had happened. "Do you think you can use it?"
"If it's okay. I can probably find the place on my own without bothering Xander at work. I might need some help moving the car, though."
"No problem. We can get that done with right now." With a nice kiss she bounced off of my lap and held her hand out to help me up. She dropped the plate in the sink on our way through the kitchen and made directly for the front yard. I had managed to un-jam the gears but one of them was too marred for me to want to risk putting it back in. I released the brake and Buffy pushed it one handed backwards into the street and then I steered it so we parked parallel to her front door. Setting the brake and taking the keys with me, I met her on the way up to the drive. She guided me back up into the house and disappeared upstairs for a minute, coming back down with a set of keys. She handed them to me somberly and then forced a smile as she quirked her head shyly to the side.
"I'm not even sure it'll start."
"Thank you." I kept my voice serious, hoping to make her feel better by understanding the importance of the issue. I decided against asking when I could start teaching Dawn to drive. I reminded myself to ask her about her own driver's license as well. I took them carefully, feeling the weight of them in my palm and wondering at why they weighed so much more than they should. The moment stretched and she turned her head to the side, standing as she did with her arm wrapped around herself and playing with her neck.
"So, uh, I'd better get going if I want to get back by nightfall." I smiled as I waved my hand for her to precede me out the door. She waited while I opened the garage again and unlocked the jeep's door. It whirred gently and stopped; dead battery. A quick check and a trade from my car and she came to life. Buffy clapped as I raised my arms in victory, the weight of the moment forgotten. I backed down the drive and parked it, leaving it running as I stepped out of the jeep and into her arms. A long goodbye kiss followed after making sure she didn't want a ride. I pulled out my cell phone as I drove and dialed the General's number from memory. As it rang through, I thought back to all the times we'd shared and how many times we'd helped each other out; how many times we'd saved each other's lives. This time, though, all I needed was directions to a junk yard.
"Hey, you old bullet-stopper, how's life?" Always the tactful one, the General was.
"Well, I'm living it. Again. How's business?"
"Ahh, the usual; boring but brutal. What can I do for you, chief?"
"I need to see a man about a car."
"New or used?"
"Parts." We traded friendly insults and exchanged promises to meet again later in the week while he explained how to get to the best place for what I was looking for. A ten minute talk and a fifteen minute drive later, and I was where I needed to be. I found and bought the part, and even saved a little money by stripping it out myself. I was on my way back to Buffy's house but decided to swing by and see Xander anyway. Word was his company had gotten the job for the new sunny-dale high school. I pulled up to the site and found him without having to ask. I just followed the sound of the reasonable controlling voice and there he was.
"Jake! What are you doing here?"
"Thought I'd stop by and take a look at the place. Did I ever tell you I used to do handyman kind of work with my Dad?" He shook his head and I could tell he was wondering where I was going with this. "I was wondering if I could get a little tour. If you've got the time, of course; I don't want to pull you away from something importa..."
"Grab a hat." I smiled as he cut me off and I snagged a hard cover from the posts next to his planning table. We worked our way, not too slowly, around the entirely completed sections and through some of the mostly completed sections as well. He pointed out parts his guys were responsible for and I asked questions that actually made it sound like I knew what I was talking about.
"I gotta admit, I'm impressed."
"Oh yeah?"
"You're really good at this, the school looks great, and all of this is going to be done by the next school year. Really, that's like awesome." He chuckled humbly as we talked about his projects and then asked about mine and what I was doing. When he heard about the car he turned his head to the side and I swear he blushed a little.
"Hey, I'm sorry about that, man."
"Don't worry about it. A twenty dollar part and a little elbow grease; no big."
"Still, man; I feel like I owe you one." I decided to let it go for now and maybe he'd forget about it, unless of course it turned out I might need it.
"Alright, bro; we'll take care of that later, though." He nodded and I shook his hand, thanking him for the tour. I dropped the hat off where I'd found it and got back in the jeep to go try and fix my ride. As I made my way down Revello drive raindrops started splattering on the windshield and I groaned at the thought of working on my car in the rain. Then my thoughts flew to Buffy and her now working without the benefit of sunlight backing her up. I accelerated past the house and began heading in the direction of her slight tug on our psychic link. I didn't sense any danger from her, or fear, just a sense of wishing I was there. In just a few minutes, I was. I found her walking under an awning downtown and she smiled brightly as I pulled up beside her. She climbed in and leaned over to give me a welcome kiss.
"Thanks, I thought I was going to have to get all wet after getting all dusty, and that is never a good combination. Kind of like an evil mudpack." I chuckled, knowing what she meant. "So did you find what you were looking for?"
"No problem. Still gotta put it together, but I'm hoping it will work. I swung by and saw Xander today, too."
"Oh yeah? How's he doing?"
"Good. The school is really coming along." I glanced down at she found my hand with hers and flashed her a smile before concentrating back on the road. Being able to tell what the drivers around you are going to do before they do it is very helpful, but it still takes some thought. The rain started coming down a little harder as I turned back down Revello drive. I pulled all the way into the garage, making sure she had enough room to get out, and we made the run together to the front door. Dawn was standing there with towels waiting for us. The rain continued into the night as I started dinner. Stir fry vegetables with sweet and sour pork over a bed of white rice. Nothing fancy, but I could do it from the directions on the back of the bag. The family sat down together at the table as we ate and talked about our days, the lightning and rain having no effect on our new beginning.