It's About Time
Chapter 16
They'd barely taken a single step when suddenly someone was in their way. Rick had never seen him before, however he could feel the evil flowing out of him and washing over everything. He was average looking, bald, and clad all in white. A really nice and expensive-looking white suit.
The next thing Rick noticed was that everything seemed to have stopped. The clouds were not moving. The wind wasn't blowing and there was no sound. He couldn't even smell anything.
Kate, though, recognized him instantly. "Lucifer." The fear of what he was going to do to her for this was now front and center. It had her frozen in place.
"You disappoint me. I give you one little task, the power to do it, and this is how you repay me." He simply motioned with his hand and Kate found herself lying on her back on the ground. All of the air was forced out of her lungs and she found it hard to breathe.
Rick wanted to take a step and defend her but he realized that his feet wouldn't move. He looked down and tried to move his foot. To his great consternation it didn't move even a fraction of an inch.
"You're with me." Lucifer reached down, grabbed one of Kate's ankles, and began to drag her.
Rick found that his voice still worked. "Leave her alone!"
"Well, lookie what we have here. An Angel. Did she turn you with her woman's ways? Pussy-whip an Angel? Who would have guessed." He actually stopped dragging Kate.
"You can't touch her. She sacrificed her future to be with me. She is yours no longer." Rick fought back in the only way left to him.
Lucifer's laugh almost burned his soul just hearing it. "She's mine even if you are addicted to her." Lucifer went back to dragging Kate on the ground. Only after just two steps he became aware that it had become harder and harder to drag her. She was actually starting to dig into the ground. He found that he couldn't take even one more step dragging her.
"Sacrifice." It made him to think about that. "You sacrificed your future by allowing an alien to touch you." His eyes glowed as he stared at her, thinking about her and what she'd done. "FINE!" He dropped her legs and let her lay there.
He couldn't keep her or have her back. "You can't keep what I gave you." He leaned down and wrapped his hands around Kate's neck. What Rick heard was Kate screaming bloody murder from the pain. What he saw was fire leaving her body. It seemed to come out of her neck and into his body.
Kate had told him about being Dark Phoenix even if she hadn't actually shown him.
It took almost a minute and Kate screamed from the pain the entire time. When it was over she was left laying there, whimpering from the pain.
"Know this, Angel. One day you two are going to die and when you do you might not be mine, but she is and what I will do to her will have her screaming from the pain until time itself stops." Lucifer smiled wickedly. He may not win this time, but he would eventually win out.
"And think about this. That alien has gained the power of the lives of the two of you that you would have lived. The human race, God's chosen children, are now doomed thanks to you two. Think about that." With that Lucifer vanished, leaving Kate whimpering from the pain on the ground.
It became apparent to Rick that he could finally move when his fingers began to twitch. He rushed to her side and lifted her up a little so he could hold her tight and tell her that he loved her.
\O/ + |X| + \O/ + |X| + \O/+ |X|+ \O/+ |X| + \O/
It was two hours later and they were in a private room inside a New York bank. They'd gotten a few of their gold coins off their legs and argued to get all they could for them along with some cold hard cash for them to use. The gold was now making them 7% interest and they had what for the day was a lot of money.
Rick's research told them where they needed to go next: Bowery Village. It was there that it became a suburb of the City. Because of this farmers and others could sell their things and not pay a tax. This made what they sold less expensive than what was sold in the City.
There were also a number of comfortable residences along the upper Bowery. The first one they found that was for sale was brand new red brick building with two dormers on the third floor. There were three windows on the front on the first and second floors.
There were a number of them on First and Second Avenues and Eleventh Street. It was the cheapest and was mostly empty because right next door there was the area's first cemetery.
Now came the next problem. It was empty. In the 1820s housing didn't come with all that much. The kitchen had cabinets and a sink. The bathrooms had fixtures and the floors were wood. There was a Rumford fireplace in the kitchen on the main floor and another in the master bedroom on the second floor. Both were wood burning and naturally there was no cut fire wood. It meant they literally needed everything else. Furniture, bedding, towels, kitchen utensils, pots and pans, and even food to cook. At least it had locks on the door.
They both stripped up on the third floor and took everything off of their bodies. While it was cold and they didn't have any wood for the fireplace, Rick did have a few tools and went to work on a section of the floor on the third floor.
Once open, he stuffed everything they had into the joist space and closed it up again save for the larger items: compound bows, sleeping bags, and their two person dome tent that had a large air mattress wrapped up inside of it.
"What's first, babe?" Kate was willing to let Rick lead since he had done all the research.
"A bed and bedding if we can find a place that can deliver since we don't have a wagon to put it all into. After that we need horses so we can get around and we'll need to find a place to stable them and care for them. Of course kitchen stuff and furniture." He tried to think ahead. "Then we need information and eventually jobs. We should be spending our gold on our future not living off of it."
"Isn't New York City where all the immigrants come to? We might find out something there. Once we find a group we can start planning. Unless you want your farm to be local?" Did they leave the area? Did they have to?
"Too expensive to live here even at this time. We might be rich based on today's standards but if we want to stay that way we can't go spending it all in this city." Rick was shaking his head. "How do you feel?" He stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body close to his.
Kate thought about lying but didn't. "It still hurts. My neck mostly." She slipped her arms around his waist. She wasn't sorry she'd come with him. She had thought she might lose being Dark Phoenix, but not how she lost it.
"When we come back late today we can take out some aspirin and some cream for your neck. Then you can rest on the bed if we can get it delivered today." Rick kissed her forehead.
\O/ + |X| + \O/ + |X| + \O/+ |X|+ \O/+ |X| + \O/
Kate got down off her horse and tied him to the ring at the street out in front of their home. He had a water trough and there was always a little hay next to it. Next she got to work taking the saddle off of him and then hefted it up into her arms. She went inside and dropped it.
Next she went into the kitchen, picked up an apple, and went back outside. "Here, Patches," she crooned. "You're such a good boy." She held it in the palm of her hand and let him bite it out of her hand and get to work on making it disappear. He also had a huge sweet tooth and dearly loved sugar, but they had decided that that wasn't good for him. Luckily he also had a love of other foods.
Kate petted him, ran her hand down his neck, and lifted the blanket off of him but left his bit and bridle in place since she might need him again soon.
She thought he was handsome. Patches was an Appaloosa and his head and neck were brown. His body was a lighter brown with black spots. His hindquarters were white with black spots while his legs were a brown that matched his head and neck.
He was already done with his apple and was starting work on the hay by the time Kate was back inside.
Rick's saddle and blanket were missing which told her that he was still at work. She really needed for him to come home since she had news for him and she wanted to celebrate by dining out.
They had some furniture in the living room. They had no dining room table. They had only the basics for the kitchen and they only had the one bed. As big as the place was it was mostly empty. They didn't even have any pictures or paintings hanging on the walls. They lived in it but it didn't really look lived-in.
Kate settled in the living room and waited for Rick to come home. To keep herself occupied she picked up yesterday's Bowery Republican. It was a local paper that held news items, things for sale, and other stories.
She suddenly sat up straight just as the front door opened and Rick came in, dropping his saddle next to hers. "BABE, come look." She'd found something. She was going to investigate tomorrow since she didn't work the next day.
Rick stepped up next to her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Kate smelled him before he even reached her. He smelled of beer day in and day out. It wasn't because he had become a drunk. He had gotten a job in a brewery so he could learn what he didn't already know for later.
"What am I looking at?" Rick kept his head next to hers and looked at the paper.
Kate pointed and let him read. "What do you think? I was thinking of going to look for them tomorrow since I'm off work tomorrow." She turned her head to look up at him.
"A large group of German immigrants. If I remember correctly the Irish and English mostly stayed in the city. You think this group wants out of the city?" Rick inquired.
"I won't know unless I ask." She did speak fluent German so language wasn't going to be a barrier.
"You know where we've decided we want to move to. Find out if they agree if they don't already have a plan. We can go shopping to get ready if they're the right group," Rick offered.
That suddenly made Kate a little sad. "I have news." She was kind of looking forward to it. Though moving on with their lives topped her list. "I was approached today for a different singing gig. Bigger place, bigger audiences, and more pay." She had been so happy at the time.
"THAT'S GREAT! Congratulations! We need to celebrate. Where are you thinking of going?" They didn't have anything really close. The cost of the place was because of its location. There was a church, post office, brothels, produce stands, and even a scale for hay merchants. There were a few pubs but they were mostly there for beer, not food. Certainly not food worth celebrating with.
"Into the City, maybe? That's another thing about this offer. It's in the City meaning it's even farther away from here." She was already traveling for just over thirty minutes one way. This might add another fifteen minutes to her commute.
Rick bent down to kiss her head. "Go talk to your Germans first or have you already said yes?" He knew it was big for her and they could use all the money they could get.
"I told him I had to talk to you first. In this century men are in charge." She hated it but that was the way things were. Besides Rick didn't treat her like she was his slave. Even if she wasn't married.
"Then take me to it and we can find a place to celebrate after we get there. Let me get cleaned up so I don't reek of beer then I'll change and we can go." Rick kissed her head again and headed for the stairs.
1820 New York City had indoor plumbing even though all the waste went untreated straight out into the closest water. Meaning rivers typically. It also meant anything close to the river stank from the vast amounts of human waste that was being dumped into them.
"Better?" Rick held his arms out to his side and spun in place to show off what he'd changed in to. That was one of the other things they had spent a little money on. More clothes. Most were work clothes though Kate now had a decent selection of dresses because of her work.
"You're as handsome as ever." Kate stepped up to him, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him. "We should go or we're going back upstairs." Just smelling a fresh Rick went straight to her core and caused her to get wet.
\O/ + |X| + \O/ + |X| + \O/+ |X|+ \O/+ |X| + \O/
Kate saddled her horse while Rick saddled his. Like Kate's, his horse was also an Appaloosa. They had gotten both of them from the same place. His was also a male, however, his was all white with brown spots all over. Even his head was white with brown spots. His name was Samson mostly because his mane was larger and longer than most.
Rick liked it when he saw it. It still wasn't a theater that held hundreds, yet where she was singing now was tiny. This place was definitely bigger.
Next came finding a place to eat.
They ordered drinks first and told their waiter to come back. Rick had been working up the courage for weeks now. Yes, they'd been in the city for almost six months but he needed to be really sure.
"Kate, my love." Rick took the ring out of his pocket. He had gotten rid of the box before they even got there. He had put it on his pinky finger and made sure that she never saw it. He placed it on the table in front of her.
Kate raised trembling hands to her mouth and felt tears starting. Her heartbeat quickly skyrocketed.
"You're still the angel I saw all those months ago. I'm still really thankful that you agreed to all this. You didn't have to do any of this. We now have a future together and I want it to last forever. So, Katherine Houghton Beckett, if you would, please do me the very great honor of being my wife and make me a very happy man." Rick leaned in a little closer. "And ex-Angel."
That was one of the things Rick had learned after Lucifer had tried to take her from him. God had stripped him of his wings and his powers. God simply hadn't done it like Lucifer had.
Kate couldn't find her voice. All she could do was sit there staring at the ring and cry. He was asking her to marry him. She was actually going to be someone's wife and that someone was going to be Rick.
She finally took her eyes off the ring and gazed at him. She loved him and that was why she was here. All she had to do was say yes. It was just that that word was trapped in her throat. Along with any noise at all. She began nodding her head as hard as she could.
Then she watched him pick up the ring; she held out her left hand and watched as he slid it onto her finger. Finally a sob escaped her lips just as it reached its resting place.
At last she was able to move. She got up out of her chair so she could wrap her arms around him and kiss him soundly. "I love you so very much." She finally found her voice. This was the life that she thought she wasn't going to get to have. She was getting a second chance.
\O/ + |X| + \O/ + |X| + \O/+ |X|+ \O/+ |X| + \O/
Kate had dinner ready and yet Rick wasn't home yet and he was late, like really late. Plus she had news that she really wanted to tell him so where was he?
Finally she heard the front door open and moved to intercept him only she came up short and put her hands over her mouth and started laughing her ass off. He was a mess and still wet.
He just stood there, dripping a little. She could smell the beer even from where she was standing. "What happened to you?" Kate put her hands back over her mouth to hide the huge grin that was on her face.
"We had a leak and I drew the short straw." Technically he was low man on the totem pole so he was volunteered to clean up after they handled the leak. Rick spread his arms wide and began walking toward her. "How about a kiss." He was smiling wide.
"No way! …Don't you dare!" Kate started backing up as Rick kept walking to her. "RICK!" He was almost on her now. "I'll hurt you!"
She didn't when he wrapped his arms around her. Her arms were pinned between them and she was disgusted by the feeling of suddenly being wet with the stink of beer. She also let him kiss her and even kissed him back.
"You love me," Rick stated and smiled at her.
"I'm starting to reconsider. Now go strip and get clean. Dinner's ready so don't take too long." Kate pushed and he took a step back.
"Does Sampson smell like you do?" She was betting he did. Poor horse. "Take him to the stable after dinner and get him clean. And Patches better not start smelling like you two," Kate yelled at his retreating back.
\O/ + |X| + \O/ + |X| + \O/+ |X|+ \O/+ |X| + \O/
They ate all their meals while sitting in the living room since they didn't have a table and chairs.
Kate started telling him her news. "I finally found those German immigrants that were in the paper. There are seventy-three of them. They banded together on the trip over and decided to get together."
"And?" He was really interested in being part of a group and not going it alone.
"They've been here for a couple months and they want out of the City. That was when I told them of your plan. I told them about all the old growth trees. That it was next to a large stream that's almost a river.
"They've already started buying supplies and other things and getting ready to leave so we're a little behind them. They were thinking of leaving in a month. It will be late summer by then." It might not be the perfect time to start building and planting, though.
"About four months before the first snow." Rick wasn't sure about the timing. "One month, huh?" They were going to need to work fast.
"We have a lot to buy; we'll need to close our bank account, pack everything away, and meet them somewhere." He shook his head. "I'm going to need help." He couldn't do it all alone. It meant she had to leave her job. And they also needed to sell their home.
Kate sighed. She liked her job and was thinking about accepting her option of going bigger. "Okay. No more singing. And you know we're going to freeze when it gets really cold." They wouldn't have a house by then.
"Our tent is arctic ready as are our sleeping bags. So are our coats, gloves, hats, and boots. We'll be cold but we won't freeze," Rick reminded her.
"You better like chopping firewood." She wasn't freezing to death.
Rick thought about it and could already feel his arms and back paining him. "We can start shopping tomorrow." He leaned across to kiss her. "I love you."
"I love you to almost-husband." That was one more thing they needed to do before they left. She wanted to be married and sooner rather than later.