Please see author's notes at the bottom.

This is harder than I thought it would be.

Oldest Man

Chateau Almandine Christmas night

Chuck had finished an entire bottle of really old brandy and was quietly sleeping it off in the carriage house in the room Hannah had christened 'the Garden Room'. He had started out on the settee looking out the large French doors at the snow-covered gardens, drinking brandy and listening to the fire crackling.

He finished the bottle and realized he couldn't feel his legs and just laughed and threw another log on the fire and then stumbled back onto the settee and fell asleep.

Hid daughter was upstairs in the Chateau proper, probably cleaning her pistols, sharpening her knives or planning mayhem of some sort. Su-Fi scared him sometimes with her intense focus and single-minded obsession with hovering over him. It was why he'd come to the Carriage House. To get away from her disapproval of his drinking. She reminded him a lot of a blonde from his past.

She'd been obligated, too.

His son was in Loire, probably out carousing with his mates but hopefully curled up along side some sweet thing, enjoying his Christmas. Paul was equally obsessed with anything that left the ground under its own power. If it was equipped with things that made noises like rocket launchers or machine guns, he was in heaven.

His eldest daughter – the scholar – had better be in bed – alone – under the watchful eye of Mike Stuart. He missed Yve a lot, even though she'd never warmed to him as a father. He couldn't blame her. He'd taken her and her siblings away from all she'd known and dropped her into his world. She and Hannah had seemed like sisters rather than mother-figure and daughter. At least they were friends.

His wife – the love of his life – was out in the Atlantic somewhere on her way to some 3rd world shit hole instead of lying beside him, smiling in her sleep.

Yeah, Merry damned Christmas, Chuck.

Su-Fi shook herself awake. It had only been a dream. There were no attackers, no klaxon horns braying in the night, no dark figures scurrying across the lawns exchanging fire with the security forces.

Still trembling from her dream, she splashed water on her face, pulled on some clothes and walked down the hallway to her parent's bedroom to check on her Jzhuck.

She barged into the security office ten minutes later demanding to know where Chuck was. The guard on duty smiled, wished her a Merry Christmas, and told her that 'the Director General' was enjoying a quiet brandy in the Carriage House and that two guards had been positioned out in the garden on over watch per standing orders.

It was 4am and if he was 'enjoying a quiet brandy' then he was going to have company. He shouldn't be alone. Not on this special holiday that was her first and sweetest memory of family. There had been no Merry anything in the camp.

"Send the guards back to their quarters. It is much too cold out there and I will bring him back and pour him into bed. Thank you for your diligence."

She'd learned a thing or two from him. 'Praise in public, punish in private' and 'Do not treat the staff like servants'. Alexandra had once said that her Jzhuck was a throwback to a 'more genteel age'. She hadn't understood at the time but now she did.

She finally found him asleep on the settee and settled in beside him, covering them both with the heavy blanket she'd brought. She was going to have a long talk with her mother about leaving him alone at Christmas.

The Militia made port on New Year's Eve day and both Casey and Panzer made it back in time for the party at the Chateau but Casey told Chuck that Hannah 'had some things to wrap up' and would be back in a few hours. He wouldn't look Chuck in the eye and Panzer avoided Chuck like he had leprosy, staying with Ellie and dancing.

Yve had sent him a text wishing him a Happy New Year and he'd talked to Paul for more than two hours earlier, delighted with his son's progress and laughing at some of his wild tales. He would get his wings in April and strongly hinted that he wanted his parents to attend.

Those had been the bright spots in a thoroughly dreary and depressing day. The week between Christmas and New Year's had dragged on and Chuck had devoured the after-action reports on the raid. No fatalities and only minimal casualties. The stockholders would be pleased with the additional revenue and the potential client list that would grow and grow.

Chuck looked at his watch and cursed as he fought the bow tie to a draw. Hannah usually tied it for him. Where the hell was his wife?

Chuck and Su-Fi constituted the Chateau's 'receiving line', greeting guests and pressing the flesh. Su-Fi had gone into Paris with Alex and had picked out a gown that Alex thought was 'too mature' for her but reconsidered when she modeled it. The 17-year old was a woman who hid behind baggy clothes and the preconceived opinions of adults who thought of her as a child.

'Chuck and I had better have a talk about Su-Fi and her Electra Complex. My God, with a little makeup and with her hair fixed, she'll look at least 20 or older!'

She was wearing makeup and had her hair up in some twisted thing. The saffron color of the dress enhanced her eyes and skin. She was radiant and Chuck had been both saddened that his little girl was suddenly a beautiful young woman and pleased with how regal she looked.

Director Vathanakul, from the Far East Region of the Circus, was particularly taken and flirted with her in the receiving line, thoroughly captivated by her beauty. She, however, was not captivated and told him, in the language of the camps, that she was the Second Wife to the Director General and to 'fuck off'.

"I'm – I'm so sorry, Director. I did not know. I meant no offense." He seemed to shrink and quickly shook Chuck's hand and disappeared into the crowd, heading for Casey and the bar. He needed to explain to Casey that he hadn't meant any insult. He hadn't realized that Chuck had adopted a Hmong refugee and honored her sect's traditions. He hadn't intended to initiate a blood feud by insulting his Second Wife.

"Su-Fi, care to explain why he almost pissed himself? And exactly what did you say to him?" He wrapped his arm around her bare shoulders and wished again that she'd worn something more age-appropriate.

"Jzhuck, I simply told him that I was not interested in his advances. He is Thai and his interest is not appreciated. You, of all people, should understand since Hannah is Hmong, also."

"Let's dance, Su-Fi, while I wrap my head around what you've told me. I think, little girl, that you and I need to have a cultural exchange."

She stepped into his arms and leaned against him and whispered 'I am not a little girl, Jzhuck'. To on-lookers, it looked like a father and daughter dancing together but to two people, it was a husband dancing with his Second Wife, even if he didn't know it.

Hannah finally made an appearance around 10 and wore a dress very similar to Su-Fi's except that the color was a deeper russet. It was more daring than Su-Fi's and was backless.

She was working her way through the guests when Vathanakul stopped her and apologized for his impertinence and stated that he meant no insult to the family. He simply didn't know that Chuck had taken a Hmong woman as a second wife and his flirtations were unintended.

"Director, Chai, I have no idea what you're talking about. Chuck only has one wife – me."

"But the young woman on his arm, she told me she was his Second Wife. She said that such insult was a – "

"Chai, she's our daughter. She was one of the children we rescued from the camp. I'm sure you misunderstood her."

"No. And you should know your own culture, Madam Windsor, unless you were too young…"

"My culture, Director, is not at issue here. I will speak with her, of course, tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm sure Chuck took no offense. He considers Sophie as his precious child, nothing more."

Hannah finally got through the crowd of guests and found her husband dancing with some 'tart' who seemed to think he was hers. Chuck didn't seem to mind how she hung on him, in fact –

"Hello, husband. Happy New Year. I'm sorry I got held up but I'm here now unless you'd rather have a younger model – "

Su-Fi stepped back from Chuck and looked at Hannah with a sad smile. "I was only doing my duty. You should have been here, with him, not traipsing around Africa." She turned on her heel, thoroughly aggravated by the situation.

Maybe I can make him jealous. Where's that Thai pig?

"Hannah, I think you and Su-Fi and I need to have a serious sit-down about things. She's not the same when you're not here. She – she hovers – and it's very nice for a while but gets old fast. She and Chai had words but I didn't understand a word. Camp speech or some Thai dialect."

Hannah had been just as surprised to find that the 'tart' was her daughter Sophie.

"Chuck, I can't believe you'd allow her to wear something that – that mature. Where was your head? She looks older than she is and it's no wonder Chai flirted with her. We have some fences to mend with him. She scared the crap out of him with some 'blood feud' nonsense because he insulted you by hitting on your wife."

"Hannah, you weren't here. Alex went with her and together they selected the dress. Maybe if you'd been here she might have picked something more 'appropriate' but you weren't and I had to trust Alex."

Hannah looked down at her feet and sighed. It wasn't supposed to be like this. They were fighting like – like parents.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. I promise to make it up to you, honey; it's been a long day. Now, dance with me and then take me to bed and drink champagne from my navel and make love to me until morning."

"It's been a long 8 days, Hannah. We need to discuss these deployments of yours, but not any time soon. Let me tell you about Paul and Yve."

The couple danced together until the midnight bells and then retired to their suite.

Su-Fi had revised her opinion of the 'Thai pig' and found his company both enjoyable and novel. Chai, for his part, had no idea what was going on but found himself slipping deeper and deeper under her spell.

A/N: I think one chapter left and/or an epilogue. Gotta figure out how he'd like this to end.

Oldest Man