Recognizing, as usual, that he couldn't win when his 'Uncle' and Carolyn Muir united forces, Claymore gave a resigned sigh, "All right! You'll have your double socket in the morning!" as he stormed out of the kitchen. Yet, as he started to stalk out of the front door, he paused to hear the rolling laughter of the two coming from the kitchen.
Intrigued, he inched back, and peeked in to see what was causing such merriment. To his surprise, Carolyn and Captain Gregg were no longer leaning side by side against the sink, where he had left them. His mouth dropped open, as he saw them turned toward each other, and the Captain pulling the smiling blonde widow into a close embrace. "OH, I knew it, I just knew it! " Claymore said bursting into the room, pointing an accusing finger. "I always said you wanted her for yourself, and I was right, I WAS right, wasn't I?"
Startled, Carolyn jumped back, but the Captain's arm continued to hold her, and gently he pulled her back to his side. "It was inevitable," he said more to her than to Claymore, "the children have long been aware of our connection, and it comes as no surprise that others will stumble across the facts. If such a bumbling bigmouthed barnacle as Claymore . . . "the Captain said with a sneer as he paused. He looked toward his erstwhile nephew, noticing Claymore's pointing finger was starting to waiver and shake. ". . . is able to happen upon the truth, then perhaps it is time to assume what we are to each other is no longer a private matter?"
He turned to look thoughtfully at Carolyn, who in turn was watching Claymore with studied attention. Gently, she removed herself from the Captain's arms, and giving his hand a soft caress, she walked toward Claymore, who now stood, arms numbly at his side, mouth hanging open in total confusion.
"Claymore," she said, tapping him on the shoulder, to try and regain his attention. He shuddered for a moment, and tried to bring her into focus. "He's . . . he's . . . well he's just ANCIENT!" he shouted. "It's wrong, it's impossible it's. . ." he turned and tapped his head hard against the wall. "It's inevitable, isn't it?"
Looking back over her shoulder at the Captain, she raised an eyebrow and a "what do you think?" look. He returned a small shake of his head and a shrug that told her he was equally clueless. "Ever since the Centennial Ball," Claymore continued, still facing the wall. "Ever since you hijacked my body, took me over, just so you could dance together, I've known. I didn't want to admit it, talk about it, but I could hear your thoughts then and that plus how you looked at me. . ." Claymore paused glancing at Carolyn, sighed again and looked back at the Captain with a resigned expression, "well, I guess really, it was how you looked at HIM, even if it was my body. Right?"
"Come lad," the Captain said kindly, as he moved beside Carolyn, and placed a phantom hand on Claymore's shoulder. "At minimum it proves your long insisted upon point, there needs to be a family connection between us for me to have, shall we say, 'motivated' you from the inside. Surely that alone is a comfort?"
Slowly turning, and adjusting his glasses, Claymore looked happily toward the couple. "Really? You mean that?" Tilting his head, Daniel sighed, "Regretfully to be sure, but yes it is quite true." "OH," Carolyn said, turning quickly toward the Captain, "Then Shawn Callahan really ISN'T a relative? I mean, really if you could have, you would have . . . wouldn't you?" Exasperated, Daniel threw up his hands, "Heavens woman, will you never let this rest? Yes, he looks like me, I admit. But I didn't know for certain, at least not until I could not, as you say, 'possess' him for my own purposes." "Well, actually OUR own purposes," Carolyn offered with a shy smile. They paused, lost in each other's eyes and imaginings for a second, when Claymore loudly cleared his throat and brought them back to the present.
"Well, then UNCLE, far be it from me to dispute with you today – after all this is all in the family now, am I correct?" Pulling Carolyn back to his side, the Captain let out a long sigh, "So it seems, so it seems nephew." "Goody! Does this mean I can call you Aunt Carolyn?" Laughing to herself, and snuggling closer to Daniel, she smiled, "if you must, but only in private Claymore, and only if you can't help yourself, all right?"
Holding a finger to his lips, he looked from side to side, "It's between us Uncle Daniel – Aunt Carolyn!" With an unlikely skip, he turned and headed out of the kitchen and out the front door.
Pulling her to face him, she laughed as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I'll never live it down, never!" "Not to worry," Carolyn smiled, reaching up to caress his beard, "it's all part of being in a family." "Indeed," he said with new warmth in his voice, and in his expression, "and suppose you tell me again, what you would have wished for HAD I been able to inhabit that scoundrel Callahan?" "Oh, that again?" she said, pulling him toward the stairs, "I'm sure it's easier to show than tell. Interested?" With that, she turned and sprinted up the stairs to the Master Cabin. Grinning, he murmured, "And she thinks she could win. . ." as he disappeared.