Chapter 33:

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"Obviously, you've missed a lot," James explained to Joe, as Joe stood in-between Wayne's midair fist of fury and James' face target.

Wayne shook off Joe's hold of him and gathered his composure back together, shooting James dirty looks as he straightened his leather jacket. James just snarled cockily and turned his back to them.

"Wayne," Joe said in a very low whisper so James couldn't hear, as he herded Wayne to the door. "I'm sure if you think very hard you can locate Beatrice on your own. No one knows her better than you. I'll deal with James."

Wayne nodded and patted Joe on the shoulder in gratitude, and took his leave, going around Glenn listening on the sidelines and out the door. Joe turned back to James and sighed.

"Jimmy," he started, but was quickly interrupted.

"Don't give me that," Jimmy said accusingly. "That 'sigh… Jimmy…' crap! You can't blame this on me. You've been away a while. Beatrice is my girl now."

"But you didn't have to taunt him, Jimmy," Glenn retorted before Joe could. "That was just cruel. You know how he feels about Bee--!"

"Shut up, Glenn," James snapped. Joe put up a serene hand for Glenn's silence as well. "Where is all this anger coming from?" Joe asked. "I'm the angry one, not you. You're sounding dangerously close to a Hooked User, Jim."

"What's the big deal?" James retorted. "You used to Use more than any of us, and you're just fine."

"I was born with more Power, and thus born with more tolerance to it. You know that, Jimmy."

"Look, you left, and things were just fine while you were gone, so maybe you should just go away again."

"Jimmy…" Joe frowned, his face as dire as ever. His voice was filled with pity and sadness, both for James, and for himself. Joe looked to Glenn, and they exchanged mutual frowns. "I didn't know just how much my presence meant to this Covenant…"

"Yeah, until you abandoned it, right?" James shot back, folding his arms indignantly. Joe shook his head.

"You're right," Joe agreed. "And I won't abandon it again. I was born into this Covenant, and have duties to it, even at the cost of my own happiness. I see that plainly now."

With that, Joe took his leave, walking down the hallway again in long, upset strides. Glenn chased after him, distress all over his face, and heard in his voice.

"Joe…" Glenn started, but Joe put up his hand again, taking a pause in his pensive walk to look Glenn in the eye, so that he might fully understand.

"I'm going back to tell my father I'll do whatever he asks to keep my place as leader. I'll go back to being a page thirty-three, and marry Meredith."

Glenn's heart went out to his Covenant brother as he spotted the pitiable water coming to Joe's eyes.

"I see it's very necessary," Joe finished, then finished his trek to the exit without Glenn.

-

Wayne planned his every step carefully through the tall weeds, the crunching twigs and grass under his feet giving away his every move. At last, he reached the muddy clearing, where the grass was always greenest, the mud always the moistest, the air always the cleanest. His favorite place in the world, his sanctuary and refuge… Putnam Barn. It was a wild shot in the dark, but it was his best guess on where to find her.

He spotted her quickly, sitting by herself on the second story of the barn, sitting on the old blanket that Wayne had decided to donate to the barn long ago, when bringing his one-night stands here became more than occasional.

Wayne lifted himself with a flash of Power in his eyes, flying up to the second story like he usually did. His landing was so smooth and quiet that he wondered if she had heard him coming. Very quietly, he came and sat next to her, facing the window to the night sky outside. He felt her glance at him with confusion, then face ahead again. They listened to the crickets chirping out in the foresty countryside for several moments.

"I hoped I might find you here," Wayne confessed. No movement came from her. "You want to talk about it?"

When Beatrice didn't answer. Wayne nodded and let it go for now, staring back at the night sky.

"I really want you right now, Wayne," she said very abruptly. Wayne gasped so hard he choked on his own saliva, jerking his eyes to her with the utmost disbelief.

"But…" she continued quickly. "I'm not going to add to James's list of horrible things he has to go through right now by leaving him for you. It would literally destroy him. We all know that."

Wayne rolled his eyes and nodded. He knew it was true, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"I still have to act like James's girl," Beatrice went on, showing him James's engagement ring. "This ring has to stay on this finger… I have to stay his. You understand?"

Wayne shook his head, not liking this.

"No. This isn't fair…" Wayne combed his fingers into the hair by her temples, and put his forehead to hers. "I've waited for you for so long, now you finally say you want me back and I can't have you? NO!"

Wayne gave her a quick, desperate kiss, and tears starting to come to Beatrice's eyes at how much he was making this hurt.

"If you love me, be with me," Wayne breathed, reaching for her ring finger and sliding the ring off very slowly. He set it aside gently, and she let him. He created another opportunity for a kiss, lest he wake up and realize this was all a dream. When his mouth hit hers, Beatrice moaned with despair, fighting between her intense passions for Wayne and her feelings of duty for what had to be done. She couldn't help but think of Joe, and how miserable he was, denying himself for the good of another. She wasn't that strong for such moral actions. For once, she wasn't afraid of Wayne. She found her trust in his love for her, and it was such a bond she didn't dare break. It felt too right.

Finally, she broke off from their fervent kiss, and palmed his cheeks to obtain his full attention.

"Okay. Until the time is right to tell James, we keep this between us," she commanded. Wayne nodded quickly, agreeing to whatever she said, and moved in to catch her lips again, but was pushed back.

"Wayne, listen to me…" Beatrice begged. "This is going to be hard. You're going to be very jealous. You have to swear to me you will handle it."

"I'll handle it," Wayne assured her, settling for putting kisses on her face anywhere he could find a space. "I won't be jealous. I won't, I promise… Please… I'll do anything. Anything for you…"

He squeezed her tightly in his arms, pressing his mouth hard against hers, not wanting to ever let go.

"I love you, Wayne," Beatrice said at last. "This is just a season. We'll all get through this soon enough."

Wayne looked her straight in the eyes, and pushed a lock of hair away from them to allow a clear view.

"You and me, babe," Wayne vowed.

Beatrice nodded in fond agreement.

"You and me."

-

Joe stood in front of a full-length mirror, gazing at himself in his thousand-dollar tux, with a tie made of Italian silk and a shirt from Paris. It was the same tux he had bought for his senior prom. It looked like he'd be using it for something else today.

It was amazing what unlimited funds could do for people's schedules. When Joe had gone to his father asking him for an immediate marriage to Meredith, his father whipped up a wedding from this air, like magic, minus the joyous excitement usually entailed. Two days later, he's in a church dressing room, waiting for his cue to walk down the aisle alone to wait for his bride. He couldn't look himself in the eye, for shame. Today was the day Delilah was due back into Ipswich, but her train wouldn't arrive until nightfall, long after the ceremonies were finished. The deed would be done, and Joe wouldn't have to find it harder than it already was, by facing her and the temptation of simply running

The door opened behind him, and Joe could already sense the dread in the air before he even saw Meredith standing beside him in the reflection of the mirror. She was already clothed in her large white dress, an unflattering ball of white fluff that washed out her already white face. She slipped her arm in his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Aww, don't we look cute," Meredith cooed at the picture-perfect framing of their reflection.

Joe felt more than a bit sick.

-

Delilah couldn't help but run a bit down the walkway to Garwin Manor, a beaming smile on her face. She tripped over a couple of the loose stones in the walkway, but it didn't falter her excitement of seeing her Joe. Halfway up the path, she abandoned her bags and simply ran. She couldn't handle any more waiting, which is why she took the earlier train, in a means to surprise him.

"Joe!" she called out with laughter in her voice, before she suddenly halted. There was an envelope tacked to the large wooden door, bearing her name across the front. She recognized Joe's calligraphy. Not discouraged, she attacked the letter, expecting a fond surprise, perhaps the first clue in a scavenger hunt that would lead to a romantic dinner, or even city hall…

Nothing would have prepared her for what she read. Delilah cupped her hand over her mouth as the tears flowed out in immediate streams. She collapsed to her knees in utter anguish, as she barely breathed. Her sobs were loud and open, letting the barren yard hear her cries of despair…

-

"Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part…?"

Joe was looking at the floor as the entire congregation seated in the church pews held their breath. He gathered all the breath in him to speak his answer.

"I do."

-

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Signed,
--RedRogue