Chapter 17: Honeymoon-Atlanta

Steel rang as the two combatants clashed, disengaged, circled, clashed again. They faced each other over the mat, both breathing hard, then lunged for each other again.

This time when they disengaged Snake Eyes signaled the end of the bout and pulled off his balaclava even as Shana scrubbed her forearm over her sweating forehead and met him in the middle of the mat, both of them inspecting the blades of their new swords. "Not a dent. Not even a nick. Mine's so well balanced it feels like an extension of my arm," Shana said quietly after she got done minutely inspecting the blade of her red Damascus steel sword. "These are priceless. I can't thank Alex enough for getting these."

At the far end of the dojo the door that led out to the gym opened, and she looked up, smiling as she saw Cam and Charlie come in. "Here's the other set of honeymooners! So when are you leaving for your honeymoon?"

"We've decided to stay," Cam said as her eyes were inevitably drawn downward to the beautiful crimson ripples down the dark blade of the sword she held. "Oh, Shana."

"Alex, Olivia, Clayton, and Ettienne's wedding gift to us," Shana smiled as she handed the sword to Cam. Cam took it, staring at it, entranced by the ripples playing down the length of the blade. "What did you mean, you decided to stay?"

Since Cam had already moved toward the middle of the dojo, trying a few experimental swings as she moved through an abbreviated sword drill, and Snake Eyes moved along with her, taking his sword to give her an opponent, Shana found herself talking to Charlie. "What did she mean, you both decided to stay? Stay here, for your honeymoon?"

"My parents will be staying at her cottage in western New York while their house is being built on the foundation of Yu's former vacation lodge."

Shana blinked. "Your parents? Did I miss something?"

Charlie turned to watch Cam and Snake Eyes drilling on the mat. "Cam does not want the property. Nor did she want the money. The three million that Ms. Carmichael got for her has been placed at my parents' disposal to build themselves a house on the former site of Yu's vacation cabin, so they can be close to us when we're on leave and at her cottage. Her tribe has welcomed my parents, and Cam decided that it would be best to give them the use of her cottage during the build, while we stayed here."

"So basically you're staying here because there's nowhere else for you to go." Shana was blunt.

"Cam has also decided to look at scar removal options, and Doc said he'd look into what would produce the best results, so we are also waiting to see what he turns up."

"You're staying here because there's nowhere else for you to go."

Charlie blew out his breath. "Essentially. Although there are other reasons."

She gestured to Snake Eyes to come off the mat; he disengaged from Cam, and both of them came over to join Charlie and Shana at the side of the dojo. "You're coming with us to Atlanta on our honeymoon."

Cam's mouth dropped open. "Um…Shana…are you sure? I mean…well…don't you have to talk to Snake Eyes about it first?"

"You're coming with us to Atlanta." Shana's firm tone brooked no argument. "Snake Eyes, Cam gave Charlie's parents Yu's property and three million dollars in restitution to build a house out there in western New York by the reservation so they'd be close when Cam and Charlie are on leave. So they are staying at Cam's cottage while the build is taking place and she and Charlie were saying they would stay here for their honeymoon."

Snake Eyes' look expressed horror at the thought of them staying here.

"So I told them they're leaving with us on the noon flight to Atlanta. I want to have a look at this plantation house I supposedly now own, and I'm sure it's big enough for all of us. I also want Cam to get to meet the rest of my family, we have to tell Mom and Siobhan we got married, and Dad should spend some time with the newest members of the family, get to know Cam and you. So they're coming to Atlanta with us."

Snake Eyes grinned and nodded.

"Um…don't you have to let your parents know we're coming, and is this going to cause trouble with your sister? I don't think she likes me very much, and I don't want to get in the way—"

"Cam." Shana stopped her with a finger on her lips. "I can let Dad and Mom know we're on the way with a simple phone call. I don't care what Siobhan thinks, she's caused enough trouble already with the stunts she pulled during the trial, I don't care if she doesn't like you, I'm sure Dad and my brothers will, and even if Mom's probably going to be lukewarm on the subject she'll be okay once Dad tells her this is what he wants. She's never been able to change his mind once he had his heart set on something, and you are not going to be in the way." Shana huffed out a breath in exasperation as she saw Cam's doubtful look. "Look, Cam, stop thinking of everyone else first, just this once, and think about what you'd like. And if you have problems with that, well…this is what I want."

"I still think this isn't going to be a good idea."

Shana rolled her eyes, took her new sword out of Cam's grasp, and turned the younger woman toward the door. "Go pack. Lightly. Atlanta's kind of warm this time of year. And there will be plenty of opportunity to go shopping if you forget something."

Spring in Atlanta was more than just 'kind of' warm. Especially this spring; with a winter that had been exceptionally mild, the insects and the humidity had started early, and Shana was glad she'd chosen a tank top when she'd dressed. Not that New York wasn't also warm, at least this March (this winter had been one of the warmest on record ever in the US) but in southern states like Georgia the word humidity was a curseword.

They'd all packed lightly; being in the military quickly taught you what was absolutely essential and what was not, and what they each brought fit in one bag each, and so getting through airport security and baggage check was easy and took less time than usual. Shana led them out of the terminal, looking around as if scanning for something, and finally waved when she spotted…something. A large SUV detached itself from the far end of the line of cars and cabs waiting at the curb and came toward them, and when it pulled up and the window rolled down, Shana's Dad was grinning at them. "Need a lift, soldier?" he grinned, and beamed as Shana bounced up to the driver's side window, threw her arms around him as he leaned out, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Dad," she said, and indicated the passenger doors. "Cam, Charlie, Snake Eyes, in the back," she ordered in her best drill-sergeant tone, and they hurried to obey.

It wasn't until she was sitting in the front seat and they were on the way out of the airport when her father finally spoke up. "So have I lost my daughter or gained a son?" he asked, and then chuckled at Shana's flush. "Shan, I could hardly have missed noticing that ring on your finger."

Shana grinned and said, "You gained a son, Dad. We got married a couple days ago back at base, at the same time Charlie and Cam made their wedding official. Snake Eyes took my name—he's officially an O'Hara. And since we're now all family—his real name is Terence. Terence O'Hara. He and his sister were twins, their parents named them Terence and Theresa."

Mr. O'Hara broke into hearty laugh. "Won't that be one in the eye for your mother and your sister," he said after he finally caught his breath. "I went back to Atlanta after the trial a week ago with Siobhan on the same flight, and all she could think of was to carp on Terence's 'unsuitability' to be one of the Atlanta O'Hara's. And your mother agreed with her." He sighed. "I love your mother, and your sister, Shan, but sometimes I don't understand the way they think. Yes, the Atlanta O'Hara's have been a leading light in Atlanta society and a force to be reckoned with, but at some point in the past we were no better known than the next Joe Schmoe on the street. I don't understand this at all." He sighed. "I did talk to your mother when I got back home after the trial, and told her you were engaged. She wasn't really happy with it, but she said if he made you happy she couldn't say anything about it. And I told her that Cam saved your life, brought you back to us, and she said absolutely Cam can be a part of the family. She may be overly concerned sometimes with issues of class and suitability, but she does love you." He sighed again. "Siobhan might be a problem. But you leave her to us, your mother and I will handle her. You're on your honeymoon and nothing should get in the way of you enjoying your new husband."

And, true to her father's word, when Shana walked in the front door of the O'Hara home her mother immediately wrapped her in a warm hug, complete with suspiciously damp eyes. "I may not approve of everything you've done, but if you had died or never come back, I would have missed you," and as this was the most emotional Shana had seen her mother in a long time, she simply hugged her mother back and introduced Cam. "Mom. This is Cam Arlington."

She assumed that her mother would have gotten a rundown on the trial proceedings from Siobhan, and so her mother would know who Cam was and what role she'd played in Shana's rescue, and she wasn't disappointed as her mother stepped forward and gave Cam a similar hug. "Thank you. Thank you for bringing my daughter back, I owe you a debt I can never repay." Snake Eyes got a slightly more restrained hug, and Charlie got a shake of the hand.

"Shana, your father told me you were coming to dinner and bringing your friends, so I made arrangements for a full dinner. You can take your husband…" she hesitated.

"We're family now, Mom," Shana said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "His name is Terence."

Her mother nodded, looking relieved. "You can take Terence to your room, and I had the guest room prepared for Charlie and Cameron. Brian's out of town at the moment, but Sean and Frank will be joining us, along with Siobhan and her husband, tonight. Now, if you'd like to go upstairs and freshen up…"

Cam tried very hard to keep her face schooled into a politely pleasant expression when Siobhan strolled into the dining room and saw Shana sitting there next to Snake Eyes. She ran to hug her sister, then held her at arms' length and scrutinized her. "You look skinny. Better than you did, since you lost some of that muscle and your arms are smoother, but you're still too skinny." She grabbed Shana's arm, made a face. "And at least you could have covered up those awful scars. You look terrible."

Shana quickly pulled her hands out of Siobhan's and turned away, flushing pink. "Nice to see you too," she muttered, and gave a very brief but polite hello to Siobhan's husband before they all sat down to dinner.

Siobhan forced a stiff, polite nod to Charlie and Cam but couldn't seem to manage anything else. That was fine with Cam; she wasn't sure if she could have managed anything polite to Siobhan, particularly not after the remark she'd just made to Shana. She was angry on Shana's behalf, but this was Shana's sister and therefore family and it wasn't her place to say anything to the other woman. She couldn't deny, however, that Siobhan's inane chatter and pointed remarks grated on her nerves.

Halfway through the meal, Siobhan said, "So I hear you're finally getting married?"

Shana steeled herself for the unpleasant scene to follow; only Siobhan would have not picked up on the presence of the ring on her left ring finger. "We got married already. A small private ceremony for our friends back at base."

"Back at your base? When your family is here and would have loved to share it with you? How could you?" Siobhan flushed in outrage. "How could you do that? Mom was looking forward to this, Shana, and now you've selfishly gone and cut us out of what should have been our prerogative!"

Shana gritted her teeth and said evenly, "It was a spur-of-the moment decision. Cam and Charlie were getting married by the chaplain at base and it just…seemed opportune." No way was she going to tell her sister what she really thought—that part of the reason she'd chosen that option was to avoid the fuss that Siobhan and her mother would have made.

Her father spoke. "Siobhan, it wasn't up to us to say what Shana does with her life. It's her choice."

Siobhan turned on him. "Don't tell me you're not upset about what she did," she spat. "Shana's always been your favorite."

"I don't have favorites among my children, Siobhan, I treat each of you as you demonstrate you want to be treated. Now sit down and eat dinner and stop creating a scene."

Siobhan sat abruptly, deflated, and silence reigned in the dining room for a while. Eventually Sean asked Charlie something about his tribe, and Charlie answered, and conversation resumed normally. Cam got interested, forgot to try and focus on her plate, and pretty soon she and Charlie were recounting the story of their unusual courtship, his playing his flute in the rain outside her cottage window until she invited him in. Shana's mother smiled, seeming to be truly interested, and Charlie and Cam offered to play their flutes for the O'Hara clan after supper.

It was during a lull in the conversation that Siobhan finally spoke again. "So you two got married at the same time Cameron and Charlie did?" she said to Shana, who nodded once, curtly, warily. "Still don't see why you couldn't wait to get married here. Did you even have a decent dress?"

Cam said quietly, "Allie—one of the soldiers at base—did her hair in Celtic braids and she had a really lovely green dress. I told the girls I wanted them to wear whatever was comfortable, but they insisted they wanted to dress for the occasion since the guys at base rarely see the girls dressed up. The guys also wore whatever they wanted—Snake Eyes wore his dress blues but some of the guys even came in Hawaiian shirts and flip flops."

Siobhan sneered elegantly. "All those soldiers there and they couldn't even put in the effort to dress for your wedding. Some friends."

Cam looked up and said, firmly, "Yes. They are our friends. That was why I wanted everyone to be comfortable, so they could enjoy the day. It didn't matter what they wore so long as everyone had a good time and enjoyed themselves. A soldier's life is hard and we don't get many opportunities to relax, so this was especially important to me."

Siobhan sniffed. "If you say so. I wanted everyone to be nicely dressed for my wedding. But then, I guess you Indians aren't as civilized so it doesn't matter as much."

"Siobhan!" Mr. and Mrs. O'Hara both spoke at the same time.

"Sorry," Siobhan flipped her hair, took a sip from her glass, not actually sounding sorry at all.

Charlie looked like he'd bitten a lemon. Snake Eyes was a bare step away from standing and marching out—or strangling the bitch who sat coolly across the table from his wife, who at the moment was flushed red with embarrassment and anger. It was Cam who finally spoke, her face impassive and smooth as it always looked when she was reining in strong emotion. "It's all right. I realize Siobhan was disappointed that she didn't get to share Shana's wedding with her. It was a beautiful day, and we all enjoyed ourselves. Perhaps you could plan a small gathering of family and friends to celebrate the occasion while Shana's on leave here."

"We'll have to. Since you seem really important to Shana, we'll probably have to include you too. Just make sure Mom gives you lessons in etiquette—after all, an ugly half-breed savage like you wouldn't have any idea how to behave in civilized company."

Snake Eyes felt his mouth drop open at the outright cruelty of that statement. Beside him, Sean was doing a similar landed-fish imitation. Mrs. O'Hara looked just as shocked. Charlie was frozen. Shana stared at Siobhan, slowly putting her fork down, eyes snapping furious green sparks.

Cam gave a choked sob, and Snake Eyes and Charlie looked at her, to find two large tears making their way down her cheeks. Shana's father reached out to Cam, his hand covering hers, but before anyone could say anything, Shana rose out of her chair, picked up her plate—still with slices of roast, mashed potatoes, gravy and beans—and flung the contents directly into her sister's face. When she spoke her voice was flat and deadly. "I could forgive everything you said about me. I could maybe even forgive what you said about my husband. But I will never, ever forgive you for what you just said to Cam. She risked everything—her life, her health, her sanity—to get me out of an impossible situation, and she deserves better than your cutting remarks and your insults." She turned to Snake Eyes, Charlie, and Cam. "Go grab your things. We're going to the plantation house tonight. I'm not spending a minute more in this spiteful bitch's company." Ignoring her mother's shocked, 'Shana!' she left the dining room.