The Wind beneath My Wings

Chapter Eleven

Previously: "Tell me why not." Eugene kept his eyes on Dawn's face. "You said your father left your people to go live in the sea. There's got to be a way for us to be together." Then, due to the fact that she watched over animals, he said in an even quieter voice, "I could help you with the animals. As you can tell I do know medicine."

Dawn had never felt so torn in her life. The fact that the two of them had fallen in love with each other in such a short time was mind boggling. But… "You don't know what you're ask…" Dawn would have continued only she couldn't; Eugene had pulled her gently to him and covered her mouth with his.

After sharing an intense, and passionate, kiss with her, Gene moved his head and whispered in her ear, "So tell me."

~oOo~

It was almost midnight, before Heath arrived at the lodge; he would have been later, but he hadn't stopped to make camp for the night. He wasn't surprised to see no lights on when he dismounted Charger and led him to the small barn the Barkleys had built for their horses. Thank goodness for a full moon, or it would have been more than interesting going from the barn to the lodge. The whole time Heath felt as if he was being watched, and he didn't like that. That being the case, he wasted no time in climbing the steps to the lodge's front door. However, upon opening the door, he was shocked to hear Eugene telling him to shut the door quickly and not to try to light any lamp.

"Trust me. There's a chair right next to the door as you can tell." Eugene spoke quietly, knowing there was enough light from the moon for his blonde haired brother to see the chair that Eugene was speaking of.

Heath hesitated for a split second and then, closing the door behind him, did as he was told. "What's going on, Gene?"

Eugene sighed. For various reasons Eugene loved all his brothers dearly; he loved his mother and sister as well. Though, in Heath's case, it was because he had never treated Eugene like a child. Then again, Heath had never known him as a child either. "You were willing to help me get Dawn back to the only home she's known. Would you…" Eugene hesitated knowing what he would say next would shake his brother to the core.

When Eugene stopped speaking mid sentence, Heath found himself sitting on the edge of the chair. "Would I what?" He pressed Eugene to continue speaking, assuring him that he, Heath, would listen. However, he was unprepared to hear the words that came out of his youngest brother's mouth.

"Would you still be willing to help if you knew I would be staying with her?" Gene asked slowly.

Heath felt shock waves roll over him. What on earth was Gene thinking? He was a mortal man. The woman she; well, she was something but she wasn't human. "Are you serious?"

Gene let out a long sigh and asked, "Do you remember our talk by the corral fence, the one about college and how I felt?"

"Yes," Heath couldn't help but smile as he found it ironic that Eugene would bring up a conversation that he, Heath, had already thought about.

"Do you remember what I said? I mean about conflicts that exist in our world?" Eugene asked, hoping Heath did; since he didn't feel like repeating himself.

Heath stiffened slightly and asked, "Are you talking about the fact that sometimes the biggest conflicts we have in our lives are not with another person, but inside ourselves?"

Gene let out another long, very audible, sigh and answered in the affirmative. "I've been missing something for a long time, but I could never figure out what it was. That is, until now. I…I've asked her to marry me."

Heath started to point out the fact that such a marriage would be impossible, only to have a bolt of lightning shoot through him. "You're not the same are you? I mean, she's done something to you hasn't she?" Heath asked in more demanding tone than he meant to use. "That's why you don't want any light on!" His mind was whirling even as he said the words.

"One of us would have to leave their world and become a part of the other's. I…" Dawn pulled her face away from Gene's and lifted her hand, placing it on his chest, just below his shoulder. "When my father left us, my brother took over the care of the family, but I took over the care of "father's" animals. I know it sounds crazy, but I promised them I would never desert them the way my father did. You would have to let me… let me change you and then come with me. However," she struggled to say what he needed to know. "You could never come back…even if things went bad between us. You see, no one can change more than once. Do you really want to give up everything you've ever known? I mean, you haven't even met my family yet."

"As sure as I can be," Eugene answered.

"Eugene, what has she done?" Heath leaned forward in the dark, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the dark.

"Nothing I didn't consent to," Eugene said in a firmer voice than Heath had ever heard. "If you can't, or won't accept us together. If you won't help us, then leave right now. Walk out the door and never look back."

Heath had never turned his back on the family and he didn't plan on doing it now. But, the family, "What am I going to tell the family? They love you; they won't understand you marrying a…whatever she is." Heath did not speak with disrespect when he made the remark, he just didn't know what to call the woman whom Gene had fallen in love with.

Eugene shook his head even as a part of his heart broke. He couldn't have both worlds, and he wasn't leaving Dawn. "Her people are a mixture of races, but I believe you once called them Fairies. Though, I admit, they don't like that name." He wasn't surprised by the gasp that came from Heath. Eugene then assured him not to worry about the family. "That matter will be taken care of later." How he didn't know, but Eugene wasn't about to admit that one at the moment.

Heath, tired of the dark, asked if they could please get some light in the room.

Gene stood up and easily made it over to the lamp that sat on a table that set next to the kitchen opening and, taking off the top of the lamp, lit the wick and replaced the top. He then looked at Heath, not surprised by the shocked looked that had leaped onto Heath's face as his eyes widened.

Heath couldn't believe what he was seeing and, as hard as he tried, all he could get to come out of his mouth was "Gene?"