Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

81. Chapter 81

Chapter 81

*A special thank you to the reader(s) that advised me in the comments regarding Brasília. One recommended Manaus, however that was a bit further from Salvador than I thought they would be by that point in their journey and found Balsas on the map: about the same distance from Salvador that Brasília is and according to what I could find, that was a town established in 1919 and is further north, making more geographical sense. Once again, big thank you to the readers that had pointed this out to me so that I could correct it.

A few weeks passed and it was summer in Washington. Jae and Natalie were enjoying the bliss of the new baby to come. JJ and Salem were eager to rub her belly and would sometimes try telling the baby stories. Jae would do the same. Hailey couldn't help but notice that, or so it seemed to him, Jae always had a small spring in his step when Natalie was pregnant. Jae's greatest joy, save for Natalie, were their children and he always glowed a little when people in town would congratulate him on the upcoming baby and eagerly ask for updates. One patron in particular came in on a Friday afternoon with some mail in hand. He first asked how Natalie was feeling, asked for a reminder of what the baby's name would be for a boy or girl, asked when the baby was due and so on. Then, he got to the point of why he came and handed Jae a package and a large, stuffed envelope. The box was addressed to Renesmee, so he put that to the side, but the letter was to him.

"It's from Nathan," Jae said to Hailey. "Mind if I read it in the back?"

"Sure," Hailey said and Jae walked to the back to open his letter.

The first thing he pulled out was a newspaper article headlining about a family robbed blind by someone named Michael Grey and the picture on the paper seemed strangely familiar and yet not at all. As Jae read the story, his eyes went wide. There was a telling of jewelry and money being stolen, guards being attacked, an accusation of an angry employee exacting revenge and so on. Jae went to reading Nathan's letter when he finally finished reading the story.

Jae,

I realize that I've not sent mother much of an update outside of what you all are allowed to tell her. I decided to send her a necklace that I thought she would like. Seeing as we're friends, I thought I would attach a newspaper clipping detailing exactly how that necklace was obtained, although let it be stated for the record: that story is highly exaggerated.

Michael Grey is the name I took while I was in El Paso as I'm sure you know and I worked for a Hacienda Stable for a while. We lived with a couple for that time that helped Scarlet and I become fluent or close to fluent in Spanish. Carlos and Antonia are their names. A very nice couple.

However, there was a woman married to the owner of the stables, a Mrs. Carmichael, that saw fit to be a thorn in my side and flirt with me ruthlessly. As to why she decided to do such a thing, I can't say I know. She said something to the effect of me getting under her skin, but ultimately I turned her down. She's not my type anyway. However, she didn't take too kindly to that, which brings me to the events of that newspaper clipping.

I had turned her away as I often did and it was the night before I was set to leave with Scarlet. So I went to obtain my pay for the week and come to find out I've been docked pay for the week. They said it was due to being caught sleeping on the job by Mrs. Carmichael, which is nonsense given that had happened weeks ago. Seeing as she saw fit to dock me pay, Scarlet and I snuck into the hacienda and stole the money and jewelry. As to the lady of the house being terrified for her life, she was asleep the whole time and neither Scarlet nor I even crossed paths with a guard let alone injured them.

So between you and me, and inevitably the pack as well, the necklace for mom once belong to Mrs. Carmichael, but before you roll your eyes and say I shouldn't have done what I did, don't worry about it. That spoiled bitch did deserve that necklace anyway. Tell everyone I said hello and we miss you guys and love you guys.

Sincerely,

Nathan

Jae had been trying not to laugh but found he couldn't help himself. He started laughing at the last paragraph of the letter and then laughed at the newspaper article with renewed humor and soon Hailey walked back.

"What's so funny?" Hailey asked.

"Nathan robbed a rich family of their money and jewelry and it made the front page," Jae chuckled. "He went under the alias Michael Grey."

"Did he now?" Hailey said. "Where is he now?"

"He just left El Paso to Mexico."

Hailey shrugged and returned to the front of the store. When the day was over, Jae stopped by Jacob's and Renesmee's house first to give her the present Nathan had sent for Renesmee and she did love the necklace. She asked how Nathan got such a thing and Jae only said that Nathan had seen it and had thought of her. That answer seemed to please her and Renesmee tried it on and was very fond of it, making sure to tell them to let Nathan know she said thank you when they finally got to talk to him. Jae then returned home to Natalie and their sons on the floor putting a puzzle together. They stopped what they were doing when Jae walked in and JJ and Salem ran to the door to welcome him home.

"How was work today?" Natalie asked with a smile as she approached him.

"Rather normal," Jae said while he lifted Salem into his arms and kept his hand on JJ's back. "I got a letter from Nathan."

"You did?" Natalie asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Jae said with a chuckle and handed it to Natalie for her to examine and read. While she read, Jae brought the boys to the kitchen and got them seated so he could dish them dinner that Natalie already had ready on the stove. He knew she was done when he heard her start to laugh. "As you can see," Jae chuckled, "he's been busy."

"I would say so," Natalie said. "I assume you're a little late getting home because you brought that necklace to mom?"

"Yes and she adores it," Jae smiled. "She doesn't know it's origins of course."

"Best to keep it that way," Natalie giggled and put the letter and newspaper aside.

"I really want to frame that, actually," Jae admitted after helping plate their food and bringing it to the table.

"I would too," Natalie smiled. "We can hang it in our room."

"As much as I'd prefer here in the family room, I suppose there's too great a risk your mom might see it," Jae said.

"Do you sell picture frames at the store?" Natalie asked.

"No, we don't," Jae said. "The lumber mill would sell those but they're pricey. I'll save up for one, though."

Natalie smiled before turning her full attention to Salem to help him eat his tomato soup and potato cakes. Jae had to go on patrol that night, but he waited until after the boys were put to bed. Natalie went to bed and Jae gave her a kiss before running out into the woods to join the half of the pack patrolling the night and they all got a good laugh at the letter Jae had received from Nathan that day. They all really missed him. Everyone did. They were happy that he and Scarlet were enjoying a dream of Nathan's and doing so together but they still missed him. That summer marked a year of Nathan and Scarlet being gone and they had only just reached Mexico. There was no way to know when he and Scarlet would finally reach the Amazon before finally coming back. Regardless, they all looked forward to the day when Nathan and Scarlet returned home.

Jae returned home a little earlier since he needed to get to work. He let himself into the house and went upstairs to the bedroom wanting to shower before he left for work. Natalie was in the shower when he came into the room but he didn't really have time to wait his turn, so he let himself into the bathroom and into the shower. He'd seen Natalie's body so many times but it never ceased to make his mouth water. Her stomach was rounded slightly with the baby, but she didn't appear as far along as one might think. All the same, Jae smiled at Natalie when she glanced at him and smiled back.

"How was patrol?" Natalie asked.

"Boring," Jae smiled and grabbed his soap. "Everyone got a laugh of Nathan's little stunt, and we all miss him."

"I miss him too," Natalie smiled reminiscently. "I wish he shifted more often so we could talk to him, but I guess I still wouldn't be able to all things considered. Do you think he'll be back by the time the baby's born?"

"No," Jae answered honestly. "He's in no hurry and I can't say I blame him. He and Scarlet are having a great time."

"I know," Natalie said and Jae put down his soap and walked up to Natalie and took her in his arms.

"Don't worry, he'll come home eventually," Jae said. "He promised he'd come back after they see the rainforest, so that's when they'll come back." Natalie smiled a little and only nodded.

They shared a kiss and intimate moment before Jae finally ran off to get to work for the day but was home on time and that night, the family got together at Jacob's and Renesmee's house so they could all be together. No one in the pack mentioned the letter Jae had received, but after they'd all had some dessert and coffee, they excused themselves until the guise of going on patrol so they could go to Jae's house and read the newspaper clip and letter. They laughed and how it could be hung and where while enjoying coffee before those in the pack that were on for that night left. There had been a few new additions to the pack that had been long coming. Peta had become part of the a few years back when he was 17, now 23. The twins, Bayaq and Taraq, had also just joined the pack that past spring at the age of 19. Zephyr was 15 and Grae, the youngest at 14 and it was only a matter of time they all knew before the boys would shift, but none of Embry's daughters changed. Between Aidetzi, Rae, Sharisa, Gaeli and Aiya, none had even shown a sign of changing. They all found that interesting given Natalie had changed, though all the same she remained the only women in their pack. Frankly the only woman to ever join the pack in the tribe's history. Even if she was currently not going on patrol and night given the pregnancy. The baby was due in November but she barely showed how far along she was.

As Nathan had said they would, he and Scarlet set their sights on Mexico City, not stopping at any towns in the meantime unless they needed food. It was going to be a long, long journey south through woods, lots of mountains and admittedly blistering heat. They'd bath at little springs they would find from time to time and if they desperately needed a place to stay, they would stop somewhere and find an inn to sleep in or find a nice couple willing to give them shelter for the night. It took them a total of a month to finally reach the limits of Mexico City and the city was a marvel to behold. It was a bustling city with carts and even cars going to and from place to place. There were fruit vendors on the streets selling coconuts and pineapples and other fruits they'd never tasted before. Remembering Mexico city had temples, he asked for directions to the old Aztec temples.

"The temples you're thinking of are the temples of Teotihuacan, an ancient Aztec city," the fruit vendor told them. "You can see the sun and moon temples there."

"Thank you," Nathan answered and paid for all the fruit he and Scarlet could carry and followed the directions they were provided until they finally found the aforementioned temples.

When they arrived, Nathan had to stare. He'd seen pictures in his atlas and in history books, but those did nothing to convey the sheer size and magnificence of the temples. The sun beat down on them as they moved passed a few tourists and climbed up the sun temple. A bold first choice to be sure since the sun temple dwarfed all the others. All the same, they finally made it to the top and sat against the stone baking in the sun. Nathan used a large knife to break a hole in the coconut fruit and they shared the water inside the fruit before Nathan pulled it apart, handing one to Scarlet.

"Aunt Natalie would love this," Scarlet smiled when she took a bite of the fresh baby coconut flesh. It was sweet, but not overly so and was soft and wet with a nice gentle chew. Neither of them had ever had anything like it.

"She really would," Nathan smiled. They would need to ensure they brought some of these things back with them when they finally did return home. "So how about we find a spot among the ruins to put a red tree?"

Scarlet nodded enthusiastically as she sprang to her feet and perused the temple until she found a favorable nook to place a little red tree ornament. It was a spot that had a good view of the city, so it was the perfect spot. She stared at the red tree a moment and was suddenly rather sad. It had been a year and a half since her mother died and with all their traveling Scarlet was typically distracted, but whenever there was a quiet moment, she'd sometimes think of her and miss her.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked, kneeling down to her level.

"I miss mom," Scarlet answered solemnly and a lone tear fell from her eye before she brushed it away. "She would have loved this."

"I know," Nathan said, holding his head down a little.

"You loved mom, right?" Scarlet asked. She'd asked many times, but she always needed a reminder.

"I did," Nathan said. "I still do. And I miss her too."

Scarlet looked at Nathan as he sat down, leaning against the stone of the temple. "Do you think you'll love someone else?"

"Do you want me to?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know," Scarlet answered. The truth was she couldn't see Nathan with anyone else. No one would ever be her mother. Yet at the same time, her father deserved to be happy. "Are you happy with it being just us? Father and daughter and all?"

Nathan smiled kindly, "Honestly, kid, if I just had you the rest of my life, that'd be peachy with me." Scarlet finally smiled and giggled a little and Nathan used his thumb to rub the last remnant of a tear from her chin. "I'll promise you one thing, though. If one day I do decide to find myself in a relationship again, if you don't love her, she's not good enough."

"Really?" Scarlet asked.

"Really," Nathan promised. "If you don't love her, I'm not wasting my time with her."

"Okay," Scarlet smiled and moved over to Nathan to give him a hug. Then she sat down against the rock beside Nathan and rested her head against his shoulder. "I love you daddy," Scarlet smiled.

"I love you too, Scarlet. Remember you're my little girl and you always will be."

Scarlet smiled and closed her eyes, not realizing she'd been so tired. Nathan smiled and kept alert while Scarlet took a nap and enjoyed the sun. They spent hours staring into the ruins and at the city, or what they were able to see of it. Nathan was giddy while looking at the temples. He's spent years dreaming of seeing places like this. He'd read what little he was able of the Aztec and Mayan tribes. He read of their fascination with blood and providing it to the gods. He read accounts from the Spanish, though assumed they might not be entirely reliable given they were often portrayed in the light of barbarians. However, he knew of their practice of sacrifice whether through bloodletting or human sacrifices. He was able to find out so little about the gods the Mayans and Aztecs worshiped however. He would love to know more. Perhaps while they were here, they could find a scholar and just talk. A worthwhile experience to say the least.

Eventually, it started to get dark and the heat let up at long last. It cooled with the rise of the moon and from where they sat on the sun temple, it felt almost as though they'd gone back in time. There was the remaining hustle and bustle of the city and in his groggy state, it seemed to be part of the ancient city. Eventually, Nathan's eyes grew too heavy and he fell asleep. The smell of the ancient ruins filled his nose and acted to sooth him and the breeze of the night did the same. He dreamed again that night. He found himself upon the cost but of where, he didn't know. There was water and sand between his toes and the sun beat down on him. He started to walk along the beach and as he walked, he saw a large tree in the distance. It was a tree that didn't belong on the beach, but in the mountains of Washington. It was an evergreen tree, large and strong like the ones he and his brothers and sister would climb as kids. He walked towards the tree with a sense of home feeling his mind. When he was a mere three yards from the tree, flowers began to bloom. Red flowers, just like in the story he used to tell Scarlet. But that was all that changed, unlike his story. The pine needles remained firmly attached. In fact, they appeared stronger than ever and seemed to cling almost lovingly to the bright red flowers. He walked closer to the tree and placed his hand on the bark when he was close enough.

The smell of the red flowers overtook his senses coupled with the hardy pine of the tree. Something about the tree made him weak at the knees and he kneeled before the powerful evergreen. When he kneeled, there was suddenly a hand on his. They were long and sensuous fingers with long nails. The skin of the hand was tanned, darker than his yet still a shade of deep brown gold. A testament to years in the sun. They were warm. Warmer than a normal human Nathan realized, more like his mother's or the pack's. The owner of that hand was a half breed. Nathan fell still as he felt someone against his back placing their other hand on his shoulder. Someone's head lowered close to his ear and there was a curtain of dark, raven hair that fell before him. The person behind him began to hum, then sing in a language he'd never heard. It wasn't Spanish or Portuguese or French or anything he was familiar with. It sounded as though it might be a native language, but which one, he couldn't be sure. The song to voice sang was sweet and came in a soft, deeper feminine voice and sent a shiver up his spine.

"Who are you?" Nathan asked suddenly, but the voice didn't answer. Instead, there was a giggle. That breathy giggle rang in his ear and set him aflame with a deep need he'd never felt before. It was a need that wasn't just sexual, but instinctual. "Give me a name," Nathan asked again. The question was intended to be firm but came out gently. Almost like a plea. The voice giggled again and came to his ear.

"Encontre-me em Salvador," the voice whispered in Nathan's ear.

Nathan turned to face the voice, but when he turned, there was no one there and, suddenly, his eyes hurt with a blinding light. He felt gentle nudging at his shoulder and he started to wake, realizing the blinding light was from the sun. The nudging was coming from Scarlet who was already awake and had started eating the dried chili fruit they'd bought from the vendor.

"Daddy, wake up," she said. "You need to try this dried pineapple. It's so good!" Nathan smiled once he came to his senses and accepted the fruit dusted with red chili. It was hot and sweet with the slightest hint of bitterness from the chili and he sighed.

"That is good," Nathan said.

"Are you alright?" Scarlet asked suddenly. "You looked like you were having a dream."

"I was," Nathan said. "I had a dream that I saw an evergreen that bloomed red flowers on the beach and someone behind me spoke of a place called Salvador."

"Salvador?" Scarlet asked. "Where is that?"

"Brazil," Nathan said. "Southern Brazil near the coast to be a little more specific. It's far past the Amazonian rainforest."

"Who was it in the dream that told you about this place?"

"I don't know," Nathan said. "It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about."

Scarlet looked at Nathan a moment and then shrugged before continuing to eat her breakfast. After they'd finished eating, Nathan and Scarlet viewed all the other temples, staring at all the images carved into the walls and trying to discern if it was depicting an event or a god. They eventually returned into the city and found themselves a place to stay and to rest all their things. They traveled all over the city, looking at the enormous churches and vendors of the streets. They found a vendor that was selling toys made of wood. They were painted and some were snakes, others were spiders, some were skeletons in suits or dresses and one was an armadillo. Scarlet saw that one and fell in love with it, so Nathan bought her that toy and bought the skeletons for JJ and Salem. By the end of the day, when the sun had gone down, they sat before the Angel of Independence, her gold beauty only a tender 26 years old, and stared into the sky and watched the stars.

"How long did you want to stay here?" Nathan asked Scarlet.

"Not too long," Scarlet said. "We need to get ourselves to South America if we're going to find El Dorado."

Nathan chuckled, "Alright, we'll stay another week and shoot for South America and start our search for El Dorado."

There was, however, an undeniable gloom over a few citizens in Mexico city. On their way, they'd came upon a town a week or so prior announcing that a Civil War had broken out in Spain. Mexico would be siding with the Republicans of the 2nd Spanish Republic who fought against the Nationalists led by General Francisco Franco, not surprisingly supporting by Germany, Italy and Portugal. Mexico would be a refuge for Spanish civilians hoping to flee the war. Mexico would offer support to the side of the Republicans and now it was the front page news on virtually every paper in Mexico City. It wasn't such huge news in the states, but it was certainly mentioned. Kevin received the paper and was reading through it while drinking his coffee at his desk and when the saw the notification of the war, he became nervous and immediately called Gabriella.

"Good morning, this is the immigration office, my name is Gabriella, how may I assist you?" Gabriella answered the phone.

"Morning," Kevin said. "It's Kevin Black."

"Good morning, Mr. Black. I'm sorry, but we don't have any new information regarding the Dymeks at this time."

"I was actually calling to ask about what I saw in the paper this morning….about the war."

"In Spain?" Gabriella asked knowingly.

"Will that effect Amber and her family getting into America?"

"I can't say," Gabriella answered honestly. "As far as I'm aware, refugees are planning to run to Mexico since they're allied, but that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't immigrants trying to get into the United States. Of course, I imagine once it becomes apparent what will be required to get into the states, they'll just chose Mexico."

Kevin allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, "Alright. I'll trust your judgment. Do you think it would be possible to obtain an update regarding the Dymeks since I have you on the phone?"

"Unfortunately, I'd have to call you back," Gabriella said. "I'll see what I can find out and I'll call you back before I leave today."

"I appreciate it, Gabriella," Kevin smiled and they disconnected.

The remainder of the day, Kevin focused on his work. There were other stories in the paper about the Olympics to be hosted in Berlin. Protestors were making efforts to boycott the Olympics, but it was mostly for naught. Kevin wasn't terrible concerned with the Olympics anyway. As promised, Gabriella called Kevin before she left her office that day, however the news she provided wasn't much more than what she had that morning. Kevin made sure to write a letter to Levi and Amber eagerly awaiting a reply. Much to his relief at the very least, France seemed to be uninvested in the Spanish Civil War so there was no fear from that end.

Soon it was August, the month shooting off the Olympics to be hosted in Germany despite waves of controversy and efforts to boycott. It seemed a bittersweet time given that several countries had made efforts to boycott the Olympics given an animosity towards Adolf Hitler, but ultimately, the games proceeded. The games were broadcasted over the radio and, despite Kevin's initial indifference, the office was alight with the radio broadcast of the games. The change of heart coming from the news that an African American, Jesse Owens, would be participating on the side of the United States in Track and Field. The radio was always on at Kevin's house as well and in the reservation and it blared on the navel base's restaurant where Aidetzi would often go with Naevia, Ruth and hers and Marcus's new son, Marcus Jr.

Then, something truly historic had occurred. The aforementioned Jesse Owens truly dominated. It was a magical moment, especially at the base. Every man woman and child on that base listened intently every time Jesse Owens performed and with each win, it was a cause for celebration, at least for them. He won 4 gold medals that year for the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and 4x relay. Kevin nearly laughed with each win. Each one was a testament, in his mind, that Hitler's 'Aryan supremacy' was not but hot air. Of course, many waited for the news of Jesse Owens being invited to the White House for his glorious and historic display of athleticism that never came. All the same, it was a victory. Marcus insisted, following the end of the Olympics, that everyone come to the base to celebrate and the diner on base served food all day while they played games and made collogues in Jesse Owens' honor. Kevin invited Alphonse to come with him which the man did, though not without great reluctance. He'd wanted to bring Anastasia with but, upon learning exactly where on the base the event would be taking place, Ana adamantly refused, saying it was bad enough that Alphonse insisted to reduce himself, but he would not subject their daughter to such nonsense.

"My apologies again for Ana," Alphonse said to Kevin when the two were sitting together on someone's porch looking onto the festivities. Kevin and Embry drank a beer and, upon discovering there wasn't wine or bourbon, Alphonse stuck with water.

"Don't worry about it," Kevin said. "I'm just glad you came. You've never met my family have you?"

"I can't say as I have," Alphonse said. "I know I've met you in passing," he said to Embry.

"Just in passing," Embry nodded and took a sip of his beer. "Are you sure you don't want one?"

"Positive," Alphonse scrunched his nose. "I prefer not to drink beer."

"Not good enough for you?" Embry asked with a chuckle.

"No," Alphonse answered frankly and Embry stopped laughing. Kevin pushed a thought to Embry asking him to be nice to Alphonse. The man was uncomfortable and would need patient handling. "I must admit, while it's technically a loss for Germany, I can't say as I'm upset over it."

"Someone needed to knock Hitler off his God Damned pedestal," Kevin said bitterly.

"I'm not sure they did," Alphonse answered. "It may have only served to make the man angry."

"Good," Kevin muttered.

"Has there been any new developments with your fiancé's citizenship?" Alphonse asked.

"Amber and her mother have appointments to meet the Embassy in January," Kevin said. "Her father's been working tirelessly to put together good reviews from people regarding him and his family, but given a number of the people he's close with in Paris are also trying to obtain citizenship, it's not so simple. I got some reassurance from Gabriella at the immigration office that this war in Spain isn't effecting immigration that much. They've had a few try, but most are fleeing to Mexico."

"That's where your brother and niece are now, right?"

"Mexico city, yes," Kevin nodded. "Scarlet loves it there. They have a place to stay, but most of the time they'll camp out at the ruins."

"Are they allowed to do that?" Alphonse asked.

Kevin shrugged, "They haven't gotten in trouble yet." A moment later, Travis walked over with a beer in hand and stepped on the porch.

"The kids are all playing Bago right now," Travis said. "You want to come join?"

"Nah," Kevin said. "I'm not really in the mood."

"What about you?" he asked Embry.

"No, I'm alright," Embry said. Travis looked at Alphonse, about to ask, but when he saw the man was in a suit when this was supposed to be a casual day, he just smiled.

"I take it you'd rather not?" Travis asked.

"Indeed," Alphonse said.

"You must be the Baronet we've heard so much about," Travis said and extended his hand. "I'm Travis Reed. I'm Kevin's cousin."

"Charmed," Alphonse said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Please, sir, you're enthusiasm's embarrassing me," Travis joked and looked at Kevin again. "I guess if you aren't planning to join, I'll leave you be." Travis stepped off the porch and returned to the festivities, leaving the three men alone again.

"Your cousin is a smart ass," Alphonse said.

"He was just being friendly," Kevin said, smiling reassuringly. "Do you want to just go home?"

"I'd greatly prefer to do so, thank you," Alphonse said.

"Alright," Kevin said and stood with Alphonse who had already left the porch for the car they'd taken. "Embry, are you staying?"

"Yeah, I'll stay here. I'll see you when you get home. Get the peacock back to his garden," Embry said.

"He's just anxious," Kevin said. "He's far more pleasant when he's not out of his element."

"He needs to learn to adapt," Embry said before taking another sip of his beer. Kevin followed Alphonse to the car saying goodbye to everyone beforehand. Alphonse was already in the passenger's seat of the car when Kevin finally got there.

"The party was certainly rustic," Alphonse said and Kevin couldn't fight a small chuckle.

"It's no ballroom or banquet hall I guess," Kevin said. Alphonse didn't answer. Rather, he looked out the window as they proceeded to make the long drive back to Seattle.

He dropped Alphonse back to his house and was invited in for dinner. Anastasia was engrossed in her harp lessons when they arrived and she seemed eager to toss the instrument aside to welcome Alphonse home. The warm welcome from his daughter had almost made the excursion worth the effort. After dinner, Alphonse and Kevin retreated to the study for bourbon and coffee.

"Have you been taking home your pay?" Alphonse asked.

"Little by little," Kevin said. "If things continue to improve, then I'll consider resuming my pay by next year."

"You're a saint, you know that," Alphonse muttered, torn between admiration that Kevin would do such a thing and irritation that he would do such a thing. "You're making me look bad," Alphonse managed to joke.

"I just do that naturally," Kevin answered and they laughed.

"We can't all age so gracefully as you're appearing to do," Alphonse chuckled. "You've changed so little since we've met."

"I'm graced with graceful aging I guess," Kevin said.

"Clearly," Alphonse said. "It's a bit soon, but Ana is throwing a Christmas party this year. She's inviting all high society of course. You're invited, naturally. You can invite your relatives as well if you like."

"My relatives?" Kevin asked, a little surprised.

"Yes," Alphonse said with a wicked smile. "Forgive me, but I wish to ruffle Ana's feathers a touch."

"By inviting my family?"

"By inviting people not among the elite," Alphonse said. "Oh, how it will enrage her," Alphonse chuckled.

"Will it at least be a silent rage?" Kevin asked.

"She'd never make a scene. It would ruin the party," Alphonse said. "You've no need to worry."

"I'll ask then," Kevin said and took a sip of his bourbon.

"And if your sister could bring her children, that would be lovely. Especially that baby," Alphonse chuckled. "Keep her busy protecting her precious luxuries."

"Alright," Kevin sighed.

The baby in question finally arrived in November and there was much rejoicing from the people in town when Jae announced to them that he and Natalie finally had a little girl, Nesia. She looked just like her mother. When she'd been feeling better, Natalie brought the baby to town and visited Jae at the shop and people swarmed to see the little girl. Several even brought little gifts for the new baby. JJ and Salem were delighted with their new sister. Nathan eventually found out about his new niece when he shifted to a wolf one night while he and Scarlet were resting in a town in the Yucatan. They had spent the better part of two months on the peninsula exploring all the temples and ancient Mayan cities. They were everywhere it seemed. They'd not stayed at an inn anywhere in the Yucatan, opting to instead camp at the ruins. The peninsula was their last adventure before they would enter Guatemala, but only after exploring every inch of the Mayan cities that rested there. He also received reassurance that JJ and Salem loved their skeleton marionettes they'd received. Scarlet would sometimes play with her wooden armadillo, but most of the time she just admired it. The craftsmanship always took her breath away.

When it reached December, plans for Ana's party went underway. Kevin had invited his relatives as Alphonse had asked, but that turnout was rather abysmal. Embry agreed he'd go because Kevin begged. Travis agreed to go for the sake of getting out of the house, Marcus and Aidetzi had been invited, but they'd rebuked the invitation given that Alphonse had been rather rude through the duration of the brief time they'd met him. None of Embry's brother's wanted to go, Kyle didn't want to go but he did manage to get Olga and her new husband, Jeffrey, invited. Kevin liked the man. When Kevin found out Olga was getting married, he feared he'd have to find someone to replace her assuming that she would be expected to keep herself at home, but Jeffrey had made no such demands. Quite the contrary, he was very supportive of Olga working. He himself worked for a manufacturing company and made a good living for himself. When it was the day of the party, Kevin had brought everyone to Alphonse's home and when they stepped out of the car, Travis took one look at the place and whistled.

"It's weird seeing it in person," Travis said without thinking.

"So how many rooms does this place have?" Embry asked sarcastically.

"I never cared to count," Kevin said and they all started walking towards the front door. There were people outside singing Christmas Carols, but they weren't random ones going from door to door like he was used to. These individuals had been paid to stand out in the cold and sing for the spirit of the season that Ana was going for. Right now, they were singing Jingle Bells. Kevin knocked on the door and waited for Diane to answer with a kind smile.

"Good evening, Mr. Black, and Merry Christmas to you. Please come in," she said as she stepped aside so they could all enter. "Shall I take your coats?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you Diane. Where's Alphonse?"

"He was in the drawing room last I saw him. Would you like me to go get him?" she asked.

"That's alright, Diane, we'll find him. Thank you again," Kevin smiled. Once she'd put away their coats returned to her previous task, Embry huffed a laugh.

"They have a drawing room?"

"Of course they have a drawing room," Kevin answered and led the way. As promised, Alphonse was in the drawing room with a few people Kevin recognized as clients. When they'd seen Kevin, they smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Black," one man said.

"Merry Christmas Mr. Bailey. I trust you're pleased with the results of your case?"

"Most certainly," he smiled. "We all walked away richer for it."

"Indeed," Alphonse said as he got up from his chair to welcome Kevin, though he was surprised to see so few. "I had thought you would invite more."

"I'd tried, but sadly those I've brought were the only ones able to come. I hope you're not disappointed."

Alphonse glanced at who Kevin had brought and shrugged. "Not at all. Can I interest any of you in some eggnog?"

"Extra bourbon in mine," Embry said and Alphonse chuckled.

"I'll have those made for you," he said and located a server and ordered 5 more eggnogs, one with extra bourbon.

"So who are your companions, Mr. Black?" Mr. Bailey asked.

"Some close friends and family," Kevin said and proceeded to introduce everyone. "This is Embry Call. We grew up together and he's like a brother to me. We went to war together and managed to come out clean on the other side." The men chuckled and then Kevin moved along. "You of course know Olga. Now Mrs. Olga Tanner. And this is her husband Jeffery. This is my cousin Travis Reed. Everyone, this is Mr. Bailey and Mr. Daniel. They're very loyal clients of mine and Alphonse."

"And shall remain so, I assure you," Mr. Daniel said charmingly. Alphonse returned with a server close behind who offered everyone their eggnog.

"I've informed Ana of your arrival," Alphonse said knowingly to Kevin.

"And?" Kevin asked.

"She's delighted," Alphonse said with a cruel chuckle. "So what did I miss?"

"Mr. Black was just introducing us," Mr. Bailey said. "Now don't just stand there like peasants," he chuckled, "sit and join us."

Kevin and his guests found their seats in the drawing room. Kevin opted to take a seat at the piano and played some Christmas music. There was a band of string instruments already playing in the other room, but it was hard to hear. Olga was able to speak with the clients rather easily given she'd come to know them rather well. Despite his attempts to engage with the others, he just couldn't and opted to take a seat closer to Kevin near the piano, leaving Travis sitting near Alphonse.

"I'm happy to hear your wife is happy to have us," Travis said and it took everything in Alphonse not to laugh out loud.

"Oh, yes, she's beside herself," Alphonse snickered and sipped his eggnog.

"Yes," Travis said, "Kevin mentioned you were intending to ruffle her feathers."

"It's one of the few pleasures I get with her," Alphonse said.

"I gather that," Travis said with a light chuckle. "You two have a daughter, no?"

"Anastasia," Alphonse said with an instant lightening in his voice and features. "Sometimes I wonder how such a harpy gave me such an angel."

"How old is she?"

"She's just turned 13," Alphonse said. "She's growing before my eyes. I fear it won't be long before we need to start finding her a proper husband, but I'll put that off as long as I can."

"I hear good things about her from Kevin," Travis said. "She calls him uncle so I hear."

"She does," Alphonse smiled. "She graciously accepted the task of being flower girl at Kevin's wedding. Though I fear the way things are progressing, she'll be far too old for that by the time they marry."

"Perhaps she'll be so kind as to put that minor detail aside," Travis chuckled and sipped his eggnog. "You really are far more pleasant when you're in your element."

"Is that meant to be a compliment or an insult?" Alphonse asked.

"A little of both, honestly," Travis chuckled. "I'll be blunt: you were really rude at that barbecue."

"I don't often engage socially with people who are beneath me," Alphonse answered just as bluntly and Travis couldn't fight a laugh.

"I have to say," Travis said, "If Kevin didn't like you so much, I'd think you lacked any redeeming qualities."

"My success in my field is my redeeming quality," Alphonse said. "What is it that you do with your life?" The question was riddled with a condescending tone.

"I'm afraid I don't work. Not in the sense that you would think," Travis said. "I live among my uncle's tribe and act as a guard and soldier." It was as close to the truth as he could advise.

"Hm," Alphonse muttered but otherwise said nothing.

"We can't all be lawyers I'm afraid. Or born into a title for that matter," Travis said. "Though let it be stated for the record one of my uncles is chief of the Hou tribe and my uncle Jacob is the chief apparent of the Quileutes."

"Yes, and your cousin is the prince," Alphonse said. "I'm afraid you are a prince much the same as Russians were princes and princesses. Unless you're a Romanov, you aren't worth much more than a skin deep name. While they lasted of course."

Travis sighed, beginning to lose his patience with the man. "I suppose you'd know, only being a Baronet and all." Travis saw the man's eye twitch as he looked at him.

"Indeed I would," was all he said.

Travis didn't continue to speak with Alphonse after that. He went to sit beside Kevin and Embry and ate dinner beside them at the table when dinner was served. When he got a chance to see Ana, he saw the extent of her 'joy' at their being present. She remained cordial, but he feared she might shoot fire from her eyes. After dinner, Embry and Travis insisted they wanted to leave and Kevin remained behind staying with Alphonse as the guests trickled out little by little. He had drinks with Alphonse and their business partners in the library, some enjoying cigars and the room filling with the smoke. Eventually, they all left but Kevin remained behind with Alphonse in the office to sober up a little.

"Your cousin was a joy to speak with," Alphonse said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I overheard," Kevin said and Alphonse seemed surprised.

"Did you?"

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I admit I was hoping you two might get along better."

"Why?" Alphonse rose an eyebrow, but he knew what Kevin was hinting at.

"Well, Travis is homosexual, so I thought-"

"Okay, let me make something clear," Alphonse said with a touch of irritation as he sipped his brandy. "I'm attracted to men, but not all men. Are you attracted to every woman you see on the streets?"

"Well, no," Kevin said.

"There you go," Alphonse said. "He's a good looking man, but outside of that, we have nothing in common and, frankly, I'm too old to have single night liaisons with strangers."

"In all fairness, Alphonse, you were a little rude to him," Kevin reasoned.

"Rudeness is my nature, Kevin," Alphonse said. "Besides," he continued, taking another sip of his brandy, "he can't hold a candle to you."

"Alphonse-"

"I've not implied anything more than an acknowledgement," Alphonse said. "We've put the awkwardness of it behind us. Let's keep it that way. And please refrain from trying to set me up."

"Alright, Alphonse," Kevin sighed and sipped his coffee. "I hadn't meant to offend you."

"I know," Alphonse said. "I'm not mad at you. Just remember I've had my fun. I've enjoyed illicit midnight trysts with men of my same interests and it was fun while it lasted. I'm too old for that now."

"You're only 44," Kevin said.

Alphonse finally smiled, "I appreciate the flattery, Kevin. But I've no interest in attempting to live a secret life. I'll not risk our reputation when we've worked this hard."

"Alright," Kevin said. "I only thought it might be good for you to have someone that you got along well with."

"I do," Alphonse said. "He just isn't gay." Kevin and Alphonse shared a look and Kevin finally smiled a little and Alphonse chuckled. "If that boy were half the man you are, then perhaps I would, but he's not you."

"I guess I'm flattered," Kevin said.

Alphonse smiled and drank more of his bandy and Kevin drank more coffee until he was finally sober and made the trip back home. When he got back, Embry and Travis where there sitting on the couch together listening to the radio, playing music and providing news for the day. Embry glanced over his shoulder at Kevin and smiled.

"You're certainly home late," Embry said.

"I had a few cups of coffee," Kevin said. "I drank too much and I needed to sober up."

"For the record," Travis said with a smile, "next he wants you to bring people to annoy his wife, might I recommend inviting homeless people?"

"I doubt we'd get away with that," Kevin chuckled. "You two had such a bad time?"

"The worst," Embry said. "There's only so long I can sit with you by the piano. Not to mention he wasn't much less of a dick."

"Alphonse?" Kevin asked. "It's just his nature and it takes getting used to. So long as you're cordial with him, he'll be so with you is the usual rule of thumb."

"Unless you're 'beneath him' of course," Travis laughed.

"I'm sorry you and Alphonse didn't get along better," Kevin said. "I'd hoped maybe you two might hit it off and you could brighten his moods a bit."

"Sorry, Kevin, but I'm not interested in being a replacement for you," Travis chuckled. "It's a shame too. He's a good looking guy for his age. Perhaps you should humor him and try at least once."

"No," Kevin said, Travis barely finishing his sentence and Travis laughed.

"I guess that settles that," Travis said.

Travis stayed the night at Kevin's home and returned to the tribe the following day only to return home to visit his family. Kevin and Embry came home for Christmas and New Year's and they all welcomed 1937. By that time, Nathan and Scarlet were in Belize City, Belize welcoming the New Year atop a Mayan temple ruin. Nathan sent more postcards to Tamara letting her know he and Scarlet were alright and having a great time, being sure to send her, Dan and Meg little presents here and there too. Sometimes he wished they stayed in more places long enough for her to respond, but he preferred not to. They still had a lot of ground to cover. They did stay in Belize City for a while, though, enjoying the beach and the sun. Sometimes they would sleep at the ruins, other times they'd sleep on the beach, but they always woke up with the sun on their skin.

By that time, Marcus and Aidetzi officially made the move to Hawaii. Before leaving, Aidetzi and Marcus came to the tribe for a big farewell dinner and said their goodbyes to everyone. Embry Sr. and Caevia made sure to wave goodbye to them from the docks as Aidetzi, Marcus Sr. and Jr., and Naevia left for the island paradise. When they arrived, Aidetzi couldn't not pretend she wasn't speechless. The water was clear, the sandy beaches golden with shells and there were trees and flowers everywhere with homes overlooking to ocean. They left the boat and made it to the apartment they would be sharing with Ruth and, conveniently, Didi and Lawrence were just down the hall from them. After they'd dropped of their things, Ruth immediately went to Didi's to let them know they'd arrived and to scold them for not welcoming them at the dock.

"So what do you think?" Marcus asked when they were alone with the children.

"It's gorgeous," Aidetzi smiled. "It almost makes leaving home worth it."

Marcus smiled and walked over to her and took her in his arms. "I promise, it'll only be temporary. The soonest I'm able, I'll get us transferred back to Washington." In the meantime, Naevia went to the window to look outside.

"Mommy," she said in a small little voice and just pointed outside, unable to said anything else.

"Let's wait for your grandma to get back with your aunt and uncle and we'll go," Aidetzi said. Naevia appeared appeased by the answer and returned her attention to stare outside. "I think Naevia likes it here."

"She's just excited about a new place," Marcus smiled and gave Aidetzi a kiss, then kissed their son's head. "I'm sure she'll miss home in no time."

"Do you ever miss home?" Aidetzi asked, referring to his home state.

"Not really," Marcus said. "I used to, but you made the change well worth it." Aidetzi smiled back and accepted another kiss from Marcus.

"We need to make sure we send everyone a postcard."

"We will," Marcus smiled and kissed Aidetzi again. "What do you say when mom gets back, we have her take Naevia to the beach and we can get things unpacked?"

"Unpacked?" Aidetzi asked with a suspicious giggle.

"It has been a while," Marcus smiled. "You said you were feeling better now."

"I am," Aidetzi said. "We've just been so busy."

"We're not busy now," Marcus said and started kissing her tenderly. They were interrupted when Ruth rushed into the house with Robby, Lawrence and Didi following behind.

"Now Lawrence, you get to work on the children's things," Ruth ordered. "Didi, you and I will focus on the kitchen. Marcus, Aidetzi, you will focus on everything else."

"What do I do, grandma?" Robby asked.

"You have a special job, baby," Ruth said, "you and Naevia show your daddy where the toys need to go. Naevia," Ruth turned her attention to her granddaughter who was already trying to open one of the boxes she'd colored pink to indicate they were her toys.

"Yes," Naevia managed and Ruth came over.

"Can you show me where you and I will be sleeping?" Naevia nodded and took Ruth's hand, showing her to a little bedroom that was painted white. "Oh, this is a nice room," Ruth praised. "Lawrence!" she called and Lawrence came to check the room, already sparsely furnished, and was given instruction to bring all the boxes with pink and blue crayon to that room and got him to work unpacking, giving Naevia the role of showing him where she wanted everything.

"I guess we're busy now," Aidetzi said to Marcus who grumbled and started getting boxes moved to their assigned rooms and getting things unpacked. Marcus and Aidetzi didn't get a moment alone until it was time for bed and by that time, they were so tired, they fell asleep instantly. Aidetzi woke when she heard Marcus Jr. start to cry, but Ruth attending to him initially and roused Aidetzi from bed only when it was time to feed the boy. Marcus was still asleep when Aidetzi was feeding their son. Ruth left the room to get breakfast started and Marcus eventually stirred just as their son was finishing his breakfast.

"Morning," Marcus mumbled and rolled onto his back and sat up. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like the dead," Aidetzi said. "I was so tired."

"Me too," Marcus said.

"When do you need to start?"

"Monday," Marcus said. "So we have some time to relax a bit."

"Good," Aidetzi smiled. "We can take the kids to the beach today."

"Or mama can," Marcus glanced at Aidetzi with a seductive hint in his eye. Aidetzi giggled as he moved closer to her, sat beside her, and started kissing her neck. "I'll ask mama if she'd take the kids to the beach so we can relax."

"I could use some much deserved relaxation," Aidetzi answered and returned Marcus's kiss. Marcus did manage to get Ruth to take Naevia and Robby to the beach with Didi, leaving Marcus and Aidetzi, at long last, blissfully alone save for their son, but he was sleeping most of the day. As promised, they sent a postcard back home and even managed to take a family picture with a shop on base. Marcus wore his uniform, Aidetzi and Naevia wore their Sunday best and Marcus Jr. was in a tiny white onesie in Aidetzi's lap. That picture was displayed on Aidetzi's nightstand and she woke up to it every morning and smiled.

Time passed and Kevin remained in constant correspondence with Gabriella and with Amber and Levi. Between the four of them, they were doing everything in their power to force the process along faster, but it was proving to test all their sanity. Sadly, Gabriella's family wasn't fairing so well as of recently. Kevin called her for an update and she told him in confidence that she'd found out her father had passed away. She was soldiering through work, but he could tell it tore the poor girl apart, especially since she'd never been able to bring him to America. He ordered flowers be sent to her office with a card offering his sincerest apologies for her loss and a firm thank you for all her continued help and support.

Kevin received a letter in April from Amber letting him know she and Anna had gotten their interview with the embassy done and were provided with more paperwork. Once they all had completed that, they would be in a pending process. Meaning, now, all they could do was wait for their citizenship to be approved. He wasn't sure it that was better or worse. Now it was just a waiting game. He called Gabriella and asked if there was anything he could do but, sadly, there wasn't. Speaking from her personal experience, all he could do now was wait. So long as none of the Dymeks got into legal trouble for whatever reason, it would just be a matter of time before they received their citizenship. It was the best news he could be offered. Come late afternoon of May 6th, the radio was ablaze with the news that the Hindenburg had set aflame that morning in New Jersey. By the following morning, it was reported 36 had died from the disaster while 62 had managed to survive. It had made front page news all over the country, but as with all things, after the shock, life continued.

A few months later, desperately missing Amber, Kevin appeased himself somewhat with a letter talking of their future. Gabriella had confirmed for him that according to their sources, Amber, Anna and Levi had completed all the paperwork they'd been required to and now they just needed to wait. It was only a matter of time now before they'd finally be in America and the thought made Kevin happy, yet made him miss her more. It was so close now that he could taste it.

Amber,

I've received news from the immigration office that you and your parents are finally well on your way to earning your citizenship. It won't be long now. Soon, you will all finally come to America and we can finally move forward with our plans. I truly cannot believe it has only been 8 years since we've been engaged. With the immigration process, it feels as though it's been a millennia. It will have been well worth it, though, I promise. All these years of planning, and dreaming will finally come to fruition. You have my word the moment you step off the boat, we will begin preparing for our wedding. I will ensure it is everything you've dreamed of and more.

I've shown you the synagogue near my house. You would love it. The Rabbi there, his name is DmitrioNowakowski, is from Poland. I had told your father of him. He is a lover of math. I've had the opportunity to speak with him on a few occasions and have grown fond of the man. I like to think he thinks kindly of me as well, though I've yet to sell him on the possibility of him officiating our wedding. I'm sure we'll turn him around though. The altar where we would marry is breathtaking. You will love it. I look forward to waiting there with Rabbi Nowakowski until Levi walks you down the aisle. I dare not try to imagine you in your wedding dress. I can only picture the smile on your face when that day finally comes. Will you cry on our wedding day? I admit, I just might. We've waited so long for this moment that it hurts. We will have a Jewish wedding the likes of your wildest dreams and then we'll have a Quileute ceremony on the beach under the cool light of the moon before a bonfire. You will wear the headdress of the white wolf, I the grey wolf, and we'll start our marriage at long last in the laws of both our people.

After our ceremonies, we'll run away, just you and me, to anywhere you want. Somewhere no one can bother us. I fear we'll have to return home eventually, but our families will be kind enough to have moved your things into my house by then and I'll carry you over the threshold and make love to you on the wood floors of the entrance. Or perhaps the candle room I'd had built into the house. Then, by the following year, we'll finally welcome our first child. Even now, imagining it takes my breath away. To imagine you holding our child, to imagine coming home to you every day, I don't know how much longer I can stand to wait for this to become reality. Until then, I will imagine it.

I love you Amber with all my heart.

Kevin

Kevin sent his letter the following morning and received is reply a few weeks later with Amber offering much the same sentiment and longing. It was the first time in a while their letters to one another had been so vibrant and hopeful. They'd needed this.

By December of that year, Nathan and Scarlet had made it to a tiny town in Panama getting ready to enter South America at long last through Colombia. When they did finally enter Colombia, they stopped in a tiny town called Capurganá. Like all the other beaches they'd seen, they were a vibrant clear blue with several fish easily visible in the more shallow parts. There were men out on the water fishing early in the morning when they arrived and they went to an inn to rest for the day. They needed their rest if they were going to begin their search for El Dorado Scarlet reasoned lightheartedly. They managed to obtain a room that looked out on the water and they left the shutters open to enjoy the breeze off the water. They'd been sleeping in ruins and the floors of kind strangers' homes since Yucatan and they were gloriously eager to sleep in a proper bed. Nathan fell asleep near instantly upon resting his head on the pillow. He dreamed again that night.

Nathan felt a warm hand on his cheek and he swore he remembered the smell. His eyes shot open to see Tomoeh sitting beside him, but he wasn't in the bed or the inn for that matter. He was back on their balcony back home. Nathan said her name and sat up instantly. She looked as she did when they'd met, youthful, beautiful and full of life. She smiled at him and it brought back memories. Wonderful memories of when they first married. He reached for her and took her in his arms to kiss her. She kissed him back, but when their lips parted, she seemed to disappear. Nathan's eye's opened again and she was gone. But so was their balcony. Instead, he was on a beach again. It was beach from a previous dream and he saw the mighty evergreen with red flowers. He suddenly started to hear a voice that was quickly becoming familiar. It was a seductive song in that native language he wasn't familiar with.

Nathan tried to follow the voice, but there appeared to be no owner of that voice. Still, he followed it as he approached the floral evergreen. There was a breeze that came from the ocean, it's salty smell combining with the smell of the flowers. When he approached the tree, he tried looking around it but still found no one there. He looked in the direction he'd come, but there was no one there. He tried looking into the branches of the tree and still found no one. Frustrated, Nathan sat against the three and rested his head.

"Salvador," the voice came again after it finished singing. Nathan looked to his right where a figure was sitting against the tree looking out into the ocean. He couldn't see more than a small part of her face, but it was covered by the raven hair. He reached his hand out to touch that hair and it was soft to the touch. "Encontre-me em Salvador," the voice came again.

"Please," Nathan said. "Please tell me who you are." Finally, at long last, the figure turned to face him and he finally saw the face of the one who'd been haunting his dreams.

Her eyes were brown….no…nearly black with the smallest hint of red. One would no see the red if not paying attention. It made her eyes appear a deep brown. The lashes over those penetrating, seductive eyes were long and fanned her cheeks when her eyes would close. Her hair was the raven color he'd come to know and was long. Very long. Her nose was thin and pointed slightly downward, so slight most would never notice it, complementing the cupid's bow above her lips. Those lips were full and deep, naked of any paint yet somehow a luxurious hue of pink mixed with her deep brown skin. Her jaw was delicately shaped with slender cheeks atop a delicate neck. Her full breasts pressed fully against the low cut of a bright red dress. She smiled at him and the curve of her lips made Nathan's mouth water. She brought her hand against his cheek and moved slightly closer.

"A name," Nathan asked. "Just give me a name."

The vixen's smile deepened and her eyes sparkled with a naughty gleam. "Encontre-me em Salvador," she repeated.

"What is your name?" Nathan asked again, becoming frustrated but his voice far from conveying that. Instead, he sounded as though he were begging. She smiled again and leaned forward as though she might kiss him. He watched her as she approached but then a loud sound came and Nathan rose from the bed he laid in, looked around and realized he was in the inn, wide awake again. He looked out the window and saw the noise had been produced by some fishermen who'd tossed their fishing gear into their boat.

He rubbed his eyes and his head trying to regain his senses. Scarlet was still sound asleep, peaceful in sleep as Nathan wished he were. He couldn't understand why he was having these dreams. Salvador. No. They wouldn't go to Salvador. Not yet. Nathan got out of bed and retrieved some breakfast from the front desk and brought it back to the room. By the time he'd made some coffee and started eating a piece of fruit and muffin, Scarlet finally awoke and stretched.

"Morning, Scarlet," Nathan smiled. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great," Scarlet smiled. "I forgot how nice it is to sleep in a bed."

"Me too," Nathan chuckled and tossed a banana muffin in Scarlet's direction that she caught. "There's a fruit here for us to try," Nathan said. He picked up a circular fruit that was a light color and was wrinkled as though it was bad. "I'm told it's supposed to look this way. A Passion Fruit is what it's called."

"That doesn't look very good," Scarlet said nervously before taking a bite of her muffin.

"We won't know unless we try," Nathan smiled and took a knife to puncture the fruit as he'd been told to. Then he tore it the rest of the way and some juice seeped onto his finger. He brought it to his mouth and tasted the juice. Then he looked at Scarlet. "Come here. You'll like it."

Scarlet put her muffin on the nightstand and went to Nathan's side and took the half of the small fruit he'd offered her. It looked as though there was nothing to it. It had seeds with a yellow cover on them with a little juice. Nathan showed her how to eat it according to the person he'd gotten it from. He brought the fruit to his lips and sucked out the seeds and juice until all that remained was the husk of the fruit. Scarlet followed his lead and took the seeds and juice into her mouth. What she tasted was the most delectable combination of sweet and sour that both delighted and assaulted her tongue with its flavor. It was bright like sucking on a lemon or lime, but the sour was soon alleviated with a sweet taste she'd never known before. It was gone too soon.

"Wow," Scarlet said.

"Good, isn't?" Nathan chuckled.

Then he took hold of something he was told was called a Cherimoya. It was firm yet soft when pressed and it was a green color. He cut it open and they tried the fruit together, a much more mild flavor, nothing compared to the passion fruit they'd just enjoyed. They picked up one more that was a bright pink and looked a little like a smaller pineapple. When he cut it open, the fruit inside was a white color with little black seeds scattered about. He was told it was called a Pitaya. Sadly, it was a fruit that looked far better than it tasted. He was told the pitayas that had pink or purple fruit inside were the sweet ones, so they'd be in search for one.

"Can we got more Passion Fruit?" Scarlet asked and Nathan smiled.

"We'll try to," he said. "Finish your banana muffin and we'll get going again. The statue that started the El Dorado myth was found in Colombia. Maybe someone here knows where we can find those ruins."

With that renewed spirit, Scarlet finished her muffin as did Nathan and they both got dressed and packed up all their things, paying the inn keep before they left, making sure to place a little red tree on the window sill of the room they'd used. They started with the innkeeper, asking if he might know anything about the Muisca. Indeed he did. He told them if they wanted to find that tribe, they could be found in Bogotá. Nathan asked, just out of curiosity, if the inn keep knew anything about the myth of El Dorado. The man just laughed and handed them a map of Colombia so they could find their way to Bogotá. It took them a week to arrive in the city they'd been told. It was mountainous with waves and waves of bright green even in the waning winter months. Though Nathan needed to remind himself that on the Southern hemisphere, the seasons were flipped. Right now, for them, it was summer.

It wasn't a city of gold, certainly not. Rather, it was a booming city with a rich Spanish influence from all the old castles and churches. They saw people pulling llamas around with woolen covers over their backs for the loads they carried. It reminded him a lot of Mexico City with it's overwhelming splendor, as though they'd stepped into the past. They wandered the city almost aimlessly, just enjoying the view and the hustle and bustle. They found a vendor that sold passion fruit and nearly bought out the stand. Once they had their fruit, they left the city limits and into the mountains so they could stare at the city from a distance and enjoy the passion fruit.

"We should probably eat more than just fruit," Nathan chuckled.

"Later," Scarlet smiled and finished another, tossing the husk to nature before eagerly taking another.

"Never let it be said that I don't spoil you," Nathan chuckled.

"So where to after this?" Scarlet asked.

"We'll cut through Ecuador and make our way to Cusco, Peru. That's where the Inca resided before they were bested by the conquistador Pizarro in 1533. They were called the Children of the Sun. We'll keep looking for El Dorado on the way."

"Alright," Scarlet smiled and finished another piece of fruit.

Nathan looked at Scarlet a moment while she ate. She was growing up. By now, she was 13 and she was looking more and more like her mother every day. She had her mother's eyes that shined with the same sparkle for life. Sometimes when he looked at her, it was as though he looked at Tomoeh. She wore her mother's bracelet which finally fit her properly at the tightest setting on her right wrist. She had started to grow tall as well. Nearly as tall as her mother had been, yet she still appeared very much a girl. He couldn't believe she'd changed so much since they'd left Washington. Everyone would be shocked when they saw her again. They'd probably be shocked by Nathan too. Both his skin and Scarlet's had deepened at least three shades from the constant sun. Scarlet's hair had even become a darker color somehow, yet in the right light, tints of blue would flash in her hair. Yes, she really did grow more and more like her mother every day and it made Nathan smile. They finally fell asleep on the mountain side and woke when the sun appeared in the sky, burning away the night with brilliant shades of red, orange, magenta and blue. They returned to the city for a proper breakfast before finally making their way to Cusco, Peru. It would be a very long journey to be sure with plenty of stops in between.

1938 came and it left Kevin with a heightened anticipation. While she had said 'best case scenario', it was still the year he'd anticipated the Dymeks might finally earn their citizenship. Speaking with Alphonse and letting him know he needed to make a desperately needed trip to France, he made the trip to Paris. He wrote to Levi letting them know he was on his way, but he feared he might arrive before his letter did. He arrived in Paris at last by the second week of January and went straight to the Dymeks' apartment. He used the key he'd been provided and let himself in. It was the middle of the day and he expected they would all be at work. Yet when he let himself into the little apartment, his eyes met Ambers when he entered while she was in the kitchen. After a brief moment of being stunned to see him, she smiled and went right to him in a tight hug, calling his name. He took her in his embrace and closed the door of the apartment, giving her a passionate kiss before pulling away to look at her.

"I take it I got here before my letter?" Kevin joked and Amber giggled.

"It would appear so," Amber said. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too," Kevin said and kissed her again. Then someone cleared their throat and they looked at Anna who's arms were crossed but she smiled all the same.

"Alright, love birds, it's time to calm down," she teased and came to the door. "It's a pleasure to see you Kevin," she said and took him in a hug and placed a kiss on both his cheeks.

"I'm surprised you aren't both at work," Kevin said.

"We quit," Anna said with a kind smile. "Amber has tossed herself into English lessons with a tutor. Gloria is her name."

"We meet every morning to practice," Amber blushed. "We just started, though, so I fear I'm not very good."

"You'll be an expert in no time," Kevin reassured and gave Amber a quick peck on the cheek. "I hope this means things are well with the immigration? You expect to have your citizenship soon?"

"The Embassy said they'd send us all our visas and paperwork once we've been approved, but they did say they anticipate late this year God willing. I do hope so. This has been a dreadful headache. In truth, Kevin, were it not that you and Amber were engaged, I'd say we should stay in Paris. We like it here well enough."

"I know," Kevin smiled, "and I do appreciate all the work you have all put in towards this. I promise I'll make it all well worth it."

"Give me lots of grandchildren and we'll be even," Anna teased. "Now you must be starving, Kevin. We have some bread and cream cheese. It's not much, but it should tide you over until dinner. I'm trying my hand at coq-au-vin. Our neighbor gave me the recipe."

"Sounds like I came on just the right day," Kevin said and Anna giggled.

"You certainly did," Anna smiled and went to the kitchen to get Kevin bread, cream cheese and some coffee. "So how is everyone? I hear your sister and her husband had another baby?"

"Yes, Nesia," Kevin smiled. "You'll love her, Anna. She's a darling."

"I don't doubt it," Anna said. "Might you use your trick and show me?" With a smile, Kevin put the image of his new niece sleeping in Natalie's arms into Anna's head and she grinned. "Oh, she's beautiful! She looks just like her mother."

"She does," Kevin said. "She'd thrilled to death about having a girl. She wasn't sure if she could handle another boy."

"Gracious, I don't know if could either," Anna giggled. "I've friends with lots of sons and I swear I don't know how the poor dears remain sane."

Kevin chuckled, "We are a rambunctious gender."

"So Amber tells me you have been speaking with the Rabbi near you? What did you say his name was, Amber?"

"Dmitrio Nowakowski," Kevin answered. "He came to America from Poland with his family years ago and they came to Washington about 10 or 11 years ago with plans to open the synagogue. It's been up and running for about 7 years now."

"That's good to hear," Anna said. "When we're situated, we'll start attending that synagogue and we'll talk him into giving you and Amber a Jewish ceremony. So is he married? Children?"

"He was a wife but I can't remember her name," Kevin said with an embarrassed smile. "They have two daughters."

"Daughters. Good," Anna said knowingly. "He might be easier to convince then."

"How do you mean?" Kevin asked.

"My dear sergeant, a man with a daughter is a man with his heart on his sleeve," Anna said. "We can appeal to him as a father and he'll melt like a candle. One day, Kevin, when you give me a granddaughter, you'll know what that's like."

"I need only see my father to know," Kevin chuckled. "I don't think the man's ever so much as raised his voice at Natalie. Me and my brothers on the other hand? Let's just say dad was never one for 'sparing the rod and spoiling the children'," Kevin laughed.

"I don't believe that for a second," Anna teased. "Your father seemed nothing but pleasant when we met him."

"He was just on his best behavior," Kevin joked and they all laughed.

Eventually, Levi returned home and was surprised to see Kevin but welcomed him all the same happy to see him. The mood was a light one and they were hopeful that this would be the last year the Dymeks would be in France. The following day, Kevin excused himself to go to the Embassy himself and see if he might be able to do anything to make that hopefulness a guarantee. He let himself in and spoke to the first person he came across in the large entryway near the front desk.

"Good morning," Kevin said.

"How can I help you sir?" the young man at the desk said with, Kevin noticed, the smallest hint of a southern drawl.

"Where are you from originally?" Kevin asked in English.

"Alabama," the young man answered. "I'm afraid I can never help my accent giving me away."

"I'll bet the locals find it charming," Kevin chuckled.

"No," the man laughed a little. "I can't say as they do. So what can I do for you?"

"I actually hoped that perhaps I could offer something in the way of assistance with expediting a certain family's citizenship?"

"Well, sir, I'm sorry to say that short of presidential intervention, there's really no way to guarantee that."

"Shit," Kevin said. "I don't know the president," managing to joke.

"Don't worry, I don't either," he chuckled. "What's the family's name? Maybe I can at least give you an update in their case."

"Dymek," Kevin said and suddenly the man was still and then chuckled.

"You must be Kevin Black," he chuckled again.

"You know who I am?" Kevin asked, a little surprised.

"Oh, yes sir, we know who you are," the man said. "We've gotten a damn near daily telegram from Mr. Lockley in Washington trying to get updates on the Dymeks. He'd always say Miss Dymek's fiancé, Sgt. Kevin Black, was enquiring. I don't mind saying you've been a bit of a thorn in our side for the past few years," the man chuckled.

"I can't say as I'm sorry for it," Kevin smiled. "So when do you suspect they're be approved? This year I hope."

"Let me check their file," he said and stepped from his desk to locate it and returned with several envelopes filled to the max with paperwork the likes of which even he'd never seen before. He went to the appropriate file and read through everything briefly and answered. "I can't guarantee a specific date, but they're currently pending approval, so that just means everything's being reviewed by D.C. and if everything checks out, we'll get notification they're approved."

"There isn't a grace period is there?" Kevin asked.

"Only to obtain their visas and papers. Once we receive word they're approved, we write all that out and they'll be required to have that paperwork when they go through immigration. From there, they'll be American citizens."

"Good," Kevin said. "So there's nothing more to do at this time?"

"Nothing but wait," the man said. "We appreciate your patience."

Kevin simply nodded at the man and left the Embassy to return to the Dymeks. He stayed with them for a week and a half, savoring every moment that he could. Before Levi and Anna, Kevin never did more then hold Amber's hand and maybe steal a quick kiss. However, some nights, they would have their time alone. Amber would wander to his spot on the couch and kiss him awake if he wasn't awake already and sweetly ask him to follow her to her room. They managed to keep their love making quieted despite their passion and yet Kevin would always leave her last minute. He hated doing that.

One night in particular, just two days before he was set to leave, Kevin had been led to Amber's room and they'd wasted no time. They kissed passionately, removed each other's clothes as though they burned and when they were naked, Kevin held her tenderly and ravaged her lips with his as he made love to her. He'd pulled out and reached his peak just above her belly. She cleaned herself up and they held one another on her bed, basking in each other's warmth while Amber rubbed her hands over Kevin's chest with her head rested on his shoulder.

"I really don't like doing that," Kevin admitted while they laid in bed and Amber looked up at him.

"Doing what?" Amber asked.

"Pulling out," Kevin said. "Frankly, if I weren't so scared about getting you pregnant, I'd just say to hell with it."

"It's not time yet," Amber said and kissed Kevin's chest. "We still need to be cautious."

"I know," Kevin sighed and tightened his hug on Amber. "I'm tired of this. I want you with me every day."

"I know," Amber said and hugged Kevin lovingly. "Soon. You spoke with the Embassy and they said it would be soon."

"They said it was being processed," Kevin said, suddenly bitter with the news. "I want to start our life together."

"Me too," Amber said. "I always read your letters whenever I really miss you. Sometimes I try to picture being in your house with my parents waiting for you to come home from work."

Kevin smiled at the image, "Embry once teased me that I'd just keep you barefoot and pregnant."

"Well, perhaps I like that idea," Amber giggled and returned her eyes to Kevin. "Perhaps I like the idea of making little candles to sell to people at the synagogue and running your household."

"I'm sure you and Anna can start up another business together," Kevin smiled. "Americans are shmucks for anything advertised as 'foreign'."

Amber giggled, "I'll take your word for it." She kissed his chest and rested her cheek where she'd kissed. "This is what I look forward to most."

"What?"

"Lying in bed with you after we've made love. Not a care in the world," she sighed.

"Soon, Amber," Kevin smiled and hugged her. "Soon."

He did eventually have to leave her but only after one more sweltering kiss to get them through the night. His letter finally arrived the day before he was set to leave, so they all had a good laugh over it. Anna made him his favorite, mushroom tarts, the morning he was set to leave and Anna and Amber walked him to the train station. He hugged Anna and Amber both and stole one last chaste kiss from Amber before he got on the train. Amber waved goodbye to him from the platform and he waved back, pushing the thought to her that he swore she'd see him again very soon.

Come February, Jae surprised Natalie by having their parents look after the children and took her to the city so they could see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She realized when they went that the theatre was packed with several children and when they saw the movie, she knew why. Natalie absolutely loved it and insisted they go again with the boys and Nesia. Sadly, Nesia could not appreciate the movie as she slept through it while JJ and Salem weren't quite so enthralled with the tale of a women's battle with her evil step-mother and being rescued by the handsome, nameless prince. Natalie still enjoyed it thoroughly all the same at least. Eventually Aidetzi and Marcus went together as a Valentine's Day date. They'd not been on a date since they'd gotten married and Marcus was eager to correct that. A princess movie seemed the perfect remedy.

Just as February ended, Nathan and Scarlet made it to Cusco, Peru after a long journey. As other cities in South America, there was an ever present reminder of the conquistadors in the form of the churches and their fortress, but just outside of town were the ruins of the capitol of the former Inca Empire. Stones crafted atop one another to form buildings and temples atop the green expanse of the mountains. It was cooler in Peru, breezier, especially atop the mountains. They'd attempted to look for El Dorado during their trip down, but alas the search was for naught. Though, as Nathan promised, they would search the jungles of the Amazon before they gave up on finding a fabled city of gold. They found the highest temple in the ruins and placed their red tree there and spent their nights in the ruins, going into town to explore only to return to the ruins. One night, as they slept in the ruins, Nathan opened his eyes, only to see his dream again. The evergreen and red flowers on the beach. He searched around himself trying to find the woman from before. Since seeing her face in his dream, he'd longed to see it again. Yet all he heard was her voice.

"Encontre-me em Salvador," the voice came once again.

He searched the beach and ran to the tree trying to find her, but he couldn't see her. Suddenly, music played. A band played but he didn't see anyone. He heard the strumming strings of a guitar, a violin, hands clapping in rhythm to a tango. The sound of the guitar was mesmerizing and undeniably erotic. He turned where he heard the music playing and he saw her, dancing in the arms of a shadow. A figure of a man that appeared just a shadow. She wore the same vibrant red dress that flowed about her as though she were draped in silk. She very well may have been. Her breasts heaved from the cut of that dress and her long, slender arms were clothed with no more than bits of clothe for sleeves. Her hair was up now in a tight bun, her beautiful face all her could see. Her lips were painted a deep wine red and her thick black lashes went on for miles over the color of those rich eyes.

When he looked at her, the woman discarded her shadowy partner and began to walk to him. Yet her walk was bizarrely erotic, as though her hips quaked with each step she took towards him in time with the music that played. When she came to him, she grabbed his hand and led him in a tango, a dance he'd only ever watched but never partook in. Yet somehow, he knew every step, every spin, every drag of her heeled toes over the sand of the beach. He felt his heart pound as they danced together, her legs wrapped around him at numerous points only to retreat again, her figure breathtaking as it moved to the music. He had turned away from her at a point during the dance. She pressed her hands to his chest to bring him back, but he remained away from her for a time until they rejoined in the dance, somehow made vicious, yet strewn with a passion sparked with what he could only describe as pain and frustration. He couldn't understand that sudden pain he felt, yet it dissipated when she looked into his eyes not sensually, but longingly. Lovingly. His chest tightened and he fell before her and she kept her hands in his.

"Please," Nathan begged. "A name."

She smiled and kneeled down before him so they were facing each other. That loving smile changed to her previous seductive smile that made him tremble. She looked upon him as a cunning cat ready to strike a scared mouse or bird. A smile that was undeniably proud and strong made somehow daunting due to her delicate feminine features. Her eyes were piercing into his very soul and he couldn't look away from her. Her lips neared his own and he waited for her to kiss him, realizing he desperately wish she would. But she did not. Rather, she brought those full lips to his ear and whispered her message again. "Encontre-me em Salvador," she said. Nathan had grown to despise those words. With that finally message, she was about to kiss him when his eyes flew open and he realized it was morning inside of an Inca temple where Scarlet and Nathan slept. He sat up and rubbed his face with a sigh. They were getting worse. More vivid. He wasn't sure he could take this anymore. Then he realized he suffered a throbbing erection that nearly hurt. Scarlet was still sound asleep, so Nathan wandered away from the ruins so he could he left along and addressed the side effect of that dream only returning again when he was sure he was finally calm again.

Scarlet was still asleep when he returned, so he had some breakfast of dried fruit and spicy rice, staring out into the expanse of the ruins as though staring off as if he might see Brazil. It would be a very long journey. They would need to go through the Amazon still, so they would need to cut north and south east to reach Salvador. They'd make the trip as quick as possible. He wanted these dreams over with and if it meant going to Salvador, so be it. Finally, Scarlet began to stir and woke. Nathan smiled and handed her some good and she sat beside him staring out onto the world.

"We'll go through the rainforest next," Nathan said. "Then we'll go to Salvador."

"Salvador?" Scarlet asked and then sighed. "We'll be going home then, right?" she asked sadly and Nathan smiled and hugged her.

"Don't worry, Scarlet. It's going to take us a while to get there. We've still got plenty of adventuring to do before we turn back and go home."

"What's in Salvador?" Scarlet asked.

"I don't know," Nathan said honestly. "I just know I need to go."

"Sounds exciting," Scarlet giggled. "To Salvador."

Nathan grinned, "To Salvador."

That day, Nathan and Scarlet began the long journey to Brazil, going straight to the rainforest first. The further they retreated into the forest, the more awed they were. Every step was a discovery of a beauty they had never seen before. The trees were green and the birds, bugs, frogs and flowers were every color one could possibly envision. It was paradise.

That March, however, while Scarlet and Nathan prowled through the rainforest, rather less than pleasing news reached Kevin. The papers mentioned that Adolf Hitler had annexed Austria. It wasn't an invasion, but as far as Kevin was concerned, it was an eerie glimpse into what could easily become worse. He called Gabriella desperately asking for an update on the Dymek's citizenship, but unfortunately, she could only say that it was pending still. It wasn't the answer Kevin wanted to hear. But he kept telling himself to breath. It was just Austria. Germany and Austria were allies. It would only make sense that Hitler would take the country under his wing as it were. Kevin forced himself not to think too much of it, reminding himself that Austria was not France and Amber and her family were still safe so long as they were in France. Still, hairs rose in the back of his neck and he felt himself grow weary. He wasn't sure what was coming, but he knew something was and he was running out of time.

Nathan and Scarlet continued through the vast rainforest together, gladly taking their time and stopping whenever possible to sit in the trees and bath at the waterfalls or avoid the predatory cats. While they were beautiful, they avoided the frogs as well that came in vivid colors in every shade. Nathan had seen a bird swoop down to eat the frog only to literally drop out of the sky in death and the frog hoping away as though nothing happened. Better the bird teach them the frogs were so venomous then to learn firsthand. They finally reached Brazil in May and spent a month in Balsas. They found an inn where they could stay and work and, all the while, become a little more accustomed to Portuguese, but it wasn't perfect. Their first night in Balsas was not so hard. Yet the longer they stayed, the more he dreamed. It was always the same dream one way or another. The beach, the tree, the raven haired vixen telling him to find her in Salvador, always the same. Just over 800 more miles and they would arrive in Salvador. It seemed like such a long way, but they'd traveled much further before.

They finally left Balsas with a better grasp of Portuguese and made the long journey to Salvador. They arrived late June when the air was surprisingly chilly. South America's winter season had come. It was so strange to experience winter, even such a mild one by his standards, in June. It was another bustling city with houses lining the streets of all different pale yet vibrant colors like pink, purple, blue, green, yellow and so on. It was a city that looked out onto an ocean and even in the off season, there were people on the beaches enjoying the sunshine. They continued until they came across a beach. A beach that Nathan knew instantly by the clear blue water, the sand, the palm trees and homes in the distance. There was no evergreen with red flowers and the beach was packed with people, but he knew it was the same.

"Let's find a place to stay and keep our things and we'll come back and enjoy the beach," Nathan said to Scarlet and they returned inland to locate an inn. They found one on the coastline that was no small price, but given the view, it was well worth it.

Finally unencumbered save for some food and Nathan's guitar, they went back to the beach and Scarlet wore an old dress that was slightly too small for her now as her wet suit and enjoyed the feel of the water on her legs and the sand between her toes. That was her favorite part of the beach. Nathan played the guitar for her while she played, having managed to become quite good at it courtesy of some people they would occasionally stay with from whom he'd either learn to play a new song or would hear a song and figure out how to play it. Some beach goers would overhear his playing and would sit and listen while a few children came to the water to join Scarlet. Soon, it was growing late, so Nathan and Scarlet returned to the inn for the night. Scarlet went to bed and slept soundly. Nathan was not so lucky.

Just after he'd laid his head down to sleep, he opened his eyes to find himself on the beach they'd been on that afternoon, staring out into the ocean. He heard the strumming of a guitar and looked in the direction of the evergreen with red flowers and saw the same woman plucking the strings of his guitar. When he was looking at her, she stopped playing and looked up at him. Then she gave him the wanton, seductive smile he'd quickly become very fond of and attracted to and she stood from her spot before the trunk of the might tree. Once standing, she played a song he'd not heard from her in a while: the song she sang in a native language he did not understand. She played the song and began to sing, walking away from the beach. Nathan followed after her, desperate to keep up. She stopped by the inn he and Scarlet used and then walked uninterrupted through the streets of the city. No one was on the streets or the sidewalks, yet the lights of the night showed bright as ever. She would look back at him every now and then to ensure he was following and then continue onward until they happened upon what looked like a bar or a club.

O Salão de Dança.

The name was on a large red sign right atop a pair of double doors. When they arrived, the woman looked behind to Nathan with her smile and placed his guitar against the wall of the building. She motioned with her finger for Nathan to follow her and then slipped in through the smallest slit of the opened doors. He hesitated but a moment before coming to and entering the dance hall as it was named and he saw the woman on a large stage at the back of the surprising large din. She danced with a shadowy, featureless figure while a tango played. Her shadow partner dipped her so that she faced Nathan with her head upside down. He saw her leg wrap sensuously around the shadow figure but she looked into Nathan's eyes with her seductive smile and his heart raced.

Nathan shot up from the bed, waking suddenly and taking several deep breaths. He glanced at Scarlet in her own bed and she laid sound asleep without a care in the world. He took a moment to regain his senses and looked at the clock on the wall that read midnight. He looked at the open window and closed it, being sure to lock it. Nathan got dressed and took his key to the room and exited, ensuring the door was firmly locked so no one could enter. Then he followed the trail from his dream. He decided it was time to put these dreams to an end. Once he did, they would enjoy their remaining time in Salvador and would make the trip home. It was time.

He followed the path exactly with very few people on the streets and eventually, he happened upon the establishment. He stared at the sign and then the door and hesitated. He heard a upbeat music ease out through the wooden doors that was inviting. Soon, he finally walked to the doors and let himself in. It was just as in his dream. There were tables and chairs facing a large stage where a couple danced and he recognized her in an instant and felt drawn to her. She danced with her partner, no longer a shadowy figure but a man who may as well have been as far as Nathan was concerned, and they danced a tango together on stage. She danced so gracefully, her long powerful legs gripping her partner's hip only to jerk it away in a movement both sudden and yet, somehow, fluid and mesmerizing. The pair moved to the music in a manner that truly embodied the frustrated love of the tango. She spun in his arms and away from him only to be recaptured in his arms and continue their passionate display of wills in the form of music and dance.

She wore the vibrant red dress he remembered, tight upon her generous chest and slender back with only sheer red fabric as the meager sleeves that only went right below her shoulders while the rest of the dress flowed about her as though it held a mind of its own. She wore black, short-heeled shoes that accentuated the point in her toe when her leg would wrap around or point in a direction or fly into the air. The passion he saw in her dance took his breath away and he felt as though he were a man stranded in the desert staring into an oasis that was far away. But soon, the song and dance had to end and end it did. Her partner dipped her, just as in his dream and she looked directly at Nathan with her vibrant dark, slight red hued eyes and suddenly, he felt the world around him change as the world's hold on him immediately shifted to her vibrant, lusty eyes. Then she smiled seductively at him. He had found his imprint in Salvador.