Chapter 78: Alls well that ends well
'When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching-they are your family.'
-Jim Butcher
Ellie spent the next couple days going over the files Becca gave her. She read through them over and over again, seeing if she could find anything on her father. She always came up empty. She didn't understand why there wasn't any information on him. If he was a Firefly doctor why was Joel the only person who seemed to remember him?
She thought about asking Maria if Tommy talked about him, but she knew it was a sensitive topic for her. She was still grieving the loss of her husband. The last thing she needed is to be reminded of the Fireflies.
She never thought she would wish Tommy back to life, but only he would know who he is. She would have no way of asking him. Maybe she wasn't meant to know. Some things are best left in the past.
Ellie was sitting on the porch when Am came walking up. He waved at her and sat down next to her,'Any luck finding out about your father, Nancy Drew?'
'No.' She shook her head and frowned,'All I know is that he used to be a doctor for the Fireflies. Joel said he remembered him.'
Am's eyes widened and he nodded,'He used to be a Firefly too right?'
'Yeah.' She nodded and sighed,'I believe him. I just wish I could've asked Sharon or Tommy. Joel and Becca said we're gonna go back to her house and the councils' houses to see what we can find.'
Am shook his head and sighed,'Damn, this is getting weird.'
Ellie looked up at him and snorted,'Are you new? It's always been weird.'
She sighed as she took the contents out of the envelope again. She must've looked through them a dozen times. Each time she had a different question. She would see something new in the photos.
The identity of her father nagged at her. She couldn't help but think she's seen him somewhere before. She wondered if he had been one of the doctors at the Firefly hospital. She wouldn't be sad he died. At least she would be able to get some closure.
She slid off the chair and sat down on the porch and laid out the photos before her,'Joel told me my mom's boyfriend was a Firefly doctor.'
Am's eyes widened as he stared down at the photos, shaking his head in disbelief,'Shit, that's crazy. Do you think he was one of the doctors who worked underground?'
'I don't know.' She shook her head and sighed,'He could've been one of the doctors at the hospital too.'
'This hospital?' Am's looked down at the man in the photos and frowned,'I've never seen him around before.'
Ellie sighed deeply as she looked up at him,'That's cause it wasn't at this hospital. I…was captured by the Fireflies because of my immunity to the virus. Joel and Tess were hired to bring me to the hospital. When we stopped through here that's where we were going. Joel wanted Tommy to take me, but I didn't want him to.' She shook her head,'We met Becca on the way and when we got to the hospital…it was bad. They wanted to kill me and Becca, but they killed everyone to save me. I know who my mother is, but I want to know who this man is to move on.'
Am looked over her face and shrugged,'Why do you care? Becca and Joel seem to be your parents.'
'Doesn't matter.' She shook her head,'They are my parents, but there's still a lot I don't know. That I deserve to know.'
Am nodded and patted her shoulder,'Well count me in. I have your back.'
Ellie's eyes widened and she smirked,'Really?'
'Yeah.' Am shrugged and nodded down to the photos,'It's like we're the Scooby Doo Gang.'
Ellie frowned and shook her head confusingly,'Who's Scooby Doo?'
Am laughed and shook his head,'They were these teenagers or college kids. I don't know. They drove around in a van with a dog and solved spooky mysteries. My mom told me about it. Sounds pretty cool.'
She cringed and made a gagging sound,'Thanks, but I'll pass. It sounds like perverts just driving around in a van with a dog.'
Am rolled his eyes and got up from the porch,'You're always so cheerful to talk to.' He looked out at the sheep and sighed,'Come on. Let's go feed the sheep before they start turning on themselves.'
Ellie smiled as she carefully slid the photos back into the envelope and placed them in her bag. She followed Am off the porch and over to the sheep.
She was grateful to have such a good and supportive friend in Am. She wouldn't know what to do without her friends and family. She couldn't do this alone. She wouldn't want to anyway.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Becca walked into Betsy's shop with Mateo wrapped up in a sling around her neck. He seemed to be getting bigger everyday. He was already starting to grow out of his clothes, which is why she came to Betsy. She also needed something for herself as well.
She wanted something special for her date with Joel later in the evening. He arranged for them to have dinner at the lake. She didn't know what he had planned. All he told her was to be ready on the porch by five.
She already made arrangements to have Betsy babysit Mateo. She managed to ween him off breastfeeding because it was becoming too painful for her. She started pumping and was being bottle fed. She felt comfortable leaving him with Betsy. She trusted her implicitly.
Betsy walked out from behind her shop and clapped excitedly when she saw them.
She wiggled her fingers at Mateo, making him laugh. She pinched his chubby cheek and grinned,'I swear he gets cuter everyday. You and Joel make beautiful babies.'
She stroked Mateo's head and smiled softly,'I have to agree. I wish I met him earlier so we could make more.'
Betsy looked over her face and grasped her shoulder,'You can always have another one. I was forty two when I had Am. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I would do it all again if given the chance. You're only thirty eight. You could squeeze in one more. Has Joel expressed any wanting more?'
'We talked about it.' She shrugged,'We both do, but we're taking some time to enjoy this one first. He was always so worried about his age, but as soon as Mateo was born he told me he would want another one.'
Betsy's eyes widened and she stroked her cheek,'Honey, that's wonderful. Who gives a damn how old he is?' She grinned,'If he was my husband he would never leave the room.'
Becca blushed and chuckled softly,'Believe me, I've thought about it.' She shook her head and sighed,'I know he wants to…have sex. I'm ready to go, but I'm…having some reservations about it. I don't look like I used to.'
'So what?' She shrugged,'You just had a baby. No one expects you to bounce back so quickly.' Her eyes roved up and down her body,'You look perfectly fine to me. I see the way that man looks at you. He doesn't give a damn about that. Trust an old woman. I know when a man wants something.'
Becca smiled softly as she leaned over and kissed her cheek,'Thank you, Betsy. Is the dress ready?'
She nodded and smirked,'It sure is. I even finished Mateo's clothes. I made them a little bigger so he'll grow into them. I want you to try on the dress though. I want to make sure it fits.' She walked over to a rack behind her desk and took the dress off the hanger,'I just finished it today. I think you're gonna love it. It's exactly what you asked for.'
Becca unwrapped Mateo and handed him over to Betsy. She unzipped the bag and carefully took the dress out. Her eyes widened as she looked it over. It was absolutely beautiful and exactly what she wanted.
It was spaghetti strapped and made of a chiffon. There was lace overlaying it and would be long enough to reach her ankles. It would be loose and comfortable for Summer.
She went into the back and undressed. She put the dress on and stood in front of the mirror. She turned to the side as she inspected herself in the mirror. The v neck shape of the cleavage gave her just the right amount of coverage, but she knew Joel loved her breasts. She would catch him staring at them.
She turned around to look at the back of the dress. The entire back was covered in lace. The dress was loose and fell down to her knees. She liked that it was loose and she would be able to hide her insecurities.
'What are you doing in there?!' Betsy called out to her,'Me and Mattie wanna see!'
She smiled and walked out from the back. Betsy's eyes widened as she stared at her, shaking her head in disbelief,'Oh, honey. You look so beautiful. I just knew the dress would be perfect. Turn around and give me a spin.'
Becca smirked and rolled her eyes as she slowly turned around, letting her see the finished product. She gently grasped the material of the dress, letting her see if the stitching and details were even.
Betsy whistled and shook her head,'He better cry when sees you or I'm gonna be a very mad.'
Mateo started babbling and he smiled up at his mama. Betsy chuckled and kissed the top of his head,'See? Even he thinks so.'
Becca walked over to them and crouched down in front of Mateo. She grasped his tiny fists and kissed all over his face, making him smile,'You like mama's dress?' He giggled as he held his hands out to her, making her frown,'I'm sorry, my baby. I don't wanna get mama's dress dirty before your papa sees it. I'm gonna get changed before anything happens to it.'
Betsy smiled softly as she watched her walk in the back. She was thankful things seemed to be back to normal again. Well, as good as they can be anyway.
They've all had a rough month and a half, but they were trying their hardest to get back to the way things were before. Without the council controlling their every move; they could finally experience what it's like to be truly free.
Becca walked back to the front dressed back in her regular clothes. Betsy handed her the baby along with his bag of clothes.
Becca wrapped her free arm around her shoulders,'Thank you for everything. I mean it. I love you. I don't know how I'm gonna pay you back for everything you've done for us.'
Betsy kissed her cheek and waved her hand dismissively in the air,'You don't have to thank me for anything. I love you guys. You're my family.' Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head,'You don't know how good it feels to be apart of a family again. A real one.'
Tears filled her own eyes as she hugged her even tighter,'I'm glad because I feel the same way. When my family died, I thought I would be alone for the rest of my life. David's followers never felt like family to me. There were nothing more than prisoners.'
Betsy frowned as she searched her face,'You think any of them would come looking for you?'
Becca snorted as Betsy followed her outside with the dress bag,'I highly doubt it considering his followers wanted nothing to do with him either. I don't think they'll be chasing down David's widow anytime soon . I'm sure they were thankful when he died too.'
Betsy looked over at her astonishment. She couldn't imagine what it was like for her. She married not one, but two men who treated her terribly. She said she didn't have a very good track record with men. Joel seemed to break that mold.
Betsy saw Joel and Kevin walking out of the jailhouse together and smirked,'Speak of the devil and he shall appear.'
She wasn't surprised to see her husband. It was a small town. They couldn't be many places in town without running into each other. She liked seeing glimpses of him throughout the day. Whether it be working on the farm or repairing something in town.
She was eager to get back to work herself. She was taking a few more weeks before she went back. She was glad she had people she trusted to look after him. She wouldn't trust a stranger around their child and for good reason.
Becca saw Joel and laughed,'I wonder if he decided to take Kevin up on that offer after all?'
'Becoming Sheriff?' She scoffed,'You know as well as I do that man ain't becoming a law abiding citizen.'
'In this town?' Becca snorted,'No one in this town is law abiding. None of us would be alive right now if we were.'
Betsy laughed. She had to agree. They've all done things they aren't proud of. They couldn't change the past, but they could control the future.
She saw him notice them and his eyes lit up. She smiled as he excused himself from Kevin and sprinted over to them. He always seemed so excited to see them.
Mateo started babbling and smiling when he saw his papa. Joel had a grin from ear to ear as he kissed Becca,'I stopped by the house and Ellie said ya were in town. I figured I would run into ya.'
Mateo started fussing as he reached his hands out to Joel, wanting to be held by him. He grinned Becca handed him over.
Joel held him up as he blew a raspberry into his neck, making him giggle and squirm,'Ya miss your old dad, hmm?' He glanced over at Betsy and Becca, smirking,'I know. I think clothes shopping is boring too.'
Becca and Betsy shared a knowing smile. They knew without a doubt he was a wonderful father. Mateo adored him. He would cry whenever he left. She wasn't mad Joel was his favorite. She came second in the running. She hoped to move up in the ranks someday. She was only his mother.
He narrowed his eyes as he saw the dress bag and bag of clothing,'What's in there?'
'Just some clothes for Mattie.' Becca shrugged,'He's been growing out of his clothes.'
Joel gently bounced him as he rubbed his back,'Well he's a growing boy.' He narrowed his eyes as he tried to peek into the dress bag,'What's in there?'
'None of your business, mister.' Becca was stern as she carefully draped the dress bag over the horse,'You're not seeing it until later.'
Betsy waggled her finger at him,'No seeing the dress until later. It's a surprise, Mister Impatient.'
'Okay.' He shook his head,'Sheesh.' He stared at Mateo, his eyes widening,'See how they gang up on me? I'm gonna need your help, buddy.'
Mateo just giggled as his arms and legs flailed. He sighed exasperatingly,'They got to ya already, huh?'
Betsy kissed him on the cheek and Mateo on top of the head,'I gotta back to work.' She patted Becca's cheek,'I'll see you later.'
Becca nodded and smiled softly,'Thank you.'
'Anytime, sweetie.' She held her gaze and nodded,'Anytime.'
Betsy walked back into her shop, leaving the three of them alone.
She looked over at the jailhouse and frowned,'What were you doing in there with Kevin?'
'He wants to extend the jailhouse and make it bigger.' He shrugged,'I don't see a reason why we would have to do that. It's not like we get people going in and out of there.'
Becca snorted and rolled her eyes,'I think I've spent more time in that jail than everyone else combined.'
Joel's face fell at her words. It was easy to forget about things in the past. Time passes and you're faced with different challenges and experiences.
The time Becca spent in jail was some of the darkest and troubling times in their lives. He truly thought he lost her forever. He hated being inside the jailhouse. It brought back too many bad memories, which is one of the reasons why he was hesitant to extend it. He didn't want to spend anymore time there than he had to.
He handed Mateo over to her and kissed her lips,'You ain't ever seeing inside that place again. I can guarantee you that.' His eyes searched her face, whispering,'You got a surprise for me tonight?'
She nodded as she tried to suppress her grin, but she felt herself smiling like an idiot. She couldn't help it. He made her feel giddy. She was excited to spend alone time with him. It seemed the only time they're ever alone is when they're in bed, but they're always so exhausted to do anything but sleep.
Luckily, Mateo was on a normal schedule and he was sleeping almost nine hours at night. He slept a lot, which gave them time for rest as well. She felt rejuvenated.
'I sure do.' She whispered back,'You can't see until I'm standing on the porch.'
'Five pm sharp, Missy.' He licked his lips as he stroked her cheek,'I don't wanna waste one second alone with ya.'
She saw the heated look in his eyes and the promise in his tone. His voice got deeper and huskier. There was no mistaking what he felt. She felt it too. Just the thought of him touching her fleshed goosebumps out upon her skin. She needed just as much as he did.
She placed her hand on his chest and grinned,'Five pm sharp. It's a date.' Mateo started whining and she gently patted his back,'Okay, I got the hint. Someone wants a nap and some food.'
She was proud of herself for learning his moods and becoming attuned to him. She knew what cry meant what he needed and when he was just being fussy. She would always second guess herself if she were doing a good job, but she would probably feel that way for the rest of her life. She's learned through her mistakes.
Joel held Mateo while Becca got situated on the horse. He carefully handed her the baby and she wrapped him up in her sling. He wished they had a car seat or something safer for him, but they adapted to what they had, which is more than they ever dared to hope.
She bent down and kissed his lips,'You headed home?'
'In a bit.' He nodded towards the townhall,'I gotta go check on some things.' His gaze held hers he smiled softly at her,'I love you, honey girl.' He stroked Mateo's back,'I love you both.'
Becca grinned and playfully tugged on the brim of his baseball cap,'That's good to know because we love you to the moon and back.'
'Just the moon?' He frowned,'Not the sun?'
She shook her head and laughed,'The sun, the moon, Jupiter. All the planets.'
'That's better.' He chuckled as he gently patted the horses hide,'I'll see ya in a bit.'
Becca's horse rode off at a leisurely pace. She's learned horseback riding instantly calms him down. It was the equivalent of a baby falling asleep in a moving car.
Joel crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the horse walk down the trail. He smiled to himself. He was a damned lucky man. He had everything he wanted.
The only thing left is making sure Ellie learns about her father. Him and Becca planned to take her to Sharon's house the following day. They've talked about it at length. They swore to each other that whatever they found wouldn't change anything between them. They would still remain a family. Nothing would break them apart ever again.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Becca was standing on the porch at exactly four fifty five in the evening. Betsy and Ellie were inside the house with Mateo. She couldn't help but be nervous as she stood and waited for him.
He didn't see her get dressed. Much to his chagrin, she wouldn't let him. She couldn't wait to see his face when he saw her.
Maria came over to help with her hair and makeup. She curled her hair and trimmed her bangs. She kept her makeup neutral and natural. She didn't want to take anything away from the dress.
She wore flats, knowing heels wouldn't be comfortable where they were going. She didn't even own a pair of heels anyway. Living on a farm, there wasn't any use for heels or fancy dresses. Even a farm girl liked to dress pretty.
She took a deep breath as she saw Joel walking out of the barn. Her eyes widened when she saw his outfit. He wore dark denim jeans and a gray short sleeved Henley. His hair was neatly parted to the side, his curls looked wet and tamed. His beard and mustache were trimmed neatly. He even shined his boots.
She felt her heart pounding in her chest when she looked at him. He was devastatingly handsome. Ever since Mateo was born he's become even more so. She didn't think that was possible.
It wasn't just his physical appearance that attracted her. He was an incredible father to Ellie and Mateo. He was patient and kind to them without letting them take advantage. He was a doting husband who worked hard to provide for his family.
It took her a long time, but she finally found herself a good one. They've gotten through all the bullshit. They've forgiven each other for their past transgressions and focused on their future together.
While she hated her life with David. The one thing she wouldn't regret is following him to Silver Lake. For if she never did, she wouldn't have found Ellie or Joel. Her life truly began when she met them.
Joel let out a loud wolf whistle when he saw her. He stopped in his tracks to take a moment to fully appreciate her standing there on the porch. She looked like a goddamned dream and he thanked whomever brought her to him. She made him believe there was someone up there because he's never had it this good before.
She was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Inside and out. It wasn't just her looks he fell in love with. It was her heart. She loved her family so deeply. She would do anything for them and she had. He will never forget the sacrifices she made for her family.
He stood at the bottom of the steps, placing his hands on his hips as he looked up at her,'Did I fall and hit my head cause I must be dreamin.' He shook his head in disbelief and smirked,'You're the prettiest thing from Jackson to the sun.'
She laughed as she thought about their earlier conversation. She really loved this man. Once you got through his rough exterior, he was a sweetheart. Compassionate, tender and loving. He was still grumpy but she firmly believed it was ingrained in his DNA.
She smiled and bounced her shoulders,'You look handsome.' She bit her lip as she walked down the steps to him,'I've always known that though.'
He grabbed her hand and twirled her around to see the entire dress. His eyes wandered down to her ass, which gotten bigger since she was pregnant. His eyes couldn't help but roam down to her cleavage. Her tits gotten bigger too. She wasn't breastfeeding anymore. He wondered if she would let him touch them. He would take anything at this point. He's been so long without her. He felt like a man starved.
She looked up at him and smiled shyly,'You like it?'
'I love it.' He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder, whispering,'I love who's wearing it even more.' He patted her butt as he took her hand,'Come on. We got things to do.'
She bit her lip to stifle her grin. She felt like laughing for no reason at all. It was a true moment of happiness for them. She knew there more to come for the rest of their lives.
They rode to the lake on horseback. Becca sat behind joel with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. She kept her eyes focused on the beautiful scenery. She's missed going to the lake with him. In the beginning of their relationship this was their special spot. They could come here to escape from the horrors and tragedies of the world and just exist together. They didn't have to be anyone else but Joel and Becca.
Joel halted the horse in front of the lake as they both climbed off.
Her eyes widened when she saw the picnic blanket already set up. He had flowers laid out for her, which weren't from her garden. She was pleased he didn't pluck any flowers from her garden like he used to, but she playfully wondered who's garden he was cheating on her with. She would save that question for another day.
He brought the picnic basket over to the blanket and started laying everything out. She was floored by the romantic gesture. No one's ever done anything like this for her before. Ben wasn't even this romantic in the beginning of their relationship when everything was fine and dandy.
He took her hand and brought her over to sit on the blanket. She stared down at the spread of food. There were tortilla wraps and grilled steak with grilled vegetables. She smiled when she noticed the vegetables were from her garden, which gave her a sense of relief. At least he wasn't cheating on her vegetables. That would be a brutal betrayal.
She looked up at him and shook her head in disbelief,'You did all this for me?'
'Of course I did.' He cupped her cheek,'You're my girl. I wanna see ya happy.' He cleared his throat,'It makes me happy, knowing I did something right.' He frowned as he saw the tears falling from her eyes,' Why ya crying?'
'I'm just happy.' She held her face in his hands and stroked his cheeks,'You've made me so happy. Every day. You've given me everything I wanted, Joel.' She leaned over the food and kissed his lips,'You're a good man.'
He felt his cheeks burning at her words and wondered why he was blushing in his fifties. She made him feel good about himself too.
He averted his eyes downward and shrugged,'If you think I'm a good man that's all I care about.' He wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief,'Now let's eat cause this isn't the only thing I got planned.'
She looked up at him and grinned, wondering what else he had in store. With Joel it could be anything. She was excited nonetheless because it was him.
Dinner was amazing and she wasn't surprised when he told her he cooked it himself. He seemed proud of that. She's taught him how to cook things over the years, but Betsy was the one who really put him to work. He didn't need much help anyway. He was a good cook. She liked they shared responsibilities in the household. Fuck the patriarchy. This was an apocalypse. Everyone learned to take care of each other.
She helped clean the food up from the blanket and he took her hand, grinning back at her,'Onto the next one.'
He brought her around to the back of the lake. Her eyes widened when she saw the wooden framework laid out. Realization dawned upon her in that moment. He didn't forget about the house he promised to build them.
'You're still building it?' She shook her head,'I thought we decided to stay in Jackson not that the council isn't there?'
'We are.' He shrugged,'But I got to thinking about it. This is our spot. We…fell in love out here. A lot of our best memories are here. I want to build us a cottage here. Just for me and you. Whenever we just want to be alone for a day or even a couple hours. We can come here. We can bring Ellie and Mattie here to swim and fish. This could be our second home. If ya want it.'
She remembered when he showed her his vision before. He had big dreams of building a farm here, but they've had discussions and thought it was best to stay in Jackson. They were far away from town to be left alone, but close enough to everyone they cared about. Jackson still needed them. They obliged them after everything they've done for their family.
He bit his bottom lip as he stared up at her nervously,'Is this okay?'
'Is this okay?' She snorted as she wrapped her arms around his neck,'It's perfectly okay. This is one of the best gifts I've ever received.' She kissed his lips, letting them linger for a few moments,'I can't wait until it's built. We're gonna have good times here. Good memories.'
'Damned right.' He smirked as he looked over her face,'I can't wait to take ya on every surface. We'll fuckin christen the roof.'
She laughed as he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer against him,'I'll make sure to bring a ladder.' She grabbed his hand and pulled him along excitedly,'Come on. Show me what you have in mind.'
He laughed and let her drag him into the framework of the house. She listened with rapt attention as he gave her ideas for every room. Ideally, he wanted two rooms and Ellie could share one with Mateo when they all stayed over.
He envisioned them coming here in the winter and teaching the kids how to skate when the lake froze over. He had beautiful dreams, but she knew they were so much more than that. They were ideas. She had faith in him that he would finish this project. He always finished everything he set out to do.
The sun started to set and they knew it was time to head back. They've already been out here for a few hours already. Becca would need to get home and pump. Her breasts were started to become uncomfortable. They also missed their baby.
They were eager to get back home for various reasons. They haven't been intimate in almost a month and a half. which was a record for them. They had lost time to make up for. She wouldn't be self conscious about her body anymore. She knew Joel loved her just the way she is. Betsy was right. She could see it in the way he looked at her.
It was dark by the time they got on. The horse stopped in front of the house and Betsy came running out frantically.
She waved her hands in the air as she stopped in front of their horse,'Ellie and Am left!'
Joel's eyes widened and frowned,'What do ya mean they left?'
Betsy shook her head as she nervously wrung her hands,'They left a note saying they were headed to the military base at the capital. They said they had weapons and would be fine.'
Joel narrowed his eyes and snorted,'Son of a fucking bitch.' He shook his head, whispering,'Cock blocked by fucking teenagers. Story of my life.'
Becca climbed down off the horse and sighed,'I guess you're going.' She didn't ask him. She already knew the answer,'Bring some men with you. Don't go out there alone.'
'I ain't.' He nodded,'Gonna get Kevin and round up the boys.'
Becca nodded as she held tightly onto Betsy's hand,'She's trying to find out about her father.'
He shook his head and sighed, 'She should've thought about that. I'm sorry, baby.'
'It's okay.' She gave him a small smile and nodded,'Just bring back our kids.
He averted his eyes between Becca and Betsy,'Will do.'
He gave one last look at her before tugging on the reins and galloping down the trail on his horse.
Becca wrapped her arm around Betsy's shoulders as the woman cried,'It's gonna be okay. You know Joel's gonna bring them home. I'm sorry El roped Am into this.'
'It's not her fault. He's always been an adventurous boy. He got that from his father.' She sighed shakily,'I know he'll bring them back. If not I'll get them myself.'
Becca nodded as she guided Betsy up to the house,'Me and you both.'