A/N: Thank you for the reviews and DM's. Sorry if I haven't gotten back to you yet – I'll be catching up this week. Let's head to Rudy's island home where we'll meet the other side of the 'family'…
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CHAPTER 58: MY ISLAND
NEXT DAY, THE PLANE…
Lauren stood leaning over Bo's shoulder, staring out the window, "It's beautiful up here."
Bo smiled from behind her aviator sunglasses, "It's a beautiful morning. I haven't seen a sunrise like this in a very, very long time," she leaned back and kissed her wife on the neck, "It complements the beauty of my wife perfectly."
Lauren blushed when she saw Bo's co-pilot smile at her before turning back to the instruments in front of him, but her wife persisted,
"The colors of the sky represent your physical beauty and the way the heavens touch and speak to the earth. Where they meet is the beauty in your very soul."
Bo grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her lips to her own, kissing her thoroughly. Lauren could feel all self-consciousness about the co-pilot fade away as she melted into her wife's passion.
When Bo released her, she placed a small kiss on her nose, sharing a long gaze that was hidden from view by the curtain of blonde hair that fell over her wife's shoulder.
She whispered, "Nalligivagit, Doctor Dennis."
Lauren felt her knees weaken under the hushed whisper of 'I love you' in her wife's native tongue… well, one of them,
"I love you too, Mrs. Dennis," Lauren whispered back.
"Mmmm… you got that one," Bo grinned.
"Inuit, right?" Lauren asked.
Bo grinned wider, "A+ for the doctor. My mom would be proud."
"Actually, that one is from Scout. Mary said it to Rudy and Elise when we walked them over to the school from the kennel last week."
"Where was I?" Bo asked.
"You were at PT. I leaned over to ask him what she said, but he was already telling me before I got my sentence out."
"He loves that you're so interested in learning my culture," Bo kissed her lips once more, "And so does your wife. Thank you, Lauren. You really don't have to do all that you're doing."
"Well, it interests me, and I know it's important to you and your mom that Rudy learns her culture. I think it's important that Elise learns as well. Besides, she seems to have really found a spiritual element that is helping her to cope with all the trauma that's happened in her young life."
"You're really worried," Bo surmised.
Lauren shrugged, "I didn't want to say anything, but yes, I am. We really don't know all that she endured before I found her, Bo. I think we've only scratched the surface of what she witnessed and…" she sighed, "Never mind. Don't worry about what hasn't happened, right?"
"No, Lauren. Say it."
She took a deep breath, "I feel… and I can't explain way… but I just feel like she's a volcano bubbling under the surface and when the pressure gets too great, she's just going to erupt. I feel like there will be some sort of triggering event – a memory, a smell, a sound… and it's all going to come crashing back."
"Like it did for me?"
"No, Sweetie. I mean, you had over a decade of trauma that buried all of the good bits of your life. I think that you put up walls to safeguard those memories… and as you felt safe to take them down, a little bit of the light came in with each memory you regained."
"I suppose," Bo said, staring out the cockpit window at the sunrise, "I built a fucking castle with trap doors and moats around my memories."
Lauren shrugged, "It kept you sane, Sweetie."
"Some would argue that point."
"Aye," said the co-pilot, "Have you seen this woman fly this machine? I've never known it to do what she makes it do."
Bo slapped her co-pilot, "That's enough out of the peanut gallery. No scaring the passengers."
He chuckled, looking up at Lauren, "Just teasing you, Darling. She's a right good pilot," he said, his accent reminding Lauren of her grandmother. He turned to Bo, "I'm going to put a call into the tower, do our coms check."
"Roger that."
Bo turned back to Lauren, "So what do you think is happening with Elise?"
"She still has the good memories. I think she's essentially treading water and that those are the thoughts that are keeping her afloat. What I'm worried about is the bad memories suddenly trying to drown out the good – both figuratively and literally."
She shook her head, "We have no way of knowing what happened during those days before I arrived. We don't know what she saw or what she was feeling. All of that time alone… the schools weren't open, she had no phone, no neighbors… she was a child with nothing but her books, her thoughts, her fears and…"
"Her cans of soup," Bo said, her voice low and shaky, "I pray the Great Spirits, travel with that child."
Lauren nodded, deciding there was nothing else they could do for Elise right now and talking with the co-pilot listening felt like a betrayal. She returned to their original topic,
"So, are you going to tell me if you've figured out why our little sister is so incredibly excited about this next leg of our journey?"
"Excited?" Bo asked, "I don't know... I mean, she's been excited about everywhere we've been."
"Oh, come on, Bo. Do you really expect me to believe you don't know why your little sister is even more excited about this trip than she was about Disney World? I mean, Disney was the one place she'd wanted to go since you I met her. How could this possibly be more exciting?"
Bo grinned, "Exactly. I don't think she's more excited… maybe just a little hyperactive from all of the chocolate she ate yesterday?"
Lauren sighed, "Well, they did have a lot of chocolate."
"Exactly," Bo smiled, "Have you talked to Patrick?"
Lauren shook her head, "I was hoping he would open up to Jake about…" she looked at the co-pilot and spoke softly, "…the events of the past."
"And did he?" Bo asked.
"Apparently not," Lauren confessed.
"Well, I would hate for him to carry the weight of what's on his mind for the next seven days."
Lauren nodded, "We have what, two hours?"
Bo shook her head, "More than that, but I'm not going to tell you since you will likely pull out a map, a pin, a pencil, paper and some string to calculate where we're headed. I don't want to ruin your surprise."
"Fine, but that sounds like a fun activity. Can I do that?" Lauren asked.
"No."
Lauren rolled her eyes and groaned as Bo sniggered at her wife's frustration. She knew Lauren wouldn't hold it against her, but soon enough, she would have her answer and they would have a wonderful time.
Lauren pushed through the door, closing it softly behind her. She looked up to see Patrick and Jake deep in conversation. Good. Taking a few steps, she diverted her eyes towards the two girls who were laying side by side with their seats reclined comparing their bare bellies.
She chuckled, wondering what they were up to. No doubt, this was going to be a funny explanation. She walked to them, planting her hands on her hips as she looked down at them,
"What's this?"
Rudy looked up with a smile, "Whose belly got bigger in Disney? Mine is huge! Look how round it is and it's rock hard filled up with Mickey Mouse Chocolate Chip pancakes!"
Elise smiled, "And mine is filled with Mickey Mouse Chocolate Chip waffles! They were so good! I think mine is wider than Rudy's."
Lauren laughed, placing a hand on each belly, "They are adorable little bellies regardless of how big they are."
She leaned down placing a kiss on each before pulling their shirts down, "Now, how about a game?"
The two sat up quickly, running over to the activity box they had filled with some of their Disney and Boston souvenirs, movies, and games. They sorted through, Rudy pulling out a movie and Elise pulling out a box and an iPad. They rushed back over to Lauren who had set up the table between the seats.
"I picked the Frozen Osmos game!" Elise smiled, putting the box on the table and climbing into the seat.
"I picked the Frozen DVD! Where do I put it?" Rudy asked.
Lauren smiled, pointing out the DVD player, before grabbing the remote to get the movie started. They sat down together and pulled out the game, settling in to play, smile and pass the time with a little reminiscing about their trip.
The blonde kept an eye on Patrick and Jake, watching as the time passed. She could see that her friend's sadness and anger was improving with the company of his partner.
It was hours later when the plane began its descent. Lauren had lost track of time, absorbed in the world of Disney with the girls and thoughts of what life would be like when they returned home to the real world. Adopting Elise was a big step, but the more time she had spent with her, the more she was sure it was the right thing for all of them.
The girls stared out through the windows, anxiously awaiting the time when Bo would make the highly anticipated announcement. When it finally came, Rudy pointed out the window, "There it is!"
Bo came over the intercom, "Ladies, gentlemen, children of age almost eleven, please put your seats to their full upright position, secure all loose items and add that seatbelt firmly to your lap. We have arrived and will be landing in a few minutes at our final vacation spot."
At just under fifteen-thousand feet, Bo turned the plane,
"On your left, you will see the home of one Rudy Dennis… the Islands of Hawai'i, but more specifically, the small Federally owned and completely isolated island of witness protection. It is the northern-most island of the group you see below."
There was a pause as the plane banked right, "And now, taped messages from Tamsin and Acacia. Please pay close attention as these are required knowledge for all visitors."
They all listened as the message from Tamsin was first to play over the intercom,
"Hello everyone and welcome to our island. Rudy, welcome home, Kiddo. You know the rules here, so you can help everyone else along. For now, we'll just remind you of the one big rule because we cannot emphasize it enough."
Acacia continued,
"Absolutely no pictures may be taken of that island from now until you have arrived at the house. No pictures from the air, none from the airport, none getting off the plane, none of the airfield or hangar, none of the boat… well, you get the idea. Please remember to keep your phones off and stowed away for the duration. Tamsin has provided cameras on the ground."
There was a pause before she concluded, "Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring the safety and security of those who live on this island. Remember, like Rudy and Mary, they are all hiding from someone who could cause them and their families harm."
Rudy smiled as the island she grew up on came into view, whispering,
"I don't need pictures to know my island."
Lauren watched as the child placed both hands on the window, her nose against the glass in between. She didn't shout, but quietly spoke the words that Lauren knew were in her heart,
"It's my island…" she visibly relaxed, "I'm home. I'm finally home. Isn't it…" she turned to Lauren, "Isn't it just beautiful, Sister?"
Lauren saw the tears slip down her little sister's cheeks… her own eyes welling up before she turned to glance at the land below,
"It's… magnificent."
Rudy grinned, "The best place on the whole planet. The original Rudy's place."
The words hit Lauren hard, knowing that the child had never been given a real choice in leaving the only home she'd ever known. As the tears rolled down Rudy's face, she finally knew the truth. This little girl was braver than all of them. She'd never let on how much she had missed Hawai'i.
The excuses for why Alaska was so much better may have been just that… excuses and not truths. Now that they were back here, Mary and Rudy could very well decide to stay. They had a home here. They had friends who were much like family just as she did in Alaska only Rudy had known them her entire life.
She looked at Elise who was eyeing her friend suspiciously. In that moment, Lauren knew that there would be elements to this vacation that may not be so pleasant… elements that Bo may not have considered when she made their plans.
Or did she? Bo knew that Mary returned to Alaska to find her. She knew the guilt her mother felt over abandoning her. Mary didn't leave because of her. Rudy didn't leave because of her. Maybe her wife had realized it was time for Rudy to have the choice that her mother had never given her.
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Private Airport, Big Island (O'ahu)
When the group departed the plane, Rudy's excitement only grew,
"Don't freak out, Sister but those ladies walking this way are going to do a traditional Hawaiian honi ihu. It's a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then they'll put a lei over your head."
"A lei?"
Rudy nodded, "A necklace of flowers."
"Okay," Bo said as a woman approached with a big smile. She did exactly as Rudy said right down to the flowers. It wasn't awkward but it wasn't comfortable for Bo either. Still, she went with the flow in keeping with the rest of the group.
When they were finished, Bo leaned closer to her sister, "What do the flowers mean?"
Rudy smiled, "Hospitality, love, respect, and aloha. Remember? I told you what aloha means? Smell how sweet the flowers are? You'll see them a lot on the island."
Bo leaned into the flowers, "They smell… wow. They are sweet. They're wonderful."
Rudy nodded, "You're gonna love my island, Sister. It's just a little boat ride, a car ride and little plane ride away. Nothing to it!"
"I'm sure I will, Roo and I don't care how we have to get there. Let's just get you home."
As she ran off, she shouted, "You're gonna love it so much, you're never gonna want to leave!"
Bo paused, her eyes finding Lauren's who sighed, "She's home, and Bo, I don't know that she ever really wanted to leave."
The brunette's expression softened as she walked to her wife,
"I know."
"You knew."
Bo nodded, lowering her head, "Yea, I knew."
Lauren nodded, "Okay then. So first…"
Bo smiled, "First – does she mean little as in short distance or little as in small? Are we talking rowboat?"
"I have no idea," Lauren said, now worried about travel rather than Rudy.
"As for the rest, that's why we're here, Lauren. I probably should have told you, but she really wanted you to be surprised when you first saw her island," Bo said, her eyes down as she stopped walking.
She turned away from the group, staring at the sky. Lauren could hear the struggle in her wife's voice, before her eyes began to tear up,
"Rudy never had a say in leaving her home. This trip had to happen sooner or later. If I waited to find an excuse to bring her back, she would have had time to get as used to Alaska as she was to this place and that just wouldn't have been honest. I know how that feels – to have your choices taken from you."
She shook her head, a tear escaping, "She needed to be here, Lauren. I don't know if you noticed, but she had been spending more and more time flipping through her photo album."
She wiped her cheek, shaking her head, "I would have loved to pretend it wasn't happening. I would have loved to pretend she didn't miss this place but when I saw her surfing with you…"
"You knew that it wouldn't be right to keep her in Alaska without giving her another taste of her homeland first. It's the right thing to do."
Bo nodded, "Exactly. She needs to decide for herself where she wants to live. My mom is prepared to move back here if it's what Rudy wants. With the plane, we can fly here more often to see her."
"So that's why you bought the plane," Lauren smiled.
"No, that's why I agreed to start the business to fund all of the planes. Like you said, it would take hours with any plane from my existing fleet, so this gives us other options and – as Penelope explained – the business exemptions will help to handle the expense."
Lauren nodded, "I suppose we could look into opening a clinic on the island if you wanted to move here… well, maybe not her island unless Tamsin and Acacia can get it funded, but maybe on O'ahu?"
Bo shook her head, "We're not there yet. Besides, in eight years, she'll be an adult and who knows where she'll be for college… or a pro surfing career… or sledding. Let's just see what this week brings. We also have Elise to consider, Lauren. Taking her from Alaska is no different than taking Rudy from here. Either way, one of them is giving up their home. Let's just wait and see."
"Okay," Lauren said as Bo wiped her face and took a few deep breaths to calm her emotions. They turned to follow the girls, Jake, and Patrick towards the small Marina.
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It was two hours later when they arrived inside the small airport. The boat had been a small speedboat, the car had been some sort of SUV with no windows, doors, or a roof. The plane… well the plane made even Bo nervous which made everyone else nervous. Still, they were here on the island. Bo had almost kissed the ground when they landed, but she managed to reel in her anxiety.
She whispered to Lauren, "If Kurt came in on that plane, I'm surprised he's not down here taking the engine apart piece by piece."
"Maybe he did and it was so bad that he just gave up and put it back together as it was."
As they entered the small, rundown hangar, they were led to a security station. Rudy was taken from the group to a room for questioning. Bo tried to protest, but Rudy assured her she knew the two men who were taking her and that she would be fine.
Bo continued to protest, calling one of the agents 'Yo, Buddy' until Jake finally flashed his badge and disclosed that he was an undercover agent working as part of their protection detail. He pulled out his phone and called Acacia who verified Jake's identity and reminded the agent no one was to know of Jake's status. That included not taking him into the room with Rudy. He was to go with the rest and be treated as a guest to the island.
Jake finally convinced Bo that Rudy would be safe, reminding her that these agents had prevented anyone associated with Big Jim from getting to her for ten years. She relaxed and told the man that she'd better see her when she left or there would be hell to pay.
Jake calmed the agent, reminding him that it wasn't a threat – that she was just very protective of her little sister where strangers were concerned.
Jake took Bo's hand and led her with the rest of the group down a long, dark hallway. They entered a room where the door locked behind them. There were armed agents in tactical gear on either side of the door and one behind the agent in the room.
Again, Jake calmed Bo while Lauren and Patrick kept Elise between them. Each of them was fingerprinted so their identities could be checked. There was some confusion about Elise's travel with adults who were not listed as their legal guardians, but Bo had prepared for that with Judge Payne back in Alaska.
She handed the agent his business card. The agent called him, verified his identity, received faxes of the original documents giving custody of Elise to Lauren and then another document signaling their intent to adopt.
Once that issue was resolved, each of them were given an island identification card which replaced the driver's license and passport that were retained by the agents.
It was explained that this was so that if their wallets or passports were stolen, their true identities would be unknown to anyone but the agents and their families. They were the ones responsible for protecting Mary and Rudy.
They all looked down at their identification cards seeing that they had been assigned false names. The agent assured them that they could use their real first names while with other agents, family and friends, but in public places, they were to use their fake identities for the safety of Rudy and Mary as well as others on the island.
Because Bo and Lauren were recognizable public figures through their respective occupations, they were instructed to wear disguises if they ventured from the Dennis property, but it was highly recommended that they remained close to the home.
Finally, they were led from the dark offices of the hangar to another hallway. At the end of that corridor, there was another group of agents who were armed and in tactical gear. They opened the door and locked it behind them.
Bo looked back over her shoulder and stopped, "Check it out."
They all turned around to see that the door was part of a long wall lined with bookcases in what appeared to be an airport terminal waiting area where Rudy jumped up and greeted them,
"Hi Guys! Everything okay?" she asked, looking at Jake, "She didn't threaten to kill any of the agents if they didn't return me, did she?"
Jake laughed, "You know your sister well."
"You mean she really did threaten…"
Jake shook his head, "Not exactly. Come on, let's go see your island."
"Okay, everyone should be friendly, so we can use our own names. Come on!"
Rudy rushed through the double doors and the group followed. When they entered the hangar, Bo spotted some really nice planes right away, but her sister's voice forced her to turn towards the open doors where their family and friends were waiting with congratulatory banners and big shouts welcoming them to the island.
Mary and Tosh walked towards them, all smiles. Rudy and Elise ran to greet them. There were hugs and hello's before they all boarded a large van to head back to the home that Mary and Rudy had shared for the last ten years – Mary, many years longer.
They drove for about thirty minutes until they turned onto a dirt road. There was thick fauna on either side that eventually opened into an incredible property that had trees with fruit Bo couldn't identify. She turned to Mary,
"Mom? Is this your land or a neighbor's farm?"
Mary smiled, "It's called an orchard and yes, it's my land. I grow fruit to pay the mortgage and when I lived here, I had my other job to pay for our expenses like supplies for the orchard, house and clothing."
The sheer size of the property made Bo wonder how her mom had done it,
"But it's so big. How did you…"
"Afford it? Tend to the orchard on my own?"
"Yes, all of that."
Mary sighed, "Well, when I ran, I took everything that I had of value except what was in the tin that I saved for you."
"You sold your family heirlooms?"
Bo could see that the question hurt her mother as she raised her fist to her chest and swallowed hard,
"I'm sorry, Mom. I had no right to ask that question."
Mary placed a hand on her daughter's cheek, "Of course you did, Child. Those items should have been passed on to you. I had no right to sell them – especially after leaving you behind."
Bo had never seen tears fall this freely from her mother's cheeks. She pulled her close, holding her tightly until she felt her relax. Mary whispered in Bo's ear,
"I will never be able to express the regret for the choices I made in our past, Ysabeau. I could say I'm sorry every day for a lifetime and it would never be enough," she pulled back, her hands cupping her daughter's face, "I'm so sorry for selling our history. I just couldn't sell my…"
Bo stopped her mom, placing a finger over her lips, "I know, Mom. I couldn't do that either. I'm sure the offers were plentiful. Men can be such scum sometimes."
Mary smiled, wiping her cheeks, "I'm so grateful that you didn't have to stoop to those measures. I will never understand how you survived… thrived even. I struggled for the year it took me to reach the east coast and find the agent… well, I suppose it took him a year to find me… almost two, in fact."
Bo chuckled through her own tears, "Well, I don't know how you survived in the Lower Forty-Eight. It's… well, it's not… look at this… just look at all this. You landed on your feet in a great spot, Mom. You made it to safety and now, so have both of your daughters."
She smiled, squeezing both of her mother's hands, "Heirlooms are nothing more than things that remind us of our past. I'm sure you can still sketch them and tell me about them."
Mary smiled, "I actually have pictures of each of them that I took with that old Polaroid camera."
"You'll have to show me them one day," Bo said, giving her cheeks a final wipe and taking a deep breath before tucking her mom's hand into her elbow and leading her towards the group, "Okay, enough of that past. Tell me how you were able to do all of this!"
She waved her hand across the land, shaking her head. Mary smiled and explained,
"The boys, their friends and family, then eventually others from the program worked the land with us, and all took a share of the food and profits. I believe in the forty-eight they call it a Cooperative… at least, that's how it was written in their contracts drawn up by the Special Agent who settled me here. I needed to bring at least one of my village traditions with me."
Bo nodded, "Share what you have. From the Iñupiat Ilitqusiat. The seven values for life of our people."
"You remember?" Mary asked, intrigued.
Bo grinned, "The first lesson you ever taught me. Boy did I struggle to remember those."
"Largely because of the free spirit within you, but they came naturally to you, Ysabeau. You didn't need to remember a list of rules to know how to respect, value and work for your people."
"They were good to us… back then. I loved spring and the gardens on the North Slope… and at the restaurant in the south. Those were some of the first memories I regained," Bo said, grinning at the memory.
Mary smiled and nodded, "Rudy grew up working the land. She loved climbing the trees and tending to the soil just like you did when you were a child."
Bo smiled, looking to her left to see Rudy's head hanging out at the window, turned up to the sun, her eyes closed as she took long, slow breaths of the fresh island air. Her face carried a look of peace and joy that Bo had never seen before on her sister.
"Look at her, Mom. I've never seen her look like that at home."
"Well, if she hung her head out of the window at home, her nose would freeze," Mary joked.
Bo scowled, "I'm serious mom. I've never seen her look that happy… that joyful."
Mary smiled, "I have. When she's on a sled with you, when she's with her dogs, when Lauren reads her a story and when she's playing with Elise. She has love for both lands, Ysabeau, but more than the lands, the people."
"I guess I just didn't expect to see her… like this."
"I suppose because I've seen your sister in both places, I knew what to expect," Mary replied, with a nod of understanding, "It is nice to see that look on her face again," she sighed, "I suppose you're right… to some extent."
She pulled her eyes from one daughter to the other, "You carry fear of losing her within your heart, but I would ask you to consider that the one thing this land can't give her that Alaska can is the human factor, Ysabeau. She has men who are like brothers to her here, but they cannot hold a candle to what she has with you, Lauren and Elise."
"I can't imagine life without her mom," Bo said, her eyes welling with tears before she steeled her jaw, "But I need her to be happy. Truly happy."
Bo didn't say 'because I wasn't', but she was thinking it. Her whole childhood had been turned upside down at almost the same age. She couldn't watch her sister go through the same pain and resentment towards her mom that she had held.
"And what makes you think she's not?" Mary asked.
Bo nodded towards the youngster, "She is… now."
Mary smiled knowingly, "Just because the sun shines on her face here does not mean that it doesn't shine in her heart while she's in Alaska nor does it mean she's less happy there."
Rudy opened her eyes and pointed out the window, "Momma! The Lilikoi is almost purple! Maybe we can pick some before we go back to Alaska!"
Mary shook her head, "They're not fully ripe until June, Child. You know this."
"Oh," Rudy said, sagging back into her seat.
Mary chuckled, "But maybe we can take some seeds for Dr. Faith's greenhouse and try to grow a tree there."
"Can we?" Rudy asked, her eyes wide with excitement, "And Sisters' new greenhouse too?"
Mary shrugged, "Of course. We said we would bring Dr. Faith plenty of seeds, so there's no reason we should take other trees and plants and not the Lilikoi. The same can be said for your sister's greenhouse if it's what she wants."
Bo smiled and nodded, "I'm in for anything new."
"Yes!" Rudy said, adding a fist pump for good measure. She thought for a moment then turned back to her mom again,
"I wonder if we could bag an infant in damp soil and fly it back on Bo's plane."
Mary shrugged, "It certainly can't hurt if the Cooperative members are willing to allow it."
Rudy clapped her hands together, "I'll talk to Camie, Sanjo and Johnny. They'll say yes, I know they will."
Nodding, Mary did not reply. The truth was, she didn't know how the young men would react. They had families to feed and from the looks of the crop, the growing season was off to a slow start.
Mary had heard there had been storms and several eruptions of the island volcanoes, but she saw no signs of ash on the shoulder of the road they traveled. There was no visible lightning damage.
Of course, she couldn't see most of the orchard from where they were. If the high winds had been a problem, the ash would have been blown far to the other side of the orchard while blanketing the sky with particles that would shut out the sun for months.
The men were coming for a family dinner tonight with their families, so she would know more then. She hadn't yet walked the orchard since she had been busy showing her new family and friends her island.
She had taken her Alaska family and friends on hikes, bike rides, boat rides, fishing trips and even to a luau since arriving but she didn't want to bother them with her worries about her land. It was her responsibility and so were the land hands that helped her. She would see them all soon enough.
She had left and not looked back. For that reason alone, she wasn't sure if she would be welcomed with open arms or seen as someone who had deserted them.
When the van pulled up to the house, Bo's mouth hung open. The long, sleek ranch-style house was mostly windows and her mom's signature landscaping around the property was apparent… and more beautiful than anything Bo had ever seen.
"So this is early spring on an island…" Bo whispered mostly to herself.
As Rudy had described, there were many fruit trees, only these were spaced out in rows rather than arranged in garden beds. There seemed to be varied species – many not recognizable to Bo. As they moved around the back of the house, she realized there were also plants in the beds she could not identify.
She smiled when she recognized an aloe plant and knew, "A medicine garden… so there's probably a spice garden too."
Mary smiled, hearing her daughter mumble to herself, "And some of them are just flowers because they're beautiful and reminded me of my eldest daughter. There's also a rock garden with small berry plants just like they grow in the tundra."
Bo smiled, "You did think of me."
"As I said, Child. You were never far from my mind. Do not believe I was here of my own free will. When I realized the mistake I made, I fought to leave… to come back for you," Mary's head lowered, "I fought to have them… kidnap you. Of course, that would have led to the involvement of the village councils and police which…"
Bo nodded, "Would have led to them finding out who I really was to Big Jim. Everyone would have known and… who knows what he would have done. In addition, they also would have discovered you and Rudy."
"I didn't have Rudy at that point. She would come several years later, but yes, you would have been exposed and dare I say you wouldn't have come easily with strangers."
Bo nodded, turning back to the land, "That was likely right around the time I was first out on my own. I was quite jumpy. I set traps at night, spring-loaded my spears and axes – anything to do damage if someone came for me. More than one person walked into the kill zone, I'm ashamed to say."
She sighed, shaking her head, "I never stuck around to see if they were actually alive or dead unless they fell very close to where I hid. The dogs usually gave away my position, so I would just hop on the sled and head out."
"You slept with the team hitched?" Mary asked.
Bo nodded, "I didn't know what else to do to be ready to go… and to protect all of them. I was driving two teams, Mom and carrying pups in the baskets of both sleds along with all of my earthly possessions. When I realized the harnesses were cutting into their skin, I found those neoprene vests that you saw in the barn."
Mary nodded, "Those are truly amazing, Child. I'm surprised you went back to harnesses after inventing those."
Bo shrugged, "They're hot in the spring and summer… sometimes in the fall and winter as well. Sometimes the stress of the lines tears the material. They need venting. I just never perfected them as harnesses. Maybe one day I will – along with all of my other projects."
Mary nodded, "When did he come for you?"
"Dad?"
Mary nodded her reply.
"He started sending his men after me right after they'd taken out your friend… my guardian and teacher. I always thought they were men from a previous job. I didn't recognize that they were my brothers," she chuckled, "Hell, I didn't remember I'd had brothers at that point."
She looked out the window, "They'd been gone for so long and they'd grown up… beards, dark eyes, tattoos…" she turned back to her mom, "And weapons – not the ones you'd taught them to use. They lost all that you'd taught them."
She shook her head, "Knowing what I know now from Tosh, your father probably beat your lessons out of them."
Both women's heads hung down, their hands tightly woven together as silent tears fell again. Mary composed herself first, choosing to continue to speak about the gardens,
"Each tree, flower, bush, and shrub planted was planted with you in mind. My love for you worked through my body, to my hands and into the earth. What bloomed was in response to the love I planted there. Each day that I would glance through the window at the flowers, my heart was full… and aching."
"As was mine, Mom. I understand."
Mary nodded to the girls, "You may now, but you didn't know my pain all of those years. When a mother loses a child, the pain is unimaginable… especially when she chose to lose her."
"You also chose to find her," Bo said, placing her other hand on top of those already joined, "And no matter what happens this week, you will never lose her again. The plane is great, Mom. We've started the purchase of the fleet and Kurt has made all but two of the hires. We can do this if it's what she wants."
Mary put her free hand over Bo's, nodding back towards the youngest Dennis, "If it's what she wants."
Bo offered a weak smile then cleared her throat and straightened up, asking, "Now, what's on your mind?"
"What do you mean?" Mary asked.
Bo cocked her head, "Mom. You can't fool me. I saw the look on your face when we drove past the orchard. What's wrong?"
Mary sighed, "I left them, Ysabeau. The members of my farm community. The land is mine but paying them – making sure that they have the food from the orchard – it's my responsibility. I left the boys in charge but… well, it looks like the growing season is behind. I haven't had a chance to…"
They came to a stop. Bo turned to Mary once more, "Mom, it's okay. I'm here now. We'll figure everything out."
"No disrespect, Child but you are as much an outsider here as Lauren was when she first landed in Alaska. Your sisters' guardians are coming for family dinner tonight. You'll meet them and we'll learn of the events of the past year."
"Okay. So, for now, what do you say we get settled and take in some of that wonderful beach. It looks like everyone's out there having fun."
Mary nodded, pointing out to sea, "Shannon has been working on that kiteboard all week. She's getting very good, though Kelly has fared better. I think Shannon is jealous."
"Who are they?" Bo asked as her eyes traveling to a group of people. Mary could see her body grow stiff and rigid as she moved into defensive mode. She turned to where her daughter was pointing and smiled at the six familiar people walking down the beach
"That is an unexpected visit…"
She hadn't finished when Rudy shouted, dashing off down the beach shouting and waving.
Bo relaxed, "I take it they're the guardians?"
Mary nodded, "Tallest is Johnny, long blonde hair is Camie and long black hair is Sanjo. The women next to each are their wives… except for Camie – that's the girlfriend that I believe our Roo has told you about."
Bo smiled, "The self-important hotel owner that she can't stand."
"That's the one," Mary laughed, "You can tell by the way she dresses. She lives in Hawaii, but dresses like she's from that fancy place in Boston."
Bo nodded, "Got it."
The brunette watched as Rudy was lifted into the air and spun around by the one named Johnny before his wife pulled her in for a big hug. Camie was next, doing much the same before Rudy analyzed his surfboard and then got a casual side hug from the girlfriend.
Finally, Sanjo knelt in front of her. They did a long handshake that was clearly a personal thing before his wife hugged Rudy long and hard… twice.
"How did you do it, Mom?"
"Do what?" Mary asked.
"Take her away from them."
Mary sighed, "Believe me – it was a long and difficult goodbye, but in the end, meeting her sister and seeing our homeland was what won the battle of her heart."
Bo nodded, "I wonder what her heart is feeling now."
"Patience, Child. Patience."
Bo sighed, her eyes filling with unshed tears at the realization that she might be competing for the affections of her own sister. She closed her eyes tightly and reminded herself that this wasn't about her. It was about what was best for Rudy. She opened her eyes and turned to her mom,
"So, what now?"
Mary shrugged, "I guess we're going to meet and mingle before dinner."
Bo looked up at the sky, "Because I'm so good at the whole mingle-thing."
Mary laughed, "You'll do just fine."
Her daughter shrugged, "I'm not too familiar with the sun here, but from the looks of it, dinner is about five hours away. I don't think my social skills are ready for that much mingling."
"Where do you want our bags, Mary?" Patrick asked, holding up their belongings.
Mary smiled, "I've put Lauren and Bo in the room closest to the ocean. The two of you are in the room just before theirs on the left. It gets the morning sunrise, a wonderful breeze, and a nice view of the sea. I think you'll enjoy it. The sliding glass door sticks just a bit, but I'll put some engine oil in the groove, and it will work just fine."
Jake shook his head, "I'll take care of it, Mary. If there's anything else you need done around here, please ask. It's the least I can do since you're not accepting rent."
"Thank you, Jake. Toolbox is in the hall closet. I just may take you up on that offer for other jobs too," Mary smiled.
The two men walked into the house, Bo and Mary just noticing that Elise was still clinging tightly to Lauren's arms with both hands. Mary walked over to the little blonde,
"Do you want to go meet Rudy's friends?"
Elise shook her head, leaning against Lauren, "No. She's busy. I'll just stay here."
"But I'm sure she would like for you to meet them."
"No. They're her oldest and dearest friends. I shouldn't interfere."
Mary knelt in front of the child she had come to love as her own,
"Child, you know that you are Rudy's best friend in the world. Her love for you is as endless as the stars. You're as a sister to her."
Elise shrugged, "And they were her brothers and sisters for almost ten years."
"It's not the same as what the two of you share. My daughter has a special love for you that no one will ever experience, Child. Now come, let me introduce you."
Elise shook her head, running into the house as the adults watched.
Lauren smiled, "I'll go talk to her."
Mary shook her head, "No. That's someone else's job."
She shouted down the beach to Rudy, waving to the adults who followed.
"Momma look! Johnny, Camie, Sanjo and the women are here!"
Mary smiled, "I see."
"The women?" Bo asked.
"It's what I always called them. She was very young and learned it from me before I remembered how to speak appropriately around a child again."
Mary knelt, waiting for Rudy to get to her. When she arrived, she pushed her hair out of her face, "Your best friend seems to think you prefer your brothers to her."
Rudy looked around, not seeing Elise anywhere, "But…"
She turned back to Mary, "I don't understand."
Mary smiled, "On this vacation, you haven't left her side. You've involved her in every decision, every step of the way… until now."
"But…" Rudy began, but then lowered her eyes, "I was… I was so excited to be home and to see our land and our friends. Just… smelling the air and the sea…"
She looked up at her Mom, "I didn't talk to her the whole way here," she turned to Lauren, "She moved over and sat with you. There were so many things I wanted her to see, but I was only worried about me seeing them."
A tear ran down her cheek as she turned back to her Mom, "I was being selfish. I hurt her feelings."
Mary smiled, "She's somewhere inside."
"I want her to meet them," Rudy said, looking up at her guardians.
"I know you do, Child. Just remember that this is your home, and they are your people. Her home and her people were lost to her. You've been talking non-stop about how excited you were to come here."
"I am, but that doesn't mean I don't still want her here," she looked up at Bo and Lauren, then back to her mom, "She means everything to me, Momma. How can she not know that?"
Mary smiled, "Words are powerful, Child. Go speak the words that will help her to understand."
Rudy rushed into the house while Mary turned to face their guests. The moment was awkward until Johnny's wife, Sola stepped forward, pressing her forehead against the elder woman's.
They both took a deep breath and held the position for longer than Bo felt comfortable. It reminded her of the Alaskan kunik her mom had done with her as a child and still did with Rudy. Maybe Bo had underestimated how close her mom had been to these people.
The two women released their respective breaths before the stranger pulled back and smiled,
"Mary, it's so good to see you again."
"Sola," Mary smiled, maintaining her grip on her upper arms, "It's good to see you too."
They hugged before pulling back, Sola smiling as she stepped aside so Sanjo and his wife, Skye could greet Mary in the same manner. Camie gave a big grin,
"Come here, woman!" he yelled, lifting Mary off her feet to hug her, "Oh, you were missed, Wise One," he put her down, placing both hands on her cheeks, and pressing his nose to hers, taking a deep breath, exhaling his words, "It's so good to see you."
Naturally, his girlfriend Olivia stood where she was, offering Mary a wave. It wasn't that Mary had expected more from the woman, it's just that she had hoped she had changed during the year she'd been away. Of course, maybe she did, and they were just all angry with her despite the traditional greetings.
"You're early," Mary said, "But you're welcome to stay and meet everyone."
Johnny smiled, "You know how much we all missed the runt. We couldn't wait to see her."
"Of course. I'm surprised you didn't come by sooner," Mary said.
He shrugged, "We knew she wouldn't be here and we wanted your guests to have some time on their own with you."
"That was very kind of you," she said, nodding towards their boards, "Planning on a little surfing?"
"If it's okay with you, we'd love to take Rudy out."
Mary sighed, "I'm afraid she's dealing with a little crisis right now. Her best friend from Alaska… well, more like a sister now… she saw Rudy run and hug you all, so she's feeling a little less… important, I suppose."
Sanjo smiled, "Well, you know us, Mare. The more the merrier. We'll have her friend up and surfing in no time."
Lauren stepped forward, "Hello. My name is Lauren Dennis. I'm the child in question's legal guardian. She's already started surfing… just learned last week off the coast of Cape Cod. The waves here are much bigger and from what I can tell…"
Johnny smiled, "Rudy has already mentioned you, Lauren. She's looking forward to getting you on a board here," he turned to Bo, "And you must be the long-lost sister Rudy talked about in her letters. I believe it's Ysabeau?"
Bo hesitated, looking down at the offered hand, before forcing a smile,
"Just Bo is fine. Bo Dennis."
He looked between the two women, "Oh. Rudy mentioned you were getting married, so… well, cool."
"Is it?" Bo asked, crossing her arms over her chest and eyeing the group of visitors.
Sanjo smiled, "Completely. Love is love, Baby."
The brunette growled at the degrading term, but Mary spoke to her daughter,
"Child, the term 'baby' on our beach is not a sexual or demeaning term as it is back home. It's a sort of slang for friend or partner in the battle against all wrongs."
Bo relaxed, "Okay."
"Seriously. No offense intended," Sanjo said, holding up his hands.
"I guess we all need to learn each other's lingo," Camie added.
Lauren smiled, "I suppose that's true. Is there a board I can borrow?"
Mary pointed, "All of our water toys are in the surf house at the end of the walkway. It's not as grand as yours, but there are plenty of boards to go around. There's a second kiteboard if you'd like to try your hand at that with Shannon although Kelly may already have it down at the beach."
Lauren smiled, "I've been on those before and loved it, so I'll definitely take you up on that offer."
"I thought you might have," Mary smiled, turning to the group, "My daughter-in-law is a woman of the sea. If it moves on water, you can bet she's had a go of it – especially if it has a fin or a sail."
She placed a hand on Bo's shoulder, "My daughter Ysabeau had knee surgery just a few weeks ago, so she's going to spend her time on land unless you…"
"We got Rudy's letter, and we did."
Mary's face beamed, "Really?"
"To her exact specifications."
Bo looked at Lauren, then her mom, "What are we talking about here?"
Mary smiled, "Sand sledding."
Bo's eyebrows raised, "Sand sledding?"
Mary nodded as Sanjo explained,
"We watched the snow race online… the… what's it called?" he asked Mary.
"Iditarod," Mary smiled.
"Right. The Last Great Race. I love that, man. Anyway, we watched the whole video – well, what your team and the race committee posted of it. What a rush."
"Very impressive," Olivia said, her voice exposing an elitist air.
Mary cocked her head at the comment. It was unlike Olivia to compliment anyone who wasn't… well, Olivia.
"Thank you," Bo said, "But when you've been sledding as long as I have, it's not all that impressive… to me, anyway. It wasn't my best race."
"Well, you'll pardon me for disagreeing. You placed first for the fifth consecutive time in something called the Last Great Race on Earth? From what I understand, you spent six grueling months living in some of the coldest temperatures on the planet while running from frozen campsite to frozen campsite. I mean, if that's not impressive, I don't know what is."
Mary laughed, "There's no campsites, Child - not like you're thinking. If you're lucky on training runs, you find a cave or a bank of trees and rock. More likely, you're in the open tundra with only the dogs, some hay and a sled to shelter you from the driving winds that often carry snow, ice or a combination of the two."
"Geezus," he said, nodding his head, "That's some righteous, hard core battling. Respect for doing it right five times. You're for sure the champ."
Bo began, "I've actually participated in the race every year since I was sixteen."
"Sixteen?" Mary asked.
Bo shrugged, "I forged your name until I was eighteen," she turned to the men, "Anyway, the dogs are the ones…"
Her head spun as she stopped speaking mid-sentence when she heard the barking. She placed both hands on her head, her mouth wide at the sight, of Harper, Belle, Elsa, Anna, Aphrodite, Nike, Diana, Muk and Jennak running towards her,
"… are what's impressive," she finished her sentence, laughing at the two pups trailing all of them, "The little ones are Cinder and Snow. They belong to Rudy and her friend Elise. They'll be impressive one day too."
As Bo carefully knelt on her good leg, Lauren joined as the dogs arrived, licking and pawing at the couple while they cried and barked.
Rudy and Elise came running out of the house, calling to Cinder and Snow as soon as they saw them. The two pups hurried over to their Masters, jumping on them excitedly while the youngsters giggled endlessly. Rudy called for Muk and Jenna who obediently ran for their musher as well.
Bo looked up, now firmly seated on the ground, "Mom – how in the world…"
"While you were in Disney, Kurt used his new pilots for a test flight of the other three planes you were considering for the fleet. They conveniently stowed away some cargo on the flight here. When we go back, you can switch and test fly another aircraft or stick with the one you've chosen, but the dogs will fly back on the return trip."
Bo smiled, shaking her head as Harper burrowed into her gut. She ruffled her fur and rubbed her sides until the veteran dog fell onto her side, enjoying the attention, "I owe Kurt a big one."
"He also brought Cassie back. She wanted to check on Harper," Mary smiled.
"Cassie's here? Someone finally got that woman to take a vacation?" Bo asked.
Mary nodded, "It wasn't easy. Kurt said the other veterinarians teamed up and gave her the boot. Caring for Harper was the excuse that satisfied her conscience."
Olivia walked closer, leaning down towards Bo's champion, who stood, standing next to Bo. She eyed the woman with caution, "So this is Harper, huh?"
Bo eyed the woman suspiciously, "You know her name after seeing only one race online?"
Olivia hesitated, but nodded, "I'm sure they said the name. They must have. Otherwise, how would I know?"
She knelt down, extending the back of her hand to the older dog. Harper sniffed, then took several steps backward, looking up at Bo who gave her canine friend a nod. Harper lowered her head, allowing Olivia to touch her.
"She's beautiful, Ysabeau," Olivia said.
"Just Bo, if you don't mind," Bo said, a forced smile hiding the instinct that told her this woman was not who she pretended to be.
"Of course," she nodded, "So this is the all-time Iditarod Champion dog, huh?"
"She's been there for every win and loss," Bo said, her eyes watching every move the woman's hands made on her dog.
"It's my understanding that you've never lost a race," Olivia said, confused.
"Finished last, no. Won all of them, no to that as well. If I didn't win, I lost."
"But with so many sleds in the race, how can you consider second or even fifth place a loss?"
"Interesting that you know I placed second and fifth before I had my first win. That video must have been quite informative."
She smiled, "I suppose."
Bo nodded, her eyes holding a glint that Lauren recognized. It was the same look she had when Rudy was caught in the act of a lie,
"As for all of the other sleds in the race, about twenty of those sleds are likely rookies, so beating them would be like saying I beat Rudy."
Johnny smiled, "That's no small task. The Runt has a competitive streak as long as this beach."
Bo nodded, "Don't I know it, but she'll be racing in the Iditarod in five years. She's already given us the paperwork for the Junior Iditarod."
"She's that good?" Johnny asked.
Mary nodded, "As good as her sister was at her age – maybe better and she has eight years less experience. She's a prodigy on a sled."
"Wait – you started driving a sled when you were three?" Camie asked.
Mary shrugged, "When did you start riding a skateboard?"
"I guess I was about three, but still – a skateboard doesn't require the cooperation of all those dogs."
Bo grinned, "The dogs aren't the problem. Staying on the sled is. But when you're that young, you're so low to the ground, balancing isn't the issue – losing your team if you let go is. The younger you start, the better. I'm guessing all the surfing you did with my little sister prepared her for balancing on a sled."
"Well, in that case, you're welcome," Camie grinned.
They all watched as Rudy and Elise took off down the beach with their puppies in hot pursuit. They ran straight into the water where the pups dashed back and forth from sand to water over and over again.
The calm, blue surface turned into turbulent white water amidst the frenzied play group dashing around. The adults laughed, Bo sending the rest of the team off to join the girls.
"So that's what's kept you in Alaska, huh?" Johnny asked Mary, "She's so happy with those dogs. It's good to see."
She waved her hand toward the dogs and people gathered by the water,
"And the human factor as well. Other than Elise, the man in the hat and long-sleeved white shirt is Rudy's older half-brother from my now deceased ex-husband. She's been getting to know him as well."
"We heard our agents took him into custody, but we hadn't heard they'd killed him."
Mary shook her head, "He died in prison."
Her eyes drifted to Bo who lowered her head. She took Lauren's hand to get to her feet before turning back to the group, offering a weak smile,
"I think I'm going to go change out of these clothes. It was a long trip,"
With a nod to her mom, she sent the dogs off to the water before she turned and headed into the house after offering another polite smile to the group.
Lauren smiled as well, "I'll just go change and then meet you down at the water. I suppose Rudy has to change into her suit. Is it okay if Elise goes out with us as well? She's still learning, but…"
Sanjo waved his hands, "We won't leave her out of anything, Lauren. Rudy's best friend is going to be like another little sister to all of us. We understand."
Lauren nodded, "Thank you for being so considerate."
The blonde gave them a nod before she turned and walked into the house. Once the small group was alone, Mary turned back to them,
"So, anything I should know?"
"What do you mean?" Johnny asked.
"I hadn't really noticed until today. I've been busy with this big group of guests to entertain until the girls returned from Disney World, but I noticed when we drove in again today. I've only walked the east side of the orchard, but I could see glimpses between the trees that line the drive. The crop is behind."
"You left, Mary. A bunch of families dropped out of the Cooperative. Sure, they paid their fees to meet their contract obligations, but money isn't elbow grease. We're working as much as we can outside of our work hours, but we can't plant as fast as we need to, given all that we lost."
"Lost?"
Johnny sighed, "Rudy wrote us that you heard about the eruptions. The ash cloud blocked out the sun for months and probably half of the trees died off. We've dug most of the dead ones out, but we just haven't had time to plant. We chose to save the existing fauna over planting new."
Camie nodded, "You always taught us that there was no sense planting new life if it was just going to die. The ash has just cleared. We've managed to use the tiller on the soil of the land closer to the entrance, but the deeper you go into the orchard, you'll see that there's a good two inches of ash all around the base of the trees."
"So, the layers of tephra are deep, but has it actually smothered the vegetation?" Mary asked.
"The pineapple edges did damage to the grass and shrubs on the west side of the orchard, but we knew that would happen when the high winds pummeled them with ash."
"Were the pineapple plants badly damaged?" Mary asked.
Camie shook his head, "They're coming back."
"Okay, that's good. So, it sounds like you're tilling the ash into the soil as fertilizer then?"
"We are, but we just don't have enough hands, Mary. Not with the group of families that left."
"Then we hire in," Mary said.
"We don't have the money to do that, Mary."
"How much money do you need?"
Mary turned to see Stephen and Betsy in their bathing suit coverups, carrying their books, chairs and beach hats.
"I could never ask you…" Mary began.
Stephen grinned, "On the contrary, my dear. We just walked that wonderful orchard of yours out front. I hope it's okay that we picked a few fruits that we believed were ripe."
Mary smiled, "It's fine but for future reference, we use the trees here on the beach side of the yard. The orchard out front belongs to the Cooperative, so we take our share of that when everyone harvests as a group."
"Oh! It's a Cooperative?" Betsy smiled, "We were part of a Cooperative in New Hampshire one summer. It was a wonderful experience. We would love to help while we're here. We may be older than you, but we can do pretty well in a garden."
Johnny looked at Mary who smiled and nodded. He reached his hand out to Stephen's, "We'd be happy for the help, my man."
"Thank you for accepting. Betsy misses her garden terribly and it's not yet planting season in Alaska," he smiled, "As a matter of fact, I'm sure that if you ask Rudy to organize her family and friends, they'll all be happy to spend a day in the orchard. This woman has done a helluva lot for each of us, after all."
Sanjo smiled, "That's just like our Mary. She's one of the kindest women on the planet."
"Well, we're in complete agreement there," Stephen said, putting an arm over Mary's shoulder and planting a friendly kiss on her cheek.
"Stephen, you fuss too much," Mary said, shooing him away as Betsy laughed when Stephen went in for one more smooch and Mary smacked him.
Camie laughed and nodded, "We'll get the Runt on it while we're out surfing. I'm sure she'll have a plan. She's got a great head for business that one."
Betsy smiled, "Rudy? Tell us about it! She was the one who turned down three flight plans for this trip because they weren't the right value for the money."
Mary laughed, "She didn't understand how a layover could cost more money. She said if we're doing a layover, the flight has to be cheaper because time is money."
"Gee – I wonder where she learned that?" Johnny laughed.
Sanjo nodded his agreement, "That's our Runt."
Mary slapped her hands on her thighs, "Well, let's get out there then and see what the family is willing to contribute. But before we do, what are the chances of getting those families back in the Cooperative?"
Johnny shrugged, shaking his head with a laugh, "Colin and his family just put in an order for the year. They're actually buying produce from us for their family, but no longer working the orchard."
"Seriously?" Mary asked.
He sighed, "Seriously."
"He said he's not going to farm on land that he doesn't own when the person who does own it doesn't live here anymore. He thinks it's only right that you Co-op the land as well as the product," Camie said, "His words, not mine."
"You mean your girlfriends' words," Sanjo corrected, a scowl on his face, "She's the one that put the idea in his head."
Mary cocked her head, "Camie? Is she really working against me? She knew I had to go. She encouraged me to go. Rudy had to meet her sister and I needed to find my daughter. She was the one who speared-headed my whole trip!"
Camie sighed, "Mary, none of us expected you to be gone so long. Things changed while you were away. She's just looking out for the collective," he turned to his brother, "and if Olivia hadn't walked away from this conversation, you never would have said that in front of her."
Sanjo nodded, "You're right, brother. I keep my mouth shut out of respect for you since you've convinced yourself that she's acting in everyone's best interests, but I've made no secret about how I feel, Camie. She's not good people, yet you continue to date her while rejecting any notion of marriage she brings up."
He shook his head, "You know what all of us know. You're just afraid to admit it," he stood, slicing the air with his hand, "I'm not having this conversation with you again, Camie. Maybe Mary can get through to you if you tell her about Liv's 'business offer'. I'm going to the water."
As Camie hung his head, Sanjo stood and walked towards where Skye and Sola were waiting for them, just out of earshot of their business conversation. Johnny placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder,
"Cam, you know we love you but even Rudy has called you out on her mistrust of Olivia. We all know the Runt has an instinct about people. Something has always been… I don't know… just… off with that girl. I don't know for sure, but this thing with you and Liv," he paused shaking his head, "I think it's that 'something off' that has kept you from making any real commitment to her."
Johnny shrugged, "And if it's not her character, then perhaps it's the fact that you walked away from your perfect match to chase the modern world of Olivia. Is she really what you want, Camie? I love you, Brother, but I think it's decision time."
Johnny patted Cam's head, gave Mary a nod and walked off to join his family and the island guests. Mary heaved a big sigh, reaching her hand out to her young friend,
"Cameron? Is there any truth to what the boys say?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, Mary."
She nodded, "I see. Have you talked to Kalani?"
"She came home last week, and I ran into her down at the surf shop. She's retiring from the Pro Circuit this year."
"Oh?"
He nodded, "She's moving back here… I mean, Hawai'i, not necessarily this island. Her popularity…"
Mary nodded, "Makes her a security risk when coming and going. I understand, but if she establishes herself here, she could gain re-entry."
Camie sighed, "She actually asked if I thought you would let her crash with you. If she has a place to stay, she's more likely to get permission. Rents are super high all over the state and with her parents gone, she doesn't really have anywhere to stay."
Mary shook her head, "I knew it was a mistake for her to sell."
He shrugged, "We all tried to tell her, but she needed the money at the time. Liv got her the best deal she could."
Mary scowled, as the dinner table conversations that included Olivia rushed through her mind. The realtor had really pushed the idea of selling and now it just felt… suspicious. She looked up at Cameron,
"Well, if you talk to her, tell her she's more than welcome to stay here. I can trade her caretaking duties for rent."
"Really? She can live here rent free?"
Mary smiled, "She's ohana, Cameron and we need all the hands we can get."
He offered a goofy smile, "You know I hate when you use my real name."
"Well, until I know more about this deal that Olivia is pushing, I'll continue to use it. Now, no more hiding behind idle chatter. Tell me."
He sighed, "There's a real estate group that wants to buy your property. You're not living here and they're offering above market value. Liv just thinks it would make your life easier and you could probably use the money with the cost of living being so much higher in Alaska."
Mary offered a slow nod, "That sounds like a familiar sales pitch, Cameron. A similar tone to what she offered Kalani if memory serves."
"What are you suggesting?" Camie asked.
Mary waved him off, "Who is this real estate group?"
"It's Olivia's new group… well, the same group but they merged with another company, so…"
"Cameron."
He hesitated which had Mary shaking her head before he spoke,
"Martin Corso's company."
"No," Mary said, turning to walk away.
"Mary!" Camie said, following his friend.
She waved her hand and continued to walk away, "No!"
He sighed, moving to stand. He turned and started to follow her, but found himself toe-to-toe with an angry Mary who had stormed back to him. She pounded her finger into his chest as she spoke,
"How dare you! How dare you!" she shouted, drawing attention from her family on the beach and Bo and Lauren who had just emerged from the house.
Bo and Lauren hurried to her side while the rest of the family and friends hurried up the hill to where the pair were arguing.
"You knew! You knew what that man tried to do to me and you knew that he low-balled Kalani when he bought her property! How could you?"
"I don't know real estate, Mary. I didn't…"
"Don't give me that! Feigning ignorance is not a defense for what you allowed them to talk her into. She was your partner! She was ohana, Cameron!"
"She left me for the pro circuit!" he yelled, his eyes watering.
"So what? You decided to hurt her back because she hurt you by pursuing her life-long dream? You are such a child!"
"She needed the money," Cameron began, but Mary turned back to him, Bo gripping her arm when she saw a rage she had never seen in her mother before.
Mary turned to her, holding her eyes. She took a deep breath and gave Bo a nod. Her daughter released her. Exhaling, she turned back to Camie,
"She didn't need the money, Cameron. She was desperate for money and you knew it. You told Olivia, she told him, so he knew he could get away with the low offer. You enabled the whole deal. She didn't deserve that, Cameron – not from you."
He hung his head, "I didn't mean to…"
"Maybe not consciously, but as you said, you were hurt – upset with her for taking her shot at the title. The information you conveyed to him through your new girlfriend allowed him to take advantage of her situation."
She shook her head, "Olivia did nothing to spare her despite knowing she was ohana to you... to all of us. She facilitated the entire deal and told Kalani she was getting the best she could get given the market."
Mary took a step back, "Market my ass, Camie. She took Kalani for a loss and you damn well know it!"
"Mary…" he said, following the woman as she turned to walk away, but again, she turned on him and flat handed his chest, pushing him back as she spoke,
"Then he came for me! You were there. You know what that man did! How dare you even speak his name on my property?" she shouted, her eyes welling with angry tears, "When you had nowhere else to turn, I called you keiki and you bring me this offer from him now?"
Bo quickly slid between the two, gently guiding her mom back two steps as she looked over her shoulder at Camie, "I'm sure that whatever it was she called you was meant in the nicest possible way."
Rudy arrived and immediately pushed Camie back, "What did you do to my māmā!"
Lauren placed a hand on Rudy's shoulder, pulling her gently away from Camie,
"Roo, calm down, please," Lauren said, turning to the group who had gathered, "Let's all just calm down."
Most of the family had come to stand around Mary. Those that weren't by her were on their way as Johnny and Sanjo came to stand between Mary and Camie, their wives on either side of him. It was Sola who spoke,
"What did you say, Camie?"
"Nothing! I just… I just told her about Olivia's offer."
Sola shook her head, "You idiot!"
Johnny placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, "Sanjo brought it up."
Olivia arrived, immediately going to Camie's side, taking his hand, but Camie pulled away, turning to face her,
"Right here, right now in front of this entire group. I want you to explain the deal – everything about the deal – to Mary. No more he said, she said. No using me as your translator and then telling me to just give her a general idea. Details, Liv. Now!"
She smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Sweetheart, you already know the deal."
He pushed her hand away, shaking his head, "You tell her. It's your idea, not mine. You keep pushing and pushing me to get it done just like you did with Kalani."
"It was a fair deal, Camie. I told you. Kalani's property and the market at the time…"
"Bullshit, Liv!" he said, shaking his head, his eyes down, "We'll talk about Kalani later. Right now, you're going to talk about Mary's deal."
"But you know…"
"You're the agent. You're the one who thinks Martin Corso's such a great guy and an even better agent. You're the one who thinks he's fair and decent. Okay then. Tell her the full deal that your fair and decent boss is offering."
"Camie," she smiled, trying to take his hand, but again, he pulled away,
"Tell her. Now! Everything!"
Olivia sighed. Wringing her hands together, she turned to Mary who was making note of every twitch of her mouth, every scratch of her head and face, every change in her stance and every blink of her eyes.
She listened to the shake in her voice and noted how her mouth became dry as she spoke.
With each detail that came from her mouth, Mary stepped a little bit closer to the real estate agent. She took note that the woman took a step back several times before moving just a bit closer to Camie who continued to maintain his distance from her. When she finished explaining the deal, Mary nodded,
"I'm interested in what you're not telling me about the deal."
"Excuse me?" Olivia asked.
"I'm not in the habit of repeating myself to someone who seems to have all of the answers."
"Um… that's it. I told you everything."
"Not what the plans are for the land."
"Excuse me?"
"As I said, I'm not in the habit of repeating myself."
She folded her arms over her chest, her eyes laser focused on Olivia's who was scanning the group nervously.
"Once he has the land, what he does with it is none of your concern. Besides, this is business, Mary. It's not personal, so don't make it so. I'm just an agent. I'm not privy to all of his plans for developing properties that he purchases."
"Liar."
"Excuse me?" Olivia asked, clearly offended.
"Wow. You really do enjoy making me repeat myself," she smirked, "I said… liar."
Olivia folded her arms over her chest, turning to Camie, "Did you hear that? She called me a liar! I will not stand here and have someone question my character in this manner!"
She moved to walk away, but Rudy stepped into her path and naturally, Elise followed, crossing her arms to mirror her friend,
Looking up at the young woman, Rudy revealed an interesting truth,
"You always lie, Olivia. You told my mom that you took me shopping the day that you got me out of school and lied to my principal."
"What?" Mary asked.
Rudy turned to her mom,
"I'm sorry, māmā. I should have told you, but Olivia told me I would get in trouble, and I believed her because I was only eight and didn't want you to be mad at me."
Mary leaned down, her eyes set on her daughter's, "Tell me now, Child."
Olivia moved to step away, but Shannon and Carolyn stepped in her path, Kate and Anna behind them,
"Where you goin', sweet thing?" Shannie asked with a smirk.
"Nowhere," Olivia said, scratching the back of her neck before turning back towards Rudy and crossing her arms over her chest.
Rudy's eyes were on Olivia until Anna stepped between them,
"Talk to your Mom, Squirt. We've got you."
She nodded, looking at Shannie, Lynnie and Kate who were all smiling at her. She took a breath, turned to her mom and began,
"She came to my school, told my Principal I had a family emergency and that she was taking me to you. When we got out to her car, she said we were going to play hockey. I had never played hockey before and now I know we didn't play hockey like we play in Alaska."
"Hockey?" Mary asked.
"I think she means hooky, Mare," Shannie smiled, "Cutting school to goof off… have fun. Usually harmless."
Mary nodded turning back to her daughter, "Continue, Child."
"We went shopping only we only went to the ice cream shop after she took me to Mr. Corso's office. She said he wanted to talk to me."
"Kaikamahine," Mary smiled, kneeling before Rudy, "You know I will always love you. Speak fearlessly, Child. What did Mr. Corso ask you?"
Rudy looked over her shoulder at Olivia who was fidgeting but scowling at the youngster. Again, Anna adjusted her position and Mary placed a gentle hand on her daughter's cheek, turning her eyes back to her own. Bo knelt down next to her Mom,
"Roo. The truth… all of it."
Rudy looked back to Mary, "Are you sure you won't be mad?"
Mary smiled, "You were only eight, Child. I taught you to respect adults. You only did what the adults asked of you. There would be no way for you to know any different."
"He asked me if you owned our house."
"And what did you tell him?"
She shrugged, "I said yes."
"Okay, tell me more."
"He asked me if there was a deed to the house and I told him there was – that you kept it in a lockbox in the house. He asked where it was and I told him I didn't know… even though I did."
Mary smiled, "Because you knew that was one of our family secrets."
Rudy nodded, "He asked if there was something special about our island."
He looked at Johnny, then back to Mary, "I told her it was special because it had great waves for surfing."
Mary nodded, looking up at Johnny and Sanjo, then back to Rudy,
"Did he ask anything else about the island?"
"He asked if there were a lot of police on the island."
"And what did you tell him, Runt," Johhny asked.
"I told him that I never saw any because I didn't," Rudy said.
Mary nodded, "Did he ask anything else?"
"He asked me more about the box, but I told him I didn't no anything else. But then when we had the house fire…"
"That's why you went back in the house," Mary nodded.
She shrugged, "He wouldn't have asked about it if it wasn't really important."
Mary nodded, "What else did he ask you?"
Rudy shrugged, "What time you were at work, what time I was home, when Johnny and the boys took me surfing. He asked me about them. I told him they were born on the island and that they watched me when you were at work."
Sanjo asked, "Did he ask about any other people on the island?"
Shaking her head, she replied, "He asked how many people worked in the Co-op, if there were other houses like ours on the island and he asked if we had cell phones… stuff like that."
Tamsin came to stand beside Rudy, "Hey, Roo."
She smiled wide, "T! You're here!"
She jumped into Tamsin's arms and squeezed her neck, giving her a big hug,
"Whoa there, Squirt. You're gonna squeeze me so hard my brain will pop right outta my head."
Rudy pulled back, smiling as Tamsin took her hands, "Roo, do you remember seeing anything on this man's desk or his walls when you were in his office? I know it was a long time ago, but if you can remember anything about him, it would help."
She stared at Tamsin for a long moment, "Mmmm… he smelled like pipe tobacco. I remember seeing the pipe and tobacco sack on his desk. He pulled out the brown stuff and stuffed it in the pipe and then lit it. He was smelly."
Tamsin chuckled, "Yea, I can imagine. Anything else you remember about his desk, him or his office?"
She nodded, "He had a jar of root beer barrel candies on his desk, and he kept eating them after he was done smoking, but he never even asked if I wanted one. He didn't share which is rude."
Looking up at Mary, Tamsin smiled, "It definitely is, Squirt. What else do you remember? You're doing great."
"He had a stack of folders in different colors. Um… he twitched his mouth a lot and kept pushing his glasses back up his nose."
Tamsin nodded, "Think about the other tables, chairs, walls or shelves. Is there anything else you remember?"
"Oh, yea! There were these big tables against the walls that looked like big doll houses… well, they had trees and sidewalks and stuff, so they were really more like little towns. He walked me over to the one that was our island and showed me where our house would be, but it wasn't our house."
"It wasn't your house?" Tamsin asked.
Rudy shook her head, "It was a big building, and this thing called a golf course. It's where they hit the tiny ball a bunch of times until it goes in the little hole. Seems like a kinda dumb game, huh? Anyway, there were docks and boats and stuff. I told him that it looked nothing like our house cause all the Co-op was gone and there wouldn't be anything to eat."
"And what did he say to that?"
"He said that's what grocery stores are for and that there could be a restaurant on the property. But I told him that I liked the food that my māmā cooks for me. He said that maybe she could work at his restaurant. I told him she probably wouldn't like that kind of job. He asked what kind of job she would like, and I told him she likes the way things are now."
She lowered her eyes, "He asked a lot of questions about the things my mom liked and didn't like. Then he started asking questions about why she came to Hawai'i and if she ever did anything bad."
"Anything bad?" Tamsin asked.
Rudy nodded, "Anything that got her in trouble with the law."
Tamsin nodded, "And where was Olivia while he was asking those questions?"
"She was sitting next to me helping me answer the questions. She told him stuff about the property and the people that worked there. She told him that she was getting close with Camie and that she had names of the people on the island… the real names."
"And did she know your real name?"
Rudy looked up at Mary, then Bo and Lauren, "Yes."
She turned back to Tamsin, her eyes now welling with tears as she whispered, "Please don't tell them. I like the name I have now."
Tamsin nodded, placing a finger over her lips, then using it to cross her heart. Rudy smiled as Tamsin looked up at Olivia to gauge her reaction to Rudy's words, but then looked right back at Rudy,
"Can you remember anything else that Olivia said about your friend Camie or the others?"
"No. I kind of walked away while they were talking. I was looking at the little towns. They all had names. And they were talking over at his desk. I remember she said that she had to be careful about Johnny and Sanjo, but that she was getting close with the wives… that she was part of the group since Kalani moved away and that she would eventually have a say in their business decisions."
She looked up at Johnny and Sola, "She said she thought they may not be who they said they were. I didn't know what she meant by that."
Sola took a step forward, opening her mouth to speak, but Adam gripped her arm, leaning down to whisper in her ear. She looked up at him, then took a step back, gritting her teeth to hold her tongue as Tamsin continued,
"You said the little towns had names. Do you remember what the name of your island was?"
Rudy nodded, "It was called…"
The child lowered her eyes, shaking her head.
"Squirt?" Tamsin asked, "There's nothing you can't tell us."
Rudy looked up at Bo, her eyes filled with tears, "The bad man…"
"It's okay, Roo. What does this have to do with the bad man?" Bo asked.
"The name on our island was Yuji's Island."
Mary's knees gave out, leaving her sitting in the sandy grass. Bo wrapped an arm over her shoulder and took Rudy's hand as she spoke,
"The bad man's name was on the yellow folder," Rudy said.
"Are you sure?" Tamsin asked.
Rudy nodded, "I was eight. I could read, ya know."
Tamsin smiled, "I'm sure you could, Squirt. What did the folder say, exactly?"
"Just Big Jim. But there was a restaurant in the little town on Yuji Island that was called Morton's and there was another place called Big Jim's. I think it was one of those places I'm not allowed to go in because I'm too little."
"You mean a bar?" Mary asked.
Rudy nodded, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was afraid I would get in trouble."
Tamsin nodded, heaving a big sigh, "It's okay, Squirt. You did good."
Bo and Mary pulled Rudy in for a hug while Tamsin turned to Adam,
"Warrant?"
He nodded, "I'm on it."
Tamsin turned to Lauren, "It seems we may still have a few loose threads here on the island, though how they found out about this place, I'll never know."
Lauren nodded, "I guess you got her out of here just in time. Should we be leaving?"
Jake stepped forward, "If I may make a confession, we've been with you here, in P-town and Disney all along," he turned to Bo, "As I said, it's hard keeping secrets from those you love most, but you do what you must to keep them safe."
Bo scowled, only just realizing, "You and Patrick replaced Shannie and Lynnie on the Disney trip… you insisted…"
He nodded, "I had a job to do, Bo. There were twenty-five agents watching you while we were there. Your co-pilot was an agent as was the plane mechanic and the person you filed your flight plan with."
"So, Rudy did see Adam from the balcony?" Bo asked.
Jake nodded, "She did."
She sighed, "We were in danger, and you didn't tell me?"
He lowered his eyes, "I had orders, Bo. We put a heavy presence on your group, just in case, but everything the team had found pointed to the last cell being here on this island."
"And you had no one here?" Bo asked.
Tamsin raised her hand, "Uh… hello? What am I? Chopped liver?"
"Just you for all of these people, Tamsin? Really?" Bo asked.
"Geezus, Bo – get a grip! I've got agents all over this damn island and five bearing down on our position right now."
"I see no one and you know I'm a skilled tracker and observer, Tamsin," Bo said, her brow furrowed.
"You're emotional, so you're seeing nothing," the Special Agent shook her head, lifting her wrist to her mouth, "This is one, verify."
Bo listened as the replies came through,
"Four, verification, two, one, one."
"Five, verification two, one, one."
"Six, verification two, one, one."
"Seven, verification, two, one, one."
"Eight, verification, two, one, one."
"Nine, verification, two, one, one."
"Roger verifies. One, out," Tamsin said, turning to Bo,
"There have been six agents tailing your friends since they left Alaska. The other twenty-five are covering you and your family in shifts. The ones that just checked in…"
She leaned in, whispering in Bo's ear, "Are all highly trained snipers with their sights set on Olivia and Camie ready to fire at the first hint of aggression. They're trained to shoot first, ask questions later."
Bo scowled, shaking her head as she whispered back, "Geezus, Tamsin. They would actually kill them?"
Tamsin leaned in, "If they tried to hurt you, your family, or friends, yes Bo, those are their orders, and I won't apologize for keeping any of you safe. I told you back home - The Special Agent in Charge on this case is done with these people in Big Jim's circle targeting your family and I agree. This ends here, Bo. Once and for all, it ends here. I'm done."
The brunette sighed, nodding her head as Tamsin whispered, "Now, if you'll allow me to continue my highly unofficial explanation to the rest of the group…"
Bo only nodded, stepping back to stand beside her mom. She pulled Rudy to her and waved Lauren and Elise over to them. She waved Shannie and her group to them and once they were all safely away from Olivia, Tamsin spoke,
"Honestly, we thought Mary wasn't in any real danger from the people that were here. I mean a while back, the dentist, for sure - but it didn't seem he had a full cell here which made them harder to track. That meant we weren't one hundred percent sure. Now that we have Rudy's piece of the puzzle, we have what we've needed for the warrant to search Corso's office."
"He has guards with guns," Rudy said suddenly, "Sorry. I just remembered."
Tamsin smiled, "Thanks for looking out for us, Squirt."
Rudy smiled, turning into her mom's embrace.
Lauren nodded towards Olivia, "What about her?"
Tamsin turned to Kyle, "Can you get Esther?"
Kyle nodded, "Be right back."
"Esther?" Bo asked, looking at Lauren.
The blonde shrugged, "No idea."
Tamsin walked to Olivia, "I'm going to ask you this question one time and if you lie, you will spend the rest of your life in prison as an accessory to attempted murder. Do you know a man named Big Jim Morton?"
Olivia looked at Cam, then the wives, Sanjo and Johnny. She looked at Mary who was holding tight to Rudy with one arm and Bo's hand with the other. Elise came to stand protectively in front of the three Dennis women, crossing her arms over her chest. Bo's hand moved to the young girls shoulder. Tosh stepped forward to stand just behind Tamsin,
"I'm a bit older, so my hearing may be off, but I do believe Special Agent Sorensen… of the FBI… asked you a question, Miss."
Olivia's eyes went wide, "You're…"
Tamsin smirked, "Federal Agent, yes. Now, I'm going to need an answer to my question."
She sighed, "Yes."
Tamsin could hear the sniffles coming from Rudy and she didn't have to see Mary and Bo to know how upset - or angry - they would be that they were still not rid of the legacy of Big Jim. Still, she had a job to do,
"Please kneel down so that I know you do not plan to run."
She hesitated, her eyes glancing towards her car, but Tamsin stepped into her line of sight,
"I assure you that it is unlikely you will outrun me, and even if you did, I am one hundred percent sure you will not outrun Lauren, so please… kneel. I don't want to have to add any additional charges. Right now, I'm pretty sure you just got caught up with a bunch of men who made you promises that you thought they could keep. Of course, if I'm underestimating your dark side, I'll find that out soon enough as well."
Kyle arrived, handing Tamsin her service pack. The blonde strapped it on, unzipping the front fully so that Olivia could see her service revolver before she pulled out her credentials. She flipped them open so Olivia could see them and then pulled out the card she always used when making an arrest,
"Olivia Styles, you are under arrest for conspiracy to extort Mary Dennis of her property and goods, her Cooperating Partners of their goods and livelihood and any and all other charges we discover upon arrest of your co-conspirators. It is likely you will also face kidnapping charges and… well, someone set that fire. So, you have the right to remain silent…"
Camie took several steps back until he felt Skye's hand on his shoulder. He reached up and covered it, feeling her squeeze his fingers. She whispered in his ear,
"Kaikunāne, we're with you. As you can now see, she was never meant for you. You'll be okay."
He nodded as she moved to his side. He whispered, "You were right. All of you… were right. I let her into our lives… into Mary and Rudy's lives… I'm so sorry… I'm so… I put everyone on this island at risk. Their identities. She knows their real names which means Corso know their real names and what this island is…"
She offered a sad smile, "Possibly, so just stop. The heart wants what the heart wants. None of us had proof – just instincts and you know the three of you could never have built a case on instincts."
She sighed, tugging at his arm, "You are a good man, Camie. You will find your way through this, and you will find your way to the woman you are meant to love. As I said, this woman was not meant for you."
He nodded as Tamsin put the cuffs on his now ex-girlfriend, "I suppose not."
Olivia looked over her shoulder as Adam moved to take her from Tamsin. She stopped, "I'm sorry, Camie."
He shook his head, "If you were truly sorry, Liv, you never would have agreed to do anything to hurt our Mary," he lowered his eyes, "You tried to take her house! Rudy's house! It was set on fire while they were inside! I swear if you had anything to do with that…"
Johnny spoke softly, "Brother… remember your duty. You're not undercover anymore."
Looking up, he looked into her eyes, "You know what this house meant to her… to Rudy…"
"They weren't here anymore! They chose to leave! Why should it sit here vacant?"
Camie shook his head, "Because they made a choice, and they also made a choice to come back."
"They don't have the membership in the Coop anymore! They'll fail and the deal will be gone! It was a good deal!" Adam pulled her along, "It was a good deal!" she shouted over her shoulder, "Someone will develop this island! It isn't safe for them anymore!"
Everyone was shocked to see Bo suddenly between Olivia and her path to the federal agent's car, "What do you mean they're not safe?"
She shook her head, lowering her eyes to the ground, "Lawyer."
Bo moved to Stephen, pulling the piece of fruit from his hand before moving back to Olivia. She gave Tamsin a wink as she unsheathed the knife from her low back and spun the blade over and over in her hand before she began to peel the fruit,
"You'll want to reconsider answering my question. I don't like to repeat myself either. I am my mother's daughter, after all."
Olivia looked at Tamsin who gave a nod to Adam. The man stood, towering over the woman in custody before he moved to stand beside his partner, both of them folding their arms over their chests.
Tamsin's radio began to light up with calls, but she quickly put a stop to it,
"All eyes on original target. Radio silence. Fire only on my command."
Liv smirked, "It looks like they're not going to let you kill me. Sorry… not sorry."
Bo looked at Shannie, "Did she just quote that stupid song that I can't stand?"
Shannie nodded, "She did."
Bo shook her head, using her blade to slide a piece of the sweet fruit into her mouth, "This is delicious. Now I know my mom would never give up this land," she leaned in, her lips close to Olivia's, "It's my sister's home, her heritage and her birthright."
She flipped her knife over and used the tip to trace along Olivia's jaw, down her neck and to the center of her chest where she applied just enough pressure to threaten, but not cut,
"If you know my father, then you know all that was said about me, yes?"
"That you're crazy!" she shouted, "That Rudy shouldn't be anywhere near you!"
Bo chuckled, "Oh, but she's safe around you? You just said my sister is not safe here, not around me. So… tell me. Why is my sister not safe here?"
Olivia smirked, "Half-breed."
"Really? You can't even be original with a friggin' knife inches from your heart? Did you know that if I turn the blade horizontal like this, that it will slip right between your ribs and straight into your heart. Of course, it wouldn't kill you if I enter at just the right angle. But, when I pull it out… I wonder what it feels like to bleed to death in a matter of seconds. Don't you?"
"Did you know your sister's name isn't Rudy? That she lied to you?"
Bo shrugged, "A name is just a name. I'm far more interested in my sister as a smart, funny, energetic little girl."
Liv chuckled, "Koa. Her real name is Koa Dennis. There is no Rudy. She doesn't exist."
Bo could hear Rudy start to cry and it broke her heart, but she knew there had to be a reason her Mom would have given her that name. She slid the knife up Olivia's chest to her neck,
"Mom? What does Koa mean in Hawai'ian?"
Mary spoke loud and proud, her fingers lifting Rudy's eyes to meet her own as she spoke,
"Brave. Fearless. As I dreamed her sister would be in my absence. As I dreamed, she would be if I had to leave her behind with the agents to find you."
Bo laughed, "Did you hear that, Liv? That's my ten-year-old sister. Brave and fearless. You, on the other hand, are a spineless follower of men who would never have respected you or followed through on their deal."
She fingered the tip of her blade as she stepped back, eyeing the woman up and down,
Bo smiled, "So, let me tell you what happened. You were from a challenging background. Parents, well, I'm guessing one was in prison and one was on drugs or worse. You were a good student but couldn't afford college. You worked as a bartender."
Bo walked around her, eyeing her figure, the knife trailing over her arm and shoulders until she came back around again,
"You're easy enough on the eyes, so the men wanted you – hit on you regularly. It made you feel good about yourself since nothing else in your life ever did."
She stopped, using her knife to push her hair back before she leaned down and asked,
"How am I doing so far?"
Bo stood and walked back and forth, again spinning the tip of her knife against the finger of the other hand,
"This Martin Corso guy walks into the bar one night. He's got two, maybe three big dudes with him as bodyguards but did you know the best bodyguards aren't always big dudes? I would know. I did a stint as a bodyguard for a while. They're pretty easy to take down."
Bo smiled, swinging her arm forward, "Running slide between their legs, reverse and put a blade through each Achilles and each knee. Done. They're not getting up."
Bo sighed, "Now, where were we? Oh, right. Old guy wearing too much cologne walks into a bar wearing a gold watch. He orders a shot of whiskey – neat, of course – more impressive to a lady like yourself," she chuckled, "Did I mention I used to tend bar too?"
She smirked, "He chats you up and, in the end, offers you the deal of a lifetime. He'll pay for your real estate license. He tells you a good-looking woman like you could sell a lot of properties, that people love to buy things from good looking people."
Bo sliced off another piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth,
"Of course, he drives that pitch home right after the last drunk you served hits on you for the last time. You're so over this job, so you yell to the owner, 'Stanley, I quit!' and follow Corso and his goons out the door. Six months later, you're wearing fancy clothes working in his pipe-smoke-filled office with leather chairs and the sweet smell of root beer barrels filling your senses."
She puts another piece of fruit on the knife and holds it up to Olivia,
"This may be the last thing you get to eat in a long time that isn't out of a can, box or burlap sack."
Olivia turns her head away, so Bo pops it into her mouth, "Just delicious."
Bo begins to walk again, waving the knife near Olivia every chance she gets as she speaks,
"So, you meet the boys in the office, you eventually meet Big Jim – my father. I'm quite a chip off the old block, huh?" she says, pointing the knife, "Anyway, they ask you to cozy up to Cameron – the only single agent in the group."
"Recently single," Mary clarified.
Bo took another bite, moving the tip of the blade in a circular motion as she explained her theory,
"The way they see it, the dentist will do his work, Mary will be dead, you'll distract the agents and Jim's men enter the house under the cover of darkness, steal her files and find out how they can get their hands on this island. At the very least, arm up and take over the co-op so people can't eat. You said billions, right? That would buy my dear old dad most of the state of Alaska."
She shook her head, "But, did you think you would get a share of those profits? That they would give you a seat at the table? Well, I gotta tell you, Liv. The table is a small round table in the back of a general store in Anchorage. There's not enough room for you at the table – or Corso or any of his big boy security guards. Big Jim is… or, should I say was… the only one at the table."
Bo laughed, seeing the look on Olivia's face, "Oh, wait! You thought Big Jim was some rich guy living in an ivory tower in some big city, right? What? He was going to rescue you? Give you your rags to riches story?"
Bo shook her head, "Months from now, these agents would have found you dead in a ditch somewhere with your pretty little neck broken. My dad wasn't in the habit of keeping his people around, Liv – not even the mother of his children. He used them for his needs and then left them behind... usually dead but some were lucky enough to live to get their life sentence… if you call that luck."
She sighed, looking down at the young woman, now feeling sorry for her,
"You have no friends, no family… no one to miss you if you're gone. I should know. It's what he did to me. He drove everyone away from me, then started calling me half-breed so that even my own people would turn on me. Those who didn't, he threatened or killed… or tried to kill."
She put her good knee to the ground to meet the woman's eyes,
"With you, he didn't have to do the work. You were already alone. That's how he chose his people, Liv. You made a bad deal, kiddo. He's dead, the people from the cells who survived like yourself are all dead or in prison."
She shook her head, "You made a bad deal, Liv and I'm sorry, but you wronged my family just like he did. It's time to pay the consequences."
Tamsin walked over, giving Bo a hand up before she looked down at Olivia,
"Explain how these people are not safe and we will do what we can when it comes time for sentencing."
She sighed, "They were going to make billions turning this island into a haven for the rich and famous. But to get their hands on the land, they had to expose everyone so that the feds would have to move them all off the island. Once they were gone, the government would have no use for the island. They'd sell it for half of what it's worth just to get rid of the tax burden to the agency."
Tamsin shook her head, "That's where your people are wrong."
"They know what they're doing," Olivia countered.
The agent laughed, "This island is the property of the US Government, kiddo. It's used by five major agencies tied to the departments of Justice and Defense… you know, all of that pesky national security stuff? Your partners stepped into it up to their eyeballs, kiddo. Your man Corso got some bad intel. There will never be a deal for this land to a privately owned company."
She looked up at Johnny, Sola and Sanjo who stood by Camie while Bo, Tamsin and Adam stood in front of her.
"I'll take the deal."
"Good choice," Bo said, "And when you get out, I'm sure we can find a place for you somewhere. People aren't usually too fond of hiring convicts, but our family is in the business of second chances."
"After what I did, you would trust me to be near your family?" she asked.
Bo shook her head and smiled, "I didn't say I'd trust you. I said I'd give you a second chance. The trust thing will be up to you to build… or not… in Alaska. We have a different set of rules there. You'll learn."
"Alaska?"
Bo nodded, "You won't be welcome here, so yes, Alaska. You see, Liv, I'm pretty sure you didn't set out to become what you've become. I mean, you had an honest job as a bartender. You had dreams. You're what – maybe thirty? Twenty years in prison, maybe less if you get parole. You'll still have plenty of honest living to do."
They all turned when they heard Mary's voice, "There's a big world out there with many, many more people who are nothing like the likes of Martin Corso. You may have to tend a bar for eight hours a day, but the people are good people, and the scenery is second to none."
"But you're talking Alaska," she groaned.
Bo shrugged, "Paradise."
"Alaska? Paradise? It's a fucking ice box," she said, shaking her head.
Bo smiled, "About half the year, that's sort of true but hey, your relationships around here might be kind of… frosty year-round after doing your time."
Tamsin spoke, "Hate to break up this love fest, but I'm going to have to go."
She nodded to Adam who helped Olivia to her feet and escorted her off to the car. Tamsin turned to Bo,
"Acacia isn't due back from the Big Island for a few more hours. Adam and I are going to take the lead on this one so that Acacia gets at least a day or two vacation with the family."
Bo shook her head, "I'm sorry, Tamsin. I wish this wasn't…"
"Say no more. It's my job, Bo. If it wasn't this case, it would be another. Besides, this will all be handed off to the agents of this state once I debrief, so it won't take a lot of time compared to what we had to do in Alaska. No worries, my friend. I may make it back before you leave."
Bo nodded, watching as Tamsin gave Kyle a wink before she turned to Jake. She spoke into her watch,
"One off site, two on site. Verification one, one, one."
Jake spoke into his watch, "Two on site. Verification two, one, one."
She patted Jake on the back before heading towards the car behind Adam and Olivia. Once the car pulled out, everyone stood, speechless.
Finally, Rudy turned to the group, her hand holding tight to Elise's,
"Hi. My name is Koa, but I prefer the name Rudy if you don't mind."
Bo smiled, "Hi Koa who prefers Rudy. I'm Ysabeau, but I prefer the name Bo if you don't mind."
"You're not mad at me?" Rudy asked.
Bo shook her head, "Of course not. It's just a name, kiddo. You did what you had to do to keep you and your mom safe."
"You look sad," Elise said, "Do you miss your real name?"
Rudy shrugged, "I never really got a chance to use it since Olivia was always around. Now, I'm so used to Rudy, I don't think I'll ever go back."
"You'll always be Rudy to me," Elise smiled.
Rudy shrugged, "You know, whenever I was sad as a kid, I would go surfing with my boys. It always made me feel better," she looked at her Mom, "Do you think we should try it?"
Mary smiled, wiggling her extended thumb and pinky finger, "Let's get out there before we lose the peak waves of the day, eh?"
Rudy laughed, "Cowabunga, Dude!"
Mary wrapped Rudy and Elise in a hug, "Go on then. We'll be right behind you."
Rudy responded with a wide grin before dragging Elise off towards the beach. The adults smiled and watched as the two girls giggled all the way to shore. Johnny, Sanjo and their wives followed, then the rest of the Dennis family and friends. Camie was left standing still as he watched everyone head towards the water.
He turned back towards the front yard before walking towards the garage, "Time to atone for my sins."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Two Hours Later…
Sanjo scanned the water before turning to Johnny,
"Hey, Bro! Where did Camie go? He hasn't been out since we came down to the beach."
Johnny shrugged, "Probably licking his wounds."
"Do you think we should check on him?"
"How do we check on him if we don't know where he is?" Johnny chuckled.
"He screwed up, Bro, but he's still ohana."
Johnny sighed, paddling to line up for the next wave, "Fine. Come on."
Sanjo nodded and followed him, taking a smaller swell to the shallows. When they reached the beach, they planted their boards in the sand, both running their hands through their hair, to slick it back out of their eyes. Heading to their wives, they routinely tossed them towels so they could dry off a bit.
"Hungry?" Skye asked.
"Is your husband ever not hungry?" Johnny asked.
"He takes after his older brother," Skye laughed.
"I'm a growing boy," Johnny smirked, laying down on the blanket.
Sanjo huffed, stepping into his sandals, "Johnny, I thought we were going to look for Camie. Come on, man!"
"Dude, you worry too much," he said just as Mary came to stand over him, blocking his sun.
"Your brother is out front tending to the planting," she said.
"What?" Johnny asked, sitting up.
Mary sighed, "You heard me. He told me he's atoning for his sins. No matter how long it takes, he won't join us until the planting is complete – his words, not mine."
Johnny sighed, rolling over and standing up. He looked down at his wife, "I'm going to be a while."
Sola nodded, "It's okay. I was about to go inside to help Mary with dinner."
Skye stood, "I'm with you, Ladies. Why don't you two go see what you can do about your brother by suggesting a different kind of penance."
Sola nodded, "Like one that doesn't have him sleeping in the orchard for the next three weeks."
They nodded, both men setting off towards the front yard. They noticed that Bo, Lauren and the rest of their family and friends were just ahead of them rounding the house,
"Where are they going?" Sanjo asked.
Johnny shrugged, "Dunno."
As they came around to the front yard, they saw Stephen and Betsy handing out gardening tools to everyone. Three trucks were pulled into the front yard and people poured out of them, carrying additional supplies before eight more trucks pulled in, their beds packed with good-sized trees,
"Are you seeing this?" Sanjo asked.
"What's going on?" Johnny asked, the two stopping to watch what was happening.
Sanjo shook his head, "We can't afford to pay these people, Bro."
"Don't I know it," he said, walking quickly to Stephen, "Hey! What are you doing, Man? We can't afford to pay these people!"
Stephen stopped, wiping his brow with the back of his forearm,
"You're not paying them. They're joining your Co-op. You have openings, yes?"
"Well, I suppose but we have to ask the other families and there's contracts…" Johnny began as more trucks pulled in, "… Stephen, you need to slow down…"
But Stephen smiled, shaking his head, "I believe you know some of these people."
Johnny's eyes went wide as he eyed the latest arrivals, "It's the Co-op."
Stephen nodded, "The people that you don't know are here for a sort of try out. They've agreed to work while the Co-op members take each of them aside and speak of the terms of your agreement…"
"Our agreement expired and because everyone quit…"
Betsy handed Johnny a legal envelope, "Patrick acquired a copy of your previous agreement from the office of the FBI and drafted a new version which he believes improves on the old and takes into consideration Mary's income should she choose to stay in Alaska."
Sanjo waved his hands, "We don't want Mary's property. Not after all that Camie just put her through."
"Not Camie, Bro. That was all Olivia and that bastard boss of hers."
Sanjo shrugged, "She still needs to keep her property."
Stephen nodded, "The property will remain hers – actually, she's having Bo and Rudy's name put on the deed but hasn't told them that yet. I really doubt that she will, so if you would keep that…"
"To the grave, Man. To the grave," the two men said, shaking Stephen's hand and giving Betsy a smile.
"Anyway, if these fine folks like what you're selling and you like their work, they'll sign and you'll have a new Co-op."
"But where did you find these people? You know, we have an obligation to…" Johnny began, but Sanjo jumped in,
"Our bosses… our asses will be fired if we brought people to the island who don't have the clearances…"
Betsy smiled, "First, our business manager, Penelope worked with Special Agent Sorenson on this whole package."
Stephen nodded, "Everyone passed their clearances as well as the FBI checkpoints upon arrival at the island."
"Okay, but how did Penelope get the names of all of these other people. I mean, we've never seen…"
Betsy held up her hand, "She used the FBI contact database to send out an invitation to all of the people that have access to this island to offer them membership."
Stephen smiled, "It's apparently a popular item on the job boards. She had five replies in the first thirty minutes after posting."
He nodded towards the people registering at the trucks, "Some of those people called others who used to live on the island but are now released from witness protection but still had valid clearance passes. I suppose a lot of those people said yes since we weren't expecting this many people."
Johnny pushed his hair back, slipping the elastic off his wrist to wind the long locks into a bun, "I guess we'd better get to work. We don't want these rookies to show us up."
Sanjo pulled his hair up and grabbed a shovel, "Thanks, Stephen… Betsy. Really. We owe you one… or two or three."
Stephen nodded, "Anything for our Mary, right?"
Sanjo smiled, "Anything for our Mary."
He and Johnny moved to the people coming off the truck, greeting those new to the property before gathering with the members to talk about what was happening. They agreed to pair off and work with the newcomers, then meet as a group when the work was done to give a sort of evaluation of each.
From the kitchen window, Mary and the wives watched what was happening in the front yard. Penelope moved to counter,
"Anything I can do to help?" she asked.
Mary chuckled, "Well, since everyone else is out there and you're in here with me despite having no cooking skills, I'd say you already did something to help. Besides, you have just started your vacation."
"You can take me out of the office, but I'm not really a vacation kind of person. I mean, I love the scenery, but laying on a beach in the hot sun isn't really my thing."
Mary nodded and put down her knife before she turned to the accountant, "Care to enlighten me about what's happening on my property?"
Penelope shrugged, grabbing a grape from the bowl, and popping it into her mouth, "Well, the family is helping Camie plant since he is determined to sooth his guilt by taking the entire responsibility of the orchard onto his shoulders."
"And the other people I don't recognize?" Mary asked.
"Let's just call them… Temps. They're here for a tryout."
"A tryout?"
Penelope nodded, "They're going to work the land with the other members and then the members will decide whether to offer them contracts or not."
"And where did they come from?" Mary asked.
Penelope shrugged, "Well… remember when I asked you for the names of everyone who had ever visited your property?"
"I do," Mary replied suspiciously.
"Well, that wasn't just for Tamsin to investigate all of the players from Big Jim's army. I also used the contact information to post on the private island message board for new members"
"But only those cleared by the FBI can see those posts."
Penelope nodded, "Exactly. I talked to Tamsin and she ran basic security checks on everyone and then got the okay for them to go through the initial security check at the gates."
"And what is Jake doing with the camera?" Mary asked.
"He's taking pictures of every contract and sending it to Acacia in the office on the mainland. She'll run the full national and interpol background checks to verify the information on the contracts are true and correct. If someone lies, you wouldn't want them in the Co-op, right?"
A slow smile spread across Mary's face, "True, but I have a feeling that's not what Acacia is looking for."
"Oh?" Penelope smirked, "You don't say?"
Mary grinned, "Your sarcasm is top notch."
"I had a lot of great teachers," Penelope chuckled.
Mary nodded, "So, anyone not on the federal island background check list doesn't belong on this island, which means they're one of Jim's people," she turned to Penelope, "Smart call."
"Yea, I know. Tamsin told me I should've been an agent. I told her I liked numbers too much," she smiled. "So… do you want to be involved in the decision making?"
Mary sighed, looking at Skye and then Sola, "I think the decision should be made by the other members of the Co-op… since I won't be living here on a daily basis."
Skye smiled, "Not daily? So… you're actually going back to Alaska?"
Mary nodded, "I cannot be sure of my youngest daughter's mind at this point, but I know that Rudy wants to be with her Sister, so…"
Sola placed a hand on Mary's shoulder, "It's okay, Mary. We understand."
Though Mary could see the expression on Skye's face and knew she wasn't fully sold on the idea. Regardless, she focused on Sola and nodded,
"I know you do, but we really do miss all of you… and our island. The members will be joining only for me to leave again…"
Sola shook her head, "And we will have proof that the danger you spoke of that forced you to leave is real. They'll know the truth, Mary. They'll understand that you've found the daughter you were separated from by the Federal Agents…"
Penelope nodded towards the window, "As a matter of fact, they're meeting your found daughter out there while she works right alongside them despite having no connection to these lands other than you and Rudy."
Mary smiled, staring out at her eldest daughter who was getting planting lessons from her younger sister. It warmed her heart to see the pair working the grove together. She turned to Sola,
"I don't want anyone to speak ill of my agents. They were protecting us and the many other people in witness protection on this island when they separated us."
Mary sighed, "I was naïve to believe that I had been safe on this island – especially when my handler disappeared for all of those years. I am thankful that Tamsin took the lead he left behind. I could have been forgotten... or worse."
Sola nodded, "Well, that didn't happen, and the brothers were put here to make sure you were protected."
She gave a shrug, "Yes, here I was protected. But in Alaska… well, let's just say that…" she nodded through the window, "… the man named Jake out there… I would be dead and gone by now if it weren't for him. I owe him a great debt."
Sola and Skye moved towards Mary as they saw a trail race down one cheek, but she held her hand up, then lifted her head quickly wiping the cheek cry,
"Mary…" Sola began, but Mary shook her head,
"I'll not fail another daughter, Sola. It would break my heart to do so. What Rudy wants she will get. Ysabeau and I have agreed that she will come first."
Sola nodded, "We won't try to influence her, Mary. She belongs with her sister if it's what she wants… her blood sister."
Skye shrugged, "And since we have all but removed any suggestion that your elder daughter was complicit in her father's affairs…"
"Now hold on just a minute there. Complicit?" Penelope asked, not liking the accusatory tone of Skye's voice.
"Everyone was a suspect," Skye confirmed, "Mary had not had any contact with Ysabeau for over a decade. She could not be sure she hadn't fallen under her father's influence."
Penelope turned to Mary, "You really believed that…"
Mary shook her head, "I did not. I was informed it was a precaution the bureau was taking – no one was without suspicion. Personally, once I knew of the life she had been leading… well, it is what spurred me to return to my homeland to find her."
Mary turned to Sola and Skye, "Whether here or there, I am eternally grateful for all you have done for me and my child."
The three women hugged as Penelope looked on, suspicious of Skye's willingness to detach from her old friends if they chose to go to Alaska. As they parted, she spoke,
"Of course, anytime Bo flies this way, she'll be using Hawai'i as the layover once Tamsin gets the clearances in place for her to land on this island."
"A direct flight from Alaska to here?" Sola asked.
Penelope nodded, "And the plane flies both ways."
"You mean… we can come and visit?" Skye asked.
Mary grinned, "Oh my! I wasn't thinking of you leaving the island, but yes! Yes! When the boys can get time off from whoever they are assigned to next, that's exactly what she means!"
Sola smiled, "They're not taking another family, Mary."
"They're not?"
Sola shook her head, "They're taking a sabbatical from the bureau to tend the land full time."
"They're agents?" Penelope asked.
Mary smiled, placing a hand over her lips. Penelope smiled and nodded as Mary whispered, "They're deep cover agents. Only some of our people know that."
Sola nodded, "We've all agreed it's time to stop moving from place to place. We want to live out our lives here with the boys only taking short-term cases that will allow us to stay in our home."
Skye added, "That said, we can't travel to Alaska during the harvest, but we can come just after."
"Well, I had planned to come for a visit during the harvest, so maybe you can fly back with me," Mary said, her eyes brimming with tears, "Then maybe you can stay on for the Iditarod. Oh, we would love to have you and Rudy would be over the moon!"
"That would be amazing!" Skye shouted, throwing her arms around the two women.
"It truly would be and maybe Rudy can squeeze in some competitions during the summer months here when she's not in school," Mary smiled, "Oh, I've missed you all so much."
They all smiled and hugged at the thought of another reunion and possibly more frequent reunions via Bo's coming flights.
Penelope sat back in her chair, taking a sip of her wine. She chuckled to herself as she smiled at the three women,
"Yup. I am the best problem-solver ever and right now this is the best view in town. It's like a fucking live-action Hallmark Christmas movie."
She smiled, taking another taste from her glass as she watched the women get back to the business of cooking. She continued to watch Skye. She didn't know what it was, but she just didn't trust her.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dual Family Dinner…
Mary stood, raising her glass from the head of the long table, her eyes surveying all of the faces before she called for attention,
"Aloha."
"Aloha," was the response from those few who knew to respond.
Mary smiled, noting that her Alaskan family and friends had not picked up on the greeting. She smiled,
"I suppose we should start with a little lesson on our greeting for our Alaskan guests."
She turned to her left, "Johnny, if you would be so kind?"
He smiled and stood, holding his glass,
"In our land of air and sea, we say Aloha for many reasons. It's our most powerful word. Its direct translation is 'may you have ever-lasting breath'. I know that sounds kind of deep, but that's what makes it such a powerful word for us. If we don't mean it, we don't say it."
He smiled, "The root of the word, 'alo' is a forward call to deity. The 'ha' in the word means the breath of life and that breath runs deep in all of us. The translation of Hawai'i is 'ha-vai-'i, meaning the breath of life and the water of life - of I, the creator."
He looked at Mary and smiled, "Our ancestors named our land from our creator because it was beautiful and lush with everything we needed to survive. We see our island as our living, breathing source – our deity."
Bo spoke, "And the greeting you used with my mom earlier today? What is its meaning?"
"Oh, the honi. Yes, Mary has told us that you have a similar custom in Alaska," he turned to her, "I believe it's called the Kunik, yes?"
Mary smiled and nodded, "You remembered."
Bo shrugged, "Actually, it's the Kunik to the Inuit of Canada and Greenland. Most of the Gulf states call it…"
"Khashm-makh," Mary smiled, at her daughter, "I taught them the word kunik as it would be easier to pronounce. You learned both as a child since our village often had visitors from Canada."
Bo nodded, "I see. Of course," she turned to Johnny, "It's nice that you remembered something of my mother's native tongue."
"Of course. She taught us well, so that we would uphold some of those traditions when we were caring for Rudy."
He looked at his family, "Although, we must admit, we did tend to sag back into our island language and traditions. Picking up a new culture is difficult for us as well."
Bo nodded, though in her mind, she was feeling Rudy's upbringing had been a little one-sided, "Well, as long as you tried."
"I do promise that if they were to remain here on the island, we would make more of an effort knowing how important those traditions are to you all."
Bo chuckled, "They're important to my mom and Rudy as well."
Bo chanced a glance down the table and noticed Elise slouch back in her chair, her eyes and hands moving to her lap. Whispered conversation was exchanged between the two youngsters before Rudy took her hand and held it tightly in her own.
Lauren noticed as well, her hand finding Bo's and squeezing it tightly. She leaned over and whispered in her wife's ear,
"Mentioning the possibility of Rudy living here was completely unnecessary."
Bo whispered back, "I know, Sweetie. I think a few people are marking their territory."
Both women lifted their eyes as Johnny began to speak, his eyes traveling across the length of the table to focus on the opposite end,
"The honi is a Polynesian greeting. We press our noses together and inhale each other's scent and then exhale. The honi is an exchange of the 'ha'…"
"The breath of life?" Bo asked.
"Yes," he smiled, turning back to the brunette "The person's essence and 'mana', the spiritual power between two people. It's a sacred and very spiritual act that sometimes puts outsiders off. This is similar to the Kunik, yes?"
Bo nodded, looking at her mom who smiled at her daughter, "Yes, Child. So you understand my comfort in this land?"
Bo had to acknowledge the similarities between the two cultures, so gave her mom a nod before Mary turned to her Island family and explained a bit more about her former home,
"When the Europeans settled in Alaska, they called our ancestors Eskimos. It's actually an insulting term to most of us as the more appropriate word is Inuit," she shrugged, "Anyway, the kunik is a traditional greeting for us but is typically used only between family members."
She turned to Bo and smiled, the brunette explaining a bit more about the greeting,
"The term Eskimo kiss that the outsiders bestowed on the act has been spoken of throughout North America for as far back as my family can remember."
Mary nodded her agreement, so Bo continued.
"Anyway, it isn't just nose-to-nose contact. The kunik involves pressing your nose and upper lip to the skin of the other person. My mom always did it on my forehead, but like your honi, we also breathe in."
She smiled at Mary before turning to the group, "But instead of breathing in their breath, we breathe in their scent. It's said that my ancestors used it to determine if they could trust a visitor and that they could recognize the scent many months later."
"So you can actually recognize the scent of anyone here?" Skye asked with a chuckle.
Mary could see her daughter's frustration with Skye, but in fairness to her Ysabeau, the woman had been finding all of her daughter's buttons and pushing them since Olivia had been taken away.
She sighed, her eyes flashing a warning at the woman who plastered a smile on her face and turned to Bo,
"I mean… well, I don't mean you go around sniffing people…"
Bo laughed, "It kind of sounds like you think I do."
"Ysabeau," Mary scolded.
Bo turned to her mom, cocking her head, "Really?"
Mary sighed as Bo turned back to Skye, "If I were blindfolded, I could identify every person in this room."
"She can do our dogs too," Rudy said, picking at the bread on her plate, "Sister taught me how to breathe in the world so I could no when danger was coming."
"Danger?" Skye asked.
Rudy nodded, "I never knew you could smell a storm coming until Sister taught me how. I practice, but I'm not as good as her. I can tell some of the dogs by smell – mostly Harper and the puppies. Cinder always smells like dirt because she likes to roll in mud."
Elise giggled, "And Mutt too, but Cassie says he smells different because he's a boy and has different fairy moans."
Lauren spit out the sip of wine she'd just taken, leading Elise to pat her on the back,
"Are you choking?"
Lauren smiled, looking up at Cassie and her friends from the hospital who were all laughing as well. She suppressed her laughter as she gently correct,
"No, Sweetie. The word you were looking for was pheromones."
"Right. Those things," Elise said, putting her bread on her plate, "They have to do with dogs wanting to have sex and who they pick."
All of the adults laughed, Elise looking up at all of the faces before turning to Cassie,
"What's so funny? It's how they make babies, right?"
Cassie grinned, "You are absolutely right, Elise."
She nodded, "That's what I thought."
"Elise is super smart," Rudy said before taking another bite of her bread, "So is Lauren. As a matter of fact, you're sitting with a whole lot of super smart people. They're doctors and nurses and they went to school for a really long time."
She looked up at Mary, "What were we talking about?"
Mary grinned, "Scent."
"Oh, right," Rudy said, "Sister taught me that our oldest memories come from smells. When we were driving here I had my head out the window and I closed my eyes and I just knew when we were home. I could smell it."
Bo smiled at her mom, now understanding the look on her sisters' face when they were driving here. She spoke,
"Scent is the basis for many, many memories. The stronger the sense of smell, the stronger the memory and the stronger it stays."
She turned to Skye, "I'm sure that if I blindfolded you and placed every fruit from that orchard under your nose, you would know exactly what each fruit or vegetable was without need for sight."
"Well, of course, but…"
"I would only know half of those scents based on my comparatively brief work with those plants today. However, if you came to Alaska, the situation would be reversed."
Mary nodded, "In fact, the act of taking in scent is common in many lands of Asian and Polynesian roots. I've read its customary even as far away as the lands of the Arab tribesman."
"So only uncommon to European cultures," Skye decided.
Mary smiled, "I'd say that's a fair bet, but I'm no expert."
Anna nodded, "It has been tradition for European cultures to use perfumes, bath and body fragrances to hide unpleasant body odors."
Johnny leaned over to Camie, taking a big sniff, "Because some definitely need it more than others."
He waved his hand across his face, earning a punch from Camie and a chuckle from Rudy and Sanjo.
Bo shrugged, "Well, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us."
Johnny nodded, "We met as strangers. It is my hope that we all part ways as friends or better yet, as family."
He turned to Mary, bowling his head, "Thank you for granting me the honor of speaking at your table."
Mary grinned, "Oh, stand up you fool."
He laughed, "I don't want your daughter to think I don't respect my elders."
Mary reached out and smacked him on the back of the head, the group of men laughing at their brother as Sanjo narrated, holding his fake microphone,
"Oh! There it is, Ladies and Gentlemen! Mary Dennis holds true to form and lands a perfect head slap to the back of big brother's head! The question we are still asking is if he will ever learn not to talk about age around our Mary?"
Mary wagged a finger at Sanjo, "Careful, you. I also have a long reach."
He held up both hands, "Peace, Mary! I come in peace!"
She smiled, turning to the table where her Alaskan family were smiling, though clearly missing the joke. She sighed, realizing she was leaving them out of an inside story. It was wrong of her, so she pulled herself back on topic,
"Please, raise your glasses," she smiled, "To family… blood or not… together life is filled with love, laughter and even some lessons for us to learn along the way. Great Spirits, let this not be the last time we gather together whether here or in Alaska."
"Here, here!" they all chimed in, clanging glasses together and sipping the wine as Mary looked at Bo, then back to the group, happy with they had all come together to share a meal.
"I believe you said a story was customary in Alaska?" Johnny asked, "So, do we get one?"
"Yea, Mary! Tell us a story!" Sanjo said, raising his glass.
Everyone drank before turning to Mary. She took an extra sip and then began,
"Let's save the story for after the meal. This food looks too good to wait and it's getting cold."
"Yes! Finally. The bread is great, but I want real food!" Rudy said, licking her lips.
They all turned towards the food, while – quietly - Elise crawled onto her chair, raising her glass. Everyone stopped, Lauren placing a hand on her back to support her as any protective mother would do. She spoke,
"Um… sorry. I know you're all hungry and… well, I don't know if I'm breaking some Hawai'in tradition, but…"
"It's okay, Child. Tell your story if you'd like," Mary smiled, "Everyone, Elise is soon to be the adopted daughter of Bo and Lauren… and my new granddaughter."
Everyone raised a glass, Johnny providing a quick toast,
"To Elise!"
She smiled leaning down to Rudy as they all clapped for her, "Grown ups are so weird."
Rudy nodded, "Yea, but they're our grown ups. Go ahead and say your speech."
"Maybe I shouldn't."
Rudy shrugged, "You know how we do it at home. The storyteller just speaks from their heart. You can do it. I'm here, whatever story you're gonna tell."
"Promise you won't get upset? I didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?"
Elise sighed, "Don't be mad at me. I just… I can't stop thinking about them."
"Your parents?"
Elise nodded.
Rudy scowled, "I wish they were here."
"Me too," Elise said.
"Tell your story."
Elise nodded, standing upright again with Lauren's hand still on her back.
"Um… if you don't mind, I'd like to remember my parents. It's been a year… tomorrow… since I placed the black mark on the calendar when my Daddy didn't wake up. Next week is when I put a black mark for my Mom."
Lauren felt Bo's hand grip her leg, both realizing they did not know the actual anniversary of the parents' deaths despite the fact that Lauren was there the day that her mother died. Elise had never mentioned that she knew the dates, but Lauren assumed the child had marked the calendar when Lauren was looking at the papers in their home office.
"My Mom made me open the window to Daddy's room after he died and then close the door to his room and not go back in. I used to sit outside his door and sing to him. I knew he couldn't hear me, but… well, I knew he could have… in a way."
Bo's scanned the table, noting the tear-stained cheeks of all of the adults who hung on every word the child spoke. When her eyes landed on Rudy, she saw a sadness, yet courage. She was there for her friend and her set jaw and gritted teeth told Bo she had no intention of breaking.
The brunette moved her gaze to Elise as she continued with a shrug,
"I knew Mommy would probably die too unless the doctor came. My neighbor stopped coming, so I was pretty sure she was dead. Most of the adults were… and some of my friends and teachers."
She sighed, "I sat in the doorway to my mom's room when I wasn't eating my soup. She wouldn't let me come any closer unless I had my gloves and my mask on, but we didn't have many left and I had to save them for feeding her."
She paused, "Anyway, I read to her from the doorway. She liked books. There were books everywhere in our house and we loved reading them together. She helped me pronounce the big words until… well, until she couldn't stay awake very long but I would still read to her when she slept."
She looked at the food on the table, "I never had food like this while they were sick. I opened my canned soup or canned vegetables, heated them, and ate alone in the kitchen. It was very quiet. It was very cold. It was very scary, and I felt really, really alone."
She shrugged, "So… I did my homework and read my textbooks even though we weren't going to school because everyone was sick... or gone."
She looked down the table to LJ, "But then, Doctor Lauren came on the snow machine with my new brother."
LJ was smiled back at her. Giving him a wave and a smile, she turned back to Lauren,
"My mommy was so worried about what would happen to me, and I was worried about what would happen to her. But then you were there, and I just knew everything was going to be okay because you sat with my Mom and listened to her without arguing or interrupting her. She hated when my dad did that."
A pout stretched across her mouth, as she stared down at the table,
"Before my mommy died, she told me you would take care of me. She told me I wouldn't be alone anymore. And then, you held my mommy's hand when she died. She knew she wasn't alone either."
She looked away, trying to hide the tear that escaped and rolled down her dimpled cheek. She wiped it away and then turned back to Lauren,
"I don't know why I lived, and my parents had to die, but they picked you because they knew that you would take care of me… because you were smart… and you were a doctor who took care of hearts. My mom said that if anything happened to them, you would take care of me and my heart, too."
Lauren took her hand, intertwining their fingers together as Elise spoke, "I thought she meant you would operate on my heart if it broke, but now I know what she meant. She meant that you would love me no matter what."
Elise turned to her friend, "Being with Lauren gave me my sister and best friend Rudy. And I have a bigger family than I ever had before. I have two mom's and Grandmom Mary, Aunt Molly, Uncle Mark and a big brother Tosh and a not-really brother, but he still feels like a brother, LJ. I have Shannie and Lynnie and Kenzi and Hale and Kurt and Kyle and Tamsin and… well… look at all these people! I'm not alone anymore."
She lowered her eyes,
"I still miss Mommy and Daddy every day. Sometimes it hurts my heart when I think about them and sometimes it hurts my heart that they're not here to see me do all the cool things like driving a sled, having a puppy, learning to surf and water ski and becoming a veterinarian. But then I think of what Grandmom Mary taught me and I know their spirits are here with all of us and they're watching all of that stuff I'm doing and it makes my heart feel better."
Elise shrugged, looking up at the table, suddenly embarrassed, "Sorry. I don't know why I said all of that, but I guess… well, everyone was happy and doing your adult drink toasts and it made me think that here are all of you together… but two are missing. I guess I just didn't want my parents to be left out."
She hung her head, "Or maybe I just wanted to let you all know that I've been thinking about them a lot today and even though I really miss them, I'm glad my mom sent me to find a new family."
Tosh smiled, raising his glass, "To the Valaria's whose spirits travel with their child on the wind and to new family. May we all work together to support our little sisters' greatest dreams wherever they may take her."
"Valaria's!" they all shouted, raising their glass to Elise who smiled and lowered herself to her chair, taking the hug Lauren gave her. She smiled, looking up at Lauren who kissed her forehead and squeezed her once more for good measure.
"Well, let's eat, shall we?" Mary smiled, pulling the cover off the platter closest to her, "We've got fresh Ahi thanks to Johnny and Sanjo, we've got a beautiful Hawai'ian fruit salad courtesy of Camie, a beautiful pasta dish courtesy of Skye and a wonderful roast pork from Sola that was pit cooked all day."
Rudy raised her hand, "Don't forget the green beans that Elise and I picked from the garden!"
Mary smiled, "And the cold bean salad from the girls is amazing. They added fresh mint as well."
Rudy and Elise shared a high five and a smile before Rudy asked, "Can we do Aunt Molly's strawberry shortcake first? We're still on vacation."
Mary looked at Molly who laughed, "No, Child. We're going to eat dinner in regular order tonight so we don't confuse our island friends about our traditions."
"But it is our tradition when we're on vacation!"
Mary eyed Rudy, leaving her lowering her eyes until she saw the large spoonful of fresh fruit salad Lauren placed on her plate and then Elise's. She reminded them,
"It will still be another month until you can get that in Alaska."
The two looked at each other, "It's just like dessert!"
They giggled and dug into their food with enthusiasm. The entire family filled their plates and ate, the conversation and laughter flowing smoothly, albeit within the two groups for the most part.
Bo wasn't really surprised. Her mom and Rudy had a lot of catching up to do with their island family, but it left her, Lauren and Elise sitting in silence since their Alaskan group was at the other end of the table.
When they finished eating, the trio served dessert to the table and then the cleanup began. Everyone chipped in to help - Johnny and Sanjo leaving the patio early to get the evening fire started in the sand pit, telling Bo they could handle it.
Mary knew that her daughter was uncomfortable and she caught her more than once staring down the beach. Eventually, she gave her the permission she knew she sought,
"Child, if you feel a need for some alone time, I won't be offended. I can feel your discomfort."
Bo sighed, "I'm fine, Mom."
"Ysabeau…"
"Mom… please. This isn't about what I need."
She turned and walked away, immediately finding comfort with her wife and the nurses who were watching the girls break out the game night picks.
They had chosen Candyland and were joined by Penelope, Patrick, Jake, Acacia and Adam. The rest of the adults were heading out to the firepit, but not before Shannie, Lynnie, Kate and Anna volunteered to take on the winners if they wanted to bow out.
Lauren reminded, "S'mores at the firepit in two hours. Set the timer so you don't miss out!"
Adam pulled out his phone and set the timer before they all focused on the game. The girls had picked Chutes and Ladders as the second game if they had time followed by Go Fish.
Out at the fire, most took a seat while Molly and Mary began pouring tea or coffee for anyone who wanted it. The fire was bright, big and warm. The scenery was magnificent. But, as had been the case at dinner, the Islanders took the seats closest to Mary and Rudy, leaving the Alaskan side of the family awkwardly navigating to different locations than those usually reserved for them at their spitfires back home.
It was odd, Bo thought. She'd never thought of their seating as 'assigned', but now as she witnessed the shuffling around of her family, she realized that there was a certain routine to their fireside gatherings.
She sighed, taking the last remaining seat that her mom had reserved for her.
"Small miracle," Bo thought to herself as she took the seat before realizing that her wife was not beside her. She searched the group and found Lauren sat between Tosh and Shannon several seats to her right.
Her longing, yet frustrated look was not lost on her wife, but Lauren gave her a wink and a smile before Tosh threw an arm over her shoulder pulling the blonde close. He added a sly smile which left Bo shaking her head with a smirk.
The inside joke ended abruptly at the sound of Johnny's voice,
"I believe you promised us a bedtime story since you skipped out of it before dinner."
Bo could think of a few stories she owed her Alaskan family as well, but she held her tongue. A year ago, she would not have been so diplomatic. Where had her impulsive, petulant side gone? It had often served her well in situations such as these.
Deciding to broach the subject with her mom since old Mare was in such a storytelling mood, she opened her mouth to speak but was stopped by the feeling of a hand on her shoulder.
She could smell her wife's shampoo before she felt her breath on her ear as she whispered,
"Are you okay?"
Bo offered a slight nod at the sound of her wife's voice who replied,
"I'll accept that nod as a yes, but you look like you want to take a knife to Johnny's throat right now, so what do you say you smile for the nice people?"
Bo swallowed hard, plastering a smile on her face as Lauren kissed her cheek and returned to the seat next to her brother-in-law. Again, Bo turned to the islanders when another voice rose,
"No pressure, but we're curious for sure," Sanjo replied, moving his eyes from Bo to Mary, "You were going to pick up your mystery daughter and never came back. Where ya been, Mare?"
Bo gritted her teeth. Mystery daughter? Really? Maybe she should just get up and leave since she was clearly invisible to them all. She could feel the anger building. Where was it coming from?
She moved to stand and excuse herself but felt her mom's hand on hers. She looked at the polite smile on her face and immediately slid back in her chair. Mary mouthed a thank you before turning back to Sanjo and giving him a nod,
"My child was never a mystery to me, Sanjo. However, it was your bosses that prevented me from bringing her here when she was much, much younger. The mystery was whether or not she had survived… well, it was a mystery to me, anyway."
She squeezed Bo's hand again before she released it, "I left because the agents had told me her life was in danger, so the mystery was what I would find when I arrived. For all I knew, our family reunion was going to happen in a morgue. The closer we got the more I worried."
Bo thought, 'About time you started to worry.'
Mary closed her eyes tight, lowering her head as she caught her breath, but Tamsin filled the darkness in her mind,
"Aw, come on Mare. You knew her from birth. You knew Bo was too stubborn to die," she turned to Bo, smirking, "However, without your guidance, she did grow up to be an obnoxious, petulant, death-defying survivalist with a great deal of pride and determination. She never would have allowed herself to be killed by any of those idiotic baboons who were chasing her."
Bo eyed Tamsin, her eyes moving to her mother as the resentful thoughts returned,
'Of course, my mom didn't see what I was dealing with at fourteen, sixteen, eighteen or even twenty years of age. Death was always close… or things that made me wish I was dead.'
Mary nodded with a smile, "I do know that now," she said, her eyes moving to the fire once more, "But I still had an image in my mind of the child I'd left behind who was just about to start her teen years. She was just about a year older than Rudy is now…"
