by Steve McHugh
When I reached Tommy's office, I paused for a moment and took a deep breath, reluctant to intrude on a family moment, especially after what they'd been through. I breathed out as I opened the door and stepped inside.
I'd been in Tommy's office once in the months since regaining my memories, and that was only to say I'd arrived, after which Tommy hastily ushered me out without giving me time to take in any of the details. Now finally having the chance to look around the massive office, I figured out why. One full side of the room, the one opposite an entire bank of windows, had a dozen shelves on it with photos of Olivia and Kasey, while the wall adjacent the door I'd walked through held several beautiful works of art, including many from an artist named Kasey, aged six, seven or eight. Tommy hadn't wanted me to know he had a daughter because he was concerned exactly what Nate he was getting. If I'd been in his office for more than five seconds his entire effort of security would have been pointless.
Olivia sat on the desk at the far end, watching me as I scanned the office. She stood and walked toward me, and before I knew what was happening, she'd embraced me in a tight hug as tears wet her cheeks.
"Thank you," she whispered into my ear. "I can never repay what you've done for me... for us." She kissed me on the cheek and moved away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"You never have to repay a thing," I told her. "Where're Tommy and Kasey?"
"Kasey went for a coke; Tommy went to deal with his issues."
"He's hitting something, isn't he?"
"In the gym. He's having more trouble dealing with what happened than Kasey is."
"He was almost beaten to death. That's going to screw with anyone's head. Besides that, he's a wolf who in any other life would be the alpha of a powerful pack. It's probably a lot for him to take in that he couldn't help his daughter. I'll talk to him, if you like."
Olivia nodded as Kasey walked in, can of coke in hand. "Nate," she shrieked, as she saw me and ran over, hugging me tightly.
"I like the artwork," I said.
Kasey pulled away and glanced back at the pictures on the wall.
"I'm a big fan of the rocket picture."
"That's an aeroplane," she corrected.
"Oh, so what's the slug thing underneath it?"
"That's a mountain with eyes."
I raised an eyebrow in question.
"I was six," she said, explaining everything.
"He hurt my dad," she said after a moment's silence. "I couldn't do anything to stop it." And Kasey was enfolded into her mum's arms the second the tears began to fall.
I let them have their moment together, until Kasey pulled away and glanced up at me. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him from hurting you either."
I've seen many things in my life that have pulled at my heart in one way or another, but that? That damn near broke it. "Kasey, you stood up to a monster that most adults would have run from. You have nothing to be sorry for. Neither I nor your dad would ever think any less of you for being unable to stop the lich. We think more of you for trying. It's not your job to fight monsters, it's your job to enjoy being young. Maybe one day, you can be the big monster killer, but right now we don't want you to put yourself in danger. Not even to protect us."
Kasey sniffed. "My dad is angry."
"I'll deal with your dad," I told her. "Some people are more stubborn and proud than they should be. I'll go get him for you."
*****
Finding Tommy was easy. I heard the grunts of pain, and the sound of the punch bag's reinforced chain straining to take the blows, before I'd even reached the gym's entrance.
I stood at the door and watched Tommy go to work on the bag with a combination of savage blows. Two previous bags lay on the floor nearby, their contents spilling out across the floor.
"You know, if you're going to be breaking every single punch bag, it's probably a good idea to start buying ones that are made for a werewolf."
"Go away," he said and continued punching the bag.
"You're not healed," I continued, ignoring him. "You keep that up, and you're going to end up a long-term resident for Doc Grayson to look after. I saw your wounds, Tommy. That silver can't be anywhere near healed yet. You're only doing more damage by being a stubborn pain in the ass."
"I'll be fine."
I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tommy, stop it."
He shook me off and planted a hand in my chest, shoving me back. "I said, go away."
When I didn't move, Tommy growled and threw a punch at me this time, but he was still injured and the punch lacked power and speed. I deflected it, causing him to lose his footing and fall forward.
"Don't be an ass, Tommy."
He sprang up to throw a second punch, but a quick kick to his injured leg ended that plan before it started.
Unfortunately, it didn't deter Tommy so much as it pissed him off even more. He charged at me, so I stepped into the attack, grabbed his arm and spun him up and over my shoulder. He landed with a loud thud, crying out with pain as the silver wounds struck the floor.
"Enough," I said one more time. "Don't make me hurt you."
I stepped back to give him some room and he charged again. I tried to avoid him, but he grabbed my t-shirt and tackled me to the floor, where he quickly found himself in a triangle choke hold. He tried to use his strength to power out of it, but I had it locked in, and he wasn't at full health. So the question became which would give out first, his remaining strength or his oxygen supply?
As it turned out, it was his strength. He sagged against my legs, his fight gone, and I released the hold, pushing him onto the floor next to me as I panted with exhaustion. Apparently, Tommy wasn't the only one who hadn't fully healed yet.
I sat up. "You feel like telling me why you're being a dick?"
"He forced Kasey to watch as he beat me," Tommy said, clearly upset. "I begged him to stop, to let her go. And he just laughed and kept on hitting and cutting me. He screamed at Kasey to watch, forced her to see me bloodied and helpless on the floor. I couldn't protect myself, let alone my own daughter." He started to cry as the rage and helplessness overwhelmed him, and we stayed like that for several minutes.
"How do I help Kasey get over what she saw?" Tommy asked me finally.
I got back to my feet and offered my hand to Tommy, who took it, allowing me to help him up. "Tommy, your daughter is one of the bravest people I've ever met. I don't mean bravest girl, or bravest twelve-year-old, I mean bravest person. She stood between me and my quite probable death, and she stared that son-of-a-bitch down without blinking. And when I got to see her a few minutes ago, she apologised to me for not being able to stop him. I don't think you're going to have much to worry about with her in the long term. She'll have nightmares, she'll be a little short with you and Olivia, maybe a little withdrawn, but she'll see her friends, and so long as you're both there for her, she'll be just fine. I'm more worried about you."
"I've been beaten up before" He waved off my concern. "Several times. I've thought my life was over on occasion, too. But seeing Kasey there, being unable to keep her safe. That's crushed me. My whole job as a dad is to protect my daughter. And I couldn't do it."
"Damn, Tommy, I think you're being a little hard on yourself. You'd been knocked out by Reid, who'd put a sorcerer's band on you and then you were attacked by something that you couldn't have hurt even with your full abilities. You did fuck all wrong. Hell you should be commended for being too stubborn to die in the first place."
Tommy laughed and some of the tension that he'd kept inside almost visibly left him. "What happened to Reid? I'd quite like to have a few words with him. And by words, I mean tear his arms off and beat him to death with them."
"I'm sure you'll get your chance at some point. Whoever he was working for probably won't be happy that Peter got killed before he could finish his job. For the moment though, Reid has vanished."
We started to walk toward the exit, and I noticed several of Tommy
's employees craning their heads around the door to get a look at what was happening. After a few steps, Tommy stopped walking. "Oh, I almost forgot. Matthew said thanks for the help. Apparently having Hellequin as a friend changed the minds of a few people who'd been supporting Elijah."
"I'm glad I could help."
"Are you sure about Hellequin? That's a big step for you. I remember when you buried him, and it was not a good time for you."
"I know, Tommy. But it's been long enough. Hellequin is who I am. I may have different values, different wants from back then, but it's still me. And if dropping the name to get information on you and Kasey means I have to deal with the aftermath, then so be it. It's a deal I'd gladly take again."
"Thanks for everything, Nate. Have I ever told you that you're a damn good friend?"
I stared at Tommy for a heartbeat. "You should mention it more often; maybe create a huge banner to hang at the entrance of your building to tell the story of how great I am. You could write a song about it... "The Ballad of My Great Friend, Nate."
"You're an asshole," Tommy said in between laughs. "Be serious."
I smiled and clasped his hand "You know I've always got your back. You and your family. Anything you ever need me to do, it's done. No thanks are ever needed."
Tommy starting walking again as everyone in the doorway made sure they had somewhere else to be before we got there.
"You need to call Sara. She's been discharged from hospital, and she'll probably be at home by now."
"I will. What's going to happen to Olivia?"
"She's going to have some serious questions to answer. She didn't ask for back-up and involved a large number of werewolves in reclaiming the headquarters, which she lost in the first place. Avalon will want a full investigation, and she's already been told to stay away from Winchester until the Avalon representative turns up in the morning."
"She did the right thing."
"I know, but she didn't do the Avalon thing. She put people ahead of being detached from the situation. She may lose her position, but more likely she'll be suspended. Which will probably do her some good, although don’t tell her I said that. I hear you're off to Toronto"
"In a few weeks, yeah. I need to learn how to control whatever it is I can do now. Hades is a good teacher."
Tommy's grin could have split his face in two. "He's going to kick your ass every single day."
"Yes, yes he is."
"I wonder if he'll film it? I'd quite like a copy."
I chuckled. "Now who's being the asshole?"
"Hey, it'd be educational. And funny. Very, very funny."
"I'm glad my misery will amuse you. Anyway, about that song—" I called after him as he left the gym to go see his family.
I didn't take Tommy's advice to call Sara. I went round to see her instead. A personal visit had two benefits. Firstly, it allowed me to actually see Sara, something I felt I needed to do. But it also let me ride my bike, and getting out into the, admittedly cold, weather felt wonderful. Although by the time I pulled up outside Sara's house my body felt a little sore. Still, it was worth it.
I opened the gate to the small front garden and knocked on the front door. Footsteps, heavy and slow—someone was in no hurry to answer the door—were audible through the wooden door, which opened to reveal a man. He was about thirty-five, maybe forty; with shoulder-length dark hair and a few days of stubble. He appeared tired; the bags under his eyes making him look a little like a raccoon.
"Can I help you?" he glanced at me, and then at the bunch of flowers I'd purchased from a florist on the way to see Sara.
I switched the flowers from my right to left hand, and offered my free one. "Sorry I’m Nate. I came to see how Sara was doing."
The man took no time before he smiled and took my hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Will." His handshake wasn't compensating for anything and he maintained eye contact. "Come on in."
I followed Will into the house and along the hallway, walking past a kitchen where some pleasant aromas made my stomach rumble.
Will turned back to me and chuckled. "My rhubarb crumble always has that effect on people." He opened door, and I stepped into a small study.
Sara was sitting in an old leather armchair reading one of the books from the hundreds that lined the shelves all around us. For a small room, it was quite the library.
"We're quite big fans of reading," Will said. "Can't stop us, it doesn't help that I'm a University Professor. I swear, I bring home more stuff to read than it's possible to read in one lifetime."
Sara smiled and got gingerly to her feet, using the desk in front of her to steady herself until Will, moving quickly, was at her side to help. "I'm fine," Sara protested and was soundly ignored.
"You need to be careful," Will told her. "You're still sore from the fall."
"Fall?" I asked.
"Well, yes," Will said, looking a little confused. "The fall down the stairs at work."
"Sorry, "I said, "I thought you meant another one. I was worried for a second there."
"There will be a second one if she's not careful. She's lucky she only got bruising and a concussion."
"These are for you." I passed the bouquet of flowers to Sara who took them with a smile as she smelt the mixture of scents. "We were worried about you."
"I'll be okay," she said, and then had a short conversation with Will about shopping, which ended with Will saying his good-byes and leaving Sara and me alone.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I never thought they'd go after you."
Sara forced a small smile. "None of this is your fault. Reid lied to us all. And they didn't want to hurt me, not badly. They only used me to get you and Olivia out of the way while they went to get Tommy and Kasey. I'm glad they're all okay, by the way. I spoke to Tommy on the phone this morning. He was trying very hard not to ask me if I'm coming back to work for him."
"Am I allowed to ask?"
Sara's smile came easily the second time. "Yes, I'll be back. If I left now, I'd always feel like I missed out on something important. I got to help you catch someone who'd murdered dozens of people. I got to help you bring justice to those families. Even if all I did was hang around and listen and learn, it's still a hell of a feeling to be a part of something like that."
"I'm glad."
"There's one thing though. When I got hurt, Will was the first person at my side. I love him, Nate. I hate that I've had to lie to him about what happened. But whatever the attraction between you and me, it's not worth throwing away what I have with Will for."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that. But when I found my voice there was only one answer that felt right. "I agree." I genuinely meant it. It wouldn't have been fair of me to disrupt Sara's life for something that might never be.
"Tommy tells me you're off to Canada, anyway. When do you leave?"
"A few weeks, I imagine. I'll be gone for a few months, so I'll make sure that Tommy assigns someone else to train you. Which is probably for the best anyway."
"You're right, it would be."
I offered my hand, and Sara ignored it, choosing to kiss me on the cheek. "Thank you for everything," she said, as the front door opened behind us.
"Get better soon," I said to her, and then told Will to take care of her before leaving the house.
Epilogue
The movement sensor went off well before the car pulled onto my driveway. I had it positioned at the bottom of the long windy path that led to my house. If an approaching car was going at a normal speed, it gave me up to sixty seconds to prepare. In this case, the car was moving slowly, the driver obviously in no hurry, and I counted ninety seconds before the headlights appeared. It was daytime, but the sky had been so dark with cloud that it was much darker than it would normally be during the day.
It had been three weeks since Peter's death, since the battle at the LOA office and the return of Hellequin. And it had been mostly quiet. As Tommy had expected, Olivia had been suspended from her position until Avalon
decided that levelling several miles of city in order to keep the lich contained wouldn't have been a good idea. Mostly, because it wouldn't have worked. But Avalon, like all structures of power, has always liked having boxes to tick and procedures to follow. Even if they're incredibly stupid.
The gates to the driveway were already open; I hadn't bothered closing them from earlier in the day. But the car, a red Mazda of one make or another, with almost blacked out windows, stopped at the start of driveway and then just sat there. My initial thought was that someone had heard that Hellequin was back, and decided to take a shot at me.
I stepped out onto my porch and leaned against one of the wooden posts, as I wondered how long I was going to be made to wait, but someone was making a point.
A short time later the car stated moving again, eventually parking with the driver's side door facing me. It opened a few seconds later, and Reid stepped out into the cool air.
I suppressed my initial instinct to kill him. He was working for someone, and I wanted to know who.
"Nathan," Reid said with enough smugness that I immediately regretted not blowing his car up. "I'm sorry it took so long to get to you, but I've been very busy dealing with the fact that you stopped Peter. You pissed off a lot of people with that."
"Good, they deserved to be pissed off." I stepped out from under the porch. "You feel like telling me who those people are?"
"It's your lucky day. I'm here to take you to them. I think I'll even get some rewards for bringing you in. Dead or alive, though, I'd prefer the latter."
"They can't interrogate a dead person, right?"
"Something like that. Personally I'd like to kill you. You impersonated one of the Faceless and that can't go without punishment."
"Your bosses don't know you're here, do they?'
"How perceptive. No I kept that information to myself. I wanted to surprise them. Besides if I'd told them what I was going to do, they'd have sent far too many people to get in my way."
"You have a plan, I assume."
Reid stepped forward and shook off his jacket, revealing a white t-shirt beneath. "I invoke the accords."
