The Next Ten: Beginnings Series Books 11 - 20

by Jacqueline Druga

  The room filled with the applause of those inside.

  Gen. Yokasumi stood up. “I know I speak for us all when I say we ingested our breakfast with great worry about what you had to tell us. You made us wait for good news. We feared the worst looking at the time frame it has taken.”

  “We ran into some very unusual snags,” Dean shrugged. “Things happen.”

  “We cannot express our gratitude enough,” Gen. Yokasumi said. “We look forward to spending free time with you at the reception this evening before you leave us tomorrow.” He gave a motion of his hand to the Council at the table. “Gentlemen, shall we finish our preparations?”

  Frank stood with the others then walked over to Billy. After a brief whisper in Billy’s ear, Frank gave a reassuring pat to Billy’s arm and left with the other members of Joint Council. Lancing stood by the door.

  Ellen watched the odd secret passing between Billy and Frank. “Is something going on?”

  “No.” Billy shook his head. “Well, I need to talk to you.” He pulled out a chair and sat down next to Ellen.

  “What’s up?” Ellen asked.

  “Joint Council says they’ll approve this. Mom . . .” Billy’s voice deepened with sincerity. “I want you to stay.”

  “I knew it!” Dean stated loudly. “No.”

  “Dean.” Ellen held up her hand. “Billy . . .”

  “No. Hear me out,” Billy spoke softly. “Not forever and not for long. Both you and Dean stay one more month. Just . . . one more month. I’ll work day and night with Dean and get to know him on a level other than the experiments. And you, you can go with my father back east.”

  “Billy.” Ellen closed her eyes.

  “One month. That’s it. One month alone with him. That’s all. Can’t you do it? Can’t you spare one more month? Give this to him,” he pleaded. “Please.”

  Ellen was silent and she didn’t know how much her silence killed Dean. “Billy, I love Frank but I also love my life. I miss it. I really do. You, your sister, brothers, everything. Even Frank. It’s so hard for you guys to understand but all of that is waiting.” She watched his head drop and she lifted it. “I am very proud of who you’ve become. Know that. But I have to go back and watch you become that.”

  “But, Mom.” Billy’s eyes closed. “One month.”

  Standing up slowly, unable to take being asked again, Ellen bent down and kissed Billy on the top of the head. “For as much as I loved being here, I’m . . . . I’m ready to go home. I’m sorry.”

  Billy only nodded.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered and kissed him again.

  Taking Ellen’s hand, Dean walked from the dining room with her. “You O.K.?”

  “Yes,” she answered. “I feel bad.”

  “I understand.” Dean glanced back at Lancing who trailed down the hall behind them. “Did you know that was going to be asked?”

  “I was forewarned this morning, yes,” Lancing answered.

  “Mom,” Billy’s voice called from the other end of the hall. “Mom.” He ran up to catch them. “Here.” He smiled “You forgot your purse.”

  “Thanks.” Ellen took it. “Don’t be mad.”

  “No.” Billy shook his head. “You’re right. You go back. I want you to stay, but I understand. I do.”

  “I’m glad.” Ellen tossed the purse over her shoulder. “Now, let’s not ruin our last day. I think . . . Lancing, correct me if I’m wrong, but thanks to you, we’re going to the . . . zoo?”

  A stock groan emanated from Lancing.

  ^^^^

  He knew it was going to be the last time in his lifetime that he would do it and Dean wanted to make the most of it. After over a month spent in a really nice hotel suite, Dean grew accustomed to something he would have loved to do had the world not gone to pot, kick back at the end of the day and become a couch potato. He called the front desk for the final time to place an order for a movie and then he reviewed the room service menu. Though he had just eaten, he was going to get one more hamburger, just because he could. With the top button to his jeans undone, Dean plopped down on the couch and picked up the remote. He had resolved himself to a night alone. He wasn’t upset about that. He expected it. He wished Billy would stop by and thought maybe he would after the rest of the lab work was packed up.

  Ready for his final evening in the future alone, Dean was surprised when the door to the suite opened. Almost saying ‘Billy’, Dean stood up. “El?”

  She didn’t even do her signature purse dropping and Ellen slouched in her walk.

  “I thought you were going to spend some time with Frank.” As soon as Ellen turned her head to look at him, Dean saw it. “What happened?”

  Emotional, her voice peeped out and her eyes glazed up. “He won’t see me.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “No.” Sadly she shook her head. “He won’t.”

  “El, he was fine with you at the reception.”

  “I know.” She wiped the tear that started down her eye. “He said he was heading back to his floor, so I went there. Lancing told me Frank didn’t want to talk to me. He wasn’t mad. It was just the way it had to be.” She stepped into Dean and dropped her head to his shoulder. “He won’t see me. Why?”

  “It’s wrong.”

  She lifted her head. “I wanted to see him one more time.”

  “You will.” Gently Dean moved Ellen back from him and walked past her to the door. “I’ll be back.”

  “Dean . . .”

  “No, El. He’s wrong. How much time out of this past month have I given up with you so you could spend time with him and give him back some of what he lost and he’s just gonna abruptly say, ‘no more’. What about you? You need this as much as he does. I’ll talk to Frank.” He gave Ellen a reassured look.

  “Dean.” Ellen reached out and stopped him. “Thank you for this.”

  He only smiled at her, a smile that told her everything would be fine, and then Dean left.

  ^^^^

  Lancing blocked the way. “I’m sorry. The President isn’t seeing any one. He’s preparing to leave tonight.”

  “What?” Dean shook his head. “He won’t even say anything to me?”

  Lancing blinked long and dropped his voice. “Dr. Hayes. This is difficult for him this parting. Just understand . . .”

  “Bullshit.” Dean looked beyond Lancing’s shoulder. “He’s down that hall?”

  “Yes, but . . .”

  “Frank!” Dean called out.

  “Dr. Hayes, please . . .”

  “Frank, I’m having a hard time believing this is your doing!” Dean’s voice was loud.

  “I’m going to have to call Security.”

  “Call them.” Dean snapped a view to Lancing them back down the hall. “Frank, I know you can hear me, so listen up. This is bullshit, Frank. You won’t say goodbye to Ellen. What? You’re just going to disappear into the night? Time in the past may have paused, but we gave up a month of our lives for your world now, and damn it, you should give something back to us. You wanna ignore me? You wanna pretend I’m not talking right now. Fine. You said I have little man attitude, well how about this. You’re so afraid I’m going to change time. If you don’t come out right now, the second I step back through that time machine, the understanding you and I were having is over. If this Frank doesn’t care, what about the Frank back then? How’s he going to feel when I give the understanding to Robbie?” Dean heaved out a breath of relief when he heard the door down the hall open.

  In a denim shirt hanging over a pair of jeans, Frank stepped into the hall. “Lancing, let him through.”

  Lancing stepped aside, but stayed behind Dean.

  “Dean,” Frank spoke quietly when they met up. “Maybe if I explain it to you, you can tell Ellen why I . . .”

  “No.”

  “Let me finish.”

  “It is finished. I won’t explain anything to Ellen. You don’t want to say goodbye to me, that’s fine. Fuck you. I co
uldn’t care less. Know why? I’m going to see the Frank I like in less than twenty-four hours. But Ellen doesn’t just like that Frank and love him.” Dean’s words conveyed his emotions and slight anger. “She’s loves this Frank too. Every single night she hung out with you, the hours, talking, and laughing. Didn’t that mean anything?”

  “It meant the world.”

  “Yeah, right,” Dean scoffed. “You used her.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “That’s one part of old Frank you kept. The old Frank was a user and so are you.”

  “Dean,” Frank spoke strongly.

  “You know, I was so wrong and so is Ellen. We aren’t seeing a kinder, reserved Frank. That’s not you at all. Kind? No. You, Frank, are reserved because you have nothing to say. You aren’t laid back and in control. You’re just a quiet, bitter old man.”

  “That’s right. I am bitter and I have been since I lost her,” Frank spoke deeply. “She took all the life from me when she died. I don’t wanna say goodbye to her.”

  “You never did, did you?” Dean asked.

  Frank slowly looked away.

  “No,” Dean breathed outward with his revelation. “You never got the chance. Most people don’t. They don’t get the chance to say goodbye. They never get to say all those things they wanted to. They never get to tell the other person how they truly feel. And you know what?” His voice dropped to a calm one and Dean stared with intensity and sincerity at Frank.. “You’re blowing it. You have a chance to say goodbye the way it should be done and to say everything that needs to be said. Now’s your chance. It will be the last time in your life to do so. Do it, Frank. Do it right. Say goodbye to Ellen the way you always wanted to. It’s that moment that people only dream about. Take it,” Dean whispered with emotional persuasion. “Take it.”

  ^^^^

  It had to be water mixing with the ice in Frank’s hand, because Ellen was certain he wouldn’t drink. She slipped quietly into Frank’s room, gave a single glance to Lancing who hung back, then set down her purse and took a step to Frank.

  He faced the window, took a sip, and set his water down. “I’m sorry.”

  “No. That’s all right.”

  Frank turned around and faced her. “I was a little scared, you know. Wait.” He rubbed his eyes. “Scared? Was? No. Am.” He held out his hand. “Look, I’m shaking.”

  Ellen grasped his hand and cupped it. “Why?”

  “This is very hard for you to comprehend. It has to be. How you miss the kids, me, and everyone else. It’s sort of on the same lines. You’re gonna see me real soon but after tomorrow . . .” Frank swallowed. “I will never see you again. I lost you once.”

  “I don’t want to leave this Frank either. I love this man that you’ve become, not that I ever doubted you’d be like this.” Ellen stepped closer. “I have to tell you. I’m jealous. All those years we talked about growing old together, this Frank is the one I saw in my dreams. This Frank is the one I wanted to sit on a porch with. And I’m jealous that I will never get to have those dreams.”

  “You could. But . . . I know you have to go back. And . . . even if you stayed, we’d be at this point again whenever you left to go back for good.”

  “True.”

  “So,” Frank breathed out heavily, “I want to make the most of this night. Dean . . . Dean said something to me that clicked. Before anything else is said, I have to tell you some things.”

  Engrossed on his every word, Ellen never moved her eyes from his.

  Holding her hand, he moved as close as he could to her and brought their joined hands to his chest. “For all the times we fought, for anytime I said means things to you, made you angry . . . . for those times, El, I am sorry. I’m sorry we may have bickered when we should have been laughing. But I’m grateful for the times we made love, when we should have been screaming.” He smiled a little at her. “For all the times . . .” Frank paused when his voice cracked some. “For all the times I never told you that you were beautiful, know that a day didn’t pass where you didn’t shine in my eyes. For any chance or moment that I didn’t say I love you, know I always felt it in my heart. I can’t remember a day in my life when I didn’t love you. But . . .” A soft sigh carried all his emotions from Frank. “But most importantly, thank you. Thank you for being in my life. This man that stands before you, wouldn’t be this man if it wasn’t for you. You weren’t just a part of my life. You were my life.” Lowering his head to kiss her hand, Ellen pulled from their locked fingers and wrapped her arms around him.

  Embrace locked tight, Ellen, tip-toeing as much as she could, moved her hands to his face and her whisper beat against his ear. “I swear. I swear on my soul, when I get back, I am making so much up to you. I swear.”

  Frank didn’t answer. He just nodded.

  “You’ll think I’m up to something,” she snickered emotionally. “But I’m gonna do it. Thank you for giving this night to me. I needed this.”

  “Not as much as I did.” Pulling back, Frank hovered his lips over hers. “I only wish if it was the last thing I did, I wish I could have this night alone with you. Just one more night with you.”

  Embrace releasing, Ellen stepped back from Frank and looked at Lancing, who stood by the door.

  Lancing couldn’t look at them. His eyes moved about the room then silently he let out the breath he held. Almost creeping, he reached for the door knob. “I’m sorry. I cannot allow that.” He opened the door quietly and slowly. “I think it might be time to say goodnight. My shift . . .” He stepped into the doorway. “My shift is over. Say goodnight to the president, Dr. Hayes.” Lancing gave a nod.

  Ellen smiled at Lancing. “Goodnight, Frank.”

  Frank closed his eyes in gratefulness. “Goodnight, El.”

  Lancing stepped out and quietly, with barely a latching sound, the door closed.

  Ellen’s heart beat so strongly. With an almost gasp, she wrapped her arms around Frank. “I don’t want to waste a single second.”

  His hand moved firmly up her back and he pulled Ellen tightly to him. His hand slipped under her hair and he brought her lips even closer. He smiled in his near kiss. “It’s been so long . . . I’m not sure I remember.”

  “Yeah.” Ellen teasingly brushed her lips against his. “I’m sure you do. After all . . .” She snickered quietly. “You’re Frank.”

  Frank cracked a smile. “You’re waiting for it, aren’t you?”

  “You bet.” Ellen kissed him again. “Let’s try once more. After all . . . you’re Frank.”

  Through his quiet chuckle, he spoke. “I am.”

  The moment bred a laugh, but only in that instant, and then the moment bred the starting kiss.

  ^^^^

  Like a reflex, Lancing’s hand ejected up and covered his monitoring pin on his lapel when the door quietly clicked. He hurried to it and held his finger over his mouth when Ellen slipped out.

  As she closed the door, she shook her head slowly with a smile then mouthed the words with an expression on her face that said more than the tone of her words could. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much.’ With a tip-toe, she kissed Lancing on the cheek, smiled once more at him, and walked down the hall.

  Lancing watched her nearly make it to the end then jolted when the door opened again. His hand again covered that button and he gave the ‘be quiet’ look to Frank.

  Nodding his understanding, Frank stepped out into the hall. He snapped his finger at Ellen to get her attention. When he saw she kept walking, he snapped it twice then let out a whispering ‘hey.’

  Ellen stopped and looked back.

  Frank held up her purse.

  Laughing at herself, Ellen raced back to get it. After taking the purse, she stole another kiss and mouthed the words ‘I love you’.

  Without making a sound, Frank returned the sentiment and folded his arms as she walked away. He cleared his throat loudly and chuckled when Lancing cringed. “Lancing, about that sweet roll you snuck for me tonight. I just need
to let you know how I will never forget it. Thank you for giving that to me. Thank you.” Looking once more to Ellen standing at the end of the hall, Frank waved then went into his room.

  Lancing didn’t groan or whine. He smiled. And for the first time ever he passed that smile along to Ellen with a wave goodnight to her before she turned the bend of that wing.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Sunrise crept through the separation of the branches in the distance, spearing out daggers of red and orange in an awesome contrast against the still semi-dark sky.

  Dean reached for the carafe on the patio where he and Ellen shared a chase lounge. Ellen was between his legs with her back against his. “Coffee?”

  “Yeah, please.” Ellen held her cup to him.

  “Do you realize . . .” Dean poured her some. “This is our second sunrise. I’m hoping we did that and the ripple didn’t erase it from your mind.”

  “We did that. We watched the sunrise on the beach in Connecticut, how long ago.”

  “In Dean and Ellen time it would be almost eight years. Or in real time, thirty.”

  “That’s a really cool thought,” Ellen sighed out. “Of course we may not have another thirty years to wait to share the next one.”

  “Let’s not. Deal?”

  “Deal.” Ellen peered out again. The sun seemed to rise so quickly over the horizon. “It’s our last day here in this time. Thanks for staying up with me.”

  “Are you kidding? I loved this.” He kissed the top of her head the played with a few strands of her hair. “I also love these little blonde streaks you put in your hair. It makes your whole face look healthy.”

  “You fought with me the other day about them.”

  “That’s because I like natural Ellen but these look good.”

  “I loved your argument to Council to allow us to get our hair done. How . . .” Ellen chuckled. “We’ll never be missed in our time and how everyone will just think they never noticed when we actually had our hair done.”

  “Speaking of our time, are you ready?”