alistair6

Lucy was driven to the church by Steve and Millie and as confident and determined as she’d been she was now nervous. She hadn’t heard from Andy since he left for his night out with the boys but she knew Jeff had him in hand so he would show up and not leave her at the altar. She scanned the parking lot, there were a lot of cars but she didn’t spot Jeff’s.

Millie ushered her to the brides room and helped her fluff out her dress. It hadn’t been that long ago she was standing up for Millie and Andy was there for Steve. Millie assured her she looked beautiful and the reflection in the mirror showed a glowing bride. She paced around afraid to sit and wrinkle her dress anymore than it already was. The sound of music and hymns filtered into the room from the church service.

Andy was about as polished up as Jeff and Stevo could make him considering his condition. He looked handsome in his dark suit white tie and vest. It had been a struggle but the three of them had him put together. Jeff pinned the pink and white rosebud sprig on his lapel and pronounced him ready. Three times he’d felt in his pocket for the ring and it had been there every time. Stevo turned Andy over to Steve and slipped into the church. Jeff went around to the bride’s room and knocked on the door.

Millie handed her the pink rose bouquet and she opened the door. The look on Jeff’s face made her want to cry and she threw he arms around him and kissed him.

Andy, sitting in the little room off the sanctuary with Steve wondered how he was ever going to get through the ceremony, he hoped it wouldn’t be long. The motion of the car almost got the best of him and now the organ music was working on his head. Steve wasn’t much help, Andy remembered him passing out at his wedding but at least he was there lending moral support. Steve cracked the door listening as the church services were ending, he turned to Andy and grinned, it was time for him to take his place.

Alistair closed the regular service with a short prayer, then looked around the church again, smiling slightly because almost everyone from the Glen was there. Perhaps he should make a post-service wedding a regular part of Sunday morning? He cleared his throat. It still got a bit hoarse and dry after he'd preached.

"Now it is time to begin the next portion of today's service. On behalf of Andy and Lucy, I would like to welcome all of you to their wedding, a truly joyous event on a lovely day."

He turned and saw Steve opening the door and nodded as a signal for Andy and his groomsmen to come on out. He also saw how Andy was having a hard time staying upright as well as the fact he was rather green around his tightly-compressed lips. Oh, dear, he thought, I'd better trim this one to the basics or we may well lose the groom. He cleared his throat, took a quick sip of water from the glass he always kept tucked away now behind the pulpit, and stepped to one side to await Andy taking his place, mumbling prayers under his breath that the young man would be able to complete his walk and take his place. It was a good thing, a very good thing, that the best man had a firm grip on the groom's elbow.

Andy clamped his lips tightly together, he should have gone to the bathroom before this started. He prayed he wouldn’t embarrass Lucy. He never felt so bad in his life, and it seemed to be getting worse.

When Andy stood wobbling near him, Alistair nodded to Bridgid, who began Lucy's processional music. He noticed Jeff had a good grip on Lucy's arm, too, not because of a hangover, but in order to give her moral support. Even from where he stood, he could see she must have been nervous waiting for the ceremony to begin and now was eyeing Andy as she began her walk down the aisle.

It was obvious to Lucy that Andy could barely stand. She noticed Steve’s grip on his arm, and squeezed Jeff’s arm. Was he still drunk? Oh, help.

When Lucy had reached the front and the music stopped, Andy forgot to turn so he was now facing Alistair along with Lucy and Jeff. Alistair nodded to him, but all Andy was doing, from what it looked like to the pastor, was not to chunder his guts. Alistair sincerely hoped Andy would succeed in that endeavor. Alistair nodded a second time, but Andy still didn't notice, so finally he caught Steve's eye and indicated that he should help Andy step around.

The slightest movement caused a wave to rise up from his stomach but he fought it back down. Jeff was now between him and Lucy; Lucy’s eyes were straight ahead. He was being supported by Steve on one side and now he was leaning heavily onto Jeff who had his feet firmly planted giving support to Lucy and Andy.

"Andy, Lucy, you have come here today to join yourself together as man and wife. All of us here present offer you our support and good will as well as our continued friendship. You have shown a great generosity of heart to this community and a true spirit of giving and service. We would all like to thank you both for that, for all you have done, all we know you will continue to do." Andy swayed rather profoundly so Alistair dropped a couple of more lines he'd thought he might say at that point. He looked at Jeff. "And, Jeff, do you stand in today and bring this woman to be married to this man?"

Jeff nodded, giving his cousin a quick kiss on the cheek. “I do,” he said and stepped back, hoping Andy wasn’t going to fall into Lucy but he righted himself with Steve’s help. He walked back to his seat by Stevo.

With Jeff gone and Andy by her side, underneath all the aftershave she could smell him. He smelled like a day old glass of beer. She glanced quickly at him, noticing his condition up close, then back at Alistair.

Alistair studied Andy again quickly then went straight to the vows. "Andy, please look at Lucy as you repeat after me...I, Andy, take you, Lucy, as my lawful, wedded wife. I promise to honor and cherish you, always putting you first in my life. I will love you in times of darkness and in times of light, in times of plenty and of want. I will love you when you are weak and when you are strong, when you mourn and when you rejoice. I will love you, Lucy, all the days of my life." He left out a couple of lines. This was plenty to be promised, covered everything needful without a lot of extra bells and whistles.

He was doing the best he could, mumbling, flubbing his lines but Alistair was patient with him, repeating where necessary. He came out with a strong ‘I will love you, Lucy.”

Lucy was beginning to wonder if he was going to make it. She was seriously worried about him. Her eyes were round when she looked back at Alistair. Her bouquet began to shake.

Alistair was concerned for Lucy, wanted to be sure she was all right, was holding up. He smiled encouragingly at her, then continued with the vows for her to repeat to Andy.

Lucy repeated her vows breathlessly. Andy had managed to turn so that the was facing her now, entranced with her, a lopsided grin on his face. He wasn’t listening to what she said, but she looked so pretty saying it.

So far, so good. Andy was still standing, still hadn't thrown up, though there were times he didn't look well at all. "Andy," Alistair asked, quite startling the young man, "do you have Lucy's ring?"

Ring…Andy felt in his pocket, it wasn’t there, ring…he looked around on the floor…ring…ignoring Steve’s persistent poking in his arm. Finally Steve handed the ring to Alistair and whispered something to Andy, who stopped looking on the floor for the ring and noticed Alistair was handing it to him. He was confused and nearly dropped it but his hand was caught by Lucy.

"Andy, you may now place the ring on Lucy's finger as you repeat after me." Well, if his hands stopped shaking, maybe he'd repeat. "Lucy, I give you this ring as a token of my love for you, of a sign whenever you look at it, that you are surrounded by my love, my devotion, and my care."

Andy looked down at Lucy’s fingers. They seem to have grown together. He couldn’t find the right one. Lucy gently guided his shaking hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. He realized Alistair was saying something but he was happy, his face filled with joy. He’d put a ring on Lucy’s finger. He couldn’t take his eyes away from hers, a slight nod from her in Alistair’s direction and he began repeating what Alistair was saying. And adding “Cause I love you, Lucy.”

Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. They'd gotten through that part. "Lucy, do you have Andy's ring?"

Lucy turned to Millie for Andy’s ring. Millie was fascinated by Andy and the different colors his face had been undergoing, white, green, red. She pulled the ring off her finger and handed it to Lucy, who had not let go of Andy’s hand though hers were shaking a little now, too.

Briefly, as Lucy stood there, the ring clasped in her fingers, Alistair let his own hand rest atop hers, giving her a gentle smile, his eyes saying, You're doing fine, Lucy. I'm proud of you. "Lucy, you may now place the ring on Andy's finger as you repeat after me: Andy, I take you as my husband, placing on your finger, this symbol of the purity of my love for you, the endlessness of it, and of my continual desire to be one with you in this world."

Lucy placed the ring on Andy’s finger. He still had that joyful smile on his face and seemed to be holding onto her eyes, drawing a little strength. She smiled a nervous smile when she repeated after Alistair.

"Lucy and Andy, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife. May your union be blessed with grace and peace, happiness and long life. Andy, you may kiss your bride."

“Oh, Lucy!” He grabbed her and kissed her. She felt his weight pushing her back. He’d lost his balance. Oh, oh no! They were going to fall!

Steve jumped, grabbing Andy around the waist. He looked over at Millie, rolled his eyes and grinned.

Strong hands found her back and pushed them to an upright position. Jeff and Stevo had both jumped from their seat on the front row and saved the bride and groom from toppling onto the floor.

Having untangled herself from Andy’s groping embrace, she turned him toward the rows of seats, where their friends all clapped and smiled. Millie handed her back her bouquet and she slipped her arm around Andy, “We have to walk out now. Can you make it?”

“Lucy, I love you. We can make it…make it.” He concentrated on walking to the open doors ahead of him. If he could just get outside he could throw up. He draped an arm around her shoulder and, weaving here and there, they made through the door.

Alistair stood silently, watching the newlyweds leave. He had performed a lot of wedding ceremonies in his time, but this had to be one
of the shortest and most, um, interesting. As he watched them go through the doorway, he thought that, yes, he'd done some really fancy, long ceremonies back in England and in Coffs, but hadn't been sure the marriages would actually last. As short and awkward as this one had been, he rather thought these two young people would make it for the long haul.

Dwayne hated the idea of leaving Abby alone, but with the house locked up tight and with the pills the doc had prescribed for her he was pretty sure she'd be fine until he got back from his errand. Still, something kept nagging at the back of his mind that maybe he was taking too much of a risk here. Twice he nearly turned the truck around and headed back home to make sure she was okay, but then talked himself out of it.

As he rounded the bend he could see the old mill come into view. Reverend Harris was expecting him, he couldn't turn back now - he had to go through with this. With his mind set on his goal and a determined look in his eye, Dwayne parked his truck in front of the mill and quickly strode up to the door. He took one last deep breath, then knocked.

"Dwayne," Alistair said, a slightly wary look in his eyes. It made him feel rather strange when he was face to face with this man. He tried, he really did, to like everybody, but something about Dwayne set his teeth on edge. "Please, come inside." He hoped the man didn't sense his feelings. He didn't want that, didn't want that he should make anybody uncomfortable.

"Afternoon, Reverend," Dwayne drawled, as he walked slowly into the home. He could tell the man was a bit uncomfortable, so he tried to put on a warm friendly smile to ease his nerves. "You get that gift basket my wife Abby sent you the other day?"

"Um, yes," Alistair nodded. "How is Abby doing? I haven't seen her around for a bit. Is she feeling all right?"

Dwayne shifted a bit on the couch, trying to decide the exact words to say what he'd practiced in the car ride on the way over. "Umm... well, Reverend, sir, that's kinda why I asked to meet with you today. See, Abby is... well... she's having a bit of a hard time of it, you might say. She ain't quite... how do I put this..." he paused, looking up into Alistair's eyes, "She ain't exactly in her right mind most of the time lately. She's had blackouts in the past, but was taking meds back home to control them. Only problem is, once she starts feelin' good again, she gets off them and then... well... that's when all the trouble starts. I love my wife and I really want to stand by her, but it's been... hard. Real hard. I got a real good doc to fly in and see her - got her back on her meds again. But... oh hell, I hate keepin' her locked up but it's for her own good. She's pretty down about not havin' any visitors other than me and her doc. I was just kinda hopin' maybe you could stop by for a bit, visit with her, maybe it will bring her spirits up a bit." He smiled nervously, wiping the edges of his eyes where tears had begun to form. "What do ya say? Just for a bit maybe? Would mean a lot if you could."

Locked up? Abby was locked up? He had no idea. "Dwayne, this sounds really serious," he said. "Yes, I'd like to see her as soon as I can. What did you have in mind?"

Dwayne licked his lips, let out a sigh. "Well, Reverend, I was hopin' you'd be able to ride over to the house with me now. She was doin' okay when I left her a while ago, but as the day gets on she starts kinda... well... losin' touch, ya know? I'd be more than happy to give you a ride there and back afterwards, if you like." Dwayne looked hopefully up at him.

"Ahnna is at the store. I guess I could leave her a note. All right then. I'm really concerned about Abby and would like to see her quickly."

He got up and went to a drawer for a piece of paper. "Thanks for the offer of the ride, Dwayne." He scribbled a quick note, mentioning he had his cell with him and to call if she needed anything. Leaving it on the kitchen table, he went to the door, Dwayne following him.

"No problem, Reverend," Dwayne told him as he followed him out of the house and unlocked his truck. "I really appreciate you takin' the time to come and look in on Abby like this. I know you and I didn't exactly hit it off before... now, don't you say otherwise, I could tell. And I have to admit I wasn't none too happy when you went and turned us down on renewing our wedding vows, but I had a good think on it and came to the conclusion that you were only lookin' out for us." He smiled as he waited for Alistair to get into the truck then slipped into the driver's seat and started the ignition.

Alistair figured Ahnna wouldn't be home for another hour, maybe two. That should give him plenty of time to visit with Abby and be home before his wife returned. Ever since the fire, she'd watched over him, wanting to know that he was all right, that he wasn't coughing much or feeling tired. He'd always been the one to watch over other people...as he was trying to do right now with Abby...and he wasn't used to having someone do the same for him. He smiled as he thought of Ahnna, fastened his seat belt, and gave a look back at the mill as Dwayne started down the drive.

"It's just a ways down the road a bit... past the McGee ranch a ways," Dwayne told Alistair as they drove. He felt a bit awkward sitting next to the man and began to babble on a bit. "Abby's gonna be real surprised to see you. I didn't mention to her where I was going in case you turned down the invite. Didn't want to give her hopes up or anything. I hope she's awake, her pills tend to knock her out and she's been spending a lot of time sleeping lately."

Just then his ranch came into view and he sped up a little, wanting to make the trip there shorter. "Here we are, Reverend," Dwayne said, as they pulled up in front of the huge spread that was the Campbell estate.

Alistair had never seen the place before. "It's...large," he commented. "And Abby's inside?" That's all he really cared about, getting to Abby, making sure she was all right.

"Yep, she sure is," Dwayne replied, "C'mon, let's see how she is." He walked up to the door, Alistair following behind him, punched in a series of numbers on a keypad and opened the door. "This way, Reverend," Dwayne told the man, holding the door open for him.

Alistair wasn't entirely sure why, but the hair on the back of his neck started to stand up.

As Dwayne followed him into the front foyer, he quickly locked the door behind them and turned back to his guest. "Safety precaution," he said, "don't want the missus, well... best if we just go have a look in on her now."

As they walked down to the end of the long hallway they stopped dead in their tracks. There in front of them stood Abby - eyes wide with fright, still clutching the blood-covered paring knife in her tiny hand.

Alistair had been trying to prepare himself for what he might find when they came to Abby, but a scene like this was no where in his mind. He didn't know if he'd ever seen a face so totally shocked and frightened. "Oh...Abby," he sighed, then his eyes rested on Alex, lying in his own blood right in front of the young woman.

"Abby, darlin'," Dwayne said softly, as he slowly inched his way towards her, trying not to make any sudden moves that may set her off, "put down the knife. We're not gonna hurt you, we just wanna talk."

"Don't come any closer!" Abby yelled, raising the knife towards him. "I'm not afraid to use this!"

"I can see that, darlin'," Dwayne told her, as he slowly inched closer to her - his hands raised in front of him to show he wasn't armed. "But I think you're scarin' the good Reverend here, darlin', so if you'll just be so kind as to drop your knife we can have a little looksee at what you've done here to Mr. Ross."

"Reverend... Harris?" she asked, her eyes trying desperately to focus on the man standing to the side of her husband. "Oh... Alistair! Thank goodness you're here! Dwayne has been keeping me locked up and I think I've killed Ross!" she wailed.

Alex lay on the floor in front of them, bleeding from the chest wound. With the mention of his name, he let out a soft moan, though his eyes remained closed.

Alistair looked desperately from one to the other, wanting to tend to both of them at the same time. But Alex's blood was still flowing and that had to take priority. He dropped quickly to his knees, bending over the man, then pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it, wadded, over the wound. "Alex?" he called. "Can you hear me, Alex?"

Alex let out another soft moan but remained still.

"I need to call for help," Alistair said, reaching for his cell, his bloody hands getting marks on his own clothes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Reverend," Dwayne said, as he picked up a large ceramic vase and brought it crashing down over Alistair's head - knocking the man to the floor next to Alex. He picked up the cell phone and shoved it into his pocket and smiled sweetly up at Abby. "Now, darlin', I suggest you put down the knife before I do what the good Reverend here was about to do, only my story will be much more convincing to the cops.

Abby stood staring at the two men lying on the floor, then slowly let the knife fall from her hand as she collapsed to her knees.

"Good girl. Now, you just sit right there while I go get some rope to tie them up."

Abby nodded her head and quietly watched as Dwayne walked down the hallway and disappeared into one of the back rooms.

"Oh Alistair... Ross... I'm SO sorry... this is all my fault!" she cried, wondering to herself how she was ever going to get out of this.

Abby wiped at her tears as she knelt beside the two men lying unconscious in front of her. In the distance, she could hear Dwayne rummaging through boxes and drawers, looking for something to tie Alistair up so he couldn't get away. Alistair, sweet, kind Alistair... "He's been through so much," she sobbed quietly to herself, "so very, very much." She gently touched her fingers to the back of his head. There was a rather large bump already forming there she could feel.

Pulling her fingers away she saw that they were covered with blood. She turned his head slightly then was relieved to see only a small bit of blood. He'd be okay and most likely wouldn't even need stitches.

The meds were still pulsing through her system, though their hold on her was starting to lessen. She knew once Dwayne got back in the room he'd most likely restrain her as well, if not worse, so she'd have to act fast. She looked down at Ross, felt his pulse. It was weak, but steady. Blood was still oozing from the knife wound. If she didn't do something quick, he'd be dead. Looking around the room, she quickly snatched a small throw from the couch and pressed a wad against his chest. Ross let out a groan, louder than the ones he'd made before. "Stay with me, Ross," she whispered in his ear. "Stay with me."

Working quickly, Abby grabbed the other end of the throw and managed to rip a large strip off using her teeth and all her might. Quickly, she wrapped it around Alex's chest, tightly covering the wad of throw she'd pressed against his wound.

"You bein' a good girl in there, darlin'?" Dwayne called out to her from the back of the house.

Her heart raced when she heard him, fearful he'd catch what she was going to do next. She closed her eyes, swallowed, then answered, "Yes, Dwayne."

She heard his muffled voice say something in return, though she couldn't make out just what. She looked down the hallway towards where he'd called out to her.

Suddenly, there he was - standing in the hall just outside the back room - his cell phone pressed to his ear. He smiled and waved to her, then walked slowly back into the room and closed the door so that it was just cracked open a bit.

Shit, who was he calling? she wondered to herself, panicking even more so now. She needed to get help and fast! Dwayne had taken Alistair's phone and she'd left hers back in the crawl space. Ross! Surely, he'd have his cell phone on him! Acting quickly, she began rummaging through his pockets until she found what she was looking for.

She heard Alistair let out a moan about that time. He was starting to come around. She touched his hand, let him know she was there and he was okay, then pressed the number for emergency on the cell phone.

"Oh, thank God! This is Abby Campbell, my husband Dwayne has me locked up and..."

"Yeah, we know all about what going on with you, Mrs. Campbell," the voice on the other line said. "Your husband told us that you haven't been feeling well. Best hang up the phone and get some rest; your husband is just doing what's best for you."

A fresh batch of tears streamed down Abby's face as she realized help wasn't coming. Dwayne had made sure the whole town thought she was crazy and now no one would believe her. Just then, Dwayne opened the door and came strolling back down the hallway towards her. She panicked. If he caught her with the phone he'd take it from her. She leaned over Alistair, pressed the phone into his hand. He gripped it as she whispered in his ear, "You'll have to call for help - they won't believe me, but they'll listen to you. Wait until he's left the room again, press the redial."

"Oh now darlin', what are you doin' to the Reverend there?" Dwayne asked as he walked up behind her and grabbed hold of the back of her arms and pulled her to her feet. "Not whispering sweet nothings to him, I hope. You're supposed to save that for me, darlin'." He smirked, then looked down at Ross and Alistair. "Looks like our guests are still a couple of sleeping beauties. Good. I'll deal with them in a moment. First, let's get you back to your room. Time for your meds, too."

Abby nodded, then walked along as Dwayne led her to her room.

Alistair lay there, still dazed, his mind trying to fumble through what he thought he'd heard Abby say about pressing redial. Redial? Was there someone he should call? His head hurt too much and he kept his eyes closed. Something was wrong, desperately wrong. He remembered that much. But what had happened? Alex! His eyes shot open and he turned his head, the simple motion sending waves of nausea through him.

Oh, my Lord...yes! Alex had been stabbed. He'd been going to call for help. That was the last thing he remembered. Alex needed help. How long had he been out? Someone had tied something around Alex's chest, trying to stop the bleeding, but Alex needed way more help than that. He realized his cell phone was in his hand. Still lying flat, he lifted his arm so he could see the phone. It was a bit blurry but he somehow managed to dial Maximus' number. He didn't stop to think why he'd done that, just that Maximus would know what to do.

"Max...Maximus," he gasped when the General's voice came on the line.

"Who is this?" Maximus couldn't recognize the voice.

"M...me, Maximus. Alistair."

"Alistair? Are you all right?"

"N...no. Been...been hit. Listen, Maximus. It's...it's...Alex. He's been stabbed in the chest. Needs...needs help. Fast."

"Alistair, where are you?"

"Dwayne's new place. Abby...Abby's here...drugged I think. Don't...don't come alone. Don't...not safe. I'm going to try...try and help
bleeding. Hurry. Don't know if I...." He dropped the phone, too woozy to hold it longer.

Instantly Maximus called the local rescue squad, giving them the small bit of information he had, telling them, too, that the situation
was still dangerous. Then he called local law enforcement. Biebe was out, Bud must be home with his wife. Only Zack was available.

"Joimus," he said, walking into the den where she was reading, "You need to go stay with Ahnna until I call you." He told her what
had happened and explained that Ahnna didn't know yet. "You will have to tell her," he sighed. "I think Alistair is going to be all right.
He was speaking with me on the phone, so do not let her worry too much." He shook his head. That was, of course, not going to
happen, not with Ahnna when it came to Alistair. "Just do not let her go to Dwayne's. The danger seems still to be there and she
cannot be in the middle of it."

"And you? I presume you are going?"

"Yes. I have called town and Zack is meeting me outside. I need to leave."

"What's up?" Cort asked, coming down the stairs.

"Oh, good, Cort!" Joimus breathed. "Will you go with him?"

"Go where?" He looked from Joimus over to Maximus' grim face.

Quickly Maximus explained about Alistair and Abby. "Just a sec," Cort said, running up the stairs for his guns, buckling his holster
as he came back down.

Maximus kissed his wife, then grabbed his rifle off a rack as he strode to the door. Joimus stood in the doorway a while, watching the
two men leave, whispering a prayer for their safekeeping. She got her purse and headed for her stationwagon. How was she going
to tell Ahnna that Alistair had been hurt, was in danger again?

Cort looked at Maximus' grimly-set profile as the General drove rapidly towards Dwayne's house. He hadn't seen him look quite that way since Joimus had been lost during the flood. He himself was very fond of Alistair and hated the thought the reverend had been hurt again and might still be in danger. His hand moved to the handle of his gun. There it was, a question of force again. He was coming to terms, at least somewhat, with the fact that sometimes force was necessary when evil threatened good folks. And they didn't come any better than Reverend Harris.

Maximus stopped his car some ways back from Dwayne's house, pulling it off the road behind some tall shrubbery. He and Cort got out, looking through the leaves toward the house, waiting for Zack. There was no sign of activity they could discern in or around the house from where they were.

"You think Alistair's ok?" Cort asked.

"I am not sure. He was having a hard time speaking. Said he had been hit. I do not know exactly what he meant by that...or who hit him." Or why, he added silently. Why would anyone want to hurt Alistair? The man never gave offense to a soul. But Alex had been stabbed. Someone in the house was bent on doing harm. That much was sure.

Meanwhile, Dwayne had gone back out into the foyer to where Alistair and Alex were still lying side-by-side on the floor. He frowned, spotting the tiny cell phone lying in Alistair's hand.

"Well, well, well," he said, bending down and snatching the phone from Alistair's outstretched hand. "While the cats away, the mice will play, huh?" He checked the call-log and frowned again. He rolled Alistair over onto his belly. The man let out a moan as Dwayne pulled his arms behind him and quickly began tying them together with a long piece of nylon cord he pulled from his back pocket.

"Now, don't you go gettin' any crazy ideas about escaping, Reverend," Dwayne told him when he'd finished tying him up, "I'll be back in just a bit with the little woman and we can get a move on before your friends show up and try to put a damper on the fun we're havin' here."

Vaguely, Alistair was aware he was being moved. He was having a hard time concentrating and his head had sharp pains shooting through it from the back. There was something he needed to do, something important...something...what? Alex! Alex was bleeding. That was it. He needed to help Alex. He tried to move and was startled by the fact he couldn't. His arms were behind him, uncomfortably, tightly, behind him and he couldn't seem to pull them to his sides. Had he called Maximus? He'd wanted to, but had he? He couldn't remember. Then he tried lifting his head. His cheek was resting on something sticky. The motion sent a sharper pain through his head and he gasped, letting his head fall back to the floor.

"Ahnna," Joimus said, smiling at her friend as she opened the door of the mill, "come and sit with me a moment. I've got some news."

Ahnna looked at Joimus' smiling lips then at her eyes. The smile was not in her eyes. Instantly her heart started to pound. "Is something...?"

When they were seated, Joimus continued, "There's a... situation... over at Dwayne's new house, you know that big place he bought out of town. I don't know any details, but Maximus and Cort have both gone over there and Zack is on his way, too, so there should be nothing to worry about, all right?"

"What...what sort of...situation?"

"Alistair called Maximus just a few minutes ago."

"I saw his note when I got home. He said he was going with...with
Dwayne. Something about him needing to talk with Abby."

"Well, he said he'd been, um, hit and that Alex was there, too, and Alex had been stabbed. We don't know by whom or why, but Alistair was able to call and speak with Maximus. They'll call as soon as they know anything. I'll stay here with you."

Ahnna had stood, looking toward the door. "I need to...."

"No, Ahnna, no you don't. Maximus specifically asked that we stay here at the mill until he's had a chance to discover what's going on over there. We don't want to make the situation worse for them by charging in."

Ahnna sat back down, clasping her hands tightly. "I...I don't think I can go through this again."

"It's not like the fire. He's already been able to use the phone, said he was going to try and help Alex."

"You think he's really all right?"

Joimus had no idea, but she said, "Maximus will take care of things. Trust him."

Zack had been filling in down at the sheriff's when Maximus' call came in. Bud, who'd gotten Zack a part-time job there while they waited for their security business to get off the ground, was out on a call with John, so Zack was there on his own to handle things. As soon as he hung up the phone, he was out the door running – quickly grabbing a couple of shotguns and his berretta, and his vest.

On his way out to Dwayne's, he put out a call on the radio to the sheriff and let him know what was going on and that he'd had to leave the station unattended. When he pulled off the main road and headed up the drive to the Campbell ranch, Zack could see Maximus' car parked off to the side, hidden behind. Pulling up next to it, he quickly jumped out of his vehicle and made his way over to where Maximus and Cort were talking.

"What's the situation here?" he asked, carefully watching the front door of the house in case anyone inside made a move.

"I do not know anything more, Zack, than when I called you," Maximus replied. "It is quiet right now but from what Alistair said, Alex was bleeding pretty badly from a knife wound. He was going to try to help him, but," he sighed, "he dropped the phone."

Cort hadn't realized that. "He dropped...? You mean he might be hurt bad?"

"I do not think we can stand around out here and wait very long to find out," Maximus said, his voice low. "I called for the medics, too. We cannot have them walking in on something that is still dangerous." He gazed deeply at Zack.

Zack nodded. Assuming Alex and Alistair were both still alive, they would be their number one priority. "Alright, we need to find out exactly how many are in there and if they are still alive. I'm assuming if this was a true hostage situation that someone from inside would have made contact already to place their demands. Since that hasn't been done, we've got to assume this is all being played out on the fly. That's even more dangerous a situation, however, could work to our advantage depending on how armed they are in there.

He was well aware of Maximus' capabilities, had heard the rumors about him being an ex-general in the military. Cort, however, was a bit of a mystery. He looked up at the young man and asked, "I assume you know how to handle a gun?"

"That'd be correct," was Cort's reply.

"Do not worry about him," Maximus added. "He knows what he is doing."

"Good," Zack replied, "Then let's get going. I'll sneak around to the side, peek in the window over there - see if I can see anything. Maximus, you go around to the opposite side.Cort, you keep lookout, signal if there's trouble. Once we know what we're dealing with we'll have to find a way inside - possibly
from the back. Sound good?"

Zack nodded to Cort, then crept slowly around to the right side of the house, his shotgun at the ready. Ducking behind some low shrubs, he peeked inside the first window he came to. He found himself looking into a small den. The lights were off, however, the door was pushed ajar and just outside he could make out the front foyer. Someone was moving around in there, but he couldn't make out more than just their feet.

As quietly as he could, he crept over to the next window and peeked in. He was in luck! This gave him a clear view of the living room which opened up to the foyer. He pulled out a small pair of binoculars, adjusted the view, and let out a quiet gasp, then shoved them back into his pocket and quietly made his way back to the front of the house to meet back up with Cort and Maximus.

"Did you see something?" Maximus asked, noting the look on Zack's face.

Zack licked his lip, nodded, "It doesn't look good," he told them, "I could make out 2 bodies - one was definitely in bad shape. Blood everywhere. Most likely, Ross. The other - I assume, Reverend Harris - was lying next to him, face down. His hands bound behind him. Dwayne had his wife tied up as well, set her down next to the two men." He looked Maximus and Cort in the eye, "We need to work quickly. We don't know what he's planning. We've got to get him isolated somehow from his captives and take him down."

Cort's hand hovered over his gun butt. He'd been thinking about this ever since they'd left Maximus' house. Herod. The name kept repeating over and over in his mind. Someone was inside and they were acting like Herod, with no concern for human life. He looked at Zack, who was the official lawman here. "What do you need?"

"I'm going around to the back of the house, get his attention," Zack said, checking the ammo in his side-arm. "You and Maximus go in through the front, break the door in if you have to, but do it quickly. In and out. Get Ross out first, then the other. I'll take care of Campbell." He looked up at them, "Ready, gentlemen? Then let's do this."

Dwayne was putting the final touches on his plan, completely aware of the three new arrivals that were outside creeping around his house. Unbeknownst to them, Dwayne had the entire compound set up with hidden surveillance cameras. At that very moment he was watching their every move from a tiny portable monitor.

"C'mon, darlin'," he told Abby, pulling her to her feet. "Time to blow this joint; it's gettin' a might too crowded here for my taste."

Abby wobbled a bit on her feet, the drugs in her system having taken full effect on her now. Dwayne wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, then kicked at Alistair. "You too, padre!" he said, then kicked at him again when the man didn't move. "Let's get a move on here! Time's a wastin'!"

Alistair moaned, his eyes mere slits.

Dwayne let out a sigh, leaned Abby against the wall beside him. "Stay here darlin'," he said, then bent down and picked the man up and threw him over his shoulder.

Once he was upright, he grabbed his gun and put it against Alistair's head, then pulled Abby by her restraints. "You stay with me, darlin', you hear? Make one move or one sound I don't like and the padre here gets it. Comprende?"

She nodded, her eyes glazed over and tear-filled.

"Good," he told her, dragging her along to the rear of the house, "then let get goin'. Doc will be here to pick us up any moment."

Meanwhile, Zack had just reached the back of the house and was now in position to make his move when suddenly a black SUV came barreling around from the front of the house.

He couldn't make out who the driver was but knew it couldn't be one of his men. Without thinking, he pulled out his sidearm and raised it towards the front of the vehicle. The driver must have seen him because he swerved and floored it - aiming right at Zack.

Zack jumped out of the way just in time as the driver pulled around, opened the door a crack and began firing an automatic weapon at him. Zack managed to duck down and took cover on the side of the barn before the driver hit him. He waited a moment, peeked around, then quickly ducked back when another barrage of bullets came spraying at him. He counted to three, held his breath, then began to return fire - his bullets making no impact on what was obviously a bullet-proof vehicle.

The driver began honking his horn wildly, and Zack saw the back door of the house fly open. Dwayne was moving towards the vehicle as quickly as he could - Alistair draped over his shoulder, a gun aimed at his head. Abby was being dragged along by her wrist-restraints - completely out of it, Zack thought.

Zack watched as the driver helped Dwayne get his two captives into the back of the SUV, then climbed in behind them and shut the door. As they sped off towards the front of the house, Zack stood cursing to himself. He'd blown it. They'd gotten away. He only hoped Maximus and Cort were okay and had been successful at least in getting to Alex.

Maximus' vehicle screeched around the corner, the passenger side deeply dented in. The black SUV had plowed into it, spinning it so that it's rear fender slammed into Cort. Clutching his ribs, Cort had hollered, "Go!" to Maximus. "I'm ok. I'll go inside and check on Alex!"

Out of the corner of his eye, the General had seen Dwayne's getaway. "You are sure?" he asked, already halfway in the driver's seat.

"I'm sure," Cort nodded. The pain told him he probably had some broken ribs, but what had to be done had to be done.

Not really stopping at the rear of the house, Maximus leaned across, opening the door for Zack.

Leaning way forward, holding his ribcage, Cort went in the front door. Alex lay quietly, his eyes closed, blood everywhere. Beside him, more blood was smeared as though someone had lain in it and then been dragged away. Cort hoped to God that Alistair wasn't bleeding, too. He crouched painfully beside Alex, moving back the wrapping someone had covered the wound with. The knife had gone in right in Alex's chest. Cort blew out a long breath, laying the cloth back over it and applying pressure. Before long he heard the sound of a siren coming up the long drive. "Hang in there, Alex," he urged. "Help's here."

Alistair felt himself being carried. Whoever was carrying him was in a hurry and none too careful about his methods. Twice the side of Alistair's head smacked into doorways, then he was tossed into the back of some vehicle, his torso twisted, his hands lashed behind him. When his feet were shoved in, his head slid down to the floorboards and the sounds and the pain stopped as he was lost in the darkness.

"Don't lose him!" Zack yelled, as he jumped into the passenger side of Maximus' car. His heart was pounding. He knew if they didn't catch Dwayne now he'd surely try and flee the country. "Cort with Alex? He okay?"

"Hurt some," Maximus replied. "Car hit him. But he was able to go inside." He was trying to clamp his teeth, to keep the speeding SUV in sight. There were so many curves, so many clumps of trees, that it was hard. His car was making a strange rattling noise, too, from where the SUV had rammed it. All he cared about, though, was that it still operated so that he could stay behind Dwayne's car.

Zack checked the rounds in his sidearm. Empty. As he pulled out a fresh clip and reloaded, he decided he'd better call Bud and John and let them know what was happening. He pulled out his cell phone, dialed Bud's number. He just hoped that one of them would be able to come and help out in the situation.

"White here. Is this you, Grant?" Bud recognized the number of his new business partner.

"Yeah, it's me. Bud, listen, we need back-up, stat! That Campbell fellow has a couple of hostages, at least one of them is injured, the other - his wife, is pretty heavily drugged, it appears. He's got some accomplice working with him, tried to run me over then started shooting. He's pretty heavily armed - automatic weapons. Maximus and I are in pursuit now. Think you can rendezvous with us?"

Bud was back in the Sheriff's office. He grabbed a shotgun and a couple of extra clips for his handgun.

"Oh, my way, Grant. Where are you?" They needed more backup, but when he left Biebe and Bonnie they were off to Coff's. They'd be too far away. "I'll be alone." Bud stuffed shotgun shells in his pocket and headed out the door. He was still on his phone.

Zack braced himself as they rounded a sharp curve, swore under his breath, "We're just coming up past that weird glass house - you know the one - that looks like an alien ship crash landed? Think you can take a short-cut, maybe head the fucker off?"

Bud jumped into his cruiser. "Yeah, I know that weird fucker of a house you're talking about. The shitbird who lives there is as weird as the house." Bud peeled out of the driveway with tires screeching.

"Black SUV," Zack replied, "Can't miss it! It's the one doing 100 fucking miles an hour through town!"

Mentally Bud went through where all his girls were. They should all be home and safe except Marie who was working safely in Coffs.

"Right. How many hostages versus dirt bags are in the SUV?" Bud finished with the last Velcro strap on his vest. At that speed he should rendezvous with the vehicle soon.

"Two hostiles in front, the two hostages in the back," Zack told him, as Maximus pushed the car harder, trying to close the gap between the two vehicles.

Up ahead in the SUV, Abby was trying to make sense of what was happening. She couldn’t understand why Dwayne was doing this and why he’d brought poor Alistair there in the first place. She knew he’d been angry about him turning them down when they’d asked him to perform the ceremony to renew their wedding vows, but this? This was taking things way too far!

She struggled a bit, trying to get the cording around her wrists to loosen without Dwayne noticing, but they were tied too tightly and she didn’t have much strength in her to get the job done. She quietly began to sob, looked over to see how Alistair was doing. His eyes were half open, she thought he may be conscious now, though maybe not fully aware of what was happening. He looked as confused as she felt. Dwayne was talking into his cell phone, barking orders to someone, though she couldn't make out who or what. She leaned over, closing her eyes so that it would look to Dwayne as if she'd gone to sleep and just slumped over, and whispered to Alistair, "Are you okay?"

It took Alistair a moment to reply and then he felt as though he were trying to form words underwater. "I...I...Abby? What...what...happened?" He desperately needed to untwist his torso but was jammed in so tightly he couldn't move. His head was down, his neck bent, and the extra blood flowing into it had his head pounding and splitting even worse than before. "Dwa...Dwayne...did this?" He had no idea why and that only added to his sense of confusion.

"Yes, though I'm not sure why," she told him, keeping her voice in a low whisper. "I have no idea where they're taking us, either. Oh Alistair, I'm afraid," she cried softly. "There were gunshots, some men were there outside trying to save us I think. I just hope they were able to follow us."

Maximus? Maybe he had been able to call the General after all? He hoped so. But shots? He didn't like that, didn't want to be the cause of getting Maximus in some sort of danger. His shoulders were pulled back way too tightly by the bonds that held his wrists. Every bit of him seemed to be hurting. It was so hard to keep his thoughts clear. "Abby," he breathed, "I think we..." But then his voice faded away.

Maximus swerved, narrowly missing a roo crossing the road. From what he'd heard of Zack's phone conversation, Bud's car should be joining them any moment. The damn SUV wasn't slowing at all, no matter what obstacles loomed before it. A mailbox went down, then a trashcan, then a row of flowers. He hoped no people were walking along the road.

Bud saw the SUV in the distance. His sirens were blaring and his lights flashing on the cruiser. He went on the intercom.

"You, in the black SUV. This is the Glen Sheriff's department. Stop immediately." As expected the SUV kept barreling toward him. Bud made a quick decision. He had to stop the SUV before it went through the more populated part of town or he'd kill pedestrians or other citizens in their vehicles. He executed the perfect PIT maneuver. The SUV spun around several times before coming to rest in a ditch on the side of the road. There was no sudden movement from the SUV. Bud grabbed his shotgun and jumped from his cruiser.

With cover from his cruiser he trained his shotgun on the front seat of the SUV.

"You, in the SUV. Campbell. Step away from the vehicle with your hands in the air. Now!"

In his peripheral vision Bud saw Grant and the General pull up. He could use the back up.

No response from the SUV. "I repeat. You in the SUV. Step out of the vehicle NOW with your hands in the fucking air."

Maximus got quickly out of his car, getting his rifle in position as he moved. Why was there no answer from the SUV? His eyes narrowed as he closed the gap between himself and Bud, aware that Zack was circling around to the other side of the vehicle. The silence was broken by a shot and he dropped his rifle, falling to his knees, clutching high on his left shoulder, making small grunting noises between his clenched teeth.

Cort sat back against the wall, one hand pressing atop Alex's wound, the other to his own side. "Damn!" he muttered. It hurt like blue blazes. And he hated it, too, that Maximus was off after the bad guys and here he sat. Then the sound of hurrying footsteps came across. He'd left the front door open for the medics.

Ahnna's ears perked. "Was that an ambulance?" Her eyes were wide, filled with fear.

Joimus, trying to remain calm for Ahnna's sake, replied in as steady a voice as she could manage, "It might have been, but, then, the Glen is full of pregnant women, Ahnna. Maybe it's just that a baby has decided to be born this afternoon?"

Tom slammed on the brakes as Stevo turned off the siren. They both jumped out of the ambo, leaving the engine running and the doors open. All was quiet in the house and they began to worry that this might be a body bag situation. Tom, ever the ex-policeman, held Stevo back while he glanced through the open front door. He saw Alex, not moving, in a pool of blood, and Cort, sitting on the floor with pain etched across his face.

"Stevo, you take a look at Cort while I see if there's anything I can do for Ross."

Inside, Alex was lying very still, the strip of throw that Abby had wrapped around him now soaked with blood. He was cold, real cold and his mind was in a hazy fog. In the distance, he could hear voices as they came closer to him. He tried to speak but it only came out like a strangled moan. He faded in and out consciousness, the pain in his chest that had once been so intense now began to numb a bit, as did his whole body.

From the way Cort was catching his breath, Stevo could see that some ribs were cracked, if not broken. Easing off his shirt he began strapping Cort's chest to support the ribs. When he finished, he helped Cort rest against the wall once more. "Okay, mate?" he asked. He was glad when Cort nodded in agreement; it left him free to help Tom with Alex.

"How's he going, Tom?"

"It doesn't look good, mate. We need to stabilize him before we think of moving him to the ambo. It's gonna be touch and go. Wonder what he did to deserve this?"

Cort watched the two men working over Alex. The strapping was helping him some, but his side hurt pretty bad. "I think," he said softly, "I think he was trying to help Abby." He took too deep of a breath and winced. "See the broken vase," he pointed out, nodding toward the large, scattered shards of the thick, heavy vase that lay about on the floor. "Alistair. Said he'd been hit. I think it must've been with that."

"Abby," Alex suddenly managed to say weakly, "N...nooo..." He tried to move, but the medics quickly held him in place. They were saying something to him, but he couldn't make out what. He tried to open his mouth to speak to them again, but felt the fog coming back, overtaking him. Who were they? What did they want? What were they doing to him? Suddenly, the sharp pain in his chest was back and he screamed out, trying to fight them off, but they easily subdued him and his body gave in, relaxed, as his mind drifted off into black nothingness.

"Alex, you need to keep still, mate," Tom said, holding him down by his shoulder. It didn't take much pressure as Alex seemed as weak as a kitten. He cried out in pain and fell unconscious once again.

"Now might be a good time to move him, Tom, before he comes round again. I don't think he'll stand the pain if we jolt him while he's awake," Stevo said. Turning his attention to Cort, he spoke softly to him. "Hey, mate. Think you can make it to the ambo, or should I bring out a chair for ya?"

Cort closed his eyes. Looked like Alex was on his way out. Who knew how long the man had lain there bleeding like that? He himself was now breathing in short gasps, trying to get through the pain each breath cost him.

"Give me a hand up, Stevo. I think I can make it." Trying to stifle a groan, he leaned on Stevo, curving forward to ease his ribs. It seemed a long way to the ambulance, a very long way, and he was breathing raggedly only half way there. He'd waited while the medics got Alex loaded first, leaning against the side of the ambulance, sweat beading his upper lip, and was glad when he was helped inside and able to sit again. It would take a while to reach the hospital in Coffs and he leaned forward, his face in his hands, not even noticing when Tom slid a blood pressure cuff on his arm.

It all happened in what seemed like slow motion. Before Zack knew what was happening, the driver in the car had begun firing on them and Maximus was hit. He quickly called out to him, "Maximus! You okay?"

Maximus' teeth were clenched so tightly it was hard to reply. "Shoulder," he managed, then sat over on his hip, letting his grip over his wound go, feeling beside him for his rifle. One thing he'd learned, and learned at dear cost, you didn't give in to pain, not when there was something that needed doing.

Zack came around to the passenger's side, hoping to take out Campbell before he could do anything to the two hostages. The driver was still firing but Bud had begun firing back. Zack saw the driver get hit, grab at his neck. That was his chance to move in. With his weapon raised, he jumped out and aimed his firearm at the front passenger's seat and yelled out, "Get the fuck out of the car... now!"

Instead of doing as he was told, however, Dwayne jumped into the back seat, grabbed Alistair by the back of the neck and pulled him up out of the vehicle next to him. Dwayne had a shotgun aimed at the man's head, a scared but determined look on his face. "Don't make me shoot him!" he called back to Zack. "I will, if I have to."

Alistair was aware he'd been grabbed and hauled up. The sudden jerking motion of being pulled upright sent his head spinning wildly. He felt something hard and cold pressed against his temple but was in too much pain, too dizzy, to determine just what it was. If his neck hadn't been being held in some horrid grip, his head would have fallen forward. A long, sighing sound escaped his lips and he let his eyes close.

Zack stood back a distance, looked over his shoulder at where Abby was lying down on the floorboard of the car. Good, she was out of range, he thought to himself, then his eyes found Bud. He'd taken out the driver. Zack called out to him, "You got this, Bud?"

Bud nodded to Grant. The driver was no longer a threat. This shitbird Campbell had to go down. No fucking way he was hurting any more hostages on his watch. Not now, not ever. And not the Reverend. He aimed his shotgun at Campbell's head and waited. The right time would come. Both he and Grant had given him ample opportunities to disarm and surrender. Negotiations were over.

Steady. The Reverend's head listed to the side. Bud squeezed the trigger of his shotgun and felt the recoil slam into his shoulder. The shot blew off half of Campbell's head and he crumbled to the ground along with his gun. Brain matter splattered over the immediate surrounding area.

Bud lunged forward and caught the Reverend as he went down, pulling him out of the way.

Alistair's lips moved, but he made no sound. Blood and bits of bone from Dwayne covered the side of his face.

"His hands," Maximus gritted. "Still tied. Hands." He slid a knife out from the top of his boot, keeping one there a habit he'd not broken, and with some effort tossed it close to Bud, who cut Alistair's bonds.

Alistair's chin fell to his chest. He couldn't hold his head up, not any more. He hung there, completely sagging, in Bud's arms until the cop lowered him gently to the ground. Maximus managed to get to his feet, coming close, dropping down again beside Alistair. When Zack came over, he looked up at him. "Need...need to get him to the hospital."

Zack let out the deep breath he'd been holding, his shoulders slumped as he lowered his weapon. "I'll drive," he replied, then rushed over to check on Abby. She was in the back of the SUV, huddled on the floor.

"Mill. Stop by mill," Maximus breathed, clutching his shoulder again. "Joimus, Ahnna, there." His eyes met Zack's. "You know," he said, his meaning clear without adding more words. He knew Zack had visited Alistair in the hospital before, and was aware of Ahnna's response to the result of the fire. Maximus wanted to stop there long enough to pick up the two women.

Zack turned back, nodded. He wasn't about to argue with Maximus, knew the Mill was on the way to the hospital and there was no real life or death situation for them not to be able to make the quick stop. About that time, the sheriff and his deputy pulled up alongside of the road. Bud was filling them in on the situation as Zack stooped down in front of Abby, wrapped an arm around her back, and whispered, "It's okay, sweetheart, it's over. It's all over."

Abby was shaking pretty badly, her eyes fixed on where her husband lay dead on the ground in front of her. She was cold and tired and confused by what had happened. This was a nightmare - one she couldn't seem to wake up from no matter what she did. Dwayne was dead. Her husband was... dead! She couldn't believe it had all happened, didn't understand why he'd taken them hostage and tried to run from the cops. All she wanted to do was to sleep and make it all go away. She closed her eyes, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Zack held onto her, trying to comfort her. He knew she was probably in shock, needed medical attention soon. "Hennessy," he called out to the deputy, "you take care of the girl? Make sure she gets to the hospital while I drive the others?

She nodded, made her way over to where Abby was still crouched in the car. After a moment, she had her on her feet and was helping her into the sheriff's cruiser.

Zack, with the help of Bud, managed to get Alistair in the back of their police car, then went back to help Maximus. "Sure you don't just want to call them on the way?" he asked, helping the general into the back seat next to Alistair.

"No," Maximus replied firmly. "It is best we stop." He bit his lip as he slid into the seat, using his right arm to prop Alistair, who had started to slump to the side. Damn, but he wished he had something to wipe Alistair's face before Ahnna saw him, but there was nothing to use.

Within moments they had arrived beside the mill, parking next to Joimus' station wagon. "I think it will be better if we switch to that," Maximus nodded, indicating the larger car with three rows of seats. He waited quietly still in the back seat of the cruiser while Zack went to the door of the mill and knocked.

Ahnna started, making a little gasping sound. "They're back!" she cried, getting up and running to fling the door open, closely followed by Joimus. "Zack?" She hadn't expected him. "Where's...where's Alistair?" She looked past him, noticing the police cruiser next to the station wagon. "Is...is....?"

"He's fine, just a bump on the head," Zack quickly assured her, "I'm on my way to the hospital with them, but Maximus insisted I stop by here first to pick up the two of you." He moved aside so she could see the two men sitting in the back of the cruiser.

"Alistair," Ahnna breathed, running toward the cruiser. As she got closer, she called his name more loudly, but he didn't turn and look at her as she'd hoped.

Joimus followed, walking quickly, but not in Ahnna's full-out run. Zack had not mentioned any harm coming to Maximus, but she was terribly concerned for Alistair. Ahnna had paused just outside the open rear door of the cruiser, her hands clamped to her mouth, her face gone all white. Seeing that, Joimus hurried up behind her, putting her hand out to support her friend.

"Ahnna, what's...?" Then she, too, got to a place where she could see inside. Maximus sat quietly, his jaw set, trying to keep Alistair partially upright. The upper sleeve of his light blue shirt was stained with blood. She felt an instant tightening in her guts, but it was the sight of Alistair's face more than anything that shocked her. His eyes were closed and something... something horrible... was splattered over one side of his face. Had he been injured that terribly?

Her eyes flew back to her husband's, her silent question loud. "Dwayne," Maximus bit out. "Shotgun." He shifted a bit then asked, "Can you and Zack help me get him in the station wagon?"

Ahnna hadn't moved, had barely breathed, had not been able to stop gazing in absolute horror at Alistair's face. "It's not his, Ahnna," Joimus said almost in her ear. "It's Dwayne's...not his."

Alistair opened his eyes part way, blinking slowly. "Ahnna?" he whispered hoarsely.

That was enough to get her moving. "I'm here, darling, I'm right here." Between Zack, Joimus, and her, they got Alistair into the third row of seats in the adjacent stationwagon, Ahnna sliding in beside him, her arms wrapped around him as he leaned into her.

Joimus turned back to the cruiser where her own husband remained. "You?"

"Shoulder," he said, managing a very slight smile. "Bullet."

She supported his right elbow as he got out and moved to the middle row of seats in Joimus' car. Now that his right arm was free from helping Alistair, he was clutching his shoulder again. Joimus had on an ankle-length skirt and she ripped a large piece off its hem, then tore that in half, handing one section back to Ahnna and then folding the other into a fat compress. She guided Maximus down on the seat, his knees bent, his head in her lap, and she pressed the cloth atop his wound. Leaning close over his face, she kissed his forehead, whispering, "Close your eyes, my love. Rest for a moment."

Ahnna was wiping at Alistair's face, tears running down her own, but whatever it was that coated it had dried and wouldn't come off. "I...I'm ok," he murmured, his eyes barely open. "Head hurts." His head was, indeed, wobbling rather badly and she pulled him into her. He sighed loudly. "Love you." She let out a huge sob she couldn't keep inside any longer.

Once everyone was in the car, Zack quickly grabbed the police light from the top of the cruiser and attached it to the roof of the station wagon, then started the engine and sped down the road en route to the Coffs hospital.

The station wagon's tires squealed loudly on the pavement as Zack came around the curved road at full speed. It was near nightfall now and the sun had already begun it's slow descent on the horizon. More than the darkness, Zack was hoping to outrun the storm that was brewing off in the distance ahead of them. The ominous thunderclouds loomed closer and closer - lightning rippling across the Australian sky. He looked into the rearview mirror at the two men cuddled up with their wives. One barely conscious and the other still losing too much blood for Zack's liking. If he didn't reach Coffs soon their condition would surely become more critical.

"About halfway there now," he said to his passengers, trying to reassure both them and himself.

"Hurry, Zack," Joimus urged. "Maximus' wound doesn't seem to be clotting. I'm worried the bullet might have nicked an artery."

Zack gritted his teeth. He was pushing the poor station wagon as hard as it could handle and was afraid to go any faster without blowing the engine. "I'll get him there in time, Joimus," he replied, "You have my word."

Unfortunately for those in the car, they were completely unaware of the fact that back at the crime scene all had not been quite as over as they had thought. For the driver of the SUV - Dwayne's accomplice - had only had a minor flesh wound on the neck where Bud had shot him. When the local mortician from Coffs finally arrived to pick up Dwayne's remains, the driver - whom Bud had slapped a bandage on, handcuffed, managed to get loose and take off in the sheriff's car. They'd put out an all alert bulletin, but the driver managed to elude them all and a half hour later the sheriff's car turned up in a ditch on the side of the road just out of town. Along side of the car, just a bit further down in the ditch, they found the body of a traveling salesman - shot in the head. The man's wallet was missing and it was assumed that the escaped prisoner had used the stolen police car to pull the man over, then shot him and fled the scene in his car. Without his identity they had no idea who he was or what his vehicle may have looked like.

Dr. Stanley Branagan, who'd lost his license to practice medicine in the U.S. some time ago due to his highly questionable extra-curricular activities, the most notable of them being his illegal sales of certain highly addictive prescription drugs, came barreling up behind the station wagon. He'd been following them since they'd left the mill, keeping a safe distance behind until he knew they were far enough out of town where he could take them down. Now that he also had the cover of darkness and the rain to aid in his plan, he decided to make his move and came up close behind the car with his high-beams on so that they were blinding to the driver of the car in front of him.

Zack squinted when the lights reflected into his eyes, pulled over to the side of the road a bit and motioned for the car to pass. When it didn't, he let out a barrage of swear words aimed at the driver and sped up again.

"What's happening, Zack?" Joimus called out, shaken by what Zack seemed to be doing. She didn't understand what was going on. Maximus' face was growing whiter and that's all she could focus on.

Zack muttered something under his breath, then recovered himself and said, "Not sure what this asshole's up to, Joimus. Hang on and make sure your seatbelts are tightly fastened, I'm going to try and shake him."

He pushed down as hard as he could on the accelerator, the car lurched forward, smoke beginning to rise from the engine. The car behind him was still right on his bumper, easily keeping pace. "Shit!" Zack swore again, swerving the station-wagon to the left and right in order to keep the Ute from colliding with its back bumper. His efforts were useless, however, and the Ute came up beside them and swerved into the passenger side of their car, knocking them halfway off the road.

Up ahead, lightning flashed and the rain began to pour down in buckets, causing the roadway to become quite slick. Dr. Branagan decided to use this to his advantage and came right back at the side of the station wagon with full force. Suddenly, the station-wagon spun around out of control. Zack tried to hold the wheel steady, but it was too late. They went flying off the main road, over the ditch and flipped, rolling over and over until finally landing upside down in a field.

Joimus had been in the act of trying desperately to buckle Maximus' belt, but the way he was lying on the seat made it impossible. Ahnna had been luckier in that Alistair was mostly upright, though slumped, and had gotten both of them in their seatbelts just before the car began to
flip.

Joimus lay on her back in the field, rain pouring into her face. Spluttering, she sat up. She'd landed in an area of deep soft grass and was only terribly shaken. Frantic, though, she searched through the gathering darkness for her station wagon. It's headlights were still on, sending shafts of light through the heavy rain and she scrambled to her feet, running toward it. Oh, Lord...it was upside down!

The passenger's side door where she'd been sitting was missing. She stuck her head inside, calling, "Maximus!" and groping for him with her hands. He wasn't there! A moan from the back attracted her attention. "Ahnna?"

"I'm...I'm all right...I think." Ahnna shook her head, trying to clear it, then realized she was hanging upside-down. She felt dazed, disoriented, and ached in several places. "Alistair!" She twisted to her right where he was hanging beside her. "Alistair?" With her hands, she found his face. He wasn't moving, wasn't responding and an anguished moan escaped her lips. She couldn't tell if he were alive or dead.

"Help me!" Ahnna cried, fumbling for his buckle. "Help me get him down!"

Joimus stretched further into the car, found the seat belt and traced along it. "I've got it! Hold onto him, Ahnna." She undid the buckle and Alistair's body slumped heavily down to the roof of the overturned car.

"Can you get out of your seatbelt?" she asked Ahnna.

"Think so." And in a moment she had freed herself and was on her knees, trying to turn Alistair.

"I've got to find Maximus!" Joimus said, every nerve in her body on edge. Quickly she tried to see how Zack was, but it was too dark and he was very quiet. She pushed herself away from the car, stumbling through the field back the way the car had rolled. He had to be here somewhere. He had to!

She zigzagged across the field, trying to follow the path the car had rolled, hoping to come across Maximus in the dark. The rain beat down on her so hard her hair kept streaming into her face and she pushed it constantly away, blinking, trying to see. Then she was at the edge of the road and hadn't found him, so, sick at heart, she turned, heading back out into the field, searching, searching. About halfway back she fell over him. Shocked, she lay there a brief moment, not realizing at first what had made her fall. Her hands moved, encountering his right hip.

Scrambling to her knees, she felt up his body. He was lying so far over on his left side he was almost facedown. Turning him, her fingers fluttered over his face. "Oh...Maximus," she moaned.

"Co...cold," he murmured.

His skin was, indeed, cold under her hands. He'd lost too much blood! She touched his upper shoulder but it was too wet with the rain and she didn't know how much it might still be bleeding since she could barely see him. Tearing off more of her skirt, she wadded it, pressing it against his bullet wound, straining to look back at the car. There was no one there who could help him and he needed help desperately.

Her phone? Was her purse in the car? No, both she and Ahnna had left the mill in such a hurry neither one had thought to bring a purse with them. With her free hand she patted Maximus' pockets. No phone. Had he been more interested in taking his rifle than his phone? Zack. Maybe Zack had a phone on him? She judged the distance to the car. The headlights would lead her to that, but then she wouldn't be able to find Maximus again in the dark field, and she'd have to stop her pressure on his wound as well. With a little sighing sound, he passed out.

"Oh, GOD! Maximus! Don't you die! Don't you even THINK of dying!"

Zack was only slightly aware of the fact that he was hanging upside down. The impact had been hard and swift and it took him a few minutes to recall what had just happened. He opened his eyes, trying to see into the darkness. The rain was still coming down strong, pouring in on him from both sides of what was left of the station-wagon.

He let himself hang there for a few more moments, trying to clear his head, which was throbbing where it had been pounded against the side of the door when the car had rolled off the road. He tried to move, attempting to free himself from the seatbelt, but a sharp pain shot through him and he let out a gasp. The seatbelt, though had kept him from being thrown through the front windshield, had obviously crushed a few of his ribs. He could hear soft moaning coming from behind him in the back seat.

"Everyone okay back there?" he asked, hoarsely, trying again to free himself from the seatbelt.

"Zack?" Ahnna was terribly uncomfortably twisted, but she had managed to pull Alistair's head into her lap. Every little while he made a low sound, like he was trying to wake up but couldn't quite manage. "Joimus helped me get Alistair out of his belt, but I don't think he's doing very well. And she's gone to try and find Maximus. He was thrown out when the car rolled." Alistair groaned again and she leaned close, covering his face with little kisses, murmuring endearments to him.

Concerned for his friends, Zack managed to release his seatbelt and quickly righted himself. "Stay here until I get back," he told Ahnna, then carefully crawled out of the car.

It was dark - real dark, and Zack couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of him. The rain was coming down in sheets, obstructing his vision even more so. Up ahead of him he thought he could just make out the form of someone. Maximus maybe? he wondered to himself, as he shielded his eyes from the rain and quickly made his way towards the figure.

Just then, lightning flashed, illuminating the person standing in front of him - along with the gun the man was aiming at him. Zack dove out of the way of the bullet just before it could make impact, landing near where Joimus sat with the unconscious Maximus. "Stay down!" Zack ordered them, as he quickly reached for the gun that was still in his shoulder holster.

Joimus threw herself across Maximus, trying to shield him with her body, her heart pounding from the close impact of the bullet. NO! she thought. No more gunshots at him tonight! Still managing to press the wad of cloth over his wound, she rested her cheek on his. It was so cold.

"Why the fuck are you doing this?" Zack shouted at the gunman, trying to distract him while he got into a better position to fire on him.

"Payback for what you bastards did to my buddy Campbell back there," he sneered back. Zack saw a glint of metal as the gunman took aim at him, moved to the left just out of the way as more shots rang out in front of him, just missing them by mere inches.

Zack pointed his gun at the direction they had come from, took aim, then waited for another flash of lighting. That's when he fired on the gunman. His first shot only gave him a flesh wound - hitting him in the left shoulder. The gunman grabbed his arm, lightning flashed overhead once more, giving Zack the opportunity he needed. He fired his weapon once more, this time hitting the man dead center in his chest, knocking him back to the ground.

Zack held his breath, waiting for a moment to be sure the man was down for good. Satisfied he wasn't getting back up, Zack scrambled to his feet and ran over to where the man lay on his back in the mud. He kicked at his side - no movement, then bent down to check his pulse.

"He's dead," Zack told Joimus as he trudged through the mud back over to where she was huddled next to Maximus.

"I'm losing him, Zack!" she moaned. "Oh, God, I'm losing him!"

Just then a car came down the road, heading in the direction of Coffs. "Look, over there!" Julie said, pointing off into the dark field. "Isn't that the headlights of a car out there?"

Robin slowed, leaning a bit to look, a frown creasing his brow. "Seems to have been an accident." He pulled off to the side of the road, backed a bit, then turned his car so its headlights shown across the field.

"Oh, Robin," Julie exclaimed, "It's...it's upside-down!"

In the high beams, they could see someone standing in the middle of the field, one or two other people lying beside him. Paying no attention to the pouring rain, they both got out of the car, running out into the field.

Zack looked up, shielding his eyes as the headlights suddenly lit up the entire scene. Two figures then appeared in front of him and he let out a sigh of relief when he recognized who they were.

Robin, ahead of Julie, stopped close to the man. "I know you," he said. "Met you in the Glen at the barbecue."

"That's right," Zack told him, bent over and clutching the side of his chest where his ribs had been broken, "Name's Grant, Zack Grant."

"Sorry about that, Zack. There were so many people there that day, most of them new to me. What happened here?"

"Ro...Robin?" Joimus lifted her cheek off Maximus'. "Is that you, Robin?"

"Joimus? My Lord! Julie, it's Maximus!"

Instantly he was on his knees. "How's he hurt?"

"I...I don't know about...he...he was thrown from the car...but, oh, Robin, he's been shot and he's losing so much blood...I...."

"Shot? Where?"

She nodded to where she was pressing on his shoulder. "Here, let me." And he took over pressing for her, looking up at
Zack. "Good God, man, what's going on?"

"Earlier today... back in the Glen...Alistair was taken hostage... the details are still a bit fuzzy, but long story short, he was able to use a cell phone, called Maximus, who called the sheriff's office. He and Cort met me out at the perp's ranch, a shootout and chase occurred. I called for backup, Bud got there, shot the driver, and took out the kidnapper - but not before Maximus here was shot. I was just taking them them to the hospital in Coffs when that bastard lying dead over there in the mud," he paused, pointing at the dead gunman, "came out of no where and rammed our car, knocked us off the road. Pretty sure he was the kidnapper’s accomplice, must have escaped somehow, followed us here.” He paused again, thinking about what they’d just gone through, how lucky they were, then continued, “Our car rolled several times before landing here upside-down. I left Ahnna with Alistair, went to find Maximus and Joimus... he’d been flung from the car and she’d gone looking for him. The guy wasn't done with us, though, tried to shoot us... I got him first. "

Zack nodded, "I told them to stay put ‘til I came back for them."

Julie had pulled out her phone and was already calling the emergency number in Coffs. "Hurry!" she ended. "We'll need two ambulances...and the police."

Robin asked Zack to take his place so he could check on Alistair and Ahnna. Julie crouched near Joimus, resting her hand on her shoulder.

"Ahnna?" Robin called as he knelt to peer into the car. "It's Robin."

"Robin? Oh, thank God! Thank God!"

"Help's on it's way. Can you move just a little over so I can see how Alistair is?"

She shifted as much as she could to the side, giving a little cry as the movement sent a pain through her back. "Are you hurt?" Robin asked.

"Don't worry about me. Just see what you can do for Alistair."

He felt for Alistair's pulse, which seemed a bit erratic. "There's no point in pulling him out of the car yet, Ahnna. He'll just get soaked. An ambulance should be here within minutes. He'll be all right. You just hang tight right now. I'm going back to where Maximus is."

"Joimus found him? How...how is he?"

"Lost a lot of blood, but he's alive. That's about all I know."

Zack reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone. He needed to call Destiny before she panicked.

He sighed, shoved it back into his front pocket, turned to Julie, "Mind if I use your phone? I should call my girl, let her know I'm okay."

Julie absently handed him her phone. Maximus looked really bad to her and she was terribly worried.

Destiny picked up on the first ring, the panic in her voice let him know she had indeed been worried. He kept the call short and brief, letting her know he was okay and he'd see her in the morning. No use for her to try and make the drive to Coffs tonight; he'd feel much better knowing she was safe at home and not out driving after dark in the storm.

When he’d finished, Zack hung up the phone and handed it back to Julie. He stood there for a moment, in kind of a daze, then collapsed to the ground. He sat there – in the mud and rain, shaking his head and laughing out loud, recalling the words Bud White had told him just a few short weeks ago about how Zack would be surprised at all the things that went on in the Glen and how it was rarely boring. The big man had been more right than even he probably ever thought he'd been.

Robin, on his way back to where Maximus lay, looked at the man strangely, concerned he was losing it. Julie was thinking the same thing.

Zack noticed the others starting to give him sideways glances. He let out another chuckle, then said to no one in particular, "Who the fuck would have ever thought my quiet day in the office would have ended up like this?!"

Julie was getting restless. Robin had been gone for a long time. As unobtrusively as possible, she made her way past the registration desk, slipped around the corner and pulled aside the curtain of the small exam room where Robin had gone. He was sitting in the chair beside the narrow bed, his face buried in his right hand, his right elbow on the chair's arm. With his left he held an icepack to the side of Joimus' face.

"Robin," she whispered, and he looked up.

"Ah, Julie," he sighed. "I didn't mean to leave you for such a while. But Joimus overheard the doctors talking about how the General had died for a moment during surgery and was most distraught."

"How's she doing now?""

"They gave her something to help her rest." He lifted the ice pack so Julie could see her face. It was swollen terribly from her left eye all the way down to her jaw-line. "There's a small fracture in her cheekbone," he explained. "When she was thrown from the car, this happened."

"Oh, Robin, so much pain and suffering tonight."

"It is all too familiar, my love, and I do not like it. I did not think to find so much of it in this new land."

"Bad men do bad things no matter where one is."

"That is God's simple truth, though it be a shame and a blot upon humanity."

She came up behind him, sliding her arms around his shoulders, kissing his hair. "How's your head, darling?"

"It pains sharply, but is of no matter."

Joimus woke rather suddenly, looking at them groggily, her left eye now almost swollen shut, making it harder to focus. "Maximus? Is he...?"

Robin put his hand on her arm. "He is still in recovery, still being transfused. But he lives."

"I must see him!" She tried to sit, finding her entire body ached with the movement.

"I'll get someone," Julie said quickly, hurrying out of the room. In a moment she returned with a male nurse.

"Mrs. Meridius, I think the doctor was hoping you would rest longer."

"I can't rest. I need to see my husband. I need to see him NOW!"

"You must hearken to this lady's request," Robin said, standing and looking imposingly at the nurse.

The nurse looked at him a moment, a 'what...the?' expression on his face at the man's choice of terminology. "I'll check with recovery," he said and left.

Robin helped Joimus sit on the side of the bed. "You are highly bruised," he commented, noting her arms and legs. The lower half of her long skirt had been raggedly ripped away and mud and bits of grass clung to her clothing and hair.

Julie went out again, finding a pleasant-looking female nurse. After speaking with her, she and the nurse came back with a set of green scrubs for Joimus to change in to. Robin and Julie went back to wait with Cort while the nurse helped Joimus change.

Cort looked at them with intensely concerned eyes. "Tell me," he said. And so Robin explained about the Meridiuses. Cort sighed deeply, squeezing his eyes tightly shut when it hurt his ribcage.

"Does Claire know you're here?" Julie asked him.

He shook his head wearily. "I don't want her driving here in the night and the rain. I'll still be broken in the morning. Time enough then." He managed a wry grin.

He'd been thinking about Claire a lot as he'd sat there alone. The lovely soft gentleness of her face as he saw it in his mind provided a needed contrast to the ugly brutality of the night. He wanted to bury his face in the curve of her neck, smell the sweet scent of her flesh.

"You are tired, my friend, and in need of rest," Robin said. "I must remain until I know the outcomes for Maximus and Alistair, but when Julie and I leave for the Glen, consider that there is a place for you in my vehicle."

"You had a collision, didn't you...on your way here?"

"A small incident, yes, the loss of a bumper. The Mercedes is still drivable, though I fear I must take it to Colin's garage upon our return."

"I'd be mighty obliged for the lift," Cort said. "Thanks."

When Joimus was in the scrubs and had hospital slippers on her feet, the male nurse returned with a wheel chair. "Doc says you can go see your husband but he doesn't want you to walk."

As she settled painfully into the chair, she asked him, "Do you know anything about Reverend Harris?"

"All I know is they took him off for scans. Haven't heard anything yet, Ma'am."

She sighed and motioned down the hall with a slight movement of her hand. "Please."

He wheeled her down several long hallways, around corners, and then into a room where Maximus lay. Her teeth sank into her lower lip. He was still much too white. "How long...?"

"It takes a while," the nurse said. "I'll leave you now. Be back in a while."

"I want to stay," she said.

He smiled, not replying, and turned to leave.

The bed was too high and the railings were up. Sitting low in the wheelchair, she felt shut off from him, so got to her feet, standing there, her hands gripping the railing. He lay quietly, monitors on his chest, an oxygen cannula on his face, the IV in his right arm, the upper left part of his shoulder and chest swathed in thick bandaging. "Oh, my darling, darling," she sighed, touching his cheek, "this was so close, so frighteningly close."

His eyes opened, small slits of his green showing. "I am...here." His voice was low, very weak.

"It is only because of that that I still live," she smiled, curving the backs of her fingers tenderly down his face.

He was barely able to keep his eyes open even that much, but he saw her face. "You...you...?" A frown creased his forehead.

"I'm fine, beloved. Truly. Don't worry about me. Just rest...rest...and grow strong again."

He blinked, opening his eyes more widely. "Oh, Joimus." Tears brimmed as he looked at her.

"Shhhh!" she murmured. "This is only temporary. I'm not in any danger. There's nothing for you to worry about, my darling."

He tried to lift his right hand, needing to touch her, but only managed two or three inches before it fell back to the bed. She took his large hand in both hers, lifting it for him, pressing it to her lips as she leaned close. "I love you with everything I am," she said almost fiercely.

He smiled a little, then his eyes closed and he drifted off.

She remained standing there, holding his hand, just filling her eyes, her soul, with the sight of his livingness and even when her body protested loudly and her legs began to tremble, she stood because the will to stand was stronger than the need to sit.

Alistair was awake but his head hurt like the hounds of hell were fighting furiously inside his skull. He felt confused, disoriented, and couldn't figure out how he'd gotten where he was. Had the smoke done this to him? Was he in the hospital because the mill was burning? Someone was fiddling with an IV beside his bed. He was aware, too, of a band of liquid fire across his hips and lower abdomen. That was from the seat belt as the car had rolled across the field and then suspended him upside down. He had no memory of any of that, could find no reason for the pain there. Whatever the person with the IV was doing, was beginning to help somewhat and he looked blearily at them, asking, "Ahnna?"

"I'm here, darling." Ahnna came through the doorway and he tried desperately to focus on her.

"Ahnna?" he asked again. She was being pushed in a wheelchair up close to his bed. No, that wasn't right. That couldn't be right. He tried to lift his head again but waves of bilious green nausea washed through him and he lay back, gasping.

"Lie still," Ahnna said quickly, urgently. "Please, darling, lie still."

"What...what's....?"

She slid her arm through the bed railing, curving it over his shoulder. "You've got a concussion," she explained, "a really severe one." She blinked back tears as she remembered the doctor saying how lucky he was that he didn't have bleeding into his brain.

"Cold. Head's cold."

"You have ice packs around you. They're trying to keep your brain from swelling. So far you're doing really well."

Cort had explained to both the doctors and police about the thick shards from the vase he'd found where Alistair had lain in the entryway of Dwayne's house. The impact had fractured Alistair's skull but hadn't depressed the bone. His scalp had split somewhat, but had been repaired.

"Hurts," he said then tried to look at her again, though sometimes there seemed to be two of her overlapping. "Why...why chair?"

"Do you remember Zack drove you and Maximus to the mill? Joimus and I came with you to the hospital."

"Not...not much. No."

"Dwayne hit you with a big vase, but you somehow managed to get word to Maximus."

Very vaguely he recalled that. "All right? He...all right?"

An odd looked passed over her face. "Tell...tell...what happened?"

"Bud killed Dwayne. He, Dwayne, had a gun to your head."

"I...don't...."

She was glad he didn't remember. "Maximus was shot, worse than anyone knew. He nearly bled to death."

"Oh...God! I called...him. My...my fault."

"None of this is your fault. It's all Dwayne's doing. So you stop that right now, you hear me?"

"You...chair...why?"

"At the mill, we all got into Joimus' station wagon because there was more room. Zack was driving and somehow Dwayne's man got loose and came after us, made us run off the road. The station wagon flipped over and over." She closed her eyes. "I thought it would never stop. Then it did, but it was upside down." She breathed deeply then looked at him again. "I'd gotten seat belts on you and me, but Joimus didn't have a chance
and she and Maximus were thrown out of the car."

His eyes widened, making his head hurt worse. "She...?"

"She's hurt some. Not too bad I think. I haven't seen her since we got here. I've been...."

"You? Hurt?"

"My back mostly. Sprained pretty bad when the car rolled. I've got this sort of temporary brace thing on." She touched her middle above her hospital gown.

"How...?"

"There's more. Zack had to kill the man who ran us off the road. Whoever he was tried to shoot him, maybe us, too. I don't know. Then Robin and Julie were there and Julie called for help. That's how we got here."

He couldn't believe so much had happened he had no memory of. "Maximus...he's...?"

"I don't know, darling. I saw him briefly as they wheeled him into the ER. He was very white. But don't worry. I'm sure he's getting good care here."

He closed his eyes and she thought he'd gone to sleep, but then she saw his lips moving and leaning close found despite his own horrid pain he was lifting Maximus in prayer. Her heart almost burst with how much she loved this man and tears slid down her cheeks as she sat quietly, watching him, silently thanking God that He had let her husband live.

Maximus and Alistair both spent the next full day in the hospital. During that time Joimus and Ahnna stayed in their husband's rooms, sleeping in the recliners. That second night Maximus lay awake for a long while, watching his wife sleep. Her face was turned toward him and it caused him deep pain to see how swollen the one whole side still was, and now the deep bruising had turned shades of dark purple and blue so that she looked as though she'd been beaten. In her sleep, she turned that cheek into the pillow, instantly waking from the discomfort.

Her eyes met his and he said softly, "How I love you."

Her own eyes misted over and he held his right arm out toward her, so she tossed aside the light blanket that had been covering her and came to his bed, lying along his right side, his arm curving around her, pulling her close. This was better, he thought. He needed her at his side. It was where she belonged. She nestled into him, her good cheek against his good shoulder, and soon drifted back to sleep in the comfort of his nearness. He curved his arm up more so he could rest his right palm over her cheek, just barely touching its surface, and left it there a while, closing his eyes as though he were imparting some blessing to his beloved, as though he would draw her pain out into himself. Then he, too, slept.

Later, a nurse came in and, seeing her in his bed, moved to awaken her, to ask her to go back to her recliner, but something in the way they lay dissuaded her and she merely smiled and left them as they were.

In the morning, when they were both awake, Ahnna came into the room, still looking drawn and rather pale. "You didn't sleep well?" Joimus asked.

Ahnna shook her head. "I couldn't find a comfortable position for my back." Then, too, Alistair had tossed and turned most of the night, his head still hurting him too much to rest. The doctor had said for him to take it really easy for a while and his remaining symptoms would gradually disappear.

"How are you today?" Ahnna asked Maximus, noting how much improved his color was.

"On the mend," he smiled, thinking of how wonderful it would have been if back in the second century surgeons could replace lost blood. How many of his men could have been saved? "And Alistair?"

"Still a lot of pain, I'm afraid, but at least he can go home." She frowned slightly. "And how are we getting home...any of us?"

Just then a nurse popped her head in the door. "Mr. Meridius, there's, well, there's a limo waiting for you near the main entrance, for you and the Harrises."

"A limo?" Joimus repeated, surprised. She looked at Maximus. "When did you...?"

"I did not," he said, puzzled. "Who arranged for it?" he asked the nurse.

"The driver didn't seem to know, sir. Just said he was supposed to come here and drive the four of you back to the Glen."

"Do you think it was Robin?" he asked Joimus.

"I don't know. Either him or maybe Jack. I'm glad, though, as we'll all fit better this way."

When they'd completed their discharge, they headed to the entrance, Maximus, having refused a wheelchair rather effectively with a deep knit of his forehead and a lowering of his eyebrows, walked, holding Joimus' hand. Alistair was in a chair, though, as he'd felt dizzy as he'd gotten dressed.

The uniformed driver opened the limo's side doors, helping Alistair get in. Ahnna, watching, sighed in a whisper to Joimus. "He's been through so much lately. He worries me." Her whole life had become centered around this gentle man who'd reached down into her abyss and pulled her up.

In the car she helped him with his buckle and he winced slightly, still very tender from where the seat belt had bruised him as the car had rolled. "I'm all right," he said to her, seeing her expression. "And I'm with you." He moved his arm around her shoulders and they leaned together.

No one really talked on the drive back to the Glen. As they approached its outskirts, the driver asked, "Where to first?"

"The mill," Maximus spoke up. "Take the left up ahead and you will see it about half a mile down." He wanted to be sure Alistair and Ahnna got safely inside before he himself went home.

Several minutes later, the limo pulled up in front of the Meridius' house. "We seem to be down two cars," Joimus commented.

"There is still the roadster," he replied.

"Which seats only two. Fairly soon I'd like to replace the station wagon. I need it for the Greenery."

"Yes, soon," he nodded, "but now I would like to enter our home and just be close to you."

"I can deal with that," she grinned, a bit of a sloppy, one-sided grin. "Ow! I think I'm beginning to have great personal empathy for Jim Braddock right about now."

Ahnna and Alistair were driving back from Coffs where he'd had a doctor's check-up. His dizziness had left but he still got ferocious headaches from time to time. The doctor, after a thorough examination, reaffirmed that in his opinion, those would fade within the month.

"I really hope," Ahnna was saying as their car came around a wooded curve. Her sentence was cut short, however, by the sight of an overturned car lying just off the road. She sucked in a sharp breath. It was way too similar to what had happened that awful night when Joimus' station wagon had rolled over and over in the rain-soaked field. "Oh...no!" she breathed as Alistair pulled his car over to the side.

As he opened his door, he tensed and paused for a moment, holding onto the partially-rolled down window. A deep ache was quickly spreading across the back of his head.

Ahnna came around the car, touching his arm. "Darling?" she said worriedly.

"Just the usual," he smiled. "I'll be fine. Come, let's see if anybody's hurt."

He took her hand and together they approached the car. Neither of them had ever seen this particular vehicle before and as small as the Glen was, everybody was fairly well aware of what its residents drove. Going to the other side of the car, they found the driver's door wide open and a man lying nearby, face down in the tall grass. Ahnna gasped again and Alistair asked her to wait by the man's car while he knelt beside him. There were no visible injuries and the car itself was hardly damaged, just upside down. It didn't appear that it had impacted anything. Puzzled, Alistair's brow creased and he lay a hand on the man's shoulder. "Can you hear me?" he asked gently.

The man moaned and tried to push himself up with one arm, failed, and Alistair helped him turn over onto his back.

"Sid?" Ahnna said, shocked.

Alistair studied the man's face. "Could be," he said, "but I'm not entirely sure."

Bar's eyes fluttered open and he found himself looking up into a kindly face bending low over him. The last he remembered his half-brother had been leading him to a guest room. He heard Ahnna say 'Sid', though, and opened his mouth. "Sid," he repeated.

"See, he's saying he is Sid," Ahnna stated. She'd barely had any contact with the man, but knew she'd recognize him.

"N...no," Bar stammered. "Not Sid."

"You are not Sidney Harbor?" Alistair asked.

"Br...brother," Bar gasped, finding it tremendously hard to think.

"I somehow didn't think Sid had any relatives, other than his wife," Ahnna said.

"Half...half-br-brother." Bar closed his eyes, feeling utterly confused. "Where...where... what?"

"Your car flipped over," Alistair supplied. "Were you on your way to Sid's house?"

"On way?" Hadn't he already arrived? "I...I...was...there." He paused, resting a palm over his eyes. "I think."

"Are you injured?" Alistair continued. "Ahnna, call for the ambulance."

"No...wait," Bar said. "I...I don't feel...hurt. Wait."

"Can you sit up?" Alistair tried to help him.

Bar managed a seated position in the grass, feeling entirely disoriented. "I...I...was inside. Inside Sid's. Where...where is this?"

"You're fairly close to that," Alistair explained. "What caused your car to turn over?"

"My car?" Bar looked to his side, appalled at the sight of his rental car. "What happened to my car?"

"I was hoping you could tell us, Mister...Mister?"

"Harbor, Bar Harbor."

"Like the coastal town in Maine?"

"Yes," Bar nodded. "That's where I've come from."

"You came to visit Sid then? Does he know you're here?"

Bar nodded again. "I...I was in his house. Met Katherine. Yes, I was in his house. I know I was."

"Did you leave to go somewhere else?"

"No...I...." Bar pressed both hands roughly to his face. "I don't remember! I don't...."

"Did you hit your head?" Alistair knew all too well how disorienting that was.

"I...no...I don't...doesn't hurt...no...I don't think so." It wasn't that his head hurt as though from an injury. It just didn't feel...right. It felt, what was the word, scrambled. Yes, that was it. The inside of his head felt scrambled.

"We could drive you to Sid's," Alistair offered. "That is if you'd prefer to go there than have us call for medical assistance."

"I...I don't need that. No, I don't think I need that. I just...yes...would you take me there? I don't...yes...please?"

Sliding an arm under Bar's, Alistair helped him to his feet. Bar stared at him a while then blinked several times. "You...you're...?"

"Oh, forgive me! I'm Alistair Harris, Reverend Alistair Harris, and this is my wife, Ahnna."

"You...you live here...in the Glen?"

"Yes, we do, Mr. Harbor, just down the road a bit."

"Bar, please. Just Bar."

Alistair smiled despite the pain in the back of his head. "Here, let me help you to our car. I'm sure Sid must be worried about where you are."

"Yes," Bar agreed, "he probably is. I...I...I'm not sure how long I've been gone." Or where he might have been going. Or why.

Bar leaned his head back in the rear seat of Alistair's car, not really seeing the trees passing by outside his window. His rental car? How had it gotten turned over like that? At least he hadn't been hurt. His head felt so strange, though. He must have given it some sort of hard bump to make him feel like he was.

"Th...thank you for your kindness," he said to Alistair as the reverend pulled up close to Sid's.

Alistair got out, opening the rear door for Bar, offering him a hand to steady him. "You're sure you don't need a doctor, Bar?"

"I...I don't think so. Perhaps just a little rest." And some answers, he thought.

Holding Bar's elbow still, Alistair rang the doorbell. Beethoven? He'd never heard a doorbell quite like it.

Sid opened the door. Ah, the reverend. He'd wondered which of the Glennites would find Bar. Instantly his face became a mask of concern. "Bar! What happened? You look quite pale, brother."

"He was in an accident, Sid," Alistair explained. "Ahnna and I found his car overturned just around the bend. He says he's not hurt, but he was thrown completely out and may possibly have hit his head."

"Here, let me," Sid said, taking Bar's arm and leading him gently to the large white couch in the living room.

Seated, Bar looked up at Sid. "I left? Can you...I mean...why...I, um, don't remember leaving."

"I was taking you to your room, Bar, when you suddenly announced you wanted to see the neighborhood in case, well, in case you might want to move here. I was, frankly, quite taken by surprise as the suddenness of your decision."

"I...I said that?"

"You did, indeed, brother. Do you not remember? You said you were so thrilled to find family that the thought of going back to Maine was, um, unappealing to you."

"But Maine has always been...has always...." He stared at Sid. "But you ARE my brother." He couldn't explain just why, but for some reason he wanted to stay in Australia. Everything he had left behind in Bar Harbor seemed far away, unimportant compared to being with his kin.

Sid smiled to himself. His manipulations inside Bar's head were working. He had him now in the palm of his hand. "Yes," he nodded in agreement, "and I can't begin to tell you how important it is to me that we're together."

"I...I don't want to leave you, Sid."

"I don't want you to leave, brother." Sid looked sad at even the thought of it.

Alistair and Ahnna were both watching this interchange. Neither of them had thought Sid capable of such feelings, not from what they'd heard about him. "It is nice for family to be together," Alistair said quietly.

"I've lost my entire family," Ahnna added. "Do appreciate each other while you have one another." She had been surprisingly moved by Sid's fondness for his sibling.

"Thank you, my dear," Sid said, looking at Ahnna. "Your words are wise." He squeezed Bar's shoulder slightly. "Are they not, brother?" he asked Bar.

"I...I don't know how I could ever entertain the idea of leaving here now that I've found you," Bar said emotionally, tears sparking in his green eyes.

"You have made me truly happy, brother," Sid smiled, brushing at his own eyes as if there were tears there.

"Is Kate here?" Ahnna asked.

"She is, indeed," Sid replied, "but she is expecting our little one, as you know, and an afternoon of, um, strenuous activity has left her quite fatigued. She's resting upstairs, but I shall gladly tell her of your inquiry when she wakes."

Ahnna stared at him some more. Why, he was quite pleasant, actually, and with excellent manners. She was about to say more when she heard Alistair, standing beside her, let out a tired sigh. Turning, she looked at his profile. Yes, he needed to get home and rest himself. "Well," she continued, taking his hand, "we were just on our way home from the doctor's in Coffs and it's been a long day. We'll be going now if you're sure Bar's all right."

"I'm fine," Bar smiled, something in his head having greatly settled now that he knew what course he needed to follow. "My brother will take good care of me." He looked fondly up at his older brother.

"I shall, indeed," Sid affirmed. "Very good care."

Bar turned his gaze back to the Harrises. "Thank you again for all you've done for me, for bringing me back where I belong."

"Well," Alistair said, "if you are going to be a new resident here, let me welcome you. I hope we'll see you around, possibly for dinner soon."

"I'm sure I'll be running into you," Bar smiled. "If the rest of the residents here are as nice as you two, I can tell I shall be most content."

"Allow me to add my thanks to my brother's," Sid said, walking the couple to the door. "He couldn't have been found by nicer people."

The door closed behind them and Alistair looked at Ahnna. "Well, that was different," he commented.

"Maybe I'll talk with Joimus about this," Ahnna said. "It might be interesting to see what she thinks."

Inside, Sid leaned his back against the closed door, looking intently across the room at Bar. He did want him to stay. He wanted to find out more about his operating systems and how and with whom he'd been programmed. Now that Katherine was plumping out, he needed a new toy to distract his mind.

He'd just taken a step across the room when his wife appeared on the stairs again.

He'd always had excellent control over himself and right now Ben Wade was using every ounce of control that he possessed. Liana had just gone for her walk, that's all, he told himself firmly. He'd find her somewhere between home and the church, because she never went farther than that.

Dammit! He gripped the wheel of the black Range Rover tighter, as he drove toward the church. He should have had Frank Parker and his men watching over her even at home. Should never have trusted that she'd be safe as long as he and Dan were there.

Ben watched both sides of the road carefully all the way to the church, but he saw no sign of Liana. Pulling up in front of the church, he didn't even bother to close the car door before striding to the double doors. Flinging one open, he strode in and began shouting for Alistair.

Alistair had just come out into the sanctuary from where he'd been thinking about Sunday's sermon. "Why, Ben Wade. Good to see you!" The look on Ben's face, though, was a clear indication this was no social call. He hurried the rest of the way down the aisle. "Something's amiss, Ben. I can tell. What's the matter and how may I be of help?"

"Liana? She comes out this way quite often, Ben, but, no, I haven't seen her. I 've been tending the flowerbeds out front a lot today and I'm sure I would have seen her even if she didn't come inside." Ben's eyes had an expression in them Alistair had never seen and it was growing steadily more intense.

"She's gone," Ben said grimly, and his eyes foretold doom for anyone that might be involved in her disappearance. "Missin'. I've had my men search every square inch of the ranch an' she ain't there."

Alistair was shocked. He knew Liana was well-along in her pregnancy. He could also see Ben was riding on the sharp edges of his self-control. It was in Alistair's nature to want to reach out and lay his hand on the man's arm, but it was evident Ben was in no mood to receive that means of comfort. So he said, "Please, Ben, tell me what I can do. Anything, absolutely anything."

"Not real sure, Preacher." Ben was on edge and all his mind was telling him to do right now was FIND her. Just find her.

"I've called a security man I hired and he's on his way." Frank Parker had also been reassuring. Had told Ben to calm down, that he was just overreacting, and he was sure Liana would be discovered somewhere in the vicinity.

"Good. Please excuse me a moment while I take this matter up with the Boss." He smiled kindly at Ben. "I know some of your men, especially young Charlie Prince, call you Boss, but I mean my Boss." Turning, he walked back up the aisle and knelt at the front, soon lost in deep prayer for Liana's safety." All awareness of Ben staring at his back disappeared in his earnest endeavor. Some matters couldn't wait to be taken up later and he felt in his soul that this was a serious business with Liana. Ben would do what he needed to, what he must. Alistair, too, would do his own version of that.

Ben watched Alistair as he knelt. Prayer wasn't his way, but he figured it couldn't hurt to have the preacher doin' it. Sitting as quietly as he possibly could in a pew, he waited for Frank.

When Frank Parker stepped through the church doors, he saw Ben sitting in a back pew, the man he knew was the preacher kneeling at the altar. Leaning over from behind, he touched Ben's shoulder. "How you doin', Wade?"

"How the hell you think I'm doin', Parker?" Ben's voice was impatient. "Never mind how I'm doin'. What's important is how Liana's doin'."

"I know that, Ben." Parker was keeping his voice calm. "The first thing we need to do is call the sheriff's office."

"Sheriff's office!" Ben said in amazement. "I don' need no damn sheriff, Parker! We just need to get out there an' find her and I'll take care of whoever was responsible for her goin' missin'!"

"Ben." Parker was speaking low and using Wade's first name, something he rarely did. "I think you're jumpin' the gun a little here. She's been gone what? Six hours, while you and your men searched the ranch? We can't even be real sure anything's happened to her at this point."

Studying Wade closely, he said, "And you're livin' a different kinda life now, friend. Law-abiding men call the cops if their wife goes missing. You go out and take care of this yourself--with other people knowin' about it (he nodded toward Alistair's back)--there's gonna be a lotta questions and there's gonna be an investigation and it'll be YOU they're investigatin'."

His hand squeezed Ben's shoulder, as Alistair walked back up the aisle. "Trust me on this, Wade. You gotta get the cops involved here, much as you hate to."

Alistair hadn't reallly been introduced to Parker yet, but he presumed this was the security man Ben had mentioned. Offering his hand to the man, he smiled and said, "Hello. I'm Alistair Harris, pastor here. You've come to help Mr. Wade find his wife?"

"That's right, Reverend," Frank answered easily. "Frank Parker. I been keepin' an eye on Miz Wade for the past few months here. Wasn't on duty, though, when she disappeared. I been trying to tell Ben here not to panic. She hasn't been gone very long yet."

"She's eight months pregnant," Ben broke in. "Any amount 'a time's too long."

"Well, I'll certainly keep an eye out for her around here," Alistair said. "I'll check around the grounds and all the rooms, too. If I see or hear anything, I'll let you know immediately." That someone might have taken such a lovely young woman, and very pregnant at that, really disturbed him. He wanted Ahnna with him and he wanted that now. She was alone at the mill. "I'm, um, just going to be gone for a few minutes. Want to bring Ahnna here, you know." He shook Parker's hand. "Glad to meet you. I like to get to know all the residents in the Glen. We've become sort of like one big family now, what with all the things we've been through together." He turned to Ben. "We'll get through this, too, Ben. You'll get your wife back safe and sound. I know you will."

Ben didn't blame the man one bit for going to get his wife. "Thanks, Preacher." He watched Alistair leave and then turned to Frank.

As Frank started out of the church with Ben following, he said, "First, we're goin' back to your place and call the cops. Dependin' on what they wanna do right now, I'll let you know the rest of it."

Surprise, Surprise!

By Jo and Bridgid

His mind was in overdrive. Jack Aubrey was like a small boy sometimes. He was impatient and impetuous.

Many things had set his marriage to Bridgid on hold and neither party was innocent of causing the delays. He'd had enough of the wait. What better time than the present to seal this deal once and for all? Making a mental list of what was needed to be done, he left her preparing supper aboard the ship with the message that he'd be bringing guests back to dine with them.

"Who?" she asked quizzically

"Never you mind, Siren."

"How many?"

He cocked his head, grinning as he feigning an expression of deep thought. "Six including you, and adding myself....." He replied. "That makes eight."

"Wait a minute, Aubrey. That doesn't add up."

Patting his ample gut, Jack just smiled. Thinking that the General may have an appetite similar to his own Jack said "Make it ten, my dear."

"Okay, sailor. I hope none of these mystery guests are vegetarians or allergic to shellfish. I'll have Tua pull up the traps and we'll have lobsters.

"Ah yes, Tua. Well, well, best make it an even dozen."

So much for Jack's math.

With that he kissed her, winked and ducked out of the cabin to fetch his guests, hoping none of them would be otherwise engaged. His first stop was at the Meridius station. As he walked up to the door he brushed both of his sleeves and cleared his throat before he knocked. Jack stood at wait with his arms behind his back and his shoulders squared.

Joimus answered the knock just as Maximus started down the stairs, his hair still damp from a shower. "Jack!" she smiled. "It's so nice to see you. Come on in." She
turned, calling to her husband, "Jack's here, darling."

Maximus came up beside his wife, a pleased smile on his face. "Come in, come in. What brings you out here, my friend?"

Giving Maximus a pat on the back, Jack then turned to take Joimus by the hand. He bent at the waist and laid a kiss on her knuckles. Raising his eyes to look at her he stood and smiled broadly.

"I am here partially because of you, both of you, my friends. You see, I woke this morning thinking of you and the situation here."

Realizing that his statement did not quite sound correct he blinked a few times before rephrasing. "It is not hard to see that your marriage suits you. I feel that it would do the same for me. What I mean to say is, I am ready to commit in a similar fashion."

There was more than a hint of excitement in his voice and he was not sure he was conveying his plan properly. "Let me make this more simple. I would like to marry Bridgid today, as soon as possible and I would be honored if you would both stand for us as best man and matron of honor."

He let out a sigh of relief as if an anchor was lifted off his chest.

Joimus looked at Maximus, her hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle an affectionate chuckle at Jack's manner of asking his question. Maximus curved his hand over her arm then smiled broadly at Jack. "An honor, my friend, that will be my good pleasure to fulfill."

"Does...does Bridgid, um, know?" Joimus asked, figuring somehow that the absence of her cousin at the Captain's side portended that she did not.

Grinning with comfort to Maximus, Jack conveyed his thanks with the expression on his face. His look became winsome as he answered Joimus. "Aye, she is aware that we are to be wed, however she is not aware that it is to be today. If that be the case then we would surely have a larger guest list. There is no time to plan such a thing at this juncture, not a moment to lose. As a matter of fact we should make haste to collect the vicar and his beloved."

Taking Joimus by the hand he urged her toward the door with no thought that she may want to change.

"Jack!" Joimus protested, indicating her cream-colored slacks and yellow plaid shirt. "These aren't exactly wedding clothes. What, um, will Bridgid be wearing?" She was curious if they were all just going to show up and Bridgid had been, say, shelling oysters all day, what her cousin would think of getting married in such attire.

His right brow rose when he thought of what she'd be wearing later on that night and a blush rose above his collar. He cleared his throat several times before his mind grasped what was really asked.

"Attire? I had not given this any thought but she does have a number of frilly and fair scented dresses on board the ship. Perhaps, once she is made aware of the circumstances of this occasion, you, dear, could help her choose something suitable?"

He let go of her hand with a nod. "Forgive me. I will wait until you are suitably attired." Of course he saw nothing wrong with the way she was dressed. Joimus was lovely as always.

Maximus, dressed in nice tan slacks and a cream silk shirt, was fine, but Joimus ran up the stairs and quickly slipped on a pale yellow sundress. The wedding would be on the boat so nothing fru-fru would be appropriate anyway.

Coming down the stairs again, she said, "Jack, we'll follow you to the mill, all right, so Alistair and Ahnna can ride with us. Just give me a minute to swing by the Greenery before we head out."

Maximus got behind the wheel of their car and drove around to the entrance to the greenhouse. Joimus hurried in, gathering up a spool of white ribbon, an armful of sunflowers, and a pair of scissors. Getting back in the car she said, "I'll make a bouquet on the way."

Seeing the sunflowers made Jack happy. He knew they were Bridgid's favorite.

So, it was off to the mill to explain all this to Alistair and Ahnna. So far everything was going well and Jack hoped there would be no monkey wrenches thrown into his plan, though he had no idea what a monkey wrench was. Bridgid had some funny ways of saying things at times.

The Mill was in his sights shortly and the Captain felt exceptionally calm as he pulled up. Maybe it was just this place that settled the storm in his mind.

He found Alistair outside.

"Good day, sir!" He raised a hand in greeting. "Tell me, are you and Ahnna engaged at the moment?"

Alistair stood, taking off his gardening gloves. "Nothing important, Captain. How may we be of service?"

"I am in need of a vicar who can perform a wedding at once. It is about time I made an honest woman out of Bridgid Morgan. There is no time as good as the present. If you and Missus Harris would be so kind as to accompany us..." He nodded toward Joimus and Maximus who had pulled up behind him, "...then we would mark this day as our anniversary in the ships log."

Alistair waved to the Meridiuses then turned back to Jack. "It will be my good pleasure. Let me tell Ahnna and get out of these blue jeans." He looked down at his legs,
where his pants had large smudges of garden soil on the knees.

A mere ten minutes later, he and Ahnna came out the front door of the mill, Ahnna in a pale pink summer dress, Alistair carrying his Bible. The two of them got in the back seat of Maximus' car and followed Jack toward the sea. "It's so good to be together for a happy occasion," Ahnna commented. "We've had enough tribulation for a long while."

"I agree completely," Joimus said, cutting off a length of white ribbon to tie around the sunflower stems. She held the bouquet up so Ahnna could see. "Sunflowers for a sunny day, for hearts full of sunshine."

"Amen," Alistair whispered.

Bridgid was in for one heck of a surprise. Jack was contemplating how he would tell her just what was up his sleeve. How would she react? Would she be madder than a moray with his tail caught in a crab's claw or would she submit to his spur of the moment wishes? He was about to find out. As they pulled up to the docks, she was on the deck waiting and waving.

Jack exited the car and waited for their friends and family to catch up before heading up the gangplank.

"Well load my cannon!" Bridgid exclaimed as the boarding party approached. "I knew we were having guests for dinner but I had no idea who. I couldn't be more pleased."

Extending her arms to her cousin Joi first, she giggled with glee. "I'm so happy to see you, to see all of you. It seems like it's been a year since we've had the chance to talk. Welcome."

After greeting everyone with a hug she smoothed the white sun dress she was wearing and turned to Jack, who seemed to be hiding (for lack of a better word) behind the General.

"Jack, this is a great idea. A spur of the moment dinner party works for me."

Jack looked at the guests as if to plead for help but in the long run he knew that there was no time like the present to spring this on her. He strode up to her and dropped to one knee without a second thought. Before she could say anything he said, "Bridgid, my love, will you marry me?"

With her mouth wide open, she looked perplexed. "Jack, you've already asked me to marry you and I've said yes." Smiling lovingly at him, she touched his cheek. "I'll say it again. Yes, I will marry you."

He stood, kissed her and turned to face everyone. "Vicar, I believe we are ready now, my good man."

"Wha...wha...WHAT?"

"Now, Siren. I meant to marry you now." Jack spoke in a steady voice.

She didn't think for too long before smiling at Alistair. "I'm a bit shell shocked, Alistair, but I've been ready for this moment for a dog's age, an old sea dog's age." Bridgid said as she took Jack's arm. "Joi, Ahnna, would you stand with me please?"

Surprise, Surprise Part 2

By Jo and Bridgid

Joimus was relieved at how well Bridgid had taken the surprise announcement but, then, she also was well aware of how much her cousin loved the sea captain. So it was with great delight she fetched the bouquet of sunflowers from the car, handing them to the bride.

Meanwhile, Alistair had taken Jack aside. "Is there, um, a ring, Jack? I need to know if we are going to make that part of the ceremony."

Jack had not thought of that part. Of course he wanted to have a magnificent ring for Bridgid but in his haste this had slipped his mind.

"A ring?" Jack said, subconsciously buying time. "Perhaps I could find a temporary...a replacement."

Overhearing, Bridgid ducked away down into the main cabin. She had something for Jack that had belonged to her grandfather. The old ring from Scotland had a series of Celtic knots made from the body of a heron and it was left to her when she was a child. It never left her jewelry box but today she had a good reason to bring it out. Of course, that fact that the heron was a sign of fertility to the Celts was on her mind when she emerged with the prize.

Handing the ring to Alistair, she shrugged. "It's okay if you don't have one for me, Jack, but I've had this for you for quite a long time. It belonged to my grandfather, Sean's father."

"I am sorry, Siren."

"Don't be. I'm just happy to finally become you're wife."

The tone in her voice when she said that made Jack's heart warm. "Then let us begin. You have been patient with me, Bridgid Morgan. You will have my name, today."

"Just a minute, Jack." It was quiet, gentle Ahnna speaking up, pulling a slender gold chain around her neck so that in a moment a ring that had been beneath the top of her dress was revealed. Quickly she unhooked the clasp and held a golden circlet out toward the Captain. "If...if it would be all right with you, Sir, you could borrow this to use until, until you can acquire one of your choosing."

As Jack looked at the ring on her palm she explained. "It's olive leaves. My great, great grandfather had it specially made for my great, great grandmother on their 50th wedding anniversary." She smiled as she gazed down at the ring. "He said it was because she'd given him 50 years of peace in his life. I...I keep it polished so it looks new, but it's quite old. Do you think it would...serve?"

Jack gingerly took the ring from Ahnna's hand with a smile. "This is precious to you, Aye?"

Seeing her nod he took Ahnna's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles. "Miss Ahnna, I would be honored to borrow your ring on this special occasion. You have my word that it will be returned to you as soon as possible in perfect condition. Thank you."

"Wait a minute!" Bridgid spoke up. "Ahnna, your ring is beautiful and I'd love to have this deal sealed with it but I have to ask one thing first. Would you mind if ...if we had it copied? It's just so beautiful and perfect that I'd love to have one just like it."

"Why, Bridgid, I think that would be lovely. It makes me feel like I did the right thing in offering it." She smiled and blushed and smiled some more.

Alistair took her hand, squeezing it lightly and whispered, "You are the most precious thing in the world to me, my darling wife."

Alistair's words resounded into Jack's being. 'My darling wife' he said. Soon Jack would be able to use that same phrase for his beloved. He gazed at her at just the right time to see the sun form a kind of corona around her. The gold of her hair and the tan of her bare feet seemed to resonate warmth, needed warmth like that of hearth and home to a lonely sailor too long at sea.

It seemed such a blessing that both Ahnna and Bridgid had rings that were heirlooms. Maybe that was an omen as to their futures. They would both be treasured by their husbands and perhaps, just perhaps, they'd pass these treasures on to their future generations.

Handing Ahnna's ring to Alistair, Jack reached to take Bridgid's hands in his. "Let us begin if you will, Vicar. I believe my soon to be wife has a feast in the galley to help us celebrate and I hear rumblings from the General's stomach. My best man, who is a happily married man I might add, should be fed and filled with joy."

At that moment, Tua stumbled up on the deck from below. He, being a Maori, had quickly carved infinity loops out of bone and shell for Jack and B. He offered them to Alistair.

"It's about time you got here, Tua." Bridgid kind of scolded him. She introduced him all around.

"Was a bit bizzy, missus." He grinned, "Reverend, I dunno if these need your blessing or not but they are a Maori tradition. One for the blushing bride and the other for the groom. Can't say as I've ever seen him blush."

"They are beautiful, Tua, thank you," Bridgid said as she looked at the pieces in Alistair's hand.

Jack was just shifting from foot to foot, wondering if he'd ever say those two little words to his bride to be. "How did you know that I planned this, Tua?" he asked, not remembering speaking to him before leaving to get their guests.

"Got my ways, Captain," Tua winked. He just put two and two together and came up with the obvious.

Alistair looked at the Captain standing just to the right of the General and under his breath quoted, "Home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter, home from the hill." He didn't mean it as part of the ceremony. It was just something that sprang to his mind as he gazed at the two men. Then he lifted the two loops up. "God our Father, I ask Your blessing on these symbols of Your infinite love. Make them now also symbols of the infinite and everlasting love between this man and this woman. Amen."

"Captain Jack Aubrey and Bridgid Morgan, you have been drawn to one another as the moon draws the tides of the sea, and as that same moon makes its path of silver across the waters, guiding to the horizon, so the two of you have followed the paths of life and have come now to this moment of public proclamation of the commitment you feel in your hearts. Jack, will you look into Bridgid's eyes as you repeat after me:

"I, Jack Aubrey, do take you, Bridgid Morgan, as my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love you always, to be by your side in both weather that blows storms and in seas that are calm. You are the one I choose freely and with all my heart, to be my wife, to be my companion, to be at my side. My love for you is true and honorableand I promise you your trust is safe in my care. Your welfare will always be my concern, your safety and happiness my joy. I give into your keeping my hope for the future and the key to my heart. You are mine. I am yours. Bridgid, my beloved, I vow that my heart is yours and yours alone."

"Bridgid, now it's your turn. I, Bridgid Morgan, take you, Jack Aubrey, as my lawfully wedded husband. In you my heart has found its harbor and its home. I trust you with my life and with all that I am and all I hope to be. I promise you my faithfulness and devotion and say to you that I choose you and none other all the days of my life. I know my happiness is safe in your keeping and I take unto myself the vows you have made and pledge back to you that I will be ever true and that you, my Captain, are the one I choose freely and forever. You are my beloved and I am yours, now and always."

Alistair handed the infinity symbols to Jack and Bridgid. "Please give the one you hold to the one to whom you have made your pledge and promise and say to them
whatever comes into your heart."

After the symbols had been given, Alistair asked, "Jack, may I have Bridgid's ring." Maximus handed the ring to Jack, who gave it to Alistair. "Lord, I ask Your blessing on this ring, on the one who gives it and the one who wears it."

"Jack, please slide it on Bridgid's finger as you repeat after me: With this ring I thee wed, promising you my heart and all that I am, taking you as my wife."

When Alistair had blessed the second ring, Bridgid slid it on Jack's finger, repeating the same words.

"Please continue holding hands," Alistair smiled. He'd spied a length of slender rope about three feet long lying to one side. Quickly he bent, picked it up, draped it over Jack and Bridgid's wrists, then looped it once more about each one. He hadn't known he was going to do this, but the rope inspired him and he began to sing, "Bind us together, Lord, bind us together...with cords that cannot be broken; Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, bind us together in love." Then he smiled, raised his hand in blessing, and said, "Jack and Bridgid, you have made pledge and promise each to the other in the face of God and of this company and it is my great and good pleasure now to pronounce that you are husband and wife in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Jack, you may kiss your bride!"

Jack and Bridgid stood looking at each other for a moment as if neither one of them believed this had just happened. He smiled at her before saying "Missus Aubrey, if I may?" and then he kissed her. He kissed her the same way he had the very first time he did many years ago.

Bridgid was so breathless, the lovely sunflower bouquet she held slipped from her hand that was draped over Jack's shoulder. With the speed of a cat, Tua reached out to save it just before it hit the floor. No one would say if the cheers that came from the guests were for Jack and B or for the prospects of Tua being the next to take the plunge but it didn't really matter.

"I love you so much, Jack Aubrey."

Letting out a huzzah, Jack was full of both pride and humbleness when he invited everyone below for a feast of spirits and fruits de mer, the best Neptune had to offer.

"Thankee all for coming to help us celebrate this moment in our lives." He said, shaking hands with Maximus, Alistair and Tua. He gave Ahnna and Joi each a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek as was his way.

As they were descending into the cabin, Bridgid moved up alongside Joimus.

"Can you pinch me? I'm sure that I'm sleeping. This all seems surreal to me."

Joimus obliged, just a little, and then she laughed. "I'm so happy for you, for you both."

Bridgid cocked up a brow much the same way Jack does on occasion. "You mean to tell me that I am really, honestly completely and fully married to that big sailor who just hit his head on the great cabin beam up in front of us?"

"The very one. And it pleases me more than I can say."

Maximus had been beside Jack during his collision with the beam. "Are you all right?" he asked quickly as Jack was standing there, his hand pressed to the top of his head. The General had spent very little time on boats and had almost hit the beam himself, being of a height with Jack.

"I am fine." Jack replied with a "Thank you." to the General. He wondered if that be the case with Bridgid. Seeing her now he noticed she seemed to have lost her color and there were signs that her knees were weak.

"Missus Aubrey?" he said as he moved back to place an arm around her. "Is something amiss?"

"Hoh no, Jack. I'm just realizing that this is no dream, no trick. It's sinking in now that we are actually married."

"Yes!" he chuckled. "I reckon we will have to do this all again so the rest of our friends can celebrate with us but for now, you can serve dinner."

"Orders, already?"

"Never. It was a cloaked request," he replied

She smiled lovingly at him. "You'll learn, someday, Captain Aubrey."

After giving him a kiss and a cuddle she directed everyone to have a seat. "If I knew this was to be my wedding reception, I'd have got someone else to cook but I'm equally as happy to show off my culinary skills. Let's eat, drink and be merry."

Bending down to whisper in Jack's ear, she reminded him that he should eat hearty because he'll need his strength later that night.