Aftermath (41 page)

Emma's Story

The water was cool on my skin.

Not cold, just comfortable. It was dark except for the glistening ripples in the lake. The light from the moon illuminated the shoreline and pier.

A splash beside me reminded me I wasn’t alone. He surfaced in front of me. His short, buzz-cut hair dripped water, as he shook his head a few feet away. He smiled briefly before diving below.

We were close to shore, yet the water was deep. I bobbed up and down. My toes touched bottom, then sprang me up when I pushed off the lake’s floor.

The water swooshed, as he swam around. His hand grazed my waist as he came up behind me, and I realized I was naked. He took me in his arms and spun me around. I was not embarrassed or uncomfortable.

“See? I told you the water would be refreshing,” he said.

I giggled. He was right.

It was Ben.

***

I awoke with a start.

My head was heavy. I saw double closet doors in front of me and sat up quickly, swinging my feet over the edge of the bed. I had to wait for the woozy feeling to subside before trying to stand. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust. The room was dark except for the faint light that filtered in through the window and the green glow of a digital clock on the table beside me. It was minutes past three.

I registered the sound of someone clearing their throat and turned to look. The outline of Ben came into focus. He was sitting in an oversized chair with his elbows resting on his knees. He yawned, and then rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hand before noticing my stare.

“Hey… you’re awake,” he said and walked toward me. He was dressed in the same white shirt and black pants he wore to the dance, though his shirt was unbuttoned, and his sleeves were rolled up. “How do you feel?” he asked, taking a seat beside me.

“My head hurts,” I mumbled, touching my hand to my temple. Memories filtered back and forth, and I found myself unaware of what was real and what was imagined.
I had some crazy dreams
, I thought. “Did I… Did
we
…
skinny dip
?”

He raised an eyebrow and gave me a confused look.

“No. We didn’t skinny dip last night.” I almost heard a chuckle in his voice.

“Oh. Okay,” I said, embarrassed for saying aloud what my wild imagination concocted. I looked down and realized I wasn’t wearing the clothes from the party. I was in the tank top and plaid boxers I packed for my night at Claire’s.

“Claire helped you.” He met my eyes and continued, “Change your clothes, I mean. I swear I wasn’t in here at the time.”

Embarrassed again, I glanced around. “Is this the guest room? In your house?”

He nodded.

I felt a bit of panic. Where was Claire? And why was I in the guest room? Did I drink too much last night? Is that why I didn’t remember getting here?

No. I didn’t drink that much.

I was at the park. On the swings. Or was that a dream? Who was that old man I was talking to? I felt like I knew him. Why did he give me a matchbook and why I talking to him? Was he real?

Wait. What happened to TJ? He was slumped over, by a tree. Wasn’t he?

Ben put his arm around me, and the rambling in my head stopped. I felt a calmness, despite the weird thoughts that ran through my mind.

“Where’s Claire?” I asked, attempting to sound confident.

“She’s sleeping. In her room,” Ben answered.

“So, I, ah… I must have been pretty out of it last night. Huh?”

He nodded again and hesitated before answering. I almost wondered if he was trying to read my reaction before he spoke. “You hit your head pretty hard. You don’t remember, do you?” His tone was sincere.

I shook my head.

“You were actually out for a minute. Like, out cold.”

I definitely didn’t remember that.

“Molly called her dad. He’s a doctor,” Ben said and held my hand. “Just to make sure you were okay.”

“And TJ?” I asked. “I saw him in the woods.”

“Yeah, he’s fine. Went home with Molly.” He was silent for a moment, and then continued. “Doc Preston left you some painkillers, if you need them,” he said, pointing to a bottle on the table. “You were awake and talking to him. He said you didn’t have a concussion, or anything. So we kinda overreacted, I guess. I was worried.”

I saw a look of concern. His eyes never left mine.

“I feel pretty stupid.” I whispered and hung my head.

“Don’t,” he whispered back, lifting my chin.

I glanced up at him, and he chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed,” he said with a smile. If my cheeks weren’t already red, they would be in a second. I expected him to tease me. Instead, he leaned down and kissed me. The same sensation I felt the night before fluttered in me again.

“You should take these for your headache,” he said, handing me two tablets and a glass of water. “And get some sleep.”

Reluctantly, I agreed. I didn’t want to go back to sleep. I wanted to stay with Ben. Of course, I couldn’t tell him that.

“Did you sit in here the whole time?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you sleep?” I rested my throbbing head on the soft, feather pillow.

“Not really.” Ben pulled the covers up and tucked me in.

I couldn’t believe he didn’t leave me. It was incredibly flattering, and I hoped my cheeks weren’t betraying me.

“You know, you can join me, here,” I said. After his eyes lit up, I knew that didn’t come out right. “I mean—”

“I knew what you meant.” He grinned and sat on top of the covers on the other side of the bed.

“Thanks for staying.”

“There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

I turned to face him. That same tingle I felt when we kissed came back when he looked at me. He put his arm around me.

My body relaxed, and I drifted off to sleep.

Ben's Story

I lay atop the covers fully clothed except my dress shoes, which I had slipped off and placed by the chair in the corner. My hands rested on my stomach, fingers locked as I stared at the ceiling. I could count sheep, but that never worked.

The sound of Emma’s rhythmic breathing indicated she was asleep. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, to nuzzle beside her, to kiss her ivory neckline until she gave herself over to me.

Except, I couldn’t.

She died tonight and came back to life. She needed time for her body to heal, for her to recover from the ordeal she went through. I was perverted thinking anything different. Even commanding rank wouldn’t condone my behavior should I act upon my thoughts.

Did she really ask about skinny dipping? Could she possibly have remembered the hot summer day I talked her into baring all?

It was late enough to be dark, but early enough to get caught. The inlet was quiet and private. I told her, “No one will see.” The July weather was humid, and a dip in the lake would be refreshing. I pulled off my shirt and dropped my shorts to the pier. I heard her gasp, as I dove in.

From a short distance away, I treaded water and watched as she removed the articles of clothing hiding her perfect figure. She glanced over her shoulder and threatened me gently. “Don’t look, Benjamin. I mean it!” Her beaming smile was contagious, though I turned away to appease her.

I heard the splash behind me and after a few swooshes of water, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her.

We both lost our virginity that night, in the boathouse. It was weeks before our wedding, and I knew more than anything that I loved her.

***

I must have dozed off.

A circular motion on my chest, followed by two light taps, woke me. It was what Elizabeth used to do on lazy Saturday mornings before we had Danny. Except when I opened my eyes, it wasn’t Elizabeth in my arms, it was Emma.

It was clear to me that she remembered our lives together, as she slept in my arms. Her thoughts were filled with disjointed memories she probably wouldn’t understand. And even though she remembered bits of her life as Elizabeth, she was still Emma Bennett.

She also remembered our first life together. It was so long ago that I’d put those memories behind me. Emma clearly remembered the Victorian house where we lived and getting swept away in the current of Lake Michigan that cool fall day.

Emaline Elizabeth Rice jumped into the chilly waters on September 20, 1893.

I was due back days earlier. Except my schooner capsized in a storm and never returned. Emmie, as I called her back then, saw something floating in the water that evening and dove in the lake in hopes of reaching it. It would have been proof my ship was lost and that I perished. Emmie never reached the floating sail. She drowned instead.

Catherine, Emmie’s sister, stood vigil at our home, day and night, awaiting word on both of us. It came when Emmie’s human body washed ashore with the sail weeks later, a mile south of our home.

After rehabilitation, Emmie was reassigned a new life. With good behavior, despite her poor judgment and the breach of her contract, she was allowed some negotiations of her next life, selecting the Hudson family of Riverside.

“It’s near Westport,” she told me, back in our world. We were granted limited correspondence prior to reassignment.

I took a new contract in neighboring Lake Bell, as Benjamin Parker Holmes. There, in 1931, I met Elizabeth Emaline Hudson.

Lost in my own memories, I didn’t hear Claire in the hallway. The door creaked as she opened it and Emma jerked awake, sitting up quickly. She pulled the covers tight to her neck, as if covering indecent attire.

“Catherine Rice! You startled me,” Emma said, staring at Claire.

Claire looked to me, silent.

Emma's Story

Once the words left my mouth, I couldn’t retrieve them.

I heard a voice that sounded like mine, though what was said was clearly not what I meant. “I, ah… I’m sorry,” I said and shook my head. “Claire.” I rubbed my eyes and mumbled something about weird dreams in hopes she wouldn’t think I was crazy. “I dreamt you were my sister.”
And I dreamt about a boy named, Danny
, I thought.

A smile replaced the shocked look on Claire’s face. I felt pretty stupid. Head injury or not.

“Well, I feel like your sister,” Claire said. “I mean, after all, you
are
my best friend.”

I returned her smile and hoped my slip up would soon be forgotten.

“You gave us a big scare last night,” she said, giving me a hug.

“Yeah, I heard. I’m sorry,” I said, massaging my head. “A tree branch fell, huh?”

“More like a limb,” Ben added.

I looked over at him and realized he was fully dressed atop the covers.

“Well, I just wanted to check in on you. Go back to sleep. It’s just after eight,” she said.

“Where are you going?” Ben asked Claire. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater.

“Oh, um… Drew’s picking me up in a few minutes. We’re spending the day together.” She smiled as she spoke, and I knew she was happy.

“You guys make a really cute couple,” I said.

“Do you think?” she beamed.

“Yes, I do,” I answered.

After Claire left, I realized I had been sleeping in Ben’s arms.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “How ’bout we get breakfast?”

When I turned to look at him, a wave rippled through me. It was as if I had known Ben before, not just the months since I moved to Westport, like for a really long time. Everything about him seemed familiar—his eyes, his smile, his look. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Then, maybe we can go downtown, or catch a movie this afternoon.”

I nodded, trying to hold back my smile. I felt content and happy. “Sure.”

“Good. I’ll let you get ready.”

I dressed quickly, brushed my teeth, and ran a comb through my hair before we left.

“I’m low on fuel,” Ben said when we reached the gas station in Riverside. He ran his credit card through the machine and hooked up the hose, before climbing back into the driver’s seat. He reached for his Altoids tin between us. “Want one?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m more of a Mentos girl. Not Altoids.”

He nodded and opened the tin. “Good. ’Cuz the box is empty. I’ll have to pick some up before we leave,” he said, turning to check the pump.

“I’ll go in. Cinnamon flavor?”

“Yeah. I’ll be right there,” he answered.

An old-fashioned bell rang when I opened the wooden door. Inside, the walls were dark with a vintage look. Short, wood shelves filled the store, not like the tall, metal ones they had at Kwik Trip in Westport.

“Mornin’, Miss,” an older voice said.

I turned and noticed an elderly gentleman sitting on a stool behind the counter. “Good morning,” I replied. Small, metal signs hung on the wall behind him, advertising old-fashioned soaps and cigarettes.
Very nostalgic for a small town
, I thought.

“Nice day out there. Unseasonably warm,” the gray-haired man said.

“Yes. Very nice.” I smiled at him and located the aisle with candy and mints. The charm of the doorbell rang again, and I guessed it was Ben. When the older man told someone to go to the stock room, I realized I was wrong.

I found the Mentos and scanned nearby rows for Altoids, but only saw mint. I placed the Mentos on the counter and was about to ask about Ben’s favorite flavor, when the man put the Sunday paper in front of me, along with a Red Bull.

“My grandson’s getting the Altoids for Benjamin,” he said.

“Oh. How did… how did you know that’s what I was looking for?” I asked.

“Your husband comes in every Sunday. Buys a tin of cinnamon Altoids, a coffee, an energy drink, and the Westport Gazette, early morning edition. ‘Course, he’s later than usual, today.”

Husband? “We’re not…”

“Ecckkk—I know. He told me he wasn’t married. Now that I saw ya… I know. I know these things. He’s had eyes on you forever.”

I smiled in response.

The older man rang up the purchase, as a boy placed the Altoids on the counter and Ben came in. Before I could open my purse to pay, Ben dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the worn, wooden counter.

“You folks make a nice couple,” the man said, handing Ben his change. “You don’t have kids yet, do ya?”

“I, ah…” I was uncertain what to say.

“No. Not yet,” Ben answered as I was still absorbing the question. Wait. Not yet?

“Well, you’ll be good parents. I can see how much you love each other.”

I felt my face flush.

“Most kids these days…” He waved his hand. “They get married for the wrong reasons. Then they divorce. No love there. Not like in my day, like my parents. Now,
they
were in love.” The older man reached for a framed photo and turned it toward us. “These were my folks.”

The aged, sepia photo was of a young couple. He was tall and good-looking with a short buzz-cut. She was pretty, with long, dark, wavy hair she wore pinned back on the sides. When I glanced back to the picture of the man, I realized he looked familiar, like an old-fashioned version of Ben. For an instant, I wondered if they were related.

“Very attractive couple,” I said, looking at the older man across from me. Was there a resemblance?

“They loved each other. She never married after he died in the war. Died of a broken heart.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

The man was silent, and I wondered if showing us the photo brought back sad memories. As I glanced away, I noticed his name tag.

“Thanks for sharing your story,” I said.

Danny chuckled. “Anytime, little lady.” He put the mints and Red Bull in a bag and handed it to me, while Ben grabbed the paper. “Can I interest you folks in some rock candy? On the house.” He put a glass jar on the counter in front of us and pulled off the lid. He didn’t wait for our answer. Instead, he used tongs and placed a small handful of crystal nuggets in a white, waxed paper bag. As he folded the top and gave it to me, something seemed strange.

“You come back soon,” Danny said.

Once outside, I noticed the sign in the window. Danny’s Bait Shop. I got back into the car and asked Ben, “Have you ever had déjà vu?”

He looked at me in a peculiar way and then smiled. “Have you?”

“I think I just did.”

***

“Come on.” I got out of the car in Aunt Barb’s driveway. I jogged toward the staircase hidden by the bushes, lakeside. “I wanna show you something.”

“Wait. Where are you going?” I was already heading down to the water. As I reached the landing and turned toward the last flank of stairs, I heard him call my name. “It’s too late to go down there,” he said. I thought I heard pain in his tone and wondered why he was being silly. After all, it wasn’t dark yet.

“It’s the best time of day to come down here,” I said when he joined me on the boulder.

He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me.

“Look,” I said, pointing to a distant glimmer where the setting sun sparkled on the water’s surface.

“You scared me,” he whispered.

“Why?’ I asked, turning in his arms. “It’s not like I was going to jump in or anything.” I chuckled at the absurdity.

“Crazier things have happened.”

“You know, there’s this old story about some woman who came here every night looking for her husband that was lost at sea,” I said.

“Huh. Where’d you hear that?”

“My aunt told me about it. Something about this house. I think the woman lived here.”

He was quiet.

“Well, it’s just a rumor, anyway.” A funny feeling came over me as I continued. “Apparently, she slipped on the rocks and got swept away with the current.” My voice softened, and I wondered why it seemed so real. “They say if you see a distant sparkle of light, it’s her, looking for her lover.”

He hesitated at first, and then whispered, “It’s just a story, Em.”

“I know.” In my heart, I wondered if there were any truth to it.

“Promise me you won’t go near the edge.”

Huh?

“Promise?” He looked concerned that I’d do something careless.

“I promise,” I mumbled just before he kissed me.

EPILOGUE 

Ben's Story

In all the years I was an agent, the Bureau never had an all-department conference, or a weeklong celebration. Nor speakers or entertainers like humans had during special events.

Then again, capturing Victor Nicklas was an exceptional feat worthy of that and more.

I missed most of the parties that took place those first days following the takedown. Instead, I chose to spend my time with Emma and simply listened in, remotely.

By Saturday, however, I found a few hours to sneak away and participate in the General Session, where Commander E attributed our success to my leadership. We were recognized hemisphere-wide in regional meetings and in the Nightly News.

The auditorium at headquarters was filled to capacity with standing room only that afternoon. All levels and ranks of agents congregated as the commander addressed the crowd.

He covered the details of Victor’s lives, his tenure with the agency, and the years on the run, but it was Victor’s capture that drew the most interest. Videos of that night in the woods outside Westport played on a continuous loop, while immortals cheered in the streets of our world.

Victor was admitted to a medical facility where agents could study him. Counselors worked to extract and evaluate the extent of his infractions. Final numbers of the souls he restrained was greater than any immortal could fathom. While his eventual existence couldn’t be confirmed until all indiscretions were detected, it was unlikely Victor would ever be allowed to leave our world.

Molly was commended for her strength, both as an agent and during the multiple life contracts where she died at the hands of Victor. She smiled when Commander E awarded her the Purple Heart and announced Aberthol’s pardon.

Without saying it, we knew the commander wanted to observe Abe on earth. The extent of his capabilities was unknown, as were his connections. Letting Abe live would let the commander monitor Abe’s network of comings and goings, and see if immortal offspring posed a threat, or were of future benefit to the force.

Molly chose to ignore Commander E’s underlying objective in hopes Abe’s time would last long enough for her to get to know the son she lost.

A memorial service was held in our world for Kensington and the other hybrids whose souls were lost at the hand of Victor. Missing persons’ flyers were taken down as cover stories flooded communities across the country. Cadavers replicating those humans lost surfaced in cities, putting an end to the misery their families endured and giving them closure for burial.

It was confirmed that Emma retained some memories of her past lives as a result of her near-death experience. But it was also determined that she was unaware of her actual pre-life existence. With mere speculation and without firm facts, she was not a threat and her life contract was still intact.

Claire eagerly accepted an extended assignment in Westport, to follow Emma not only through the final months of high school, but into her college years as well. She turned down a life contract opportunity, wishing to wait for Emma’s next life, where Claire could be her sister once again. Claire’s probationary status as a rookie changed to corporal rank.

Lucas found a note, in Ray’s handwriting, the morning after the dance. In it, Ray apologized for the short notice, but said he was unexpectedly needed out of town. The thick, black ink didn’t offer an explanation, or contact information. It didn’t give Lucas or Char any indication of Ray’s anticipated return. Instead, it simply said, “See you soon.”

Char was flustered but quickly calmed when Lucas opened a brown paper bag containing thousands of dollars in cash. Neal offered emotional support for the disappearance of Lucas’ stepdad, but it was Emma that Lucas chose to confide in. Their friendship strengthened and while I didn’t like, nor understand, Lucas, I accepted the need for the two of them to bond. The unconventional family Neal and Barb created was the only family Emma had left, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.

“We’ve seen the end of an era, folks,” Commander E addressed the crowd. “One that will go down in history!” Cheers and applause ended the session in the auditorium as Commander E waved to the crowd and exited the stage.

After everyone dispersed, I joined Commander E in his office where he poured each of us a scotch. The heavy, crystal glass with its ornate detail was reminiscent of his early-twentieth-century style, compared to the casual turtleneck sweater and slacks he wore. His youthful attire and neat appearance was opposite his norm.