Excerpt: Lifetime Together

Copyright (C) 2010 by Kevin L. O'Brien

Renoir dragged Eile out of the stairwell onto the roof. A helicopter sat in the center, its blades whirling as it idled. A figure inside — probably the pilot — gestured for him to approach.

"There's our ride, n'est-ce pas? In minutes we'll be out over international waters, and after we rendezvous with my ship, you and I can get better acquainted, mon cher."

Eile said nothing, but it was because on the opposite side of the helo, she saw Oda emerge from a second stairwell. The woman ran around the back of the helo and confronted Renoir when he had gotten half-way. He turned to face her, tightening his grip around Eile's neck and jamming the muzzle of his pistol into her temple. Oda stopped and took a wide stance, raising her own gun and holding it in two hands.

"Come no closer!" he threatened.

"Let her go."

"Non! She is my ticket out of here. Besides, I have grown fond of her, n'est-ce pas?"

"I won't let you take her."

"Stand aside, or I will kill her."

"If you harm her in any way, you'll never reach the helo. But let her go, and I'll let you leave. I give you my word."

As she spoke, the side door of the helo slid open. Medb squatted in the opening, then jumped out. Standing, she raised a pistol and pointed it at Renoir. Neither he nor Oda registered that she was there.

"And I give you my word, if you do not step aside, I will kill her."

"Not if I kill you first."

"I will still live long enough to pull the trigger, n'est-ce pas?"

"Not where I'll shoot you, but I'm willing to take that chance. Are you?"

Eile couldn't believe that the two combatants hadn't noticed Medb yet. She must be clouding their minds, she thought.

Renoir hesitated for a few moments. "Très bien," he finally said, "I will let her go, but only if you drop your weapon."

"No."

"I do not trust you, mon cher. Loving wife and mother you may be now, but I remember you as a cold-blooded killer. You were never concerned about honor then. In fact, you would say anything to put your victim at ease. So, drop your weapon, or I will kill her now."

"You'll be dead before you pull the trigger."

"Perhaps. But I am willing to take that chance; are you?"

Medb gestured at Eile: be ready to duck. Eile winked to indicate she understood.

Oda had not responded, and Renoir said, "No more time; what's it to be?" And he repositioned the gun behind Eile's ear.

"Alright!" Oda said, raising her hands as if in surrender. She slowly crouched and laid her gun on the ground, then stood again.

"Kick it away," Renoir ordered. Oda complied.

Renoir chuckled. "Perhaps you have changed. You never used to be that stupid, n'est-ce pas?" And he pointed his pistol at her.

Eile reached up, grabbed the arm around her throat, and lifted it. She dropped her head at the same time and bit into his wrist. Renoir yelled, raising his pistol in reflex. Oda dived for her gun as Eile slipped out of his grasp and dropped to his feet, covering her head with his hands. She heard him snarl, but she didn't look up.

A shot rang out, and Eile heard what sounded like a melon bursting. Looking up, she saw Renoir standing over her, his gun pointed at her, but half his head was gone. He teetered for a second or two, stumbled backwards a step or two, then collapsed to the ground.

Oda had only gotten half-way to her gun when Medb shot. She whipped her head around to stare at the massive women as she walked past her up to Renoir, her gun held at the ready. Then she leapt to her feet and sprinted over to Eile. As Medb bent over the body, she helped her up.

"Are you okay?"

Eile didn't say anything, she just started to shake. Now that it was over and the adrenalin was draining away, the fear was beginning to assert itself fully.

Oda took her in her arms and hugged her close. Eile had never been held by another woman in a maternal fashion, except for Sunny, but she never thought of Sunny as a surrogate mother. Oda wasn't her real mother, but it felt good. She felt comfortable, safe, and loved. She clung to Oda as the shakes worked themselves out of her system. All the while, the older woman supported her, patted the back of her head, and told her she was okay, that everything was all right.

After several moments Eile had recovered enough that she could control herself. She let go of Oda and looked up at her. "I'm fine," she said, nodding. "Thank you."

Oda gave her a warm smile and let her go. She turned around to look for Medb, but didn't step away from Oda. The older woman put her hands on Eile's shoulders to reassure her she was still there for her. Eile appreciated the show of affection and support. It felt good having a mother watching out for her.

"I should have known you had everything under control," Oda said to Medb.

The former queen straightened up and walked over to them. "One of the first things my forces did was secure the helicopter, in case Renoir tried to escape. When he made a break for it, I got here ahead of him and hid myself. My plan was to subdue him once he got on board and throw him into the ocean. Then you came along and almost mucked it up!"

"I didn't know, and I couldn't let Renoir take Eile."

Eile saw a strange look cross Medb's face. She had never seen it before, and she didn't know what it meant, but it seemed as if the massive woman just had an epiphany.

Medb nodded. "I understand. Fortunately, no harm was done in the end."

"It's too bad he won't stand trial for his crimes," Oda said.

Medb's face darkened; a chill ran down Eile's spine. She had seldom seen that look, but it was Medb's most frightening aspect, when she changed from guardian to warrior, from protector to avenger.

"He was tried, and convicted, by me," Medb replied in a grim tone. "I sentenced him to death and I carried out that sentence."

"Won't the Bahaman government be upset?" Eile asked.

"They have no jurisdiction. This island is mine; I own it. I am the government here, and the law. My will prevails."

"You lured him here!" Oda said. "You used us as bait so you could take him out permanently, with no interference."

"Yes," she confirmed. Her tone of voice sent shivers along Eile's nerves. She had no idea Medb could be so ruthless.

"You put us all in danger —!"

"Do not presume to judge me," she said. Her voice was quiet, almost gentle, but that frightened Eile more than if she had screamed in fury. "You are my friend, not my conscience. What I did, I did for all of you. While alive, Renoir was a threat to your safety and that of Sunny and Eile. It was only a matter of time before he came after any of you, at a time and place of his own choosing. At least here he was forced to fight on our terms, on our ground. As a result, he and the threat he represented are now eliminated. What I did I would do again in a heartbeat." Medb then strode past them towards the nearest stairwell.

"Jesus!" Eile sighed. "That was close."

Oda's voice was quieter than usual as she said, "Medb is a good and loyal friend, but you're right, I would not want her as an enemy. Come on, let's go back downstairs."

+++++     +++++     +++++

Medb followed Oda and Eile into the ballroom. The dead terrorists had been laid out on one side, covered with blankets, while their surviving comrades were kneeling in a group nearby, their hands clasped behind their heads, surrounded by a half-dozen of her mercenaries. On the other side, the wounded were being cared for by the resort personnel. Sunny was among them, and she looked up when she heard someone mention that they had arrived. When she saw Eile, she shouted for joy and leapt up to run to her. Eile detached herself from Oda's side and rushed to meet her. They intercepted each other in the center of the ballroom, where they threw themselves into each other's embrace and kissed with desperate passion.

Medb stepped up beside Oda. She couldn't see her face, but she knew what she felt in any event. She had felt it herself many times.

"They really are in love," Oda said. Medb could hear the sad disappointment in her voice.

"Yes."

"And you tried to warn me."

"Yes."

"All I want, all I ever wanted, is for Sunny to be happy. I suppose I should be grateful that she is, but I would still wish it wasn't true."

"Every parent feels that way; it is only natural."

Oda whipped her head around and gave Medb an angry look. "How the hell would you know?"

Medb felt anger blaze within her, but she suppressed it as she replied, "I have been a mother a thousand times over, and never did I not want what was best for any of my children. But the hard truth I had to learn, that any parent must learn, is that it is for the children, and not the parents, to decide what is best for them. It can be painful, particularly when we see them make the same mistakes we made in our youths, but our children are not ourselves, they are their own, and they must be allowed to live their lives as they see fit."

"So what's the point of being a parent?"

"We prepare them, we be there for them, support and comfort them, offer advice and guidance, even protect them when we must. But we cannot live their lives for them, or relive our lives through them."

Oda looked back at the girls. They had ceased kissing, but they still stood in each other arms, looking at each other and talking affectionately. "I cannot say I agree with you, but it appears I don't have any choice either."

"You always have a choice. You can accept their lives as they are and give them your blessing, or you can reject them and cut them off from yourself. But whatever you chose, you will have to live with the consequences."

Oda glanced at Medb, but before she could say anything, she heard her name called out. When she looked, she saw Maela standing by the main entrance. Squealing with joy, she jogged over to her and they embraced. Medb watched them, and watched Eile and Sunny watching them, and in her heart she decided that all would turn out well for this family in the end.

+++++     +++++     +++++

Maela came up behind Oda as she lounged on the sofa in their apartment. She handed her a drink over her shoulder, then began massaging her shoulders. Oda took a sip, leaned her head back and closed her eyes, and made murmuring noises with a slight smile on her face.

"Hard day?" Maela asked in French.

Oda's smile broadened. "You have a gift for understatement," she replied in German.

"How about a bubble bath?"

Oda grinned. "You read my mind."

"Good, because we have to talk."

Frowning, Oda pulled away and stood up. "I don't like being set up."

"Then we can hash it out here. I just thought you'd prefer to be comfortable, but as you wish."

Oda turned on Maela and flashed her spouse a dirty look. "Stop needling me. I know what you want to talk about."

"And?"

"And I won't interfere. If Sonne wishes to marry Eile, she can."

"That's not good enough."

"That's the best I'm prepared to offer." She took a large swallow.

"We can't leave it like this, for Sonne's sake, and ours."

Startled, she threw Maela a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"We've had many disagreements in our time, but none that made me question my love for you, until now."

Maela's words stung her like being shot in the gut. She never expected to hear her say anything like that.

"Indifference won't work," Maela went on. "You have to give them your blessing. Sonne has to know you fully support her in this, otherwise she'll never really trust us again. I don't want to lose my daughter, but if I stay with you, I'm afraid I'll never see her again after this."

Oda felt her gut turn to ice. She had never felt this kind of fear before. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, that if you don't give her your blessing, I'll leave you."

"Maela, no," she breathed.

"I won't have a choice. Or rather, if you force me to chose between you and our daughter, I've already made it."

Oda panicked. "Maela, please, you can't do this to me!"

"To you?!" Maela shouted, losing her temper. "Oda, this isn't about you, it's about Sonne, about her happiness."

Oda's anger flared. "Yes, exactly! If we split up over this, it will devastate her!"

"You think I don't know that? It'll rip her apart!"

"Then why are you blackmailing me?"

"I'm not blackmailing you! I want you to give her your blessing from your heart, because you love her and know that this is best for her. But I can't stay with you knowing that you refused for no good reason, that you jeopardized her happiness and ours for your petty grievances."

She should have been angry. Spouse or not, Maela had no right to talk to her like that, even if it was true. That made her pause. But it was true, every word. She was being petty, selfish even. She didn't want to share Sunny with Eile. She didn't want Sunny to belong to another person as much as or more than she belonged to her. She wanted Sunny to remain her daughter forever, and not become Eile's spouse.

"Oda, I can't force you to make this decision. All I can do is point out what will happen if you decide one way instead of the other. But whatever you decide, you will have to live with the consequences."

"Mayv had told me that earlier today. Maela, I love you more than my own life; I couldn't live without you. But I don't want to lose Sonne, either."

Maela stepped up to her and embraced her. Oda wrapped her arms around her, dropping her drink, and clung to her for dear life.

"You won't lose her, Oda, you can never lose her. All you can do is drive her away."

Her uncertainty was so painful Oda started to cry. "Oh, Maela, I just don't know what's right."

"Then let's talk about it. I have the bath drawn, the Champaign on ice, and a box of chocolates open and waiting."

Feeling relieved, Oda gave a sobbing laugh. "You always know how to make me feel better."

Their arms around each other, Maela steered her towards the bathroom. "What else are partners for?"

+++++     +++++     +++++

Sunny stood on the edge of the terrace and looked down the slope towards the ocean, where Eile sat on a stone bench beside the enclosed lagoon. She had been there for several hours now, ever since Medb's mercenary force left with the surviving terrorists. Sunny knew that mood well. It was similar to the malaise Eile practically lived in before they meet. One of the reasons they had formed their partnership was because they both recognized they needed something from each other. Sunny considered it her responsibility to cheer Eile up whenever she saw one of those moods coming over her. But this time, she wasn't sure she should try. If Eile blamed her for what happened, then she would just make it worse by intruding on her solitude.

Her father came up on her right side and put an arm around her shoulders. Sunny nestled against her.

"I'm sorry things didn't work the way you wanted them to," Maela said.

"It's not your fault."

"No, not exactly, but your mother and I realize how important this was to you, and since the terrorists were after us, we feel responsible."

"That's nonsense."

"Yes, but we can't help feeling that way. Just as you cannot help feeling responsible for Eile."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you're up here, instead of down there with her."

Sunny understood what her father was trying to tell her, but she resisted accepting it. "This is different —"

"No, darling, it isn't. You are no more responsible for the terrorists than your mother and I, but you feel you are because it was your desire to make your proposal special that brought you two here." She paused and chuckled. "You know, if anyone's to blame, it's Mayv. She was the one who changed your plans. As you pointed out, ours are not anonymous lives here. She did it hoping to draw Renoir and his men into the open. It was just coincidence they staged their attack this weekend instead of some other."

"Does that mean you and Mom are safe now?"

"Not entirely, but we're much safer than we were yesterday. Safe enough that we could probably come visit you now in Denver, like for the wedding?"

"I don't know if there will be one now. I know what you're trying to tell me, but what if Eile really does blame me?"

"Then confront her about it. If she truly loves you, she'll forgive you."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then it's best you find out now, before you get too deep into your relationship. Just keep in mind, if the worst happens and you break up, you will always have a home here with your mother and me."

"Hmmph. Mom would probably be ecstatic if that happened."

Oda came up on her left side and looked down at her. "No, Sonne, I wouldn't, at least, not any more."

"Your mother and I had a long talk about this."

"Yes. I'm sorry I've been such a bitch to you and Eile. I wish I could take it all back. I'm just worried about you, we both are; we want you to be happy."

"We're just not sure you fully understand what the consequences could be."

"Mayv told me about what your life was like. I'm sorry you had to put up with all that on account of me."

"Aw, honey —"

"No, it's okay Mom, I don't blame myself, but it's the truth. But Eile and I aren't like you guys. I don't believe we'll have the same problems. This just feels right to me. I love her, Mom, and I want her to know just how much I do love her."

"I know, honey, and while it's hard for me to say this, I was wrong. Today I learned, that while you'll always be my Golden Sunny, you are not me. You have your own life to lead, and I have to let you live it. As much as I would like to protect you, you are a young woman, you have to make your own choices, your own mistakes. But I'll always be here for you, if you need anything. I also learned that Eile is a good person. She's right for you. You two deserve to be together."

Sunny was so relieved she almost felt like crying. "Thanks, Mom, that means a lot. But it may be too late. What if Eile doesn't love me like I love her?"

"Sweetie, listen to me, I've watched you too together. I can see she loves you very much, as much as you appear to love her."

Brightening with renewed hope, Sunny asked, "Really?"

"Yes, and I think she really needs her partner right now."

"But . . . what if she wants to be alone?"

"Sunny," her father said, "remember what we used to tell you when you were younger? 'A partner is someone you are glad to see when you would rather not see anyone at all.'"

Sunny giggled. "I don't remember you telling me that!"

"No?" she said with mock surprise. "Well, we should have." Then she squeezed her shoulders. "Anyways, it's true."

Sunny looked down at Eile and thought about what they said. It was always possible they were fibbing, but she trusted them, and more importantly she loved them. She knew that whatever they did, they did because they believed it was best for her. She hoped they were right. She didn't want to lose Eile, and she wasn't sure how she could live if she did.

She stepped away from her father. "Thanks, guys. You're probably right. Wish me luck."

"Sonne, wait."

Sunny turned and looked at her mother.

"Here, take this," and she held out the box containing the engagement ring.

Surprised, Sunny took it without thinking. "Are you sure?"

Oda nodded. "Yes, honey. I would be very happy to have her as a daughter."

Sunny couldn't contain herself any longer. She flew at her mother and grabbed her in a bear hug, which Oda returned. "Thank you! Thank you!" she repeated over and over again.

"Okay, that's enough!" Oda finally said, and let Sunny go. "Now, get going!"

Sunny giggled, but as she turned away, movement above her caught her eye. She looked up and caught a glimpse of Medb turning away from the balcony of the loggia outside her office. Grinning, she finished her turn and started down the steps to the lagoon.