Savannah's color had come back to normal and her face had relaxed. Pushing her hair back from her shoulders, she said, "Okay, here's the list. Vanessa Bently, wife number three, is a mercenary, disgustingly gorgeous, and we've become friends, which annoys Kermit no end. Julia, wife number two, was a psycho who killed wife number one, Callie, shot Vanessa, and tried to kill me. Kermit stopped her."

The lightness in Savannah's voice was shocking as she quoted the outline of another nightmare. "I don't know what to say," Jewel said, honestly.

"Oh, I'm surprised he didn't fill you in on that, too." The tone was touched with a bit more sarcasm than before. After a shake of her head, the brittleness cleared away and Savannah said, "I'm sorry. But if that woman exists here, watch out for her. She's dangerous."

"Thanks," Jewel answered. "What happened to the bitch?"

"I don't know. Blaisdell sent Kermit a note and he read it and told me Julia was no longer a problem," Savannah said, closing her eyes at the end of the story. "If it's one thing Kermit and his cohorts know how to do, it's eliminate a problem." The bright green eyes opened again, focusing sadly on her companion. "You see, he has to spend a great deal of time rescuing me, taking care of me. I don't seem to be that sturdy when it counts. Perpetual damsel in distress. It must have been easier on him during this crisis having someone at his side who was stronger, someone who--"

Jewel now read the scars in Savannah's eyes and instinctively caught her soft white hands in her own. "Hey, you survived it, Savannah. That's what matters. Trust me on this." Still holding her new friend's hands with one, she unbuttoned her faded shirt until she could shrug it off one shoulder. Savannah drew in her breath sharply, seeing the shiny scar, still angrily pink, dimpled deeply in the creamy flesh.

As if by reflex, Savannah's hand reached out to touch the wounded flesh. The urge to flinch away never surfaced as Jewel allowed the touch. A soothing mother's hand grazed the scar, touching it sympathetically. The tenderness, the kindness of a mother's touch had been almost forgotten until Jewel felt the gentle easing of Savannah's hand.

"I'm so sorry, sugar," Savannah said, withdrawing her hand. The expression was genuine, almost tearful. "What happened? When?"

For a moment, Jewel was speechless, moved by the sincerity of the complete stranger. Recovering, she said, "Couple years ago, with my own gun. Some nut case tracked me from the women's shelter to my house, I nearly died. If Kermit hadn't been on his way to the loft..." She stared off into the mist, voice soft. "Jodi Powell reminded me not be a victim, but a survivor. I am, you know."

The look, the smile, she turned on Savannah was hauntingly familiar to the Southern woman. It was Kermit's battle weary smile, his eyes filled with bitter memory. This was the pretty little college girl in the newspaper photo? "My parents died in a car wreck when I was fourteen. I was with them, trapped for five hours in the car. My birth father, who abused my mother and me, fought for custody from my brothers, because he wanted my share of my father's money. And then the first man I ever had a real relationship with turned out to be an abuser himself. When he put me in the hospital, I kicked him out. Never told my brothers, never told anyone, until Kermit."

"He just left?" Savannah was fascinated with this matter of fact laundry list of trauma. One such occurrence was enough to scar a child, but all of them?

"He came back once." Jewel's eyes lightened and she grinned at Savannah. "I convinced him that it was over."

"How?"

"A nine millimeter semi automatic pointed at his groin. When I told him to get the hell out, or I'd turn his three piece suit into a rag bag, he cut out. " Wicked mischief danced in her eyes, brought out that flashing beauty for an instant, and Savannah had to laugh. The darkness Kermit lived with had touched her lightly, not enough to dim her enthusiasm for life, for love. Savannah understood how the man her husband had once been could have wanted to share that enthusiasm, could see why he treasured this woman.

It made her laugh out loud. The thought of the terse, hard man who had invaded her house being tormented by this brash, in-you-face girl. "You must give Kermit fits!" she said, still laughing.

"Daily." It was a relief to see Savannah's mood shift back, confidence returning to her features.

"I think maybe I gave him a fit or two. Had a knock down drag out in my kitchen. Got so mouthy with me, I slapped him!"

It was Jewel's turn to laugh. "You did? You've got stones, Mrs. Griffin. Not many people walk around slapping ex-mercenaries having extremely bad days. Doesn't sound like a damsel in distress to me."

"I was havin' a bad day too and his observations were a little on the offensive side." Savannah was getting steamed all over again, just thinking about it.

"I didn't actually hit him, but I sure wanted to, and I'm just damned lucky he was Kermit, because I was so in his face at one point, I know he wanted to belt me one." Jewel shook her head. Only booze had calmed those irritated nerves.

"Kermit would never hit a woman, Jewel," Savannah said, sounding every bit the expert.

"No, but he wanted to hit something, badly. I was just pushing his buttons, which he thoroughly deserved for pissing me off." The swagger she affected for a moment faded. "I felt bad about it later, I really didn't want to fight with him. We were both under so much stress. YOU know."

"Yes. I know." Savannah was quiet a long moment, then she giggled, wanting to share one memory she was sure Jewel would appreciate. "Kat finally decided that he was tolerable, in fact, she insisted that he read her a bed time story. The Three Little Pigs. You should have heard poor Kermit, dredging up these voices that he had used with his little brother, David."

Jewel stared. "Kermit's little brother, the one that died, his name was David?"

"You didn't know that?"

"He never talks about him. Marilyn and the kids, to some extent, but he never calls his little brother by name. Damn! That's my older brother's name, too." Jewel shook her head, heart hurting for the old pain her lover carried with him. Then, with a determined effort, "She liked it though? Having him tell her a bedtime story?"

Savannah accepted the change of topic with good grace. "She loved it! Kat's so little, she was ready to believe that he was daddy at that point, and Kermit certainly convinced her of it with that story. I never knew the third little pig was so well armed." She giggled at the memory, and Jewel smiled.

"Go figure, huh? I can't imagine Kermit like that, Father of the Year. Although, he is really good with the cat." Her eyes were thoughtful as they walked on, Savannah sharing stories of her husband and Kat's various household adventures. The young mother was enthusiastic, and reassured her companion that Kermit's counterpart had been so good with the child. "So protective, so playful, it was just amazing when you realized that he wasn't really a father himself."

"A natural father. Howzabout that?" Jewel finally said, almost to herself, twisting the silver ring Kermit had given her again. "We haven't talked about kids, Kermit and I. In fact, marriage has only come up once...after a horrendous week and days of separation. We don't really even live together, you know? But things are really good between us, just as they are."

The petite blonde didn't quite understand the near desperation in Jewel's voice. "Well, of course they are, Sugar. Just because our lives are different, doesn't mean they aren't good. I had to beat that into your Kermit's thick skull, but eventually he understood." No answering smile.

"But he liked your life, Savannah, isn't that what you said? He liked being a daddy, having this stable home life. You cooked, didn't you? You probably all have dinner every night, pot roast and green beans and milk to drink, five p.m. sharp." Jewel shook her head. "Of course you do. That's why your Kermit was so weird at dinner time. He comes home to a wife and child and dinner every night. Why wouldn't he want that after years of jungles and pain and battles? Who can compete with that?"

"It's more like six, really. And why ever would you want to compete? I said Kermit played daddy for Kat. I didn't say he slipped into the routine of our household and settled down. He was as anxious to get back to you...and he squirmed like a crazy when I cooked supper for him. He's not my Kermit. He's yours. Different."

"Now Jewel smiled. "I just like our lives the way they are. If Kermit was so involved with my life, the way your husband is, I'd feel smothered. You guys do everything together, tell each other everything, share everything, how do you stand it?"

There was no insult on the red-haired woman's face, honest curiosity prompted the question. Savannah, therefore, was not insulted.

"Sharing everything with my husband is what I want, Jewel. It's what he wanted before he asked me to stay in his life. Our lives are wrapped up in each other and Kat because that makes us happy, and secure. Being a part of him, having him as a part of me, is the best thing that ever happened to me." And there was no doubting the warmth in Savannah's eyes as she thought about her married life. "How do you manage not to share everything? Why would you not want that kind of closeness with a man who loves you so dearly?"

"We're close, but we both need that freedom too. I love my loft, and Kermit is welcome there any time, but it's mine. My things, my cat, my life. We share, but it's because we want to, there's no 'have to know' about it. Some of what Kermit's been through.." Jewel waited until she saw the dark touch of understanding in the blonde woman's eyes before continuing, "He lives it over and over in nightmares. He's filled in more blanks than he'll ever know that way. I've heard things that I never saw on any consulting case. Does he need to know that some of it made me sick, gave me nightmares of my own? I can support him better by not letting him know, letting him have that one safe place to scream it out and not have to see the reaction of anyone. Especially me."

Savannah nodded slowly. "He needs us." She spoke in a soft, compelling voice. "He needs a refuge from the past, even from the present, sometimes. In your world, he has you, a woman who has never been tainted by his past. In our world, he has me, and I've stood beside him and battled that past for our love and our family. Two different lives. Not better, not worse. Just different, and both exactly what he needs to survive."

Both women had tears in their eyes, as they smiled at each other, then threw caution to the wind and embraced quickly. "You're a wise woman, Mrs. Griffin. Must be that motherly wisdom I hear so much about." Jewel said in her ear, and they both laughed as they drew apart.

"Oh, yeah," she drawled, imitating someone else. Savannah touched the gold locket she wore, and then slipped the chain from her neck. "Would you like to see a picture of Kat?" she offered, and Jewel's eyes opened wide.

"I'd LOVE to!! A Kermit baby, he told me how beautiful she was!" She took the delicate locket in her hand, letting Savannah snap open the latch.

On one side, there was a portrait of Kermit and Savannah, staring into each other's eyes, in the sort of picture that comes along once in a photographer's lifetime. On the other, a cherubic toddler with silky black ringlets and emerald eyes clutched a battered toy frog and smiled a heartbreakingly lovely smile. Jewel sank to the ground, staring at the baby. "She's so beautiful. Just look at her!" She cradled the locket as tenderly as if it had been Katherine Griffin herself.

Savannah crouched beside her, beaming. "Thank you. Kermit took that photo while I was still in the hospital. It was the first image I saw of my daughter after I came out of the coma." She touched the photo with one finger. "I had this before I had any memories of her. It reminds me how precious she is. How precious our lives are."

"Maybe that's what we can take away from this," Jewel said, closing the locket and returning it to its owner.

"Could be," Savannah answered. Shifting her attention to a break in the mist, she said, "Do you think they've met out there somewhere?"

"Maybe." Jewel rose to her feet, offering a hand to her friend. "I don't want to think about it.

The mist parted more distinctly, lifting upward. Two figures approached as the women stared. Twin voices bellowed their names. Jewel was already moving, zeroing in on one figure, leaving Savannah behind and forgotten in her quest to grab Kermit and drag him back into the real world.

*****

In a desperate chant, over and over, his name was all she could say as she buried her face in his suit clad shoulder. It didn't matter, he was holding her close, reassuring himself that she was there, finger combing her braid loose to tangle his hands in her hair. "Jewel."

No more words. His mouth sought hers and she pulled him down to meet it, bodies locking together.

When he came up for air, stroking her cheek, she leaned back, drew a ragged breath.

"I was so scared, Kermit. If I'd lost you..." Dark eyes searched his face, her hands caressing his skin gently.

His voice was pure Kermit when he drawled, "No such luck, Sweetheart. You're STUCK with me, so you'd better get used to it." And she was laughing through her tears, kissing him again, oblivious of the other reunion taking place beside them.

He could feel her softness through her worn denim shirt, pressing against his chest, and he dipped his head to the open neckline, tracing it with his tongue, nibbling the hollow of her throat. Her hands were buried in his thick hair, he felt her trembling against him and swept her up in his arms. He took an unceremonious seat on the 'floor', trying to calm her by wrapping her up in his arms, and discovered that he was shaking more than his lover.

"Gods, Kermit. I can't believe this worked. I mean, this ritual, Caine was sort of winging it at some point. If we couldn't draw you guys here, if we hadn't been able to cross back over..." Jewel rested her head against his chest in relief. "Not that you want to hear this. But, I kept hearing how wonderful your twin's life was, and I saw pictures of his wife, and they have this incredible baby." Eyes like rain-washed violets held his gaze. " I was afraid you'd fall in love with her."

He could see what that admission cost her. "With Savannah?"

"Well, HE loves her. I mean, he REALLY loves her. We got so drunk after looking her up on the computer...seeing her married to some other guy freaked him out. She was really beautiful, and happy, but she had other kids and he loves their daughter so much." She shook her head. "She cooks dinner every night. Decorates. Has this perfect little Stepford life. And I'm...me."

Kermit thought about the floral cottage he'd left behind and grinned to himself. Savannah and Kat were special, but that life..."You're mine and I'm yours." He told Jewel tenderly but firmly, shades off, his fingers brushing tears from her thick lashes. "I need you, to yell at me and get mad when I try to run your life... and to be my refuge from the darkness I move in. The whole time we were apart, I knew that you were working your ass off to put things right. It kept me from losing it, no matter what happened on the other side."

"You're my rock too, Kermit Griffin, so you stay put from now on or I'll kick your ass." She balled up a small fist and he kissed it. "No more statues, ivory or otherwise, or we're gonna have a problem." "You got it. Scouts honor." And his mouth covered hers once more.

*****

He moved to her slowly, hands in his pockets pretending to be relaxed. Savannah waited for him, arms opening to accept him as his body approached. The wild drum of her heart beat against his chest as he held her close, stroking her hair with his cheek.

"Miss me?" he asked, feeling a sob break against his chest.

"Oh," she said, pulling back to look up into his eyes, "lil' bit." She couldn't fight the lone tear that ran down her face. He was back. Her man. The one she knew. The one who knew her. Every muscle in her body began to relax, to give in to the turmoil of the past day.

Kermit closed his arms around her more tightly as she weakened. "Are you all right?" Without asking, he scooped her up into his arms. "You shouldn't have tried this?"

Laughing softly at the deja vu, she tipped her face upward, meeting his worried mouth to worry it some more. They kissed a long, passionate, tangled while, ignoring prying eyes seen or unseen. Taking a satisfied breath, Savannah whispered, "I'm fine. Just wanted the Rhett treatment."

It was a cover but he would allow her this dignity. The relief began to well up around him, also. Fatigue and fear had weighed his body down for the past day. Now, holding the woman he loved, he let himself give way. Savannah's scent, her voice, wove around him, comforting, soothing...

Jolting awake, Kermit sat bolt upright in his bed. Pitch black night coated the room, broken only by a glowing nightlight draining in from the room across the hall. Panic rattled upward from his chest into his throat. A nightmare, a memory of unbearable loss and unbalance danced just outside of his consciousness. He shook his head, wiping a light mist of sweat from his brow. It had been so long since he'd been ripped awake by the nightmares.

But this had a different resonance to it. Though he couldn't remember the tale of his dream, the feelings of loss were clear. Reaching out, he found Savannah lying still beside him, quietly watching him in the dark. Her beautiful face wore love and concern but she held back her touch. Even in the night, they had a rhythm together. His dark side, his recurring nightmare world didn't frighten her. She knew what he needed, how to be with him. He was grateful.

"Baby?" She whispered the word, testing his awareness. "Are you okay?"

The cool air began to soothe him and quiet the rumbling in his chest. Lying down beside her, he propped on one elbow. "Yeah," he answered, showing her with a gentle touch to her cheek. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"I wasn't sleeping," she said, resting her hand on his. "I couldn't sleep. I just suddenly felt so...so...lost." He knew the vacant feeling she described. Its aftereffects still trembled in his mind. Looking down at her, caressing her, a hunger began to fill the void. In an instant the remembered pain drifted away as they blended together into a long warm kiss. Beneath the heavy covering, inside the bed they shared, whatever mystic pain had disturbed their sleep faded away.

*****
Caine stood beside himself, at ease, watching the reunions with twinned eyes. These people, these friends, had dared much to find each other and their joy was almost visible in the pale mists of Shambhala. Still, a question remained. Here in the place between places, he had no need of ritual, he could simply ask the Unknown as one would ask a beloved teacher and friend. "How can they return to their lives now? Having seen the other's life, will the unanswered questions not drive them apart?"

And from somewhere outside himselves, the answer came, and he felt its rightness. The Universe, returned to order, would smooth out the ripples left by their misadventure. Neither Kermit would be left longing for a life he could not lead, neither woman would be left fearing that the road they trod was merely a wrong turning. All would be as it was before.

*****

Dawn lay across their bed, filling the room with its familiar tinge of pearl-pink light. It was cool for spring and Jewel snuggled close to Kermit in her sleep, patchwork quilts pulled high around her bare shoulders. When she woke, it was in his arms, and he was smiling down at her.

"What?" She asked sleepily. She had gotten in late, and he'd been waiting in bed for her. Sleep hadn't been on the immediate agenda, she'd paid a delicious forfeit for leaving him alone to drink champagne and mingle at the party.

Kermit shook his head, enjoying the feel of her hand lazily caressing his chest. "Nothing. Just watching you sleep, Sweetheart." No need to mention the strange dream he couldn't quite remember, where she was falling away from him, where a golden haired beauty was offered in her place. No need to mention that he'd woken with his heart pounding, desperate to assure himself that Jewel lay safely beside him in the eclectic visual clutter of the loft. He bent, and kissed the top of her head, arms tightening around her. "Just making sure you're where you belong."

With a sensuous chuckle, she kissed the smooth skin beneath her cheek, slid herself up his warm naked body, and kissed his mouth. "Where would I go? Everything I want is right here, Sailor."

One big hand descended on her bottom with a half hearted smack and she giggled. "Brute. You'd better make it up to me or I'll pout. I might cry."

"Can't have you crying and waking the neighbors." He agreed, pulling her against him and slipping a leg over hers. "How about a Morning Special?"

"Mmmmm...heavy on the naked." But, she pulled away, leaned over to the bookstand her nightlamp rested on. "You know what I'd like, even better than a Morning Special?" Blue eyes sparkled at him guilelessly, and he groaned.

"You'd rather have poetry?"

"I'd rather have poetry first." She clarified, with a smile that had him scrambling for his place. He knew what poem she wanted, her favorite. The one, she had confessed one lazy Sunday morning, that had made her admit to herself that she was falling in love with him. So, a little Frost, a little lovemaking.. a lot of lovemaking, and then, their date to come in the evening.

"Not a bad life to wake up to, Mr. Griffin," he congratulated himself, and, Jewel comfortable against his shoulder, Kermit began to read...

The Road Not Taken (1915) Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and
I-- I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The End

Next Story: Thanks To Howard

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6   Part 7   Part 8   Part 9   

Back to serie's index      Back to Story index