Chapter 19

I followed Megan into the bedroom, where I found her lying on the bed, crying softly. I sat next to her and pulled her head on my lap, stroking her hair and not saying anything. What could I say? I was going to a place where something would happen to me and I might not come back. What could I say? 'It will be alright?' Right. Bullshit a mind reading, genius, precognitive empath. I had actually tried that once before. Waste of time. The fact was, I was just as scared as she was. But I had to go. I had let Elizabeth down when she was alive, and I couldn't do the same now. I had to finish this. I was not going in as John Wayne to single-handedly defeat the bad guys. I was going as an observer. Period. I hoped that Megan didn't think of the fact that that was what Elizabeth had been when she was killed. Yeah. Right. I'm sure that would never occur to her. I knew it had when she hit me with a pillow and started crying harder.

I had to say something. I hoped it wouldn't be too stupid.

"I won't take any chances, Megan. I'll be careful, I promise." I know; it was lame, but it was better than 'It'll be alright'! Megan looked at me, still crying, a strange, faraway look in her eyes. They glowed a bright, deep purple.

"Won't make any difference. Will happen one way or another. Can't be stopped. Guard against one way, and it comes from another. No way out of it. Watch out, be careful. Make it come for you, our way. Remember, the armed Indian that flies will save you, save us all; look for it. Pretty colors; rainbows are dangerous; look for them; they will save you. Green means go. No one stops you when green comes; watch for it, let it shine, use it; trust it, don't fight against it. Colors rule, let them shine, no one survives the rainbow. Clears out the black clouds so you can see the blue. Pretty. Use the thunderstorms, lightning, thunder; your friends, terror in the skies, no defense. Trust the green, no matter what. The dead that are not dead will save you. Leave no one behind and get what you came for. Mess with the babies, remember the hurt, do no more, then die anyway; the dead never repeat, except in the rainbow." I looked at her eyes. They were flat and devoid of all expression. I had never seen her like this before. I shivered.

"Oh God, please come back to me, Patrick! Don't leave me alone! Come back to me, damn it!" She snarled as she grabbed the front of my shirt and shook me hard. Then her eyes cleared and she was hugging me, sobbing into my shirt. I held her as she trembled, holding her close until she quieted.

"Megan... honey, what did all that mean?"

"All what?" She mumbled.

"What you said. Rainbows. Lightning, thunder. Colors. What did it mean?" I asked. Megan looked at me, confusion in her clear purple eyes.

"I don't know; what are you talking about? I didn't say anything. Rainbows are pretty. I love them." She looked at me questioningly.

I shivered again. Suddenly, I felt cold. Something had just happened with Megan, but I didn't know what. I hoped it would make sense when the time came. If I remembered it. Instantly, the whole thing repeated in my mind. So much for forgetting it! I hoped I could sleep tonight. Megan looked at me with concern in her eyes.

"Are you ok, honey?" She asked. She looked at me as if I was acting strange. Then her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she looked over my shoulder. I turned my head to see Julie walk into the room. Seldom did the girls come into our room after we retired, especially without knocking, and never Julie.

Julie glided effortlessly over to me, almost as if her feet didn't touch the ground. I looked into her eyes and was startled to see they were pink, with white flecks, flat and devoid of all expression. Pink? White flecks? Oh no, not again! Almost as if by command, Megan moved her head off my lap. Julie sat on my lap, facing me, straddling me. She stared deep into my eyes with her pink eyes, then wrapped her arms around my neck, pulled me close, and kissed me!

Wow, did she kiss me! I swear I felt her tongue on my tonsils! She kept kissing me, her eyes shut now, then she cried out softly into my mouth, trembled all over, and I felt a dampness in my lap. Did my little girl just... ? She opened her eyes, her pink eyes, kissed my neck gently, and then talked softly into my ear, as if reciting by memory.

"Will happen one way or another. Can't be stopped. Guard against one way, and it comes from another. No way out of it. Watch out, be careful. Make it come for you, our way. Remember, the armed Indian that flies will save you, save us all; look for it. Pretty colors; rainbows are dangerous; look for them; they will save you. Green means go. No one stops you when green comes; watch for it, let it shine, use it; trust it, don't fight against it. Colors rule, let them shine, no one survives the rainbow. Clears out the black clouds so you can see the blue. Pretty. Use the thunderstorms, lightning, thunder; your friends, terror in the skies, no defense. Trust the green, no matter what. The dead that are not dead will save you. Leave no one behind and get what you came for. Mess with the babies, remember the hurt, do no more, then die anyway; the dead never repeat, except in the rainbow."

I saw Megan blink in surprise as she listened to what Julie said. Julie kissed me softly again.

"I love you, Daddy. Come back to me; come back to us all. I don't want my baby to be without a father." Then Julie stood up, turned around, and left the room, gliding effortlessly, almost as if her feet never touched the ground. Megan looked at me, eyes wide in wonder.

"What was that all about?" She whispered to me.

"I don't know. Except you said the same thing a few minutes ago. Well, minus the baby and father bit. Megan," I said anxiously, "I swear, I have never touched her that way..." I stopped talking as Megan put her finger on my lips, silencing me.

"I know. Did you see the white flecks in her eyes? I told you there would be effects of using that protocol! I won't help you with this part; it's all yours!" Her eyes twinkled merrily, laughing at me, then her eyes went back to confused.

"I said the same thing? I don't remember. I wonder what it means." Then her eyes looked panicky again.

"Patrick, please, I know you have to go, it's good for all of us that you do, but please, please, don't take chances. It's only good if you come back. Please be careful; come back to us." She buried her face in my chest, holding onto me fiercely.

We didn't see Julie again that night, nor did any of the other girls come in to see us. It was strangely quiet in the house that night. Megan held on to me tightly all night long, refusing to let me go even to turn around in her sleep. I heard her crying several times in her sleep. I wasn't sure it was such a good deal for her, being with me. All I ever seemed to do was hurt her and make her cry.

Megan was quiet the next morning, but otherwise, she seemed to be normal. Julie seemed to be her normal quiet, shy self. I decided to fish a little and see if she remembered anything from the night before.

"Julie, have you ever heard any legends about armed Indians that could fly?" I asked her. She was into archeology somewhat, like her mother, and had read a lot about mythology and legends. She looked at me as if I was crazy and laughed at me.

"Nope, can't say I've heard of that one, Daddy. Where did you get that one from? Maybe ask Mommy; she knows more of that weird stuff than me." She smiled gently at me and went back to reading the back of the cereal box as she munched her Vampire Jewels or whatever they call the kiddy junk she was eating. Megan looked at me crossly and swatted me on the arm.

"Stop it!" She hissed. I laughed at her. Julie looked at us with a tolerant smile as if we were parents — crazy.

The next day was frantic, full of activity. I talked to my Dad on an almost hourly basis, coordinating the intelligence that was coming in on the location of the men we were tracking. We had to arrange it somehow so that we were ready when they were in a prime location. We had to also arrange it so that I was over there too. I didn't want to fly over too far in advance. Iraq was not a safe place to be, and with Megan's dire predictions, I didn't want to be there any more than I needed to. If someone was after me, why give them more of a shot than necessary.

Several times when my Dad called, Megan answered the phone. From the laughter and responses I heard from her, he was obviously trying to cheer her up and keep her mind off my leaving. He didn't know with what Megan heard from Julie last night and the things she had 'seen' on her own, there was no way she could relax and forget about it. I found her several times either staring out into space or crying softly when she thought no one was watching. I was starting to feel guilty, but I didn't know what to do about it; even Megan had said I had to go. She just didn't like it.

The girls and Victoria were taking good care of me, feeding me and sticking to me like glue, so there really wasn't that much for Megan to do. My Mom was out of town on some business trip, so I finally just told Megan to take her cute little body over to my Dad's house for a while, cook for him, and keep him company. I could tell when I talked to him he was lonely. Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Are you tired of me? Trying to get rid of me?" She sniffled, trying not to cry. I hugged her close.

"No, I would never get tired of you. Yes, I am trying to get rid of you. You're prancing around here like a cat about ready to have kittens. Go see my Dad. He loves having you around, even when you're crazy. Go!" She looked at me, chin quivering, then started laughing.

"Fine, I will. He likes to take a nap in the afternoon; maybe I'll take one with him. What do you think of that, Mr. 'get out of here and quit bugging me'?" She looked at me, grinning as she teased me. My goodness, her moods swings were mercurial lately. A wild thought struck me. I wonder if she could be... no, Megan couldn't be... could she?

"You're a big girl, Megan, do what you want. Just save some for me and don't kill the poor old man!" She looked at me with a shocked look on her face, then practically fell on the floor laughing.

"What am I going to do with you? God, I love you! I think I will go see him for a while. You better be done with what you're doing when I get back, because I'm going to have my way with you! Be warned, bucko!" Awww, poor me! Poor Dad! Just being in the same house alone with Megan for several hours was likely to do him in, even if she did behave! Which I knew she would. I think. Maybe. She was still giggling when she left the house. Victoria just shook her head, then grabbed me and kissed my brains out, while the girls giggled.

"You are just too sweet! Um... Megan wouldn't really do anything with Dad, would she? That would be just too weird!"

"We'll find out; want me to let you know what happens?" I was having fun.

"Ewww! Nooo! I love Dad, but... Ewww! You are one sick puppy!" Victoria really looked grossed out.

"I'm sick? Who sleeps with her brother and has two kids by him? Besides, I'm not the one that's going to take a nap with my Dad!" I was harassing Victoria because Katie and Becky had left the room; they were the only ones that didn't know who their father really was, so it was safe to joke about it with them gone. Victoria gasped and swatted me on the butt.

"You mean, who used to sleep with her brother, after that remark! You are such a snot!" She kissed me tenderly, then smacked me, hard. The girls were staring at us, eyes as big as saucers, not sure how to take all of this.

"She wouldn't really... would she?" Victoria whispered.

"Nah, she wouldn't. Cuddle, flirt with him a little, maybe even kiss a little, but that would be all. She just really likes Dad and is grateful to him, so she just likes to make him happy. She doesn't really think of him that way. They're two peas in a pod; they're both all talk!" I bet I would be missing her already before she got back.

Sure enough, I was looking for her long before she got back, but we did get a lot done without her around. Several hours later, I got a call from Dad.

"Hi Son. Just wanted to thank you for loaning me your little friend for the day. She's a wonderful girl. Hell of a cook, too. I just sent her back to you. She should be there any time."

"No problem, Dad. Anytime. Tell Mom 'hi' when she gets back in town."

Megan was in fine form when she got back home. She was almost her old self again. True to her word, she dragged me off to bed early that night. I know; it's an awful job, but someone has to do it (OW! That hurt, Megan! It was meant to, sweetheart.)!

As she rode me, on the way to making me come for the second time, she teased me.

"So, do you want to know what I did with your dad today?" She teased, giggling.

"Nope."

"No? You're not jealous?"

"Nope."

"Why not? Don't you love me?"

"Of course I love you. I also trust you. You're sweet, wonderful, loyal and utterly trustworthy. I don't believe you did anything. If you did, it's your business, but I don't think I want to hear about it. Not right now, anyway." I was having a hard time talking. She laughed at me.

"You know me so well, don't you? We did take a nap together. I would never do anything with him because I don't think of him that way. He's just a wonderful man that I look upon as my Daddy. He still sees me as that four year old little girl he found years ago. He just wants to make his little girl feel safe. He just cuddled with his little girl, holding her, keeping her safe, and slept. He would never do anything because in his mind it would be with that four year old girl. He would never do that. He has no desire to do that. Even if we did think about it, both of us love you too much to hurt you that way. I know you're not the jealous type, but if I ever feel I want to have sex with someone else, besides what might go on in our bed with you there, I would make sure you knew all about it and didn't have a problem with it beforehand. I don't see that happening. You are everything I want. You know about any others." She stopped talking as an image of Victoria and Megan and Amy and Megan sped through my mind, and I lost control and came deep up inside her. She smiled at me. "Got'cha!" she laughed. Then she lost control too and cried out. She lay down on top of me and we slept the night through.

I woke up early the next morning and gently slid Megan off me onto the bed. She whimpered complainingly in her sleep, but didn't wake up. The whole house was still asleep, so I decided to do something I had started a couple weeks ago; I went running.

I hate running. I only started going because I wasn't sure what I was going to run into when I finally went to Iraq when the time came. I figured I should be in good shape. Who knew what I might end up doing. Besides, after Megan's and Julie's proclamations, it might be even more important.

The whole house was not as asleep as I thought. Of all people, Amy and Sammi were waiting for me, stretching on the lawn. I had run with each of them and with Cindi on occasion, but not together. Cindi had only gone once. She ran like the wind, but she discovered it made her sweat, so it was yucky. She didn't mind the exercise, but sweating? Ewww! No way!

I still hadn't gotten used to Amy and Sammi being together on anything. They didn't hang out together a lot, and didn't always agree on everything, but they were slowly becoming friends. I was happy about that. Amy needed someone that would tell her she was being an idiot if she was, to knock her down a little when needed. Cindi too often just agreed with everything Amy said, just because she didn't have strong feelings one way or another. Even with their new found friendship, Sammi didn't pull any punches. Amy didn't either. But what Sammi mostly got from Amy was just friendship, someone to talk to, hang out with sometimes. She avoided most of her friends at school after we had rescued her, because she found out Amy had been right; most of them only wanted to get between her legs. Girls too, I had learned from her with shock. I can be so naïve sometimes. Sammi took great pains to explain to me that she was not gay or even bi; most of it had just been curiosity and peer pressure. She hadn't really enjoyed it; it wasn't so bad, but she just didn't say no. It was one of the few times I saw Sammi blush. Quite effective, and cute, with almost white blond hair! I was glad to realize that few if any of these 'friends' were in common with my other girls!

"So, sleepyhead, finally decide to get up? We were getting ready to go and just pick you up on the second time around," Sammi giggled. One bad thing about her hanging around Amy — Amy was teaching her how to harass and tease me! Not that I really minded.

"Megan probably wouldn't let him out of bed. You guys really should have sound proofed that room, you know!" Amy had problems getting the whole sentence out, she was giggling so hard.

"I did! Do we really make too much noise?" I asked, embarrassed and blushing furiously. Ever since I was a boy, I had always tried to keep anything about sex or dating or liking girls private. I just had never grown up about that. Even though I had 'slept' (that too!) with Amy, I was still embarrassed if she knew about it with Megan, or anyone else. Amy saw my embarrassment and sobered up quickly, particularly after Sammi gave her a dirty look. Sammi didn't like anyone upsetting me.

"I'm sorry, Daddy, I was just teasing you. We really can't hear a thing. Megan's pretty quiet; you have to be really close to hear anything." Sammi's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Amy; Amy hadn't realized just yet what she had just admitted to. Then, she blushed too. Surprisingly, I didn't mind if the girls peeked; I just got embarrassed if I knew that they knew. Sammi giggled at Amy's discomfort.

"You're such a dolt sometimes, Amy. How you can be so smart and so dumb at the same time is beyond me!" She smiled affectionately at her, to take away any offense. Amy took it good naturedly. She just shrugged her shoulders and grinned.

"It's a talent. I can teach you if you're jealous," she offered, then crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at Sammi. I broke up. I hadn't seen that since Becky had done it in the last cycle. These girls were so cute!

"So, who's holding us up now? Want me to pick you gals up when you're done fighting?" I asked. They answered by taking off down the road at a fast pace.

I quickly learned that running with these two was not a lark. They were both fast as the wind, but when they ran with me separately, they stayed close, since Amy couldn't keep from talking for long and Sammi just liked the companionship. But together, they didn't have to worry about it, as they had each other to banter with. How they could talk and run was another question I didn't understand. They did fall back to include me in an argument they were having.

"Daddy, I say if you get stuck over in Iraq, we come get you out. Sammi says no, that Megan won't allow it. What do you say?" Amy asked. I screeched to a stop right there in the middle of the street and grabbed both their arms to pull them in close to me.

"You girls listen carefully to me, and you make sure the others know this too. Under no circumstances are you girls, or Megan or Victoria, to come over there for any reason, including to rescue me. The guys I will be dealing with are professionals who know what they are doing. I don't want any of you hurt, or trapped over there. You hear me?" I shook their arms for emphasis; that's when they realized I was really serious.

Have I ever told you that Amy doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut?

"Dad, there is no way I am leaving you over there if you get in trouble. We girls are as good as those guys anyway, and we have talents they don't have. If you get in trouble over there, I'm coming. Get used to it." She stared at me defiantly. Sammi rolled her eyes and groaned. Any other time I would have laughed.