Chapter 2: Light Focused

The dinner at Paul and Mary's seemed somewhat anti-climactic after the events of the day, but it did give us a chance to share our good news, as well as Arden and Alicia's, with Grandma and Grandpa Carson, Cyrus and Felicia and a few of the other guests who knew all of us.

During the course of the evening I saw Chet and Cyrus deep in conversation. I sat watching them, until finally I saw the two of them grin at each other and clasp hands to forearms for a second. Chet looked up at me immediately, and gave a slight nod. I smiled back.

When Arden and Alicia both turned to Principal Hornaman, who was now the High School principal, and announced that they would not be returning in the fall because they had accepted positions elsewhere, I knew that they too had made the decision to join us. During the swell in the conversation that happened over that announcement, Mike leaned over my shoulder and whispered in my ear "I'm in." I shook his hand and squeezed his shoulder.

That left Freddie, and I knew all along he would be the one who would have the hardest time. His family was a tight-knit group, and very close. It would be hard for him to leave them, knowing he could wind up unable to return to them, forever. He was also the only one of us who had any kind of wide-spread public recognition. Granted it was a short-lived cable TV reality show where people competed to have their cars "tricked out" by Fabulous Freddie Sabarte and his crew, and the show, and the fame that went with it, had been over for more than a year.

Dinner had been done with for over an hour, and people were just mingling and enjoying each other's company by the time Freddie found me out by the barbecue pit enjoying the evening sky.

"Dave, you make it hard for me." He said immediately.

"I knew it would be hardest for you Fred. You're family is too much like mine, too close, too much history and obligation to be able to risk loosing."

"You have it exactly. I have thought about what you offer, and I do not know if I can do it or not. Normally these kinds of decisions, of such importance would be something the whole family would decide together."

"Perhaps that is the answer then Fred. You and I need to talk to your Father together, and let you decide together, as a family."

"I think he would decide to do it, if it was my wish." Freddie said after some thought. "We do what we do because we have found it is something we are good at, and we came to America because it was always Father's wish to live in a country free of prejudice against the Basque people. But it is not why we live, and it is not what we live for. We have lived only for each other, but our honor has always demanded that we seek to help others when we can."

"Let's go find him then, and talk to him. I think he was out in the driveway looking at Ginny's 'Freddie Sabarte Special' with Mr. Parkin last I saw him. We will see whether we should reveal more and make the offer. If the two of you together decide you cannot accept it, I'll understand that you can't join us, and I know the secret is safe with you whether you join or not."

"Yes, this is a good plan." Freddie agreed. "My father has much respect for you Dave. He will listen when you speak."

Formerio Sabarte was a small man, as it seemed most of the Sabarte men where, but when you saw him, he seemed dipped in dignity, and when he spoke, it was always in measured and thoughtful tones. We did find him in the driveway with Paul Parkin, but they had finished examining the GTO and were sitting on the rear bumper of Chet's truck with Chet and Cyrus, smoking cigars.

When Fred asked his Dad if we could speak to him in private, I took a chance and suggested that it would be no bother to allow Cyrus and Chet to listen in, as they were both already aware of what we would be discussing. It turned out to be a good idea, because after a lengthy discussion, broken occasionally by a quick incomprehensible question from Formerio in Euskara, the Basque language, and an equally incomprehensible answer in Euskara from Fred. Finally Fred turned to me.

"He asked if these two 'formidable gentlemen' will be with us to keep me safe, and I said yes. Show him something now Dave. He should see something so he knows it is real."

So I did the old pebble trick again, spinning it around our heads before sending it off like a rifle shot into the night sky towards the lake. I tracked it briefly with my senses to make sure it would cause no harm where it landed.

"Pebbles are a small sample. But this does not always have such small uses." I said, and as I did, I reached out and wrapped my mind around Ginny's GTO and lifted it three feet off the ground and slowly spun it around to face the opposite direction before setting it back down. Formerio's eyes went wide at this. I saw him swallow, hard.

"What you ask is not an easy thing for a family such as ours, so you need to know that when I say yes, and the agreement is done, you have not recruited Fred Sabarte of the Sabarte family. You have recruited the Sabarte family, who send Fred to represent us. Can you agree to this?"

"I expected no less from you, or this family Mr. Sabarte." I said as I offered my hand.

"Agreed then." He said and took my hand and we shook.

"Eskerrik asko! I said, pulling the Euskara phrase from Fred's thoughts. "Thank You!"

When Fred, Chet and I came back in to the party, arm in arm and laughing out loud over his Dad's parting comment to go be young men and enjoy ourselves, it was the sign everyone else needed. We were soon gathered together by the barbecue pit.

"The Legion rides together again folks, and we should celebrate..." I started to say.

"But we'll do it tomorrow night." Ginny interrupted. "Tonight I have a bit of rewarding to do for my man here for putting this rock on my finger." She said, raising her hand again for the umpteenth time.

"So, we will all get together tomorrow, at my house around noon for a little lunch and an 'orientation session', and while we're doing that we'll plan a little celebration for tomorrow night. Sound good?" I asked, as if it had been my original plan.

With everyone in agreement, we headed in. We were met by Mary, who was relieved to see us coming in.

"I was just beginning to think I would have to interrupt, people are wanting to say goodbye before they leave Ginny."

So we went out to the living room, and Ginny and I said goodbye to the family and friends who had come for the evening as they filed out the door. When the were gone it was just Ginny and I and our parents, and her brother Pete.

We offered to help with the cleanup, but we were simply laughed at for even suggesting it. With their refusal in hand I decided it was probably time for us to leave as well.

"Pete, Mom and Dad, and Mom and Dad" I said, nodding first to Pete, my parents and then to Ginny's. "On behalf of the future Mrs Virginia McKesson, M.D. And myself, thank you!"

Ginny and I did a little fancy bow together towards them all.

"I have been informed by a reliable medical expert of my acquaintance" I continued, looking at Ginny, "that the presence of Diamonds and Platinum in close proximity on the left hand ring finger of young women is known to cause a severe hormonal and emotional imbalance."

After their laughter died down, I added. "I have further been informed by that same reliable source that it is my duty, as the source of the affliction, to make myself available forthwith to administer the only known remedy for this affliction."

"I've got a bad case too" Ginny interjected. "Its probably going to require multiple treatments."

"there you have it." I finished. "The Doctor has spoken."

With lots of hugs and handshakes and laughter, we made our way out to the driveway. I looked at the GTO, then at Ginny.

"You're going to want it at my house tomorrow anyway, and you've been itching to drive it all day and haven't gotten to. Now is your chance."

The GTO purred, and Ginny was ecstatic at the wheel, but she wasted no time getting us home.

"I want one time in your old bed before we head to Meadow for the night, okay?"

"Whatever the doctor orders." I said, which I knew would just rev her engines even more. As we headed up the stairs, my eyes locked on the twitch, twitch, twitch of Ginny's perfect ass in front of me, I sent a quick thought off to Eru and Con.

<We'll be about 30 minutes. Is it ready?> Earlier in the day I had given them the image from my memory of the candles and rose petal scene from my sixteenth birthday in North Carolina.

<Good to go Son, we'll run the tub now with the water as hot as we can get it. It should be perfect by the time you get here.> I heard Eru answer back.

That first 'treatment' of the night was not artistic or elegant, or long and drawn out. It was heated and urgent and very much rooted in the most basic of human needs. We made my 30 minute estimate only because Ginny refused to leave soiled sheets behind for my Mom to find. I had already popped our discarded clothes into the laundry room on Meadow, and when we were done with the cleanup, I picked Ginny up in my arms and jumped us into the hallway outside the door to our Master Bedroom on Meadow. I set her down and kissed her.