|
|
Epilogue
[5 Years Later]
Nick
Well, I finally learned the whole story. When Cameron was little she was "abducted" by aliens. The master of a country on that planet liked her family, but they weren't into the entertainment business. Unfortunately, no wasn't in his vocabulary. He killed Cameron's parents in front of her, a grueling death in a way she didn't even fully remember because of black outs. Then he took Cameron, tried to turn it into a game. Cameron was already too old for her body then. She'd witnessed a murder, her parents murder, aging her in a snap second. She be came a fast learner in his game. She didn't know right from wrong so having people killed made no qualms with her. Soon she was old enough to kill herself. After time she caught on, remember what happened that night and decided for herself this wasn't the life she wanted. Too late though, she'd signed her life to the "devil" and he wasn't going to give her up. They revised the contract though. Now she just had to sure him, a slave, for many years and then he'd let her go. She'd start over.
I had been chosen because he had known how much Brian would love Cameron. He didn't want to kill Brian as those who died would be left dead after the game was over. He chose me instead, Brian's best friend.
Cameron had talked little about some of the people she killed, she was different now. More like a person than she had been before. I guess with the responsibility for lives lifted from your shoulders I would fill more like a person, too. She laughed more now. A lot more, smiled so much more. She still had her moments, her 'screw the world' moment, but we'd come to expect and accept those. She was still the same Cameron we met before, just a little easier to get along with.
"Nicky, Nicky!" A little girl, 3 years old, toddled over. I picked her up and sat her on my lap by the pool. Her feet didn't quite reach the pool water like mine were, but she smiled at her reflection nonetheless.
She was talkative and smart as a whip already. And she had a temper that reminded me more of her mother every day. With her wavy auburn hair and her bright blue eyes she took on both of her parents qualities.
"Jasmine, come here." Cameron called.
"Come on Camy, I just got her." I whined.
She chucked an empty pop can at me.
I laughed. "No violence in front of the child." I warned.
Jasmine laughed at her mother, used to the short tempers but never afraid of them.
"Jasie are you hungry?" I asked her. She shook her head with a smile even as her mother protested that her daughter's name was Jasmine not Jasie.
"Aaron no, hold the knife like this."
I watched Cameron lick the food off her fingers, walking around the picnic table and put her hand on Aaron's.
"You'll cut your hand to shreds otherwise."
"Oh, like this?" He asked.
"Yeah, try now." He tossed it and it hit the tree stump, popping a balloon tacked there. "See! Very good."
It was still a shock to see her so different. But it was a nice one. She was more Brian's type now.
"Cameron." Angel said running over as she arrived just from the plane.
"Hey, what's this?" I asked. "I'm your own flesh and blood and you run to her?"
"You get pregnant and then I'll run to you first." She ran over, stopping at Cameron's belly, bent over and talking to it.
Cameron looked frustrated. "I get pregnant and suddenly my body stops at my belly."
"Aww, I love you from head to toe." Brian said slyly as he approached, kissing her cheek.
Cameron smiled. She looked down at Angel. "Have you said your hello's?"
"Yeah." Angel smiled and then ran over to me and Jasmine.
"I don't want you now." I joked and pushed her away when she tried to hug me. Jasmine when into a fit of laughter and I was reminded of Brian.
Brian
"Come on sweetie, I think you need a break."
"So do I."
I laughed when she jumped back. Tyke jumping between her legs as he chased after Bruno who just ran behind them. "Little dogs. No more little dogs. I can't see my feet let alone some for legged-"
"Hey, hey now. No insulting the animals." I said as I put my arm around her waist, walking with her away from the family picnic. Every one was there, and I mean everyone. It was a bussness/famly/friend thing. It was crazy and Cameron was heading it all.
"I'm beat." She admitted.
"You work too hard."
"You expect any less?" She grinned.
"No, not really, but it's my husbandry duty to tell you so."
"No it's your husbandry duty to give me a foot massage every night but that doesn't happen."
"Ouch, that was below the belt." I grinned. Stopping by the little pond on the far side of the house I turned her so that she was facing the water and my arms went around her so that my hands could touch her belly. "I tell you what, tonight, after everybody is gone and Jasmine is asleep, I massage your feet and your back and you can soak in a bubble bath until you're all wrinkly."
"Funny how normally I would have cold cocked you for that sexist statement , like just because I'm a woman I want bubbles in my bath, but since I can blame it on my pregnancy, I'll say that sounds nice."
"Good." I grinned and her fingers interlocked with mine over her rounded tummy. "How many more weeks?"
"Two."
"I'm excited."
"Me too."
"Boy or a girl?"
"You know your touring is getting in the way of your being at the doctor visits." She was smiling.
"You're the boss, can't you make maternity leave work for me so I can stay here?"
"I'll look into it. You can change dirty newborn diapers at 2 am." She yawned, but didn't complain any more. She'd said what she'd wanted to.
"So, boy or girl?"
"Girl."
I smiled. "I want a boy too you know."
She groaned. "You have a boy, I'm tired of being pregnant."
"This is only your second one." I grinned when she turned partially in my arms.
"Say that again, see if I don't hurt you."
"That's OK." I kissed her. "Forgive me."
"Yeah." She smiled.
"What?"
She shrugged. "Being pregnant is a pain. I get emotional."
I smiled big time then. "Really? What's the emotion you're feeling right now?"
"Aggravation." She grinned. "No, I just, a bunch."
She kissed me.
"I love you, Cameron."
"I love you, too." She rested her head back on my shoulder. "I never thought I'd tell someone I love them. Not except for grandma and grandpa. I never thought it'd be this easy either."
"It's very easy for Brian-"
"You killed it honey, let it go." She laughed though.
"OK, sorry, I was just gonna say it one more time."
"Yeah right, and you just want to try for a boy 'one more time'."
I grinned. "True."
"Hey you two, get back over here." AJ called.
"Yeah, we're gonna let Gram Litty tell embarrassing stories about Cameron." Kevin chimed in.
"Where's the shovel?"
"Why?" I asked with a laugh as I took her hand and started leading her back to the group.
"I'm going to burry your friends. You can make it as a soloist."
"Aww, thanks Hun, but I think people like the Backstreet Boys."
"Can I kill just one?"
"How about mane Nick, he hasn't been injured yet, but you can't kill him." I grinned.
"Oh fine, but that's not much fun."
I grinned. "Sorry."
"Momma, look what I drew."
The serious look on Nick's face as he followed her around the corner worried me.
Cameron bent down, with a little effort and turned the picture around. "Who is this sweetie?"
"He's an alien. He says he's my friend." She pointed her little fingers to a square in one corner. "See there's our game board. He said he's going to teach me how to play someday."
"Where is this alien? Is he here?" Cameron didn't show one ounce of worry.
"No, he went a way. He said to tell momma hi though and that we should name my brother Ben when we have him. Momma I thought you said Sally was going to be born next."
"She is sweetie, I think your alien is confused. Jasmine, will you do me a favor?"
She nodded.
"If you see your alien again, when you see him," She corrected when Jasmine opened her mouth. "Tell him Momma wants to say hi back, personally. Can you do that? Tell him momma has something important to say."
"Daddy, too." I said.
Jasmine nodded. "I'll tell him. He said he'd be back when Ben was born."
Cameron kissed Jasmine's forehead. "Go play sweetie." She said still holding the paper. "Go with her." She said to Nick.
When she stood she looked worried. "He's coming for them. Either my son or Jasmine."
I pulled her to me again and she rested her cheek on my chest. "He won't hurt them."
"No, we're all going to protect them. Me, you, and the guys. They love Jasmine and you too much. We all do." I kissed her head. "We'll be fine."
We'll
be fine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~