Of Reporters and Curiosity

Of Reporters and Curiosity

Jamie watched dispassionately as Mike tried to sway Debra. Sitting on the old couch in the apartment, Jamie frowned at her friend’s distracted movements. “Okay, Deb, spill it. What’s up?” she said cutting off her husband mid-sentence.

Mike turned his glare from his wife to Debra, narrowing his eyes trying to see what Jamie saw. If anyone knew Debra it was Jamie, she could read Deb better even than Jared. But Jamie had to be in the same room to do it, so the Circle still relied on Jared and Phil to read Deb from a distance. Now that he was alert, Mike studied Debra. She had jumped when Jamie asked the question and now she had her back to them.

“Debra, what is it?” Jamie asked, jumping up and wrapping her arms around the shorter woman’s shoulders. It never failed to surprise Mike how small Debra was. If he didn’t know better, he would swear she was breakable.

Lifting her head and taking a deep breath, Debra gave them both a weak smile. “Too much, Jame, too much,” Debra said and her voice faded as her eyes focused on something in her mind. Mike felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw the sorrow, fear, and worry in Debra’s beautiful face. “And the only things you can help with, you already know about,” Debra finished, shaking herself from the spell of her thoughts.

“What could possibly bring so much sorrow to your face, Leader Deb? And what do you have to be afraid of?” Mike pleaded. He hated seeing Debra like this. It reminded him too much of the early days, when it was doubtful whether Debra would join them or not. He had liked her from the start and when she plowed into Phil at that Coeur d’Alene hotel, that clinched it, she was definitely part of the group. It bothered him as much as the others that she was being so stubborn about marrying Phil. They all knew the two of them belonged together, he had even once tried to help things along by proposing to Debra in hopes she would turn to Phil. But all it accomplished was her getting angry with him for joking about a serious matter.

Debra looked at the floor. She wasn’t feeling well, but attributed it to being without Phil after their private wedding two weeks ago. If something didn’t give soon, she was going to burst the dam and flood the Circle with tears. And she didn’t want to show such weakness in front of the others. What was bothering her, beside Phil? Tracy. She couldn’t shake the feeling something important was about to happen with Jared and Karen’s oldest child.

“It’s Tracy. She told me about a nightmare she’s been having. And now Matthew’s also having the dream. In it she’s facing some men in black and she thinks she dies. And then we get this letter threatening the children. I can’t shake this feeling of doom hanging over us, and it isn’t coming from Tris and Sandeenai.” Debra frowned as a knock sounded on her door.

The knocking sounded three more times in the seconds it took to cross the room and reach for the doorknob. Debra rolled her eyes and lifted her hands in the air, then dropped them with a slap against her thighs. “Hello, Mark,” she said without even looking at the man standing in the doorway.

Mark measured Debra before stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. She had already retreated to the living room and was sitting in Phil’s favorite chair. “If it’s a bad time, I can come back later,” he offered, seeing the tension in Debra’s face. He really did like her, even if he didn’t quite understand her, and was glad she had moved here from Idaho.

“I haven’t heard of any miraculous rescues lately. So what are you doing hanging around Debra?” Mike asked tersely, sitting on the edge of the loveseat, opposite Mark. He still didn’t like the reporter, even if Debra and a few of the others did find a use for him.

Mark knew a verbal challenge when he heard it, and some of Debra’s closest friends were always trying to cross swords with him, figuratively speaking. It bothered him that they didn’t trust him enough to confide in him. He was thought to be one of the most humanitarian reporters in the business. “Actually, Mr. Jacobson, I came to congratulate Miss Collins on her latest novel. I’m doing a piece on local authors, and thought Debra might be interested in some free publicity,” Mark stated in a carefully neutral tone, then smiled at Jamie. “Mrs. Jacobson, how’s your latest shoot? I loved you in, ‘Stranger After Dark.’ Especially in that scene where you’re locked in the attic with the killer. My date had to hold me in the seat so I wouldn’t damage the theater’s roof.”

Jamie smiled and thanked Mark for his words of encouragement. Then Debra went pale and she started biting her lip and rubbing her hands against her thighs. “Deb, what is it?” Jamie asked, standing, ready for anything. Debra shot a worried glance at Mark and tried to calm down.

Debra closed her eyes, shuddering again, and a sob escaped her lips. “Damn, why now?” Her eyes flashed green, and Mike and Jamie knew it meant business. Grabbing Mark’s hand, Debra surrounded them with her magic and took them to an elementary school.

Mark gasped as the tingle of magic ran through his blood. When he saw the empty halls of a grammar school around him, he reached for a wall for support. “What’s he doing here?” Emily growled, jerking her head toward Mark. Then Mark noticed that all ten of Debra’s nearest and dearest were with them. His head swam against the impossible things he was seeing.

Then they heard the shot and Phil tore open the gym doors. Mark stumbled against the wall as he saw Tracy snap back with a hole in her chest. He watched, as if in slow motion, Jared run across the floor screaming his daughter’s name. The gentle designer caught the girl before she hit the ground, but everyone knew she was dead. Mark gave a strangled cry when rage transformed Jared’s face. He watched as Jared stood and ripped out the gunman’s throat. The movement had a macabre grace and irony to it, but it frightened Mark.

The reporter’s mind wanted to rebel as he watched all the other children and teachers along with Emily, Darin, and Bridget disappear from the room. His mouth went dry as Debra called out in a strange guttural language and the gym filled with creatures that could only be called Demons. The seven of Debra’s Circle still in the room, pulled out various medieval style weapons and killed without mercy the remaining terrorists. Mark wanted to close his eyes and pretend none of this was happening; but on the other hand, this is exactly what he wanted to see.

When all the men in black lay in pools of blood, Debra told the Demons something and laughing, they vanished with the bodies. Mark tried to make himself small against the wall, not wanting to get the attention of Debra when she was in this kind of mood. But as quickly as the weapons appeared, so did they disappear; and all ten stood over the tiny form of Tracy, sobbing. Mark had to recount, just to make sure. He wasn’t entirely sure when the other three had rejoined the group, but they were there now.

Debra looked up when the first siren was heard and saw Mark leaning against the wall. Shaking her head, she ran her tongue under her top lip and looked away a minute. “Jared, I’m sending you and Karen home with Tracy. You don’t need to face the police, Phil and I will handle it. Grant and Emily, go with them, they need all the support they can get. Mark, say one word to the police about what you saw and you won’t wake up in the morning,” Debra stated calmly and with authority. Mark just nodded, he was still trying to make sense of what he had witnessed.

After Phil dealt with the police, Debra took all the Circle and their children away from the school. And when Mark’s head stopped swimming, he was once again in Debra’s apartment, with her and Phil. He waited while they changed their clothes and then settled down with mugs of tea all the way around. Debra had silent tears streaming down her face and Phil was cold and pale. Mark was afraid to break the grieving silence.

“I’m sorry you had to be there, Mark. I never meant for you to find out about us in such a violent fashion. Before you ask, yes, I had planned on you knowing about us, just not right now.” Debra sniffed and reached for a box of tissue to wipe her eyes. Phil looked like he wanted to gather Debra in his arms, but was afraid to.

“I don’t know what to say, Debra. ‘I’ve always believed it was you,’ just doesn’t seem to fit. It’s nice to know I haven’t been crazy all these years, but who am I going to prove it to now. No one’s interested in shadow heroes any more. But you knew that, or else nothing could’ve induced you to let me see what I did today,” Mark said in a dead voice, still in shock. “Tell Jared and Karen I’m really sorry about what happened to Tracy. I liked the girl, probably more than any of the others. I promise I won’t say anything about you. I think I’d better go home now, I feel kind of sick. Can I come back tomorrow and talk about this after I’ve had a chance to digest it?”

Phil didn’t say anything as he studied the blond reporter. He wondered if Mark had new lines in his face or if it was just the man’s shock that made him appear so haggard. The steady blue eyes of the reporter met the stormy ones of Phil, both men acknowledging the uneasy peace between them.

“Yes, Mark, that would be fine,” Debra answered softly and rested her hand on his shoulder. Mark felt the slight tingle of magic in his blood again, then felt a weight lift from him. He looked sharply at Debra. “I prefer to use my gifts for good rather than what you saw today, but many times I don’t have a choice. I’ll see you in the morning, and don’t worry about nightmares, you won’t have them.”

“Somehow, I knew I wouldn’t. Debra, I don’t know if thank you is appropriate, but thank you. I think you understand what I mean, at least I hope so,” Mark said and left Phil and Debra to grieve alone.

“Do you see this? How could he do this to us? Didn’t you make him promise not to say anything, Debra?” Darin demanded as he threw the remote down in disgust. Everyone was at Phil’s house after the funeral. Darin had turned on the television so the children would have something to do while the adults talked. But the news caught his attention and he called in the others.

On the screen was Mark Geffries, his face and voice subdued as he spoke into the camera. “Today I attended the funeral of a very special young lady. Her name was Tracy Morgan, and she was a beautiful girl with a great deal of promise. What makes her passing so notable was her courage.” The camera angle changed, and with it, Mark’s focus. Behind him a picture of Tracy appeared and Mark stopped a minute to swallow before continuing.

“It was by extraordinary luck I was able to witness the courage this child demonstrated. While doing a special interest story on grammar school violence, I saw first hand what is happening in our schools. Tracy had come to the elementary to pick up her younger brother to walk him home, afraid for his safety. But instead of finding him ready for her, she found his whole class being held at gunpoint by a gang.

“While most children would’ve run screaming from the danger, Tracy imposed herself between the gunmen and her brother. Before help could arrive, she died, protecting a class of kindergartners from the terror of gang violence. She is mourned by her parents and younger brother and sisters, as well as a school of grateful children and their parents. Tracy Morgan was a shining light to us. I can only hope others will see her example and try to better life rather than steal it. This is Mark Geffries, Channel K news.” Then the picture flashed to the anchors and they spoke a minute on the tragedy of the shooting. Then a commercial blared.

Matthew looked at Darin with his liquid brown eyes and frowned. “I think Mr. Geffries said some wonderful things about my sister, Uncle Darin. I don’t think I like you getting angry with him. He’s only trying to help you and the others know how much he likes us and cares about us. I don’t think that’s wrong.” The boy’s voice was sincere and hurt as he lectured Darin. Then the blond boy gave Debra a strange look, and ducked his head. It could have been the feeling in the house, but Darin thought he heard Matthew sigh not sniff as he left the room.

Phil went to answer a soft knock on the door, and when he returned he had Mark in tow. “Debra, did I cross any line I shouldn’t have? I wanted to give Tracy the kind of farewell she deserved, so I fabricated the bit about a gang,” Mark asked subdued, he too had been at the funeral. He crossed to Jared and Karen. “There’s nothing that can be said to ease the pain. But I truly am sorry for your loss. Tracy was a very special girl and I’ll miss her.” He smiled and looked away.

“She was better than any of you in creating diversions for me. Do you know that one time you were still gone doing whatever and she had me convinced you were out of town on a fashion circuit. She even pulled out reviews on a new line to show me. When I asked where the babysitter was, she got red and pointed to the bathroom. Then I heard the shower running, and accepted her story. That was the time you played hero to the earthquake victims in India,” Mark finished, his eyes shining with respect and a genuine grief for the girl.

Karen looked through damp eyelashes at the reporter who had been hounding them for the past twelve years. “Thank you, Mark, for your words and memories, as well as the story. You’re right, Tracy was a very special person and she’ll be missed by many.”

Pulling out a chair, Phil gestured for Mark to make himself comfortable. Darin glared at the reporter, but after falling under the cold glances of both his wife and Debra, he stalked off.

“So tell me, Mark, what has Debra told you about us?” Jared asked, sitting next to the tall man. “I mean, we had talked about when you should discover the truth about us. And this was not the way we intended you to meet our other side.”

“Debra said something of that nature afterwards,” Mark said dryly, giving Debra a tongue in cheek glance. Jared laughed and nodded. “You suspected something of the sort. Well, I guess I should’ve too. I think I’ve gotten to know Debra’s perverse nature in the last twelve years to have a healthy respect for her.”

“Perverse? I’m not perverse. Perhaps a little stubborn and weird, but not perverse.” Debra huffed, then she left the room feeling a wave of nausea wash over her. “I am not perverse!” They heard her shout from the top of the stairs and hid smiles.

At the top of the stairs, Debra grabbed the railing to steady herself. Then a small, but cool hand touched hers. She looked down into the serious brown eyes of Matthew and found him smiling at her. He put his other finger to his lips and helped her into the guest room. “Take a few minutes to lay down, Aunt Debra, you’ll feel better then. And you aren’t perverted, you just like to do things your own way. And someday, you’ll have children who are exactly like you. Remember then, this chat.” Then like his father would have done, Matthew sat with her until she felt better, telling her stories of Sandeenai.

Mark jumped to his feet when Debra came back in the room, a bit pale but other wise fine. “Are you okay, Debra? These past few weeks you haven’t been looking at all well? Do you need to see a doctor?”

Debra rolled her eyes at everyone, when they suddenly began studying her face. “I’m fine, Mark, everyone. I just haven’t been sleeping well the past few days, so I got dizzy. I laid down upstairs until the dizziness passed, end of story. Now, do we or don’t we have a few details to entrust to our friend Mr. Geffries?”

Mark sat in his office and scowled at the stack of mail on his desk. His office was one of the plush corner ones, and he had worked his butt off to earn it. It gave him a sense of pride to be able to close his door and have total privacy, just like the anchors and execs. With a sigh, he started to open the less obnoxious looking envelopes.

His hand paused above the creamy white envelope with the slightly frayed edge on its flap. Flipping it over he saw the Thomas’s address on it and tapped it against his chin. Picking up the Indianhead letter opener, he carefully sliced the top fold of the letter. He raised an eyebrow at the second envelope inside. He tapped the yellow button on his com unit and waited for Gail, his secretary, to answer. “Yes, Mr. Geffries?” said the smooth voice of the woman.

“Gail, get Dr. Thomas or his wife on the line for me. Call me when you have them, and thank you.” Mark closed the line and pulled out the inner pearl colored envelope. The second wasn’t sealed like the first, and a piece of tissue paper fell from the folded invitation within. Mark wondered what kind of party would need such formal invitations.

He stood and walked to the window, his hands tightly clasped behind him, the card and announcement on the carpet by his chair. His face was pale as he stared over the city and the ocean below him. Looking up he could pick out Bennington Towers, Phil’s office building. He knew in the back of his mind Debra would never consider him as anything more than a friend. But he also entertained the thoughts that she wouldn’t marry Phil either. After all it had been twelve years and they hadn’t seemed to be able to patch up the constant rift between them.

“Mr. Geffries, Mrs. Thomas is on line two.” The comforting and stable voice of Gail broke into his dark thoughts. Mark walked back to his desk, picking up the wedding announcement before sitting down. Then taking a deep breath so he wouldn’t sound like a crushed school boy, tested a smile.

“Emily, thank you for waiting. I just got the announcement. Is there anything I can do to help?” Mark asked brightly, hoping to fool the woman who was so close to Debra. A picture of Debra filled Mark’s mind. The first time he had seen her, she had been sitting on the lawn near a burning pre-school. Her jeans and tee shirt were covered in dirt and soot. She had her reddish-brown hair pulled into a ponytail and she looked about fifteen.

Then when he had gotten closer, all but one of her companions had disappeared into the crowds. He felt an instant liking for this small girl, and a tinge of jealousy for the tall, handsome blond by her side. She gave him a look of such intense mockery with her stunning blue-gray eyes he had to take several breaths to steady his rapid pulse. It didn’t surprise him that she denied knowledge about the events, it was something he had hoped she would do. He wanted to believe that this over-whelming person was as deep as her eyes hinted.

He kept his admiration of her hidden as she stole his camera pieces and tape-recorder, but it sealed his interest in the fiery girl. He watched as she and her friend ran off in the crowd, hand in hand and felt the jealousy grow. He wanted to know this person and to share in the spark that emanated from her.

His attraction for Debra had only grown over the years. He had every one of her books in a special bookcase in his apartment. Every story he had ever done about Debra and her group was in its own file drawer, even the ones he couldn’t publish because until now he’d had no proof. And now she was marrying Philip Bennington just as the entire Circle had predicted over twelve years ago.

Emily’s voice brought him back to today with her pleasant laugh. “Mark, if you were any more jealous you’d be green. But your heart’s in the right place. Debra’s letting us plan her wedding and doesn’t want to know anything about it until the day arrives. So we’re doing it the way it should be done, but she would never do herself. Come over tonight, we’re having a secret planning party and if you’d really like to help, you’re welcome,” Emily said, startling Mark.

“How did?.... No, wait, don’t tell me. You’re telepathic like Debra, right?” Mark questioned, still unable to figure out how Emily knew he was upset about the upcoming wedding.

Again Emily laughed. “No, Mark, I’m not telepathic. But I’ve known for a while how you felt about Debra. And when I ask you four times how you’re doing without a response, I know. But if you want to know the truth, Debra went behind all our backs, including Phil’s and got married almost five weeks ago on Sandeenai. At Tracy’s funeral, she wasn’t just dizzy, she’s suffering a light case of morning sickness.”

“What? You mean she and Phil are already married? And she’s pregnant already? Emily, how’s this possible?” Mark voice wasn’t a shout only by the lack of volume. He turned his back on his desk and stared out his window again. The girl of his dreams not only marries another man, she has his child in less than a year of the wedding.

“Mark, I’m sending Jared over, he’ll help. He’ll also fill you in on the details. Until tonight, Good-bye,” Emily said softly in his ear and then he heard the click of her hanging up.

Mark gently replaced the receiver in its cradle and informed Gail of Jared’s arrival. He knew his actions resembled those of a wooden doll, but at that point he didn’t care. Debra a mother, it just didn’t seem possible. She was still so young. Well okay, he admitted to himself, she’s actually thirty-eight, but she didn’t look or act any older than twenty-one.

That made Phil an old man of forty. Mark chuckled as he pictured the staid business mogul changing diapers at three in the morning. He wondered how Phil would take to fatherhood. Mark still thought he was the better man for Debra, he was still young enough to enjoy what she had to offer. He was only thirty-two.

His door opened and closed softly behind him while he pictured Phil covered in strained peas and baby spit. “He’ll probably run and hide during the first few years. Phil isn’t nearly as domestic as Debra, but he’s trying,” Jared said and held out his hand to the pale reporter. “Em said you might need a little help. I wonder if Debra knows just how much you love her?”

“I don’t have any idea, Jared. I never really admitted it to myself until now that I was in love with her. Since the beginning I’ve been attracted to her, but I didn’t think I’d have this kind of problem giving her up, or the dream of her,” Mark said softly to the window. He had taken Jared’s hand, but hadn’t looked at the man. “What do I do, Jared? How do I face her and him, feeling like I do? I want to kill him, but I’m happy for them both at the same time.”

Jared smiled to himself, he had felt something similar when he discovered Debra’s pregnancy and about the secret wedding. It seemed that Debra had this kind of effect on most of the men she knew. Not that she ever led them on, but it was hard to not love her after she looked at you with her soft blue-gray eyes. He knew Grant had wanted to date her after that kiss in the park, until he could have Emily. Darin still carried the memories of their romance in his heart. Mike was the only one who ever made a bid for Debra, though jokingly; that was just after he and Karen found out they were going to have Tracy. But it took Phil to steal her heart, and he wasn’t letting it go for anything.

“Mark, would it make you feel better if you knew Debra could’ve had her choice of any of us in the Circle. She started out with Darin, but once we left Idaho, he knew she wasn’t going to stay with him. He let her go, knowing it’d be easier that way. Grant had always wanted Emily, but after he got to know Debra, things weren’t as clear cut. And Mike, the one who’s always cracking a joke? He put everything on the line to try for Debra’s affections, until he found Jamie.” Jared looked over at the reporter and found him lifting an eyebrow in his direction.

“Oh, yes, I had my dream too. But when we got to California with her in tow, in the beginning, I stood back and watched. Later that afternoon, just before the quake, we played a game of truth or dare. Debra chose the dare rather than the truth. The dare was to follow one of us guys into the kitchen and there submit to whatever we planned. We had planned on feeding her a strawberry and then kissing her. Nothing too dramatic, and she had her choice of all five of us. She chose me.” Jared’s eyes shone with mixed sorrow and happiness as he remembered that game.

“I led her into the kitchen and put the blindfold on her. Then took the strawberries out of the cupboard we had hidden them in and walked to her. I leaned over her back and whispered in her ear to open her mouth. It was before I became empathic, but I felt the instant fear and tension in her, it was so over powering. I asked her why she didn’t trust me, and she wouldn’t open her mouth for fear of what I might do. She had my heart from that moment and my vow to protect her from everything I could.

“You see, Mark, I had been having these nightmares about Debra for a few years. I had hoped they were nothing more than nightmares, but they were true. How I got her to start talking about them, I’ll never know. But I think she sensed how much I cared about her in that moment. Then she told me about her past and confirmed my suspicions about the dreams. The cold detachment in which she voiced events that made me want to cry, broke my heart. I’ve known from that day it would take a very special and determined man to win her trust and heart. She’s the type to have many friends but few intimates, and no lovers. It’s something all of us in the Circle came to realize very quickly in the beginning, and we’re content to have everything she’s willing to give.

“I gave up my dream of marrying Debra to fulfill a greater dream. A dream of seeing Debra happy and self-secure in her loving. She has that with Phil, and I’m happy for both of them. But I’m even happier that Debra’s overcome her personal fear and let a man into her life, one who won’t cause her any more pain. Phil will give his life to protect Debra, he’s waited all this time, agonizing over how to help her. He deserves to have this incredible woman, and she deserves the kind of pampering he’s going to give her,” Jared promised and turned to see Mark’s eyes fill with tears.

“I never knew, I never even dreamed,” he said, studying the picture of Phil and Debra smiling into each other’s eyes. “She’s the most remarkable woman I’ll ever know. Thank you, Jared, for telling me. I think I can face Phil now without wanting to rip his heart out. I’ll see you tonight?”

Jared nodded and told Mark eight o’clock at his house as he left. Mark looked again at Bennington Towers and sighed. Then he lifted an invisible glass in a soundless salute and returned to his work.

Mark knocked softly on the door to Phil’s dressing room and waited. The door jerked open and a red faced Darin muttered something and let Mark in. “And what do you want, Mark? Come to tell me I look good and shouldn’t complain?” Phil spat and threw an empty glass at the wall. He was in a white, long-sleeved, silk shirt with an emerald green cummerbund around his narrow waist. A long-tailed, black tuxedo jacket lay across a chair.

Phil was glaring at Mark, waiting for the reporter to say something. Mark unfolded his arms and reached into his coat, pulling out wrapped box. “I’m last person to tell you what to do, Phil. I still think Debra should marry me instead, so I have no opinion of the matter. I just came to give this to you and wish you luck. Oh, my wedding gift’s on the table, this is something Debra slipped to me a few days ago and asked me to give to you before the ceremony. If you don’t already know it, Phil, you’re getting the best woman in the whole world. Take care of her, or I will find a way to kill you,” Mark said bluntly, handing the box to Phil. Phil’s scowl broke into a grin and he pounded Mark on the back.

“You know, Mark, you’re the first man to come right out to my face and tell me that.” Phil laughed and hooked the box under his arm. “I know the others have had similar thoughts and they probably don’t think I’ve seen the way they’ve all looked at Debra. I do know what I’m getting, Mark, probably better than anyone else does. Do you know she once told me she would only marry a man who was more stubborn than she? I guess that says something about me. Don’t worry, Mark, anyone trying to hurt Debra is going to have to get through me first. I don’t think I need to remind you what I’m capable of when angry,” Phil said, his eyes blazing as he remembered how fragile Debra could be. Then he smiled slowly as he thought about their first honeymoon; no, the others had no idea what Debra was really like.

Nodding, Phil and Mark exchanged an understanding, then Mark sat down to give Phil moral support. “Well, open it, Phil.” Grant prodded his friend no longer able to control his curiosity.

Phil grimaced, but he took a closer look at the box. It was long and deep, like a large shoe box and wrapped in.... Phil started to laugh as he saw the pattern on the paper. Debra had written a few remarks in tiny, Sandeenai Elven script. He read each one, laughing and blushing at the same time. “What is it, Phil?” Jared asked and was surprised when Phil hid it from his sight. “This has to be good, guys,” Jared said, a sly lift to his eyebrow. “I think this is even better than my infamous dare.”

Mark shrugged and looked bored. “I didn’t see anything remarkable about it. It’s covered in lots of tiny swirls and twisting lines. I couldn’t make out any pattern, so figured it was some new kind of paisley.”

Jared choked on a laugh, picked up some paper and a pencil and started drawing on it. “Did it look anything like this?” he asked, showing Mark the page. Mark studied it a minute and nodded. Jared wiped his eyes when he got his laughter under control. “No wonder she gave it to you to give Phil and not one of us. She wrote in Elven,” Jared informed the others. Mark sat forward, interested. Jared had set down the notepad and Mark picked it up, looking at it differently. Then Mark glanced up to see the designer lean over Phil’s shoulder trying to read some of what was written. “Can’t quite make it out, but is that something about celebrating spring? Or maybe it’s just a reference to stuffy little Dwarves.” Jared teased and ducked seconds before Phil’s elbow would have slammed him in the face.

Mark shook his head, this was another one of those inside jokes. And it seemed everyone was enjoying it by the way most of them were rolling on the floor. “Didn’t you guys get enough of this last night?” Phil asked dryly, tucking the wrapping paper in his breast pocket and jingled the free box. All their heads snapped up, wanting to see what Debra had given Phil. He opened the box lid facing him, so he would be the first to see it.

His eyes went round and his face lost all color as he stared at whatever was in the box. Then reaching in with his right hand, he lifted a green, leather bound volume. The script was the same as on the paper, but bolder. The box fell from his hands and something spilled from it. Grant scooped it up and handed it to Phil, still not saying a word. Phil opened the book and read the first few words, then closed his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. “Thank you, Debra,” he whispered, then frowned at the green silk pouch in his hand.

“It was also in the box,” Mike offered, his eyes also misting as he read the title of the book. He leaned over to Mark, “It’s about her and us in the beginning,” he explained, and Mark nodded.

Phil lifted the flap and smiled as he tipped it up and a ring fell out. It was silver with more Elven script on it and in the center was a large, ten sided emerald with a hint of blue in its center. He slipped it on his left forefinger and smiled at it. And with a light whistle, he finished getting ready for the wedding. He looked at the ring several times, touching it here and there, making tiny adjustments to it.

Then Debra’s mom tapped on the door and the guys coughed and left Phil alone with his mother-in-law for a minute. When she came out, she had a velvet box in her hands with a note attached to it. Darin, Mike, and Grant exchanged wondering glances, they hadn’t seen the box and they had searched for his gift to Debra all night. Phil followed Mrs. Collins out and brushed a piece of lint off his jacket with practiced ease. “I thought it was pretty slick myself, hiding it in my pouch,” Phil said without even looking at his outraged friends. “Shall we get in place? Debra should be coming out of that door in about two minutes,” he added as the rest of the Circle’s women came out.

Jamie took one look at Mike and rested the tip of her tongue on her top lip and shook her head with her eyes half closed. Darin rolled his eyes and whispered something about hedonism. Mike grinned at his cousin and answered with something about jealousy, and Bridget chuckled but didn’t say anything.

Then the music started and Phil took his place at the alter, followed by the other wedding attendants. With a dramatic pause, the organist changed the chord and played the wedding march. Phil turned as they had practiced yesterday, and was glad of the practice, or else he wouldn’t have been able to move once he saw Debra. The whole room moved as they stood for her to walk down the aisle on her father’s arm.

Phil couldn’t keep his eyes off his wife. His gift burned with a fire of its own against her white gown. But it was nothing compared to blaze in her eyes as she met his. Phil felt every saliva gland in his mouth stop working and he swallowed more than once to get them to start again. His heart fluttered as reality hit him, he had finally won Debra’s complete trust and was marrying her. She was truly his forever, he wanted the fire inside him consume them both.

“Hold on a minute, Dad. Let’s just get through the ceremony first, okay? Then you can take Mom away somewhere and fulfill some of the promises on the wrapping paper. And we promise not to interrupt.” The small voice of his son filled Phil’s mind and he heard Jared behind him smother a giggle. But if Debra heard, she wasn’t letting on, so Phil didn’t either.

It seemed to take an eternity until the words, ‘you may kiss the bride,’ filtered to Phil’s brain. He resisted the urge to crush Debra to him, and gave her the simple, sedate kiss his son had suggested. When he pulled away, Debra’s eyes flashed with desire and Phil knew he had done just enough to waken her passion and winked at her. All she could do was fume silently, because they now had to endure the reception.

Mark came through the line and as he got close, he exchanged a look with Phil. Then fear knotted in Mark’s stomach as Phil leaned over and whispered in Debra’s ear. She laughed softly and looked over to where Darin and Bridget were sitting together in a corner. “Debra, Phil, that was the most wonderful wedding I’ve ever witnessed,” Mark said, giving Debra a hug and kiss on the cheek.

Debra smiled up into his eyes, he saw in them knowledge and felt his cheeks burn. She pulled his face down again and kissed him. “Mark, don’t ever be ashamed of your feelings. They do you credit and make you a better person. I care a great deal about you, too.” Then Mark turned to Phil and found him smiling at the reporter.

“Do you remember Jamie and Mike just before the ceremony?” Phil asked with a wicked twinkle in his eye. Mark frowned and nodded, wondering what that had to do with what just happened. “And do you remember Bridget’s reaction to Mike saying Darin was jealous?” Again Mark nodded, but couldn’t take his eyes off Phil’s mischievous grin. “Well, Mike and Jamie are in their van, and you can see Darin and Bridget haven’t left the reception hall, but they’re both doing the exact same thing.”

Mark turned quickly and looked, then turned back, his eyes wide. “How do you know?” He laughed and hoped he wasn’t red or that he hadn’t given them away.

Debra shared a chuckle with her husband and tapped her head. “It’s one of my gifts, Mark. Out of the two, Mike and Jamie think they’re getting more out if it, but Darin and Bridget are much more involved. So who has the better method, I don’t know, I haven’t tried either yet. Think about it, Mark, and then I’ll find some wonderful woman for you to marry and you can try it.” Mark left both Debra and Phil playfully arguing about when and where, shaking his head at them. If he ever had his doubts about this group, he could erase them now. They were all crazy, nice but crazy.

He sat down at the table with Grant, Jared, Karen, and Emily, hoping for some normalcy. Grant leaned over when he sat down, “What do you think of our little exhibitionists? The first time Emily caught them, she turned fifty different shades of red and wouldn’t talk to either of them for a month. I admit it took a little getting used to, I mean it’s Darin and Bridget. They’re the most proper couple in the group, except Phil and Debra that is. But we know all about them, and now that they’re married,....” Grant shook his head. “I guess we’ll never give up the pleasures of being teenagers forever.”

Mark laughed and took the offered champagne. “What’s with the necklace Debra’s wearing? I wanted to ask her about it, but she and Phil are too busy trying to decide when or if they will ever try the Hollingsworth’s trick.”

“It’s something Phil whipped up. Did you notice how he played with his ring and how much it’s changed?” Karen said as she looked around the room and hid a smile as Mike and Jamie walked in. “No? Well, he has this talent with metal and rocks, and he shapes them with his magic as Debra shapes spells. I wonder if Mike and Jamie know about Bridget and Darin?” Karen giggled when Jamie turned red as they approached Darin and Bridget’s table. “I guess not.” And their whole table laughed. Mike looked over at them and scowled, and Jared just laughed harder.

Mark ducked his head and tried not to look too embarrassed by the antics of the Circle. Grant was right, they were just like a group of teenagers, but deadly ones, Mark thought. “But does it mean anything?” Mark asked when he had their attention again.

“What, the necklace?” Jared asked and shrugged.

Emily gave them a disgusted look and turned to Mark. “I’m glad someone’s interested in something besides the sexual activities of the Circle. Phil has shaped gemstones in each of our colors into remembrances of our first years. You’ll probably find a red and blue teapot, and blue waterfall with a brown bar across it. There might be a yellow boxing glove, or something like that, or a white letter. Oh, and we can’t forget a green suitcase, and a brown beach. It’s his version of our history, like the book is Debra’s.”

Mark nodded and looked back at the bride and groom. He smiled at them and raised his glass in a silent toast. Debra inclined her head slightly and Phil smiled. It felt good to Mark to finally be on the inside of this door, he just wondered how he could get to that magical place he now knew as Sandeenai.