Chapter Four

Altair Ain

Calla lay in her bed haphazardly flipping through the channels on the television as she sifted through the new applications to her art school for the summer when someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called and turned down the volume. “Hello,” she said brightly when David walked through the door.

“Hey, gurl, you know what tonight is?”

She rolled her eyes as if deep in thought. “Poker night?”

“You know it.”

David had started this little tradition of having a Poker Night when Daniel went away. He usually waited until she was good and lonely on the second or third night after Daniel had gone away before walking through her bedroom door with a deck of cards, six pack of beer and a hot dog machine. Calla loved the hot dog machine. He’d taken her yard saling one day last year when Daniel was gone and he picked up the thing for less than a song saying he just had to have it.  Now on Poker Night he brought it up here, filled it with hot dogs and let them steam for a while. When they were done he’d give them to her in warmed buns with brown mustard.  He had none of those things tonight. “Got your money?” She asked as she pulled the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. David helped her to her feet.

The buy-in for Poker Night was a minimum of 20 gold pieces. They’d played for match sticks and chips but Calla liked playing for money best so did he. “Of course I got my money.” He said with a smile as he picked up her robe and held it out while she slipped into it. “You got yours?”

“Yes,” she said with a giggle and fished in the nightstand for a small black velvet sack.  Calla picked up the remote once more to turn off the TV, the flat screen slowly receded into its home, a large wood cabinet at the foot of the bed that looked like a simple hope chest when it was closed.  “Is Annie joining us?”

“I imagine she will,” David said and watched her weave her way to the couch in the bedroom.  Annie joined them on most Poker Nights especially if Nick was away and he’d invited her earlier today so he suspected she’d be along any minute now.  “Maybe some other people too so I thought we’d have our Poker Night in the dining room tonight, ok with you?”

That was unusual, normally the three of them gathered here in the bedroom to play. “Who?”

“You’ll see.” David opened one bedroom door and escorted her down the stairs where she found it was Poker in Your PJs Night!  Annie, Colleen, Duncan and Morgan all sat at the table in their night attire and robs.

“Oh my goodness!” Calla said happily as she looked around at her family. “It’s going to be a good night, have all of you got your money?”  All around her smiled and plunked their coin purses down on the table.  Not only had they brought their money they’d brought food as well. David’s hot dog machine was happily steaming away on the butler accompanying by a plate of hot dog rolls and bottles of ketchup. There bags of chips and six-packs of beer, pretzels, little warm finger foods and more.

“I’ve brought you a little something.” Morgan said with a smile as she handed Calla a very light picnic basket.

“What is it?”

“Open it up.”

Calla opened the top and out popped two of the most adorable kittens she’d ever seen. “Oh they’re just darling!” She cooed as Duncan took the basket and she plucked the kittens from it.  “Thank you.” Everyone around them oohed and ahhed and said how cute they were as they reached out to touch and pet them.

“A little something to help keep you company while we’re away.” Morgan said and then kissed Calla’s cheek.  “What will you call them?”

Calla looked down at the fuzzballs in her hands each one was no bigger than a softball.  One was black and white and the other all black each staring back at her with trusting blue eyes.  “You shall be Hercules,” Calla said to the all black kitten. “And you shall be Atlas.”

“Two strong names,” Duncan remarked as he watched her hold each one to her cheek, nuzzle it like a mother cat and then put them back in the basket.

David sat her down at the head of the table and laid a light blanket in her lap and the basket of kittens at her feet before opening one of the Blue Moons he’d brought with him tonight and handing it to her, Calla didn’t like to waste a glass when she could drink it just fine out of the long neck bottle.  “All set?” He asked and followed her gaze to the carnival style steamer.  “They’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“Thank you.” She said and softly kissed his cheek. “This is wonderful.”

“Eh,” David said, “the more people the more money I walk off with at the end of the night.”

“Don’t let him fool you I beat him all the time.” Calla returned in the same tone to those around her. “So I guess it will be my little sack that gets fatter tonight.” She jingled the velvet bag full of gold coins. 

David passed out more beers before he sat down next to Calla. “Ante up.” The evening’s gamblers tossed their money into the pot while he shuffled and then dealt the first hand of the evening. “Start off cold, five card stud nothing wild.” He said as he passed out the cards one by one.  Calla won the first hand on a bluff but Colleen won the second because no one could beat the full house she was holding. By the fourth hand the hot dogs were ready and someone else wanted to join in the game.

Ares came to visit with Calla for a while but when he arrived at the front door he smelled something odd and he walked in to find the house was full of voices and laughter. “What’s going on in here?” He asked from the doorway as he looked around at the six people gathered around the dining table in their robes and slippers. “You’re having a gathering and you didn’t invite me?” Now that he lived in Altair Ain he’d left his usual attire behind and dressed more normally usually in blue jeans and a sweater.  Having lost his favorite heavy battle vest to the River of Bloodfire he seemed to have also lost his taste for dressing as he had in the days of old. He looked very handsome tonight with his salted hair pulled back in a pony tail.

“Father!” Calla cried out with a wide smile. By this time she was into her second beer and was becoming nicely lit as she didn’t drink very often. She went to stand up but Ares told her to sit down. “We’re playing poker do you want to join us?” She thought about it for a second before adding, “Do you know how to play?”

“Of course I know how to play.” Ares returned.

“Got any money?” David asked. “Buy-in is 20 gold.”

“I have plenty of money. Yes, I’d like to play.”  Ares sat down in an empty seat next to Duncan MacLeod. “What is that I smell?”

“Hot dogs,” Colleen said dismissively.

“I think he’s overdressed.” Duncan said cheerily and all eyes turned to Ares who was the only person not in his night clothes.

“It is Poker in PJs Night, Father.” Calla had to agree.

“I don’t wear pajamas.” Ares returned with a sly smile.

“Oh well in that case, by all means, grace us.” Duncan dared.

Ares’ eyes narrowed and he made ready but Calla reached out for him. “Father! Don’t you dare. We run a proper game here.”

“Yeah it ain’t strip poker,” David said as he handed Ares a bottle of Blue Moon.

“What’s this?” Ares asked as he took a pull off of it and made a sour face.

“Beer.” Cole said as though she didn’t understand the question. He was going to ruin the game and the evening she just knew it.

“Beer?” Ares asked and looked at the bottle. “Tastes like water.” He put it down on the table.

“David, do you have any of those others that you drink?” Calla asked giving her Father a sour look.  David nodded. “Would you get him one please?”

“Sure,” David went to stand up but Calla reached across the table and laid her hand on his before shaking her head.  “Aw, ya know I kain’t.”

“Try.” Calla encouraged. “I know you can.”  She eased herself out of the chair while the others watched her wondering what she was doing. “Come on stand up.” She told David who did as she asked.  “Close your eyes.  All you have to do is see it,” she coached, “that’s all. Step by step, concentrate. You’re walking out of this room, you’re going up the stairs and down the hall,” with each word her voice became a little softer and a little dreamier.

In his mind David saw himself leaving the dining room, walking up the stairs and then walking down the hall to his bedroom and opening the door.  He walked inside and crossed the room to the small refrigerator by the bed.

“That’s it,” she said easily, “now open it.”

David opened the refrigerator door and saw the bottles of Guinness inside. He reached out for one, wrapped his hand around it and took it out of the refrigerator before leaving the room and returning to the bedroom.

“You did it!” Calla cried out. “Look, open your eyes!”

In his hand was the bottle of Guinness that he’d seen in his mind just a few moments earlier.  Almost before he could realize what happened she was hugging him. “I’ll be damned.” David said in a shocked whisper. “You did it.” He accused quietly.

“No,” Calla stepped back away from him, “you did.”

A small round of applause came from those at the table who’d been watching and knew that David and Calla had been practicing this little trick for a long time.

“Well done.” Ares almost grumbled the compliment to the man who’d been working on this particular trick for over a decade.  Compared to Daniel, David’s talented were very limited.

“Here.” David handed Ares the cold brown bottle still not quite believing he’d made the beer materialize in his hand. “You’ll like that better.”

Ares found it much more to his satisfaction than the other one. “Deal.” He ordered in a gruff but still cheerful voice.  Several rounds of poker were played hands were won and lost throughout the night.  Holding his hands close to his chest Ares smoked a fat cigar. “Want one MacLeod?”

The aroma was enticing. “Yes.” Duncan said and watched Ares produce another cigar in the palm of his hand. “You David?”

“No, I kinda got my own.” Looking at the cigar in Ares’ hand  and wondering whether or not he should David finally produced a thin cigar of his own and watched Calla sit up straight at the sight of it. Annie prescribed it and Colleen knew about it but so far it had been kept hush-hush from Daniel who’d taken a very strict Just Say No policy since Calla had her little time riding the horse all those years ago. David lit it and Ares took a hearty sniff of the air to see what kind of a cigar it was.  He cleared his throat as he watched David hand it to Calla.  She took it and gave him a shy smile before drawing deeply from it. “You approve of this?” He asked Annie.

“I prescribed it.” She said easily.

Ares, although he rarely indulged, didn’t have a problem with anyone smoking marijuana and had in deed brought a fat plant with him when he took Calla to Kanan but Jackson was another story.  However, he wasn’t here tonight and as long Dr. Annie said it was all right, Ares let the little toke session pass without saying anything else.  He sat there watching her eyes grow red and glassy as a dopey little smile came over her aging face. “This is what you do when Jackson’s away?”

“Yep,” Calla said with a grin and passed the blunt back to David, “we just let it all hang out.”

That made everyone laugh.  She was really cute when she was stoned and if Danny wasn’t so old and stuck in his ways he might remember that or so David thought.

When it came to eating the hot dogs he balked saying he didn’t eat sausage. David argued that it wasn’t a sausage it was a hot dog and it had nothing but the finest beef in it. Ares returned that anything in a natural casing was a sausage and he wouldn’t eat it. Duncan argued that haggis wasn’t a sausage and Ares simply argued that whatever haggis was it was disgusting and he wouldn’t eat that either.  Yet, sitting there in the smoke filled room playing hand after Ares did take a great amount of pleasure in watching Calla eat four of the meat logs smothered in brown mustard.  Not to mention the little warm turnovers stuffed with cheese and tomato sauce that she’d gobbled down throughout the night. That was the most he’d seen her eat in a while and he understood the strange little cigar that had been passed between David and her while they played poker. It made her relaxed and it made her hungry. All in all it was one of the best nights any of them could remember in a long time. In Calla’s eyes the only thing missing from the night was Daniel.

Around midnight Calla started to fade but she lasted four more hands before David suggested they play one final round of Showdown before they broke the party up for the night.  The game of open five card stud was played and Ares won the last pot of the night making him the night’s big winner by adding thirty gold pieces to his pocket.

“Ya oughta take him to Vegas.” David grumbled as he sat back in the chair and the others laughed.

“Oh Gods,” Calla groaned.

“Been there,” Ares said stuffing the coins into his pocket. “Same result.” He said with pride.  “This has been a most enjoyable evening thank you for inviting me.”

“I’m glad you joined us, Father.” Calla reached over and hugged him. “You can join us anytime.”

Ares closed his eyes as he felt the soft weight of her pressing against him. “I love you.” He whispered before breaking their embrace.  “I think you got some sleep.” He brushed the silver hair away from her lightly lit face with its rosy glowing cheeks.  That was the most color he’d seen in her in a long while as well.  It seemed David had a good idea with his Poker Night. 

“Why don’t you go up to bed?” Colleen suggested. “We’ll take care of this mess.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Calla asked as David took her hand to help her from the chair. Her legs were stiff from sitting there all night.

“Good night, Mom.” Coley said and gave her a hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Ok,” Calla kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Come on old lady, get in bed.” Annie said with a smile. “I want to check you out before I go.”  She’d brought her medical bag with her and Calla let out a deep sigh.

“I’m fine. You don’t have to fuss.”

“I’m the doctor not you,” Annie reminded her. “I’ll take her up,” she said to David.

Calla bid a fond good night to Duncan and Morgan and then to Ares before Annie took her away and they very slowly made their way up the grand staircase to Calla’s bedroom where Annie settled her on the bed. “Roll up your sleeve.”  Annie took Calla’s blood pressure, her pulse and her temperature.

“Am I going to live through the night?” Calla asked rolling her sleeve down once more.

“I think so. You’re even better tonight than you were yesterday.  Good night, Mom.”

“Good night my dear. Love you.”

“I love you too.” 

After the table was cleared and the dishes were done it was just David and Ares left in the house.  “Aren’t you going home?” David asked. “The party’s over.”

“I don’t like you being here with her.”

David snickered. “Oh, yeah, I got that much. But, ah, Danny says it’s ok so you gotta live with it.  Time to go home, big guy.”

“I think I’ll go up and say good night to my Daughter.” With that Ares turned his back and went up the stairs followed closely by David.

Calla wasn’t sleeping when they entered the room instead she was sitting up in bed as though she was waiting for something or someone. “You’ll stay, won’t you?” Calla asked of David as she reached for his hand.

Oh, this wasn’t going to make Big Daddy happy. “Of course I will, sunshine.” He kicked off his shoes while he pulled back the covers on the bed and watched her slide over for him.  “How about I brush your hair first?” David took in the look of disapproval on Ares’ face. “Don’t worry, Pop, nothing’s gonna happen.”

“Pop?” Ares asked as he blinked his onyx eyes and cocked his head to one side.  It had been a good evening he wouldn’t want to see it end on a low note.  “How long do you intend to stay?”

“Until morning.” David said and right in front of Ares he climbed into the bed.

“You stay here every night Jackson is away? Is he aware?”

“No and yes.” David picked up the hair brush on the nightstand and began to run it through her silver-fire hair. It was long now and soon they would chop it off but tonight it hung down past the small of her back and it shimmered in the dim light of the night lamp.  “I’ll put it in a braid for you, would you like that, sunshine? Then it won’t be in your way tonight.”

“Yes, please.”

David looked up to see Ares still standing there. “What are you waiting for? You know where the door is.”

“I think I’ll stay here tonight.” Ares said gruffly.  “You don’t mind do you? You have so many rooms, the one next to you is empty isn’t it?”

“Don’t be such a worry wart, Father.” Calla groused groggily. “Yes, you can stay if you want.  Give me a hug.”

Ares bent down over the bed to hug her and kiss her cheek.  “Good night, Calla. I’ll be next door if you need me.”  He shot David an angry look but David just shook his head and kept on brushing Calla’s hair.  Ares spent the night in the room next door to Daniel and Calla’s bedroom wide awake and listening but all he heard was the soft sounds of two people sleeping deeply.

End of Chapter Four of
Golden Years
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
Go to
Chapter Five