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Barters N Garters Library What I’ve felt Chapter Two Shopping was a bit of an adventure and an expensive adventure at that. Brigid needed everything. The twins were eighteen which meant Calla and Daniel got rid of their baby things years ago except for a footlocker of items Calla kept in her attic. Besides they never thought they’d have another baby in the house, well not one of their own and it looked as though that assumption was now proving to be true. Brigid was far too little to put in the shopping carts, Daniel had to take her into the stores in her car seat and lay that crosswise over the place where another, bigger, baby might sit. She was a very alert little girl her gleaming blue eyes shined at him and she smiled a toothless grin often. A mass of red hair at the top of her head and Brigid looked almost exactly like Colleen when she was first born, however, Colleen had been substantially larger than her younger sister. First stop they bought a new crib, changing table, rocking chair—Colleen would take the other one to the basement soon—and her own car seat. Second stop was a clothing store with a specialty section for preemies. The very nice sales clerk there helped him pick out little onesies t-shirts, socks, warm little fleece outfits that were gentle on Brigid’s very delicate skin and several other items. Daniel picked up two diaper bags, bottles and small toys. Thie third stop was the local Stop & Shop where Daniel stopped at the pharmacy and asked what the best of formula would be for her. The pharmacist came out from behind the counter and walked him to the baby aisle where he recommended a formula and then advised Daniel that he should seek the advice of the baby’s pediatrician as to wht would be best for Brigid’s nutrition requirements. After that the pharmacist took him to the diapers and pointed out the itby-bity ones for preemies like her. “You really should keep her inside during the cold weather.” He advised and then pointed out several lotions and ointments to be used on her very delicate skin. Lastly the kindly gentleman pointed out there were special nipples for preemies and special pacifiers. “You can just use the regular four ounce bottles.” Daniel was grateful for the man’s wisdom otherwise he might have gone home with the wrong things. Brigid had a lot of special needs and he was just beginning to understand that these small things could only be the tip of the ice berg. Brigid could have a whole host of hurdles facing her later in life but right now it was most important to get her through the ones in front of them. Down the road he’d worry about the rest. If she did have a special need or two, Brigid was going to need a mother like Calla. That was something else to worry about. How did he keep his marriage together and keep Brigid in the house? Then again at this exact point, Calla would probably toss him out of his ass and take the baby in. That meant she’d be all right but that marriage was still in a shambles. After just emerging into the Light from one of the Darkest of tunnels and then having The Fate of The World thrust onto their shoulders this was all just a little much for a Just & Righteous God to ask of them. At the local department store there were bumper pads, sheets, blankets and a mobile to purchase for the crib but he planned to ask Colleen if she would let him use the bassinet for a while. Lilly was too big for it now and it was small enough to fit into the guest bedroom where it looked like he was going to be spending a significant amount of time. Pushing the cart through Toys ‘R Us and looking for little odds and ends that he might have forgotten and that she would need he realized that Calla was probably going to warm to the baby a lot faster than she was going to warm up to him again, in fact, she was already warming up to Brigid. Daniel saw her feeding the baby, holding her gently in her arms and singing to her while she sucked on a bottle. Being angry with Brigid was difficult she was very good natured and just so darn cute. The little peanut won your heart at first glance. Calla’s heart wasn’t made of stone Brigid would melt it quickly. Lucky Brigid. Daniel could scream and cry ‘it’s not my fault’ all he wanted and all it would serve to do is to make Calla feel guilty about being angry and confused. Maybe it’s wasn’t his fault but she was his baby and sometimes the proof was in the pudding and not the single ingredients that made it. It had been two and half hours since he left the house and no one tried to get in touch with him, Daniel didn’t know if that was good or bad. Packing the last of the day’s purchases into the Jag—the larger items would be delivered to the house tomorrow—he changed the baby in the backseat, tucked her into one of her new little outfits (a pick jogger with a grey kitty on the shirt) then slipped her little feet into the heavy socks. “We got a step to make, ok?” He asked the baby. “You’ll probably fall asleep now but it’s not far and I’ll feed you when we get there.” Daniel kissed her forehead and shut the car door. With the wind picking up the day was turning bitterly cold as Daniel pulled into the parking lot of the local Motel 6. He dug one of the new blankets out of a nearby bag and put it over the car seat before taking it out of the backseat. Grabbing the newly packed diaper bag he headed for Davids’ room as quickly as dared but doing his best to keep a slow pace the last thing he wanted was to slip on a snow-covered patch of ice. “Hey, Danny.” David said in a surprised huffed of whisky breath. “Ho, dat wot I think it is?” He pointed at the car seat in Daniel’s hand. “Yes.” “Ha ha,” Davy’s laugh grew a little bit and he couldn’t quite hold it back but to his credit he did make the attempt. “Come on in, it’s cold out there.” David stepped back to let them in. “How’d dat go over?” He asked closing the door behind Daniel. “Yew gots ta tell me.” Davy encouraged. “Tit for tat, ok Davy?” Daniel put Brigid down on the dining table and uncovered her. The little baby was snoozing he had the feeling it wasn’t going to last long. “One where’s my gun?” “In the drawer, over there.” He pointed to the nightstand and watched as Daniel retrieved it. “I didn’t use it ta commit no fel’nies or nuttin’ like dat.” Davy cracked. “All dem bullets is there.” So they were. “Thanks. Keep an eye on her for a second.” Daniel said as stuffed the gun into his belt and rummaged around in the bag for a bottle and can of powdered formula. Davy stared down at his new niece. “Why? She gunna dew tricks or sum’thing?” He asked with a laugh. “Gawd, Danny, she’s awfully tiny.” Looking up he saw that Daniel was on his way to the bathroom to mix up a bottle. Seemed strange watching him do that, wasn’t just a few days ago they were kids running around in Old Man’s Johnson’s Field? Sure it was, well, it couldn’t have been that long ago anyway. But it was, yep, it was that far gone and more. “She be a’ight though.” Davy encouraged and touched her perfectly shaped miniature hand. Brigid’s little fingers, the ones that couldn’t be real, at least so Davy thought. No, they couldn’t be real, no one made bones that small and delicate, did they? But there they were all five them and each with a teeny-tiny finger nail. All five of them wrapped around his index finger, well no they didn’t, but they tried awfully hard. The best they managed was to get about two-thirds of the way around David’s finger. “How’d she take it?” Daniel capped and shook the bottle to mix the powdered formula as well as he could. “No microwave? “Yeah, over there.” Davy nodded near the television and then sat down in one of the chairs at the table. “Dun work so gud.” He advised. “Dun put it in too long.” Daniel nuked the bottle twenty seconds and found it steaming hot when he removed it. She was starting to stir as she laid there holding on her uncle’s hand. If David wasn’t such a low-down shit, Daniel might think the scene heart-warming. “Calla took it about as well as I could have hoped,” Daniel sighed and sat in the chair opposite David. “Then she found out that we all knew before her and…” “Whoa, what yew mean ‘we all’?” David asked. “She knows Nick and Cole knew, Annie got off the hook.” “And me?” “Yeah, you’re on the shit list too.” Daniel grumbled. “Well that’s nothing new for you.” “Aw, ain’t dat great?” Davy slapped his knee and then fished a Marlboro out of the pack on the table. “I did’t even know shit about it but now I’m ta blame too? Thanks Danny.” Davy lit the cigarette. “Dat’s real purty.” He blew the smoke out intot he room and then looked down at the baby. She was so small, her little lungs probably shouldn’t be breathing in stinky cigarette smoke but he really needed the cancer stick. “Excuse me.” David got up, opened the door and walked out on the cold February day. Standing outside the room to his door David Jackson smoked his cigarette and cursed his bad luck while inside his twin brother sat at the table wondering when David became so conscientious. Brigid woke up and almost instantly started letting out a pitiful wailing sound, it clearly wanted to be a cry when it grew up. Daniel forgot about Davy for a few minutes, changed her, putting on one the new preemie diapers which did fit much better than Lilly’s and then he redressed her in the little pink fleece outfit. Finally Daniel scooped her up in his arms and began to feed her. “Hey there,” he whispered while she drank and stared up at him. “I’m not sure we’ve been properly introduced there, Brigid. I’m Daniel and I’m your daddy.” She smiled a toothless grin and went right on sucking on the nipple. “Maybe you knew that already.” A few minutes later the door opened letting in David, the stench of cigarette smoke and the cold air. “A’ight, Danny, what else?” David grabbed the bottle of Jim Beam from by the bed. It was three-quarters gone now and he’d have to run to the liquor store soon but it was Sunday and they were closed. His bet would be the bar down the street. After dark they’d sell him a bottle he could take home. “Want a shot?” Oh yes, very, very, very much, Davy, thank-you-so-much, please. “No, I have to drive. It’s going to snow again soon.” Daniel warned. “Suit yerself.” David poured a double shot into the glass so kindly provided by the Motel 6 cleaning staff. “Ok, c’mo, day’s a-wastin’, boy, get to it. Why are yew here? It’s cuz’a last night? Cuz Callie dun come here and spent some time with me?” “That’s part of it. Why was she here?” “Wot’d she tell yew?” “Don’t play games.” Daniel warned in an easy voice so as not to alarm Brigid. David took down along drink. “Really, Danny, I dunno.” David shook his head and gave a sad grin. “Dun gone flyin’ off the handle. I really ain’t sure.” He took another drink and then refilled the glass. “No one was more surprised ta see her than I was yew can sure enuff believe dat!” The remark came with a shake of the head and swallow of amber liquid. “An’ she was alone. She outta her mind, Danny?” “What did she want, Davy?” Daniel said an exasperated sigh. “I told ya, I don’t know. She had all a’ these questions, she jus’ kept firin’ ‘em off at me and drinking. Hoo, the gurl can put it down, Danny.” David said in a knowing voice and with a raise of his eye brow as he too took another drink. “So we smoke a joint and passed the bottle.” “Why would you encourage her to do that? You know the problems she’s had, I know you do.” Questions. Calla did say she came here last night because David had answers. “Yep, I dew.” Davy agreed. “But, she was jus’ so wired, Danny, she needed sum’thin to calm her down. I did not expect her to drink half the bottle in one pull, ok?” “What did she ask you? What did she want to know?” “Why don’t ask her?” Davy grumbled. “Aw, now, lemme guess. Yew tew ain’t talkin’.” “I’m not her favorite person at the moment.” Daniel agreed. “Hoo, I wunder why dat is?” David said with a wide grin looking down at Brigid. “I been thinkin’ about this most of the day.” He said in a thoughtful voice. “She wanted to know wot it was like ta be dead. Yep, dat’s what she wanted ta know. Had all a’ these questions; could I hear, see, feel, talk ya yew? She was damn insistent on getting’ dem answers too. Even when I told her it was not my fav’o’rite subject.” The last bit of amber liquid in the glass went down David’s gullet and he pushed the glass to the side of the table. “Wanted ta know if I could control you, if wot yew done with that Rowan….Psyche bitch was my fault. Sorry, Danny, I just couldn’t take the hit on that one though I s’pose I should’a.” He leaned in close to Daniel. “Callie said she’s goin’ away.” “What? Where?” David looked around as though someone might be listening and then leaned in a little closer. “Oblivion.” It came out in one bourbon filled puff of air and he nodded his tipsy head. “Yep, dat’s wot she said. Oblivion.” “What else?” “She said that you saw ‘her’…Callestah and now Callie is goin’ away.” David sat back in the chair once more, cleared his throat and fished for another cigarette. He put the pack on the table and played with it instead of lighting one. It was too cold to go stand outside and it would be best to finish the conversation without interruption anyway. “Aft’a dat she purty much passed out. But…ah…be’fo she did, she said that the Ladies wanted me for Sa’tan. Wot’s that Danny? It sounded important.” Fuck. A drunken Calla had very loose lips. Daniel never intended to tell David that the Ladies of Avalon wanted him as some type of Second, a First Knight, a Champion for Calla. “Why would she go away because I saw Callestah?” “Yer askin’ me?” David pointed harshly to himself. “Looky ‘ere Danny, I looked in on yer life from time to time and I heard things and I even talked ta both of yew a few times but dat dun mean I know everything. So what the hell is a Sa’Tan and why would she give a shit if you saw the Goddess aspect of her? Obviously it didn’t kill yew.” “You always did have more brains than anyone thought.” Daniel remarked. Looking down he noticed Brigid fell asleep once more. He took the bottle out of her open mouth and put it on the table. “Nah,” Davy smirked, “I’m jus’ gud at evesdroppin’, dat’s all. But yeah, I know enough ta put on a good show, we did grow up in the same house.” “Yeah, we did.” Gently he put baby Brigid back into the car seat and covered her with the blanket. “So wot the fuck is it?” David asked again. “You answer me one more question and I’ll tell you, ok?” Daniel asked then watched David nod his head. “When you were dead,” immediately David crossed his arms over his chest. “I know, not your favorite subject, just stick with me a minute. When you were dead, did you ever see a little girl with Aphrodite?” Although he thought an odd question he didn’t have to think about it because he saw the little girl often once he was pulled out of Tar-tar-us to help with their little scheme and, more than that, David knew who she was. “Yep, spooky kinda kid. Ya know, she never said too much. Once though she thought I’se yew.” That memory made him smile but th en he frowned just as quickly, “Den she realized who I was and she ran away. The gurl almost never wandered too far from her momma. She look just like Callie but younger.” OK so maybe the bottle wouldn’t last as long as he’d like but then again that bar wasn’t too far. David poured another shot and decided to fire a straight shot at his brother. “Yew know, I was still there when Callie’s momma and good ol’ Hades came into da room back there in Conn-et-ti-cut, ya know? I saw ‘em, I was still there. Hades held his hand over her and dat little gurl done jumped right outta Callie’s body.” “You were still there? Lurking? Watching.” “Yep,” David agreed easily, “I left soon after cause I didn’t wanna git caught.” He explained. “but I saw it. So I know who dat gurl is, what I wanna know is why Aphrodite did that.” “No reason.” Aphrodite really did bring the younger version of Calla to the Underworld that meant Ares was right and maybe Daniel did have a way out of this whole sorry mess. One that included keeping his family intact. How in the hell did he get that girl out of the Underworld and back up here? “What’d they do to you to get your body back?” “No reason? Geez, Danny ain’t yew more creative than that?” David huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know we got lots ‘a bad blood between us but are you really gunna lie to me then ask me another question?” David knocked back the shot and put the glass on the table. “Wot-ev’a.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I tell yew dis fer free; Eros was always sniffin’ around her but he’s been after her a long-ass time, hasn’t he? Aphrodite was always shooin’ him away frum her. Dat’ a freebie, Danny, by da look in yer eye I’d say it means sum’thin ta ya. Glad I could help.” David fondled the bottle. “Anyway, Hades had me drink this stinky steaming brew, smelled like rotting sweaty feet tasted like ‘em too!” He let out a snicker “Anyway, I passed out aft’a that and when I woke up, I was up here. Yer turn, answer my question. Who are they—exactly—and what is a Sa’Tan?” “It’s not something you’d be good at.” Daniel said trying to sidestep the issue. “Why not? Hey, Danny, I gots a new life here, I gots ta pay fer it somehow, sooner or later the money yew gunna give me will run out. Wot’s this gig pay anyway?” “Pay? Well, not much, Davy, nope, not much.” For Daniel, the best part of telling David about the job and role of Sa’Tan was watching his face as he struggled to understand 1—the concept and 2—that anyone would want him for that job. “Are they all nuts, Danny?” He asked finally in a drunked slur then quickly recovered. “But, ah, ya know, I didn’t do nothin’ what’cha’d call….untoward….last night.” Daniel remembered seeing the two of them in his mind while he sat in Ares’ cave. Remembered how she’d been wrapped up his arms asleep as though they’d just finished making love. “Nothing?” Daniel asked. “Ok, so mabbe I copped a little feel while she’s ‘sleep but other’n that, on our mother’s grave, Danny, I swear,” David even held up his right hand, “I didn’t do nuttin’.” “Copped a feel, that’s great.” Daniel sighed, took off his glasses and began rubbing his temples. “My head hurts.” “Yer about ta gimmie 250 million reasons not to do anything like dat….least wise not wit Callie, yew think I’m stupid?” “No,” Daniel mumbled. Davy was a lot of things but stupid wasn’t one of them. David turned the bottle around in his hands. “’Sides,” he said without looking at Daniel, I like da way she felt in my arms. I dunno wot dat is, Danny, dat warm ‘n fuzzy pullin’ type feeling…” David stopped staring at the bottle and started staring at his brother. Danny’s face was white. “Same thing dun happened on the ship but it was a lot more intense. That’s cuz she was so sick, ain’t it, Danny?” Daniel didn’t answer he just sat there staring at David eye to eye. “Yew know wot dat is, dat feeling. Once ya git used ta it it’s almost addictive.” That caused a harsh flash of anger in Daniel’s blue eyes and David sat back in the chair. “Wot are yew even doin’ here, Danny? Why ain’t yew home with Callie? Yew cudda called me and asked me these questions.” “She doesn’t exactly want my company.” “Aw, dat ain’t true. So yer an ass, so what? She’ll always love yew, Danny. No matter wot you dew. Ain’t yew a lucky feller? So, who’s at home with her?” “Nick and Annie, they’re probably packing up their things getting ready for the big move.” To David it looked like there were a good two drinks left in the bottle and he poured one which he drank down in one shot before continuing with his next question. “A’ight, so ‘bout dat dream, Danny.” Davy shook his head and frowned. “Was dat yew in control?” “I guess.” Daniel mumbled. “Hoo, boy, I gots ta say, dat was purty brutal, even by my standards. It ain’t gotta be like dat, Danny.” David shook his head. “Nope it ain’t.” “You’d know, huh, Davy?” Daniel cracked. “Yep, I would.” David kicked back in the chair and smiled. “I am willing to share the depth of my experience wit yew, baby brother.” The smile on his face grew wider. “And, of course, wit dat lovely wife of yours.” Shaking his head once more the smile faded from his face. “Yew want it to be like dat well then it ain’t no wonder Callie don’t wanna talk to yew right now. It ain’t wot you really wanna dew wit her, is it?” David asked eyeballing that last drink in the bottle of Jim Beam. “I mean, at the end there, dat look in yer eye, it scared me. The way she held on ta me, jus’ cryin’ so softly into my ear. Dew ya know wot she was whisperin’?” No, he didn’t know exactly what Calla whispered in Davy’s ear but he remembered seeing her clutching him, clinging to him and Daniel could guess what she said. “Make him stop.” It wasn’t a question and by the look in Davy’s eyes Daniel guessed he hit the nail on the head. “Yep.” Davy agreed. “If dat was real, Danny, I woulda stopped yew. Yew was hurtin’ her and dat ain’t right. A wo’mans husband ain’t supposed ta hurt her, I know mom and dad taught both’a us better ‘n dat.” Indeed they had. Far better than that. “Not that it did you any good.” “Cute, Danny.” David cracked. “I’m tryin’ to straighten out my new life here, yew could be a bit mo’ helpful. But, ah I-tell-yew-wot. If’n yew ever wants ta do it right, yew lemme know, I’ll be glad to show yew how it should be done.” Davy said with an inviting grin. “Ain’t no reason to do it like that, none a’tall. Did’ja ‘pologize, at least?” Did he? He couldn’t remember. Think, Danny, think. “No.” “No? Wot yew mean ‘no’?” David asked in a loud voice which woke Brigid with a startled cry. What Daniel told her was; “It was a dream!” Just a stupid dream and a man couldn’t be held accountable for what his sleeping mind conjured up. Could he? “It’s not my fault.” “Ah-huh.” Davy agreed in a disagreeable grunt. “So yew said dat’s wot yew wanna do ta her?” “NO!” Again Brigid cried out and this time Daniel rocked the car seat. “It’s ok, Brigid, go back to sleep. Daddy’s sorry.” “Now dat wasn’t so hard, was it? Yew can ‘poligze to the baby but not to Callie? Maybe it ain’t exactly yer fault, Danny, but it’s still yer head that came up with it. She saw it. She s’posed ta be able ta trust yew. How yew think she feels knowin’ her own husband wants ta treat her like a sat’day night whore?” David knew he should stop but he was on a roll damn it so he let his drunken tongue do the leading. “Yew think she owes yer fat ass sum’thin for An’y and Ares? Are yew out’cha mind, boy? Hartley treated that li’l gurl like SHIT and Ares wasn’t much better. Yew coulda avoided the whole thing, all yew had to do was STAY HOME if’n yew couldn’t manage that, then yew shoulda asked her to STAY wit you but no, you actually stood there and WATCHED Hartley waltz her outta your home, your bed and your life. Dat ain’t bad enuff, she tries ta come and wot she get? Yew fornicatin’ wit that dark haired tart. Dat’s a fine howdy-do, now ain’t it? And den, afta all ‘a dat wot she went through wit her Daddie she dun it all fer YOU! Git yer head outta yer ass, Danny. If’n none a dat ain’t bad enuff, yew gone and made sure that she knows everybody knew ‘bout dat baby before she did. Now there ain’t nobody she think she can trust. She think they’re all laughing at her. Like she ain’t gud enuff or sum’thin’.” “She doesn’t think that.” Daniel protested as he picked the baby up out of the car seat. Over and over he’d told himself and Calla that the slate between them was clean, that she didn’t owe him anything for Ares and Hartley and that he wasn’t going to exact any kind of revenge upon her. “It was a just a dream.” He said for the last time. “Yeah, she does. She’s a junkie, Danny…..a JUNKIE, dew yew understand wot that means?” “Calla hasn’t…..” “I dun give a shit if she nev’h picks up another needle, she will always be a heroin addict, she will ALWAYS be a JUNKIE, Danny ain’t nuttin’ can change dat.” David shouted and got out of his chair. “She ain’t even been cleaning but wot, four months at the most? Junkie’s always think they’re less than everyone else. They always feel like they’re being watched by someone or something, even if they’ve been straight a long time. They always live in shame, Danny,” Davy’s voice continued to rise, his face went from white to pink to red to crimson to almost purple as sit started flying from his lips. “They will always do anything they have to jus’ ta cover up dat simple fact. Dat’ why they started doin’ the drug ta begin with, Danny. To cover it up and try and appear normal and make wotever pain they’re in go away.” Davy shook his head in disbelief. “Yew kain’t treat her like ev’y body else. Yew kain’t expect her to jus’ know what you mean or how you feel, ‘specialy not right now, not when it’s all still so fresh in her mind.” He pointed to his head. “Four lousy months since yew ‘n her got back together that means her body’s just got rid of all that crap and it’s starting to get back to a normal balance and then she goes and gets pregnant—way ta soon I might add—and den she loses the baby. In between here ‘n there, just fer shits ‘n giggles, why don’cha go on and toss in a new grandbaby and a by-the-way-would-yew-mind-saving-the-world-fer-us. So by now you gots ta know dat she’s jus’ holdin’ on by a thread and den this.” He gestured toward Brigid. “How much yew think she can take, Danny. Be’fo her little mind jus’ explodes?” All of sudden Daniel felt very defensive. Who the hell was David to talk to him like this? This was a man who invaded the sanctity of Daniel’s home by wiring it for sound and video then broadcasting the day to day—a night to night—event of Daniel and Calla’s lives on the Internet. This was a man who tricked her into thinking he was Daniel so David could have sex with her and he was the same man who tried to drag her away. The same one who took her clear across the country under false pretenses and violated her so ruthlessly when his identity was revealed. “So the fuck what, Davy? That gives her the right to come over here and get shit faced with you? From what you just said, aren’t you supposed to know better? Now you want to lecture me?” OK so maybe giving her the pot and JB wasn’t the smartest move he ever made but, “I did not expect her ta down half dat bottle in one pull. I told yew dat. When she dun it, I yanked the bottle away from her.” “You think that makes you the hero, Davy? You just wanted to get her drunk so you could fuck her.” “Yeah, well, mabbe I did.” David shot back swiftly. “Point is, that ain’t what happened. Nossir it ain’t not by a long shot.” The ensuing silence was heavy and laden with meaning. Yes, that was the point it most certainly was when it came to this situation. She laid her body down in his arms, drunk and passed out, she tempted him, purposefully, and David didn’t go for it. Any man would have copped that feel he spoke of earlier but Davy should have gone much further and he didn’t. “I gotta get back.” Daniel said finally. Sitting here staring at his brother he understood that he was beginning to see David in a different light. The Ladies of Avalon suggested him for a reason, of course they did, and it wasn’t that there wasn’t any difference between Daniel and David as Calla suggested. Right here, right now, David stood up and played her advocate to the hilt. He didn’t back down and he took her side the whole way. He even made a few valid points. The thought soured his stomach and made his head ache harder. David as Sa’Tan. It was sheer lunacy. “Wot are yew lookin’ at me like dat fer?” Davy shot suddenly. “Yew got some nerve sitting there thinkin’ you’re bett’r n’ me.” He huffed. “You ain’t, Danny. I see it in your eyes, hell we got the same brain, yew think I’m this low-life hunk’a shit, don’cha? Cause a’ wot I done to Callie all them years ago…” “And all the other things you’ve done,” Daniel interjected in a darkly quiet voice. “You’re a predator Davy, a sexual predator….isn’t that what you made Calla say?” Across from him David smiled at the memory they shared. “You stalk, you rape and you kill. Now I’m supposed to trust you around my family?” David nodded his head and thought about it for a while he crossed his arms over his chest and eased back in the chair once more. “Fine, Danny,” he said flatly, “that’s just fine. I want yew ta remember a few things.” Now he sat up to look his brother in the eye. “First yew ain’t so high and mighty. Don’t be looking at me wit disgust when I say something about a threesome not having to be brutal. Yew got experience, Danny, yew ain’t a virgin here, it’s jus’ dat, well, yer experience is limited to groups of….wot,” David smiled, he just couldn’t help it. “Five, six women.” He started to laugh and then did his bet to hold it back. “Yew ain’t innocent, Danny. More ‘n dat, yew liked it.” David smiled wide, “I know ya did.” And nodded his head at the memory. “So don’t look at me like dat, yew ain’t got no room on dat one.” “Yeah,” Daniel agreed. “What else?” “Well, now, they sent my ass ta hell for almost twenty-years. Now, believe me, Danny, it ain’t a fun place to visit never mind to put down roots.” He sniffed and scratched at the end of his nose. “I-tell-yew-wot, it ain’t a place I’m real anxious ta git back ta. You git my meanin’?” Across the table Daniel nodded to show that he was following along. The scariest thing was that David was making sense and a great part of Daniel not only wanted to believe David but it actually did. “An experience like dat one changes people.” David said with a knowing nod of his head. “Yep, it does. Since I ain’t real anxious ta go back dat means I need ta be gud while I’m here so trust me, Danny, I ain’t gonna do nothin’ that would put a black mark on me. Well, not in the right near future anyway.” They’d been sitting here a good long while now and David was ready to stand up but instead he stretched his legs under the table and his torso above it. When he was done and the blood in his veins filled his cheeks in a warm glow he smiled at Daniel. “Dun forget, I love her, Danny. I know yew don’t believe that and, I wouldn’t neither if I was yew or her.” David stood up on restless legs, he wanted a smoke and he wanted to go down to the bar and re-up his empty bottle of Jim Beam, get a pack of smokes while he was out too. “I ain’t gonna hurt her.” The more Daniel sat there and the more he listened the more he was forced to wonder if the Ladies of Avalon knew something that he, Calla and Maeve did not. “Yew been here a while, Danny, it’s probably time yew got on home ta yer wife.” David stood up and walked to the door. Daniel bundled up Brigid, slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and followed David to the door once he was there David opened it and reminded his brother of one more thing. “Tomorrow is Monday, I expect the bank will be open.” “I’ll get your money.” Maybe the Ladies of Avalon were wrong about David Jackson. “Gud. Yew call me when yew got it.” “Where are you going to go?” “Wot dew yew care, Danny? Jus’ long as I go some where’s far away from here, from yew and Callie and your family…yew know the one I ain’t good enuff ta be part of but my son is.” “Nicholas is my Son!” Daniel hissed. “He has always been my Son and he will always be my Son, just as his Sister has and always will be my Daughter.” “Yew dun’t know dat.” Davy returned just as coldly. “You don’t deserve to be part of this family.” “I earned a second chance, dat’s wot I think, Danny. Wot’choo think?” David didn’t wait for an answer. “Best get dat baby home, it’s cold. Yew ‘member now, whenever yur ready ta get dat threesome thing right, yew jus’ call me. It ain’t gotta be like dat, Danny. I’ll be happy to help yew out.” David shut the door leaving Daniel and Brigid outside in the snow. End Chapter Two Of This story and all stories in the Barters N Garters Library are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories
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Thy Brother's Wife
Parts 1 & 2 Combined
by
Moon Mistress
a/k/a
Lisa Beth Darling
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never be
Never see
Won’t see what might have been
What I’ve felt
What I’ve known
Never shined through in what I’ve shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee “Unforgiven”
The Unforgiven
Metallica
Thy Brother's Wife
Continue to
Chapter Three