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Barters N Garters Library Y'know, I remember a time when things were a lot more fun around here Chapter Four Ares’ Cave “Took you long enough, Jackson. I was beginning to think that you weren’t going to show.” Ares complained while he lounged on his throne with the baby in his arms. Only a few days old and she was getting bigger by leaps and bounds, the more he watched her, the more Ares swore he could actually see her growing. Now she was happily and quite greedily sucking away on a bottle of formula while she stared up at him with those intense blue eyes. With a practiced eye Ares watched Daniel put his bags down and come forward. “What’s with all the trappings? Moving in are you? My Daughter throw you out?” “Only in your wildest dreams.” Daniel snarled. “Let me see her.” For several moments Ares contemplated withholding the baby from her father. “The bags?” “I’m not moving in, would you just give her to me?” Daniel demanded opening his arms for the little bundle. Slowly Ares moved his massive body forward and showed Daniel Jackson his new daughter. “Small, isn’t she?” He asked as he took in the look on Daniel’s face. “Don’t worry, like her mother she’s very tough.” Ares laid the little girl in Daniel’s arms. “Hold her head up,” he ordered, “she is weak be gentle with her.” “I think I know how to hold a baby, Ares.” Daniel bitched while he took the little girl in his shaking arms. But she was so goddamn small and fragile, still holding her he had the same gut reaction he did when he first held Nick and Cole. This was his daughter, Ares was not lying and there was no question about it in Daniel’s mind. “How? Tell me what you know. How can she possibly be mine?” “You really don’t know, do you Jackson?” Ares said in a quietly awed voice. With his big booted foot he pushed a wooden chair toward Daniel. “Sit down before you fall down and cause harm to her.” Thinking that good advice Daniel sat and fed the small baby her bottle. “Drink, eat, make yourself comfortable, we’ve a long night ahead of us.” Ares both invited and warned. Over the next little while, Daniel fed the baby while he listened to Ares not knowing how much of the story to believe. “Women,” Ares sighed, “who can figure any of them out? At first Enya was very pleased to share in my victory…” “Cute, victory, huh? You mean forcing Calla to your bed. That’s a victory to you?” Ares sucked in a deep breath over his teeth. “Victory.” He whispered with a smile. To Daniel it seemed that Ares loved to taunt him every bit as much as David did. “Then, after the first day or so,” Ares paused more for effect than anything else and to enjoy the look on Daniel’s face. “I don’t know, it seems she became less enamored with the situation and more jealous. While Callestah…took a break….in my bed, I wandered out here and found her fucking you.” “What did you do?” Ares thought about that for a second. “Do? What did you want me to do? You didn’t look like you needed my help. You were awake.” “I was not!” Daniel protested. “I saw your eyes open,” he smiled that wide grin of his, “you stared right at me while I was behind her. You even raised your hands to touch her. How is it you don’t remember these things?” “Nice try,” Daniel complimented with narrowed eyes. “But that was Calla between us, not Enya. You used her love for me to hurt my Wife. To hurt your own Daughter.” In his head he could hear her saying how the last time she was stuck between her Husband and her Father proved to be just too much for her. That was what she was talking about. Daniel hoped that the kids didn’t know about that little bit, but then again, why shouldn’t they? They were very aware of everything else dear old Umpa had done. “What can I say, Jackson? Is it my fault that you’re her greatest weakness?” Ares sighed. “It was a divine experience, perhaps we should do it again sometime…..” “Over my dead body.” “I can arrange that.” Achilles said as he wandered into the room. “Why don’t you let me kill him, huh, Ares?” Achilles demanded as he strode up to Daniel who had the newborn in his arms. “I’ll take them both out.” He sneered. “You can console her,” he said to Ares. “I’m sure in her great grief, Callestah will turn to you. Don’t you think, Daniel?” Not wanting for an answer he turned back to Ares. “Then in a year or so, you can make good on your promise and give her to me.” “Do what?” Daniel asked suddenly standing up. “This way, she’ll never blame you for his death and when the time is right, you will give her to me and I will make her my wife.” “Excuse me,” Daniel looked around and found the rocking cradle by the fire. He walked over and laid the baby in it covering her with the blanket. “History records that you’re gay.” “I’m what?” Achilles asked. “What does my happiness have to do with this?” Ares laughed and slapped his knee. “He means that you lie in love with other men.” “So what?” Achilles asked. “Does that mean I can’t be tender with a woman?” “Generally speaking…yes.” Daniel answered. “What are….” He looked up at Ares, “What is he doing here?” “I need some place to live, don’t I? Though, I thought Colorado was nice.” “Step off Achilles,” Ares warned. “This is between Jackson and me. Why don’t you take the boat and go find yourself a new toy?” With a great huff Achilles left the room with a warning. “I’ll be back.” ** In Greenbrier Calla and her family were getting ready to attend the funeral of Sandy and his parents. Colleen was brave and putting on a good front but Calla knew her heart was aching. Colleen wanted Lilly to have a complete family like she had with a Mother a Father maybe even a Brother one day. With Sandy dead Coley just couldn’t see how that would ever happen. She was young and Calla would help her understand that even if Lilly’s father was dead it didn’t mean their lives were over, in fact, with them gone it probably opened up Colleen and Lilly’s lives to a whole new world of possibilities. Funeral home and cemeteries, like the one at the top of their street—were going 24/7 lately. Yep death was a booming business at least for right now. Thomas Neilan Funeral Home where the service was being held squeezed the Peterson family service in at 9:30 pm just before the Black family service at 10:15. After washing all of the sheets and blankets in the house, Calla busied herself by making a rather large dinner for people who weren’t very hungry. Nonetheless she served up a delicious meal of pot roast, broasted potatoes with carrots, gravy, fresh rolls and an apple pie. Yes when Daniel was away it seemed all she had was a lot of time of her hands and if she didn’t keep busy then all sorts of thoughts might start creeping around in her head. Yes, all sorts. “Are we ready?” She called down to the basement. “Nicholas your blankets are done, do you want me to bring them down?” Jesus H. Christ, he muttered and thought. “No, I’ll get ‘em when we come home.” She’d been doing the fucking laundry for hours, hell she’d even washed his sheets and hers twice. “Why doesn’t she just throw them out?” “Because they’re her sheets,” Annie answered. “What your uncle did was wrong, Nicky, but it’s good that she knows about it.” “What? Why?” “Come here,” she beckoned him down with one finger so that she could straighten his tie. “Because she’s a grown woman and she should know if some guy close to her is wacking off over her.” “Why?” He asked again hoping she couldn’t see the guilt in his eyes or hear it in his voice. “Why?” Annie huffed. “Are you joking? I dunno, she can watch out for him, keep her distance…be ready to scream if she has to?” Annie tossed her pretty head, the blonde hair of which was held back in a respectable pony tail with black ribbon, from side to side and smoothed the tie. “All done.” They went up the basement steps to the living room where Calla, Cole and Lilly were waiting. “You ok, Runt?” Nicholas asked his Sister who looked like she’d been crying for days. Cole was so much like Mom, as long as you kept them busy they were fine but give either of them two minutes to breathe or think and it was all over. “Sure, let’s get this over with. I don’t even know who---if anyone—if going to be there. Sandy’s family lived back east somewhere.” Colleen mumbled and then took in a deep breath. “Everything’s going to be all right,” Calla said assuredly. “I’m right here. If you need me just grab my hand. When we get back we’ll have ice cream and cookie dough by the fire.” “Fudge ripple?” Nick asked in a hopeful voice. Ice cream and cookie dough were to broken hearts as s’mores were to being snowed-in in Mom’s mind. “I think we have some of that.” Calla said leading them toward the door. “Come on, I’ll drive. We’ll take Daniel’s car.” “Oooh a chauffer and the Jag,” Annie said in complimentary voice. “Cool.” The funeral was quiet and reserved. Most of the arrangements had been made over the telephone by Randy Peterson who was Robert Peterson’s brother, they hadn’t been able to make it to Colorado since they were also burying a son and other family members. Some of the kids from the high school came and some from the college. Some of the Peterson’s co-workers and a clergyman gave a non-secular service before the coffins were loaded into the hearses and the small line of cars—at almost 10:30 in the evening—formed a procession to North Cemetery, which of course was the cemetery at the top of North Cemetery Drive. Sometime around 11:00 the tired members of the Jackson family finally made it home to a dark and quiet house. The light on the answering machine was not blinking and Calla tried very hard to hide her disappointment while she scooped out fudge ripple and laid chunks of cookie dough on top of each cup of ice cream. Lilly was fast asleep, Colleen took her upstairs and when she came back down she was in her nightgown and fuzzy slippers. Nick and Annie sat by the fire in the living room he with his tie, jacket and shoes off and she with her hair down. The night was very sullen and somber, it seemed no one knew what to say only that they wanted to be together and that somehow made the pain and confusion they were each feeling a little more bearable. End Chapter Four Of This story and all stories in the Barters N Garters Library are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories
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Dancin' With the Devil
by
Moon Mistress
a/k/a
Lisa Beth Darling
When good was good, and evil was evil
Before things got so.......fuzzy
Yeah, I was once a golden boy like you
I was summoned to the halls of power in the heavenly court
And I dined with the deities who looked upon me with favor
For my talents; my creativity
The Garden of Allah
Don Henley
Dancin' With the Devil
Continue to
Chapter Five