Seasons

By

1st endeavor

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: "Growing Up"

A/N: Thank you for your reviews.

Chapter 30: Epilogue-Part 2.

The spirit of Thomas Hill sat quietly on the rim of Mt. St Helens broken crater; his legs swinging freely over its edge. It was a place that in life he had frequented many times-a place that had been his sanctuary. Even in the pre-dawn hours where darkness had enshrouded the land the scene at the top of the mountain felt surreal and left him with a feeling of awe.

The dark sky was dotted with bright stars and the full moon's light seemed to rival the sunbeams of the sun. The moonbeams gave the billowy clouds that surrounded the mountain a luminescent glow and as far as the eye could see the white wisps' of air reflected its soft light. The distant snow-capped peaks of Mount Adams, Mount Hood and Mount Rainier which in daylight were so impressive had been reduced to mere shadows; their size seemingly diminished by the darkness.

The ghost smiled wistfully while he gazed at the surreal scene before him then sighed contentedly; his earthly bonds were all but severed now. The thinnest of threads still held him earthbound but he knew that within a few short minutes it too would break then he could leave this earthly plane because there would be nothing left that could prevent him from walking into that bright shimmering light. Suddenly he narrowed his gaze and focused on the horizon then rose slowly to his feet. The tiniest threads of light were beginning to break up the darkness; twilight was approaching.

Tom frowned then turned to look in the direction of the cabin. In a matter of seconds 'the crack of dawn' would occur and with it he would discover if the previous evenings revelations had helped his friends cope with their feelings as much as it had helped him. He'd been encouraged by Charlie and Don's conversation on the porch but there was only one way that he could know for sure and now it was time to find out.

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Amita closed the door softly, careful not to make a sound as she left the bedroom; Charlie was in a deep and restful sleep and she wanted to keep it that way until he woke up on his own. Clothes in hand she ducked into the bathroom to shower and change. Fifteen minutes later she emerged refreshed and ready for a day of traveling. As she approached the kitchen she heard voices and discovered Robin, Larry and Alan sipping coffee around the small breakfast bar.

"Hmm…that's an amazing aroma," she said softly slipping around them to get her own cup of java.

"Tastes pretty good too even if I do say so myself," Alan teased with a smile. He glanced down the hallway toward the bedroom. "Is Charlie up?"

"No, he's still asleep," she replied quietly.

"Don is still sleeping too," Robin informed her as she stood up and warmed up her coffee.

"What's going on?" Alan asked irritably. "Last night we agreed to get an early start today and it's already seven o'clock."

"Let's drink our coffee out on the porch and I'll explain." Amita replied in a low voice, emphasizing the need for silence.

"Excellent idea," Robin agreed sharing a knowing look with Amita. Together the women hurried outside without waiting for any response from the men.

Alan and Larry shared a puzzled look then grabbed their cups and quickly joined the girls on the front porch.

Robin and Amita were sitting together in one of the swings, heads bent closely together having a quiet conversation. Larry and Alan chose the rocking chairs and while Larry would have patiently waited for the girls to realize that they were there, Alan's patience had already been stretched to the limit so he deliberately cleared his throat to announce their presence. If something was going on with his sons he needed to know about it now….not later.

Amita leaned forward, her coffee cup clutched tightly in both hands. "Alan, for the past few weeks I haven't needed an alarm clock to wake me up in the morning….Charlie does that for me."

"So," he huffed, confused by her comment. "Charlie's always been an early riser."

"No, its…it isn't like that, Alan." She said with a slight shake of her head.

The older man's frown deepened then he scratched absently at the stubble on his face. "This has to do with what Tom's ghost said last night…doesn't it?"

"I believe it does…let me explain. At first I didn't realize what was happening to Charlie," she confessed. "But after a while I made him tell me what was going on."

"I don't mean to be insensitive here, my dear, but could you please get to the point." Alan asked worriedly.

The young woman sighed heavily, took a sip of warm coffee then began to tell her story. "You both knew that Schiller killed his victims exactly a five a.m. but until last night you were not aware that he would open that damn little pocket watch and let it toll their remaining seconds of life?"

"Dear Lord," Larry gasped, clasping his hand over his mouth at the memory. "I've been thinking about last night but I must confess that I haven't been dwelling on that aspect of their ordeal."

"Oh, my poor boys," Alan whispered, his face draining of color.

"Many times I have awakened before five and observed Charlie in his sleep." Her eyes darted away and focused on the distant mountains then her voice took on a more desperate tone. "At four fifty-five his whole body stiffens up then at four fifty-six his heart begins to race so fast that it frightens me." Her eyes darted back to Alan's. "At this point I always try to wake him up …but I…I can't. "She swallowed hard and took another sip of coffee to steady her nerves. "At four fifty-seven he is so tense that he begins to tremble and precisely at four fifty-eight he breaks out in a cold sweat." Amita took a deep shuddering breath before continuing."At four fifty-nine Charlie has clamped his jaw so tightly that the muscles in his cheeks begin to twitch and…and… then," she said, her voice breaking, "precisely at five a.m. his whole body jerks violently and his eyes fly open."

Alan licked his dry lips several times then whispered. "What happens next?"

Amita shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing, he wakes up and puts it behind him for another day."

There was silence for a moment and then the older man turned to Robin and whispered. "Donnie too?"

"Yes," Robin nodded sadly then nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's a little different for him though. At four-fifty five he'll start to toss and turn and like Charlie his heart starts to race then at four–fifty seven he stretches out his right arm as if he is reaching for something. "

"His gun" Alan said, a knowing look in his eye. "He's reaching for his gun so that he can save his brother."

Robin nodded in acquiescence before continuing. "At four-fifty nine he breaks out in a cold sweat and exactly at five a.m. his finger jerks reflexively as if he has pulled the trigger then his eyes pop open…and like Charlie, it's over for another day."

"All this time," Alan murmured softly; sniffing suddenly he turned his head and wiped at a tear and when he turned back to face her, his chin was trembling slightly. "All this time they've been suffering like this and I wasn't aware of it." Abruptly anger flared in his eyes then he exclaimed heatedly. "Why wasn't I told about this? How could you keep this from me? They are my sons!"

"Charlie didn't want you to worry, Alan," Amita answered softly, tears glistening in her eyes. "He made me promise not to tell you."

Robin leaned over to place a calming hand on his arm. "Neither did Don. Alan, he made me promise as well."

Larry had kept silent, eyes flickering from woman to woman. "If that is the case then why say something now?"

Amita shared a glance with Robin then gently squeezed the older man's forearm. "Charlie didn't react that way this morning, Alan. I was awake and I waited for it to happen but his breathing remained relaxed and steady. Five a.m. passed by and he slept straight through it. Don't you see what that means? Despite the horrifying events of last night something good has come out of it. Something Tom said must have gotten through to him, something that has helped him to put that horrible morning behind him." She wiped at a stray tear. "That's why I didn't wake him up because I want him to sleep as long as he needs too."

"Don didn't wake up either." Robin smiled, tears glistening in her own eyes. "Whatever happened yesterday set them both free."

"I wonder what it was," Alan said thoughtfully absently raising the coffee cup to his lips.

"So much happened last night that it will be hard to pinpoint exactly what the defining moment could have been." Larry mused trying to analyze the situation. "There are so many variables that must be considered that we may never fully understand the full ramifications of the paranormal experience that we witnessed last night." His eyes flickered from face to face. "But for the record we are all in agreement that the aforementioned paranormal event did occur last night…right?"

Alan arched a brow and eyed his friend with skepticism. "Considering that we all experienced it, Larry, it would be a little difficult for any of us to deny it now, wouldn't it?"

"Larry, are you saying that you don't believe that what we experienced last night was real?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"Not at all." The cosmologist eagerly explained. "We didn't really discuss the events last night so I merely wanted to confirm that we are all in agreement on this matter." His gaze drifted to Amita. "Did you and Charles talk about it last night?"

She shook her head. "No. We were both too exhausted ….and I think a little in shock over what happened that neither one of us felt like talking about it. Believe it or not, we both fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows."

"I think it would be safe to say that the occurrence affected all of us in the same way." Larry mused tapping his lips thoughtfully then his eyes lit up and he smiled. "Still…I can't wait to discuss the event with Charles."

Amita took a sip of coffee to hide her smile; she knew all too well that the previous night's events would prompt many animated discussions between the two scientists. Her eyes lifted to the horizon and the distant mountain; its' summit still encased in early morning clouds. Suddenly she had an overwhelming feeling of peace wash over her and for the first time in a long time she felt as if life was going to be normal again.

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Don and Charlie slept till ten so by the time the cars were loaded up and ready to go it was after eleven before they were ready to leave. Finally, Charlie set a small box of pictures in one of the chairs on the front porch and took one last look around the cabin to make certain that everything was secure before locking the door and heading for his car.

Don paused, his hand on the door handle of the SUV as a thought occurred to him. He glanced up just as his brother closed the trunk of the Prius. "Hey Charlie, you never did tell me what the number one thing on your list was and if you ever accomplished it?"

Charlie turned and approached Don with a mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes. "You never asked but…yeah, I did finally accomplish it. It just took me longer to complete because its fulfillment depended on another person feeling the same way that I did."

"Oh," Don mumbled regarding him thoughtfully. "What was the number one thing on your list?"

Charlie grinned then pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. "I can't believe that I'm still carrying this around," he mumbled shrugging self-consciously. Flipping open his wallet he pulled out a small scrap of yellow notebook paper then carefully unfolded it. The paper was frayed about the edges and the ink had bled through in many places from being carried around for so many years but it was still legible. It felt odd reading that list again, written all those years ago in his childish scrawl…words that at the time seemed so important to him. Charlie felt a little foolish because all but one thing written there could ever have been important enough to write down….and that one thing still meant as much to him now as it did on the day that he'd put it to paper. All the other things were unimportant…they were things that could only be important to an adolescent boy. He read the list one more time then without another word handed the paper to his brother.

The agent carefully took the fragile paper from him then as he read it his eyebrows rose up in surprise.

2. Kiss a girl

3. Drink a beer

4. Have sex with a girl.

5. Have a keg party

6. Ride a horse

Don felt a wave of warmth spread through him but it was almost immediately replaced by guilt as he re-read the number one thing on Charlie's list.

1. Get closer to my brother

The agent pulled off his sunglasses and stared in dismay at his younger brother. "Ah…Charlie…I'm sorry, buddy," he said sadly. "I'm sorry that we were so far apart back then."

"Hey," Charlie replied quickly, noting Don's distress. "It was my fault too. We lived in two different worlds, remember?"

"I remember," Don agreed softly in a voice filled with regret, "but I can't help wishing that I had been more like Tom back then."

Charlie regarded him thoughtfully for a moment then looked away. When he looked back moisture had gathered at the corners of his eyes. "Don, I told you once before that what we do as kids don't have to haunt us for the rest of our lives. We've changed and that's what is important now."

Don smiled and nodded slowly. "I know you're right. Still…I'm glad that Tom was there for you. He was a true friend."

"That's true," Charlie said, swallowing hard, "he was."

Don carefully folded the small scrap of paper and handed it back to his brother but to his surprise Charlie shook his head and gently pushed his hand away.

"You can keep it," he said with a shrug, "I don't need it anymore. I've full-filled everything on the list."

"Oh yeah?" Don asked, trying to lighten the banter. "What about the keg party? Did you ever have one?"

Charlie shook his head and grinned. "No, but it just isn't as important to me as it used to be."

"If you two are going to stand there and talk we might as well go back inside the cabin and wait." Alan called out irritably from the back seat of Don's SUV.

"Guess we'd better get going," Don muttered sharing a grin with his brother.

"We're ready, Dad, " Charlie chuckled then hurried to his car. "Go ahead Don, I'll follow you."

Don quickly pulled out his wallet then carefully put the small paper inside. "It's going to be a great day" he exclaimed as he slid behind the wheel then a second later the engine roared to life and the black vehicle pulled out onto the dirt road. The SUV was almost to the bend in the road when it came to a slow stop.

"Great morning for a run, huh?" Don asked the young woman that just rounded the bend.

"It's a beautiful morning," Jillian exclaimed, her face flushed from her run. "I can't explain it but I feel soo alive this morning."

"I don't think that you met my father yesterday, Jillian," Don said nodding toward the back seat. "Dad, this is Jillian Beal."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Mr. Eppes."

"The pleasure is all mine, my dear," Alan graciously replied, beaming from the back seat. "Don and Charlie have told me a lot about you and that son of yours. Where is the little boy anyway?"

"Oh, he and Dad are out looking for more rocks for Tommy's collection. Not that Dad really wants to look for rocks but he can't seem to say no to that little boy."

"I should be so lucky," Alan grumbled loudly.

Don grinned at Jillian and rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't say things like that when he can hear you…it gives him ideas."

Jillian laughed out loud. "You guys have a safe trip." She stepped away from the car. "I look forward to your next visit."

"See ya," Don called out as he put the car into gear and pulled ahead.

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Charlie started the engine of the Prius just as Don pulled out of the driveway but as he shifted into gear he happened to glance in the rear view mirror. Much to his surprise it wasn't the expected view of the cabin that caught his eye but a shimmering white light that had just appeared on the edge of the porch. A sunbeam perhaps…but no he'd seen this kind of light once before…last night when Daniel and Ludwig Schiller had crossed over.

Without taking his eyes off of the light he absently turned off the engine and opened the car door. Ever so slowly he climbed out of the car then as if in a trance walked forward until he was standing only a few feet from the front steps.

"Charlie, what's wrong?" Amita called out unbuckling her seat belt so that she could follow him then gasped audibly as she stood by the car.

"What's going on?" Larry asked scrambling out of the backseat. "Oh, my! Is that…?"

"How…how is that…even possible?" Amita asked breathlessly as she and Larry hurried to Charlie's side.

"Do…do you guys see," Charlie swallowed thickly, unwilling to take his eyes away from the sight, "anything on the porch?"

"Unless my eyes are deceiving me, Charles, it's…..it's the same shimmering light that we saw last night."

"Ah….I," Charlie started to say but his words trailed off as something else caught his attention.

A translucent form had suddenly appeared at the edge of the light. At first it was just an outline of a man but as it stepped closer to the light the spirit of Thomas Hill became visible.

"Good-bye, Tom," Charlie breathed softly his eyes glistening with tears.

Tom's pale blue eyes met Charlie's expressive brown ones but he didn't speak-he didn't need too. The look that passed between them spoke of brotherly love, true friendship and of a mutual understanding that it was time to let go.

Suddenly there was a gasp at his side and Charlie caught movement in his peripheral vision but he didn't take his eyes from the translucent figure on the porch.

Jillian had seen them at the porch and had come over to say good-bye but she was totally unprepared for the appearance of her lover's ghost. "That's….that's Tom….that's really Tom, isn't it?" she asked breathlessly her hands clasped over her mouth. Jillian wasn't really waiting for an answer because there was no mistake; Tom's facial features could clearly be seen.

"Yes, it is," Charlie whispered without taking his eyes from the pale form.

"Oh, Tom," she whispered sadly, tears forming in her eyes. Mesmerized by the sight she stood in silence as the spirit of Thomas Hill returned her loving gaze.

Tom smiled sadly at first then his head swiveled toward the light and he cocked his head as if listening to some distant voice. When he turned back to face them he was beaming and his blue eyes were twinkling with excitement.

Speechless, Charlie, Amita, Larry and Jillian watched in amazement as Tom waved one last good-bye then stepped purposely into the shimmering light and vanished from view. Abruptly the light flashed brighter, shimmered briefly then winked out of sight.

As if on cue the clouds shifted overhead and the full sun appeared forcing everyone to blink from the sudden intensity of its brightness then when their vision cleared and they looked back at the porch Tom was gone.

"Nooo!" Jillian screamed desperately as she ran up the steps of the porch. Frantically the young woman searched behind the swings and chairs for him but it was to no avail. "Where did he go?"

"He's gone now, Jillian," Larry answered gently. "He's stepped into the light. Thomas Hill is home now."

"I'm so glad that I got to see him before he left," She whispered, wiping tears from her eyes. "Yesterday Marta said she saw him and Tommy could see him too but I couldn't." She turned to face Charlie then added in a tremulous voice. "Now I can say that I saw him too."

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked worriedly.

Jillian smiled then and despite her tears it was obvious that she was happy. "Yes, I'm fine. I got to say good-bye to him." She spotted the box of pictures and nodded toward the box.

"Thank you for putting these aside for me, I…I really appreciate it." She cleared her throat, picked up the box and took a deep breath. "I'll always love Tom but now I think that I can really get on with my life."

"Tom would want that, Jillian," Charlie said quietly.

"I Know," she said wiping away a tear. "Listen, I …I ah…I know you have to get going and I should get home so I'll say good-bye for now. Look me up when you come back to visit." She came down the steps to give Charlie a quick hug, waved good-bye to Amita and Larry then clutching the small box tightly in her arms she disappeared around the side of the cabin.

Still reeling from seeing Tom's spirit again Charlie, Amita and Larry quietly got back in the car. In stunned silence Charlie eased the Prius onto the road as a collective release of breaths suddenly filled the small car.

No one spoke and in only a few minutes Charlie had caught up to the SUV because Don had pulled off to the side of the road to wait for them.

Worriedly Don powered down his window; leaning out he slid down his sunglasses to get a good look at his brother. "Everything okay?"

Charlie cleared his throat then leaned out his window to respond. "Every…everything's fine Don. We're ready to go."

Don studied him for a moment then pushed his glasses back up. "Stay close, bro."

"Always," Charlie replied simply, pulling his head in and powering up the window.

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Don glanced in the rearview mirror then maneuvered the SUV out onto the highway with the Prius following closely behind him.

"You seem full of energy this morning ….what's your secret?" Robin asked Don teasingly as they headed down the road. "Was it the hearty breakfast or the good nights sleep?"

Don shrugged his shoulders and offered her a broad grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Probably a little of both because I gotta tell you that I haven't felt this relaxed in months." He gave her a wink. "Must be the fresh mountain air, huh?"

Robin laughed out loud. "I never get tired of this side of you. We may have to come up here more often."

"Hey, you two, I have a great idea." Alan spoke up suddenly from the backseat.

"Yeah," Don said, meeting his Dad's eyes in the rear view mirror. "What's that pal?"

"Well, since we have a long drive ahead of us, I thought we… or you, that is, could make good use of the time."

Don dropped his gaze and shared a puzzled glance with Robin before meeting his father's eyes again.

"Good use of the time? What are you talking about, Dad?"

"Well, since you're here and Robin is here," Alan replied, his eyes lighting up mischievously, "why not work out your wedding date?"

"Oh, man," Don muttered with a roll of his eyes as he and Robin shared a grin.

"What?" Alan huffed. "It's a good idea and besides I'm not getting any younger, you know. My grandfather clock is ticking away back here."

Don slowed down for a stop sign before taking the turn toward Portland. He glanced over his shoulder at his father. "We may have to switch you for Larry before this trip is over."

Alan harrumphed. "That's doable then I can work on Charlie and Amita too."

"Remind me to give Chuck a head's up." Don mumbled to Robin as he pulled out onto the highway.

"I heard that."

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There was no sound in the smaller car as it followed the larger one down the highway, each occupant still trying to process what they thought they had seen. The road curved around the mountainside and as they rounded a bend Mt. Saint Helens came into view.

The morning sun reflecting off of the dome was a breathtaking sight and as they drove by it Charlie felt a feeling of peace and contentment wash over him. He couldn't explain how he felt, anymore than he could explain the apparition back at the cabin but somehow Tom's ghost had left him with a profound sense of serenity.

Amita stirred beside him and he glanced her way. She smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders but it was her eyes that answered his questioning gaze. Amita wasn't ready to discuss what happened so he nodded an unspoken affirmation to her silent plea.

Charlie glanced in his rear view mirror and met Larry's gaze. His friend's hands were clasped together in front of him and he was slowly tapping them against his mouth as he pondered their ghostly encounter.

The mathematician absently scratched at his chin. What did he believe? Everything that he'd experienced last night as well as the apparition that he'd just seen on the steps of the porch could not be scientifically proven…and yet in his heart he knew that everything he'd experienced had been real….and more importantly he realized…he wanted to believe that it was real. But having admitted that, he thought as he met Larry's questioning gaze in the rearview mirror, a hearty scientific discussion never hurt anyone.

As Charlie's eyes shifted back to the road in front of him, a small smile began to play across his lips; it was going to be a very interesting ride home.

Finis