Amatorum Permansum Chapter 40, an alias fanfic

Chapter 40 – Epilogue

Summer 2011

Jack lay next to Elizabeth in their beach chairs. Their grandchildren were playing in the sand not far away. Elizabeth had fallen asleep in the warm sun while Jack read and kept an eye and ear out for the kids. Both sets of parents were off sight-seeing.

"Grandpa Jack! Grandpa Jack!" Two-year-old Laura fairly danced around him. She was the picture of Sydney at that age.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"JM pushed!"

"He pushed you?" Jack was confused. Five-year-old JM loved his siblings.

"No, 'nother boy."

"All right, let's see."

Laura led the way to an interesting scene. The Bristow-Tippin-Weiss cousins had closed ranks around four-year-old EJ, Nadia and Eric's son. Eric Jr. had been diagnosed with Asberger's Syndrome; it was mild and they could afford to have a therapist work with him several times a week.

JM was standing over another little boy, his small fists raised and expression fierce. "You better say you're sorry or I'll hit you again!"

"Johnathon Michael Bristow!" Jack didn't raise his voice but every single child looked his way. "You know better than that."

Liam, Laura's twin brother, was sitting with his arm around his cousin and piped up. "But Grandpa, Sam was being mean to EJ. He called him stupid!"

Sam was presumably the boy on the ground. Jack picked him up and dusted him off. "JM, come over here and apologize."

"Grandpa Jack . . ."

"Now, young man."

"Sorry I pushed you," JM said sullenly.

"Maggie, EJ come here please." Maggie tugged her older brother's hand, something he usually didn't allow. "Why don't you explain to Sam why EJ is different."

EJ was a quiet, sensitive boy, and incredibly bright. At this age he thrived on his schedules; loud noises and strangers tended to bother him. But his sister and cousins loved him and protected him. Even the twins, who could be rambunctious, knew to be gentle with EJ.

"My bwothew has Asbewgew's," said Maggie. "He doesn't like stwangews, they scare him."

"Can't he talk?" said the boy scornfully.

"I can talk, but not to you," EJ interrupted. "You are too loud."

"I don't want to be your friend anyway, you're weird." Sam walked away.

"Well, you're a jerk!" JM said, angrily.

"JM! It's his loss," Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "All right everyone, let's pack up and get back. It's almost time for lunch."

"Can we get woom sewvice?" Maggie asked.

"No, no! Grandma Elizabeth!" cried the twins in unison.

Jack lifted EJ and kissed his cheek, something he would not have tolerated just a year ago. "How about you, little man? What do you want for lunch?"

"Grandma Elizabeth."

Jack laughed, "We can't eat her, but she can make a pretty mean toasted cheese."

��

Back in Jack and Elizabeth's suite, their grandchildren played a rousing game of 'Duck-Duck-Goose'. It was good, Jack thought, that their clan were the only guests on the floor.

Elizabeth smiled at Jack as she heated up some soup to go along with the grilled cheese. "What are you thinking about, love?"

"How sexy you look in that bikini," he slid a hand around her waist and kissed her neck.

"Unless you want to give the 'birds and bees' talk, you might want to wait until the kids have gone."

"I think I'll pass," Jack kissed her again and moved away.

"Grandpa?"

Jack looked down at his oldest grandson. "Yes, JM?"

"Are you gonna tell Mom what I did?"

"I don't know," Jack got down on JM's level. "You know how disappointed I am . . ."

JM's lower lip trembled, "But you said we're supposed to take care of EJ!"

"Yes I did. But you also need to tell your friends how to play with EJ. They don't know how much fun he is. And you know how your Mom and Dad and I feel about fighting." Jack hadn't raised his voice, but tears had formed in the little boy's eyes anyway.

"I'll make you a deal. I won't tell Mom if you clean up after everyone and help Grandma with the dishes. Deal?"

"Deal."

Jack scooped him into a bear hug, then pushed him back to play.

��

Dinner that night was in Sydney and Will's suite. The family was in Jamaica for a three-week vacation to celebrate their respective five-year wedding anniversaries. And Jack was contemplating how much had changed in the past five years.

Not one of them was active in the CIA anymore. Jack was the only one who would occasionally consult on assignment, but that was few and far between. He and Elizabeth were adjunct professors at Berkley; he in Game Theory, she in Political Science.

Sydney was a full time Literature professor while Will was, at long last, a reporter for a national newspaper. Nadia and Eric had an Internet bakery. It allowed them to work at home and prepare the orders as they came in. The biggest advantage was that it allowed them to stay home with their children.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Sydney?"

"I just asked if the kids behaved."

JM looked a little nervous as Jack answered. Jack winked at him and said, "They were little angels."

"Sure, Jack," Will laughed.

"EJ had fun? No problems?" Eric asked.

"He was fine. Maggie had a good time, too," Elizabeth told him.

"You enjoyed your dolphin encounter?" Jack inquired.

"They were amazing!" gushed Nadia.

The group continued to chat and eat until the children's head started to droop. Will took the twins down the hall while Eric packed up EJ and Maggie.

Nadia hugged Jack, "Thanks for watching the kids, Dad. We had so much fun!" She turned and hugged Elizabeth as well.

"Yeah, thank you both. For everything," Sydney added.

The girls hugged him again, while JM threw his skinny arms around Jack's leg. "Time for bed, my boy." He hefted JM and kissed his cheek.

Once everyone was gone Elizabeth put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door. "Whew," she mimed wiping sweat from her brow.

Jack tugged her into his embrace. "I believe we have some unfinished business."

"Oh really?" she murmured as he kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. "What would that be exactly?"

"A lesson in the birds and the bees." Jack picked Elizabeth up and carried her to the bedroom, intent on celebrating their fifth anniversary.

Fin