Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2012 19:18:25 -0700 (PDT) From: Jerlar Subject: Nurse and The Patient, Part 29 This story contains graphic sexual scenes between males. If material of this nature offends you then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age in most states you are not allowed to read this story by law. This story is purely a work of fiction. Any resemblance to person's living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental. The author claims all copyrights to this story and no duplication or publication of this story is allowed, except by the web sites to which it has been posted, without the consent of the author. Mark Stevens Nurse and the Patient, Part 29 Jonathan and Lance watched as the police officer pulled his cell phone from a pocket of his slacks; listened as he talked with someone. "Janet, I need a favor. I need you to look something up for me. Check the county records and see what you come up with concerning Sam Thompson and Agnes Doughty. If either of them own as much as swamp land anywhere, I want to know where. Also, check and see if anything is still listened in Kathleen Smyth Thompson's name as well. Thanks." Ty ended his call. "Let's see if Janet can turn anything up" "If Edith is harmed in any way, I will make who ever is responsible pay," Lance declared angrily. "I couldn't agree with you more," Ty said. "However, I hope you let the police do their job. I would certainly hate for you and your step father to share a cell together." "I would hate that, myself," Jon agreed. "I couldn't imagine what it would be like closeted in with the bastard. I'm pretty sure one of us wouldn't make it." "Well hopefully things won't go to that extreme," Ty said with a grin. His cell phone chose that moment to ring, and he answered it. "What did you find out, Janet?" he greeted. Jonathan and Lance watched as Ty Bennett listened to Janet tell him what she had discovered. "I see. "Thanks, Janet, I owe you one." Ty ended his conversation and said, "Okay, nothing to report on Sam. She didn't find anything on him we didn't already know. And evidentially everything was transferred to Sam after your mother's death." Ty paused for a second and then said, "However, she did come up with one interesting fact concerning Agnes Doughty. It seems that not only does the woman own the house where she resides, but she owns a cabin as well on Hawkins Lake." "You don't say?" Jon spoke up. Turning to Lance, he said, "That might explain why your mother suddenly wanted nothing to do with her lake cabin any longer; not if Agnes had moved into the neighborhood as well." "Let's go check it out," Ty told them. "Follow me, and I don't care how fast I drive, just try and keep up with me. Understand?" Both Jonathan and Lance nodded and followed him out of Edith Baxter's house. Once they were inside their car with Lance behind the wheel, they waited while Ty made another phone call. When he was through, he took off down the street and Lance followed right behind him. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< When Agnes Doughty drove pulled off the main highway a few miles outside of town, Edith realized where the woman was taking her. The only reason anyone ever took this particular road was if they wanted to go to Hawkins Lake. She remained silent, waiting to see where Agnes was going to take her. "It's really pretty out here this time of year, Edith. Do you know what I like best about this time of year?" Before Edith could make a reply, Agnes went on, saying, "The thing I like best is there is absolutely no one around. The lake is deserted, and I love the peace and quiet that surrounds it. I think you will appreciate it as well, dear lady." "I am not your `dear lady'," Edith assured her. Agnes shrugged her shoulders. "Just trying to make small talk, old woman," she said. Edith didn't reply. Instead, she lay with her head back against the head rest and closed her eyes. For the first time since Agnes had forced herself into her home did Edith feel a bit unnerved. As she rode along beside Agnes feeling every bump in the road, she forced herself to calm down and try to think of a way out of her situation. Agnes kept referring to her as "old woman", and it was true; she was a good fifteen or twenty years older than Sam's mistress. Still, Edith prided herself on the fact she felt she could outsmart the woman, should she set her mind to it. Taking her eyes off the road for a second or two, Agnes asked, "Lots of thoughts running through your mind?" When Edith remained silent, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "Have it your own way, Old Woman." A few moments later Agnes pulled off the rough road and drove through a wide gate, the tires of her car making a crunching sound as they traveled across little pebbles of gravel. Edith opened her eyes and looked around. "That's right, Edith, we're almost there. I don't think I ever invited you out to the lake, now did I?" Her voice sounded harsh as she added, "Well, considers this your personalized invite. Welcome," she said and turned up a dusty road like trail that disappeared though a double row of trees. Agnes stopped her car in front of a modest looking cabin. She shut the car's engine off and said, "Welcome to my humble dwelling. I do hope you will enjoy your visit. Get out, please." She padded the pocket of her blouse. "Remember, I still have this." By the time Edith was standing on her feet beside the car, she was joined by Agnes. "Let's go inside; I'm anxious to show you around." Edith made her way slowly up the steps to the porch of Agnes Doughty's "humble dwelling", with Agnes following closely on her heels. Before either of them could make a move, the door was quickly opened. "Hello, Edith. What a pleasure having you visit. It seems like ages since we've had the chance to talk." As Edith looked at Sam Thompson face to face, what peace she still had inside vanished, and was replaced with fear. She had no doubt she could have handled Agnes, but with both of them, Agnes and Sam, well, there would be no use trying. "Please, won't you come inside, Edith?" Sam invited. With his hand, he pointed into the room behind him. As Edith walked silently into the cabin, followed by Agnes, Sam Thompson asked, "Why so quiet, Edith? I thought you would enjoy a visit from Agnes and me." "Have a seat," Agnes said. She motioned to a chair. "Yes, please, make yourself comfortable, Edith," Sam said. His tone had such a sweet honey sound to it that Edith was suddenly sick to her stomach. Edith walked slowly across the room and sat in the chair, doing as she was told. "Why did you do it, Edith?" Sam asked. "Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut? Hell, for years you remained quiet. What caused you to change your mind?" "You're right, Samuel, I did keep silent for years; way too long," she added. "It makes me sick to think of all the years I wasted. I could have known my grandson's love much sooner, had I had the guts to speak out." "Maybe; maybe not," Sam answered. "Had you remained silent, there's one thing you could have kept." When Edith didn't speak, he said, "You could have kept your life." Edith focused her eyes on Sam, and with a look of hatred, she said, "I could care less what you think you can do to me, Samuel. Even though I've had such a short time with my grandson, our time together has been a loving one; I will go to my grave knowing I have his love and taking with me the feeling he has for me. No one, not even you, can take that from me." "Is everything taken care of?" Agnes asked. "Yes, everything is ready. The plane is waiting, and just as soon as we can get over there, we're leaving." "Good, let's get busy." "I've been thinking about something, Agnes," Sam said. "I think we're going to take Edith with us." "On our trip?" she asked. "Are you crazy?" "Not crazy; just smart. If we have her with us, we will have a better change of leaving. We'll take care of her at the end of our trip. She won't be any use to us then. There will be plenty of time. Let's go!" "Get up, Old Woman," Agnes ordered. "You heard the man; be quick about it!" Edith stood to her feet, and was surprised at how weak she suddenly felt. She took a deep breath and felt better. She would not let these two see how frightened she actually was. Sam Thompson opened the door to the cabin and told Edith to walk outside on the porch. "Get her in the car, Sam" Agnes said. "I'll take care of things in here." "Go," Sam ordered Edith as he pointed to Agnes' car. "I'm warning you; don't try anything." When she reached the car, Edith stepped to the side and allowed Sam to open the car door for her. "Get inside," he directed. Edith was sitting in the front passenger side with Sam beside her behind the wheel when they were joined by Agnes. "Everything's taken care of. Let's get the hell out of here, Sam!" <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Trailing as close behind Ty Bennett's car as he dared, Lance kept his eyes focused on the road. Ty was not letting any grass grow beneath the tires of his car, and it took everything Lance had to keep up with the man. When Ty turned off the highway onto the bumpy road leading to the lake, both vehicles were forced to slow down. Even then, Jonathan thought his insides were going to be knocked from him. Ty soon left the bumpy road and drove through the entrance of Hawkins Lake. When he made a sharp turn and drove between a row of trees, Lance said, "This is the road our cabin was on." He followed Ty down the dusty road and brought his car to a stop along side the police officer's vehicle. Jonathan cried out, "Oh, my God!" He and Lance jumped from their car and joined Ty. "Is this Agnes's cabin?" Lance asked, fear in his voice. Ty looked at the cabin. Flames were leaping out the roof and through the heat shattered glass. "It is," he said. "We've got to get inside," Lance cried. He ran up the steps of the burning structure. "Lance, wait," Jonathan called. In a flash he was with Lance on the porch. "Lance, you can't" "I've got to try, Jon," Lance said softly. "I have to," he repeated. Jonathan looked into his lover's eyes, and knew he was right. He had to try and save his grandmother. They both did." Just as Lance put his hand against the hot wooden door, Ty's cell phone rang, causing him to pause for a moment. As the two men stood on the porch, they listened to the police offer's conversation. "Hold on a second, Tom" Removing the telephone from his ear, Ty said, "Don't go in there. Your grandmother's not in that burning building, Lance." He put the phone back to his hear once more. "Now, tell me," he said. Ty Bennett was quiet for a moment or two. Finally he ended his conversation and said, "We have Sam Thompson." "What about my grandmother?" Ty didn't speak for a moment, causing both men to hold their breath. "What about her?" Lance cried. "Is she all right?" "Leave your car here, Lance. I want you guys with me." "Where are we going?" Jonathan asked. "To the hospital." "What the hell has happened to Edith?" "She's been in" "I'll kill the son of a bitch," Lance declared, interrupting Ty. "Let's go," Ty said." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< On the same land Smyth Oil Company was located was a runway Sam Thompson had put in a few years back. About that time there was a need, or at lease he thought there had been, to purchase an airplane for the company to use for business trips. The plane was kept in a hanger on company property, always ready for the company's use. When Edith saw where they were headed, she had no doubt it was the company plane the two of them had been referring to. Sam was driving like crazy, and in fact, was only a few minutes away from the plane when Agnes said, "Sam, there's a police car behind us!" Sam looked in his rear view mirror. "Damn!" he said. Both Edith and Agnes were thrown back into their seats as Sam pressed down harder on the accelerator and the car leaped forward with a sense of greater power. "What the hell are you trying to do, Sam? You can't out run them." "Watch me." The car pushed even harder as Sam pulled out all the car's engine had to offer. "Sam, you're going to get us killed!" Agnes cried out from the back seat. Like a crazy man, Sam remained silent, his eyes focused on the road in front of him. In the seat beside Sam, Edith suddenly turned and faced the back seat. "Well, Agnes, it looks as if I won't die alone; appears you will be taking the trip with me." There was a gleam in Edith Baxter's eyes that burned right through Agnes Doughty. She reached over the seat and made a lunge for the wheel. She tired to force him to the side of the road, and when she did, Sam tried to stop her. His strength being greater, the car's tires gave a loud squeal, and with a sudden tremor, went flying on its side, skidding about three hundred yards before coming to a complete stop. Splinters of glass were everywhere, and when the two policemen ran up to the vehicle and looked inside, they saw absolutely no sign of life. "Call 911," one of them cried out. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Ty Bennett drove like a mad man himself and was soon pulling into the hospital parking lot. "Hurry up!" he ordered. Jonathan and Lance remained silent and followed him through a heavy swinging door. Once inside, he led them down a hallway that eventually ended where a glassed in office was located and spoke to the woman sitting behind the desk. "There was an accident. We're trying to find out where a woman by the name of Edith Baxter was taken." The woman looked behind him. "Are you family?" she asked the two men. "She's our grandmother," Lance answered. The woman looked at Ty, and when he nodded, she said, "Go down the hall. She's in the second room on your left." Jonathan and Lance followed Ty, and when he reached the door, he said, "You two wait out here; let me go in first." Lance moved to follow the policeman and Jon reached out with his hand. Pulling him back, he said, "Wait. Please," he added softly. Ty walked inside the room, disappearing from sight. For Lance and Jon, it seemed like an eternity before he rejoined them in the hall. "Listen to me Lance; your grandmother is going to be all right. She has a broken arm, and several broken ribs, but she's a tough lady; she's going to be all right." Lance hurried into the room, followed by Jonathan. They found Edith already on a hospital bed. Her arm was covered with a hard plaster cast. She formed a smile on her face. "My boys," she said softly. Lance placed a hand on her left arm; it was her right that had been broken during the accident. "I am so sorry, Grandmother," Lance said. A sob escaped him, and his voice broke. For just a moment Edith regained some of her usual spunk. She said, "Now, tell me, just what do you have to be sorry about, dear boy?" Jonathan, always the nurse, stepped forward. "We can talk about this later," he said. "For now, you need your rest. Grandmother." "I am so" Edith stopped talking and pressed her good hand to her side. "It hurts," she said quietly. A nurse came into the room. "Why, hello, Jonathan," she greeted. "It's been a long time," she said sitting a tray down on the table beside Edith's bed. "Hey, Lucy," he greeted. The nurse turned toward Edith Baxter and said, "I don't know how you know this guy, but, let me tell you, if he's going to nurse you back to health, you will be in excellent hands." "Trust me, I know," Lance spoke up. "He certainly got me back on my feet. Literally," he added. The nurse recognized Lance. She asked, "You're Lance Thompson, aren't you? I remember now, that Jonathan was taking a leave from the hospital to be your nurse. You're right, he has certainly done an excellent job," she added with a grin. "These boys are my grandsons." Edith spoke up. Lucy turned and faced her patient. "Well, I've come to move you to a room, Miss Baxter." "You mean to say I'm not going home?" Everyone in the room heard the disappointment in her voice. "I'm afraid not today," Lucy told her. "The doctor wants to keep you over night." "Is everything all right?" Lance asked. "Her arm, while not very convenient, it being her right one, will be fine. The doctor chose to use a hard plaster cast, rather than soft, due to her age. He is, however, concerned about her ribs, and wants to monitor those for a day or so. Hey, let us take care of you," she smiled. "Give these two a little vacation first." Edith looked sharply at Lance. "I want you to remember something, young man; when I leave this place, I will be going to my home. Do you understand?" "Yes, Grandmother," he said meekly. Edith let her eyes settle on her grandson's face. "I love when you call me that name. When you both do," she added, taking Jonathan in with a glance as well. "Get use to it, then," Jonathan told her. "You're going to be hearing that name a lot during the next one hundred years." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Edith ended up spending the next two days in the hospital. The afternoon she was released, Lance picked her up by himself. "Where is Jonathan?" she asked seeing that he was alone. "He's at home waiting for you." A look of determination suddenly appeared on her face. "Lance, we talked about this. Remember? I told you I would be going home to my house. Did I not?" "Yes, you did, Grandmother. Very adamantly, I might add." "All right, enough said." "Can I say something?" "Of course," she said, her voice becoming all sweet sounding once again. "We're going to take you home. First, however, can't we at least throw you a little party?" "What sort of party?" "We want to treat you to a home cooked meal first. In fact, we've planned quite a party in your honor." "Have you, now?" Her eyes twinkled as she spoke the words. Lance nodded. "Yes, we have. Jon's mother, Lois will be there, and so will Tony Miller." "Tony Miller? Why in the world would you invite him?" "Because, Grandmother, he was the one who got the ball rolling. Because of a daring move on his part, Sam is where he is; behind bars where he belongs." "But he replaced you," she pointed out. "No, he was hired by Sam to work for the company. I was already gone. Tony had nothing to do with my leaving. You, of all people, should realize that, Grandmother." She smiled at him tenderly. "Did I tell you how much I enjoy hearing you call me that name?" "You did. I think I told you I would be calling you that name for along time, did I not?" "You did." A nurse came into the room. "Are you ready to go home, Miss Baxter?" Giving Lance a smile, she said, "I am more than ready." "Then, let's go, Grandmother." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< At home, Jonathan, his mother, Lois, as well as Tony Miller, was waiting for the arrival of Lance and his grandmother. When they heard the front door open, they stood in the hall way and greeted them. "Welcome home," all three called out. Edith turned and faced her grandson. "Now didn't I tell you I" "Yes, Grandmother; about a hundred times," he added. "Please," he said turning to face the welcoming committee, "do not refer to this place as her home. God knows, she's told me many times, and quite strongly, I might add, where she calls home" Edith smiled warmly at Jonathan. "Besides," she said, "the two of you don't need an old woman like me to fuss over. And, I do have my own home," she added. Jonathan stepped forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Yes, you do," he said. "And, trust me, later on, we will take you there. For now, however, can't you just relax and enjoy your party?" "I can do that," she assured him. Edith slowly made her way over to Lois Davis. "Lois, it's been a while since we've seen each other. Thank you so much for coming." "I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Edith; even though my son almost forgot to invite me, I almost did miss it." "I see you're still a pain in the ass, Mom." Jonathan grinned at his mother. "We'll talk about this later," she told her son, pretending to scowl at him. "Right now, this lady needs a chair. Can you at least see to that?" "God, Mom, how I've missed you." "I never thought I would ever hear my son say those words." "You two behave," Lance told them. Edith looked at Tony Miller. "Mr. Miller, isn't it?" The man nodded. "Please, Tony," he told her. She appeared to be looking at him rather closely. Then she smiled and said, "Then, Tony it is." Jonathan, with the help of his mother, had put together a delicious meal, and with it soon on the table, they sat down and enjoyed the fruits of their labor. By the time the evening was over, Edith was more than ready to go to her own home and sleep in her bed. "Hospitals are good when you're sick, but I think I'm more than ready to go home." Lois and Tony told the woman goodnight and soon left. Once it was just the three of them, Edith turned to Lance and said, "Now, everybody is gone, and I do thank you for my coming home party. However, I am ready for bed. My bed," she added. "I hear you loud and clear," Lance said with a grin. "All right, we'll take you home." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< The days that followed developed into a happy pattern for both Jonathan and Lance. Most days they would drop in on Edith, and even though she protested quite loudly, they would do things for her around the house; so many things she could not do for herself until her body had mended. For them it was a happy time as they pampered the woman they both had come to love so much. While Edith was still in the hospital, Ty had pulled them both to the side and informed them that Agnes Doughty had not survived the automobile crash. When she had tried to force Sam to pull off the road, she was thrown through the windshield and most likely never knew what hit her. That left Sam to face his sins all by himself. Because he had been out on bond when he forced Edith into the car, he was taken straight to jail with no offer of a bond this time. He was left to himself until the wheels of the court moved and was ready for him. One morning a couple of weeks later Jonathan and Lance were enjoying a late breakfast, as well as a somewhat heated discussion. "I can't understand why you are so upset, Babe," Jonathan said. "I just think it's time for me to get back to work. You definitely don't need a nurse any longer, and your grandmother is very much on the mend; so, there is absolutely nothing around here for me to do." "I've been thinking about something," Lance said. "I'd like to run an idea by you." "I'm listening." Before Lance could speak what was on his mind the doorbell rang. When he opened the door, he was met by Ty Bennett. "Come in, Ty," he said. "Hey, what brings you out this way?" Jonathan said. He stood and shook Ty's hand. "I just had some news I thought I would share with you guys." "Have a seat. Care for some coffee?" Jonathan handed the man a cup, and he joined them at the kitchen table. "I'm probably jumping the gun here since this is a legal matter. However, I wanted to be the one to tell you about it." He took a sip from his cup. "Glenn Maxwell will be calling you shortly, I'm pretty sure. In the mean time, however, I will feel you in on some things. Everything Sam Thompson tried to steal from the company has been recovered. Rather, what he had done with it has been found. There's no way to recover what he's already done away with, but everything he's stock piled over the years, well, that has been recovered, and will be returned to the company very shortly." "I'm glad to hear that, Ty," Jonathan said. "So am I." Ty looked at Lance. "I believe Glenn is putting together some information for you, Lance, and he will be in touch with you fairly soon." "I am just glad Sam has finally got what he's had coming to him," Lance declared. Ty finished his coffee and stood to his feet. "I hate to drink and run, but duty calls. I can assure you, by the time the DA gets through with that man, he's not going to know what hit him." After Ty left, Jonathan turned to his lover and said, "Okay, what were you saying just before Ty arrived?" "I've been thinking about something, Jon. How would you like coming to work for the company?" Jonathan didn't know what to say. Finally he asked, "Doing what?" "We do not have an onsite clinic. With the number of employees we have, I think it would be a good idea to have one. And I know from personal experience, you're a hell of a good nurse." Jonathan shook his head. "I'm not so sure. Would there be much for me to do? After all, how often does an employee need the assistance of a nurse?" "Hear me out, okay? There would be more to do than just nursing employees back to health." "Such as?" "I've been reading up on different business organizations. Believe me, there is all kinds of things you can do; all sorts of workshops you can hold; teach people proper lifting, sitting, standing techniques." When Jonathan remained silent, Lance said, "Just promise to think about it, okay?" Jonathan smiled and promised he would give it some thought. "Hell, if you miss your work at the hospital, I'm sure they would let you work a couple days a week. Not only would it help them out, but it would keep you in touch with medical changes and updates." "Now I like that idea." "I do come up with a good one now and then." "I would have to agree with that." "Here's an idea for you. How about coming to bed so I can fuck your brains out?" "I would love that, but have you forgotten; we're supposed to take your grandmother to the doctor this afternoon." "Damn, I forgot." Lance gave him a silly grin. "What can I say? You're so fucking hot I can't concentrate on anything but your sexy body when I `m around you." "Yeah, yeah; you're a crock of shit." Lance pulled his lower lip down and pretended to pout. "Do I need to remind you we'll be back here later this afternoon? I'm sure something can get worked in, and everyone will be happy." "Okay, I hear you. Let's go check on the old woman." "Is that any way to talk about your grandmother?" "She loves it when I get rough with her." "Yeah, well, whatever." <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Another two months passed, and Samuel Thompson found himself on the way to prison. His charges included embezzlement, using force with a weapon against Edith Baxter, as well as threatening to end her life. And what surprised everybody was another charge. Sam was also charged and found guilty of the murder of Agnes Doughty. With Edith's testimony saying she had tried to force him to pull the car over, and he had refused, the court decided a third charge could and would be against him. When all was said and done, Samuel Thompson was sentenced to fifty years in prison." As they were leaving court, Glenn Maxwell told them, "What that really means is Sam will have to serve at least eighty per cent of his time, no matter how good a behavior he displays while locked up." "So, eighty per cent of fifty years is" "Close to forty years," Glenn supplied. "Which means he won't see day light ever again," Lance remarked. "Do I detect a hint of satisfaction in your voice?" Jonathan asked. "I would love to say `hell yes!' For some reason, though, I feel sorry for the man. He's had a miserable life." "As everyone around him," Glenn added quietly. "Glenn's right, Lance." When they reached the sidewalk, Glenn said, "I understand you're going to work for Smyth Oil. Congratulations," he said giving Jonathan a hand shake. "Thanks, I appreciate that," Jonathan told him. "At Lance's suggestion, I plan on working a couple days a week at the hospital. I'm still not certain there will a lot for me to do at the new job." "And I keep telling him he'll have his ass worked off," Lance said with a grin. Glenn smiled and gave Lance a hand shake as well. "I'm sure you will. Well, guys, I guess my work here is finished. I'm really glad things worked out for you, Lance. I hope you and Jonathan will be very happy." Jonathan reached over and pulled Lance to him. "We plan on spending the rest of our lives making each other happy; not to mention loving the best grandmother in the world." "Don't forget your mother," Lance reminded him. "How can I? Hell, she never lets me forget who she is." Glenn laughed and they said their goodbyes. The lawyer left his office, and Jonathan and Lance left to give Edith Baxter their news. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< "Serves the bastard right," the old woman declared. "He has finally got his just due." Then she gave Lance a tender look and asked, "Are you okay, baby boy?" "I'm fine, Grandmother," he assured her. The old woman looked over her glasses at both men and said, "You two had better take damned good care of each other; do you hear me?" Jonathan reached over and picked up Lance's hand. "I will take very good care of him, Grandmother, and that's a promise." Lance reached over and picked up his grandmothers hand. "And I promise to take care of you both," he said softly. "Aren't we the lucky ones, Jon?" she asked quietly. "We are," Jonathan said softly. The End This last chapter is dedicated to all of my loyal fans that have stood by me, even when many months passed between new chapters. You are the best people on earth, and I will be forever grateful to you all. I love you guys! Mark