Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:54:29 GMT From: Jon Subject: Life After Nick Part Eight Sorry for the delay, work as been a bitch! Comments as always. Things are starting to come together. Backbayguy@juno.com CHAPTER ONE: During the two weeks that had passed since Jonathan's return to the USA, it had been incredibly busy for him. Preparing for the sale of the company had occupied most of his time. His lawyers were quite disturbed to find that there was almost no information on the company that was buying Stonewolf Enterprises which naturally made them uncomfortable. Jonathan would only say that he knew the CEO of the company, it was private and he trusted him. Even Ian had become very outspoken on the deal and on more then one occasion had come very close to total exasperation with Jonathan. All Jonathan would say was that it was worth everyone's time and money to do this. He took a moment from the day to walk around his office, the ever present coffee cup in his hand. The office spanned over 2000 square feet. He looked the pictures of events in his life that hung on the wall. Companies that he had taken over, Skiing trips, golf outings, some of the properties he owned. He really did have mixed feelings on the sale of the company. He had done an excellent job of expanding the holdings his parents had left to him. He now also had an heir to leave them to; or at least the parts he wasn't selling. Ryan would be well taken care of. He would need guidance for a while though. That should be easy to take care of. Jonathan stopped by one of the many couches and sat. Sebastian, sensing something was wrong walked over and silently hopped up on the edge of the couch before walking over and lying down half on, half Jonathan. He absent mindedly stroked the cat. Jonathan knew that he needed to speak to Ryan about the future. He was due to fly out the next afternoon for Geneva; and then a train ride over to Lausanne for Ryan's graduation ceremony. They had planned to go over to Zermatt afterwards for some Spring skiing. Maybe it would be better, he thought, to go to the resort and talk. Ryan had not seen the resort yet. Jonathan was pretty sure that Ryan could deal with the warm sun and surf. He made a mental note to tell Brandon. His mind turned to Jared. They had talked for a couple of hours on the plane. Jared slowly came to understand what had transformed Jonathan and the powers he had. Jared also came to terms with the fact that appearances still had to be maintained and that Jonathan could still be kidnapped and held for ransom. While Jonathan could escape at any point he could choose and not be killed or harmed, it would make for some very difficult explanations. Jonathan snapped out of his revelry as the intercom chimed. "Yeah" he replied hitting the button on the phone next to the couch. "Sam is on your private line" said Brandon. "Thanks" said Jonathan. He quickly transferred lines. "Hi Sam, long time." He started. "How goes?" "I'm doing good, how are you?" asked Sam. "Sorry I haven't called lately, end of the semester and the school year keeps me pretty busy" "No problem" said Jonathan with a smile on his face. "I've been kinda busy myself" "I kind of figured that" said Sam. "I called a couple of weeks ago and they said you were out of the country" "I was over in Switzerland for a series of meetings and then I spent some time with Ryan. He is graduating this weekend" said Jonathan. "That's great" said Sam. "I was wondering if you had time for lunch?" "Hang on a second, let me switch phones and I'll tell you" said Jonathan. As he walked across the office, Brandon came into the office. "No you don't have time for lunch today. You are booked right through until the flight tomorrow and I'm thinking of having the time pushed back for that" "When did you become psychic?" asked Jonathan as he sat behind his desk. "I know you" said Brandon. "When a friend calls it usually disrupts the day" Jonathan scowled at Brandon and then looked at his online schedule. Sebastian seemed to look amused at the two humans. "Hrm. Move Ian's meeting tomorrow afternoon on board Renaissance. Have the two lawyers on board as well and they can all fly back on the Gulfstream the next day." Brandon paused for a moment thinking. "You do realize that will cost something like $80,000 dollars for what was supposed to be a simple one hour meeting?" "It won't break me I'm sure and I haven't seen Sam in a couple of months" said Jonathan. "OK" said Brandon. He had long ago become accustomed to Jonathan's random reshuffling of the organized day. Jonathan picked up the line again. "Hey Sam, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'm tied up today, but how about lunch over at the Chart House tomorrow around 1pm? I'm scheduled to fly out at 4pm" "That sounds great." Said Sam. "I have to monitor a final exam at 9am, but will be done at noon, so that works great. I'll see you then." "Sounds good, take care" said Jonathan breaking the connection. He paused to think about his relationship with Sam. It could have become very sexual in nature out in Las Vegas, however they both choose to remain just friends. Part of him had wished for more. Their friendship had become close over the past year and he also wanted that to remain the same. Then there was the whole dying thing coming up in a couple of years. Jonathan was not sure if he was ready to deal with losing another close partner. At least that was one blessing of immortality. He wasn't going to get any older and he still thought he looked pretty damn hot. He would still be able to hook up over the years. The rest of the afternoon was taken up with work; much to Jonathan's displeasure. The paperwork seemed to have grown geometrically since the impending sale. Some peace and quiet was looking better and better. He picked up the phone and called Ian. "Yes?" came the reply over the speakerphone. "You busy?" asked Jonathan. "Let's see" said Ian. "You're selling off a company worth billions and I'm the Chief Financial Officer. What do you think?" "Sounds like you need to go out on a good drunk" said Jonathan laughing. "My wife would not approve" said Ian. "Right" said Jonathan. "Well do keep in mind, we're going to be having one hell of a party afterwards." "Then I'll be the drunkest one there but for now, I'm just way too busy. How can I help you?" "I need some extra time with you either today or tomorrow" said Jonathan. "I just got the email that you pushed our meeting back for tomorrow." Said Ian. "The flight is 7 hours or so and I'm trapped on board, so I'm sure we can fit it in" "OK, thanks for being able to adjust to things." Said Jonathan. "I've never said how much I appreciate what you have done for me over years" There was a pause of silence. "You're welcome. I should be the one thanking you for the opportunity. I've never looked back. I've made quite a bit of money as well you know. If it wasn't for you, I'd never been able to establish the reputation that I have" "We'll talk" said Jonathan breaking the connection. CHAPTER TWO: The next afternoon, Jonathan was waiting in the Chart House when Sam walked in. The weather being a perfect late spring day in Boston, the patio was open. Jonathan was working on a Bloody Mary. He got up as Sam walked over and gave him a hug. "Hey, it's great to see you" said Jonathan. "It's great seeing you too" said Sam returning the hug. "It's been too long" "Yeah I know that's my fault" said Jonathan. "I've been crazy busy for a couple of months now" "You're version of busy would kill most people" said Sam. The waitress came over and took Sam's drink order and gave him a menu. "I don't think I've been here before" said Sam. "What's good?" "Everything is good" said Jonathan cruising through the menu. As Sam looked up he noted Jared standing in the shadow of the building. "New bodyguard?" asked Sam "Yeah" said Jonathan. "Danny felt it would be better. He is now planning security logistics. He thinks it is better this way. Jared is an excellent bodyguard but a bit over zealous sometimes." "Does that mean he will break me in two if I crack a bad joke?" asked Sam. "I've never known a BU professor to make a good joke, but you are safe" said Joanthan with a laugh. After ordering their lunches, the two continued to talk with the easy banter they had developed over the past year as friends. All too soon lunch was over and they were both just finishing off their coffees. Jonathan reached for the check, but Sam beat him to it. "My treat" said Sam. "I asked you out. Besides how often do I get to pick up the check for one of the world's richest men?" "Done" said Jonathan. "Thank you" After paying the bill, they got up and walked out of the building. Waiting outside were the two Hummers. Erik was patiently waiting by the side of Hummer One with the door open. "Still traveling in style I see" said Sam with a laugh. "Security I'm sure would prefer a limo, but this has style and it is armored." Said Jonathan. "It's a great ride" said Sam as he slid his hand over the front chrome. "How long are you going to be away?" "Probably about a week I think" said Jonathan. "Graduation is the day after tomorrow and then I need to go see some friends for a couple of days outside Lucerne then I'm taking Ryan down to St. Thomas for a few days. He's never seen the resort" "I looked at the website for your resort. It looks incredible" said Sam. "Yeah, not a bad piece of real estate" said Jonathan. "You can come visit anytime you want you know" "I know" said Sam. "I've been thinking about it" "So, why not come down?" said Jonathan. "It is Wednesday now. I think we are flying down Sunday and be there at least through the following Wednesday" "You're serious?" asked Sam. "Say the word and I'll have a jet waiting at Logan on Sunday" said Jonathan, surprised at his own decision. "Only if I can pay for dinner one night" said Sam. "I think we can work something out" said Jonathan, looking over at Erik who was tapping his watch. "I gotta go; although it's not like they are going to leave without me. I'll call you on Saturday with the details OK?" "Awesome" said Sam walking over and shaking hands and getting a hug. "I can't wait" "It will be fun. Don't forget the sun tan lotion" said Jonathan as he got into the Hummer. On the way to the airport Jonathan was absorbed in his thoughts on what he had just done. He knew that he was not in any position to get into a relationship at this point. Maybe he was just looking for some company his own age. It was a brief trip to Logan from the Chart House. A quick stop at airport security and the Hummer was in front of Renaissance. Jared got out and took a quick look around as usual before letting Jonathan out. "You do know that Logan is one of the most secure airports in the world right?" he asked Jared as they walked up the jet stairs. "You got tagged once by a sniper" said Jared. "That was for a different reason in another world entirely" said Jonathan. He nodded to the stewards waiting at the door; accepting a mug of coffee. "Ian and the lawyers will be on board shortly. We can depart once they are here." "They are inbound and should be here in about 10 minutes" said Brandon coming around a corner. "The Gulfstream is already in the air bound for Geneva for their return trip" "Sounds good thanks" said Jonathan. "I'll be up front when they get here" CHAPTER THREE After meeting with the lawyers and Ian for about three hours, most of the necessary details were worked out for the sale of the company; at least for this week Jonathan thought to himself. About the time he walked over to the bar to make a drink, there was a knock and Karen came through the door. "Hey stranger" said Jonathan. "What's going on?" "You have been the stranger" said Karen, with a hint of scolding in her voice. "You have been keeping 18 hour days at work lately. We never see you much." "The sale is almost done" said Jonathan. "Then we will have lots of time" "I should think so" said Karen. "From what I hear, the sale will do nice things to your bank account" "My bank account has never bounced a check thank you very much" said Jonathan. "Yeah, ok" said Karen. "When was the last time you actually went and hand wrote a check of your own?" "Point taken" said Jonathan. "You are right though. I'm tired. It has been a long two weeks. The sale should be done within a month; then I'm taking a serious down time check out" "Meanwhile, what do you want for dinner?" asked Karen. "We are doing an Irish stew for the crew and guests. Do you want that or something else?" "Honestly, I'd settle for a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake" said Jonathan. Karen stood in the doorway and looked at him for a minute. "You feeling OK?" "Yeah I'm fine" said Jonathan. "I guess it just realizing that everything I have worked for over the years is finally coming to be." "I'll be back with the burger soon" she promised and closed the door. Jonathan finished pouring a beer and walked over to the couch and flipped on the TV. As he was looking though the channels, the intercom beeped. "Hello" said Jonathan. "It's Mark" said the voice. "Ian is in the conference room, he said you wanted to talk to him. Are you free?" "Yeah, send him upfront please" said Jonathan, disconnecting. This should be an interesting conversation. Shortly there was a knock on the door. Ian walked in. "You know as long as I have worked for you, I don't believe I've seen the front of the plane. This is amazing" "Thank you" said Jonathan. "Have a seat, can I get you something to drink?" "Red wine would be nice" said Ian. Jonathan went behind the bar and rummaged around. "So Ian, have you given any consideration to what you are going to do after the sale? You know you can stay on with the company" "I know" said Ian accepting the glass of wine. "I'm thinking of opening my own investment council group. I've got the money from my salary over the years to be quite comfortable and it would get me started. "That's great" said Jonathan. He walked over to the desk and opened a drawer and removed an envelope before returning to the sitting area. "How's the wine?" he asked. "Your taste in wines is perfect as always" said Ian. "So, what did you need to talk about?" Jonathan paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "Two things really" said Jonathan. "The first is I wanted to say thank you for all of the work you have been doing for me over the years and particularly over the past couple of months with the impending sale" "That's what you pay me for" said Ian, sipping his wine. "It has been a lot of work but a lot of fun over the years to see things grow. I've made some money along the way as well" "Well, you just made some more" said Jonathan, handing him the envelope. "Call it interest due" Ian looked at him with curiosity. He opened the envelope and read the note. Then he saw the check. For a long moment, nothing could form in his mind. "Jonathan" he started, not sure how to say what he was feeling or thinking. "I can't accept this, it is way too much" "I started out with the exact same amount and you have multiplied it for me many, many times. I could never spend the amount of money I have in my accounts. This came from my own personal account, which as you know, does NOT require two signatures..." This brought a laugh from Ian. "So, you can actually cash it." Said Jonathan. "Invest it, spend it, live a little" Ian looked again at the check: Pay to the Order of Ian McCormick. Five Hundred Million Dollars "Now before you go running off to Mexico or something there is the other thing" said Jonathan. "Anything" said Ian. "Ryan starts college this fall as you know" said Jonathan. "If something should happen to me, he is the rightful heir to all of my belongings. I want you to be his financial advisor. It is in the will. Will you do that?" "Of course" said Ian. "I'd be more then happy to do so, but you aren't going anywhere for a while unless you do something silly like fall off the yacht or something" "Not even then" said Jonathan. He paused for a moment. "There is another reason however I need you to be his advisor." Said Joanthan. There is a very special clause in my will." "What's that?" asked Ian, more curious then ever. "An envelope with instructions will be given to him after the reading of the will" said Jonathan. "Among those instructions will be that he has to set up a bank account in Zurich with his name and a second one. The second person will be able to access the account via withdrawal at the bank, ATM, or wire transfer from anywhere in the world with a single access code." "How big is the account going to be?" asked Ian. "Five Billion Dollars Cash" said Jonathan "Why?" asked Ian. The next two hours of discussion were very lively for Ian. CHAPTER FOUR: Jonathan was getting out of the Hummer in front of The Brillantmont International College where Ryan was graduating. Dressed in a custom tailored Christian Dior double breasted suit, with a coordinating tie and shirt he looked every bit of the part of a multi billionaire. Surrounded by Jared and three other agents he was greeted at the door by the Chancellor of the College. "Mr. Castleton, it is a pleasure to see you again" he started. "Ryan has been one of our most brilliant students. We were very proud when he was accepted to the Institute in Zurich. That's very rare for an American. He also helped lead our swim team to the national championships" "He's quite a kid" said Jonathan. "How are things here?" "We are doing quite nicely thank you." Said the Chancellor. "If you would permit me, I would like to escort you to the seating area. We will be beginning the ceremonies shortly." "After you sir" said Jonathan. Jared walked ahead of Jonathan with one guard on each side and one behind. "Guys, can I have a little space?" he asked. "No" said Jared. "Damn you are a pain in the ass" said Jonathan. "Thank you" said Jared. The ceremony lasted a little over an hour. Jonathan felt an amazing amount of pride when Ryan walked across the stage and accepted his diploma. Ryan turned and saw Jonathan there. He smiled back at him. Jonathan couldn't help but think that Nick would have been equally as proud of him as he was. Maybe somewhere out there in the time and space continuum he was looking down. After the ceremony, Ryan came up and hugged Jonathan. "Thank you" he whispered in Jonathan's ear, tears rolling down his face in happiness. "You have no idea what this has meant to me" "Easy does it" said Jonathan, holding on to him. "It's all going to be all right. You are OK Ryan." "I can't believe that this time last year almost I was lying in a hospital bed with the shit kicked out of me and now, I just graduated from one of the highest accredited schools in the world" "You did it kiddo, not me" said Jonathan. "I wouldn't be here without your help" said Ryan. "That's all I did" said Jonathan, letting Ryan go and looking him in the eye. "I got you here, but you did all the rest. This was you being you. Be proud of that" "I am" said Ryan. "So, what are you up to now?" asked Jonathan. "I have a party to go to with some friends" said Ryan. "I can totally bail on them if you want" "No, go have some fun" said Jonathan. "How about breakfast tomorrow? I want to talk to you about something." "Sure, what's up" he asked. "How does a few days in The US Virgin Islands sound over skiing?" Jonathan asked. "Totally cool!" said Ryan, wrapping his arms around Jonathan again. "You are incredible" "Yeah I know" said Jonathan with a laugh. "Go have fun. I'll see you in the morning. Oh, we need to stop up in Lucerne for a couple of days before island hopping. Some people want to meet you" "Sounds great" said Ryan. Jonathan looked over at the two bodyguards that had been assigned to Ryan. "Keep him safe" he said. They nodded back. CHAPTER FIVE: As the sun was starting to set over the resort, Jonathan knocked on the door leading to Ryan's suite. After a moment, the door open and Ryan was there. It was obvious that he had been napping. His blond hair was going in every direction and he was standing in just boxers. "Hey Jonathan. What's up?" he asked sleepily. "Guess I fell asleep. Jet lag is a mother fucker" "You get used to it after a while" said Jonathan. "What do you think about going for a walk after you take a shower or something and wake up. I want to talk to you about a few things" "Sure" said Ryan as he absent mindedly scratched his smooth chest and abs. "Give me like a half hour" "OK" said Jonathan. "I'll be out on the patio" Jonathan returned to the patio and was standing by the wall looking out over the resort and harbor when he felt Kristian appear. "It is going to be all right Jonathan." Kristian said "You know that you need to tell him and he'll handle it OK. It is unfortunate that he has to be brought into this but some mortals are involved in our day to day operations and he now has to be one." "That remains to be seen." Said Jonathan. "But I guess it is better then me dying and not telling him then reappearing to him later on" "It is a little disturbing to do that" said Kristian. "I remember back in the 40's I was murdered in Los Angeles. That was a bitch. It was not planned and I had to do a lot of fancy legal maneuvers in order to get access to my belongings. Anyway, about two years later I was passing through San Francisco and ran into an old friend. That was not pretty" "What did you do?" asked Jonathan "The only thing I could do" he said. "I acted like a ghost and disappeared right in front of him. No one would believe that he had seen me. Eventually he gave up and figured out it was his mind playing tricks on him." "That must have been rough on both of you" said Jonathan. "I felt bad about it I must admit" said Kristian. "Speaking of, I would like to talk to Anthony and Karen about this whole disappearing act upcoming. I'd like them to stay on and work for Ryan. I owe them a lot as well. They have been there for me for a long time and I can't subject them to the pain of my death." "They know you are immortal as well you know" said Kristian. "I leave these matters to you. I just wanted to pass by and wish you luck" "Thanks" said Jonathan. He nodded his head towards the top of the stairs. "Here he comes" "Want me to stay?" asked Kristian "No, this is going to be hard enough without explaining everything" said Jonathan. With that, Kristian up and disappeared. "Damn, I wish he wouldn't do that" Jonathan said to himself. He turned to see Ryan coming down the stairs leading to the private pool. Jonathan paused to take in the scene and just how much Ryan had grown over the past year. He was rapidly becoming a man. He now stood over 6 feet and had to be a good 180 pounds of pretty solid teenager. Dressed in Cargo shorts and a Hawaiian shirt he was definitely the material girls would jump on. "What's going on?" asked Ryan. "Not a lot" said Jonathan, "Just surveying the domain" "I can't believe that you own this place" said Ryan. "You're not upset that we're not skiing?" asked Jonathan. "Of course not" said Ryan. "I live in Switzerland I can go skiing just about anytime. This place is amazing. The tits I've seen on the beach are incredible" "Yeah well" Said Jonathan. "What happened to the girlfriend in Lausanne?" "She went back to France and is hooking up with some prince or something" said Ryan. "No big deal, more free time for me" "That works" said Jonathan. "Come on let's go down to the beach" Ryan was a little startled by the sudden presence of Jared and two others. It was if they had just materialized out of nowhere. He was getting used to them coming and going; especially since he had two of his own now. "How do they do that?" asked Ryan as they descended down to the beach. "Practice" said Jonathan with a laugh. They walked down through the setting sunlight to a secluded part of the beach. As they sat down, the bodyguards moved away and formed a loose protective area to make sure that no one entered the area. They were left alone. Jonathan turned to Ryan. "This isn't going to be easy for you to understand but it something you need to know" said Jonathan. "Something wrong?" asked Ryan. "Are you sick?" There was obvious concern in his voice and on his face. "No, not at all" said Jonathan. "This involves more what is going to be happening with me, with you and with the company." "Sounds pretty serious" said Ryan. Jonathan looked out at the ocean and the colors of the evening sunset. "Yes and no" he started. "How well can you keep a secret?" "As long as you don't tickle me I'm good" said Ryan with a smile. "Why?" "There are a few things I need to tell and probably show you that you can never talk to anyone outside of a few people" said Jonathan. "These things can create a lot of problems if they were generally known" "OK" said Ryan settling in to the warm sand. "First off, I'm selling off most of the company for cash assets" said Jonathan. "I expect that the sale should be completed sometime this fall" "How come?" Ryan asked. "I want and need some more free time and the company has grown larger and larger" said Jonathan. "I've been offered a huge amount of money for the company and it will allow me to move around a lot more freely" "You already have an incredible amount of money" said Ryan "You should be able to do anything you want" "Which is why I'm selling off most of the company" said Jonathan. "It will allow me to do more of what I want" "OK" said Ryan. "What else?" "There is another reason for selling off the company, or most of it" said Jonathan. "The company that is buying it I have connections to. I'm on its' board of directors." "That's cool" said Ryan. "Isn't it some sort of conflict of interest?" Jonathan almost laughed. "No, it's not but for good reason. I'll go over that in a bit. There is something else you need to know first." He paused. "When I die you are my sole heir, you already know that" said Jonathan. "As of the moment or rather when the sale is complete, you will inherit something along the lines of 11 billion dollars in cash and holdings" Even in the setting sunlight, he could see Ryan go pale. "Damn" he whispered "I didn't know you were worth that much" "After the first couple of billion it all just sort of becomes a jumble" joked Jonathan, trying to lighten the mood. "There is a reason for the cash. I'm going to need access to it after you get it" Ryan looked at him oddly. "What's that mean? The last I heard you can't take it with you" Jonathan looked for the right words. "There are some uhm, circumstances that surround that or at least with me. The lawyers and bankers will work with you to set up a couple of cash accounts. The reason for this is that, well, I'm immortal" Ryan just looked at him. "As in Highlander immortal?" "Something like that but I don't go around chopping off heads with swords. I just will live for a hell of a lot longer then other people. I also have abilities that most people do not" "Like what?" asked Ryan. "That is for another time; that takes way too long to explain" said Jonathan. "I get it, you are doing this to bust my balls about something right?" asked Ryan. "I wish it was that easy kiddo, but I'm serious" said Jonathan. Ryan sat and just looked at him without saying anything for a good two minutes. Finally he spoke. "You're serious?" "Very" said Jonathan. "Stand up" Ryan stood in front of him. "Close your eyes" said Jonathan. Ryan did as he asked. A few seconds later he felt what he thought was a mild electrical current going through him. It tickled more then hurt and just as fast went away. "Open your eyes" said Jonathan. Ryan opened his eyes to find that he was standing or rather floating over the earth. He was both amazed and frightened at the same time. He saw Jonathan next to him. "What the fuck?" he said. "What did you put in my drink?" "Nothing, calm down" said Jonathan, opening his mind to Ryan's, sending calming energy towards his mind. "I know this is a little freaky. Your body is actually on the beach in St. Thomas. Your essence and energy, what makes "YOU" you is here with me over the planet. This is one of the powers we have as immortals." "You have got to be shitting me" said Ryan. This isn't going well thought Jonathan. In an instant they were back on the beach. Ryan looked a little cross eyed for a moment before focusing again. "What was that" he asked starting to get up. "Sit" said Jonathan. Ryan tried to move away but couldn't. "Relax, I'm not going to do alien autopsy on you" said Jonathan. Ryan calmed down enough to stop fighting and sit back on the sand. "You are serious" said Ryan. "Very" said Jonathan. "There are a lot of immortal people on this planet at this very moment Ryan. Together we have a mission to save the planet from destruction in a very short time." "What do you mean?" asked Ryan. "I can't really get into that too much" said Jonathan. "It would take way too long. The point is that in order to be a part of the group that will be doing this I need the freedom to do it which is part of why I'm selling the company. To have that freedom." He paused for a moment. "But there is more" said Jonathan. "I'm not sure I want do deal with more" said Ryan. "You need to" said Jonathan. "What?" asked Ryan, looking as scared as he was that night in Phoenix. "It's like this...." said Jonathan. WHAT COMES NEXT>>>>>? The end is near.