by Jillian Neal
“I can still remedy the fact that you no longer have a badge, if you’re interested.” Fitz tried again as they settled in.
Dan shook his head. “No, Fitz.”
“Hey, Fi loved the lingerie shops and the markets today. She loves Paris. That’s all I’m saying.”
Rolling his eyes, Dan directed him back to the problem at hand. “So, you’ve been working on this guy at the restaurant. What else do you have?”
“They’ve got a gambling ring and money laundering deal going on there, but there has to be more to it. That’s what I can’t figure out. I’ve been working the clean up of the few guys left around Paris that found themselves lacking work since Uncle Nic’s no longer signing paychecks.”
“Let’s start with the guys you have names and records for that are on the take with the gambling rings.”
Fitz pulled several thick file folders from his large briefcase and slapped them on the desk. He’d grabbed one too many. Three mugshots skated out of the top folder. Dan shuddered as he stared down into Nic Wretchkinsides’ black eyes. Just under that was a mugshot Dan had never seen before. He read the name Gaetano Acciai and the murder charges listed under his picture.
“Sorry.” Fitz shoved the documents back in the folder.
“Who is that guy?”
“Nobody. Don’t worry about it.”
“Fitz, come on. You want to bring me back on, but you won’t tell me what the hell that is? What’s going on?”
“He was an assassin for Nic. We didn’t know about him. I located him a few weeks ago and arrested him. It’s over. Let it go.”
“Yeah, I wish I could.” Dan finally gave voice to the fears that haunted his soul. He’d tried so hard to bury them so Fionna wouldn’t feel them, but she still could. He knew.
“What the hell does that mean?” Fitz’s tone softened.
“I threw it off of me, or I tried to. I didn’t want any part of him in my energy, but sometimes I swear I still feel him. Scares the fuck out of me. And I did what I did. I killed him that way for her. Receivers are able to read intent off of energy. According to Fionna, a great deal of what makes a person who they are is in their intent. She doesn’t seem to feel anything black from me, but what if what I did affects the baby? What if it makes her sick or something? What if I’m hurting Fionna, and she doesn’t know it?”
“Hey,” Fitz shook his head. “Didn’t you tell me that if she’s around dark energy she vomits her disapproval?”
Dan nodded.
“She loves you, Dan.”
“Yeah, not sure how the hell I got lucky enough to be able to say that, but somehow she does.”
“You know it takes a hell of a guy and hell of a lot of strength to be able to throw off that much black energy. That was a dark soul you took on. Of course you feel it. How could you not? But that doesn’t mean that any of it will affect Fionna or the baby.”
“Had I not been coming completely unglued over Fi bleeding out at my feet, I would have vomited. That was the sickest, most vile thing I’ve ever felt inside my energy for the few seconds it took me to kill him.” The relief was instantaneous. The cathartic consolation of talking about what he’d done and what he’d felt as he pulled every ounce of energy out of Dominic Wretchkinsides made him woozy with relief.
“Yeah, well, you’ve been through hell, Dan. Not just with Fionna and the baby you lost. All of that was after Amelia. I guess I’m not the man that gets to make the final judgment call, but to me, you did the world a tremendous service. For what it’s worth, thank you that my sons don’t have to live with that kind of despicable power as a presence in their life anymore.”
Dan nodded meekly. “That’s kind of what I feel whenever Aida crawls up in my lap, or when I think about the baby. Maybe all the hell we went through is going to mean something to them.”
“Of course it will. I mean, take Aida. Think of all you and Fionna have done for her after what Pravus did to her family under his orders. What kind of sick mind does something like that? These were not wealthy people. They had nothing, and he took what little they had.”
“Yeah,” Dan’s stomach churned uncomfortably. “I can’t think about it, honestly. It’s too much.” He couldn’t go there. It was a new day, and he’d never allow his baby girl to be hurt again.
“Yeah, well, just remember that you’re the hero in this whole shit storm, Dan. You took him on, but you won. If any part of him is still in you, you’re strong enough to kill it off too.”
Fitz flipped open a different folder on the top of the stack.
Dan forced Wretchkinsides out of his mind. He didn’t want to think about him anymore. He studied the information set before him and Fitzroy’s notes.
“How many guys do you have something on?”
“Only seven, and they seem completely inept. It’s like they’re trying to set up a big ring but don’t know how. I have to stop myself from giving them tips, so I have something to really arrest them on.”
“They do seem to be fairly petty crimes. Vandalism and getting caught with a few cellphones and traveler’s checks won’t amount to much in jail time, but I agree there has to be more to all of this.”
“Precisely. So, maybe I should have the guys I’ve got something on picked up. Maybe scare them straight or scare them into talking. A few weeks in Bertereau might have them rethinking their current business venture.”
Bertereau was the Gifted prison in France. It was positioned out near the Le Puy mines and the rare combination of cerussite and aragonite surrounding the prison made it particularly unsavory for any Gifted person. The energy drain was not only dramatic but excruciatingly painful.
Dan had taken several Interfeci members out to Bertereau. As long as you didn’t stay long, it wasn’t too bad. The effects took a few hours, but once it set in it would take weeks to recover from.
“Other than your restaurateur, this seems like a bunch of bratty kids. Taking a few of them in, might get the message out to anyone that’s thinking of joining them.”
“Agreed. I’ll call Oliver have him file the warrants. We’ll start picking them up in the morning.”
At seven o’clock, the children presented their dinner to the adults with a great deal of pride. Everyone raved over their work.
Aida grinned from ear to ear as Dan helped her carry the platter of chicken to the table. Alex slopped the asparagus spears down while Alfred carefully managed the hollandaise sauce.
Fionna and Maddie supplied bread while Fitzroy poured wine. Dan followed Aida’s instructions on bringing the potatoes to the table as they were much too hot for her to carry.
As everyone seated themselves and dug in, Alex began complaining. His disdain for food was unlike any other French child according to Maddie. She blamed Fitz’s American roots for their child’s whining.
Fitz glared at his eldest son, but then his eyes lit. “Hey, Aida, sweetheart, why don’t you tell Alex and all of us a few things about living in the orphanage and then about living in D.C. now.” Perspective seemed to be the name of the game.
Aida swallowed down a bite of chicken as she nodded thoughtfully. “Do I live in D.C.?” She asked Fionna.
“That’s the big city near our house, remember?”
“I remember now.” She turned back to Fitz. “Living in my new house with Mommy and Daddy is the best wish ever come true.”
Maddie swooned as Dan kissed the top of Aida’s head.
“I got to pick my very own room, and Daddy painted my walls purple. And I have a fairy princess quilt. And I have a special baby bed for Sophie and my drawers and my closet have clothes. More clothes than I ever had before. It’s wonderful. I don’t have to share with the other girls at the orphanage anymore. And I have shoes that don’t pinch my toes.”
“When I first got to my new house, Mommy had a hurt tummy, so I took care of her.”
Fitz and Maddie gave Fionna sorrowful gazes, but she shook her head.
“Did you know about her hurt tummy
already?”
Dan wasn’t certain if she didn’t want to be repetitive or if she was hoping Fitz could tell her more about Fionna’s ailment.
“Uh,” Fitz glanced at Dan not knowing what Aida had been told. “I came to visit your Mommy when she was in the hospital, but she’s better now.”
Aida turned a crestfallen gaze on Fionna.
“Sorry,” Fitz mouthed but Dan shook his head. He certainly hadn’t known.
“I didn’t know you had to go to the hospital.”
“It was just for a little while, and Daddy stayed with me and took good care of me. The Medios made me all better.”
Aida seemed to decide that Fionna was, in fact, all better. “Everything is better than at the orphanage, and I’m going to have a baby sister that I get to hold and help take care of.” She continued to spew forth information rapidly.
“And I have my very own books and when I want my hair braided like Anne’s, Mommy braids it. My skin isn’t itchy anymore because after my bath Mommy puts on my oily stuff that makes it not hurt anymore.”
Maddie was on the verge of tears and giving Fitzroy looks that said to either impregnate her with a little girl immediately or to fly her out to the orphanage and find one for her.
Looking bewildered, Fitz turned back to Aida. “What kinds of things did you eat at the orphanage?”
“Usually we only get to eat stew for breakfast and lunch and only one bowl because you don’t want other children to be hungry.”
Alex’s head drooped slightly as he began to understand why his father had asked Aida about the orphanage.
“I would always watch the babies and do extra chores because if you help, then you get to check out more books from the library. I love books from the library and now I have my very own.”
“And at my new house.” Her eyes lit suddenly. “When Mommy does laundry and chores, Daddy and I get to help. She’s always happy. When she walks by Daddy, he does like this.” She made a scooping motion ending with a slight squeeze of her hand, and Dan choked.
“Right here on Mommy.” She pointed to her own backside with a giggling grin. “And then Mommy does this.” She plastered on huge smile and batted her eyelashes.
Fitz guffawed and Maddie fought very hard not to join in.
“Aida, that isn’t really a story we need to share.” Fionna urged.
Furrowing her brow, Aida nodded. “But all of the nuns in the orphanage never smiled like that. It makes me happy when you smile.”
Unable to bring himself to scold her after her explanation, Dan willed his face back to its original color. Fitz was still laughing at him outright.
Highly irritated that his father was winning in the battle of wills, Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t there anything you don’t like about living with Uncle Dan and Fionna? Like asparagus!”
Aida considered the question carefully. “If you are hungry, it makes your tummy hurt. If your tummy is nervous, then you might have a nightmare. Sometimes, if I have a nightmare, Daddy lays down with me and makes the sunshine come back to my tummy so then you don’t have anymore nightmares.”
Fitz’s earlier amusement melted into a heartbroken expression.
“Sweetie, maybe you won’t have those anymore.” Maddie hoped.
“I can’t remember if my nightmare woke me up or the brick the other night, but I hope they’re going away. They’re scary.” Aida confessed with a slight shudder.
Devastated gazes went around the table as Aida continued to eat. She speared an asparagus with her fork, dipped it in the sauce, and ate it with a bit of show right in front of Alex.
“It was probably the brick.” Alfred offered Aida sweetly. He didn’t want her to have nightmares either it seemed.
Aida smiled at him as Maddie sported a very proud expression.
“Before we came to Paris, France, I woke up because I heard Mommy crying.”
Panic broadcast from Fionna. “I wasn’t crying!”
Dan shook his head but his mouth was full of potato, and he couldn’t speak. Fitz and Maddie nodded confusedly.
“She wasn’t crying I don’t think because she said she wasn’t, but I heard loud noises and I heard Mommy tell Daddy to give her something. She said it a bunch of times, and it sounded loud.” Dan and Fionna looked at one another completely horrified.
“Aida, Mommy wasn’t crying, remember!” The look on Dan’s face gave him away.
Fitz figured out what Fionna had been asking for and had his number.
A delighted, mischievous look cast his face as he urged Aida on. “So, then what happened?”
Dan glared at him hatefully. Much to her parents’ chagrin, Aida went on. “Well, I heard Daddy say ‘take it,’ and he sounded kind of mad, and then Mommy made that funny noise again.”
Fionna’s head fell into her hands.
“Jean Paul! No!” Maddie demanded when she realized what had been taking place, but he wasn’t going to be dissuaded.
“Uh huh.” He goaded.
“And I heard a sound like this,” Aida clapped her hands together rather loudly, and Fitz lost it. He roared with laughter shocking Aida.
In her confusion, she seemed to decide to speed up the story. “But she wasn’t really crying, because when they opened the door, Mommy was okay and she was wearing her purple, very silky gown that’s my very favorite. It has black lace up the sides here and here.” She gestured to her own sides. “And it feels so soft.”
She continued to inform as Fitz was doubled over laughing hysterically.
“But she also had on very, very high heels in her robe and very beautiful tights that had designs in them and bows at the top right here.” She pointed to the upper midsection of her own thighs.
“And she was wearing that before bed, so that was funny, so she wasn’t sad. I decided.”
This brought on raucous laughter from Fitzroy. He wiped away tears unable to catch his breath from laughing so hard.
“Boys, why don’t you and Aida go out and play on the slide. I’ll clean up and then we’ll have the strawberry tart.” Maddie began damage control immediately.
Excited by that idea, Aida turned to Dan. “May I please be excused?”
Dan nodded as he was unable to speak as he tried to soothe Fionna who was on the verge of tears.
“I am going to kill you!” He growled as soon as the children were out the backdoor.
“Apologize!” Maddie demanded.
“I’m sorry.” He was still chortling and didn’t look sorry at all. “Oh, come on. It’s not like we don’t do that. You coached me through our first time, and believe me Alex and Alfred have interrupted more than a few sessions.”
Fionna’s head lifted as she took in Fitz’s apology. “Really?”
“Hell yeah.” Fitz drew a quick sip of his water. “At least she knocked. Alex just busted in one time. That wasn’t easy to explain away; trust me! For what it’s worth, he took in quite a show. For weeks, he kept asking why I was hurting Maddie. It was horrible!”
“What did you tell him?” Fionna relaxed with Fitz and Maddie’s reassurances.
“I don’t remember exactly. It was few years ago.” Maddie explained. “I know that I kept assuring him that Fitz wasn’t hurting me. Americans are very hung up about sex. It’s part of life. Children need to know that their parents love each other.”
“Don’t worry about it, Fionna.” Fitz insisted “Kids are resilient. She’ll forget about it. It’s not as big a deal as it seems. I do remember thinking that after Alex stormed in.”
Dan was shocked that Fitz’s promises seemed to soothe her.
“Alfred always knocks.” Maddie glanced out the window to check on the kids. “But I think it happens to everyone. All of my friends have stories as well.”
“None of my friends really have kids old enough for that to have happened yet.” Fionna was happy to be able to confide in Maddie once again.
“You have us.” Fitz vowed, and Dan was suddenly able to remember why Jean Pa
ul Fitzroy was his best friend.
After the strawberry tart had been consumed, Fionna gave Aida her bath while Maddie tucked the boys in.
Dan sauntered out onto the porch with a bottle of beer they’d purchased at the market. Fitzroy was on the phone. One of the men he’d ordered the warrant for had already been arrested.
Chilling the beer with his hands, Dan sank down in one of the chairs. Ending the call quickly, Fitz grabbed his own beer and returned to the porch.
The weather was warm, and it was a beautiful night.
“Best part of the whole damn story was the sound like this.” Fitz set his beer down long enough to clap his hands together mocking Aida.
“I will just point out that I know seven ways to kill you with this beer bottle, and you have never outshot me.”
Fitzroy continued laughing. “Heels huh?”
Rolling his eyes, Dan refused to answer.
Sensing that he’d pushed it far enough, Fitz retreated. “She’s amazing, Dan. You’re a lucky guy.”
“Yes, I am.” He was still irritated with his best friend, though he had to admit if it had been Alex telling the story, he would have done the same thing.
Musée de l'érotisme
Trying to make up for his stunt the evening before, Fitz and Maddie offered to take the kids to a Children’s Day at the Louvre museum. Fitz had assured them that he would gladly translate anything Aida might need help with, but that she would have a ball with the hands-on art displays, seeing the Gifted sciences area, and playing with the boys.
They’d insisted that Dan and Fionna enjoy an extended afternoon in Paris taking in the sights.
“Okay, have fun!” Fionna called as they waved goodbye.
Dan was pleased that Aida seemed excited to go off without he and Fionna and had only asked once if they would be back when she arrived home.
“What might my beautiful wife like to do today in Paris?” Dan drawled as he took Fionna’s hand and spun her into him as they stood on the front stoop of the Fitzroy’s home.