Helen had doubts about whether she could maintain her composure on the drive back to her birthplace. After all, it had been a very emotional day. Moreover, this would be the last time she would see her friends for a while. Olivia told her that, due to her pregnancy, she had to stay in New York. Air travel could potentially be risky for pregnant women and she was no exception. On the other hand, Michelle and James still had two more venues to play, before their West Coast tour was over. Still, Helen was so emotionally drained that she felt like she had run out of tears. Throughout the three-hour long drive, she kept looking out her window, barely saying anything.

Nonetheless, even in what seemed like the worst period of her life, the young blonde was able to find a reason to smile. As much as the eulogy she had given to Marcus had devastated her, Helen had to admit that it had also boosted her confidence. Addressing a large crowd such as that required a lot of courage, especially with dozens of reporters around. Without a second thought, she had confronted them and confessed her love to Marcus as well, resembling the strong, confident woman that he was attracted to. In her mind, this was the first and most important step she had to take, in order to get over his loss.

James eased his SUV to a halt, right outside her house. Helen reluctantly opened her door and moved around the large vehicle, as he popped the trunk open.

“I guess this is it.” Olivia spoke in a sad voice; “our country girl’s back home.”

“Yeah; no more cute little smiles for a while.” Michelle muttered, folding her arms across her chest beside her friend.

“Girls, we’ll see each other again soon.” Helen stated firmly, as she set her suitcases down on the ground. “Can we please avoid the emotion? I’ve cried enough for one day.”

“I’ll miss you.” Olivia confessed. “But, you’re right. Hug it out?”

“Come here.” Helen smiled, opening her arms.

“I’ll call you when we get to Manhattan, ok?” Olivia said, her voice mild, as she embraced her friend.

“Don’t I get a hug?” Michelle protested, making Helen’s eyes glint with amusement.

“Sure you do.” She whispered, turning around. “Good luck on those concerts. It’s funny, though.”

“What?” Michelle inquired, as Helen squeezed her tightly in her arms.

“I thought James would want to cancel those.” Helen elaborated. “Marcus was his friend.”

“That’s exactly why I’m not canceling them.” James stated, stepping out of his car. “Work is the only thing that can take my mind off him, Helen. It keeps me sane.”

“I see.” Helen said with a sigh.

“Alright; time to hit the road again. Bye, honey.” Olivia gave her a sweet smile, reentering her husband’s SUV.

“Bye-bye, you cute little face.” Michelle winked at her.

“Drive safely.” Helen returned the smile, waving at them. She watched, as James drove off, hoping that she would see her friends again, possibly even sooner than she anticipated. She was going to miss them, but she had managed to get rid of the idea that she had to live close to them. Yes, she enjoyed her time with them; they were all fun, supportive and loved her dearly. However, in the few weeks of her vacation, Helen had matured. Marcus had shattered her illusion that living in the city was going to be easy. She no longer desired to abandon her family. On the contrary, she was willing to stay in her birthplace, even though she had been tired of her everyday routine.

Helen was able to keep Marcus’s fate out of her mind, as she later went to her parents’ supermarket. She loved to see her mother again, especially after everything she had been through lately. She gladly assisted her in everything Debbie requested and even waited for her to close.

Nevertheless, as night fell in Shandaken, Helen’s memories came rushing back. She left her mother in the living room and went to her bedroom, thinking about the tragic loss of her beloved Marcus. For hours, she kept remembering the horrific moment of Captain Boyd’s phone call, crying for the man who had been so violently taken away from her. Helen spent yet another sleepless night, wondering what she could have done differently. Still, the answer to that question was always the same: nothing. Had she gone back to New York with him, she would either have died in that accident, or hunted down by the men who they had spotted in that diner.

Moonlight was slowly fading into daylight, when Helen walked out of her bedroom, in need of some water. As she found herself in the kitchen though, she noticed a large, dark body’s frame behind the front door. Before she knew it, a white piece of paper was slipped under the door. Puzzled and somewhat scared, she approached, spotting small, black letters on the top of the page. Helen bent down and picked it up. It read:

“What the hell…? Marcus’s father?”

Her fear was soon replaced by curiosity. Whoever was behind that door could not be a thief. Staring at the handle, Helen reached down and gripped it. The sight that greeted her froze the blood in her veins, as she pulled the door open. Her face loosened in utter disbelief, as a long gasp of shock fled her lips. The man’s large frame, his blue eyes and his crooked smile, the smile that had lured her to him since the day they met in Barbados left her no doubt: It was Marcus. His beard was gone and his hair was much shorter than she remembered, but Helen recognized him immediately. Her hands began to tremble, as he took a short step towards her.

“M – Marcus?” She stuttered, her voice faint, as her lips quivered. He didn’t speak. Marcus bent his head down, gazing deep into her eyes, as his smile grew wider.

“It’s me…” He whispered.

“Oh, my God…” Helen’s voice broke, as she wrapped her arms around his back. She squeezed her eyes shut, putting her head on his chest, holding him tighter than she ever had. Marcus curled his left arm around her waist and his right one around her shoulders, burying his face into her hair, as her body began to tremble. For a moment, Helen believed she was having a dream; yet, the warmth of his skin and his firm grip felt very real. A sea of emotion flooded her heart, as she lost herself in his embrace. Within seconds, she felt tears welling up in her eyes. This time though, she welcomed the sensation. Drowning in his scent, Helen burst out crying, pressing her head against his chest even harder.

“I told you…” Marcus whispered once more, stroking her back, as a tear rolled down his face. “I told you I’d find you again.”

Slowly leaning back, she loosened her grip, as she opened her eyes. Helen took her right arm off of his back, watching as more tears streamed down his cheeks. She reached up to cup his face, her hand trembling, as her heart thumped in her chest.

“I love you.” She said, her voice a soft, breathless whisper, as she felt moisture on her skin.

“I love you, too, my country girl.” Marcus spoke, his baritone thick with emotion, as he tilted his head down. He pulled her close, as their lips locked in a long, sweet kiss. Tasting his salty mouth, Helen caressed his cheek, as he knitted his fingers through her hair. His warm breath on her skin made her body tingle, as he slid his hand up her back. She welcomed his kiss, like a humming bird needing nectar. It felt sweeter, tenderer than ever, filled with the love that he had for her. As much as she savored it however, her mind was overwhelmed by questions.

“Ok.” Helen whispered while taking large breaths as she gently leaned back. “Please explain to me.” She swallowed hard. “How’s this even possible?”

Marcus didn’t dignify her question with an answer. Instead, he removed his right hand from her back. Reaching down into his pocket, he pulled a thick, white envelope out of it and handed it over to her. It was a letter from his father.

Dear Ms. Weir,

By now, I trust you are aware of the fact that Marcus is alive. I am truly sorry for what I put you through. Judging by what I saw in the cemetery, you love him very much. But, as you will soon understand, you had to believe that my son was dead. It was the only way for me to keep you both safe.

First of all, I must commend you on your bravery. Standing up to so many reporters was a tremendous act of courage. Marcus said you were ‘gutsy’. I didn’t believe him, until I saw it with my own two eyes.

I am a very well-connected man, Ms. Weir. As such, I have people at the right positions in airports, casinos and even the Pentagon. When one of them recognized my son in JFK, he called me. My sources at the Pentagon confirmed it. I was delighted to hear he was alive, but I had lost his tracks. You can imagine my helplessness, when I realized that those sons of bitches would go after my boy. The same people told me that an investigator by the name of Dan Warrick had been bothering government officials and marine officers, asking them questions about Marcus. I had one of my computer analysts hack into his laptop. Warrick had done a wonderful job. He had found the driver and the sergeant in the front seat of the truck, where Simmons had executed those poor marines. They were stationed at the Pentagon. They had seen the whole thing, but they were too scared to testify. I paid them a visit. I told them my son was still alive. They didn’t believe me, until I showed them a picture from a security camera in JFK. They testified yesterday. Simmons was arrested in Afghanistan this morning.

Marcus was right to think that my house would be crawling with feds. But, he managed to sneak by them. He broke in my back door. I was so happy to see him again. I had missed my boy. Anyway, he asked for my help. I said I’d love to give him a helping hand, but he had to stick to my plan. The feds had to believe he was dead. That way, they would stop chasing him. My people at the Pentagon said that they would kill you, too, but only if you were present. The feds don’t like to leave witnesses.

Speaking of which, the four witnesses to Marcus’s supposed accident are my employees. I’m sorry about your truck, but it was quintessential to my plan. I told them to wait until the road was clear and use a piece of wood to jam the throttle down. The body they used was a ‘John Doe”. The coroner owed me a favor. All they needed after that was a spark.

Last night, I called my son’s friend, James and invited him over. I told him everything and asked for his help. He would pretend to recognize his body. He was a little upset, but in the end, he agreed.

Again, I’m sorry for everything we had to put you through. You take good care of yourself and my son.

P.S. I will buy you a brand-new truck. It’s the least I can do for the woman who brought Marcus out in the open.

Best Regards,

David Donovan

“Smart plan,” Helen commented. “But, I still have a couple of questions.”

“Shoot.”

“James asked me if I wanted to see the body. Why would he take that chance?” She inquired.

“He knows you too well.” Marcus replied, his voice calm and steady. “He knew you wouldn’t go anywhere near that coffin.”

“That he does.” She agreed. “How long had you been standing out there?”

“Well…” He gave a snort of amusement. “I’d been looking through your window for a while, but, I couldn’t just knock. I would have awakened your parents. When you came into the kitchen, I just slipped that paper under the door to get your attention.”

“Ok, last question.” Helen announced. “What happened to your beard? Why did you have your hair cut?”

“I didn’t need those anymore.” Marcuse heaved a deep sigh. “They were part of a disguise. Why are you asking? Do you want me to grow a beard again?”

“I don’t care,” She whispered, lightly shaking her head. “You’re alive. You’re here.”

Helen tilted her head up, seeking his lips, but she never had the chance to kiss him again. The living room light was turned on, as someone pressed the light switch on the wall.

“Holy shit!” It was her father. “Holy mother of God!” He spoke in his hoarse voice; eyes open wide in disbelief, he slowly walked up to them. “Debs! Come here! You’re not going to believe this!”

“Oh, crap…” Helen hummed, turning around to face him. “Good morning, dad.”

“Marcus, is that you, son?” Dwight wondered, his voice starting to shake.

“Yeah,” Marcus gave a firm nod.

“Oh, my God!” Debbie interjected, joining them in the living room. “He’s alive! How is that…?”

“Very long story.” Marcus interrupted, raising his hand to his chest.

“The man who saved my skin:” Dwight smiled. “The guy who took out Kendrick.”

“Dad, are there any news about that?” Helen asked.

“The cops found his car, three days ago.” Dwight informed. “They identified him. The Sheriff closed the case this morning. Nobody wants to look into the murder of a couple of bastards like them. But: enough of that. Come. I want to hear that story.”

Helen’s parents listened carefully, as she narrated everything. Debbie and Dwight were shocked quite a few times, particularly when they heard that their daughter had been targeted by the government. All the same, by the time her long narrative was over, they were both relieved, smiling at each other.

Helen was somewhat disappointed that her moment with Marcus had been interrupted. But, it didn’t matter. What did matter was that the man who had captured her heart was back in her life. She would have plenty of chances to be alone with him in the future. For now, she would relish his presence beside her; listen to his voice, feeling closer to him than she had ever been…