The Perfect Weapon Ending 1 Epilogue 2 part 1
ENDING 1 EPILOGUE 2
A FEW YEARS LATER:
“Poppy!” A shrill voice squealed as Jack stepped onto the ice. A small body with a cloud of dark curly hair leapt forward and slammed him in the knees at full speed. He allowed her to topple him onto the ice.
“Hey! Be careful with those blades!” Jack laughed as his granddaughter climbed on top of him, to bounce on his stomach.
“Yeah, be careful, he’s already circumcised and I had hopes for later tonight,” Judy muttered, making Sydney turn red and Vaughn laugh.
“I’m too old for this Faith,” Jack said, still laughing, then wincing.
“You are not old. And I missed you! You and Grammy were gone too long. Three weeks is almost a month. We went over to your house every day and watered your garden too, like we promised. And the greenhouse. And did you have a good time visiting Mr. Zam-Zam? He talks a lot, doesn’t he? And Tante Nia?” Does she have any more new Barbies? Oh, I should probably ask Grammy that, boys don’t notice Barbies, which I don’t understand. They are the best. Well, but…I like hockey too. And how is the safe haven place and-“
“Not so fast,” Jack said, putting a gentle finger on her lips, opened to launch another salvo of words. “First things first, remember?” Scooping her up in his arms, he hugged her close, whispered, as he did every time, “There’s my little girl, my best girl.”
And every time she whispered, “Shh. Mommy thinks she’s your best girl.”
“Shh. I know. She can get kinda jealous.”
Faith rolled her eyes. Vaughn had not been too happy when Judy had shown her how to accomplish that feat. “Like with Piggy….”
“Ah, I know. No one can touch Piggy.” Jack gently pushed his granddaughter off of him and stood up.
“Daddy hid Piggy once,” Faith confided, as she skated over to hug Judy.
“Did he?” Judy asked as she picked up Faith and kissed her. “That probably wasn’t the best idea.”
“Nope! Big trouble.” Faith grinned at her father over Judy’s shoulder as she wrapped her arms around Judy’s neck for a big squeeze.
Vaughn groaned. “Let’s not relive that…debacle. I though it would be funny to play a little hide and seek game….”
“You are clearly insane. And I say that as a mental health professional,” Judy laughed, moving Faith to her other hip.
“Or as we laypeople say,” Jack smiled, “He was dead meat, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. That was the last time he had to come over to your house and sleep on that bed-sofa in Mommy’s special room.”
“He didn’t tell us that!” Jack laughed.
“Why don’t you go and skate or something? Warm up?” Vaughn suggested, “Rather than stand around and discuss my failures?”
“Oh, but that provides conversation for hours, darling,” Sydney said, patting his cheek.
“Let’s skate,” Jack urged, taking his oldest granddaughter from Judy. Setting her down on the ice he began to pull her around by her hands.
“Are we going to do the tossing?”
“You bet.” Jack grinned. “Is Judy looking?”
“She’s frowning at us, she knows what you’re going to do…” Faith said, skating backward and holding her hands out to Jack. “Ready? 1,2,3… Yeah!” Faith squealed as Jack pulled her up and tossed her into the air. “Catch me! Catch---“
“Aha! I have you now!” He called out and caught her by the waist and then twirling around, sped off.
“Again, again!”
He tossed her in the air again and caught her. “I’ve got you now!” he called out. Tossing her up on his shoulders, “I've got you now, Faith. I’ve got you now!”
“What are you going to do with me?” She asked in mock fear.
“Hmm. I’ll have to think about that,”
“I think you’re gonna keep me, Poppy. That’s what I think.”
“I think you’re right. I’ll never lose you, Faith.” He put her down on her skates and they moved off hand in hand.
“We are warming up for a game with Daddy and Uncle Eric?” Faith asked. “And…” She sighed deeply, making Jack bite his lip so that he didn’t laugh aloud. “That Alan.”
“What’s wrong with Alan?”
“He pulls my hair!”
“Ah, that’s because he likes you.”
“That’s…stupid! Boys!” Faith said with a note of deep disgust.
“When did he pull your hair?”
“Before you got here. When we were playing a game.”
“What did you do?”
“I hit him with my hockey stick.”
“Ah…What did your father say to that?”
“He patted me on the back and said, ‘Good girl! Hope you hit him hard where it hurts!’”
“He did not.”
“No,” she sighed. “But it’s a good story.”
“But it’s not the truth.”
“But the story is better than the truth.”
“Which is?”
“He told me not to hurt Alan. That he was a stupid boy, unwor…”
“Unworthy?”
“Yes. Unworthy of my time. And that he would take care of him.”
“Ah. That’s what Daddies do. Make sure the boys treat their girls right.”
“I know. That’s why you give daddy a rough time, Mommy says.”
Mommy’s right. I have to protect her.” Jack winked at Faith.
“Oh, like I have to protect my sister?”
“Yes, that’s your job. But, Faith, where is the baby?”
“She’s not the baby anymore,” Faith giggled.
“That’s true. Hope is two now, nearly three. Almost a big girl.”
“Nope. That’s not it, that’s not it!” Faith almost burst with the news. She had been holding it in for so long, she thought. “The baby is the one in Mommy’s tummy!”
“Ah.” Jack grinned.
“Oops. I wasn’t supposed to tell you. Uh-oh. Daddy’s gonna be mad at me.” Her face fell. Then it brightened, “But you can…distract him, can’t you? Like in hockey?”
“Why do I need to distract me?”
“He said, ‘For ONCE , I’d like to surprise Jack.’”
“He should know better, shouldn’t he?”
His granddaughter nodded solemnly, then giggled. “That’s what Mommy says and it really ticks Daddy off, too.”
“That’s good.”
“Poppy, why do you like teasing Daddy so much?”
“Because I like to count the number of wrinkles on his forehead.”
“That’s what Mommy told him. She said if he didn’t rise to the bait every time, you wouldn’t play the game on him all the time.”
“Your Mommy’s pretty smart, isn’t she?”
“Yup. You know what else she said?”
“You can keep a secret can you?”
“You’re family. Why would I have secrets from family?”
“Ah, good point. So, what else did Mommy say?”
“She thinks Daddy kinda likes it when you tease him, play games on him. That’s…I think she said, that’s the way men act. And then she rolled her eyes.”
“Who did she say to anyway?”
“Grammy. And Grammy rolled her eyes too and just said, ‘I know. Men. Sometimes I think they all
need---‘”
“Faith Sydney Vaughn!” Michael called out from nearby.
Faith looked over and then up at her grandfather. She sighed. “Oops, I think our cover is blown, Poppy.”
“Yup. We’ve been made.”
“And I don’t see a way to escape. Here comes Daddy and he looks…”
“Irritated. I bet he thinks you’ve told the surprise.”
“Can you pretend you don’t know?”
“Gee, I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Course, you can. Just use that face.”
“What face?”
“This one.” She stopped skating, crossed her arms and to Jack’s astonishment, assumed the mask he had thought was his alone.
“Merde, merde, merde” Vaughn muttered as he skated up behind Jack. “She not only looks like you-“
“She looks like my mother,” Jack pointed out. “I’m…” he reached out and pinched Faith’s chin. “Not that pretty. And she has your eyes, not mine.”
“Daddy!” Faith called out in a sing-song voice. “You’re in trouble. Mommy says you can’t speak French at home unless it’s to her because you are always using swear words and---“
Vaughn rolled his eyes and skated away. Jack watched him carefully, seeing the tense set of his shoulders and the top-rapid cutting of the hockey stick in front of him. He turned his head back toward Faith, as she pulled his hand and they began skating again. Moving across the ice toward Sydney and Judy who stood talking about developments at Querencia, he looked carefully at Sydney. She looked…good. Fine. But Vaughn was a nervous wreck if he wasn’t mistaken.
“What game are we gonna play today, Poppy?” Faith asked as they came to a stop in front of the women, both of whom rolled their eyes when they heard the question.
“Gee, I don’t know. What game do you want to play?”
“Ma favourite, ‘course.”
“Aren’t you tired of that?”
“The escape game? Never.”
Sydney exchanged a look with her father. They both sighed.
“Welll…” Jack hedged, knowing the escape game was certainly not Vaughn notion of how his granddaughters should be spending their time. At least not in front of him. Looking of at Vaughn and Weiss, idly shooting the hockey puck back and forth between them, Jack said, “How have you been doing playing your father at hockey while I’ve been away?”
“Not so good-“
“Not so well,” Jack and Sydney automatically corrected.
Faith sighed. “Not. So. Well. Well, not good. I know. But Daddy and hockey? I can’t come up with a good…ploy, you called it?”
“Yes. But I was thinking…I have an idea.” Jack smiled. Judy groaned.
“Oooh, good. You have the best ideas.”
Jack whispered in Faith’s ear. She repeated something back to him and nodded solemnly.
Weiss said to Vaughn, pointing with his stick toward Jack and Faith. “You are so dead. Whatever it is, you are dead.”
Vaughn nodded, a smile forming on his face. “Well, here they come, this should be good…Wait. It’s just Faith?” He skated toward the goal and assumed the defensive position.
“Daddy?” Faith said as she came to an abrupt stop in front of her father. Puzzled he stood up from his crouching position and said, “What, honey?”
“Poppy says…” And she started on a long-winded discussion about her Barbies and how she wanted a hockey Barbie but they didn’t make one and didn’t he think they should? Because Barbie can do anything, can’t she? And if she, Faith, could play hockey, then certainly Barbie could, couldn’t she? And at least ken should play hockey, shouldn’t he? Maybe Poppy could modify some piece of something and make him a stick, did he think? And, and, and,…until he felt his eyes glaze over as she went on and on about those damn dolls and played with the puck with her stick and then suddenly, she said “And Poppy says-“ and slammed the puck between his legs straight into the back of the net.
He looked at her open-mouthed.
“Poppy says what?” Vaughn exclaimed, hearing Weiss’s laughter across the rink.
“Miz…Misdirection always works on Michael Vaughn.” And with a giggled she skated over to her grandfather who gave her a high five and sent a grin Vaughn’s way.
Judy laughed, “You are two peas in a pod.”
“I can do Poppy’s angry face, the one where he pretends he’s not angry,” faith exclaimed. “I’ve been practicing. Let me show you!”
Giving Judy’s hair a light tug, then laughing, Jack began to skate away. Judy gave him a curious look. Watching Vaughn set off after Jack, she nodded. He was trying to get Vaughn alone.
“Faith, do you really like it so much when your grandfather tosses you in the air like that?” Judy asked.
“Yes! You worry to much. Poppy is a good catcher. He’ll always catch me. You have to trust the other person to catch you. But…”
“But what?” Sydney asked.
“But I have to make sure I do my part too. I have to twist in the air so that it makes the catch more… effective, I think he said. Or effic…Efficient. Well, he has to trust that I will do my job too.” Faith nodded.
“Ah, I see,” Judy said. “It’s a two person job to be thrown and caught.”
Jack turned to face Vaughn and came to a stop. “I know you can catch me, Michael. You’re twenty years younger than me. I’m not stupid. So, what do you want? Besides expressing your abject humiliation that a five year old bested you at your game?”
“It wasn’t a five year old who bested me. Or rather she was just executing your plan. So…” Vaughn sighed as he came to a stop. “What was the doubleplay this time? One was to get me good with that goal.”
“And the other was to get you over here. I understand congratulations are in order…” Jack said, smiling, as he held his hand out. Vaughn took of his glove and shook it and Jack felt the coldness, the tension in his hand and nodded. He asked, “How is Sydney doing?”
“She… seems to be doing well.” Vaughn resumed skating and Jack glided off next to him.
Judy smiled as she turned to Sydney. “Typical males. They can’t have a conversation unless they are doing something-“
“And if that means they don’t have to actually look at each other while they’re having that conversation so much the better.” Sydney nodded.
“Hey, I just realized - Poppy pulled your hair, Grammy?”
“Yes, he did. He likes to do that. But it’s just a little tug to let me now that-“
“He likes you.” Faith nodded. “Poppy just told me that’s how boys show that they like a girl. But Poppy is not a boy. He’s all grown up.”
“Faith,” Sydney sighed. “There is something we need to tell you.”
Judy nodded. She leaned down and whispered. “Here’s an important secret. Only girls can know.”
Sydney leaned down as well and told her daughter, “Sweetie. All men are children. The sooner you understand that the sooner you’ll know how to handle them.”
“Well…It looks to me like Poppy is handling Daddy right now. They’re both very serious.
They looked over. Sydney sighed with relief when she saw how her father’s hand was resting on Vaughn shoulder as they skated.
“Thank god,” Sydney whispered to Judy. Faith looked from woman to woman and sighing, skated off. To find Alan, no doubt, Sydney mused. Find Alan to torment. She said in her natural voice, “I’ve just been dying for Dad to get back home…” She stopped and took a breath. She needed a moment, needed to watch her father handle her husband. Looking over, she said, “Judy, we didn’t have a chance to talk about the trip you two took to Kashmir. How is Querencia doing? I’m hoping we’ll all have a chance to visit again after the baby is born.”
Judy smiled. “It’s doing so well. Nia’s cousin has worked out perfectly as the manager. She has connections, of course, her father being the perfect. But she also has that same managing attitude Nia has, with that soft heart of her own. Your father is so happy about it. Not that it hasn’t been extremely difficult establishing a women’s and children’s shelter in that environment, but I think the challenge energizes him. Then too-“
“It closes a circle for him. Two circles? His childhood and Derevko’s home?”
“Yes.”
“Irina’s happy about it too.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Sydney sighed. “What you’re not saying, because you’re too mature to rub my nose in it, is that the truth is always best. And you were right about that.”
“I’m not saying it.” Judy smiled.
“You don’t have to,” Sydney rolled her eyes. “But…I always wonder, what aspect of that work does Dad enjoy the most? I mean like? I know he enjoys interacting with the children.”
“Yes. He teaches them every game under the sun. But…he also enjoys working with the locals, convincing then, the political game of it, paying them of when need be…”
“Cutting deals?”
“Well, it’s all who you know.”
“Dad knows everyone by now.”
“And what I know is that there’s something you want to discuss other than Querencia, which you know your father will want to tell you about himself. So, what are you avoiding?” Judy asked quickly as Faith began to skate back in their direction.
“It sucks having a therapist for a stepmother, sometimes,” Sydney grumbled. “I was waiting for Dad to come home to handle Vaughn. I didn’t know what to do with him.”
“About…?”
“The new baby,” Sydney said, looking down at her stomach.
Faith skated to a stop in front of them and added, “In her tummy!”
“That’s wonderful!” Judy exclaimed and hugged her stepdaughter. “Does Jack know?”
Faith looked down and dug the toe pick of her skate into the ice. “I...um…may have told him.”
“Faith…you know…” Sydney began, shaking her head. This was why she never took her daughter with her when she was shopping for a gift for someone else. The intel reached the recipient long before the gift.
“Oh, look! There’s Alan shooting the puck from the wrong angle. I’d better go show him the right way to do it. He needs me,” Faith called out as she darted away as fast as her skates would carry her.
Judy and Sydney looked at each other and laughed. Sydney said, “Vaughn thinks her inability to keep a secret is a good sign.
“He does like to live his own happy little world, doesn’t he?” Judy said. “Except for right now? Right now he’s not doing well and trying to hide it?”
Sydney bit her lip and nodded. “I’m excited and he’s…obsessing.”
Judy nodded. “That’s his way. He internalises. Like…”
“Dad. Like he used to before you retrained him.”
“Shh. Don’t say that too loud. We don’t want Susan to hear that sometimes she’s right. It only gives her leave to meddle.” Judy smiled as Susan approached them, pulling two toddlers with her.
“Hope!” Judy called, reaching her arms out for Hope to run into.
Giving Judy a sloppy kiss, Hope smiled and laughed, tugging on Judy’s hair, “Blondie home again! Good. Choclit later?”
“There’s always chocolate later.” Judy nodded as she put Hope down to play with Angela.
“Go play in the streets, girls,” Susan urged, giving them each some toys from a large tote bag as they say down on the floor near the women.
Hope ran back to show Judy her feet. Pointing to her bright red sandals, she called out, “New shoes!”
“They’re beautiful,” Judy said, smiling.
“Red!” Hope declared, then ran back to play with her friend.
“Now that Hope’s shoe report is over,” Susan rolled her eyes. She reached an arm around Judy and gave her a hug. “Tell me. Just who is trainable, Judy? Seems to me that Jack has taught you to handle public displays of affection quite well.”
“True. But then again, his methods of positive reinforcement are nearly irresistible,” Judy sighed and looking at her husband, licked her lips.
Susan laughed, while Sydney rolled her eyes.
“Judy, are you still writing that preface to Susan’s book about men and dogs?” Sydney asked.
“I am…” Judy sighed. “Jack is… amused. Of course, he's enjoying editing my work.”
“You asked him to edit your work?” Susan asked incredulously. “I would not have---“
“No. I didn’t ask. He takes certain… duties upon himself. Sometimes - like wielding that red pen he loves so much - it’s unwanted. But…” Judy nodded toward Vaughn and Jack. “Sometimes… it’s quite wanted, isn’t it?”
Sydney nodded. “I was glad when you two came home a day early and then suggested a family day today. Very glad.”
Judy lightly touched Sydney’s cheek and said, “Jack had a feeling something was going on at home. So, don't worry. Jack will get him to open up. He’ll take care of Michael, just like he always does.”
“He will. He’s a good father,” Sydney said, watching her father and her husband skate around the rink, seeing the concentration on her father’s face.
Jack had put a hand on Michael’s shoulder, willing him to look over. When he did, Jack said softly, “I wanted to ask you if you’re doing okay. I remember how devastated you were when Sydney had the miscarriage last year---“
“Devastated. That’s…one way of putting it. I…” Vaughn shook his head. “You know, I thought I was over it and when Sydney told me that we were expecting again, I was so happy.”
“At first. Then you made the mistake of beginning to overanalyse the situation?”
“How did you know? How did you know I was upset?”
“Well, I have a good imagination. And the way you were skating today, a little aggressive…”
“Yeah. I’m nervous.”
“Stop obsessing. You’ll suck the joy out of the moment.”
“That’s easy to say, but how do I do that? Stop obsessing.”
“Train your mind to reject the thought. Every time you start to have a negative thought, just immediately replace it with some predetermined good thought…or memory.”
“Like…When I held Hope and Faith for the first time?”
“Yes. Perfect. And after a while, the replacement will become automatic. You’ll train your mind to not obsess over the negativity. And you know… Sydney will take care of herself, you and I and Judy will drive her crazy pampering her and after that it’s in God’s hands.”
“Have faith?”
“You already have Faith,” Jack said with a smile. “And Hope. Everything else is just gravy, son.”
“Thanks…” Vaughn said with a smile. He looked down and said softly, so that Jack had to lean slightly toward his son-in-law to hear him. “You know one thing I remember most about that day? When I came out of Syd’s hospital room to tell you and Judy that we lost the baby and before I could say a word, you just stood up and opened your arms out to me and let me cry on your shoulder.”
Jack cleared his throat. “That’s what I’m here for. Your mother wasn’t there yet. And…your father would have done the same for you had he been here.”
“I know,” Vaughn said levelly and met Jack's eyes. “I know. And thank you, Pop.”
“You’re welcome, son.”
Vaughn nodded and they began skating a little faster.
“Where is Hope anyway?” Jack had asked as they skated toward Weiss. “I miss her.”
“She missed you two. She kept asking about ‘Poppy’s game.’”
“Oh?” Jack’s asked blandly. “So, you thirsty? Want a soda?”
“I probably don’t want to know, do I?” Vaughn sighed. “It’s-“
“I have no idea as to what you are referring. The child is not quite three years old, what could I possibly do-“
“The mind reels at the endless possibilities. But…” Vaughn smiled and shrugged. Jack was an incredible grandfather, just - as Sydney had said once, watching Faith and Jack interact and feeling a flood of memories return - as he had been a wonderful father before his breakdown. And feeling the warmth of Jack’s hand still on his shoulder, as he was now. “Oh, Susan should be bringing Hope by--- There she is.” Vaughn and Jack stopped as they drew up to Weiss. Vaughn noted to Jack, “We’ll stop at your house so she can take a nap before we go to the beach. She’ll need one. She was at Eric and Susan’s on a playdate with Angela.”
“I still can’t believe you named your kids after the dogs!” Jack said to Weiss.
“Me either,” Vaughn agreed. “There is something just so wrong about that!”
“Like we should have picked, say, Sylvester? Hey, those dogs were better then most people. They were the best. Why wouldn’t we-“ Weiss stopped when Jack and Vaughn rolled their eyes. “You know, sometimes you two scare me. You can be an awful lot alike.”
Vaughn and Jack looked at each other, with identical horrified looks on their faces.
Jack shook his head and asked Vaughn, “So do you two have any names for the baby in mind?”
“Will I get to name my child this time?” Vaughn asked.
“What?” Jack asked, genuinely perplexed.
“Faith. You picked that name.”
“No. I. Did. Not! Sydney asked me one day what names I liked and I told her a number of them and---”
“And you told Sydney why you liked that name for your first grandchild and so my wishes never had a chance. Let’s be serious, Sydney is the most amazing daddy’s girl in the history of the world. I mean, I can’t even touch that damn Piggy, but she lets you and---“
“Vaughn. Mike. Michael,” Jack began, genuinely shocked. “I …I never intended to usurp that role, that place. If I did so, them I’m---“
“Mine. Gotcha.” Vaughn grinned. Weiss held up his hand and Vaughn slapped it.
Jack looked at Vaughn for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“Hey,” Vaughn said, “That could be that perfect positive memory to replace my negative thoughts - getting you for once.”
“Hey!” Weiss called out as he saw his son push Faith on the ice. “I told you we don’t push girls---“
“Give her a minute,” Vaughn said. “See if she can handle him on her own.”
They watched Faith’s face screw up and a tear trickle down her cheek.
Jack murmured, “Oh, brother.”
“Alan…” Faith sobbed. “I thought we were friends and you pushed me down? Don’t you like me?”
Alan paused a moment, then dropped his hockey stick. Bending over he bit his lip indecisively.
“Weiss rolled his eyes. “He is so dead and he doesn't even know it. This is where it begins.”
Alan said softly, “I’m sorry, Faith. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Jack nodded. “Good gambit. Apologize first.” Vaughn and Weiss agreed.
“Here…” Alan began and after a brief pause, darted forward and kissed Faith’s cheek. She leapt to her feet and pushed Alan down.
“Ooh, tactical error,” Jack said mournfully.
“Too quick on the trigger,” Weiss shook his head.
“Gee, from what Susan tells Syd, that problem may be genital, I mean genetic” Vaughn quipped.
Jack burst out laughing. The Gruesome Twosome were amusing today. Then they all turned attention back to the children.
“I…You’re supposed to kiss a hurt to make it better, Faithy!” Alan protested. “I was just---“
“Don’t call me Faithy! And since you pushed me down, you would have needed to kiss my butt…you, you BOY!” She exclaimed and skate away, calling over her shoulder.
“Clearly calling him a boy was the worst possible insult,” Weiss sighed as he skated over to console his son.
“It would appear the game is over,” Vaughn laughed. “Who won, though?”
“Well,” Jack said as they began to skate back over to their wives . “I think it may have been a draw. Faith got the last hit, but…that apology was good, very good. And although that kiss may have been a tactical error at the moment…long term…”
“Jack, they’re five years old.”
“Michael, in the game between a man and a woman, the man needs as much lead time as possible to learn the finer points women are born knowing.”
“No kidding,” Vaughn mumbled a few moments later as Hope wheedled her grandfather into returning to the ice to spin her around a few times. He smiled as he heard Jack ask, “Who’s my best girl?”
“Jack!” Judy called out. “It’s time to go!” When he ignored her, she pulled on Faith’s hand. “Come on, poppet, let’s go,” Judy said. “He’ll follow.”
“Poppet!” Faith giggled. “That’s cause I’m a little Poppy, right?”
Vaughn groaned.
Ending 1 Epilogue 2 part 2