Chapter Thirty Six
Author's Note: Thank you so very much for my friend Kathy (kittie8571) who is the Beta of this story!
Chapter Thirty Six: The Christmas that changed our lives (1)
For Jack, this year was the year that Christmas would be really special.
He had gathered all the essentials.
The Family was getting together. Matilda would be returning with Edward from their adventurous boat trip just in time to attend the official Christmas' Eve dinner at the Twist mansion. Uncle Daniel was bringing Mrs. Campbell as his date and, for the first time, Jack was okay with it.
Friends were united more than ever. This year, Robert and Veronica would be attending as a couple for the first time. Elizabeth and Mary would be bringing Sophie with them. And finally, Dave, Jack's godson at the firm, would be coming for dinner alone, after a disastrous break up with his girlfriend.
Jack had much to be grateful for.
The Success that the firm was having this last month had been achieved thanks to the perseverance and hard work of all his employees. He had proven to himself that he could be a leader when the time came, but he could also be a cunning strategist and lead the firm to paths they would have never previously considered. Although the battle was not over, he knew that they had won a small war and their rivals were now looking at them with renewed respect.
He was happy that he and all his loved ones were now in perfect Health. Lately the appointments with Dr. Whistle have become more about the future and less about the past. Jack could vaguely remember what had led him to such profound depression. He still missed his father very much and there was still a lot about his own past that he couldn't seem to make peace with, but he couldn't understand how he thought that alienating everyone from his life would help solve any of these problems. He found strength in all his friends and family and counted his blessings. Ennis had also recovered pretty well from his injured knee and was even back to taking tennis lessons. He still had physical therapy once a week but the doctors were sure that he would recover completely from the surgery. Matilda was also another case of success. Although nothing could be done about her shorter leg, the surgery she'd recently undergone had been a success and she was now completely free from any pain. The doctors were also hopeful that some muscle tissue could actually recover further with physical therapy and she might find walking easier. Edward had been ecstatic on the phone and Jack couldn't wait to see them again.
And of course, this Christmas season Jack had the Love of the most amazing man. Ennis had become such an important part of his life that Jack couldn't imagine his life without him anymore. He was the only person who could make him smile when he was grumpy and the only one who could reach him when darkness clouded his mind. Ennis still surprised him with his generous and kind heart, forcing him to be a better person. But he was also the one who stood right next to him when it was time to fight, either about the firm or any other aspect of their personal lives. And during all this, Ennis maintained such a humble posture that sometimes Jack wanted to shake him and find a way of showing him just how amazing he was.
Jack had indeed been blessed this year and Christmas was the right time of the year to celebrate it.
They rolled out of bed when the clock announced 8 am. Although they did not need to go into the office, they had planned to be at the Twist Mansion early in the day. There were a few things Jack wanted to supervise and closer to lunch time, they had to pick Matilda up from the airport. It was only the first day of their holiday break but Jack doubted they would have any rest. He was worried about the upcoming party, especially because he hadn't dedicated as much time to the planning as he usually did. And, in the absence of Edward and Matilda, he had been forced to leave the planning in the hands of his personal assistant, Erulla. It was the first time he delegated such responsibilities to the man and he was a bit worried about the results.
"I'm so sleepy." Jack murmured, looking at himself in the enormous bathroom mirror of their suite.
"I don't know why you're complaining; we've actually slept more than usual." Ennis dropped his pants and entered the shower.
"I'm always sleepier when I slept more than 6 hours." Jack looked with some interest at Ennis's naked back through the shower glass.
"I've noticed." Even between the sounds of the water falling Ennis's voice was still full with amusement.
"It's like a curse. Either I sleep 5 hours and I feel energized or I sleep more than 8 and I feel like crap." Jack stared at his reflection. "Not only do I feel bad, I actuallylook bad."
Jack heard Ennis's laugh coming from the shower cabin and frowned.
"Don't laugh, you're supposed to reassure me." Jack glared at the shower's glass.
"You're just cranky and sleepy. It will pass." Ennis smiled as he left the shower and grabbed a towel.
"No matter how long we're together, it's still a mystery to me how you manage to stay clean with those three minute showers."
"You want to check? See if I forgot those hard to reach places?" Ennis asked turning his back to Jack and returning to their bedroom, clearly with no intention of letting him check anything.
"Who are you and what had you done to Ennis Del Mar?" Jack looked at the bathroom door in disbelief.
Just seconds before when Jack prepared to take his turn on the shower, Ennis reappeared at bathroom door, this time already wearing a pair of stylish Hugo Boss pants and nothing else.
"You want to know what happened to Ennis Del Mar?" Ennis gently hold Jack's upper arms and pulled him closer. "He's never been happier."
"Yeah?" Jack asked smiling.
He knew Ennis was changing. He had been since the day they had met but now it looked as if Ennis was reaching a different stage in life. It looked as if all the changes had led to some kind of personal epiphany. Ennis had slowly but surely changed into a more outgoing and relaxed person. And recently it was visible that Ennis was getting more comfortable in their intimacy and more aware of his position at Jack's side.
Jack's family fortune was less of an issue to Ennis now. Ennis himself was earning an impressive amount of money and Jack's healthy attitude toward money had probably helped too. In the eyes of their friends and acquaintances, they were equals and to most people, Jack couldn't have found a better partner. Ennis had finally accepted that he deserved to be happy with the person he loved most in the world. Even if that person happened to be his boss the multimillionaire Jack Twist.
"Yeah." Jack could see in Ennis's eyes that his conclusions were right.
"I'm glad. I want to make you happy in any way I can." Jack placed his hands on Ennis's neck.
"You do. I'm…" Ennis took a moment to find the right words. "I'm so grateful that I have found you. That you waited for me…"
"I didn't…" Jack felt the weight of Ennis's words.
"You did." Ennis hugged him forcefully. "Thank you."
"I…" Jack tried to speak but it was in vain, for Ennis moved to kiss him with such passion and intensity that words were no longer needed.
And as Ennis moved him against the bathroom wall and his hands moved to the rim of Jack's boxers, Jack had a feeling that perhaps he wasn't totally ready for this new expressive Ennis. He just didn't know if his heart was going to handle it.
As soon as Jack Twist entered his most beloved family property, the day took a turn for the worst. As soon as they stepped into a room, everybody moved quickly away. Ennis tried hard not to laugh. The few decorations that where already up looked nice but it was clear that there was still a lot of work left to be done. Jack wasn't going to like the state of things.
"What the hell is happening here? Why does the living room still look like this?" Jack asked to no one in particular.
A few of the older maids looked worriedly at Ennis's direction. They'd met him a few times.; enough times to know that only he could appease Jack. Especially if Jack was seriously pissed, which he looked to be on the verge of right now.
"Jack." Ennis placed his hands on Jack's shoulders and guided him back to the garden. "It's Christmas Eve, please don't go nuts over unimportant stuff."
"Yes, it's Christmas Eve. I know that! It's actually because of it that all these people will leave after lunch and I'm going to be left alone with whatever they won't do on time." Jack took his blackberry out of his pocket. "Where's Erulla?"
"Probably hiding some place safe." Ennis rubbed his hand up and down his arms, trying to get them warm.
"And what are we doing in the middle of the snow? It's freaking cold!" Jack complained looking around at the garden.
"You needed to cool down." Ennis smiled and moved closer.
"Ennis I absolutely hate when you patronize me." Jack glared forcefully.
"And I love when you're grumpy and take your perfectionism to another level, but it's the Christmas season…" Ennis kissed a reluctantly Jack. "These people are also excited about seeing their families and probably have their own parties to plan or attend to. Just let them do their jobs. After lunch Matilda and Edward will be here and they'll help you finish whatever's left to do. I'll help too."
"It's our first Christmas together…" Jack didn't look him in the eye, probably feeling silly for having saying it out loud.
"I have the feeling that soon you'll be tired of Christmas with me." Ennis chuckled. "And this is just dinner with friends. As far as I'm concerned, Christmas will be back at our place with our ridiculously expensive fake tree and Neve."
"So you're saying we should have brought Neve and the tree?" Jack faked a serious tone.
"Yeah, this dinner is already doomed." Ennis nodded dramatically.
"This isn't going to work every time…" Jack warned, although his words lacked any real feeling.
"Just let it go, baby." Ennis kissed him again.
"Ok. Let's leave Erulla to fix this thing, then." Jack looked back at the house.
"Let it go, Jack."
"But…"
"No buts! Forget it. Let's do something else."
"Okay. You want to take a stroll around the gardens? It's been a while…"
"Yeah, let's get some fresh air." Ennis placed his arm around Jack's shoulders and they walked lazily through the trees and bushes of the Twist property.
They were still enjoying the snow and each others company when they heard screaming coming from inside the house.
"It's official, they burned the house down." Jack spit out annoyed, already moving to the door.
"Please, be reasonable." Ennis murmured, following Jack to the main building.
As soon as they entered the house Ennis realized what all the commotion was about. In the middle of dozens of the staff members were standing Matilda and Edward. Matilda was visibly thinner and stood taller with the help of crunchers; Edward had a nice tan and was the one who spotted Jack first.
"Master Twist!" Edward came and hugged him thigh. "It's so good so you, sir."
"Oh my God. What are you doing here so soon?" Ennis saw tears coming to Jack's eyes.
"Oh dear, how good to see you." Matilda pushed Edward away and put her hands around Jack's neck, meanwhile Edward and Ennis hugged each other happily.
"Matilda you look gorgeous." Jack kissed both her cheeks. "I'm so happy that you found the courage to finally do it."
"I owe it all to you." Matilda smiled and Jack touched the lovely wrinkles around her eyes. "All my life to your family…"
"Nonsense. We're still in debt to you…" Jack kissed her forehead. "Forever. Till the rest of our lives."
Matilda turned to Ennis and received another warm hug.
"You look great." Ennis told her.
"You look great too. Actually I think you look more handsome every time I see you." Matilda shared a smile with Jack and Ennis mumbled thanks.
"But what are you doing here so soon?" Jack asked as two of the maids carried Matilda and Edwards's belongings to their room.
"We decided to surprise you and caught an earlier flight." Matilda looked at the decorations surrounding her and frowned.
"Actually, she just couldn't wait to come and make sure that everything was perfect for the usual annual Christmas dinner." Edward commented to Jack and Ennis.
"Do you blame me? This looks a mess!" Matilda signaled for one of the oldest maids. "Thankfully with a little time I'll make these work."
"Oh, Matilda. I missed you so much." Jack sighed.
"I'll tell you all the details of our little vacation. But you have to come with me, I'm going to need your help." Matilda opened her right arm in Jack's direction.
"I want to hear it all." Jack placed his arm around her shoulders and they walked to the living room where most of the house staff was working.
"Is she really ready to come home?" Ennis asked Edward when Jack and Matilda left them alone.
"She's still in pain, sir. Not as much as she used too but some." Edward looked Ennis right in the eyes.
"What did the doctors say?" Ennis asked softly.
"There's a really big chance that she'll be completely recovered. Pain free, actually." Edward smiled.
It was the most genuine smile Ennis had ever seen on his face.
At lunch Matilda, Edward, Ennis and Jack sat in the small living room. As the rest of the staff left for their respective homes the four of them ate and shared the more recent news.
"Veronica and Robert?" Matilda asked surprised.
"Yes. It's apparently very serious." Jack confirmed after swallowing a forkful of food.
"What's your opinion, Mr. Del Mar?" Edward asked, clearly trying to engage Ennis and himself in the conversation.
"It's a bit early to tell." Ennis murmured.
"Don't listen to him." Jack commented smiling. "He's pissed because Veronica and I kept it secret from him. Not for long, of course. He figured it out in record time."
"Jack never did know how to keep a secret from the people he cared about." Matilda smiled too.
"Yes, Master Twist was always a terrible liar." Edward nodded.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Jack conceded.
"You should, sir."
"I'm not really mad." Ennis stated. "I just don't want to comment much about it. I'm afraid we'll jinx it."
"Let's not talk about it anymore, then." Edward quickly said. "Such things should be taken seriously."
"I want to hear about your latest trip." Matilda suggested.
"To Sweden?" Jack asked carefully.
"Yes, of course." Matilda nodded. "I heard about it on the phone and I want some more details."
"There's actually not much to add." Ennis said. "The lab results haven't come back yet. It's Christmas time, so understandably everything takes twice as long."
"Ennis is right, we don't have any news. I did receive an e-mail from Hanna. She wished us all a great Christmas. They haven't decided what to do with the money yet." Jack avoided Ennis's eyes and concentrated on the food.
He felt terrible for keeping this from Ennis, but it was still quite painful for him to talk about Hanna Olson. He had for a brief moment wished her to be his sister and that moment had been difficult to forget.
"I see." Matilda murmured, feeling the tension in the room.
"What about the mysterious key? Any news?" Edward asked rather quickly trying to change the topic of conversation.
"Not really. But Uncle Daniel said he may have a new clue. He couldn't speak about it on the phone." Jack smiled. "He was all excited. Playing detective…"
"He was always the most eccentric gentleman." Edward commented.
"A bit, yes." Matilda agreed.
"He's sorry about what happened with Hanna, so he's trying to make it up to me. Not that he has anything to make up for, but…"
"He's a good man. Your father always confided in him. They were very good friends." Matilda remembered.
"He's family." Jack smiled and everybody return to their plates.
"Well, Jack you did it again." Elizabeth told them a few minutes after she had arrived.
"You didn't even see the food yet." Ennis commented. "He literally went nuts."
"Don't listen to him. It's all very simple. It's family, after all." Jack reassured her.
"Of course." Ennis teased. "Family… you should have seen him a couple of hours ago."
"I understand you, Jack. They have no idea how hard it is to plan an event like this. Even the smallest details could make everything go terribly wrong."
"Please don't get me started. If it hadn't been for Matilda…"
"Thank God for small favors." Ennis commented with humor.
"Yes, I saw her. She looks great. Did she do something to her face too?" Elizabeth asked curious.
"I don't think so…" Jack stated uncertain while Ennis chuckled. "I'll check it once the bill arrives."
"She's just well rested." Ennis rolled his eyes.
"Oh, Ennis." Elizabeth used a teasing tone. "You don't know the difference between Botox and a face pealing."
"He doesn't believe in wrinkle cream." Jack added.
"Ennis." Elizabeth rested a hand on Ennis's shoulder. "It's true. It does have rejuvenating powers."
"I'm loving this conversation, but where's Mary?" Ennis asked moving away with a smile.
"I think we've hurt his feelings." Elizabeth chuckled.
"No. He's just going after Dave. I heard the kid is in trouble."
"Do you think we made a mistake?" Elizabeth asked in a low tone.
"About making him a senior?" Elizabeth nodded. "Not sure. He has potential. He showed it way before we gave him this chance. I think it's more a problem of personal issues."
"Relationship issues?" She asked curious.
"Yes. Girlfriend dumped him." Jack looked around making sure nobody was listened. "He's not the most confident guy. Not sure why, but he has some kind of inferior complex."
"It was a while ago. But the background check the firm did say that he came from a simple family."
"Simple family, meaning he was dead poor and now doesn't believe he can have a different life." Jack let out a deep breath. "He's not the first one with that profile in our firm and he won't be the last. What he needs is a bit of support."
"How bad is the damage to his reputation?" Elizabeth asked concerned.
"Not much yet. Ennis has kept an eye on him. He's my godson, after all."
"But it can get bad, right? He's out of his game."
"Yes. That's what's worrying me. He needs an intervention." Jack smirked.
"Really? We're going to do that?" Elizabeth sighed. "Lock him in conference room and show him his life's greatest accomplishments. It's so cliché."
"Maybe something more subtle."
"Why do I have the feeling that this conversation was a set up?" Elizabeth raised her brow.
"Because you know me far too well." Jack confirmed. "I just had this idea…"
"I see. How bad is it going to be for me? You know my schedule." Elizabeth immediately took her blackberry out of her pocket.
"Nothing major. Maybe just take him under your wing for a case or two. It would boost his ego and it would result in less work for you." Jack smiled. "It's a win-win situation."
"You know very well that I have a dozen younger attorneys trained to help me in my every need. He's going to be more of a pain to me than a help." Elizabeth frowned. "What if he came along with me and watched me in the field? I could even say it was a partnership."
"Partner? We don't want him to notice that we're helping him, remember? Subtle?" Jack paused. "And you don't know the true meaning of the word partner. You usually have apprentices at best."
"And I always single out the best attorneys to be my apprentices. You were one of them. Wouldn't such position be enough for your dearest godson?"
"Perhaps." Jack took a moment in consideration. "Actually that sounds nice. You'll tell him that he has what it takes to learn from you. It may work. But be subtle."
"Of course it will work." Elizabeth stated smugly. "I'm never wrong when it comes to issues about the firm. And Dave isn't really that bad. There have been way worse attorneys who have enormous amounts of success. In some parts of this field it's all about appearances."
"And I trust you to show him what part he should play in."
"I will." She looked around the huge living room for a moment. "You know you didn't need my permission to do this. You're the boss - you could demand it from me."
"We both know that's not the real case here." Jack smiled.
"You make it impossible for me to be annoyed about this." Elizabeth tried to hide her own smile.
"Great." Jack murmured as Ennis returned, this time followed by Mary.
"Look who I found bothering Matilda and Edward." Ennis gave Jack a brief kiss on his cheek.
"I wasn't bothering them!" Mary explained quickly. "I was just worried about Sophie. Since she had that rash I can't help but be paranoid about what she eats."
"I've seen her list of food allergies at least three times this morning only. Everything is taken care of." Jack reassured.
"Don't take it personally. She trusts no one…" Elizabeth added.
"Matilda has a lot of experience and I think she misses the time when I was a baby. She's beyond happy whenever Sophie's here." Jack remembered.
"I just feel bad whenever she's not standing next to me. It's bad enough with the schedule we both have." Mary confessed. "I had an absent father and I know how it hurts."
"That will never happen." Elizabeth reassured.
"Of course it won't. We're all family to her. She'll never be alone." Jack stated and Ennis nodded.
"Well…" Mary sighed. "Speaking of family… I pulled a few favors and the lab results were done this morning."
"So?" Jack asked carefully.
"Nothing new when it comes to you." Mary gave him an envelope. "She's definitely not related to you or your father, but… I already knew this. I got access to some old family records thanks to Hanna. Jack there was a different reason why she left your father…"
"What are you talking about?" Ennis asked confused.
"She was unfaithful… with someone you know well…" Mary looked around. "I'm not sure we should be having this conversation here."
"For the love of God! Just tell us already." Elizabeth demanded.
"It's okay." Jack nodded. "We have few secrets between us."
"Jack…" Mary hesitated. "She had an affair with Daniel Smith."
"Uncle Daniel?" Jack mouth stood open.
"No, way!" Elizabeth and Ennis shared disbelieved looks.
"It was a brief situation. At least is what my initial investigation has concluded." Mary added. "But we need to consider the possibility that she might be his daughter."
"How can that be? Didn't he realize that he could be the father?" Elizabeth asked confused.
"I think Mr. Smith didn't recollect his connection with Hanna's mother. He was only interested in getting her DNA sample and after that he didn't really care about which of Enrique's girlfriend she had been. Not to mention that he used to date a lot of women back in that time, he might not remember her particularly as both his lover and your father's girlfriend." Mary explained.
"It's also possible that Enrique never confronted him about the affair." Ennis added.
"They were odd of sorts back then…" Elizabeth explained. "Enrique may have blamed it all on her. Daniel was a well known playboy after his wife passed away."
"What a mess." Jack murmured.
"So?" Mary looked at Jack. "What do we do now?"
"We should think carefully and wait for more information." Ennis suggested. "Confirmation is the key. This may be a terrible mistake."
"I can do that." Mary nodded.
"Yes. I agree." Jack's eyes widened as he spotted Uncle Daniel entering the living room.
"For now let's pretend we don't know anything." Elizabeth murmured. "He's coming this way."
"Damn it." Ennis cursed under his breath.
"So how are the young people doing?" Uncle Daniel asked smiling. "I just saw Sophie. What a beauty. Can't help but wonder when these two are going to think about kids."
"What?" The topic was so unexpected and he was so nervous that Jack didn't really think about his answer.
"It will take a while." Ennis answered nervously. "I mean… We should… I… a civiclunion should come first."
"Please don't call it that!" Mary interjected. "It's marriage, for God's sake. Doesn't matter what all the other straight morons call it!"
Ennis and Jack stared uncomfortably at each other.
"Hmm." Uncle Daniel observed. "I think this topic can wait…"
"Yes, Mary can be a bit uncivil when discussing such matters." Elizabeth glared at her wife.
"Well, it doesn't matter because I have news." Uncle Daniel was subtly disappointed that no one seemed to be as enthusiastic as he was. "I think I know what the number 693 was all about!"
"Really?" Mary was the most curious of the four of them.
"Yes! I talked to some of Enrique's oldest friends. It was a long search but then I landed on something big. A guy who had been his partner on the first New York firm he had ever worked for. He told me that your father used to have a place on 6th Avenue."
"Of course." Ennis explained. "The first number was the avenue, the other one the building and the last one was the apartment."
"It was a building complex on 6th Avenue. Enrique lived on the I building, the 9th letter of the alphabet on the 3rd floor." Uncle Daniel explained.
"So our next clue is there?" Jack finally asked.
"Yes. I already went there. I wanted to know who lived there." Uncle Daniel smiled. "And get this! It still belongs to Enrique, more precisely to his heir. It's in your name, Jack."
"A building on 6th Avenue?" Jack asked intrigued. "It's possible. I've never checked the complete listing of real state holdings in my father's name at the time of the will."
"Jesus. Your father was insane" Mary stated.
"I can't imagine what's going to happen next." Uncle Daniel confessed and they all looked at him worriedly.
It was going to be a really insane Christmas.
Author: Sorry dear readers, but this story has been seriously neglected. I simply don't have the time and I'm too stubborn to give up. So, I will keep writing and I will keep posting. Probably with long periods between but that's nothing new. I hope you'll all can find it in your hearts to forgive me.
I'm also in the need of 1 or 2 more betas for the rewriting of Law and Love. Not a lot of work since it takes me ages to write anything...
On the next chapter: An entire chapter of Jack and Ennis on the mos romantic chapter ever. My favorite so far!