Chapter 18: Reconciliations
A knock sounded at the door, startling Holly out of the trance she had fallen into. She blinked, before standing up and crossing over the small space to the door. She pulled it open, unsurprised to find Jayne on the other side.
“Just when I thought I found a decent hiding spot, you show up,” she said, shaking her head.
“Jack said I’d find you here,” he said with a crooked smile. “I have something for you.”
Holly raised an eyebrow in question, but Jayne just shook his head.
“You’re going to have to come with me to see it,” he told her. He offered his hand out, which Holly took with a laugh.
“You’ve caught my interest, Mr. Scott,” she said. “And I’ve always been a huge fan of surprises.”
“No, you haven’t,” Jayne retorted as they walked out of Jack’s house and headed toward the market district.
Holly rolled her eyes. “Well, I do today. And since it’s my birthday, I am entitled.”
“So Casey told me you completely forgot about that,” Jayne said with a sideways glance. “Good job.”
“Shut up!” Holly exclaimed, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. “It’s not like I’ve had time to sit around and think about anything lately. Or did you forget about running from the Shadow of the Sun through the cliff.”
“Well, any chance of that happening was just destroyed,” Jayne muttered. He sighed. “Maybe today’s the day when you can finally let yourself relax.”
Holly smiled. “I don’t think there’s anything I’d like more,” she said. “That’d be perfect, actually.”
“Good,” he said. “Then maybe as your birthday present to Casey, you can do just that. He’s worried about you, you know.”
“I do,” Holly said. “We talked some earlier. That’s kind of why I was hiding, actually. He told me to quit moping around.”
“And what did you say to that?” Jayne asked, his grin fading slightly.
“I didn’t say anything,” Holly admitted. At Jayne’s incredulous look, she added, “He ambushed me with the story about him and Abby and I totally freaked out. Then he told me it was our birthday and I just couldn’t take it anymore so I ran.”
“One of these days you’re going to stop doing that too,” Jayne said with unusual seriousness. With a sly look, he added, “But that’s probably a little too much to hope for today, right?”
Holly shook her head. “If you’re lucky, I won’t run from you.”
“It won’t be luck,” Jayne said confidently. “I’ve got your curiosity on my side. You won’t leave until you know what I got you for your birthday.”
“Speaking of, where exactly are we going?” she inquired.
“Well, Jack told me that you were forced to leave all of your clothes and stuff in Smoke Water. Now that that’s probably been razed to the ground by the oh so gracious Shadow of the Sun, I was thinking maybe you’d like something nice to wear tonight to the party,” Jayne explained.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Holly whispered, touched by the generosity of Jayne’s gesture. She knew for a fact that he didn’t have a lot of money, so the fact that he was willing to spend what little he did have on her meant a lot.
“Well, I’m not doing it just for you,” Jayne said lewdly. “You are way too hot to wear pants and tunics all of the time.”
Holly rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle shove. “You’re a jerk,” she stated. “A generous jerk, but still a jerk.”
“It’s all a part of my charm,” Jayne said with a grin. “Now come on. The party starts at sunset and I would like to eat before we go.”
~0~
The sky was just beginning to darken as Holly pulled on the dress Jayne had bought for her. It was a beautiful, floor length gown with an olive undergarment embroidered with leaves and an emerald, long sleeve overlay with green piping that tied in the front.
“Just a minute!” Holly called, attempting to simultaneously tie her dress and shove her feet into a pair of gold sandals.
She took a step forward, which upset her already precarious balance, sending her tumbling toward the small wooden dresser. A pair of strong arms stopped her rapid descent.
Holly turned, ready to thank Jayne for the sudden rescue, but was stopped short when she found that it wasn’t Jayne.
“Casey!” she exclaimed. “What-I thought I was meeting you at the party.”
“It’s a good thing I decided to change that,” Casey said, steadying her on her feet. He was dressed simply in a white button up shirt and black trousers. “Otherwise, you and that dresser would have become very personal with each other.”
“Thanks for catching me,” she said. “That would have been…”
“Ugly?” Casey supplied with an easy smile as he sat down on Jack’s bed.
“To say the least,” Holly said, sitting down next to him. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said. With a sigh, he added, “Well, not really fine, per say. I just realized that this is the first birthday we’ve ever spent away from Mom and Dad.”
“And Abby and Neil,” Holly murmured, looking down at the bed.
Casey sighed. “And without them,” he agreed softly. A little more strongly, he added, “I just didn’t want to spend it without you, if I didn’t have to.”
“I’m sorry about running off earlier,” she confessed. “You just…”
“I know,” Casey interrupted. “What I said and when I said it was pretty poor timing on my part. And for that, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“Only if you can forgive me for being such a bad sister,” Holly said with a faint smile.
“You’re not a bad sister,” Casey disagreed. “In fact, you’re the best one I’ve had.”
“I’m your only sister, Case,” she pointed out.
“That just makes you all the more special,” Casey said in a voice that was impossible to argue with. “Which brings me to the present I have for you.”
Holly’s eyes widened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, wooden box.
“Casey,” she protested.
“Before you say anything like you didn’t get me a present because you forgot today was our birthday, just save it, okay?” he asked. “I didn’t exactly buy this. I’ve had it for a while, actually.”
Curiosity getting the better of her, Holly took the box and opened it, taken aback by what was inside.
It was a necklace of emeralds and diamonds, set in a stunning silver chain. The diamonds were heart shaped, the emeralds perfect ovals.
“It’s beautiful, Casey,” she murmured, unable to fully voice just how much she loved the necklace. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Do you like it?” Casey asked, looking anxious.
Holly nodded, tears stinging her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. “I love it,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“It was Mom’s,” Casey said. “She wanted you to have it.”
“I love it,” Holly repeated, brushing her lips against his cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.”
“The only thing I want is for you to be happy,” he said. “Nothing else matters, Holly.”
Holly nodded, wiping the tears from her cheek. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll try.”
“Good. You deserve it,” Casey said. “Do you want some help with the necklace.”
She nodded, still unable to believe that such a beautiful gift was hers. She handed the box to Casey and turned, pulling her hair out of the way of the clasp.
Casey gently pulled the necklace around Holly’s neck, before fumbling with the clasp.
“There,” he said at last. “Are you sure you like it?”
“Yes, dork,” Holly said with a smile. “I really love it. It’s an amazing gift.”
“Good. You look beautiful in it,” he said. “You look like Mom.”
“Thank you,” Holly whispered. Taking a deep breath, she added, “You ready to go?”
“Sure,” Casey said. “I’m always ready for a party!”
Laughing, Holly looped her arm through his and they headed out the door.
~0~
The celebration was held in a large hall not far from Jack’s house. It was decorated tastefully in beautiful green and gold drapes, reflecting the change of the season from spring to summer. Long, wooden tables covered in emerald silk cloths and ladened with golden plates full of fruit, vegetables, and assorted meats lined the walls of the hall. Dozens of people all elegantly dressed, gathered in small groups around these tables, automatically sorting themselves into groups based upon rank, social status, and wealth.
Holly stuck close to Casey, instantly on her guard with so many people around. It reminded her forcefully of the fact that she had not been around anyone outside of Jayne, Casey, and Cameron in close to a month and hadn’t been around complete strangers in even longer. It made her instantly wish for the sword she had left in Jack’s house, though she knew on some level that these people were supposed to be her allies, and thus, wouldn’t hurt her.
Sensing her distress, Casey reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“Relax,” he suggested. “None of these people are out to get you.”
Holly scowled, the memory of what happened with Neil still too fresh in her mind to be able to comfortably make jokes about it.
Casey let out a sigh. “Just try to have fun tonight, all right?” he asked. “It is your birthday, after all. You don’t have to be so… serious all of the time.”
“I know,” Holly murmured, looking around. “It’s just that…”
She trailed off with the sad realization that outside of Casey, she didn’t know anyone in the hall. And the one person she was looking for was mysteriously absent.
Casey followed her look and immediately understood.
“I haven’t seen him since I got back from medical,” he said softly. “But I’m sure he’ll be here.”
Holly shook her head. “He doesn’t like crowds,” she replied. “He never has.”
Casey was about to protest when Jayne walked over, a huge grin lighting up his face. Holly started at his expression, realizing that she had seen that smile since Fess died, and Jayne looked quite handsome when he was happy. The dark pants and long sleeve navy blue shirt certainly helped as well.
“Holly, may I have the honor of asking you to dance?” he asked formally.
This made Holly giggle, leading her to truly relax for the first time that evening. She glanced at Casey, wondering if he would mind. After all, it was his birthday too.
Casey merely gestured that she should accept.
“Go,” he said. “I’m starving anyway. Just make sure you save at least one dance for me!”
Promising that she would, Holly placed her hand in Jayne’s and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.
A small orchestra was set up in the far corner, consisting of a flute, a harp, a violin, a drum, and a few other instruments. Together, they set a sweet, playful tune as Jayne and Holly joined the crowd of other dancers swaying together on the floor.
“You look beautiful in that dress,” Jayne commented as he gingerly placed his hands on Holly’s waist. She reciprocated by looping her arms around his neck.
She blushed. “Thank you. You look fairly handsome yourself, mister.”
Jayne grinned again, the expression lighting up his blue-green eyes. Holly was glad that he was so happy in light of all the recent tragedy. It made her think that maybe everything would be okay after all.
They danced, stepping on each other’s toes more often than not, and laughing about how terrible they both were compared to the rest of the crowd. It was the most fun Holly had had in months.
“You’re horrible at this,” Jayne chuckled as the song wound down. “Didn’t you ever learn how to dance?”
“It wasn’t exactly a necessity in Lindenshire,” Holly replied. “We never had any celebrations like this.”
Jayne’s eyes widened in surprise. “You were barely a day’s ride from Milden and you never went to any balls?”
Holly shook her head. “Mom and Dad didn’t want to get involved with all of that. At the time, they claimed it was a waste of time and hard-earned money, but now, I think it’s more because they were scared of being discovered.”
The thought erased the smile from her lips with a weary sigh. She wondered how many other little eccentricities about her parents she had ignored over the years were due to their past lives as the leaders of the Eclipse. The idea made her sad. James had taken so much from them and had never truly received penance for that.
Jayne gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll just have to make the best of this one, then,” he decided. “To make up for all that lost time.”
With tremendous effort, Holly managed a small smile, thankful she had Jayne as her friend. She didn’t know what she’d do without his almost supernatural ability to guess her moods and know exactly how to cheer her up. He truly was her best friend.
“Thank you,” she whispered as another song began.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Jayne warned. “The night’s barely started!”
Holly laughed. “I think I can handle anything you can throw at me,” she said. “After the week I’ve had, a dance is easy.”
Jayne smirked. “Keep telling yourself that.”
She rolled her eyes, but said nothing, not wanting to ruin the moment. Instead, Holly settled for allowing Jayne to lead her into another dance.
The second song ended. A third was just beginning when a gentle hand rested on Holly’s shoulder. She turned, surprised to find Jack standing behind her.
“May I talk to you for a moment?” he asked softly.
Puzzled, Holly nodded, saying a quick good-bye to Jayne before allowing her uncle to lead her out of the hall.
Outside, night had fallen, making the sky a deep navy, with sparkling silver stars and a glowing white full moon. A few torches illuminated the path from the entrance of the hall to the main road. Music could still be heard from the hall, but softer now, allowing for conversation.
“I wanted to give you your birthday present,” Jack said.
Holly’s eyes widened. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” she protested.
Jack shook his head. “I didn’t buy it.”
There was an unfathomable note of sadness in his voice, one that Holly knew went along with thoughts of his past after he had faked his own death. Not for the first time, she wondered what exactly had happened to him during those sixteen years.
All thoughts of Jack’s past were erased instantly when he unbuckled his sword belt from his waist and held it out to her.
Holly stared, puzzled. “What is this?”
“It’s a sword, Holly,” Jack said with a tinge of exasperation in his voice. His blue gray eyes sparkled in amusement.
“I got that,” Holly replied dryly. “But don’t you need this?”
“It’s not mine,” Jack murmured, his voice heart-wrenchingly sad again. Before Holly had the chance to question him on it, Jack pressed the blade into her hands. “Take it out of its sheath.”
She did as he instructed with shaking hands, uncertain of what the significance of the sword was. After all, she had a perfectly functional sword, and didn’t need another one.
The naked metal gleamed in the flickering glow of the torch. It was a long, slender blade, beautifully crafted, extending from a simple, yet elegant brown leather hilt.
“It’s beautiful,” Holly whispered, touched by the generosity of the gesture, even if she didn’t fully understand it.
“Look at the engraving,” Jack suggested, pointing at a small black spot near the hilt of the blade that Holly initially overlooked.
She brought the blade closer to her eyes so she could read the engraving. The letters L.F. were embossed in the metal.
“Is this-?” Holly tailed off, hardly able to believe her eyes.
“It was your mother’s sword,” Jack confirmed. “From when she was in charge of the Eclipse.”
“I thought it was gone,” Holly whispered. She tore her gaze away from the blade to look back at Jack. “My mother told me that she lost it in the final battle.”
Jack shook his head. “She did. But I found it.”
There was an overpowering emotion that Holly couldn’t identify in Jack’s voice, and in the dim light of the torches, she couldn’t read his face either.
“Thank you,” she said at last, giving up trying to figure out what was going through Jack’s mind. That was a matter for another time.
“Do you like it?” Jack asked anxiously.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Holly answered. She sheathed the blade and hugged Jack tightly. “It’s perfect.”
Jack returned her hug. “Good. I think your mother would want you to have it.”
Holly couldn’t think of anything to say that would properly convey her feelings about the gift, so she settled for hugging Jack again.
“Thank you,” she repeated.
Jack huffed a laugh as he released her. “You’re welcome.”
He looked as though he were about to say more, but something behind Holly caught his attention. Holly turned, shocked to find Cameron standing there.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Jack murmured, before walking off. Holly wanted to call him back, to have some sort of buffer between her and Cameron, but she found herself entirely unable o speak.
“Hey,” Cameron offered, his voice soft.
He was standing at the edge of the torch light, half hidden in the shadows. He was dressed simply in a long sleeve black shirt and pants that made him practically invisible. His face seemed more mysterious than ever.
“Hey,” Holly returned after a moment’s pause.
“You look…” Cameron trailed off, a smile gracing the half of his face that Holly could see. “Beautiful.”
She blushed. “Thank you,” she said. “Jayne got the dress for me as a birthday present.”
Holly mentally smacked herself for sounding like a complete idiot.
Cameron didn’t seem to notice. He took a few, hesitant steps forward.
Holly stood completely still, not wanting to move a muscle, fearing that if she did, he’d disappear.
What felt like an agonizing lifetime later, Cameron stood directly in front of her.
Holly’s breath caught as she met his eyes for the first time that night. There was an intensity to them that she had never seen before, making them shine a brilliant shade of cobalt in the dim lighting.
“Cameron,” she began, wanting to apologize for how she had acted earlier, for running out on him, for not giving him a chance.
He placed a finger on her lips, effectively silencing her.
“Holly as much as I love you, I swear, if you say you’re sorry one more time, I will be forced to hurt you,” he said with a smile.
“Holly stared at him for a moment, completely dumbfounded.
“Cameron removed his finger from her mouth and took her hand in his.
“Whatever has happened is now in the past,” he said firmly, but gently. “It’s time to move on.”
Holly shook her head. “It’s not that easy,” she said, looking away from him.
“It can be,” Cameron said. “If you want it to be.”
“You should hate me,” she whispered. “For what I did to you.”
He sighed heavily. “Even if I did, how would that help anything? It wouldn’t change what happened between us. And even if it did, I wouldn’t want it to.”
Holly looked back at him in confusion. “What?”
Cameron smiled darkly, but not unkindly. “What happened to me in the Land of Shadows was terrible,” he said. “But the only thing that kept me going was the thought that you were alive, that you were safe, far away from my father. If you had come for me, James would have killed you, Holly, and I would have never been able to live with myself for what happened .So for that, I’m glad you broke your promise, because that means you’re here with me now.”
Tears stung Holly’s eyes and she bit her lip to contain a sob.
“You can’t forgive me that easily,” she all but mouthed.
“I can,” he said. “I do.”
A single tear slid down Holly’s cheek and she trembled. “Do you mean that?” she asked, desperation making her voice rise and break.
Cameron nodded. “I do. I forgive you, Holly.”
She was hugging him before she was even conscious of what she was doing.
Cameron returned it, his arms tightening around her back.
“I’ve missed you,” she murmured against his shoulder, tears sliding steadily down her face and staining his shirt. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He didn’t say anything, but from the way he pulled her closer to him, Holly knew he felt the same way.
She wasn’t sure how long they stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, but eventually Cameron pulled out of the hug, still keeping hold of her hand.
“May I have this dance?” he asked as the orchestra inside struck up a slow, soft song.
Holly nodded.
Cameron tentatively wrapped his free arm around her waist and drew her closer to him once more. Holly placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned against him, feeling more at ease than she had in months.
They slowly began to revolve on the spot, not truly dancing, but enjoying being close to each other.
“There wasn’t a single day that went by that I didn’t want to go back,” Holly said quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment, but needing to say the words before she lost her chance. “The moment I left you, all I wanted to do was go back.”
“I know,” Cameron said simply.
And with that, Holly fell in love with him all over again.
All too soon, the song ended. She went to pull away from Cameron, but instead he drew her even closer and brushed his lips against hers.
“Happy birthday, Holly,” he breathed.
It was by far Holly’s favorite birthday present.