Kerry knelt in front of her, terrifyingly, and took both hands in her own. “Right as I was leaving, something happened. In the parking lot.”

“Did you get in an accident? Are you okay?” Dar started speaking.

“Yes, no, I...” Kerry paused. “Dar, before you freak out and freak me out, this is a good thing.” She watched the panic fade a little, in the pale blue eyes. “I just don’t know how to tell you this.”

Dar waited in silence for a few beats. “You ran over Fabracini?” She hazarded a guess. “I’ll smuggle you out of the country, sweetheart. We can go live on some island off the Bahamas.”

“No, I,” Kerry paused. “Dar, a man came up to me in the lot and started asking me about you.”

It wasn’t what she’d expected. Dar’s brows creased. “What?”

Kerry gave up. “Just come with me.” She decided. “Outside.” She stood, keeping hold of Dar’s hands as she awkwardly straightened, keeping her weight on her good leg. Kerry got her arm around her partner and supported her as they made their way to the door, Chino snuffling curiously at their heels.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, Ker,” Dar said, as she got the door open. “But I don’t know if I’m up to surprises tonight.”

Kerry squeezed out the door next to her and quickly searched the parking slots, relieved when she saw the dark figure leaning against her car. “It’s okay, hon. Trust me,” she murmured as they started down the stairs. “It’s going to make today not matter.”

“What?” Dar half turned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Ker, what’s going on here?” She had to swing around as Kerry urged her Hurricane Watch

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down the steps, and her head turned in the direction of the car. “I don’t know what...”

Her eyes fastened on the tall, silent figure that now straightened up and faced her, and she stopped moving. The height, and the shape and the movement struck sudden chords of memory in her she’d thought long dead and her vision blurred as she watched him.

She almost stopped breathing. Her hands clenched around Kerry’s suddenly. “Ker who is that?” she whispered. “Near your car?”

Kerry found herself in the oddest position of her life and it was hard to think straight. “Come on.” She helped Dar down the last few steps, then she released her as they came even with their visitor and Dar could, at last, see his features.

Dar stiffened, then she half extended a hand, her eyes fastened on the tall man who carefully took a step forward towards her. “Ohh.”

“Hey there, Dardar,” the man rasped, very gently. “Damn good to see ya.”

It had been the worst of days. Now, in the light from the porch lamp over her shoulder, Kerry found herself watching it become the best of days before her very eyes.

To hell with the company. “Go on.” She put her hand on Dar’s hip.

“It’s real.” She watched Dar’s face light up with wonder like a child’s, as she moved towards her father. Kerry followed a step behind, but held up when she reached the edge of the sidewalk, and stayed back as they met.Dar felt the world become utterly unreal. She faced the hooded figure on legs shaking so badly she wasn’t sure she could remain upright. “Daddy?” she managed to get out. “Is that really you?”

He took a step forward. “What’s left,” he said. “Been to hell and back, though.” He stood there awkwardly until Dar finally just half walked, half fell towards him and then they were hugging each other.

“Hell and back.”

Dar couldn’t believe it. It was impossible, and yet, she could feel the long arms around her and hear her father’s heartbeat under her ear and she had to believe.

Had to believe. “Oh, Daddy,” she whispered.

She could smell salt air on his clothes, and wool, and he seemed thinner than she remembered, but there was no doubt when she heard that voice echoing from her earliest memories.

“Dar. Dar.” Andrew hugged her, rocking back and forth a little.

“Damn it all.” He patted her back. “What’d ya do t’your laig?” He released her and they looked at each other again.

For a moment, Dar had no idea what he was talking about. Then she shifted her weight and remembered, gritting her teeth as she grabbed for the edge of the car. “L...long story,” she said. “Um, would you please come inside?”

Andrew paused, then he nodded and joined Dar at the steps, and 132

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they walked upward in silence, broken when they reached the top step and were met by Chino, who barked in surprise at seeing a stranger.

Kerry gathered the puppy in her arms as she followed Dar and her father inside.

DAR SIGHED. ”WHAT a damned day.” She perched on the back of the couch, looking around a little self-consciously. “So, this is our place.” Her eyes were fixed on her father, who was quietly looking around.

It was strange and surreal. She felt like she was in a waking dream that would surely end any second with the buzz of the alarm, or a gentle hug from Kerry. It couldn’t be real. That couldn’t really be her father standing there.

Maybe the whole day was just a hallucination. Dar sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, caught between the extremes of the moment.

Kerry let the puppy go and she swarmed up Dar’s leg, whining and squeaking until Dar picked her up. ”All right, all right.”

Andrew gazed at her, the hood shifting as he moved his head.

”Finally got you a dog, huh?”

Dar was vainly trying to keep Chino from licking the inside of her mouth. ”She’s Kerry’s,” She explained sheepishly. “Jack Easton’s Christmas present to her. You remember Alabaster?”

”Gerry Easton’s big old dog?” Her father’s brows hiked. ”I surely do. I know you always wanted one.” He watched Chino’s antics. “You sure that dog ain’t yours?”

Kerry chuckled. “Chino really was my present, but I keep telling Dar she’s her dog.”

“Not my dog. Your dog...augh.” Dar extracted a needle like tooth from her earlobe.

“Our dog,” Kerry concluded, going over to rescue her partner from their pet. “C’mere, Cheebles. Stop chewing on mommy Dar.” She gave the puppy a hug, then put her down on the tile and watched her scramble around.

Andrew chuckled softly. He finished his examination of the living room and turned to face his daughter. ”This is damn nice, Dar. I’m glad you got a good place to hang your hat up in.”

Dar leaned against the back of the loveseat, her insides in turmoil.

“Yeah,” she said. “It was bigger than I needed but,” She paused. “It’s quiet out here.”

Kerry slipped past Dar, giving her a pat on the back. “I’m going to get some dinner ordered,” she said. “Mr. Roberts, can I order you something?”

His head turned her way and blue eyes framed in the forest green hood focused on her. ”Who in the hell are you talking to?”


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Kerry blinked at him. ”Um, you?”

”There ain’t no such person as Mr. Roberts,” he told her. ”There’s Commander Roberts, or Andy, or shithead.” He paused. ”Take yer pick.”

Dar smiled a little at Kerry’s expression.

But Kerry rallied. ”How about Dad?” she countered quietly, meeting his eyes with gentle acceptance.

Now it was Andrew’s turn to blink. He turned to his daughter.

”Gutsy little thing, ain’t she?” He marveled. ”All right, that’ll do,” he exhaled. ”And if they got something normal as a hamburger in this crazy place, I’ll have one of those.”

Kerry smiled at him. ”Okay, Dad.” Her green eyes twinkled. ”One hamburger, coming up.”

”Hm,” he grunted, then he looked up. ”They got any ice cream?”

Bewildered, he stared as Kerry burst into laughter, and had to hold onto the chair for support. ”What in hell’s wrong with her?” he asked plaintively.

Dar just shook her head. She waited for Kerry to disappear into the kitchen before she peeked back at the miracle in her lobby. “Want to sit down?” she asked, tentatively.

“Think maybe you should.” Her father walked slowly over to the entertainment center, studying the pictures in silence for a long moment.

Dar stayed where she was, her arms braced on the back of the couch.

He picked up the big picture, the one of her and Kerry, and half turned. “She live here, too?”

Dar nodded.

Andrew put the picture down and went around the edge of the couch, sitting down on the larger sofa as Dar swiveled to face him.

“What’d ya do to your laig?”

Dar glanced at it. “I don’t really care about my leg right now,” she said. “I’m trying to get my head around you being here.”

Her father looked up at her with a somber expression. “Yeap. I know,” he said. “Sorry bout that, Dar. I wasn’t thinking about showing up here, but...” He glanced at the kitchen entrance. “Just worked out that way.”

Dar looked at him in silence, then she came around the side of the couch and sat down, afraid her shaking legs were going to give out on her and drop her to the floor.

KERRY LEANED AGAINST the counter, gazing out the window as she thought about things. Outside, she could just barely hear the roar of the ocean breakers and the churn of the water matched pretty closely the churn of her guts as she tried to let go of the day.


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She couldn’t even imagine what Dar was feeling. For one thing, she’d never lost anyone close in her family. For another, she wasn’t entirely sure she’d be as devastated as Dar had been if she had.

It hurt thinking that. Kerry gazed down at the countertop, its glossy surface cold against her skin. She wanted to love her parents and maybe part of her still did, but the memory of what her father had done to her was very fresh.