* HOMECOMING *
Epilogue
by Naomi Tilley
Five months later
Jason paused in front of the mirror in the family room of the Oliver home, adjusting the bow tie and collar of his tuxedo. He knew too well that Trini would lecture him later on if he didn't have it straight and neat. A hand clapped down on his shoulder, and he looked back to see Rocky there, smirking.
"You look great, Jason. Relax, it's not like you're the one getting married here."
A wry smile inched onto Jason's face. "No, but you don't have a wife that can pick out a fault from half a mile off."
Rocky laughed, pausing to glance over his own reflection in the mirror once before turning away.
"Hey, you took the plunge. You've gotta live with it."
Jason looked around, and spotted Tommy watching them, listening to the conversation with a mixture of mirth and panic on his features. He grinned, and nodded.
"Yeah, Rocky, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Tommy visibly relaxed, then, and turned back to fixing his own bow tie. Adam, who sat calmly on the sofa, watched the preceding with more than a little amusement.
"Think you can stay on your feet for the whole ceremony, Jase?" he asked teasingly, and Jason chucked a pillow at him.
"Don't be a smart ass, Adam. I've been back at work for three weeks, now."
Adam laughed. "Sure, with everyone waiting on you hand and foot. We know all about it," he added, enjoying the shade of red that Jason's face went. "David's been telling us everything."
"Okay, that's enough," Michael Oliver announced, walking into the room dressed in a striking tux, the same as Tommy and the others. The older man favoured Adam with a mock frown. "You should know better, Adam. With Jason's reputation, he shouldn't have to expect anything less."
"Oh, great," Jason moaned as he headed for the nearest armchair. "Now they're ganging up on me."
Shaking his head, he flopped into a chair just a little too fast, and a moment later he cringed in agony as pain flared through his gut. Tommy was out of his chair an instant later, and at Jason's side.
"Easy, bro. Man, you've gotta be more careful."
Jason drew in a hissing breath between clenched teeth. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute." He paused, his gaze going to Tommy's bow tie, which was only half-tied, and sloppily at that. "Pretty shabby, Tommy. Don't you know how to tie one of the those things?"
Tommy smiled sheepishly. "Not really. Mum always did it for me."
Jason shook his head and took the liberty of retying the bow tie himself, grateful for the distraction from his slow-healing stomach wound.
Despite the doctors allowing him to go home early from the hospital a few months back, Jason had remained under the close watch of a home care nurse, paid for by Donavon and Sarah Scott. It had turned out to be just as well; two weeks after going home, Jason had suffered partial kidney failure and had needed to be rushed back to hospital. An emergency operation had been needed, and the doctors had called in a specialist who, in an effort to save the kidney instead of putting Jason on the list for a transplant, had cut away the damaged part and moulded body tissue to the remaining portion in an experimental operation. The surgery had been successful, but Jason had been three times as long in recovering as a result.
He was back at work, finally, after deciding not to resign, but was still restricted to light duties, and minimal, standard exercise. Jason had found, to his pleasant surprise, that he could cope with the restrictions better than he'd expected. He was enjoying simply being back at work and in the office, and he was openly grateful to Michael, David, Trini and Tommy that they hadn't let him chuck his job in on the basis of a few controllable fears.
Those fears, too, had dimmed considerably when, after a month-long trial and a short jury deliberation, Kyle Bennett had been found guilty on all charges and sentenced to twenty five years imprisonment for the crimes of attempted murder and assault, and an additional sentence of fifteen years for the abduction of Jason and William. He was appealing the sentences through his lawyer, of course. That was no surprise to anyone, but the encouraging part was that with evidence found in the old orphanage after Jason and William had been rescued, the DA in Chicago had had the case there reopened. A new judge had accepted the fresh evidence as valid in a committal hearing, and, consequently, Bennett would be required to answer the charges in a new court case in Chicago. Even if his current sentences were reduced, the killer would still be in jail for a very long time.
He finished the bow tie, and Tommy pulled back from him, smirking.
"Let me guess. Trini taught you that?"
Jason grinned. "Nope. Dad did, the day before my wedding. He said no son of his was going to embarrass himself with not being able to fix his own bow tie."
Michael groaned comically. "I've failed my son!"
Tommy laughed and stood up. "Just let me fix my hair, and then we can get going."
"Isn't that supposed to one of the girls' lines?" Rocky asked in a low voice, only to cop an elbow from Adam.
"Knock it off."
Michael smiled amusedly at the banter, then helped Jason up from the armchair.
"Are you feeling all right?" he asked, quickly becoming serious again.
Jason nodded.
"Yeah, I think so. Trini made sure I had plenty of rest yesterday and the day before. It's probably just as well you made me take those days off."
"I thought as much," Michael murmured. Jason smiled faintly, holding his breath as he turned a little from left to right, and back again, trying to loosen up the tight stomach muscles and avoid getting a cramp. Tommy, having tied his hair back in a tight pony tail, joined them near the archway.
"Well, I guess I'm ready as I'll ever be."
Michael grinned, looking from his son to the other three young men, and nodded.
"Okay, then. Let's get going."
They rode in a limousine, provided courtesy of Kat's diplomat father. Jason rode with Tommy on one side with their backs to the driver while Michael, Adam and Rocky sat on the opposite seats.
"How's the stomach, man?" Tommy asked, watching Jason in concern. In conjunction with suffering vertigo as a result of his fractured skull, Jason had also developed a minor case of motion sickness. That they'd discovered the hard way, the night that Trini had taken Jason home from hospital the second time. Unfortunately, Jason had been unable to rid himself of either the vertigo or the motion sickness, and it looked as though both complaints were permanent side effects of that last conflict with Bennett.
On the bright side, Michael had pointed out when the doctor had made the prognosis, Jason would be entitled to a hefty compensation package, enough to set himself and Trini up comfortably, possibly for the rest of their lives.
Sure enough, a lawyer had taken up Jason's case against Bennett in a civil trial, and the judge had awarded Jason near to two million dollars for all that he'd been through. The money had come through immediately, uncontested by Bennett, after the discovery of several large bank accounts in the killer's name.
"Not too bad," Jason conceded. "I'm doing better because I've had a couple of days to rest up."
"Good," Rocky retorted. "We don't need you throwing up in the limo."
"You could try being a little more sympathetic," Adam chided him lightly, but Rocky only smirked. Jason grinned as Rocky's comments reminded him of something else.
"Speaking of sickness, Adam, how's Tanya doing?"
Adam had to smile, then. Tanya, to the joy of the young couple, was one month pregnant.
"She's doing great. The doctor thinks she's past the morning sickness now. At any rate, she was feeling better this morning."
Jason grinned. He could understand the young man's excitement; he'd felt the same after learning that Trini was pregnant.
"You're gonna love being a dad, Adam. It's the best feeling."
"Yeah," Rocky snickered. "The sleepless nights, cleaning up dirty diapers, arguing over who gets to stay up with the baby...."
"You know, Rocky," Michael commented, eyeing Rocky with a mix of amusement and annoyance, "I think it's time that you found someone and settled down. Maybe then you'll stop being the epitome of the randy bachelor."
The others laughed, and Rocky immediately quieted down, annoyed at not having a good come-back handy.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," Tommy mumbled nervously as he stood at the church altar rail, with Jason at his side. Jason had to smile.
"Just remember, if you decide to do a disappearing act, you'll run straight into me because I am not letting you chicken out of this."
"Thanks a lot," Tommy retorted dryly. Jason laughed softly.
"It's going to be fine, bro. Trust me. Granted, it's not easy, but it's worth the effort."
Tommy wrung his hands together in agitation. "You really think I'm doing the right thing?"
Jason could barely believe his friend's timing, that he was asking that question right then....
"Yes, of course you are! You're going to make a good life with Kat, Tommy. Just have a little faith in yourself. The rest of us do."
A smile touched Tommy's lips, then. "Thanks, Jase."
"Anytime, bro. Heads up, here we go."
Tommy's heart leapt into his throat as the organist launched into the Wedding March and, fighting his nerves, he turned around slowly. In an instant, all traces of panic and fright were gone, and he found himself feeling nothing but love and joyful anticipation as Kat came down the aisle, on the arm of her father. She was beautiful in a flowing white satin gown, a long veil obscuring her face from view. Tommy glanced sideways at Jason, took in his friend's broad grin, and finally relaxed, stepping forward to join Kat as she reached the first step before the altar.
Jason moved back a step, catching Trini's eye from where she was standing on the other side with Tanya and Kim, the three women radiant in their bridesmaid dresses. She flashed him a brilliant smile, mouthing the words 'I love you' before returning her attention to the priest. Jason watched her for a moment longer before finally turning to face front himself, silently thankful for the good life that he had been given.
The End.
