Chapter 22

She woke first, and lay there silently watching him sleep. With the lightest of touches she brushed a stubborn lock of hair from his forehead. Carefully lifting the arm he had wrapped tightly around her she moved from the couch and quickly dressed. Pulling the small afghan up over his naked form she ran fingers through tousled auburn hair and moved to the door. Taking a deep breath she walked into the bar, quietly finding a stool and taking a seat.

“Joe, a glass of wine please,” she whispered as she glanced around for Adam or Duncan. Joe slid a glass of wine across the bar, waiting to speak as he could tell she was working up the nerve to say more. “Joe, I need some advice and before you say I’m just a watcher, don’t. Just help me. I can’t ask Adam, he’d laugh me outta the bar, and Duncan? Pfffff, he’s a boy scout.”

“It’s about what happened in my office Ami? Two people felt desire for each other and acted on it. There’s nothing wrong in that.” Joe began to wipe down the bar as Amelia struggled to put her thoughts into words.

“It’s not that Joe; I have no love lost for the woman who lied to him for 18 years.”

Joe’s brow arched slightly, “how do ya know she lied to him all that time Ammie?”

Amelia laughed softly. “He’s well known as a family man Joe, the cleanest living rocker they know of, has a wife and kids, not a known druggie. It clearer for ya here considering he was pre-immortal and now immortal?”

Joe took a long look at Amelia before speaking. “You can’t have kids.”

“Bingo Joe,” she sighed as she continued. “It’s going to rip his heart right out of his chest, remembering her and knowing what he knows now, and how’s he gonna feel when he remembers everything about me? I left him Joe, he thinks for another man, when I became immortal. It’s a fucking mess, and I made it worse by giving into desire. And then there’s the fact that I called his friend Richie before we left home, to tell them he was on his way, and now his brains more scrambled than it was. I’m beginning to wonder if just dumping him back into his world is the way to go here.”

The answer seemed simple enough to him, if not to her. “Call him back up girl, have him come here alone. Let him help you ease the guy back into the pool of his life.” He picked up the bar phone and slid it too her. “It won’t hurt any of you to just stop and take stock a day or two.”

Amelia picked up the phone and once again dialed the Jovi hotline and asked for Richie. No amount of wrangling would get the person to put him on the phone however. As the last bit of her patience waned she screamed, “Just go tell him Sambo is wanted on the phone Dammit. He’ll want to take this call I assure you.” The phone went dead for a few minutes and then she heard Richie’s voice on the other end. “Sambo, it’s me again, we’ve hit a small snag.” Quickly explaining the situation she asked him to come to Seattle alone and gave him the address to Joe’s bar.

She knew she was going to have some explaining to do. Richie didn’t have a concussion or amnesia, he would remember her and all that happened, and if he knew Jon would know. They were the Dynamic Duo, no secrets between them at all. Even though he had been told to keep immortality to himself she knew that eventually, as he remembered things he would confide in Richie. Their trust was that deep twenty years ago and she was sure that 20 more years of experience had tightened those bonds even more.


~~~~

Fractured pieces of dreams flitted through his mind then vanished as he slowly awakened. Shaking his head he stood and dressed and found his way to the men’s room. Splashing cold water over his face he stared into the mirror, into a face he barely recognized, wondering what would call back all the days he had left behind less than a week ago. He stood there for many long minutes trying to force himself to remember and had no success. With a deep sigh he turned to walk into the bar, hearing for the first time the rather loud discussion going on just a few feet away, and a discussion that from its loud tone had been going on for a long while.

“Yes Dammit I called him and asked him to come here Adam!”

“You bloody twit. What do you think he can do?” Adam was furious. It was bad enough to deal with an amnesiatic immortal, but a mortal too? What did she think this Richie guy could do?

“We couldn’t just throw him to the sharks Adam. Dammit Sambo can help. I dunno how yet, but he can!”

“And just what are you going to tell this bloody mortal when he gets here huh? Nancy boy Rock Star died on ya guy. He’s not gonna die again.” Oh yeah that’s gonna go over really well.” Adam huffed and took a long drink of his beer. “You can’t go broadcasting to people what we are you stupid ninny. Blast it all, did you lose what good sense you had when you played fast and loose in the office?”

Amelia gasped and straightened, her tiny frame glowing with anger. “Unlike you old man, I have known these two, well knew them a long time ago and with twenty more years under their belts, I’m betting my sanity on the fact that Sambo can help. So you can…”

“Just shut the fuck up man.” Jon finished the sentence for her.

They both turned to Jon and said in the same moment, “What year is it?”

“Last I checked it was 2007 you two, and I thought I was the one with the memory problems?” Jon grinned. “Yeah, yeah, I had a memory surge a bit ago, it knocked me for a loop too, but the nap seems to have at least righted that bit.” He turned to Amelia and smiled, “and before you say a word I remember that much of my life Jac...I mean Amelia. But anything in my life after that night here it’s still lost to me including why you and I ended up apart, but I plan on rectifying that in short order.”

She stood there stunned wondering if he meant rectifying the memory loss or their separation but dared not ask. It was one of those things that she really didn’t think she could handle knowing right then. “Adam, I know you like being in total control of things, but just this one time, please understand, ok? It will be ok, we’ll be safe, I promise.”

Adam just shook his head. “It better be Ammie, it’s not just his life or yours you’re betting with here.”

Jon moved to over to her and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t let him get to you Amelia. If anything we are all in this together.” Pulling together more courage than he actually felt or faith than he actually had he uttered a few magic words. “So, if I’m this immortal thing and I have to learn to fight, who’s going to teach me?”

Adam gave the man a wicked grin. “That would be me Rock Star. I don’t often take on students, but you lucked out having Ammie in your corner. I’m not an easy teacher though; you might want to consider asking the Highlander.”

Jon shook his head. “IF everything you two told me is true, I’m placing my bets on you Adam.”

Adam reached over to the bar and picked up a long package, and handed it to Jon. “Well, you’re going to need this Rock Star. Keep it with you at all times. We’ll teach you how to hide it SOMEHOW in those clothes you wear.”

He slowly opened the package and found a rather long and wicked looking bastard sword. Taking hilt in hand he hefted the sword and moved away from the group, giving it a few practice swings. Oddly it felt good in his hand, not too heavy or too light. With a goofy grin he struck a pose pointing the sword at Adam and yelled, “En Guard!”

Adam pulled his Ivanhoe and the first lesson started, with Jon landing on his ass more than being upright, but with each wrong move, Adam explained how better to move, explaining the simple things such as how to hold the sword to how to balance his stance. Amelia stood back watching intently. The first lesson was always the most important as it could mean the difference between the young immortal having an affinity for swordsmanship or not, and it seemed Jon had that. He was, for the most part, giving as good as he got.

The door opened to the bar and a voice had all in the room whirling towards it. “Well Hell, Captain Kidd, what the hell do you think you’re doing and where the hell you been?” Four sets of eyes widened as Richie Sambora strolled on into the room a big grin plastered on his face. Jon laughed, his blue eyes sparkling, “What’s it look like I’m doing asshole?”

Richie went over to Jon and gave him a hug. “Damn Kidd, we all been worried to death about you. Thank God you’re ok.”

“Well other than I barely remember who I am, I seem to be stuck in 1986 memory wise, I’m ok.”

“Yeah man, the lady that called to alert us mentioned that. Where is that sweet sounding little lady?” Richie grinned, “She sounded good enough to …”

“That little lady would be me Sambo.” At Amelia’s words Richie’s soft brown gaze centered upon the petite red-head whose voice had been nagging him the entire plane ride to Seattle. “JACQUI? My Good God, is that you? You haven’t changed a bit! You look good enough to eat girl!”

“Yeah well Sambo, that’s one of the reasons I called you here. It wasn’t just Jon’s amnesia; there are a few more complications to Jon going home. You might want to sit down Sambo; this story is going to be a good one. I have to say though, and I KNOW I don’t have too but I am going too, what you hear you take to the grave.”

Richie gave Amelia a serious look. “Girl you know us, what goes on in the band stays there, and if you say I gotta keep this just between you me and Jon, then that’s what I do. Kidd’s my bro ya know.”

With a swift nod Amelia started telling Richie everything starting from the night of finding Jon in the middle of the road to all that had happened since. In short order she had explained all about immortality and all it would mean to the rock star. “You don’t believe me do ya Rich?” were the final words she uttered.

“Lady, you’re spinning a fantastic yarn there. I know Jon looks good for his age and all, but damn, No one lives forever.” Adam nearly choked on his beer at the statement as she gave a soft sigh.

“Richie, your forcing me to do this you know that right? You weren’t born in the show me state, can’t you just believe me?” Amelia gave him a pleading look.

Richie grinned and gave Jon a wink, “Honey, I’m from Jersey. You don’t have to just show me, you might have to show me twice.”

Jon rolled his eyes and punched his friend in the shoulder. “You’re a true asshole you know that?”

Richie shrugged as his eyes turned back to the red-headed spitfire in front of him, a red-head that had quietly pushed the sleeve of her arm up and picked up Jon’s sword from the bar. She bit down on her lip hard and angled the blade just so and sliced a gash four inches long from inner arm to wrist. Richie reeled backwards, his eyes widening at the flow of blood escaping the wound; that is until he saw the blue electricity racing up and down her arm, until the entire wound had vanished as if it had never been there.

Four sets of eyes watched the guitarist as he processed all he had heard and seen, a collective sigh of relief almost echoing in the room at his next words.

“Well I’ll be damned, that explains a lot don’t it?”