Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 21:44:16 -0600 (MDT)
From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" <krfreymu@brain.uccs.edu>
Subject: Vengeance - Epilogue (ch. 22)
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.96.990415214312.30546X-100000@brain.uccs.edu>

Epilogue

     "Al Calavicci, how many times have I told you to stay away
from those damned things?"
     Al smiled with delight at the sight of Beth waiting at
the bottom of the ramp to the Imaging Chamber. He quickly walked
to her and enveloped her passionately before kissing her lovingly
on the lips.
     "Are you okay, darling? The girls?" he asked.
     She smiled at him. "We're all fine. I figured there couldn't
be any place safer than here." She paused. "You have no idea
how hard it was not to go running to the Control Room when I
heard you were shot. How's your shoulder?" she asked with
concern.
     "A little sore but that's all," Al assured her. He took
a breath. "Gawd, I've missed you."
     "It's only been three days," Beth told him.
     "Felt like three years," Al told her. He kissed her again.
"How about we grab the girls, go out to dinner, wait until the
girls are asleep and spend the rest of the night in each others
arms?" he whispered gently in her ear.
     She smiled widely. "On two conditions."
     Al raised his eyebrows.
     "One," Beth told him, "you get rid of that cigar which
you're not supposed to have."
     Al frowned slightly. "And?"
     "And two," Beth continued, "you let me take a look at your
shoulder."
     "A doctor already looked at it," Al told her.
     Beth smiled. "Not the way I'm going to."
     Al raised his eyebrows with curiosity. "Sounds interesting."
While still looking into Beth's eyes, he extended his cigar
towards a nearby ensign.
     "Take care of this for me, Ensign."
     "Aye, sir," the ensign replied, taking the cigar from him.
     "Let's go get the girls, shall we?" Al suggested.
     Beth kissed Al gently before leading him out of the Control
Room.


     There was a knock on Dr. Verbina Beeks' office door. Verbina
looked up at the door, closing a leather portfolio as she did
so.
     "Come in," she beckoned.
     The door opened slowly and Genine Strickler walked into
the office. Her face was still badly bruised from the hard
strikes Burke had laid on her to force her to submit to him.
     Verbina stood from her desk and went over to Genine with
concern.
     "Genine, I heard what happened. Are you okay?" She gently
took Genine's hand.
     Genine took a breath. She was trying very hard not to cry.
     "Physically, maybe," she whispered, her head lowered
slightly. She looked at Verbina. "I need to talk to someone.
I need to talk to a friend. Do you have some time to spare?"
     Verbina held both of Genine's hands. "Oh, honey. I've got
all the time you want."
     All of Genine's emotional barriers instantly collapsed.
She didn't fight her own tears as Verbina gently hugged her.
     "I murdered a man," Genine whispered. "I wanted to kill
him. I wanted him to pay for everything he did."
     "Genine," Verbina said gently, "what you did, you did in
self-defense. What would he have done if you hadn't?"
     "I was so angry with him. He raped me. He killed so many
people. I wanted revenge," Genine said more firmly.
     Verbina looked into Genine's eyes. "What matters is that,
if you hadn't pulled the trigger, both you and Al would probably
be dead. That's self-defense."
     Genine took a couple of calming breaths as she wiped some
tears from her cheeks.
     "It doesn't feel like self-defense," she told Verbina.
"The Navy's going to investigate this. I'm not sure I can handle
this being investigated. I feel so... ashamed of myself. I'm
afraid. What if they take away my commission because of this?
What if..."
     Verbina hushed her gently. "We both know that's not going
to happen. In fact, it might be just the opposite. You could
be promoted. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Everything is
going to be all right."
     Genine closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm having a lot
of trouble coping with this," she whispered, her head lowered.
     Verbina raised her head gently. "That's what I'm here for,"
she told Genine. "Want to talk about it?"
     Genine nodded slowly.
     "Okay," Verbina said. She led Genine to the couch. "Why
don't you sit down and try to relax while I get you some water?"
     Genine obeyed and, a moment later, accepted a tall glass
of cold water from her. She waited until Genine had drank some
water before she spoke.
     "Now," she said, sitting beside Genine, "you just tell
me anything you want and take as much time as you want. I'll
listen."
     Genine smiled slightly. "Thanks, Verbina."
     Verbina gently returned the smile. "Any time, honey. Any
time."


     The last shovelful of dirt was packed onto the grave. Only
one person had come to the funeral - a blond-haired man with
bright green eyes. There wasn't, however, a single tear in his
eyes. Rather, the man glared at the grave with contempt.
     Gene Burke hadn't lied to Al when he said he only wanted
to get away from his father. Of course, he wouldn't say so to
the General. After all, the man was crazy enough to kill his
own son and had often come very close to doing so. But Gene
had "repented" each time, thus avoiding joining his mother in
death.
     Gene found extreme pleasure in the fact that the woman
after whom he was named was the one who had killed the General.
It was almost as if he too had killed his father, ridding himself
of a person to whom he remained loyal only out of fear of death.
He had nothing to fear now. He was free.
     He wanted some way to thank Commander Genine Strickler
and he knew precisely how. He would change his name and join
the Navy. In this way, he would pay tribute to Genine while,
at the same time, look down on his father by blatantly disobeying
his wishes for his son to stay out of the military.
     Gene spat on the grave with hatred before walking away
from it, assured of his new-found freedom.
     A marker was never placed on the grave.


The End

Katherine Freymuth
Copyright 1997, 1998