Please see Chapter One for Disclaimer

FAMILY TIES
      By Spense
 

Chapter Six

Jonny pulled his bike around the rocky outcropping in a repeat of his
actions two days ago.  Over the last two days he had nearly convinced
himself that the whole thing might just have been a dream.  But as he
looked around the clearing, there was Rachel, with a huge smile on
her face.

"Mom!"  Jonny shouted and ran over to hug her.  She staggered and
laughed.  "I thought maybe you were just a dream!"  he exclaimed.

"Oh no, I'm very real."  She laughed again, a delightful sound to
Jonny.  It sounded light, like a waterfall.  Her face turned
wondering as she touched his cheek lightly.  "I can't believe this.
I've waited so long."  The quicksilver smile was back again.  "Come
sit down, I have something for you."

She stepped aside to reveal a picnic basket.  "Are you hungry?"

Jonny just grinned an acknowledgement.

Rachel laughed again.  "Let me guess.  You came straight here after
school, without stopping for a snack."

"Yep," Jonny acknowledged with a laugh.

"Then dig in!"  Rachel began unloading the basket.  Jonny as
astounded.  It was filled with his favorites.  Pizza with everything,
fruit, chips, and sodas.

"Cool!  Chips!  Dad never lets me have them, or pizza with
everything.  He's says they aren't good for me."

Rachel shook her head.  "Same as ever.  He never changes."  She
helped herself to a slice of pizza.  "Did you have any trouble with
Agent Bannon the last time?"

"Nah.  He was distracted.  Dad had an awards dinner.  They didn't
care as long as I was ready on time.  Dad was kind of mad at first,
but he got over it.  I'm kind of invisible to him anyway right now."

Jonny missed Rachel's look of dismay at that comment as he devoured
several slices of the extra large pizza.  Rachel nibbled at an apple
and watched him contentedly.  "So Mom, what exactly happened?"  Jonny
asked through a mouthful of pizza.

"Jonny," she said, shaking her head at his terrible table manners.

"Sorry," he mumbled and grinned as he took the napkin she held out.
He used it, then continued, "I mean, I've been told you were dead.
Dad mourned you for years.  Now it turns out you were in a coma.  How
bad were you hurt?"  he finished in concern.

"Well, things aren't always what they seem.  In fact, most of the
time, they aren't," Rachel commented reflectively.  "I suffered a
head injury in the assassination attempt.  I was comatose for very
nearly six years.  It seems like just yesterday to me, but the rest
of the world has gone on living.  I feel a bit like Rip Van Winkle."
She reached over and touched Jonny's hair lightly, and sighed deeply
over the lost years.

"You were so young," she smiled slightly, remembering.  "I began to
finally come around about 2 years ago.  It took me a few months to
come completely around, then over a year of physical and occupational
therapy to be able to function fully.  I literally had to learn to
walk, speak and write all over again."

"But why didn't you get hold of Dad when you finally could?  I mean,
didn't you wonder why he wasn't there?"  Jonny demanded.  "Even if he
did have to legally separate from you to protect you, he would have
been there.  And why didn't you get hold of me?"  Jonny finished
quietly, suddenly looking terribly vulnerable.

Rachel studied her son sadly, then chose her words
carefully.  "Honey, I hate to tell you, but I did.  I talked several
times to Benton.  And he knew everything that was happening.  Who do
you think paid for my care?"

Jonny put down his pizza, his appetite suddenly gone.  "No, you
couldn't have.  Dad would have been right there to help you.  He
would have told me!  He loves you!"

Rachel quickly moved to her son and put an arm soothingly over his
shoulders.  "I'm sorry Jonny, but sometimes things are different than
they appear.  I did talk to Benton.  He even came to see me.  I know
you travel with him, but there were a few trips he left you home.
Those were the trips he came to see me."

Rachel squeezed Jonny's shoulder, hoping to ease the stricken look on
the boy's face.  "I really hate to tell you this.  We'll just leave
it at that, huh?"

"No!"  The word was explosive.  Jonny's face was hard.  "I want to
know ALL of it!"

"Are you sure?  I don't want this to mar your relationship with your
father.  He's a good man."

"Yes.  Tell me," Jonny demanded.

"Ok."  Rachel was silent a moment.  "He told me he no longer loved
me.  That he'd built a new life.  A stable and successful life.  He
would help me as much as I needed.  He felt responsible that I had
been injured.  He would pay my medical bills and maintenance until I
was up on my feet."

Jonny looked stricken.  "But Mom . . . He loves you.  He mourned you
for years.  He's never said a word about it.  And he's talked about
you to me lots."

"Jonny, the love between a man and a woman can change.  It can grow
stronger, or it can die.  People grow and move on.  There are facets
to a relationship that only the couple can know.  And Benton is a
very complex man.  There are sides to him that you've never seen.
Each of us has our secrets, and the older you get, the more you
have.  And Benton has many."

Jonny looked rebellious.  "Fine," he snapped, "But what about me?  He
could have told me.  YOU could have told me."

"No honey, I couldn't.  Benton made that very, very clear to me.  He
wanted you and he had full custody per the divorce papers.  Remember
the divorce was final just after I woke up, and I was in no position
to care for you in any way.  Anyway, Benton told me that if I made an
attempt to contact you, then any money, support, everything, were
gone.  I couldn't take that change at that moment.  So I bided my
time and waited until I was healed enough to manage without his
help.  Then I came looking for you, and found you!"  She smiled in
delight as she hugged him again.  "And here you are."

"But why would Dad want to keep us apart?  I don't understand," Jonny
asked, absently beginning to eat the chips.

"Well," Rachel began slowly, carefully.  "You know what a
perfectionist your father is?"

Jonny rolled his eyes theatrically in agreement.

Rachel laughed, then sobered.  "He was not interested in an imperfect
wife.  My use as a scientist was gone.  Who would believe my
findings?  I was in a coma for 6 years."

Jonny was aghast.  "You were brain damaged?"

"No, no," Rachel clarified.  "Well, yes, in the sense that the head
injury put me in a coma.  But no, there is no lasting damage, but how
do you explain that when you present scientific findings?  No, my
career as a cutting edge scientist was over.  And that is a side of
Benton that is not very attractive---he is only interested in the
perfect.  It's the scientist in him I guess.  Anyway, he had a
perfect, blond, blue-eyed, all-American boy for a son, whose
intellect was showing great promise.  He didn't want me ruining his
ideal little world."

Jonny protested.  "But Dad's not like that!"

"I'm not saying he's bad, or evil, or awful, or anything else,
Jonny.  These are just facts.  He's a good man, truly.  But he's not
perfect and he has his flaws; this is just one of them.  None of it
changes the fact that he loves you."

"But it changed for you," Jonny commented slowly, thinking hard.  "He
doesn't love you anymore."

"That is different.  I was his wife.  You are a part of him."

Jonny thought about the last few months, and doubted very much that
it was different, but before he could comment, his watch beeped,
interrupting their intense conversation.  He jumped, and swore at it.

"Jonathan!"  Rachel protested, distressed at his language.

"Sorry, Mom.  That's the alarm.  I have to go, or I'll be missed.
But I have so much more to ask you!"

Rachel smiled happily.  "Do you really want to keep seeing me,
knowing your father won't like it if he finds out?"

"Dad has other things on his mind than me," he state with sudden
bitterness.

Rachel frowned slightly in concern.  "Hummm, that's the second
time . . . I want to know . . ." she broke off her thought.  "But
that will have to wait until later," she mused, half to
herself.  "Here," she said, reaching into the picnic basket.  She
produced a small pager.  "This is a voice message pager.  Speak into
it and I'll get a text message of exactly what you say."

"Cool," Jonny exclaimed in delight.

"Keep it close by you, but hidden.  DO NOT let your father get hold
of it, or Mr. Bannon."  She shuddered delicately.

"Ok," Jonny agreed.  "When can I see you?"

"How about tomorrow, right after school.  Will that work?"

Jonny thought about it.  "Well, Race usually picks me up," he
commented slowly, "But if I tell him I'm going to run after school,
and will run home, he won't think anything about it.  I do that a lot
when I'm training.  As long as I'm home by the normal time."

"We can do that.  I'll pick you up a few blocks away from the
school.  Rockport High, right?"

Jonny nodded.  "Right.  How about by the highway intersection?"

"Perfect, nobody would notice.  I'll be driving a late model white 4-
door Honda Accord.  It's pretty generic."

"Great, but we can't do this every afternoon.  Race would get
suspicious, to say nothing of Dad."

"That's why I gave you the pager.  We can set up meetings anytime."

Jonny laughed, hugged his mother, and headed home.