Chapter 57: Memories of a Dead Man

For days after Elliot's funeral, Farrell and Delaney go to visit his grave every morning.

"Laney, I know you feel bad about your relationship with your father, and that you wish you had more time with him after you reconciled," Farrell says, "I wish I had spent more time him as well. We were always so close growing up, and he was always there for me when I needed him. But after he married Claire, we just didn't have the time for each other, and a distance grew between us. But we were still brothers, and we always knew we could count on each other."

"I was so angry at him," Delaney sobs, "We didn't just grow apart, I didn't want anything to do with him."

"You had every right to be angry, you know," Farrell answers, "He did what he did out of love, but it doesn't make it right. The important thing is, you did reconcile before it was too late. Take comfort knowing that you did get to tell him you loved him one more time. You can't change the past, but the future is in your hands."

Despite her grief, Delaney finds a smile for her uncle. "You've always been there for me, uncle Farrell. I just want you to know how much I appreciate that."

Fergus took his uncle Max's advice and let the memories he absorbed from his medieval great-grandfather's journal into his consciousness. It helped some to face those emotions, those experiences, head on, but there were so many holes, so many gaps that left Fergus wanting to know more about Reinier Landgraab, and who he really was.

"I want to go on a spirit journey," he tells his father, hoping that direct contact with the spirit world could fill in the blanks.

All of his sons have inherited his gift for magic just as they've inherited the Hawksquill curse, but, like his sister, none of them have truly invested the time to develop it, instead treating it as a personal quirk. Part of Shadow is pleased and proud that one of them has finally asked for his help, but the fact that it's Fergus troubles him. 

"Becoming a shaman is a pretty big decision," Shadow says, "There's a lot of preparation involved..."

"I don't want to be a shaman, Dad," Fergus clarifies, "I just want to take a spirit journey. Just once. To see it."

"The spirit realm isn't a tourist resort," Shadow says, his slight frown about as stern as he ever gets, "When you ask to take this journey, you're asking for an experience that will change who you are, what you are, forever. You'll never live in just this world again, and you'll always be exposed to the other, and vulnerable to its influence." You're especially vulnerable, Shadow thinks but doesn't say, and wonders if that vulnerability would make Fergus an even greater shaman than he has been. Shadow knows his own feet are planted too firmly in this world to truly live between the realms the way a shaman should, but Fergus, born on the autumnal equinox, when the veil between realms is at its thinnest...his son could be what he is not. And that could be a curse as much as a blessing.

Fergus looks at the ground thoughtfully. All he wants is some answers he can only get from a long dead ancestor, not a life changing experience. "I guess I didn't know what I was asking for," he mumbles.

"That's all right, son," Shadow says, "Never feel bad about asking,. If you do decide this is the path you want to walk, I will help you. But it's not a decision you can make lightly."

That evening, Shadow tells Iola about his conversation Fergus.

"Maybe I should have been more supportive," he says, "I might have put him off something he truly wanted to do, just because of my fears for him."

"Do you remember your first spirit journey?" Iola asks him.

"Of course I do," Shadow says with a fond smile, "You were with me."

"You didn't ask anyone for help. You avoided telling your mother what you were planning, and you know that nothing would have put you off your path. I think if being a shaman was something Fergus truly wanted, he wouldn't be dissuaded so easily."

"You think he'll go off and do this on his own?"

"No, I think he was telling you the truth. He doesn't truly want to be a shaman."

"I still can't believe Dad's gone," Delaney sobs in her sisters arms, "I miss you so much, Cass. Our room seems so empty at night with just me there."

"Well, uh, sure," Cassidy says, long past the point where she thinks of her childhood bedroom as 'hers' anymore, "But we're grown up now. We have lives, children. It can't be like it was when we were kids."

"Kyle told me he ran into our mother," Cassidy continues, changing the subject, "He was playing a game in Storybrook County, and Mom insisted on seeing him, actually."

"Wow. I barely remember her," Delaney says, "What did she want?"

Cassidy rolls her eyes, "Kyle says she pretty much took credit for his success, doing the whole 'proud mother' thing. He said he couldn't get away from her fast enough, he was so creeped out. She remarried, you know. Some sports star. Jesse knows who he is, but I can't keep the jock stuff straight."

"So I'm guessing she didn't ask about us," Delney laughs.

"Kyle didn't say, so yeah, she probably didn't spare us a thought."

"How much longer?" Dlaney asks, rubbing her twin's expanding tummy. 

"Any day now," Cassidy sighs, "Aurora says it's another girl. I was hoping for a boy this time. Jesse of course says he's thrilled either way, but I think he secretly wants a son."

Farrell was having a one-sided argument with a guy on the History channel who persisted in claiming that aliens built the pyramids despite having no evidence to prove his theory when he suddenly felt himself lifted off his chair.

Death is a fascinating process, matter becoming immaterial, the body losing substance, becoming a shadow. It's too bad there isn't time to study this event more thoroughly.

Aouregan is just devastated to lose the love of her life.

For days after Farrell's death, Aouregan retreats into her greenhouse, keeping her mourning away from her family.

When the leaves begin to turn and fall from the trees, Delaney decides it's time to her daughter of their heritage.

"Dragons?" Jillyan asks, "You mean, like, actual dragons?"

"I know," Delaney says with a sigh and a wry smile, "I still have a hard time just accepting that. That's why I haven't told you about it before. But, I thought you should know."

"So, what does it mean? Do we get powers, like Uncle Shadow?"

"No, that comes from his mother. From the Brannon side of the family, we just get the dragon thing. There are abilities with that, I've seen Rory do some stuff, like teleportation. But he told me that only a very few people with dragon ancestry will manifest as true dragons, and even then it takes a long time to develop any powers that go with it."

"And that's why we went to China?" Jilly surmises, "So you could develop your powers?"

"Well, sort of. I have a long way to go just sorting myself out, I'm not really ready for anything more than that. But you're not like me, Jilly," Laney says, "I don't know if you're what Rory calls a true dragon, but I do know you're smart, and much more mature than I'll probably ever be. I know you want to go to university, and leave Drake's Hollow. I think that will be good for you."

Jilly and Fergus spend their Saturday at the coffeehouse.

"What are you going to do?" Jilly asks her cousin.

"Drink this coffee. Then I thought we could get in a game of pool?"

"Right," Jilly laughs, "I mean, with your life? Graduation isn't that far away."

Fergus takes a deep drink of coffee. He's spent so much of his time sorting through the memories of a dead man, he hasn't had time to consider his own future. "It's not so close that I have to decide today," he says when his cup is empty, "Do you want to play, or what?"

"I'm leaving this town," Jilly announces as Fergus lines up his shot, "I'm going to university."

"Yeah? And then what?"

Jilly shrugs, "I'll figure that out while I'm in uni," she says, "The important thing is, I'm going somewhere. You should think about it."

"About where you're going?" Fergus smiles at her as his ball falls into the pocket.

"No, silly. About where you're going."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere."

"Maybe that's what you should think about."

"Jilly," Fergus sighs her name, then turns away from her, "I've just got a lot going on."

"What? C'mon, Fergus, talk to me."

Fergus leads her to a couch where they can talk. He'd already told her about the Hawksquill curse, though he wasn't supposed to talk about it outside the immediate family. But Jilly was like a sister to him, and it didn't seem right keeping that secret from her. He was always more comfortable talking to her than even to his brothers. "I've picked up some strong memories," Fergus begins, telling her about the ancient journal his parents brought home, and the memories of his great-grandfather that came with it, how he's tried to process them so he can put them to rest. "But, it's like he can't rest," he sighs in conclusion, "I go over and over these horrible moments, his anguish, his despair, and it just won't go away. It's especially hard because I see it all from his perspective. He did some really horrible things, Jilly, and I have to feel both his side of it and my own revulsion for him at the same time."

"Things were different then, right?" Jillyan says, "It was a more violent time."

"Primarily because of people like him," Fergus answers.

"I can't even begin to understand how hard it is on you, to see all that shit, live it, even," Jilly says, "But you can't change it. Whatever he was, he's dead and in the past. Your life is now, and you need to live it."

It's not that easy, Fergus thinks, but there is some truth in her words. He'll have to deal with these memories no matter what he does. Letting them take over his life would be the worst thing he could do. Following Jillyan into the world, going to university, experiencing new things, could what he needs to break this hold Reinier Landgraab's ghost has on him. If not, at least he's in no worse a position than he was before.

With that decision made, Fergus and Jillyan begin researching campuses.

"Evansdale University has a great art program," Jilly says. 

"Doesn't that seem a little weird?" Fergus muses, "Evansdale, it's so similar to Avendale."

"Where's Avendale?" Jilly asks, not getting what he's referring to.

"It's my grandmother's family name, and the village she was from," Fergus answers, "It's probably just a coincidence."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you when your Dad passed," Jack apologizes again.

"It's okay, you would have been here if you could," Delaney assures him again.

"My contract is up," Jack tells her, "They're asking me to sign on for another tour."

"Jack, I know how much it means to you, to be out there, doing what you need to do, and I know how selfish this is of me to ask, but, I want you to turn them down, and stay here with me."

"Baby, it's not selfish to ask that," Jack answer, pulling her down into his arms, "It's what I want, too."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jack asks.

"Of course it is," Delaney answers with a mile, "It's Spooky Day. We have to have a costume party."

Jesse and Cassidy arrive early. There second child was another girl, just as Aurora promised.

Aurora and Jaybird's son Dexter is a teen now.

Max;s wife Judith is expecting their first child. Any minute now.

Cassidy's oldest daughter, Laurie, looks jut like her.

After all the guests have arrived, Jack and Delaney get on to the real purpose of this party, their wedding.

"We could think about having another baby," Jack suggests.

"Seriously? At our age?"

"Why not? Jesse and Cass just had one. And your father was older than we are when Danica and Corinne were born."

"Or we could buy a boat and go adventuring," Delaney counters.

"The pirate thing is just a costume," Jack laughs.

"Oh, c'mon. It would be fun. Captain Jack. You know you love it."

After the wedding is over and everyone has gone to bed, the rocking chair shimmers as it sways, back and forth.

_____________________________________

Okay, so this is the end of Gen 3. I've got another chapter coming soon that will wrap up a few things with Rory and the dragon tooth, and Geoffrey and Peridot. Then I can finally get Gen 4 started.

This chapter turned out a little jumpy and all over the place, because I really just wanted to push everything forward. I was already finding the 10 Sim household difficult enough to put me off playing a lot, and then after IP, this town started giving me problems. So, I decided to just buckle down and get to a point where the teens all made honor roll so I could pick traits on age up.

I am going to be kind of cheaty and age Fergus and Jillyan up early so I can move them out to a new town to start Gen 4. While this town is playable, I'm getting constant errors on pretty much everyone in town and it's annoying, and distracting. So it's time to move on.

A couple of final outtakes:

Farrll pretty much refused to materialize. That didn't stop Jack from coming down to have a conversation with him.

Or stop Farrell from responding.