Thorne: The Way Back
by Atonia
Part 4
After listening to John’s account of Terry’s condition, "I have to ask, why hasn’t he been taken to the House of Four Seasons, he would be healed there."
"He just got home today from South America. I don’t think Toni has even thought of it."
"Ah, well I should imagine she is quite upset. "
"Yes she is, she can’t look at him without breaking out in tears, it’s hard Jack, on both of them."
It was late when they got to the house, nearly midnight but Jack was wide awake, John less so.
Max, Marine and Toni were in the den. Terry was asleep and Dino hadn’t been seen since dinner.
Jack, trying his best not to draw attention to himself, had worn a pair of jeans and one of his own shirts. He would of course draw attention no matter what he wore, and he drew Marine’s when he was introduced. Toni ran into his arms when he came into the house, Jack has always been her refuge. He had his arm around her when they walked into the den.
"You say you’re in the Navy?" Marine asked in disbelief.
"His Majesty’s Service,"
"Ah, that’s Her Majesty," John said under his breath.
"Quite so, Marine, is that a name or the branch of service you are in?"
"Aw that’s a nick name, Mean Marine, my real name is John Stowe but don’t tell anybody. I was in the marines, and once a marine always a marine."
"That is true, I have Marines on my ship, ah Max, good to see you, brother," He gave Max a half hug.
"Good to see you to, Jack; what took you so long?"
Jack half smiled and glanced at Marine, "I was away and came as soon as I could. How is he tonight?"
Toni answered, "He’s sleeping now, he took a pain pill, his head really hurts him."
"I would like to see him, will you take me up?" he looked her in the eye.
"Yes of course."
Once at the top of the stairs, "We need to talk."
"Come with me," she led him to the end of the hall to her old bedroom.
"This I take it was your room, it reminds me of you."
"Yes, I grew up in this room…what is it, Jack you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Terry, Toni I know you gave up magic when you left the House of Four Seasons but you have need of it now. It’s your house you can return when you wish. The House will heal him, Toni."
"Will it heal his mind, bring back his memory, Jack…if I thought…"
"I cannot be sure of that completely, but it is your best chance."
"It may not be so easy to get him to go, he wants to go back to London to his flat."
"You must use your powers of persuasion."
"I’m afraid my powers are not working on him right now. He’s more like he was when I first met him, and of course he doesn’t know me now."
"There are three of us to make sure he goes."
"August is almost gone I could take him for fall as before. You know I’m pregnant; nearly three months now."
"Yes I know," he smiled, "I’m happy for you, Toni and that is all the more reason to get him to the house. There is no way to restore his memory; it’s not like a normal knock on the head and forgetfulness, he lost the magic that was in him. Perhaps a trip to the house for a season will restore it."
"And if it doesn’t?"
"You know what a season will do there, he will fall in love with you again."
"I’m so glad you’re here, I’m always in crisis when you come."
"Yes my pet, you are," he kissed her forehead, "I’d better have a look at him."
The next morning Tom took Marine to the airport, he was going to Miami for awhile before heading back to Panama. Dino had a talk with Max about SI.
"There’s nobody at the helm now."
"No but who ran it before Terry, did the owner or Brian?"
"I got the impression the office was a pretty smooth operation and Wyatt’s there now too, he’ll look out for Terry’s interest."
"Why don’t you step in for awhile, until we see what’s going on with Terry. Toni has a house up the coast from Boston, I think she may take him there for awhile, he needs the recuperation time."
"That he does."
"And you, I would think you do too."
"I’ll stick around here for awhile I can work from Terry’s office. I still got things to do in Quito."
"Don’t go back there Dino, I know Terry would tell you the same thing, you’re a marked man now."
"Hey I’m in no hurry to go back. I’ll hang around here I don’t think Terry will mind, or Toni."
"I’m sure they won’t. By the way when you get to London give me a call, I’ll be around."
"I quite agree it is an impossible situation for both of you here," Jack had listened to Terry and his concerns about staying with Toni.
"So I thought the flat in London, I could go back there."
"Why, when you have a wife and an unborn child here. That’s running away Terry. It might be good for you but what about Toni? Has she told you about the house she has north of Boston?"
"No but Max did, I asked him where I’d met her."
"I am suggesting that you go back there with her, it’s a very special place and only good things happen, I think you will heal much faster and perhaps it will jog your memory. I know you spent some happy times there with Toni."
"You’ve been there?"
"Yes, many times as have we all."
"It would seem to me to go back where she has all these happy memories and I have none would be even harder on her. I hate what my amnesia is doing to her."
"It will not be as hard for her there she will find comfort Terry as will you."
"I’ll go; it’s worth a try, anything is better than this."
"Good man, I know you don’t recall any of it but Dino and Marine gave me an account of your rescue mission in Colombia, I have always been impressed with you and at one time saw you in action on my ship. I too hope your memory returns, Terry. Get some rest now whilst we make plans for another trip."
"I don’t know, Toni maybe it’s because I ran out like I did and left you. I shouldn’t have done that no matter what I was feeling at the time. I don’t feel as much a part of it anymore."
"I understand why you left me. I wasn’t being totally honest about it all. Jack set me straight on that. I was sorry it ended like it did. Winter alone in that house…"
"Rub it in, make me feel even lower."
Toni grinned, "I’m trying to."
"I was hurt, I just wanted to get as far away from that place as I could and forget all about it. I knew if I could get home I’d be okay again."
"I never meant to hurt you, John."
"I don’t think you did either but you’d just come from him and he hadn’t left you. He was still there."
"He still is."
"I know…we’ve got to get him back for you, Toni. Jack thinks taking him back to the house is the answer."
"I’m up for it, take him there for fall, he was my fall."
John hugged her and kissed her, "And now he’s your all." He smiled down at her and took her hand walking back from the stables to the house.
Jack and Max were waiting for them on the patio. "Oh now that’s nice," Max commented when he saw John kiss Toni.
"I’m sure it was in friendship," Jack raised a brow.
"I’m sure." But Max wasn’t.
Once they were all seated around the table Jack began, "He’s agreed to go, Toni; he says anything is better than this and I agree. Now we must think how to get him there. I do not think riding in a car that far is a good thing for him right now."
"We can fly into Boston it’s not far from there." Toni suggested.
"Fly?" Jack raised both brows.
"Some of us can fly," Max looked over his glasses.
"Okay why don’t I take Toni’s jeep and Jack here and drive up and you three fly up."
"Sounds a good plan to me as I shall not get into one of those flying cigars." Jack sat back in the chair.
"So you’re all going?" Toni asked.
"You may need help with him in the airport he’s not steady on his feet." Max said.
"And you’ll need your jeep," John added.
"I’m along for the ride, my ship is at sea but yes I would like to see him there and to see if there is any immediate effect on him. We will not overstay our welcome I can assure you that."
"Two’s company, three is a crowd and five is a party," Toni threw up her hands.
"Then we shall have a party my dear," Jack smiled.
"He flew up here in SI’s private jet, Toni, should I find out where it is, he has access to it at anytime."
"I want him to be as comfortable as we can make him so yes, Max if you could find out if it’s still in this country." Toni felt better about the whole thing now, with her seasons helping her. She’d been a little worried about being alone with Terry at the house. There was no way to know if he would respond to her as he did before. She put her face in her hands, she wanted the old Terry back the one that loved her.
TBC