When his arms wrapped around her Ashley laid her head back on his shoulder.  She needed the comfort and confidence of a friend.  Ashley studied his hand as she placed hers on top of his.  The knuckles were gnarled from age, arthritis and years of hard work.  It was still hard to believe that Bud White was now 80 years old and not the young man she’d met several months ago.  To her he was still the same man despite the very different exterior.

Ashley sensed Bud felt the same thrill she did at their contact as his arms tightened around her.  Time had not diminished the connection.  Somehow these men instinctively were drawn to both want and protect her and she was equally drawn to them.  When the time of contact was prolonged, as with Sid and Maximus, they would fall in love.  Ashley had no doubt the same might have happened with Bud if time had been on their side.

She already loved Bud, just not in the same way she loved her husband.  The pain consumed her heart for a moment.  Ashley missed Maximus so strongly that she physically ached for him.  Her last sight of him was as he rode out of camp on his majestic horse on the way to battle.  His gaze had seared into her when he passed her.  A tear slipped down her cheek.

Ashley had told Bud everything.  Although he’d said nothing as she related the whole story of her journey to Roman times he had plenty to say when she was finished.

"You married this general by your choice, Ash?"

"Yes, Bud.  I love him.  It was my choice.  I thought I’d be there for the rest of my life.  Maximus was who I wanted to spend it with.  I didn’t believe Sid was ever coming for me.  I thought he’d abandoned me there."  Ashley was ashamed that she’d so doubted Sid’s love that she thought he’d discarded her and wrenched her away from her baby.

"Did he give you any indication he wanted to get rid of you?"  Ashley could tell by Bud’s tone of voice that he still believed this was Sid’s doing.

"No, not for a long time.  When Sid first took me I believed he wanted me only to bear his child.  That changed some time ago.  I knew he’d fallen in love with me as I did with him.  Yet I doubted him.  I thought he alone had the secret of time traveling through the portal."

Bud stroked his fingers across her silken hair.  It was far from a fatherly gesture.  He knew he was old enough to be her grandfather and yet Ashley stirred feelings in him that he’d not felt since he became a widower.  Now he was being a stupid old fuck with a young woman.  He knew his limitations…the physical ones.  His mind was still young.  That was one of the strange things about growing old. 

Bud knew the bond would never be broken between them.  It made him hate Sid all the more.  The bastard had jerked Ashley around like a puppet for his needs since he’d kidnapped her.  He didn’t think the techno weirdo could love.  Ashley saw something that wasn’t there or at least something no man had see. 

Bud and Dino had talked on the phone about Sid and his pull over Ashley.  Neither trusted him around Ashley.  For her sake they wanted her bond severed with him.  Her falling in love with this Maximus helped splinter her bond to Sid.  Her daughter Sydney strengthened it.  The fact Maximus was Roman from 2000 years in the past gave Sid a big fucking advantage. 

"You can leave him, Ashley."

"Oh, Bud.  I’m so confused.  I was so angry, hurt and disappointed in him; yet it wasn’t his doing.  He didn’t even know I was gone.  Nothing has changed for Sid.  It’s not as if I can shut off all my love for him suddenly either.  He sat on my bed watching me as I slept to make sure no one or nothing could take me away again.  And there’s Sydney.  Sid is her father."  A tear slipped down her cheek. 

Bud couldn’t stand to see her cry.  An idea formed.

"Come stay with me.  I’ve got an extra room for you and Sydney.  It would do you good to have some space between you and Sid for a while.  Then you wouldn’t have to be alone or go to your father’s house."  Not to mention that Bud would protect her from Sid even if he had to beat him off with his walker stowed in the closet.  Bud knew how vulnerable Ashley was to the smarmy charms of the prick.

Ashley sniffled and he pulled her even closer.  Christ, this girl had a direct line to his old clogging heart arteries.

"That’s so nice of you, Bud.  Would you really like to have a newborn in your place that wakes up crying for her 2 AM feedings when you’re trying to sleep?"  She smiled through her tears and patted his cheek gently.

"Hey, I helped raise two kids.  I’ve been through it all before."  Bud didn’t add it had been 50 years ago and Lynn had done most of the raising when they were little.  He heard the smile in her voice when she answered.  His heart clenched a little more as she touched his wrinkled face.

"I so would have loved to have seen you as a daddy, Bud.  I bet you were awesome."

Bud didn’t know about ‘awesome.’  "I did my best.  And they turned out okay.  Better than expected with me as their Dad.  They still come around.  I’d help you with Sydney."  It wasn’t the kid’s fault that asshole was her father.  And her mother was Ashley.  That stood for something in Bud’s book.

"What would your kids think if some girl with a baby and probably another on the way moved in with you, Bud?  They’d think I was trying to take advantage of you."

"Yeah, you might be after all my money and their big inheritance."  Bud’s voice dripped with sarcasm.  "They’re grown with their own families.  Besides it’s none of their damned business."

Ashley’s musical giggle brought a smile to his face.  She leaned up and kissed his cheek.  He liked the idea of her being around all the time.  It was growing on him.

"As nice as that sounds, Bud, I can’t run from my problems or responsibilities.  I’ve got to work through this.  Sid and I need to work through this."  She sighed.  "My life is certainly a tangled mess at the moment."

"The only mess in your life is Sid."

"If I’m pregnant with Maximus’ child Sid isn’t the only problem, Bud."  She nibbled on her lower lip as she thought.

Bud had seen her do that before when she was worried.  Without thinking he reached out and brushed his index finger across her soft full lip.  She snuggled closer into his embrace.  Bud felt his body awaken in a way it hadn’t for a long time.  A small grunt of surprise escaped him.

If Ashley felt him she didn’t move away or wasn’t offended.  He missed the intimacy that he’d had with Lynn.  Bud was lonely.  And he was too old to start looking for love with some widow his age. 

Nothing would ever happen between him and Ashley, but he liked the idea of having her close where he could protect her and spend time around her.  Just the idea made him feel a little spryer.  He even liked the idea of watching her little daughter grow.

"The invitation is open, Ash.  You’re welcome to come here anytime with Sydney.  Think about it."  Bud wouldn’t say anymore.  She knew he meant it.  He didn’t speak bullshit.

Ashley nodded.  "Okay, Bud.  Thank you."  She didn’t say no again.

A yawn escaped from her.  "Whoops," she giggled.  "Sorry, Bud.  I didn’t sleep well last night and I’m so tired since I got home."  She leaned into his touch as he stroked her hair again.

"Why don’t you sleep now, Sweetheart?  Nothing will disturb your sleep until you’re ready to leave."

Ashley practically purred as his fingers caressed through her curls.  She relaxed completely into his arms.  It was the first time she’d really relaxed since she’d returned home to this time.  Within minutes her breathing evened out and Bud felt her slip into sleep against him. He sat there holding her for a long time.  It felt right.  The way things were meant to be.  Bud was really deluded.

Finally he had to move.  His stiff arthritic joints demanded it.  And the fact he had to piss like a racehorse because Ashley had made him iced tea didn’t help either.  He moved as smoothly as he could while trying not to disturb her.

Bull in a china shop came wryly to Bud’s mind.  But Ashley barely stirred and fell immediately back to sleep as he stroked her hair again.  It was the small smile on her face that gripped his old heart this time.  He watched her for a moment after covering her with a blanket before he rushed off to the bathroom.

It was on his way back to the living room that Bud heard the front door open.

Sid opened the door and entered the apartment.  He spied Ashley asleep on an ugly piece of furniture that she was too beautiful to be lying on.  There was a threadbare blanket covering her.  His lip curled in distaste.  She should have only the best quality materials touching her.

He detected the slight movement to his left and swung his eyes toward the taste offender who he’d known was there on entering.  A condescending smile quirked across his lips.  He bowed slightly as he faced the decrepit old man who now pointed a gun at him.

"What fun.  If I’d have known you wanted to play I’d have brought my toy gun too, old man." 

Sid’s voice was low to not awaken Ashley across the room, but the menace in his tone was evident. 

Bud’s jaw clenched.  He was justified to shoot the intruder in his home for unlawful entry.  His finger twitched.  But his hand was steady and his aim was on target for the heart.  Bud doubted this shitbird had one.

Sid’s smile widened.  He opened his arms and slightly raised his hands beside his head to expose his chest.

"Take your best shot, copper.  How do you think she’ll feel about you after you shoot moi?  Do you think she’ll thank you and love you forever?"  He chuckled softly.

Bud’s eye twitched slightly.  He knew.  A taut smile came to his lips anyway.

"She’d never forgive me.  I could temporarily live with that if it’d permanently remove you from her life.  After all, I’m an old man."

Sid tipped his head to the side as he regarded the old copper.  An unexpected response.  Perhaps he should have considered dallying longer with this one in the time they first met.  He might not be quite as dumb as he looked.  The broken shell of a human before him would be too easy to conquer in this time. 

"I came to take my butterfly home where she belongs."  He moved toward Ashley.  Sid had wasted enough time on this nuisance.  He considered forbidding his consort from visiting again.  What could she possibly gain from a ‘friendship’ with this worn out model?  She was much more like Sid than this aging relic anyway.

"She has an open invitation to stay with me when she tires of you."  Bud replied to his back.

Sid visibly stiffened but gracefully turned.  He giggled lightly with delight. "Do you think she would choose you and leave moi and our perfect child?"

"I offered her a safe place to stay and to bring Sydney."  Bud knew he was taunting him.  He couldn’t help it.  It would be so easy to pull the trigger especially if he goaded Sid into attacking him.  Self defense.

Sid scowled and his voice rose.  "I would never allow Ash-lee or my baby to come here to you.  She wouldn’t."  He took a threatening step toward the ancient copper to shut him up.

Opportunity; it was rarely perfect for more than a moment and it often disappeared as quickly as it arrived. 

Ashley stirred on the couch and her sleepy voice penetrated their tension. "I’m so sorry I fell asleep during our visit, Bud.  What a terrible guest I am."  The sofa shifted as she sat up.  "Oh, Sid.  You’re here to take me home?  Let me hurry."

Ashley’s view of Bud’s gun trained on Sid was obscured by Sid’s body.  Sid’s malevolent smile sparkled at the aged copper as Ashley slipped on her sandals and folded the blanket.  As Sid had already known…he’d won.

Bud placed his revolver behind him in the drawer where he’d retrieved it.  His eyes never left Sid.  In a flash Sid moved to Ashley’s side.  Bud was amazed how quickly he moved.  All of Sid’s attention was now focused on Ashley.  Bud ceased to exist.

"The car is waiting.  I have a surprise for you, my Ashley."  Sid reached out and brushed his finger across her downy cheek.

Bud suddenly stopped his forward progress as he entered the living room.  The thing, Sid, loved her.  Ashley had told him and Dino Connero that it loved her.  They had chosen to believe Ashley was being completely conned by the slick bastard.  There was no mistaking the adoration Sid heaped on the girl.  It made Bud want to vomit. 

Ashley’s conflict was more understandable now.  She didn’t want to hurt the thing and she did love him.  A 2000 year old dead Roman general who’d become her husband was the only one who was able to shake the bond between these two.  Bud had no fucking idea how that could work out.  He wasn’t giving up and neither would Dino.  He’d be talking to the K & R guy later.

TO BE CONTINUED...