Drev made sure Wren got on the plane before making sure their luggage was secure. He made a quick call to have his car picked up and driven back to his condo. Within minutes, he met Hank again at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the plane's cabin.
"Hank, you don't know how much I appreciate this. I could always count on you," he said with a smile and told him which airport they needed to get to. "When you drop us off, you can come back here. I don't know how long we'll be, and we can just get a commercial flight when we're ready." Drev shook his hand with a rather thick wad of bills. "When you get home, you take Diane somewhere nice, huh?" Hank and Diane were good people; both nearing sixty, they were finding themselves a little less prepared for retirement than they'd hoped. Drev wanted nothing more for them than to just write Hank a check that would end their worries, but the little white-haired man was too proud. Not to be completely denied, Drev made sure Hank didn't complain about the tips which often reached quadruple digits. Drev didn't know how much tonight's tip was - he'd just grabbed a handful of bills - but he guessed it was at least twelve hundred. He considered it a bargain for the speed and efficiency Hank had demonstrated in getting the jet ready so quickly.
Once Drev was belted in next to Wren, he put his arm around her and held her as tightly as he could. As the plane began to taxi onto the runway, Drev had a strange sense come over him; it wasn't the normal feeling of travel he'd felt for as long as he could remember. It didn't feel like he was on a trip or leaving home. He couldn't tell exactly what the feeling was until he kicked off his flip-flops and pulled one foot onto his seat.
It felt like he was at home. He looked down at Wren and the feeling grew stronger. He had Wren, so he felt at home.
Butterflies began to flutter in his stomach.
Under Heaven (private)
((Follows A Time to Every Purpose.))
As They drove Wren forwarded her cell phone to the plane's phone system, and found the ability to make a couple of phone calls. The first to the teacher she had just hired.
"Hello?" A quiet, sleep filled voice answered on the third ring.
"Hi, Keeley, it's Wren."
"Hey, um is everything okay?"
Wren sighed and pushed hair from her face. "No, not really. My parents were in a serious car accident and I'm on my way to Michigan to be with them. Can you take my all my classes until I get back? And the ones you can't teach, you can cancel or find someone who can. There's a man in my advanced ballroom that's been begging me to let him teach. See if he can take all of those classes, okay?"
"Oh my gosh, Wren, I'm so sorry. I hope they're okay. You just take care of them and you and I'll take care of everything here, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I will. Thanks Keeley. Call me if you have any questions or whatever."
"I will, bye Wren, take care."
"Thanks, bye."
She sat back and sighed softly. She squeaked softly when Drev took a turn faster than she would have liked, but she said nothing. Lifting her phone again she pressed the speed dial and it rang, she hoped this wold be her last call as she usually found the two people she still needed to call, together.
"Hey Wren, it's awful late, what's up?" Came Joey's perpetually cheerful voice over the line.
"Hi Joey, is Ana with you?"
"Yeah, want to talk with her?"
"Not yet, in a minute."
"Okay, what's up?"
Wren sighed and swallowed back the tears clogging her throat. "My Mom and Dad were in a car accident, I'm on my way to Michigan to be with them."
"Damn, that sucks Wren. I'm sorry. Need me to do anything?"
"Just keep an eye on Keeley, she's going to take over classes and stuff. Give me a call if she gets overwhelmed, and we'll find her some help."
"Yeah, sure, don't you worry about a thing on this end. Want to talk to Ana now?"
"Please."
There was some rustling, a muffled shout, a dog bark, another even more muffled shout, a thump followed by a clang, and more rustling then Ana's voice was in her ear.
"Hey Wren. What's wrong, Joey looks upset, but wouldn't tell me what's what. He said you needed to tell me."
Wren told Ana what had happened, with much more detail than she'd used with Keeley and Joey, and the tears no longer clogged they flowed. She dug in the glove compartment for tissues while Ana talked to her. She never would be sure what Ana had said, she just knew it was comforting and soothing.
When they finally arrived at the airport, Wren was saying good-bye to her friend. The phone was tucked into her purse as the valet opened her door. She didn't bother with anything but getting herself from the car, and through security, then out onto the tarmac. She knew Drev would take care of their luggage and tips and everything else.
Milazo
17 years ago
Wren
17 years ago
Wren lost track of everything once she was seated and buckled by the ever steady Hank. She thanked him vaguely and accepted the blanket that someone put over her, who she had no idea, for she'd closed her eyes as soon as she'd sat down.
She felt Drev's arm go around her and she snuggled into it, with a soft sigh. She must have dozed, because after just a moment Drev was nudging her awake. Her nerves jangled awake and she found her stomach fluttering as they disembarked from the plane into the still chill winds of the Chrystal Falls Municipal Airport. She shook Hanks hand in thanks and went to the large black sedan that was waiting for them.
She figured either Drev or Hank had called ahead for it and was grateful they wouldn't have to wait for a car to arrive. Her stomach stopped fluttering and twisted into knots as she took her phone off call forwarding. She pushed buttons until the number her brother had called her on came up and pressed the call button.
"Yeah?"
He sounded worse than when they'd spoken just hours before and Wren did feel bad for him, it shocked her, but she couldn't change it.
"It's Wren, I just landed at the Municipal airport outside of town, I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Where do I meet you?"
"Oh, Thank God, Wren. I'm in the ICU waiting room. They said that's where they'd be bringing them and to wait here."
"Ok, I'll be there soon."
"Good, cause some one's got to make Jerry come to his senses. That wife of his is useless and plus you're Mom and Dad's Power of Attorney."
"Wow, really, that's different. See you soon, Danny."
"Yeah, see you."
She hung up and the knots had become a thick lump low and heavy in her belly. She entwined her hand with Drev's and snuggled into his warm side. She could handle whatever came her way so long as he was with her. She was strong and could walk through ever storm, so long as he stood by her. She knew that no matter what happened, she'd be just fine.
((both out))
She felt Drev's arm go around her and she snuggled into it, with a soft sigh. She must have dozed, because after just a moment Drev was nudging her awake. Her nerves jangled awake and she found her stomach fluttering as they disembarked from the plane into the still chill winds of the Chrystal Falls Municipal Airport. She shook Hanks hand in thanks and went to the large black sedan that was waiting for them.
She figured either Drev or Hank had called ahead for it and was grateful they wouldn't have to wait for a car to arrive. Her stomach stopped fluttering and twisted into knots as she took her phone off call forwarding. She pushed buttons until the number her brother had called her on came up and pressed the call button.
"Yeah?"
He sounded worse than when they'd spoken just hours before and Wren did feel bad for him, it shocked her, but she couldn't change it.
"It's Wren, I just landed at the Municipal airport outside of town, I'll be there in about twenty minutes. Where do I meet you?"
"Oh, Thank God, Wren. I'm in the ICU waiting room. They said that's where they'd be bringing them and to wait here."
"Ok, I'll be there soon."
"Good, cause some one's got to make Jerry come to his senses. That wife of his is useless and plus you're Mom and Dad's Power of Attorney."
"Wow, really, that's different. See you soon, Danny."
"Yeah, see you."
She hung up and the knots had become a thick lump low and heavy in her belly. She entwined her hand with Drev's and snuggled into his warm side. She could handle whatever came her way so long as he was with her. She was strong and could walk through ever storm, so long as he stood by her. She knew that no matter what happened, she'd be just fine.
((both out))