The Seven Swords of Diya: An Indiana Jones Fan Fiction Part 1

Chapter 160: Kamchatka Wilderness, Soviet Union, 1960

Kamchatka Wilderness

Soviet Union

1960

Shorty stared bewildered at the growing pile of wood, thinking of Lizavet. "I thought it would help... you know... be good. Like old times."

Indy's eyes drifted to the flickering flame of his cigarette lighter. He stared into the distance, memories coming back. "The war you and I knew is long gone Shorty. Now it's all spy games and satellites with super sonic flights and covert tech." He sighed, glancing at Shorty and the pile of wood, helping himself break away from the overwhelming memories of his failure with Marion.

"Shorty, you've got to earn her back, earn her trust... work through the fear." Indy swallowed as he explained. "When I first met Marion, she was 16. I worked with her dad until she was 18. We were in love and he knew it. He wanted us to be together, but he warned me against moving too quickly."

Indy glanced at Shorty. The young man had stopped chopping wood and was staring at the man he considered a father.

Indy continued, "Well... I moved too quickly. She was 18, I was 27. I knew what I was doing and she had no clue. She was terrified and excited. I didn't pay attention. I didn't take the time to keep her from being afraid. Our relationship ended before it began." His voice broke. "And it cost me a relationship with her, her father and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Abner."

Indy stared into the darkness, his voice thick and his eyes burning. He remembered it all. "By the time I came back into Marion's life, he was dead and Marion had grown tougher. She was different. And I needed her to be tough... we were fighting Nazis. But I found myself getting tender towards her and it scared me, so I was a coward and I ran."

Shorty stared at Indy. "Are... you...?"

"Am I weeping? Yes, Shorty. I am."

"You don't have to tell me everything -"

"This isn't everything Shorty," Indy's voice dropped into a husky gravel, tinged thick with regret. "This is barely enough. The rest belongs to Marion and I... This is what I can share, because honestly - I'm damned ashamed of my cowardice toward her and our marriage. And how its impacted our children."

Shorty stared at Indy in shock. "How were you a coward?"

"Son - I raised Em on my own. I should have gone right back to Marion and brought our family back together with the same tenacity I had when Marion and I went after the Ark of the Covenant." Indy swallowed. "After the Ark, I met up with Marion a second time, in 1939. She was different. I was also different. I'd just reunited with my dad and was more comfortable and confident. Marion was different because she'd become a mother... a mother to my daughter -"

"Emily?" Shorty asked.

"No. Annie. She's five years older than Em. Marion had her in the aftermath of our adventure and it took Marion three years to find me." Indy blinked. "Annie's my daughter - there's no question about it, but I missed those years, Shorty. I missed so many years."

"Why? Weren't you married by then?"

Indy swallowed. "You've seen Em's facial scars, right?"

"Yeah." Shorty started gathering the chopped wood. "They're bad, but not -"

"Em got them in a cave in of an Egyptian tomb. Marion thought she was dead. She blamed me - rightfully so - she took Annie and I, even after Em was stable - I didn't go back to her. It's taken me thirteen years, Shorty - thirteen years - to work up the courage to go see Marion again. By that time, Annie was married to an abusive man and they had two children. My granddaughter, Laurel knows me as a rescuer. My grandson, Tyler knows me as the man who took him from his father - and he hates me."

"What are you going to do?"

Indy shrugged with his uninjured shoulder. "I don't know. I'm looking at all this ash and wondering if we'll even make it out of here alive. And I'm regretting all of my decisions. Especially the way I'll be leaving Marion if we don't make it home."