Kong (A James Conrad Love Story)

Epilogue

Three Years Later, Paris

I was just walking out of the office as Houston caught up to me. I sighed, sure he was going to tell me about some emergency project that needed to be done by midnight. But he merely said, "See you tomorrow," and hurried past me. Probably some big important meeting. As current CEO of Monarch, he was so busy he seemed to barely get up from his desk sometimes. As a mere linguist, I had no such obligations.

But in truth, I was grateful to Monarch for their help. After the years on an island where everything wants to eat you, it was good to have a job where the most dangerous thing was your boss' mood swings.

I walked through the crowed streets- my apartment was only about three blocks from my office. How's that for a commute? I could smell the last of the fresh baked croissants in the bakery, and my stomach growled.

The doorway at the apartment let me in with a cheery "Salut, Madame." I nodded back and went up the elevator to the fourth floor. I let myself in and called out, "I'm home." I took off my coat and stop it on the hook by the door, already trying to figure out what to cook. Just as I was turning, I felt a warm pair of arms wrap around my waist. I giggled like a giddy schoolgirl and turned around to kiss him. James.

It had only been about six months since we moved in together. I hadn't regretted a second of it. Once I was off that blasted island, I had disappeared for months. Looking for any relations still alive. But there was basically nobody left, so I had moved to the only place I had ever felt at home- Paris.

James had shown up on my doorstep about two weeks after I moved in, as a coordinator for Monarch. Houston had smiled knowingly at me when I asked him about it, so I was sure it was no accident. He and San were married now, going on two years. They were expecting a baby boy in the next month or so.

Slivko and Mills were back in the states, enjoying their freedom. I still heard from them once in a while, but they were perfectly content being safe. Mills was married too, and living in Key West. Slivko took over his dad's mechanic shop, swearing that he love machines more than animals these days. I didn't blame him.

I finally disentangled from James and smiled up at him. "What's for dinner?" He looked momentarily panicked before I laughed and added, "I'm joking."

He smiled and collapsed on the tiny sofa in the living room. As I started fixing up dinner, he called to me, "Good day at work?"

"Not terrible. Houston's found another island that he wants to check out."

"As long as we're not invited." I had made that crystal clear to Monarch the second I joined. there were no harebrained missions for me. And when James had moved in, that had also covered him.

We ate dinner quietly, listening to a light rain shower outside that tapped on the glass. Afterwards, we lay on the sofa, just quietly thinking. I was reading some new research on Egyptian hieroglyphs.

"James?" I took his silence as a go ahead. "Do you ever want to go back?"

His answer was quick like he had though about it frequently. "Yes. But I wouldn't give up this life for anything."

I smiled and pressed a kiss to his chin, the only part of his face I could reach. After a while, I drifted off and only woke slightly when I felt him carrying me to bed. I burrowed into his chest as he murmured softly, "I wouldn't give you up for anything."

"But I know we'll meet again some sunny day, keep smiling through just like you always do, 'till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away..."