Sanctuary

Sanctuary 3

Sanctuary: Kindness, the Pursuit of Love

Chapter Seven: Patientia - Ira

When Cliff returned to the room of roses and emptiness where Kai and Clair were, he saw them in a similar position to before, this time on the couch. She was clinging to him desperately as he tried to soothe her pain. "Now you know why I'm so hopelessly messed up, now you know, Jack."

"Kai, my name is Kai and you're not hopelessly messed up, you can overcome this. It's hard, but you can do it," Kai tried to console her.

"You were the first I truly loved, Jack, the firs who wasn't just an accessory to me," Clair sobbed. "The first and the only. I was mean to you despite you being Cliff's friend. You said you knew there was good in me so you were still kind. You stole my heart, Jack, don't you remember?"

"I don't remember, because I'm not Jack," Kai insisted more sternly this time. He tried to pry Clair off himself, he tried to pull her away so she could see his face, now devoid of the hat and scarf. He wanted her to see that he wasn't Jack.

"Stop that, you're hurting her," Cliff sat on the same couch on the other side of Clair and took her in his arms. "It's okay Clair, it's okay, I'm here."

"Jack, don't ever leave me, Jack..." Clair clung to Cliff her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed tightly.

"That will only hurt her more," Kai insisted. "She has to see the truth, denial never helps anyone, it didn't help me get over my parents death when I was a child, even if I pretended it did. The sooner she faces the truth the better."

"Stop it!" Cliff half scolded and half begged.

Clair distanced herself from cliff, then stood up and walked to the window opening in and breathing in the chilled air. "Winter is really on its way, or maybe it's already here. Kai is right, I have to face it, Jack is dead and before he died, he married another. Maybe he's better off dead. I'm sorry Kai, but I won't be able to help you any more. You can stay here and hide from the police, but I am no longer interested in avenging Jack's death."

Kai sighed, letting out his tension, but still keeping many more inside. "I understand, maybe it's best this way." An uncomfortable silence invaded the room for several minutes until Kai could no longer withstand it. "Are you two hungry? I'll make some dinner, how about it?"

"That sounds good," Cliff agreed while Clair nodded quietly.

Cliff and Clair watched Kai prepare the meal, with Cliff occasionally commenting on something. Then the three ate in silence and retired to sleep, with Cliff spending the night at the mansion also.

xoxox xox xoxox

With the arrival of a new day, an interesting letter was delivered to Clair, which requested her presence for the reading of Jack's will. She left on her own, insisting that she would be fine, while Cliff and Kai paced in circles, debating if they should go after her.

It was just over an hour when Clair returned with a smile plastered on her face. "Hello boys, aren't I the lucky one, having two handsome men waiting for me like well trained dogs," she laughed in crystal clear laughter that made Kai marble at her cheer.

Cliff grinned big, "Clair, you're back," he meant it in more ways than one. She was not only literally back, but seemingly back to her old self, the self that she only showed to Cliff and Gotz.

"Not entirely, but I'll get there," Clair admitted. "I suppose some explanations are due." She retrieved an envelope from her designer purse. "This, my friends, is the deed to Jack's farm with my name on it. My guess is he wrote a will before he was stolen by Karen and forgot to change it. You should have seen her face, it was priceless, I wish I had brought a camera. The farm is mine and it will one day be a lovely hotel and resort. In fact, I'm planning to go there right away to take a better look at the land. You two can tag along if you wish, we take off tonight!"