Chapter 37

Jake was sitting on the dunes, listening to the waves crash ashore, and looking out on the deep dark ocean. He was in such deep thought that it took a while for him to notice that he had company. It kind of surprised him so he asked, “did you leave your coffee out here or something?”

Barbara sat a cold can in the sand between his legs and said, “I brought you a beer. I figured it was time for me to return the favor.”

Jake sat the beer aside and told her solemnly, “not sure I feel like it tonight.”

Barbara snickered, “I heard about your hang over this morning. I got the blow by blow from Kent. So, I guess it’ll be a while before another binge with the boys, huh?”

“No,” Jake told her, “I was just thinking about all the different reasons why I hate holidays, actually.”

Barbara took a sip of her coffee and replied, “yeah, well I can’t argue with you there Barton. I am personally considering, after today, actually skipping Christmas this year.”

“Oh I don’t know Barbara,” Jake replied, “whenever you get to where you’re going, I’m sure you’ll want to break it in just right.”

“No Barton,” she said dropping her head and sighing, “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now.”

That actually caused Jake to blink, “you changed your mind?”

“Not one little bit,” Barbara told him. “The reality of it is, I couldn’t get off this planet, even if I wanted too now.”

Jake thought about it and replied, “that O’Rouke guy? From what I heard they found the bodies of his whole security detail in some catering vans over by the palace. Somehow I don’t think he’s going to be bothering you any more.”

“That’s the really scary part Barton,” Barbara told him. “Of that whole little… um, organization, he was the… Let’s call it the progressive faction. I’m afraid if he’s really gone then, the next dealings I have with them will not be of the questions first variety.”

That left the obvious question hanging in the air, “so what are you going to do? Go to the continent? Find a little deserted island further down the Arch? I don’t know, maybe set you up a grass hut and start making things out of coconuts?”

Barbara actually laughed as she said, “I have no idea what coconuts are but, I get the point.” She turned a bit more serious when she spoke next, “and that’s why I came out here and found you tonight.”

Jake raised a brow to that, “to find out what coconuts are?”

“NO,” she replied. Then she told him, “I’m being serious here Barton.” Barbara collected herself and then, with as much dignity as she could muster, she said, “I am here to officially ask for your help.”

“No,” Jake told her.

She was genuinely surprised, “um, exactly why not?”

“Cause,” he told her bluntly, “I don’t do things like that officially. You want my help, then you got it. I’m not going to make a treaty signing ceremony out of it.” After he could see she would not laugh he then asked, “so what do you need from me?”

“You said it Barton,” Barbara told him. “Now I find myself with no other option. I have to fight. I need someone that knows how.”

“Barbara,” Jake told her in a lecturers tone, “I also told you that you been in this fight for a while now. You’re just only now getting around to accepting that fact.”

“No,” now it was Barbara’s turn to confuse him. She then explained, “what’s been going on is that you and Norm have been running around waging your own private little war. You don’t even know against who but, that hasn’t stopped you two from slugging it out and, taking it personally.”

“That’s cause it is personal,” Jake protested.

“You see,” Barbara shot back in a smug way. Satisfied that she had made her point she went on, “it’s not Barton. Look, I agree that this, whatever it is, that you two are trying to save us from IS dangerous. The only problem here is, that it’s not the only problem we have. If we’re going to fight, I’m not going to let that drag us down like it has every other institution in this colony.”

Jake shook it off, “sorry Barbara but I don’t really get what you’re saying here.”

“I’m saying,” she replied in a calm and collected way, “that if you want to save something you also have to make sure it’s worth saving in the first place. You guys are just fighting the symptom of a problem here, Barton. I’m after something a hell of a lot bigger. I want to make this place somewhere that my child won’t mind living when she turns eighteen. I don’t want her moving to some other planet, like that thing with Danni and her mother, and then I never see her again. I want her to feel safe here. I want every one too. That means taking care of a lot of little things and not just some cowboys with black hats who just happened into town yesterday. We fix this colony and guys like that won‘t even want to stay here anymore.”

Jake reached over and picked up the beer. He popped the cap and, before taking a swig he bumped it with Barbara’s coffee cup. As he let out a refreshing sound after the swing, Jake told her, “well I got to say this for you Barb. You think big.”

“Jake,” Barbara said.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t call me that again.”