Shaken(Geoff)

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine leaned forward then pulled her brother into her arms, "Shh..." she was trying to comfort him, and she felt so helpless at the same time. "It's okay..." they were words, simple and heartfelt, but the truth was she didn't know what was going to happen. She only knew that she'd do anything to protect her brother and the rest of her family. They needed the happiness...she needed the happiness.

"You're not crazy Geoff...you're not."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

He released a heavy sigh and clung to her almost desperately. As much as she needed him, he needed her as well. "Maybe.... maybe it'll pass..." he said. "It only just happened. They said it was normal to feel like this after what happened. It's just that... nothing about this is normal, you know? How much more can we take? First Sam's almost killed, then Roland dies... now this. I don't think I can take any more. I just want things to go back to the way they used to be. But that's not possible, is it?"

He pulled away and looked up at her hopefully, as if he was expecting her to give him a different answer than the one he knew to be true.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine felt it too, not just the aftershocks of what had happened, but instead she felt a forboding, as if none of them had really even suffered yet, but what could be worse? What was coming that would destroy them? Or was it to be a series of events that would destroy each and every one of them individually?

She shuddered and held him tighter then when he was looking at her, she felt the weight of his eyes.

"Whatever happens..."she said a slight tremor in her voice, " We ...we have to stay together...and be strong for one another...we'll find a way to survive it...if we remember that there are things worth surviving for."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

That was really it. That was all they could do. Even if it seemed like there were evil people out to get them all, they could never truly break them if they all held fast to each other. The Montgomerys were a large family, and there was an unbreakable bond between them. The best thing they could do was make sure that they didn't let that bond be broken.

"I'll make a deal with you," he whispered. "I won't give up on you, if you don't give up on me."

[Christine Montgomery]

She nodded, that part was easy. She'd never give up on Geoff. Giving up on herself was another matter completely. She wondered briefly which of them would have a harder time giving up on the other.

But Geoff putting his faith in her made her want to try, she just hated being so afraid of the unknown, that had never happened to her before.

"I never thought I'd say this...but I miss the days when dad would vanquish the monsters under the bed...I miss the days when those were the only things that scared me."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey's smile was sad. "I do, too, actually," he said.

It was strange how, as a child, the smallest things seemed to be so monumental. And childhood fears of monsters lurking under beds and in closets were the only things to fear. The real terrors in life always seemed so far away when he was younger. Until recently, life and death, good and evil, love and loss, they were all things that had seemed so very far away, like abstract concepts that he didn't fully grasp. And now it seemed like they were becoming part of their daily lives. How could he not want to return to the simplicity and innocence of childhood?

"I don't know if I say it often enough, but I love you, Chrissy."

[Christine Montgomery]

She smiled at him which was great to see since she hadn't smiled much in a long time. "I love you too." she said squeezing his hand lightly.

She let the moment rest between them then glanced around her and laughed lightly, " You can see I havn't lost my touch." she said proudly aware that she had managed to sneak into his hospital room and that no guards had come yet.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Her smile... that was all he needed to make him feel better. Christine had always had a way about her, that when she was smiling, it seemed like all was right with the world. He couldn't explain why, but when she was unhappy, as she had been lately, everything just seemed wrong. It upset the natural balance of things. But when she smiled... the world started turning again.

"I know," he said. "You did good. Not that I'm surprised. I'd ask you if you could do the same thing to sneak into Riley's room, but you'd probably just freak her out. But tomorrow, during proper visiting hours, please promise me you'll go to see her. Just to make sure she's OK. And... tell her I'm sorry."

It seemed like a pitifully inadequate response for what had happened. But what else could he say? He could pile on as many words as he wanted, but they still wouldn't make things all right with them. Maybe nothing would ever be all right again.

[Christine Montgomery]

She would do as he asked but she didn't like the defeated look in his eyes, "Geoff...you and Riley have been best friends for as long as I can remember...if she were to attack you, try to kill you even, under the imperius curse, would you hold it against her? Would you be angry with her?" she didn't let him answer because she knew the obvious response.

Knowing Geoff he'd probably be a lot more concered about Riley's welfare having been under the imperius curse than himself who had been nearly killed, and Christine imagined Riley too was worried about Geoff, "Riley's a smart girl, give her some credit. She knows you're not responsible for this."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Yes, if their situations were reversed, Geoffrey would have forgiven her instantly, and he would have been more worried about her than about himself. But he couldn't blame Riley if she didn't feel the same way. He hoped that, once the dust had settled and the danger was passed, Riley would be able to forgive him. But he also understood that it might take a little while. Right now, she had to be terrified. And it was killing him that he couldn't be there with her to help her through it.

"Just because she knows it doesn't mean she's going to be ready to let me back in right away," he said sadly. "She knows it in her head, but after something like that, fear just kind of takes over and clouds everything else."

[Christine Montgomery]

She couldn't argue that. She hadn't been herself either when the attack occured, nor after it was she coping too well. Then after Roland's death, she guessed she was just about the last person who could talk about remaining rational when you were scared. Another reason why she was determined to change things.

She nodded, " I guess you're right...but in time Geoff...in time everything will be alright."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

"I hope you're right," Geoffrey said in a voice that sounded heavy with the weight of the world. "Maybe this is the worst of it. Maybe we're through this and there's nowhere to go but up. After all, how can things get worse?"

He knew, even as he said it, that things could always get worse. But he wasn't willing to face that idea. He couldn't deal with anything else. It was all too much, it was too painful. Things had to get better. They just had to.

"Riley and I used to play this game," he said softly. "We'd imagine what our lives would be like in ten years. Will you... will you play it with me now?"

Just as the game had once been a comfort to her, he knew that he needed that comfort now. He needed to imagine a better future, far removed from the pain and tragedy.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine would have agreed to anything he wanted at that point. So she nodded quickly and asked, "What is your life like in ten years Geoff?"

Things that she hadn't wondered about for herself. She realized she was always living in the moment, and usually whatever was happening in the moment was quite exciting. She made a name for thrilling adventure, one right after the other. Would she mellow? Had she already?

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey sighed. Right now, it seemed hard to even imagine ten minutes, let alone ten years. But he'd suggested this game. And it was what he wanted. He wanted a better future then he was seeing right now.

"I think I'll be married," he said softly. "To Alison. And we'll have kids. Three of them. Two girls and a boy. What will you be doing?"

[Christine Montgomery]

She laughed and smiled then, it was a good laughter, and it was because she was thinking of her brother happily married and that meant a lot to her. "Well first of all I will not be getting married." she laughed again, "Could you imagine me putting myself into the hands of some guy? No siree... instead I think I'll have my own ship by then." she nodded liking the sound of that, " And I'll be just as good as Uncle Chris make no mistake."

She looked upward her eyes taking on a dreamy quality, " I'll travel the world , and breathe in all sorts of exotic places, then come home naturally to spoil my nephew and nieces."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey smiled. "No.... no, I don't see you getting married," he said. "But I bet you've got a guy in every port. You let them take you out and romance you, but you can't be tied down. You have a few laughs and then you're gone again, ready for the next adventure. And when you visit me and the kids in our own private mansion, you always bring exotic gifts from faraway lands. And you tell us all about your exploits."

[Christine Montgomery]

She nodded, at least that's how she envisioned her future. She wasn't sure about the guy in every port business, but the truth was she wasn't too fond of love, she didn't really understand it herself. If she ever did settle down, and boy that was a big iff, she'd want something like what her parents had, and still shared to this day. Roll her eyes asll she'd like, but that didn't take away from the spectacular couple they made.

She smiled, " One of your kids'll be just like me and begging me to take them off to those exotic places, much to your own horror I'm sure." she teased.

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Geoffrey would never tell her this, but he often thought of her as being a lot like Roland. She was capable of fierce loyalty, deep love, and great passion. In addition, she had a certain disregard for the rules that was very like their late cousin. Like everyone else, Geoffrey knew almost instinctively that when Roland fell in love, it would be for keeps. It was a terrible tragedy that Riley would never get to experience that. But Geoffrey felt that the same thing was true of Christine... when she finally fell in love--and he knew she would one day--it would be deep and powerful. In her case, it would need to be someone who shared her passion for adventure.

"Yeah, my kids will always be talking about their Aunt Christine, and when she's coming back for a visit. My oldest daughter is 8 and all she wants to do is go on adventures with you."

[Christine Montgomery]

She would likewise never admit to wanting to fall in love either. Still Christine never thought it would happen, she'd need a fairytale romance, or at least someone as stubborn as she was to keep her in line, otherwise she'd walk all over the guy. She already felt sorry for the imaginary guy who she didn't think would ever really exist, though the thought made her wistful for a moment.

It was true if she ever fell in love she'd hold on to that love for the rest of her life.

She smiled shaking her thoguhts away and looked at Geoff with a mischevious expression, " That'd be rich." she laughed, "Though to get my just desserts it would be more appropriate if I had one of my own who always wanted to go off and do things to scare me out of my wits. The way I do Mum and Dad."

[Geoffrey Montgomery]

Before she had arrived, Geoffrey had been sure he would never laugh again. But her comment actually got a light chuckle out of him, which was really quite momumental.

"One day you will," he said. "But not yet. Right now, you just have your niece. The two of you are as thick as thieves whenever you visit, and she spends the summers on the ship with you. It's just like you and Uncle Christopher, who, by the way, will have settled down with Andrea."