Alisaura
Blue Crack Supplier
The Howling Wind - Chapter 20 (final), + Epilogue (6/4/09)
Here we are, the end of another fic. I've had a lot of fun writing and posting it, thank you all for your comments and compliments.
And special thanks again to Diane, for her beta-work and ideas!
Disclaimer: Just as fictional at the end as it was all the way through. No harm intended, any factual errors and all opinions are mine.
---------
29 June, 1990 – Bloedel, BC, Canada
It took a few more days before Edge felt like he'd mostly caught up on the last two and a half years, in terms of global events and the lives of his family and friends. He was still staying in Elaine's spare room each night, and each day a few people would visit. But now, their time in Canada was drawing to an end, and Edge knew he had a decision to make.
"So, what will you do?" Adam asked him. "Are you coming back with us?"
They had a ticket for him, Edge knew, and his passport. They were due to fly back in another week.
"I don't know where I'd stay..." He would need to find out what state his finances were in, too, or even if he had any. The complexities of resuming a human life were daunting.
"I don't mind putting you up until you get yourself sorted out," the bassist offered. "I am living in your house, after all. I should probably be the one finding somewhere to live," he smiled.
"Why did you buy the house?" Edge asked.
Adam shrugged. "I was looking for a new place anyway, and Bono wanted to keep it 'in the family', so to speak. He never gave up hope that you'd come back."
"He was always stubborn like that," Edge said, then added, "Thank you."
They lapsed into silence for a minute.
"Do you think you'll be all right, back home?" Adam asked then. "There's nowhere like this in Ireland, aside from the lack of wolves. It's beautiful here... and there's a lot more space. Where would you go, if you felt you needed to... you know. Get away from things...?"
Edge paused while Elaine bustled through the lounge room with an armload of laundry.
"I've been thinking about that. There are still a few remote places in Ireland. It would be easier if I stayed here... but Ireland is home. You're all there, my family is there. I would like to make my home there, and find that balance. But first I need to find out if it's even possible, financially and everything. And I need to go home to do that."
Adam was gratified to hear Edge refer to Ireland as 'home'. "You shouldn't have to worry about money too much," he said. "Half the proceeds from the house sale were kept aside for you, as well as royalties and everything else. Between Bono and Paul, you've been looked after," Adam smiled again.
There was another pause, and Edge was looking uncomfortable again. Adam changed the subject.
"You haven't told Mrs Wilson, have you."
"Not as such, no."
"I don't suppose you really needed to," Adam mused. "And you won't have to now, if you didn't already."
Adam had assumed Edge would be returning with them... And Edge realised he was right. But talking about all this finance and planning made him miss the simple life; he didn't know when he would have a chance to run free again, once he was back in Ireland. He didn't want to leave before reminding himself of that freedom, one more time. And Adam was right, there was no more beautiful place he could think of to do that, than here.
"I don't know. I would like to say goodbye to this place properly, before I leave."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Will you remember to come back?"
"Yes, I think so. I won't go far, I just want a day or two."
"If you're going to wander off again," Elaine said, coming back through the room, "you're going to take some warm clothes with you this time."
Edge winced. "Um, thank you, but that won't be necessary."
"Oh, really?"
Edge and Adam exchanged a look.
-----
1 July, 1990 – Bloedel, BC, Canada
Edge knew he could have just disappeared again, without explaining anything to Elaine, but he knew she deserved better than that. He knew he could also have accepted the warm jacket she offered him, and then changed in the forest and hoped that everything would be where he left it when he came back. But that didn't seem right, either.
He'd practiced last night, making sure he remembered how. He could have spared himself the effort – changing seemed to have become an instinct now, despite having remained in the same shape for most of the last two and a half years.
Like riding a bicycle, he thought.
Adam had told the others his plans, and there was a small group of the curious and concerned present, to see him off. Or to gawp, he thought with a scowl. What was he, the local freak show?
Well, he was. But he was still tempted to give them all the slip and escape unseen, whatever his decision to be honest with Elaine.
Bono, Adam, Gill and Dik and Elaine were all standing beyond Elaine's back garden, which backed onto a reserve. And Edge was there, wearing a bathrobe. Elaine thought he was raving mad.
"Are you sure you'll be back?" Bono asked him for the twelfth time. "Two days, you said."
"Two days," Edge agreed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn't blame Bono for doubting him. "I promise I'll be back. I'll stay conscious, I'll remember. I'm not going to miss Hollie's birthday. Don't worry."
Bono subsided, frowning.
"We can always send dogs after him, or something," Adam said cheerfully. Edge snorted.
Elaine watched them, clearly not knowing what to make of any of it.
Edge didn't see any point in dragging the scene out any longer. "Well, I'll see you soon." He shot a glance at Elaine, then turned his back. The bathrobe collapsed around the wolf that had suddenly replaced him. He shook the garment off, turned, and sniffed the air. Looking at Bono, he pawed the ground twice, before turning away again, and disappearing into the trees.
Elaine was staring at the spot where the wolf had been lost to sight. "Well, you don't see that every day," she said.
------
6 July, 1990 – over the Atlantic Ocean
Edge hadn't forgotten, and he hadn't missed Hollie's birthday. He never wanted to miss any more, if he could help it. The six-year-old was asleep beside him now, as he looked out once again to the rolling blue Atlantic below, one of her hands clasped gently in his.
Elaine had taken it rather well, he thought. By the time he'd come back, she seemed to have got over any shock, and had been very businesslike about it all. Bono or someone must have briefed her, because she'd had a veritable mountain of food waiting for him.
Edge had been embarrassed to have nothing to give to her, in return for all her exceptional hospitality.
"You've given me a mystery, and more excitement than I've seen for years," she'd said. "No one forced me to take you in, it was my own choice. I'm glad to help."
"It seems a poor exchange," Edge had replied.
"Well now. It's your own business, I know, but if you wanted to tell me... part of your story, how it all happened. That would be a tale worth a few meals, I'd say. But only if you want to."
That seemed a fair exchange to Edge. He glossed over the worst bits, not wanting Elaine to be afraid of him, but she didn't seem perturbed. He realised how lucky he'd been that Elaine had seen him first, before he'd been thrown in the local lock-up, or worse.
Bono was already talking about "getting the band back together", complete with Blues Brothers impersonation. Larry had wanted to know whether Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin were invited, too. It had been a good enough excuse for giving Elaine a private, semi-acoustic performance in her lounge room, as an additional Thank You; but beyond that, Edge and Larry were of a similar opinion... Wait and see.
An eagle-eyed journalist had spotted him in Vancouver airport; or rather, she'd spotted Bono, and then recognised him with the rest of the band. Larry had already told him that he should expect a media circus, but he'd been hoping to have a little time first.
Bono walked down the aisle of the plane, and gave him a wink as he passed. Edge responded with a small smile.
It had taken a long time, and it wouldn't be easy, but he was where he wanted to be. He was going home.
----------
Here we are, the end of another fic. I've had a lot of fun writing and posting it, thank you all for your comments and compliments.
And special thanks again to Diane, for her beta-work and ideas!
Disclaimer: Just as fictional at the end as it was all the way through. No harm intended, any factual errors and all opinions are mine.
---------
29 June, 1990 – Bloedel, BC, Canada
It took a few more days before Edge felt like he'd mostly caught up on the last two and a half years, in terms of global events and the lives of his family and friends. He was still staying in Elaine's spare room each night, and each day a few people would visit. But now, their time in Canada was drawing to an end, and Edge knew he had a decision to make.
"So, what will you do?" Adam asked him. "Are you coming back with us?"
They had a ticket for him, Edge knew, and his passport. They were due to fly back in another week.
"I don't know where I'd stay..." He would need to find out what state his finances were in, too, or even if he had any. The complexities of resuming a human life were daunting.
"I don't mind putting you up until you get yourself sorted out," the bassist offered. "I am living in your house, after all. I should probably be the one finding somewhere to live," he smiled.
"Why did you buy the house?" Edge asked.
Adam shrugged. "I was looking for a new place anyway, and Bono wanted to keep it 'in the family', so to speak. He never gave up hope that you'd come back."
"He was always stubborn like that," Edge said, then added, "Thank you."
They lapsed into silence for a minute.
"Do you think you'll be all right, back home?" Adam asked then. "There's nowhere like this in Ireland, aside from the lack of wolves. It's beautiful here... and there's a lot more space. Where would you go, if you felt you needed to... you know. Get away from things...?"
Edge paused while Elaine bustled through the lounge room with an armload of laundry.
"I've been thinking about that. There are still a few remote places in Ireland. It would be easier if I stayed here... but Ireland is home. You're all there, my family is there. I would like to make my home there, and find that balance. But first I need to find out if it's even possible, financially and everything. And I need to go home to do that."
Adam was gratified to hear Edge refer to Ireland as 'home'. "You shouldn't have to worry about money too much," he said. "Half the proceeds from the house sale were kept aside for you, as well as royalties and everything else. Between Bono and Paul, you've been looked after," Adam smiled again.
There was another pause, and Edge was looking uncomfortable again. Adam changed the subject.
"You haven't told Mrs Wilson, have you."
"Not as such, no."
"I don't suppose you really needed to," Adam mused. "And you won't have to now, if you didn't already."
Adam had assumed Edge would be returning with them... And Edge realised he was right. But talking about all this finance and planning made him miss the simple life; he didn't know when he would have a chance to run free again, once he was back in Ireland. He didn't want to leave before reminding himself of that freedom, one more time. And Adam was right, there was no more beautiful place he could think of to do that, than here.
"I don't know. I would like to say goodbye to this place properly, before I leave."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Will you remember to come back?"
"Yes, I think so. I won't go far, I just want a day or two."
"If you're going to wander off again," Elaine said, coming back through the room, "you're going to take some warm clothes with you this time."
Edge winced. "Um, thank you, but that won't be necessary."
"Oh, really?"
Edge and Adam exchanged a look.
-----
1 July, 1990 – Bloedel, BC, Canada
Edge knew he could have just disappeared again, without explaining anything to Elaine, but he knew she deserved better than that. He knew he could also have accepted the warm jacket she offered him, and then changed in the forest and hoped that everything would be where he left it when he came back. But that didn't seem right, either.
He'd practiced last night, making sure he remembered how. He could have spared himself the effort – changing seemed to have become an instinct now, despite having remained in the same shape for most of the last two and a half years.
Like riding a bicycle, he thought.
Adam had told the others his plans, and there was a small group of the curious and concerned present, to see him off. Or to gawp, he thought with a scowl. What was he, the local freak show?
Well, he was. But he was still tempted to give them all the slip and escape unseen, whatever his decision to be honest with Elaine.
Bono, Adam, Gill and Dik and Elaine were all standing beyond Elaine's back garden, which backed onto a reserve. And Edge was there, wearing a bathrobe. Elaine thought he was raving mad.
"Are you sure you'll be back?" Bono asked him for the twelfth time. "Two days, you said."
"Two days," Edge agreed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn't blame Bono for doubting him. "I promise I'll be back. I'll stay conscious, I'll remember. I'm not going to miss Hollie's birthday. Don't worry."
Bono subsided, frowning.
"We can always send dogs after him, or something," Adam said cheerfully. Edge snorted.
Elaine watched them, clearly not knowing what to make of any of it.
Edge didn't see any point in dragging the scene out any longer. "Well, I'll see you soon." He shot a glance at Elaine, then turned his back. The bathrobe collapsed around the wolf that had suddenly replaced him. He shook the garment off, turned, and sniffed the air. Looking at Bono, he pawed the ground twice, before turning away again, and disappearing into the trees.
Elaine was staring at the spot where the wolf had been lost to sight. "Well, you don't see that every day," she said.
------
6 July, 1990 – over the Atlantic Ocean
Edge hadn't forgotten, and he hadn't missed Hollie's birthday. He never wanted to miss any more, if he could help it. The six-year-old was asleep beside him now, as he looked out once again to the rolling blue Atlantic below, one of her hands clasped gently in his.
Elaine had taken it rather well, he thought. By the time he'd come back, she seemed to have got over any shock, and had been very businesslike about it all. Bono or someone must have briefed her, because she'd had a veritable mountain of food waiting for him.
Edge had been embarrassed to have nothing to give to her, in return for all her exceptional hospitality.
"You've given me a mystery, and more excitement than I've seen for years," she'd said. "No one forced me to take you in, it was my own choice. I'm glad to help."
"It seems a poor exchange," Edge had replied.
"Well now. It's your own business, I know, but if you wanted to tell me... part of your story, how it all happened. That would be a tale worth a few meals, I'd say. But only if you want to."
That seemed a fair exchange to Edge. He glossed over the worst bits, not wanting Elaine to be afraid of him, but she didn't seem perturbed. He realised how lucky he'd been that Elaine had seen him first, before he'd been thrown in the local lock-up, or worse.
Bono was already talking about "getting the band back together", complete with Blues Brothers impersonation. Larry had wanted to know whether Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin were invited, too. It had been a good enough excuse for giving Elaine a private, semi-acoustic performance in her lounge room, as an additional Thank You; but beyond that, Edge and Larry were of a similar opinion... Wait and see.
An eagle-eyed journalist had spotted him in Vancouver airport; or rather, she'd spotted Bono, and then recognised him with the rest of the band. Larry had already told him that he should expect a media circus, but he'd been hoping to have a little time first.
Bono walked down the aisle of the plane, and gave him a wink as he passed. Edge responded with a small smile.
It had taken a long time, and it wouldn't be easy, but he was where he wanted to be. He was going home.
----------
Unfair it's over.
Now off to read!
Awww the epilogue is such a great ending!
