STORY: Adjustments, part 13 of ?
FANDOM: Remember WENN
AUTHOR: Michele Savage (1998)
RATING: NC-17, M/F, hurt/comfort
SUMMARY: After Hilary is brutally attacked and left for dead, she and Jeff
have some healing to do.
SETTING: 1942, Pittsburgh
FEEDBACK: Would be muchly appreciated. :-)
ARCHIVE: Hetsketeers. (anywhere else, let me know before archiving
please.), Sockii, this can be archived at Rest Is Silence too. :-)
DISCLAIMER: Remember WENN and its characters are copyright Rupert Holmes,
Howard Meltzer and AMC. No infringement is intended. The story is mine as
are any original characters.



         As they walked into the oak door, Hilary realized with a smile, 
"Jeffrey that old fool gave us the . . ."

         ". . . same room we stayed in, in 19--" Jeff went to finish her 
sentence but she interrupted.

         "A few years ago." She walked in and was assailed with memories. 
She touched the table top that she recalled sitting at the morning after 
their wedding. She'd worried that she had made a mistake. Eleven years 
later she knew that that mistake had been the beginning of her life. 
"Eleven years." She turned and looked at Jeff. "Has it really been that long?"

         He shut the door and walked to her. "Did you ever think we'd make 
it to this point?"

         She chuckled, "It's a wonder we didn't kill each other in the two 
weeks we were married."

         Jeff wrapped his arms around Hilary, "Do you realize that -this- 
New Year's Eve will only technically be our first wedding anniversary. In 
the eleven years that we've been together, we have only been honestly 
married for one year."

         "And two weeks." Hilary added.

         "Yes. Those nightmarish yet incredibly passionate two weeks." He 
replied then lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her tenderly, then told 
her in a voice heavy with desire, "I miss you."

         She pulled away from his arms, "Jeffrey, I--"

         "I wasn't pressuring you sweetheart," he quickly responded. "You 
know you have all the time in the world that you need. I was just saying 
that I miss you."

         "I should call Maple." Hilary said, ending the suddenly 
uncomfortable moment.

         "Ok, you do that and I'll unpack our things." And kick myself, 
Jeff thought. He did miss her. Not just the feel of her body against his, 
but also the deep emotional connection they always shared when making love. 
Perhaps being here will help. Once he finished putting clothes into the 
drawers, Jeff walked to the bed and sat next to Hilary as she laughed while 
talking to Maple.

         When he sat, Jeff noticed one thing that gladdened his heart. 
Instead of leaning away from him as she'd done in the past months, Hilary 
instinctually leaned toward him as she'd done since they'd known each 
other. It was subtle body language, but he'd come to know and read her body 
as well as a treasured book of his. He smiled and set his hand atop hers' 
that rested on her leg.

         "So how is our little Angel?" Jeff asked when Hilary hung the 
phone up.

         "She's sleeping right now." Hilary answered, "Maple said that 
Mackie fed Angel her lunch and was playing with her until she vomited down 
his collar."

         Jeff laughed and lay back onto the bed, "I'm sorry I missed that."

         Hilary lay next to him giggling, "Me too. Would have been a lovely 
photograph."

         Jeff stopped laughing and rolled to lean over her. He threaded a 
hand into her hair and softly rubbed her temple, "Hilary, I love you. I 
would never in a million years and then some, hurt you." He stopped for a 
moment remembering the
'Pavla incident' as they'd come to refer to it as, "I mean, not again. Not--"


         She stopped him with a hand to his cheek, "I know what you mean, 
pumpkin." She pulled his lips to hers and let him explore her mouth with 
his tongue. She wanted him. She wanted him desperately, but something in 
her kept pulling away.

         When she let out a small hurt cry, Jeff pulled away quickly. "I'm 
sorry did I--"

         "No." she whispered and sat, "it's me."

         "Hilary, don't force it." He told her, "I will always be here for 
you. I don't want you to feel as though you have to give in just to keep 
me." He brushed a tear from her cheek, "Darling you have me. You have my 
soul. I don't need your body to be in love with you." He grinned slightly 
with a wickedly mischievous glint in his eye, "That's just an added perk." 
She laughed lightly at his comment as he'd hoped she would.

         "Jeffrey Singer what did I do to deserve a man like you?" she 
asked tracing his cheekbone with a finger.

         "Not quite sure," he replied, took her hand from his face and 
dropped a kiss on her palm. "But keep doing it."


         That night, Hilary woke screaming. Jeff sat instantly and tried to 
calm her. She muttered over and over, "something's wrong with the baby."

         "Hilary darling, calm down before you make yourself sick." He told 
her gently, seeing that she was in near hysterics.

         "Something's wrong. Jeffrey I have to go to her."

         "Tell me what's wrong." He held her by the arms and tried to get 
her attention.

         "I have to get to her before the he does," she said in a panicked 
voice and tried to almost violently wrench out of Jeff's grip. "Let me go!" 
She yelled desperately.

         "Hilary--" he observed that she was still half asleep and not 
quite aware of her surroundings.

         Suddenly she stopped struggling and looked at him with 
unrecognizing and pleading eyes, "Please don't hurt me." She began 
struggling again, this time scratching and clawing at him. "Not the knife! 
Please I'll do anything you want don't kill me."

         "Darling, it's me. It's Pumpkin." He used his nickname hoping 
she'd be drawn to the endearment. He still held her tightly, afraid she'd 
hurt herself or him or both.

         She struggled against his hold. "Please," she cried, her voice 
lowering to a begging cry, "I have a husband who needs me. Don't do this to 
me."

         "Mittens, it's me darling." Jeff loosened his hold when rather 
than struggle she began cowering against one of the posts of the bed. "Who 
else would call the great Hilary Booth, Mittens?"

         She finally looked at him with awareness. She looked around numbly 
and realized she was wrapped tightly around the post on her side of the 
bed, clutching it as if it were a lifeline. She looked out into the 
darkness through the thin curtains draped over the bay window behind the 
bed. "Where am I?" she asked in a small still disoriented voice.

         "We're in Mexico, Hilary. Remember?" He answered in a soft voice.

         "Mexico." She whispered, now fully awake. She leaned her head 
against the bed post and began sobbing.

         Jeff was at her side in an instant. He pulled her carefully into 
his arms, not wanting to frighten her. "Shhh . . . you're safe sweetheart. 
I'm here."

         She cried hard against his shoulder and muttered, "Will I ever get 
over this? Will the dreams ever go away?"

         "They'll fade in time" he said softly, "but they'll never really 
go away. I still have my dreams on occasion." He explained, smoothing her 
hair with his hand.

         After a moment of calm silence, Hilary asked, "Can we call Maple 
please. I know it's late, but I need to know that my baby is all right."

         "I'll call her." Jeff assured, "Why don't you go into the bathroom 
and wipe away the dream."

         "Ok." She scooted out of the bed, then turned to Jeff. "You'll 
call her?"

         "I'm calling her now." He reached for the phone. "See?" He smiled, 
"Now go wash your face."

         As Hilary left the room, he called the operator and gave maple's 
number to be connected with, waited until it was connected and hoped she 
wouldn't strangle him.

         An obviously just woken up Maple answered the phone. "Yeah?"

         "Maple it's me, Jeff."

         "Jeff it's two in the morning. Is everything all right?"

         "I'm calling to check on Anjeanette for Hilary. She just had a 
very bad nightmare about the baby. She wants to know if Angel is ok."

         "She's fine honey, I just fed her and put her back to sleep not 
ten minutes ago."

         "Could you just peek in on her?" Jeff asked, "For Hilary's peace 
of mind."

         "And for yours?" Maple asked.

         "Well . . . yeah." He admitted.

         "Hang on."

         Jeff heard her put the phone down and shuffle away.

         After a bit she returned, "She's fine daddy and grinnin' at 
something in her sleep."

         Jeff smiled, "I pray she always smiles at her dreams."

         "Yeah." Maple agreed catching his meaning. "Is Hilary ok?"

         "She'll be all right. She's just had a rough night." He explained, "I
think it's the separation from the baby and the fact that she's in a 
different place."

         "Could be."

         "Maple, don't take it personally if you get a ton of calls. One of 
Hilary's recurring nightmares is a faceless man trying to take the baby 
from her." Jeff explained, "She's just worried."

         "I understand Jeff." Maple told him. "Really I do."

         "Thanks."

         "Now why don't you guys get some sleep." She yawned, "This kid of 
yours is every bit the handful I expected a kid of yours to be. I need to 
be rested to keep up with her."

To be continued...
Biz
Bizarra@infinet.com