Forever's No Time At All, by Daria; same disclaimer: When Dr. Quest finally removes his hands from his face, there are tears in his eyes, and I sink to my knees to comfort him with a hug, for now the sight of him in distress has me crying too. "Sssshhhh...no, no Hadji; everything is going to be all right. I promise you." "I love you, and I do not want to lose you, and I will if I stay here. You will forget all about me," I tell him, trying hard not to believe the words which flow from my lips. "No Hadji, you are still my son, if not legally then in heart and spirit. You will always be my son, always and forever. For the times we are apart, it will seem like forever, but forever is no time at all when you're waiting to rejoin someone you love." A kiss on the cheek and a few soft strokes against my face and he has once again, in his own amazing way, healed my heart and comforted my soul. Is there any wonder why I do not want to be separated from this man and the loving home he has given me? I love him. I love him more than anyone I know, and yet I look at the woman on the other side of the table and wonder if I will ever feel exactly the same way about her. "You can't let her do it, Dad!" says Jonny. "You can't let her take Hadji away from us; you just can't!" "Jonny...please, be quiet," Dr. Quest pleads, and he waggles a finger at Jonny to behave. "We must respect the wishes of the Maharani; she is Hadji's mother, and this is between the two of them." "That's not fair!" Jonny is one person who never fails to point out the fairness or unfairness of a situation. "Hadji's ours, Dad! He's my best friend and my brother, and she can't make him stay here. She can't, and you can't let her do it!" Seething anger can sometimes be Jonny's stock in trade, but I have never been more proud to see it come to the surface than at this moment. "Quiet, Jonny; let us handle this," Race says, taking charge of Jonny as he often does. Dr. Quest stares at him in much the same manner my mother has viewed him. "I'll take care of this, Race!' he snaps, as my mother grins that "now you know the feeling" look. The room falls silent. Dr. Quest holds me tightly, and Jonny crosses behind him to join us. Pasha, in one of the few times he has stayed quiet for more than a moment, sits in a hushed state shaking his head. I turn to look at my mother as she sits opposite of us all alone. My poor little mother, alone for all of these years. What's wrong with me? How selfish can I be? I am ungrateful and am so very sorry for it. I reach across the table to take her hand and I clutch it tightly; I pray that the psychic bond we share will allow her to hear my heart's desire. There is feeling between us which transcends all words, all distances and all time; it is a power we have barely tapped, but what we know of it is astonishing. It is what led her to me time and time again over the many years that she searched for me, though her only physical link to me in India was Pasha. My soul had traveled across the waters, yet her love for me was so complete that she was still able to follow my paths from her side to Pasha's, a journey of twelve years and many many miles. That is how my mother loves me. Why am I forced to choose between being close to her and being with the family I love? I am burdened with the guilt known only to the ungrateful---the prodigal son---yet I must beg her for my freedom. My mother is a strong, compassionate soul; I believe she only wants what is best for me. But what more must she sacrifice? It has taken so many years of searching on her part to find me; it does not seem fair for me to ask to part from her again. And yet I do ask, and I ask her to accept that even though she is my family...so are they. This room is full of other people who have become my family as well. Maybe we can all be as one, but that decision lies with her and her alone. "Oh mother...I love them as I love you," my mind cries out to her. There are so many words unsaid between us; so many thoughts we have not shared. But this she must hear. I know it. She finally looks up at me, slowly, for she has been shedding tears of her own. I tug on her hand, mentally and physically edging her toward me, and she eventually gives way. As we meet in unison, she and I hug each other in a way even more joyous than on our first meeting days ago, and Jonny and Dr. Quest soon join the huddle. My mother kisses my check, then Jonny's forehead. Finally, she smiles at Dr. Quest and he returns that smile ten-fold. "We can share him, can't we?" Jonny asks my mother. "You wouldn't mind that too much, would you, your highness? That would be ok, wouldn't it, Dad?" "Yes, Jonny," my mother nods as she searches my father's face. "Yes, if that is what will make Hadji happy, I am sure we will find a way." "Well, barring a big sabre and a late ruling from King Solomon, I think you lot had better find a way!" Pasha yells from the table as he helps himself to a plate of curried lentils and okra...and a half of a tandoori style chicken. "I'd hate to see the kid getting pulled apart like a hunk of monkey bread, man. If all you two are gonna do is screw up his head, you may as well have left him with me. And you know what else, your highness? They're getting a trifle short on the amenities around here. Where's the Major Grey chutney? Wow, I am starving, man!" --------DB --------------------------- Not too much to add to this one, actually! It just seemed too weird to me that poor Neela would be willing to let Hadji go so easily after a 12 year search for him. I took that docile Indian woman stereotype into consideration, but I just wanted to see her with a bit more fight. She must have been a fighter to buck Vikram all those years to search for her son. And I love Pasha, my dear sweet Benton and big mushy endings, so both are to be expected here! At first Jonny wasn't in it, and neither was Race, but once I added Jonny I HAD to add Race, so...they're both there. Guess who's with Mamita...? And the title is from a favorite Pete Townshend song, from the hard to find tribute album for Maher Baba, Pete's guru (the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" originator). Obscure, but fitting. I loved "Nothing Is Everything" from this lp too; lots of paeans to metaphysics on this one, so expect more wacky fic titles! Cheers----Daria (Hadji [email protected])