Nace Bilby
ACME
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(This hymn yet again inspired an entry. PG-13 for disturbing themes.)
The hymn echoed in Nace's mind as well as his ears. After Communion Nace could hear that song playing as the choir sang it in celebration. It certainly helped as the Blessed Mother was someone Nace would pray silently to as he returned to his pew.
"Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above. O Maria. Hail Queen of mercy and of love. O Maria. Triumph all ye cherubim. Sing with us ye Seraphim, Heaven and Earth Resound the hymn, Salve, Salve, Salve Regina."
Crossing himself. Silently praying, "Blessed Mother, I implore you to intercede for me. For the first time have I opened my heart again."
Twice before had he opened his heart. Twice before had it been damaged. Forever the date of 22 June 2012, and the hour of 11:31 P.M. would be burned into his heart. His former fiancée, Evey, lost to Non Hodgkin adult Lymphoma of the bone marrow. If only she hadn't defected to VILE they might have found it sooner. She might not have died. But in Evey's case anger at ACME's internal affairs department failing to protect her parents, key witnesses in a case against the Russian Mafiya, led her to betray ACME.
Finding her again, thanks to Carmen's intercession, on 18 December 2011 was bittersweet. She was terminal and did not have much longer left. Staying with her for those six months, by her bedside every spare minute he had. Tearfully telling her he had never hated her, only what she did and that he was willing to forgive because he loved her. But that love would not be enough to save her.
"I haven't had the most fortune in affairs of the heart. Evey died and I'm not sure Caitlin is ever going to speak to me, ever since Russia." Nace prayed again, his mind now moving on to the events of the last year.
"The cause of joy to us below. Oh Maria. The spring through which all Graces flow. Oh Maria. Angels all your praises bring. Earth and Heaven with us sing. All creation echoing. Salve. Salve. Salve Regina."
11:45 PM of December 31, 2012. The year 2013 would be upon them in the next quarter of an hour. Standing with Caitlin in the backyard of Chief Inspector Carlyle's house. The London office was celebrating with their boss. Anthony and Rey always threw a good New Years Eve bash.
"Are you ok?" a voice behind him.
Turning to find Caitlin standing there, he could see worry on her features. And yet again reflecting how she could read him like a book. Not a bloody surprise, we've known each other for seven years.
He had been drinking a bit, though nowhere near as heavy as he had after Evey had passed away. Seeing her step closer to him. They had been getting close over the months since Evey had gone, even closer than they had been as partners and friends.
Almost two years ago in 2010 she admitted she had feelings for him, which stunned him but she also had said she respected the fact that he was still with Evey.
"I'm alright." Nace said.
He noticed she had set her mostly empty drink onto a small table, the table Clementine and Katie, his nieces, loved to play tea party on. "Hard to believe it's been seven years." Nace quipped, "We've known each other that long."
Taking a step closer to her to talk, hearing her reply, "And we haven't driven each other crazy in that time."
"We had some moments." Nace replied, "Like our first case when you went missing."
Caitlin replied, "You saved my life in that case, though."
Nace looked at her, and knew she remembered when he popped open that Egyptian sarcophagus, the one the failed Ph.D. turned serial killer had imprisoned her in with an old fashioned alarm clock. Knowing she remembered him unwrapping the layers of linen bandages the killer had wrapped her up in.
"I think we are even in that regard." Nace replied, "I don't know what I would've done over the last six months if you hadn't stopped by that day. You may well have save me from the Wood of the Suicides."
"Nace," Caitlin replied, "You can't have known if you would have or wouldn't have done that."
"My strength had faded that day. I don't know what I was even capable of." Nace countered, "Then you rang my doorbell."
"Fine, I'd agree we are even on that side. But I agree we have also had our share of firsts." Caitlin replied, trying to steer the conversation to a lighter tone, "Like I never met an adult who never had been kissed."
Despite himself Nace smiled, "That certainly was one moment I'm never to forget. Certainly not after Cecil bloody near had a heart attack."
"It's not every day you see a man get his first kiss at 21." Caitlin teased.
11:59 PM would find them in each other's arms. "I guess that answers the question if I'm going to kiss anyone this New Year's Eve." Caitlin said with a wry smile.
Angling their faces so their noses wouldn't bump. First a light and chaste kiss before they drew closer. Eyes closed and heart hammering, neither quite hearing or seeing the flash of fireworks outside or hearing the celebration as the ball dropped on the Carlyle's television set.
An awkward few months would follow, before on 1 July 2013 Nace and Caitlin made the decision to try and make a relationship work, as discreetly as possible. He remembered when she had asked him, "Did you regret New Years Eve?"
He replied he hadn't and again his heart open to love again he began a relationship with his partner of eight years now.
January 5, 2014 in Yekatrinburg would bring this to a screeching halt. The pursuit of Yuri Vorikov, a Russian Mafiya enforcer, would end with the man's death. Caitlin would hear Nace shouting the names loudly as he fire his Sig again and again, firing rounds into the man, "Sarah Hammond. Liam Hammond. Evey Hammond. To Acheron's shores I send you, vermin!"
The straw that would break the camel's back would come on 9 January, 2014, when Jean Tainer, an American businessman accused by his British secretary of rape, would try to flee Nace. This would end with the man being shoved head first into a pub's plate glass window, shattering the glass pane.
The savage bellow of, "Vae Victus." would echo into the night. But it would be after the two agents had finished their debriefing that the death blow to that relationship would end.
"I don't know you anymore, Nace. I can't recognize the fact that you've turned into a monster in the name of revenge." Caitlin had said, recalling her sobs and the pained look, "You're following a path I can't follow. You're breaking my heart."
And sadly the pair would go their separate ways. Caitlin to instructor duty at the Honolulu Field Office and Nace to an assignment at ACME HQ.
"Oh Gentle Loving Holy One. Oh Maria." the hymn echoed through the sanctuary, "The God of light became your Son. Oh Maria! Triumph all ye Cherubim. Sing with us ye Seraphim." the Choir sang, "Heaven and Earth resound the Hymn. Salve. Salve. Salve Regina."
"Things with Caitlin were my sodding fault. I'm the one who drove her off." Nace said to himself, "I pray that she finds someone better suited than I. I also pray that I don't bollocks this up."
Since moving to San Francisco earlier in 2014 Nace had met a young woman at the ACME lab, Molly O'Sullivan, and they had gotten to be friends but within the last week he had felt differently towards Molly than he had. It was unexpected.
"I honestly didn't think, Blessed Mother I could feel this way towards someone this fast. I just hope I don't bollocks this up. I pray for guidance and better fortune this third time my heart has opened itself to love again." Nace prayed, crossing himself before taking his seat on the pew for the final blessing by the celebrant.
