"Ruben wrote the other day," Nuno told her as they walked slowly through a park near his home, hand in hand. "He said to tell you hello."
"How are they?" Ivy looked at him and he smiled.
"Good. Frustrated. The rest of the family is still bothering them about taking our side in all this. Fatima got so mad she methodically told them all to shut up or go to hell. Paula had a fit." He chuckled. "I'm glad."
Ivy laughed. "They're a good couple. I'm glad I met them."
A comfortable silence fell, and Nuno decided he could not wait any longer, nor did he want to. He steered Ivy over to the fountain and sat down, trying to think of the words to say. They didn't come, so he played with her left hand, stalling for time. He knew she watched him, a smile on her face, but didn't look up; he didn't need a distraction. He had words for everything but this - Gary would be amazed.
"Nuno, are you okay?" she finally asked. He smiled at the faint laugh in her voice.
"Yes. Just searching for words." Then he decided that maybe no fancy words would be better, pulled the ring from his pocket, and slipped it on her finger. "I love you," he told her, finally meeting her eyes. She looked down in complete amazement, then threw her arms around his neck and held him.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked into his hair.
"Positive." He tightened his hold on her momentarily. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"But I..." she started, pulling away, and Nuno's fingers touched her lips.
"I thought a lot about this, and about you. I realize it's a shock, and you probably don't feel you are ready, especially after this last 'experience' with Robert. But I've known I wanted this at least since Portugal, if not sooner. There is no doubt in my mind."
Tears filled her eyes and she just looked at him for a minute. "I don't know what to say," she whispered.
He chuckled. "How about yes."
She laughed in delight. "Of course. I accept."
They returned a couple hours later, and Gary met them at the door. "I thought we had a lunch date," he said. Nuno checked his watch and made a face.
"Sorry. I forgot. We had... other business to attend to. You didn't wait, did you?" he asked as they walked into the front room.
"No," Pat said from the couch, his arm around Nikki.
"Good," Ivy quipped.
"What other business did you have?" Paul asked.
"We're engaged," Ivy said. Dead silence filled the room, then Nikki, Emily, and Sabina ran over to Ivy.
"Let's see the ring," Sabina demanded. Ivy held up her hand to show them, and they all oohed and aahed. She laughed at them, then gently pulled her hand away.
"I've got to call my mom," she smiled, and disappeared into the kitchen.
A week later, a letter arrived for Ivy, forwarded from home. She opened it, then asked for a match and burned it. Nuno asked her about it, but she shook her head and changed the subject. The fear in her eyes scared him.
A few days later, he got a letter, same handwriting. He opened it and read it three times in disbelief.
"Mr. Nuno
Bettencourt (the letter read),
It has come to my attention that you have become engaged to my girlfriend,
Miss Ivy
Jenner. If you break that off immediately, you will retain your health. I have
heard that
you recovered well, and I was glad to hear. That was, of course, a warning.
If you want
to remain well...
Cordially yours,
Robert Allen"
Then he, like Ivy, found a match, burned it, and went to find her. She sat in the kitchen, talking to his mother.
"Ivy, what did that letter say?" he asked, leaning against one of the door posts.
"The one I burned?" she asked timidly. Nuno's mother excused herself and slipped through the doorway past her son. He sat next to Ivy, taking her left hand in his. "Why?"
"I got one today."
She sighed. "Robert told me to break up with you or..." Silence hung between them.
"Did he leave it hanging or did you?" he asked after a minute.
"He did," she replied.
"He threatened me, and told me," here he had to smile cynically, "that you were his girlfriend." Her eyes met his, blazing in anger.
"Oh, did he." She clenched her fists in anger. "Why can't he leave me alone?"
"He thinks he loves you. He thinks..."
"He thinks, he thinks! He never asked me if I wanted to be raped. He never asked me if I wanted to be stalked for one and a half years, or what I liked, or anything! He just assumed that I would be his forever!"
"Ivy," Nuno said softly, interrupting her tirade, and she looked at him.
"What will he do to you?" she whispered and touched his face, suddenly scared and no longer quite so outraged.
Nuno shook his head. "I've got a thick head, I'll survive. What about you? He must have decided that if he could rape you you'd have to be his. He could..." He paused, and his voice quieted. "He could destroy us both if he did that again."
"So, do we follow his advice?" she asked softly. He stared at her, speechless. "Is it the only way to stop him?"
"Do you want to?" he responded.
"If it'll keep you alive, yes!"
Nuno cupped her face in his hands. "Ivy, if you give me that ring back, I want a real reason, not because some idiot from your past thinks you'll be happier with him. If you can look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me, or something, I'll take the ring back. But that's the only way." She stared at him, and he smiled at her, letting his hands fall.
"But..." she said, than sighed and smiled tensely. "All right. I don't like it, but okay."
"Good. Now, how do we keep his hands off you?" he asked.
"Easy. I stay with you," she grinned. He laughed. "I know, wishful thinking. But it's a nice thought." Her green eyes sparkled, and he was unbelievably glad to see that.
"We'll have to come up with something," he smiled.
The next letters they sent to the police, then they started getting phone calls.
"How did he get this number?" Nuno asked furiously as he dialed the police station. Ivy sat at the table, pale and trembling. He leaned against the wall, one hand pressed against his head. He could feel the beginning of another headache.
"Hello, my name is Nuno Bettencourt. I'm calling to report a threatening phone call." He glanced at Ivy and sighed. "Yes, this is the third time I've called. Listen. Eight months ago Ivy Jenner and I were attacked in Colorado; she was raped. This guy is still loose and is threatening both of us."
About thirty minutes later he hung up and turned to Ivy, barely able to contain the anger and helplessness he felt. "We are moving," he told her. "Gary's brother is going to have to find a new place really soon." He stood behind her, hands resting lightly on her shoulders. She looked up at him, then reached up and caressed his cheek.
"Don't worry, Nuno. It'll work out," she said softly, then the phone rang. Wearily Nuno answered it.
"Hello." Almost immediately he hung up and turned to the redhead. "Now. Let's go." He pulled her almost roughly to her feet and out to the garage. With a negligent toss he sent the tarp covering his motorcycle floating to the side, mounted, and started it. Ivy got on behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and squeezed her eyes shut. She could hear the telephone ringing faintly in the kitchen.
Nuno knew this escape was only temporary, but he needed to get away. Robert had threatened Ivy again, teasing her that she'd enjoyed what he'd done to her. These phone calls would break them both. As he drove through the streets of Boston, her warmth on his back comforted him a little. It scared him, what Robert was capable of. Their first night together after the rape had been... interesting.
The city gave way to rolling hills, and Nuno became aware of his headache again. It felt like he hadn't quite recovered from the blows on the head after all. He pulled over to the side of the road and paused a minute, hand to his head.
"How are you?" he asked Ivy after a minute, turning to look at her. She looked up at him.
"Fine. How are you?"
"I've been better. Headache," he added. She nodded and just held him for a minute.
You know what?" she asked timidly a few minutes later. "The ceremony is going to be dangerous."
"Yes," he answered, then the worry and pain fell from his eyes as he smiled. "So you really are going through with it!"
"Of course I am!" she smiled. "I don't have a 'good reason' not to." She paused. "Are you going to tell Paulo and Paula?"
"Yes. I'll send the announcement about one week before the wedding. Fatima and Ruben already know, and I'll send one to Ana. Speaking of the wedding..."
"Let's keep it small, please," she said. "If it is, there's much less of a chance..."
He nodded. "Definitely small. And out of the press."
"Yeah, right," she laughed and hugged him. He realized that his headache had disappeared.
Ivy calmly set her clothes in her suitcase, wishing she could have stayed longer. She paused to look at the ring again, and heard a laugh behind her.
"At this rate you'll never be packed," Nuno teased her.
"That's okay. I don't really want to go back." She sighed and turned to pack some more.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked, taking her hand. She turned to look at him, surprised to find worry in his eyes.
"Sure. What's wrong?"
He took a deep breath. "I'm not comfortable with the idea that you're on the other side of the country by yourself," he told her.
"I'm not really happy about it either," she said, perfectly serious. He smiled, glad she realized he was serious.
"I came up with an idea, but I wanted you to okay it. I talked to Jeff the other day, and he agreed to..."
"Be my constant companion?" Ivy asked as he paused in uncertainty. Nuno nodded.
"He's good; he'll stay out of your hair, and I don't think you'll have to worry about his intentions."
Ivy shook her head. "He's very trustworthy. Sounds good. What about you?"
Nuno laughed. "I'll stay with Pat. If we weren't going to be so busy, I'd send him with you."
Ivy laughed delightedly. "Good choice."
Twilight Warrior returned to L.A. to work, although Ivy really had a hard time concentrating on the material. Not that Nuno did much better in Boston. But they stuck it out, and Ivy called home and Boston often enough to make any long distance company her life long friend.
Sabina came up with the idea of doing clubs, although they had headlined, and it kept them in practice. Jeff worked their shows, too, keeping a careful eye on anyone who looked suspicious.
Ivy needed a lot of things, and Jeff always accompanied her on her trips. The press had gotten wind of Nuno and Ivy's engagement, and soon caught on that she spent a lot of time with Jeff. The magazines were suddenly full of rumors that Ivy had left Nuno for Jeff, no matter how often she denied it. Finally, she just laughed in their faces and ignored them. Nuno, too, just laughed in frustration as Pat looked on in fury.
"How do you do that?" he asked Nuno one night after a particularly difficult day.
"What?"
"Just laugh." Pat tried not to move too quickly, afraid he might break something.
"I know that it's not true, and no matter what either of us say, they won't believe us. There's nothing else to do."
Pat shrugged, still struggling with it. "I'd still feel better if I could hit someone."
"Anyone in particular? I can arrange for you to fight with someone, I'm sure," Nuno gently teased.
"Get me Robert?" Pat asked hopefully.
Nuno laughed. "You'd have to stand in line."
"Just as long as I'm the last and he's still alive when I get to him," Pat smiled evilly. Nuno chuckled and shook his head, smiling.
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