Tied by a Promise

"In a way. They proved the disguise can stand up to close scrutiny, except by you." She smiled for the first time in a long time. It made her look more like the Nicky I'd been remembering for so long. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well, we still need to prove the holo-school is a viable idea. Is the system okay?"

"Yes, everything checks out." She looked at me, wondering where I was going with this.

"Then I suggest you take a working holiday to the moon base. I know they have their own school." I said, holding up my hand as she began to protest. "But there are several stations orbiting the moon and one or two smaller bases that could maybe be included in this program, either directly or via a smaller version up on the moon. You should go and see if they think so too."

"What about the work here?"

"I think I can handle it. We're off air for a couple of weeks, so it's just day to day stuff." She looked at me as if doubting my ability. "We are the only two employees, and I'm sure you can sell the idea better than me."

"I'll need to check with the Education authorities, we don't want to be seen to be overeager. And I'll need to go as Nicola Henson."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not really I suppose."

"Good. Now would any of the four of you be interested with dining with a poor old teacher?"

"All of us might be!" She laughed. "But I think I have first dibs. So lead on."

****

Nicky was away for nearly three days, pitching my idea to the Education Ministry and then getting authorization for the moon trip. While she was gone I decided it was time for some changes. I got in touch with the Justice ministry and through them hired a secretary for the front office and a PA for Nicky, not an ordinary PA either. This one was a trained bodyguard as well. Then I settled down to some more research. I was trying to find out some more about the Henson's, their whereabouts for a start. I felt Nicky deserved a break. Although she had sworn to them that she wouldn't try to find them I reasoned that I hadn't and she hadn't told me not to. With a brief bit of lateral thinking and a night of research I found them. They were on the moon, one of the most secure places known to mankind. It was an opportunity to good to miss. If I was sneaky about it I could arrange something I felt sure.

When Nicky arrived back at the project she was surprised to find three people waiting for her, not just me.

"Who are these two?" She asked almost as soon as I'd welcomed her back.

"This is Karen Pond." I said, indicating the girl behind the desk. "She's replacing Miss Palmer."

"Okay, I can understand that." She said cautiously, shaking Karen's hand.

"And this is Louise Yardley, your new PA." I said, sweeping my hand around to the second girl.

"Why do I need a PA all of a sudden?"

"Miss Yardley is not only excellent at organising peoples lives, she is even better at protecting those lives."

"So I need protecting now?"

"If you're coming out from behind the holo-disguise, we still need to keep you secure. Without you this project will fall apart. And I thought she might make you feel safer," Nicky was mollified by my answer.

Louise stepped forward and offered her hand to Nicky.

"I'm so pleased to be working for you Professor." Nicky shook her hand. "I have here the itinerary for our moon visit, if you'd care to check it."

Bemusedly Nicky took the proffered computer pad and looked at it.

"Looks fine to me, but who is this 'Professor Andrews' I'm meeting?"

"That's my idea Nicky." I broke in. "He's one of the community leaders on the moon. I thought if you could convince him about the project it would smooth the way a little. He hasn't left the moon for some years, since he and his wife arrived there. He's got a young daughter too. She's still a bit too young for the program at the moment though. I was going to call him before you meet up and inform him of the purpose of the meeting."

Miss Yardley looked at her timepiece.

"We need to leave soon if we're going to catch the next moon shuttle Professor."

"But I've only just got back!" She wailed. "And call me 'Nicky' please. 'Professor' makes me feel even older than I am." Louise nodded in acknowledgement.

"There's no time like the present Nicky." I butted in. "So, off you go. Chop, chop."

Louise led a sighing Nicky off to the space port.

As they exited Karen looked at me.

"Why the snow job?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You just gave her a fait accompli. She had no say in it."

"Actually that makes a change for me and Nicky; it used to be her leading us into some adventure." I sighed and sat down. "Anyway, she needs this, believe me. She isn't the Nicky she should be and I can put it right."

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not, but she deserves the chance, even if it costs me her friendship," I looked into the understanding face of our new secretary. "I don't want to see the sadness I saw before on her face ever again, so I'm gambling on this to bring back the Nicky I grew up with."

Karen just hummed thoughtfully.

****

I wasn't looking forward to making the video call to 'Professor Andrews', mainly because I didn't know how to say what I wanted to say, but I also knew I had to do it. Not for my sake, but for Nicky. I nodded to Karen and she connected us. The face that came onto the screen was a lot older than the one I remembered, but was undoubtedly the same man.

"Hello sir." I started. It was all going to be ad-lib from now on though. "I'm part of the school hologram program. My boss will be calling tomorrow to brief you on our plans." That sounded nice and official.

"Yes, yes, I know all that." The older man sounded a bit put out. My shoulders sagged; I knew I'd never get this right. A little girl ran up to him. My mouth opened in astonishment. She was the spitting image of Nicky at the same age.

"Daddy, daddy, come and read to me."

A smile creased his face.

"In a minute Lucy, I'm talking at the moment." He looked up and saw the look on my face. "What's the matter son?"

I pulled myself together, now knowing that there was no way I could try and deceive this man.

"Not a thing. Lucy is a beautiful girl. As pretty as her older sister."

"Lucy is an only child." He said, a puzzled look on his face.

"We both know that isn't true sir. And before you protest again, I have to say that it was the Global Justice Ministry that told me where you were."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry to spring this on you in this way Mr Henson, but the person visiting you tomorrow is your older daughter Nicola. But she doesn't know who you are at the moment, it's something I arranged."

"Nicola is coming here?"

"Yes sir. I organised it so that it looks like a legitimate visit, but in truth I did it so that she can find her family again. During all her work in the past few years she has been alone, and I thought it was about time she got her family back."

"A noble thought." He stared at me for a while, studying my face. "I know you don't I?"

"Yes you do sir, a long time ago though."

"You were the one who taught Nicky all the lessons she wasn't supposed to get."

"Yes."

"The boy she kept dragging into trouble."

"Again, yes. But I always went willingly and she always got us out of any problems."

"You don't have to defend her now you know." He smiled. A smile I recalled from long ago.

"Sorry, an old reaction." I smiled back.

"How did you meet her again?"

"At first I thought it was by accident, but lately I've been thinking she engineered it to fulfil an old promise." I shrugged. "Anyway sir. The main reason I wanted to contact you was to assure you that Nicky had no hand in this. She swore to you she wouldn't look for you and she didn't. I made no such promise however and took it upon myself to reunite you."

"Why are you telling me this my boy?"

"I just don't want you to think she broke her word. Nicky has always kept her promises, that's why I'm here now working for her, so I wouldn't want you to think ill of her."

"Think ill of her? I never would. I think of her every day, wondering how she is doing, what she is doing."

"I would say she's managing. But she isn't the Nicky she used to be, some of the sparkle has gone."

"And you thought she needed her family?"

"I did. Everyone needs their family."

"You also realise she isn't going to be happy with you?"

"It's something I have to risk. I can't replace her family. So please look after her for me."

"You sound as if you're giving up."

"Let's just say I have an inkling how this will go and I don't think she will forgive me easily for this."

"How long have you been in love with Nicky?"

"Sorry?"

"Only someone in love would be prepared to lose everything for the one they loved." I sagged. I had been kidding myself for more than thirty years and I knew it.

"Since we were six years old I suppose. That's why I always followed her into trouble. Why have I only just realised this?"

"Perhaps you knew all along?"

"I think I probably did. Now I must accept the consequences of what I've set in motion too. I'd better go. Your little girl wants you to read to her. My regards to Mrs Henson and Lucy." I cut the connection.

****

Miss Yardley called to say they had landed and were on the way back to the project. I asked how Nicky was and was told 'emotional' in a quiet voice. 'I may be in trouble here' I thought. I sat down opposite Miss Pond and waited, fretting, for their return.

Eventually Louise came in. She gave me a pitying look.

"Where's Nicky?" I asked.

"She went to the control room; she wanted to be alone to think."

"Am I in that much trouble?" I tried to grin.

"All I will say is that I'm glad I'm her bodyguard and not yours." She gave me a wane smile. "I hope she isn't too long, her father said he was going to call sometime soon."

I took a deep breath.

"Then I'd better go and sort this out one way or another." I stood up and marched to the control room. It was empty, but I noticed that the system was running. I looked down and could see Nicky sitting in the bare holo-classroom, staring at the non-existent far wall. I went down and, taking another deep breath, opened the door and entered the classroom.

"Nicky?" I asked quietly. "Are you all right?"

"Go away and leave me alone!" She snapped. "I'm not talking to you."

"Why not? Because I arranged for you to meet your family?"

"No! Because you went behind my back to do it. And you put my nearest and dearest in danger."

"No I didn't. The ministry said it was fine"

"What has the Education Ministry got to do with it? Why would they care?"

"They don't, but the Justice Ministry does. You don't really believe I'd be reckless enough to try this without their say so? And how do you think I managed to get a secretary and a PA just like that? They're both part of the protection system." I was a little annoyed with Nicky; did she really think I'd plunged into this without thinking? She was angry too; I could see it in her eyes as she turned around to face me.

"And do you know the worst part. You told EVERYONE but me, even dad. Why?"

"Simple. I knew you wouldn't go if I told you."

She shook her head.

"It's all so underhand. It makes me feel dirty and used whenever I look at you." She spat out the words and then turned her back on me once more.

I sighed and sat down behind her.

"I thought that this might happen, so I put together a contingency plan. I was hoping not to have to use it, but it looks like that hope is gone."

"What are you going to do, find my dog next?" She sneered over her shoulder.

"I hadn't thought of that. Would it help?"

"Don't be so glib. Exactly what is this masterplan?"

"It's a nice simple plan; you replace me on the project." I said it as calmly as I could. Nicky's head snapped round in shock. "Karen has a shortlist I put together. They're all good teachers, so you should be able to find one you like."

The shocked look hadn't left her face.

"You....You can't just go, can you?"

"Why not?"

"Because.... Because you're part of the team." She said it hesitantly, as if it was the second reason that came to mind.

Another voice broke in over the classroom speakers.

"So you've had to go to plan b already Dave?" It was Mr Henson.

"Hello sir. Yes, reasoned argument wasn't working, so I decided to go for shock tactics. How are we hearing you?"

"Your clever ladies patched my vid-phone into your system."

"How much have you heard?"

"I came in somewhere around 'Protection System' I think. The dog thing was funny though."

"Dad, why are you calling now?" Nicky sounded a bit exasperated. "We are trying to sort something out and you butt in."

"I said I was going to call after you landed and it sounds as if I was just in time too."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you haven't benefited from my advice for some while now, so its time for a little parental counselling, for both of you. You Dave, need to tell Nicola the real reason you are prepared to leave, and you Nicola, need to tell him the real reason you don't want him to."

Nicky went red.

"I....I don't know...." I started to protest.

"Just tell Nicola what you told me when you called the other day. And you, my sweet Nicola, you tell Dave what you told me when you were eight. I don't believe you've changed that much." A silence fell over the room. I could hear Karen and Louise up in the control room, trying to keep quiet. "Well, that's all I'm going to say. If your lovely associates will unpatch my call, I've a family visit to earth to organise. I do hope it will be worth me coming." With a chuckle he was gone. The door to the control room shut as well, the two girls leaving us alone.

Nicky and I looked at each other.

"Why....Why are you willing to give everything up?" She asked in a small voice.

I sighed deeply, reached out and held her hand.

"Because I love you so much that I can't bear to see you unhappy. And if I caused that unhappiness, it's more than I can take."

"Oh."

"Oh."

"Then I take back all the nasty things I've said in the last hour, and all the bad things I've thought about you for three days."

"Thank you. Now, what did you tell your father when we were eight?"

She went red again, but held onto my hand.

"It was when I promised you that one day you'd work for me. I told dad and he asked the same question that you did 'why?' but I answered him properly. I told him 'because I love him'."

"We were only eight Nicky."

"Doesn't matter. It was as true then as it is now." She looked down at the floor and then up at me. "Did we just tell one another that we loved them?"

The sparkle was back in her eyes.

I smiled back at her.

"Do you know, I think we did."

"Tell me we haven't wasted thirty years." She looked into my eyes.

"I wouldn't say that, look at all you in particular have achieved."

"You've done good things too."

"In my own way I suppose."

"Couldn't we have done the same things together?"

"It's possible." I paused, not sure I should continue.

"But you don't think we would have?"

"Let's just say for arguments sake I'd have followed you. After a while I suspect I would have got tired of being the part-time teacher husband of the famous scientist."

"Yes, I think you would."

"And you would have never settled to the nomadic life as the wife of a teacher, especially the way the system was back then."

"No, I don't think so either. But now it's different."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean we've been out there and done our things. Maybe we could settle down together, especially if the project is successful." She looked at me, staring into my eyes. I took her in my arms and cuddled her, holding her close, taking in her smell, knowing that now was the time.

"We can, but only if you promise not to lead me into any more trouble."

She laughed.

"You've been doing that yourself the past few days." She pulled away slightly, but only to place her hand on my cheek. The silver bracelet appeared from up her sleeve as she did so. I gently pulled out the chain with my ring on and tapped it gently against the bangle.

"The connection is still unbroken. It seems we're destined to be tied together. Tied by a promise." Nicky reached up and placed her hands either side of my head and pulled me towards her, planting her lips full on mine. It was a long, deep kiss, but we had all the time in the world now.