Chapter 85: The Separate Paths
Ben spent the weekend fortifying the house.
MacGyver Mind guided installation of additional security cameras covering all approaches. Hidden weapons—nothing fancy, just practical tools that could serve defensive purposes—went into strategic locations. He used Illusion Power to disguise the family's valuables, making expensive electronics appear as worthless junk to potential thieves or raiders.
Mickey helped with the weapons placement, understanding the threat level.
"You're preparing for war," Mickey observed, checking a baseball bat he'd positioned near the back door.
"I'm preparing for cartel enforcers deciding we're leverage against Jimmy." Ben tested a camera angle. "Better to have defenses and not need them than need them and not have them."
"Your wife know about all this?"
"She knows I'm increasing security. She doesn't need details about weapon placement."
"That's the gap, man. The stuff you're not telling her because you think it's protection." Mickey lit a cigarette. "My relationship with Ian works because we're honest about dangers. He knows my family's violent. I know he's bipolar. We manage threats together, not separately."
"Noted."
Ian appeared in the doorway. "Are we in danger? Like actual danger, not just Ben being cautious?"
Ben considered lying, decided against it. "Yes. Fiona's ex is involved with cartel people. His presence made us visible to them. I'm ensuring everyone's safe if they decide to investigate us."
"Should we leave? Go stay somewhere else?"
"Running alerts them that we're scared. Staying with reasonable security improvements suggests we're boring family not worth attention." Ben finished adjusting a camera. "Best defense is appearing non-threatening while being actually prepared."
Ian nodded, processing. "Let me know if you need help. I can watch for suspicious people, coordinate with Mickey's family for warnings, whatever."
"Thank you."
Fiona
Fiona met Jimmy Tuesday afternoon at coffee shop across town.
She'd told Ben she was running errands. The lie sat heavy in her stomach, but she couldn't handle another fight about control and trust. Jimmy had texted asking for one final conversation to explain properly, and she'd agreed.
"Thank you for coming," Jimmy said when she sat. "I know it's risky."
"It's incredibly risky. What do you need to say that couldn't be texted?"
"I need help getting out. Documents, contacts, someone who can create new identity so I can disappear." Jimmy's desperation was obvious. "I can't stay married to Estefania. Can't keep working for Nando. I need to vanish and start over."
Fiona's rescue instinct activated despite her better judgment. "I don't have those connections—"
"But you know people who might. Your brother Lip's smart. Ben has resources. Even Frank probably knows forgers or document people." Jimmy grabbed her hand. "Please. I'm asking for help, not reconciliation. Just help me escape."
"Ben would never help you. He sees you as threat to remove, not person to save."
"Then don't tell Ben. Find the resources yourself. Help me disappear and you'll never see me again. Problem solved."
It was manipulation—Fiona recognized that. But it was also genuine desperation from someone she'd cared about once. Maybe still cared about in complicated way that had nothing to do with current love for Ben.
"I'll ask around," she heard herself say. "No promises. But I'll see what I can find."
"Thank you. You're saving my life."
Fiona left feeling dirty and scared and determined. V called while she was driving home.
"Where are you?"
"Running errands."
"Fiona." V's tone was disappointed. "You're helping Jimmy, aren't you? Behind Ben's back."
"I'm exploring options—"
"You're doing exactly what you're angry at Ben for—making decisions about dangerous situation without including your partner. You're choosing Jimmy's safety over Ben's concerns."
"Ben would never help him—"
"Because helping him is dangerous! For you, for your family, for everyone involved. The cartel isn't going to ignore you facilitating their asset's escape."
"So I just let him die in that trap?"
"You let him handle his own mess. You didn't marry Jimmy. You married Ben. Act like it."
V hung up. Fiona drove home feeling worse, knowing V was right but unable to stop the momentum of her choice.
Ben
Ben's Danger Intuition spiked Thursday morning—Estefania was moving, heading toward Fiona's location.
He called Fiona. "Where are you?"
"Coffee with V—"
"Don't lie. Where are you really?"
Silence. Then: "Meeting Jimmy. He needed—"
"Estefania's heading there. I'm coming. Stay inside. Don't leave until I arrive."
He drove recklessly, got there just as Estefania's car pulled up. His Danger Intuition showed her gun, her jealousy, her suspicion. Through the coffee shop window, he could see Fiona and Jimmy at a table.
Estefania entered before Ben could intervene. He followed seconds later, Silver Tongue already activated.
"Who are you?" Estefania demanded, standing over Fiona with hand near her purse.
"Fiona Gallagher," Ben said loudly, projecting authority, confidence, no threat. "My wife. Who's having one final conversation with an old friend before he leaves town permanently."
Estefania turned, recognized Ben from the house visit. "Your wife."
"My wife. Who's telling Jimmy goodbye because she's happily married and uninterested in complications." Ben moved to Fiona's side, possessive but not aggressive. "Right, Fi?"
Fiona caught on. "Right. Just saying goodbye. Jimmy's leaving Chicago."
"Leaving?" Estefania looked at Jimmy with dangerous intensity. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere permanent," Jimmy said quickly. "Just visiting family. Coming back."
Ben's Silver Tongue pushed truth into Estefania's perception: no romance, no threat, just goodbye between old acquaintances. She wanted to believe it—made her life simpler if Jimmy wasn't trying to escape.
"Fine. Say goodbye quickly. We have dinner with Papi tonight." Estefania left, but security waited outside.
"Thank you," Jimmy whispered.
"Don't thank me. Leave her alone. Actually leave Chicago if you can." Ben grabbed Fiona's arm gently. "We're going. Now."
That night, after kids were asleep, they finally talked honestly.
"I met Jimmy behind your back," Fiona said without preamble. "He asked for help escaping and I agreed to look for resources."
"I nearly killed someone today with Silver Tongue," Ben admitted. "If Estefania had pulled that gun, I would have convinced her to shoot herself. To protect you."
They sat with those confessions, the weight of secrets and desperation.
"I'm scared," Fiona said. "Of the danger, of losing you, of being unable to bridge the gap between your protection and my autonomy. You saved me today but I'm also angry you had to. Angry I put us in that situation. Angry at everything."
"I'm scared too. Of failing to protect you. Of becoming controlling husband you resent. Of using my powers in ways that cross lines I shouldn't cross." Ben took her hands. "I don't know how to be both partner who includes you and protector who keeps you safe. Those things conflict."
"They don't have to. We can make decisions together about safety. I can include you in my choices even when I know you'll disagree. We can be honest about dangers and disagreements instead of acting separately."
"Can we? Because we've been married almost a year and we keep falling into this pattern—crisis, secrets, fighting, distance."
"Then we need to break the pattern. Consciously. Together."
They held each other on the couch, exhausted and honest about how broken they felt. No resolution reached, just acknowledgment of fractures and commitment to repair.
Marriage is hard. Protection is complicated. Trust requires constant maintenance.
But we're still here. Still trying. Still choosing each other despite the difficulties.
That has to count for something.
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