Reaching The Stars

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any brands of drinks or songs mentioned in this story, but you proabably figured that by now.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, thanks to all who continue to read and review. Someone mentioned that they hoped there would be more to this story than just Jack and Christina, and they're right. There should be more to our hero and heroine. Hence, this installment of Reaching The Stars. As always, please read and review, and enjoy!

Reaching The Stars
Chapter Three: Before The Birth of the Cosmos

The slow jazz music and the scent of cooking gently roused Christina from sleep. Slowly opening her eyes to the rising sun, she yawned and stretched, the faint traces of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the aroma of breakfast. She wrapped the bed sheet around her naked form and stood up as a middle-aged gentleman reached the top step leading to his bedroom.

“Oh…” He blushed, somewhat flustered. “I didn’t realize you were awake.”

“Umm…” She laughed nervously, her face as red as the gentleman’s. “…I am in the right apartment, right?”

“Yes, madam,” he said with a bow. “Pardon for the intrusion, but I’m Master Pembroke’s butler, Adam Winthrop.” He handed her a white terry-cloth robe. “He asked me to leave this for you.” He bowed respectfully and descended the stairs.

Christina returned to the bed and slipped the sheet off, replacing it with the terry robe. She was about to get up again when she looked outside, the morning skyline displayed in its entire splendor.

“I know. It is beautiful.”

She whirled around to see Jack, also clothed in a white terry robe, carrying a breakfast tray with plates and cups. He set the tray down on the bed beside her and smiled nervously, sitting on the other side of the tray.

“Mmm, it smells great,” she said. Her stomach made a little growling noise, and she smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Jack waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’d be surprised if you weren’t hungry after last night.” He winked at her and received a nervous chuckle. “I made omelettes with mushrooms, green and red peppers, and ham. There’s toast with orange marmalade and some milk or coffee, whichever you prefer.”

She shot him a hard stare. “You know, you scare me sometimes.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, I have this exact breakfast fairly often. It’s my favorite.”

“Is that so?” He spooned some sugar into a mug of coffee.

She nodded as she cut a piece off an omelette with a fork and gave it a taste. Her eyes lit up with excitement almost immediately. “Wow!” She stared at the plate. “This is great! It’s much better than how I make it!” She helped herself to another forkful. “What’s your secret?”

He smiled gratefully. “I add a little bit of milk into the eggs while I’m beating them, and I use Parmesan cheese instead of salt.” He looked over her shoulder towards the skyline. “It was a cooking secret that my mother taught me before she died.”

The revelation chilled her. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Master Pembroke…”

“I’ve told you before, Adam, call me Jack,” Jack corrected as the gentleman reached the top of the stairs.

Adam fumbled for a moment, attempting to forego formality. “Well, umm, Jack, then, there are three visitors at the lobby requesting your presence. A Sarah Calmaine, Angela Rutherford, and Ulric Pellgate.” He winced. “He seemed most intimidating.”

“Ulric Pellgate?” Christina asked, astonished.

Jack and his butler turned to Christina. “Is he a brother I didn’t know about?”

She shook her head. “He’s my cousin. He was in Cancun for a few months.”

Jack took a deep breath and nodded. “All right, Adam. I’ll go down there myself. Could you have some breakfast ready for three more? I’d cook for them myself, but I’d be rude not to welcome them.”

Adam bowed. “As you wish.”

Jack smiled towards Christina. “Should I be expecting problems with your cousin?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. I kinda grew up with him, so he’s very protective.”

“All right. Thanks.” He kissed her forehead and walked down the stairs towards the elevator doors.


* * * * *


“Ricky, will you calm down?” Sarah said impatiently. “Christina’s in good hands.”

“Sarah’s right, Ricky. He won’t do anything she won’t want to do.”

Ricky sighed. “Well, I worry for Christina. I have a feeling she’s making a mistake.”

Sarah frowned. “Are you still worried about what happened between her and Kevin?” She shook her head and put her hands to her hips. “Dammit, Ricky, that was way before you even went to Cancun! Yeah, it took her a while to get past the prick, which is how she came to meet Jack in the first place.”

“What if he turns out to be like Kevin, too? I don’t want to see her hurt again.”

“It’s good to know that Christina has family and friends that worry about her,” Jack said as he stepped out of the elevator, clad only in his robe and a pair of white slippers. “Pardon my appearance, Ulric. I’m Jack Pembroke.” He offered his hand.

The larger man warily took his hand and pumped it twice. “I know who you are, Jack. I’m sorry to hear about your uncle. The entire world mourned when he passed away.”

“Indeed. I hope your vacation was most pleasant. I’m sorry we had to meet in such a fashion.”

Ulric narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jack sighed impatiently. “Exactly what it means, Ulric.”

“Ricky, will you calm down?”

“It’s all right, Sarah. I know he’s worried about his cousin.” He pressed the button on the panel by the elevator. “Christina’s upstairs, probably finishing up breakfast or taking a shower. Join us, please. I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t show you my hospitality, hmm?”


* * * * *


“Sarah told me that Christina never knew that you were the sole heir to your uncle’s fortune,” Ulric said, staring at the tray with coffee cups and creamer.

“I’m sure,” Jack said, eyeing Sarah with a smile. “Neither of us had much time to tell the other about ourselves. The two times we’ve seen each other were at the Cosmos.” He took a deep breath. “And both times we met, we ended up leaving together and spending the night here.”

Ulric narrowed his eyes. “Is that so?”

He raised his hands defensively. “You’ve been to the Cosmos, Ulric…”

“Call me Ricky, please,” he said stoically. “It’s unsettling to hear my full first name so frequently.”

Jack shrugged. “All right, then, Ricky. My point remains that you’ve seen the Cosmos, and how much the atmosphere tends to…” He fumbled for a proper phrase. “…Bring out the fiery passion in someone, shall we say?”

Ricky glanced towards Angela and Sarah, who were sipping their coffee in unison, trying to ignore him. “You have no idea.”

Jack raised his eyebrows matter-of-factly. “Actually, I do.” He took a sip of his own coffee. “There was something about Christina that I saw in the Cosmos the night Angie and Sarah first took her there. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but she seemed to be on the same wavelength as me. Something in her eyes drew me to her, an inner wildness that was just begging to be let out.”

Ricky widened his eyes. “Hmm. It seems our family runs true with her, as with myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve known Christina since she was a kid,” Sarah piped up. “She was always the nerdy girl, but she loved to hear gossip, she always wanted to hear about what was going down and where. She loved to hear about parties, about guys and about the girls that they were teased by, and she soaked up every little bit…”


* * * * *


Christina walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed. Her body felt so light to her that she was going to float up off the cool floor. She was drying her hair with a towel when she heard Sarah’s voice.

“…The bastard knew that she was something of a closet wild child, and he used her that night, took her virginity, and left the next morning before she woke up.”

The thought of her ex-boyfriend sent chills down her spine. She ran towards her voice as she recalled more and more the anguish she had to endure after Kevin left her, the hollowness she felt when he fatally wounded the lioness in her spirit. She felt sick to her stomach; the memories seemed like knives being driven into her gut.

She stopped as she saw Ricky’s face, darkened red by the rage she knew he was feeling. She turned towards Jack, who sat at his chair sipping his coffee, calm and collected but intense at the same time.

“I can see why you’re so protective of her,” Jack said, turning to Ricky.

Ricky nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line, not saying a word.

“I take it you’ve had similar circumstances in your life, Ricky?”

He took a deep breath and shuddered. “Yes, I did. I didn’t want Christina to have to endure the pain that I had to go through. Relationships have been hard for our family because living for the moment, letting our hair down and embracing our ‘uncontrollable passion’, if you will, is in our blood. Her mother and my father had it, and their parents did as well. They’ve all had to endure the pain of having our lives trashed by someone waiting to use someone like us.” He sighed again. “I just wanted Christina to be spared from our curse.”

“You should tell her yourself,” Jack said, pointing subtly in her direction, his eyes still turned towards him.

“Ricky…”

“Chrissy,” he said, getting up and wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her forehead. “Jack was right. I should have told you…”

“It’s all water under the bridge now, Ricky,” Jack said. “No use worrying about it.”

“I hate to ruin the moment here,” Angela noted, “but now that Christina’s cards are all on the table, shouldn’t you place yours, Jack?”

He grinned. “You’re lucky I don’t have to be in the office today.”


* * Begin Flashback * *

“Will Jack Pembroke please report to the office?”

Great, he thought. I’m sure Finnigan got the drop on me this time. He got up from his desk and left the classroom, his shoulders slumped and his hands in his pockets. The walk down to the school’s main office was brief but quiet. As he reached his destination, he immediately took note of the two policemen standing with the principal in his office. What’s going on? Tossing a hornet’s nest into the boy’s locker room isn’t enough to call the cops on…

The principal caught sight of Jack and waved him into his office. He took several uneasy steps and tentatively took a seat when the principal offered it to him.

“What’s going on, Mister Finnigan?”

“Jack, this is Officer Bilker and Sergeant Mullaby,” he replied. “I’m afraid they came with dire news.”

He glanced up at the two officers. “Are you arresting me for the hornet’s nest?”

Finnigan kept his expressionless face. “I’m letting that one slip for now.”

“Mister Pembroke, your parents were on the highway earlier this afternoon…”

He nodded hastily. “Yeah, they always get home before I do. What’s your point?”

The chubbier officer with the name ‘Mullaby’ stitched onto his vest cleared his throat. “Their car was hit by three young drivers, all of whom knew each other and were leaving a bar not too far from Highway Four Fifty-Three.” He lowered his head. “Your parent’s didn’t make it.”

Jack shot up fro his seat. “You’re shitting me…”

The taller officer shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Mister Pembroke. None of the three drivers suffered any fatalities. They will be charged for impaired driving, underage drinking and manslaughter once they’re out of the hospital.”

Jack shook his head incredulously. “That’s it? You’re giving them a slap on the wrist?”

“Excuse me?”

He pounded his fists on the principal’s desk. “Manslaughter? Those damned bastards killed my parents! They were drinking! They knew they shouldn’t drink and drive! That’s cold-blooded murder!”

“Jack, calm down.”

They all turned to see a tower of a man in a tan suit with his hands in his pockets, his face firm and forbidding.

“Uncle…Uncle Kenneth?”

The man nodded. “Yes, Jack. The police told me immediately and I rushed here as fast as I could.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m taking you home with me,” he said. “That was your mother’s wish should anything happen to her.” He put his arm Jack’s shoulder and began to leave the office.

“Umm, Mister Pembroke?”

Kenneth stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Seeing as he is under my protection now, Mister Charles Malcolm Finnigan, I am responsible for his well-being.”

The stony voice chilled the principal right down to his very core. “Um, well…Yes, as you were.”

Kenneth resumed his walk away from the office. “Oh, and don’t deny that you wished that you were the one to toss that hornet’s nest into the locker room. You were the one who backed out when I planned it when we went to school together.”


* * End Flashback * *


“What happened after that?”

“He took me into his family,” Jack replied. “He treated me like he did his own child. He treated us all equally. We all worked in Pembroke Enterprises, and we helped each other for the seven years my uncle was head of the company.”

Ricky shook his head in confusion. “He had his own kids?”

“A son and two daughters, one of them adopted.”

“But if he had his own kids, how come you inherited his fortune?”

Jack sipped his coffee. “Well…”


* * Begin Flashback * *


“You called for me, Uncle?”

A bedridden Kenneth Pembroke nodded wearily, a smile on his face. “Yes, Jack,” he wheezed. “Come here.”

Jack nodded and sat down on the chair beside his uncle.

“You obviously know that I’m a powerful man, possibly the only man as powerful as the head of No Such Agency.”

He nodded. He knew full well about the intelligence bureau commonly know as ‘No Such Agency’.

“Jack, you’re like my youngest son, a man after my own heart.” He wheezed and fought to catch his breath.

“Uncle, stop talking. You need to save your strength.”

Kenneth shook his head. “No, Jack. It’s time for me to go.” He put his gnarled hand on his nephew’s. “Before I go, though, I want you to know, before anybody else, that I’ve named you as the sole heir to my fortune and estate.”

Jack blanched. “What? Why?”

Kenneth laughed and wheezed again. “I spent my life giving to charities, to making Pembroke Enterprises the dynasty it is today. With my help, doctors are treating cancer patients and people with diseases we’ve never been able to combat before.

“Pembroke Enterprises has also made countless homes around the world safer with our security systems. With your help, we’ve kept business information safely stored in the right hands with DNA locks and voiceprint-password techniques. Your proposal to have security in every inch of the building and a ‘No Secrets’ policy within our company has actually boosted morale instead of lowering it.

“Nevertheless, Jack, I never had a chance to enjoy my life.” He laughed and wheezed again. “It’s true, Jack. Yes, I’ve spent time with the four of you and Linda, but I’ve never taken time for myself to enjoy my life.”

“You’re not making any sense, Uncle.”

Kenneth laughed hoarsely. “Jack, have you ever spent the entire night partying? Have you ever come home at five in the morning to see your mother sitting at the foot of the stairs wondering where the hell you were before you passed out in the main hall?”

Jack shuddered. He remembered all too well what happened after such a situation. “Well…”

“Oh, don’t lie to me, Jack. You know you can’t.” He waved his arm feebly. “What I’m saying is that I’ve never done that. I’ve always done what was best for my family and the company. You, however, you’re still young. You need to enjoy your life.”

“But what about the company? Don’t I have to be devote my life to it as you have if I’m inheriting it?”

“No, Jack,” Kenneth replied. “I’ve done enough so that Pembroke Enterprises can run smoothly without your constantly being there. You can come and go as often as you like, but the decisions will still be there for you to make.” He laughed. “Your greatest concern will be how you spend the company’s profits, and that’s a lot of money to think about.”

“Why did you choose me? Michael, Julie and Tanya are your family. You’ve raised them yourself. Shouldn’t one of them inherit the company?”

Kenneth shook his head. “They’re my children, yes, but I know them. Michael’s too nearsighted and reckless to think more than two moves ahead. Julie is too cautious to make any daring decisions, and image means everything to Tanya. She won’t accept being the heir because she’s not my real daughter. She loves the company as much as I do, if not more, and won’t have the look of the company sullied because someone without Pembroke blood would be at the helm of Pembroke Enterprises.”

“Are you sure of that?”

Kenneth laughed again. “I’m Kenneth Pembroke, Jack. I know that as soon as you leave this room, you’ll tell Linda and your cousins that I've died, and you’ll tell them what I told you. After that, you’ll head home, take a cold shower, and head over to Giovanni’s, have a slice of pizza with ground beef and mushrooms, and consider how you’re going to take control of a company larger than even you can fathom.”

Jack stared blankly at his dying uncle. “You really unnerve me, you know that? Sometimes I wonder if you can see the future.”

Kenneth coughed and laughed for the last time. “That’s the third time you’ve forgotten, Jack. I was the head of Pembroke Enterprises. The head of Pembroke Enterprises knows people down to what they plan to wear the next morning.” He closed his eyes. “Enjoy your life, Jack. Live your life to the fullest.”


* * * * *


The lawyer switched the television and DVD player on.

“Linda, Michael, Julie, Tanya, Jack.” An image of Kenneth Pembroke seated in a large, jade-colored armchair with a high back. “Obviously, if you’re watching this, I’ve passed away. There’s no point in me griping about it so I’ll get right to the point.

“I know the five of you are wondering what your inheritance really will be. All of you are going to be disappointed to know that Jack is the sole heir to the Pembroke fortune. How much of the company’s profits will go to you is his decision and his decision alone, but I’m sure he’s already told you as much.”

“Jack has already had time to plan what will go to you. He’ll speak with you shortly after.”

The image sighed.

“I’ll miss you all. I’ve sacrificed a lot of family time to the company, and I’m sorry about that. My only regret is that I didn’t spend enough time for you or for myself.” Kenneth smiled genuinely. “There’s no point in really worrying about it now. I wish all of you the best.”

The image faded and the lawyer turned the television off. He nodded toward Jack, who stood beside the T.V. with several manila envelopes.

“I know I already told you after Uncle Kenneth died that he made me his sole heir, but that doesn’t make the sting any less painful.”

“What are you talking about?” Michael rose from his chair. “You stole everything from us! His company was supposed to stay with the Pembroke name!”

One of the younger women elbowed him in the side. “Michael, shut up and sit down!”

“Michael, sit down or I will have you exited from this room immediately.”

Everyone turned to the middle-aged woman seated in the back of the room. “I’ve always trusted Kenneth’s judgment, and I still do even now. Jack is also a Pembroke, and as such, he runs Pembroke Enterprises, and what he says goes. I’m sure he has something for us all.” She broke her stern gaze from Michael and turned to Jack, her expression softening. “Go ahead, Jack.”

Jack nodded his thanks and eyed Michael until he sat down. “Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Now, as Uncle Kenneth has said, Pembroke Enterprises, and everything underneath its umbrella, is now at my disposal. My first act as head of Pembroke Enterprises is to give each of you ten million dollars.” He handed out the manila envelopes. “I’m not going to fire you from the company, as it is as much mine as it is yours. You will all keep your current jobs within Pembroke Enterprises, but I do not want any of you trying to get on my good side. I've never buttered up to people, and I won't have it.”

“Ten million?” Michael stared at the cheque he took out of the envelope. “That’s it?”

Tanya glared at him. “Michael, stuff it! Ten million is a lot of money.”

Jack nodded. “And that is all I will give right now. Whether or not I give any more is my choice.”

“What about the estate?”

Jack looked up to his aunt. “Aunt Linda, as far as I’m concerned, the house belongs to your family and will remain so. I’ve never gotten used to living there, and I won’t have you sell it. Uncle Kenneth told me about how four generations of our family have lived there, and I’ll be damned if I decide to wrest it from any of you.”

Linda pressed her lips into a thin smile, genuinely grateful for his decision. “Thank you, Jack.”

Jack nodded. “Julie, I’m giving you and Tanya the ranch. I’ve seen how much you both love horses, and I noticed how you almost never have time to indulge your passions." He swept his gaze over his cousins. "As well, I want the three of you working on our investments and stocks.”

Tanya’s eyes shone gratefully. “Thank you so much, Jack.”

“What do I get aside from working the bulls and the bears?”

Jack turned to his cousin. “Michael, you father’s assessment of you was very precise. Nevertheless, I’m giving you the golf courses. They are yours to keep as you see fit.”

“That’s it?”

“Michael, your father has seen your ideas for expansion, as have I, and quite frankly, it will benefit no one. Your mother has been fighting to keep forests and wetlands, and as such, you should respect her wishes.” He looked at them all, though he knew it was a warning to his fiery cousin. “I’ve given you all what you expect from me, but if there’s anything I see that hinders your parents’ efforts on what I’ve given you, then I will take it from you and give it to people more deserving of it.”


* * End Flashback * *


“So after dropping forty million, plus Verdant Acres and Wind Mustang Stables, how much money did you have left?”

Jack stared at Sarah wide-eyed. “Do you honestly want to know?”

Angela nodded with Sarah.

“After that, I still had around sixty-nine billion dollars.”

They all gawked at him, except Ricky, who nearly spat his coffee all over the low table before him. “Sixty-nine billion?”

Jack nodded. “I invested around 2 million into some medium-return funds, and I hired a construction company to build the Cosmos. I have plans to build some low-income housing at Thirtieth Street.”

“That’s pretty high and mighty of you, considering where you want to build leads into the rougher part of town,” Ricky pointed out.

Jack nodded. “True, but no one has ever tried to change it. I want to at least give it a shot.”

Adam walked into the living room. “Jack, your cousin Michael just called. He said he wants to talk to you over some business matters.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Business matters?”

“Indeed. I took the liberty of talking to your aunt and younger cousins to see if they knew why he wanted to see on such short notice.”

Sarah turned to him. “And?”

Jack stopped her. “Adam, I want you to get in touch with Harland right away and inform him that there may be a problem either here or at my office in the Cosmos. Michael picked a very bad time to voice his thoughts again.”

Adam nodded. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

“Yes. Can you please ask Carol to drive Christina and her friends wherever they need to go?”

Adam bowed. “Right away.” He turned and left the living room.

“Sorry to have cut our time short, guys,” Jack sighed. “I haven’t had a problem with Michael for over a month now. I guess I'm overdue for another argument with him.”

“This happens frequently?”

Jack nodded. “Too frequently, if you ask me.”

Sarah frowned. “If he wants the inheritance so much, why not just give it to him?”

Jack smiled. “My uncle gave it to me because he knows that his own son is too ambitious and impulsive to run the company, and that if he did, it would bring Pembroke Enterprises to ruin.” He rose from his chair. “I’ve seen some of his projects and propositions. Julie, Tanya, Aunt Linda, and I have all seen flaws in one way or another, but he still wants them done. The girls believe that their uncle was right and that I’m the right man for the job. They trust in me, and I have their support in all of my choices.”

Sarah couldn’t hide her smile. “You’re so full of bullshit, you know that, Jack?”

Jack shrugged. “Actually, I’m serious, but on the other hand, you wouldn’t want to give up a company with seventy billion dollars in net profits, would you?”


=[ Owari ]=


A/N: Worry not, RTS fans! I have an idea for the next installment, and it's a real doozy! Again, please read and review! I'd love to hear any questions or comments!