6 weeks later

"Russell, do we have those choppers ready to go yet? They need to be on the trailer to Las Vegas tonight."  Jude bellowed to his number two.

Russell Lewis surveyed the young man whom he had come to regard as his son over the years; He seemed preoccupied and restless these last few weeks and he couldn't quite figure out what was going on with him.

"Hey Jude, I'm the old man here, I'm the one who should be forgetting things...you just asked me about the choppers an hour ago. As I told you before everything is ready to be loaded; we are just waiting on the trailer to get here."  The older man assured.

"Sorry, Russ. It just slipped my mind." Moving back from the show room floor to his office, Jude sat behind his desk and reclined in his mammoth chair.

"Talk to me Jude, what has you so distracted, that you are forgetting things and have half the staff running in the opposite direction on your approach?"

Jude sighed re-playing the conversation he had a few weeks ago with his older brother Noah and debated whether to share the details with Russ. Russell had been like a father to him after his own kicked him out of the house and after his beloved uncle Pete past away. Up until this point he never hesitated to share anything good or bad with him. But this...this feeling he had was new to him. He couldn't yet explain it and he wasn't sure if he was ready to share.  But he knew that he couldn't keep it in much longer or else he would explode.

"I spoke with Noah, a few weeks ago..."

"Well that's a start; how long has it been?"

"Almost 10 years."

Russell let out a slow whistle, "That's a mighty long time to go without talking to your brother and your identical twin nonetheless."

"Yeah, family...you can't pick ‘em and you can't return ‘em." Jude and Russell both let out a chuckle at that statement.

"He misses you Jude, he loves you."

"Yeah, well big bro has one hell of a way of showing it." Jude screeched slamming his fists on the desk.

"Don't let what happened in the past bar you two from the only family that you have left." Russ warned, noting that Jude was now lost in his thoughts. "You both did what you thought you had to do given, the circumstances. What's done is done...don't dwell on it; don't let it keep you from moving forward and being happy.  Jude looked up at Russ and gave him a half smile and a sad laugh.

"Me happy? For as long as you've known me....have I ever been happy, Russ?

Russ thought on it a minute and gave him an earnest response.  "You are content when you are riding or racing or at the ranch; or in the company of beautiful women. But you're right. I don't think that I've ever seen you completely happy. Maybe it's because you heart is not open to it; you are still clinging to the pain and hurts of the past. Let it go son...let it go. So when the time is right, you will be open to loving someone and experiencing true happiness."

Jude sat quietly and considered Russ' words. Russ was right to some degree. It was still hard to talk about his family and his past with anyone. Luckily Russ had live through most of it with him, so he never really had to discuss it with him.

"Noah is dying..." Jude said staring into space.

Russell sat down in one of the chairs in front of Jude's desk in stunned silence.

"He came to here to see me a few weeks ago, when you were in California for the Vintage Muscle Car Auction." Jude picked at the lint on his jeans and sighed heavily. "He has Hodgkins....and his cancer is in stage 3. His body has not been responding well to the treatments and the doctor has given him a year to live." Jude finally looked up at Russell, with regret and sadness in his eyes as he continued, "He wants to spend his last...the time he has left ... he wants us to be brothers again. I don't know what to do? I am not sure if I am ready to forgive and forget."

"Jude..." Russ started, surprised at the quiver in his voice. He loved both boys and watched them grow up as different as night and day. Noah, honored as the favorite son, local football hero, scholar and all around good guy. While Jude was relegated to second born, rebel without a cause, hot tempered trouble maker. Russ knew that that couldn't be further from the truth. Once Jude found a way to release his anger and channel his energy, he discovered a talent that he didn't even know he possessed. He always love working on cars and had often worked with his uncle Pete in his garage. But it wasn't until a chance meeting with the owner of a 1956 Mercedes roadster that changed Jude's life forever.  Jude was a true artisan at classic car restoration and an astute business man. Russ watched in awe as Jude transformed Pete's repair garage into a classic car emporium. They had so much business, that there was a yearlong wait list just for a consultation; and their client list read like a who's who in entertainment, business and royalty.  Russ was proud of all of Jude's accomplishments and  always knew that he was destined for great things.

"Son, he's all you have left. And just by coming here to talk with you, well it shows that he really needs you now." Russell reasoned.

Jude laughed to himself, wishing that he could share all of the reasons for his brother's visit.  Selfish to the end Jude thought but didn't say it aloud.

"He's married now too, and they live in South Carolina; but I bet you already knew that." Jude said giving Russell a knowing look.

"I've never hid the fact that I keep in touch with Noah, I love him just as much as I love you. You just never wanted to hear about the goings on in his life."

"And there is a reason for that dammit..." Jude roared.

"Jude, he's your only family. Think on that before it's too late."

"Family? Family? Fuck family. My big brother, my twin, my family stole 3 years of my life from me and now he wants me to forgive and forget because he's dying. He only wants a clear conscious so he can go sing with the angels...fuck that...fuck him! Let him suffer, let him suffer just like I did in that hell hole for 3 fucking years." Jude screamed, gathering the invoices on his desk and storming out of the office.

Russell knew when Jude went to that dark place it was best to let him have the moment and work through his frustrations alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure about this Noah?" Samara was concerned that her husband was perhaps setting himself up for a huge disappointment if his brother rejected his pleas of reconciliation.

"In all honesty, I am not sure Mari, but I have to try. I can't...I can't die knowing that my brother, my twin, hates me. It has haunted me for the past 10 years and now, I may not get the chance to make things right. I know that I can't undo the past but I have to make amends. I have to at least try."  Samara took his hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze, "Then, I'll be right by your side each step of the way." Was her promise to him and she leaned in to give her husband a kiss.

"Thank you, I love you." Noah looked into her sparkling sienna eyes and saw the love that beamed through. It was in those moments that he felt guilty for not marrying her sooner or starting the family that they always talked about. And now here he was living with the big "C". His wife was a trooper, she managed his care with love and efficiency and never let him get down in the dumps about dying. On his brightest days he felt like a rock star, alive and full of energy.  But on his dark days, he could barely see the way forward. He loved her, he truly did and it pained him when he was diagnosed with his cancer, knowing that she would also suffer with him, not so much physically but emotionally. He knew that they would not be the same once he got his diagnosis, not because of his possible death, but because he knew the dynamic of their relationship would change. It already had. They had not made love in almost a year, as the task itself often left him physically exhausted. His medications and treatments sometimes left him unable to function sexually and that too added to the draught. Samara never complained and did whatever she could to assuage his guilt. But he knew more than anything she wanted a baby, his baby and regretfully he could not give her that. Not now, not ever.

"We should go in then...even though Jude isn't expecting us?" Samara asked still holding her husband's hands.

"I gave him six weeks to call and he hasn't. I told him that I would be back regardless if he invited us or not." With that Noah eased out of his seatbelt and exited the car and moved around the car to open Samara's door. She gave him a reassuring hug before they headed into the building.

**************

Jude continued to work on the 1961 Jaguar XKE trying to forget all of the horrible memories that flooded his mind over the last few weeks. Damn Noah to hell for stirring up all of the unpleasantness. After years of therapy at Uncle Pete's insistence, he had it all neatly stored away and only visited that place when it was absolutely necessary.  

Jude was under the hood when he heard the sound of chatter getting closer to his workshop. He knew that only him, Russell and Diane were still in the complex, it was early afternoon on Friday and most of Jude's staff had left to get a jump on the weekend. "Summer Fridays" was a small gesture that the staff loved.  He appreciated the staff that he had, they worked hard and they were loyal. Jude found that a happy staff was a productive staff; so he rewarded them often. Because the complex was virtually empty and he didn't have any consultations scheduled, his curiosity was peeked.  

Noah and Russell entered the workshop chitchatting like two high school girls. Jude didn't know who he was more annoyed at, Russell for his blatant display of disloyalty or Noah for showing up again unannounced.

"Look who I found hanging out in the visitors lounge." Russell remarked ushering Noah into Jude's private work space.

"Jude, this is amazing." Noah gushed moving around the nearly completed car. "Is this for your personal collection or is this a job for another collector?"

Jude folded his arms over his chest and shot his brother an intense look. "I told you that I would call you, when I had made a decision."

"I know, but Mari had a conference here this week and since she is out for the summer, I told her that we'd make a vacation out of it." Noah continued to ogle the Jaguar as Russell pointed out all the original features of the vintage auto.

"So you decided that I would be o.k. with you just showing up here again?" Jude uttered through clenched teeth.

"I thought that we could have dinner together, Russell do you have plans for the evening, please join us?" Noah offered.

Jude sent Russell a warning look and the older man excused himself to his office.

"You waltz back into my life after nearly 10 years of being absent, drop this shit in my lap and you expect me to do what exactly? Welcome you  back with open arms? Pick up where we left off? Agree to your ridiculous request?"

"No Jude, what I expect is for my twin to help his dying brother find comfort and closure before dies; that's all. I know that my favor is an unusual one, but you are the only person that I can trust to see it through the end. Please help me, we...Samara and I really do need your help." Noah moved closer to his brother, "Will you at least meet Samara before you say no? Have dinner with us later?"

"Noah...I..."

Before Jude could  utter his thoughts, the words died on his lips. His heartbeat speed up as he was suddenly captivated by the stunning bronze beauty hovering just outside the workshop door.

Samara debated whether she should interrupt the brothers in the middle of their exchange. She was taken aback slightly when she looked into the work room, the man in the coveralls looked exactly like her husband save for the shorter haircut that he spotted. She knew Jude was Noah's twin brother, but still it was a surprise to see  that they actually did look identical. Seeing them together for the first time was a bit uncanny. Jude spotted her before Noah did, and pinned her with those amber eyes that she had stared into a thousand times on Noah. She couldn't explain it, but the look he gave her sent a shiver down her spine and fluttering in her heart.

Noah sensed the change in Jude's demeanor and followed his brother's eyes to the door.

"Mari, honey, come in and meet Jude." Noah insisted.

Jude gasped slightly upon hearing that the beauty was Noah's wife. Staring into her dazzling sienna eyes, had hypnotized him; he was completely under her spell.

"Jude, this is my wife Samara, Mari this is my brother Jude."

Samara extended her hand to Jude, "Jude, finally we meet; Noah has told me so much about you."

Jude shook her hand and shuddered at the contact. It felt like a thousand bolts of electricity just rocked his body. Samara felt it too, as she quickly withdrew her hand from his. She couldn't stop staring at Jude and he didn't seem to mind as his eyes were equally glued to her.

"I am sorry, I don't mean to stare, it's just...I knew that you two are twins but I wasn't expecting..." Samara rambled.

"I know, we look exactly alike." Noah chimed in. "Honey, work your magic, convince Jude to have dinner with us later."

"From the looks of things, maybe you can fit us in for dinner... tomorrow?" Samara asked motioning  that he was still working on the car in the workshop. "We know how busy you are and how important your work is to you, so we would hate to keep you from your obligations."

Jude racked his brain for an excuse, but he couldn't find a believable one. "I have plans for tonight, but... Noah I will call you tomorrow afternoon to let you know what time works for me."  He rushed out, he had to get out of here. "Russell, Russell" Jude bellowed, shutting the hood of the Jaguar and packing up his tools.

Just as he was about to yell for Russell again, the older man came rushing through the door. "Where's the fire?"

"Yeah, um I have to get to ah...that...ah client meeting. So could you lock up here." Without another word to his brother or Samara, Jude left.

Noah exhaled heavily, "Well at least he said yes to dinner, which was more than I expected."

Russell patted Noah on the shoulders, "Give him some time, Noah. He'll come around."

"I don't know Russ, I hurt him pretty bad. I don't know if he'll ever forgive me."

"You have to think positively, honey. " Samara assured Noah with a hug.

"Come on, let me take you two on a tour of the facility. Jude has done  a fantastic job in building this business; Pete would be so proud of him. The trio moved from car to car and eventually into the cold storage vault where some of the more valuable and specialty models were kept. 

Jude sat in his office in silence. He had been watching  Russell's  impromptu tour on the security camera feeds in his office. He wasn't ready to make nice with his brother. And  he was shaken by his immediate attraction to Samara. She was beautiful. Her smooth bronze skin was glowing and her thick ink black mane in soft waves, was the most sensual thing that he'd ever seen. Her smile had him willing to agree to just about anything and the energy that past between them had both his heart and his thoughts racing.

"Shit, this is no good; get your shit together Mathers. Samara is off limits. She's your dying brother's wife."

Yet, his thoughts drifted back to those beautiful eyes and her silky voice.