The Fate of Destiny Part 120
“Wait, let me get this straight…” Billy cleared her throat. “You got the grant.”
“Yes.” Kathy nodded while she applied her make up. “My study won the prize.”
“Okay. Congratulations.” Billy moved on, trying to keep up with her housemate, still a little mystified at the whirlwind their home had become in a just a few short hours. “Dustin is gone. Thing of the past. He’s gone for good.”
“So gone.”
“Alright. Creepy guy replaced by creepy lady but… you’re fixing yourself up because creepy guy is coming back… Are you sleeping with creepy guy?”
“Not yet.”
“So, you plan to seduce him the minute he gets off the plane.”
“No. I… we… we’re taking it slow.”
“How slow?”
“After my brother’s wedding we kind of… came out to each other and since then we’ve been taking it slow.” Kathy blotted her lipstick and went in search of the blouse she had just bought.
“You’re dating the creepy guy.” Billy reiterated. “He’s really creepy and kind of old.”
“It’s only ten years.” Kathy ignored her and began tossing things back into her closet. “We’ve known each other about as long anyway… We got into this routine and we didn’t even realize we had feelings for each other that we were holding back on.”
“So what happened?”
“It just… hit me. Or rather my little sister picked up on it and set the wheels in motion without hardly doing a thing.”
“Your little sister knew before you did?” Billy crossed her arms.
Kathy blinked at her roommate. “She’s really good at reading people.”
--
“You got her? Watch her leg.” Max directed Gabriel. He really hadn’t wanted to do all this but the kid wouldn’t leave and they needed to get Beth home.
“Daddy, he’s not going to drop me.”
“I might. How much do these casts weigh?”
“Colossus, on the couch.” Max pointed and moved passed his mother to watch that the boy was careful.
“Max, honey, be nice.” Diane chided as she moved the ottoman so Beth could prop her leg up.
“Mom! There’s a dog in the house!” Beth screeched when the puppy tried to climb onto the couch with her. Everyone burst out laughing. “What?”
“That’s my dog.” David bragged, picking up his puppy.
“How come Davey gets a dog?”
“He asked.” Max shook his head at her.
“When he was five.” She scoffed. “That’s not even the dog he asked for.”
“She’s just jealous.” Davey let Gabriel pet the dog. “You’re prettier than she is.”
“Is not… and besides… it’s a boy and by definition cannot be pretty. Therefore I’m way prettier.”
“So you’re prettier by default?” Gabriel pursed his lips to keep from smiling at her angry huff. “So, David. What’s the dog’s name?”
“Prince Sterling the Planet killer and Beth-Defier.”
Max grinned when Beth glared at Davey and Gabriel let loose a deep belly laugh. When he turned, his wife and mother were nowhere to be seen. Making his way through the kitchen, he found them in the adjacent hallway, Liz in tears and hugging Diane for dear life. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Liz tried to catch her breath. “It’s just… for a while at the hospital I didn’t think I’d… and now she’s home and she’s fighting with Davey and…” She took a deep breath and let her mother-in-law stroke her hair. “I’m happy that she’s okay but I can’t helping thinking we almost lost her.”
“We’ll be okay.” Diane nodded him off. “Go check on the kids.”
“Okay.” Max kissed them both and returned to the children. “Grandma and Grandpa are coming over in a bit with food.”
“Crashdown food?” Beth asked, hopeful.
“The hospital food isn’t that bad.”
“I ate ten different flavors of Jell-O, I didn’t know there were so many.”
“They can only afford the ten flavors. I’m sure there are many more.” Max sat with them to watch Prince Sterling sniff everything in sight. “You need anything?”
“Water?” She looked to Gabriel. “There should be bottles in the fridge.”
“On it.” He nodded.
Max tilted his head at his daughter. She glanced at the kitchen. “Is Mom okay? She’s… crying.”
“You see that?”
“Vaguely. I haven’t seen anything since the hospital. Auras are faint and no thoughts are coming through but I sense that she’s… upset.”
“Mom hasn’t had a good cry since all this started. She just needs to get it out.” Max leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “She was so scared and she blamed herself for you running out of here in the first place. Tears of relief, Beth. She almost died once herself.”
“Okay.”
“David.” Max sat up and pulled a Sharpie from his pocket. “I think you should do the honors.”
“Yes!” He grabbed the marker and plopped down on the couch to leave his mark on her cast.
Max shifted and motioned for her to lean back. Lifting her shirt, he peered at the bandages before lifting one side to run his fingers over the stitches. “Hurt?”
“No.”
“Tender?”
“A little.” She looked to the kitchen and could see Gabriel getting the third degree from Grandma Di, twirling the bottle of water in his hands as he talked. He towered over the silver-haired woman by a full six inches but somehow seemed a little afraid of her.
“Grandma’s not going to eat him. Please, your attention for a few more minutes.”
“Bethany and Gabriel, sitting in a tree—“ David sang as he continued to decorate his sister’s cast. He was cut off by his father.
“Not amused.” He rose to pick up the dog where it was trying to climb onto the coffee table.
“There she is!” Danny rushed into the room and picked Beth up off the couch. “What are you doing still wearing those things?”
“Dan.” Max cleared his throat and slid his eyes in the direction of the kitchen. “Be careful. She’s still tender.”
“Ooh. Sorry.” Danny took a seat with his sister on his lap. “Listen. While I am now the proud experienced surgeon… next time… I don’t want to learn new procedures on my little sister. It gives me ulcers.”
“I’m sorry.” She leaned against his shoulder. She was so tired of apologizing but at the same time, felt a need to keep doing so. “What new ones did you learn?”
“Well… ooverectomy for one. Abdominal laparotomy… those were the major ones. My fellow residents will be jealous. So… we have to wait until Monkey-boy is gone before we can take the casts off?” He asked both his sister and his father. “Have I mentioned that I don’t really like him? Aside from saving your life… he does nothing for me.”
“Em… call him off.” Beth whined to her sister-in-law.
“He’s gotta get all his big brother time in and soon.” Emily shook her head at them.
“How are classes?” Max handed the pup off to Davey to take for a walk.
“They have no sympathy for newlyweds but I’ve already got my transfer stuff in order. After this class, we’ll move and I start my last semester in Lubbock.”
“I thought you were done.”
“So did I and I got my results back from the final right before the wedding… not so hot. I have to retake it and hope that a longer semester will greatly improve the mark.” She sighed heavily but smiled at the elder Evans women when they returned with Gabriel in tow. “Uh-oh, Beth… they have him in their clutches.”
“Gabriel is a perfectly nice young man.” Diane pulled the teen along. “Although I wish he wouldn’t hide those fine features under that make up. He’s got lovely green eyes if he wouldn’t cover them with so much dark…”
“Grandma…” Beth whined.
“And you, my lovely grandchild… You look radiant without makeup. Why do you hide behind all that gunk?”
“Grandma guilt trips. Why didn’t I think of that?” Liz murmured almost to herself.
--
“Are you here alone?”
“No.” Berty felt uneasy but she had to practice and this moron was as good as any. She sighed heavily and kept her eyes on the palm tree opposite the boardwalk.
“That’s… um… a very… nice bi--… swimsuit.” He stammered out.
She had to fight a smile. He was nervous. Nervous talking to her. Swinging her gaze to him, she found a red-faced teen who seemed more embarrassed than anything else. When she followed his quick glances away, there were more boys watching and laughing at him. Something about him made her take pity on him. He had probably been dared over and didn’t have much self-confidence… like her. “My name’s Berty.”
“Um… I’m Greg.” He seemed to relax a little and it was a little obvious he was trying to keep his eyes off her body. “So, um… Do you live here? In Florida, I mean? I’m on vacation.”
“I’m from New Mexico. Visiting my brother for the summer.” She managed a small smile. He seemed like a nice guy, if a little awkward. He had nice blue eyes… they reminded her of her father.
“My finals were killer and my friends thought a summer down here would be enough to help me recuperate.” He nodded and glanced at his friends, who were no longer laughing. “I’m a uh… graphics major in Chicago.”
“Oh… you’re in college?” Berty tried not to project her sudden uncomfortable-ness but there was no disguising the surprise in her voice.
“Aren’t you?” He stiffened slightly, eyes flicking to his friends once more.
“No… I’m gonna be a junior in high school.”
“Oh geez…” He backed up. “Sorry… you um… looked older.”
“What? Are you a freshman?”
“A junior actually… I guess I look younger than I am. I’m 21.”
“Almost 17 if that makes you feel better.”
“It doesn’t. Um… kind of feel like a dirty old man.”
“You’re not. Trust me. I met one of those.” Maybe Alex was right. She had to give people a chance. “Did your friends dare you to come over here?”
“In a manner of speaking… I’m… not so smooth with the ladies.” He leaned on the railing a safe distance away. “They figured I’d come over here and make a jack-ass of myself. I’m not relishing going back over.”
“Your friends sound kind of mean.”
“They’re alright guys.”
“Not if they have fun at your expense… you seem like a nice guy, Greg. Maybe when I grow up, I’ll meet a nice guy like you.”
“Wow… um… you sure know how to make a guy feel good.” He relaxed a little and his smile lit up his face.
“It’s a gift. I like it when you smile. You look handsome.”
--
The Fate of Destiny Part 181E CC/UC ADULT 09/02/10 COMPLETE
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, Erina, Forum Moderators
Part 120 B
--
“Have you told your brother yet?” Jesse cleared the table, moving around Jim, who pretended not to be listening.
“I don’t have to inform my brother of anything.” Isabel shook her head.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“Nothing will. Sydney is an accomplished doctor and Kathy’s made real headway with our species… everything will be fine.”
Jim sipped his coffee and couldn’t be silent anymore. “It’s not like when you were kids, Isabel. You’re not asking his permission. You’re letting him know that you’re having surgery so that he can be there… just in case something happens. I’ve seen what can happen to a child… losing a parent at Gina’s age… and I’ve lost enough children. Alex, Berty and Kyle have already lost one parent… losing another…” He took a breath. “Jesse and I are just saying we want to be sure nothing goes wrong.”
“Fine… I’ll tell Max.”
“Before the surgery.” Jim cleared his throat. “If you aren’t going to tell the kids, you have to tell him.”
--
Will let her have control for the moment. She slid down on him then very slowly moved only her hips. Her hips rolled and she squeezed him tightly. She let her arms fall limply behind her, letting them drag ever so slightly along the insides of his thighs as she continued to move agonizingly slow. Her breasts heaved. Her head fell back. When she began to pick up speed, his hands slid up her thighs and gripped her hips, keeping their rhythm steady and preventing her from moving faster. It felt like hours passed. Kat was on the verge of sobbing by the time he allowed her to speed their rocking. Her hands on his chest as she trembled, her hair falling over her shoulders and sticking to her sweaty chest.
Pulling her against him, he rolled them over, keeping their pace as he straightened above her. Slow and steady. Slowly gaining speed. When she came, it was beautiful. Then he came after her. He fell on her and listened to her harsh gasps. "That was amazing. Amazing." She kissed his face. Her hands languorously caressed his shoulders. Her body had trembled from head to toe. This is what she'd been missing all this time. "Why couldn't you have been my first?"
"Well, I was married and I'm pretty certain it was illegal."
He shouldn't have said that. It ruined everything. He was too old for her. He had one failed marriage behind him already. She shut her eyes and lay her head back. "Didn't mean to jump you straight off. There was gonna be dinner, which is probably cold now, and I found a small batch bottle of that wine you said you liked…" His answer was to kiss her neck. "Mmm… I am so glad we waited. It was worth it."
"Was it?"
"I can finally stop faking it."
"That's good to know." He hissed as she moved against him.
--
Beth endured all the grandma kisses and managed to look a little abashed when Grandpa had to leave the room so he wouldn't cry in front of everyone. And then it got very busy in the room. David was guilty and replaying that day over and over in his mind. Puppy thoughts interjected and then it was that day again. Danny and Emily kept thinking about their honeymoon and then Danny would think about his residency and his old roommate. Emily kept thinking about her brothers and how worried she was about her father and the hours he'd been putting in. Grandma Di was worried about absolutely everyone and missing her husband… Grandpa Phil?
Grandpa Jeff kept staring at her and seeing her mother. Images of her mother's teen years were forced in Beth's mind. Grandma Nancy kept thinking about her as a baby but the images never went earlier than a funeral where Beth was already six months old. The older woman kissed Danny's forehead and then her thoughts were about the years she hadn't see him. Mom kept remembering that morning but all she saw was Beth's face when it whipped to the side, a sharp crack in the air. Dad was all over the place. Jealous of Will, missing Kat, proud of Danny, worried for Davey, at a loss for his youngest daughter, loving his wife, missing his father, wondering about Aunt Isabel's phone call.
Gabriel took her hand and kissed it. When his lips touched her skin, she saw what he had seen… her legs sticking out from under that truck. His brow furrowed and his mouth moved but she couldn't hear the words. "Beth?"
Daddy was flashing that light in her eyes but she was stuck in other people's thoughts. There was a sharp prick in the crook of her arm and then nothing.
--
"So, I saw you with that guy." Alex hefted Gina onto his back.
"He was nice." Berty shrugged.
"Looked serious. Is he going to write you letters or compose internet prose about how much he likes the color of your hair in the sunlight."
"You're a dork. Besides, he's too old. He was just… a nice guy… with really crappy friends."
"But you actually talk to him. Wow… I mean… is it love?"
"Shut up.
"Hey Alex… Can we go shark diving? This guy was telling me how cool it was." Kyle ran to catch up with them on the way to the car.
"I don't know about that."
"I wanna see the sharks." Gina pleaded.
"Kyle… look what you started."
--
Will stroked her back softly as Kat dozed beside him. "Are we going to stay in bed all night?"
"Well… that was the plan but um… we sort of skipped dinner." She murmured, teeth grazing her lip when he kissed her shoulder.
"Dessert was well worth skipping dinner." He whispered as he tasted the skin on her throat. "Do those flash things happen all the time?"
"You got more flashes?"
His head bobbed up and down for a moment. "You were blonde as a child?"
"No… I uh… got in trouble for that, actually." She rolled over to face him. "I had just found out that Mom wasn't really my mom. Dad wasn't going to tell me so Mom did. She even gave me a picture and now that I think about it… It probably killed her to do that."
"Why do you say that?"
"Every so often, I wonder about her… about Tess… what she was like and… Dad is pretty good about telling what he can and Mom is so hands on, you know… she sits those talks out."
"What happened? Do you know? I mean… I look at your parents and I ache sometimes. They are just… so…"
"Yeah." Her eyelids lowered so all he could see were a fringe of eyelashes. "Tess dated Dad in high school… after stealing him from Mom. There was this whole destiny thing whereby because the Antarians needed their king back, they sent him with his wife and they were supposed to be together. Mom and Dad couldn't take it… so Mom ran off. Said… just… follow your destiny. So Dad dated Tess. I'm not sure what happened but I think Tess knew Dad didn't love her that way and she took off. Dad leapt at the chance and convinced Mom that they were meant to be together." Kathy took a deep breath but didn't lift her eyes. "They weren't back together that long when they found out they were pregnant with Danny. There was a lot of stress. They moved out of their houses, Dad was working two jobs and getting ready to start school because at least one of them had to get the ball going…"
"Kat?"
"It takes its toll. The worries, the bills and school and getting ready for a baby. Dad was just… pushing himself so hard. Dad said that um… it was all after Alex's dad died and no one was in a good place… He said… he was dead tired. He had taken the day off from work for finals. After his last test, he went home and went to bed. He thought he was dreaming that Mom had come home early. That it was Mom he was making love to. For a split second he saw her, Tess, but then it was gone. When he woke up, Mom had just gotten home from Grandma's… That thing I can do, I got from her. It was her gift. A few weeks later, she popped up and said… 'Guess what? I'm pregnant with your baby.'"
"Holy shit."
"She didn't know Mom was pregnant or that they had gotten married. She just thought she could force his hand."
"He… was raped." Will shook his head. "Mentally and physically."
"It's one thing to know that and another to accept it. When he tried to tell everyone… they just thought he was copping out… The way things had moved so fast, he hardly blamed them… I think sometimes he feels like he cheated on Mom." Kathy gave him a small sad smile. "Tess caused Mom a lot of pain. After I found out that Tess was my real mom, I would second guess Mom's love but she always, always made me feel like I was nothing less than her own child. She raised me from day one."
"And it shows."
"Were you close with your parents?"
"No… I don't know. It's hard to remember sometimes. They died when I was in high school. They left me just enough to see me through high school and I did my best through college. I guess they raised me right."
"She was with you that whole time, huh."
"Yeah, she was. Maybe that was the problem. She helped me through all the bad times and the good times were too far and few between."
"What happened, Will?"
"We were 17 when her parents caught us in bed together. I was just some orphan kid from a few blocks over. They never really approved. We were together all through college and after I got out of Quantico, I asked her to marry me. We had a pretty long engagement and I was always away. I… got promoted and transferred and I was going back and forth. Roswell was supposed to be my last transfer… but she wanted to live in Texas. After she found out she was pregnant… we stepped up the wedding stuff, I put in for one last transfer…"
"And then Davey got kidnapped."
"That was the end of the mess, Kat. You guys didn't cause it. I was away too much. She had a hard time of the pregnancy and I wasn't there. After we got married… after we lost the baby, she just… didn't know how to be strong anymore. I had never really figured out how to be there for her. We just… fell apart. She filed for divorce and her parents asked me not to fight it."
"All that happened between what happened to Davey and you coming back? It wasn't that much time."
"It felt like a lifetime. I won't lie and say my new position with the Bureau didn't affect matters. It didn't help but at that point… I don't think anything would."
"You aren't afraid that'll happen to us?"
"Deathly afraid but… I think it's worth trying."
--
Beth leaned on her father's chest. He had already healed her leg and her arm. She didn't remember much of the evening. "Am I going to be okay?"
"Yeah. We'll go up and see Kat. We'll do some tests and you'll be good as new." He kissed her forehead and stroked her back. "It'll be okay. I promise."
"Okay." She nodded. She felt fuzzy but she figured he gave her something for the visions. Some sort of neural inhibitor… but general market and hence her fuzziness.
"What's that thing?" Max gestured to the book between them.
"Gabriel made me a picture book."
"Of?"
"Me. He thinks I'm the prettiest girl he's ever seen."
"And who could blame him?" Max settled himself in more comfortable when it seemed that she wasn't about to let go of him. "You look like your mother."
"You still think she's the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"And off it."
"Were you really such a coward that you couldn't hit on a girl until after she hit on you first, and then died?"
"Oh, I see. She told you the story." He shook his head and lay back on her pillows. "I was afraid. I'm just some… teenaged alien with a crush on a pretty human who was dating the captain of the football team."
"She wasn't when she manipulated her way to sit next to you and you treated her like a disease."
"'Hi, Liz, I think you're hot. I'm an alien, you wanna go out?'"
"You're a dork." Then she fell silent for a moment. "Was Gabriel upset?"
"A little but I convinced him that you'd be okay."
"When can I tell him? He already thinks something fishy's going on with our family. I know you think that someday I won't like him anymore but…" Beth looked up at her father's face. He was thinking. She could tell because he had a deep crease in his forehead. "I am unsure if I love him as much as Mom loves you but I do know that it's more than passing."
"I'm inclined to believe you, sweetie. I can't honestly tell you that you can't love someone at 16. I am saying that you need to be sure. I know there are extenuating circumstances but even someone I healed might not take well to the knowledge that humans are not alone on Earth. I do think Gabriel might take it very well but I want you in a place where the complications are low. I want you in control of your mind and body before you take such a risk… that's what it is. You're putting down all your cards and hoping that Lady Luck is on your side. That you win and you get it all. It's a lot to risk."
"I know." She sighed and lay back down, listening to his heart beat. If she told Gabriel, eventually they'd have to tell his brothers and sister and his father… Gabriel might take it in stride but what about them. Her mother had waited so long to tell her parents that some of the damage was irreparable. "How do you know it's really real? That it's absolutely love?"
"I think it's different for everyone. For me it was… the anticipation of just seeing her. My stomach would rumble and I would feel a little sick because I didn't know if she'd be there. Sometimes it was a great relief when she wasn't because… I could concentrate on class but I would always want her there. To smell her shampoo to hear her ask questions." Max paused and laughed a little to himself. "I guess that could qualify as stalker-ish. After Mom knew about me… I would still get all rumbley but I felt I had to pull back. To make her less interested."
"How did you know it was really love?" She reiterated.
"I just knew. When we were broken up, I thought about her all the time and it killed me to think she was unhappy with our decision to be apart. When we found out she was pregnant. I was scared and nervous and horrified… but I was happy. I didn't want to let her go to college so far away and I feel bad for keeping her from it. I didn't plan it. It just happened but it felt right like nothing ever felt before." He sighed and hugged his daughter close. "You just know. You feel it in every particle of your body, in every corner of your mind, in every single beat of your heart. You just know that whatever happens, good or bad, that it'll work out because you're in love."
"So you're saying that you can't describe it."
"Maybe."
Beth thought it over. "It could be love. I'm not sure. I feel so… peaceful when he's around but it's not just that."
"You have plenty of time to figure it out. He's got to get himself situated and you have to graduate high school… and we have to get you better."
"Okay."
"Okay, Max, you've talked her head off enough." Liz cleared her throat from the doorway. "Time to let her sleep." She quickly wiped her eyes.
"Just until I fall asleep." Beth clutched onto her father tighter. She hadn't done that since she was eight. She was relieved when the bed dipped under her mother's weight.
"Just a little longer." Max promised and raised his head to accept his wife's kiss. "What?"
"What?"
"You have that look on your face."
"You need to realize that had I really wanted to go to school, I could have skipped down and raised Danny all on my own. I didn't make my decision in a moment of panic." Liz murmured against his lips. "I love you so much… I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Okay… you guys are being mushy."
tbc
“Have you told your brother yet?” Jesse cleared the table, moving around Jim, who pretended not to be listening.
“I don’t have to inform my brother of anything.” Isabel shook her head.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“Nothing will. Sydney is an accomplished doctor and Kathy’s made real headway with our species… everything will be fine.”
Jim sipped his coffee and couldn’t be silent anymore. “It’s not like when you were kids, Isabel. You’re not asking his permission. You’re letting him know that you’re having surgery so that he can be there… just in case something happens. I’ve seen what can happen to a child… losing a parent at Gina’s age… and I’ve lost enough children. Alex, Berty and Kyle have already lost one parent… losing another…” He took a breath. “Jesse and I are just saying we want to be sure nothing goes wrong.”
“Fine… I’ll tell Max.”
“Before the surgery.” Jim cleared his throat. “If you aren’t going to tell the kids, you have to tell him.”
--
Will let her have control for the moment. She slid down on him then very slowly moved only her hips. Her hips rolled and she squeezed him tightly. She let her arms fall limply behind her, letting them drag ever so slightly along the insides of his thighs as she continued to move agonizingly slow. Her breasts heaved. Her head fell back. When she began to pick up speed, his hands slid up her thighs and gripped her hips, keeping their rhythm steady and preventing her from moving faster. It felt like hours passed. Kat was on the verge of sobbing by the time he allowed her to speed their rocking. Her hands on his chest as she trembled, her hair falling over her shoulders and sticking to her sweaty chest.
Pulling her against him, he rolled them over, keeping their pace as he straightened above her. Slow and steady. Slowly gaining speed. When she came, it was beautiful. Then he came after her. He fell on her and listened to her harsh gasps. "That was amazing. Amazing." She kissed his face. Her hands languorously caressed his shoulders. Her body had trembled from head to toe. This is what she'd been missing all this time. "Why couldn't you have been my first?"
"Well, I was married and I'm pretty certain it was illegal."
He shouldn't have said that. It ruined everything. He was too old for her. He had one failed marriage behind him already. She shut her eyes and lay her head back. "Didn't mean to jump you straight off. There was gonna be dinner, which is probably cold now, and I found a small batch bottle of that wine you said you liked…" His answer was to kiss her neck. "Mmm… I am so glad we waited. It was worth it."
"Was it?"
"I can finally stop faking it."
"That's good to know." He hissed as she moved against him.
--
Beth endured all the grandma kisses and managed to look a little abashed when Grandpa had to leave the room so he wouldn't cry in front of everyone. And then it got very busy in the room. David was guilty and replaying that day over and over in his mind. Puppy thoughts interjected and then it was that day again. Danny and Emily kept thinking about their honeymoon and then Danny would think about his residency and his old roommate. Emily kept thinking about her brothers and how worried she was about her father and the hours he'd been putting in. Grandma Di was worried about absolutely everyone and missing her husband… Grandpa Phil?
Grandpa Jeff kept staring at her and seeing her mother. Images of her mother's teen years were forced in Beth's mind. Grandma Nancy kept thinking about her as a baby but the images never went earlier than a funeral where Beth was already six months old. The older woman kissed Danny's forehead and then her thoughts were about the years she hadn't see him. Mom kept remembering that morning but all she saw was Beth's face when it whipped to the side, a sharp crack in the air. Dad was all over the place. Jealous of Will, missing Kat, proud of Danny, worried for Davey, at a loss for his youngest daughter, loving his wife, missing his father, wondering about Aunt Isabel's phone call.
Gabriel took her hand and kissed it. When his lips touched her skin, she saw what he had seen… her legs sticking out from under that truck. His brow furrowed and his mouth moved but she couldn't hear the words. "Beth?"
Daddy was flashing that light in her eyes but she was stuck in other people's thoughts. There was a sharp prick in the crook of her arm and then nothing.
--
"So, I saw you with that guy." Alex hefted Gina onto his back.
"He was nice." Berty shrugged.
"Looked serious. Is he going to write you letters or compose internet prose about how much he likes the color of your hair in the sunlight."
"You're a dork. Besides, he's too old. He was just… a nice guy… with really crappy friends."
"But you actually talk to him. Wow… I mean… is it love?"
"Shut up.
"Hey Alex… Can we go shark diving? This guy was telling me how cool it was." Kyle ran to catch up with them on the way to the car.
"I don't know about that."
"I wanna see the sharks." Gina pleaded.
"Kyle… look what you started."
--
Will stroked her back softly as Kat dozed beside him. "Are we going to stay in bed all night?"
"Well… that was the plan but um… we sort of skipped dinner." She murmured, teeth grazing her lip when he kissed her shoulder.
"Dessert was well worth skipping dinner." He whispered as he tasted the skin on her throat. "Do those flash things happen all the time?"
"You got more flashes?"
His head bobbed up and down for a moment. "You were blonde as a child?"
"No… I uh… got in trouble for that, actually." She rolled over to face him. "I had just found out that Mom wasn't really my mom. Dad wasn't going to tell me so Mom did. She even gave me a picture and now that I think about it… It probably killed her to do that."
"Why do you say that?"
"Every so often, I wonder about her… about Tess… what she was like and… Dad is pretty good about telling what he can and Mom is so hands on, you know… she sits those talks out."
"What happened? Do you know? I mean… I look at your parents and I ache sometimes. They are just… so…"
"Yeah." Her eyelids lowered so all he could see were a fringe of eyelashes. "Tess dated Dad in high school… after stealing him from Mom. There was this whole destiny thing whereby because the Antarians needed their king back, they sent him with his wife and they were supposed to be together. Mom and Dad couldn't take it… so Mom ran off. Said… just… follow your destiny. So Dad dated Tess. I'm not sure what happened but I think Tess knew Dad didn't love her that way and she took off. Dad leapt at the chance and convinced Mom that they were meant to be together." Kathy took a deep breath but didn't lift her eyes. "They weren't back together that long when they found out they were pregnant with Danny. There was a lot of stress. They moved out of their houses, Dad was working two jobs and getting ready to start school because at least one of them had to get the ball going…"
"Kat?"
"It takes its toll. The worries, the bills and school and getting ready for a baby. Dad was just… pushing himself so hard. Dad said that um… it was all after Alex's dad died and no one was in a good place… He said… he was dead tired. He had taken the day off from work for finals. After his last test, he went home and went to bed. He thought he was dreaming that Mom had come home early. That it was Mom he was making love to. For a split second he saw her, Tess, but then it was gone. When he woke up, Mom had just gotten home from Grandma's… That thing I can do, I got from her. It was her gift. A few weeks later, she popped up and said… 'Guess what? I'm pregnant with your baby.'"
"Holy shit."
"She didn't know Mom was pregnant or that they had gotten married. She just thought she could force his hand."
"He… was raped." Will shook his head. "Mentally and physically."
"It's one thing to know that and another to accept it. When he tried to tell everyone… they just thought he was copping out… The way things had moved so fast, he hardly blamed them… I think sometimes he feels like he cheated on Mom." Kathy gave him a small sad smile. "Tess caused Mom a lot of pain. After I found out that Tess was my real mom, I would second guess Mom's love but she always, always made me feel like I was nothing less than her own child. She raised me from day one."
"And it shows."
"Were you close with your parents?"
"No… I don't know. It's hard to remember sometimes. They died when I was in high school. They left me just enough to see me through high school and I did my best through college. I guess they raised me right."
"She was with you that whole time, huh."
"Yeah, she was. Maybe that was the problem. She helped me through all the bad times and the good times were too far and few between."
"What happened, Will?"
"We were 17 when her parents caught us in bed together. I was just some orphan kid from a few blocks over. They never really approved. We were together all through college and after I got out of Quantico, I asked her to marry me. We had a pretty long engagement and I was always away. I… got promoted and transferred and I was going back and forth. Roswell was supposed to be my last transfer… but she wanted to live in Texas. After she found out she was pregnant… we stepped up the wedding stuff, I put in for one last transfer…"
"And then Davey got kidnapped."
"That was the end of the mess, Kat. You guys didn't cause it. I was away too much. She had a hard time of the pregnancy and I wasn't there. After we got married… after we lost the baby, she just… didn't know how to be strong anymore. I had never really figured out how to be there for her. We just… fell apart. She filed for divorce and her parents asked me not to fight it."
"All that happened between what happened to Davey and you coming back? It wasn't that much time."
"It felt like a lifetime. I won't lie and say my new position with the Bureau didn't affect matters. It didn't help but at that point… I don't think anything would."
"You aren't afraid that'll happen to us?"
"Deathly afraid but… I think it's worth trying."
--
Beth leaned on her father's chest. He had already healed her leg and her arm. She didn't remember much of the evening. "Am I going to be okay?"
"Yeah. We'll go up and see Kat. We'll do some tests and you'll be good as new." He kissed her forehead and stroked her back. "It'll be okay. I promise."
"Okay." She nodded. She felt fuzzy but she figured he gave her something for the visions. Some sort of neural inhibitor… but general market and hence her fuzziness.
"What's that thing?" Max gestured to the book between them.
"Gabriel made me a picture book."
"Of?"
"Me. He thinks I'm the prettiest girl he's ever seen."
"And who could blame him?" Max settled himself in more comfortable when it seemed that she wasn't about to let go of him. "You look like your mother."
"You still think she's the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"And off it."
"Were you really such a coward that you couldn't hit on a girl until after she hit on you first, and then died?"
"Oh, I see. She told you the story." He shook his head and lay back on her pillows. "I was afraid. I'm just some… teenaged alien with a crush on a pretty human who was dating the captain of the football team."
"She wasn't when she manipulated her way to sit next to you and you treated her like a disease."
"'Hi, Liz, I think you're hot. I'm an alien, you wanna go out?'"
"You're a dork." Then she fell silent for a moment. "Was Gabriel upset?"
"A little but I convinced him that you'd be okay."
"When can I tell him? He already thinks something fishy's going on with our family. I know you think that someday I won't like him anymore but…" Beth looked up at her father's face. He was thinking. She could tell because he had a deep crease in his forehead. "I am unsure if I love him as much as Mom loves you but I do know that it's more than passing."
"I'm inclined to believe you, sweetie. I can't honestly tell you that you can't love someone at 16. I am saying that you need to be sure. I know there are extenuating circumstances but even someone I healed might not take well to the knowledge that humans are not alone on Earth. I do think Gabriel might take it very well but I want you in a place where the complications are low. I want you in control of your mind and body before you take such a risk… that's what it is. You're putting down all your cards and hoping that Lady Luck is on your side. That you win and you get it all. It's a lot to risk."
"I know." She sighed and lay back down, listening to his heart beat. If she told Gabriel, eventually they'd have to tell his brothers and sister and his father… Gabriel might take it in stride but what about them. Her mother had waited so long to tell her parents that some of the damage was irreparable. "How do you know it's really real? That it's absolutely love?"
"I think it's different for everyone. For me it was… the anticipation of just seeing her. My stomach would rumble and I would feel a little sick because I didn't know if she'd be there. Sometimes it was a great relief when she wasn't because… I could concentrate on class but I would always want her there. To smell her shampoo to hear her ask questions." Max paused and laughed a little to himself. "I guess that could qualify as stalker-ish. After Mom knew about me… I would still get all rumbley but I felt I had to pull back. To make her less interested."
"How did you know it was really love?" She reiterated.
"I just knew. When we were broken up, I thought about her all the time and it killed me to think she was unhappy with our decision to be apart. When we found out she was pregnant. I was scared and nervous and horrified… but I was happy. I didn't want to let her go to college so far away and I feel bad for keeping her from it. I didn't plan it. It just happened but it felt right like nothing ever felt before." He sighed and hugged his daughter close. "You just know. You feel it in every particle of your body, in every corner of your mind, in every single beat of your heart. You just know that whatever happens, good or bad, that it'll work out because you're in love."
"So you're saying that you can't describe it."
"Maybe."
Beth thought it over. "It could be love. I'm not sure. I feel so… peaceful when he's around but it's not just that."
"You have plenty of time to figure it out. He's got to get himself situated and you have to graduate high school… and we have to get you better."
"Okay."
"Okay, Max, you've talked her head off enough." Liz cleared her throat from the doorway. "Time to let her sleep." She quickly wiped her eyes.
"Just until I fall asleep." Beth clutched onto her father tighter. She hadn't done that since she was eight. She was relieved when the bed dipped under her mother's weight.
"Just a little longer." Max promised and raised his head to accept his wife's kiss. "What?"
"What?"
"You have that look on your face."
"You need to realize that had I really wanted to go to school, I could have skipped down and raised Danny all on my own. I didn't make my decision in a moment of panic." Liz murmured against his lips. "I love you so much… I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Okay… you guys are being mushy."
tbc
The Fate of Destiny Part 121
The Fate of Destiny Part 121
Will took his coffee across the desk from Kat, who kept biting her lip and sneaking glances at him over her work. Her dark hair fell like a curtain over her face but he could still see those blue eyes every once in a while. “Am I distracting you? Should I leave?”
“Yes.” She bit back a laugh.
“Or maybe you want to talk about why were you stalking Dr. West…”
“How do you do that?” Kat sat back, pulling her hair back with a clip.
“I have this job for a reason. You could have asked me.” He sat up to set his cup down. “I could have helped or told you what I’d already come up with. I do background checks on anyone that comes into contact with you.”
“I think I know what’s going on with Dr. West but… there’s someone watching me. Following me around and I think maybe it has something to do with Dr. Skaarstin.”
“What did you find?”
“That there’s little to find on her… because she’s very good at keeping under the radar. Her journals are all submitted but she doesn’t follow up with lectures. Anyone wanting to discuss them has to apply for an appointment or be willing to correspond via email. I just want to know why. I want to know why she seems to know about my side projects and why she’s sharing them with Dr. West.” Kat’s blue eyes flashed.
“I’m working on it.” Will nodded and reached for her hand. “You’re right… she’s good… you know who else is that good?” She shook her head. “Your dad… The Burkhardts… and when I looked him up… Chuck Dupree.”
Her eyes flicked to the photos on her wall. “You don’t think…”
“She’s 85 years old and she’s still sharp as a tack. No so much as a hint of age in her movements. No decline in her work. She slowed down but she never stopped. I don’t know anyone who could go on that long.”
“She… can’t…. She can’t… be her.” Kathy shook her head. Then she looked him in the eye. “Will… could she? Have you told my dad?”
“Slipped my mind. Beth…”
“Right… I don’t suppose she would answer us if we asked her.” She sighed. She turned it all over in her mind. It fit and that was scary. She was the only one left of the original abductees… the humans that her family was cloned from.
“I want to be sure before we do anything… if we do anything.”
“If she is… she knows… and if she’s onto my other studies…” Kat swallowed down a lump. “Be sure, Will.”
--
Liz rolled over and smiled at her son. “You can climb in but that dog stays on the floor. Looking slightly put out, David turned and put the puppy on the floor in the hallway. Prince Sterling whimpered but soon was more interested in sniffing everything in sight. David crawled onto the bed to lay down with his mother. Liz kissed the top of David's head where it lay on her chest. "How's my baby?"
"Mom. I'm not a baby." He protested softly.
"You're my baby. Always will be. How's Sterling doing?"
"Good, I guess. He needs a lot of attention."
"I bet."
"Does Dad have to go?"
"Yeah. Beth needs to get better."
"Kat says it's her pineal gland."
"Maybe." She stroked his brown hair out of his face… like hers. He had her eyes, too. "Grandpa wants to go camping. You want to go with him? Make sure he doesn't fall into a ravine?"
"I guess. Would I have to leave Prince Sterling?"
"Probably… or else he'd run off into the woods."
"Okay… but you would feed him and walk him, right?"
"Sure." Right. She was being left alone. Maybe Danny would do it.
"Promise."
"I promise that it will get done."
“Can anyone join the snuggle party?” Max called in as he passed with a load of towels.
“Don’t know. You aren’t nearly as handsome as the young man I’m snuggling with now.” Liz teased and hugged her son tighter.
“Fine. See if I snuggle with you later.” Max was about to join them when the front door opened and his sister breezed in. “Iz?”
“We have to talk. Now.”
“I thought you said it could wait.”
“Well… apparently it can’t and… you’re leaving so I have to do it now. I couldn’t tell you over the phone.” Isabel cleared her throat and pulled him into the kitchen. “I’ve been talking to Sydney and we’ve had many talks about this and I don’t want you involved but maybe we need your opinion.”
“On?” Max poured her a cup of coffee and handed her a bottle of Tabasco. “Are you… pregnant again?”
“No. And I want to make sure… that it’s no longer a possibility.”
“Oh.” Max blew out a breath. “So… have you scheduled something?”
“Scheduled, yes… Decided on the exact procedure… no.”
Max took a deep breath and took her coffee from her, fingers itching for a cigarette. “I can’t talk you out of it?”
“No. It’s been decided. It’s going to be done… Do I have to remind you of what happened to Christine? I don’t want to be 50 and worrying about getting pregnant.”
“Jesse won’t…”
“He’s already done it.” Isabel stared at her brother. “I just want to be sure.”
“Essure?”
“She thinks it might not take.”
“So you…” He took a deeper breath and sank into a chair. “It’s all set, then. Probably since…”
“Yeah… a while. I don’t need your permission to try it… but my men seem to think I needed to talk to you about it.” She sat across from him. “Sydney’s already done the leg work. She got the analysis from Kathy already… I’m doing it this weekend.”
“I want to be here but…”
“I know… She’s not going to knock me out. If something happens… I’ll go to you.”
“I want Danny there.” Max cleared his throat. “He doesn’t have to be in the room but he has to be in the building. If anything goes wrong, he can be there. If I couldn’t… Beth would be the best option but I’m taking her…”
“It’s minor surgery, Max. You know that. The risk is low for a human. For me, it’ll be a piece of cake.”
He tried to smile but he was worried. “You take Danny with you. You call me when it starts and you call me when it’s over. I want constant phone calls. I want a million voice mails until I get back to see you myself.” He took her hands in his. “If you think you’re calling too much… call me one more time.”
Her face broke out in a smile. “That’s what I told the kids before they left.”
“Dad.” Max nodded with a smile of his own.
“Remember when he said that to us. He was just going to Clovis for the day…”
“But Mom went to visit Aunt Steph and Liz was still pregnant and he thought I was going to burn the house down if I cooked.” Max managed a laugh.
“We thought he was being overprotective and ridiculous. I know you worry Max but… I’m gonna be okay.”
“Yeah, I know. You can take care of yourself.”
“Good morning.” Liz sang out as she entered the kitchen, her son wrapped around her waist and his puppy underfoot. “Staying for breakfast?”
“Why not? Dad left me for coffee with your dad and Jesse is at his mother’s.” Isabel turned to yank her nephew onto her lap. “I hear you got a puppy.” She kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick smear. “If you wipe that off, I’ll show everyone that picture I have of you in the tub.”
“Aunt Izzy…” David groaned but didn’t wipe the kiss off. “Here’s my puppy.” He reached down to gather the squirming pup. “Dad says he won’t get too big.”
“Are you sure?” Isabel examined the puppy.
“That’s what the guy said. Mala… mala-kita.” Max rose to get himself another cup of coffee and a glass of juice for his sister. He kissed Liz’s lips along the way.
“Coffee, Max.” The blonde narrowed her eyes at him.
“Not good for you before surgery. Anything you take in should be on the day of.” Max shook his head at her.
“Whatever.” She glared and studied the pup again. “Mala-kita huh… sounds like Malamute and Akita…” She snickered when Liz whirled around, eyes wide.
“No…” Max shook his head and thought about it. “Damn.”
“He’s mine. You can’t take him back.” Davey burst in when he realized what was going on. “We got the papers and the shots and I named him. He already knows his name.”
“Maybe he won’t get that big.” Max rubbed Liz’s arm.
“Yeah… and when you come home to find out he’s eaten me… I’ll haunt you.” Liz huffed but Davey hugged the puppy and shined those big brown eyes on her. She ruffled the downy fur, accepted the lick on her hand and hugged her son to her. “Okay, you can keep him… but you have to train him not to jump on people. Okay? You have to keep him under control. Once he gets really big… you have to keep him outside.”
“You’re such a sucker.” Isabel snickered into her juice.
--
Michael rose to greet Laurie when she breezed into the room. They hadn’t seen each other in years but he couldn’t get over the changes in her. She reminded him a little of Aunt Meredith. But when she smiled, he realized it was all in her posture. She was still that girl… or woman. “Hey Laurie.”
“Michael… it’s good to see you. How did the wedding go?”
“Went off without a hitch. You should have seen her when she saw the dresses.” Michael stepped aside to let Oriel into the space. “My wife, Oriel.”
“He writes a lot about you.” Laurie smiled broadly, a little pain in her eyes. Obviously missing her husband. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I wanted to come for the wedding…”
“We understand.” Oriel nodded and took her seat. “Your sons?”
“Upstairs somewhere.” Laurie shook her head. “They’re not doing so well and Chuck is acting out. They’ve been all over this hotel since we got here. I wanted you to meet them. You didn’t bring the kids?”
“We left them in the hands of their sister. She needs the practice.” Oriel bit back a laugh.
“Is she… expecting?”
“No.” Michael shook his head. “But with our family history… it’s only a matter of time. I’m not looking forward to becoming a grandpa.”
“Chuck is… if he makes me a grandmother before he turns 18…” Laurie shook her head. “Kevin would forgive him but… I’m not ready for him to be so grown up.”
“I think you forgot to tell us something.” Michael nodded to her.
“Cruel joke life played on me.” She rested her hands on her belly. “Little girl.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “Another reason I wanted to come and see you. The doctors say I may or not make it… I plan to but… I wanted you to be aware before the tests and before anything was set in stone.”
--
Alex flipped pancakes onto a plate for their late breakfast. Berty and Kyle were barely awake but Gina was wide-awake and babbling into the phone too fast for Alex to make out the words. “Si. Hice un castillo un arena… los ninos en la playa… Alex hace el desayuno… no sé. Todos acaban de despertar arriba... ¿Dónde está Mamá? … Vamos al puerto deportivo.”
“Hey, Speedy… your food is ready.”
“Bye, Lita! … No… Te amo!”
“I hope you didn’t hang up the phone. You were supposed to talk to your dad too.” Alex warned as he set the plate in front of her.
“Daddy will call back.” She dug into her pancakes and scrunched up her nose. “These taste funny.”
“Oh crap.” Kyle blurted when Gina took the Tabasco sauce and dumped a generous dollop on her plate. “When did you start doing that?”
“She doesn’t do that?” Alex looked from his sister to his brother. “I’ve been putting it on all her food all week.”
“She didn’t used to.” Liberty shook her head. “Mom and Jesse were worried about her because she’s… delayed. She’s short, she’s always sick and she never, ever eats Tabasco. It used to make her stomach hurt…”
“You get any stomach aches?” Alex sat next to his baby sister, who shook her head and stuffed a Tabasco soaked bite into her mouth. “Late bloomer. You’ll see. She’ll be turning her teddy bear colors in no time.”
--
Beth had made all sorts of faces when she’d been forced back into her casts but it had to be done. She’d also gotten a fresh injection. At least she got to see Gabriel before the trip. The adults were conversing so they weren’t paying attention to them. Gabriel pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “So, you’re okay?”
“Yeah… the headaches are worse than before. I’m going for some tests but I’ll be back.” She promised, leaning into him, his arm around her body.
“He’s not just trying to take you away from me?” Those green eyes were so full of concern. “I know he doesn’t like me but…”
“The world does not revolve around you.” Beth shook her head at him. “It revolves around me.”
“Still think that huh.” A voice spoke over them.
“Hey, Donna Jo.” Beth sat back a little. “You snuck in?”
“Davey let me in.” The blonde nodded. “I hadn’t heard from you and when I went to the hospital they said you were home already.”
“Yeah… I… I little sicker than they thought I was…” Beth took Gabriel’s hand in hers. “I gotta go away.”
“Like before?” Donna Jo sat in a nearby chair.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m coming back better and I’ll call you when I get in… both of you.” Her eyes turned up to Gabriel. “You left the kids?”
“Dad wanted to meet your parents without traumatizing them with the monsters.”
“Stop, Gabriel. Your brothers and sister are not monsters.” Agustin admonished from the kitchen where he sat having coffee with the Evans. “These crazy kids. I saw what he did to you at the graduation. I hope you’ll forgive him. Sometimes he forgets his manners.”
“I forgave all, last week.” Liz sipped her coffee carefully. “I’ll admit that I didn’t want to give him a chance but…”
Max took her hand. “It’s been a rough year. My son just got married and all this business with Gabriel and then this accident…”
“My son looks… weird… I don’t really like it but he keeps his grades up and he helps out at home when I need him. He’s a better boy than I deserve… He got sick when he was younger… in the head… I almost lost him.”
“We know.” Max nodded and pointed to his scrubs. “I was there. We understand more than before… all this… has brought us closer to our daughter. If not for Gabriel, we might not have her still. If she had been dating someone else, she might have been lost to us.” He cleared his throat. “Not that he’s out of the clear where I’m concerned.”
“Oh?”
“There’s still a matter of their unsupervised and unapproved sleepovers at your place.”
“Oh really.” Agustin turned to his son. Gabriel didn’t know what he’d done to deserve that look but he knew he was gonna get it when he got home.
“What?”
“You know what.” He sipped his coffee and pointed his finger at the teens on the couch. “Don’t care how crazy you kids are… sleepovers?”
“Beth…” Donna Jo gasped and leaned in. “Really?”
“We didn’t do anything.” Beth protested and winced because that wasn’t exactly true. “We didn’t.”
“Uh-huh.” Max pursed his lips. Liz fixed her daughter with a look. “There will be lectures in any case.”
--
“Dr. Evans.” Kat looked up to see Dr. Skaarstin standing in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt you. I just saw that you’ve reserved the analyzer for this week. Is this your new project?”
“No…” Kat took a deep breath. “I… uh… it’s for a side project… ongoing.”
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable but you are on campus funds.”
“I’m not used to having my actions questioned. I’ve brought in plenty of outside funds. The department head usually lets me have full run.”
“I realize that. You’re on my time, now.” The doctor turned to leave but Kat lifted her hand.
“Maybe someday I’ll fill you in. For now… this is mine.”
“I don’t mean to alienate you, Dr. Evans.” The gray-haired doctor turned and took a seat. “I… usually my team fits together like a family. We share amongst ourselves and we accomplish great things because of it. Dr. West is like a daughter to me.”
“You… never had children?” Kathy watched her tone. She just wanted to sound inquisitive… not interrogative.
“Even if I had had the time or the inclination… my body never allowed it. Trauma sustained from surgery as a child.” Those blue eyes turned cloudy and dark for a moment.
“It’s my sister, Dr. Skaarstin.” Kathy blurted out.
“Pardon.”
“My sister was just in an accident and she’s healing fine but… she’s… we want to make sure that she’ll be alright. Because of her injuries, an oopherectomy was performed. Roswell is a very small town and even though they get a very generous budget, they don’t have all the resources we need.”
“Oh, I see. Tell me… did you always want to be in this field?”
“You know… I had never given it much thought until I realized in high school that the lab was where I longed to be. It was the only place I ever felt things were going perfect.”
“So… you weren’t coerced?”
“No. If my dad had his way, I would have gone to Roswell community and been a teacher like my mother. He also would have frozen time and kept me in pigtails for the rest of my life.”
“Fathers can be like that. Are you close to yours?”
“I suppose we are close. He’s very nosy. He likes to know absolutely everything that’s going on in my life… one of the many factors that brought me to Santa Fe.”
“I had a father like that… but… it came from me having an accident so young. When I went into science, he threw a fit. He was a little old fashioned and women were supposed to be teachers or nurses… not scientists.” She picked up the picture of the Evans family off the desk and looked it over with longing. “I would have loved that life if I could have had this… Are you all close?”
“I suppose we are. My whole family is.”
“You must have a pretty dark secret. They say close families guard deep secrets.”
Kathy didn’t even flinch. The woman was baiting her. “No more than other families. I think my origin is the only secret we have and it’s not all that secret. The entire town knows but not the truth.”
“And what is the truth?”
“My father was drugged and… raped is a fitting word for it.”
“Well… that’s awful.”
“Most everyone paints my father as a cheater and that’s not who he is. He’s a very caring husband and loving father. Sometimes even when we don’t deserve it.” She looked up when Will returned with a fresh cup of coffee and dinner for two. “Hopefully he’s a forgiving man as well.”
“Why do you say that?” The woman’s blue eyes twinkled when the agent entering looked abashed. “An illicit affair? Shame on you Dr. Evans for holding out on me. I love gossip. Especially from a reliable source.”
“We’re… new.”
“Well, I’ll leave you lovebirds to your dinner. Some of our lives aren’t as full outside the office.” She rose from her seat. “And Kathleen…”
“Yes, Dr. Skaarstin.”
“You can call me Jolene. I am discreet and I know more about this area than you do. If you need help with your… ongoing project… I would love to lend a hand.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kathy nodded. “And… it’s Kathy.”
“Good evening.”
“Evening.” Will called over his shoulder. “Conversing with the enemy now? Telling her all your secrets.”
“Just… keeping my friends close and potential enemies closer."
TBC
Will took his coffee across the desk from Kat, who kept biting her lip and sneaking glances at him over her work. Her dark hair fell like a curtain over her face but he could still see those blue eyes every once in a while. “Am I distracting you? Should I leave?”
“Yes.” She bit back a laugh.
“Or maybe you want to talk about why were you stalking Dr. West…”
“How do you do that?” Kat sat back, pulling her hair back with a clip.
“I have this job for a reason. You could have asked me.” He sat up to set his cup down. “I could have helped or told you what I’d already come up with. I do background checks on anyone that comes into contact with you.”
“I think I know what’s going on with Dr. West but… there’s someone watching me. Following me around and I think maybe it has something to do with Dr. Skaarstin.”
“What did you find?”
“That there’s little to find on her… because she’s very good at keeping under the radar. Her journals are all submitted but she doesn’t follow up with lectures. Anyone wanting to discuss them has to apply for an appointment or be willing to correspond via email. I just want to know why. I want to know why she seems to know about my side projects and why she’s sharing them with Dr. West.” Kat’s blue eyes flashed.
“I’m working on it.” Will nodded and reached for her hand. “You’re right… she’s good… you know who else is that good?” She shook her head. “Your dad… The Burkhardts… and when I looked him up… Chuck Dupree.”
Her eyes flicked to the photos on her wall. “You don’t think…”
“She’s 85 years old and she’s still sharp as a tack. No so much as a hint of age in her movements. No decline in her work. She slowed down but she never stopped. I don’t know anyone who could go on that long.”
“She… can’t…. She can’t… be her.” Kathy shook her head. Then she looked him in the eye. “Will… could she? Have you told my dad?”
“Slipped my mind. Beth…”
“Right… I don’t suppose she would answer us if we asked her.” She sighed. She turned it all over in her mind. It fit and that was scary. She was the only one left of the original abductees… the humans that her family was cloned from.
“I want to be sure before we do anything… if we do anything.”
“If she is… she knows… and if she’s onto my other studies…” Kat swallowed down a lump. “Be sure, Will.”
--
Liz rolled over and smiled at her son. “You can climb in but that dog stays on the floor. Looking slightly put out, David turned and put the puppy on the floor in the hallway. Prince Sterling whimpered but soon was more interested in sniffing everything in sight. David crawled onto the bed to lay down with his mother. Liz kissed the top of David's head where it lay on her chest. "How's my baby?"
"Mom. I'm not a baby." He protested softly.
"You're my baby. Always will be. How's Sterling doing?"
"Good, I guess. He needs a lot of attention."
"I bet."
"Does Dad have to go?"
"Yeah. Beth needs to get better."
"Kat says it's her pineal gland."
"Maybe." She stroked his brown hair out of his face… like hers. He had her eyes, too. "Grandpa wants to go camping. You want to go with him? Make sure he doesn't fall into a ravine?"
"I guess. Would I have to leave Prince Sterling?"
"Probably… or else he'd run off into the woods."
"Okay… but you would feed him and walk him, right?"
"Sure." Right. She was being left alone. Maybe Danny would do it.
"Promise."
"I promise that it will get done."
“Can anyone join the snuggle party?” Max called in as he passed with a load of towels.
“Don’t know. You aren’t nearly as handsome as the young man I’m snuggling with now.” Liz teased and hugged her son tighter.
“Fine. See if I snuggle with you later.” Max was about to join them when the front door opened and his sister breezed in. “Iz?”
“We have to talk. Now.”
“I thought you said it could wait.”
“Well… apparently it can’t and… you’re leaving so I have to do it now. I couldn’t tell you over the phone.” Isabel cleared her throat and pulled him into the kitchen. “I’ve been talking to Sydney and we’ve had many talks about this and I don’t want you involved but maybe we need your opinion.”
“On?” Max poured her a cup of coffee and handed her a bottle of Tabasco. “Are you… pregnant again?”
“No. And I want to make sure… that it’s no longer a possibility.”
“Oh.” Max blew out a breath. “So… have you scheduled something?”
“Scheduled, yes… Decided on the exact procedure… no.”
Max took a deep breath and took her coffee from her, fingers itching for a cigarette. “I can’t talk you out of it?”
“No. It’s been decided. It’s going to be done… Do I have to remind you of what happened to Christine? I don’t want to be 50 and worrying about getting pregnant.”
“Jesse won’t…”
“He’s already done it.” Isabel stared at her brother. “I just want to be sure.”
“Essure?”
“She thinks it might not take.”
“So you…” He took a deeper breath and sank into a chair. “It’s all set, then. Probably since…”
“Yeah… a while. I don’t need your permission to try it… but my men seem to think I needed to talk to you about it.” She sat across from him. “Sydney’s already done the leg work. She got the analysis from Kathy already… I’m doing it this weekend.”
“I want to be here but…”
“I know… She’s not going to knock me out. If something happens… I’ll go to you.”
“I want Danny there.” Max cleared his throat. “He doesn’t have to be in the room but he has to be in the building. If anything goes wrong, he can be there. If I couldn’t… Beth would be the best option but I’m taking her…”
“It’s minor surgery, Max. You know that. The risk is low for a human. For me, it’ll be a piece of cake.”
He tried to smile but he was worried. “You take Danny with you. You call me when it starts and you call me when it’s over. I want constant phone calls. I want a million voice mails until I get back to see you myself.” He took her hands in his. “If you think you’re calling too much… call me one more time.”
Her face broke out in a smile. “That’s what I told the kids before they left.”
“Dad.” Max nodded with a smile of his own.
“Remember when he said that to us. He was just going to Clovis for the day…”
“But Mom went to visit Aunt Steph and Liz was still pregnant and he thought I was going to burn the house down if I cooked.” Max managed a laugh.
“We thought he was being overprotective and ridiculous. I know you worry Max but… I’m gonna be okay.”
“Yeah, I know. You can take care of yourself.”
“Good morning.” Liz sang out as she entered the kitchen, her son wrapped around her waist and his puppy underfoot. “Staying for breakfast?”
“Why not? Dad left me for coffee with your dad and Jesse is at his mother’s.” Isabel turned to yank her nephew onto her lap. “I hear you got a puppy.” She kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick smear. “If you wipe that off, I’ll show everyone that picture I have of you in the tub.”
“Aunt Izzy…” David groaned but didn’t wipe the kiss off. “Here’s my puppy.” He reached down to gather the squirming pup. “Dad says he won’t get too big.”
“Are you sure?” Isabel examined the puppy.
“That’s what the guy said. Mala… mala-kita.” Max rose to get himself another cup of coffee and a glass of juice for his sister. He kissed Liz’s lips along the way.
“Coffee, Max.” The blonde narrowed her eyes at him.
“Not good for you before surgery. Anything you take in should be on the day of.” Max shook his head at her.
“Whatever.” She glared and studied the pup again. “Mala-kita huh… sounds like Malamute and Akita…” She snickered when Liz whirled around, eyes wide.
“No…” Max shook his head and thought about it. “Damn.”
“He’s mine. You can’t take him back.” Davey burst in when he realized what was going on. “We got the papers and the shots and I named him. He already knows his name.”
“Maybe he won’t get that big.” Max rubbed Liz’s arm.
“Yeah… and when you come home to find out he’s eaten me… I’ll haunt you.” Liz huffed but Davey hugged the puppy and shined those big brown eyes on her. She ruffled the downy fur, accepted the lick on her hand and hugged her son to her. “Okay, you can keep him… but you have to train him not to jump on people. Okay? You have to keep him under control. Once he gets really big… you have to keep him outside.”
“You’re such a sucker.” Isabel snickered into her juice.
--
Michael rose to greet Laurie when she breezed into the room. They hadn’t seen each other in years but he couldn’t get over the changes in her. She reminded him a little of Aunt Meredith. But when she smiled, he realized it was all in her posture. She was still that girl… or woman. “Hey Laurie.”
“Michael… it’s good to see you. How did the wedding go?”
“Went off without a hitch. You should have seen her when she saw the dresses.” Michael stepped aside to let Oriel into the space. “My wife, Oriel.”
“He writes a lot about you.” Laurie smiled broadly, a little pain in her eyes. Obviously missing her husband. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person. I wanted to come for the wedding…”
“We understand.” Oriel nodded and took her seat. “Your sons?”
“Upstairs somewhere.” Laurie shook her head. “They’re not doing so well and Chuck is acting out. They’ve been all over this hotel since we got here. I wanted you to meet them. You didn’t bring the kids?”
“We left them in the hands of their sister. She needs the practice.” Oriel bit back a laugh.
“Is she… expecting?”
“No.” Michael shook his head. “But with our family history… it’s only a matter of time. I’m not looking forward to becoming a grandpa.”
“Chuck is… if he makes me a grandmother before he turns 18…” Laurie shook her head. “Kevin would forgive him but… I’m not ready for him to be so grown up.”
“I think you forgot to tell us something.” Michael nodded to her.
“Cruel joke life played on me.” She rested her hands on her belly. “Little girl.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “Another reason I wanted to come and see you. The doctors say I may or not make it… I plan to but… I wanted you to be aware before the tests and before anything was set in stone.”
--
Alex flipped pancakes onto a plate for their late breakfast. Berty and Kyle were barely awake but Gina was wide-awake and babbling into the phone too fast for Alex to make out the words. “Si. Hice un castillo un arena… los ninos en la playa… Alex hace el desayuno… no sé. Todos acaban de despertar arriba... ¿Dónde está Mamá? … Vamos al puerto deportivo.”
“Hey, Speedy… your food is ready.”
“Bye, Lita! … No… Te amo!”
“I hope you didn’t hang up the phone. You were supposed to talk to your dad too.” Alex warned as he set the plate in front of her.
“Daddy will call back.” She dug into her pancakes and scrunched up her nose. “These taste funny.”
“Oh crap.” Kyle blurted when Gina took the Tabasco sauce and dumped a generous dollop on her plate. “When did you start doing that?”
“She doesn’t do that?” Alex looked from his sister to his brother. “I’ve been putting it on all her food all week.”
“She didn’t used to.” Liberty shook her head. “Mom and Jesse were worried about her because she’s… delayed. She’s short, she’s always sick and she never, ever eats Tabasco. It used to make her stomach hurt…”
“You get any stomach aches?” Alex sat next to his baby sister, who shook her head and stuffed a Tabasco soaked bite into her mouth. “Late bloomer. You’ll see. She’ll be turning her teddy bear colors in no time.”
--
Beth had made all sorts of faces when she’d been forced back into her casts but it had to be done. She’d also gotten a fresh injection. At least she got to see Gabriel before the trip. The adults were conversing so they weren’t paying attention to them. Gabriel pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “So, you’re okay?”
“Yeah… the headaches are worse than before. I’m going for some tests but I’ll be back.” She promised, leaning into him, his arm around her body.
“He’s not just trying to take you away from me?” Those green eyes were so full of concern. “I know he doesn’t like me but…”
“The world does not revolve around you.” Beth shook her head at him. “It revolves around me.”
“Still think that huh.” A voice spoke over them.
“Hey, Donna Jo.” Beth sat back a little. “You snuck in?”
“Davey let me in.” The blonde nodded. “I hadn’t heard from you and when I went to the hospital they said you were home already.”
“Yeah… I… I little sicker than they thought I was…” Beth took Gabriel’s hand in hers. “I gotta go away.”
“Like before?” Donna Jo sat in a nearby chair.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m coming back better and I’ll call you when I get in… both of you.” Her eyes turned up to Gabriel. “You left the kids?”
“Dad wanted to meet your parents without traumatizing them with the monsters.”
“Stop, Gabriel. Your brothers and sister are not monsters.” Agustin admonished from the kitchen where he sat having coffee with the Evans. “These crazy kids. I saw what he did to you at the graduation. I hope you’ll forgive him. Sometimes he forgets his manners.”
“I forgave all, last week.” Liz sipped her coffee carefully. “I’ll admit that I didn’t want to give him a chance but…”
Max took her hand. “It’s been a rough year. My son just got married and all this business with Gabriel and then this accident…”
“My son looks… weird… I don’t really like it but he keeps his grades up and he helps out at home when I need him. He’s a better boy than I deserve… He got sick when he was younger… in the head… I almost lost him.”
“We know.” Max nodded and pointed to his scrubs. “I was there. We understand more than before… all this… has brought us closer to our daughter. If not for Gabriel, we might not have her still. If she had been dating someone else, she might have been lost to us.” He cleared his throat. “Not that he’s out of the clear where I’m concerned.”
“Oh?”
“There’s still a matter of their unsupervised and unapproved sleepovers at your place.”
“Oh really.” Agustin turned to his son. Gabriel didn’t know what he’d done to deserve that look but he knew he was gonna get it when he got home.
“What?”
“You know what.” He sipped his coffee and pointed his finger at the teens on the couch. “Don’t care how crazy you kids are… sleepovers?”
“Beth…” Donna Jo gasped and leaned in. “Really?”
“We didn’t do anything.” Beth protested and winced because that wasn’t exactly true. “We didn’t.”
“Uh-huh.” Max pursed his lips. Liz fixed her daughter with a look. “There will be lectures in any case.”
--
“Dr. Evans.” Kat looked up to see Dr. Skaarstin standing in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt you. I just saw that you’ve reserved the analyzer for this week. Is this your new project?”
“No…” Kat took a deep breath. “I… uh… it’s for a side project… ongoing.”
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable but you are on campus funds.”
“I’m not used to having my actions questioned. I’ve brought in plenty of outside funds. The department head usually lets me have full run.”
“I realize that. You’re on my time, now.” The doctor turned to leave but Kat lifted her hand.
“Maybe someday I’ll fill you in. For now… this is mine.”
“I don’t mean to alienate you, Dr. Evans.” The gray-haired doctor turned and took a seat. “I… usually my team fits together like a family. We share amongst ourselves and we accomplish great things because of it. Dr. West is like a daughter to me.”
“You… never had children?” Kathy watched her tone. She just wanted to sound inquisitive… not interrogative.
“Even if I had had the time or the inclination… my body never allowed it. Trauma sustained from surgery as a child.” Those blue eyes turned cloudy and dark for a moment.
“It’s my sister, Dr. Skaarstin.” Kathy blurted out.
“Pardon.”
“My sister was just in an accident and she’s healing fine but… she’s… we want to make sure that she’ll be alright. Because of her injuries, an oopherectomy was performed. Roswell is a very small town and even though they get a very generous budget, they don’t have all the resources we need.”
“Oh, I see. Tell me… did you always want to be in this field?”
“You know… I had never given it much thought until I realized in high school that the lab was where I longed to be. It was the only place I ever felt things were going perfect.”
“So… you weren’t coerced?”
“No. If my dad had his way, I would have gone to Roswell community and been a teacher like my mother. He also would have frozen time and kept me in pigtails for the rest of my life.”
“Fathers can be like that. Are you close to yours?”
“I suppose we are close. He’s very nosy. He likes to know absolutely everything that’s going on in my life… one of the many factors that brought me to Santa Fe.”
“I had a father like that… but… it came from me having an accident so young. When I went into science, he threw a fit. He was a little old fashioned and women were supposed to be teachers or nurses… not scientists.” She picked up the picture of the Evans family off the desk and looked it over with longing. “I would have loved that life if I could have had this… Are you all close?”
“I suppose we are. My whole family is.”
“You must have a pretty dark secret. They say close families guard deep secrets.”
Kathy didn’t even flinch. The woman was baiting her. “No more than other families. I think my origin is the only secret we have and it’s not all that secret. The entire town knows but not the truth.”
“And what is the truth?”
“My father was drugged and… raped is a fitting word for it.”
“Well… that’s awful.”
“Most everyone paints my father as a cheater and that’s not who he is. He’s a very caring husband and loving father. Sometimes even when we don’t deserve it.” She looked up when Will returned with a fresh cup of coffee and dinner for two. “Hopefully he’s a forgiving man as well.”
“Why do you say that?” The woman’s blue eyes twinkled when the agent entering looked abashed. “An illicit affair? Shame on you Dr. Evans for holding out on me. I love gossip. Especially from a reliable source.”
“We’re… new.”
“Well, I’ll leave you lovebirds to your dinner. Some of our lives aren’t as full outside the office.” She rose from her seat. “And Kathleen…”
“Yes, Dr. Skaarstin.”
“You can call me Jolene. I am discreet and I know more about this area than you do. If you need help with your… ongoing project… I would love to lend a hand.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kathy nodded. “And… it’s Kathy.”
“Good evening.”
“Evening.” Will called over his shoulder. “Conversing with the enemy now? Telling her all your secrets.”
“Just… keeping my friends close and potential enemies closer."
TBC
The Fate of Destiny Part 122
Liz rolled over to find Max was up early and flipping through Beth’s picture book. “Max?”
“Did you look at these? This is the girl I always wanted. Happy and smiling.” Max turned page after page. “She says he makes the noise go away. That’s why she can have fun with him.” He sighed heavily and gazed at his packed suitcase. “What if… something happens? What if it all goes wrong?”
“You’ll try and if it works… our little girl will have a… normal childhood… or what’s left of it… if it doesn’t… then we’ll look somewhere else.”
"You could still come, Liz. Your mom could take care of Davey til we got back." Max pleaded and set the book down on the bed. "I need you with me. I can't deal with her on my own."
"Yes, you can. You'll be fine. Beth and I will mend when she gets back. When she's better. You and Beth need this to… show her that you love her every bit as much as our other children." Liz tugged him down into bed. "You just have to show her who is the boss."
"But that's you."
"Ha ha. Seriously, Max… if we're going to regain some semblance of control, you need to assert yourself with her. I'm not saying to punish her for every little thing but make sure she's accountable for the things she says and does. Don't let her walk all over you… like you let Kat."
"I'm the boss. Not a doormat… I'm the Dad." Max nodded to himself in a little pep talk. "I'll miss you every second."
"I know and I'll miss you but you call and let me know what's going on." She laid her head down on his shoulder, closing her eyes.
"We will."
--
Michael rose when the boys approached the table. He held out his hand for each to shake but only the little one took it. The older boy, Chuck, just sank into a chair and shoved his plate away. "Where's your mother?"
"Upstairs." The little one, Sammy, answered. "She showed us a picture of you so we would know where to go. You look like our great-grandpa."
"Yeah. I know. Is she okay?"
"She's throwing up."
"Our mom's not dying. You'll never get her money." Chuck bit out.
"And I don't want it." Michael took his seat and picked up his juice glass. "I know you're pissed off because your dad died and because your mom is sick but I’m not horning in here for her money. I could have had her money two decades ago but I didn't want it then either and don't think I couldn't have used it.
"Your mom is worried about what's gonna happen to you if she goes before you're ready to take care of yourselves. People took advantage of that when her parents died and she's going to make sure that doesn't happen to you."
Chuck blinked at him. "What happened when her parents died?"
--
Emily flipped the pancakes onto the plate and got her brothers situated. "Come on. I have to go to the campus and get some things done."
"We can stay with Gramma Diane." Stephen shook his head. "Davey said he'd come over with the puppy again."
"He can bring it over later. Right now, you're coming with me."
"Let them stay. Grandma will love it." Danny whispered as he came up behind her. "You'll be stressed enough getting your transcripts and all that."
"You're going to be late." She warned.
"Well worth it." He nuzzled her neck.
"Well, if you're going to be late, you might as well eat something." She purred but shoved a plate into his chest. "Come, doc. Follow your own advice. Start your day with a hearty breakfast."
“I’m going to Las Cruces today. I’ll be back tonight.” He whispered. “You gonna be okay.”
“Just call if something happens.”
“Ew! Are you guys gonna kiss?” Stephen burst out.
--
"I borrowed this room and we have limited use." Agent Will Goldblum addressed his new employees. "I have taken into account your backgrounds and specialties. If you are standing in this room, you are employed. I realize that you've agreed to join my unit on a leap of faith. I am a very busy man and I am rarely able to stay in one place for any length of time but I am usually in one of a few places. This is a secured room so I can feel comfortable letting you all know where your fellows will be working."
The men and woman in the room listened attentively like the well trained agents they were. Truth was these were all that had stayed that day in Roswell and he couldn't afford to let go of those willing to stay.
"Agent Ledford is my senior employee. She is stationed in Lubbock, Texas. She has charge of two individuals. Two of you… Agents Killian and Geordi will be stationed with her. She will instruct you and you will follow her orders to a T. Agent Stafford is stationed in Miami, Florida. He has charge of a single individual but has orders to keep tabs on a family just outside of Tallahassee. Agents Guerrero, Schouster and Bernstein will go to the office there and take orders from him. There's a ghost office there that I need reactivated and he'll need a slightly larger team. There is an individual here in Santa Fe that I often have charge of myself. When I am unable, due to the aforementioned frequent traveling, I will borrow one or more of you. Usually I only keep one agent per charge outside of the home office but as the years pass, I believe this unit will have to grow." Will sipped his water and glanced at the clock. "As I stated before, I will not reveal the identity of our diplomat. This is of the utmost importance. It is a matter of national security."
"Pardon me, Agent Goldblum." Agent Seyton raised her hand. "First, I wasn't assigned and um… if this is national security why does the FBI have jurisdiction instead of the NSA?"
"I was getting to that." Will cut short the chuckle that rumbled through the room. "You're stationed here but I'm going to talk to you later. I have documents and files and other items that need to be transported and I don't use Fed-Ex."
"I'm a glorified gofer?" She scoffed.
"What you are is a member of our unit. You applied for the NSA and turned them down. I saw your scores. This is the job I need you to do. I'm leaving tomorrow for California and our individual in Santa Fe will need you to make trips for us." He took a deep breath and once more addressed the entire room. "You will find that your assignments aren't exactly working to better mankind… save for the individual here… Which is why the NSA is not involved." He cleared his throat. "The US government owes this diplomat for a… misunderstanding that took place when we were all children when the director of the FBI was not asked to keep close tabs on all units… but often deferred to the judgment of men and women he never met in charge of those units…
"This is a different age. We are here to protect and to serve. Nothing happens to our charges. You see something suspicious, you report to your superior agent and that agent will determine the nature of the danger and whether or not I should be contacted. We don't play cowboy and we don't jump to conclusions. From time to time family members will visit and you will responsible for those as well. If there's a significant amount, agents will be borrowed… a matter that I personally oversee and will inform you of myself. Agents Seyton and Neiman will be stationed out of Santa Fe. There is a lot of rearranging going on. It's confusing but by September, everything will be sorted out and in clockwork fashion. Agent Seyton, Agent Neiman, come with me. Everyone else is dismissed to report to the offices you've been assigned to in the packets under your chairs."
--
Max piled the suitcases in the car to prepare for the drive to the airport and turned to his son. “Are we okay?”
“Yeah.” David shrugged.
“Are you sure? You’ve barely said three words to me all day, chief.”
“Dad… Penny Applegate is having a boy-girl party and she wants me to go with her.” He guided Sterling out from under the car. “I want to go but…”
“What’s wrong?”
“When I get nervous, I zone out and when I talk to Penny, I get nervous.”
“You… zone out…” Max wiggled his fingers in the air.
He wiggled his fingers back at his father. “Yeah, I put myself to sleep.”
“You tried repeating everything she says in your head so you can focus?”
“Too nervous to listen.”
“When’s the party?”
“Two weeks.”
“Okay. You work on it. I should be back by then. We’ll work on something or… you know… Mom is really good at this stuff…”
The boy made a face about that. Talking to his mother about girls was just not an option. “I’ll wait until you come back.”
“Alright. I’ll keep you posted on our progress so you always know your options.” Max nodded and leaned on the car. “So… who is this Penny Applegate? Do we know her parents? Have we met her? How long have you been seeing this Penny? Are there wedding plans?”
“You’re a dork.” David rolled his eyes and tossed a ball across the yard for Sterling to chase.
--
Michael introduced the boys to his wife. Chuck remained standoffish but Michael could understand that. The boy’s life was falling apart. He had been asked to grow up before his time. They had had their talk and nothing was better but the air was clear. When Laurie was able to make it downstairs, no one would have ever guessed that she had been ill that morning.
--
Isabel checked her bag and reached for Jesse’s hand. “I’m ready.”
“Okay.” Jesse nodded and opened the front door. “Did you call the kids?”
“They’re lounging around on the beach again today. He said he had activities. He lied to me.” Isabel sighed and blew out a breath. “They’re having fun, right?”
“How could they not?” Jesse pointed to the waiting car in the drive. “Danny’s waiting. Let’s go.”
She stopped him as he was locking the front door. “Jesse.” He locked the door and looked her in the eye, waiting for her to say whatever was so important. “I talked to Alex this morning and he told me something.”
“Well…”
“Jesse… Gina is eating Tabasco sauce.”
“You mean… on… everything…” He motioned with his hands. “And her ulcers?”
“She’s not getting them.”
“Why are you so worried? This is a good thing right?” Jesse pulled her to him. “She’s getting alien powers and she’ll be… sick less… right?”
“I don’t know. Why now? Why after seven years?”
“Maybe she just needed time to catch up. You’ll see. She’ll start shooting up and she’ll be normal and happy… as normal as a hybrid child can be.”
“You’re not scared?”
“She’s not hurting. She hasn’t had a nosebleed all summer since she’s been with Alex. She’s not getting ulcers and she’s not getting sick and so I am not scared. I am happy but worried that you’re stalling having this thing done after you were so adamant about it.”
“Okay. Okay. We’ll go.”
--
Will opened his office for the two and gave each a set of keys. “You’re getting a crash course. This can be an extremely boring job. Agent Neiman, you are to shadow our individual. Her name is Dr. Kathleen Evans. This is her schedule. This is your new beeper. When she strays from her schedule, she will beep you so that you can meet and discuss what’s to be done. You have the nights off to sleep in your own apartment that you will be getting sometime soon. You do not have to be on her heels but you must keep her in sight. She knows how it works, she’ll answer any questions. There will be some attachment eventually but she may try to ditch you at first so… try to be unobtrusive and everything will go smoothly.”
“Agent Goldblum…” He tried to interrupt but the agent waved him off.
“I realize this is a rush and there are extenuating circumstances just now. In two hours, we’re having guests and they’ll be fine.” Will racked his brain and checked his watch to be sure of the time. “Agent Seyton… you have the privilege this week and possibly for the following months to escort biological matter over half the country. You’ll be reimbursed until I can get the bureau cards ready for the two of you.” He pulled a thin but large case from behind his desk. “There are only three sets of keys for this. You don’t get one. You take it to and from those who do.”
“Biologicals?” She furrowed her brow.
“Mostly blood and tissue samples. There’s going to be more and more of that going on in the coming days most likely. When you aren’t traveling, you and Agent Neiman will watch our individual.” Agent Goldblum took a deep breath to slow his racing mind. “Pardon me for being so scattered… it really has been a rough few weeks… and they’re not over yet.”
“This is our home office, then?”
“Yes. Bureau signs our checks. You can depend on that. I am the… director of our unit. Everything comes to me. There are, of course, some rules you’ll need to follow, same as any other branch but everything comes to me.” He pointed to the door. “I’ve got time to show you around before we’ve got to meet our guests at the airport.”
--
Liz rolled over to find Max was up early and flipping through Beth’s picture book. “Max?”
“Did you look at these? This is the girl I always wanted. Happy and smiling.” Max turned page after page. “She says he makes the noise go away. That’s why she can have fun with him.” He sighed heavily and gazed at his packed suitcase. “What if… something happens? What if it all goes wrong?”
“You’ll try and if it works… our little girl will have a… normal childhood… or what’s left of it… if it doesn’t… then we’ll look somewhere else.”
"You could still come, Liz. Your mom could take care of Davey til we got back." Max pleaded and set the book down on the bed. "I need you with me. I can't deal with her on my own."
"Yes, you can. You'll be fine. Beth and I will mend when she gets back. When she's better. You and Beth need this to… show her that you love her every bit as much as our other children." Liz tugged him down into bed. "You just have to show her who is the boss."
"But that's you."
"Ha ha. Seriously, Max… if we're going to regain some semblance of control, you need to assert yourself with her. I'm not saying to punish her for every little thing but make sure she's accountable for the things she says and does. Don't let her walk all over you… like you let Kat."
"I'm the boss. Not a doormat… I'm the Dad." Max nodded to himself in a little pep talk. "I'll miss you every second."
"I know and I'll miss you but you call and let me know what's going on." She laid her head down on his shoulder, closing her eyes.
"We will."
--
Michael rose when the boys approached the table. He held out his hand for each to shake but only the little one took it. The older boy, Chuck, just sank into a chair and shoved his plate away. "Where's your mother?"
"Upstairs." The little one, Sammy, answered. "She showed us a picture of you so we would know where to go. You look like our great-grandpa."
"Yeah. I know. Is she okay?"
"She's throwing up."
"Our mom's not dying. You'll never get her money." Chuck bit out.
"And I don't want it." Michael took his seat and picked up his juice glass. "I know you're pissed off because your dad died and because your mom is sick but I’m not horning in here for her money. I could have had her money two decades ago but I didn't want it then either and don't think I couldn't have used it.
"Your mom is worried about what's gonna happen to you if she goes before you're ready to take care of yourselves. People took advantage of that when her parents died and she's going to make sure that doesn't happen to you."
Chuck blinked at him. "What happened when her parents died?"
--
Emily flipped the pancakes onto the plate and got her brothers situated. "Come on. I have to go to the campus and get some things done."
"We can stay with Gramma Diane." Stephen shook his head. "Davey said he'd come over with the puppy again."
"He can bring it over later. Right now, you're coming with me."
"Let them stay. Grandma will love it." Danny whispered as he came up behind her. "You'll be stressed enough getting your transcripts and all that."
"You're going to be late." She warned.
"Well worth it." He nuzzled her neck.
"Well, if you're going to be late, you might as well eat something." She purred but shoved a plate into his chest. "Come, doc. Follow your own advice. Start your day with a hearty breakfast."
“I’m going to Las Cruces today. I’ll be back tonight.” He whispered. “You gonna be okay.”
“Just call if something happens.”
“Ew! Are you guys gonna kiss?” Stephen burst out.
--
"I borrowed this room and we have limited use." Agent Will Goldblum addressed his new employees. "I have taken into account your backgrounds and specialties. If you are standing in this room, you are employed. I realize that you've agreed to join my unit on a leap of faith. I am a very busy man and I am rarely able to stay in one place for any length of time but I am usually in one of a few places. This is a secured room so I can feel comfortable letting you all know where your fellows will be working."
The men and woman in the room listened attentively like the well trained agents they were. Truth was these were all that had stayed that day in Roswell and he couldn't afford to let go of those willing to stay.
"Agent Ledford is my senior employee. She is stationed in Lubbock, Texas. She has charge of two individuals. Two of you… Agents Killian and Geordi will be stationed with her. She will instruct you and you will follow her orders to a T. Agent Stafford is stationed in Miami, Florida. He has charge of a single individual but has orders to keep tabs on a family just outside of Tallahassee. Agents Guerrero, Schouster and Bernstein will go to the office there and take orders from him. There's a ghost office there that I need reactivated and he'll need a slightly larger team. There is an individual here in Santa Fe that I often have charge of myself. When I am unable, due to the aforementioned frequent traveling, I will borrow one or more of you. Usually I only keep one agent per charge outside of the home office but as the years pass, I believe this unit will have to grow." Will sipped his water and glanced at the clock. "As I stated before, I will not reveal the identity of our diplomat. This is of the utmost importance. It is a matter of national security."
"Pardon me, Agent Goldblum." Agent Seyton raised her hand. "First, I wasn't assigned and um… if this is national security why does the FBI have jurisdiction instead of the NSA?"
"I was getting to that." Will cut short the chuckle that rumbled through the room. "You're stationed here but I'm going to talk to you later. I have documents and files and other items that need to be transported and I don't use Fed-Ex."
"I'm a glorified gofer?" She scoffed.
"What you are is a member of our unit. You applied for the NSA and turned them down. I saw your scores. This is the job I need you to do. I'm leaving tomorrow for California and our individual in Santa Fe will need you to make trips for us." He took a deep breath and once more addressed the entire room. "You will find that your assignments aren't exactly working to better mankind… save for the individual here… Which is why the NSA is not involved." He cleared his throat. "The US government owes this diplomat for a… misunderstanding that took place when we were all children when the director of the FBI was not asked to keep close tabs on all units… but often deferred to the judgment of men and women he never met in charge of those units…
"This is a different age. We are here to protect and to serve. Nothing happens to our charges. You see something suspicious, you report to your superior agent and that agent will determine the nature of the danger and whether or not I should be contacted. We don't play cowboy and we don't jump to conclusions. From time to time family members will visit and you will responsible for those as well. If there's a significant amount, agents will be borrowed… a matter that I personally oversee and will inform you of myself. Agents Seyton and Neiman will be stationed out of Santa Fe. There is a lot of rearranging going on. It's confusing but by September, everything will be sorted out and in clockwork fashion. Agent Seyton, Agent Neiman, come with me. Everyone else is dismissed to report to the offices you've been assigned to in the packets under your chairs."
--
Max piled the suitcases in the car to prepare for the drive to the airport and turned to his son. “Are we okay?”
“Yeah.” David shrugged.
“Are you sure? You’ve barely said three words to me all day, chief.”
“Dad… Penny Applegate is having a boy-girl party and she wants me to go with her.” He guided Sterling out from under the car. “I want to go but…”
“What’s wrong?”
“When I get nervous, I zone out and when I talk to Penny, I get nervous.”
“You… zone out…” Max wiggled his fingers in the air.
He wiggled his fingers back at his father. “Yeah, I put myself to sleep.”
“You tried repeating everything she says in your head so you can focus?”
“Too nervous to listen.”
“When’s the party?”
“Two weeks.”
“Okay. You work on it. I should be back by then. We’ll work on something or… you know… Mom is really good at this stuff…”
The boy made a face about that. Talking to his mother about girls was just not an option. “I’ll wait until you come back.”
“Alright. I’ll keep you posted on our progress so you always know your options.” Max nodded and leaned on the car. “So… who is this Penny Applegate? Do we know her parents? Have we met her? How long have you been seeing this Penny? Are there wedding plans?”
“You’re a dork.” David rolled his eyes and tossed a ball across the yard for Sterling to chase.
--
Michael introduced the boys to his wife. Chuck remained standoffish but Michael could understand that. The boy’s life was falling apart. He had been asked to grow up before his time. They had had their talk and nothing was better but the air was clear. When Laurie was able to make it downstairs, no one would have ever guessed that she had been ill that morning.
--
Isabel checked her bag and reached for Jesse’s hand. “I’m ready.”
“Okay.” Jesse nodded and opened the front door. “Did you call the kids?”
“They’re lounging around on the beach again today. He said he had activities. He lied to me.” Isabel sighed and blew out a breath. “They’re having fun, right?”
“How could they not?” Jesse pointed to the waiting car in the drive. “Danny’s waiting. Let’s go.”
She stopped him as he was locking the front door. “Jesse.” He locked the door and looked her in the eye, waiting for her to say whatever was so important. “I talked to Alex this morning and he told me something.”
“Well…”
“Jesse… Gina is eating Tabasco sauce.”
“You mean… on… everything…” He motioned with his hands. “And her ulcers?”
“She’s not getting them.”
“Why are you so worried? This is a good thing right?” Jesse pulled her to him. “She’s getting alien powers and she’ll be… sick less… right?”
“I don’t know. Why now? Why after seven years?”
“Maybe she just needed time to catch up. You’ll see. She’ll start shooting up and she’ll be normal and happy… as normal as a hybrid child can be.”
“You’re not scared?”
“She’s not hurting. She hasn’t had a nosebleed all summer since she’s been with Alex. She’s not getting ulcers and she’s not getting sick and so I am not scared. I am happy but worried that you’re stalling having this thing done after you were so adamant about it.”
“Okay. Okay. We’ll go.”
--
Will opened his office for the two and gave each a set of keys. “You’re getting a crash course. This can be an extremely boring job. Agent Neiman, you are to shadow our individual. Her name is Dr. Kathleen Evans. This is her schedule. This is your new beeper. When she strays from her schedule, she will beep you so that you can meet and discuss what’s to be done. You have the nights off to sleep in your own apartment that you will be getting sometime soon. You do not have to be on her heels but you must keep her in sight. She knows how it works, she’ll answer any questions. There will be some attachment eventually but she may try to ditch you at first so… try to be unobtrusive and everything will go smoothly.”
“Agent Goldblum…” He tried to interrupt but the agent waved him off.
“I realize this is a rush and there are extenuating circumstances just now. In two hours, we’re having guests and they’ll be fine.” Will racked his brain and checked his watch to be sure of the time. “Agent Seyton… you have the privilege this week and possibly for the following months to escort biological matter over half the country. You’ll be reimbursed until I can get the bureau cards ready for the two of you.” He pulled a thin but large case from behind his desk. “There are only three sets of keys for this. You don’t get one. You take it to and from those who do.”
“Biologicals?” She furrowed her brow.
“Mostly blood and tissue samples. There’s going to be more and more of that going on in the coming days most likely. When you aren’t traveling, you and Agent Neiman will watch our individual.” Agent Goldblum took a deep breath to slow his racing mind. “Pardon me for being so scattered… it really has been a rough few weeks… and they’re not over yet.”
“This is our home office, then?”
“Yes. Bureau signs our checks. You can depend on that. I am the… director of our unit. Everything comes to me. There are, of course, some rules you’ll need to follow, same as any other branch but everything comes to me.” He pointed to the door. “I’ve got time to show you around before we’ve got to meet our guests at the airport.”
--
--
Beth took a deep breath when the plane started to lift off. Her father seemed not to notice as he flipped through the passenger guide. Then the plane leveled off and she let out the breath. "Whoa… that was cool."
"Feels like you were born to feel that?" Max asked without looking up.
She turned her eyes to the window and stared at the clouds. "Yeah. Exactly." Her fingers grazed the glass. She reached for her cross and just traced it a moment. "Like that was all I have been waiting for all my life."
"The flight to Chicago is longer. I like to take that one at night." He put away the pamphlet and checked his watch. "The lights just…"
"Remind you of something you forgot but never knew you remembered." She whispered, seeing the nighttime Chicago skyline in her mind, and then shook her head. "I think I'm outgrowing this one already."
"Me too." He nodded, knowing she was talking about her shot and that was exactly what he felt when he saw the lights at night from a plane. It was eerie the way she described it to him. Hitting the nail on the head when the head of the nail was smaller than an atom.
--
Liz met her mother-in-law at the park so the boys could play with the dog in an open area. Poor Mattie tried so hard to keep up but his short legs failed him and he always got there after the older two were headed in a different direction. When Liz felt Diane's hand on her shoulder, she had to bite back the tears she'd been fighting constantly since Beth had been released from the hospital. "This will work somehow and she'll be able to enjoy being awake and clueless…"
"Yes." Diane nodded and let her eyes settle on the laughing boys.
"But how do I give her back the years she missed? The years she had to spend locked in her room. The moments she chose to stay away from people afraid she was going to feel too much and know too much. How does she get back what got taken from her by something out of our control?"
"If I gave you a time machine, would you go back and say no the night you said yes so that you could have had more time to get ready for your son?" Diane whispered. "Would you change it so that you had finished college on time and then gotten married and then had kids?"
"No." Liz shook her head. "If I had waited… I would probably only have Bethany and David… but there's no saying they would be the same without Daniel and Kathleen… I wouldn't be the same. I probably would have messed up more with Beth…"
"But you see my point. You can't go back for yourself or for your children. She'll make the best of the childhood she's got left. She's such a mature girl that she'll be okay. Beth is like you… she wouldn't even entertain going back to change it."
--
Alex picked up his phone from the side of the pool. No calls except for his mother saying that she had checked into the hospital. He hit the phonebook button and almost scanned for Lynnette's number but he hit clear instead and turned to lift Gina up onto the deck for lunch. "Hungry yet?"
"Pizza."
"We're having chicken and rice."
"Pizza." Gina repeated as if she hadn't heard him.
"No… chicken and rice. Check it out." Alex pulled the packets off the grill and opened one up on her plate. She just stared at it. "Kyle and Berty ate theirs."
"It's gonna taste funny."
"Well, I'm eating." He opened his own and poured a generous dollop of Tabasco on his chicken. She just stared at him for a long time before doing the same and tasting her food. "Not bad?"
"It's okay."
"See. Big brother can cook."
"You didn't cook. You just threw things in foil and put it on the grill."
"Well?"
"Cooking is making and that's not what you did."
"Really."
"Uh-huh. Daddy does what you do. Mommy says it's not cooking."
--
Kathy bent over her microscope, scribbling notes onto a notepad nearby. She felt rather than heard the door open. She never paused in her note taking. “Freeze right where you are, Will Goldblum. This is a clean room and I know you didn’t stop to decontaminate.”
“Well, that’s flattering, honey but I can’t even begin to hope I still look that young.”
“Hi Daddy. I’ll be out in a few.” She smiled into the microscope.
--
Isabel took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Jesse looked funny with a cap and mask but she couldn’t laugh. She was numb from the waist down. From the look in his eyes, Dr. Davis had already started. The IV hung, silently dripping into her veins. Jesse took her hand in both of his, his eyes crinkling a little to show he was trying to smile at her under his mask. “It’s okay. I don’t feel a thing.”
--
Lynnette sat next to her aunt to try and finish the blanket Tía had started months ago. “It’s coming along okay.”
“You need a smaller needle to finish it.” Tía didn’t even open her eyes to look. Her hands hurt too much when she watched her niece crocheting that blanket with as much ease as she hadn't had herself in years.
“You never said who it was for.” Lynnette muttered to her working hands.
“Who do you think, Tontita? Your mama won’t care if you have one or twelve as long as you get married. You need one baby blanket to start off.”
“Tía…” Lynnette sighed but didn’t stop winding the needle and yarn through her fingers. “Who’s going to take care of you when I leave?”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out. When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you are leaving.” Irene set her sights on the pictures of her son and grandchildren on the far wall.
“I guess.”
“When are you going to save that boy his suspense and tell him?”
“I think he knows.”
“He hopes. I don’t think he knows.” She shifted her gaze to watch her niece work so diligently on her craft. “He hasn’t called in a few days.”
“I’ll call him tonight after Jesse comes home.”
“He’s not going to drive his girlfriend home after surgery. Where’s your brain? In love. Call tu novio.”
“Later. I’m busy. I can finish this tonight. I'll call him when I do.”
--
Beth took her injection like a good girl, highly aware that a new agent was staring. The airplane ride had been quiet and when Will had shown up with the new guy, she had opted to keep her mouth closed. It hadn’t stopped her from throwing her arms around Will though. She got the impression that he wished she hadn’t in front of that man but she couldn’t help it. When Kathy finally entered the room, she rushed over and hugged her. “You look good.”
"I'm okay." Beth nodded.
“Come on. I’ve got a space open so we can get these tests over with.” Kathy ushered them to an examination room.
“Right now?” Beth griped. “I just had a shot.”
“Well, we’re going to do a brain scan and then some other tests. Your shot won’t interfere. We have some things to discuss.” Kathy turned to her father. “You ready, Dad?”
“Let’s do it.”
"Well, you have to wait." Kat smiled broadly at her father. "She needs to change."
"You think you're sneaky? I'm just going to enjoy myself out here. It'll be a nice break." Max took a seat and turned to Agent Neiman. "New to New Mexico?"
Will motioned Kat and Beth to go off to do what they needed to do. He took a seat across from Max and waited until Agent Seyton rejoined them. "Dr. Evans, meet Agent Seyton. She will be our go-to gal from here on out."
"Ah… getting around our problem with the security guys, I see." Max nodded and winced at the quick look from the young female agent. "We're not transporting more than blood samples but the officer in Santa Fe always gives Will a hard time. But he never hassles Agent Ledford."
"Ah." Agent Seyton nodded but couldn't take her eyes off of the doctor. "Do you travel much?"
"Three or four times a year. Less than it used to be. Seven or eight times a year when I was doing my residency." Max shrugged a little.
"Did you find it hard to adjust to jet lag?" Agent Seyton sent a small smile with an arched eyebrow to Will.
"I normally only had to go over one time zone one way or another. I was never sent to the East Coast."
"No? never?"
"Maybe once. Where do you hail from?" Max kept up the conversation as Will and Neiman began to dissect their assignment.
"Florida, originally." She settled herself in her seat. "Dr. Evans is your daughter?"
"Yes." Max beamed proudly every time Kat was referred to as doctor to him. "We're doing some… classified work. If um… we don't get any answers from this test… there will be more and lots of traveling. This doesn't happen often."
"You sound like a considerate man. Agent Goldblum is a fine agent. I've heard nothing but good about him but um… he has no qualms about being—"
"Whoa." Max cleared his throat. "Will is um… attached to my daughter and it's been a rough summer for her. He's just getting through the moments like I am. He's a good man. You have to get to know him. I've known him eight years… wow… it's been that long. He's the son I was too young to father."
Agent Seyton smiled at the jest and swallowed down a lump. "I look forward to working with you, Dr. Evans."
"I'm sorry?" Max sat up.
"You're a doctor with the bureau?"
"No…" Max shook his head. "I'm related to a diplomat."
"Oh. The girl, also your daughter?"
"Right. Beth and Kat are sisters…" Max cleared his throat at Will but he was still going over an itinerary with Neiman. "I also have two sons. One's a doctor like myself and the other is at home with my wife. He's having his first girl crisis."
"Wow. I'm an only child myself. My father wasn't around that much. He probably wouldn't have noticed me having a boy crisis if he was." She turned to Will. "Sir? Will you need us on each individual?"
"Dr. Evans doesn't require a bodyguard and I've got the younger Dr. Evans on my evening watch. The two of you take the time to find lodging and familiarize yourselves with the campus."
TBC
Beth took a deep breath when the plane started to lift off. Her father seemed not to notice as he flipped through the passenger guide. Then the plane leveled off and she let out the breath. "Whoa… that was cool."
"Feels like you were born to feel that?" Max asked without looking up.
She turned her eyes to the window and stared at the clouds. "Yeah. Exactly." Her fingers grazed the glass. She reached for her cross and just traced it a moment. "Like that was all I have been waiting for all my life."
"The flight to Chicago is longer. I like to take that one at night." He put away the pamphlet and checked his watch. "The lights just…"
"Remind you of something you forgot but never knew you remembered." She whispered, seeing the nighttime Chicago skyline in her mind, and then shook her head. "I think I'm outgrowing this one already."
"Me too." He nodded, knowing she was talking about her shot and that was exactly what he felt when he saw the lights at night from a plane. It was eerie the way she described it to him. Hitting the nail on the head when the head of the nail was smaller than an atom.
--
Liz met her mother-in-law at the park so the boys could play with the dog in an open area. Poor Mattie tried so hard to keep up but his short legs failed him and he always got there after the older two were headed in a different direction. When Liz felt Diane's hand on her shoulder, she had to bite back the tears she'd been fighting constantly since Beth had been released from the hospital. "This will work somehow and she'll be able to enjoy being awake and clueless…"
"Yes." Diane nodded and let her eyes settle on the laughing boys.
"But how do I give her back the years she missed? The years she had to spend locked in her room. The moments she chose to stay away from people afraid she was going to feel too much and know too much. How does she get back what got taken from her by something out of our control?"
"If I gave you a time machine, would you go back and say no the night you said yes so that you could have had more time to get ready for your son?" Diane whispered. "Would you change it so that you had finished college on time and then gotten married and then had kids?"
"No." Liz shook her head. "If I had waited… I would probably only have Bethany and David… but there's no saying they would be the same without Daniel and Kathleen… I wouldn't be the same. I probably would have messed up more with Beth…"
"But you see my point. You can't go back for yourself or for your children. She'll make the best of the childhood she's got left. She's such a mature girl that she'll be okay. Beth is like you… she wouldn't even entertain going back to change it."
--
Alex picked up his phone from the side of the pool. No calls except for his mother saying that she had checked into the hospital. He hit the phonebook button and almost scanned for Lynnette's number but he hit clear instead and turned to lift Gina up onto the deck for lunch. "Hungry yet?"
"Pizza."
"We're having chicken and rice."
"Pizza." Gina repeated as if she hadn't heard him.
"No… chicken and rice. Check it out." Alex pulled the packets off the grill and opened one up on her plate. She just stared at it. "Kyle and Berty ate theirs."
"It's gonna taste funny."
"Well, I'm eating." He opened his own and poured a generous dollop of Tabasco on his chicken. She just stared at him for a long time before doing the same and tasting her food. "Not bad?"
"It's okay."
"See. Big brother can cook."
"You didn't cook. You just threw things in foil and put it on the grill."
"Well?"
"Cooking is making and that's not what you did."
"Really."
"Uh-huh. Daddy does what you do. Mommy says it's not cooking."
--
Kathy bent over her microscope, scribbling notes onto a notepad nearby. She felt rather than heard the door open. She never paused in her note taking. “Freeze right where you are, Will Goldblum. This is a clean room and I know you didn’t stop to decontaminate.”
“Well, that’s flattering, honey but I can’t even begin to hope I still look that young.”
“Hi Daddy. I’ll be out in a few.” She smiled into the microscope.
--
Isabel took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Jesse looked funny with a cap and mask but she couldn’t laugh. She was numb from the waist down. From the look in his eyes, Dr. Davis had already started. The IV hung, silently dripping into her veins. Jesse took her hand in both of his, his eyes crinkling a little to show he was trying to smile at her under his mask. “It’s okay. I don’t feel a thing.”
--
Lynnette sat next to her aunt to try and finish the blanket Tía had started months ago. “It’s coming along okay.”
“You need a smaller needle to finish it.” Tía didn’t even open her eyes to look. Her hands hurt too much when she watched her niece crocheting that blanket with as much ease as she hadn't had herself in years.
“You never said who it was for.” Lynnette muttered to her working hands.
“Who do you think, Tontita? Your mama won’t care if you have one or twelve as long as you get married. You need one baby blanket to start off.”
“Tía…” Lynnette sighed but didn’t stop winding the needle and yarn through her fingers. “Who’s going to take care of you when I leave?”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out. When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you are leaving.” Irene set her sights on the pictures of her son and grandchildren on the far wall.
“I guess.”
“When are you going to save that boy his suspense and tell him?”
“I think he knows.”
“He hopes. I don’t think he knows.” She shifted her gaze to watch her niece work so diligently on her craft. “He hasn’t called in a few days.”
“I’ll call him tonight after Jesse comes home.”
“He’s not going to drive his girlfriend home after surgery. Where’s your brain? In love. Call tu novio.”
“Later. I’m busy. I can finish this tonight. I'll call him when I do.”
--
Beth took her injection like a good girl, highly aware that a new agent was staring. The airplane ride had been quiet and when Will had shown up with the new guy, she had opted to keep her mouth closed. It hadn’t stopped her from throwing her arms around Will though. She got the impression that he wished she hadn’t in front of that man but she couldn’t help it. When Kathy finally entered the room, she rushed over and hugged her. “You look good.”
"I'm okay." Beth nodded.
“Come on. I’ve got a space open so we can get these tests over with.” Kathy ushered them to an examination room.
“Right now?” Beth griped. “I just had a shot.”
“Well, we’re going to do a brain scan and then some other tests. Your shot won’t interfere. We have some things to discuss.” Kathy turned to her father. “You ready, Dad?”
“Let’s do it.”
"Well, you have to wait." Kat smiled broadly at her father. "She needs to change."
"You think you're sneaky? I'm just going to enjoy myself out here. It'll be a nice break." Max took a seat and turned to Agent Neiman. "New to New Mexico?"
Will motioned Kat and Beth to go off to do what they needed to do. He took a seat across from Max and waited until Agent Seyton rejoined them. "Dr. Evans, meet Agent Seyton. She will be our go-to gal from here on out."
"Ah… getting around our problem with the security guys, I see." Max nodded and winced at the quick look from the young female agent. "We're not transporting more than blood samples but the officer in Santa Fe always gives Will a hard time. But he never hassles Agent Ledford."
"Ah." Agent Seyton nodded but couldn't take her eyes off of the doctor. "Do you travel much?"
"Three or four times a year. Less than it used to be. Seven or eight times a year when I was doing my residency." Max shrugged a little.
"Did you find it hard to adjust to jet lag?" Agent Seyton sent a small smile with an arched eyebrow to Will.
"I normally only had to go over one time zone one way or another. I was never sent to the East Coast."
"No? never?"
"Maybe once. Where do you hail from?" Max kept up the conversation as Will and Neiman began to dissect their assignment.
"Florida, originally." She settled herself in her seat. "Dr. Evans is your daughter?"
"Yes." Max beamed proudly every time Kat was referred to as doctor to him. "We're doing some… classified work. If um… we don't get any answers from this test… there will be more and lots of traveling. This doesn't happen often."
"You sound like a considerate man. Agent Goldblum is a fine agent. I've heard nothing but good about him but um… he has no qualms about being—"
"Whoa." Max cleared his throat. "Will is um… attached to my daughter and it's been a rough summer for her. He's just getting through the moments like I am. He's a good man. You have to get to know him. I've known him eight years… wow… it's been that long. He's the son I was too young to father."
Agent Seyton smiled at the jest and swallowed down a lump. "I look forward to working with you, Dr. Evans."
"I'm sorry?" Max sat up.
"You're a doctor with the bureau?"
"No…" Max shook his head. "I'm related to a diplomat."
"Oh. The girl, also your daughter?"
"Right. Beth and Kat are sisters…" Max cleared his throat at Will but he was still going over an itinerary with Neiman. "I also have two sons. One's a doctor like myself and the other is at home with my wife. He's having his first girl crisis."
"Wow. I'm an only child myself. My father wasn't around that much. He probably wouldn't have noticed me having a boy crisis if he was." She turned to Will. "Sir? Will you need us on each individual?"
"Dr. Evans doesn't require a bodyguard and I've got the younger Dr. Evans on my evening watch. The two of you take the time to find lodging and familiarize yourselves with the campus."
TBC
Part 123
The Fate of Destiny Part 123
Beth lay her head on Will's shoulder as she picked at her take-out. Will was enraptured with Kathy's explanation of what they were seeing on the various MRI scans. Max turned to look at his younger daughter and furrowed his brow. "You're not hungry?"
She shrugged and set the carton on the conference table. "I feel sick… I think the drugs are…"
"Okay." Max nodded and pointed to the bathroom door nearby.
"I couldn't begin to think of a drug plan that would help this. The drugs keep her pineal closed and closed off, it swells until the drugs wear off and then it's a gush of hormones that rush her system and she overloads." Kathy sighed heavily as she gazed at the scans lining the far wall. "But if we leave her uninhibited, she has access to absolutely everyone in what… three blocks?"
"Right." Beth snorted. "The furthest I ever got was four houses down."
"Really? Only that far?" Kat shook her head. "I calculated that you could reach farther."
"I didn't really try, I guess. I wasn't looking to see how many people I could read. I was trying to boost my retro-cognizant skills. To read the past."
"I guess we can be grateful for that." Max blew out a breath as he studied both one of Kathy's text books and the scans along the wall. "Whatever the chemical is… seratonin knocks it out. Suggests she needs an emotional control, right?"
"Another summer on the Res?" The teen rolled her eyes but forced herself to eat a little bit. "Talking to He Who Communes with Wind?"
"His name was Eddie." Max shushed her. "What are you saying? It's hopeless?"
"I don't know. That's the point. If there's a way to fix this… humans may not have advanced quite that far. We can tell there's something wrong just looking at these scans but fixing it is a whole other story." Kathy paused to eat and turned her eyes onto her little sister. "You don't know anything?"
"I'm not Edgar Cayce. You can't hypnotize me into diagnosing myself."
Max looked to Will. "I guess we're going to California after all."
"What's in California?" Beth sat up straight and found her sister confused as well.
--
Isabel woke in her hotel room with two attentive men watching over her. “Did I sleep long?”
“I thought you would have slept longer.” Danny shook his head. “I was about to head back but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“You wanted to make sure I was going to wake up.”
“Something like that. Dad will call if I don’t call him. You know how he gets.”
“How long do I have to stay in bed?”
“In this bed?” Danny checked his watch. “Another day. Then you go home and stay in your bed until you are refreshed.”
“If we stick to the painkiller regimen… how about the weekend here and a leisurely drive home.” Jesse proposed from where he was examining the Las Cruces evening paper.
“Even better.” Danny tapped the bottle on the desktop. “One pill with a cup of coffee in the morning, with a caffeinated tea at bedtime. If you need something in between… call me first… then call Sydney.”
“I won’t tell your dad that you’re leaving.” Isabel promised.
“Yeah, really.” He laughed and picked up his cell phone. “I’m going to call Sydney on my way out. She’ll check in with you tomorrow, probably.”
“So… you and me and this room all to ourselves… and a Law & Order marathon on TV.” Jesse murmured, straining to read the paper.
“Did you forget your glasses again?” Isabel sighed and waved to her nephew as he exited the room.
“They keep printing these grids smaller and smaller.”
“Which Law & Order? I never liked that SVU crap.”
“The original… with that… Orbach guy.”
--
Beth flipped through the 'alien testimonial' as Kathy and her father continued to study the scans over the dinner table. Will had long decided to hit the hay, albeit unwillingly as he was sprawled on the couch. Even Kathy's housemates were in bed. She tuned them all out and focused on the words recorded by a full blooded alien. She could almost see it happening that way.
--
Liz sat up going over new lesson plans, Prince Sterling dozing in her lap, and worrying about her children. Max had already called several times but he had hardly learned anything new. She knew Isabel was doing fine and already driving Jesse up the wall. Of course it would be the day that all of Beth's friends decided to call and wish her well or well-death or whatever those four kids had meant. She really did have some weird friends.
--
Alex sat on his porch picking at a Tabasco sundae when he heard the door open. Turning, he found his baby sister. "Can't sleep?"
"No. Kyle's snoring." She made a face and plopped down beside him, looking wistfully at his bowl of ice cream.
"Do you want some?"
"Can I?"
"Just don't tell Mom."
"Are you going to marry Lynnette?" She asked him around a spoonful of ice cream.
"That is the plan. She's got to say yes first."
"She said you didn't do it right."
"What?" He blinked at his baby sister. "What did she say?"
"That you gonna go down on your knees first and you didn't do that. You have to bring a ring and it can't be in a stinky alley."
"Who did she tell that to?"
"Daddy."
Great. Alex shook his head. He had been so eager to make things right that he had done them all wrong.
--
When Beth woke up, she was in a hotel bed. Rolling over, she saw the other bed and her father sitting on it with a cup of coffee. "What time did we check in?"
"Late. You didn't sleep as late as I figured you would." He sipped his coffee and glanced over the scans for the millionth time.
"What'd you do? Carry me?"
"Will carried you."
"The drugs really knock me out at night."
"But not during the day. We'll find something that works." He promised with a small smile. "You ready for breakfast?"
"Dad?" She lifted her head from the pillow. "Do you remember being that other person?"
"Pardon?"
"Zan. King Zan. Do you remember being him?"
"No."
"You never tried?"
"No." He shook his head. "I never really did. I half-assed any attempts I made."
"You were never curious?" She sat up to look him in the eye. "If I found out I had been recreated from someone so powerful… I would have tried everything to remember what it was like to be that person."
"Okay. Maybe I would have except the first thing I learned about King Zan was that he was married to Ava." He lowered his gaze to his bed sheets. "Maybe if I hadn't learned that first, I might have tried harder but my priority was keeping your mother."
"But… you weren't curious?"
"Yes but… willing to let it drop to get what I wanted out of life."
"You were with this girl for two years but you weren't there. You were this absentee boyfriend and she was looking for her husband probably."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"What I felt for your mother was so much stronger than any curiosity I had for who I used to be. I only found out what I was supposed to be when I was 17 years old. I had eleven years of hiding and denying who and what I was… and then when I finally kissed the girl of my dreams… they told me that wasn't the way it was supposed to be. I didn't want to be a king. I wanted to be me." He lowered his voice. She was just curious. "I've never been completely comfortable with the alien part of me, Beth. The healing is a part of me and I've learned to stop denying that but how often do you see me use my powers?"
"You don't… not really."
"I have always wanted to be human… and I guess part of what helped me to accept the alien parts at all… if I had not been an alien with healing powers, I could not have saved your mother's life that day…" He rose from the bed and sat on hers to look her in the face. "You've grown up privileged, Beth. When I was a child, I was afraid and I had reason. There were people hunting for me. Looking to capture me and to take me apart. They almost succeeded. You haven't had that fear. You were still a little girl when Will came into our lives."
"Maybe I don't know what it's like to live in fear of some faceless person who wants me dead and off this planet but… How can I know who I am if I don't know where I come from? Are you exactly the person you were before or are you the opposite? Did you somehow become the person you once were while running from it? Is it inescapable being who you are?"
"Do you want to escape who you are?"
"I don't know and I can't know unless I understand what it is I'm doing in this universe…"
"I hate to break it to you but I don't think anyone knows what they're doing. Not anyone in this universe."
"Then I'll be the first."
--
Michael signed the paper and slid it across the table. "My lawyer already has a copy."
"You don't wish him to be present?" Laurie's lawyer raised an eyebrow.
"We've discussed this and she doesn't need to be present. She's recovering from surgery. We understand all the tests that need to be done."
"Mrs. Dupree-Allen has set up a clinic in Las Cruces for the tests. Do you know where Dr. Davis's office is?"
He had to bite back the smirk. "Yeah, I think I can find it."
"Right. When we get verification of the DNA, we'll proceed with the remainder of the paperwork."
tbc
Beth lay her head on Will's shoulder as she picked at her take-out. Will was enraptured with Kathy's explanation of what they were seeing on the various MRI scans. Max turned to look at his younger daughter and furrowed his brow. "You're not hungry?"
She shrugged and set the carton on the conference table. "I feel sick… I think the drugs are…"
"Okay." Max nodded and pointed to the bathroom door nearby.
"I couldn't begin to think of a drug plan that would help this. The drugs keep her pineal closed and closed off, it swells until the drugs wear off and then it's a gush of hormones that rush her system and she overloads." Kathy sighed heavily as she gazed at the scans lining the far wall. "But if we leave her uninhibited, she has access to absolutely everyone in what… three blocks?"
"Right." Beth snorted. "The furthest I ever got was four houses down."
"Really? Only that far?" Kat shook her head. "I calculated that you could reach farther."
"I didn't really try, I guess. I wasn't looking to see how many people I could read. I was trying to boost my retro-cognizant skills. To read the past."
"I guess we can be grateful for that." Max blew out a breath as he studied both one of Kathy's text books and the scans along the wall. "Whatever the chemical is… seratonin knocks it out. Suggests she needs an emotional control, right?"
"Another summer on the Res?" The teen rolled her eyes but forced herself to eat a little bit. "Talking to He Who Communes with Wind?"
"His name was Eddie." Max shushed her. "What are you saying? It's hopeless?"
"I don't know. That's the point. If there's a way to fix this… humans may not have advanced quite that far. We can tell there's something wrong just looking at these scans but fixing it is a whole other story." Kathy paused to eat and turned her eyes onto her little sister. "You don't know anything?"
"I'm not Edgar Cayce. You can't hypnotize me into diagnosing myself."
Max looked to Will. "I guess we're going to California after all."
"What's in California?" Beth sat up straight and found her sister confused as well.
--
Isabel woke in her hotel room with two attentive men watching over her. “Did I sleep long?”
“I thought you would have slept longer.” Danny shook his head. “I was about to head back but I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“You wanted to make sure I was going to wake up.”
“Something like that. Dad will call if I don’t call him. You know how he gets.”
“How long do I have to stay in bed?”
“In this bed?” Danny checked his watch. “Another day. Then you go home and stay in your bed until you are refreshed.”
“If we stick to the painkiller regimen… how about the weekend here and a leisurely drive home.” Jesse proposed from where he was examining the Las Cruces evening paper.
“Even better.” Danny tapped the bottle on the desktop. “One pill with a cup of coffee in the morning, with a caffeinated tea at bedtime. If you need something in between… call me first… then call Sydney.”
“I won’t tell your dad that you’re leaving.” Isabel promised.
“Yeah, really.” He laughed and picked up his cell phone. “I’m going to call Sydney on my way out. She’ll check in with you tomorrow, probably.”
“So… you and me and this room all to ourselves… and a Law & Order marathon on TV.” Jesse murmured, straining to read the paper.
“Did you forget your glasses again?” Isabel sighed and waved to her nephew as he exited the room.
“They keep printing these grids smaller and smaller.”
“Which Law & Order? I never liked that SVU crap.”
“The original… with that… Orbach guy.”
--
Beth flipped through the 'alien testimonial' as Kathy and her father continued to study the scans over the dinner table. Will had long decided to hit the hay, albeit unwillingly as he was sprawled on the couch. Even Kathy's housemates were in bed. She tuned them all out and focused on the words recorded by a full blooded alien. She could almost see it happening that way.
--
Liz sat up going over new lesson plans, Prince Sterling dozing in her lap, and worrying about her children. Max had already called several times but he had hardly learned anything new. She knew Isabel was doing fine and already driving Jesse up the wall. Of course it would be the day that all of Beth's friends decided to call and wish her well or well-death or whatever those four kids had meant. She really did have some weird friends.
--
Alex sat on his porch picking at a Tabasco sundae when he heard the door open. Turning, he found his baby sister. "Can't sleep?"
"No. Kyle's snoring." She made a face and plopped down beside him, looking wistfully at his bowl of ice cream.
"Do you want some?"
"Can I?"
"Just don't tell Mom."
"Are you going to marry Lynnette?" She asked him around a spoonful of ice cream.
"That is the plan. She's got to say yes first."
"She said you didn't do it right."
"What?" He blinked at his baby sister. "What did she say?"
"That you gonna go down on your knees first and you didn't do that. You have to bring a ring and it can't be in a stinky alley."
"Who did she tell that to?"
"Daddy."
Great. Alex shook his head. He had been so eager to make things right that he had done them all wrong.
--
When Beth woke up, she was in a hotel bed. Rolling over, she saw the other bed and her father sitting on it with a cup of coffee. "What time did we check in?"
"Late. You didn't sleep as late as I figured you would." He sipped his coffee and glanced over the scans for the millionth time.
"What'd you do? Carry me?"
"Will carried you."
"The drugs really knock me out at night."
"But not during the day. We'll find something that works." He promised with a small smile. "You ready for breakfast?"
"Dad?" She lifted her head from the pillow. "Do you remember being that other person?"
"Pardon?"
"Zan. King Zan. Do you remember being him?"
"No."
"You never tried?"
"No." He shook his head. "I never really did. I half-assed any attempts I made."
"You were never curious?" She sat up to look him in the eye. "If I found out I had been recreated from someone so powerful… I would have tried everything to remember what it was like to be that person."
"Okay. Maybe I would have except the first thing I learned about King Zan was that he was married to Ava." He lowered his gaze to his bed sheets. "Maybe if I hadn't learned that first, I might have tried harder but my priority was keeping your mother."
"But… you weren't curious?"
"Yes but… willing to let it drop to get what I wanted out of life."
"You were with this girl for two years but you weren't there. You were this absentee boyfriend and she was looking for her husband probably."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"What I felt for your mother was so much stronger than any curiosity I had for who I used to be. I only found out what I was supposed to be when I was 17 years old. I had eleven years of hiding and denying who and what I was… and then when I finally kissed the girl of my dreams… they told me that wasn't the way it was supposed to be. I didn't want to be a king. I wanted to be me." He lowered his voice. She was just curious. "I've never been completely comfortable with the alien part of me, Beth. The healing is a part of me and I've learned to stop denying that but how often do you see me use my powers?"
"You don't… not really."
"I have always wanted to be human… and I guess part of what helped me to accept the alien parts at all… if I had not been an alien with healing powers, I could not have saved your mother's life that day…" He rose from the bed and sat on hers to look her in the face. "You've grown up privileged, Beth. When I was a child, I was afraid and I had reason. There were people hunting for me. Looking to capture me and to take me apart. They almost succeeded. You haven't had that fear. You were still a little girl when Will came into our lives."
"Maybe I don't know what it's like to live in fear of some faceless person who wants me dead and off this planet but… How can I know who I am if I don't know where I come from? Are you exactly the person you were before or are you the opposite? Did you somehow become the person you once were while running from it? Is it inescapable being who you are?"
"Do you want to escape who you are?"
"I don't know and I can't know unless I understand what it is I'm doing in this universe…"
"I hate to break it to you but I don't think anyone knows what they're doing. Not anyone in this universe."
"Then I'll be the first."
--
Michael signed the paper and slid it across the table. "My lawyer already has a copy."
"You don't wish him to be present?" Laurie's lawyer raised an eyebrow.
"We've discussed this and she doesn't need to be present. She's recovering from surgery. We understand all the tests that need to be done."
"Mrs. Dupree-Allen has set up a clinic in Las Cruces for the tests. Do you know where Dr. Davis's office is?"
He had to bite back the smirk. "Yeah, I think I can find it."
"Right. When we get verification of the DNA, we'll proceed with the remainder of the paperwork."
tbc
Part 124
The Fate of Destiny Part 124
Michael entered his house and hugged his boys to his chest. "Miss me?"
"Yes!" They chorused.
"How about me?" Oriel crossed her arms and only her baby held out his arms to her. "I suppose that will do."
"Hey Dad, how'd it go?" Emily asked from the kitchen where she was stirring something in a pan.
"I'm going to Las Cruces tomorrow to see Dr. Davis about a blood test." He leaned over to kiss her head. "How's the husband?"
"Hiding from Max." Emily grinned. "He was supposed to stay and keep constant watch over Isabel but…"
"Right. I wouldn't have stuck around either. Isabel's got to be running Jesse ragged by now." Michael set Stephen on his feet and sniffed the kitchen. "That better be from my cookbook. I don't trust anything that comes from Mrs. Evans' collection."
--
"So, who's the old guy in Cali?" Beth asked while she bopped to her headphones.
"That's what we're trying to figure out. We have to get in to see him before he knows we're coming." Max tapped her head with a folder. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Call someone. You've got an hour. On me."
"Cool." She eagerly took the phone and disappeared into the hallway, dialing along the way. "Donna Jo…"
"Hey! How's it going?"
"Lots of probes and prods. I feel like I've been abducted by aliens… only not nearly as hot." She scoffed into the phone, stalking around the hallways in her stilettos.
"Is it bad?"
"Not sure. I'm under control for now but we can already tell I'm outgrowing my meds. Hopefully it won't be too much longer. I am getting to go to California."
"Really?"
"Probably for more tests. Some guy out there is supposed to know something more than these quacks." She stuck her tongue out at her sister when she popped her head out. "What?"
"Will's doing a take-out run, you want to go?"
"I'm on the phone, hello." She scoffed and turned to the opposite wall.
"Is that Kat? I haven't seen her in so long."
"She's this big shot scientist now… or she's gonna be. Hard to tell." Beth spied a woman walking past the hallway and decided to investigate. Her dark hair had gray streaks on one side. "I never hardly understand her when she talks so I figure she must be pretty good at it."
"Cool. So when she wins a Nobel Peace Prize I can say she was my babysitter."
"Something like that."
"Hey, um… Gabe is sitting right here. Do you want to talk to him?"
"What?" Beth froze, almost tripping over her own feet. "Gabriel? My Gabriel?"
"Hey, sweetie, is that you?"
She almost let it slide when she heard his baritone voice. "You're hanging out with Donna Jo now?"
"I had the day off. I ran into her at the Crash when I was snooping out your details from your grandma. Joey invited Donna Jo and then Joey saw that… what's its name? So we came to hang at her place instead. What is its name?" He asked Donna Jo.
"Sam. I know who it is… and it is a boy." Beth ran over that part. "So… you're just hanging out with my friends without me?"
"Beth…" Gabriel cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"
"So you're just… hanging out?"
"No, actually, I decided that I was going to lose my virginity to Donna Jo instead of you. I was just getting to it when you called and interrupted." He sighed heavily. "Seriously, Bethany… Are you okay?"
"Just concerned that suddenly my boyfriend is hanging out with other girls."
"I don't say a word when you hang out with Joey and you used to date him. Or… any of the other guys you talk to constantly at school. Do you want me to leave? I will." Then his voice went far away. "It was cool. I'll see you around Donna Jo."
"What happened?"
"It's nothing."
"Gabriel." Beth tried but he had already handed the phone off. She clicked hers off. She was about to walk back to the screening room but she ran face first into a stack of books.
--
Liz grabbed her keys and had to jog to keep up with David and the puppy. "Don't let him lead you, David."
"I know."
"I'm serious. He'll get used to it and when he gets bigger, he'll pull you around." {And then me when I have to walk him for you.} She did her best to keep up with the two of them.
"Do you think we could do this for the rest of the summer?" He turned his brown eyes on his mother. "Just you and me and Sterling?"
"Sure. We should probably pick a different time of day for these walks though. If he gets used to mid-morning, we could have a problem during the school year. We'll walk him again tonight so that he gets used to that."
"This is a lot of work."
"Yes but you promised you were up for it."
"I am. I'm responsible." He protested. "Is Dad going to come home before Penny's party?"
"I don’t know. He wants to be here. What's up?"
"It's nothing. Guy stuff."
"Oh, I see. Can't talk to Mom about guy stuff." Liz rolled her eyes and was grateful when David slowed their pace around the neighborhood. "I'm only your mother. You don't have to tell me anything."
"Did Danny talk to you about guy stuff?"
"No. Danny thought he was way too smart to talk to his mother about anything." She kept her eyes on him though she faced forward. Something was bothering her little boy. "Who am I? Just some old lady who never lived a day in her life and doesn't know anything about anything."
"That's not true." David took a deep breath and stopped so Sterling could do his business. "Dad doesn't talk about girl stuff with Kat and Beth."
"You've made your point. I'll let it drop for now."
"Do I gotta pick that up?" David grimaced at the ground.
"Part of the job description." Liz handed him a trash bag. "When he goes in the backyard, you have to pick that up too."
"I got tricked. I wanted a puppy and I got one but now I have to work for it."
"Nothing in this world for free."
--
"I am so sorry." A voice spoke over Beth's head.
"I don't--" Beth groaned and tried to sit up. Her nose had taken the brunt of it. "Don't think I broke my nose."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and I was pissed at my mom. All badness." A pretty brunette stacked books into a pile and checked her watch. "Oh. Screw her. Do you need me to take you somewhere? If we go to the med lab next door, a student would look you over for free. All we'll find in here are pompous, self-indulgent brats of every age."
"Huh?"
"Sorry. It's already been a bad day for me." The girl got to her feet and set the books on a chair nearby before taking Beth's hands and pulling her to her feet. "My god. How are you walking in those?"
"Practice."
The brunette looked flustered for a moment, her eyes shining, and then stuck her hand out. "Anyway, I'm Lauren Allison."
"Bethany Evans." Beth took the hand and gave it a good shake before concentrating on her throbbing nose again.
"Ooh… related to Dr. Evans?"
"Yeah… all three of them." She rubbed her nose and wondered briefly if it would have hurt less if she had less of a nose.
"Three? Wow. News to me." Lauren stared at her for a moment. "You're not a student. Are you lost?"
"I went for a walk and it didn't agree with me."
"You should get where you were… the docs get all huffy when there are extra people running around this building."
"Um… it's a pretty bad day right now. I don't want to go in there just now." Beth admitted and picked up her father's abused cell phone from the floor. "Fight with my boyfriend."
"Ouch." Lauren glanced at her books. "Look. I don't want to go to my summer class or meet with my mother. Let's go for a walk and pretend the world doesn’t exist for the next 45 minutes."
"That sounds good and… I've still got about an hour before they come looking for me."
"We'll grab some sort of carb-based sustenance and share our misery. Don't worry, I'm not a serial killer or a potential serial killer. Just… worn out."
--
Kathy thumped Will on the head with a book as she passed. "If you're bored, you can go baby-sit your rookies."
"They're fine. I'm letting them study the campus and all your other haunts."
"That woman is creepy." Max commented. "She asks a lot of questions."
"She's intimidating and that's why I like her. She won't put up with bull from people who tend to throw it at us." Will stretched and checked his watch. "I think her mother was a socialite or something. She's used to getting her own way."
"And you enjoy making sure she has no clue how to do that with you?" Max snorted and shrugged. She was pretty. Good for Will.
"I like having a little power over the agents. So they don't forget who they work for." He got to his feet. "I'll leave the two of you to your work. I'll go get us something that resembles home cooked food and maybe find the young one while I'm at it."
"Do that. And make sure she's not running up my phone bill." Max muttered as he ran his eyes over the scan. "This swelling… what's the cause?"
"It looks to me like a chemical build up. When she went off her meds, she got hurt and she knocked something loose so when she healed up, she really healed up. What I'm afraid of is if we somehow manage to remove the block that it might send a flood of endorphins or something similar into her body and mind and she'll…"
"Overload. Could we siphon it before we remove it?"
"I think that it could be since she's healed herself that the swelling is healing itself but slowly. Releasing just trace amounts of the build up. It would explain how she's already overcome the last two medications you've had her on. It's the pineal gland and I do think that her development was slightly stunted by it. We could wait it out… she'd get more powerful and she'd be more… natural but… it's only a guess at this point. It could take years at this rate. We don't know what her brain really does. If she reaches her full potential…"
"Maybe she was right. This morning we got into it about me not knowing what I am and what I'm for… if I knew… maybe I'd know what she's turning into."
--
"You work in the bio-lab but you aren't a bio-major?" Beth shook her head and bit into her pizza.
"Long story. This is the short version. I had the best parents ever. The Allisons died in a train wreck when I was 12. So, they go looking for next of kin. I don't have any but wait my parents aren't my biological parents. I'm adopted. So… biological parents gave me up because there was some mix up and a lawsuit or something. My mom's egg wasn't her egg but it wasn't egg-lady's fault… not really. Anyway. By the time the whole mess was cleared up, I was graduating from high school and living in a temporary arrangement with these really jerky people." She took a deep breath and sipped her soda. "So, I get egg-lady's name and I come to Santa Fe to look her up… I chicken out until my financial aid falls through."
"Wow."
"Not done and I swear this is the short version. Egg-lady never wanted kids. She had her eggs frozen for a study and forgot about them. When she finds out I'm not a science major, she pretty much ignores me until I lay on this guilt trip about not having any family anymore. She promised to pay my tuition so long as I never tell her advisors and colleagues who I really am." Lauren smiled broadly and dumped a load of Parmesan on her pizza. "I trust you."
"Right and you didn't tell me who she was so I have no way of knowing." Beth shook her finger at her but nodded. "I'm a pretty good guesser. Once I have a look at the lovely ladies my sister works for, I'll know."
"So, my bad day is that I'm having lunch with her sometime today. She'll never know what time it is because she's always in the lab. We're supposed to discuss why I'm still in drama when she suggested I switch to a more serious major. Car broke down, I'm failing history and my boyfriend is cheating on me with a whore."
"Your bad day is worse. I'll just keep mine to myself."
"Come on. Hit me."
"I had an… episode a week or two ago. I have some sort of brain condition which is just barely controlled by drugs for the moment. I got a little loopy, cursed at my mother, defied my boyfriend and got hit by a truck. I'm okay but there are some lingering effects of both the episode and the collision. I've been here for two days. I called home to talk to a girlfriend of mine and discovered my boyfriend was at her house hanging out when they just met about… five days ago. I realize I'm just jealous and I just realized I left him alone in a city full of girls who would probably throw themselves at him… He got mad at me and walked out on the conversation."
"I thought you called him."
"Yeah. He handed the phone off and walked out of the room. Then I turned and got hit in the face with a stack of books." Beth picked a pepper off her pizza to place directly in her mouth. "After two days of poking and prodding… it was a nice vacation, actually. Thank you."
"So, you're a patient?"
"Not really. My sister is Dr. Kat Evans. She's brainy and knows stuff about the brain. My dad is a regular surgeon type. They're working to see what's going on."
"The other doctor? You said there were three."
"My brother. He's going to be a surgeon but so far I'm his only abdominal laparotomy. I think I said that wrong."
"They let your brother operate on you?"
"I'm from a small town."
"Dr. Kat is your sis. Mama Serena talks about her a lot when I do get to talk to her. She's a really cold woman, by the way."
"You call her Mama Serena?"
"Because it drives her crazy. Serena talks about Dr. Evans like she's the second coming or something. She's convinced that if 'that girl would just buckle down, she'd really get somewhere.' I don't know. I'm the woman's genetic material and I have no clue what she's talking about."
"Oh… I get you. I try to read my dad's medical journals sometimes and they just go way over my head… I have no clue what I want to be when I grow up. Three doctors and a teacher in the immediate family. My grandparents were lawyers… my aunt is a lawyer. My boyfriend is going to be a great columnist someday… if he's still my boyfriend after this."
"My parents… the train-wrecked ones… they were teachers but I don't think I could do that. My foster folks were part-timers at the textiles factory. God, they were suck jerks. I said goodbye to them three years ago and good riddance. Mama Serena isn't a saint but I'll take weekly lunch with that woman over the Fieldings any day."
"I guess my folks aren't so bad. I give them a lot of grief. I think though that they aren't as all knowing as I used to think they were. They were young parents. They're 46 and…"
"Wow. That's not gonna be me. I'm gonna be a gray-haired mama." She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. "This is the only good thing I got from Mama Serena."
"Who was your biological father?" Beth blurted out.
"Oh… the incubator's husband. He refused to meet me. They weren't able to have other kids and they resent that I'm alive. God, it's like I'm the most unwanted girl on the planet sometimes."
"No… we all feel that way. My dad says there's not a being in the universe who truly knows what their purpose is… and if they think they do… they're lying."
"Smart guy." Then Lauren ducked her head. "Oh My God. The hottest guy I have ever seen just walked in. I've been drooling over him for… two years off and on."
"You're free now. Go talk to him." Beth smirked and bit into her slice once more. "Show Cheater McBastard that you don't need him."
"I can't. I mean… I'm physically able but… there's got to be a reason he's always in the bio-lab building. Maybe I'll figure that out first and hope I get assigned in the same place." She bit her lip and sighed helplessly before she whipped her head toward the window. "I think he saw me drooling, he's coming over here."
"Beth." Came the stern voice.
Beth swallowed and turned her head to see Will standing beside their table. "Hi Will."
"Hi Beth. What are you doing?" He asked innocently.
"Eating with my new friend Lauren Allison." She smiled brightly at him. "She almost broke my nose and to make it up to me, she bought lunch."
"Nice to meet you." Will turned to the blushing girl he had seen several times at the front desk in the bio-building. "Will Goldblum."
"Don't tell Dad I wandered off. He'll just worry and get all huffy." Beth pleaded. "I was gonna come back."
"Right. We were going back to the bio-building after lunch." Lauren murmured, mesmerized by Will's blue eyes.
"I got Dad's cell phone. Just call me if I'm taking too long." She gave him her brightest smile and her biggest puppy dog eyes. "I'll love you forever."
"You Evans women…" He sighed. "But if when I get back he says you have to come back…"
"You'll call on the cell and Lauren will run me right up."
"If I have to come looking for you…"
"You'll what? Spank me? Daddy wouldn't spank me. I know you wouldn't."
"Enjoy your company." He kissed her on the head and made his way back to the counter to pick up their order.
"Oh my goodness. He finally comes over here and…" Lauren sagged in her chair. "I act like the mute wonder."
"He's taken. One day my sister will realize he's a great guy and snatch him up… if she hasn't already."
"So what are you listening to?" Lauren pointed to her headphones. "Judging by your clothes, we're on the same page. I hate dressing this way but Mama Serena says it looks bad on the science department…"
--
Kat waited until her father had gone to the bathroom before throwing her arms around Will for a kiss. "I've been wanting that all day."
In lieu of answering, he dove in for another kiss, getting his fill while he could. "Two days without holding you…"
"We're almost finished here. I'll go to your place tonight and say goodbye before you leave."
"If you come over, I'm going to be very sleepy on that plane tomorrow."
"You'll be unconscious if I have my way."
"Midnight?"
"As soon as I can ditch my family." She grinned and planted one more kiss on his lips before the door handle turned. Leaping away, she grabbed a breadstick and shoved it into her mouth as Beth wandered in. "Oh… it's you."
Beth blew them both a kiss. "Dad went to get more soda. He'll be back in ten minutes. Go on. Smooch away. I know you want to."
"Unlike some people. I don't… 'smooch' in public." Will tossed a napkin at her. "Who told you?"
She snorted and propped her feet up on the table. "Who do you think you're talking to? I knew before you did."
"She did." Kat confirmed and took a huge gulp of her tea to wash down her breadstick. "Because she's nosey."
"Nosey. Interested. I think it's a fine line."
TBC
Last post before Christmas. Happy Holidays Folks!
Michael entered his house and hugged his boys to his chest. "Miss me?"
"Yes!" They chorused.
"How about me?" Oriel crossed her arms and only her baby held out his arms to her. "I suppose that will do."
"Hey Dad, how'd it go?" Emily asked from the kitchen where she was stirring something in a pan.
"I'm going to Las Cruces tomorrow to see Dr. Davis about a blood test." He leaned over to kiss her head. "How's the husband?"
"Hiding from Max." Emily grinned. "He was supposed to stay and keep constant watch over Isabel but…"
"Right. I wouldn't have stuck around either. Isabel's got to be running Jesse ragged by now." Michael set Stephen on his feet and sniffed the kitchen. "That better be from my cookbook. I don't trust anything that comes from Mrs. Evans' collection."
--
"So, who's the old guy in Cali?" Beth asked while she bopped to her headphones.
"That's what we're trying to figure out. We have to get in to see him before he knows we're coming." Max tapped her head with a folder. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Call someone. You've got an hour. On me."
"Cool." She eagerly took the phone and disappeared into the hallway, dialing along the way. "Donna Jo…"
"Hey! How's it going?"
"Lots of probes and prods. I feel like I've been abducted by aliens… only not nearly as hot." She scoffed into the phone, stalking around the hallways in her stilettos.
"Is it bad?"
"Not sure. I'm under control for now but we can already tell I'm outgrowing my meds. Hopefully it won't be too much longer. I am getting to go to California."
"Really?"
"Probably for more tests. Some guy out there is supposed to know something more than these quacks." She stuck her tongue out at her sister when she popped her head out. "What?"
"Will's doing a take-out run, you want to go?"
"I'm on the phone, hello." She scoffed and turned to the opposite wall.
"Is that Kat? I haven't seen her in so long."
"She's this big shot scientist now… or she's gonna be. Hard to tell." Beth spied a woman walking past the hallway and decided to investigate. Her dark hair had gray streaks on one side. "I never hardly understand her when she talks so I figure she must be pretty good at it."
"Cool. So when she wins a Nobel Peace Prize I can say she was my babysitter."
"Something like that."
"Hey, um… Gabe is sitting right here. Do you want to talk to him?"
"What?" Beth froze, almost tripping over her own feet. "Gabriel? My Gabriel?"
"Hey, sweetie, is that you?"
She almost let it slide when she heard his baritone voice. "You're hanging out with Donna Jo now?"
"I had the day off. I ran into her at the Crash when I was snooping out your details from your grandma. Joey invited Donna Jo and then Joey saw that… what's its name? So we came to hang at her place instead. What is its name?" He asked Donna Jo.
"Sam. I know who it is… and it is a boy." Beth ran over that part. "So… you're just hanging out with my friends without me?"
"Beth…" Gabriel cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"
"So you're just… hanging out?"
"No, actually, I decided that I was going to lose my virginity to Donna Jo instead of you. I was just getting to it when you called and interrupted." He sighed heavily. "Seriously, Bethany… Are you okay?"
"Just concerned that suddenly my boyfriend is hanging out with other girls."
"I don't say a word when you hang out with Joey and you used to date him. Or… any of the other guys you talk to constantly at school. Do you want me to leave? I will." Then his voice went far away. "It was cool. I'll see you around Donna Jo."
"What happened?"
"It's nothing."
"Gabriel." Beth tried but he had already handed the phone off. She clicked hers off. She was about to walk back to the screening room but she ran face first into a stack of books.
--
Liz grabbed her keys and had to jog to keep up with David and the puppy. "Don't let him lead you, David."
"I know."
"I'm serious. He'll get used to it and when he gets bigger, he'll pull you around." {And then me when I have to walk him for you.} She did her best to keep up with the two of them.
"Do you think we could do this for the rest of the summer?" He turned his brown eyes on his mother. "Just you and me and Sterling?"
"Sure. We should probably pick a different time of day for these walks though. If he gets used to mid-morning, we could have a problem during the school year. We'll walk him again tonight so that he gets used to that."
"This is a lot of work."
"Yes but you promised you were up for it."
"I am. I'm responsible." He protested. "Is Dad going to come home before Penny's party?"
"I don’t know. He wants to be here. What's up?"
"It's nothing. Guy stuff."
"Oh, I see. Can't talk to Mom about guy stuff." Liz rolled her eyes and was grateful when David slowed their pace around the neighborhood. "I'm only your mother. You don't have to tell me anything."
"Did Danny talk to you about guy stuff?"
"No. Danny thought he was way too smart to talk to his mother about anything." She kept her eyes on him though she faced forward. Something was bothering her little boy. "Who am I? Just some old lady who never lived a day in her life and doesn't know anything about anything."
"That's not true." David took a deep breath and stopped so Sterling could do his business. "Dad doesn't talk about girl stuff with Kat and Beth."
"You've made your point. I'll let it drop for now."
"Do I gotta pick that up?" David grimaced at the ground.
"Part of the job description." Liz handed him a trash bag. "When he goes in the backyard, you have to pick that up too."
"I got tricked. I wanted a puppy and I got one but now I have to work for it."
"Nothing in this world for free."
--
"I am so sorry." A voice spoke over Beth's head.
"I don't--" Beth groaned and tried to sit up. Her nose had taken the brunt of it. "Don't think I broke my nose."
"I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and I was pissed at my mom. All badness." A pretty brunette stacked books into a pile and checked her watch. "Oh. Screw her. Do you need me to take you somewhere? If we go to the med lab next door, a student would look you over for free. All we'll find in here are pompous, self-indulgent brats of every age."
"Huh?"
"Sorry. It's already been a bad day for me." The girl got to her feet and set the books on a chair nearby before taking Beth's hands and pulling her to her feet. "My god. How are you walking in those?"
"Practice."
The brunette looked flustered for a moment, her eyes shining, and then stuck her hand out. "Anyway, I'm Lauren Allison."
"Bethany Evans." Beth took the hand and gave it a good shake before concentrating on her throbbing nose again.
"Ooh… related to Dr. Evans?"
"Yeah… all three of them." She rubbed her nose and wondered briefly if it would have hurt less if she had less of a nose.
"Three? Wow. News to me." Lauren stared at her for a moment. "You're not a student. Are you lost?"
"I went for a walk and it didn't agree with me."
"You should get where you were… the docs get all huffy when there are extra people running around this building."
"Um… it's a pretty bad day right now. I don't want to go in there just now." Beth admitted and picked up her father's abused cell phone from the floor. "Fight with my boyfriend."
"Ouch." Lauren glanced at her books. "Look. I don't want to go to my summer class or meet with my mother. Let's go for a walk and pretend the world doesn’t exist for the next 45 minutes."
"That sounds good and… I've still got about an hour before they come looking for me."
"We'll grab some sort of carb-based sustenance and share our misery. Don't worry, I'm not a serial killer or a potential serial killer. Just… worn out."
--
Kathy thumped Will on the head with a book as she passed. "If you're bored, you can go baby-sit your rookies."
"They're fine. I'm letting them study the campus and all your other haunts."
"That woman is creepy." Max commented. "She asks a lot of questions."
"She's intimidating and that's why I like her. She won't put up with bull from people who tend to throw it at us." Will stretched and checked his watch. "I think her mother was a socialite or something. She's used to getting her own way."
"And you enjoy making sure she has no clue how to do that with you?" Max snorted and shrugged. She was pretty. Good for Will.
"I like having a little power over the agents. So they don't forget who they work for." He got to his feet. "I'll leave the two of you to your work. I'll go get us something that resembles home cooked food and maybe find the young one while I'm at it."
"Do that. And make sure she's not running up my phone bill." Max muttered as he ran his eyes over the scan. "This swelling… what's the cause?"
"It looks to me like a chemical build up. When she went off her meds, she got hurt and she knocked something loose so when she healed up, she really healed up. What I'm afraid of is if we somehow manage to remove the block that it might send a flood of endorphins or something similar into her body and mind and she'll…"
"Overload. Could we siphon it before we remove it?"
"I think that it could be since she's healed herself that the swelling is healing itself but slowly. Releasing just trace amounts of the build up. It would explain how she's already overcome the last two medications you've had her on. It's the pineal gland and I do think that her development was slightly stunted by it. We could wait it out… she'd get more powerful and she'd be more… natural but… it's only a guess at this point. It could take years at this rate. We don't know what her brain really does. If she reaches her full potential…"
"Maybe she was right. This morning we got into it about me not knowing what I am and what I'm for… if I knew… maybe I'd know what she's turning into."
--
"You work in the bio-lab but you aren't a bio-major?" Beth shook her head and bit into her pizza.
"Long story. This is the short version. I had the best parents ever. The Allisons died in a train wreck when I was 12. So, they go looking for next of kin. I don't have any but wait my parents aren't my biological parents. I'm adopted. So… biological parents gave me up because there was some mix up and a lawsuit or something. My mom's egg wasn't her egg but it wasn't egg-lady's fault… not really. Anyway. By the time the whole mess was cleared up, I was graduating from high school and living in a temporary arrangement with these really jerky people." She took a deep breath and sipped her soda. "So, I get egg-lady's name and I come to Santa Fe to look her up… I chicken out until my financial aid falls through."
"Wow."
"Not done and I swear this is the short version. Egg-lady never wanted kids. She had her eggs frozen for a study and forgot about them. When she finds out I'm not a science major, she pretty much ignores me until I lay on this guilt trip about not having any family anymore. She promised to pay my tuition so long as I never tell her advisors and colleagues who I really am." Lauren smiled broadly and dumped a load of Parmesan on her pizza. "I trust you."
"Right and you didn't tell me who she was so I have no way of knowing." Beth shook her finger at her but nodded. "I'm a pretty good guesser. Once I have a look at the lovely ladies my sister works for, I'll know."
"So, my bad day is that I'm having lunch with her sometime today. She'll never know what time it is because she's always in the lab. We're supposed to discuss why I'm still in drama when she suggested I switch to a more serious major. Car broke down, I'm failing history and my boyfriend is cheating on me with a whore."
"Your bad day is worse. I'll just keep mine to myself."
"Come on. Hit me."
"I had an… episode a week or two ago. I have some sort of brain condition which is just barely controlled by drugs for the moment. I got a little loopy, cursed at my mother, defied my boyfriend and got hit by a truck. I'm okay but there are some lingering effects of both the episode and the collision. I've been here for two days. I called home to talk to a girlfriend of mine and discovered my boyfriend was at her house hanging out when they just met about… five days ago. I realize I'm just jealous and I just realized I left him alone in a city full of girls who would probably throw themselves at him… He got mad at me and walked out on the conversation."
"I thought you called him."
"Yeah. He handed the phone off and walked out of the room. Then I turned and got hit in the face with a stack of books." Beth picked a pepper off her pizza to place directly in her mouth. "After two days of poking and prodding… it was a nice vacation, actually. Thank you."
"So, you're a patient?"
"Not really. My sister is Dr. Kat Evans. She's brainy and knows stuff about the brain. My dad is a regular surgeon type. They're working to see what's going on."
"The other doctor? You said there were three."
"My brother. He's going to be a surgeon but so far I'm his only abdominal laparotomy. I think I said that wrong."
"They let your brother operate on you?"
"I'm from a small town."
"Dr. Kat is your sis. Mama Serena talks about her a lot when I do get to talk to her. She's a really cold woman, by the way."
"You call her Mama Serena?"
"Because it drives her crazy. Serena talks about Dr. Evans like she's the second coming or something. She's convinced that if 'that girl would just buckle down, she'd really get somewhere.' I don't know. I'm the woman's genetic material and I have no clue what she's talking about."
"Oh… I get you. I try to read my dad's medical journals sometimes and they just go way over my head… I have no clue what I want to be when I grow up. Three doctors and a teacher in the immediate family. My grandparents were lawyers… my aunt is a lawyer. My boyfriend is going to be a great columnist someday… if he's still my boyfriend after this."
"My parents… the train-wrecked ones… they were teachers but I don't think I could do that. My foster folks were part-timers at the textiles factory. God, they were suck jerks. I said goodbye to them three years ago and good riddance. Mama Serena isn't a saint but I'll take weekly lunch with that woman over the Fieldings any day."
"I guess my folks aren't so bad. I give them a lot of grief. I think though that they aren't as all knowing as I used to think they were. They were young parents. They're 46 and…"
"Wow. That's not gonna be me. I'm gonna be a gray-haired mama." She tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder. "This is the only good thing I got from Mama Serena."
"Who was your biological father?" Beth blurted out.
"Oh… the incubator's husband. He refused to meet me. They weren't able to have other kids and they resent that I'm alive. God, it's like I'm the most unwanted girl on the planet sometimes."
"No… we all feel that way. My dad says there's not a being in the universe who truly knows what their purpose is… and if they think they do… they're lying."
"Smart guy." Then Lauren ducked her head. "Oh My God. The hottest guy I have ever seen just walked in. I've been drooling over him for… two years off and on."
"You're free now. Go talk to him." Beth smirked and bit into her slice once more. "Show Cheater McBastard that you don't need him."
"I can't. I mean… I'm physically able but… there's got to be a reason he's always in the bio-lab building. Maybe I'll figure that out first and hope I get assigned in the same place." She bit her lip and sighed helplessly before she whipped her head toward the window. "I think he saw me drooling, he's coming over here."
"Beth." Came the stern voice.
Beth swallowed and turned her head to see Will standing beside their table. "Hi Will."
"Hi Beth. What are you doing?" He asked innocently.
"Eating with my new friend Lauren Allison." She smiled brightly at him. "She almost broke my nose and to make it up to me, she bought lunch."
"Nice to meet you." Will turned to the blushing girl he had seen several times at the front desk in the bio-building. "Will Goldblum."
"Don't tell Dad I wandered off. He'll just worry and get all huffy." Beth pleaded. "I was gonna come back."
"Right. We were going back to the bio-building after lunch." Lauren murmured, mesmerized by Will's blue eyes.
"I got Dad's cell phone. Just call me if I'm taking too long." She gave him her brightest smile and her biggest puppy dog eyes. "I'll love you forever."
"You Evans women…" He sighed. "But if when I get back he says you have to come back…"
"You'll call on the cell and Lauren will run me right up."
"If I have to come looking for you…"
"You'll what? Spank me? Daddy wouldn't spank me. I know you wouldn't."
"Enjoy your company." He kissed her on the head and made his way back to the counter to pick up their order.
"Oh my goodness. He finally comes over here and…" Lauren sagged in her chair. "I act like the mute wonder."
"He's taken. One day my sister will realize he's a great guy and snatch him up… if she hasn't already."
"So what are you listening to?" Lauren pointed to her headphones. "Judging by your clothes, we're on the same page. I hate dressing this way but Mama Serena says it looks bad on the science department…"
--
Kat waited until her father had gone to the bathroom before throwing her arms around Will for a kiss. "I've been wanting that all day."
In lieu of answering, he dove in for another kiss, getting his fill while he could. "Two days without holding you…"
"We're almost finished here. I'll go to your place tonight and say goodbye before you leave."
"If you come over, I'm going to be very sleepy on that plane tomorrow."
"You'll be unconscious if I have my way."
"Midnight?"
"As soon as I can ditch my family." She grinned and planted one more kiss on his lips before the door handle turned. Leaping away, she grabbed a breadstick and shoved it into her mouth as Beth wandered in. "Oh… it's you."
Beth blew them both a kiss. "Dad went to get more soda. He'll be back in ten minutes. Go on. Smooch away. I know you want to."
"Unlike some people. I don't… 'smooch' in public." Will tossed a napkin at her. "Who told you?"
She snorted and propped her feet up on the table. "Who do you think you're talking to? I knew before you did."
"She did." Kat confirmed and took a huge gulp of her tea to wash down her breadstick. "Because she's nosey."
"Nosey. Interested. I think it's a fine line."
TBC
Last post before Christmas. Happy Holidays Folks!
Part 125
The Fate of Destiny Part 125
Will slapped off the alarm when it went off but he was already awake and had been for quite some time. Returning his mouth to Kat's throat, he tossed the pillows away. Each cry from her throat drove him on. He had to make the most of his time because there was no telling how long he would be in California no matter how things worked out.
--
Liz slapped off the alarm and groaned. This was her bright idea. It was five in the morning and she was going for a walk with her son and his dog. The phone rang just as she was pulling on her shoes. "Hello?"
"You're up? I thought I'd let the machine catch it."
"We're training the dog to get up early for walks." Liz sighed but smiled into the phone. "How are things going?"
"Some leads but we're going to L.A. We just don't understand enough of what would happen if we go in now. Without consulting specialists… there's nothing else we can do."
"Be careful Max. Don't let anything happen to her."
"We'll be careful. I miss you."
"I miss you, too."
"I'll call you when we get checked in."
"Alright. Love you."
"I love you, too."
--
Isabel took a deep breath and it took every effort not to just roll over and get out of bed. Her head was fuzzy but she was feeling no pain. Jesse lay on the next bed, his cellphone in his hand. He waved at her while he flipped through the phone book. "Seb got arrested in El Paso with the rest of those pachucos. I've got a buddy who owes me a favor."
"Jesse, it's only an hour drive from here. Go get your son."
"No. I think I want him to wait there until I decide what to do with him." He grumbled but grinned when he found the number he was looking for. "I'm just glad he got arrested on this side of the border. I know they at least tried to go over to get drunk."
"Maybe we should have sent him to Florida with the kids." Isabel wanted to roll-over but supposed she probably shouldn't until she was sure her incision was closing.
"No rewards for bad behavior." Jesse cleared his throat. "Oye. Marcos, esta Jesse. Necesito un favor. Mi hijo… si. 18 anos… No, he's here. In the EPPD lock-up downtown, I mean… En Las Cruces con mi novia… bien, bien… I was going to wire you some… I'll send you a check then… you know I'm good for it… Too bad the circumstances weren't better. We're going to be down for a while. Maybe I'll stop in to see you in person before we head back north." He listened for a moment. "No se. Cirugía de Isabel se complico. Necesita el descanso."
Isabel turned her face back to the ceiling to listen to Jesse switch from English to Spanish and back again while he worked out the details with his friend. A small smile crept onto her face when his buddy steered the conversation back to Jesse's life and Jesse responded mostly in Spanish.
"¡Ya voy! Cuándo nosotros listamos… Siete… ¿Y? … ¿Su punto? … en el casino, no. En la iglesia… Tu suena a Sebastien." Jesse huffed. "I'm going to hang up, now… I'm not scared… callarse..." He sat up and tapped his fingers on the phone book. "I'll call later to see if he's okay… No, let him suffer. Tell him he has to work off his debt by doing chores until I go get him. Hasta luego."
"So what won't you do in a casino that you would do in a church?" Isabel teased lightly.
"Pray." He shrugged and got to his feet. "I'll go get breakfast."
--
Max rolled his eyes at Beth, who sat in Will's car listening to music in her headphones. Sipping his coffee, he pointed to the stairs. She nodded and rolled her eyes. He took the flight easy enough and managed not to spill his coffee. As he neared Will’s apartment, he slowed. Feminine moans reached his ears, growing louder the closer Max got to the door. Shaking his head, he leaned on the railing and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it with his powers and glancing down to the car where Beth signed ‘bad’ to him emphatically. {When did she learn sign language?} He drug deeply on the filter and let the nicotine go to work. When Beth looked like she was going to make the hike up to the apartment, he motioned for her to stay put. There was no way a daughter of his was going to listen to the banshee-wailing going on behind that door.
Draining his cup, he disintegrated the cup and let the particles float away on the breeze. He inhaled smoke and watched her bop her head to the music, blissfully enjoying the silence in her head… but that couldn’t last. The drugs were going to wash out of her system and she would start reading again. Then she would become accustomed and then immune to them. The moans and grunts reached a fever pitch and then faded away. Lighting another cigarette, he waited. They weren’t in a rush yet.
He made a mental note to call Liz when he got into the hotel in California and to upgrade to a suite to please both of them and to maybe give him a little privacy talking to his wife. He took a long drag and let it out slowly. A giggle wafted out to his ears. He didn’t envy Will. Not the searching or dating, none of it. The door creaked open.
“I’m going to be late. Stop that.”
Max stiffened and turned. He knew that voice. The next three seconds were a blur but then he had his hands around Will’s throat, holding the younger man against the wall. “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Daddy! Stop.” Kathy beat on his back.
“Who do you think you are? Messing with my daughter.” Max lifted Will, who had to fight just to stay conscious.
“Daddy, stop!” She yanked on his arms but he was so angry that nothing could move him. “Quit it!” Racing to the balcony, she spotted the car. “Beth!”
“Max… come on.” Will managed to get out but spots already danced before his eyes. Soon his vision was going to blank out and then he was going to die.
“She’s my daughter.” Max bit out. “I trusted you.” Suddenly, Max couldn’t breathe. He let go and stumbled away, struggling for breath.
“Daddy. Stop.” Beth held her head with one hand and held her hand out to her father with the other. “Just… stop.”
“Daddy…” Kathy pleaded, placing herself in front of Will. “Just listen, okay?”
Max could breathe once more but he wasn’t any less angry. Not with his daughter standing there wearing Will’s shirt. Not with their hair mussed like that. Not with what he had heard before that door had opened.
“We were gonna tell everyone… we just… wanted to wait a while.” She pleaded with him.
“Dad… come on. Let’s take a walk.” Beth reached for his hand. Her eyes hard and cold like her mother’s could be sometimes. “Leave them alone.”
Shrugging her off, he stormed off but he didn't leave. He just moved to another landing where he wasn't so tempted to kill a man he'd considered a friend for eight and a half years.
"Are you okay?" Beth turned to Will. "Did he hurt you?" Will just shook his head. Then she turned to her sister. "Go talk to him. I'll fix Will." Kathy nodded and took a deep breath before going after her father. The teen turned back to Will. "Okay, hot stuff… stop being a drama queen and get your stuff together… We have an alien to go see."
"He's not going to let me go." Will protested but stepped back into the apartment.
"I'll play peace keeper, you just get us in to see that guy."
Kathy sat on the stairs and watched her father pace the landing like an aggravated tiger looking for kill. "Daddy…"
Hands in his hair, he didn't look up at her. "Did he coerce you?"
"No, Daddy… you know Will's not like that."
He stopped and gripped the railing between them but still, his eyes wouldn't meet hers. "Kathleen… He's your bodyguard… he had no right to…"
"To what, Daddy?" She was afraid to look up but she made herself. She had never seen him like this. "To fall in love? To make love to the woman he loves?"
"He is 35 years old. He is just… 10 years younger than I am."
"And he is just 10 years older than I am. Do you even care how I feel about him?"
"I trusted him and he went behind my back."
"Daddy. Look at me." Still he wouldn't. "I am 25 years old. I have not lived under your roof for seven years. I am more than capable of dating without your approval." Tears burned her eyes as she look to the sky for help, but knew help wouldn't come. "We went behind your back? Will is practically part of the family. Every holiday. Every event that means anything to us, he's there because he loves us and now he loves me. He makes me happy."
"He makes Beth happy but I would never condone him sleeping with her."
"No one is taking advantage of anyone. When I kiss him… I know. My heart beats out a song. When he touches me, I come to life. Be mad. Feel betrayed if you must but I love William Goldblum and he loves me. It's not wrong."
"If it's not wrong… then why didn't you tell anyone? Me and your mother?"
"Because I am a grown woman and I don't report to you. You don't think we haven't talked it all to death? Examined everything? Fought with ourselves about this? God! I don't need your permission to fall in love."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"Because he was scared to. Scared to death of how you'd react and now I see he was justified. Just look what you did at the wedding. You wanted to murder him for an innocent kiss… then you set me up with a gay guy."
"How long has this been going on? I mean really… and you're already sleeping with him."
"Oh get over it, Dad." Kathy got to her feet, keys in hand. "I'm late for work and I don't have time for your tantrum. Okay? For your information, I haven't been a virgin in a very long time. Longer than I've been out of your house. Of all the men I've dated and screwed, you should be glad I've decided on Will. It's no risk for you because he already knows the big bad secret. Think about it. Knowing what he knows about us and about you… why else would he risk getting involved with me? He knows you could kill him and no one would care or even know where to find the body… why risk it? Why?"
Max couldn't say anything to that. He didn't know what to say.
"Even I can't claim to be that good a lay. So it must be love." She stormed behind him and down into the lot.
--
Alex sat down behind the board and moved some switches. "I haven't written anything for any artists yet. I still don't trust anyone with my stuff."
"So, what is it you do then?" Kyle watched from his seat and had to sit on his hands to keep from touching anything.
"You know how when you buy a CD and you look inside the jacket and at the back there's a lot of fine print about who wrote what and who contributed and after that is a company name… Usually it's a thank you and you have no clue who those people have to do with the band you're listening to?"
"Yeah."
"I'm one of those people. I fiddle with the dials and make suggestions and hope we make the song sound its very best and if we do our job right, the fans really love the song and never have any clue that I had anything to do with it." Alex shrugged a little.
"What's the point?" Berty scoffed at the floor. "You work so hard and get no credit."
"I get paid and I make friends like Mr. Jones in there," Alex waved at the gray-haired fellow on the other side of the glass, "who has been making music since Mom was in high school and probably before."
"Why haven't I heard of him?"
"Because the one or five hits he had early on were enough to ensure he'd always have a place to record music no matter how good he was. Just listen, kiddies. You'll like. He has been waiting for me to come in so we could lay down this track. He trusts me and so I do my best to make sure it stays that way. If he stays here, we make money and I get to look good in front of my boss." Alex grabbed the mic and hit the button. "I'm ready when you are."
"This is the acoustic for the hidden track."
"Oldie but goodie."
"Watch your tone, kid. My music was on TV when you were in pampers."
"I think my uncle has you in his collection. I know who you are." Alex hit the switch and set the tape in motion. "Take one."
--
Liz listened to her husband breathe harshly into the phone for a few minutes. “Max? What's wrong? Is it Beth?"
"No. She's okay." He took a deep breath and let it out harshly.
"What happened? I thought you’d be on the plane already?” She glanced at the clock and estimated they should have landed an hour ago.
“We missed our flight.” He shook his head and lay back on the bed. “We’ll fly out tomorrow.”
“Max, what happened?”
“I blew up at her. I just… I live in denial, Liz. I realize that and sometimes it hurts me.” His chest ached but he knew it wasn't a heart attack. It was just his wounded pride.
“You’re not making any sense. Who did you blow up at? Beth?”
“Kathy.” He closed his eyes. “I went to Will’s to pick him up. When I got there, he wasn’t alone. I could hear that he was indisposed… with someone… so I figured I’d wait until whoever left before knocking… I had left Beth in the car and I didn't want to embarrass him or anything.
"Ok. Good… she doesn't need to be exposed to that… Max?"
"I stayed because we had a plane to catch and despite… Anyway, I didn't want to intrude in what little private life he has… and when whoever walked out, whoever turned out to be our daughter.”
"What?"
"I tried to kill him… Beth had to stop me." He took a deep shuddering breath. "She had to use her powers to stop me."
"Oh Max…"
"I just… saw red. He's sleeping with my little girl."
"Max… she's not a little girl."
"I could pretend though, right?" He swallowed down the lump. "I just… I trusted him to take care of her and he's… I trusted him."
"Oh my god." Liz gasped as she put all the pieces of the puzzle together. They had been glaring at her for months and she just didn't see it until now.
"What?"
All their confidences in her about their love lives. All those looks at the wedding. It all made sense. "It's just… she… Max… they've been…. Looking for each other for such a long time…"
"So… you're on this love party line, too?"
"Is that what she said? She loves him?"
"Yeah."
"Max… it's been a long time coming. I think they tried to fight it but… I knew but I didn't…"
"Maybe you should have clued me in… I don't think she's going to speak to me again." He scoffed to himself. “Shouldn’t you be more surprised?”
“Should I be surprised?” Liz took a breath while she processed the information. “I understand that you’re upset but it’s not a big deal. I couldn’t tell you how many times I walked in on Danny. I’ve walked in on Beth—“
“Beth!” Max exclaimed, shooting himself into a sitting position so he could turn and look at his daughter, who was suddenly very scared.
“Not having sex. Making out.” Liz tried to calm him down but he was already on edge.
“Oh.” He clamed down and turned back to the wall. “Just making out… or…”
“Oh please, Dad. Who do you think I am? Kat?” Beth snorted and relaxed once she realized she was no longer in trouble. “I’m saving myself for extreme commitment.”
“I think you meant to say marriage.” He turned to look at her.
“Tomato, tahmahto.”
“Max, ignore her and listen to me. You cannot control your children. I hate to break it to you but Kathy wasn’t a virgin before Will was ever a factor in her life. I know that when you look at her, you see pigtails and milk mustaches but she’s a woman. A grown woman who is very rapidly becoming known in her field because she’s so very good at it. Her life is always getting better and now she’s with Will. He’s handsome and trustworthy and caring and has a very steady life. Her family loves him and he’s very good to her.”
“How do you know?”
“How could William Goldblum be anything else? Max… he’s been with us so long it’s no wonder. Beth idolizes him. Danny loves him. He’s Davey’s hero. He’s practically part of the family.”
“I just figured he could be Beth’s faux-fiancée forever.”
“Hey! I’m growing up someday!” She called over from her bed.
“Quit eavesdropping.” He chided her and fell back onto the bed. “Liz… I just…”
“There is nothing to be done except for you to accept it, Max.” She got silence from him for a long while. “You don’t remember that time your dad walked in on us? Didn’t even knock. I’m sure it was a shock despite the children underfoot…”
“Liz… it’s not the same. Dad just bought us a better lock.”
“Maybe you should apologize for throttling him because I’m sure you did that.”
“You don’t know that.” He muttered.
“Max.”
“Maybe a little. I didn’t hurt him… much.”
“Apologize.”
“I just don’t know how to look at her.” He whispered.
“Sweetie… you only heard her having sex. She saw me giving you a blow job. We got over that.”
“Ew!” Beth blurted out.
“Hey! I told you to stop eavesdropping.” Max covered his eyes and called out to his younger daughter.
“When parents get old, they stop doing fun things. It’s the law of man.”
“Watch your mouth before I have you cloistered.”
“You’ve had your turn. Let me talk to Beth.”
--
Isabel grinned into the phone. "I don’t know who that is… was he good?" Her kids gushed about all the singers and band members they had met while Alex worked. "I vaguely remember them… wow, that's cool… I'm sorry. Neato. Better?… put my baby on… Hi, sweetie… really. That's good… wow… Are you brushing your teeth every night?… And you feel okay?… okay… yeah, Daddy's here… he'd like that… I promise I won't tell him… I promise-promise." She mouthed 'later' to Jesse when he turned to discover why he had been brought up. "I won't tell him. Don't you believe me?" She almost burst out laughing at her daughter's answer. "Well, have your lawyer talk to my lawyer and we'll get this all straightened out… Well, Daddy is my lawyer… Oh… okay. I'll call you tomorrow then… buh-bye. I love you."
"What am I going to like?" Jesse leaned back and took her hand in his.
"Your new shark-tooth necklace." Isabel snickered at his face. "She bought it just for you."
"And I'll wear it until I die, probably. Feeling okay?"
"Yeah. I heal fast. We can go pick up Sebastien tomorrow and then head home if you want."
"Let him suffer another day. Marcos will put him to work."
TBC
Will slapped off the alarm when it went off but he was already awake and had been for quite some time. Returning his mouth to Kat's throat, he tossed the pillows away. Each cry from her throat drove him on. He had to make the most of his time because there was no telling how long he would be in California no matter how things worked out.
--
Liz slapped off the alarm and groaned. This was her bright idea. It was five in the morning and she was going for a walk with her son and his dog. The phone rang just as she was pulling on her shoes. "Hello?"
"You're up? I thought I'd let the machine catch it."
"We're training the dog to get up early for walks." Liz sighed but smiled into the phone. "How are things going?"
"Some leads but we're going to L.A. We just don't understand enough of what would happen if we go in now. Without consulting specialists… there's nothing else we can do."
"Be careful Max. Don't let anything happen to her."
"We'll be careful. I miss you."
"I miss you, too."
"I'll call you when we get checked in."
"Alright. Love you."
"I love you, too."
--
Isabel took a deep breath and it took every effort not to just roll over and get out of bed. Her head was fuzzy but she was feeling no pain. Jesse lay on the next bed, his cellphone in his hand. He waved at her while he flipped through the phone book. "Seb got arrested in El Paso with the rest of those pachucos. I've got a buddy who owes me a favor."
"Jesse, it's only an hour drive from here. Go get your son."
"No. I think I want him to wait there until I decide what to do with him." He grumbled but grinned when he found the number he was looking for. "I'm just glad he got arrested on this side of the border. I know they at least tried to go over to get drunk."
"Maybe we should have sent him to Florida with the kids." Isabel wanted to roll-over but supposed she probably shouldn't until she was sure her incision was closing.
"No rewards for bad behavior." Jesse cleared his throat. "Oye. Marcos, esta Jesse. Necesito un favor. Mi hijo… si. 18 anos… No, he's here. In the EPPD lock-up downtown, I mean… En Las Cruces con mi novia… bien, bien… I was going to wire you some… I'll send you a check then… you know I'm good for it… Too bad the circumstances weren't better. We're going to be down for a while. Maybe I'll stop in to see you in person before we head back north." He listened for a moment. "No se. Cirugía de Isabel se complico. Necesita el descanso."
Isabel turned her face back to the ceiling to listen to Jesse switch from English to Spanish and back again while he worked out the details with his friend. A small smile crept onto her face when his buddy steered the conversation back to Jesse's life and Jesse responded mostly in Spanish.
"¡Ya voy! Cuándo nosotros listamos… Siete… ¿Y? … ¿Su punto? … en el casino, no. En la iglesia… Tu suena a Sebastien." Jesse huffed. "I'm going to hang up, now… I'm not scared… callarse..." He sat up and tapped his fingers on the phone book. "I'll call later to see if he's okay… No, let him suffer. Tell him he has to work off his debt by doing chores until I go get him. Hasta luego."
"So what won't you do in a casino that you would do in a church?" Isabel teased lightly.
"Pray." He shrugged and got to his feet. "I'll go get breakfast."
--
Max rolled his eyes at Beth, who sat in Will's car listening to music in her headphones. Sipping his coffee, he pointed to the stairs. She nodded and rolled her eyes. He took the flight easy enough and managed not to spill his coffee. As he neared Will’s apartment, he slowed. Feminine moans reached his ears, growing louder the closer Max got to the door. Shaking his head, he leaned on the railing and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it with his powers and glancing down to the car where Beth signed ‘bad’ to him emphatically. {When did she learn sign language?} He drug deeply on the filter and let the nicotine go to work. When Beth looked like she was going to make the hike up to the apartment, he motioned for her to stay put. There was no way a daughter of his was going to listen to the banshee-wailing going on behind that door.
Draining his cup, he disintegrated the cup and let the particles float away on the breeze. He inhaled smoke and watched her bop her head to the music, blissfully enjoying the silence in her head… but that couldn’t last. The drugs were going to wash out of her system and she would start reading again. Then she would become accustomed and then immune to them. The moans and grunts reached a fever pitch and then faded away. Lighting another cigarette, he waited. They weren’t in a rush yet.
He made a mental note to call Liz when he got into the hotel in California and to upgrade to a suite to please both of them and to maybe give him a little privacy talking to his wife. He took a long drag and let it out slowly. A giggle wafted out to his ears. He didn’t envy Will. Not the searching or dating, none of it. The door creaked open.
“I’m going to be late. Stop that.”
Max stiffened and turned. He knew that voice. The next three seconds were a blur but then he had his hands around Will’s throat, holding the younger man against the wall. “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Daddy! Stop.” Kathy beat on his back.
“Who do you think you are? Messing with my daughter.” Max lifted Will, who had to fight just to stay conscious.
“Daddy, stop!” She yanked on his arms but he was so angry that nothing could move him. “Quit it!” Racing to the balcony, she spotted the car. “Beth!”
“Max… come on.” Will managed to get out but spots already danced before his eyes. Soon his vision was going to blank out and then he was going to die.
“She’s my daughter.” Max bit out. “I trusted you.” Suddenly, Max couldn’t breathe. He let go and stumbled away, struggling for breath.
“Daddy. Stop.” Beth held her head with one hand and held her hand out to her father with the other. “Just… stop.”
“Daddy…” Kathy pleaded, placing herself in front of Will. “Just listen, okay?”
Max could breathe once more but he wasn’t any less angry. Not with his daughter standing there wearing Will’s shirt. Not with their hair mussed like that. Not with what he had heard before that door had opened.
“We were gonna tell everyone… we just… wanted to wait a while.” She pleaded with him.
“Dad… come on. Let’s take a walk.” Beth reached for his hand. Her eyes hard and cold like her mother’s could be sometimes. “Leave them alone.”
Shrugging her off, he stormed off but he didn't leave. He just moved to another landing where he wasn't so tempted to kill a man he'd considered a friend for eight and a half years.
"Are you okay?" Beth turned to Will. "Did he hurt you?" Will just shook his head. Then she turned to her sister. "Go talk to him. I'll fix Will." Kathy nodded and took a deep breath before going after her father. The teen turned back to Will. "Okay, hot stuff… stop being a drama queen and get your stuff together… We have an alien to go see."
"He's not going to let me go." Will protested but stepped back into the apartment.
"I'll play peace keeper, you just get us in to see that guy."
Kathy sat on the stairs and watched her father pace the landing like an aggravated tiger looking for kill. "Daddy…"
Hands in his hair, he didn't look up at her. "Did he coerce you?"
"No, Daddy… you know Will's not like that."
He stopped and gripped the railing between them but still, his eyes wouldn't meet hers. "Kathleen… He's your bodyguard… he had no right to…"
"To what, Daddy?" She was afraid to look up but she made herself. She had never seen him like this. "To fall in love? To make love to the woman he loves?"
"He is 35 years old. He is just… 10 years younger than I am."
"And he is just 10 years older than I am. Do you even care how I feel about him?"
"I trusted him and he went behind my back."
"Daddy. Look at me." Still he wouldn't. "I am 25 years old. I have not lived under your roof for seven years. I am more than capable of dating without your approval." Tears burned her eyes as she look to the sky for help, but knew help wouldn't come. "We went behind your back? Will is practically part of the family. Every holiday. Every event that means anything to us, he's there because he loves us and now he loves me. He makes me happy."
"He makes Beth happy but I would never condone him sleeping with her."
"No one is taking advantage of anyone. When I kiss him… I know. My heart beats out a song. When he touches me, I come to life. Be mad. Feel betrayed if you must but I love William Goldblum and he loves me. It's not wrong."
"If it's not wrong… then why didn't you tell anyone? Me and your mother?"
"Because I am a grown woman and I don't report to you. You don't think we haven't talked it all to death? Examined everything? Fought with ourselves about this? God! I don't need your permission to fall in love."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"Because he was scared to. Scared to death of how you'd react and now I see he was justified. Just look what you did at the wedding. You wanted to murder him for an innocent kiss… then you set me up with a gay guy."
"How long has this been going on? I mean really… and you're already sleeping with him."
"Oh get over it, Dad." Kathy got to her feet, keys in hand. "I'm late for work and I don't have time for your tantrum. Okay? For your information, I haven't been a virgin in a very long time. Longer than I've been out of your house. Of all the men I've dated and screwed, you should be glad I've decided on Will. It's no risk for you because he already knows the big bad secret. Think about it. Knowing what he knows about us and about you… why else would he risk getting involved with me? He knows you could kill him and no one would care or even know where to find the body… why risk it? Why?"
Max couldn't say anything to that. He didn't know what to say.
"Even I can't claim to be that good a lay. So it must be love." She stormed behind him and down into the lot.
--
Alex sat down behind the board and moved some switches. "I haven't written anything for any artists yet. I still don't trust anyone with my stuff."
"So, what is it you do then?" Kyle watched from his seat and had to sit on his hands to keep from touching anything.
"You know how when you buy a CD and you look inside the jacket and at the back there's a lot of fine print about who wrote what and who contributed and after that is a company name… Usually it's a thank you and you have no clue who those people have to do with the band you're listening to?"
"Yeah."
"I'm one of those people. I fiddle with the dials and make suggestions and hope we make the song sound its very best and if we do our job right, the fans really love the song and never have any clue that I had anything to do with it." Alex shrugged a little.
"What's the point?" Berty scoffed at the floor. "You work so hard and get no credit."
"I get paid and I make friends like Mr. Jones in there," Alex waved at the gray-haired fellow on the other side of the glass, "who has been making music since Mom was in high school and probably before."
"Why haven't I heard of him?"
"Because the one or five hits he had early on were enough to ensure he'd always have a place to record music no matter how good he was. Just listen, kiddies. You'll like. He has been waiting for me to come in so we could lay down this track. He trusts me and so I do my best to make sure it stays that way. If he stays here, we make money and I get to look good in front of my boss." Alex grabbed the mic and hit the button. "I'm ready when you are."
"This is the acoustic for the hidden track."
"Oldie but goodie."
"Watch your tone, kid. My music was on TV when you were in pampers."
"I think my uncle has you in his collection. I know who you are." Alex hit the switch and set the tape in motion. "Take one."
--
Liz listened to her husband breathe harshly into the phone for a few minutes. “Max? What's wrong? Is it Beth?"
"No. She's okay." He took a deep breath and let it out harshly.
"What happened? I thought you’d be on the plane already?” She glanced at the clock and estimated they should have landed an hour ago.
“We missed our flight.” He shook his head and lay back on the bed. “We’ll fly out tomorrow.”
“Max, what happened?”
“I blew up at her. I just… I live in denial, Liz. I realize that and sometimes it hurts me.” His chest ached but he knew it wasn't a heart attack. It was just his wounded pride.
“You’re not making any sense. Who did you blow up at? Beth?”
“Kathy.” He closed his eyes. “I went to Will’s to pick him up. When I got there, he wasn’t alone. I could hear that he was indisposed… with someone… so I figured I’d wait until whoever left before knocking… I had left Beth in the car and I didn't want to embarrass him or anything.
"Ok. Good… she doesn't need to be exposed to that… Max?"
"I stayed because we had a plane to catch and despite… Anyway, I didn't want to intrude in what little private life he has… and when whoever walked out, whoever turned out to be our daughter.”
"What?"
"I tried to kill him… Beth had to stop me." He took a deep shuddering breath. "She had to use her powers to stop me."
"Oh Max…"
"I just… saw red. He's sleeping with my little girl."
"Max… she's not a little girl."
"I could pretend though, right?" He swallowed down the lump. "I just… I trusted him to take care of her and he's… I trusted him."
"Oh my god." Liz gasped as she put all the pieces of the puzzle together. They had been glaring at her for months and she just didn't see it until now.
"What?"
All their confidences in her about their love lives. All those looks at the wedding. It all made sense. "It's just… she… Max… they've been…. Looking for each other for such a long time…"
"So… you're on this love party line, too?"
"Is that what she said? She loves him?"
"Yeah."
"Max… it's been a long time coming. I think they tried to fight it but… I knew but I didn't…"
"Maybe you should have clued me in… I don't think she's going to speak to me again." He scoffed to himself. “Shouldn’t you be more surprised?”
“Should I be surprised?” Liz took a breath while she processed the information. “I understand that you’re upset but it’s not a big deal. I couldn’t tell you how many times I walked in on Danny. I’ve walked in on Beth—“
“Beth!” Max exclaimed, shooting himself into a sitting position so he could turn and look at his daughter, who was suddenly very scared.
“Not having sex. Making out.” Liz tried to calm him down but he was already on edge.
“Oh.” He clamed down and turned back to the wall. “Just making out… or…”
“Oh please, Dad. Who do you think I am? Kat?” Beth snorted and relaxed once she realized she was no longer in trouble. “I’m saving myself for extreme commitment.”
“I think you meant to say marriage.” He turned to look at her.
“Tomato, tahmahto.”
“Max, ignore her and listen to me. You cannot control your children. I hate to break it to you but Kathy wasn’t a virgin before Will was ever a factor in her life. I know that when you look at her, you see pigtails and milk mustaches but she’s a woman. A grown woman who is very rapidly becoming known in her field because she’s so very good at it. Her life is always getting better and now she’s with Will. He’s handsome and trustworthy and caring and has a very steady life. Her family loves him and he’s very good to her.”
“How do you know?”
“How could William Goldblum be anything else? Max… he’s been with us so long it’s no wonder. Beth idolizes him. Danny loves him. He’s Davey’s hero. He’s practically part of the family.”
“I just figured he could be Beth’s faux-fiancée forever.”
“Hey! I’m growing up someday!” She called over from her bed.
“Quit eavesdropping.” He chided her and fell back onto the bed. “Liz… I just…”
“There is nothing to be done except for you to accept it, Max.” She got silence from him for a long while. “You don’t remember that time your dad walked in on us? Didn’t even knock. I’m sure it was a shock despite the children underfoot…”
“Liz… it’s not the same. Dad just bought us a better lock.”
“Maybe you should apologize for throttling him because I’m sure you did that.”
“You don’t know that.” He muttered.
“Max.”
“Maybe a little. I didn’t hurt him… much.”
“Apologize.”
“I just don’t know how to look at her.” He whispered.
“Sweetie… you only heard her having sex. She saw me giving you a blow job. We got over that.”
“Ew!” Beth blurted out.
“Hey! I told you to stop eavesdropping.” Max covered his eyes and called out to his younger daughter.
“When parents get old, they stop doing fun things. It’s the law of man.”
“Watch your mouth before I have you cloistered.”
“You’ve had your turn. Let me talk to Beth.”
--
Isabel grinned into the phone. "I don’t know who that is… was he good?" Her kids gushed about all the singers and band members they had met while Alex worked. "I vaguely remember them… wow, that's cool… I'm sorry. Neato. Better?… put my baby on… Hi, sweetie… really. That's good… wow… Are you brushing your teeth every night?… And you feel okay?… okay… yeah, Daddy's here… he'd like that… I promise I won't tell him… I promise-promise." She mouthed 'later' to Jesse when he turned to discover why he had been brought up. "I won't tell him. Don't you believe me?" She almost burst out laughing at her daughter's answer. "Well, have your lawyer talk to my lawyer and we'll get this all straightened out… Well, Daddy is my lawyer… Oh… okay. I'll call you tomorrow then… buh-bye. I love you."
"What am I going to like?" Jesse leaned back and took her hand in his.
"Your new shark-tooth necklace." Isabel snickered at his face. "She bought it just for you."
"And I'll wear it until I die, probably. Feeling okay?"
"Yeah. I heal fast. We can go pick up Sebastien tomorrow and then head home if you want."
"Let him suffer another day. Marcos will put him to work."
TBC
The Aliens
here's that link again. Sorry if some of you can view the pictures, I understand it's an ordeal dealing with tripod but it's what I got.
http://riddickdm.tripod.com/fiction/fod.html
http://riddickdm.tripod.com/fiction/fod.html
Part 126
The Fate of Destiny Part 126
Beth gave her sister a small smile and then a hug. "He'll get over it."
"He just… thinks… What does he think happens in college? Just because he didn't get to go away to school…" Kathy leaned on the reception desk. "I won't speak to him until he apologizes to Will."
"That could be a while." Beth shot a look to Lauren and then leaned in. "Did you really catch Mom giving Dad a blow job?"
"You weren't being nosy were you?" Kathy's eyes flicked to the receptionist but warned her sister to be careful.
"No! Dad was talking to Mom last night… It's completely unnatural if you ask me." Beth glanced behind her through the window at the car in the parking lot. Will leaned on the wall of the building and her father leaned on the car facing the opposite direction. "He's being completely ridiculous."
"Do me a favor and tell him not to go telling everybody. I want to tell Danny myself." Kathy sighed and picked up her files. "Be careful."
"We will." Beth tapped her hand on the counter. "And I will see you when I get back."
"Take care. Don't let that boyfriend of yours walk all over you." Lauren nodded and tossed her a card. "My numbers if you need to talk."
"Will do." Beth waved and pushed the doors open to greet the men. "Well? Are we ready to go?" They just got to their feet. "Will can drive. Daddy, you take the backseat and relax." As they were reaching for doors on opposite sides of the car, she cleared her throat. “I have a few rules. If the words about to escape your mouth are not civil, don’t speak them. If you think I’m going to play telephone, you can forget it. We have a plane ride and an alien to meet. If you feel you need to express something… take it to the bathroom and say it to your reflection. Do we understand the rules? A nod will suffice. Thank you. Let’s mount up.”
--
Sydney examined the smooth flesh. "Wow. I mean… Dr. Evans told me about the regenerative ability of hybrids but I never got to see for myself. This is just a few days."
"I feel good but tired. Healing naturally takes a lot of energy, I guess." Isabel sighed and lowered her night shirt. "What do you say? Am I healed enough to take a shower?"
"With help." Sydney sat up and marked something in the chart. "This went quite well. Kathy is doing remarkably well on those studies of hers. Five years ago, I would have never attempted this, with or without your brother."
"Well, me either." Isabel looked to Jesse, who was still worried. "Wipe off that frown. I feel good. Come on. Fix me a bath. I want to be pretty when I meet that friend of yours when we pick up Seb."
"So, she's healed?"
"At least on the surface completely. I don't want to drag her in for an ultrasound but so long as she takes it easy until she wakes up feeling like her old self…"
"Seb can wait a week."
"No, he can't." Isabel chided. "He's got to go home and pack for Harvard."
"Harvard. Wow." Sydney got to her feet. "He must be pretty smart."
"For an idiot, yes, my son is remarkably smart."
--
Beth blinked at the window and shook her head and blinked again. Will tilted his head at her. "You okay?"
"My eyes are all wacky today." She shook her head and took off her glasses.
"Wacky?"
"I don't know. It's weird." Her lenseless eyes focused on the clouds. "I like flying. I want to learn how. Do you think I could become a pilot?"
"That's not a good thing to announce right after informing me your eyes are all wacky." Will glanced at the seat in front of them. "You should tell your dad."
"If you're so keen on him knowing, you tell him." Beth stuck her tongue out at him and turned to face the window. "You don't have to apologize to him, you know. You didn't do anything wrong… not that you did anything right but… I'm just saying. He just hates it when people don't tell him things."
"Then why do I feel guilty?"
"Why do you feel guilty? Is it because you were actively hiding the second our plane touched down?" She whipped her head around to look at him. "Or is it because you knew you had thought about it before you even knew she was interested?" Guilt settled on his face and she toned it down. "You're human. Imperfect. Be glad you're not me. I'm just some crazy alien-girl who isn't certain her boyfriend's intentions are trustworthy."
"What happened? Is he pressuring you?"
"No." She hissed when she saw her father had tuned into their conversation. "He does not pressure me but I'm not certain he's not feeling pressure. I called him… and he was hanging out with Donna Jo."
"Donna Jo? Does he even know her? Do I know her?"
"She was my best friend before I got all crazy and I stopped talking to her because she was worried about me all the time and now we're best friends again and she's hanging out with my boyfriend without me. For all I know… they're caving in to pressure in my absence."
"I get what you're worried about but… the questions is… Do you trust him?"
"I trust him with me. I don't trust him with other girls."
"You don't trust him or you don't trust the other girls."
"The girls."
"Then don't take it out on him. That guy is crazy about you." Will shifted in his seat and checked his watch. Were they flying through a time warp or something? "Donna Jo… which one was she? The red-head?"
"That was Susie. Donna Jo is the blonde with the boobs."
"Blue or green eyes?"
"Brown."
"Brown?" Will thought about it. "The skinny one? All knees?"
"Not anymore. She got bitch-slapped by puberty when we weren't friends. Now she's 5'10", she's got great boobs and she stayed on the cheerleader squad so she's got an ass I wanna grab." She rolled her eyes at her father when he turned to look at her between the seats. "Shut up." She turned back to Will. "She's got that soft, raspy voice that drives guys crazy."
"Do you trust her?"
"I don't know. We've only been best friends again since I was in the hospital. We're not exactly on stable foundation."
"I think it's all in your head. I'll bet they're both worried about you and being near each other reminds them more of you than of whatever raging hormones they've got."
"You're no help."
--
Kathy read through the file and nearly jumped when she realized that Dr. West was standing in her doorway. "Didn't mean to scare you."
"I was just absorbed in my reading." She tried to shake off the chill but it clung.
"I see you've got my file."
"Your… what?" Kathy glanced over her file again.
"Angie, downstairs, told me you've been researching Allethora. It's my file."
"I don't understand."
"Allethora got an early push in the '00s." Dr. West explained as she sat down across from Kathy. "Side effects were minimal and it was highly effective at preventing conception. It was from a small company and for years it was a wonder they didn't make more money. I was in grad school when I went off it to participate in a study and donate my ovum. That was my first clue something was wrong. Even after the grace period, I wasn’t ovulating. There are hundreds of women who would gladly sue Allethora creators for being effectively sterile. Of course, I could never bring my studies to light. I don't have enough support from others on the pill. Most women never figured it out. They just went to the next step and got a surrogate. Most embryos didn't take… though, a few with a very specific genetic defect… this was only four or five out of three hundred who tried, were able to conceive and accept the host. The defect was in the host and not in the parents, mind you."
"Pardon?"
"There are children in this country with three genetic ancestors thanks to Allethora. An anomaly that the government is covering up. I can't get my papers published on the matter. Dr. Skaarstin tells me you have an adult survivor?"
"What?"
"She let it slip but I have to know. The other children didn't live to age ten. She tells me your patient is aged 16 and counting." Dr. West went on, her eyes beaming. "Three biological factors. Swollen pituitary?"
"Pineal."
"That's new." She sat back and her brown eyes fixed on the window over Kathy's head. "The host, on or off?"
"On."
"The biological mother?"
"Same."
"Interesting. From Northwestern?"
"No. From New Mexico. Host was on Allethora and stopped the moment she found out she was pregnant." That news put a wrinkle in Dr. West's forehead.
"Conception was accidental?"
"It wasn't planned."
"May I see the panel?" Dr. West held out her hand but didn’t take her eyes off the window. Kathy fought with herself but if Dr. West was really the expert, she could use the help. She unlocked her desk drawer and pulled out Beth's blood tests. The brown orbs raced over the information. "This is interesting. Were there children conceived after this?"
"Yes."
"Fascinating." Dr. West rose to study and walk. "I can't ever conceive children naturally. It's what brought me to Santa Fe. Dr. Skaarstin does side projects down that alley. There are similarities in the hormones that were used in Allethora and the trauma she sustained as a child… I don’t suppose you knew that."
"She mentioned something. She didn't go into detail." Kathy got to her feet and took a deep breath. "Did you ever speak to the scientists at Allethora?"
"Oh, no." Dr. West laughed dryly. "I tried. I did my research. I hunted for the bastards but all I found was the patent and that was held in a company name. Logan. I thought I had found a doctor by that name and location but she turned up missing. I don't think she ever really existed at all. Dr. Joan Logan. I hunted a ghost for years. This all happened when you were a child. Allethora ceased production in '13."
"There wasn't a money trail?"
"Actually, they always seemed to just break even. I couldn't find much excess or find out who was in control." Her eyes were stuck on the results. "You say it was her pineal that was affected and not the pituitary? Your subject doesn't have any sort of stunted growth?"
"No, not that we could tell. There were some outside complications. She's on complementary estrogen and we've sent for a specialist opinion. I didn't realize we had an expert in house."
"You're not the only one who plays her cards close to the heart." Dr. West handed the panel back and flicked her gaze at the picture on the desk. "Your mom is pretty hot. Too bad she got married."
"I think you're the first woman to make that comment but I've heard it before."
--
Beth shifted uneasily in the cab. She was sore all over. "My bones hurt."
"1-10." Max turned to look her over. Will turned slightly from where he sat up front with the cab driver.
"5… maybe." She shifted again. "It's throbbing. Not pain but constant and uncomfortable."
"Okay. As soon as we get to the hotel, I'll get something for you." He promised. He reached over to feel her forehead, which was warmer than normal. "Maybe you get straight to bed?"
"Maybe."
Max dug out his phone and dialed quickly. "Liz? Hey… we're on our way to the hotel… Not now, Liz… Talk to Beth?"
"Hi Mom." Beth managed as soon as she got the phone. "Not feeling so good."
"Honey… are you okay?"
"I think so… I just… don't feel good. I've been sweating up a storm since Santa Fe. No intrusions… I think…" She had to swallow back the bile. She had never felt quite this bad before.
"Maybe it's just the side effects from the drugs. Just rest, sweetie. Call me if you need to talk…"
"Mom?"
"Yeah?" Beth eyed her father then turned her gaze to the window.
"Do you think Gabriel really loves me?"
"I'm sure he does. He goes out of his way to spend time with you and most guys would give up… unless they really, really cared. What's wrong?"
"I've never had to trust someone before."
"I know. You could always just check to see and you never could with him… but you know what? That's a good thing. It would never work if you were constantly checking to see if his intentions were solid."
"But how do I know?"
"You can't know but you can trust that when he says he loves you or that he cares about you that he really means what he says."
"That doesn't help."
"I suppose not but you can't read his mind just like I can't read your father's mind but I'm not constantly thinking he's cheating on me because I trust him enough that I can know he loves me."
"Yeah and he says it every five minutes." Beth glared at her father.
"Yes, that does help." Liz smiled into the phone. "He calls the house every night to see when you're coming home."
"He does?" Beth couldn't stop the smile from splitting her face, even through the ache that rode her body. "But he knew I could be gone two weeks."
"I know and you know and we know he knows… he's just anxious to see you again, sweetie and that's very likely saying something about how solid his intentions are."
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we have more talks like this when I get home?”
“Count on it.”
TBC
Beth gave her sister a small smile and then a hug. "He'll get over it."
"He just… thinks… What does he think happens in college? Just because he didn't get to go away to school…" Kathy leaned on the reception desk. "I won't speak to him until he apologizes to Will."
"That could be a while." Beth shot a look to Lauren and then leaned in. "Did you really catch Mom giving Dad a blow job?"
"You weren't being nosy were you?" Kathy's eyes flicked to the receptionist but warned her sister to be careful.
"No! Dad was talking to Mom last night… It's completely unnatural if you ask me." Beth glanced behind her through the window at the car in the parking lot. Will leaned on the wall of the building and her father leaned on the car facing the opposite direction. "He's being completely ridiculous."
"Do me a favor and tell him not to go telling everybody. I want to tell Danny myself." Kathy sighed and picked up her files. "Be careful."
"We will." Beth tapped her hand on the counter. "And I will see you when I get back."
"Take care. Don't let that boyfriend of yours walk all over you." Lauren nodded and tossed her a card. "My numbers if you need to talk."
"Will do." Beth waved and pushed the doors open to greet the men. "Well? Are we ready to go?" They just got to their feet. "Will can drive. Daddy, you take the backseat and relax." As they were reaching for doors on opposite sides of the car, she cleared her throat. “I have a few rules. If the words about to escape your mouth are not civil, don’t speak them. If you think I’m going to play telephone, you can forget it. We have a plane ride and an alien to meet. If you feel you need to express something… take it to the bathroom and say it to your reflection. Do we understand the rules? A nod will suffice. Thank you. Let’s mount up.”
--
Sydney examined the smooth flesh. "Wow. I mean… Dr. Evans told me about the regenerative ability of hybrids but I never got to see for myself. This is just a few days."
"I feel good but tired. Healing naturally takes a lot of energy, I guess." Isabel sighed and lowered her night shirt. "What do you say? Am I healed enough to take a shower?"
"With help." Sydney sat up and marked something in the chart. "This went quite well. Kathy is doing remarkably well on those studies of hers. Five years ago, I would have never attempted this, with or without your brother."
"Well, me either." Isabel looked to Jesse, who was still worried. "Wipe off that frown. I feel good. Come on. Fix me a bath. I want to be pretty when I meet that friend of yours when we pick up Seb."
"So, she's healed?"
"At least on the surface completely. I don't want to drag her in for an ultrasound but so long as she takes it easy until she wakes up feeling like her old self…"
"Seb can wait a week."
"No, he can't." Isabel chided. "He's got to go home and pack for Harvard."
"Harvard. Wow." Sydney got to her feet. "He must be pretty smart."
"For an idiot, yes, my son is remarkably smart."
--
Beth blinked at the window and shook her head and blinked again. Will tilted his head at her. "You okay?"
"My eyes are all wacky today." She shook her head and took off her glasses.
"Wacky?"
"I don't know. It's weird." Her lenseless eyes focused on the clouds. "I like flying. I want to learn how. Do you think I could become a pilot?"
"That's not a good thing to announce right after informing me your eyes are all wacky." Will glanced at the seat in front of them. "You should tell your dad."
"If you're so keen on him knowing, you tell him." Beth stuck her tongue out at him and turned to face the window. "You don't have to apologize to him, you know. You didn't do anything wrong… not that you did anything right but… I'm just saying. He just hates it when people don't tell him things."
"Then why do I feel guilty?"
"Why do you feel guilty? Is it because you were actively hiding the second our plane touched down?" She whipped her head around to look at him. "Or is it because you knew you had thought about it before you even knew she was interested?" Guilt settled on his face and she toned it down. "You're human. Imperfect. Be glad you're not me. I'm just some crazy alien-girl who isn't certain her boyfriend's intentions are trustworthy."
"What happened? Is he pressuring you?"
"No." She hissed when she saw her father had tuned into their conversation. "He does not pressure me but I'm not certain he's not feeling pressure. I called him… and he was hanging out with Donna Jo."
"Donna Jo? Does he even know her? Do I know her?"
"She was my best friend before I got all crazy and I stopped talking to her because she was worried about me all the time and now we're best friends again and she's hanging out with my boyfriend without me. For all I know… they're caving in to pressure in my absence."
"I get what you're worried about but… the questions is… Do you trust him?"
"I trust him with me. I don't trust him with other girls."
"You don't trust him or you don't trust the other girls."
"The girls."
"Then don't take it out on him. That guy is crazy about you." Will shifted in his seat and checked his watch. Were they flying through a time warp or something? "Donna Jo… which one was she? The red-head?"
"That was Susie. Donna Jo is the blonde with the boobs."
"Blue or green eyes?"
"Brown."
"Brown?" Will thought about it. "The skinny one? All knees?"
"Not anymore. She got bitch-slapped by puberty when we weren't friends. Now she's 5'10", she's got great boobs and she stayed on the cheerleader squad so she's got an ass I wanna grab." She rolled her eyes at her father when he turned to look at her between the seats. "Shut up." She turned back to Will. "She's got that soft, raspy voice that drives guys crazy."
"Do you trust her?"
"I don't know. We've only been best friends again since I was in the hospital. We're not exactly on stable foundation."
"I think it's all in your head. I'll bet they're both worried about you and being near each other reminds them more of you than of whatever raging hormones they've got."
"You're no help."
--
Kathy read through the file and nearly jumped when she realized that Dr. West was standing in her doorway. "Didn't mean to scare you."
"I was just absorbed in my reading." She tried to shake off the chill but it clung.
"I see you've got my file."
"Your… what?" Kathy glanced over her file again.
"Angie, downstairs, told me you've been researching Allethora. It's my file."
"I don't understand."
"Allethora got an early push in the '00s." Dr. West explained as she sat down across from Kathy. "Side effects were minimal and it was highly effective at preventing conception. It was from a small company and for years it was a wonder they didn't make more money. I was in grad school when I went off it to participate in a study and donate my ovum. That was my first clue something was wrong. Even after the grace period, I wasn’t ovulating. There are hundreds of women who would gladly sue Allethora creators for being effectively sterile. Of course, I could never bring my studies to light. I don't have enough support from others on the pill. Most women never figured it out. They just went to the next step and got a surrogate. Most embryos didn't take… though, a few with a very specific genetic defect… this was only four or five out of three hundred who tried, were able to conceive and accept the host. The defect was in the host and not in the parents, mind you."
"Pardon?"
"There are children in this country with three genetic ancestors thanks to Allethora. An anomaly that the government is covering up. I can't get my papers published on the matter. Dr. Skaarstin tells me you have an adult survivor?"
"What?"
"She let it slip but I have to know. The other children didn't live to age ten. She tells me your patient is aged 16 and counting." Dr. West went on, her eyes beaming. "Three biological factors. Swollen pituitary?"
"Pineal."
"That's new." She sat back and her brown eyes fixed on the window over Kathy's head. "The host, on or off?"
"On."
"The biological mother?"
"Same."
"Interesting. From Northwestern?"
"No. From New Mexico. Host was on Allethora and stopped the moment she found out she was pregnant." That news put a wrinkle in Dr. West's forehead.
"Conception was accidental?"
"It wasn't planned."
"May I see the panel?" Dr. West held out her hand but didn’t take her eyes off the window. Kathy fought with herself but if Dr. West was really the expert, she could use the help. She unlocked her desk drawer and pulled out Beth's blood tests. The brown orbs raced over the information. "This is interesting. Were there children conceived after this?"
"Yes."
"Fascinating." Dr. West rose to study and walk. "I can't ever conceive children naturally. It's what brought me to Santa Fe. Dr. Skaarstin does side projects down that alley. There are similarities in the hormones that were used in Allethora and the trauma she sustained as a child… I don’t suppose you knew that."
"She mentioned something. She didn't go into detail." Kathy got to her feet and took a deep breath. "Did you ever speak to the scientists at Allethora?"
"Oh, no." Dr. West laughed dryly. "I tried. I did my research. I hunted for the bastards but all I found was the patent and that was held in a company name. Logan. I thought I had found a doctor by that name and location but she turned up missing. I don't think she ever really existed at all. Dr. Joan Logan. I hunted a ghost for years. This all happened when you were a child. Allethora ceased production in '13."
"There wasn't a money trail?"
"Actually, they always seemed to just break even. I couldn't find much excess or find out who was in control." Her eyes were stuck on the results. "You say it was her pineal that was affected and not the pituitary? Your subject doesn't have any sort of stunted growth?"
"No, not that we could tell. There were some outside complications. She's on complementary estrogen and we've sent for a specialist opinion. I didn't realize we had an expert in house."
"You're not the only one who plays her cards close to the heart." Dr. West handed the panel back and flicked her gaze at the picture on the desk. "Your mom is pretty hot. Too bad she got married."
"I think you're the first woman to make that comment but I've heard it before."
--
Beth shifted uneasily in the cab. She was sore all over. "My bones hurt."
"1-10." Max turned to look her over. Will turned slightly from where he sat up front with the cab driver.
"5… maybe." She shifted again. "It's throbbing. Not pain but constant and uncomfortable."
"Okay. As soon as we get to the hotel, I'll get something for you." He promised. He reached over to feel her forehead, which was warmer than normal. "Maybe you get straight to bed?"
"Maybe."
Max dug out his phone and dialed quickly. "Liz? Hey… we're on our way to the hotel… Not now, Liz… Talk to Beth?"
"Hi Mom." Beth managed as soon as she got the phone. "Not feeling so good."
"Honey… are you okay?"
"I think so… I just… don't feel good. I've been sweating up a storm since Santa Fe. No intrusions… I think…" She had to swallow back the bile. She had never felt quite this bad before.
"Maybe it's just the side effects from the drugs. Just rest, sweetie. Call me if you need to talk…"
"Mom?"
"Yeah?" Beth eyed her father then turned her gaze to the window.
"Do you think Gabriel really loves me?"
"I'm sure he does. He goes out of his way to spend time with you and most guys would give up… unless they really, really cared. What's wrong?"
"I've never had to trust someone before."
"I know. You could always just check to see and you never could with him… but you know what? That's a good thing. It would never work if you were constantly checking to see if his intentions were solid."
"But how do I know?"
"You can't know but you can trust that when he says he loves you or that he cares about you that he really means what he says."
"That doesn't help."
"I suppose not but you can't read his mind just like I can't read your father's mind but I'm not constantly thinking he's cheating on me because I trust him enough that I can know he loves me."
"Yeah and he says it every five minutes." Beth glared at her father.
"Yes, that does help." Liz smiled into the phone. "He calls the house every night to see when you're coming home."
"He does?" Beth couldn't stop the smile from splitting her face, even through the ache that rode her body. "But he knew I could be gone two weeks."
"I know and you know and we know he knows… he's just anxious to see you again, sweetie and that's very likely saying something about how solid his intentions are."
“Mom?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we have more talks like this when I get home?”
“Count on it.”
TBC