My Three Sons
By Thomas Mc

Chapter 2 : Daniel

The next morning, as Emily walked into infirmary to talk to Teresa, she glanced over at the unconscious figure of William then her attention shifted over to the unconscious young woman on the table next to him. Despite her bruised and bandaged head, the outsider girl really was very pretty. Emily resisted the urge to peek under the covers to see what the girl might be wearing that could have caused that momentary reaction in Devin last night.

Teresa came out of her little office alcove. "What brings you in here this morning . . . besides curiosity that is?" She chuckled and glanced over at the injured young woman.

Never one to hedge, Emily came right to the point. "I'm six days late and my previous period was very light. I've always been as regular as a Swiss watch." She shrugged. "I was hoping you could check and make sure."

"You're pregnant?"

"We haven't been exactly trying, but we haven't been trying to prevent it either. We don't get the chance to spend a whole lot of time together, so we tend to make up for lost time, which means that it is a distinct possibility." She grinned as she shrugged. "We decided to let the chips fall where they may." She giggled. "And it looks like the chips may have fallen."

As Teresa directed her into one of the two private alcoves, Peter and Joseph entered, accompanied by Elizabeth and loaded William onto a stretcher. "They're moving him to his own chamber." Teresa commented.

~ o ~

The tests turned out as Emily expected. Fortunately she didn't have a lot of jobs scheduled way in advanced this year.

Emily entered her apartment and called her agent-manager. "Yes, Emily Hansen for M. R. Belmont" . . .

"Hello Marty. How are you doing." . . .

"You know me too well. Marty, I need you to cancel the Dior shoot scheduled the beginning of the month after next." . . .

"Just tell them that it's a, personal commitments, conflict . . . make up something." . . .

"I hate to put you in the middle but . . . I'm going to take a sabbatical starting the end of next month." . . .

"I do have some leeway but I absolutely cannot accept anything after the end of April." . . .

"No (laughing) I'm afraid next year's Swimsuit Edition is definitely out of the question." . . .

"It's personal, Marty. Let's just say I need a little time to deal with a very personal issue." . . .

"I, ah . . . I guess about eight months, or so." . . .

"I know, I know, but this is necessary, Marty, and I'm sorry, but I can not tell you why." . . .

"Just do what you can . . . and thank-you Marty, you're a doll. I'll call you tomorrow."

Emily hung up the phone and left the apartment, headed for the Wells-Chandler building.

~ o ~

At around four, Emily walked through the lobby of the Wells-Chandler building. Every male head turned as one to follow the tall well known supermodel. She stepped into the special express elevator that was reserved for the top executives of the Wells-Chandler Foundation, and a very few privileged individuals, like herself, that had the special access key.

Emily stepped off the elevator on the top floor and every eye in the central bullpen swiveled in her direction. Several called out a greeting as she headed for one of the top executive offices that ringed this floor. No one was surprised when she was waved right into the office, marked 'New Projects Division', by the young man at the desk before the office door. You didn't get to work on this floor unless you were already familiar with the Chandler-Wells family.

She sailed through the office door, without bothering to close it behind her. Devin was sitting at his desk smiling up at her as she entered. He had felt her, particularly upbeat, mood all day and suspected he was about to find out why.

Emily was speaking in a slightly raised voice as she approached his desk. "Well, Devin, this time you've really done it!" She placed both hands on his desk, on either side of the brass nameplate that proclaimed 'Devin Chandler-Wells'

Devin quirked one eyebrow at her, totally unaffected by the glare that probably would have withered anyone who couldn't read her emotions. "What have I done this time, Emily?" He asked with a hint of a grin.

She broke into a huge grin as she raised her voice just a bit more. "You got me pregnant, you beast!"

Devin practically shot around the desk and enveloped her in a massive 'Lion hug' as several cheers could be heard coming through the open office doorway. The cheering increased as he very thoroughly kissed her in plain view of the open door.

~ o ~

A couple of hours later Emily and Devin were sitting in the tunnel dining chamber trying to eat their dinner while being inundated by congratulations. (Somehow the news had preceded their arrival.)

After diner they decided to retire early. As they lay in bed together, Devin noticed that Emily had become a bit pensive and there was a hint of worry mixed in. "What is it that has you so thoughtful, my love?"

She turned to face him as she continued to mull over her concerns for a few more seconds. Finally with a sigh, she spoke. "Devin, I'm worried. What kind of mother will I be?"

Devin thought a moment. He was pretty sure that he knew where this was coming from and decided it was time to bring the subject out into the open and deal with it right here and now. He very carefully worded his response. "Emily, my love, you will be a fantastic mother . . . when you're here." He knew by her emotional reaction that he had hit the nail on the head.

She frowned for a moment. "That's just what I mean." She had felt no blame or condemnation in Devin's mind, only the, always present, gentle caress of his love. But the meaning of his words was perfectly clear and it was what was bothering her.

Devin cocked his head as he responded to her. "We both know that you could never be happy living in one place. It's just the way you are . . . and I happen to love you, just the way you are." He reached up and gently caressed her cheek as he smiled back at her. "I don't think I'll have too much difficulty raising our child." With a single soft chuckle he shifted his hand to gently hold her chin so she couldn't look away. "I've got the whole tunnel community to support me. You can be sure that our child will always know that he or she is very much loved by both parents. And like me, he or she will anxiously look forward to the next time you are home." Another soft chuckle. "Just, please, try not to spoil'em too much when you're here. They'll get enough of that from their grandparents." Then he leaned in and kissed her, driving all other thoughts from her mind.

~ x x x x x ~

April 2038

It was the first week in April and Emily was in Italy. This was her last gig before her hiatus was to begin. It was her usual free day (she always scheduled one every time she did a job). She and Danny had been wandering around Rome, taking in the sights. They were in a very busy area near the Vatican. That was to be their next stop, but it was getting close to lunchtime and they were both hungry. They decided to stop at a very nice looking storefront café that they happened to be passing.

Danny had noticed something different about Emily during this latest job. They were small almost unnoticeable things, a general look about her, a tiny bit of extra weight in certain areas, the way she had twice wobbled just a bit when standing up suddenly. He cocked his head a bit as he contemplated her while she gazed out at the people on the street. One word popped into his mind. 'Pregnant?'

Emily was contemplating the lovely scenery as she shifted her attention back around to Danny, just as he was turning his gaze to the street behind her, thinking about that concept he had just entertained. She had caught a glimpse of the speculative look he had been giving her, just before he had shifted his gaze distractedly away from her. She wondered what he was thinking, and was about to ask him, when his eyes suddenly opened wide in surprise.

Before she could even think about it, Danny grabbed her upper left arm, yanking her out of her chair and around the table, nearly pulling her arm out of its socket with its abruptness. She yelped in surprise and pain as he immediately yanked her to the floor while, with the other hand, he flipped the table over on its side. Then the table was slammed against her, hard, and she was deafened by a very loud BOOM.

Emily came out of a stunned daze as she became aware of the terrible odors that stung the eyes and assaulted the nose. She looked away from the unreal chaos around her and stared uncomprehendingly at Danny trying to make sense of it all. She could tell Danny was trying to say something to her, but she couldn't hear him for the loud ringing in her ears. She could see the concern in his eyes as he began touching her all over, checking for injuries. Her hands instinctively went to her belly. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that she had suffered no injury there. Danny couldn't help noticing her reaction then he unsteadily helped her up from the ground.

The first sounds Emily heard as the ringing died away was the screaming and crying of those around her mixed with the wailing of the approaching sirens. Then she heard Danny asking if she could hear him and was she hurt anywhere? All the while he located an undamaged chair, up-righted it and helped her sit down on it.

A few minutes later they were surrounded by police and paramedics, each intent on doing their part in dealing with the situation. Emily's left shoulder was badly sprained and her right side was a mass of bruises, where the table had hit her. Danny's left side had also suffered similar damage from collision with the table. She also had multiple minor cuts and scratches where she had been struck by bits of secondary debris created by the bomb's destruction.

While the paramedics checked out both of their, thankfully minor, injuries, Danny gave the police an accurate description of what he had seen. Emily listened intently to his description as her eye was continuously drawn to the devastation around her. She learned that Danny had spotted the suicide bomber standing about fifteen feet away from their table. His attention had first been drawn to the man by his middle-eastern clothes combined with his extremely nervous disposition. Then he became alarmed by the dead-man switch the stranger was clutching in his hand and by the corner of explosive he saw peeking out from under the man's robes. His instincts had taken over and he had placed them, both, behind the nearest available cover.

With the exception of Emily and Danny, everyone within twenty-five feet of the man had been killed instantly. Beyond that range, dozens of others lay dying or seriously injured. There had been significant injuries as far away as seventy-five feet. She had come out of it pretty good considering. His quick thinking and decisive action had saved both their lives.

Then the press showed up. The reporters realized who Emily was and quickly surrounded her. Danny started to pull her away but she stopped him and, pulling herself together, took the time to give the reporters a statement. It was an eloquently scathing condemnation of the suicide bomber. She said that he was nothing more than a poor deluded fool who allowed himself to be convinced to throw his life away for nothing by the evil terrorist leaders. She was in no mood to be diplomatic and didn't pull any punches as she continued to express her very harsh opinion of both the terrorist leaders and their witless followers. Then, shaking from her reaction to the tragedy around her, she let Danny lead her away.

~ x x x x x ~

The next two days of fashion shoots naturally had to be canceled because of her very obvious injuries. That next morning, Emily stayed in her room and sketched out several scenes from the aftermath of the attack. It was her way of dealing with the horrific images she carried in her mind from the previous day. That afternoon she showed the heart-rending drawings to Danny and he insisted that she should fax them to the major news services. By the next morning her drawings and her words were spread across most of the worlds news services and they soon became the newest rallying cry of the anti-terrorist factions within the various governments. There was a very real fear that her statements and her drawings had made her a target so she was spirited out of Italy under very heavy security.

~ x x x x x ~

Emily and Devin were lying in bed together discussing name possibilities. Because of the ultrasounds that Teresa had insisted on, to verify that the baby had not been injured by the bomb, they already knew it would be a boy.

Devin gently caressed the healing bruises along her right side. "What do you say to the name Daniel?"

She looked at him quizzically. "Why Daniel?"

"That's Danny's real name." Devin cocked his head slightly, his eyes had become deep pools. "He's always been there whenever you went overseas, to keep you safe when I couldn't, so that you were able to return home to me. I also know that you think of him as a close friend and I can tell by your emotions that you always feel safer when he's there. We both know that you and our unborn son are both here and alive because of him." He shrugged. "It just seemed appropriate to me."

Emily thought about his suggestion for a few seconds. Though she hadn't thought about that name, she did like it, and she liked his reasons for suggesting it. She grinned back at Devin. "I like it. Daniel it is." She pulled him in and kissed him, putting all her love and gratitude into it.

After a few minutes Devin broke from their embrace and smiled at her. "Since we are going to name our son after him, I think maybe I should meet him. That way we can invite him to the naming ceremony and I can thank him in person."

Emily thought about that for a moment then responded. "I like that idea. I think he could handle the concept of your family and I too would like him to be at the naming ceremony. I just seems so right to me."

~ x x x x x ~

September 2038

Despite her exhaustion, the cries of her newborn son filled her heart with joy. She gazed hungrily at the face of her son as Teresa placed him in her arms. He looked just like his father. He was beautiful. Devin wrapped his arms around them both as the tiny leonine infant quieted down. She looked up at Devin and he kissed her as his love flooded her heart.

~ x x x x x ~

Danny, Pierre and those models, in-the-know, had all come to New York for the last week in September at Emily's invitation. Danny was invited over to Emily's apartment two days before the naming ceremony. As soon as he arrived, he was introduced to Devin and finally learned that Devin really did look exactly like he had appeared on that Halloween, in the Central Park fashion show.

Danny sat down in the chair in stunned surprise. It took him a couple of seconds to get over the shock. Finally he commented. "That certainly explains why the makeup looked so perfect." His eyes lost focus as other thoughts flashed through his mind. "That must mean that the other seven were also like you." He focused back on Devin who nodded yes in response. Danny then glanced back and forth between Devin and Emily. "And you two are married?" Devin and Emily both nodded an affirmative.

Emily noticed Danny's eyes shift to Devin's claws and responded to his unasked question. "No, the claws have never been a problem." She smiled "They do however come in handy occasionally when I need him to open something for me."

Devin and Emily told Danny a little about Devin's family. When she told him the story of Deb and Ellie, she saw the light of understanding grow in his eyes as Danny began to put the pieces together and saw how it related to his grandmother.

Finally he asked. "Why are you telling me all this now?"

Devin placed his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Because we want you to be there day after tomorrow for our new son's naming ceremony. It's a kind of a family tradition." Danny looked at them both for a moment. She had been pregnant. Then his eyes went wide, his mind racing ahead, as he gazed at Devin. Devin added. "Yes, our son does look a lot like me."

Finally, after mulling all that he had just learned over for a few seconds, Danny answered. "I would be honored."

The others had already been told that they were invited to the naming ceremony for Emily's new son, to be held at the Central Park West address of the family brownstone. Devin and Emily didn't want to expose the tunnels to anyone that didn't already know about them so they had decided to hold it in the parlor. They had asked that it be officiated by Vincent.

~ x x x x x ~

From the moment Emily's friends had shown up at the brownstone, the newcomers were amazed by the range of people that were present at the small event. There were some that looked like ordinary people off the street mingling with the likes of District Attorney Elizabeth Maxwell and the wealthy, reclusive Catherine Chandler. Wandering among them were some that looked almost like excessively clean and healthy street people. And, of course, mixed in with this wildly diverse group were the eight incredible leonine Chandler-Wells males. Even Emily's parents had flown in a few days ago to see their new grandchild and were at the ceremony. Both Emily's parents couldn't seem to get enough of little Daniel.

Vincent had just finished the introductory words to the naming ceremony. Devin and Emily stepped up next to Vincent and faced all those present. Devin held their son as he spoke. "We have named our first son, Daniel, in honor of the man who has always been there for Emily whenever she was traveling abroad." He looked straight at Danny. "I owe the life of both my wife and my son to him."

Danny was surprised and deeply moved as everyone else in the parlor gazed at the man Devin had just honored. Danny ended up receiving as many congratulations as the happy parents.

After the ceremony, Jessica, Caitlin and Randy had become totally entranced by the tiny infant and also couldn't get enough of him. Pierre seemed to spend the whole time looking around, shaking his head and muttering things like 'amazing' and 'incredible' under his breath. He couldn't decide which amazed him the most; the Candler-Wells family itself, living right under the noses of the city, or their lifestyle as represented by the interior of the brownstone they were in.

After a while the four models got to talking about what had been going on in their lives. "What ever happened between you and William?" Jessica asked Randy.

"Oh, I'm no longer seeing William. I think we both always knew that it wasn't really going to work out." There was a pause. "Although, it had suddenly gotten pretty hot and heavy between us there for a couple of weeks shortly before we realized that neither of us were ready for anything permanent. We finally decided to break-up. I've met a new guy, Henry. He may not be the hunk William is but he is hot . . . and great in bed." She laughed. "The last I heard, William and Joseph were competing over some girl that ran over him in the park about a month after we broke up."

"Yea, I met Paulette right after the accident." Emily remarked. "She was also injured and they brought her Be . . . ah, home to take care of her. She is really a very sweet and passionate person and it didn't take long for both brothers to fall for her." She shook her head. "I think the only reason Peter wasn't drawn into the competition for her is because he was already inoculated against other females by Cherry."

"So, how is the romantic triangle going?" Caitlin was curious.

"The competition between those two is getting fierce and for now it looks like a tossup." Emily laughed, her eyes dancing with amusement. "It's a good thing those two boys are so close or they might have strangled each other by now." She turned a bit more serious. "The way things are going, I suspect that things are going to come to a head anytime now." She shook her head. "I'm afraid that Paulette has gotten in way over her head and it could lead to disaster if she doesn't make a choice soon."

Soon the girls were on to other subjects, the care and feeding of leonine infants being foremost.

~ x x x x x ~

Emily was up in her apartment running on her treadmill. Daniel was fast asleep in the crib beside her. She had been splitting her time between caring for her new son and working very hard at getting back into shape for when she returned from her hiatus. At present she couldn't say which activity was the most exhausting.

Thanks to a fortunate combination of her natural healing ability, her large six foot frame, and her habit of taking good care of her skin, there was almost no scaring from stretch marks. Her only worry was getting her figure back to normal. That involved lots of running and sit-ups. Her natural metabolism was some help there as well.

On the video in front of her, was one of those pop culture shows. The current subject was 'Where has Emily Hanson disappeared to'. Emily smiled as she remembered the surprise the tunnel community had sprung on her two days after Daniel's birth. Over the previous six months they had cut a new tunnel into the basement of her apartment building. It had been a major undertaking because of the distance they had been required to cover and the city infrastructure they had to avoid.

Now, despite the curiosity of the media and the persistence of the paparazzi, her apartment had become even more of a haven where she and Devin could come and go as they pleased, at any time of the day, without anyone being the wiser. She laughed at the way the media scratched their collective heads about her mysterious disappearance from the public radar.

~ x x x x x ~

October 2038

Emily reappeared, unannounced, on the public scene at an exclusive high society Halloween costume party. According to the news reports, she and her escort had appeared as the 'Beauty and the Beast' from the 'Hidden Kingdom' wedding scene. The next day Emily showed up in a major fashion show put on by one of New York's most well known high fashion clothing shops. She had been billed simply as 'surprise guest' in all of the advanced publicity. Her agent had set the whole thing up for her without even the organizers being in the know . . . except one, Pierre.

The press went wild. There was tons of speculation about the reason for her absence and where she had been. Some speculated that she had taken a rest cure at some exotic resort. Others wondered if she had been through some type of mysterious illness. Some commentators pointed out that her breast size appeared to have increased a bit and suggested that she had slipped out to Europe and gotten a boob job. They all agreed that, whatever the reason, she looked fantastic.

At home, Linda and Cherry, in particular, as well as most of the tunnel community eagerly jumped in to help Devin take care of his new son. Vincent remarked that in many ways it reminded him of how he was brought up with the exception that Daniel would have a much better feel of who and what he was. And he would know right from the start who his mother is.

- x -

Hiatus 7 months / Apr – Oct / first son, Daniel, born September 14, 2038

Continued in Part 3

'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.