Destinies In Collision
By Thomas Mc
Chapter 2 : Getting To Know You
Paulette looked back at the incredible lion-man sitting in front of her, a moment. What did she want to talk about? Then she shrugged and told him the truth. "I don't know. I just wanted you to stay." She paused trying to screw up the courage to ask him something. "I . . . ah . . . I wanted to ask you . . . did I . . . did I really hit another one like you in the park?" She looked down embarrassed and afraid the question might make him mad at her.
"Yes, that was my brother, William, you ran into." He responded.
"I'm so sorry. Is he going to be alright?" She asked concerned.
"Doctor Teresa says that he has a couple of broken bones and a concussion but she said that he will be OK." He looked at her for a few seconds. "What happened?"
"I, ah, I guess I was . . . I was crying so much I couldn't see where I was going." There was a moment as the sorrow welled up inside her and she got all choked up. Then she recovered enough to continue. "I think I jumped a curb. I . . . I didn't even see him 'til I hit him." She looked down for a few seconds feeling guilty for what had happened. "I'm so sorry."
Joseph could tell by her emotions that she was truly sorry for injuring William, and her concern for his welfare was also genuine. He leaned forward resting one hand on the foot of her bed. "It's OK. William will recover. We are, generally, pretty tough and it takes more than a little bump from a car to take one of us out." He tilted his head and she could see a hint of sympathy reflected in his eyes. "There is so much sorrow in you. What is it that makes you so sad?"
Her last view of Frank came, unbidden, to her mind and the sadness rose up within her again. "It was my boyfriend, Frank." She choked back a sob. "I went to surprise him for his birthday but I found him in bed with another woman." She hung her head and felt the tears gathering. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the tears trail down her cheeks as the sorrow threatened to overwhelm her again.
After a second, she felt a warm soft hand touching hers. It felt good, comforting. She opened her eyes and through blurry tears saw his clawed fur covered hand resting on hers and he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Then he spoke. "This man Frank must be a total fool." There was a pause as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "He had a beautiful woman like you, who would dress for him as you were, there to help him celebrate his birthday, and he fools around with another woman?" She looked up to see him shaking his head. "The man is not worthy of someone like you."
She touched the back of his hand that was holding hers. "Thank-you for those kind words."
Now he smiled at her and she caught a glimpse of sharp fangs peeking out. They should have made him look even more frightening yet she was not bothered by them as much as she might have been. The longer he sat there talking, the less intimidated she felt. She was beginning to think that, intimidating as he was, he also really looked rather magnificent with his leonine features and that wild mane of hair. And how could she resist that incredibly sexy voice of his. It was so soothing yet so exciting at the same time. Every time he spoke she felt a quiver deep inside in reaction to it. She was also beginning to suspect that he knew exactly how his voice was affecting her. Then she wondered what a female version of him would look like and if he had a girlfriend, or mate, whatever. "Are, ah, are there many like you down here?" She finally asked, changing the subject.
He thought a moment. "I guess there are about a dozen of us. I never thought to count."
She wondered how many of them were female. "Do you have a . . ." She was suddenly feeling very shy. ". . . aaahh . . . do you have a . . . mate?" Now she felt a bit foolish and self-conscious.
He looked up surprised then chuckled showing a bit more of his fangs. With a smile, he responded. "No, I'm afraid I haven't found a . . . mate," She caught a hint of a glint of humor in his eyes. ". . . Yet."
She suddenly felt sad. If he had not found anyone among the twelve down here then was he doomed to be alone? She decided to change the subject again. "Did I really see Elizabeth Maxwell back in that emergency room . . . cave?"
"Yes, that was her." He leaned forward. "You don't need to worry about her. I will explain to mother that what happened was just an accident." He smiled at Paulette. "I don't think she will give you any trouble over it."
She felt that there was something odd about what he had just said but it took a few seconds for her to realize what it was. Then it hit her. "Wait a minute." She looked at him in surprise. "Did I just understand you to say that Elizabeth Maxwell . . . is your mother?"
He looked back at her in surprise, and then she saw understanding dawning in his eyes. Then he laughed. "Yes, Elizabeth Maxwell is mine and William's birth mother. The other one like me you saw in the park is my father, Charles." There was a twinkle of merriment in his eyes. The genes that make one like me are carried in the Y chromosome so the others like me are all males, and only those like me carry those genes. Otherwise, at least at the genetic level we are mostly human. We are more of a genetic anomaly rather than a different species, and we breed true. All of our female children are normal human."
She looked at him for several seconds digesting what he had just told her. Then she said the first thing that came to her. "Then you would mate with normal girls like me?" Suddenly she found herself blushing furiously at what she had just said.
He chuckled and when she finally looked up at him, she saw laughter and a hint of something more serious flash in his eyes. "Yes, if I took a wife it would definitely be someone like you." The look in his eyes made her blush even more as she found herself thinking very unladylike thoughts. "So you do find me interesting?" He asked with a hint of fire in his eyes.
Her blush deepened. "You know what I'm thinking?" She asked, very embarrassed at the concept.
He chuckled again. "No, but I can feel your emotions. I'm an empath. I can feel other people's emotions but I can't read their thoughts." He cocked his head to one side, she was beginning to find the gesture very endearing. "I could sense a hint of erotic emotion in you but, since I can't read your thoughts, I can only hope that you were thinking about me at the time."
She felt a rush of embarrassment, accompanied by more inappropriate thoughts about him. Then another rush of embarrassment because she could see his reactions to her emotions in his eyes. "Oh my." She hid her face in her hands, as she felt suddenly unable to stop herself from thinking about him. Then she looked up in surprise at his laugh.
He smiled at her. "If it helps any, I know how hard it is to control your thoughts and emotions under conditions like this and, truthfully, I like you and find you very attractive." There was that glimmer of fire in his eyes again. "I was having a very hard time keeping my thoughts under control when I was bringing you below from the park last night. You looked so beautiful." Now she noticed a hint of red under the thinner fur around his face as he glanced away.
Her eyes got wide. "You carried me down here . . . dressed like this?" She blushed more furiously and felt her body become very warm. He only nodded mutely.
She felt him start to pull his hand away from hers and quickly grabbed it. She really did not want him to let go right now. Finally, a thought occurred to her and she suddenly felt a bit mischievous. She looked him in the eyes. "OK you've seen me so I feel like I can ask . . . Does that fur cover your whole body?" She ended with a bit of a giggle.
He stared at her for a second in surprise then answered with a bit of a laugh. "Pretty much."
She suddenly felt very shy. "I, ah . . . I think I would like to get to know you better." She looked down blushing again.
The next thing she knew he had shifted so that he was sitting on the bed right beside her. "I would like that too." He replied quietly.
~ o ~
They had been talking for a couple of hours. Mostly they talked about what Joseph's life was like. She was surprised that he had been raised mostly above ground in an expensive brownstone adjacent to the park with his mother and father. He explained that there was plenty of privacy in that place with its frosted and stained glass windows and its direct connection to the tunnels. She was also surprised to learn that his grandmother on his father's side was the wealthy socialite Catherine Chandler.
Paulette told him a little about her life. Then she became worried. "What am I going to do about my job? I just started my new job as a book editor last month and I don't have a way to tell them that I can't come in to work."
He smiled as he responded to her. "Don't worry about that I'll have someone notify your boss about the accident and tell him that you will be out for a few days." He became alert and looked over at the tapestry with just a hint of worry.
Paulette looked at him curiously. "Joseph, is something wrong?"
He shook his head. "It's mother. She's in the tunnel right outside your door." He told her quietly. "I think she's looking for me." Then there was a slight smile on his face. "I think she is debating with herself whether or not to disturb you."
"Why would she hesitate?" Paulette asked quietly.
"Because the tapestry is down. To us down here, that is a very definite 'Do-Not-Disturb' sign." Joseph tilted his head and smiled at her. "Mother would never ignore that rule unless there was a real emergency. None of us would." He gave her hand a squeeze and called out. "I'm in here mom."
"Oh, Joseph." The woman responded then after a second she asked. "Is it all right for me to come in?" There was an indefinable hint of curiosity in her voice.
Joseph looked at Paulette for her response. After a second, she spoke up. "Sure go ahead and come in."
The tapestry was pulled aside and Elizabeth Maxwell walked in. At the barely suppressed look of surprise on her face Paulette was suddenly acutely aware that she and Joseph were currently sitting together on her bed and she had very little on under the robe she was wearing. Elizabeth's face shifted taking on just a hint of concern then turned her attention on Joseph. "Your father said that you came in here a couple of hours ago." The tone of her voice was clearly requesting an explanation.
Joseph spoke up. "I felt her crying and came here to see if I could help, and we got to talking." He glanced over at Paulette, a hint of concern in his eyes, as he continued. "She told me that she had gone to see her boyfriend for his birthday and found him in bed with another woman. That's how she ended up in the park. She was so upset she couldn't see where she was going and didn't see William until it was too late." He seemed to be trying to get it all out in one breath like a child in trouble trying to explain himself to his parent.
Elizabeth stood there looking at them both, taking it in. Paulette could almost see the wheels turning as her mind as she filled in the details for herself. Paulette became aware that her robe had come partially open revealing part of her original outfit. She was sure that Elizabeth had already seen more of it earlier and was factoring that into her deductions. Paulette found herself blushing again as she pulled the unruly robe closed. "I think I understand." Elizabeth finally said. "Is that your car in the park?" Paulette nodded her head. "And you were driving?" Again, she nodded her head. "OK, that's all I need to know for now. We'll talk again later." Elizabeth glanced speculatively at them both. "I have things to attend to." She turned and quickly left the room.
Joseph glanced at Paulette. "I'll be right back." Then he jumped up and exited the room. For several minutes Paulette sat there wondering what was happening and if he was really coming back. Finally, after several minutes, Joseph returned carrying a pair of old crutches. "I filled mother in more completely on what you told me and she said she would contact your boss for you." He set the crutches against the wall next to the bed. "You're going to need these if you want to be able to get around." He looked down at her. "It's getting close to lunch time. Would you like something to eat?"
"Well that would be nice but, ah, can you tell me how to find the, ah, little girls room, first?" She responded a little self-consciously.
He chuckled. "Sure thing. Let me help you up." He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. She was surprised at how strong he appeared to be. He handed her the crutches and got her balanced on them. "The left fibula, the small bone in the lower half of your leg, is broken so you are not to put any weight on it." He went over to the tapestry, pulled it back and hooked it to the side then bowed. "This way." He smiled as he swept his arm out the opening that was now revealed.
As Joseph led her to the necessary chamber, they encountered several normal looking people all dressed in layers of patched clothing that seemed to give them an almost medieval look. They all greeted Joseph cheerily as they passed them in the tunnel. Several asked him how William was doing and he always replied that Doctor Teresa said he would be OK. No one seemed the least bit put off by his appearance, though most of them glanced curiously at Paulette.
When she came out, Joseph was waiting for her and led her back to the small cave that was her room. "I'll go check on William then see about getting you something to eat." He grinned. "You'll find some clothes in those drawers. Dress in layers, it gets a bit cool and damp down here." He smiled, dropped the tapestry across the opening and was gone.
After a second, she went over to the chest of drawers and looked through it. The clothes all seemed to be patched together but they were all clean and neat. She had noticed that the women's clothes had a particularly feminine look to it. Also, the clothes felt very soft to the touch. She carefully picked out several pieces that looked good together. It all seemed to be the right size. At this point she noticed that there was no underwear among the clothes. Oh well, a minor oversight and the fabric was so soft that she could make due. Once she got the clothes all on, they felt so warm and comfortable and she felt just as feminine in these unusual clothes as the other women had looked. Some of the fastenings however were a bit unusual and, to her frustration, she found that some of them were beyond her ability with her injured wrists.
She heard Joseph's voice call from outside. "Is it OK if I come in?"
She again felt that little flutter deep inside her. "Yea, sure, come on in." She replied happily.
The tapestry billowed inward then slid off his back as Joseph backed into the chamber. He then turned around and she could see that he was carrying a tray with two plates of food that smelled heavenly and two mismatched cups. He set the tray down on the low table next to the bed and looked her over. "Looks like you're having a bit of trouble with the clothes."
She looked down at her hands. "Yea, it's my wrists." She brushed the unusual fastenings with her fingertips. I just can't quite manage these." She looked up at him ruefully.
"Would you like me to help you with that?" He asked diffidently and just a hint of a blush.
"Please." She replied.
Joseph stepped up to her and gingerly reached out to do up the difficult fastenings on the front of her sweater and vest. She felt a delicious shiver run up her spine as his hand brushed against her breast. Joseph felt her reactions to his touch and answering shivers ran up within his own spine as he helped her fasten her clothes. He was drawn to her like a moth to her flame. There was something so vulnerable, so sweet about her. And he just couldn't get the look of her in that nothing she had been wearing out of his mind, nor the feel of her barely clothed body in his arms as he had carried her below after they found her. He felt the need to help her, protect her. Finished he stepped back to admire her. Despite the bandages and bruises, she looked so beautiful to him.
He helped her hobble back over to her bed then pulled the chair up next to her and sat in it. As they ate, he told her a little about his family. He told her about his other brothers, Peter and William, and his sister, Clarissa. He could feel her fascination as she took it all in. He could feel her shock of surprised recognition when she realized that his oldest brother's name was Peter Chandler-Wells. Over the last few years his children's books had exploded onto the popular culture scene. Joseph told her about the growing romance between Peter and Cherry, who grew up in the tunnels. He talked about his sister and her determination to become a lawyer and follow in their mother's and Grandmother's footsteps. He told her about how Grandmother Catherine had been living 'Below' since she retired from public life and disappeared from public view.
Joseph then began talking about the story of Catherine and Vincent and noticed that Paulette was totally engrossed in the story. He noticed that every revelation about his grandparents seemed to whet her curiosity to know more. "Do you like to read romantic stories?" He suddenly asked her out of the blue.
Paulette shrugged. "Yea," She grinned and looked down at her hands. "I guess you could say that I am a bit of a sucker for a good romantic novel." She blushed a bit as she looked at him shyly. "Why do you ask?"
Joseph broke into a big grin. "There is something that I think you will just love to see. I'll be right back." He jumped up and sprinted out of her chamber. A few minutes later, he returned carrying what she could clearly see was a large hand bound book. "You seemed so interested in Catherine and Vincent so I thought you might like reading this book. It kinda explains where we came from."
Paulette took the heavy volume and after glancing at the title, 'Once Upon A Time In The City Of New York', printed on the cover in old English font, she opened it up. Her hands actually shook as she recognized the author's name and the copyright date on the hand written first page. She had been around the publishing industry long enough to realize that she was holding a small fortune in her hands. It wasn't a Gutenberg but she could easily retire and live the rest of her life in comfort on what this manuscript was currently worth.
Joseph could tell by her reactions, emotionally and physically, that she knew the value of this book in the world 'Above' and smiled. "I have other things that I must take care of so I have to leave you for a while but I thought you might enjoy reading that." He chuckled. "Just take good care of it. It's a family heirloom." He picked up the tray with the dirty dishes and exited the chamber.
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.
Getting To Know You is sung by Deborah Kerr in The King And I
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