Evil Eyes 10
Kate had told Rick, Oscar, and her mother that she was only going to go into work for an hour or two at most. She needed to find out about the fire that was in all probability still burning. It was a natural gas field that held an untold amount of gas below the ground.
Apparently word had gotten out as Kate stepped into the office to find a stoic Sloan and all of the women in the office still dabbing at their eyes with tissues. Elizabeth cornered her first. "Please tell us we heard wrong." The look she and even the others were giving her only made Kate's heart clutch in her chest. She actually opened her mouth but couldn't get the words out, so she simply shook her head, which only added to the women's tears.
"How's Sam?" Rebecca asked from her desk, not trusting that her knees were up to the task. "Shattered," Kate replied softly. There was no other word for Sam's present condition. "We broke the news to her this morning. Alexis is hurting, too," she added leaving out that her baby girl was hurting as well. But how could she explain that a human baby that couldn't even say mama yet could instinctively understand that Sam was hurting.
"I need Amber's employment records, please. I need to contact any next of kin she or her husband may have had." Kate sighed and headed to her office. The first thing she did was call the mayor to find out about the fire, which as she feared was still burning. Plus the fire crews were still out there, which gave her an idea.
She went to her doorway. "Elizabeth, my office please." She went back inside and sat on the edge of her desk. "Ma'am?" Elizabeth didn't know what to expect. Kate handed her her personal credit card. "All those fire crews are still out there. I want you to take one of the trucks, go into town, and buy lots and lots of bottled water. Then I want you to buy every sandwich you can find and take it out to them along with chips, cookies, and anything else you can think of. Take all day if you have to, but find everyone and give them something." That made Elizabeth smile. "Yes, ma'am." She sounded a little happier now than she did a little bit ago.
Thirty minutes later Kate rested her head on her desk after hanging up. It was looking like Amber was telling the truth about being from a different realm. She had nothing on her employment form about next of kin on her side, only her husband's. His mother was gone, though his father was alive and living in Casper and would look into coming out for the funeral. Sergio also had a sister that she got the number for from his father. She lived in Tulsa with her family and would see about coming for the funeral also. Beyond that they had no grandparents though they did have an aunt, uncle, and three cousins.
She sat up. 'How is she?' she asked her husband. 'Still in your mother's arms and she hasn't said a single word. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad,' Rick responded. She dropped her head back on her desk. "Shit!" She took it as a bad thing. She feared Sam might be withdrawing into herself, never to come back out again. She needed to think of a way to reach her. That was when she remembered something, something that seemed important to Amber. Unfortunately she knew nothing about the process.
A few internet searches and an equal number of phone calls later and she had someone willing to come out to them to see and complete Sam's tattoo. Kate took her fee and doubled it, included the use of their guest bedroom, free food, and a first class ticket to fly into Rapid City next week along with a rental car so she could go see Mount Rushmore before leaving.
oXo
'Where is she now?' she asked Rick. 'Holed up in Alexis's bedroom,' he replied. She sighed and leaned back into her chair. It looked like she'd been right to worry. Sam was withdrawing into herself, cutting everyone else off. 'Ask Ava to shift then send her into the bedroom to keep Sam company. We need to keep her in our world or we might lose her. I'll be home in about an hour,' she told him. Ava had been able to reach Sam before. Hopefully she could do it again. Kate would take all the help she could get.
She searched her emails and made a couple of more phone calls before leaving her office. "I'm headed home. Call me if something comes up and I expect updates on the fire. We need to get Route 16 open again." The town needed the highway as did her mother. Johanna's restaurant, AFTER DARK, needed those tour buses that would be forced to take a different route to reach Mount Rushmore now.
"Give Sam our love. I can't imagine her pain," Elizabeth said. "I can bring my little girl over if you think it would help," Greta volunteered. Her offer gave Kate an idea. "Hang onto that thought. Maybe not tonight but soon. Thanks, Greta, that was actually a good idea." She gave her a quick hug and left to go home. "What did I say?" Greta asked, bewildered, looking at the other women who just shrugged.
'Babe, I need some of your magic. Can you arrange for Paige and Jenny to come over for a sleepover this weekend? Maybe spending time with her friends will show Sam that she's wanted. Plus Alexis will probably love it,' Kate said.
'Searching for the phone now. Ava's going to have to go back to being a human baby,' he cautioned. 'I'll talk to her, just see what you can arrange. Are my mother and Oscar still there?'
'They went home to get some sleep since they're going to be up all night tonight,' he replied. Kate was afraid of that. Working in a restaurant that was only open for dinner meant sleeping during the day. And being pregnant made Johanna tire more easily.
Kate made it home in time to say goodbye to Serena and Joanne before they left for home. "I know you weren't expecting..." Joanne interrupted her and hugged her. "That girl needs you now more than ever. Your offer to help after my mother's death meant so much to me. Hopefully Sam will remember today for a different reason when she gets older." Joanne hugged her again before letting go.
"Please call us if you need us. We're getting a new toy to have fun with and can land in your backyard in a few hours," Serena offered. "Thanks guys. We may have a few questions for you when we finally have time to think about a Dracolich, the dead Dragon that isn't dead but still is." Kate was having her own trouble wrapping her mind around it.
Serena didn't walk to their car but Joanne followed her wondering what she was up to. Then they just stood there for a little while till a Red-tailed Hawk swooped in, landed, and instantly shifted into a lovely, naked, human female. "Keep an eye on this place, please. I have a really bad feeling. We sent a Dragon to kill Paladin in India and now a dead Dragon, that isn't dead and yet still is, is sinking ships in India. Somehow the two are related," Serena said worriedly.
"We will keep as many eyes as we can spare on her. We are not losing the last of the Wyvern," the shifter stated with conviction. She turned and began to run. Then she shifted in mid-stride back into a Red-tailed Hawk and flew off.
They got in the car to leave for the airport. Joanne was impressed with her lover. "You've made a few calls you didn't tell me about," she mentioned though she wasn't upset. "Something happened. I don't know what, but something. I sent her there because I wanted Paladin dead. I'm not letting something happen to her because of me if I can help it," Serena remarked with determination.
Joanne leaned across and brushed her lips across Serena's cheek. "I love you," Jo reminded her as she watched her turn right. "And you're going to wrong way. Rapid City is that way." She pointed behind her. "We're making a stop and having a short conversation with Andrea Fisher, the Kodiak Alpha. Maybe she can spare a few eyes as well," Serena explained.
Her eyes lit up. She was going to make love to the love of her life tonight for all of this. She sat back and just smiled. 'Nothing had better happen for at least three months,' she added silently. 'Four and a half months was too long. Pray we have the time and get ample warning,' Serena responded. That earned her another kiss from her lover.
'How do you kill something that is already dead?' Joanne questioned silently. 'We can ask Sarah and our friends that question when we get home. Hopefully someone knows something.' Serena kept driving; she didn't have a clue what to do.
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Kate had found Sam sleeping on her bed in Alexis's room and let her be; at least she was calm. She did, however, move the baby monitor into that room and went looking for her baby girl. She needed to give some motherly praise and extra special love to her little girl for her actions lately.
She went looking for everyone and found no one till she looked out the wall of windows and saw Rick holding Ava with Alexis standing next to him. She ran down the stairs and jogged out to join them. "You three are thinking too loudly," she teased knowing that if her husband was thinking to himself, she would hear him. He smiled and leaned over Alexis to kiss Kate which gave her the opportunity to run a hand over the head of her baby girl and kiss her tiny hand. Next she knelt down by Alexis. "It's not your fault, sweetie. As brave as you are, you couldn't have prevented it, and Sam's going to need us. All of us." Kate hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Sam lost her family." Alexis's lower lip was still quivering. "She did, and I'd give a lot to have prevented it. But she has us now. Your father and I are going to look into adopting her into our family. Do you think you can welcome Sam not just your best friend but as your sister?" Kate needed Alexis to be good with this.
She thought she had her answer when Alexis hugged her while letting her tears fall. Noise from the baby monitor got Kate's attention as they all heard Sam moaning and seemingly actually talking to someone. "MOM!"Sam suddenly yelled which had Kate running for all she was worth.
By the time Rick with Ava and Alexis caught up to her, Sam was in her arms sobbing yet again. A squirmy Ava wanted to be put down so he placed her on the floor and took her clothes and diaper off. He watched her shift into a Dragon with her wings tucked tightly to her body.
Ava pushed her big head into Sam who turned out of Kate's embrace to stroke Ava's head while she still wept. "I'm going to become an Unseelie," her voice quavered. She understood what not having her tattoo finished by her mother meant for her. "No, sweetie, you're not. Not if I can help it. You have me, Rick, Alexis, Ava, and even my mother and Oscar behind you. We all love you. Everything will be fine." Kate pulled her into what she hoped was a motherly hug. Except she could feel Sam shaking her head. In her mind, she was now doomed to be evil.
'Babe, we could use your best real Bear, bear hug. The best you've ever given anyone.' She was rewarded a moment later by seeing a huge Kodiak Bear squeeze his way into the room. Kate lifted up Sam and placed her into Rick's open paws, even if the room was a little crowded at that point. She and Ava watched as Sam literally disappeared into a giant bear hug. Rick did his best to give Sam the best bear hug he had ever given anyone. He tried to pour all of his love he held for Sam into that one big hug.
They were all still in Alexis's bedroom when Kate's cell phone rang. "Hi, Lanie." Kate tried to keep the pain out of her voice, but was pretty sure she'd failed. "I've got a preliminary cause of death for you if you need to know," Lanie said. "Sure." She sounded bone-weary to Lanie.
"The boy died from two of his seven cervical vertebrae breaking as well as one of his second vertebra. The cervical vertebrae or Atlas are the neck bones that allow us to hold our head upright. The second vertebra or Axis allows us to twist our head left or right. Death was likely instantaneous. He may have felt a sharp pain for a moment but not much more." Knowing that Michael didn't suffer gave her some comfort out of all of this. "The father, however..." Lanie paused and told herself that Kate had heard worse, but not when it concerned someone close to her heart.
"He suffered massive head trauma which likely caused a severe concussion resulting in his brain starting to swell. If he was conscious he would have been in severe pain until his mind stopped processing what was happening around him. He died in agony, Kate." Lanie could hear her sniffling over the phone.
"And Amber?" Kate had just enough voice to ask. "She had a number of internal injuries. Nothing short of emergency surgery within maybe an hour after the accident would have saved her. She literally bled out internally. That in and of itself would have been a little painful, and she would have been in pain from being thrown to the ground after being ejected from the truck, but nothing compared to the pain the father felt."
"I'm really sorry, honey. ...Hug and kiss that little girl, she needs all she can get. I'll send you my report after I get back to the office. That little girl needs you, Kate." Lanie offered what little she could.
"Thanks Lanie, I'll get back to you." She hung up and saw Rick looking at her. 'I'll explain later, just hang onto her,' she told him and got up. "Shift back for me, sweetie. Let your father's hug work its magic." Kate picked up her baby girl and carried her into the nursery for a new diaper and her clothes before taking her and Alexis downstairs to make lunch.
Alexis ate lunch while Kate went into the living room and nursed Ava as she thought about what they had to do next. She absentmindedly picked up the remote and turned on the ZNN channel. While Ava was feeding she didn't hear a thing on the TV about them losing an aircraft carrier. "They can't hide it forever," she said to herself.
'Babe, we need to think up something we can entice Sam to eat, at least a little. I was thinking either hot dogs or spaghetti with meatballs maybe?' Kate needed to reach Sam before she totally shut down. 'We don't have any hot dogs. Alexis loves hamburgers, especially on the grill,' he replied. Well, they had to reach Alexis, too. 'Alright. Grill burgers for the girls and something else for us, please. Maybe kabobs?' she suggested. 'That I can do,' he agreed.
'Have you seen Alexis?' Kate was hoping she wasn't off somewhere hiding. 'I have her,' Rick answered meaning he had enticed her into his hug, the same as Sam. She sighed as she settled back and felt Ava stop nursing. She checked to see if she wanted more by moving her to her other breast.
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They were all outside on the back patio while Rick grilled. Ava was sleeping in her carrier while both girls were sitting at the table in their own little bubbles of misery. If it was possible for there to be black clouds pouring down rain on those two, it would be. Kate even cut their hamburgers, buns and all, into smaller pieces and actually got both of them to eat a little something. However, most of their food sat there uneaten.
She handed Ava over to Rick, picked up Sam, put her in her lap, and wrapped her arms around her. "Tell me about your tattoo." Kate needed to understand. "Please, Sam, I want to help you. But I can't help if I don't understand. What's your tattoo for? Is it a coming of age tattoo?" she persisted.
"It doesn't matter." Without her mom her tattoo would never be finished and she would become evil. "It mattered to your mother. She begged me to make sure you got your tattoo, Sam, and if I can, you're going to get it. It was her last wish. She was thinking of you. Please, let me help you," Kate pleaded.
"I've hired a veteran tattoo artist. She's going to come next week to finish it for you. She's very good, she's coming here all the way from Los Angeles. Her name is Julie Becker. You should see her, she has tattoos all over both arms." Kate ran her own hand down each arm. "She has blond hair and she's young and pretty. She can finish what your mother started." She did her best to try and convince her. Sam shook her head. Only her mom could give her her tattoo. "I can find someone else. There was a really good one in London. I can call and ask her," Kate offered. She had to find someone. Sam, however, simply shook her head. "Mom."
Kate tilted her head forward and rested it on the crown of Sam's head. Suddenly she had an idea. "I'm a mom. I have Alexis and Ava. I don't know how to do it, but maybe Julie can teach me while we do it." She would do anything, whatever it took.
She actually got a reaction out of Sam with that statement. Sam turned to look at her and Kate finally saw a glimmer of hope. "She'll be here next week. We can invite Paige and Jenny over for a slumber party after you get your tattoo. Spend some time with your friends. I hear from Alexis that Rick's really good with slumber parties." She offered up her husband's time and talents while he sat there watching Ava and Alexis.
Rick immediately began thinking of what to do this time. He needed his laptop, this was going to be an epic slumber party!