Evil Eyes 28
Allison parked the Jeep out front and with her cargo in hand, went to the front door. She found it open and someone waiting for her. "I have..." She was interrupted before she could finish.
"This way." He was short and brisk, very business-like. She disliked him instantly.
He took her all the way upstairs to the bedrooms where she found Andrea and one other person busy feeding the twins with Ava not far away, watching. It looked like robots were doing the job and it upset her so much that she made a spur-of-the-moment decision, desperately hoping it was the right one.
"I am here to take the twins and Ava home with me," Allison said firmly. She even managed to say it without a quaver in her voice. She was going to take them home even though her bag was filled with bottles of Kate's milk. Allison noticed Ava immediately started clapping her hands together at this announcement.
Only thirty minutes later Allison was leaving the Kodiak Bear compound's main house and headed down the hill. She really hoped Kate and the others would approve of her actions after she explained what she saw and felt. They might be safe from the dead Dragon there, but they weren't truly safe or better off.
The entire episode had changed her mind about Andrea. She might have been perfect for the community but she cared nothing for children. Allison hadn't even bothered to ask if she had any children; her actions had told her all she needed to know.
Allison pulled up near the house where she found Alexis and Sam out front playing on the new concrete driveway and turn around. It was essentially a large circle that allowed you to turn around and go back down the drive, to go into the new main garage, or to continue on to the RV barn.
She didn't know what was going to go in the center but it was still not finished so it could be anything. "Hi Alli. Why do you have Ava?" Alexis joined her at the Jeep with Sam right behind her.
"And the babies," Sam added as she looked past her into the back of the Jeep.
"Can you two take Ava from me while I carry the twins?" Allison asked them and watched happy, smiling heads nod enthusiastically.
Alexis was the larger and stronger of the two so she was actually the one carrying Ava while they waited for Allison to get both babies and their car seats before they walked into the house.
Kate was coming down the stairs with new bottles of milk just as the front door opened. What she saw caused her heart to soar as did her Dragon's. It wasn't until she saw her children that she knew just how much she missed them.
She gave Sam the baby bottles as she took Aurelia from Allison. She covered her with kisses and whispered sweet words to her.
"I could not leave them with Andrea, I could not." The anguish she felt was apparent in her words. "That house has no love in it except maybe for love of the community and power." Allison wondered if Andrea would become another Jackson Hunt.
Kate heard the words but they didn't register; all she knew was that her children were home.
Even Midas and Maggie perked up and were jumping all over the place with an occasional bark. Kate was soon sitting on the sectional with Allison and all of her children with Midas and Maggie sticking their noses into everyone. The babies and Ava had new smells that needed to be checked out.
The noise drew Serena and Joanne out of their bedroom upstairs. They stopped at the railing to look down into the living room. "Not the Kate Beckett I remember from a few years ago in New York," Joanne commented quietly as she reveled in the love that she witnessed.
Serena nodded in agreement. "She looks good like this. She's in a place she was always meant to be."
"Surrounded by Dragons?" Joanne said as she laughed softly and Serena snorted.
"We can always adopt, you know," Serena added as she turned her head to look at Joanne. Her face lit up and she promptly kissed Serena. With Paladin dead and hopefully defeating the Dracolich soon, maybe a family was next for them.
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Neither Kate or Rick ever actually questioned why Allison did what she did. Everyone just went about their roles in the house. Everything was quiet save for the continued sound of construction. Serena with Joanne seemed to always be fiddling with the helicopter while the others kept checking all of the equipment that had been spread out.
Sam and Alexis were out back playing on the swing set and having fun while Jessica watched off to one side. That was until Alexis coaxed her onto one of the swings.
Kate was holding Aileen while looking out the wall of windows onto the backyard, watching Alexis and Sam play when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind. She leaned back into them. "Sam seems to be doing well," Rick remarked with a pleased tone in his voice.
Kate's heart instantly opened wide. "She called me Mom once," she confided. But Sam had never done it again. She couldn't help but wonder why.
"When you were in the hospital. ...I heard her, just never said anything to you about it. Do you think it was because she was so afraid she would lose you? She seemed really frightened when you had been taken to the hospital." He could still hear the echo of her pleading voice.
"And we might have a fight with a dead Dragon that won't die headed this way." He didn't like the risks that were probably coming.
"She loses us, either of us, and it might destroy her." Kate was always prepared for the possibility of dying because of her job, but to die because of a dead Dragon?
"Then we make sure it doesn't happen. We need you, love. The twins need you, Alexis needs you, Ava needs you, Sam needs you. I need you. What do I know about being a Dragon?" Rick buried his face in her hair and breathed in her scent.
Kate spun around while still holding Aileen, raised up on tippy-toes, and kissed him. "I'm not going anywhere, babe, and neither are you." She had learned to think positive and not dwell on the bullet that might never come. She simply prepared for it and didn't let it shadow her life.
"Uh oh," Rick remarked. Kate turned back around and saw Serena and Joanne running for the house while Jessica jumped off the swings and ran to catch up. "Trouble."
Rick had been right. They all listened to Sarah explain that their dead Dragon was sinking ships in the Great Lakes again. Both commercial and private. Big or small, it didn't matter.
After the second attack on Liberty Island, the country was filled with a mix of fear and outrage. They had what was touted to be the largest and most powerful military on the planet and yet this thing, this monsterwas going where it wanted and doing what it wanted.
"The Army will never catch up unless it lingers in one place long enough," Mark pointed out. "The Navy's out of it now save for the Marines, their Harriers, and maybe a few Apaches."
"Just leaves the Air Force and after that budget cutting by closing bases all across the country, they're spread thin," Jessica added. "Add the fact that the brass is in love with speed for their fighters, they have nothing to attack something low and slow." She shook her head at some of the shortsightedness of the military brass.
"We're next." Kate's voice held a mixture of dread and anxiety. Mostly she was just ready to get it over with. She wanted – no needed – to protect her family, vanquish this creature, and get back to living her life.
"We may have a few weeks yet," Miles said suddenly. "It knows where we are and yet it chose to attack ships on the Great Lakes. That tells us it is trying to spread terror instead of flying straight here. It might even be trying to draw you out into a one-on-one fight. Get you away from any support, which is quite smart actually." The tactic made sense to him.
It was something that Kate was actually thinking of. Go there for the fight instead of waiting and risking her family. She even worried for Rick, as big and powerful as he was.
But Rick knew what she was thinking because of their bond. He decided to issue a threat as he caged Kate with his arms. 'You do that and I'll divorce you then live a life of celibacy with the girls.' She looked at him, a little shocked.
'For better or worse. Not just words,' he reminded her. 'I meant every word of my vow to you.' Kate blinked back tears as she felt love for her husband and leaned towards him to give him a quick kiss.
She made her decision and hoped it was the right one.
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It was only a few days later and Rick with Joanne as shotgun, was driving into town to do some shopping. Having six extra people to feed meant they went through groceries quickly.
"You and your friends didn't have to come." Rick didn't think it was their fight. They didn't have to be involved.
"We think we do. Serena didn't create our network just to combat Paladin. Every shifter deserves a life free from risk. Whether that risk be the government who wants to study us or a dead Dragon. Just because the head of Paladin is dead doesn't mean there isn't still risk. Someone who's willing to take his place and revive their hatred of our kind. There are still teams out there that worked for Paladin.
We're fighting for our future, too. Not just yours and your family's." Joanne knew what she was fighting for.
Rick could only think of one thing to say. "Thanks."
They filled four carts with food; Rick had to fold down the rear seats to fit it all into the vehicle. They also stopped to get the propane tanks for the Fifth Wheel filled since they had been cooking inside it, too.
While having to feed six more people, it also meant the Expedition got emptied that much faster when they made it home. Soon all of the refrigerators and freezers were full to the point of having things fall out when the door was opened.
That night everyone was out back doing a BBQ while Alexis and Sam played cards as a team against Jessica and Mark. The girls were very proud when they won while Jessica and Mark softly grumbled.
Kate smiled while watching them. Right up to the point when the baby monitor announced that at least one of the twins was awake. She and Allison went up to find out what they needed.
Only Allison returned. "Kate needed to pump," she explained after seeing the questioning look on RIck's face. He turned back to cooking.
Serena's phone pinged her. "Yes, Sarah." Serena put it on speaker for all to hear.
"I have monitored a wing of F-15s that have attacked the Dracolich over the Great Lakes. All four planes were lost. Each complained that their weapons seemed to have little to no affect on it," Sarah reported. "They were out of Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. It is primarily an air command base that specializes in air transportation. It is likely that they do not have additional combat aircraft to send," she added.
"Thanks Sarah. Keep your eyes on the site. Let us know of any new developments." Serena ended the call.
"Sounds like we have time," Miles commented.
Kate and Allison put Alexis and Sam to bed later that night and kissed each. Going back downstairs they found everyone sitting around the TV that was filled with nothing but what had happened in the Great Lakes. What they weren't talking about was the loss of the F-15s.
"They will find out eventually," Serena remarked.
"The Navy has yet to admit that they lost an aircraft carrier," Kate countered as she sat down and leaned into her husband, just as the baby monitor announced that someone was awake.
"I will go. Remain here, please," Allison said and went upstairs followed by Thompson.
Kate chose to relax and let Rick wrap an arm around her. 'Hiring those two was our best idea yet,' she said to Rick who squeezed her a little tighter.
"What are the chances that they'll kill it?" She still had her mind on the dead Dragon. "It sank an aircraft carrier, a number of other military warships, and now it took down four fighters." She was hoping for good news. The silence she got in return answered her question.
'We will crush it!' Her Dragon was not backing down. Kate needed to believe in herself and her capabilities. Their capabilities.
Joanne changed the topic. "AFTER DARK tomorrow?"
"Go get more cookies? Count me in," Jessica commented with a grin which had the others chuckling softly at her. Mark kissed her head.
"Are you two...?" Kate pointed at the four of them only to watch them shake their heads.
"We know about the bonding procedure. We just haven't decided on doing it yet," Kimberly replied to her question. It was mostly because she didn't yet have a ring on her finger. The moment she did she was going to drag him down there, even if they had to make love to each other in front of a stadium full of strangers for weeks.
She glared at him, hoping she finally had his attention. Kate chuckled internally as she watched Miles start to sweat. 'Might want to take him into town tomorrow, babe, and help him find an engagement ring,' she suggested to her husband who chuckled back at her. 'Maybe both the guys.' She didn't see a ring on Jessica's hand either. Rick knew just where to take them, too, and began making plans on how to get the guys to come with him.
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Rick talked her into it even though she wasn't certain it was a good idea. Still here everyone was, including their guests, who simply wanted to see. Or maybe join in.
"Show them how it's done, pumpkin." Rick looked at Alexis who dropped her robe, shifted into a Bear, then took off with Midas and Maggie hot on her heels. "We'll try and take it easy on you," Rick grinned and his robe fell to the ground. A moment later he was an amazing specimen of a Kodiak Bear that was far bigger than most of them had ever seen or imagined.
They watched him lope off after the others. This was followed by Kate placing Ava on the ground and removing her robe. Ava didn't need to be told anymore. She quickly shifted into a lovely Amethyst Dragon who promptly growled softly and took off running while flapping her wings. They could see that she was actually airborne till she had cleared the trees and was out of sight.
Kate beamed with pride. All those lessons and attempts had finally paid off. "Show them what you can do Sam," she urged as they all watched Sam. Her robe slipped away, the air shimmered and suddenly there was a tiny purple dragon zooming all around them. Just watching her made them dizzy before she took off after the others at an amazing speed.
"So that's what she looks like," Serena commented as she stood there and looked where Sam had gone. "Sort of a miniature Ava except for the wings."
"The rest of you are free to join us if you please." Kate looked at the others and began running to get far enough away. She lost her robe along the way and the next thing the onlookers knew, there was a massive Amethyst Dragon bounding up into the air, pumping its wings hard to gain altitude.
"MY GOD!" Kimberly had been told the stories and had actually looked up pictures of dragons, but to see a live Dragon with her own eyes... that was something else. She and the others mostly stood there gaping at her overwhelmingly majestic presence until she couldn't be seen anymore.
"You're sure you're good with this?" Joanne asked Serena once again. "I may be human but I'm not going to stop you from having fun. I love you. Just make sure you come back." Serena hugged Joanne and kissed her.
"Let's find out what this Rodgers family is capable of," Joanne said and took a deep breath. Her robe fluttered away as she shifted into a Mountain Lion then ran after everyone else. She was soon followed by Kimberly, Miles, Jessica, and Mark who shifted into their Mountain Lions and took off running.
Serena, Allison, and Thom stayed behind and looked after the twins who began to squirm. "Not just yet, honey. One day soon you will be out there having just as much fun," Allison cooed into Aileen's ear as Thompson did something similar to settle Aurelia.
The shifters were long gone and out of sight so the others went back inside and turned on the news to see how the country was handling the news that a dead Dragon that was wreaking havoc on their country. Even though to the news it was simply flying bones. So far no one had made the connection to it being a Dragon.
Dragons were long since lost to the mists of time and relegated to the status of myth. They now only existed in movies and video games which helped to hide just what it was. "They are going to make the connection soon. There are too many dragons in movies or games for someone not to notice," Serena warned with a heavy sigh.
Her phone beeped, notifying her of an incoming call. She answered and put it on speaker. Sarah apprised her of the ongoing situation. "There are reports that it is presently destroying the commercial port of Chicago. There are news helicopters that are covering the destruction."
Serena scrambled for the remote and sure enough there were a few airborne news helicopters that were braving the event to cover it. One of the helicopters was far enough out that it witnessed the dead Dragon spit out a mass of green, gloppy acid that destroyed one of two very large grain silos.
This continued for what felt like hours but was in reality only about fifteen minutes before the lich dove into the lake and disappeared. What it left behind was a swath of destruction and many fires. Police on site had called in the fires and fire stations from all over responded along with fire boats.
The news took that time to focus on what the helicopters were showing now that it was safe, supposedly, to get in closer. There were two large grain silos across from each other that were now effectively gone as what was left was burning.
Suddenly a large cargo ship exploded, sending debris everywhere that spread more fires. Allison gasped in surprise and Thompson closed his eyes and groaned.
"The prices of a lot of things are going to go up now. It's going to affect everyone in the country soon. It also means the pressure on the White House and the military is going to increase. How the President responds to this is going to define his presidency. How the military responds is going to tell other countries a lot." Serena only saw myriad troubles coming.
The puzzled looks Allison and Thompson were giving her led her to explain. "If your adversary shows weakness in their own backyard, how weak are they on your border? If their attention is on what's happening in their own country, how can you take advantage of the situation? Plus the loss of those silos means prices will quickly rise."
She wondered just where the fight that she saw coming was going to take place. If it happened here it would bring attention to all the shifters in the area and perhaps world-wide.
"I hate this." The Dracolich was making a mess of everything.
