Evil Eyes 36

It had been a very long three weeks. They had stopped bringing cows for Kate to eat and had switched to bringing them both snacks using the Jeep. It wasn't because she wasn't still hungry but because the rancher from whom they had bought the cows had no more that he was willing to sell. The last trip had been to a ranch near Rapid City to get the final herd of six.

Right now Kate was doing her best not to flinch in pain as the Expedition bounced its way across the field for the drive home. She was also doing her best to keep her backside off the seat. It felt like it was almost on fire.

Rick was immediately out of the Expedition once it had stopped. He hurried to the front passenger door, opened it, and carefully helped Kate out. Their arrival had not gone unnoticed as Midas and Maggie beat all of the others to them.

Both Kate and Rick were nuzzled and joyfully licked as they each switched who was going to pet them. Midas and Maggie also started whining and yipped little barks. They had missed both of them dearly. They were smiling wide while they did their best to pet each of them.

Next in line was Sam and Alexis; Sam took Kate and Alexis took her dad. "You're home," Alexis said in relief and did her best to hug her dad.

Kate held Sam close while very human tears rolled down her cheeks. It felt so good to have her in her arms. "How do you feel, Mom?" Sam quizzed her since she wanted to hear that she was perfect.

"Much better now. ...I still can't believe that we have you to thank for getting rid of the dead Dragon." Kate was quite amazed at that. Her Fae powers must really be something. Sam simply hid her blush by burying her face into her mom's shoulder.

Kate looked up and saw Allison with Aileen in her arms and Thom with Aurelia in his. Both were still in their human baby forms and were squirming mightily. Even though they were only four and a half months old, it was clear that they wanted their parents.

Who she didn't see was Ava but was happy to see her other children and could only guess where Ava was at the moment.

Kate took one while Rick took the other. Aileen got the most kisses as Kate was unwilling to stop. Allison beamed at her. "It is good to have you both home, ma'am."

"Thanks Allison." Kate hugged her with one arm while still holding her daughter. "I know Serena and the others are gone now. How have you two been? The twins haven't given you any trouble?" She was desperate to hear everything about her babies. Were they sleeping well? Had they started to roll over yet? Were they tolerating the change to formula?

Allison went on to answer every question Kate asked then assured her, "There was nothing that we could not handle. Your mother, Oscar, and Aidan will be over later since the restaurant is closed tonight. Thom and myself will be outside grilling since it is not that cold out yet. And Ava is presently sleeping after finally eating all of her food." Ava had been almost been on a hunger strike and Allison didn't need Kate to worry about her.

It was a small exaggeration since it was now late November and the temperatures at night had started to plummet. While they were in the clearing, Rick hadn't felt a thing with all of his fur. Kate had also barely noticed, however, she had realized that both of them could see their breath at night. Allison had even left them a lantern that they could use to get at least a little light to brighten the dark.

Sitting on the sectional quickly became a family hug session and Kate and Rick soon found themselves with children in their laps. Kate didn't even wince since having her family around her took her mind off of her pain.

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Either Aidan was too young to notice or he wasn't terrified of her anymore. Regardless, Kate was thrilled that she had been able to hold him for most of the evening. She spent that time trying to forget the reaction her brother had demonstrated while she was a Dragon. It still hurt but getting to hold him was helping.

"Now what, honey?" Johanna was curious. Kate sighed and thought about it. She wasn't quitting her job, that much was certain. "Well, right now we're still on for going to Disney right after Thanksgiving. I plan to go back to work next week even though it's right before the holiday. Serena gave me a month of time with the FBI to cover my absence." She still needed to think of a way to thank her for everything she'd done.

"How goes the construction, Mom?" It had been almost a month since Kate had seen their place.

"We've moved into the one bedroom apartment downstairs and the upstairs looks like a war zone. They stripped the place down to the studs. They even took walls out. Your kitchen is gone."

Oscar jumped into their conversation. "That place deserved to be gone," he stated firmly and nodded decisively to show it was definitely a good thing. Johanna chuckled softly at him.

"We're scheduled to get back upstairs in about six months thanks to winter." Johanna couldn't believe how long it was going to take.

"The first thing is to get all the electrical and plumbing in so the contractor can spray in the insulation and keep the interior warm for the construction workers. But you should see the barn." Oscar started smiling with pride.

"The only thing missing are the horses." He was more than happy with the barn/stables. "We just need our first delivery of hay and get it up into the attic." He already had oats and all of the equipment he would need.

Johanna shook her head. "Don't listen to him. He's already found two horses that he wants to get. You should see them, Katie. I've never seen a pair of horses so skinny in my life and still alive." Jo had seen the pictures and seeing them had broken her heart. How people could be that cruel was beyond her comprehension.

"They're going to need a lot of care, I'll admit. But I've got two volunteers who say that they'll help." Oscar grinned while looking at Alexis and Sam who both blushed a little and tried to hide behind their parents.

Both of them were spared from being teased when the front doorbell sounded. Kate got up off the sectional since she was only too willing to stand and get off her backside. It was back to feeling like it was on fire.

Opening it, she found a young woman who was maybe in her early 20s. "May I help you?" It suddenly struck Kate that she had seen her before. She was a server at AFTER DARK. "Do you need to speak with my mother or Oscar? They're just inside." She opened the door wide and allowed the young woman to come inside.

"Ziriadne!" Johanna wasn't expecting to see her especially since the restaurant was closed. "We aren't cleaning until next weekend," she reminded her, a bit perplexed as to why Ziri had shown up at her daughter's home.

"No ma'am, I'm aware of that and I'll be there. I actually came to see her." Ziriadne pointed directly at Sam. "I'd like the chance to talk with her, if you don't mind. Privately, please?"

Kate wasn't sure just what to think. She had seen her at AFTER DARK waiting tables, once even at their table. "May I ask why?" Her motherly concern was in full force. Not that she was afraid of her or that Sam couldn't handle her. Kate didn't detect that she was a shifter.

"Please, I just want to talk." Ziriadne tried to allay any fears they had.

"You can talk in the kitchen, I suppose. That is, if Sam agrees," Kate acquiesced, waving her hand at Sam.

Ziri actually started walking toward what she was sure was the kitchen and looked to see if Sam was following.

"It's okay, sweetheart, we'll all be right here." Kate was willing to let her go. After all, what could she do that they wouldn't hear?

It felt like forever. Everyone in the living room remained quiet as they all, especially Kate and Rick, did their best to try and hear something, ...anything.

Then Sam came charging out of the kitchen and headed straight for Kate. Ziriadne walked out of the kitchen and made her way to the front door. She gave a slight smile at Sam and saw herself out.

"Sam?" Kate wanted answers.

"She's a Seelie, Mom!" Sam smiled excitedly as she bounced. That news came as a shock to them all. It also stunned Johanna since she hadn't yet heard Sam call her daughter, "Mom." It brought a pleased smile to her face.

Kate's head snapped around as the front door snicked shut. "Can you tell me what she said if it isn't a secret." She really wanted to know as likely all the others did.

"She escaped here to our world with her mom but they were separated and she doesn't know where her mom is." Sam felt bad about that. It reminded her that her own mother was gone. "She said she helped you, Mom. More than once." Sam was really happy about that part.

Kate opened her mouth to say something, trying to remember all the times she had seen what she thought was a Seelie. Then she closed her mouth only to open it again. "What's she going to do now?"

"She said she was going to stay and wait for her mom." Sam found herself being fiercely hugged by her mom. Kate had no doubt that Sam was still hurting from losing her mother and family.

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Joanne walked into the living room and plopped down next to Serena who was looking over a list of projects that she could take on to bring in more money. "The HVAC guy just left. He'll be back tomorrow to vacuum out the ductwork and clean all the dust and debris out of it. He did a little maintenance on the unit and replaced the gas igniters. Tomorrow's also the day for the solar energy tech to come out and check out all of our panels." Joanne got no response from Serena. "Are you even listening to me? What are you looking at?" She reached over to take the paper from her so she could look at it.

"There's one on the list that would keep us happy for quite a while, it's just that it's located in..."

Joanne interrupted her. "Hong Kong?!" What did any of them know about Hong Kong?

"The primary problem is where to get all the equipment we'll need," Serena pointed out. A smile blossomed on Joanne's face. Serena had said, "We."

'I love you, you know,' Joanne said to her without actually speaking. That earned her a quick kiss. 'I love you, too,' Serena responded.

"I've got one more page for you to look at. This is just an idea, we don't have to do it." Serena handed over the other piece of paper. Joanne quickly scanned it; the more she read, the faster her heart beat.

"Adoption?!" Was Serena actually thinking about their future together and starting a family? "What about what we do?" Joanne's only worry was the business that they were all in. Did they have time for a family? What if the baby grew up to hate living out there away from everyone? After all, they didn't have neighbors for miles, which was what drew them all to this site in the first place.

"Look closer," Serena suggested, doing her best to hide her smile. Joanne studied it intently and read every word.

"Isn't Gale Devlin a shifter?" She recalled that name even if she didn't remember what type of shifter Gale was.

"So the baby or child will be," Serena replied quietly. "She specializes in placing shifters that have lost their parents."

Joanne didn't know what to say. She blinked back tears of joy that were part of her answer. The other part was hugging Serena for her thoughtfulness. "We could end up with any kind of shifter, you know," Serena cautioned.

"And we'll love him or her and teach him all we know," Joanne said fiercely then went back to hugging her.

A while later Joanne brought up a sticky topic since she was still conflicted about what they had done. "Are you sure we did the right thing?"

"Not meaning to bring up bad memories, but would you've rather heard that your mother was dead instead of seeing what you saw?" Serena could only imagine the pain of seeing her own mother, dead, broken, and stuffed into her wall safe.

"But it was her father. Yes, her mother's moved on and I can understand not telling her, but Kate strikes me as being stronger," Joanne argued her point again. She remembered the Kate Beckett, the determined, competent New York City Homicide detective that she'd met years before.

"And the pain of that knowledge and the pain of choosing not to tell her mother?" Serena argued back. All she could see was the potential for great anguish and overwhelming heartbreak if they told the Beckett family that their husband and father had tried to kill his own daughter. Whatever the reason had been. What or why had Jim Beckett chosen to do what he had done? Did they really need the pain of that knowledge?

Joanne let her head rest on Serena's shoulder. Serena tried a different tactic. "Would you tell our child that it came from an evil family? That his or her parents were criminals? Or worse?"

Joanne lifted her head to look at the love of her life. Was she really ready to be a mother? To make these kinds of choices for a child? She chose to rest her head back on her lover.

"All right," Joanne finally relented. Only they and their little family would ever know that Jim Beckett had lost his mind and become a dead terror that had decided to kill his own daughter. The only unanswered question was did he know that the Dragon he was attacking was his daughter?

Joanne lifted her head back up to look at her. "What do we do about all those people that he killed?" The news had been filled with innumerable people that had lost someone. It was like the Twin Towers all over again. There were pictures of loved ones that were missing all over New York City. No one was allowed onto the island save for people working to clean up the remnants of the destruction. So a couple of places had become sites of questions. Of hopes that people's wishes would come true and that their loved ones were simply missing and not disintegrated by green goo, leaving them with nothing.

Serena didn't answer her. She couldn't. There was no answer and never would be.

"Any plans on what to get or do for Sam? We owe her a lot," Joanne reminded her. She saw a smile form on Serena's face that told her she had a couple of ideas.

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Kate was leaning in close to the mirror as she put on the last of her makeup. She had at first rejected the idea of getting dressed up and going to her mother's restaurant for a formal dinner. It didn't help that sitting for long still hurt. That was why she was standing and leaning down to look into the mirror instead of sitting at her vanity.

Satisfied with what she had done, she twisted in place to look at her posterior once more. Her heart sank yet again as she looked at it and even ran a hand over it. Never mind that she was topless and was wearing nothing more than a G-string, garter belt, and stockings. She still didn't see herself as being sexy even dressed like that.

She was still running a hand over her butt and huffed an irritated breath. Then a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. She knew instantly who it was and could feel his love washing over her.

Rick could guess what his mate was thinking. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he rumbled. "Not to mention hot and sexy." She simply leaned back into him and let him hug her. Now that he could hug her she found that she'd really missed his bear hugs.

"Want me to drive you to your appointment with your shifter-friendly OB/GYN tomorrow?" Rick inquired since Allison and Thom were there even now since they were going to AFTER DARK, too.

Kate thought about it for a moment. "No, I can manage. I need to make sure I don't have any internal damage from taking on that dead Dragon and I want to know why my ass looks the way it does." She was really afraid that it was more than her posterior that had been hurt.

"Want help getting into your dress? And just so you know, I'm going to peel it off of you later tonight and prove to you just how beautiful and sexy you really are." Rick smiled into the mirror and saw Kate smile in return.

She really did want to feel beautiful and sexy again. It had been a long month and yes, they had made love to each other a number of times, but the entire time Kate had tried to hide her scars from his eyes.

Now enveloped in one of his hugs, she really did start to feel better about herself. "Since you're not going to let me help you... Get dressed and come downstairs. There's a surprise waiting for you." Rick kissed her head and started walking away.

"You remember that I hate surprises, right?" Kate called after him. "And I own a gun!" she yelled after he was gone. She was never going to admit that she loved his surprises. Well, most of them anyway. Whether she would like this one was yet to be seen.

Getting into the dress was simple. It was backless and flowed all the way to the floor with a long slit up one side. She twirled in place in front of the full length mirror and saw that if the dress opened just right, it gave her a peek of her garter belt. Yes she was way over dressed for a family restaurant, but it had been her husbands request so she went along with it.

She smiled a sly smile. She was certain what she was wearing beneath her dress was going to drive Rick mad. For the first time since the fight, she felt sexy.

Downstairs she found Alexis, Sam, Ava, Allison, Thom, Aileen, and Aurelia all standing together while Rick had a camera on a tripod. All of them were all dressed to the nines. The girls looked amazing. Kate had serious envy for the dress Allison was wearing. She definitely wanted one for herself but in a different color. Rick was handsome and she had to admit that Thom looked equally nice. She could see what Allison saw in him.

Kate covered her mouth with her hand as she walked toward them and began worrying that she was going to ruin all her makeup because she was tearing up.

Rick intercepted her. "Stand here, right here." He maneuvered her into place. Allison with Aileen in her arms was next to her and they were in the middle. Thom had Aurelia and was on one end.

Alexis and Sam were up front with Midas and Maggie sitting on either side of them. Ava was sitting contentedly on the floor directly in front of the older girls, holding her favorite stuffed animal, Dolly the Doberman. "Now everyone say 'Cheese,' he called out. He pressed the timer and ran to stand next to Kate.

Two more pictures and they left for dinner.

They were seated and were already talking with each other. Suddenly their server showed up and started taking drink orders. "Hi, Ziriadne." Sam smiled wide.

"Hi Sam," Ziri smiled back. "Are we still on for your first lesson tomorrow?" Sam nodded enthusiastically. Kate beamed. Serendipitously, they had found someone that was willing to teach Sam how to discover what all her powers were and how to use them with control. "Any word on your mother yet?" Kate was still concerned for her.

"Not yet, but I still have hope." Ziriadne needed to hold onto her faith. Otherwise she would be alone and she didn't really want that.

"I will contact Serena when we get home. Perhaps she can help," Allison offered. She was convinced Serena had a lot of contacts.

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Kate was in a hospital gown that exposed her back and buttocks and was waiting for her doctor to come in. She kind of hated these visits but they were necessary. She heard a quick knock on the door and it opened.

"How are you feeling?" Doctor Hamilton asked after entering.

"Fine. ...Nervous. ...Scared," Kate replied.

"Well, let's take a closer look, shall we?" She had Kate spin around while she sat down and lifted the gown to expose her butt cheeks.

"This is a lot of scarring. I don't suppose you're willing to explain how you got them?" She had to admit she was curious.

"I was in an altercation while shifted and my tail took a lot of damage. Honestly, I was amazed that the damage transferred to me in human form. I stayed shifted for weeks. We even had a shifter healer come in to help me." Kate really wanted her baby smooth cheeks back again.

"There are over the counter creams that do a great job of softening and lightening the marks but I think you're going to keep most of these," she informed Kate who groaned. "Is your husband an ass man?"

Her question had Kate smiling and lightly chuckling. So far, Rick was an everything man. He paid attention to every part of her. He was a tit man, a leg man, an ass man. Hell, even a foot man, given he gave her foot massages when she came home from work and complained of her feet hurting.

"I'll take that as a no," she replied with a smile and wished she had a man who was as attentive as she thought Kate's husband was. "Hop up here and let me take a look." She patted the table for Kate to lie back on and spread her legs.

It took about as long as Kate anticipated and was taken aback when the doctor wheeled in an ultrasound machine. "What's that for?" she questioned since she knew what it was generally used for.

"Indulge me." She set the machine up and applied the gel that had been in the warming unit. "Now let's just see if you have any other damage." She didn't know what Kate had done but if her butt cheeks showed that much scaring, what could have happened internally?

"Hmm," Doctor Hamilton softly hummed while she moved the transducer around on her abdomen.

"What?!" Kate didn't like the sound of it.

"We need to do a blood test to be certain. But I'd say congratulations are in order." Kate was stunned and her heart briefly stuttered in her chest.

"What? ...No, that's not possible. I can't be. I mean I know how, but I'm not... I'm on the pill for god's sake!" Having three babies were enough. They didn't need more kids. Listening to her inner Dragon crow her happiness wasn't helping.

"Pregnant... yes. I'd say about eleven weeks, more or less." She had a question for Kate but already knew the answer. "As for being on birth control, how often do you shift?"

"We have monthly family outings while in our shifted form. ...Why?" Oh, god, what had she done?

"Your shifted form automatically cleans out any of the drugs that you have taken while human. It's partly why shifters are so healthy. You aren't susceptible to the diseases or viruses that we humans are."

Kate closed her eyes and turned her face toward the wall. She took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm herself but to no avail. Her voice trembled when she asked, "Is the baby all right? I... I had no idea. I shifted. I shifted!"

"Everything looks fine, Kate. I really don't think you have anything to worry about."

She gave a sigh of relief. "...Okay, so one or two?" She prayed mightily that she wouldn't say three let alone two.

Doctor Hamilton smiled. "Just the one this time. Come back in a month. By then we might be able to tell you the sex of your baby. Assuming he or she cooperates, that is. If not, then probably the following month."

"Pregnant."