CHAPTER 46
"Are you ready to go?" Duncan asked as he stuck his head in the room.
"More than ready." Beth replied as she got up from the bed and moved to pick up her suitcase.
"Ahh ahhh ahhh, I've got that. You may be going home, but you're still under orders to take it
easy." He told her, taking the handle.
"Whatever gets me out of here faster." She said as Richie showed up at the door with a wheel
chair. "Uhm … no." she might be pregnant, but she could still walk …
"Doctor's orders" Richie grinned.
"All right all right." She agreed reluctantly. "But if you think you're going to keep me out of my
own kitchen when I get home … think again. Cooking is the way I relax …"
Duncan and Richie exchanged a grin. She was feeling much better … and they had to admit they
would be glad to have a meal that wasn't takeout or hadn't been prepared by Amanda's loving
hands.
When they pulled up to the front of the house, Beth couldn't wait to get inside. She'd missed
Barkley terribly and from the reception he gave her … he felt the same. She buried her face in
his fur as she hugged him tight. And just as she was about to stand up, the aroma of freshly
baked pies hit her.
"Who's baking?" she asked, walking toward the shop kitchen.
Esperanza and her sister were inside making several trays of pastries and placing them on
decorative, disposable trays.
"What's going on?" she asked, coming over to give Esperanza a hug.
"We didn't know when you would feel like opening the bake shop … so we put a sign in the
window offering a catering service." She replied. "Duncan said he thought it was safe enough for
us to be here during the day … and Richie agreed to help us with deliveries."
"For a small fee." He chuckled as he swiped a small tart from one of the trays and Esperanza
shooed him away.
"Wow." Beth didn't know what to say. She had worried that with the bakeshop closed, even for a
short time, her means of supporting her child was going to be hurt. But now they'd thought of a
way that she didn't have to stay on her feet all day … or stay up half the night baking. "Have you
had many calls?"
"We put the sign in the window on Monday and as of today we have 8 bookings for parties … and
with the holiday season coming, we may make more catering than we were with the bake shop …
and everything we bake will be pre-ordered, so there will be no waste." Esperanza told her
honestly.
"Rosa has agreed to help … whenever you need to rest." Esperanza added and Beth hugged her
neck, thanking her for thinking of a way to keep her dream alive.
"Speaking of rest … " Duncan said from the doorway, which made him the recipient of a
frustrated look from Beth. "Esperanza made dinner … and you don't want to overdo it … so just
humor me … go lie down until time to eat."
Beth looked from face to face and knew she couldn't win this one. "Yes Mother." She
complained as she gave Duncan a little smile and walked to the stairs.
She noticed her suitcase wasn't in the entryway, and figured Richie must have taken it upstairs
for her. She had to admit that although she'd spent the past four days in bed … she was a little
tired, and knowing Adam would be coming in sometime tonight … she didn't mind getting a nap
now.
She walked in her room and started to hang her jacket in the closet, when her eyes caught sight
of single red rose against the white throw pillows on her bed. Her face broke into a smile as she
turned back to the door.
There leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and a self-satisfied smile on his face
was Adam.
She didn't hesitate, but rushed across the room and literally threw herself into his arms, making
him step into the hallway to catch her.
"I'm so glad you're back." She said as she squeezed his neck and squeeled a little as he lifted
her off the ground.
"I'll go away more often if it makes you this happy to see me again." He laughed as he set her
down.
"You don't have to go anywhere for me to be this happy … I missed you so much." She said as
she looked up into his face, her eyes locking with his as he started to kiss her.
"Hate to break this up." Duncan's voice came from the staircase. "But you need to get some
rest, he looked up at Beth … and I need to talk to you … now." He said to Adam, with a tone that
let him know he better not refuse.
Adam groaned, letting his forehead come to rest against hers, both disappointed their reunion
would have to wait. Smiling, he gave her a quick kiss and told her he would see her when she
woke up, and then turned to follow Duncan downstairs and into the little office where they could
talk privately.
"Have you heard anything about Devan?" Methos asked as Duncan closed the door behind them.
"They couldn't trace the call from the hospital last night … so we don't know if it was local. But I
would guess if he isn't in Seacouver now … he will be soon."
Methos sat down on the edge of the desk, letting MacLeod have the chair. "Is she really ok?" he
asked.
"Physically … the doctor says she's strong and as long as she doesn't over do it, the pregnancy
should be healthy." Duncan began. "Emotionally … she seems to be finding her feet in all of this
… and her fear is beginning to give way to anger, which is good. But for a few minutes after that
phone call last night … she was terrified … very brave, but terrified."
Methos cursed under his breath. "I shouldn't have left her … I should have been there to keep
him from getting to her like that."
MacLeod didn't argue.
"Do you mind telling me what was so important in Paris?" he asked. "I know you went to the
Watcher archives … Joe told me about the favor you called and asked him for. Was there
something there on Devan?"
"I found a few things about Devan … nothing that I think will help." He replied. "But that's not
why I went … Joe could have called for those documents."
"So what did you go for?"
"Can we do this tomorrow?" Methos asked. "I need to check on a few things online … to be sure
my translations are accurate …"
"Translations of what?" MacLeod was irritated that he wasn't giving him a straight answer.
"Tomorrow MacLeod." He replied as Duncan threw up his hands and got up to leave.
Methos settled into the office chair and began to boot up the computer. Just before the door
closed, he looked up. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me … I won't take no for an answer tomorrow." Duncan replied.
"I meant … Thank you for protecting her … for being there." Methos clarified.
"Well next time I think you need to consider what you stand to lose if you leave her like that."
"Believe me … fear of losing her was the only thing I thought about the entire time I was away."
Methos replied. "And I don't intend to lose her … not anytime soon if I can help it."
"Are you ready to go?" Duncan asked as he stuck his head in the room.
"More than ready." Beth replied as she got up from the bed and moved to pick up her suitcase.
"Ahh ahhh ahhh, I've got that. You may be going home, but you're still under orders to take it
easy." He told her, taking the handle.
"Whatever gets me out of here faster." She said as Richie showed up at the door with a wheel
chair. "Uhm … no." she might be pregnant, but she could still walk …
"Doctor's orders" Richie grinned.
"All right all right." She agreed reluctantly. "But if you think you're going to keep me out of my
own kitchen when I get home … think again. Cooking is the way I relax …"
Duncan and Richie exchanged a grin. She was feeling much better … and they had to admit they
would be glad to have a meal that wasn't takeout or hadn't been prepared by Amanda's loving
hands.
When they pulled up to the front of the house, Beth couldn't wait to get inside. She'd missed
Barkley terribly and from the reception he gave her … he felt the same. She buried her face in
his fur as she hugged him tight. And just as she was about to stand up, the aroma of freshly
baked pies hit her.
"Who's baking?" she asked, walking toward the shop kitchen.
Esperanza and her sister were inside making several trays of pastries and placing them on
decorative, disposable trays.
"What's going on?" she asked, coming over to give Esperanza a hug.
"We didn't know when you would feel like opening the bake shop … so we put a sign in the
window offering a catering service." She replied. "Duncan said he thought it was safe enough for
us to be here during the day … and Richie agreed to help us with deliveries."
"For a small fee." He chuckled as he swiped a small tart from one of the trays and Esperanza
shooed him away.
"Wow." Beth didn't know what to say. She had worried that with the bakeshop closed, even for a
short time, her means of supporting her child was going to be hurt. But now they'd thought of a
way that she didn't have to stay on her feet all day … or stay up half the night baking. "Have you
had many calls?"
"We put the sign in the window on Monday and as of today we have 8 bookings for parties … and
with the holiday season coming, we may make more catering than we were with the bake shop …
and everything we bake will be pre-ordered, so there will be no waste." Esperanza told her
honestly.
"Rosa has agreed to help … whenever you need to rest." Esperanza added and Beth hugged her
neck, thanking her for thinking of a way to keep her dream alive.
"Speaking of rest … " Duncan said from the doorway, which made him the recipient of a
frustrated look from Beth. "Esperanza made dinner … and you don't want to overdo it … so just
humor me … go lie down until time to eat."
Beth looked from face to face and knew she couldn't win this one. "Yes Mother." She
complained as she gave Duncan a little smile and walked to the stairs.
She noticed her suitcase wasn't in the entryway, and figured Richie must have taken it upstairs
for her. She had to admit that although she'd spent the past four days in bed … she was a little
tired, and knowing Adam would be coming in sometime tonight … she didn't mind getting a nap
now.
She walked in her room and started to hang her jacket in the closet, when her eyes caught sight
of single red rose against the white throw pillows on her bed. Her face broke into a smile as she
turned back to the door.
There leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and a self-satisfied smile on his face
was Adam.
She didn't hesitate, but rushed across the room and literally threw herself into his arms, making
him step into the hallway to catch her.
"I'm so glad you're back." She said as she squeezed his neck and squeeled a little as he lifted
her off the ground.
"I'll go away more often if it makes you this happy to see me again." He laughed as he set her
down.
"You don't have to go anywhere for me to be this happy … I missed you so much." She said as
she looked up into his face, her eyes locking with his as he started to kiss her.
"Hate to break this up." Duncan's voice came from the staircase. "But you need to get some
rest, he looked up at Beth … and I need to talk to you … now." He said to Adam, with a tone that
let him know he better not refuse.
Adam groaned, letting his forehead come to rest against hers, both disappointed their reunion
would have to wait. Smiling, he gave her a quick kiss and told her he would see her when she
woke up, and then turned to follow Duncan downstairs and into the little office where they could
talk privately.
"Have you heard anything about Devan?" Methos asked as Duncan closed the door behind them.
"They couldn't trace the call from the hospital last night … so we don't know if it was local. But I
would guess if he isn't in Seacouver now … he will be soon."
Methos sat down on the edge of the desk, letting MacLeod have the chair. "Is she really ok?" he
asked.
"Physically … the doctor says she's strong and as long as she doesn't over do it, the pregnancy
should be healthy." Duncan began. "Emotionally … she seems to be finding her feet in all of this
… and her fear is beginning to give way to anger, which is good. But for a few minutes after that
phone call last night … she was terrified … very brave, but terrified."
Methos cursed under his breath. "I shouldn't have left her … I should have been there to keep
him from getting to her like that."
MacLeod didn't argue.
"Do you mind telling me what was so important in Paris?" he asked. "I know you went to the
Watcher archives … Joe told me about the favor you called and asked him for. Was there
something there on Devan?"
"I found a few things about Devan … nothing that I think will help." He replied. "But that's not
why I went … Joe could have called for those documents."
"So what did you go for?"
"Can we do this tomorrow?" Methos asked. "I need to check on a few things online … to be sure
my translations are accurate …"
"Translations of what?" MacLeod was irritated that he wasn't giving him a straight answer.
"Tomorrow MacLeod." He replied as Duncan threw up his hands and got up to leave.
Methos settled into the office chair and began to boot up the computer. Just before the door
closed, he looked up. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me … I won't take no for an answer tomorrow." Duncan replied.
"I meant … Thank you for protecting her … for being there." Methos clarified.
"Well next time I think you need to consider what you stand to lose if you leave her like that."
"Believe me … fear of losing her was the only thing I thought about the entire time I was away."
Methos replied. "And I don't intend to lose her … not anytime soon if I can help it."