Chapter 6:

Spot stared at the blank sheet of paper that had been on the rickety table in his little room for the past three days. Pulling out a chair, he sat down and picked up the grubby pencil that was next to it and stared at the paper some more.

He tapped the end of the pencil on the paper a few times before leaning over and scrawling, My Darling Rae,  He sat back up and scratched his head. Was that appropriate? What if one of the kids picked it up? He imagined they'd be upset he hadn't included them in the letter. Decisions, decisions...

He let his head fall to the table with a loud thud.  Why was this so hard?  It shouldn't be that hard to write to them and say that he missed them, should it?

"Well, if it's not hard, why can't I do it?" he asked himself. He was very close to whining. He hit his head on the table a few more times and then stood, "I give up," he muttered, leaving the room.

"That's the third time today," Shadow commented, watching him walk out.

"He's going to make himself sick with all this worrying," Hades mused.

"I think we should MAKE him go back home..." she replied, watching him pace in front of the lodging house. She laughed a little. "He looks ridiculous doing that...."

"But he'll do it until he's too tired to think straight and then he will fall asleep on the couch, just like he's done every night since he got here."

"You think he'll fight to much if we bind and gag him and send him on a train home?"

"Maybe we should get Trent to drug him first."

"It couldn't hurt," Shadow replied with a shrug and a slight grin.

Hades shook her head. "We have to do something or he is going to drive all of us crazy."

"Going to? He's ALREADY driven ME crazy."

"How long until Christmas?" Hades asked.

"Two weeks. Two very long weeks."

Hades sighed. "We have a lot of work to do..."

"We better get started."

"Right."

* * *

Kendra sat on the bed in Rae's room prattling on in adorable way that all babies do.  Rae was not really paying attention and it was as if Kendra knew it.

Rae smiled absently, patting the girl's head.

Kendra pulled herself to her feet and patted Rae's face. "Mama!"

She finally looked at Kendra and smiled again. "Yes, sweetheart?"

Kendra sat back down and began prattling again.  Rae sighed. "You haven't a worry in the world, do you, baby?"

She just chattered on.

Rae closed her eyes and leaned her head back, allowing a single tear to find it's way down her cheek.

Crawling over, Kendra said, "Mama," again and patted her face once more.

Rae stroked the little girl's hair. "Mama's fine sweetheart. She just misses Daddy."

"Dada..." she repeated.

Rae gasped and her face contorted in pain as her hand went to rest on her stomach.

As if on cue, a few moments later, Julie walked in with a tray of food. "Hungr- what's wrong?"

"Go get Doc," Rae whimpered.

She set the tray aside. "Right." And then she darted out the door.

"Mama," Kendra cried, confusion marking her little brow.

"It's all right sweetie," she replied, screwing up her face. "It's all right."

Andy stuck his head in the room. "Momma? Are you alright?"

"Just a little hurt is all... I'm sure I'll be fine..."

"I don't want you to hurt."

She smiled, wincing a little. "Julie's getting the doctor right now. He'll fix me up."

"Mama," Kendra cried, clinging to Rae.

"Shh, sweetheart." She stroked Kendra's hair. "Go get Molly, Andy."

Andy darted out the door and returned a moment later, dragging Molly by the hand.

"Here, could you try calming her down? She's getting scared and clingy... and... well... it's not really helping... if you know what I mean..." She kissed the top of Kendra's head as the little girl clung tightly to her.

Molly pried Kendra away from Rae and stuck her head out the bedroom door. "CHRIS!" she yelled.

"What?" he yelled back.

"I need some help up here!"

"All right, just a minute."

"NOW!"

"Okay okay- OW!" A few seconds later he entered the room limping.

"What did you do?"

"Banged my shin on the little table in the hall... the one with the candles on it..."

Molly pried Kendra's arms from around her neck and handed her to Chris.  "Take them downstairs to play...Unless you want to be here when Rae has her baby."

"Uh... nope, I don't think I want to see that- Come on Kendra. Aw, no tears now. We're going to play a game!... as soon as I can think of one that you would understand..." And he left the room.

"Go with him, Andy," Molly said, gently prodding Andy toward the door.

"But... will Momma be okay??" he asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine."

"Can I give her a hug?"

She glanced at Rae.

Rae nodded.  "A quick hug," she whispered.

He darted over, gave her a hug, and then ran from the room.

* * *

"We should send Spot a telegram," Julie said as she and Molly paced in the living room.  Chris was nowhere to be found and Kendra and the twins were asleep on the couch.

"It won't get to him in time,... will it?" Molly asked.

"Maybe not before the baby is born, but soon after."

She nodded in agreement. "He will be upset if he misses it though.... just his luck the townspeople thought he killed someone... These people... they're gullible sometimes..."

"Do you want to go? Or do you want me to go?" Julie asked.

"I've already sent for him," Chris replied from the doorway.  Julie slowly made her way over to him and hugged him, trembling. Chris patted his sister's head. "I'm scared, Chris," she whispered, "What if something happens to Rae?"

"All we can do is pray," he replied.

* * *

Spot nervously paced the front room of the lodging house as Hades, Shadow and Blank sat on the stairs watching.  "Will you just go home, already?" Hades said around a yawn.

"I can't-"

"Spot!" Shadow began, "it's 3 days before Christmas! Don't you want to be with your family on Christmas?!"

"Yes, I want to be with them on Christmas...I promised the twins I would be back before Christmas...but they'll just have to understand why I can't."

"Somehow, I don't think they WILL understand," Blank said.

There was a tapping at the door.

Hades rose to answer it and after a moment returned with a small official looking envelope.

"For you," she said, handing it to him.

"What if it's bad news? I can't read it," he said, shoving it back towards her.

"Get over your self pity Spot! Read it! It's your family!" she snapped, slapping him across the face.

He stared at her in shock for a moment, before he murmured, "Thanks" and took the envelope.

She smiled smugly. "Any time. And I mean it."

He sent her a look, before he turned his back on the threesome and opened the telegram.

"What's it about?" Hades asked after a moment.

"Hades, you're being nosy," Blank pointed out.

"Your point is?"

Spot dropped the paper to the ground and pushed past them, running up the stairs two at a time.  Hades crept over and picked up the paper that he had dropped.

Shadow's curiosity took over. "What does it say?"

"Rae's really bad off and they've called the doctor and the baby will most likely be born before tonight or tomorrow."

"Wow..."

A moment later Spot ran down the stairs, bag in hand. "Tell Jecca goodbye for me," he said, pausing in front of his three friends.

They nodded solemnly.

"Go!" Hades said, shoving him toward the door.

"I'm going, I'm going. Thanks guys."

* * *

Chris sat on the couch with Julie sleeping against his shoulder and Ann curled up sleeping with her head in his lap.  Molly was in the rocking chair with Kendra while Andy slept draped across an overstuffed chair.  "Is it supposed to take this long?" Chris asked.

"All depends on the woman," Molly said with a yawn. "Pa says Ma was in labor with me for a day and a half..."

"Good grief," Chris said, yawning as well.

"Yes..." she replied slowly with a little nod.

Ann sat up at that moment and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I want Momma," she whimpered.

Chris patted her back gently. "Not right now, Annie. We have to wait 'til Doc says."

"But I had a bad dream," she cried.

"Shh... We're all here with you."

"Daddy tried to come home but those mean men hurted him."

Chris stroked her hair. "Um..." How was he supposed to deal with a child's nightmare? "Well... it ... was just a bad dream. He's far away and safe from those mean men."

"You promise?" she asked, looking up at him with trust-filled eyes.

Chris nodded.

She settled back down on the couch.  "I miss Daddy."

He patted her head. "He misses you too."

After a moment she fell asleep again and Chris exchanged a worried look with Molly.

"I hope he actually COMES home..." she said finally.

The door flew open, startling the two concious occupants of the room.

"What the...?" Chris muttered, easing up from the couch.

Spot stepped into the doorway. "How is she?"

"The baby's fine, but Mrs. Conlon has me concerned," Doc said, stepping up behind Spot.

Spot whipped around, startled. After recovering, he demanded to know what he meant. "Where is she?"

"She was in labor for nearly twenty-four hours and is now sleeping...I think."

Spot shoved past the doctor and ran up the stairs. He stopped in the doorway of the bedroom.  Rae's face was almost as white as the pillow on which her head lay. "Rae?" he whispered, rushing over to her side. When she didn't move, he gently took her hand in his, kissing the back of it.

"Wake up..." He gripped her hand tightly. "Please..." He begged after a moment, tears filling his eyes.

But she was motionless, her breathing shallow.

With a shaking hand, he reached up and brushed the tangled, sweat-drenched hair from her face. "Don't do anything stupid," he murmured, standing to kiss her gently. He started to leave the room when a faint whimper near the fireplace stopped him.

Spot walked over to the fireplace, where a small form squirmed in the little cradle that Kendra had once slept in. He crouched down.

"Why don't you hold your son, Mr. Conlon," Doc suggested from the doorway.

Spot glanced at him and then looked down at the little infant again. "My son..." he murmured.

He slowly reached down and grasped on of the baby's small fists.  "He's so tiny."

Doc smiled. "Yes... You have every right to be a very proud father. He's a very beautiful baby."

With a deep sigh Spot glanced back over his shoulder at the bed. "What's wrong with her Doc?"

"Exhaustion is all I can really evaluate right now... it was a difficult delivery."

"I should have come back sooner," Spot murmured.

The baby reached up and grasped Spot's finger tightly. Ever so gently he lifted his son into his arms, and slowly standing to his feet he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it.  "He's beautiful Rae," he whispered.

* * *

Spot wearily walked down the stairs and collapsed on the empty couch in the living room.

"What's happened?" Molly asked after a moment.

"We can't get her to wake up.  Doc says he thinks it's from exhaustion."

She nodded. "Actually having a baby is a lot of hard work..."

Spot nodded wearily.

"Why don't you get some sleep," Chris suggested.

"Not until Rae wakes up," Spot said.

"It might be some time," Molly pointed out.

"I don't care! I want to be with my wife when she wakes up, I've been gone long enough as it is."

Doc came downstairs during the exchange. "It won't do either of you any good if you don't get some rest young man. You could end up worse off than she is."

"I'll get plenty of rest sitting by her side."

He lifted a brow. "Make sure some of that rest includes some shut eye, all right?"

"Fine, but I'm not leaving that room."

With a gentle smile, Doc nodded. "That's fine..."

"May I go back up there now?"

Waving his hand towards the staircase, he nodded again. "I know you've been patient-"

"As patient as one can be, when one is Spot Conlon," Chris said.

"Don't start with me, Chris," Spot warned as he left the room.

"I was only trying to lighten the mood, Spot!" he called out after him.

But Spot was too far up the stairs to hear.  He entered the bedroom and once again knelt beside the bed.  "You've got to wake up," he pleaded as he ran his hand over her hair again. He leaned forward, resting his chin on the edge of the bed, watching her, taking her hand to stroke it gently.

"We need you sweetheart...-I- need you." He kissed the top of her hand and squeezed it. "I need you," he repeated.

* * *

Unable to quench the hunger pains in his stomach, Spot managed to stumble down the stairs to the kitchen when he smelled coffee and bacon the next morning.  He was exhausted after having spent the whole night sitting on the floor by the bed, but he couldn't sleep any more now then he did when he was in Brooklyn.

"Morning," Julie said, nodding as he plodded heavily into the kitchen.

"Morning," he mumbled, helping himself to a cup of coffee.

"How's Rae?" she ventured to ask.

"The same as she was last night," he answered, staring into his cup.

Squeezing his shoulder, she said, "She'll get better..."

He nodded.  "Are the twins up yet?"

She shook her head. "No... I thought it might be good to let them sleep in... if that's all right with you, I mean."

"That's fine.  Let me know when they are awake, but don't let them know that I'm here."

She gave him a puzzled look. "Okay?... But... why not?"

"Because I don't want them running in there and disturbing Rae."

"Okay."

"Thanks Julie," he said, ruffling her hair and plodding back up the stairs.

He entered his and Rae's room a moment later and resumed his position beside her. As he sat there watching her, his mind was flooded with memories of their time together, both before and after their marriage.

"Rae?"

She glanced over at Spot with a smile. "Yes?"

"Are you SURE you want to marry me? I reckon 'Sippi will still take you back, if you want to go back to him..."

"If I didn't want to marry you I wouldn't have said yes."

"Well... maybe you just thought you did... I mean... I don't want you to wake up in the morning and think 'I can't believe I married Spot. What was I thinking?'"

She turned him to face her.  She reached up and gently placed her hand on his scared face.  "I'm sure."

She smiled. "I love you very much, Spot Conlon."

"But how can you love a guy that looks like this?" he asked, lifting her hand away from his cheek.

She sighed, agitated. "Spot... I wish you would stop worrying about that! I love you for who you are, not what you look like!"

"I just don't want you to regret...."

She grabbed his collar and pulled his head down, silencing him with a kiss.

* * *

"I now pronounce you man and wife... you may kiss the bride," the preacher announced.

The newly made Rae Conlon smiled at Spot. "You can't get rid of me now!" she told him.

He smiled back. "I won't want to." And then he kissed her.

Julie stuck her head in the door. "The twins are up and they are sitting on the stairs, refusing to move until they see Rae."

Spot blinked, startled out of his reverie for a moment. "Oh... okay... um...." He glanced at Rae. He knew they'd be devastated when they walked in and saw her still asleep...

"I'll come talk to them," he said, bending to kiss Rae's forehead.

She nodded and slipped out.

He followed her a moment later. He closed the door to the bedroom and walked quietly over to stand behind Ann and Andy. "Somebody tells me that you two won't go downstairs and eat your breakfast."

They turned to him and leapt to their feet. "Daddy!" they shrieked simultaneously.

He knelt down as they both threw themselves into his arms.  "I told you I'd be back before Christmas."

They latched to him tightly.

He held them for another moment, before setting them both on their feet.  "Now, go downstairs and eat."

"Yessir."

Andy grabbed Ann's arm and pulled her down after him.

With a slight smile he moved back into the bedroom and to his place beside the bed. It was Christmas Eve.... it would be terrible if something happened... His thoughts were solemn and terribly depressing.

"I hope you did some Christmas shopping this year Rae, because once again I didn't get the twins anything," he said. He picked up her hand and kissed it. "You know.... you have to wake up to tell me where they are..."

When she didn't respond, he sighed.  "The twins are just as stubborn as you are. They told Julie that they wouldn't eat this morning," he said, hoping that something...anything...would get a response. But there was nothing. "Come on Rae...."

The baby stirred in his cradle and began to cry. And Spot began to panic a little. What if the baby was hungry? He couldn't feed it! The poor baby would starve! He gently lifted the baby into his arms and began to pace the floor, humming a little tune. The baby continued whimpering, grasping Spot's shirt with a wildly waving hand.

Just then Molly walked in the room.  "Give him to me, Spot," she said, softly.

"But-"

"I can help. Just give him to me."

He sighed and handed his son to Molly.  She took him and turned to leave the room.

"Molly?"

She turned to him. "What?"

"... Thank you for all your help."

She smiled, "It's the least I can do. After all, you and Rae saved my life."

He smiled wearily at her.

"Get some rest," she prompted. leaving the room.

With a deep sigh, he took his place back near Rae. "If only I could...." he murmured. "But not until you wake up, Rae... Hear that?"

When she didn't respond, he wearily rested his chin on the bed.  "I'm not moving until you wake up." He knew that, if she was awake, she'd pretend not to and say "Well, I won't wake up until you move" just to tease him.

He sighed, longing to hold her in his arms after an absence of many months He even missed her witty, sometimes stinging retorts in their arguments. "If you're just doing this because I was gone for so long, I'd rather you just go ahead and yell at me."

He continued to watch her, trying to use mental power to wake her. After a while, he got up and began to pace the room. He paced for a very long time. After a while, someone in the doorway cleared his throat. Looking up, Spot saw Chris.

"You're gonna wear a path in the floor doing that." He held up a tray. "I came bearing food."

"I'm not hungry, Chris."

"Either eat or go to bed. I'm here to make you do one of them."

"I can't do either."

"I can tie you up and force feed you," Chris pointed out.

Spot reached over and took a piece of bread off the tray. "Happy?"

"Eh..." He shrugged. "It's a start." He set the tray down and headed back out the door. "I'll be back in an hour. I expect it to be gone- Julie will kill you if it's not."

Shaking his head, Spot took a bite of the bread.  He really was hungry, he just didn't think he could eat anything. He took another bite. Well.... he supposed he could at least make a show of trying to eat. It would probably help keep him better awake.

But he was wrong. For not five minutes after he finished, he found himself struggling even harder to hold his eyes open.

"No... you canNOT go to sleep, Spot Conlon..... Not until Rae wakes up!"

The more he tried, the harder he got.

"Come on, come on.... Rae needs you," he said, giving himself an impromptu pep talk. After a few more minutes of useless fighting, he finally sighed in defeat and crawled in the bed next to Rae.  He wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep.