Hey ~ sorry for the slowdown on updates! Are you guys still reading? I hope
so! Be patient with me, I swear it's worth the wait! =)
"Actually, Christina," Frank said, "why don't we just go back to the hotel and get some rest? We can look for Twelfth Street in the morning." "I think that's the first good idea you've had yet, Scanlon," Chris said, seeing Christina's peaked face.
Christina finally surrendered and nodded. "Yeah, I am a little tired," she said. But Frank and Chris knew it had to be more than that. They helped her to the car, and returned to the hotel. By the time they got inside, it was obvious that Christina wasn't feeling well.
"Christina, are you okay?" Frank asked, sitting her down on the bed. Christina weakly shook her head, and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Poor girl. She's so stressed about this whole thing," Chris mused. When Christina emerged, mascara tears stained her face, and she was holding the wall to steady herself. "Christina - " Chris began.
"I'm fine," she croaked, holding up one hand. She stumbled forward, and would've fallen in a dead faint if Frank hadn't caught her in his arms.
"No, you're not. Come on, Chris, we've got to get her to a hospital," Frank said, scooping Christina up into his arms. Christina, semi-conscious, protested.
Chris nodded, and Frank carried her to the car. When the nurse at the local community hospital admitted Christina, she began to cry, breaking the two men's hearts. A few minutes later, the nurse emerged.
"Which one of you is Dr. Ramsey?" she asked. "I am," Chris said, exchanging a quizzical glance with Frank. "The young woman has asked that you treat her, if you would," the nurse said. Chris nodded, and followed her.
"What do you need, Doctor?" the nurse asked. Christina was still semi- conscious on the exam table. Chris hadn't the foggiest idea what could be wrong. She was fatigued and nauseated....flu? Mono? "I want to do a blood test, Nurse," Chris replied, snapping on some latex gloves. The nurse nodded and handed him a needle. He drew some blood from Christina's arm, and the nurse took it to the lab.
"We should know in a few minutes, Dr. Ramsey," she said when she returned. Christina was starting to come around, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Christina, what's wrong, honey?" Chris asked, smoothing her hair off her forehead. Christina refused to answer.
Twenty minutes later, the nurse returned with the blood test results. She handed Chris the chart. "Was it mono?" he asked. The nurse scoffed.
"Hardly," she said, leaving. Chris read the chart, and nearly dropped it when he read the results of Christina's blood test. She was pregnant.
*
"I'm glad we got this chance to talk," Ricky said as he dropped Sascha off at her house. "I hope I answered most of your questions."
"You did. I'm glad too. This really means a lot to me. I just wish that I could've known you sooner," Sascha remarked.
"Don't ever wish that," Ricky said, taking her hands. "If I had raised you, you wouldn't be half the great girl you are now. I might be your father, but Frank is your dad." Sascha looked down at her hands in Ricky's, then back up to his face, and couldn't believe how alike they looked. They hugged, and Ricky turned to go down the walk back to his car. He stopped and turned back around when he heard Sascha call out to him.
"Ricky?!" she called. "Yeah?" She smiled at him.
"My father and my friend." Ricky returned her smile, pointed at her with his car keys. "Talk to you later, Sascha."
They waved, and then Ricky got into his car and drove away. Sascha drew in a deep breath. It was time to go talk to her mother, now.
*
Raven hadn't had any idea what to do once she'd cleared the proximity of the Lighthouse, so she'd simply started walking, hoping that Lucy would be right and her slayer juices would start flowing soon. She'd ended up walking down the road where her accident had happened. It was becoming dusky, and a chilly summer breeze blew across her bare arms. She shivered, and rubbed her hands over her skin. Suddenly, she got a strange feeling, a lump in her throat and a knot in her stomach.
Frightened, Raven quickened her pace and continued walking down the road, wondering why no cars had come along yet. She kept walking, until a strong gust of wind caused her to stop and crouch to shield herself. When she straightened back up, she saw that the twilight sky was devoid of stars, and was painted with dark gray clouds. As her gaze fell from the sky to the skyline, she noticed something off in the distance that she'd never seen before.
A massive, foreboding, desolate house , standing out alone in the middle of a thickly-grassed meadow, about a mile away from the road. The grass, black in the dark haze created by the thunderheads above, swayed in the strong wind, looking like a pit of cobras surrounding the mansion, which was an entity all it's own. It looked like the cliché rendition of a haunted house.
A single light flickered menacingly from a second story window, and Raven saw a shadowy figure standing there, and from what she could tell, watching her. Her eyes fixated on this figure, and the sound of her heart thudding in her chest filled her ears. She wasn't afraid. Rather, she felt certain, certain that this was what she had been looking for and that the dark figure looming in the window was Caleb. Keeping her eyes focused on him, she started across the road and into the meadow.
* Caleb's already-cold blood had run colder. He'd been pacing around his new lair, the way he always did when he was plotting his next move, when suddenly, he'd known it. Smelled it. Felt it. The feeling that was second to a stake through the heart, the feeling that a slayer was nearby.
He went to the window, and peered out into the evening sky. His fury made the sky grow stormy, and the wind match his temperament. The slayer. How could this be? He thought he'd gotten rid of her. Then he reconsidered her, not a slayer, but fresh meat. He knew it when he saw her, even at a mile away. This was his arch-nemesis' child, he could feel it in his scar-tissued excuse for a heart
. This was a complication he'd not anticipated. How could he not have known that the slayer had reproduced? Wasn't that against the rules for angels, just like it was for vampires? Then again, Rafe did have someone upstairs to bend the rules for him. Caleb, on the other hand, played fair. James hadn't ever lifted a finger for him.
So maybe getting to Olivia would be a trifle more trying that he'd originally thought. But this little slayer wasn't so much a problem as she was a bonus. Yes, another conquest he could add to his list. It would be best for everyone. After all, he'd be doing the little girl a favor- she'd get to join her Daddy in Heaven. And Caleb would get to have a little old- fashioned fun before he claimed his bride.
Yes, this would be much better than he'd ever dreamed - he'd thought there were no more slayers left to play with. He was delighted to find he was wrong, and as he watched the girl approach, even more delighted that she had gotten herself caught in his trap already. Now all that was left was to spin his web around her, and sink in his fangs. *
"Actually, Christina," Frank said, "why don't we just go back to the hotel and get some rest? We can look for Twelfth Street in the morning." "I think that's the first good idea you've had yet, Scanlon," Chris said, seeing Christina's peaked face.
Christina finally surrendered and nodded. "Yeah, I am a little tired," she said. But Frank and Chris knew it had to be more than that. They helped her to the car, and returned to the hotel. By the time they got inside, it was obvious that Christina wasn't feeling well.
"Christina, are you okay?" Frank asked, sitting her down on the bed. Christina weakly shook her head, and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Poor girl. She's so stressed about this whole thing," Chris mused. When Christina emerged, mascara tears stained her face, and she was holding the wall to steady herself. "Christina - " Chris began.
"I'm fine," she croaked, holding up one hand. She stumbled forward, and would've fallen in a dead faint if Frank hadn't caught her in his arms.
"No, you're not. Come on, Chris, we've got to get her to a hospital," Frank said, scooping Christina up into his arms. Christina, semi-conscious, protested.
Chris nodded, and Frank carried her to the car. When the nurse at the local community hospital admitted Christina, she began to cry, breaking the two men's hearts. A few minutes later, the nurse emerged.
"Which one of you is Dr. Ramsey?" she asked. "I am," Chris said, exchanging a quizzical glance with Frank. "The young woman has asked that you treat her, if you would," the nurse said. Chris nodded, and followed her.
"What do you need, Doctor?" the nurse asked. Christina was still semi- conscious on the exam table. Chris hadn't the foggiest idea what could be wrong. She was fatigued and nauseated....flu? Mono? "I want to do a blood test, Nurse," Chris replied, snapping on some latex gloves. The nurse nodded and handed him a needle. He drew some blood from Christina's arm, and the nurse took it to the lab.
"We should know in a few minutes, Dr. Ramsey," she said when she returned. Christina was starting to come around, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. "Christina, what's wrong, honey?" Chris asked, smoothing her hair off her forehead. Christina refused to answer.
Twenty minutes later, the nurse returned with the blood test results. She handed Chris the chart. "Was it mono?" he asked. The nurse scoffed.
"Hardly," she said, leaving. Chris read the chart, and nearly dropped it when he read the results of Christina's blood test. She was pregnant.
*
"I'm glad we got this chance to talk," Ricky said as he dropped Sascha off at her house. "I hope I answered most of your questions."
"You did. I'm glad too. This really means a lot to me. I just wish that I could've known you sooner," Sascha remarked.
"Don't ever wish that," Ricky said, taking her hands. "If I had raised you, you wouldn't be half the great girl you are now. I might be your father, but Frank is your dad." Sascha looked down at her hands in Ricky's, then back up to his face, and couldn't believe how alike they looked. They hugged, and Ricky turned to go down the walk back to his car. He stopped and turned back around when he heard Sascha call out to him.
"Ricky?!" she called. "Yeah?" She smiled at him.
"My father and my friend." Ricky returned her smile, pointed at her with his car keys. "Talk to you later, Sascha."
They waved, and then Ricky got into his car and drove away. Sascha drew in a deep breath. It was time to go talk to her mother, now.
*
Raven hadn't had any idea what to do once she'd cleared the proximity of the Lighthouse, so she'd simply started walking, hoping that Lucy would be right and her slayer juices would start flowing soon. She'd ended up walking down the road where her accident had happened. It was becoming dusky, and a chilly summer breeze blew across her bare arms. She shivered, and rubbed her hands over her skin. Suddenly, she got a strange feeling, a lump in her throat and a knot in her stomach.
Frightened, Raven quickened her pace and continued walking down the road, wondering why no cars had come along yet. She kept walking, until a strong gust of wind caused her to stop and crouch to shield herself. When she straightened back up, she saw that the twilight sky was devoid of stars, and was painted with dark gray clouds. As her gaze fell from the sky to the skyline, she noticed something off in the distance that she'd never seen before.
A massive, foreboding, desolate house , standing out alone in the middle of a thickly-grassed meadow, about a mile away from the road. The grass, black in the dark haze created by the thunderheads above, swayed in the strong wind, looking like a pit of cobras surrounding the mansion, which was an entity all it's own. It looked like the cliché rendition of a haunted house.
A single light flickered menacingly from a second story window, and Raven saw a shadowy figure standing there, and from what she could tell, watching her. Her eyes fixated on this figure, and the sound of her heart thudding in her chest filled her ears. She wasn't afraid. Rather, she felt certain, certain that this was what she had been looking for and that the dark figure looming in the window was Caleb. Keeping her eyes focused on him, she started across the road and into the meadow.
* Caleb's already-cold blood had run colder. He'd been pacing around his new lair, the way he always did when he was plotting his next move, when suddenly, he'd known it. Smelled it. Felt it. The feeling that was second to a stake through the heart, the feeling that a slayer was nearby.
He went to the window, and peered out into the evening sky. His fury made the sky grow stormy, and the wind match his temperament. The slayer. How could this be? He thought he'd gotten rid of her. Then he reconsidered her, not a slayer, but fresh meat. He knew it when he saw her, even at a mile away. This was his arch-nemesis' child, he could feel it in his scar-tissued excuse for a heart
. This was a complication he'd not anticipated. How could he not have known that the slayer had reproduced? Wasn't that against the rules for angels, just like it was for vampires? Then again, Rafe did have someone upstairs to bend the rules for him. Caleb, on the other hand, played fair. James hadn't ever lifted a finger for him.
So maybe getting to Olivia would be a trifle more trying that he'd originally thought. But this little slayer wasn't so much a problem as she was a bonus. Yes, another conquest he could add to his list. It would be best for everyone. After all, he'd be doing the little girl a favor- she'd get to join her Daddy in Heaven. And Caleb would get to have a little old- fashioned fun before he claimed his bride.
Yes, this would be much better than he'd ever dreamed - he'd thought there were no more slayers left to play with. He was delighted to find he was wrong, and as he watched the girl approach, even more delighted that she had gotten herself caught in his trap already. Now all that was left was to spin his web around her, and sink in his fangs. *