Chapter Forty-two

Things were finally getting back to normal, or as normal as they could get anyway. Grant had left with Alison just minutes before, leaving Ella in very capable hands. Becky was preoccupied, but Lynnie and Chloe had been more than happy to help. Now, as twilight fell around them, Lynnie looked over at Chloe who had been a bit too quiet. She touched her arm gently and whispered. "Hey Clo? You OK?"

Chloe blushed a bit at being caught daydreaming. "Yeah. I'm fine." She shivered a bit and turned to face her friend. "It's just...hospitals..." She trailed off and looked away.

Lynnie's eyes filled with sympathetic tears. "I know, sweetie."

Chloe sighed and sank down on a lounge chair, overlooking the backyard. She smiled a bit as she heard Ella's giggle, watching her sway back and forth on the tree swing nearby. "That's why I offered to stay with Ella." She admitted softly. Her voice filled with worry as she added. "Please don't say anything to Grant. I don't want him to think I don't want to be there for him..."

"Chloe. He would never think that." Lynnie promised as she sat in the chair beside her.

She nodded, even though she was still wary. "His dad is okay - I know that but I can't do it Lynn. I can't stay there for too long. That smell..." Chloe shivered. "There's this smell in hospitals. You know - all sterile and antiseptic? When she was there I just kept wanting to bring in flowers or something to make it smell different. But after a while she couldn't have anything like that in her room at all. So it was just that room - that too spotlessly clean to be real - room..." Chloe hugged her arms around herself and tried to make the horrible images go away. "Maybe that's why I leave my stuff all around the apartment. I like things a bit out of order. Grant's always bugging me to pick up after myself..."

Lynnie couldn't imagine watching her own mother go through something like that - let alone losing her. "Chloe. It's OK..."

Chloe shook off the feeling and gave Lynnie a smile. She didn't want to go there. "Let's talk about something else. Something happy - even gossipy." She winked as she wiped a tear from her eye and whispered. "Let's talk about you and Ethan or even Billie and Quinn..."

Lynnie wanted to reassure her friend but realized this might not be the best time to discuss what was really bothering her. "...Or Becky and Kyle..." Lynnie's eyes sparkled behind the heavy frames of her glasses. "OK. Me and Ethan first. Clo - he's incredible. I swear, the man never even annoys me." She bit her lip and sighed. "I'm scared about it actually. He's totally abnormal."

"That's to be expected, Lynn. C'mon. He's a former angel..." Chloe offered by way of explanation.

"Yeah - well - so's my dad - so's your father-in-law for that matter." Lynnie laughed. "Neither one of them are saints."

"But Ethan is?" Chloe asked.

"At the risk of jinxing myself, yeah." Lynnie said with a sigh. "Ethan is." She smiled wider as she continued. "He's always looking out for me - always. I can tell - he thinks about me before anything else in the world. I shouldn't complain and I know what it is - part of it is because he thinks he owes me. He thinks I'm the reason he's back here - and I guess I am - but I don't want him to be so grateful..."

"You just want him to be Ethan." Chloe said, understanding fully.

"Exactly." Lynnie said, thankful someone understood without her having to explain it all. "OK - enough about me - moving on. Billie and Quinn..."

"So tell me. Is it true? I hear he's got it bad..." Chloe giggled.

"Uh huh." Lynnie nodded. "So does she. Mom says she keeps catching her looking up stuff about him online and in the sports section of the bookshop. Quinn must be just as infatuated because he's actually had a dozen dates with her already."

"A dozen?" Chloe was shocked.

"at least..." Lynnie laughed back at her. "And that kid Tyler - he's just precious."

"He certainly is." Chloe sighed and stared at Ella again. "God. I love kids..."

"Uh oh. That's spoken like a woman who's looking to have some soon." She kidded.

"Hmmm?" Chloe replied.

"Don't play innocent with me. What's going on?" Lynnie asked her voice suspicious. "Something you want to tell me before I see it for myself?"

Chloe blushed when she realized what Lynnie was implying. "N-n-n-o." She stuttered. "I - I don't think so - no." She shook her head. "Not yet - I mean - I'm just thinking out loud. I'm not - I mean - I don't think I am..."

"Clo - relax. I'm just teasing." Lynnie laughed loudly.

Her friend sighed with relief. "OK..." She took another deep breath and tried to will the dreams from swirling in her head now at the mere thought. "OK..."

"Now." Lynnie decided to change the subject again so that Chloe could start breathing normally. "Kyle and Becky..."

Chloe grinned ear to ear. "Kyle and Becky." She repeated, her voice laced with disappointment. "Man. Too bad we had to leave I wonder if there are any new developments."

"Well - wonder no more." Lynnie said smugly as she settled back in her chair. "This time I'm not teasing. I've seen it all."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you comfortable?" Alison whispered as she moved towards his bedside.

"I'd be more comfortable at home." Rafe grumbled. He tried to plead his case again. "Alison - please. This is ridiculous."

"I agree. It's ridiculous that you got yourself in such a state about our daughter being interested in someone." She said with a smile as she sat in a chair beside him.

"That's not what I meant." Rafe rolled his eyes as she took his hand in hers.

"I know. You do understand how insane you've gotten don't you? It's not like she hasn't been on a date before."

"This is different." Rafe protested.

"How so?"

"She actually likes this one." Rafe said with a sigh. "It's much more dangerous."

"What would you have done if my parent's actually had given me the time of day back then?" She asked, her eyes lit with amusement.

"What do you mean?" He replied, confused.

"You had it easy. When I met you I lived on my own - well - not entirely but I was away from home - and I was only a few years older than Becky I'll remind you."

"You were twenty." Rafe stated.

Alison's tone became a bit sarcastic. "Oh yeah. Twenty. You're right. That's leaps and bounds from seventeen."

Rafe knew that wasn't the point. He tried to plead his case again. "Becky isn't like you. She's different."

"Oh. This ought to be good. Enlighten me. In what way is she different?"

"She's...." Rafe was having trouble putting his thoughts into words.

"Irresponsible?" Alison offered.

"No." He said with a shake of his head.

"Unreliable?" She tried again.

"No."

"Frivolous? Flaky? Promiscuous?" She said with a laugh.

Rafe's patience was wearing thin. "What are you trying to do? Keep me here in the hospital indefinitely?"

Alison gave his hand a squeeze and stood. "No. I'm trying to make a point. Scoot over."

"Huh?" Rafe replied, completely confused.

She slipped off her shoes and moved to climb into the bed beside him. Once he realized her intention he shifted over to make room. Her head rested on the pillow as Rafe curled his arms around her waist and kept her close.

Alison rested her own hands over his and continued to explain herself. She smiled as she felt him place a soft kiss on the back of her neck. "Becky's a good kid, Rafe. She knows her own mind and she's not rushing into anything. This could have happened years ago you know. Boys have been interested in her for years but she's never found one she liked well enough to pay attention. You need to trust me on this. Kyle's different. You need to meet him before you go all crazy. If you'd given us a chance to explain you'd know that he's a slayer – Rafe. You even know his father."

"He's what?" Rafe asked, his voice a bit shocked. "I do?"

Alison turned to face him and kissed him gently. "He is and yes you do. Now take a deep breath and I'll tell you what I know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I thought you were leaving." Becky said as she watched Kyle walk back into the cafeteria. She tried to keep her voice light though her heart was beating wildly. Just a minute ago she thought she'd lost him forever.

"I was – but I didn't want you to think…" He began, unsure of exactly what to say. He knew he'd look like an idiot for coming back in here, but he couldn't make himself leave either.

"What?" Becky prompted, desperate to hear him say what made him change his mind.

Kyle tried again. "I just think you're better off…"

"I'll be the judge of what's good for me." She replied, her temper starting to simmer again.

"Y-y-your father…" Kyle stammered

Becky was edging towards furious "…needs to get over the fact that I'm not eight anymore. Care to try again?"

He took a deep breath and started once more, determined to finish his thought without her cutting him off. "Becky. This is crazy. I've warned you that trouble was coming and that's really all I came here to do. You've got plenty of people looking out for you. You don't need me."

She blinked at him and staggered back slightly. "Do you really believe that?"

"Yeah." He replied, looking down at his feet. What good could he do for her? He couldn't protect her – not like her brother and father could. He knew he was just getting in the way. He turned and started for the door again.

"I thought you needed me though." Becky called out after him, wincing a bit as she realized her voice was a bit broken.

Kyle stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "Becky…"

She wiped at her eyes and moved towards him, about to act on impulse and throw herself into his arms. The door to the cafeteria swung open wide, and revealed Grant standing in the doorway.

"Let's go lovebirds." He said with a sigh, knowing he just shattered a moment. "Kyle, buddy. Hate to break it to you but you're being summoned."