Author's notes: Greetings once again. I recently received a PM asking if I was still working on this story. In fact, I do have quite a bit written already and have plans for a middle and end to this story arc at least. The possibilities for it and future story arcs are endless. It is a bit slow-going, as writing is not my primary hobby, but the story is never far from my heart.
There may be some objections to how things develop in these parts I'm publishing today. In truth, I am writing this primarily for myself and so am primarily concerned with where inspiration leads me, as the story is practically writing itself. If I were writing it primarily for a larger audience, there are things I would change. However, in considering making these changes before posting these parts, it felt wrong to violate the original inspiration, so I've decided to leave it intact.
It is my hope that some will be able to enjoy the story as-is for what it is – a tribute to those who still believe in love at first sight and that love can conquer all, even in today's increasingly cynical world.
The First Day: Life Changes, part 3
Alexandra Jones was making her way up to the tenth and uppermost floor of the administrative building. Her own office was on the ninth floor, as was Abigail's, but right now she needed to see their boss, Director James Montrose, who, as Director of Operations, had one of the corner offices of the tenth floor. The other three corner offices were occupied by Susan Packard, Director of Research, Gerald Oswald, Director of Security, and Peter Brent, Overseer of the entire northeast region, and to whom the directors reported.
Alex had just managed to calm her rage to a high simmer, and she hoped she wouldn't end up shouting at Mr. Montrose. Not that she had to worry if she did, as her boss was a particularly even-tempered sort and knew full well that she in turn was a particularly fiery sort. But this wasn't the first time this kind of thing had happened with Reynard – or with Packard – and she wasn't sure she could maintain control.
Stepping out of the elevator and passing through the security checkpoint, which involved both a palm and a retina scan, Alex was once again amazed at how much quieter this floor was than the others in the building. Apart from the directors and the overseer, the only people normally here were their personal assistants, a security detail, and the occasional visiting government or liminal dignitary, or perhaps a bigwig from another of the facilities strategically located around the country. A small number of window offices and conference rooms were held in reserve for their use, though Alex didn't think any were occupied at the moment.
A large atrium with full-grown trees, myriad smaller plants, and even a small stream occupied the central area of the floor, its bulletproof glass ceiling, walls, and doors providing daytime illumination to the majority of the areas on the floor. Thick deep-green carpeting muffled Alex's footsteps as she navigated the spacious hallways, the walls of which were also of bulletproof glass. She knew that on command, any or all of the transparent walls could be rendered opaque, whether for privacy or perhaps to aid in the event of a security breach.
The assistants' desks and work areas were located directly outside their respective bosses' offices, meaning that there was no seeing a director or the overseer without going through the assistant first. Alex knew everyone on the floor and considered all of the assistants her personal friends, but none more so than Mr. Montrose's assistant, Teresa Molina. Originally from Puerto Rico, she, Alex, and Abigail had started with the agency at the same time a year ago, and they often did activities together on weekends – that is, when Alex managed to persuade Abigail to go out, which wasn't as often as Alex would have liked. Ah, the glamorous life of a single agent…, she thought, only half-sarcastically. It had its moments, though she had to admit there were times she'd like to settle down. After all, none of them was getting any younger. Biological clocks, and all that. Hey, maybe we could all drag Daniel out sometime? Though we'd probably just end up fighting over him, Alex sighed. Then she remembered why she was there, and her mood darkened once again.
The glass door at the end of the hallway ahead of Alex was emblazoned with the DIA insignia, below which were the words "James Montrose, Director of Operations" in bold black letters. "Teresa Molina, Assistant" appeared just below in slightly smaller letters. Teresa herself was in her early 30s and extremely attractive, with long black hair, almond-shaped eyes, a classic oval face, an olive complexion, and generous curves. She barely needed any makeup at all to be gorgeous even in her agency outfit, and Alex had always been just a teensy bit jealous. Just now, she was visible through the transparent wall, eyes closed, sitting back and sipping a steaming cup of coffee with a look of supreme satisfaction as Alex approached and knocked on the door.
Getting up to open the door, she flashed Alex a radiant smile and asked, "Hey, Sis, you want some of this reaaaally good coffee I just made?" She'd joked around one time at a party and called the twins her adopted sisters, and it had quickly caught on among them. "We doing anything special tonight? Uh-oh, you're upset, aren't you," she asked, finally noticing her friend's glum expression.
Alex simply nodded. "Is he in?" she asked, gesturing with her thumb at the opaque wall of the director's office.
"He is," Teresa nodded. "Let me see if he's busy." Pressing the intercom button, she announced, "Director, Alex is here to see you."
"Send'er right on in," came the cheerful reply.
"He's all yours," Teresa said, smiling and opening the office door for her.
"Thanks, Sis. We'll talk later, ok?" Alex said, managing a wan smile as she entered the office.
"Text me," Teresa whispered loudly, closing the door behind Alex.
The director's office was suitably enormous, with a particularly nice view of the facility's pond, which was in reality more of a lake in size, and which was home to a number of species of aquatic fowl and fishes as well. The jogging path that circled the pond was well known to Alex, who made a habit of running it each and every morning, rain or shine. The only days she'd ever missed were during the previous winter, when an extreme blizzard had buried parts of the path in snow drifts taller than she was.
The office interior was furnished throughout with mahogany furniture inlaid with gold; this included the director's spacious desk, the meeting table and chairs, the sofas, and even the rather ornate-looking filing cabinets. Even the desk lamps and drawer knobs were adorned with gold filigree. Alex had heard that Montrose had complained loudly at the needless opulence when he'd seen it for the first time but was reportedly told it couldn't be sent back, so he'd grudgingly relented. He'd compromised by bringing in some of his own furnishings – a number of paintings depicting various sea-going vessels, a large frigate-in-a-bottle, and even a well-polished boat's wheel from some famous ship or other – she never could remember which one.
Montrose himself was an immense bear of a man in his late fifties, immaculately-dressed and clean-shaven, with a full head of combed-back white hair, a ruddy complexion, bushy eyebrows, and honest steel-blue eyes. Even seated there as he was in his chair, his broad grin helped to defuse Alex's anger a bit. "Well, hello there!" he said in his deep, booming voice. "I was just about to call ya, and here ya are!" gesturing widely with his arms. "But yer looking sadder than my daughter did the first time she bit down on a Warhead. Why dontcha tell me what's happened," he said, folding his hands on the desk in front of him.
"It's Reynard and Packard again!" Alex began, taking the opportunity to vent her frustration. "You remember what happened last month with the harpy? Well, this time they locked us out of the lab completely – they even posted armed guards and gave orders not to let us in! And our poor guest is on life support. She may not even make it through the day! If it weren't for Daniel, we'd probably still be locked out!"
"Wait, yer saying Daniel got in? How in tarnation did he do that?" the director asked, intrigued.
"That was the amazing part," Alex said, her mood brightening considerably. "He just talked to the guards, and they let him in. He seemed to know just what to say, just like we were hoping he would. I think he's the real deal."
"Well that, my dear, is exactly what I was going to call ya to find out. I'll take care of Packard. She's overstepped her bounds on this one. I don't care how much of a genius she's supposed to be. If she's pulled something like this, I tell ya, her days are numbered."
"I was really hoping you'd say that. I hate hating people, but that woman…" Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Anyway, would you mind coming down to meet Daniel? I sort of told him I'd get you to do that. And you can see him for yourself and form your own opinion. Would you?"
"Say no more!" Montrose said, slapping the desk and rising from his chair. "Let's go right now."
As they were leaving the office, Montrose turned to Teresa and said, "Oh, Terry, be a dear and see if ya can get me in to see Gerry and Mr. Brent, would ya? I got some politicking to do when I get back."
"Yes sir!" Teresa said, flashing another smile.
Meanwhile, the next twenty minutes saw Daniel continuing to rub the girl's ears gently, sometimes reaching down to stroke her cheek or hair. He'd started humming ballads to her at some point, just enjoying being there with her, marveling at the hand that had made such an amazing creature. Her purring never ceased.
A voice over an intercom interrupted his reverie. "Hey Dan, you okay in there?" It was Alex.
"Never better," he responded reflexively before realizing with a bit of a start just how true that was. This triggered a jumble of emotions. His wife, Sara, and their son, Steven, how would they feel about this? But they were gone… and she was just a young girl… Through all this, though, he continued rubbing her ears.
"There are a couple of people here who want to meet you."
He'd have to deal with his feelings later. "I can't leave her," he said, feeling the truth of that as well. He'd created an atmosphere of peace and safety for her, and he knew that it was crucial for her that it not be interrupted. She needed to heal. "Any way we can do this remotely?"
"Look over to your right," Alex said.
As he did so, he realized for the first time how big this laboratory was, as dim lights came on in the ceiling some twelve feet above to softly illuminate the full extent of the room. The table and equipment were clustered not far from the center of a room fully fifty by fifty feet square. The rest of room looked to be empty save for the walls, which were almost entirely lined with electronic consoles, displays, and instruments of all kinds, with chairs at each of the stations. There was a single standard door, closed at the moment, opposite the reinforced door through which he'd entered. And to his right, or the girl's left, an especially large display that extended from floor to ceiling on the wall was now active.
Alex was smiling and waving at him. "Daniel Carson, meet Director James Montrose and Dr. Sophia Lochman."
"Pleasure to meet ya, my boy," said Montrose, smiling broadly. "You and I have a lot to talk about, yessiree. But I hear ya, this is a critical time," he continued. "I'll get Alex to set up a private meeting later. Dontcha worry none, ya won't have to leave the lab."
Daniel found himself taking an immediate liking to the man. "Thank you, sir; I appreciate your understanding," he responded. "Can I ask about the turf war we've been seeing?"
"I'll handle that little bit of nastiness," Montrose replied, holding his hands up. "No one's gonna be taking this little girl away from ya."
"Means a lot to me to hear you say that, sir."
"Alrighty then, I'll letcha get back to it. Keep up the good work!" Montrose said cheerfully, then he turned and disappeared from the monitor, and the doctor took center screen.
Dr. Lochman was probably Daniel's age or so, not at all unattractive in a librarian sort of way, with brown horn-rimmed glasses, a fair complexion, and astute brown eyes, her dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, which didn't seem to jibe with her personality at all. Maybe she has a wild streak, Daniel reflected. Or maybe it's an agency style?
"Mr. Carson, what did you do to our guest?" the doctor asked, frowning, taking Daniel a bit off-guard.
"Um, well, I've been trying to help her feel safe, even if she is unconscious, if that makes any sense. She seems to be responding very well. Much more so than I was expecting, to be honest." He continued rubbing her ears gently.
"I'll say," the doctor admitted, still looking perplexed. "I've never seen such a quick turnaround in all my years. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it. I'm going to take her off the sedative; she should wake up in ten to twenty minutes. We've got all of this recorded, and I'll be going over it with a fine-tooth comb later, you can rest assured. In the meantime, is there anything else we can help you with?"
She was sedated? And we're being recorded? Okay… "Now that you mention it, there is. First, how long is she going to be needing all these tubes?"
"If she starts eating and drinking on her own when she wakes up, we can get those right off her."
"Okay, that would be great. Until then, I'm going to grab one of these chairs in here, since we could be here for a while yet. And on that note, can we get some food and drink for her for when she wakes? I have a feeling she's going to be very hungry and thirsty. Something with meat. And maybe a real bed, a sofa, or a futon, or even a big beanbag chair?"
"We sure can," Alex jumped in to answer. "I'll get right on that."
"Great, thanks. And one more thing. This poor girl is naked under this sheet. Could we maybe get her a nightgown or something?
The doctor again, "Well, she can't wear a nightgown until we get those tubes out, but we'll see what we can do. Oh, and one more question for you. Our mics are picking up a rumbling sound coming from her. Are you hearing it?"
"She's purring," he said, smiling down at her as he continued to stroke her ears.
"Oh, really? I didn't know they did that. And while under the sedative, even. You must really have the magic touch. Okay, then, we'll be back soon."
"Thank you, ladies." The monitor then went dark. "Hear that, Kitten? You'll be up and around in no time. Now, I really do need to get a chair. You hold on, okay, Sweetie? I'll be right back."
As he withdrew his hand, the girl made a soft mewling sound and moved her head slightly, seeming to be in distress. Seeing this, Daniel ran to get the chair and ran back. Even in the space of those few seconds, her mewling had grown louder, and tears were beginning to fall from her still-closed eyes.
Now seated where he'd been standing, Daniel quickly raised the chair to its highest position so he could stay above her, then he reached out to hold her head gently and resumed stroking her ears, face, and hair, this time with both hands. "Hey, hey, hey, Kitten, I'm here, I'm here. Don't cry. Shhhhhhhh," he said, kissing her forehead again and gently wiping away her tears.
At his touch, she quieted down right away and even turned her head slightly to nuzzle his hand, purring once again. He looked at her, marveling at her response to him. How is this possible? I wonder if she'll remember any of this when she wakes up. Indeed, he realized, that would be the moment of truth.
About ten minutes later, the back door opened, and a number of men wearing black worker's coveralls hastily entered the room carrying a small number of boxes, bags, and a few pieces of furniture. They deposited their items about the back of the room, then, as quickly as they had entered, they left, closing the door behind them.
Without moving from his position, Daniel squinted in the low illumination, trying to see what they had brought in. He could clearly make out a sofa, a large bed, a table with chairs, a wardrobe of some kind, something that looked like a flat-screen TV or monitor, and even a large beanbag chair, just as he had asked. He couldn't make out any details on the boxes, though an aroma that smelled like steak was wafting from one of the bags nearest him, making his stomach growl. He hadn't had lunch yet.
Just then, the big wall monitor came back on, and he saw Alex and the doctor, along with an extremely thin stern-looking middle-aged woman in a black business suit. The woman's demeanor exuded impatience and presumed authority. Her blonde hair was tied back in an austere bun, and her sharp, hawk-like features showed no compassion for the girl on the table – in fact, they showed little emotion at all.
Alex began, "Dan, this is…," but the blonde woman interrupted, speaking over-loudly, with a vaguely haughty and condescending nasal tone.
"I'm Doctor Susan Packard, Director of Research. I understand you've had some success in getting through to our guest. Good. When she wakes up, you will ask her about the others of her kind and how she came to be where she was found. You will find out what their long-term plans were and impress upon her that she is a guest here and must do as we say. She will submit to tests and experiments. She will...,"
That did it. Daniel was not a man of quick temper, but the very idea of this girl submitting to who knew what kinds of experiments at the behest of this female violated something within him at the deepest level. It triggered a protection instinct so strong that it surprised him. He rose to his feet and cut the woman off with extreme vehemence and passion, pointing his finger directly at her, using it to drive his words home.
"No, she will not. I couldn't care less who you think you are. You and your attitude nearly killed this girl, and now she's under my care and my protection. You will turn yourself around and go back to wherever it is you came from. If it were up to me, you would be immediately fired for gross negligence and incompetence. I plan to take this up with your boss. Now go, before I also decide to have you arrested for the attempted murder of a liminal! GO!" He wasn't actually shouting, but his tone was so forceful that all three women were taken aback.
Ms. Packard was beside herself, her seething rage quelled by the chilling realization – and fear – that he might actually be in a position to carry out his threats. Giving him an especially venomous look, she spun on her heel and disappeared off the monitor without another word.
Alex and Dr. Lochman exchanged expressions of utter astonishment, then Alex lost it and broke into fits of laughter, hooting, hollering, and guffawing so hard that tears were streaming from her eyes and she actually fell from her chair.
Daniel heard Alex's reaction but didn't see it, because at that moment he noticed the girl on the table looking up at him in wonder with large, almost-luminous violet-on-lavender eyes awash with emotion. His breath completely taken away, he heard her say very softly, "I need you," her eyes now pleading.
The girl's silken voice felt to him like paradise, washing coolly over the burning coals of a pain and loneliness he hadn't even realized were still there. His own emotions were a conflicted jumble, but he could feel that she needed him to respond, so he answered with the deepest truth he knew in that moment. "You've got me. I think I need you, too."
At that, the girl reached up to gently pull his head down to hers, then his lips to hers, giving him a long and tender kiss. Daniel nearly went into sensory overload – the softness and sweetness of her lips and breath, the softness of her hand-pads on his face, and the softness of the skin of her back as his arms automatically went around her and held her to him, feeling her pressed against him. He lost track of time as the kiss went on and on, his mind ironically interjecting the thought, so much for thinking of her as a daughter.
Eventually, they each pulled back, but only a little. The girl's eyes, which he realized were reminiscent of a cat's though with rounder pupils, violet highlighted with flecks of orange and gold, shone with happiness, which further melted Daniel's heart. He felt like he could stay with her like this forever. His hands slid up a little until they found where her wings met her back. Not leathery at all, unlike the accounts he'd read about, they were actually very much like velvet, and he began rubbing them without thinking, just as he had her ears.
"Mmmmm," the girl purred, resting her head on his shoulder, and they remained like that for a few minutes.
Then Daniel heard her stomach grumble, and he whispered into her ear, "Hungry?"
"Mmm-hmm," she giggled, pulling back to look into his eyes again, the expression on her face the purest form of joy he had ever seen.
It was then that Daniel noticed that the sheet had fallen to the girl's waist. The indigo fur collar around her neck came to a "V" just above her breasts, which were perky and as large as they could possibly be without being over-sized for her slender frame. Trying not to stare, he noted as well that her hands were more like paws, about the same size as his own hands, with black pads and three large fingers and a thumb, all tipped with retractable black claws and covered with soft, deep-blue fur that extended up to the middle of her upper arms, ending in a circle of even longer and softer indigo fur. Her long reddish-violet hair was thick and wavy and cascaded down to the small of her back. Her wings, which were folded behind her, were entirely black and also tipped with black claws; they arced gracefully from a height level with the top of her head down to below her hips on the table. And her tail, which had emerged from just below the small of her back to wrap gently around his lower leg as he quietly drank in her beauty, was segmented, about three inches wide, and some five feet long; it was as black and velvety as her wings. The bulb at the end was about half-again as wide as the segments and twice as long, slightly tapered at the tip. Daniel couldn't see any spines, but the lighting was not the best, nor was he in the best position to do so.
The girl blushed a little under his gaze and smiled demurely as her tail tightened a bit on his leg.
Only a few seconds had passed, but Daniel realized he was staring despite trying not to. He decided to say what was on his heart. "I'm sorry, he said softly, "It's just that I've never seen anyone – or even anything – so beautiful in all my life."
That earned him another kiss, even deeper and longer than the first. At this point, he was absolutely certain that there was no way he was going to be able to avoid falling in love with her. But since he could feel that she wanted it at least as much as he did, he decided to just go with it and concentrate on her needs and happiness and take it moment by moment. And it didn't hurt at all that she was making him just as happy as he seemed to be making her. After having been alone for so long, this felt like a new world to him, an entirely new life.
There was still the legal prohibition against getting too close physically, though, and he resolved to try to head off the inevitable with her as gently as he could, hopefully sooner rather than later. He'd wait for the right moment to present itself; he hoped she would understand and be okay with it, at least for the time being.
As they finally pulled away, he kissed her cute little nose and her forehead. "Now," he said, "before you can eat, we need to get these tubes off you."
She smiled at him and nodded, not moving to cover herself up.
Turning to the monitor, he saw both women still there; the doctor was studying some instrument readouts, and Alex was using her smartphone, still chuckling to herself. "Ladies, sorry about the delay. I got… distracted."
Alex responded first, "No, really? I can't imagine why," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "Just wanted to let you know we got you everything you asked for – and a few extra things. There's a bathroom through that door in the back, and we put some things in there you'll both need. Oh, and Abigail's really happy to hear about your progress. I think she almost cried."
"Thanks, Alex, I really appreciate it. Dr. Lochman, can we get these tubes off her now? Is this something I can do myself, or does someone need to come in here?"
"You can do it if you're careful. Just wash your hands with the sterilizing soap in a sink in the back room, then come back and put on some sterile gloves from the medical supplies under the table. Take a bit of gauze from the same supplies and hold it over where the needles are inserted as you slide the needle straight out. Don't press down with the gauze until the needle is out, and keep it in place until the bleeding slows, then use one of those small round bandages you'll find with the gauze. I recommend repeating this with a fresh piece of gauze for each of the needles, just to be safe. When you're finished, I'll shut down the machines from here.
"Thank you, doctor." Turning to the girl, he said, "Okay, Kitten, I have to go wash my hands. I'll be back in about a minute. You going to be okay?"
He saw the girl's eyes light up with happiness when he called her 'Kitten', which made him happy as well; he hadn't been sure how she'd react to the name, since this was the first time he'd used it since she'd regained consciousness. However, she was clearly not happy about being separated from him, even for a minute. She now looked down sadly, and her ears drooped as well. He had to do something.
Inspiration struck at that moment. He touched her cheek and asked, "Kitten, do you have a name?"
She nodded and said, "Kitten," smiling up innocently at him, her big eyes shining and her ears perking up.
Daniel laughed softly and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, making her smile even more broadly. "That's my special name for you. I don't want anyone calling you that but me. But did you not have a name before we met?"
She nodded, still smiling. Then her smile faded, and Daniel saw pain in her eyes. She looked down, her ears drooping again and her brow furrowed. "I… don't remember." She looked back up at him, tears in her eyes, and he could feel a flood coming.
Daniel drew her close and held her, and she rested her head on his shoulder, a quiet sob escaping her lips. He kissed her neck through her hair just above her collar and held her tightly as she began to cry in earnest. She clung to him tightly, her chest heaving with sobs, her tail firmly entwined about his leg. He could feel that she was beginning to let flow the ocean of tears she'd had to hold back for so long. This was the beginning of healing for her. He just continued kissing her and holding her, rubbing her back and wings softly, until at length she began to quiet down.
He couldn't even imagine what kind of suffering would make her forget her own name. But he'd come prepared. When he felt that the tears had slowed to a trickle and she was breathing more normally, he kissed her neck once again and whispered into her ear, "I'm going to give you a new name."
Her voice shaky, she whispered into his ear, "Y-yes, please."
He said, very softly, "How do you like the name 'Camila'? It's Spanish, and it means 'virgin of unblemished character'. I chose it for you on my way here just in case, because they'd told me a little of what you've been through. But that is all in the past. Now you are with me, and to me you are pure and perfect. Every time you hear me call your name, I want you to remember that this is how I feel about you, so you also can begin to feel this way about yourself."
She drew back a little to look into his eyes, her own eyes filled with tears. But this time he could feel that they were tears of happiness. "Can you read my mind?" she asked softly.
He smiled at that. "No, Kitten. But I can hear your heart."
She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, sobbing once again, but this time with tears of joy. He held her equally tightly, rubbing her back, caressing her wings.
When she had quieted down again, she pulled back to look into his eyes again. "I love it. I love you!" She threw herself back into his arms, clinging to him, kissing whatever was near her lips over and over again.
He whispered into her ear, "I love you, too, Cami," knowing in his heart that he meant it completely. His mind was in turmoil, and he had no idea what the future would bring, but he knew in his heart that this girl had now become the center of his life, and he would face the future with her. He was unexpectedly, improbably in love again, for the first time in a very long time.
She purred with happiness and kissed him all the more.