Model Beast
By Thomas Mc

Chapter 11 : The Parents

May 2036

Emily was going to be in New York for almost a month and her parents had flown up to visit her for a week – a week that could be critical to her future with Devin. She just hoped that they would be able to handle everything she was about to expose them to. She shook her head; throw at them would be more accurate. She waved to her parents as they came off the plane into the arrival lounge. She called out to them. "Mom, Dad." They came over to her and there was a round of hugs. Then she led them to the luggage area.

As they exited the terminal Emily led them past a line of taxi's and stopped at the last one in the line. The driver, a young pretty female with fiery strawberry blond hair, jumped out and helped them load their luggage into the trunk. Then they piled into the cab. By now it was close to sundown and the sky was rapidly growing dark. "Where to, Emily?" The driver asked.

"Take us to the park, Cherry, you know where." Emily told her.

"Sure thing. You want me to drop the luggage off at your apartment after I drop you off?" Cherry asked.

"That would be great." Emily noticed her parents, watching her conversation with interest. "Mom, Dad, this is Cherry, aaaahhh . . ." She glanced at the ID card by the meter. "Kelly?" She chuckled. "I never heard your last name used before."

Cherry also laughed. "Comes with the territory. You know how it is where I was raised."

"Cherry, these are my parents, Barbara and Jim Hansen." Emily continued.

"Nice to meet you." Cherry responded.

"Same here." Jim replied.

For a while Emily and her parents exchanged family gossip. Then as they entered Central Park, Emily suddenly changed the subject. "Mom, Dad. You remember the last time I was home, we talked about what happened to me in the park and I told you that it was the Creature of Central Park that found me?"

Both of her parents glanced nervously at Cherry, who had started to chuckle, then they looked back at their daughter. Her father reluctantly responded. "We remember." He glanced again at the driver and could see a sparkle of amusement in her eyes reflected in the rear view mirror.

"Here we are folks." Cherry announced as she pulled over.

Emily opened the door. "I know that you still doubt what I've told you about that day and I don't really blame you." As they got out of the cab, Jim noticed that the cab's meter had not been turned on. "I have learned a few interesting things since then." She closed the door.

Cherry lowered her driver's side window. "I'll drop the luggage off at your apartment."

"Thanks Cherry." She waved as the cab pulled away then turned to face her parents who were looking at her curiously wondering where this was going. "First off, Vincent, the one that found me when I was four, is Devin's grandfather, and they really do look like they are half lion."

Emily led them away from the road towards what looked like a heavily wooded area. She could feel Devin's approach. Her parents both realized that it was getting dark and they appeared to be in a rather isolated section of the park. Then her father noticed a large hooded figure that stepped out from the shadows at the edge of the woods. Emily was apparently leading them straight toward that tall dark figure.

Emily continued speaking. "I brought you here to meet Devin." She paused and looked into her father's eyes. "All I ask is that you keep an open mind and remember that despite his appearance, Devin is really a very kind and gentle person."

As they approached, the figure pulled back his hood and his leonine features could clearly be seen in the last rosy light of the setting sun. Emily's mother gasped and her father mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. They had both stopped in their tracks as they stared at the impossible apparition before them. Barbara reached out for the reassurance of her husband's hand. He felt his wife's hand steal into his and closed his fingers over hers. The creature their daughter had called Devin was standing about twenty-five feet away, big as life and undeniably real. Up until this moment Jim had accepted his daughter's word but had assumed that there was some sort of misunderstanding or hyperbole involved in the half-lion description. This was not a delusion, exaggeration or misinterpreted sight. This lion-man creature was real.

Emily moved over to the creature and took his 'clawed!' hand then started drawing it towards them. Jim felt his wife's hand tighten around his. He squeezed her hand in response. That creature was huge. Jim had become used to his six foot daughter being taller than everyone else yet that creature was at least a half foot taller than her and so powerfully built that he made even Emily look small by comparison. Emily stopped ten feet from her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Devin."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." The voice of the creature was a revelation. It echoed a strength and power to match his appearance but there was an equal element of gentle compassion to it. The voice seemed to command respect. Barbara felt a chill sweep up her spine as his voice seemed to touch something deep inside her. Not since her husband had another male voice produced such a profound effect on her.

Emily watched the emotions play across her parent's faces. She was also getting an echo of what Devin was sensing in them and passing on through their bond. She smiled and remarked, "You've got to admit, he is pretty impressive."

Finally Jim recovered and moved closer drawing a slightly reluctant Barbara with him. As they stood about five feet apart he continued to gaze at Devin. "Amazing." He remarked shaking his head. "I never would have believed it."

Devin suddenly became tense and Emily looked at him, sensing his sudden alertness. "What is it?"

"There are other's coming this way and I do not think they are the type you would want to meet." Devin replied as he pulled his hood up to cover his face. "I think it is time for us to relocate."

Following Devin's lead they all moved deeper into the wooded area until they were all hidden in the shadows. About a minute later three very disreputable teenagers came into view, laughing and spouting some very rough language. The three toughs were nearly past their location when there was a momentary lull in their crude dialog. Barbara shifted her weight and the sound of a snapping twig was clearly heard. All three of the toughs stopped and looked in their direction.

"Stay back in the shadows." Devin remarked quietly. Then he stepped out of the shadow. The three toughs took a few threatening steps forward, then Devin emitted a menacing growl. The toughs hesitated looking at each other. Two of them pulled knives and they took another step forward. Devin took three quick steps toward them and, with his claws clearly displayed, cut loose with a roar that made Barbara nearly jump out of her skin. All three toughs squawked in fear and bolted.

Emily started laughing as the three toughs ran out of sight. "That was priceless." She commented. "That will certainly help perpetuate the Creature of Central Park legend." Jim noticed that Devin was also laughing as he came back towards them.

When Devin was again standing beside Emily he remarked. "Emily, it's getting late and your parents have a lot of new concepts to process." He glanced out at the park for a moment. "Maybe I should escort you and your parents to your home."

Emily glanced at her parent's and nodded. "You're probably right. Let's get going."

They all started off towards her apartment with Devin in the lead. It took a little over fifteen minutes to walk to the edge of the park across the street from her apartment building. Devin stopped at the edge of the woods just inside the park and faced them. "This is as far as I can take you." He glanced at the several odd people that could be seen lounging outside her building

Emily gave him a quick hug then led her parents across a still busy Central Park West and bulled her way through the insistent paparazzi, getting them safely into her building. "One of the drawbacks of my profession, sorry." She apologized once inside the building, nodding at the noisy group outside. In her apartment, her parents found their luggage neatly arranged along the wall in the second bedroom.

Her father looked at his daughter curiously. "They let that cab driver into your apartment?"

Emily smiled. "She has been over here a couple of times. The front desk guard knows that she is allowed up here and she has a key to this apartment just incase of emergency." Emily responded. "Devin introduced me to her."

"So there are others that know about them?" Jim inquired.

"Oh yes, there are several people that know about Devin and his family. They all help keep them safe and hidden."

"How many are there like Devin?" He asked curiously.

She thought a moment before she responded. "Lets see." She raised her fingers as she started counting them off. "Vincent, Jacob, Charles, Devin, Michael, Peter, William, Joseph . . . There are eight of them. There have only been three generations of them so far. They tell me that Vincent was the first of their kind."

It was getting pretty late and her parents were both tired so they got changed and went to bed. Jim and Barbara lay sleepless for a long time quietly talking about what they had seen and heard. Finally they drifted off to sleep.

~ o ~

Jim woke up the next morning with his mind still swirling with questions and speculation about the creature they had met last night. He thought about the very frightening aspects of what he had seen and heard when those three thugs that had run off in fear. He did not think he would have been able to hold his ground if faced, unexpectedly, with that roar combined with those claws on that massive creature. Thinking about it still made him shiver. He tried to reconcile that with the intelligent, cultured speech he had heard come from that frightful being. Then he thought about the fact that there were apparently seven other creatures like it, Emily had said that it was the grandfather of that creature they met last night, that had found her and brought her back to him twenty years ago. There was no way he could ever adequately thank that other creature for the safe return of his daughter back then.

Barbara stretched and yawned then opened her eyes to look at her husband. "Did we really meet The Creature of Central Park last night?"

"So it seems." He replied. "At least one of them."

They heard the sound of their daughter talking in the other room as they got out of bed. Twenty minutes later they were in the living room.

"Good morning." She greeted them.

"Good morning to you, Dear." Barbara responded.

"We heard you talking to someone a little while ago." Jim commented.

"That was District Attorney Elizabeth Maxwell. We have been invited over to her place for lunch." Emily replied. "You will get to meet some more of Devin's family there."

"The District Attorney knows about them?" Her father asked incredulously.

Emily laughed. "You could say that." She chuckled again. "Her place is just about a mile up the road. If you don't mind the walk, we can avoid the hassle of getting a taxi. Hopefully the paparazzi won't be out this early."

~ o ~

Emily led her parents up the steps of the elegant brownstone where they were met at the door by Elizabeth. In the parlor Barbara saw a white haired woman that she recognized from the articles in her society magazines as Catherine Chandler. She was now officially very impressed. Catherine had dropped out of sight a few years back after retiring from public life.

Then two lion-men came out from an open doorway behind the great spiral staircase. Jim and Barbara gazed at them both in stunned amazement. They were both incredibly impressive, especially in the well lighted parlor. One of them had fur as white as Catherine's hair. The other one's fur was wheat gold and they both had startlingly deep blue eyes. The white furred lion-man sat down next to Catherine who apparently welcomed his close presence.

Elizabeth began the introductions. "Mr. and Mrs. Hansen, May I introduce Vincent and Catherine Chandler-Wells."

There was a moment's pause, then both of Emily's parents' eyes went wide with surprise. Finally Jim blurted out. "Chandler-Wells?"

Vincent nodded once as Catherine spoke up. "Vincent and I have been married for forty-six years."

Emily spoke up at this point. "Daddy, Vincent is the one I told you about that found me in that storm drain and brought me back to where they found me."

Jim remembered his daughter mentioning Vincent's name to him before as he gazed at the creature/person that he realized he owed so much for the return of his only child all those years ago. "I, a, I can't tell you how much we both appreciate what you did for us and Emily that night."

Vincent nodded politely to Jim. "Think nothing of it. I'm just glad that I happened to be in the right place when she needed help." Jim and Barbara noticed that Vincent's voice had the same unique qualities that they had both noticed in Devin's voice.

Elizabeth indicated the other lion-man that had come to stand beside her as she continued. "This is my husband Charles Chandler-Wells. Charles is Vincent and Catherine's younger son. We've been married twenty-one years and we have four children." Elizabeth's face practically radiated pride as she put her arm around his waist.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Charles responded, his arm going around Elizabeth's waist.

There was the sound of a door opening and closing, and a few seconds later another lion-man entered with his arm around the waist of a pretty redheaded woman. She was smiling and, like the other two women, apparently welcomed the close contact with her leonine companion. "Sorry we're late." The redheaded woman remarked.

"This is Jacob Chandler-Wells, our oldest son, and his wife Linda." Catherine told them. "Devin is their oldest son."

A pretty blond teenaged woman came down the stairs at this point. "Mother have you seen my US Government book?"

"It's on the kitchen table where you left it Dear." Elizabeth responded with a hint of amusement then returned her attention to Emily's parents. "This is our daughter Clarissa. Clarissa, this is Emily's parents, Jim and Barbara."

"Nice to meet you." She nodded to them on her way through the doorway behind the spiral stairs.

"Same here." Jim responded more or less to her back.

They all sat down and in the parlor as Clarissa headed back upstairs with her book. Vincent told Jim and Barbara a little bit about his history, then Catherine told them how she and Vincent met. Barbara knew what the society columns and celebrity magazines had printed about Catherine and was fascinated by the other side of the story. Barbara had finally begun to feel at ease among these strange and fantastic creatures. She had also noticed how easy it was to become used to the appearance of the Chandler-Wells males. With that unique voice they all shared and the rather magnificent quality to their leonine faces, Barbara thought she could understand how these beautiful women could fall for them.

Devin came from somewhere in the back and joined them in the parlor just as Jacob was telling about how he and Linda met in the destruction of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Then Elizabeth told about how she and Charles practically grew up together. Emily told her parents about their empathic ability and this in turn led to a discussion of the bond that each of the couples shared. Jim found the revelation of their empathic sense and the bond fascinating and just a bit disquieting. Barbara found the bond to be particularly intriguing and wanted to know more. She thought there was something so romantic about the whole idea.

During a lull in the conversation Jim finally had to speak his mind. "This is all remarkable and I have found it fascinating, learning about your history, but I have to ask, why we are being let in on all this? Surly this huge secret of your existence is not something you tell others on a whim." He stared pointedly at Emily, seated next to Devin.

Emily glanced quickly at Devin then responded. "Daddy, Mom, the reason you are being introduced to Devin's family is because, in the near future, I will become part of this family." She glanced again at Devin then. "Devin and I are engaged."

Barbara's jaw dropped as she stared at her daughter. Jim nodded. Over the last hour he had been noticing his daughter and Devin as they sat together, and had begun to suspect something like this. The way that they looked at each other had not gone unnoticed by him. Though still just a bit unsure about the whole thing he suspected that the decision was out of his and Barbara's hands. "I suppose that means congratulations are in order." He squeezed Barbara's hand as it again crept into his. "And, ah, what about this bond we have been discussing?"

Emily took Devin's hand, smiled at him then looked back at her parents. "Devin and I have been linked, bonded, whatever you call it, since last summer." A smile lit up her face. "You can not begin to imagine how wonderful it is to feel his presence each day, no matter how far away I am from New York. I can be on the other side of the planet and still feel him and his love as strongly as I can feel it right now." By now her eyes were gleaming brightly enough to light up the whole room which her father did not fail to notice.

Her father cocked his head as he took in his daughter's obvious happiness. "And physically?" he asked uncertainly.

Emily glanced again at Devin, a slight flush appearing on her face. "Not yet." She swept her hand around the room indicating the rest of Devin's family. "But we have ample proof that there will be no problems in that department." I have been told that any daughters we have will be totally," She glanced at Devin and shrugged. "normal? . . . and any sons we have will be like Devin." She again smiled at Devin leaning into him. "Personally, I'm kinda leaning towards wanting boys."

Vincent spoke up at this point. "Devin will be the first of our grandsons to be married. A kind of milestone in our family." He glanced over at the young couple. "It will be a very unusual relationship, even for one of us. They both say that they have no plans to alter their very disparate lifestyles." He shook his head. "I'm not sure how well such a relationship will function, but we all like Emily and we hope they can make it work."

Barbara finally shook off her initial shock as she gazed at her daughter. "Honey, I hope you know what you're doing and if this is what you want I hope you are very happy." She leaned against her husband. "I think I am beginning to understand what you see in Devin."

Emily added. "With the bond we share, we will always be together no matter where we might be physically." Her manner made it plain that she was particularly pleased with this aspect.

Jim and Barbara were awake very late again that night discussing their daughter's plans and how they felt about them.

~ x x x x x ~

The next day at Emily's apartment, Barbara glanced down at the sketch her daughter was working on. "That is such a lovely drawing, Emily. Is it something special?"

Emily looked up. "It's just some ideas that I've been working on. It's sort of a concept drawing for a wedding in the park." The drawing was a rose covered arbor with trees and a castle in the background and a petal strewn path leading up to it.

"Are you talking about 'your' wedding, honey?" Barbara knew something of her daughter's childhood wedding fantasies.

"It's just a kind of daydream, but, you know, I've always been a bit of a dreamer." Emily looked back down at her drawing with a sigh. "I've always dreamed of a fairy tale wedding in front of a castle."

"I know, honey. Ever since you were a little girl, you've been turning your dreams into drawings . . . and I've seen them many times." Barbara sat down beside her daughter. "Have you done any drawings of Devin?"

Emily flipped back two pages to a drawing of Devin and herself from the waist up, holding hands, and facing each other. Arching over them was a rather nebulous representation of the arbor that she had just been sketching. Then she flipped back a few more pages to a sketch of eight leonine faces arranged on the page. In the center was Vincent surrounded by seven others.

"OK, I recognize Devin, Vincent, Jacob and Charles." Barbara pointed to the ones she named. "Who are the rest?"

Emily pointed to the others. "That's Peter, William, and Joseph. They're Charles and Elizabeth's sons. That taxi driver, Cherry, is currently a bit sweet on Peter. This one is Devin's brother Michael." She smiled at her mother. "That's the lot of them for now, but I hope to some day add my own little contribution to that group. I will be the first outsider to join Vincent's family and the first wedding in the third generation." She grinned. "Who knows? Possibly my first son will be the first member of the fourth generation." She shrugged.

Continued in Part 12

'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.