It was Monday, November 3, 1902. Adam, Chris, Kenny and Dean sat at more private and secluded table at the Savoy Grill, the best restaurant in London. People had been dining there since it opened in 1889. Both Adam and Chris loved the grand but simple décor.

All four men had ordered the expensive Porterhouse steak, baked potato, steamed broccoli and Yorkshire Pudding, all covered in au jus. Adam had to admit, even his mother couldn't match the Savoy steak.

"Thank you for joining us. We just… well we wanted to talk to you about Regal… if you can." Dean looked at Chris. A lot had happened since Bret had asked Kenny and himself to work for him.

Chris smiled. "Look, don't tell anyone, not even Roman. I have told Adam about Regal. So yes, we can talk. I felt because Regal was doing the paperwork for Melanie's adoption, Adam had a right to know. Kenny, your father must not know that Adam knows."

Kenny smiled. "You have my word. We don't tell him everything anyway. I don't mean about Regal… I mean personal things. Look, if I were you, I would have someone else do Melanie's adoption paperwork. We found out something very disturbing. But first, we'd better start at the beginning. Dean, you should go first." Kenny laid a hand on Dean's thigh under the table.

"It started with you actually" Dean looked directly at Chris, then continued. "You were the one that first realized it was the name Regal had been heard before. Thank goodness you did. Even father missed it. Father said sometimes the most obvious becomes the most oblivious. Any way, Uncle Bret put Randy Orton on to investigate our Sir William Regal." Dean paused to take a sip of his water.

"What I want to know is, what was said after Uncle Bret asked the two you to work for him. Remember, that was when I had to leave. Doctor McIntyre had arrived to see Adam, then it was supper time. All the conversation went to Adam who was finally free to join the family. I got caught up in orphanage business. So, now tell me or rather us, everything." Chris looked at Dean, then leaned over and kissed his husband on the cheek.

"Not much more happened that evening. Randal told us all they know is the two Regals were related. It is obvious they can't be brothers, not with the exact same name. I am thinking cousins, maybe named after the family patriarch. Anyway, Dean and I agreed to help father, and Uncle Vince as much as possible." Kenny ended with a bite of food and a shrug.

Adam spoke. "That is clever, Kenny. A lot of men are named after the patriarch. Mark told me about a family that named ever male Arthur, even brothers. So the two Regals could be brothers. Did you find out anything?" Adam, was very curious. This might explain something in a recent letter he'd translated for Vince. Of course, he kept that thought to himself.

"We have, but it is very difficult. About a month ago, Regal hired a couple from Canada. He wanted them trained and educated before Dean and I lave at the end of March. Dean and I… you'd better tell them love." Kenny looked at Dean. His face shone with complete love and adoration for his future husband.

Dean chewed his bite of steak then spoke. "We don't trust them at all. They are the son and son-in-law of a Lord Richard Owens. Lord Owens was one of our biggest clients in landholdings around the world. Recently he sold everything off, and bought a cattle ranch in Canada. Somewhere out west, near a place called Calgary. Anyway, his son, Kevin wanted to return to London, to continue his law education at Oxford. He needed a place of employment. Regal hired Kevin and his husband Sammy as a favor…" Dean paused to eat more. He was not about to waste a meal at the Savoy.

Chris was now even more curious. "Why don't you trust them? Is it just a feeling or did you see something?" He took a sip of red wine. They hardly ever drank, but both he and Adam enjoyed a good wine on occasion.

Kenny and Dean exchanged a look. Kenny gave a slight nod as he spoke. "Tell them, Dean. They need to know."

Dean sighed. "With what we found, we are quite sure that our Sir Regal is part of Lord Banks' group. You know Doctor McIntyre and Evan adopted Eugenia. Well, after the adoption was finalized, I walked past Kevin's desk. I saw him writing something on the bottom of the adoption agreement. I couldn't see what he wrote, but when he saw me looking, he very quickly put the agreement back in the McIntyre's file…" Dean paused. He squirmed in his chair, Kenny laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Tell them, Dean." Kenny spoke softly.

"Dean, tell us. If Eugenia is in danger, her parents need to be warned. Prudence also needs to be told." Adam had raised his voice, but remembered just in time where he was, and didn't actually shout.

Chris put his hand firmly on Adam's arm. "Calm down, love. They will tell us. Let's not put the cart before the horse. You know nothing will happen to Melanie and Eugenia." He gave a nod to Dean, to continue.

Dean leaned in to speak in a low voice. "It took time for me to get a look. Every time I went into the vault, to try to look at the McIntyre file, either Sammy or Kevin followed me. That was when Kenny made a plan. Sammy was taking dictation from Regal, and Kevin worked on some case. I got up and headed for the vault. Kevin started to get up to follow me, but Kenny stopped him and managed to divert his attention. I pulled the McIntyre file, along with a few others from clients who had adopted. Chris, Eugenia was the only one I found that came from Lady Mayfield's…" Dean paused to wet his throat with a sip of wine.

Adam had stopped eating. He had only consumed three bites of his steak, two bites of potato and no broccoli. He was too intrigued to eat, what was Dean possibly going to say? Was Melanie in danger?

They all paused as the waiter came to the table. "Would you like to take that home, your Lordship?" He indicated to Adam's hardly touched plate.

"Yes, please. It was very good… just not that hungry." Adam replied with a bit of a sheepish look.

Chris frowned. He'd just noticed Adam hadn't eaten. "Love? Are you alright?" He worried something was wrong. After all his husband was in a delicate condition.

"I am fine, love. I just wasn't hungry and I got caught up in the conversation." Adam again looked a bit sheepish.

Chris smiled. "No matter. Will have our cheese and port now." He nodded to the waiter. They would have several types of cheese, fresh fruit and water crackers with port wine. It would cleanse their pallets for dessert.

"Could I have some peppermint tea?" Adam politely asked.

"Of course, your Lordship. I shall be right back." The waiter gave a slight bow, then hurried off.

Kenny spoke. "Adam, are you truly alright? We can leave if you want. No harm must come to you and… well… the little one." He flushed slightly. Such things were not usually spoken about outside the home.

Adam shook his head. "No. I feel fine, I promise. But, thank you Kenny. I just wasn't that hungry… too worried. Please, Dean. Tell us what you found out. I am worried for Melanie."

Chris took a more firm grip on his husband. "Adam, calm down. Melanie is fine. Now, we will wait, then Dean and Kenny will tell us more. Please, love, remember what Doctor Drew said, be calm." His eyes burned with concern for his husband. Adam needed to stay calm for the baby.

Adam took a deep breath. Before he could speak, the waiter returned with the cheese, port and Adam's tea. There were ten different cheeses from Stilton, to French Camembert. Red, green and purple grapes were attractively arranged among the cheeses and water crackers. It looked too beautiful to eat, but it didn't stop Dean from digging in. The others followed, even Adam.

"I love cheddar, the sharper the better." Adam stated as he ate some very aged cheddar on a cracker.

Chris chuckled. He didn't say anything but he was glad Adam ate. Now he wanted to hear more for Dean. "Dean, finish telling us what you found, please."

Dean swallowed his sip of expensive port, then continued. "I pulled out the adoption agreement. At the bottom in a small, fine handwriting, something that had been added after the final signatures. At least I hope so, I doubt Drew and Evan would have signed it if they had read it. The sentence said, if Drew and Evan die before Eugenia reaches the age of twenty-one years of age… she will be sent to Austria, to be under the guidance of… Lord David Banks."

Kenny quickly spoke up. "We found the same thing on other adoption cases. Dean and I also came to a horrible thought. We didn't think to much of it. When a man and his wife were killed in a carriage accident, they were clients of Regal's. They had adopted a boy, three years ago. Dean found out he was taken to Austria, before his parents were even buried. What if… oh it is just to horrible to imagine…" Kenny was halted by Chris.

"If… Dean, he has to be stopped. Prudence must be told. So do Drew and Evan." Chris spoke, there was anger in his tone.

"Father knows, Chris. He has men working on it. But, we can't tip off Regal, Kevin or Sammy. Father said you could tell Lady Mayfield, but he will also be in contact with her. Father thinks some of the staff of the London Orphanage could be involved with Banks. He also needs to know if Regal is the only legal office involved. Chris, it was you that brought the awareness of the name Regal. Father said without that kick in the pants from you, no telling how long it would have taken. The hard part is doing all this and not let Regal and the Owen's from finding out. Kevin is a sly one and Sammy tries to turn everything into a joke." Kenny ended with a sigh. The whole thing made him angry, and that made it hard to keep his feelings internal, especially at work. Thank God he had Dean to keep him calm….when he wasn't busy keeping Dean calm.

Adam was the next to speak. "Kenny, you and Dean will handle our legal work from now on. Regal is to have nothing to do with anything of ours. Dean, you and Kenny will be Melanie's Godfathers. Roman and Seth will have their turn in May. I want you two to promise me, no more children will be taken to Austria, to Lord Banks. I hope Uncle Bret and Father can bring the ones home that were already taken." Adam spoke in a stern tone not even Chris had heard before.

Kenny smiled softly. "We will be proud and honored to be Melanie's Godfathers. You need never worry, if the time would come, she would be loved and cared for as ours. No harm would ever come to her. Don't worry, Adam, it will happen, getting those children back, I mean. Just remember, it grinds slowly. It could do harm to them if news got out that father and his bureau are on to them. We all have to remember to stay calm and carry on." Kenny too spoke firmly.

The talk at the table paused again. The waiter had returned with a silver cart. It held an elegant three layer cake, with piping that looked like fine lace. There was also a steaming hot pot of coffee.

The waiter cut and served the cake on small, gold edged plates. He added a spoonful of strawberry sauce, with large slices of fresh strawberries. After everyone had a slice of cake, he poured four cups of coffee and served them. The waiter left the cart as they had purchased the entire cake. Adam wanted to make sure the other got a bit of a treat, both upstairs and down. Chris completely agreed.

Dean was the first to resume the conversation. "What Kenny said is true. We will love Melanie as our own, if the need arises. Otherwise, we reserve the right to spoil her rotten. We will do what we can, but we are not solicitors… yet. Go to Michael Cole's firm. They are on our side. Kenny and I are going there after we are married. But that is not to be spread. Regal thinks we are leaving our studies after we marry. We do not want him to know we are going to Cole's. We would go there now, but Uncle Bret wants us to stay, at least for a while. I agreed, unless I feel Kenny's life is in danger." He finished with a sip of coffee.

"You two are very brave. I wouldn't be able to keep my emotions out of it. Mark always says I wear my heart and emotions on my sleeve." Adam looked at Dean and Kenny with great admiration.

Chris rubbed his chin. " Will come in tomorrow and close out our business with Regal. I will explain that all the orphanage legal work is done with Cole's firm. Since I have so much tied up with the orphanage, it would make sense. Is father going to move his legal business?" Chris looked at Dean. He was truly worried. Regal could do a lot of harm if he chose to do so. The two families had to be careful.

Dean looked at his step-brother. "That is a very good idea. Also, there is no reason for it to be questioned. "I'll be there tomorrow. Hopefully we can get it done without Kevin or Sammy nosing in. Father and Uncle Bret are keeping Regal, for now. However, Kenny and I will do every thing we can to keep the Owen's out of the files. I have always kept the family files in my office safe. I changed the combination three weeks ago. Kenny is the only one aside from me that knows it, as I know his….well, except for Calaway. His loyalty is beyond question. Besides, someone has to know… just in case." He took his last bite of food.

"We were going to the orphanage tomorrow. Professor Priest gave Shane permission because he improved his science so much." Adam gave Chris an anxious look, as they waited for the cake to be boxed.

Chris smiled at his husband. "Don't fret. We will ride to Pru's. I will tell her, then head back to London. You can Shane can ride home later. I might even have time to return to the orphanage."

The waiter returned. "Your boxes are in your carriage, me Lords." He laid the bill for their dinner on the table. Dean snatched it up first.

"Our turn. You paid the last two times we went out." Dean pulled several paper notes out of his pocketbook. He refused the two pounds change. The waiter happily thanked him.

Chris, Adam and Shane waved to the washer girls as they sat on the porch and mended a torn sheet. The girls smiled and waved in return. They were happy that Master Shane was safe.

"Don't worry if I am not back here in time to ride home with you. I don't want to rush things too much with Dean or it will look suspicious. He is even going to argue with me a little, to throw off anyone who might try to overhear. Shane, Adam should be with me when I talk to Pru. Tell the children he will tell them a longer story later." Chris gave Adam a wink, as they pulled up their horses. They had arrived at the orphanage.

"You had better see Melanie first. We will be fine if you aren't back in time. We will be perfectly safe." Adam let his eyes wander to his coat pocket.

Chris had bought Adam a small, Webley revolver. Randal Orton had take the time to teach him how to use it. Chris had been extremely proud when Randy said Adam was a natural. Randy said, put a gun in Adam's hand and anyone with him would be safe. Chris too, was a better than average shot. Chris felt quite confident Adam would get Shane home safely.

Chris smiled. "Yes, you will, and yes, I will see Melanie first." He then explained to the stable boy he would be leaving again soon. The boy nodded and assured Chris, Highflyer would be ready when called for.

"Welcome, your Lordships, Master Shane. Lady Prudence is upstairs in the play room." Morrison spoke as he helped the three out of their travel cloaks, hats and gloves. Sometimes it seemed as if the young man had eight hands, but Adam knew it was the skills of a Butler.

"Thank you, Morrison. Cody said to be sure to say hello. He also said he will bring Paige soon for a Sunday afternoon picnic." Adam relayed the message as Morrison led them upstairs.

Melanie was the first to see the McMahon trio enter the playroom. She ran and wrapped her little body around Chris and Adam's legs. Adam started to pick her up, but Chris was faster. Adam frowned.

"I can pick her up." Adam whispered under his breath. Melanie heard him. She leaned over and hugged Adam, he smiled and felt much better.

The rest of the children were hugged and kissed. Jimmy was firmly ensconced in Shane's arms. Adam had gone to the dolls corner with Mary, Victoria and of course, Melanie. A few other smaller girls joined in. Tommy was in school, but Adam would help him later during recess and after lunch.

Shane, Jimmy and three other little boys played with the blocks. Shane had taught the other boys how to communicate with Jimmy. Jimmy could hear them, then would "converse" in return with his hands. It was a slow learning process at first, but the boys were eager, and quick to learn. Jimmy was so happy, he finally had friends he could "talk" to. It made Shane very proud.

Prudence and Chris were in the morning room/office. Chris spoke. "…so, Uncle Bret will speak to Doctor McIntyre and warn them. I am going to move our legal matters to Cole. It makes sense with my ties here and Cole is the orphanage Solicitor. We just can't believe the extent Banks is going to. The children of England are in danger. The sooner we can stop them, the better." Chris ended with a sip of coffee. Pru thought the stronger liquid was needed...she'd been right.

Lady Prudence Marguerite Elizabeth Mayfield stood. Before Chris could blink, a coffee cup when flying past his head and smashed into the bookcase behind him. He ducked at the sound of the crash. He had seen Pru angry, but nothing to this degree.

Prudence paced the floor like a caged lion. She stopped, turned, hands on hips and looked at Chris, her eyes like blue fire. "Sorry, Christopher. Did I hit you?" She sat back down on the soft and made sure Chris hadn't been caught in her coffee cup throwing rage.

Chris let out a wry chuckle. "No, you missed me, but your copy of Crime and Punishment took a direct hit. A most apropos tome to hit." He got up and went to survey the damage. The book had deep indentations on the spine. Shattered coffee cup littered the floor. Chris started to bend over to pick up the pieces.

"No, Chris. You might cut yourself. Morrison is an expert at cleaning up my little….shall we say accidents." It was Pru's turn to give a dark chuckle.

Chris sat back down. He filled his empty cup and offered it to Prudence. "You need this, darling. I know how you feel, I was just as angry. So was Adam. Dean and Kenny assured me, it will be taken care of, but it will be a slow process. I just wish there was a way to check the

papers of all the adoptions not handled by Michael Cole. I also think you need to tell potential adoptive parents, they must go through Cole. At least that will protect your future adoptions."

Prudence took a much needed sip, then sighed. "I'd love to, but I can't, by law. I can recommend, but that is all. If I forced, it makes it look like Michael and I are in cahoots. Ask Dean, dear. He can explain it better. However, I can as the adoptive agent, inspect the final adoption papers. I never have, I had no reason to. I can do it now, but I will need your help." She spoke in a much calmer tone of voice.

"You can count on me. Tell you what, give me the adoption books. Adam is excellent at that type of work. Between the two of us, we can compile a list of Solicitors who did adoptions for the orphanage." Chris too spoke in a calmer tone. There was going to be some action taken and that satisfied him.

Prudence chuckled. "It is fifteen volumes, but they aren't too thick. It would be a very great help. Some of the older offices will be closed. But you only need to check adoptions of children would now be under twenty one. So don't worry, the early books should go quickly. The thing to look for are further adoptions. For example, if you adopted, then a few years later, adopted again. That second adoption could be recorded with the first. I do it by family. You will figure it out. You know my records are accurate, even if done in my own strange way."

Chris laughed. "If I can figure out your accounting, I am sure the adoptions will be a breeze. Don't worry, we will have the list soon. I am going to go now. Send the books with Adam and Shane. Not sure I will make it back in time to ride back with them. Uncle Bret will stop the madness." He kissed Prudence on the cheek and left to go back to London.

Chris rode Highflyer home. He didn't want to leave his beloved horse in London proper. There too many horse thieves and Regal didn't have a private stables. He quickly explained things to Jason as Riddle hailed a passing cab. Chris was soon on his way to Regal's office.

Chris stepped into the legal offices of Sir William Regal. A young man sat at desk and smiled. "Hello. My name is Sammy Owens, may I help you?" The man was friendly enough. He had auburn hair that matched his full beard and mustaches.

"I am Lord Christopher Jericho-McMahon, Dean's brother. I have come to see him to do some legal business." Chris spoke firmly in his more "Lordly" tone of voice.

For a split second, Sammy's face crinkled with concern. He quickly changed his expression. He looked at a small appointment book. "Sorry, your Lordship, I wasn't expecting you. You're not on Lord Dean's appointment list. He and Lord Hart are in a meeting with Sir Regal. Hopefully It won't be long. Perhaps my husband, Kevin could help you?" Sammy looked at Chris. He was nosy as to why Dean's brother was here with no word of an appointment.

Chris shook his head. "No, I will wait for Dean. I wasn't sure if I could come today, so I didn't have him make an appointment. Don't fret, I don't mind waiting." Chris gave a nod. He moved towards Dean's office to wait.

"Oh well, if you are sure, Milord. However, I am sure Kevin would glad to help you. I honestly do not know how long the meeting with Sir Regal will take, and I am sure you are busy man." Sammy hoped Chris would agree to meet with Kevin… he was nosy and Kevin would tell him everything.

Chris gave Sammy a look of annoyance. "No, thank you. I will wait for my brother. I would appreciate it if you could fetch me a cup of tea." He went to Dean's office without giving Sammy a further chance to interfere.

Sammy went to a room with a stove and a small round table. Sammy often made luncheon for himself, his husband and Regal. But for now, he waited for the kettle to boil for Chris' tea. He turned toward the door when he heard it close. Sammy relaxed and smiled, it was Kevin.

"Who is that in Lord Dean's office?" Kevin asked in a quiet voice, no need to alert everyone.

Sammy scoffed. "Lord Christopher, Lord Dean's brother. He said he has legal matters to discuss. I tried to get him to talk to you." Sammy prepared the tea while he spoke. He used the Earl Gray, he found the upper gentry loved the fragrant tea.

Kevin nodded when Sammy pointed to his tea cup. "Yes please, love. Maybe I will take Lord Christopher's to him. Strike up a little conversation. Some people might be interested in what Lord McMahon is up to." He gave Sammy a sly wink. He picked up both his and Chris' cups of tea. Kevin carried them to Dean's office.

Chris sat on the small leather sofa in his brother's office. He read one of the law books that Dean kept on the coffee table. Chris was not a stupid man, but some of the Latin words in the book challenged him. It made him admire Dean even more.

"Excuse me, you Lordship. I brought your tea. My name is Kevin Owens. It maybe a while before Lord Dean is out of the meeting. Perhaps I could help you. I am well versed in the law. I will be a full solicitor next year, your Lordship." Kevin spoke warmly and gave Chris a nod, along with his cup of tea.

Chris took the cup of tea with a smile. "Thank you, Mister Owens. I am sure you are a very smart man with law, but this is a more… shall we say delicate matter. But, thank you for the offer. You came from Canada? My poppa Patrick was from Canada. Montreal to be exact. That's where he and father met. Father was sent to Montreal to represent Queen Victoria. I would like to go there some day. Show my husband where my parents met." He took a sip of the tea, he did enjoy Earl Gray.

"Never been to Montreal, myself.- Winnipeg is in the mid-west. Canada is beautiful though. So much open land and fresh air. You will like it there. I know father loves it and won't ever live in London again. I hated to leave him, but both my husband and I wanted to finish Oxford. My sister stayed with father, so he isn't alone." Kevin ended with a shrug and a sip of tea. He remained standing, but hoped for an invitation to sit.

"As I said, I hope to take Adam there one day. Don't let me keep you, Mister Owens. I am sure you have more important things to do." Chris took a sip of his tea and focused on the book he held. He hoped Owens would take the hint and leave.

"No, not really, your Lordship. Not until after the meeting. By the way, I understand congratulations are in order for your Lordships. Children are a blessing. Sammy and I hope to start a family next year." Kevin smiled and spoke softly. He and Sammy did want a large family, but they needed to finish Oxford and get more firmly established.

Chris spoke, but didn't lift his eyes from the book he read. "Yes, thank you. I am sure you and your husband will be equally blessed." He took another sip of tea and kept reading.

There was a moment of awkward silence. A telephone rang. Sammy's voice could be heard. Sammy them came up behind Kevin and whispered in his ear.

"Please excuse me, your Lordship." Kevin gave a slight nod and quickly left. Sammy followed his husband.

While Chris didn't react, nor did he hear everything Sammy had whispered, he distinctly heard "Lady Sasha". Chris was anxious to know what was what.

For a moment, Chris considered picking up the telephone on Dean's desk, to listen in to Kevin's conversation. Two things stopped him. His morals, he knew it was wrong, but the main reason was the noise it would make. It would tip Owens off that someone else was on the line, listening. It was not worth the risk.

Listening in on phone calls was one way the yellow rag newspapers got their gossip. Buckingham Palace and Parliament had operators who were trained to listen for sounds of "ear-wigging", that is people listening in. Some in the House were thinking about making it a crime to listen in. There were problems though, they would have to work on it. For now, they did the best they could.

Chris finished his tea just as he heard the meeting break up. "Oh, Chris is here," Dean spoke to Kenny as he saw his step-brother in his office.

Both Dean and Kenny entered the office. Dean closed the door. Chris hugged his brother and held him close. "Kevin got a call… all I heard was Lady Sasha." He spoke in a near silent voice.

Dean gave a nod to Kenny. Kenny started talking to Chris as he sat next to him on the sofa. Dean sat at his desk and wrote a note.

"It is what we thought. Kevin is on the telephone to her. Chris heard her name." Dean slid the paper across the desk. Kenny got up and took the note and read it. When he finished, he folded the paper and put in the inside pocket of his suit coat.

"Well Chris, good to see you. I'd better get back to work." Kenny blew a kiss to Dean, then with a wink to Chris, went to his own office next door.

Chris got up and moved to sit in the leather chair in front of Dean's desk. Dean barely mouthed to his brother. "I will explain later, at home."

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. Regal has a trial tomorrow and Kenny and I did the case work. Now, what can I help you with?" Dean looked at Chris. They had made a plan on what to do, last night after dinner, in Chris and Adam's sitting room.

"Well, as you know, I do a lot of work for Lady Mayfield and her orphanage, as does Adam. Because we do a lot for the orphanage in a financial way, we felt it best to move our private legal affairs to Cole and Associates. It will save a lot of time and effort…" He was halted when Sir William Regal stood in the doorway of Dean's office.

"Your Lordship? You… but I have handled the McMahon family business for many years. His Grace has never expressed any dissatisfaction." Regal spoke in a tone of near panic. The McMahon account alone was close to a million pounds and Hart wasn't far behind.

"Sir Regal, take a breath. It is just Adam and myself. Father isn't leaving you. I'm only doing ti because it is easier with all the orphanage business. It just makes sense to have it all in one place." Chris explained with a smile. He wanted to push, not shove Regal.

"I see. Lord Dean...well, no, you…never mind. Well, you will be missed as a client. I can understand, it would save a lot of work, messaging back and forth with Cole. I must get to work...trial tomorrow." Regal closed the door a bit firmly. Dean rolled his eyes.

"He has no idea Kenny and I will be working for Cole, when we leave here. He thinks he knows things. All Kenny and I have ever said was, after we are married, we are moving forward. He wanted to say I lured you to Cole's, but he can't. Did you see how scared he got when he thought father was leaving him?" Dean again spoke in a barely there whisper.

Chris gave a nod. "Wait till father actually does leave. The more I think about it, the more angry I become. Pru is sending her adoption books home with Adam and Shane…" He paused, though it barely made any noise, Chris heard the door to Dean's office open. He knew if it had been Kenny, he would have knocked first.

"Sammy, please knock first, especially when I am with a client. Now, can I help you?" Dean spoke firmly, but with a smile. He had to act like nothing was going on.

Sammy gave a sheepish look. "Sorry, your Lordship. Sir Doctor McIntyre and his husband are here. As they are your clients, I wanted to ask what to do? Kevin could look after them." He was a bit worried. Sammy knew they couldn't show the McIntyre's the adoption papers in their file.

Dean arched his brow. He hadn't thought Doctor Drew would act so quickly, but it didn't matter. "Chris, I will be right back." He quickly got up and left.

Chris sat back in the chair. Drew and Evan had acted quickly. He assumed that Uncle Bret must have spoken to to Doctor Drew. Chris also knew, that when his father and Uncle Bret pulled their business from Regal, many others would follow. Duke Vincent McMahon's reputation was that trustworthy, as was Duke Bret's.

Dean soon returned with Kenny and the McIntyres Chris greeted Evan and Drew warmly. He gave Kenny a hug. The Doctor and his husband sat on the sofa.

Kenny left with another wink to Dean, which was returned by his fiance. After a few minutes, Dean spoke. "Kenny is going to keep the Owens' busy. Now, do you two mind if Chris is here?" Dean looked over at Drew and Evan.

It was Evan who spoke up. "I don't mind at all. He helps Lady Mayfield run the orphanage. Is she aware of this…well…what ever it is?" He was angry after what Duke Hart had told them.

"Calm yourself, dearest. Nothing is going to happen to our princess. Now, Lord Dean, we want to move from this law office to Michael Cole's office. Today, if possible. We will sign whatever we have to sign." Drew spoke quietly but firmly.

Dean smiled and patted a thick file folder that sat on his desk. "I have your file right here. All you have to do is sign this release. Oh, have Cole do a reverse codicil on the adoption paper. I can't do it, as I legally work for Regal. He could do me in for breech of contract. I will be happy to look after your legal affairs once we are established at Cole's." Dean opened the McIntyre file. He pulled out a paper, and took it over to where the couple sat.

Drew took the paper and laid it on the coffee table, pen in hand. "I just can't believe this is happening. Why our children? Wouldn't it be easier to do in Austria?" He looked at Dean, brow highly arched.

Evan hugged. "It shouldn't happen to any children. No matter where they are from. Now, sign that paper." He was still extremely angry.

"Because their ideal is to take over, including England. What better weapons to use, our own children. I'm glad they finally cleared out Eaton. Can you imagine if they had not been discovered? We all owe Shane a great debt." Chris too, spoke firmly. He was as angry as Evan.

"Yes, we do. Lord Christopher, your father is in the House of Lords. Can't he do anything?" Drew was confused. Duke Hart had only told him about the adoption papers.

"I am sure he will do what he can. So will Uncle Bret, now that he knows about it. Now, as your husband said, sign the paper. I want to sign mine next." Chris spoke with humor. If the good Doctor only knew the entire truth.

Drew too laughed He licked the tip of his pen. Just as he put pen to paper, the door to Dean's office burst open.

Kenny stood in the doorway. Sir William Regal held a gun against Kenny's head. Kevin and Sammy held Kenny firmly in their grip.

"I wouldn't sign that if I were you, Doctor. Not unless you want Lord Hart's blood on your hands." Regal had the look of Satan in his eyes.

END OF BOOK 1

A/N: This ends the first part. Book 2 will return in the New Year. Thank you for all your patience as I spent the majority of the year in the hospital, unable to bring you regular updates. I promise, the second half of the story will be worth waiting for. Thank you for your devotion and loyalty. Have a wonderful and blessed Holiday Season.

All the Best,

Lady Dragonsblood.