"Welcome sweetheart," Jazz greeted her daughter, even if she gave Aleah a hug.
"You must have a reason for coming all this way, since I know you live in Chicago right now," Dave added also hugging his daughter kissing her cheek in affection.
"I do," Aleah said smiling. She accepted the affection from both parents, as she loved them a great deal.
"So why did you come by, as we don't live anywhere close to each other, so it would've meant a shuttle trip out here," Jazz said.
"I do have a reason," Aleah said.
"Course you do, as why make the journey otherwise?" Dave asked calmly, as he led the way into the family room.
"So what's the problem?" Jazz asked her daughter, as she handed Aleah a plate of cookies already prepared. Since they had known Aleah was coming Jazz had prepared a few snacks when they had known she would've arrive. Those snacks were all homemade of course and hadn't come from the grocery store other than the ingredients that went into making them.
"Thanks mom," Aleah said gratefully, as she accepted the plate and chomped down on one of her mother's homemade cookies. Her mother never used mixes and always did everything from scratch, which was a rather unusual skill in this century. There were so many premade items nowadays that cooking from scratch was very old fashioned now, even with all the devices that had been invented to make cooking faster. Also, if people could afford to a lot of people ate out for all three meals of the day, even if that wasn't very healthy or economical.
Aleah, for one, preferred old-fashioned cooking for the most part, though that didn't mean she didn't eat out at all, just not as much as a lot of people did.
"You're welcome sweetheart. Are you going to tell your father and me why you came all this way?" Jazz asked her daughter.
"I met my mate that's why and I wanted to tell you in person," said Aleah.
"That's great!" Dave said very ecstatically. He was overjoyed for his daughter.
"I'm very happy for you," Jazz told her daughter feeling just as overjoyed as Dave was. "This is terrific news and now I understand why you came to see us. This isn't the kind of thing you tell us over a link."
"I could have done it that way that's true, but I wanted to tell you in person," Aleah said, even as she bit into another cookie and closed her eyes in rapture at the taste. Unfortunately, her mother's bakery magic was not a talent she had inherited. She could cook and quite well she might add, but her cooking would never be as good as somebody who had bakery magic, particularly for dessert type items. A few of her siblings were kitchen witches, which meant that they were good with all types of food, not just dessert items, but that also wasn't a talent she had inherited.
"These are excellent mom," Aleah told Jazz after having finished her bite.
"I made enough for you to take some home with you," Jazz said and Aleah nodded in appreciation.
"They'll be gone in no time I promise you, as it's very hard to control myself when it comes to your baking. Unfortunately, its not a talent I inherited," Aleah said.
"What's your mates name?" Dave asked changing the subject.
"Donald Mallard," Aleah said. "He's a doctor at the Chicago General Hospital, where I go to see the children once a week in the cancer ward."
"That's very good honey I hope we get to meet him soon," Jazz said.
"So how long has it been since you met?" Dave asked
"Several weeks," Aleah said. "I haven't had a chance to get away without explaining why I was coming to visit you. I just didn't have a good excuse. While I know I just could've told you over the link I didn't want to do it that way."
"How did you meet?" Jazz asked as Aleah took a bite out of yet another cookie, which was like a fourth or fifth since she had arrived, but she had lost count. The cookies were just so good it was hard to stop chomping down on them.
"He came to my office at my private practice," Aleah explained. "I knew who he was as he has quite a solid reputation as one of the best doctors in certain kinds of cancers for adults, not children. He's quite well known actually, I had just never met him before a few weeks ago."
"So why did he want that he actually came to your office instead of you just running into each other?" Dave asked
"He wanted to consult with me about a friend of his, as he knew my reputation and that I could help, I am considered the best in my field and I also lived in Chicago, which I'm sure contributed to Ducky's decision," Aleah explained. "His friend's daughter has cancer, but his specialty isn't children, so he was wise enough to seek out an expert. We just work in totally different fields, even if they are related."
"Poor kid," Jazz said compassionately.
"I agree with you there, as on top of having cancer she's also stuck in a wheelchair, because of a car accident where her mother died, but she survived. The father is doing the best he can and since Ducky is friends with him sought him out for advice once the cancer was discovered. The little girl is 10 and her name is Kelly Gibbs and Ducky has known her since the day she was born so she thinks of him like an uncle. He knew the wife, Shannon, as well."
"I thought you said his name was Donald," Dave asked.
"It is. It's just a nickname, but he prefers it to his real name," Aleah said smiling.
"Why though?" Jazz wondered her expression puzzled.
"For one thing, it was given to him by the daughter who I'm trying to help and it just stuck. Apparently, when she was just learning how to speak, Kelly couldn't pronounce Donald and so pronounced it duc D.U.C. and that just evolved to Ducky overtime," Aleah explained. "He also explained that it's unique and it's not like Donald, which is very common even today. When I pointed out that it was a rather ironic nickname, because of the Disney character Donald Duck he didn't seem to know about the character, but seemed interested in looking up the information. If you consider his last name, which is Mallard, that's what makes it so ironic other than just the nickname itself."
"So he doesn't necessarily dislike his given name, he just prefers to go by Ducky," Dave said and Aleah nodded.
"Exactly. I can see that actually, as it was given to him by a dear friend, and he can be sentimental," Aleah agreed. "He explained how he came by his nickname on our first date as we went to dinner. We talked for hours before he took me home. We've had quite a few dates since as we've discussed options for Kelly."
"You could use your healing a ability on her," Jazz said.
"While that's an option, it would mean having to tell Ducky as well as Jethro the truth about us and I'm not sure if that's the best idea or not. While we will tell Ducky at some point since he's my mate Jethro and his daughter are a different story," Aleah explained. "I might end up doing that, but if it goes sideways, it could endanger all of us, not just me. Also, Kelly is going to get some scans in a few days and that will tell me how far along the cancer is and if it can be treated with current medical knowledge. If the cancer is too far along, there will be nothing I can do without exhausting myself to where I actually fall unconscious. The only good thing is it won't drain the life out of me, because I'm immortal unlike most healers with this ability, who have to be even more careful than I do when using their talent."
"That's a point," Dave told Jazz who nodded looking sober and serious. "I know Aleah wants to help, but revealing she's a witch, not to mention immortal could be very dangerous if word got out. While I would really like you to help this 10-year-old girl who doesn't deserve to possibly die, I would use that as a last resort."
"Also, Ducky's friend is military and he's not really the type to believe in magic or immortality," Aleah said. "Ducky isn't really either come to that, but then, most people wouldn't believe in something so fantastical, I know that."
"The father must be desperate to save his little girl after losing his wife," Jazz said.
"If you had seen the look on his face when Kelly mentioned not wanting to die you would agree that yes, he's desperate. Ducky says, that Kelly is all Jethro has the live for and if she dies then he'll become a military sniper again and walk into situations that will get him killed. Jethro resigned from active duty after his wife died so he could look after Kelly, but he could easily sign up again, go through some basic training to make sure he remembers everything he learned and that nothing has happened to his hand or eye coordination and then he would be sent out, probably overseas."
"I hope you can save that little girl," Jazz said compassionately. "It's tragic, what's happening to what appears to be a good man and his daughter but unfortunately, the world is filled with them."
"True, I might just have to do that, if it will save Kelly's life, as I have become quite attached to her in the short time I've known her. Also, if those two die that will affect Ducky deeply, as he's very close to them and I would hate for him to lose two people he considers family, as he has no other one else that's related to him. His parents died years ago and he was an only child."
"Just don't make any irreversible decisions where you have to take their memories, especially your mate's," Dave told his daughter.
"Hopefully, that won't be necessary," Aleah said actually shuddering at that possibility.
"Let's hope not, because Shonda and I thought we might have to do that with Marla's mate Derek Morgan, because he is a cop, but luckily, it turned out all right and I hope, it does this time too," Jazz said.
"Yeah, that was a bad time for all of us," Dave said soberly. "We were really nervous about telling Derek about immortals and magic, as he could've done us great harm if he had cared to. Luckily, thanks to Marla's constant diet of donuts she had been feeding him and the other cops in his precinct, plus what your mother made for when we told him our secrets, it turned out all right."
"Unfortunately, I don't have that option since I didn't get your bakery magic mom," Aleah said. "Normally, that's not a problem, but considering the situation it just might be this time."
"Avril, your sister, is living in Chicago though," Dave said.
"That's true and she did get my magic so she could do some desserts for you for you to pass on to Ducky as well as Jethro and Kelly," Jazz agreed.
"You could tell them that it's from your cousin, who is a great baker, as calling her your sister, considering she's from a different generation isn't wise, at least not right now," Dave added. "You can reveal that later."
"That's a really good idea," Aleah decided. "She's across town from where they live, but I'll contact her and have her do up a special order and make it a regular thing every week or so like Marla had to do for Derek."
"At least she lives in the same city, unlike Dave and I," Jazz told her and Aleah nodded in agreement.
"True, since I don't have your knack with all type of dessert items," Aleah agreed. "I'll contact her as soon as I leave. I need to find out what kind of desserts are their favorites, as they are more likely to eat them at least Ducky and Jethro if they really like what I deliver. As for Kelly, she'll probably eat anything, especially those things with chocolate in them. I know of no kid who doesn't like chocolate unless they've been trained from birth not too."
"Probably wise," Jazz decided with a nod
"There's something wrong with the person that doesn't like chocolate," Dave snorted. "Personally, I'm a great fan, especially of your mother's desserts that contain it, but I know my opinion is not unique when it comes to chocolate. Most people love chocolate whether that's the milk or dark or even both."
"Some people are allergic to it, to where they break out in bumps and also some people can itch fiercely," Aleah pointed out to her father.
"Well, I can understand them avoiding chocolate in that case, but that's the only reason I could see not eating it," Dave conceded.
"It's not exactly healthy for you if you eat it all the time, but the solution to that is just to eat it every once in awhile or exercise a lot, so you don't gain weight from eating too much of it," Jazz said. "How do you think your father and I not to mention your godparents stay so slim, as otherwise we'd be as fat as orcs," Jazz added jokingly.
"I would certainly have gained a ton of weight if I didn't exercise considering Jazz is such an excellent baker," Dave said patting his still flat stomach.
"Still, some people just have something against chocolate," Aleah said. "I am absolutely not one of them though. Why deny yourself if you don't have to? Anyway, I should be getting back to Chicago as Ducky and I have a date tonight and it's getting late."
"Let us know how things go with your mate," Dave told his daughter.
"Also, let us know what happens with Kelly and her father and if you do have to tell them your secret let us know how they react to the information," Jazz added.
"I will," Aleah promised. "That's not gonna happen for awhile though, as I just met Ducky in the last few weeks and I don't plan on telling him our secret for a long time, at least six months, if not a year. We'll see how it goes."
"We'll see you, hopefully, with your mate at some point," Dave told his daughter giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead while Jazz did the same after Dave was done.
"Find out what his favorite dessert is so I can be prepared to make it when we tell him," Jazz said.
"I'll get back to you," Aleah promised smiling, as she left her parents house in Minnesota.

~~~Aleah and Ducky~~~