Dinner itself had been quite an event Dave and Kate and their three children then Marcus and Shari and their son Davey and of course himself with twins on the way and Quinn and Lisa and their two children. But also, there was Jack and Cassie and their son, Stephen and Meghan who had no children as yet and Rachel and Cole the same and finally there was Adam and Sara with their twins and another on the way and then of course there was Tom whom Mikkel guessed had been married to Jennifer. Jennifer had died, but Tom was still considered part of the family.
That was a lot of people to feed dinner, but the O'Malleys did it with style and laughter. There was a lot of laughter at dinner as Jack told joke after joke that had practically everyone busting a gut laughing and then Cassie swatted his arm and told him to behave that got another chuckle from the rest of the family. Jack would answer politely 'yes dear' and then go and tell another joke.
They opened presents toward the end of the evening and Mikkel of course wasn't expecting to get anything since already Marcus and Shari had bought his new clothes and a pair of new shoes, plus all the essentials for school.
"Here you go Mikkel," said Rachel who was passing out the packages with Lisa's and Jack's help. There were quite a few packages under the tree, but it was also quite a large family by the time you counted adults as well as children.
Mikkel was surprised, but didn't comment on everybody's generosity. He didn't understand it however. They'd just met him for the first time and yet they had bought him presents and were treating him like one of the family. He gave up for the moment trying to figure it out and just sat back to enjoy it.
"You go first, Mikkel," said Shari. "I would open that one first," she added.
Mikkel picked up an odd shaped package that had some kind of holes in the top and sides. He read the card slowly and then tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was a carrying case and inside that was a golden ball of fluff. Suddenly the ball of fluff moved and yawned. "Oh a puppy he's so cute," Mikkel said in wonder taking the puppy out of his cage and cuddling him, "Thank you." The puppy barked and licked his face and everybody smiled at Mikkel's laughter. Marcus and Shari looked at each other and smiled they had made a good choice when they had decided to get him a puppy.
"So what are you going to name him?" asked Marcus
"I don't know, I'll have to think about it," said Mikkel, as the puppy licked his face again. "I've never had a puppy before."
"Doggy," Davey said.
"Here you go Davey, why don't you pet him?" said Mikkel, handing over the puppy.
Davey petted him and the dog licked his face as he had done Mikkel's. Davey laughed happily and cuddled the puppy as Mikkel had done.
And both Marcus and Shari looked more pleased then ever after watching this.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
"So what do you think of young Mikkel," Marcus asked wanting the opinions from the family. It was late and all the children including Mikkel had gone to bed. They were staying at Dave's place for a few days. All the O'Malleys were there, including wives and husbands of the original O'Malleys.
"In general very good," Kate finally said.
"But?" asked Marcus, he could hear a but coming from a mile away.
Tonight Kate was playing devil's advocate and if he didn't know why she was doing it he might have been annoyed—instead he loved her for it. She was sure enough of her position in the O'Malleys to play on the opposite position of everyone else when she had to and that was not a very comfortable place to be in. She was trying to get them to think of all the possibilities of what could happen
"But what about his big brother you've been telling me about. Don't get me wrong I really like Mikkel a lot but his brother could be dangerous," Kate said.
"But his brother's in prison," Rachel pointed out.
"But he's not going to be there forever. No more than ten years tops. If you do adopt him, you would have to worry about the brother coming after his younger siblings. From what you have told me he's the kind of man who would thirst for revenge," Kate shot back.
"I've been thinking the same thing actually, but will he really be any safer in an orphanage? At least I know the risks, the people at the orphanage do not," said Marcus. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he finally decided.
"I agree with Marcus," said Stephen. "Orphanages aren't prepared to deal with somebody like Mikkel's brother at least 'we—'" he said gesturing at all the O'Malleys, "—know the risk and can take steps to protect him as well as ourselves."
"And there is the fact I don't think he would be there more than a month before he ran away or tried to," said Marcus. "And he would probably tell himself he's doing it to protect the people at the orphanage from his brother. Then, he would either get himself killed or he would live like a homeless person or he might even try to get back to the only people he knew who cared about him and get himself killed by crossing busy highways or trying to hitchhike. Can we really let that happen to him?"
"You're just guessing," Kate protested, but only halfheartedly. Marcus knew she was just trying to think of all the possibilities of what could go wrong and that told him that she really liked Mikkel a lot, but was trying to protect him and the rest of the family from Mikkel's brother and his wrath.
"Planning for possibilities and all of them are very likely. After all, he's lived with us for the last two months I've had time to observe him," Marcus said.
"Besides you didn't see his brother's eyes and I did. They were almost—" Shari shuddered and searched for a term and finally came up with, "—inhuman."
Finally, they all agreed with Marcus even Kate and the meeting broke up for the night and they all headed for bed—for it; was quite late.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
Five months later, Marcus was exiting the bank and headed towards his car when he was stopped by a voice. "Marcus Bancroft is that you?"
Marcus spun around. He hadn't heard his original last name in more than twenty-five years and it startled him. He gazed at the old man before him who had hair as white as snow and looked to be fifty-five or so. It took him a minute to place the face with the voice. "Mr. Asher is that you?"
"Yes it is," said Mr. Asher. "You look just like the young man I used to know."
Marcus grimaced and said without rancor, "Except I'm twenty-five years older. And it's not Bancroft anymore its O'Malley."
"Why don't we go have lunch somewhere and talk for a while?" Asher suggested.
"Well, I have a few minutes. Just let me call my wife and tell her I'll be late getting home. I don't need her to worry, especially with her pregnant."
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
A few minutes later, the two men one older and one younger sat at a little café drinking coffee in silence. "So tell me what you've been doing ever since you left Trevor House," Asher suggested.
"Well," said Marcus taking a sip of coffee and gathering his thoughts. "When I was twenty-one I changed my last name to O'Malley."
"Why'd you do that?"
"Because Kate, Lisa, Stephen, Jack, Rachel, Jennifer and I all decided that as soon as we could get out we would legally change our last names and become a real family." Marcus paused deep in thought. "I was the oldest and I became the guardian of the O'Malley family." Marcus sighed.
"And the others what happened to them?"
"Well, Kate is now married to Dave Richmon, before that she was a police negotiator—one of the best." It was said with pride. "She got out of it as soon as he discovered she was pregnant. She now works in robbery and fraud."
"Jack is a fireman and is married to Cassie Ellis who also used to be a firefighter before she was hurt in a nursing home fire. She barely escaped that fire alive. Now she runs a book store that sells out of print books and has a job helping Cole on the arson squad."
"Lisa is a forensic pathologist and can discover more about a murder then anyone I know just from examining the dead body and the room it was killed in. She married my old partner Quinn Diamond and she now lives in Montana with Quinn, but still drives to Chicago to do her job."
"Stephen was a paramedic, but it got to be too much for him after about a decade and he eventually wound up in Silverton where he bought an old farm and is working to try to restore it. He works part time as a paramedic there. He married Meghan Delhart, the same one he and Jack used to play with when they were younger."
"Rachel became a trauma psychologist and works with the Red Cross. She helps out children who come from broken homes. She married Jack's captain Cole Parker." Marcus stopped and took a sip of his coffee and a bite of his cinnamon roll.
"And Jennifer?" asked Asher quietly, sensing an immense sadness in Marcus.
"She died from a rare form of cancer a little over two years ago," Marcus finally said. "We were with her all the way and there was always an O'Malley there at the hospital when she was getting her treatments. It nearly ripped our family apart and it left a deep, lasting, emotional scar that will probably never fully heal. What makes it worse is she had just met her true love Tom Peterson. They were only married about six months before she died. He knew it was going to happen. He was a doctor as was Jen and he married her anyway knowing what might happen."
"And yourself?" asked Asher.
"I became a U.S. Marshal. I married Shari Hanford and at the moment we are expecting our second and third child, sometime in the next month or so. The doctors say its twins." Suddenly his pager beeped and he looked at the number and nearly panicked. It was Shari's emergency code.
"Got to go," said Marcus putting down five dollars for the coffee and the cinnamon roll. "Sorry to cut this meeting short. That was Shari's emergency code. It means come home immediately I've gone into labor."
"Why don't I come with you and help you out?" Asher suggested.
Marcus considered for a moment then just nodded. "Follow me," was all he said before he was out the door and running to his car.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
Marcus drove home as fast as he dared Mr. Asher in the passenger seat. Marcus was tense and it took a concentrated effect not to panic and speed. Normally, he was a man that wasn't panicked by much, but having Shari go into labor early was one of the very few things that could do it. He had called Shari and their conversation had been short and to the point. Basically, he had assured her that he was on his way home.
Mr. Asher didn't try to talk he simply hung on for dear life.
"I'm sorry about this." Marcus apologized. "I wasn't expecting this. She's not supposed to be due for a month." Marcus gave a tense chuckle. "Leave it to Shari to go into labor early."
"Did this happen the first time?" asked Mr. Asher.
"Yes, although not quite as early as this. Shari can't ever do anything by the book." There was a great deal of affection in Marcus's voice as he spoke. He pulled into his driveway and the door to the house immediately opened
"Marcus," an older woman called. "Thank goodness you're home."
"How's she going Rosie?" asked Marcus as he headed for the house.
"Her water broke a few minutes," said Rosie. Marcus nodded and rushed into the house. "And who are you sir?" asked Rosie looking at the other man that had gotten out of the car along with Marcus.
"Just an old friend of Marcus's—we ran into each other in town and got to talking. I offered to ride along and help out. My name's Gregory Asher."
"It's nice to meet you. Name's Rosie Conners. I'm the nanny for young Davey and Mikkel."
Asher was about to ask who Mikkel was when the boy himself appeared from inside the house. Mikkel looked different then when he had first come to live with the O'Malleys. He had gained considerable weight in the last five months. He was no longer the underfed waif the O'Malley's had taken under their wing. There were more muscles in his arms and he looked all around happier. He walked with more confidence and was no longer the boy scared of being beaten up just for talking out of turn. "Mr. Asher, meet Mikkel."
"It's nice to meet you Mikkel," said Asher.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Asher," said Mikkel politely, shaking his hand.
"You'll meet us there?" asked Marcus coming up behind them after putting Shari in his car.
"Yes," Rosie agreed.
Marcus turned to Mikkel who in so short a time had become like a son to him. "Mikkel call Kate and Beth Hanford for me and have them inform the rest of the family. I'm trusting you."
Mikkel nodded and his shoulders seemed to straighten as Marcus handed him his cell phone, "Yes, sir."
Marcus nodded and was gone.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
An hour later, Rosie, Mikkel, Mr. Asher and Davey who was sitting on Mikkel's lap asleep were all waiting anxiously for news. They knew it was probably going to be a long day before they heard anything. The rest of the O'Malleys had been informed along with Shari's mom and brother and they were all on their way. Beth and Josh were the closest and should be arriving any minute.
A moment later, as if Mikkel's thoughts had summoned them Beth and Josh entered the waiting room and greeted everybody cordially. It was easy to tell however, that both of them were worried. They were worried about Shari and her children. They were after all almost a month early and that could mean trouble, then again it didn't have to mean anything bad at all.
They all couldn't help worrying however and if Davey wasn't asleep on his lap he'd probably get up and pace. Davey was too young to understand the danger that this early birth could mean. One or both twins could die or both could be fine. And it took a lot of patience to just wait it out and patience which had never been his strong suit anyway; was coming to an end. He was as worried about Shari as the rest, for Shari had become like a surrogate mother and Marcus like a surrogate father. A substitute for his real father which he had never known.
Finally, Mikkel leaned back and tried to relax careful not to wake Davey and was soon asleep himself
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
The other O'Malley's begin to arrive as the hours passed. Dave, Kate, Stephen, Meghan, Jack, Cassie, Cole, Adam and Sara all arrived together, for they all lived in Chicago or close to it and Dave had flown them out with Kate as the copilot. She had gotten her pilot's license last year. Rachel had been out of town and had promised to be there on the next available flight, Tom as well. Kate was the first one to notice the older man sitting on one side of the waiting room and noticed her looked familiar. "Don't I know you?" she asked.
"Kate Emerson of course you do, don't you remember Gregory Asher?"
"One of the people running Trevor House—right?" asked Kate after a moment of thought.
"Yes," Asher confirmed. "Marcus and I ran into each other in town and I offered to help out when his wife went into labor as we were talking."
The others had come over doing this conversation and they were staring at him in amazement, a man from their past had just stepped into their present and it was a bit of a shock.
"It's nice to see you all looking so well," Asher commented
"It's a shock to see you after over twenty years," said Jack, being the first to speak.
"Tell me about it," Stephen muttered.
They all sat down and began the long wait for their new nieces or nephews to be born.
~~~Beyond the Future~~~
