by Flynn, Mac
“If you insist,” he agreed. “But I must mention Mr. Davies may also insist your being examined.”
“Yeah, well, he isn’t here right now, is he?” she asked as she reached for the door.
That’s when it opened, and in stepped Davies himself. He scanned the room and assessed the situation rather quickly.
“Good morning to you both,” he greeted after that brief pause. He glanced at his lover, who was finding this situation more and more ridiculous and out of her control. “You’re looking as lovely as ever, Miss Olsen. I trust Mr. Smith has kept good care of you during my absence.”
“What in the hell are you doing here?” Even if she had been warned of his arrival, she still didn’t like him barging his way into her apartment like he belonged there. She glanced over at Smith, who still stood near the kitchen counter. “What are either of you doing here?”
“To care for you, my love,” Davies insisted as though that were a matter of fact. He tried to wrap his arm around her shoulders, but she dodged and escaped to the living room area. He wasn’t too bothered by her antics, however. “I’m afraid you’re in a pretty bad spot right now, and will probably need all the help we can give to you.”
“I’m just fine, thank you very much,” she snapped back. If she needed help she would have called 911 by now. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like you both to leave.”
“I don’t think that’s a goo-”
“Right now.” She didn’t want any arguments as her temper flared up. Regardless of how kindly they’d treated her in the past, she felt threatened by two men standing in her apartment against her wishes. She took a deep breath and tried to get a hold of her temper. “I appreciate the food and you seeing that I’m all right, but I really just want to be left alone right now.” Her stomach uncomfortably shifted and she set her hand on it. Davies noticed her action and he frowned.
“I know this is going to make you mad, but I’m afraid we’re going to be staying here for a few days,” he repeated in a softer, less commanding voice. “You aren’t well, and surely you’re aware of that.”
“I’m feeling fine.” She was hit with another of those stomach attacks again. “I just need to stop eating so much and get some rest. Something I’m not going to do with you two standing over me.”
“If you’re to safely carry my child to maturity, than I’m going to have to insist otherwise.”
Sam was absolutely dumbfounded by his statement. She knew there’d been that risk of getting pregnant, but to hear him state it as an undeniable fact was not something she wanted to hear. It was also something she wasn’t willing to believe.
“How the hell do you know I’m pregnant?” she accused. If what he said was true, they couldn’t be sure for another month or so.
“Look at yourself, Sam,” he gently scolded. “Can you honestly believe what you’re experiencing is normal? That it’s merely the side effects of some mysterious illness.”
“It’s just an allergic reaction!” she argued. She grimaced when the feeling in her stomach pounded through her whole body. “I ate something that didn’t agree with me.” She shot an accusatory look at Smith. “What the hell did you put in that stuff.”
“He didn’t do anything, Sam,” Davies interrupted. “It’s your body reacting to the nutrients and trying to acclimate to the child growing inside you.”
“Shut up!” She didn’t want to hear any more of this. It was ridiculous and just as stupid as him admitting he was some sort of demon or something. “Just stay away from me! Both of you!”
Sam backed up toward the safety of her bedroom and none of the men followed. She locked the door behind herself and still they didn’t make a move to come after her. She leaned her ear against the door, but all she could hear was the soft mumbling of them talking to each other.
Sam turned away and breathed a sigh of relief. She was okay for a little while at least, but she couldn’t stay in her bedroom forever. She glanced around and cursed herself for getting the second floor room. Now that nice view wasn’t so nice as she moved over to the window.
That’s when the big pain hit her.
Sam cried out as she clutched at her stomach and fell to her knees. There wasn’t any more of that post-food euphoria as her belly pulsed. The movement caused pressure across her whole body and she felt the skin on her stomach start to stretch as the bump beneath her hands pushed out.
“Sam!” Davies cried out from behind the door. “Sam, are you all right?” The pain was so great she couldn’t find enough focus to call out to him. A minute later she heard the door behind her bust open and strong arms grabbed her shoulders. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Sam nodded down at her stomach and one of his hands settled on the growing mound. It pressed against his fingers and he frowned. Before she knew what was happening he’d scooped her up and was putting her on the bed. Smith appeared at Davies’ side and gently pushed his employer away as he checked all her vital signs.
“Her body isn’t handling the stress,” he informed Davies when the quick examination was done. “I recommend a transfer before her condition deteriorates further.”
“Agreed.”
Sam had no either what either of them were talking about as sweat broke out across her brow. Her body began to tremble and one hand clenched at the covers while the other rubbed her swollen stomach. The skin was now an unhealthy red and there was a great weight on her chest.
Davies stepped up to the bedside and sat down next to her. He softly placed a hand on her belly. She didn’t know what he planned, but she was beyond caring as the pain flared up for another time.
A glowing substance began to emanate from his fingers as his whole body let out a faint light. The substance was a pale, transparent gas similar to what he emitted during their sexual encounters, but the smell was different. It was more like the herbs from the small shop to which she and Slinky had followed Smith.
The pale fog moved over the entirety of her stomach and almost immediately she began to feel a sense of calm come over her restless body. The spasms stopped and her red skin faded back to the healthy pink. Her breathing evened out and the pain faded to nothing.
Sam stared at Davies in utter shock. It was as if he’d suddenly cured her terminal cancer with a single command. She felt well enough to sit up, and she did just that without any twinge of pain.
“Easy there,” he commanded as she tried to get out of bed. “That might just be a little too quick for you.”
“What…what did you do?” she asked in awe.
“Merely perform a small miracle,” he teased. He turned to his assistant. “Perhaps she’ll be needing a small bowl of food, but nothing more.”
“Yes, sir, right away.” He went off to the kitchen to prepare the ‘snack.’
“But how did you do it? What the hell was it?” She was so confused, and that led her to be scared. She didn’t understand what had just happened, and tears of frustration rose in her eyes. “What’s wrong with me?”
“None of that now,” he soothed. He took her hands in his and smiled at her. “That was merely a…a complication. You may not have another for quite some time, or even at all.”
“But what’s happening to me?” Sam looked down at the bump in her stomach. It was even larger before, now about the size of a small watermelon, and she still felt stiff and sore from her painful experience. She let out a tiny sob. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing’s wrong with you,” Davies insisted. He scooted up and leaned his back against the wall. He let her lean her head against his chest as she cried out her frustration and fear. “You’re merely experiencing a change of sorts. The process will be done in less than two weeks, and you should be fine.”
“I’ll be back to normal?” she sniffled.
“Well, to what will be the new normal for you,” he diplomatically explained. He could see she didn’t like that answer, and he sighed. “I’m afraid this will be a permanent change. You’re like a caterp
illar evolving into a butterfly. Eventually you’ll shed this mortal coil and burst out of your cocoon.”
“I-I don’t understand.” None of this made any sense. “Why am I changing? What am I changing into? Will it…will it hurt? Can’t I stop it?”
“Not so fast,” he laughed as he gave her a squeeze. “Perhaps the best thing you can do right now is trust me, and what I tell you. That means for everything.” At this point she couldn’t argue. He’d given her proof enough that something was changing inside her with the basketball-sized bump in her stomach. “If you believe what I told you in the car, this would be much easier to explain.” It was a not-so-subtle hint for her to drop any stubborn refusal to listen and take his word for it.
“You’re…you really are a demon?” she asked. She shrank back from him, but he only smiled kindly and nodded his head. “Then…then is that what I’m changing into?”
“Yes, if all goes well.”
“Is something going wrong?” Sam was frightened again.
“You’re most vulnerable at this stage, but you’ll be fine.” He affectionately brushed his hand through her hair to try to calm her. “What you’re going through now only proves we weren’t meant to be together.”
“What…what am I going through?” Sam looked down at the bump on her stomach. She gingerly reached out and caressed the mound beneath her shirt. “Is this…am I pregnant?” Davies’ smile widened and he slowly nodded. Her mouth dropped open and her hand shook in surprise and shock. “How…how did you do this to me? How can I be this pregnant so soon?”
“Certain humans have the ability to ‘cross over’ species.” He gently drew a finger across her pale cheek. “You are one of the few capable of doing this.”
“Can…can a lot of humans do this?” she asked, and he shook his head.
“Very few are able cross over, and even fewer are able to survive the process.” Sam flinched.
“Does that mean…does that mean I could die?”
“At this stage, no.” He warmly smiled at her and pulled her closer. “The changes take place after each initial dose of my scent.” He chuckled and the movement reverberated through his chest and against Sam’s head. She smiled despite her fear and worries. “You seemed very conducive to their effects.” She blushed. She knew exactly what he was talking about with the aphrodisiac effect it had on her.
“What…what will happen to me now?” She tightly gripped his shirt and bit her lip. “Will I…will I be evil? Will I change?” Davies laughed, but she thought it important enough to be taken seriously.
“You will remain as you are now in personality. Nothing will change except a few minor outward appearances and the addition of heightened senses and abilities.” He softly ran his hand through her wet hair. The action was calming to them both as his voice dropped to hardly a whisper. “I’ve been searching for you for a very long time. I’d almost given up hope.”
“How long?” She knew so little about the man who held her and called her his love. Yes, she still called him a man, because nothing else better suited him. Monster or demon couldn’t describe his kindness and the depth of his love she knew he felt for her. “How old are you?”
“I’m afraid I stopped counting my age many centuries ago, and have been looking as long for someone such as you to share the life I have to offer.”
“If you’re that old, prove it,” she slyly demanded. “Because you don’t look a day over thirty.”
“Well, I could tell you the discussion I had with Henry the Eighth, but I don’t think you’d want to know how vulgar he was in terms of language.”
“That, and I wouldn’t believe it.”
“What will you believe?” He knew she was playing with him, but he genuinely did want to set aside her doubt.
“Well, what about an autographed book or something?” He pondered her request for a while before a grin spread across his lips.
“There may be something, but you will have to wait until I return.”
“You’re leaving?” Sam unconsciously gripped tighter his shirt.
“I’m afraid I have some loose ends to wrap up and some errands to make. Mr. Smith will be as good as myself for managing your body’s new needs.”
“It’s not that.” She bit her lip and glanced down at the large bump. “What if…what if it hurts again?”
He grasped her hands and looked directly into her eyes.
“You will be fine. Nothing like that will happen again.”
“Then why did it happen at all?”
“Because you needed one last dose of my scent to complete your body’s changes. Everything should go smoothly now.”
“Famous last words…” Sam muttered. She wasn’t liking this arrangement where she had to put up with all the crap, and he got to run off and enjoy himself.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, and I’ll bring you a present.” He gently planted a kiss on her forehead. “I promise.”
“All right,” she agreed.
Sam still didn’t want him to leave, but she’d believe him. She just had this feeling that separation would be both physically and emotionally painful.
“See you soon.”
He got up and their hands slowly slid apart. He smiled down at her one last time, and then he was gone.
Sam leaned back against the headboard and wrapped her arms around herself. She felt so cut off from her main life-line. Then the young woman glanced down at the bulge beneath her shirt, and she softly smiled.
With almost an unconscious movement Sam reached out and laid her hand on the bump. She began to stroke the bulge, and that tender gesture comforted her some. Not as much as she could have gotten from Davies, but enough to satisfy her until he came back. She hoped it would be soon.
In the meantime, Smith was at her disposal. He popped his head into the bedroom a few minutes later.
“Did you need anything, Miss Olsen?” he asked. “Any food or drink?”
“I could use a nice ice cream sundae with some pickles,” she mused.
There was a mischievous smile on her lips. She really didn’t think he’d take her seriously. Boy was she wrong.
“I may have to improvise on some of the toppings, but that could be arranged.”
He was gone so quickly she didn’t have a chance to explain that she was only fooling with him. That was pretty much how the rest of the day went. She’d even hint at something I might need in the near future, and Smith was gone in a flash to go get it from somewhere in the apartment. Sam noticed, though, that he didn’t leave the apartment during any of his errands. He’d just find something close or exactly as she wanted.
The baby in her stomach bumped into her every now and again, and she had to smile at that sensation. It was their child.
Sam had to admit, though, that she was a little depressed in his absence. Much as Smith tried, he just couldn’t be a solid replacement. That’s why she was listening so intently to the front door when she heard a knock just after sunset. Smith pleasantly greeted someone, and her hopes were up for it to be Davies.
Suddenly the phone at her bedside rang. Sam frowned, and her eyes glanced between the closed bedroom door and the incessant ringing thing. Davies didn’t come in immediately, though, and she finally she leaned over and picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Sam, you are not gonna believe the mess that’s here!”
“Slinky?” The voice on the other line was both frantic and excited. It was a bad combination with which to try to keep up. “Slinky, what in the world are you talking about?”
“I’m at the office right now and this place is a mess!”
“Wait, what? How? Nobody’s supposed to be there.”
“Yeah, I know, but I got here after I was sure the janitors had left and the place is trashed! It looks like somebody’s gone through and tore up all the chairs and desk and everything!”
“Wait, Slinky. Are you sure they aren’t still there?” There was an uncomfortable pause and s
he started to worry. “Slinky? You still there?”
“I just heard something.” Her voice was down to a whisper and she imagined her friend was creeping through the cubicles. “I think it’s coming from Winkle’s office.”
“Slinky, get out of there!” Sam hissed. “Go call the police or something!”
“One sec, just lemme see who it is.”
Sam waited in silence as all she heard on the other side was Slinky’s quiet breathing. Having heard the sound of the phone and her frantic words, Davies entered the room at that moment. He noticed her tense expression and the phone at her ear. She motioned for him to be quiet when he opened his mouth, so he merely sat down at her side and intently watched her.
Now she could hear some sort of scattering of paper and mutterings on the other line, and they didn’t sound like Slinky’s voice. Sam pulled the phone away from herself and turned up the volume so Davies could listen. There was some sort of grumbling in the background that they couldn’t make out and some slight noise as Slinky slunk her way toward the office by crawling along the floor. Finally after a few tense moments they could distinguish the words, and recognize the voice.
It was Winkle.
“Those damn bastards aren’t going to do this to me, not after waiting this many years.” There was some rough noise like she was throwing things around. “They’ll see that I’m not going to be messed with, not like this.”
There was a pause and then a huge crash rang out of the phone.
“Jesus!” The voice was Slinky’s and she immediately regretted saying that. “Oh shit!”
“Slinky?” Sam shouted as they heard feet pounding the ground and heavy breathing. “Slinky?” Davies was up and dialing his own phone. He was calling security even as Slinky slammed through a heavy door and her footsteps started to ring with a definite echo. “What’s going on?”
“Can’t talk, running down…fire escape,” her friend panted. “Crazy lady…behind me…”
They heard a slam like Slinky had flung open a metal door and then there was the sounds of shoes skidding on linoleum. She must have hit the lobby and was running for the front doors. Sam’s heart pounded for her friend.