by Anna Lewis
All for nothing, he thought. This is a mess.
Xander worried gravely about his new child, whether she might be given to an alien orphanage or perhaps adopted by a neighboring family. It was overwhelming to think he might not even get to meet her. As he thought deeply, a knock came from the door and he looked up to find his lawyer, Jack.
“Hello, Xander,” he said. “You took quit a hit, didn’t you?”
“It seems I have,” Xander replied while laying back on the bed. “It still hurts, too.”
“I’m sure they’ll give you something for that,” Jack replied. “I heard you have a baby girl. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Xander said with a smile. “I’m assuming you’re here because of the incident.”
Jack nodded while closing the door. He pulled up a chair next to the bed and pulled a touch pad from his steel suitcase.
“Well, it’s more of a mess than an incident, but yes,” Jack replied. “Your little girlfriend might face some time for her attempt.”
“And Elu?” Xander asked.
“He will likely be charged with interference, but nothing too heavy because he’s an agent and the judge happens to like him a great deal,” Jack replied.
“Do you think the judge would drop charges if Elu testified in favor of Anna Leigh? I mean, we just had a baby. Can they be lenient?” Xander asked.
“I’m sure the judge will take that into account. Like I said, it’s quite a mess here and the paperwork is just...” Jack trailed off and sighed while typing into his touch pad.
“Can you help me adjust my bed? I want to sit up,” Xander said.
Jack leaned over and pushed a button that elevated the top of the bed until Xander was upright.
“Thank you,” Xander said. “What kind of paperwork do you have to fill out?”
“Well, it’s unclear at the moment. I’m still corresponding with the judge,” Jack replied.
“There has to be something we can do to prevent Anna Leigh getting jail time,” Xander said.
“Well, she was registered as being employed by the Federation yesterday. That’s a legal standing document we can use, even if ulterior motives are suspected,” Jack explained.
“Will that be enough?” Xander asked.
“Not by a long shot. She was caught injecting you by two Federation prison guards. The poison has yet to be confirmed because the doctor became distracted with Anna Leigh's labor,” Jack replied. “We can sway the jury to believe that she wasn’t in her right mind due to a complicated pregnancy.”
“Do you think the doctor can confirm that?” Xander asked with a grin.
“Absolutely,” Jack replied. “The only other thing is you.”
Xander shook his head.
“I’m still being charged by the Federation,” he said grimly. “I don’t know what else to do about that, Jack. I still have to stand trial and now I'll have a baby girl at home.”
“Can you prove Elu interfered in any way?” Jack asked.
“What do you mean?” Xander asked in response.
“Do you have any physical evidence that would show Agent Elu had tried to interfere with the case?” Jack asked. “The judge may drop the charges if you can prove he broke his clearance level in favor of you.”
Xander sat back in his hospital bed, stroking his chin with two fingers. He ran a hand through his tousled hair.
“I mean, technically, but I’m not sure if the tape exists,” Xander replied.
“What do you mean?” Jack asked.
“Elu set up a meeting with myself and Anna Leigh some weeks ago in a private interrogation room some floors below the hospital,” Xander explained. “There was a camera in the corner of the room. I think Elu had it turned off, but we had gotten pretty...”
Xander blushed and bit his lower lip.
“We were all pretty heatedly engaged,” he said.
Jack raised his eyebrows.
“If that camera was recording, that’s pretty much perfect evidence,” Xander said. “Even though it’ll be embarrassing.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Jack teased.
“Thanks, Jack. I appreciate the vote of confidence there,” Xander snapped.
“I’m kidding, Xander. Relax. I’m going to make a phone call and see if we can get that tape pulled,” Jack said while pulling out his phone.
While Jack handled the details of his case, Xander relaxed into the cushions and waited patiently for him to finish. Another knock came from the door. He looked up to see Elu holding a bundle in his arms. Xander gasped and bit his lower lip, nearly tearing up.
“Is that…?” he whispered while trailing off.
Elu walked into the room and held out the little aqua baby girl who was sucking on her thumb. Carefully, Xander cradled her in his arms while grinning wide, tears falling from his eyes as he admired his sleeping baby.
“She’s beautiful. Have you named her yet?” Xander asked.
“No, we’ve been waiting for you,” Elu replied.
“What have you thought of so far?” Xander asked.
“Ophelia and Sophia,” Elu replied.
“How about Azalea?” Xander asked.
Elu smiled, leaning over to stroke her cheek.
“I think that sounds amazing. I’ll tell Anna Leigh and come back,” Elu said while standing to the leave the room.
When he was gone, Xander looked down at the precious bundle in his arms. Jack leaned over to look at her with a smile.
“Wow,” he said. “That’s quite a color. A mixture of all three of you, I gather.”
“It’s beautiful,” Xander commented.
“Good news—the judge accepted the tape that we found and your charges have been dropped due to misconduct on behalf of the charging agent,” Jack explained. “Elu will face charges, but we’ll handle those later. The judge said you four should get home and rest.”
“I’m free to go?!” Xander exclaimed.
The baby stirred in his arms and he shushed her immediately.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered to her. “Daddy got excited.”
“You are free to go,” Jack whispered. “I’ll leave you with your new baby. I'll go handle the rest of the paperwork.”
“Call me as soon as anything changes, okay?” Xander said.
“Of course, Xander. Take care for now,” Jack said while standing.
“Thank you, Jack,” Xander called after him.
In the doorway, Elu waited for Jack to pass. Jack held out his hand to shake and Elu hesitantly took it.
“Congratulations, Agent Elu,” Jack said. “I wish you the best with your new family.”
“Thank you, Jack,” Elu said.
Jack smiled and then walked up the hallway, disappearing past the window. When he was gone, Elu entered the room and sat down on the hospital bed next to Xander.
“How’s Anna Leigh doing?” Xander asked.
“She’s resting right now,” Elu replied.
“That’s good,” Xander said.
“She likes the name Azalea,” Elu said.
Xander smiled.
“Well, then, I guess you’ll be Azalea,” Xander whispered to his sleeping child.
Elu leaned over and rested his head on Xander’s shoulder, admiring the child they had made together.
“I guess it’s our happily ever after now,” Xander whispered. “My charges have been dropped and we’ll be able to go home soon.”
“That’s fantastic, Xander,” Elu said. “I’m really glad we got through this together.”
“Me, too,” Xander said.
“Do you still want to go on vacation?” Elu asked.
Xander chuckled lightly.
“Of course I do,” he replied. “We should head for the beach and soak up the sun.”
“That sounds great. I would love to sit in the sand again,” Elu said. “It’s been too long. We can go to my private moon at the edge of the galaxy.”
“I would like that a lot,” Xander said.
“And we’ll take little Azalea with us,” Elu suggested.
Xander smiled.
“It sounds perfect, honestly,” he said.
“We’ll have to wait until Anna Leigh recovers. She’s still in a lot of pain,” Elu said.
“Of course,” Xander said. “I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I,” Elu said.
The two sat in silence while soaking in the otherworldly presence of their daughter who stirred briefly before settling back into her nap. She was beautiful. They admired her for what seemed like an eternity, utterly lost in the moment, only moving when a nurse came with paperwork for them to sign. They would be going home soon. Xander couldn’t wait.
***
Ocean waves lapped at the shore as Anna Leigh set out a blanket and a basket full of food. The chicken steamed from the container and she pulled it out to set out portions on three plates. Behind her, Azalea bounced in her carrier, cooing and pointing up at the clouds passing in the sky.
“Boo! Boo!” she cried.
Anna Leigh turned with a grin.
“What are you looking at, sweet girl?” she asked.
“It’s boo!” Azalea claimed while pointing up at the sky.
“What’s boo?” Anna Leigh asked while looking up and shielding her eyes from the sun.
“It’s a ship, darling,” Elu said as he approached.
He leaned down to kiss his daughter and then kissed Anna Leigh on the lips.
“You two look beautiful today,” he said.
Anna Leigh blushed.
“Where’s Xander?” she asked.
“He’s still napping,” Elu replied.
“His food is going to get cold if he doesn’t come soon,” she said.
“He’ll be on his way, I’m sure,” Elu said. “What do we have today?”
“Chicken, peas, potatoes, and your favorite kind of cheesecake,” Anna Leigh replied.
“Cake!” Azalea called from her carrier.
“Not yet, silly,” Elu said while sitting on the ground. “Why don’t you try your chicken first?”
“Ew,” Azalea replied with a grimace.
“She’s picky like you,” Anna Leigh teased.
“I believe it,” Elu joked.
As he carefully pulled apart pieces of chicken for Azalea to chew, Anna Leigh prepared the rest of their plates. She procured bottles of water from the basket when a hand rested on her shoulder. She looked up and found Xander.
“Hello, sleepy!” she called with a grin.
He leaned down and kissed her lips.
“Good afternoon,” Xander said while sitting down.
“How did you sleep?” Elu asked while accepting a plate from Anna Leigh.
“Really well. Those curtains in there are a blessing,” Xander replied.
“That’s why I bought them. The sun is up here most of the day, so those curtains come in handy,” Elu explained.
“Darling, do you need a nap?” Xander asked while accepting a plate from Anna Leigh.
“No, not yet,” she replied. “I’ll lie down whenever Azalea needs to sleep.”
“No sleep!” Azalea cried.
Xander leaned over and kissed her violet forehead, tickling her stomach as she tossed a piece of chicken.
“Wow, we got a fighter,” Xander joked.
“Not while she’s eating, Xander,” Elu said.
“I can’t help it. She’s so cute,” Xander claimed.
Elu smiled.
“Well, she has your looks,” he joked.
Xander posed and smiled.
“She certainly does,” Anna Leigh agreed.
“I still can’t believe we did that,” Xander said while nodding towards Azalea.
“We did a good job,” Anna Leigh said. “And my scales are gone which is fantastic. I can finally wear a bikini.”
“You look good even with scales,” Elu claimed.
“Are you sure? They were so itchy,” Anna Leigh said.
“You always look good, babe,” Xander said while resting his head against her thigh.
Anna Leigh giggled, chewing on a piece of hot chicken that tasted like honey barbecue.
“I guess so,” she agreed. “You two are the ones who don’t have to do much to look great.”
“Oh, come on,” Elu said while handing Azalea some juice. “Do you know how long it takes me to put my foundation on? You don’t get fine blue skin like mine by just being natural.”
Anna Leigh laughed and nearly choked on a piece of food, covering her mouth while coughing. Xander patted her back with a chuckle.
“Don’t die, Anna Leigh,” Xander joked.
“I’m trying not to with Elu’s poorly timed jokes,” she claimed while giggling.
Xander handed her a water bottle and she chugged it down, wiping her mouth when she was finished.
“This tastes delicious, by the way,” Elu said.
He turned to Azalea with a piece of chicken in his fingers.
“Doesn’t it taste delicious?” he cooed.
Azalea raised her eyebrows as she opened her mouth, her antennas wiggling at the top of her forehead.
“Where did she get those antennas from, anyway?” Xander asked.
“The females of my species all have antennas,” Elu replied. “I nearly forgot until she was born. I think they’re cute.”
“Absolutely,” Xander replied. “They look a little big, though.”
“She’ll definitely grow into them,” Anna Leigh said.
“Oh, of course,” Elu said.
“And she’ll be gorgeous like her mother,” Xander said.
Anna Leigh blushed.
“Stop,” she said while pushing him playfully.
Xander shook his head.
“Never,” he claimed.
While Elu continued to feed Azalea, Anna Leigh stuck her toes into the black sand and wiggled them. It warmed her feet immediately and she sighed contentedly.
“This is the most amazing time of my life,” she said.
Xander smiled up at her.
“Mine, too,” he chimed while fingering the sun charm around his neck.
Elu smiled at them both, squinting against the sunlight shining down on them.
“What?” Anna Leigh asked.
Elu shook his head.
“I’m just happy,” he replied. “I have everything I could ever want right here.”
Anna Leigh smiled.
“It’s perfect isn’t it?” she asked. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
THE END
= Bonus Book 11 of 12 =
Creatures of the Night
Scarlett had seen plenty of things over the past twenty-five years of her life and most of it didn't thrill her like it probably should have. After all, she lived in England. You couldn't walk twenty feet without tripping over something that had been built hundreds of years ago, even thousands of years, for example. What did surprise her was the fact that there was a man across the pub where she was enjoying her Friday night post-work beer who was very clearly staring at her. Scarlett liked to think she was pretty enough to attract men but she had had rotten luck with it ever since she was fifteen and started caring about them. Scarlett definitely didn't mind being looked at but she wasn't the only girl at the bar and there was no guarantee that it was her the man was looking at. That was until the bartender came over with a fresh drink (and Scarlett's favourite, at that) and told her it was from the gentlemen in the corner. Scarlett blushed as red as her name and tried not to look at him. But she couldn't help it.
He was good looking. Really good looking. It was darker in the corner he was sitting (as was the case with most pubs, especially the older ones that were small and cramped), but Scarlett could still make out his features. Messy black hair fell over the most shocking pair of blue eyes Scarlett had ever seen. His nose was long and aquiline, and his jaw solid. He had the mouth of an angel, full and soft and smirking just the smallest bit. Scarlett thought he would approach her,
but he seemed as content to watch as she was. It was just a tad voyeuristic, but Scarlett doubted her drink was drugged as it had been served by the bartender. She pushed her old one aside and took a sip. Perfectly made. A sigh fell from her lips. She lifted her glass to the man, who raised his own back, but still made no move towards her. Maybe he was just feeling generous. It was a Friday after all. Maybe he'd just gotten a big promotion at work and felt like celebrating by buying someone he thought attractive a drink. If he found Scarlett attractive, of course. The way he was looking at her made it seem like he did.
A shiver ran down Scarlett's spine, violent enough to make her whole body shudder. The person sitting next to her gave her a funny look but didn't comment. Scarlett rolled her shoulders and ran a hand through her brown hair. She glanced at the guy again. His gaze had wandered elsewhere, but Scarlett had a feeling in her stomach that he was still interested in her. She hoped he wasn't a stalker. The bar was on a main street, though, and it wasn't that late. She doubted anyone would try to abduct her here.
When she was ready to go home the man was still sitting in the corner, drinking a large glass of what looked like water and looking at his cell phone. Scarlett approached him feeling a little nervous and cleared her throat to get his attention. He looked up and smiled when he saw it was her.
“I just wanted to say cheers for the drink,” Scarlett said. “I really appreciated it. I do have a question, though.”
“Are you going to ask why I bought it for you?” the man replied in a low voice as smooth as silk that made Scarlett's knees go weak. She passed it off as a belated effect of the booze; she was a little bit tipsy after all.
“No,” she replied. “I wanted to ask what made you order that particular drink.”
“You look like that particular kind of girl,” the man replied. He grinned, wolfishly, showing strong, white teeth. “My name is Hunter.”
“Scarlett. Jones.”
“It's nice to meet you, Scarlett Jones. Do you come here often?”
“That's a terrible pick up line,” Scarlett replied and Hunter laughed. “No, I don't usually drink.”