In Time to Love

by Gloria Martin

  “Who is this Chloe?” My dad stepped forward with his hand extended towards Doc West.

  “Oh this is Doctor West dad he administered a paternity test for us…and Doc West this is my father, Aldrich.” I introduced them and glanced down at the manila folder.

  “Aldrich?” Doctor West spoke as if he knew dad from somewhere and started to laugh. “This is perfect. Chloe why don’t you sit down?” Doc West led me to the couch and I sat down cautiously.

  “So what are the results? You’re killing me here,” I said with a nervous chuckle.

  “Well would you like happy news or shocking first?”

  “Just get it out, just get it out,” I said quickly.

  “Well you are having two healthy boys…” he started and I gasped in excitement.

  “Really! Oh they’ll be so happy…” I said and my dad looked at me with raised brows.

  “They?”

  “Also we were all correct. Some of the fetal cells found in your blood had DNA from Alex and others had DNA from Luca. Your twins are as fraternal as it gets,” he said with a soft chuckle. I simply stared at him, wide eyed and with an unhinged jaw. “While you’re speechless there is also another bit of information I discovered…” West glanced at my dad then who held a hand up and turned his gaze to me. His almost deep amethyst colored eyes clouded over and turned violet in shade.

  “Chloe I’m a dragon shifter…from this clan,” he said frankly and I simply blinked at him.

  “What?”

  “I left the territory a long, long time ago…when I met your mother and we planned to have a life in Seattle. Then you were born and everything changed, I felt I couldn’t go back with you. That you wouldn’t be accepted…so I stayed in Seattle.”

  “Did she…did she die because I was a half breed?” I asked him, worrying about my own upcoming delivery more than the hurt I felt for him keeping that from me. It compounded the shock I was still feeling about all the news Doctor West brought, and frankly the worry I had for whatever Alex and Luca were dealing with regarding the southern wings.

  “No she didn’t. She caught an infection after you were born and didn’t recover from it,” he said truthfully.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were a shifter dad?”

  “How could I? I just wanted you to have a normal life and…what are the odds that you’d end up having twins by…two different dragon shifters,” he said slowly. The strange circumstances of my pregnancy finally dawning on him.

  “Yeah…it’s a long story I don’t think you should know the details of. But Luca and Alex are…well Luca is the leader of the clan now and Alex heads the fighters. They’re both really great,” I took a deep breath and tried to wrap my mind fully around the fact that I was a half breed and had no idea. And the fact that my dad was a full blown dragon shifter and I had no idea all my life. Then there was the fact that Doc West, Alex, and Luca were right and one twin was Luca’s the other Alex’s. Then, boys!

  “I’ve just received a lot of information at once right now…I’m going to have to take a small break,” I said faintly. Doctor West and my dad both nodded and backed away from me as if I was a time bomb or something. They went into the kitchen and I heard Doc West’s upbeat voice greeting my dad warmly and reminding him who he was. An old school friend…

  “Chloe!” I heard Alex shout my name before he and Luca came hurrying into the living room.

  “What is it?” I looked up at them, my gaze a little glazed over.

  “Are you alright?” Luca asked me, his hands patting me down gently while Alex scanned every inch of me.

  “I’m fine, I’m fine…”

  “We spoke with a scout from the allied southern clans. They told us that they accidentally followed our scent here. That other scouts were incoming and could also make the mistake. We had to make sure though, that you were fine,” Luca said.

  “The dragons I sent here had also been caught up with a group of ‘visitors’ coming this way,” Alex sighed.

  “Why do you look like you are in shock?” Luca asked me. He glanced back at my dad and Doc West briefly.

  “You guys were right, you each fathered one of the twins…” I looked at both Alex and Luca. “And also I’m half shifter. That’s my dad, he used to be a part of the clan,” I said. Their gazes swung back to my dad.

  “And the twins are both boys,” I said, their gazes swung back to mine again and excitement registered in both their eyes. Funnily enough the first thing they did was high five. Which had me laughing away all my tension.

  “How are you both here when you have a bunch of foreigners around?” I asked.

  “Well we just came to check on you…” Luca said.

  “And rescue you in a completely heroic fashion if that was needed,” Alex added.

  “Can we name our son Luca Junior?” Luca asked me and I laughed again.

  “No, he should have a unique name,” I said and he pouted a little, but good naturedly.

  “Will you take us?” Alex asked softly. I glanced at him with a quirked brow and he repeated the question. “Will you take us as your mates?” he asked and put his hand on my belly. Tears sprang to my eyes then; it was really too much for a pregnant woman to handle in one hour. All that news and then Alex proposing.

  “We want to be your mates. No matter what anyone might think. We both love you and it won’t ever waver,” Luca said sincerely.

  “I…I love you too,” I said and looked at the both of them. “Of course I’ll take you as my mates,” I said in a hoarse whisper, more tears threatening to spill over. Alex wiped my eyes and kissed me softly on the lips then Luca did the exact same. It was a little strange realizing that my dad was witnessing it all but hell, he could turn into a dragon.

  “As soon as we get all of this business with the southern clans squared away we’re getting married. And picking out names,” Alex said.

  “That sounds like a plan,” I couldn’t help my giant smile and felt that even though there was still quite a road ahead. The future would be a happy one and definitely full of love.

  THE END

  Bonus Story 27 of 40

  Rising from the Flames

  Smoke Screen

  Melanie Ironstone was nothing if not focused. When she got an idea in her head she went full steam ahead, and could get so engrossed she would not know what was going on around her. That is what happened when she realized there was a discrepancy with the financial disclosures she had been going over for her employer. She was the firm’s accountant, and the suits upstairs had decided an in-house audit would be necessary, so she was doing it.

  It had begun fairly routine, but about halfway through the day she had found problems with the receipt records. Nothing big at first, regular discrepancies that could be found going over any books. But then she had found that the income and overhead weren’t matching up the way they should. So she dug deeper, and found that the problems could only be deliberate. Mel then began copying the information to a thumb drive that she could present to the boss in one neat package, explaining what she had found.

  She was so engrossed that she did not notice the smell of smoke. She actually rubbed her eyes under her thick reading glasses, wondering why her eyes were stinging. It did not get her attention fully though as she was almost done. She finished the last of her file transfer and removed the thumb drive, putting it in the breast pocket of her flannel shirt. It was then that she noticed the smoke. Then she heard the sirens. The building was on fire!

  Panicking, Mel jumped up and removed her reading glasses. Smoke was coming through the door that she had left cracked open. When she went to it she could see reflection of flames in the hallway. The heat was becoming intense. She knew there was no way she could get out via the hallway, so she turned back to the little window near the desk. It was a tiny little utility room she had been assigned so her options were not great. She threw open the window, inhaled the cool winter air with a gasp and began coughing. She could see the fire truck
s five floors below and began waving. She tried to shout but the smoke caused her to start coughing. A few more deep breaths of clear air and she was able to scream for help.

  “Up here! Help, please, up here!” she shouted waving frantically. More and more smoke was billowing into the little room, and out of the window. A man on a megaphone called out to her. She started to cry, feeling that it was the first step to being rescued.

  “Stay where you are, we are coming to get you. Do not leave the window until help comes!” Mel waved acknowledgement of the message received. She waited for a few minutes but nothing happened. Men went into the building with hoses. More trucks pulled up and more hoses were hooked up. Water was being sprayed on the building but the smoke behind her kept getting thicker and it was harder and harder to find clear air and she was coughing again. Her eyes were watering from the acrid fumes when she saw a ladder being raised and extending toward her. She cried out again with fear, waving frantically, as if they could not see her. The ladder got closer and closer. In her mind it seemed to move so slowly and the heat was getting worse.

  Black smoke kept billowing past her where she hung halfway out the window, trying to avoid the smoke, to no avail. She kept wiping her stinging eyes and then to her surprise she saw the end of the ladder and a fireman in the basket at the end. He was in full gear with ventilator and oxygen tank. Due to the angle of the ladder she had to stretch out for him to get close to her. She overreached and felt herself slipping forward and screamed. She heard the man shout something and lunge for her, grabbing her arms before she fell. She swung forward, hitting the side of the basket. Everything got hazy as she felt herself being hauled up. Mel could only see the man’s eyes through his faceplate; determined, compassionate eyes. She heard herself sobbing as she made it into the basket. The man was shouting something to the ground, she thought dizzily, it couldn’t be to her because she could not make out what he was saying. Time seemed to speed up and before she knew it she was on the ground, then on a stretcher that was soon in the back of an ambulance. When the sirens started and the medics put an oxygen mask on her, she relaxed into unconsciousness.

  *****

  The Accused

  Mel lay in her hospital bed frustrated and angry. When she had woken she had been interviewed by a police officer about what happened, and then again by a good-looking fire investigator. It seemed her place of work had been deliberately set on fire. For a time, she was the main suspect! She, Melanie Ironstone! She had never even had a parking ticket and they thought she was an arsonist! What the hell, she wondered, taking a sip of her juice through the cheap little straws the hospital used. She thought about it more and out of anger she got up and went looking for her clothes. She was feeling fine other than a little dizziness. The doctors had given her lungs the all-clear, and she was ready to go home. Let them accuse her there, she told herself.

  She went into the bathroom and the clothes she had been wearing were folded on a shelf, clean and laundered. She changed out of the embarrassing hospital gowns into her jeans, tank top and warm flannel shirt.

  The nurse arrived. “Hello, Miss Ironstone? Are you in there?” she said. Mel’s nurse was a pretty little woman with the voice of a wood chipper, she thought.

  “Yeah, I am in here. What do you need?” Mel said, not bothering to be too polite.

  “You have visitors ma’am,” the nurse growled at her.

  “Out in a minute,” she told her and finished dressing.

  She had been allowed a shower earlier in the day so she was clean at least. She put her long red hair into a pony tail and tucked her shirts into her pants, trying to look as presentable as she could.

  Mel walked out of the bathroom and saw the good-looking fire investigator and another man. The second man was bigger, very strong-looking with black hair and a goatee. The investigator was a few inches shorter than the big guy’s six two. He had red hair and was clean shaven.

  “Hello Mr. Morgan, are you here to interrogate me further?” she asked sarcastically. It really annoyed her that she was a suspect. The big guy’s lips twitched as if he were suppressing a smile. There was something familiar about him but she could not put her finger on it. He was watching her interaction with the investigator.

  “Actually I am here to tell you that you have been cleared, for now. You are free to go but if we need more information we would be grateful for anything you can give us. It was definitely arson, but it is a peculiar case. That being said I also wanted to introduce you to Lieutenant Max Cronkite of District Fourteen’s fire house. You met briefly the other night,” he said.

  Mel looked closer at the man, frowning slightly. She thought she should remember a man like that, and then she saw it. His eyes, his eyes! She smiled big for him.

  “You were on the ladder. I remember! Thank you very much for saving me. You risked yourself to haul my butt to safety. Thank you Mr. Cronkite,” she said, feeling like she was blabbering. She had dreamed of the horrific night several times and he was her savior every time. He came forward and took her hand. His eyes were beautiful, she thought as she gazed into them.

  “You are very welcome Miss Ironstone. It is my pleasure; I hope I am not intruding. I like to meet survivors of fires. It is a reminder of the importance of the job we do,” he said.

  Mel nodded somberly. She knew that the building’s janitor and his son had died in the fire. They had been in the basement and that was one of the places that the fire had been the fiercest. Mel understood why meeting survivors would be such a good reminder for the fire fighters. When every call could result in human lives being lost, it would be a good re-enforcement of how vital the job was to see the successes.

  “Well I hope you know the work you do is very much appreciated,” she told him and could not stop herself from hugging him with a sudden lump in her throat. When she backed away she looked at the investigator.

  “Thank you for letting him visit. It’s good to meet somewhere other than a fire truck basket,” she told him and he smiled.

  “It is my pleasure as well. I have known Max for years and he is one of the best officers we have. Now, there are some inconsistencies with the fire we were both hoping you could help us with. We do not believe you had anything to do with it, but we are searching for other information. If you are ready to leave, can we buy you lunch and have you taken home,” he said.

  Mel could see concern in Mr. Morgan’s eyes as much as in Max’s and thought she may have to change her mind about him. Well she thought, wait and see.

  “I was about to leave on my own so your timing is excellent. Know any good delis?” she asked, lightheartedly.

  In New York everyone has a favorite deli. They laughed and suggested whatever Mel’s favorite was since they would be taking her home too. She chose Darrel’s Deli; it was a block from her apartment and had great soup. After she checked out of the hospital, they took her to Darrel’s in an official fire department vehicle. It was a little pickup truck with the district number on the side, 14. Mel sat in the extra cab seat because she could not feel good about making the big man cram himself into such a little seat. They arrived at the deli, got a booth and ordered fairly quickly.

  “I am glad to hear I am off the suspect list. What can I do to help?” she asked them. They exchanged glances.

  “You are off of my list, definitely. Others still think you are a good suspect. I want to reassure you that we…do not,” he told her. Mel’s eyes narrowed.

  “Who thinks I am a good suspect? I have never broken a law in my life for goodness’ sake,” she told them firmly with some irritation. Mr. Morgan looked at her with sympathy.

  “Well, we can find no evidence that would work in court or even a motive that makes sense. Your employers have been speaking to a few commissioners in the city and they are listening. Considering there is nothing that makes sense about it we are at a loss as to why they are focused on you. They are going to get nothing back from insurance claims, since it is obviously arson. As I told
you before, the fire started in two places at the same time and you were busy working from that room upstairs. The computer internet connection and your phone use prove that. Do you have any idea why you are the focus for your company?”

  The waitress came by and delivered their orders. Mel always became hungry when frustrated, so the food was right on time. She thought about it while starting her lunch.

  “All I was doing was an internal audit, they happen from time to time. Nothing ever comes…oh shit,” she said, remembering what she had found. Still, she wondered what that would have to do with anything.

  “I did find some discrepancies in the books. They actually looked pretty severe. I figured that the boss would want to see them and investigate. I don’t know why that would get me in trouble, especially since I haven’t got a chance to tell the company about it,” she told them before taking another spoonful of soup. The minestrone was excellent as always. It helped her relax. Max looked at the investigator.

  “What do you think Dave? It would seem an extreme reaction to some financial squirleyness wouldn’t it?” Max asked.

  “Hm, maybe. Depends on how much it was and what kind of trouble it could get them in. Torch the place and blame it on someone else has been done before,” he reflected looking over at Mel. Mel dipped the last of her sandwich into the last of her soup and as usual, once she was relaxed and fed, her mind kicked into gear again. With the release of the initial stress she began noticing everything that should have occurred to her earlier. She felt more than a little stupid.

  “Okay this is going to sound stupid guys but if my boss thinks I did it, I should be out of a job, right. I mean I haven’t heard a word from them. No one from work came by the hospital. Isn’t that strange?” she asked. They both nodded.

  “Yes, it is. Then again there is no real proof other than you, the janitor and his son were the only people in the building at the time the fire started. So without proof you could have a case against them for firing you without cause,” Dave said.