Family Christmas Miracle: A Dragons' House Story (Dragons' House 5.5)

by H. M. Wolfe

  ''Come on, Ezra, take it easy, man. You are agitated like a lion in a cage.'' Hayden tried to calm down his cousin, to no avail. ''You wearing a hole in the floor won't help Peyton in any way, you know.''

  ''Your cousin is right, son.'' Thaddeus put his hands on the young man's shoulders. ''The best specialists of the Institute are in charge of the baby's delivery. Everything will be alright.''

  ''Gaspard is also inside. He'll also give Peyton energy, and the child will be a healthy, happy one. So stop worrying!'' Quinlan wrapped his arms around Ezra, hugging him from behind. ''I'm living proof of his healing ability. I never thought I would ever walk again, especially after what happened to me.''

  ''Why is it taking so long?!'' Ezra said, five minutes later, his beautiful blue eyes troubled and worried. ''It's so quiet inside, what if...'' he left the sentence unfinished.

  ''Stop doing this to yourself.'' Thaddeus started to massage his son's shoulders lightly. ''It's only been half an hour since they started. It will take longer than that to complete the procedure. When the baby starts crying, it's not going to be quiet anymore.''

  ''Your father is right, son.'' Selma also intervened, casting a gratitude-filled look in her ex-husband's direction. ''Try and relax a bit.''

  ''How are they? Is the baby here yet?'' the Hunters burst into the waiting room, Peyton mother's voice slightly panicked.

  ''No, they started only a half an hour ago, but everything is under control.'' Ezra regained his composure, heading to the couple.

  A baby's cry came from inside as if the newborn wanted to confirm his words. Everyone congratulated Thaddeus, Selma, and the Hunters. All while, the happy father plopped down in a chair, head in his hands, and started to cry. He let the tears wash away all the emotions that had taken him over since early morning when Peyton began to experience their first contractions.

  They didn't panic, giving Ezra precise instructions about the hospital bag and also suggesting he ask someone else to drive. Right then, the young Bloom hadn't realized what was happening, but once his fiancee disappeared behind the doors of the surgery room, the reality hit him harder than a sucker punch.

  But it was not over, Ezra thought, not until he heard from Peyton, too. Everyone was thrilled about the baby, but none of them seemed to care about the one who'd given birth to him, the young man thought, saddened. Raising his head, he saw Gaspard walking out of the surgery room.

  ''They are alright.'' the incubus said, his voice calm and sincere. ''They need a lot of rest. Giving birth is a pretty traumatic experience, even for us, magical creatures. Their body needs time to heal, and their mind has to adjust to the new situation, too.''

  ''The new situation? What are you talking about?'' Ezra's voice was small and broken, as he started to feel chills run down his spine.

  ''Another pregnancy would pose a great danger to them. I heard the doctors talking about it. They will be very disappointed and sad about that.'' Gaspard's eyes filled with tears.

  ''Oh! You don't have to be sad about that.'' the young Bloom smiled, kissing the incubus on the forehead. ''We've talked about it, and decided to stop after this child. No more pregnancies for Peyton. They won't be sad about this; it's a thing we've already agreed on.''

  ''You have a tiny but perfectly healthy baby boy.'' one of the specialists in charge of the newborns approached Ezra. ''You can see them both if you want. The carrier is also awake.''

  ''Hi, handsome.'' a tired-looking, but smiling Peyton greeted their boyfriend, who was standing in the doorway. ''Christmas came earlier this year, look what Pere Gaspard brought us.'' they flashed a cute grin in the incubus's direction.

  ''Hello, beautiful.'' Ezra stepped inside, gently kissing his fiancee's hand. ''Are you in any pain?'' he asked worriedly.

  ''No, not right now, anyway.'' Peyton shifted a little, grimacing. ''Can you rearrange my pillows, please? And take a look at your present.'' they gestured to the crib.

  ''In a moment.'' the young Bloom fluffed up the two pillows, positioning them comfortably under his fiancee's back. ''Speaking of early Christmas presents, I got you something, too.'' he blushed. Down on one knee, Ezra extracted a little box from the pocket of his jeans, opening it. ''Do you want to accept me as your husband? As the one who'll love you, cherish you and keep you safe until the end of time?''

  ''That's...I mean, yes, I do!'' Peyton covered their mouth with a hand, their beautiful, light green eyes filling with tears. ''Look, baby boy, your papa loves us. He wants us in his life,'' they said, looking in the crib's direction.

  ''He's just...he's perfect!” Ezra stared in awe at the little, sleeping bundle. ''The best Christmas present ever! Thank you both for filling my life with love and light!''

  The young man took the child into his arms, and the little one instinctively cuddled against his chest, pursing his adorable little mouth and making a sucking noise. Soon, however, he fell asleep again, Ezra's heartbeats making him relax. Looking at the tiny being in his arms, the man wondered how someone so fragile could have a power so great over him and all the other grown-up people waiting outside.

  Putting his son back into the crib, he had the answer to the question from earlier: it was because of love, that wonderful feeling which had led to him being conceived. Ezra now had another reason to celebrate that Christmas. The first of many in his life as a happy fiancee and father.

  ''T

  he entire family and their closest friends are gathered at the mansion to celebrate Christmas? How many people are we talking about, Auntie Zoe?'' Willa Van Houten-Bloom calmly asked.

  ''Close to one hundred.'' the matriarch serenely replied. ''We'll have to open the great reception hall, of course. And clean everything up; it hasn't been used in God knows how long, but we'll make it in time.''

  ''We will.'' Christine approved with a motion of her head. ''The great reception hall is in a perfect state. Mallory had it restored three years ago when he proposed to Great-uncle Alastair.''

  ''A hundred people?! In nome di Dio!'' Donna Rosa exclaimed. ''Do you have that many plates, spoons, forks, and knives for all those people?''

  ''Actually, there's many more than that'' Zoe nodded, amused by Eugene's mother's almost terrified expression. ''and they are dishwasher-safe. We will have to clean the silverware manually, though, but I know how to save time. I will ask the kids for help; it will make them feel important."

  ''Que meravigliosa idea!'' Donna Rosa sighed in relief. ''Now, the most difficult part: what are we going to cook? How are we going to feed this army? Most of them are grow-up men, with an enormous appetite, and even some of the teens seem insatiable.''

  ''I'd say we should go for a traditional English Christmas menu with stuffed goose, potatoes, mashed or boiled, sliced and seasoned, and of course pudding. We should also add our own favorite Christmas dishes: main courses, roasts, salads, side dishes, cakes, and so on,'' suggested Nicky, who hadn't said a word until then.

  ''Great!'' Zoe clapped her hands. ''That way, everyone will have more options to choose from, and the possibility to try new things. We should at least double, if not triple the amounts of ingredients used for every recipe, and cook several portions at a time.''

  ''I think we will have a lot of volunteers to help with the cooking.'' Maxine smiled, ''At least Liam and Elias would be happy to, and I'm sure that Leon will also join them.''

  ''That's great news, ladies, but who will buy everything and bring it here? Or should we order the ingredients?'' Donna Rosa, the voice of reason, spoke again. ”Because our presence here is essential, none of us can be missing from the kitchen on those days.''

  Zoe looked at all the women gathered in her private salon, talking about a Christmas menu for over one hundred people. They calmly agreed on things, discussing ideas, listing ingredients and dishes. The subject would have driven a lot of women crazy, but not these ladies. Of different ages, social statuses, and having different interests and jobs, they were united by their love for the men in their family.

&n
bsp; Daughters, wives, mothers, fiancees, sisters, cousins, they were all related one way or another to those men and boys, taking care of them in a discreet manner. These ladies were fiercely protective when the situation required, but gentle the rest of the time. They were balancing the roughness, cruelty, and all the terrible things their loved ones have to deal with in their efforts of making the city a safer place.

  ''Sorry to interrupt, but since we are going to open the great reception hall for Christmas dinner, I think it should also be decorated accordingly.'' Ariana Van Houten intervened, interrupting the discussions about the amount of pudding to be baked.

  ''Of course! It completely slipped my mind.'' Zoe lightly slapped her forehead. ''It's quite a lot to decorate in there, the place is enormous. It takes up an entire wing of the mansion.'' she lightly frowned.

  ''I wouldn't worry about that if I were you, Auntie Zoe.'' Willa warmly smiled. ''What about gathering the kids again this weekend? I'm sure they will be thrilled to help again; there are plenty of decorations left.''

  ''Oh, my dear niece. That is another one of your great ideas!'' the matriarch enthusiastically spoke, lightly squeezing the younger woman's hand. ''I'll talk to Mallory and have him invite Roderick's older son and his children here for the weekend. That way, their family can be together when they meet us for the first time.''

  ''What about the others? Rumors are that this mysterious guest has two other children.'' Ariana lightly frowned.

  ''Yes, that's true. The daughter works for one of Joraan's companies, as the head of the jewelry designing department. Our dear friend Nicky and she have a lot of things in common.'' Zoe smiled warmly. ''I can't tell you anything about the youngest son, I'm afraid.'' she shrugged.

  ''I'm sure we'll find out everything that there is to know when the time comes.'' Donna Rosa waved her hand. ''For now, I suggest we should enjoy the magic and the surprises of this Christmas, with no questions or worries.''

  ''I have something to ask you,'' Lothier said, stepping into Ardan's office. Judging by his facial expression and the tone he was using, the matter was a solemn one. ''And a confession to make.''

  ''I'm listening.'' the other man spoke calmly, looking into his friend's eyes. ''Take a seat and start talking.''

  ''The confession part first. It'll help you understand the reason behind the request. A few months ago, I was recruited by the FBI and given an assignment: to keep an eye on their best undercover agent and get him out of trouble, if the situation required. It was an easy job; the kid didn't even notice me; everything went smoothly. Until now.''

  ''I suspected you were up to something.'' Ardan nodded. ''You were away most of the time. Avoided giving me a straight answer when I asked about your absences...I'm impressed, especially since I heard about this kid. He's a goddamn legend. Raven, right?''

  ''Yes, Raven.'' Lothier blushed a little when saying the name. ''Anyway, some weeks ago, his cover was blown, and he had to go into hiding. Currently, the kid and another boy he saved from the clutches of that Conroy bastard are hidden in a safe house, here in New York City. But I want them moved from there.''

  ''Do you plan on bringing them here? I have nothing against it, but there's an even better option.'' Ardan spoke, a concentrated expression on his face. ''I can ask Mister Stark to hide them at the Connecticut estate. That place is inviolable.''

  ''Would you do that for me?'' Lothier's voice was thick with emotion, a very unusual thing for him. ''I mean, for Raven? You don't know him at all.''

  ''That's right. But I know you very well by now.'' Ardan smiled a little. ''You would never ask for a favor so big if you were not convinced that the person in question deserves it. Am I right?''

  ''Do you remember when you asked me if I ever was in love and I told you about Bennett? I said that no one would make me feel the same again, but I lied. Raven managed to bring those emotions back to life, but he doesn't know it. He doesn't see me. He doesn't even have the slightest idea I exist.'' Lothier's voice was a bit melancholy, sad even.

  ''It's not my business, but I'd tell him if I were you,'' Ardan said in his soft voice. ''You may lose the greatest opportunity to happiness you'll ever have. At least, give the two of you a chance.''

  ''On another note, Gaspard and Lazarus said they want to go to the mansion, too.'' Lothier ignored his friend's words and changing the subject. ''Those two are always together lately, whispering and conspiring. I have the impression that they are up to something, but I don't know what it is.''

  ''Welcome to my world, buddy.'' Ardan rolled his eyes. ''Lorcan and the Spitfire are always up to something. Every minute they spend together, the two are plotting behind my back.''

  ''Sure they do, it's the most natural thing to them.'' Lothier winked. ''So, it's all set, then?'' the man left his seat, heading to the door. ''Give me a sign as soon as you get to talk to Mister Stark, and I'll escort Raven to the mansion.''

  ''You can count on me.'' Ardan did the same, accompanying his friend to the door.

  Once alone in his office, the man plopped down on the office chair again, sighing heavily, while a barely-there smile played on his lips. This Christmas, he thought, was going to be special for his sweet Spitfire and an unforgettable moment. He'd already spoken about it with his father and Dunstan, securing their support with that delicate mission.

  However, if he wanted to do things right, Ardan would also need two of Alasdair's male relatives on his side. He required them to speak for him in front of the Spitfire's grandfather and father. The man knew he could count on Thaddeus's help, but was still undecided about the second person, going back and forth between Liam and Daniel.

  In the end, neither of the two won, as Ardan chose Sebastian as the other supporter of his request. Imagining the expression on Alasdair's face, the man smiled brighter. For once in the four years since they'd been together, Spitfire was going to be speechless, he smirked.

  ''This article!'' Roderick Stanford pointed to the column of the newspaper he was reading. ''There's so much truth in it, so much clarity! This Ezra Bloom fellow is one hell of a journalist!'' he enthusiastically stated.

  ''I agree with you.'' Ramsay loudly said from his room, where he was busy packing a suitcase. ''I mean, the guy is already a legend, and he hasn't even turned twenty-three. Duncan heard that, before becoming specialized in internal and foreign politics, Ezra Bloom was a brilliant investigative journalist, Charles Swinton's last disciple.''

  ''That explains a lot.'' Roderick nodded, although he knew his son couldn't see that. 'The guy had it in him, what a pity that he was involved in all those scandals that brought him such unwanted fame. But what are you doing there, Ramsay? I thought you finished unpacking last week, the day after we moved here?''

  ''Just a minute, dad, and I'll be ready.'' the answer came in a cheerful voice. ''Actually, I was packing, because my boss invited the kids and me to the family mansion in Connecticut, to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve there.''

  ''Isn't it a little early? Christmas is still three days away.'' Roderick furrowed his brows. ''It's unusual for a law office to stop working so early.''

  ''Yes, you're right. But this is not any law firm. It's the one in charge of the legal department of the largest conglomerate of companies in the world. I'm talking about those belonging to the Stark and Bloom families. Since the employees of those companies also have a longer Christmas vacation, there's nothing for us to do, either.''

  ''That's not fair for Mattie. She'll spend the week alone, and I don't want her to. So I”m not going to accompany you.'' Roderick said in a determined voice.

  ''Dad, don't worry. The Van Sloot companies are also our clients, and they apply the same policy to their employees' Christmas vacation. That means Mattie comes with us.'' Ramsay smiled reassuringly.

  Roderick didn't offer his son a reply. Instead, he went to his room, where he started packing for the trip to Connecticut. The man was still wondering if there was any connection between this mysterious gentleman and the Alastai
r from his mother's stories. The child Lady Cecilia used to refer to as your brother. Each time she did that, the woman had a bright smile on her beautiful face, and she kept saying how much the two of them would have loved each other.

  At that point, Roderick smiled to himself, thinking about the friendly, open-minded people he'd met in the week since the whole family had moved into this house. It was situated in a secluded, almost secret neighborhood. Young married couples inhabited many of the impressive mansions and villas. Some of them even had five or six children, mostly to Tess's delight.

  The best part about living there was the atmosphere of understanding and acceptance everyone in Roderick's family felt from the first second since they moved in. To their great surprise, most of their neighbors were gay couples with successful careers and proud fathers of children of almost all ages, who'd held a welcome party in their honor.