Chapter Thirty-six

Lindy unbuckled Liam from the car seat. Impatient to be out of it, he leaned forward, grabbing a handful of her hair. "Hey, I need that attached where it is, thank you." Finally freeing Liam, she pulled him out of the seat and settled him against her.

She looked around the mostly deserted warehouse parking lot. Other than Nathaniel and the cars of a few late working employees, it was empty. They were here to visit with Anton and Bryn, and to officially introduce Liam to them. The night at Clover Run really didn't count since most of the focus had been on what happened Chandra and it's implications. Lindy held out her free hand to Nate. "Ready to go?"

He grabbed her hand, using his other to steady the diaper bag on his shoulder. "Yep."

As they walked through the nearly deserted warehouse, he had to shake his head. This was only the third time he'd willingly decided to step foot in Anton's home. It was still a strange feeling. Most likely this particular time stood out because of Liam. They hadn't been a whole lot of places since 'adopting' the boy. It was still an odd feeling to be carrying a diaper bag. He suddenly had the title of Family Man thrust upon him and although he was nearly as old as the hills, he didn't feel nearly mature enough to be a father. Then again, maybe that was a good thing...he could certainly relate to Liam better on his own level.

They stepped out of the elevator and knocked on the door. Liam squealed the moment the door opened and Petunia appeared. He nearly leapt out of Lindy's arms trying to reach for her. Lindy gasped, holding him tightly to her chest, watching as Anton grabbed the dog's collar and pulled her back into the apartment.

"Come on in."

Nate and Lindy stepped inside. Lindy was immediately surprised by how much Bryn had grown in the time she was away. She had seen it the other night but hadn't really noticed it. But then she had other things on her mind on that night.

Anton smiled at the pair, the way they hovered over the baby protectively. He wondered if he'd be that way in about four months. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, her Buddha-belly stretching the t-shirt and drawstring pants she wore, Bryn nodded. "Yeah, come in and sit down. I have some dinner in the oven. We can relax before it's ready."

Nathaniel gestured for Lindy to take the lead. She walked over to take a seat next to Bryn--or at least, until Petunia planted herself between them and started licking Liam's head. He scrunched up his face, but didn't cry as he reached out for the dog. Nate took a seat in the chair perpendicular to the couch, setting down the diaper bag.

"How was Venice? I take it that it must've been better, at least since the last time we heard from you," he said, his words directed at Anton.

"Yes," Anton nodded with a smile. "Things are much better."

Liam gave up on trying to reach for Petunia's ears and began to pat the dog. His 'pats' were more open handed slaps to Petunia's back. "Gentle," Lindy said, trying to guide his hand. She grinned at Bryn. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Sure."

Lindy handed him over. "Just don't be insulted if he starts crying. He doesn't seem to be too used to being around humans."

She took hold of Liam, smiling as he looked at her curiously. He scrunched his face up for a moment, as if getting ready to cry, but instead he inhaled deeply and merely snuggled closer to her. Bryn cast a dubious glance at Lindy. "Doesn't seem to be having a problem now."

Lindy frowned slightly, shaking her head. "Maybe he thinks you smell like a mom."

"Could be." She looked back at Liam, putting her free hand on her stomach. "You'll get to meet Max in a few more months. I bet you and he will be buddies."

"How old is he?" Anton asked.

"Six, maybe seven months," Nate said. "It's a little difficult to tell, and that's our best guess."

Liam, while content to let Bryn hold him, continued to try to pat Petunia. "He really seems to have a thing for her," she commented.

Lindy nodded. "Makes me suspicious, as cliche as it sounds, that he was raised by wolves."

Anton looked at her, curious. "Exactly how?"

Lindy ticked off a few facts on her fingers. "In general, he gets really nervous around humans. The first time we tried to bottle feed him, he acted like he had no clue what we were trying to do. And you can see how affectionate he is towards other dogs."

"But how could wolves take care of him when he's in human form?" Bryn asked.

"Well, these obviously aren't ordinary wolves. The mother probably half- Changed when she needed to do something that her paws couldn't accomplish. And once he was old enough to know how to maintain the Change, he'd be a normal member of the pack."

Bryn glanced over Liam's face, and then back at Lindy. "I sometimes have a hard time remembering that you're a werewolf. It isn't as easily apparent as being a vampire is, because of the need to feed. Did you ever consider staying in wolf form for more than a night?"

Lindy took a deep breath before answering. "It's very tempting to do so, very seductive to stay in that form with the enhanced hearing and smell. But there's always a danger that I won't be able to Change back, and be a wolf with a human mind for the rest of my life."

Sensing that Lindy wasn't fully comfortable talking about the Change, Nate backtracked to something Bryn said earlier. "You called your baby Max a bit earlier. Does that mean it's a boy?"

She smiled, rubbing her hand across her stomach once more. "We think so. Can't be one hundred percent sure until tomorrow, when we go back for the amnio results, but that's what Dr. Anne said she saw."

"And you've decided on Max?"

"Yes, Maxim. We haven't agreed on a middle name yet, but we both liked Max almost immediately." She looked at Anton, giving him a tender smile. "Do you want to hold him? I want to see what you look like with a baby in your arms."

Anton took Liam from Bryn, gently holding the boy to his chest. He looked solemnly down at the baby, and Liam looked back up curiously. He looked over at Bryn and gave her a little grin, a bit smug that Lindy's prediction about her son hadn't come true. He looked back down at the child.

Liam, finally connecting that someone with a strange scent was holding him, scrunched up his face and gave a loud wail.

Anton tried to shush him, bouncing him lightly in his arms. Liam would have no comforting from him, and continued to scream. Anton looked up a bit sheepishly. "He's got good lungs."

Bryn covered her mouth with her fingers to hide her smile. "I guess you don't smell like a dad yet, Anton."

Looking a tad embarrassed, Lindy stood up and reached for her son...who promptly reached for her just the same, eager to get away from the stranger. Anton handed him over, looking fairly embarrassed himself. Sitting down on the arm of the couch, next to Bryn, he mumbled, "I certainly hope that isn't the response I get all the time."

Sympathetic, Bryn took hold of his hand and squeezed his fingers.

"I'm sorry, Anton," Lindy said. "He does it with everyone. He's just not used to people who don't smell like werewolves. Or mothers, apparently."

Nate shook his head. "Just get some chocolate the next time you pick him up. He'll be putty in your hands." He grinned as Lindy cast him a dark look. "So, Anton, when exactly were you planning on setting up Natasha?"

"It will be difficult to do, and it means we'll have to feed on animals for a while, but, I think we can give the police enough circumstantial evidence anonymously for them to investigate her."

"But it is a risk, Anton." Nate shook his head. "What if their investigations lead them to us? We haven't exactly been discrete about feeding on humans before now."

"It's a calculated risk," Anton said. "But do you want to risk something else happening?"

Leaning forward, Nate braced his elbows on his thighs and rubbed his eyes. "I don't like this. Not with us living here. I think it should wait until the houses are finished and we've been in them a while. We'll be able to keep to ourselves. We're too exposed here to risk drawing attention to our activities."

"And what if, while we're waiting, she does something even worse? What if this time she really kills someone? That's the risk I'm worried about, not being exposed."

Nate glanced at both Bryn and Lindy, and then at his son. He closed his eyes briefly, obviously struggling with the decision. "All right, what do we do? How are we going to make this anonymous?"

Bryn spoke up. "Whatever you do, don't use a typewriter. They give away too much. I'd suggest setting up a fake email address, without giving away any personal information. And use the library so they can't track your computer's signature. And make sure you sign in under a false name when you go in the library to begin with...preferably a library out of town."

Anton stared down at her. "Since when did you become the criminal type?"

She grinned. "I just watch too much television."

Lindy nodded. "Bryn's got the right idea, though. I know of a few small libraries a couple hours south of here that would be perfect. And maybe Bryn or I should do it during the daytime. Plus we can use one of those anonymous net surfing services to scramble the trail a little more.

"We should do this in the next day or so. As soon as the police start looking at her, she'll run. And the sooner, the better as far as I'm concerned."

Bryn nodded. "They'll never suspect a pregnant woman." She cast a somewhat nervous glance at Anton. "What if she does run? She won't stay gone for good, will she?" "Unfortunately, no. And when she does come back, she'll be angry. So the quicker those houses are done and the security is set up, the safer you'll be." "They've finished setting up the walls and floors of the tunnels, as well as the foundations of two of the houses," Nate said. "I was planning on waiting until the houses were done to get the security stuff set up, but I'll go ahead and call someone to get the fences rigged now. We've got over fifty men out there working on the construction, but if we double that the place should be done in no time." Anton nodded, taking a deep breath. "I guess it's up to the police now."

"Yeah," Nate sighed. "I wish our other problem was as easy to solve."

"Have you found anything out?"

"No," Lindy said with a sigh. "We've tried to search out if there's a pack of werewolves that moved in after we moved back east. But if they are local, they've hidden themselves well." She looked down at Liam and held him tighter against her.

Bryn placed her hand on Lindy's arm. "If there's anything we can do, anything at all, just say the word. You shouldn't have to go through this at all, let alone all by yourselves." Lindy blinked a few times, trying to keep her tears from spilling over. "Thank you." Bryn turned towards her, her gaze shifting between Lindy and Nate. "This may sound incredibly risky, but have you ever considered setting up a trap?" "What do you mean?" Nate asked. "This guy is still looking for you...why not lead him directly to you, and be waiting and ready when he arrives? Four adult werewolves against one...plus a couple of vampires and a really pissed off pregnant lady." She smiled slightly. "If he knows for sure that he can't mess with your family, maybe he'll back off?"

"What if it's not one werewolf? What if it's a pack?" Lindy asked. "I don't want to risk any of my family against nine or ten werewolves."

"We can't keep going on like this, Lind," Nate said with a shake of his head. "I'd rather face this head on instead of running away."

Bryn bowed her head a bit. "It's just an idea. She's right...it's silly to take unnecessary risks." "We'll think about it," he said. "In the meantime...it smells like something is burning." "Crap!" Bryn bolted off the couch, hurrying towards the kitchen. She coughed as she opened the oven door. "Um...I hope you guys don't mind blackened chicken."

They were back at Dr. Leahs' the next night, waiting to hear the results of the amnio. Instead of being in the examination room, they were in her office. Anton was holding Bryn's hand. He was trying hard to hide his unease, but this was taking far too long.

The doctor walked back into the office about five minutes later, her face blank as she set down a file on her desk and sat down. "Sometimes I wish this desk wasn't here. Seems so impersonal to have a barrier between us."

Bryn's false smile dropped. "You don't have good news, do you?"

"No." Anne was quiet for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "Well, the good news is that you are indeed carrying a boy. However, there were some abnormalities in the test results. Some things I've never seen before, and can't explain. Given the unique nature of the pregnancy, I'd expected something out of the ordinary...but I'm at a loss. I've never seen anything like this before."

"What is it?" Anton asked, his voice a little lower than usual.

"I'm sure you're familiar with the basics of how human DNA works. It's shaped somewhat like a twisted ladder, comprised of nucleotides. The nucleotides have four nitrogen bases, and the ratios of these bases are constant in all living things...on earth. Your test results showed an extra pair of nitrogen bases, two that have never been seen before in nature." She took a deep breath, lowering her gaze to the file. "I can only guess that this has something to do with your abduction, Sabryn. That these additional nucleotides are extraterrestrial in nature."

Bryn swallowed heavily, her face pale. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "Is it in my blood?"

"Curiously, no. Whatever it is, it's contained to the fetus's cells."

"Are you saying that I have an alien growing in me?" she asked, her voice rising on the last few words.

"I'm saying that I don't know. The results of the amnio were otherwise normal. No diseases are present, and given Anton's physical health that's not surprising. You don't have to worry about Down's syndrome or other fears that some parents face...but that doesn't mean the fetus is completely healthy. The additional nucleotides in his DNA are considered a mutation. There is a chance that your child could be born deformed or worse."

Bryn stared at her blankly, and then at Anton...after a second or two of stunned disbelief, she stood up and walked out of the room.

He stood up to follow her. "Anton," Dr. Anne said, before he reached the door. "For what it's worth, the ultrasound didn't show any physical abnormalities. But that doesn't mean they aren't there"

Anton nodded once and went off to find Bryn. [It's not fair, it's just not fucking fair that we're given this wonderful chance only to have it snatched away!] A quick glance out the entrance revealed she wasn't in the parking lot. He doubled back, trying to find her, afraid of what affect this news would have on her.

As he passed by the woman's bathroom, he heard a retching sound. Guessing that Bryn would be the only woman in the closed clinic, he opened the door and walked in. He found her hunched over the toilet in the last stall.

Grabbing a paper towel, he wetted it down in the sink and then went to where she was. He knelt down beside her without saying anything, and put his arms around her.

She sat eerily still, staring at a scratch on the stall divider, her gaze unblinking. She didn't even acknowledge his touch. "I did this. It's my fault, and we both know it. They were my defective cells that caused this to begin with and now it's all ruined." She closed her eyes, a tremor shaking her. "Say goodbye to those dreams about having a family, Anton. I killed whatever hope we had."

"Bryn, this isn't your fault." He gently pressed the wet paper towel to her forehead. "I don't blame you, and I don't want to hear you blaming yourself." He gently began rocking her back and forth. His voice was soft, heartbroken. "Blame me if you have to blame someone. I was the one who got you pregnant."

She finally looked at him, her lower lip quivering before her face crumpled. She clutched him desperately, her face pressed against his neck, harsh sobs leaving her mouth. "I don't wanna lose our baby!"

He gently stroked her hair, letting a tear roll down his cheek. "I don't either, Bryn." He held her and rocked her for several minutes. "I guess we should go back and listen to what Dr. Anne has to say," he said, when Bryn pulled back to look at him.

She shook her head. "I don't want to hear anymore."

"I know. But we need to hear what options we have."

She lowered her gaze and nodded, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She paused for a moment to flush the toilet and then rinsed her mouth out at the sink. Taking his hand, her grip extraordinarily tight, she followed him back to the office. Once inside, they noticed Dr. Leahs sitting on the edge of her desk.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to return. I'm sorry the news was so upsetting."

"It wasn't your fault," Anton said, as they both sat down.

"Well, I don't know if this will be of any comfort, but I do have a few things to say about your son's genes. First of all, nothing is a guarantee. He could be born completely normal and healthy. In humans, most mutations of the DNA have no effect whatsoever to the body. And a significant number of the mutations that have been found in nature are the result of a species evolution. Mutations, in fact, are quite normal and necessary to the continuation of life on the planet. I can't say what effect these additional nucleotides will have, but there is a chance that this is simply another form of humans evolving and adapting, especially considering that Anton is a vampire."

She stood up and walked around her desk again, taking a seat. "I should also mention that DNA has a way of repairing itself when mutations occur. The body contains enzymes whose sole purpose is to correct damage and errors. This could cause a problem in your case, with the additional nucleotides...the enzymes may see them as defective and try to attack them, causing the body to fight its own cells much like cancer." Seeing the horrified looks on their faces, she quickly continued. "However, this could also be something beneficial, and his cells could be repaired to a normal, healthy condition."

Anton didn't look too comforted by that fact. "So what are our options?"

"At this point, the best thing to do may be to watch and wait. Sabryn doesn't appear to be in any danger, and the ultrasound appears to be normal. But if abnormalities develop, or if there is a threat to Sabryn, I will have to recommend an abortion."

Bryn closed her eyes at that word, her brow creasing. She placed her hand on her stomach and rubbed in small circles, an almost soothing motion. "So you're saying we have to go through four months of hell. Four months of feeling dizzy and nauseated, of transfusions and swollen ankles and feeling bitchy for no reason...all for nothing? Only to find out that he's born brain damaged or deformed, or God-knows-what-else. Is that what you're saying, because I don't know if I c--"

She stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, a small gasp leaving her mouth. Anton and Dr. Anne stared at her, both poised to get up. Bryn blinked, her mouth open, breathless, and immediately grabbed Anton's hand, placed it palm down on her stomach.

He was about to ask what was going on when he felt it. The baby was kicking, and rather firmly. He sat there open mouthed. Despite the doctor's earlier words, he couldn't stop a slight grin from appearing. "I can feel it, Bryn," he said, awed. "I can feel Max move."

Dr. Leahs sat back, thinking about what Sabryn had said. "There may be a way to find out about Max's mental state at least. But I have to warn you, it's a bit... unorthodox."

It took them a moment to break the excited stare between them before they turned their attention to the doctor. But Bryn kept both of her hands holding Anton's over her stomach, the baby moving persistently underneath.

"Our whole life is unorthodox," Bryn said, the slightest trace of amusement finally able to creep into her voice. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting that Jess perform a mind probe on Max."

"By the tone of your voice, it doesn't sound like a good idea."

"Well, it's a risk, more to Jess than to Max however."

Anton frowned. "Exactly what is this 'mind probe' that you suggest Jess

perform?"

Dr. Leahs cocked her head to one side. "Jess or Lindy hasn't told you what she can do?"

"No."

"Lindy's not the only psychic in the family, although her gifts run along a different line than Jess's. All the werewolves can communicate mind to mind. That allows them to talk to each other while they're in wolf form. But Jess's abilities run a bit deeper than the others."

"Deeper how?"

"She can, with a lot of effort, read human minds. She'd be able to 'scan' Max for the lack of a better word. Be able to tell us if he's mentally developing."

"But you said there was a risk."

"For Jess. She could possibly not be able to withdraw from Max. Or if she does withdraw, she may not be able to get back into her own head. Her body would be a shell devoid of personality."

Bryn closed her eyes. She released her grip on Anton's hand. The baby wasn't moving anymore, that she could feel. Her heavy grip on his hand only served to remind her how desperate she was feeling. "Then we can't do it. Their family is going through enough pain already. They have their own problems, they don't need to worry about us. And I wouldn't do anything that might make their pain even worse. I won't do that to Jess."

Dr. Anne nodded. "That's completely understandable. But please at least consider it and discuss it with her." She gave a deep sigh. "Other than that, I don't have anything else to offer other than we monitor the situation closely."

They gave her their thanks as they finally left the office, but the words sounded meaningless considering the situation. Bryn stared blankly at the floor as they headed towards the car, lost deep in her own thoughts. Once they were outside and a blast of warm air surrounded her, she looked up at Anton as he unlocked her door.

Her voice was quiet and emotionless as she said, "I'm sorry I lost it in the bathroom. You have your own worries...you shouldn't have to take care of me, too."

"Our worries, Bryn." He paused to stroke her hair back from her face. "We're going to get through this together. And no matter what happens, I'm going to be here for you, Bryn. If you need to break down and cry, go right ahead. Because I know I'm going to."

She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. They stood that way for a long time, tightly squeezing each other as the night grew darker. She kissed him a few more times, caressing his cheek, before lowering back to her feet. "Let's go home. Do you want me to drive?"

"No, I, uh, think I can make it home." He squeezed her tight before opening her door for her. Once she was in the car, he got in silently and pulled into the street.

They had gotten as far as the Highway 85/280 interchange when he spoke again. He grabbed her hand and squeezed. "I think we should at least talk to Jess about what Dr. Anne suggested before we make any further decisions."

"We can talk to her all we want, but the dangers will still be there. It's too much of a risk. Can you just imagine what Lindy would feel like if she faced losing her son and her mother, too? I won't do that to her. I don't want to be responsible for two--" She swallowed heavily. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Okay, Bryn." He held her hand for the r