I meant. She’d survived some pretty horrible things, too, so she didn’t push. “So, tell me, what’s really going on with the Feds by the front gate? The rumors are all over the place and only you minders seem to know what’s really going on.”
Two guys are in charge of two different groups out there. I didn’t want to worry her too much, but I knew she’d want the straight, no-holds-barred version. One of them’s military, and he wants to capture or destroy all of us. He’s the one who… who had me detained. The other’s with the FBI or ATF or DOD or Homeland Security or something. He’s just watching us for now. We don’t know who he is or what he wants. But he outranks the other guy and he’s prevented the one who wants to destroy us from coming in this long, so we’re okay for now, we think.
Rachel nodded, processing that.
So, what’re you going to name her?
“The baby?” The subject change surprised her. “I was so sure she was a he. It was really easy that way, since Sean—” Dirt-colored sadness coiled around her as she paused for a distracted moment. It’d been seven months since he’d died on the rescue mission in which I’d lost my voice. “The McFees always name their oldest sons after their fathers.” She looked up, trying to keep from crying. Not having a little boy to name after his father took something more from her.
“Maybe… “
No. No way.
“What?”
Not that. Pick another name.
“What’s wrong with Shawna? It’s like Sean, but for a girl.”
Rachel, it’s a stripper name!
She laughed, shocked out of her sadness. “I can’t believe you said that! It’s not a stripper name!”
Stripper name. Completely. We were both cracking up when Heather walked in, pulling her red hair back into a ponytail.
Heather? Quick question: someone named Shawna—doctor or stripper?
“Stripper.” Heather didn’t miss a beat.
“Maddie, you don’t get a say in what I name her!”
That’s too bad. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t give her a stripper name.
“It’s not a stripper name! It’s pretty!”
Okay, so it’s a pretty stripper name.
Rachel was holding her pregnant belly—the ligaments or something on her sides hurt when she laughed.
Then the paper sheet on the exam table caught fire.
“Whoa!” Heather slammed a metal instrument tray down on the flames. Rachel scooted up and away from the burst of flames. My jaw hit my chest. None of us were laughing anymore.
My expression frightened Rachel even more than the sudden fire. “Maddie?”
Oh, crap! Rachel, the baby… the baby did that! I’d felt her little mind react. She’d been jostled by all the laughter, and then something kinda flared within her, just like in the sparks when they used their ability.
This kid might give new meaning to the terrible twos.
Maddie? What’s wrong? Trevor had dropped everything when he’d felt the anxious spike in my emotions.
We’re okay. But… can you find Drew and bring him here right away? We have a fire issue with the baby.
“FIRE issue?” He took off fast toward the lake to find Drew.
“Rachel? Rachel, calm down.” Heather had her hands on Rachel’s arms.
Rachel couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs. “No! We don’t have abilities as BABIES! That’s not how it works! I can’t… I can’t take care of a spark baby!” Oh, my God. “How am I going to take care of a spark baby?”
Rachel. RACHEL! Calm down! We can figure this out. We can find a way for this to work. Personally, I had nothing. But Rachel had a huge problem. A fire-starting baby? Wasn’t there a Stephen King book or movie or something based on that?
Drew would know.
She is so screwed. Heather’s hand wrapped around Rachel’s wrist and monitored her racing pulse. “Rachel, you’re hyperventilating. I need you to try to slow your breathing.”
I suddenly flashed back to Drew’s reaction when he’d found out that Rachel was pregnant. It was just after we’d returned
Two guys are in charge of two different groups out there. I didn’t want to worry her too much, but I knew she’d want the straight, no-holds-barred version. One of them’s military, and he wants to capture or destroy all of us. He’s the one who… who had me detained. The other’s with the FBI or ATF or DOD or Homeland Security or something. He’s just watching us for now. We don’t know who he is or what he wants. But he outranks the other guy and he’s prevented the one who wants to destroy us from coming in this long, so we’re okay for now, we think.
Rachel nodded, processing that.
So, what’re you going to name her?
“The baby?” The subject change surprised her. “I was so sure she was a he. It was really easy that way, since Sean—” Dirt-colored sadness coiled around her as she paused for a distracted moment. It’d been seven months since he’d died on the rescue mission in which I’d lost my voice. “The McFees always name their oldest sons after their fathers.” She looked up, trying to keep from crying. Not having a little boy to name after his father took something more from her.
“Maybe… “
No. No way.
“What?”
Not that. Pick another name.
“What’s wrong with Shawna? It’s like Sean, but for a girl.”
Rachel, it’s a stripper name!
She laughed, shocked out of her sadness. “I can’t believe you said that! It’s not a stripper name!”
Stripper name. Completely. We were both cracking up when Heather walked in, pulling her red hair back into a ponytail.
Heather? Quick question: someone named Shawna—doctor or stripper?
“Stripper.” Heather didn’t miss a beat.
“Maddie, you don’t get a say in what I name her!”
That’s too bad. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t give her a stripper name.
“It’s not a stripper name! It’s pretty!”
Okay, so it’s a pretty stripper name.
Rachel was holding her pregnant belly—the ligaments or something on her sides hurt when she laughed.
Then the paper sheet on the exam table caught fire.
“Whoa!” Heather slammed a metal instrument tray down on the flames. Rachel scooted up and away from the burst of flames. My jaw hit my chest. None of us were laughing anymore.
My expression frightened Rachel even more than the sudden fire. “Maddie?”
Oh, crap! Rachel, the baby… the baby did that! I’d felt her little mind react. She’d been jostled by all the laughter, and then something kinda flared within her, just like in the sparks when they used their ability.
This kid might give new meaning to the terrible twos.
Maddie? What’s wrong? Trevor had dropped everything when he’d felt the anxious spike in my emotions.
We’re okay. But… can you find Drew and bring him here right away? We have a fire issue with the baby.
“FIRE issue?” He took off fast toward the lake to find Drew.
“Rachel? Rachel, calm down.” Heather had her hands on Rachel’s arms.
Rachel couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs. “No! We don’t have abilities as BABIES! That’s not how it works! I can’t… I can’t take care of a spark baby!” Oh, my God. “How am I going to take care of a spark baby?”
Rachel. RACHEL! Calm down! We can figure this out. We can find a way for this to work. Personally, I had nothing. But Rachel had a huge problem. A fire-starting baby? Wasn’t there a Stephen King book or movie or something based on that?
Drew would know.
She is so screwed. Heather’s hand wrapped around Rachel’s wrist and monitored her racing pulse. “Rachel, you’re hyperventilating. I need you to try to slow your breathing.”
I suddenly flashed back to Drew’s reaction when he’d found out that Rachel was pregnant. It was just after we’d returned
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