Fire

by Terra Harmony

"Is that short for something?" he asked.

  "Baby," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

  Micah raised his eyebrow. "You name our baby…Baby?"

  "I couldn’t think of anything, and Bee just stuck. Did you have something better in mind?" I challenged him.

  "No," he said. "Bee is perfect. Let’s go with it."

  "She has blue eyes." I blurted out again. I silently wished someone would shoot me now, just to shut me up. But really, there was no concealing the elephant in the room.

  Micah shrugged. "Most babies do. Eyes change colors up until you are two."

  I looked at him, "How do you know that?"

  "Doesn’t everyone know that?"

  "Well, I'm sorry – she didn't exactly come with an instruction booklet. And just in the interest of full disclosure, she's never had her shots. And she doesn't sleep through the night yet." I looked down at her, taking a breath. "And she is a Fire. And I know that sometimes, Fires can become Gaias."

  My voice became louder as I placed myself in front of Micah, in between him and Bee. I pointed my finger directly at his chest. "I will never let anything happen to her, or let anything come between us – whether or not we are both Gaias." I poked him hard in the chest with every word, driving my point home.

  "Shh – you'll wake her." He grabbed my finger, pulling me into him. Again with the wooded scent. He wrapped his arms around me, running one hand through my thick curls. Pulling them away from my ear, he whispered, "You did a wonderful job, Kaitlyn. You should be nothing but proud. But we are here to help you now; you will never have to do this alone again."

  And for that, I sobbed. Tears of relief. No one spoke while I blubbered into Micah's shoulder.

  When I finally composed myself, I turned to face the others in the room. Susan and Alex had remained silent while I worked through my many issues. The other lab technicians had quietly left.

  Susan cleared her throat. "The paternity test will take a few weeks to come back. But, for what it's worth, she is a healthy, thriving baby. No issues. I'll have one of the doctors discuss what shots we can give her." She took a step toward the bassinette, and a tiny hand shot up toward her. Susan smiled, letting Bee grasp at her pinky finger as the rest of us came closer. "She's awake."

  Bee squealed, delighted at the circle of faces looking down at her. Alex started in with another game of peek-a-boo.

  I started to reach across to smack Alex upside the head, but Susan beat me to it.

  "Unless you want her to start throwing fireballs again, knock it off," she said

  I laughed, almost as delighted as Bee to watch the people around me. I looked back down at the small life I had created, my little miracle. She met my eyes.

  I think we are going to be okay here, I told her, telepathically. Or tried to anyway. I had no way of knowing if she had that ability, at least yet.

  Micah, Susan, and Alex were building an army to fight Shawn. Whether they knew it or not, I had surrounded Bee with my own army. Granted, it was only four strong at the moment.

  Susan interrupted my thoughts. "We can do a Wiccaning."

  "What's that? You aren't going to bind her powers or anything are you?" I asked.

  "No." Micah jumped in. "A Wiccaning is a baby naming ceremony. Like a Christening."

  Susan talked over her brother, "It is a ritual that presents the baby to the universe; a first rite of passage, but with the understanding that she is free to choose her own path later in life."

  I thought of the ritual Ahi performed without my permission. Already, that had been one ritual too many. "I don't know…"

  "Might be a good way to introduce her to everyone here," Alex offered.

  I still hesitated, but it was time to start trusting my army. I looked at Alex. "You'll bring your fire extinguishers?"

  He smiled, bent down and came up with a bright red canister. "Always prepared."

  I laughed, "Okay Boy Scout."

  "Tonight then," Susan said. "I'll take care of everything."

  "She always does." Micah bent down to pick up Bee. "Auntie Susan is a control freak. Yes she is, isn't she?"

  Does he have much experience with babies? I held my breath as Micah cooed at Bee.

  He tucked Bee away in the crook of his elbow and used his other hand to take my arm. "Come on, I want to show you her room."

  Chapter 30

  The Nursery

  "Her room? She needs to stay with me." I couldn't imagine being separated from her for eight long hours each night. Visions of a crib on fire, so vivid I could almost smell the smoke, quickly convinced me. "Yes – definitely with me."

  Micah looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Please, Kaitlyn. Don't you think I know you by now? If there is anyone as controlling as Susan here, if not more so, it’s you."

  "And don't you forget it." I bounced up on my tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Suddenly, I couldn't seem to get close enough to him. I finally had a complete family. I felt a pang of guilt for Ahi. It was because of me that her family had been torn apart. I needed to reach out to her, make sure she was okay. Maybe even extend the invitation for her and anyone else that wanted to come here to train.

  Micah stopped at the door to his old room.

  "You gave up your room for a nursery?" I asked.

  A devious smile lit his face. "Not exactly."

  "Then wha—?"

  The squeak of his door opening cut me off. I walked inside the room.

  It was nothing like I remembered. The wall to the adjoining room had been knocked down, making the suite twice as big. A nook, about the size of a large walk-in closet, was carved out on one side, a curtain separating the two rooms. I parted the curtain. Inside sat a changing table, a rocking chair, a dresser, and a crib. Everything was beige, a subtle pink, or chocolate brown. It was beautiful. I looked around and found a sound machine, a breast pump, and a video baby monitor mounted on the wall, aimed down at the crib.

  Micah picked up something from the dresser and handed it to me. "A portable monitoring system – so you can see her from anywhere in the Chakra while she is napping. There’s also a feed to the security guard post and to the screen by our bed."

  I looked up at him. "Our bed?"

  "Yes…I…" He cleared his throat. "Is that ok?"

  I hugged him. "It is more than okay. Thank you."

  "When did you find the time to do all this?" I had imagined that the entire time I was on Easter Island, he was scouring the planet, hopping from one country to the next trying to track me down.

  "Like I said," he yawned. "Very little sleep. I did say that, didn't I?"

  I looked at him; I mean really looked at him. For the first time I realized the lines around his eyes were a little more pronounced than I remembered, and his cheeks were drawn. He must have lost fifteen or more pounds since the battle on Heard and McDonald Islands.

  "Why don't you lie down for a while? I need to feed Bee anyway." I moved toward the rocking chair, but he stopped me.

  "No – come feed her on the bed. I need to feel you next to me."

  I followed, nervous about sharing a bed with him again. I sat on the bed cross-legged while he excused himself to use the bathroom. As he entered the door opposite the nursery, I got a glimpse of the renovated bathroom. It was twice as large as I remembered, with a huge claw foot tub that would probably fit all three of us – and then some.

  He closed the door behind him and I hurried to prepare myself and Bee, determined to be at least decent by the time he emerged. Just as she latched on, I looked up to see him standing there. I held his eyes, searching for any sign of embarrassment, or worse – disgust. He showed none, and he held my eyes, coming toward us on the bed.

  Micah made himself comfortable next to us. "Does it hurt at all?"

  I thought back to the first sessions – the pinching, and the painful contractions. "It did initially. But not anymore. Now it is just natural, and convenient – and free."

  As one breast emptied, I detac
hed her and moved her to the other side. He watched, stroking Bee’s cheek. It was the same as I had done the first few weeks to encourage her. She looked up at us and smiled, effectively releasing her suction. Milk sprayed all over her face.

  "Oh, my God. I'm sorry!" I wiped her and me with the edge of my shirt and pulled her close to resume feeding. My cheeks grew hot, "How embarrassing."

  Micah finished wiping Bee off as she fed, laughing. "Don't be. This is the best thing for her."

  "I know. But sometimes I feel like a freakin' cow."

  "It's beautiful." He turned my chin gently to face him. "You are beautiful."

  I leaned into him, lips parting, yearning to kiss him again. He obliged. It was the same as outside; a tranquil heaven. But this time a familiar warm heat developed low in my stomach. The kiss suddenly wasn't enough – I needed more.

  He pulled away, and I looked down at Bee. She was starting to fall asleep.

  "I'll go lay her down," Micah said, his eyes reflecting the hunger in my own.

  He disappeared into the nursery, and I heard the sound machine come on. Ocean waves. I leaned over and turned on the small screen set up on the bedside table. The black and white screen flickered to life and there was Bee, content and sleeping with Micah staring down at her. I watched as he pulled off her socks, removed the half dozen teddy bears from the crib, and pulled a blanket up to her chin.

  Yeah, I thought. He'll do.

  On a whim, I took off my shirt and nursing bra. Stretch marks and a puffy abdomen greeted me. I flinched, but I needed Micah to see everything. I removed the rest of my clothes and flung back the blankets. With the afternoon sun brightening the room, I lay bare and completely unashamed.

  Chapter 31

  Earthquakes are the Least of It

  Micah pushed aside the curtain to the nursery after laying his daughter down for a nap.

  My daughter, he thought.

  It was true no matter what genetics had to say about it. He had been so close to losing her and Kaitlyn forever, and now they were both here, safe in his home.

  He pulled the curtain closed behind him and looked up to see Kaitlyn sitting on his bed, legs tucked up under her, completely naked. The Easter Island sun had done her good. Her hair glowed with more gold streaks than he remembered her having, all intertwined with light brown curls. He knew she was watching him carefully, considering his reaction. He didn't want to ruin this moment, but he couldn't take his eyes away from her body.

  He looked at her smooth, golden skin and could barely contain himself from reaching out to run his fingers over her. Allowing himself to drink in the luscious curves of her breasts and hips, he felt himself grow hard.

  Micah looked up at Kaitlyn's face. Her full lips were pursed and slightly opened. Long golden brown curls hung over one shoulder, and he watched her push them back, revealing a slender, tempting neck.

  "Are just going to stare at me all day or are you going to come here?"

  She was teasing him, but he obeyed, peeling off his shirt, jeans, and briefs before he joined her on the bed. He positioned his frame over her, crowding her back into the pillows. The notion was deceiving; Kaitlyn was as uncontrollable and unpredictable as the elements she mastered. The gold flecks in her large, brown eyes danced with devious intent. He could pretend she was his all day long, but he was contending with a power greater than Mother Nature herself and the choice to stay was ultimately hers. Micah would just have to give her a reason to stay – each and every day.

  He let his fingertips hover above Kaitlyn's arm, afraid if he indulged his fantasy, it would vanish. She watched him a moment, then met his hand with her own. Their fingers intertwined.

  She raised her head to whisper in his ear, "I'm here, and I'm not going to go away this time." Biting his lobe, she dragged him back down with her. He took hold of Kaitlyn's other hand, and held them both captive above her against the headboard.

  "Wait just a sec," Micah whispered. He reached over and opened the side table drawer, pulling out a condom.

  Kaitlyn frowned, "I'm not sure I can get pregnant if I'm breastfeeding."

  "Let's just play it safe this time around," he smiled. He put it on then leaned down to kiss her.

  Positioning himself over her entrance, he pressed in, slowly. Kaitlyn tensed and Micah tightened his grip on her hands. They didn't kiss, and they didn't look away. With eyes locked, Micah continued to push forward, bit by bit. Kaitlyn arched her back, but still refused to break the gaze. It was a challenge. It was a promise.

  He went the rest of the way, and Kaitlyn gasped. Micah held his breath. The ocean waves continued to break. He waited until she relaxed into him, accepting his girth – then he breathed, thrusting his hips back then forward again. They both blinked, and Micah lowered his forehead onto Kaitlyn's.

  Back then forward again.

  She moaned, widening her legs even further, wrapping them around Micah.

  Back then forward again.

  She encouraged him, pulling him in with her heels. He obliged, increasing his pace. He finally released her hands and she used them to grasp his biceps, steadying herself against his forceful thrusts.

  Kaitlyn squirmed beneath him. He resisted the urge to hold her still. Instead, he wrapped his hands in the silk curls cascading over her shoulders, and finally took her by the mouth. A low, guttural whimper sounded in Kaitlyn's throat. By contrast, Micah's breathing came out in uneven labors; panicked almost.

  Kaitlyn shifted her hips upward, finally meeting his every push, matching his intensity. Micah tried to maintain control, willing his body to go longer. But it was like holding back the ocean – he couldn't stop the waves of liquid fire building up inside of him any more than he could stop the tide.

  When he felt Kaitlyn tighten, experiencing the first swells of her climax, Micah's movements left his control. A surge of adrenaline tightened everything from his thighs to his stomach, and his thrusts become involuntary. It was a drive he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. His groin became almost unbearably tense just as the floodgates opened, sending rippling waves of pleasure from him and into her.

  His vision grayed out as he climaxed. When color came back to him, the gold highlights in Kaitlyn's hair seemed to shimmer. The late afternoon sun filtered through the window and made her entire body glisten as she moved, riding out yet another high from her orgasm. Micah continued to hold on to her until she settled.

  He smoothed her wild hair back from her face and couldn't help the teasing, "Mop head."

  "Dolt," she smiled.

  Micah frowned. "What is a dolt?"

  "You are." Kaitlyn playfully pushed him off of her.

  He laid down, facing her, watching her catch her breath. As he watched her chest heaving, an overwhelming feeling of guilt took hold. "I'm sorry I didn't kill Shawn when I had the chance," Micah whispered into her ear.

  Kaitlyn turned toward him on the bed. "Why didn't you?"

  Micah studied her, keeping his face blank. She didn't show anger, or fear – just curiosity. Her face, unlike his, was an open book.

  "The Athame."

  "What about it?" she asked.

  Micah propped himself up on one elbow. "Shawn said you both were connected through the Athame."

  Her face was now completely blank.

  Micah sat up. "He said that if anything would happen to him – it would affect you."

  "I don't think—"

  "All that time with him on Galapagos? Maybe he did something you didn't know about."

  "Micah – I stabbed him with the damn thing. If we were connected somehow through the Athame, don't you think I would've known then?"

  Micah froze.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  His eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong is I had a chance to get rid of him – to end this! And you're telling me I kept him around for nothing?" Micah threw the blankets off of him and stomped to the bathroom with his clothes. He came out a minute later, fully dressed.

  "You're right, y
ou know," Kaitlyn said from the bed. "You kept him around for nothing. I mean, except for the fact that – oh, I don't know – he found me!" Her hands tightened around the twisted blankets, pulling them up to cover her chest. Her eyebrows furrowed.

  Now she is angry. Bad things happened when she is angry; earthquakes are the least of it.

  Micah ran his hand down his face, trying to rub away his frustration. Kaitlyn and Shawn had just as much history between the two of them. They probably had more hours logged together, they had been intimate, hell – they had even been handfasted. The fact that all of it occurred against Kaitlyn's will didn't help placate Micah's fears. In fact, as Alex kept reminding Micah, torture and captivity had unpredictable effects on people. There was no denying the bond between Kaitlyn and Shawn, even if it was made of chains. If the baby turned out to be Shawn's, would that soften Kaitlyn toward him?

  Micah sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. Kaitlyn moved up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  Kaitlyn put her lips to Micah's ear and whispered, "Do you believe in God?"

  "What? What does that matter?" Micah's eyebrows rose.

  She didn't answer.

  Is this a trick question? What response would cause the least amount of damage? His mind raced, until he realized it was probably meant as a distraction. It worked. He was no longer angry, or frustrated. He leaned back into her warmth. "Do you?"

  "I believe everything happens for a reason. That reason may not be apparent to us now, or ever, but I do believe it benefits the greater good in the long run. If I have faith in anything – it is that." She ran her hand across his bare chest. "Oh, and you. I have faith in you."

  She giggled as he pulled her arm over his shoulder, bringing the rest of her body with it. He cradled her in his arms, planting a long kiss over her lips. He pulled away and stroked her smooth, silky cheek with the pad of his thumb. "You've been through Hell since I brought you into my life."

  Kaitlyn put her hand over his. "And heaven."

  Chapter 32

  His Army