by Abigail Owen
Alec blinked, and Cassie saw the memories flash back, identifying the senior as a nearby neighbor, one he'd helped more than once to carry groceries into her house from the car. "You too, Veronica. Been a good long while."
Veronica stepped back, tugging her shawl back up out of danger. "Come on, come on—no use letting all the heat out. I just put another log on the fire."
"Merry Christmas," Cassie answered automatically as she stepped inside, Alec close behind. "I'm sorry I'm late, but there was a last-minute issue at the bar."
The shawl flapped back and forth, tassels flying. "No problem, no problem at all. My favorite version of A Christmas Carol was on television, the one with Alastair Sim." Veronica walked back into the living room, letting them through. "Tell you the truth, never even looked at the clock. Time flies when you're watching something you love—I've seen this movie a hundred times, maybe more, and it never gets old."
The older woman picked up her coat, eyeing Alec. "Not to pry, but are you staying around this time?" She shook her head. "You've no idea how hard all this has been on her..."
Damn it... not now.
Cassie bit back her words, hoping that would be the end of the questioning. She'd gone through enough during the past few months, and it wasn't really the best time to launch Alec into that tar pit. Just his return would be enough to start the gossip train blasting out of the station—as soon as Veronica got into her car and pulled out her cell phone, it'd be on.
Not to mention she was the one who wanted to explain the situation to Alec—before anyone else could.
"I hope so." Alec helped Veronica on with her thick black winter coat, giving her his best smile. "It's a long story, but I'm tired right now—tell you what, come on by the bar day after tomorrow for lunch, and I'll give you all the details." He gave her a wink, putting the charm on full blast. "I've been traveling all around the world by boat, ship... visited the most amazing places and seen the most amazing things." He patted her shoulder. "But that'll have to wait until we have lunch. I'm sure you understand I'd like to talk things over with Cassie before anyone else knows I'm here."
Veronica's eyes lit up at the chance of getting a jump start on the gossip train. She pressed a finger to her lips. "I'll hold you to that, then." She looked at Cassie. "You two have so much to catch up on—see you on the 26th. I'll bring lunch over from the diner, don't worry." She collected her purse, smiling as Alec escorted her out to her vehicle.
The frustration on Alec's face was clear, the urge to interrogate the senior almost overwhelming him. But he was polite and patient, returning to stand beside Cassie and giving a cheerful wave from the doorway as Veronica's car backed out of the driveway and started down the road.
As soon as she was out of sight he spun around, his forehead furrowed.
"Why was she here?" Alec asked as they stepped inside, closing the front door behind him.
"Because..." Cassie pointed at the stairs; her chest almost too tight to breathe. "Because I won't take him to work—it's illegal, in the first place. In the second, too noisy and unsafe. When I work the early shift, he's in the local day care 'round the corner. Except on nights like tonight, when Veronica can come in until I finish up..."
He stopped still, taking in the plastic toys carefully gathered up and safe in a plastic bin near the couch. A stuffed animal lay on the floor, the plush dolphin smiling at them.
Cassie watched him slowly spin, noticing the little changes in the living room. The extra barriers around the fireplace, the shift in the chairs and the couch—foam corners on the coffee table and covers on the electrical outlets.
Slowly he climbed the stairs, Cass close behind him.
Alec stopped at the first bedroom, the one they'd shared for so many months. He stood up a little straighter, rolled his shoulders back before entering.
She followed him in, watching as he flexed his fingers, opening and closing his hands as he circled the room, taking in the small changes she'd made.
The changing table had taken the place of the old dresser, the ancient furniture pushed into the corner. A rocking chair sat in the corner, displacing a bookcase now sitting in the other bedroom.
Cassie had to speak, say something to break the silence. "I thought about making Dad's old room into a nursery, but decided he'd be better off in here with me. Easier to feed him, lighter on my nerves to have him close."
Alec moved toward the crib next to the bed, shrugging off his coat. He didn't act as if he heard her, all of his attention fixed on the tiny bundle, sound asleep on the mattress.
"So... small," he whispered, the words filled with wonder.
"He's fine for his age. Doctor said so. Hearty and healthy in every way." Cassie took off her own coat and placed it on the nearby chair. "His name is Michael. Michael Alec Nyre."
He hovered over the crib, staring at the sleeping child. "He's mine."
There was no question in his words, just a statement wrapped in love and astonishment.
"Remember, not long before you left—we had that fight. I was so emotional..." She put her hand on her torso, near the scar. "Turns out it was a hormonal thing. I didn't find out about the pregnancy until after you left, and six months after that..." She moved to stand beside him, smiling as she looked down. "Michael arrived in February. He's ten months old." She couldn't hold back a happy soft laugh. "This is his first Christmas."
He spun to face her. "You did this alone? All—" The anguish on his face almost broke her. "Oh, Cass..."
She shook her head. "You didn't know. You couldn't know."
He pulled her into a hug. "I can't even begin to imagine the trouble you had. Here, alone..." A hitch in his breath. "Abandoned."
She sighed, safe in his embrace. "I won't lie and tell you it was easy. I told everyone you left to get work; told them the story we came up with. But as time went on and you didn't return, didn't send any letters…"
Alec dropped a kiss into her hair, rocking her gently.
She continued. "There was no way to get word to you, tell you what was happening. Some people liked to gossip, and when you didn't come back when he was born—" She pressed her lips into a tight line before continuing. "That's why Veronica was sort of giving you the cold shoulder. They thought you'd walked out on me."
"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry."
She felt the dampness on her skin, realizing with a shock it was his tears.
"It wasn't your fault. It wasn't mine—well, I guess technically it was mine for not catching on earlier. But I thought the birth control..." She fell silent as Alec drew back and pressed a finger to her lips.
"No more apologies. Especially not to me." He turned back to the crib. "He's... beautiful." Alec reached down and ran a finger along the baby's cheek, brushing up against the dark hair.
The infant made a sucking noise, smacking his lips together. His tiny eyes stayed closed.
The soft pelt brushed against her skin, tucked into her waistband. She pulled it out with care, placing it on the table by the bed before moving to stand beside Alec by the crib.
Cassie searched for the words. "Is he... can you..."
"Let him sleep," Alec said softly.
He led her to the bed, placing his own pelt beside hers. "Let's all sleep. Then we'll celebrate in the morning."
He drew her into his arms and that was the end of coherent thought.
The digital clock sitting on the nearby bureau read 6:18 am when she woke up to Michael's fussing, the familiar noise drawing her out of Alec's embrace.
"Feeding time," she whispered in Alec's ear. "Be right back."
He mumbled something and turned over, pulling the blankets with him.
Michael gurgled as she slipped on a robe and carried him out of the bedroom, heading downstairs.
It only took a few minutes to heat the bottle up in the microwave and settle into the rocking chair in front of the fireplace, Michael going quiet as he fed. It wasn't long before he was sated and fell asleep, smacking his l
ips as he rested on her breast.
"He's a greedy little one." Alec put his hand on Cassie's shoulder, startling her. Naked, he knelt down by the chair, studying the tiny face. "Although I can't blame him." He shook his head. "What a beautiful miracle."
She chuckled, keeping her voice down. "He's happy and healthy—what every woman wants in a child." Cassie looked up at Alec, her heart aching. "I can't leave him here, not even with anyone I'd trust. He can't come with us. He doesn't have a pelt."
The crackling fire cast shadows over them, twisting and turning as he looked at her. "That's not even an option. I'd never ask you to leave him. Ever." He reached out and touched the silky brown hair, tracing one delicate ear.
Michael reacted with a yawn, smacking his lips again before going back to sleep.
Alec whispered, as much to the baby as to Cassie. "We'll all go. Together."
Cassie blinked, wondering if she'd heard correctly. "What?"
Alec leaned in and kissed her forehead. He pulled back and smiled. "If you want. We can all go, or we can all stay. Or a mixture of both—I wouldn't dare ask you to choose one over the other." He looked down at his naked form. "I'll stoke the fire—but first, let me get some protection."
She softly giggled as he went back upstairs, returning with his underwear on.
"You're laughing, but you'd be the first one upset if I burned my bits with a wild spark. Okay, maybe the second." Alec crouched down and started building up the fire. The flames started to rise and grow, the gentle warmth filling the room and banishing the last of the early morning chill.
"Thanks," Cassie said. "I usually have the wood set up before I go to bed, make it easier to start it up when he's like this, but..."
Michael opened his eyes and stared up at Alec. He started moving, wriggling free of her grip.
"Do you think he—" Cassie fumbled for the words. "Is he like you?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. We can find out." He reached out for the baby, looking to Cassie for permission.
She hesitated, her mother's heart aching. But she nodded and passed him over.
"Don't worry—I'm not going to throw him in the river." His smile smoothed over her nerves. "Not in this weather. Maybe if it were warmer..."
The joke fell flat as she scowled at him.
"Sorry," Alec said, cradling the baby.
Michael cooed and laughed as Alec held him, reaching up to tangle his tiny baby fingers in Alec's long hair. A twist of his hand, and Michael had a firm grip, allowing him to tug and pull at the dark strands.
"Ow." Alec winced as he tried to disentangle the baby's fingers.
"Good luck. I've lost more hair to him than I care to remember." Cassie stood up and stretched, her arms going up over her head as she reached for the ceiling in a familiar routine to ease the stiffness out of her muscles. Her black robe fell open, the thin belt dropping to the floor.
Alec leaned in for a kiss, holding the baby in one arm as he caressed her bare skin with the other. Cupping her breast, he ran his thumb over the nipple.
She gasped at the flash of heat running through her at the touch—it was as if they'd never been apart.
Michael let out an annoyed shout, forcing Alec to release her and step back.
"Oh, you're going to have to learn how to share," Alec said as he rocked the baby. "You want your momma all to yourself, but I need her too." He looked into Cassie's eyes. "I love her."
A lump rose in her throat as she put her hand on his shoulder, relishing the simple touch. "So how do we... do you..."
"Go get my pelt, please?" Alec headed for the bathroom, cooing at Michael. "I've got an idea." He looked over his shoulder. "And don't worry—it's safe."
She went into the bedroom where the two furred squares sat. It was easy to tell hers from his, the one he'd arrived with was a little less soft to the touch—hers felt like it was brand-new.
Which it was, she reminded herself as she headed for the bathroom.
She didn't want to begin to imagine what sort of magic, what sort of strange science created the pelt. What Alec had gone through to get it for her...
As she walked into the small room, Alec was still holding Michael, babbling to him in the same sort of baby talk Cassie had become fluent in over the past few months. He tilted his head toward the tub.
"Put some water in. Not too much—just like you did for me when you first brought me in." He settled on the edge of the ceramic tub, balancing the baby on his knee. "Barely enough to cover the bottom."
"I remember." She did so, instinctively checking the water temperature to make sure it wasn't too hot.
Michael burbled and burped, right in Alec's face. A small trickle of formula escaped out of the side of his mouth, running down into the front of his pajamas.
He laughed and handed him back to Cassie. "Take everything off him—including his diaper. Give him to me in a minute." He stood up and stripped off his underwear, folding and placing it on the nearby shelf.
Alec blew them both a kiss and pressed the otter pelt to his chest.
In less than a minute, it was finished.
Alec rose to stand on his back feet, whiskers twitching. The small tail slapped against the tiled floor as he raised his paws and waved at the pair.
Michael let out a peal of delight, reaching for the furry animal. His tiny chubby fingers wriggled as he tried to kick his way free from her grasp.
Alec scampered up onto the toilet and into the tub, swimming around in the lukewarm water. After a few circuits, he settled himself at the end and lay on his back, arms outstretched.
Cassie paused, staring at the otter.
He tilted his head to one side.
7
Michael let out a laugh and flailed around, reaching toward the tub.
"You always did like your baths." She undressed the baby, undoing the snaps to pull him out of his outfit and stripping off his diaper.
She leaned over and sat him down in the inch-high water, keeping a firm grip on his waist.
If he fell over—
Alec came closer, sniffing at Michael's face. The baby reached out and for a fast, horrible second, Cassie feared he was going to grab and strangle his father.
But he didn't.
Instead, the baby stroked the otter's fur, burbling happily to himself as Alec curled around the tiny body.
It happened in an instant—she was holding a baby one second, the next... a tiny otter splashed happily in the water, holding onto the larger one for support. He slipped out of her hands with ease, embracing Alec.
"Oh, shit." Cassie fell back, onto her butt. The hardness of the tiled floor helped make it real, make it all real.
Her chest tightened, a small degree of panic slipping in past her amazement.
He can... he is...
The excited squeaks brought her back to the edge of the tub, where the baby otter continued to play in the shallow water, gently guided by the larger animal.
She couldn't help laughing as Michael let out a chirp of glee, splashing away. He stayed close to Alec, tiny paws moving up and down as he became accustomed to his new form.
The two otters swam around the tub, at times walking more than swimming—Alec always keeping close to Michael, even pulling him onto his belly to move him out of the water when the baby seemed tired.
She couldn't stop watching them. It was hypnotizing, Alec's gentleness with the eager youngster tamping down her fear. The nervous knot in her chest began to untangle as they continued to play.
Still, Cassie remained vigilant—one hand on the side of the tub, the other in the cool water, in case Michael gave any sign of distress. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she wasn't going to leave him.
After about a half hour, Alec propped himself up at one end of the tub, staring at the baby. He lifted his hands, prompting Michael to do the same. The tiny otter moved up onto Alec's lap, keeping eye contact as he mimicked his father and raised his paws.
Alec touched his forehead, his nose, the
n his heart—his son following suit, never breaking eye contact.
She gasped and fell back again on the floor as the pair began to shift and change, regaining their human shapes. A few seconds later, Alec carefully climbed out of the tub with Michael in his arms. The otter pelt hung around his hips, as she'd first seen him so many years ago.
Michael was no longer fully naked, but also had the same furry accessory hanging from his tiny, chubby hips, his fur a slightly lighter shade of brown than his father's.
She reached out for him, relief washing over her. "I was afraid—" She shook her head as she cradled Michael in her arms.
For his part, Michael laughed and gurgled, trying to grab her long, loose blond curls. There was no sign of anything different about him, nothing other than his new clothing.
Alec picked up his underwear and started putting it on. "That he wouldn't change back? I thought about that, believe me. Then I went back through my memories—to my earliest recollections about shifting."
"At this age?" Cassie asked.
"Maybe a bit younger. I'd have to ask my mother—but this memory stuck with me, which means there was a reason for it. Could be what we all start off as, human babies who then need to shift. I can't say until we go back home." Alec reached out to stroke the baby's head. "My mother... she's going to love you to death."
Michael let out a loud squeal of delight, deafening them both for a few seconds.
"You haven't done this before?" She forced herself to stay calm.
"Never had a son before. I remembered how my father taught me how to change and change back—now that Michael's done it once, he'll be able to do it for the rest of his life." He smiled. "He'll need his pelt to change from now on, just like me."
Cassie took hold of the small patch of fur, relieved when it came away with a gentle tug, not unlike a diaper. She inspected the edges, finding the coarse quills eager to snag onto each other, a natural fastener.
"This is going to last his lifetime?" She couldn't help wrinkling her nose. "Seriously?"
"Don't ask me how, but it does regenerate over time. Mine looks the same as it always has." Alec took it from her and folded it up, even as Michael burbled and reached for it.
