Chapter 3

Ethan was digging by himself this morning. Shawn had a few appointments that she couldn't miss, she told him and she was going to go and see the four children from the building fire last weekend. The children were going to come home with them when they were released, as their mom was in jail at the moment.

Since he could talk to and see Finny, he was going to get a jump on the things that were out on their land. It was better, he told himself, than begging to have the children come home with him when they weren't ready yet. They all had some smoke in their lungs, and the little girls, Juliet and Julianne, twin eight-year-old little girls, had been burnt badly when their mother had poured gasoline over their little bodies so that they'd die like their father did. Without the magical help from Brook, he didn't want to think about how they might have suffered if she hadn't. He looked up when Finny caught his attention.

"Ethan, let me ask you a question. What did you really think of the news in the paper? The one announcing you to be married to my Shawnie?" He asked him what he meant. "You know. The two of you barely got together, and now the paper is announcing that you're wed. That ain't right, you know."

"It's all legal, Finny. I promise you. But Brook did it. She thinks that it will deter people from coming around trying to get her to hand over the money or treasures that she worked so hard for that are a part of this land that belongs to her. I don't know much about that but if it works on just one person—that Henderson family, then I'm all for it." He laughed a little while digging in the soft dirt. "I have less sense with money than most people do. Not only that, but I would never presume to tell her not to do anything with the money that she didn't want to. I think, for being as rich as she is right now, I'd be stupid to think that I could do any more than she has simply because I'm a man. Besides, I think that she'd snatch me bald if I were to try that. Her son is bad enough."

"I'd not say this to her on account of her being his mom and all, but I'd not turn my back on that man if I was you two. He's kind of set in his ways. Even I, who was around longer than he's been knows better than to talk to a woman, much less his momma like he does. I told her before I'd bust him in the butt if he'd been my boy." Ethan thought the same thing but didn't know what sort of limitations he would have regarding her son. The man was set in his ways, but the worst part was that he should know better, what with living with his mother like he does. "I guess it would make it hard for you to be his step-daddy with the two of you only a few years apart. But you're what you are to him, and it's not right that he treats either of you like he does."

Last night had been a huge fight between the three of them. Shamus learned very quickly that if he ever drew back to hit his mom again, that he'd lose a bit of himself. Last night, it had been all he could do not to rip the man's throat out. Ethan thought that it was going to come to that sooner or later, too, if the way the man left the house was any indication.

"She changed the locks on the house, and the main gate now has a person out there all the time. I should tell you that he's armed with silver, too. I doubt that would have any effect on you, but I wouldn't want to take any chances if I were you. And she's having that fence put in that she's been threatening to as well. For the number of crews that she hired, I see it going up quickly." When he hit something hard, Finny told him it was just a rock. Nodding and pulling the rock out and putting it aside, they were trying their best to make sure that the ground was just as undisturbed looking as they could. There was no telling what would happen if word got out that they were actually finding treasures.

"The things that we pulled out of the hiding places in the garage? Did you have anything to do with them being there? I'm just curious because you seemed as surprised as we were what was in them." He said that it had been a long time for him. "I guess that's about right. I don't know that I'd remember things very well either."

They'd not gotten around to opening all the treasure boxes. Most of them were just that, boxes that he'd pick up here or there. There wasn't much in the way of cardboard where he could just pick it up when he started hiding things. But the tin cans had been easy enough to stuff full of something. He couldn't wait to find the three they were going to hunt for today. Finny told them that they were some of the best he'd found. He never said what would be in them, but he was about as excited as a ghost could be, he supposed.

"Hello, big guy." He smiled when Shawn contacted him. "I'm at the hospital again. I was in earlier, but they were all having tests done. I did get to hold Tisha for a little while, but then she had to get her testing done…not like that matters as to why I contacted you. I need you to come in so that we can bring them all home. The hospital is giving us a car seat, but I'd rather use one that is rated at the top of the line. Also, supplies. I've been making an online order that will be delivered sometime this evening." He stopped digging just as he hit something solid again before telling Finny about the kids. Ethan asked her what time he should be there. "Get a shower and then come in. Also, I need for you to bring me the file that I had out this morning for the hospital I filled it out yesterday and forgot to bring it in."

The house was about as ready for the children as they could make it. They both knew that it might only be temporary to keep them, but if they could get through this all right, there wasn't any reason why they wouldn't be prepared the next time they got to call. He pulled the large cylinder out of the dirt and put it by the post that was close to where he was working. Hanging up, he told Finny what was going on.

"I wish I could go. But that's a fer piece for me to be traveling. I might be able to make it work, but I'd be plum worn out and wouldn't be able to see them little ones. You get them, and I'll make sure that they'll be all right living here too." Ethan put today's three treasures in the back of his truck and got in. "You're going to need a bigger car, son. This will only hold the four of them kids and no driver. What are you going to be doing? Taking two trips everywhere?"

That got Finny laughing, so he waited to tell him that earlier this week, they'd ordered two SUVs that would hold six to seven people. They'd gotten two of them with four-wheel drive so that they'd be all right in the winter months. As soon as he was out of the shower, he debated for all of ten seconds on what to wear. Giving himself jeans and a soft tee-shirt had him thinking that he looked all right for a dad picking up his kids.

Last night, he'd been a little woozy when he'd told himself that he was going to be a dad. It hit him hard, right in the heart, that he could make a difference in someone's life. He hoped so, anyway. He wanted that, he thought, more than he wanted anything in his life to make happen. To help a child, not even his own sounded like something that he and Shawn both could do for any child that came to them.

On his way to the hospital, he went by the mall to pick up his car seat. While there, he found several things for all four of the kids. Not clothing, they'd need that as well but this was for them getting out of the hospital. He also put in an order for an extra car seat so that both cars would be ready for when they had to travel. As he was leaving the children's area, he noticed some other things that he thought he'd get for Shawn.

Two dozen roses and a beautiful violet later, he was out the door. She didn't care for chocolates any more than he did. Candy? Sure, but not chocolate. He also picked up a card that he had cleared with Finny before he left to get for his new grandchildren. Ethan simply signed it Grandpa Finny and put it in the envelope with all the kids' names on it.

As soon as he got off at the third floor where the kids were, he could hear a baby screaming at the top of her lungs, a smaller child crying and Sameul telling someone that they needed to back off. Carefully laying his purchases on the nurses' station, which he only just noticed was devoid of people, he made his way to the room where he knew the three older children had been last night. Reaching out to his family, he told them where he was and so far—which was very little—going on.

As soon as he pushed open the partially closed door, he let his lion take him. The smell of blood hit him first, then the pain of the children, his children backed against the way, guarding his little family, terrified him. Then he noticed that Shawn was on the floor, unconscious, and blood coming from beneath her somewhere. His lion surged over his body with anger. He loved his mate, too, and now that she'd been hurt, it was all he could do not to kill the people in the room with them.

Not taking his eyes off the two men and a woman, he nodded to Samuel when he asked if it was him. He was never so happy that he'd let the kids see his lion earlier in the week. Moving closer to the people, circling them, herding them, he thought it might be called, back so that they were away from his children. He snarled and snapped at them several times before they finally backed off.

"They said that they were taking us. Then, when Ms. Shawn came in with our sister, they took Tisha from her after hitting her on the head with something big. I didn't see it until now, but it was a ball bat." There was no way to talk to the boy so he kept the adults from them as best he could. "I think they killed off the nurses out there. We've been ringing that stupid button for hours and hours."

He had to think. The last time he'd spoken to Shawn, it had been about an hour ago. Christ, he thought, had he not shopped for the kids—

"You stop that train of thought right now. You hear me." He nearly shifted back when it was Brook that spoke to him. "You love your family, and that is the way things go sometimes. Now, you're going to listen to me because we can't get in here with everything going on. You've done a good job of not killing them. Thank you for that. But now it's time for the police to take over. You just wait, all right, Ethan?"

"They hurt Shawn. They're terrifying my…" Brook ask if he could still hear her heart beating and how well it was. "Yes. But they still aren't going to get away with hurting her just because she's immortal."

"Good, you did remember that she's an immortal. Now, herd them out here if you can. The door will disappear here as—good, I'm glad to know that we're all on the job. I have to admit to you, Ethan, I was so terrified when you called out to us. Out of my skin, worried for your little family."

"I love you, Brook, but you're not helping me." She told him that she was sorry. "Thank you for your help. Here they come."

He didn't have as much trouble getting them out of the room as he might have thought he would. As soon as he roared loud enough, he thought to scare anyone around. He was glad to hear Tisha laugh. Her little giggle was just what he needed to keep his head on tightly.

Once they were in the hallway, he was able to relax. The door suddenly reappeared, and Ethan was glad to know that his children and wife were safe. Shifting back to himself, he went to the door to make sure that Shawn was all right. What scared him the most was the amount of blood that she'd lost. The children gathered around them, but they were very quiet. Tisha wanted down, so Julianne sat her on the floor right next to Shawn. A small touch of her hand to Shawn's head had her opening her eyes. When she didn't move, he asked her if she was all right.

"I don't know. I have a killer headache." He couldn't help it he burst into tears while laughing a little. "Are the children all right? I didn't know what had hit me until just now. I have a feeling that you saved the day for us all."

"My lion did." He kissed her on the mouth gently and told her that the family was taking care of the people who had come into the room. "Did you figure out what they wanted? I didn't. Once I saw you on the floor, I didn't think of another thing other than to keep the kids safe for you. I had a feeling that you'd brain me if I didn't."

"Damn straight, I would have." She sat up but slowly. Reaching for Tisha, she held the little girl while the others gathered around Shawn. She assured them that she was just fine and told them how proud she was of the way that they acted while she was down. "You all kept each other safe, and I'm so very proud of you."

It was Parker who came into the room with them. He knew that she was a witch, but her powers were well beyond anything that he'd ever encountered before. When she grinned at her, not at all as comforting as he thought she meant to project, she told him that she was the grand witchy and that she could do a great more things than just any other witch in the world.

After making sure that Shawn was healed up and the mess in the room was cleaned up, they were headed home. No one asked about the other people. Not once was it brought up that they left the hospital without anyone signing them out. It was taken care of and he wasn't the least bit worried about anything.

~*~

"Come or don't, Phillip, I couldn't care less at this point. I'm not going to beg you to come here." Georgie really hoped they didn't come. Her uncle was someone that she knew but not well. But since she had invited him to come and visit and to see the children, he'd been going on and on with one excuse after another on reasons that he wasn't going to come. "You stay home, and I won't have to explain to anyone what a douche you are. And you are too in the event that might have escaped your mind."

"You're in a mood. What's shit in your oatmeal." Georgie told him that it was all on him today. "Well, that's another reason that I'm not going to come. You always seem to be blaming me for your woes. I won't have you…this is because I'm gay, isn't it? You're ashamed of me because I have a lifestyle that is different than yours. Well, I have news for you, Georgie, I'm more happy than I've ever been and I'm not going to allow you nor anyone else to say anything different. Don't call me again."

When he didn't hand up, she did. It was all right with her if he didn't come. He was too much of a pain in the ass, anyway. She thought that the kids had it right in calling him fancy pants. He was a pain in the ass that was for sure. After a few minutes, the phone rang again. Letting it go to voicemail, she was glad to see that Bailee and Shawn showed up to take her to lunch. They ate out so much, and she sometimes wondered why they had a cook in their homes. But sometimes, like just last night, it had been wonderful to come home to a nice hot meal and not have to clean it up or cook it. She was happy for a lot of things today.

"We're going to go and shop for the kids. Did I tell you that they are coming home tomorrow? Ethan is keeping an eye on things. I don't think he could be more in love with our little family than he is right now. And Tisha just loves him to pieces." Georgie asked them what they were shopping for without the kids. "Oh. I should have started with that. We're shopping for school supplies to donate to the schools. Ronan and Brook told us that it's a good idea to do this because a great many of the schools run short of supplies about the middle of the term. A lot of the families around here can't afford to foot the bill for a second bunch of supplies, so we do it for them."

She thought that was a wonderful idea and said so. "I just spoke with my uncle. I don't know if he's coming or not. I told him flat-out that I don't care, but that seemed to piss him off. I think that he's having trouble being gay. Every time things don't go his way, he brings up the gay card. That I'm somehow ashamed of him because he's gay. I think that's all on him too." Shawn said that she'd known a couple of men like that, women too.

"They've gotten into a relationship, and now they're not so sure that it was the right move. Whatever. He'll not come or come, like you, I could care less. The kids are happy, and that's all I care about right now."

She was happy that the children of her late sister had settled in well with Georgie and Lance. They were adjusting well and having a wonderful life. Much better than they'd had before with living with their father.

Susan, at nine, had been selling drugs for her father so that he'd not try and recruit her younger brother Billy, who was only seven years old. With their mother being dead and not around to help them out, the man took advantage of the fact that they'd not be in as much trouble as he'd be if it had been him alone in selling the drugs. The man, if nothing else, was a monster to everyone around him.

"I'm to go and see Ms. Agilent tomorrow morning. She's been in her cell, not saying a word to anyone that comes around. It's sad. I was told that she'll eat what is put before her and then sit on the side of her cot, rocking back and forth. I think there is more to this story than her just killing off her family. Or at least trying to." Georgie agreed with Shawn. "I can't wait to have them brought to our home. And I'm hoping that it's not just for a little while. They're such wonderful children."

Georgie agreed. They seemed to be well adjusted for the life that they'd had, and she was looking forward to having them over to play with her own children. As they were entering the first store on their list, each of them grabbed a cart. She was ready to spend whatever it took to make sure that her kids and the others were ready for the school year.

Ms. Agilent, Rita, had built a fire on the wooden floor of the abandoned building that they'd been staying in. There were three little girls, Julianne and Julie, twin eight-year-old little girls, six-month-old Tisha, and then there was Samuel, who had saved them all from dying in the house. Her husband, Trent Agilent, had been dead for several days before the fire had been started and discovered to have been soaked in gasoline before the fire had been set. As it was, Parker, a witch, had made it so that they didn't die and had made sure that they'd not be as severely burnt after finding them in the building.

Tomorrow, they'd be going home with Shawn and Ethan as a holding place until they could find out if there were other family members who wanted to take over their care. She didn't think that there would be anyone out there but she did keep her hopes up that they'd have family. It was sad, she thought, to go through life without anyone to call your blood kin.

After they made arrangements to have things delivered to the storage unit that was set up for the supplies, they headed to dinner. The women, their husbands and the brothers were going to meet them there as they'd been in town getting things set up for the school fair that would bring in the extra money needed to buy several new school buses that were very much needed. Just as they were sitting down, she felt Shawn stiffen and she looked around to see what would have her nervous like she could feel now.

"Henderson." That was all she had to say to have Georgie glaring at the man that she'd pointed out. "He's becoming a pain in my ass right now. I had a wonderful day, and now he's going to be fucking it up with his demands." As soon as he saw them, Georgie stood up.

"Weren't you told to stay away from my sister? Several times, as a matter of fact? Didn't spending time in jail tell you anything?" He said that he wasn't speaking to her. "However, you just did. I'm thinking that you need a lesson in manners. Or, at the very least, someone to kick your ass into the future."

"I just need for her to do her job and I'll leave her alone. Damn it, what is so hard about just doing someone a solid anymore. The work wouldn't take her more than a couple of days, and I know that she has the time. Here she sits on her ass, acting like she has all the time in the world. Just get her to fucking do it, and I can be on my way." Shawn asked him what he was going to do if she did this one thing. What would he do if there were more problems with the advertising. "Find you again. For all the crap that you're causing me on this project, you should be bowing down at my feet. You're not all that good, but the client, my client, thinks that the sun sets in your favor."

"Perhaps if you'd have spent some of this energy on your education, you might well have been able to do this all on your own." He waved Shawn off, and Georgie had to laugh. "I'm not going to be at your beck and call, Mr. Henderson. I have a life now, and I'm not going to have you fucking it up with all your demands. Go away before I have to make sure that you don't bother me again. I'm not going to do that project for you. You are on your own."

"What the fuck, Shawnie? I mean, really, it seems to me that you have the time to do so. And after talking with your son for a little while, whom I will never believe is your son, he said that you were spending money like you have an endless supply. He seemed to understand what I've been saying to you all along. You need a job." Shawn asked Henderson when he spoke to her son. "He's out there in a car watching this place like he's casing the joint. When he saw me, not only did he act like we were on the same page about you doing this for me, but he told me that if you didn't do it, he'd talk to you. I should have allowed him to do all the talking. I'm seeing that now."

Georgie could feel Shawn's anger. But she also knew that to look at her, you'd never know that she was as pissed off as she seemed. Reaching for the file, she thought for sure that she was going to cave to do the project that was set up for her to finish. But she put the file over the little candle that was nearer to her and set it aflame. It was burning in a small flame, not really big enough to notice when she smiled at Henderson.

"I worked on it." He asked her what the hell was wrong with her to burn his papers. "You handed it over to me to fix, and I did. Now that we have that cleared up, you can be on your merry way, and I'll not have to kill you." He said that the originals were in that file. "Well then, as the saying used to go, it really sucks to be you. You get out of here now, and I won't have to beat the shit out of you or sic some of the shifters I know on your ass. Get. Out. Now."

Shawn didn't say much after that. She did engage when spoken to but she could tell that she was either too angry to talk to the others or she was talking to Ethan. Either way, she could tell that she was plotting something that would have her son wishing he'd kept his nose out of her business. Asking her if she was going to be all right, Shawn smiled.

Georgie had always heard about smiles that didn't reach their eyes. She'd never understood how that was pulled off. But Shawn either had had a lot of practice in making it appear as if she was in a good mood when it was obvious to anyone close enough to her to see her eyes that she wasn't, in any way, shape or form. Georgie could almost feel sorry for Shamus, but he's brought this all on himself by treating his mother like she was some kind of simpleton.

"He's in deep shit, isn't he?" She nodded, and Georgie hurt when she saw that tear roll down her cheek. "I can help you. Not by taking your son to task but by holding you back so that you don't do something stupid that you might regret later. Either way, I'm right there with you."

"I've already spoken to Ethan. He is going to meet me at the house with my son. The locks have been changed, and thanks to having a nearly unlimited supply of money, the fence is up and around my land. All of it. I've even gone so far as to hire a couple of trolls to guard the front entrance so that there won't be any way in hell that Shamus comes around without my permission." Georgie asked her if that was to keep them away as well. "At first, yes. But I've been thinking that having a family around like you guys might keep me out of prison. Being immortal and having to spend my life in prison won't be good for me. My son either if he ever crosses me again."

The rest of the luncheon went smoothly. The police did finally show up and after hearing their side of the story, he left without a word or arrest. It had a great deal to do with the donations that they made to the department that didn't have Shawn taken out in cuffs also the fact that the restaurant manager had shown the police the recordings of the event that Henderson had lied about.

As far as Georgie was concerned, this was the most fun she'd had while having a meal. Things were heating up with their families, and she was thrilled that she was here to watch the entire thing go down.