DRAGONJULS Storybook
Disclaimer and Acknowledgements: See Part One
Part 5
Chapter Eight:
"Would you like to know something?" A tired voice spoke into a wide shoulder, which barely moved as a large hand lifted and came to rest on the blonde hair and stroked it gently.
"Is it a secret? Because if it isn't then no, I don't want to know, it's not worth knowing." Catherine playfully teased Jace, her mind totally absorbed in the peaceful feeling she had holding the smaller woman close to her.
"Oh Catherine, are you ever anything but a tease?" Jace kissed the shoulder below her, her lips moving over the fine traces of scars still left behind from the rescue episode.
"Ah, now that would be telling wouldn't it? You love it really though don't you?" Catherine pulled a few strands of Jace's hair through her fingers, it had always reminded her of the sun, and now she couldn't see it anymore, it became that much more precious a memory.
"Now, that would be telling! But I love you!" Jace answered seriously.
Catherine laughed at the words and turned her head to the one on her left shoulder, it was a blur of an outline to her and she inwardly groaned with frustration that she could no longer see the love reflected back at her from those expressive green eyes. Sighing heavily she placed a tender kiss on Jace's forehead.
"What's up?" Jace asked her, watching the concentration on Catherine's face as she turned to face her, not to mention the sigh.
"Nothing," came the single word reply.
"Well, if that heavy sigh and the strange look you have is nothing, I wonder what would happen if it was something? Would you yell like a banshee and scrunch up your face maybe?" Jace moved up the shoulder to place her head next to Catherine's on the pillow.
"You have me at a disadvantage my love, at least you can see my face." Catherine responded sadly. Jace heard the sadness and realised that Catherine wasn't immune to the loss of her sight, she just never let people see the pain, not even her.
"Then we are going to have to think up lots of ways to make you see me, okay?" Jace answered her seductively, she didn't want Catherine to think she was humouring her, that would hurt her pride and she had a lot of pride.
"I have memories that will always give me a vision of you." Catherine stated simply. She tenderly placed a hand on Jace's belly and marvelled that the baby was due anytime now; the doctor had confirmed the information given by Jace as potentially accurate. 'Hell, she should know!'
"Catherine?" Jace placed her hand on top of the one on her very pregnant stomach.
Turning her head in the direction of the soft voice, "Yes?"
"I'm sorry, really sorry that the last time you saw me was in anger." A tear fell as she recalled the traumatic situation they had gone through at UCP that day.
"Now, Jace please don't cry, it's okay." Catherine comforted her crying lover, and it brought a sad smile to her lips.
Jace noticed the smile and wondered what was really going on in her lover's head. "It's not! It will never be okay, I was a fool and I don't deserve you! Why do you love me so?" Her voice reached out to her companion in desperation.
Catherine shifted her body so that it was positioned to accommodate her taking Jace onto her body as comfortably as they possibly could with the obstacle of the baby, holding her in a warm embrace, "Maybe I don't deserve you," she whispered into her ear, her voice warm and enticing.
Jace revelled in the nearness of the taller woman and her gentle strength as she and her unborn child were cradled in a hold so wonderful, comfortable and secure. " I've got to hand it to you Catherine you know how to make a girl feel very special."
"Is that so! Maybe I should find some volunteers to check your claim out, what do you think?" her tone playful.
"No way! I want you all to myself, you can practise on me anytime, anytime at all." Jace responded indignantly.
"Ah, my jealous best friend is telling me who I can see now is she?"
"No......I'm just telling you that you will only ever get the chance to be with me, you won't have time for anyone else." Jace answered emphatically.
"Promises, promises. I will hold you to that my Love!" Catherine chuckled into her ear, her warm breath fanning Jace's neck.
"You can hold me to whatever you like, anytime you like." Jace could hardly breathe, what with Catherine's voice and touch sending her senses to the moon and back, the baby was moving around with ferocity tonight, maybe he or she loved that voice and touch also?
"Well, I guess I've got you then haven't I?" Catherine placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"Why do you still love me?" Jace asked the question in earnest.
"Oh come on Jace, you can't be serious, you know why I love you?" Catherine wanted to get up out of bed and walk around the room these emotional sessions could be very nerve wracking, especially for her.
"Please answer me Catherine, I feel so inadequate next to you, especially now!" Jace pleaded her hands circling her swollen abdomen.
Catherine felt the unconscious gesture towards the unborn child, 'Have I really never explained why before, I always thought I had?'
"Still love you? Don't you know I have always loved you from the first day! It isn't a conscious feeling anymore when I'm with you or even when I'm alone. You are with me all the time in my thoughts and my heart, that's why I can go on and did go on with this half-life of mine. Your love showed me the way, I will always love you, no matter what you do to me or what you say to me, I'm yours for as long as you will have me?" Catherine thought she would burst from the sheer effort it took to say the words out loud; she'd always considered her actions had said it all.
There was silence in the room as Jace digested the emotional content that she had been given it had almost blown her mind away. 'And I thought I could talk of love, she beats the Hades out of me!' "What do I say after that?" Jace spoke quietly, her breathing ragged.
Catherine smiled and a low chuckle rumbled in her chest, making Jace smile too. "How about you love me too and your mine forever?" It was a tentative rejoinder and she waited in a pensive mode for the reply.
Jace burst out crying by the bucket load this time and a stunned Catherine didn't know what to say. "Hey, I'm sorry Jace, maybe forever is a little over the top, we could try eternity?" Catherine tried to lighten the conversation.
Jace tried to stop the flow of tears, 'God's why did she always cry over this woman? Catherine's speech had been beautiful and so sincere.' Gulping back more tears she eventually craned her neck to look up at her lover and smiled weakly. "I love the way you tease me and I love you Catherine Warriorson and when this baby is born I'm going to ask you a question and hope you give me the answer that I need to hear."
"Oh, is that all, sure thing, but why after the baby is born? Why not now?" Catherine asked her seriously.
"Patience my friend, there will be a time and place, trust me?" She giggled as she remembered Catherine saying much the same to her a few months ago.
Catherine shuddered and Jace tensed "Are you okay?"
"Am I okay? Sure I'm okay, but if you want me to answer a serious question one day soon don't giggle on me." Catherine said obscurely.
"Why not?" Jace asked innocently. Catherine pulled a face that reminded Jace of Lisa when she couldn't have her own way about something.
"Well, you know you kind of like my low voice?"
Jace nodded her head and remembered her friend wouldn't see it, so she answered "yes".
"Well, that giggle of yours does pretty much the same to me!" Catherine growled out and made Jace laugh happily.
"Can I test that theory and see how fast it works?" Jace didn't wait for an answer and proceeded to giggle to check it out.
After a satisfactory exploration for both of them, they lay quiet and content, Jace dozing on Catherine's shoulder as Catherine laid thinking about the question Jace was going to pose when the baby was born. 'Wonder what it was?' "Jace my love, are you asleep?" Catherine whispered in her ear.
"Trying. Why?" was the sleepy response.
"You wanted to tell me something when we first started talking, what did you want to say?" Catherine whispered into her lover's ear.
"Oh it's okay, it can wait a little longer." Jace replied sleepily.
"Why wait? Just tell me, then we can get some sleep." Catherine said practically.
"Sleep hmmm, well, when I tell you that might not be at the top of your list." Jace's enigmatic reply intrigued Catherine.
"Well, I'm not going to sleep now, not until you tell me, I'm fascinated." Catherine levered herself up on one elbow and looked directly into what she thought was Jace's eyes, as with the eerie accuracy Jace had come to expect blue met green.
"Fascinated? New word for it, but......I think I'm in labour." Jace slowly traced her finger over Catherine's face and felt the changes under her hand.
"Jesus, Hell.......Jace we have got to go and get Colin, we need to get the car, we need to go to the hospital, we...." Catherine was rushing out of the bed and falling over the furniture in her haste to get her clothes.
"Whoa, there Catherine! What we need are another few hours in bed, and then we can go to the hospital. Calm down, anyone would think this was your first child, not mine." Jace calmly pointed out to her anxious lover.
"I.......I, I worry about you!" came the feeble reply as Catherine slumped back on the bed. "Are you okay, how bad are the pains, god I'm so selfish I shouldn't have teased you earlier."
"God's Catherine, you have just made me the happiest person in the world with your wonderful words and you think you're the selfish one? Believe me I'm that, and I'm going to be selfish some more, get back in this bed, come and hold me and let's get some sleep, something tells me the next couple of days will be sleepless." Jace laughed softly and put her hand on Catherine's arm and dragged her back into the warm space next to her.
"I think it's going to be more like the next couple of months more than days Jace." Catherine mumbled as she closed her hands around the unborn child that was going to be here sooner, rather than later.
"Well in that case, tell me again how much you love me, you might not get the chance for awhile, and it will be a wonderful way to start my dreams." Snuggling closer to her lover and friend, this was far better than some hospital room with lots of strangers, she'd get there eventually, Catherine would see to that!
Paul Strong entered the New York building of the Xianthos Corporation and smiled as he went towards the reception desk. He no longer held access ID to enter the building past the foyer area. That had been his choice, it was now Waverly's domain, she should know who was on-site, and not have to be surprised un-necessarily by the arrival of the President of the company on a whim. Only this wasn't a whim, Waverly had asked him to travel the distance; she had news of the 'hacker' and she didn't want to tell him over the network, phone or paper. So here he was, it didn't look any different than the day he had left, was it really a year ago? What a year it had turned out to be too!
Going over to the new receptionist, he was immediately recognised much to his surprise. "Mr Strong, good morning, pleased to welcome you back to New York." The gushing woman said and proceeded to log his name in the computer and send the information directly to the VP's office, he was then given a VIP swipe card and allowed to go wherever he wanted, he was after all in charge of the whole operation.
"Thanks, good morning to you too." He smiled briefly, took the card offered and proceeded to the far bank of elevators.
Concentrating on the movement of the elevator, he wondered what Waverly had turned up, he knew that Celeste and Clare had been enlisted to help, and it appeared that between the three of them they had resolved something. What that was would be interesting, hopefully something he could go to Catherine with, and he hadn't liked the fact that he'd kept things in the dark. Exiting the elevator he walked towards his old office suite, it always felt strange, but he knew his role had been placed in safe hands, safer than his, he had to ruefully admit at times, especially when all the numbers went over his desk every month.
"Hi Clare." he smiled at the young woman and saw her genuinely smile back, she looked much more confident than when he'd last seen her.
"Hello Mr Strong, welcome back to New York, Ms Waverly is waiting for you." She pressed her intercom and announced his arrival.
"Thanks." He managed to answer before the door to his old office opened and Constance Waverly stood in the doorway with a big grin on her face.
"Paul, great to see you, glad you could make it this quickly." She motioned him forward and put the thumbs up sign to Clare.
Following her in, he chuckled at the room, it had barely changed, except for the replacement of some of the furniture he had removed for his own office, otherwise it was like coming home, he was almost tempted to go behind the large oak desk. "So, what have you got for me?" He waited for the door to close behind them and he sat on the sofa to left of the door.
"I'm getting Celeste and Clare in too, they found the information and it's better you get the information first hand, especially if you want back-up information, anyway they deserve the praise you're going to give them." Constance laughed at his raised eyebrows.
"That good huh?" Paul watched the woman's expression.
"Let's say it was a surprise!"
"Okay, do I get coffee?" Paul settled into the sofa in the room.
"Yes, but let's wait for the others and then go catch breakfast together and have a general discussion and then get down to the bottom line." She laughed at his wry expression.
"A little late for breakfast wouldn't you say, what is it almost Eleven a.m.?" Paul glanced at his watch in confirmation.
"Yeah, well okay its early lunch and I've not eaten yet today, got up too late." Constance replied sheepishly.
"Heavy date?" He didn't actually know anything about her personal life since she'd come to New York. Not that he knew much about it prior to her coming to New York.
"No, not exactly!" She smiled when she thought of her evening with Clare and the fact that they had become friends, something she hadn't had in a long time, a close friend. It felt good to have someone to talk to, although she doubted that Paul would approve, she was after all her PA, a bit to close to home.
A knocking on the door announced the presence of the expected visitors, as Celeste and Clare walked into the room, making their way over to the chairs in the room near the desk. Celeste went over to her old boss, as he got up off of the sofa and gave her a warm hug.
"Great to see you Celeste, how have you and the rabble been?" He had always liked his PA and they had worked well together for years.
"I'm fine, and they are the usual, although both kids are at college now, time for getting those special vacations together, that we always planned for." Celeste chuckled at the thought, assuming she ever got any time off from this role.
Turning back to the others in the office, who had smirks on their face as they watched the old friends and colleagues embrace each other, it really was quite a cosy scene.
"Right, now that we have had all the pleasantries, which one of you is going to tell me who the 'hacker' is?" Paul said decisively.
All three women looked at each other and then Constance and Clare looked at Celeste. "Okay, looks like I get the vote," smiling she motioned everyone to take a seat as she outlined what they had done to track the person, how they had eventually found out his personal signature and used it when he showed up again on their nets two days ago. The person wasn't invisible anymore!
"Look, I was never that good at patience, Catherine always had the upper hand on that quality, put me out of my misery here and tell me who it is Celeste?" Paul whined good-naturedly at his old PA, who knew him well enough to know the suspense would be killing him.
Laughing and noticing him colour up slightly, she proceeded to do just that. "Tito Yashimo." Celeste watched her old boss look at them in astonishment and he had trouble obviously deciphering the name.
"Paul? What do you think?" Constance asked her obviously shocked boss.
"I think if that coffee and early lunch offer is still open, I'm going to take it," he brushed a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Sure, let's all go and get coffee and then we can talk tactics." They all got up from their respective chairs and headed for the floor housing the company restaurant; it would be quiet at this time in the morning.
'Hell, if Tito was the man, he's made a big mistake by leaving the man in his old role,
but why would he do such a thing? And who had he wanted the information for?' Paul had the
thoughts swimming around in his head as he exited the elevator and all four of them headed
for a seat in a corner of the room, well away from anyone else. Coffee was going to be a
welcome relief!
**********
Chapter Nine
Jace had been in labour for over ten hours and to Catherine her efforts seemed to be un-rewarded. They had spent another couple of hours dozing in each other's arms before a particular nasty contraction had Jace breathing heavily, and Catherine scrambling off the bed into her clothes with cell phone in hand calling her ranch foreman. After that it was all a blur, getting Jace ready and covered up against the bitter cold and icy conditions and finding the bag that contained all the items Jace would need for the few days she would be in the hospital. Rio had been a complication they had all forgotten about, until the dog refused to be left behind and jumped into the Land Rover with his mistress. Now several hours later Rio was outside the door sitting patiently in the corridor, should his mistress need to move out of the room where she continued to hold Jace's hand in comfort after each contraction.
The hospital staff was surprised at the appearance of their somewhat mysterious but notorious resident, not least of which was the fact that she obviously cared about the young woman in the final throws of labour. Causing chaos because she wanted to stay for the birth and having a dog close by as well, was to say the least unusual in the circumstances. But hospital administration being what it is, any chance of funding possibilities would be milked like a cow and Catherine Warriorson was one of the 'fattest cows' figuratively speaking to come their way.
"Jace I'd say the dilation is almost perfect and the baby should be here soon," came the soothing words from the doctor.
"Hell and damnation but it had better be soon, I'm going to die otherwise with this damn pain!" It was the first time that Catherine had ever heard Jace swear and it made her chuckle, bad move!
"What are you laughing at Catherine? It's not you're insides that are being ripped apart, want to change places." Jace retorted angrily, which brought a flash of embarrassment to the older woman's face.
"Hey Jace, you sound kind of cute when you swear; do I get to tell the kids?" Catherine tried to get some levity to the tense conversation.
The doctor re-checked the dilation of the vaginal opening, he needed to go and get a nurse, then back for the final phases, leaving a somewhat angry mother to be chastising, what could only be the 'happy' other parent.
"DON'T TALK RIDICULOUS CATHERINE! I DO NOT SWEAR; DO YOU HEAR ME?" Jace shouted the words loudly and Catherine was certain the whole hospital could hear her.
"Now, my love, how about I give you a glass of water and maybe rub your back for a while okay?" Catherine offered not sure what kind of reception she was going to get from her obviously pain-wracked partner.
"Water? Yes, water sounds good." Jace drifted out of the pain for a few moments and answered her.
Catherine reached over to the paper cup of water that had been placed at her right side by an observant nurse, who had explained the position of the cup exactly. Gently handing it over for Jace to take, she felt it taken by her friend and Catherine stood up to stretch her muscles, before cramps set in.
If Catherine had known what was going to happen next, maybe she would have had second thoughts about her offer. Suddenly the paper cup was flying through the air in her direction; as she was unable to see it and therefore having no idea that she needed to move out of the way of the obstacle. Catherine was suddenly drenched in water, just as Jace was overtaken by a painful contraction, which was the reason for the cup flying as she bore down with the pain. "What the bloody hell was all that about? If it wasn't to your taste you only had to say not throw it at me!" Catherine said indignantly. Her thick shirt, taking the brunt of the water, but it had managed to splash her face and droplets were running from her nose.
Jace turned to her partner and saw the water dripping from Catherine's face and her shirt soaked, she looked uncomfortable, 'So she should, it's her baby as well as mine, she can suffer too!' Jace thought uncharitably. "Come on now Catherine surely a little water isn't too much for you, it certainly can't be worse than what I'm going through believe me!" Jace sarcastically threw at her lover.
Catherine looked towards the bed and the shadowy outline she could see there and an understanding smile crossed her face at the words. "No, I think you're right there, at least I can never inflict this sort of pain on you can I?"
"Just as well too! This is the only time it's going to happen believe me, AHHHHH." as another contraction took over and the door swung open to let in the doctor and a team of nurses.
The doctor looked at her and noticed the wet shirt. "I see she nailed you good Mrs Warriorson?" He laughed and went towards his patient.
Both nurses looked at the embarrassed woman at the patient's side and they also smiled at her predicament, fortunately for them she couldn't see it! "Yes, she certainly did!" Putting on a false smile she walked towards the door and checked up on Rio, muttering under her breath 'Paybacks are a bitch.'
Jace wondered again what possessed women to do this time and again. Here she was with her legs spread wide to an audience of strangers, pushing like Hades and getting nowhere, shouting at the top of your voice, your partner not only getting acid commentary but dousing them with water too! God! Babies, who'd have them?
The birth was close, Jace was being asked to relax, Catherine held her hand tight, not that she could do any other as it looked like an extension of Jace's at this time, release from the smaller grip didn't look likely. "It's coming!" Jace said gasping, her muscles tensing and then her concentration went into pushing, with the doctor encouragement. Holding her breath she gripped Catherine's hand tighter, leaned forwards and bore down. Several tremendous pushes later, she heard from some strange far off place someone saying the head was clear and then she made the final push and the baby slid out and into the waiting nurse's hands. A wail could be heard in the room above the sound of the doctor giving Jace final instructions to push out the placenta, when that was over she sank back down and got her breath back.
Catherine couldn't see the birth; she was sitting tensely in the chair by the side of Jace and wished that she could, and hoped it was okay and that it was perfect, just like its mother. Hearing the doctor's words and no sound from Jace, she became silently anxious but her outward appearance was one of calm, her visage giving away nothing of the turmoil she felt for her partner. Then she heard the sweetest sound she would remember for the rest of her life, the sound of the baby crying and the relieved sigh from Jace.
Their baby was born!
Constance eyed the other occupants of the restaurant and deemed it safe for them to discuss the matter further, she was interested in her boss's reaction to the news, and he had seemed astonished at the name. "Paul, what do you think about Tito being at the top of our list?"
Paul looked around him and noticed that other than a guy in overalls dragging a cart with him and proceeding to clean the floor, it looked safe to talk. "I think I need convincing."
Celeste thought about that for a few moments and answered him. "We had all the tracking systems working, it points to him as he is the only one with that access authority and password. Surely he wouldn't give his password to anyone else would he?" She asked in disbelief, to her it was cut and dried, the man was the 'hacker' she needed no further proof.
"I've known the man for years, he was with the Asian operation when I started with Xianthos. I personally back-up his staying in Asia to enable us to keep him, he has no reason to do anything to harm Ms Devonshire, not to my knowledge anyway. I want to speak to him personally before we go to Catherine." Paul spoke diplomatically, knowing that Constance wouldn't be happy and at the faces of the other two women, they weren't either. Too bad, he was in charge and he called the shots.
Constance scraped her chair back and walked towards the window and looked out onto the sidewalk in frustration. Celeste looked at Paul and shook her head. Clare had her head down gazing into her coffee cup. "Obviously you all think I'm wrong?" He finally interrupted the silence that had descended between them.
"Yes we damn well do!" Constance exploded from her vantage point at the window.
"Okay, I can respect that, but you have to understand that I'm trying to protect Catherine. She will come out here with all guns blazing and if were not correct, she will have more mud slung at her from the media. I don't want that, not at this time anyway!" He quietly advised them.
"What's so special about now?" Clare asked interested, it sounded as if Paul would have told her at any other time.
"The baby is due any day now and I don't want her distracted from that happy event. She's had enough of the rough edge of life this past year, so I want her to enjoy this experience without us possibly calling wolf." Paul explained.
"She's having a baby? But I thought you said she had a girl......" Constance said from her window position.
Paul looked at them and then grinned at Constance. "So she does Constance and it's her friend who is having the baby."
Clare looked at Celeste who merely shrugged her shoulders, she hadn't heard anything on the grapevine about Ms Devonshire for months, and all speculation had died down after her return into seclusion in New Zealand. Clare then looked over at Constance and saw a smile twitch on her face and it gave her an almost childlike look. "Must be a close friend then huh?"
"Must be." Paul answered her and smiled.
There was a steady stream of people moving into the restaurant. In fact it looked like an official occasion of some sort. Paul looked at the Sales Executive and smiled briefly at him as he saw them seated on his way in. There was something familiar about the guy he was talking too but he couldn't place him, turning he looked over at Constance and raised a hand briefly in the direction of the entourage.
"Yeah, Hell, I forgot about that. I need to be there for lunch, new signing, has the potential to rake in lots more money. Very controversial and not many have the guts to touch him, but I thought we were up for it and the marketing figures are looking good." Constance said looking over at the men at the table.
"Okay, but who is it?" Paul hated that one small point about his VP, she thought everyone knew more than they did and she often forgot to say major pieces of information. Mind you they do say brilliant people could be forgetful at times.
"Oh, sorry I do that all the time, really must break that habit, Gideon Jackson." Constance supplied and looked across at Clare and smiled, her PA had talked to her about this little problem more than once.
"Isn't he the guy who has a following or two?" Celeste asked in interest.
"Yeah, they don't all like what he says, but if it's controversial, it will sell, what more do we want?" Constance laughed and walked back to their table.
All four of them got up to leave, not noticing that they were being followed closely by the guy who was cleaning up. Constance moved towards the new signing and held out her hand to him. Paul, Celeste and Clare all moved towards the exit and as they did so, a loud clatter of the cart the cleaning guy was using crashed over onto its side, a scream could be heard from one of the people at the table.
Turning round to find out what the commotion was about, Paul came face to face with a nightmare; the guy had a fast action repeating rifle pointed at the table, his intent clear.
"Get the hell down!" Paul shouted and pushed his two colleagues to the floor as the guy set off the rounds in his gun, the shells dropping to the floor as they were expelled from the barrel.
Security alarms were activated and within minutes the guards had arrived on the floor and taken a stance to take out the shooter; they didn't have a chance as he turned the gun on himself and shot his brains out.
The room was eerily quiet to the onlooker, until the low moans of several of the victims could be heard, the carnage in the room sickening in its accuracy and deadliness.
"We have a critical situation here, call the medics and the cops, now!" Shouted one of the guards to his commands centre.
As life ebbed and flowed, it also stopped! For some in the room it would be the last day of their lives.
Continued In Part 6
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