Thorne Ch. 11

"Would you really turn me away if I said no to this?"

"It would be within my right to do so," Thorne replied. "But your refusal to participate wouldn't change the fact that you are the mother of my son. Do I suggest that you participate? Yes I do. There's a storm brewing and all of us need to know that we can find safety with someone that we trust."

"So you think me moving far away from family is a bad idea," Barb said with a hint of a challenge in her voice.

"Do as you like," Thorne said with a shrug. "You know as well as I do what the issues are. But understand this- you are responsible for whatever decision you make."

"You really don't care do you?" Barb asked oddly hurt.

"I never pretended otherwise," Thorne replied. "My only real concern aside from the hunter issue is the safety of the baby and by extension you only because of him. I will keep you posted on when the reunion dinner is. You will have until then to make your choice. Is there anything else that we need to discuss?"

Barb couldn't think of any questions, but decided to have her say.

"Do you really think that a little hand holding with your shrink is going to change who and what you are? Do you seriously think that a child is enough to make you change? You can sit here all you want and try to tell me that you're going to be a good daddy, but it won't last. You'll hire someone to play the part of mommy or you'll dump him on someone from the family when you get tired of him. Do you as you say deny what I'm saying? Thorne Blackwell- you are every bit as selfish as I am! The difference between us is I can admit it!"

"The difference between us," Thorne said calmly, "is that I'm willing to do whatever I need to so that I can be a good father. Will I change entirely? No nor do I want to. I am who and what I am, but some change needs to happen. As far as we are concerned, we don't have to be together in order for you to be a good mother if you choose to be. I am fully aware that you never wanted children; but you're having a child. You don't see this as an opportunity to become a better person- you see this as a way to get what you want. You know, I'm done talking about this. We've talked about it before and I'm tired of it. If you'll excuse me, I need to set up a time to talk to Ethan. I'll be by in about an hour to speak with our son."

For just a second, Barb entertained the thought of telling him no. But what would it accomplish? Absolutely nothing other than to piss him off. She saw that he was watching her as if he was waiting for her to say something.

"Are you reading me?" she asked suddenly.

"No," Thorne replied. "I don't need to. If I'm reading you, you'll know it. Are there any further questions?"

When she didn't answer, he nodded and walked away. Barb sat at the table for another ten minutes before going to her room. She showered, put on her pajamas and settled in to wait for Thorne's arrival. As she waited, she thought about what Gene said. It wasn't long before things that others had said to her began to haunt her. The baby within her moved and then settled. Something about that movement made her realize that she was truly on the way to being alone and not in the way that she wanted.

****

Louise hung up from talking to Kevyn excited. Gene was coming! As far as Kevyn knew, he was going to stay at the little condo which meant that it would need to be cleaned and restocked. Kevyn was going to call the others to see if they wanted to contribute to the redecorating of the condo. Kevyn was sure that Gene wouldn't appreciate the peach/pink color of the walls. She would call the manager in the morning and get permission to repaint the walls and to make any other changes. She didn't anticipate any issues as the improvements would be to his benefit. The old furniture would be taken to the Salvation Army or good will and would be replaced with all new furniture that Leon would pick out.

She and Nathan would be in charge of the food for the cleaning party and for Gene's cabinets. She couldn't believe that they would finally all be in one place. Her hope was that Gene's arrival would trigger something in Barb. She opened up her laptop, carried it to the bed and looked through the new recipes that Nathan had entered for her. Gene unlike Nathan and the other men wasn't a lover of spicy food. They would make some casseroles and divide them into single serving containers so that Gene wouldn't have to cook-he would have other things to take care of. The phone rang while she was looking through the recipes but Nathan answered it before she could move. Judging from the sound of the conversation, he was talking to Hans. A moment later he walked into the bedroom carrying the cordless phone.

"It's Juliette," he said as he handed her the phone. He kissed her forehead and left her to talk privately.

"Kev says that you and Nathan are in charge of food, do you need me to get you anything?"

"I'm looking through some recipes as we speak," Louise said. "I was thinking of having a welcome party here on the beach- what do you think?"

"I'm up for it if you are," Juliette replied. "How are you feeling by the way?"

"I feel good- did I tell you that I can feel the baby moving?"

"No, but isn't it a wonderful feeling?" Juliette asked and then went silent. She was thinking about Barb. "Lou, I'm going to call Barb. I know that she says that she doesn't want to hear from us, but I don't care."

"I was going to call her too," Louise said. "I was going to ask her if she wanted to help us get the condo ready for Gene. But why don't you call her? Somehow I don't think that she wants to hear from me although I was going to call her anyway."

"I can do that," Juliette said, "but while I have you on the phone; tell me about this turning thing. Hans wants me to do it, but I wanted to talk to you first. Do you think that it's really necessary?"

"I think," Louise said after careful thought, "that Hans is right. I don't know when or even if things are going to get bad again, but we need to be ready. I know that Kevyn was thinking about it long before this whole thing happened so she'll probably do it. I don't know how far this thing is going to spread so I'm glad that Gene is coming."

"That's another question that I have," Juliette said, "What are we going to tell him?"

"The truth when it's time. We'll let him get settled first and then we'll have to tell him if only to keep him safe. There's no way that we can keep it from him."

"He won't believe us," Juliette said.

"Probably not and we may have to show him, but back to Barb, will you call me after you've talked to her?"

"Sure-I'll call you later, Celeste needs me for something."

Louise hung up, looked at the phone and almost picked it up. She was going to call Barb herself but thought better of it. She didn't want to ruin any chance that Juliette had of getting her to help.

"She'll come around," Nathan said from behind her.

That he thought that surprised Louise. Nathan hadn't sugar coated his dislike for her sister.

"Sweetheart, it's true that I don't like her- well part of her anyway. She's rude, impulsive and I detest the way that she treats you and the rest of your family. That her own child who is still within her knows that he isn't loved or wanted says something. On the other hand-we've all seen the person that she could be. That Barb I like. I think that she will always be as she is, but it is possible for her to change to some degree if she chooses to. If she does, our slate will be wiped clean and she will be welcomed into our home."

"Really?" Louise asked surprised although she didn't know why.

"Really," Nathan said kissing her temple. "Anyone is capable of change if they choose to do it. Look at my family, Leon and Gene. All of them received a second chance so why not her? She only has to take it. Why are you surprised?"

"I'm not sure," Louise said. "I shouldn't have been. Thank you..."

"There is no need for that- you never need thank me for anything; your being my mate and the mother to my child is thanks enough. It is I that should be thanking you."

He took the laptop from her lap and sat it on the floor. "Allow me to thank you," he murmured his voice low as he moved closer to her and kissed her. "Lie back," he said as he gently pushed her back. When she was lying on her back, he rested his head on her stomach smiling as he listened to the rapid, but strong heartbeat of their child. After a moment, he kissed her stomach and with a thought undressed her while he remained dressed. Seeing where he was headed, Louise raised her shields.

Nathan took his time massaging and kissing her legs until Louise whimpered with impatience. He was going to tease her a little longer, but then the scent of her arousal assailed him. His clothes felt too tight. He had to remove them. Now naked, he moved down so that his face was mere inches from her glistening mound. He inhaled deeply and then paused. Her arousal had always smelled sweet to him, but it was sweeter yet. He wondered if it tasted any different. Unable to wait any longer, he moved closer to her, opened her vaginal lips and slowly touched her opening with his tongue.

He moaned at the taste of her. Her taste had indeed changed. It was stronger and sweeter than the last time he had sampled her. The fluid running from her had thickened in consistency. It had to be the pregnancy- it was the only thing that he could think of. His next thought was that he had a few more months to enjoy the sweet nectar that was pouring out of her.

He pulled back to examine her. Her clit was already pulsing and he hadn't even touched it yet. Louise was shaking in an attempt to hold off. To give her time, he waited until she was no longer shaking before he touched her with his tongue again. Each taste acted as an aphrodisiac. His cock swelled and hardened. Just the pressure of the mattress against it brought exquisite pain/pleasure to his dripping cock. Her moans seemed to reverberate through his body amplifying the sensations in his cock.

He knew that she had her shields up because if she didn't, he would have been on the floor. Then he felt her hands on his head as if anchoring him in place. He felt her shields drop one notch and then another. He placed his hands on her hips and held on before he gently touched her clit with his tongue. His ass cheeks tightened in an attempt to hold off on coming before she did. He didn't have to worry. Louise lowered her shields once more, froze and then screamed as she raised her hips forward while pulling Nathan's head tighter against her. Nathan held out for as long as he could before he ground against the bed seeking relief. He held Louise closer to his mouth and drank from her as a muffled moan escaped him. There was no stopping the orgasm that was sweeping through him so he let it come. Even afterwards he was still hard.

Nathan let go of Louise's hips and waited for her to release his head. As soon as she did, he moved so that he was positioned above her. He bore his weight on his arms as he slowly slid into her. They both gasped at the contact. Their breathing which had slowed was once again ragged and fast. He had barely gotten the length of him in before Louise came again with him following seconds later.

Afterwards, Louise dozed with her head resting on Nathan's shoulder. As she slept, Nathan planned. He didn't believe that they had as long as they hoped. He couldn't explain the feeling. There was nothing to support it. The danger wasn't imminent- Louise would have felt it; but it was coming.

The phone ringing roused Louise from her sleep. Juliette was calling her back.

****

Barb looked at the caller ID on her phone and answered it. She had been expecting a call from someone- but she didn't know from whom. If she had to guess, she would have said Louise.

"Hey Juliette," she greeted.

"Hey- how are you doing?" Juliette asked. "We've been thinking about you."

"I'm fine- is this about Gene coming?"

"You know already?" Juliette asked.

"I knew that he was thinking about it- when is he coming?"

"Two weeks- he's going to stay in that little condo that Kevyn and then you used to live in..."

"Not good enough to live in the big house?" Barb asked and then regretted it.

"For your information," Juliette said tersely, "Kevyn and Patrick invited him to live with them and he refused. Now let me tell you why I'm calling other than to check on you. We're redoing the condo- it needs to be painted and we're putting new furniture in and redecorating it. We wanted to know if you were interested in helping."

"Why didn't Louise call me?" Barb asked.

"Why does it matter who called you?" Juliette asked.

"I was just curious," Barb replied. "In the past she was the one who called me. Why not now?"

"Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Everyone else has told me their version of the truth so why not you too?" Barb asked her tone curt.

"Barb- Louise didn't call you because she thought that you would say no because it was her calling. For reasons that only you know, you seem to harbor more resentment toward her than any of us..."

"That isn't true!" Barb objected.

"It is true," Juliette said quietly. "It isn't something that started recently, it's always been there. What I don't understand is why. She's the one who always saw the best in you. Since we're talking about this, why do you have such hard feelings toward her?"

"I didn't think... What do you want me to do for Gene?" Barb asked changing the subject.

"Louise and Nathan are handling the food end of it. Leon, Patrick and Hans are taking care of getting rid of the old furniture. Kevyn, you and I could go shopping for paint and the furniture."

"What about Nadine?" Barb asked.

"She's made herself available to help wherever she's needed. We thought that we could all meet for dinner and make plans. Everyone is coming to our house tomorrow night if you want to come. Thorne is invited too."

"Do it!" The voice whispered urgently. "Take that first step."

"W-What time?" Barb whispered not believing that she was really going to say yes.

"You'll come?" Juliette asked shocked.

"I'll come, but I can't speak for Thorne. What time did you say?"

"Is six alright?"

Barb hung up and stared at the phone. Was she really going to go? She would, but only because of Gene. In her mind he remained the only one who understood her even though he had changed. And what about Louise? Was Juliette right? She opted not to think about it. Just agreeing to meet everyone for dinner was a major concession. She already knew that Thorne wouldn't go with her- it would give the appearance that they were a couple. As an afterthought, she decided to mention it anyway. She didn't want him accusing her of doing anything underhanded.

She walked by his office, started to knock and then decided to wait until he came to talk with the baby. She had seen and heard enough from him for the time being.

****

"She's coming!" Juliette exclaimed when she called Louise back. "She's really coming!"

Louise sat up and looked at Nathan who was as surprised as she was.

"I told her to be at our house by six- she doesn't think that Thorne will come, but isn't it great?"

"That's good news!" Louise said as she settled back into Nathan's arms. Thank you for calling her. Is she alright?"

"She seems to be-Lou- she asked you didn't call her."

"What did you say?"

"I told her the truth," Juliette replied. "Of course in typical Barb fashion; she changed the subject."

"But she's coming and that's huge," Louise replied.

"True," Juliette conceded. "I told her six- is that okay with you?"

Juliette and Louise talked for a few more minutes about the dinner and then hung up. Louise now understood something. Gene's moving to California wasn't a coincidence. He was needed. He was the main reason that Barb was coming. The reason, Louise decided didn't matter. How Barb felt about her at that moment didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that all of them would be together under one roof if only for an evening. It was a start.

****

Thorne finished his phone call with Ethan and debated as to what to do next. They would meet in three night's time to clear the air between them. At that time they would decide on when to formalize their alliance. By his calculations, Barb should be in her room and waiting for him. He rose from his chair and closed the office door behind him. As he made his way to Barb's bedroom, he ran into Adrianna and Cheung who were off duty for the evening. They exchanged a few words and he continued on his way.

As he expected, Barb was propped up on the bed and waiting for him. Neither of them spoke as he approached the bed and sat down. Thorne didn't look at her as he placed his hands on her belly and began to gently massage it. Then he bent down and kissed it. The baby moved in response and then stilled.

"Hello little one," Thorne said softly. "I am sorry to disturb you if you were sleeping, but I wanted to wish you a good rest. I suppose we need to start thinking of a name for you since we know that you are male. Maybe we can have your cousin Celeste visit with us so that you can communicate your like or dislike of the name we choose. Would you like to speak to your cousin again?"

Barb's heart jumped at the mention of Celeste's name. She didn't hate the little girl; it was more dislike coupled with fear. That a child had partly been her undoing was a hard pill to swallow. She startled when Thorne once again kissed her stomach, whispered 'good rest' and moved to stand up.

"My brother Gene is moving to California," she said abruptly. "The family is getting together to get his place ready and-there's a dinner tomorrow night at Juliette and Hans's house to make plans."

"Are you going to help with this?" Thorne asked.

"Yeah-I am," Barb replied. "You're invited if you want to come along. It's at six."

"I will come," Thorne said surprising her. "Let me explain why." He continued. "The ultimate protection of you and our child falls upon me. I will be accompanying you any place that you need to go. Having said that, I want to make something clear- this does not make us a couple. It is what any male would do for his mate who carries his child."

"Don't feel obligated!" Barb snapped.

"We need to start thinking of names for the baby," Thorne said changing the subject.

Barb was surprised for the second time in a few minutes.

"We?"

"Yes us," Thorne replied. "He is your son too and you should have a say in what he is named. I was serious about inviting Celeste here so that he can participate in his naming."

"We don't need her..."

"You are afraid of her aren't you?" Thorne asked. "I see it in your face and your heart rate just sped up."

"She's a creepy kid," Barb finally replied.

"No she isn't-she's a powerful little girl who is going to be a formidable woman. What makes her creepy to you is that she can read you- you have no secrets when she is around and she frightens you."

That was it in a nutshell Barb thought to herself.

"Is there anything else that we need to discuss?" Thorne asked.

"No," Barb replied softly.

After Thorne left, Barb lay awake for a long time thinking.

****

"Do you really think she'll come?" Leon asked Juliette for the fourth time.

"For the last time," Juliette snapped, "we'll know when she gets here and don't ask me about Thorne either- the same answer applies.

"Fine," Leon grumbled and went in search of Nadine who as of yet hadn't spoken to Rachel or Katrina yet. He would give it a little more time before he brought it up again. The scar from the fight with Harry was almost gone, but she still flinched when she saw it. As a result, he still wore a bandage over it when they made love. Wearing the bandage wasn't a big deal; but he hated seeing her distressed and it proved that she needed to talk to someone. He decided to give it one more week. If she hadn't talked to either Katrina or Rachel by then- he would bring it up.