Takes a Little Time

++ Ro ++

I couldn’t help it.

I tried, I really did, but I just couldn’t help it.

I started laughing.

It hurt like hell, as my half-numb body jostled, but I laughed anyway. Of all the insane, incomprehensible, one-in-a-billion things to happen! Bug seemed half-insulted at my hilarity, giving Barbara a dry look. “That’s what you get for giving such vague instructions. You have to be very specific with the nanites.”

I managed to grab a lock of red hair and gave a sharp tug to get Barbara’s attention. Her eyes were huge in her face. Still smiling, I poured my heart into my eyes, deeply glad for this impossible event. Something deeply primitive in me was soothed by the knowledge that cubs would carry my legacy into the future. That these two women I adored shared that legacy was a precious, precious gift.

Helena’s blue eyes were almost as shocked as Barbara’s and she sank into the chair between our beds. “You’re pregnant? That’s nuts.” Then more of the story registered and her dark brows jumped up in shock. “And its Ro’s and mine? Whoa…”

I chuckled again and purred softly at the women. The sound was echoed by my sister, still curled beside me, holding my other hand. Shan had stayed uncharacteristically quiet through all of this. “Aren’t you happy?” She suddenly asked softly and Barbara’s panic started to recede.

“I… I don’t know. This is so sudden. It’s too much, too soon. So much has happened…”

Abruptly, Helena stood and leaned over to gather up Barbara into a crushing hug. “I love you,” wafted softly past my sensitive ears and I was content. Especially when Helena used the hug to pull Barbara into sitting up and letting her legs dangle off the side of the bed.

“I love you guys too. Help me stand.”

That was the Barbara I had fallen so madly for, strong and determined. I watched hungrily as Helena pressed her even closer, the embrace turning into a standing hug. Barbara panted heavily and clung to Hel like an anchor. I rubbed Helena’s back and purred in tune with my twin to encourage them.

“Ouch,” Barbara giggled into Hel’s hair. “Good ouch, but ouch nonetheless. My feet… feel… strange.”

“Hey, it’s been awhile. Like the worst case ever of having your legs fall asleep,” Helena teased to a chorus of chuckles.

“Yes, exactly like that,” Barbara drawled back dryly and finally looked at me over Helena’s shoulder. From the moment I’d met them both, they had been a delight to me. And now our family was growing.

“You okay to stand for a sec?” Helena asked Barbara, who nodded. In a moment, Helena filled my vision, the blue close enough to see the spokes of individual color. “I wanna hug you so bad…”

“Mutual,” I murmured. “Now, shut up and kiss me.”

She was all too happy to oblige, careful to be gentle. Shan nuzzled us both while Barbara stroked over Hel’s back and the hand I had curled awkwardly around her.

“So,” Hel purred against my lips. “What has the hurricane here told you?”

“Not enough,” I pouted like a kid until she laughed in delight, and then her eyes were suddenly full of tears.

“I thought I wouldn’t get a chance to tell you,” Helena mumbled hoarsely, her suddenly serious heart shining in her intense gaze. “I love you Ro, I love you too Shan, but I love Ro special.” Shan snorted in mock annoyance and tugged at her hair with bared teeth. I was shell-shocked at the admission and Helena kissed me again, distracting my shock with the sweet sin of her mouth. “Yeah, I know how that feels.” She breathed softly.

“Me too,” Barbara chimed in. “You both have my heart.”

I couldn’t help shifting my gaze to Shan, who chuckled warmly. “Don’t sweat me, sis. I’m just waiting for my girl to jump the jailbait hurdle. I’m certain that soon enough I’ll be as irritatingly goopy as you three.”

I loved them too, I truly did, but…

With Janelle back in my life and pups on the way…

What did I do now?

++ Helena ++

Utterly lost in thought, I sat on the edge of the enormous bed I had claimed as mine. Was it just a few days ago that I had let both Rowan and Barbara into my body and heart?

I’d hate for that miracle to fall apart as quickly as it had happened.

Before I could get too caught up in my own thoughts, a welcome voice distracted me. “Helena?”

I grinned weakly up at Barbara, insanely glad to see her. “Hi babe.”

It was a miracle, bona-freakin’-fied.

Barbara Gordon was walking on her own.

Oh sure, it was awkward as hell, and she was working with a cane until she relearned how to walk properly without that hateful spinal coupler that hurt her so bad, but that didn’t lessen the miracle. Gently, Barbara tugged my head over to rest against her abdomen and I sighed lustily. “I was just thinking how much I’ve changed. And so fast. Never thought one person could change me so much.”

“Oh, I think she was merely a catalyst,” Barbara soothed, petting my hair. “You’ve been wanting to move past your pain for a long time. We both wanted to… but I think that perhaps we were, as a unit, too close to the pain. Your mom, my back.”

It made sense, and something inside began to unwind. “My mom would have loved Ro,” I mused, smiling at the thought. “Bein’ Catwoman and all. Can you imagine the havoc she could have wreaked with the twins helping her?”

“The mind boggles,” Barbara chuckled.

Beneath my cheek, new life had stirred deep in my lover’s body, provided by the same miracle that created my other lover. “Full circle,” I murmured and stroked Barbara’s flat abdomen in wonderment. “Never thought I’d be so damn glad for those damn Fleas.”

“Me too,” Barbara whispered and I looked up in to her eyes. They were full of wonderment and fear. Carefully standing, I pushed away the cane and wrapped her in a full-bodied hug. “Oh Hel, I never thought I would be able to hold you like this. I felt so weird, being attracted to you for so long, after being your mother’s pal and being around you since you were just a girl. Then one day, I realized what an incredible woman you were suddenly becoming and I sublimated by pushing you to be stronger, faster. Maybe I was doing all those things that you’ve accused me of at some time or another, using you as an outlet I no longer had.”

It hurt to hear Barbara say those things, but they needed to be said. “No longer,” I soothed. “We were lonely and hurting. Good thing Dinah followed me home that night and helped set all these events in motion. I know both of us would have been far less accepting of Davie and the twins if it hadn’t been for Di.”

“Agreed,” Barbara grinned and her expression suddenly went scared again. “Do you think they’ll stay? Now that Janelle’s herself again?”

God, she sounded so terrified… With Janelle here, now what would happen?

++ Shan ++

Eventually, Jan stirred awake and carefully climbed off the gurney behind me. That let me roll onto my back and let stiff, sore muscles change positions. A groan rumbled up from deep in my chest, echoed by a kitten noise nearby. That made me sit up halfway to see Bug perched on a chair, sleeping uncomfortably at Ro’s side. Dinah was tossing restlessly on her gurney and I stiffly got to my feet and padded over. “Hey Pretty Bird,” I purred and she immediately rolled onto her side to bury her face in my belly. “I’m here.”

“Nightmares,” Dinah mumbled like she was embarrassed. I gently coaxed her to sit up and be hugged proper.

“Dinah. My sweet Pretty Bird, what that monster did to you is nothing that you need to be ashamed of. She was twisted and evil, trust me, I know first hand. Don’t let her madness hurt you anymore.”

Sobbing, Dinah clung to me, and I ignored the whining of my back muscles from the uncomfortable half-stoop. “Wow,” she breathed in my ear, leaning back to meet my gaze. “You’re just so… wow.”

A delighted grin split my face as I was reminded of her strength and innocence that had drawn me so powerfully in the first place. “Yeah, I feel the same way.” Bug jerked awake as Janelle came back. Kissing Di softly, I gave her a squeeze and stepped away to my old packmates. “Miss Honey? Will you stay with Ro? I need to get my girl and the Bug here into a normal bed for some solid sleep.”

“Sure,” Jan agreed, but the shadows in her eyes were deep and dark. Coaxing her head up with a crooked finger, I leaned over to snuffle-kiss her, remembering how she always liked the silk-fine brush of our cheeks and noses against her own. It earned the grin I wanted.

“Janelle. We’re so glad you’re here. I know things are weird with Ro now, what with Babs and Hel-cat and puppies on the way, but everything’s gonna work out.”

Her sweetly familiar brown eyes were soft and vulnerable. “I lost all that time, Shan. You two have changed so much.”

“So get to know us again. I’m still your playful goofball and Ro’s still her sweet, serious self. Sure, there’s more layers, but you still know us.” Gesturing at my sleeping twin with my chin, I smiled softly at the woman who had helped to mold us into worthwhile beings. “Don’t give up on her, yourself, or any of us as a whole. Just because we’ve found other people to love, doesn’t mean that we love you any less. Okay?”

“You’ve changed,” Janelle sniffled, and her familiar sunny smile shone up at me. “And in a good way.”

“Everyone keeps saying that,” I grumbled with no menace before sobering. “I’ve looked into the darkest places in me and my packmates saved me from myself.” I paused to look over my shoulder where Dinah watched in silence, her expression affectionate, a little embarrassment mixed with the all-too-raw fear of what had nearly happened to all of us. “The best thing that I can do to honor that is learn from the lesson.”

“You’ve always been good at that, sweetie,” Janelle soothed and my gaze returned to her. “I think I’m going to really like the people you and your sister have become.”

++ Dinah ++

It was sweet to watch Shan’s fine fur stand up and flutter down again in her pleasure from Janelle’s compliment. Though, I had to be honest…

I was insanely jealous.

Once more, Shan nuzzled Janelle and then turned to me. Jealousy bled away as I was hit with the force of that burning violet gaze. There was no indication that Shan had nearly snapped her spine three days ago, as she sashayed over to me like a cat in heat. Despite the lingering ache in body and soul, my hormones perked up in interest at the show. Then she was in my space, gentle and tasty in my mouth. All of the horrible stuff that happened to both of us drained away, as I buried one hand into the silky hair and felt a strong bicep beneath the other. The woman could kiss like nothing else in the whole universe mattered. Right about the time I was ready to yank her down to the gurney and to hell with our audience, Shan pulled away only far enough to meet my gaze. Half out of focus, she was tense with need, pupils pinpricks.

The low growl made every fine blonde hair on my body stand up to attention. It was a thrill to know that I’d made her make that sound. Then I had to go and yawn, ruining the moment. By the time the dizzying wave passed, I was wrapped in a warm hug. “C’mon, Pretty Bird. There’s got to be a bed we can actually get some real sleep somewhere in this museum.”

“You got it.”

Bug was yawning even more hugely than me, flashing blunt canines. Shan tucked me under one arm and affectionately scruffed Bug with the other hand. “C’mon squirt, you need sleep.”

“But…”

“No buts. Ro’ll be fine. Davie’ll holler if anything happens. Bed.”

Dejectedly, Bug allowed herself to be bullied by the much larger Shan and we headed out to find somewhere quiet and safe. We all stopped in our tracks as an enormous man stepped into the hall. “Tiny!” Bug exclaimed happily and went to him. There was animal tension between he and Shan, but I remembered him helping me and smiled.

“You helped save me. Thank you, Tiny.”

Instantly, he looked like a happy dog, handsome face splitting into a wide grin. Bet if he had a tail, it would be wagging.

“Good dog,” Bug praised and he looked ready to bust, he was so delighted. “I’ll be sleeping around here somewhere if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Next person we stumbled into was Gabby. Literally. As she bounced half off me and half off Shan, I noticed how exhausted she looked. “Sorry guys,” she murmured and yawned. “Didn’t mean to run you down. Just busy, y’know?”

Shan didn’t release her steadying grip and I caught my pal’s eye. “When did you sleep last?”

“Umm…”

Shan sighed heavily. “Babs is up and running now, and you need sleep. I’ve designated myself as the sleep police and you’re under arrest. If it makes you feel better, you can be in charge of Bug here. C’mon troops.”

That was that, and they followed reluctantly. “Try that one,” I offered and waved at a door, earning a grin from my girl. My girl… I liked the sound of that. The door swung open to reveal a massive bedroom with a bathroom off to the side.

“Score,” Shan purred in delight. I received a telepathic tingle from her that I was beginning to associate with Davie. “Splinter’ll keep the others posted.”

Bug moved into the room hesitantly and Gabby stepped in behind her. That left me in my walking half-embrace with Shan. Looking up at her strong profile, I felt adoration and awe at her presence in my life. “Hey,” I whispered and she looked down quizzically. “Glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” she purred and leaned down to kiss me again. A long time must have passed while I was lost in Shan, as Gabby’s teasing voice reached me.

“Get a room,” she laughed as she walked past the doorway and interrupted us. Once again, my body and hormones were humming happily to Shan’s tune.

“Smartass,” Shan sassed and gently prodded me towards the enormous bed in the room. Groaning at the lingering soreness, I sank down and sprawled back into the heavenly softness.

“Oh yeah, this is much better.”

“Good to see you feeling better,” Gabby chuckled and sat on the bed beside me. “I was worried. Hell, I was worried about everybody.”

“It’s rarely gets so bad,” I tried to explain. “Harley was a nightmare.”

“Yeah. Got that. You recovering okay?”

“Yeah. Having a big family around makes all the difference. Lie down Gab, you look wasted.”

++ Gabby ++

Something woke me from a deep, black sleep. A body, curvy and female, was shifting agitatedly against my side. Something was wrong. Then the purr started up, deep and rumbling, like the diesel engine in my dad’s work truck. Di’s whimpering tapered off and she settled into my side again. So who was the other body wrapped around me like a bad cold?

It was the girl that Shan called Bug. From that first night she’d caught my eye, all fear and strength of character. The fox tail wagging slowly behind her or bristled up with emotion was a little disorienting, but not half as much as the albino twins. Bug was clinging to me in a borderline death grip, her curves warm and soft at not at all off-putting. Dinah was nearly as clingy, and there was a white hand laying almost possessively on my belly.

All and all, it was a fantasy made flesh. The rampant hormones around this collection of sexy women was the sweetest torture. God, that incident at the sex shop and watching Barbara’s face while we listened…

Shan’s hand moved like a caress against me, as though in response to my carnal thoughts. She made a low sound that was half-moan and half growl, playing harmony to that familiar purr. It was an insanely sexy sound. Wonder if she had a sandpapery tongue like a cat’s? Better stop that train of thought right there. And Dinah smelled good, curled up snug to my side…

Dammit! Bug was purring too! This was so not fair!

Dinah returned Shan’s soft noise with a faint moan of her own, stirring against me more sensual than agitated this time. What was this, a test for sainthood or something?

Eventually, sleep pulled me down again, the drone of the dual purrs and the drugging body heat were too much…

++ Dinah ++

Jeez, but I was sick of jumping at every little sound…

I might put on a brave face for the gang, but I was still rattled in every corner. Even back in my peaceful hidey-holes of Opal, the fear wouldn’t leave me. There were some massive, twisted stands of some tree that might have been an oak or walnut or something, way out in the fields that was my spot. The Redmonds never could find me there, as though they never really noticed that the wind-twisted grove.

Maybe I had made it up… a mental fortress against the hate and fear I was surrounded by. My visions terrified my adopted family and they used intimidation and the rhetoric of religion to try and control the uncontrollable. The acceptance I had found in New Gotham was slowly healing a lifetime of mental abuse.

The open plains no longer felt so oppressive, the sky was blue and clear, the wind sweet in my nostrils and caressing my face.

“So,” the voice scared me into jumping up and whirling around. “Think you might enjoy being here again?”

Heart pounding, I glowered at my companion and bent over to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. “Dammit Left Ear, you scared the hell out of me.”

Nonchalantly, the coyote-woman studied a claw and sneer-grinned at me. “Your fear lost you your edge. I wanted to tell you that I admired how you got out of that trap awhile back.”

“Trap?”

“Yeah, where the torture was coming from the outside.”

“Oh,” I said lamely, remembering what Doctor B did to me. The skies darkened again, the atmosphere becoming oppressive, like the heartbeat before a lightning strike. Left Ear cringed down towards the earth, ears flattening to her head. “No offense, but you control this place and it’s been a little scary lately.” After a pause, I swallowed the fear down and the skies again cleared. Terrific, my internal landscape was becoming one big mood ring. “Exactly,” Left Ear purred and I sighed.

“It’s healing, Lefty, but I still have nightmares.”

“I know. The storms here are unreal.”

Something about the way she said it made me take a good, long look at this construct of my telepathic mind. Left Ear merely coyote-grinned at me and returned the steady regard. She was different this time, her face more familiar, more… human. Ginger fur was creamy now, and the tail was sinuous instead of bushy and stiff…

“Shan?” I whispered hoarsely and Left Ear threw her head back and howl-laughed piercingly at the scattered clouds overhead.

“No,” she chuckled and gave me a quick snuffle-kiss that made me giggle. “But I appreciate that you like me enough to give me some of the traits you like so much in her. Oops, time for the director to yell ‘cut’. See you around, cub.”

Like ink in water, the scenery began to run and bleed into something green, damp and dim. Rubbing my eyes in confusion, I was suddenly surrounded by a forest like I’d never seen before. It was lush and dank, with a heavy coolness despite the dappled sun, and massive fir trees towered over me. The undergrowth was a tangled rat’s nest of ferns and blackberry brambles, the fat purple berries gleaming in the scattered light. The ground beneath my heels was spongy and damp, the thick smell of this cool damp place was intoxicating.

Something crashed noisily in the trees.

There was no visibility in this place. The undergrowth and trunks were knitted so thick together that I could only see a dozen yards at best. Unsure what to do about the rapidly approaching animal, its flight wild with panic, I crouched down and waited. Oddly enough, I felt no fear, only that familiar thrill of danger.

A deer flashed past me, its eyes wild with panic, blood and foam streaking its hide.

Another noise joined the first, a heavy crash above.

A pale body, clothed only in familiar white fuzz, appeared from nowhere to land solidly on the deer. Bleating with panic, the animal went down in a thrashing pile and the young predator snarled in success.

Another familiar flash of white streaked right over my head and also pounced on the deer.

I couldn’t watch, my oh-so-human sensibilities cringing at the pathetic cries of the deer as it was methodically slaughtered.

In moments, the racket of the kill vanished and rushing water filled my ears.

Filled it. A roar of a million little splashes smashing against one another and the unforgiving stone, streaming to the sea in a relentless din of sound. Birds sang sweetly, interspersed with the harsh caw of ravens and blue jays.

A blaze of smells filled my brain to capacity, the sweetness of the clean water, the mustiness of the heavy forest as it breathed around me. Faints wisps of scent that were the animals of this place, tantalizing to my empty belly. The tang of snow, far too close for comfort.

Icy water swirled around my wrists and ankles and… tail.

Oookay then, that clinched it, this was definitely a memory I was now participating in. The glitter of the sun off of the rushing water was almost blinding, but it was the flash of dark, streamlined shapes beneath the churning surface that drew me in.

A roar jerked my attention downstream, adrenaline spiking, clawed fingers and toes digging into the sandy, rocky streambed. Bears prowled these waters, great hulking brown predators with their thick scents and surly tempers. Two big males challenged one another while I leaned towards the water again.

The stimuli was so real, that my brain was left reeling. Was this really how the twins experienced the world around them? The sheer volume of sensory information was overwhelming to me, but I could also see how intoxicating this level of detail would be.

I rode piggy-back in Shan’s memories as she thrust her arm into the churning water, once, twice, and a third time. Cool and powerful and slick, the hook-billed monster of a red and silver salmon thrashed mightily in a powerful clawed hand. Its flesh was warm where the scales split beneath the drive of powerful canine teeth. It twisted wildly to escape, rocking Shan’s skull, and she bit down harder to keep her grip and relished the taste of its ripe, healthy flesh.

Climbing into the forest above the river, Shan crept into the familiar trees until she came to one she knew and climbed it like a squirrel. Ro, looking sick and worn-out, gratefully accepted the now-quiet salmon and they purred together. I relished the rumble of it in my throat and bones, the powerful bond of the sisters, the simple pleasure of food. Then was the ritual of mutual grooming one another like big cats before curling up to sleep in a loose-limbed pile.

++ Barbara ++

Two days of practice had me almost steady on my feet. Two days of Helena’s constant protective hovering and cuddling had my emotions on a surprisingly even keel. Two days of getting all of our stories straight, checking in on my dad and Reece, placing a call to Arkham to make sure that Harley was still incapacitated, tinkering with the Delphi, all the fun rigmarole.

It let me kind of ignore the pregnancy issue.

I’d caught up with Carolyn, started to get to know Bug and Tiny, and found that I really liked Janelle a lot. Helena was still bristly around the woman, but I think that things would calm in time. Part of loving Ro was understanding that she had a big, unorthodox family. There were still deep, deep feelings running between the spunky schoolteacher and the big white warrior. The feelings that I and Helena shared were just as important. There were many bridges to be built, and Jan and I were working on that. The easiest way to bond was the idea of a school. Young Carrie was the catalyst for it, the girl-woman, twelve years old and never a day of formal schooling. She and her mother had spent the girl’s entire life as wanderers. They needed a home and this place was more than big enough to accommodate our newcomers and hundreds more. Even more importantly, they meant something to Carolyn. The vibes from my old pal as she stood over Kelly’s still-unconscious body, felt a whole lot like what I felt for Ro.

Everyone was healing nicely, and more of the nanites had been persuaded to move over to Ro and help the troops. Another day or two and I’d bet that tall and furry would be back on her feet, even if it would be a few more weeks before she was her usual athletic self.

“Barbara?”

Startled by the voice, I swiveled my chair and grinned at Dinah. I had hardly seen the girl in the days while we all recovered and found that I missed her. So I told her as much. “Hey there, superhero. How about a hug and a hello?” Dinah lit up like a Christmas tree and I stood to embrace her fully. “Were you always this tall?” I joked, but then sobered, grounded by the long-missed feeling of just being able to fully embrace someone I cared about. “Y’know, looking back, I think this is one of the things I missed the most.” Pulling back only enough to look at me quizzically, Dinah’s curious-puppy expression made me chuckle. “While I wasn’t generally the touchy-feely type, I missed being able to hug.” Again, Dinah lit up and tightened her grip until I laughingly begged for mercy. Then she looked smug and gentled, resting her head on my shoulder. “What’s up, Dinah?”

“Still confused about Shan, y’know?”

It was so quiet, that I wasn’t entirely sure I’d heard her. “What about her?”

“Just… I feel so strongly, but I’m still at arms-length… but neither of us can get closer. And I keep ending up in her head, re-living her memories, and I’m worried that I’m not dealing with my own stuff, y’know? And having Bug and Gabby all piled in with us while we sleep is… is…”

“Distracting?” I supplied wryly and Dinah sighed.

“Yeah, that’ll do. But I hate the idea of being separated from them.”

“I know exactly how you feel. Tell you what. Let’s get a picnic lunch together and go hang out on the grounds. Just the two of us, no pressure. We can gossip about our big new family.”

And for that, I earned Dinah’s biggest, happiest grin.

++ Carrie ++

It was like window-shopping.

A past-time I both loved and hated.

Always on the outside, looking in. I had grown up on the run, swept up in the comet-trail of my mother’s past. Never spending longer than a week in any one place, traveling by night, hiding from the sun. The months in New Gotham made the place almost feel homey, even if we’d wandered all over the big city. Part of that phenomenon was due to Jane…

Carolyn.

Carolyn Lance.

The famous Black Canary.

I was still in shock over that particular revelation. Not that I’d had much time to wonder at the strange odds of her being in my life.

Mom was still unconscious, warm and breathing, but motionless. Since her wounds were pretty well healed by Bree, who I liked, Davie had promised to see if she couldn’t slip in and try to lead mom back out. I was desperately missing my mom’s gruff, overprotective love and Jane’s… Carolyn’s warm affection. She was busy with Dinah… and I was jealous as hell.

Now, I wasn’t the daughter, and I felt like I’d lost a mom.

But… I’d come into mom’s room to see Carolyn sitting beside her, holding the still hand, tears in her brown eyes. So maybe, just maybe… she still needed us too.

Right on cue, a hand rested on my shoulder.

Knowing who it was, I didn’t bother to scrub the tears away. Hiccupping through a sob, I turned to press my face into Carolyn’s shoulder. She didn’t tell me everything was going to be fine, she didn’t make me angry with promises that might come up empty and meaningless. She just pet my hair and hummed softly in comfort. The gentle sound was wonderful, because I knew what that voice was capable of, had felt the building shudder and fracture around me when she destroyed that horrible lab downstairs from Harley’s lair. Now, I could barely hear the faint strains of some wordless tune and clung to the sound. Maybe that voice could save both her daughter and me too.

++ Davie ++

Never let it be said that I couldn’t have crappy timing with the best of them. Stepping into Kelly’s room, I froze in mid-motion at the sight of Carrie bawling against the strength of Carolyn’s body. Some telepath I was, completely missing the girl’s breakdown. I felt it now, a wave of misery and loneliness that made my throat ache in sympathy. Her thoughts were a confused jumble, but I wisely let them run their course. Sometimes the best thing was to stay hands-off. Even if I hated it. Human beings were impossibly adaptable, but in the case of my powers, I had to let them do the work themselves. It wasn’t always true, I could often make a powerful difference, but Carrie needed the hard work of old fashioned healing.

Carolyn was upset now, she was broadcasting it, and I reached out to discretely soothe so that she could concentrate on Carrie. “I know this is hard,” the scarred woman began hesitantly, as though she was searching for the right thing to say. “But she’s in good hands.”

“What if she doesn’t wake up?” Carrie whispered and I heard the thought rip sharp nails across my telepathic perceptions. Ouch.

“Then you’re stuck with me.” Startled by the words, Carrie looked up and a definitive point was reached between them. Damn, but that felt good. “Carrie, sweetie, I’m not leaving you just because I remember my past. I love you and your mom. You were my family when no one else would have me. There’s no way in hell I’m walking away from that. Dinah’s my family too, but so are you. Okay? Believe that and we’ll be okay.”

Incoherent relief and adoration rippled out from the teen and I felt a head-rush that was even better than pure oxygen or teleporting with the twins. Carolyn looked up and was startled that I was there, but relaxed at the idiotic grin I’m quite sure was splitting my face.

“Hey, Carrie. Davie’s here to see if she can contact your mom. Anything we can do to help?”

“Actually, you’re doing it now. Keep the emotional level up and it’ll give her a beacon to find. Ready to see the world in my unique way?”

“Lead the way.”

And with their hands in mine, we prepared to do our damnest to reunite this family.

++ Dinah ++

We were just about to walk out when a great, rolling peel of thunder rolled through the manor. I flinched despite myself and Barbara rested a hand on my arm. “Down girl. It’s the doorbell. Curious?”

Looking back, I wished that I’d said no.

We went to the landing that overlooked the enormous entry hall. A strong sense of anticipation was building, turning the inside of my head to ozone. A mental lightning strike was building. There was a ripple of movement in the shadows, but Alfred bustling into the entry hall distracted me.

When I looked back, it was gone.

Ooookay, that was creepy. The tingle of power coiled behind my eyes, radiated out along my nerves. Telekinesis was the physical equivalent of my off and on telepathy. Except that the ‘kinesis was purely physical. Then the scene changed abruptly and I gawked in shock.

It was the entry hall, but it was obviously different. The vast windows had been uncovered to let sunlight pour into the room and there were humongous planters of foliage like island of green in the darkly paneled space. There were extensive sitting areas set up like a hotel lobby, and there were desks and tables scattered among the couches and chairs. Before I could fully comprehend why I was there, all was revealed.

Bug tore into the room, nearly on all fours, moving impossibly fast. She actually went up the wall and made a fantastic leap into one of the planted trees. Hot on her heels was a small girl with a brilliant mane of red hair and a flowing tail. Squealing in delight, the girl repeated Bug’s move. Behind her was a child more tiger cat than human, even more feline than the white twins. Ro skidded clumsily around the corner while Bug and the kids cheered her on. Shan teleported in above the tree, crashing into the branches and sending everyone involved scattering in all directions. A lynx-sized tiger cat skidded on the hardwood floor, thumping into Ro, who ‘whuffed’. The orange cat laughed hysterically, a clear, girlish sound that carried over the pandemonium.

Those were… those were the triplets.

Ohmigod.

Then, I trotted out of the hall, my laughter mingling with the girl-cat’s and the room began to grow hazy.

The last thing I saw clearly…

Was that I distinctly looked heavily pregnant.

To Be Continued…

I liked this song for its words, especially for Dinah, as she features heavily here. Sometimes, it’s okay to set a heavy burden and catch your breath.

Takes a Little Time, by Amy Grant
CHORUS
Takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
Takes a little time sometimes
To get the Titanic turned back around
Takes a little time sometimes
But baby you’re not going down
Takes more than you’ve got right now
Give it time

What’s this walking through my door
I know I’ve seen the look before
Sometimes in faces on the street
Sometimes in the mirror looking back at me
You can’t fix this pain with money
You can’t rush a weary soul
You can’t sweep it under the rug, now honey
It don’t take a lot to know
(chorus)

Now it may not be over by morning
But Rome wasn’t built in a day
You can name this thing a thousand times
But it won’t make it go away
Let me put my arms around you
And hold you while you weep
We’ve been talking and talking
I’m sick of this talk
And it’s nothing that won't keep
(chorus)

No you can’t fix this pain with money
You can’t rush a weary soul
You can’t sweep it under the rug now honey
It don’t take a lot to know
(chorus)