Chapter Seventeen

July – Southern Maryland

Summer

Pink and white crepe paper is strung in twisted ribbons hanging on the walls, balloons fill the room, and the dining room table is covered with presents. Sam comes into the living room with two glasses in her hands, sitting down next to me on the couch she hands me one, and I take a sip of the lemonade.

“Thank you, Sam.” I smile half-heartedly at her.

“What’s wrong, Summer? You don’t seem like you’re having a good time. Are you feeling all right?” Sam grills me gently.

I shift on the couch, trying to get comfortable. At this stage in my pregnancy I’m hardly sleeping, my feet are swollen, and I spend most of my time worrying about what we will do once Rae is born. How she will be born and if we will both make it through it with Donnie delivering her?

Turning to Sam, I smile at her. “I’m having a good time, Sam, thank you for throwing this party. Can you believe the size of Mel? I mean, when she walked out of the airport yesterday, I was shocked.” Laughing, I go on, “Twins! Can you imagine it? I feel like a damn cow at my size. I can’t imagine having two babies inside me.”

Sam laughs with me, and I see Melody coming towards us from the kitchen, a slice of cake on the plate in her hand. She waddles into the room and sits down on the couch between us.

“Hey girls,” she chirps.

“Hey, Chica, how are those babies treating you?” Sam asks as she reaches over and rubs Mel’s belly.

I smile at having my friends together again.

“I missed this, all of us hanging out together,” I tell them.

We sit in silence for a while, and I rub small circles over my belly, thinking about Rae and what the future holds for my family.

“You guys should see Ireland. I want you to come out after the baby is born. Summer, do you think you would be able to bring her to see us after mine are born?” She is licking the icing from her plate.

“Oh my god, yes! Of course, if you would have us. I mean, with two new babies in the house, are you sure that having us all in your hair is something you want?” I squeeze her hand, excited by the idea.

“Yes, please say you will come. You too, Sam, you guys can come and spend Christmas with us in Ireland. It will be wonderful to have you guys there with Finn and me, you’ll get to meet the babies, and I’ll get to meet your little Rae.”

“Of course I’ll be there, Mel,” Sam replies, leaning forward onto her knees as she looks across Mel’s lap at me. “I’m less worried about Mel having us in her giant mansion than I am about you flying halfway across the world with an infant, Summer. Do you think you and Donnie can handle that?”

Rolling my eyes at her, I toss my head back against the couch, resting it on the pillows there. “I'll be fine, Sam. Once I get this baby out of me, and I stop being so exhausted.”

I watch the two of them exchange a look and huff as I shift uncomfortably again.

“Honey,” Melody says, patting my leg, “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you’re probably not going to be getting a lot of sleep with a newborn.”

I snap my head up and look at her. “How is it that you’re carrying two of them and you're just fine? This is total bullshit!” Struggling for what feels like forever, I finally stand from the couch and make my way to the back door. I can see Donnie and Finn standing by the grill, deep in conversation, and I wonder what it is about. The two have never had the best relationship. From the first time Donnie met him, he was nothing but curt with Finn.

I look back over my shoulder towards Melody and Sam on the couch, heads bent together, no doubt discussing the trip to Ireland for Christmas. I decide to leave them to it and slide open the back door, making my way across the backyard towards Donnie and Finn.

***

Donnie

“Finn?” I turn towards him. Knowing the look in my eyes is begging this man, who I have been unfriendly towards, to say the least.

“Donnie?” he questions me, waiting for me to go on.

“We need to talk. First off, I need to apologize to you for how I have treated you. It wasn’t fair of me to make assumptions about the type of man you would be for Melody, based solely on what you are.” I continue to mind the grill while I speak. Not wanting to look at him with any more pleading in my eyes. But I need his help, and I don’t know if he will be willing, given the circumstances.

“What I am?” Finn retorts, scoffing at my words.

That’s when I turn to him, spatula still in my hand, and I let go of my control. I know what I look like. I know the glow in my silver eyes and its effect on people. I watch as his widen with realization, and he takes an almost imperceptible step backward away from me.

“Donnie?” The questioning tone tells me that he doesn’t know as much about my kind as I know about his. I sigh.

“I know you’re a wolf. Do you have the slightest clue as to what I am?” Refusing to break eye contact with him, I wait and let him think it through. I can see the moment he makes the connection, and his eyebrows climb up his forehead.

He nods. “Aye, well, that makes a lot of sense now. Explains why you were so wound up about my bumping into the girls at The Den and me being alone with Mel. You have to know now that I love the lass, and I’m not going to hurt—” I put my hand out to cut him off.

“This isn’t about you and Mel. This is about Summer and the baby.” Finn flinches visibly as if he is just now realizing that Summer is pregnant.

“She’s… holy shit, Donnie! How the fuck!” I throw my hands up at his response.

“Shh… the girls will hear you!” Chastising him for raising his voice.

He rubs his hand across his day-old stubble, and I can hear the scratching sound of it meeting his palm.

“Fuck. Does she know? What are you going to do?” The look of disbelief mixed with rage on his face is concerning.

I nod at him. “She knows, and we’ve been through a lot. There was an incident earlier in her pregnancy.”

His eyes flare a bright amber color, and it is my turn to step back from him. I put my hand out towards him. “If you put my family in danger by having us here today, Donnie, I swear I will shove a stake so far through your heart—”

I’m shaking my head at his words. “No. We’re not, you’re not. Not anymore. It is taken care of.”

Turning my attention back to the now blackening food on the grill, I curse under my breath and then proceed to tell Finn the story of Summer’s abduction and rescue. He listens intently to me, and I can see his body visibly relax as he accepts my promise that he and Melody are in no danger from my kind by being here.

“So, what is it that you need my help with?” His voice is lower now.

“Summer can’t go to the hospital to have our baby, Finn. I can’t put them at risk of people finding out what I am, what our baby girl is.” My confession stings, leaving me feeling inept.

“I’m sorry, I still don’t see how I can help, Donnie.” Finn is clearly going to need it spelled out for him.

“Finn, we’re trained as officers to deliver babies.” He nods at my words. “I would do it myself, but Summer, she is still human, there will be…” I hesitate to go on, hoping he will see where I am going with this. “There will be blood, lots of it. I can’t risk hurting her, Finn, and I don’t know who else to turn to. I need to ask you to be here. I need you to deliver our baby.”

He is silent, taking a quick step towards me, looking into my eyes, and then back towards the house. “Fuck, you’re right!” he exclaims, and I shrug at him, waiting for him to either grant or deny my request for his help.

“I’ll do it, but you realize this means we’re going to have to tell the girls. About each other, I mean. They obviously both can handle it given our current situations.” He shrugs too, and I agree with him. I hear the back slider open and see Summer making her away across the yard towards us.

“Now or never, I guess.” I look at Finn, and he nods his consent.

***

Summer

When I reach the patio where Donnie and Finn are standing together, I can instantly tell something has happened. Both are tense, and their postures protective. I see Finn nod once to Donnie, and confused, I look back and forth between the men.

“Does someone want to tell me what this is all about?” I motion between them with my hand, then rest both hands on my hips and wait, staring them down.

“Summer,” Donnie says my name softly, and I turn to him, he has a sheepish look on his face, and I wonder what it is that he is hiding from me. Nervousness fills my body, and I chew on my lower lip, the anticipation killing me. When he goes on, his next words floor me. “I told Finn what I am and about Rae.”

It feels like someone slapped me in the face, and I struggle a minute to catch my breath, fear shooting through me at someone knowing our secret, someone finding out, and hurting my family has been a fear that I haven’t been able to shake, as of late.

“Why?” I breathe out the word softly. Still trying to wrap my mind around why he would have told Finn this information and what it means for us now.

“It’s okay, Summer. I have something to tell you also, lass.” Finn takes a step towards me, and I cover my belly with my arms protectively. “Don’t, don’t be afraid of me, lass. Melody and I have our own secret. You need to know to understand why Donnie told me what he did.”

Swallowing hard, I fight back the terror that I still can’t shake. My own thoughts make me realize that they’re right. I clearly don’t need to worry about Finn tearing my family apart because of this new information he possesses. If he is still standing here, believing Donnie is a vampire.

“Summer,” Finn calls my name, pulling my attention back to them from my rushing thoughts. “I’m a werewolf. Donnie knew I would be able to handle the news that he is a vampire, and he has his reasons for telling me now. Let him explain.”

“Baby, we need Finn to help when it's time—” Donnie is talking, but I throw my hand out, cutting him off and glare at Finn.

“Wait a fucking minute! We’re not going to just gloss over what he just said! He is a fucking werewolf?” I point at Finn, then turn and put my finger out at Donnie. “You’re a damned vampire. What the fuck is going on in this town?” I shout then I look back towards the house over my shoulder, afraid the guests inside might have heard me. I lower my voice before I go on. “Does Melody know?”

“Och, of course, she knows, lass. We’re having a baby. You think I would keep this from her?” Finn’s voice is full of disgust at the mere suggestion that he would be hiding his deepest secrets from Melody.

Holding my hands out to him, I apologize, “You’re right, I’m sorry.” Looking back towards Donnie, I motion for him to go on, “You were saying?”

“Summer, I can’t be the one to deliver the baby, and she, obviously, cannot be born in a hospital. They will know very quickly that she is not human.” Donnie's words fill me with dread, but I continue to listen, attempting to remain calm. “Finn has agreed to come back here next month and deliver her.”

“Finn?” I’m trying not to sound too rude. “He isn’t qualified for that.” My eyes wide, I look back and forth between them, trying to figure out how they can think this is a good idea.

“Summer, Finn has the same training as I do. We both have been trained to deliver babies for our work, baby. He can do it. Can’t you, Finn?”

Finn turns to me, nodding. “Absolutely, sure. Of course, Summer. No problem.” Unconvincingly he goes on, “I mean, I’ve never done it before, but Donnie is right, we have both been trained, and we can do this. It is the best thing, the safest thing for both of you, given the circumstances.”

I’m standing and gaping at them, the heat of the July sun burns my skin, and I can feel sweat running down my back. The surreal ness of this conversation is sending me over the edge. Slowly I take a deep breath in and hold it. I close my eyes and try to think if there is any other option for us. Shaking my head at the realization that there are no alternatives. They are right. This is the best way.

“Okay, but what are you going to tell Melody? She is going to ask questions about why you’re coming back here next month.” I point out the flaw in their plan, focusing on needing a solution for that, rather than the fact that I have just agreed to have my best friend's werewolf boyfriend deliver my vampire baby.

“I’ll handle that.” Finn brushes off my concern.

“Okay,” I say, nodding at each.

“Okay.” Finn nods back in response.

“Okay.” Donnie reaches out and grabs my hand, gently squeezing it in his.