by Tona

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Chapter One

Chris knelt at the altar, gazing towards the figure of Jesus upon the cross before him. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Instead he heard the rustle of a coat behind him and he knew immediately who had joined him. He raised his head slowly and sighed, “You never told me.”

“No, I didn’t.” 

“Was there a reason behind that? Were you expecting me to change because of what has happened?”

“I never expect you to change.”

Chris couldn’t repress the half grin that formed upon his features, “Oh really? Then why are you here?”

“Call it curiosity. I’m curious as to what you might do next.”

Chris slowly stood and faced Ed, “You’re curious? Since when? You’ve never had to wonder what might happen since I’ve known you.”

“This time,” Ed shrugged as he looked up to Chris from the bench, “I’m as much in the dark as you are, kid.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Chris rolled his eyes before taking a seat upon the bench beside him, “Why didn’t you tell me there were others here?”

“It wasn’t important,” Ed replied simply.

“They didn’t know about me.”

“Did you think they would? You’re something we like to keep quiet upstairs. It’s not often someone figures out a way to scam his way out of the basement and out of my office. So you’re here on an unlimited pass, and we don’t want to spread that around, okay?”

Chris half smiled before becoming serious again, “And Eve?”

“What about her?”

“Is she upstairs?”

“Did you think she would be anywhere else?”

“Considering her history,” Chris nodded, “I was thinking she was probably stuck in between.”

“Ah, but see she’s done something that you have never been able to do.”

“And that is?”

“Love and be loved…without reservation.”

“Spare me,” Chris rolled his eyes.

“You asked,” Ed pointed out.

“So now what?”

“What do mean so now what? She’s upstairs. End of story.”

“That is not the end of the story, or you wouldn’t be here.”

Ed regarded Chris closely, “And if I said there might be more to the story?”

“It figures,” Chris groaned, “You’re going to be cryptic. I hate it when you’re cryptic.”

Ed shrugged, “That’s not my problem. My problem is seeing to it that my angels didn’t spread the word all over Port Charles.”

“Is that why you’re here? You want my help?”

“Would I ever ask for your help?”

Chris shrugged, “Okay, you’ve stumped me. Why are you here exactly?”

“I made a bet with a colleague of mine, and I’m here to see that I don’t lose.”

“Isn’t gambling forbidden upstairs?”

“It’s allowed just this once. You see, neither one of us really have anything to lose, but the group upstairs would gain a lot.”

“You’re being cryptic again.”

Ed smiled, “You’ll see what I mean soon enough.”

As Ed finished his sentence, he faded from sight. Chris groaned once more as he glanced around the church, “I really hate it when he does that.”

“Look at him,” Eve smiled as she smoothed her son’s hair, “He’s even more beautiful than I imagined he would be.”

“He has a lot of you in him,” Amy noted as she watched the little boy. 

He squeezed Eve’s hand before skipping off to play with a small group of other children.

“Who are they?” Eve questioned as she glanced to the group.

Paige broke a small smile, “Lucy’s children.”

“Lucy’s?” Eve asked in surprise as she looked to the children, “Yes, I guess I can see some of her spirit in them.”

“They’re so happy,” Paige felt a peaceful smile overwhelm her, “They’ve never known pain or sorrow. They’ve always had the contentment we have here.”

“Contentment?” Eve asked the word softly before she turned and stepped away.

Paige glanced to Amy who frowned. Amy sighed, “She’s missing Daniel horribly.”

“Poor thing,” Paige spoke as she watched Ed approaching Eve, “What’s this?”

Amy turned and caught a glimpse of Ed with Eve, “Do you think he’s going to give her a pass?”

Paige looked back to Amy, “If he did, that would kind of eliminate the point of the fifth chair, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, but it might allow her to finish some business she left in Port Charles,” Amy replied before she and Paige turned their attention back to the children playing.

Eve wrapped her arms around herself as Ed touched her shoulder gently, “Eve, I know this is difficult.”

“Difficult?” Eve repeated, “I miss my son. That’s a lot more than difficult.”

Ed nodded, “I know. I had children of my own.”

“How do we ever get past this longing? How do we ever get over missing them?”

“You don’t,” He replied honestly, “But it will get better with time.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“Trust me. It is,” Ed offered her a smile, “Would you like to see Daniel?”

Eve’s eyes widened as a hopeful smile tugged at her lips, “Could I?”

He gently patted her shoulder, “Sure. Come on,” Ed urged as he guided her to a monitor. Upon the screen, Danny lay in his playpen, chewing on a toy while Ian sat nearby reading him a story. Eve felt tears tugging at her eyes before Ed switched off the screen.

“You see? He’s going to have a good childhood.”

“But he won’t have his mother,” Eve sighed, “I know I should try to move past this, but it’s just so hard.”

“I know it is,” Ed nodded, “But there’s something we need to discuss.”

“What do we need to discuss?”

Ed led her into an adjoining room where they could have some privacy. He sat on the corner of the table and looked to Eve, “Danny won’t have a normal childhood.”

“Well of course he won’t,” She replied, “He’s going to grow up without a mother.”

“It’s more than that,” He spoke as he nodded towards a chair, “I think you might want to have a seat for this one.”

Eve looked to Ed with fear evident in her eyes, “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Danny’s not going to have a normal childhood because he’s not a normal little boy.”

“What do you mean? Is it because he was born early? What’s wrong with him?”

“I didn’t say anything was wrong with him,” Ed noted, “I just said he isn’t normal. He’s much more than that.”

“What do you mean? Please tell me,” Eve urged as fear began to grip her.

Ed stood from the table and slowly made his way around the room, “Did you ever wonder why Daniel had no ill effects from his premature birth except for sleep apnea? Did you ever wonder why his growth rate seems exceptional?”

“I just thought…I guess I was just happy that he didn’t suffer because he was born early,” Eve replied as she watched Ed carefully, “Why?”

“It’s because Daniel has a very special parentage.”

“What do you mean? Something about me and Ian?”

“No,” Ed answered softly, “Something about Danny’s real father.”

“What do you mean? Danny’s real father?”

“Danny’s real father is an angel,” Ed replied, “Well, he’s kind of angel. He’s split between worlds actually. He escaped both sides and was given a free pass.”

“What are you talking about? Ian is Danny’s father.”

“No, Ian isn’t Danny’s father, Eve,” Ed spoke softly, “Danny was conceived on a night when you sought out a friend who you knew could give you a smile or two. He was conceived on a night when you indulged a little too much alcohol.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Ed sat on the edge of the table near Eve and gazed down into her eyes, “You remember,” He told her softly.

Waves of memories began crashing over Eve, causing her to lose herself for a moment before she gasped, “Oh my god.”

“Now you know the truth.”

Eve’s jaw dropped as the truth settled upon her heart, “Chris is Danny’s father. Chris is an angel.”

Ed nodded, “And that’s why I have to send you on a very special mission, Eve. And this is to be only between you and me.”

Chris sat in the chief resident’s office with his feet upon the desk. He tapped his pen absently upon a clipboard as he pondered the events of recent weeks. Angels had actually been in Port Charles, and he had struggled with himself to keep mum on the subject. And now, the one person he had come the closest to loving had gone upstairs. 

He closed his eyes and sighed as he tried to focus on what his next move had to be here on Earth. He still had things he wanted to accomplish, dreams he wanted to realize. He merely needed an opportunity to explore them.

“Chris?” 

Chris turned and spotted Karen standing in the doorway. He allowed her a brief smile before he placed his feet on the floor once again, “Hi.”

Karen stepped inside and closed the door. She made her way to the cot and sat down, “You’re really having a hard time with this, aren’t you?”

He nodded, “You seem to be having the same problems I am.”

“I think we all are,” She replied, “Do you think we’ll ever be able to move past all of this…past her memory?”

“I don’t think we should,” He answered honestly, “I think we should live with her memory in our hearts and never let her fade away.”

She smiled, “I always knew you loved Eve, but I never knew just how much she meant to you until now,” She met his eyes briefly, “You’re never going to let go of her, are you?”

“Never,” He admitted with a smile, “She’s with me now and forever.”

Karen smiled, “That’s actually very sweet of you, Chris.”

“Not really,” Chris smiled knowingly, “It’s actually very selfish of me because I don’t want to be without her.”

“Chris,” She said lightly as she stood and made her way to the door, “You should give yourself more credit.”

As she left the room, Chris smiled to himself. He retrieved a picture of Eve from his desk, “On the contrary, Karen, I give myself all the credit that I’m due.”

Ed placed his hand on Eve’s shoulder, “I know you’re trying to understand all of this, but we’re pressed for time.”

“My son,” Eve placed her hands over her face, “My son is part angel. How could I not know this?”

“You were protected from this knowledge. Chris doesn’t know either.”

“But if he’s an angel, how could he not know?”

“We protected him from the knowledge as well. It was important that we keep him from tampering with the child’s upbringing.”

“So why are you telling me now?”

“Because there are other forces who would like to get their hands on your son.”

“Why?”

“I can’t go into details about that, but let’s just say it wouldn’t be good for human or angel.”

“Why not? What aren’t you telling me?”

Ed took a deep breath and paused, “Your son is the key to a long standing bet between the basement and us.”

“What do you mean a bet?”

“I can’t go into all the details.”

“You mean you won’t go into details,” Eve groaned.

“Same thing,” Ed shrugged, “Basically, you and Chris have an opportunity here to secure your places here for eternity.”

“What are you talking about? I’m already here.”

“But it might not stay that way if your son is taken into the wrong hands.”

“What? What do you mean?” Eve asked as she stood from her chair abruptly, “Ed, please. Tell me what you know.”

Ed took a deep breath and crossed his arms, “Eve, you have to go back to Earth. You have a very special mission you have to complete, and it has to be completed in absolute secrecy. Now, if you’ll sit back down, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

Eve slowly took her seat once more, watching Ed and listening to what he had to say.

Chris stepped into his apartment and paused as he saw a lovely long pair of legs which led to an equally lovely young lady sitting upon his sofa. He closed the door behind him and placed his briefcase upon the floor. He gently loosened the knot in his tie as he slowly began to step forward, “To what do I owe this visit?”

“I hear you’ve been visited lately.”

He smiled as he slipped out of his jacket and tossed it into a chair. As he began to unbutton his shirt cuffs, he glanced to her, “And just what would that mean to you, Sadie?”

The young woman stood and smiled as she stepped towards him. She placed her hand upon his chest, gently slipping a sculptured red fingernail down his body, “It means that we have some business to discuss.”

Chris smiled as he met her dark intense eyes, “I can’t imagine why we would need to discuss anything.”

“Why is Ed hanging around?”

“I don’t know.”

Sadie smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his, “Really?”

“Really,” Chris smiled as his eyes drifted to her lips, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you as well. Why are you here?”

She eased her lips to his neck, dropping soft teasing kisses upon his skin, “It’s been too long.”

He eased her away from him and looked into her eyes, “Sadie, go back to the basement.”

Sadie grabbed his shirt and pulled her to him. She gazed into his eyes, “I want you to tell me what Ed wants.”

“I already told you,” He replied calmly, “I don’t know why Ed paid me a visit. He said something about a bet.”

“A bet?” She asked as she shoved him away, sending him back into his chair.

Chris looked up to her and sighed, “That’s what he said.”

Sadie quickly climbed into Chris’ lap, cupping his face in her hands, “What else did he say?”

“That’s all he said,” He whispered while she traced his lips with her fingernail.

She pressed her lips to his in a deep hot kiss before she disappeared into thin air. Chris groaned as he looked up, “I hate it when she does that even worse,” He closed his eyes and sighed as he tried to deal with his two very supernatural visitors.

Chris awoke as ice cold water hit him. He bolted upright in the bed and looked around in surprise. As soon as he found the source of the water, he threw off the sheets and stood up, “If this is your way of saying you’re back, I could have done without it.”

Eve tossed the glass at him, narrowly missing his head as he ducked out of the way. She crossed her arms in a huff as he glared at her.

“You’re upset,” Chris sighed as he picked up a nearby shirt, using it to dab his dripping face dry.

“What was your first clue?” She asked with disdain.

“The ice water was pretty powerful,” He retorted before he tossed his shirt aside and placed his hands upon his waist, “Dare I ask what brought you back to Earth?”

“I’m here because of you! I owe all of this to you!” She shouted.

“Hey, look, I wasn’t the one who was all gung-ho about going on vacation. I wasn’t the one who sent you to go get plane tickets, now was I? How in the world could it be my fault?”

“Because you…” Eve stopped, groaned as she stomped the floor, then continued, “You are the root of all my problems.”

“Hold it,” Chris held up his hand as he stepped towards her, “Do I look like your overbearing hygiene deficient husband? No, not even close. So why don’t you go accuse him of being your problem?”

“I would if he was my problem, but Ian has done nothing wrong.”

“Wait, did dying make you completely forget everything in your life? If so, let me refresh your memory, okay?” He continued as he ran his fingers through his hair, “He married another woman when he professed to love you. He slept with Lucy while married to you, and he was chasing Amy around Port Charles when he should have been working on his marriage. Does any of this ring a bell?”

“Well yes, but…”

“No, now I want you to tell me what I did to irritate you so much that you came back down here to take it out on me?”

“You took advantage of me.”

Chris raised his eye brow, “Excuse me? Are you accusing me of taking advantage of your corpse?”

“No,” She wrinkled her nose, “It was over a year ago, Ramsey.”

“Pardon me?”

“Martini night, Chris. I came over here to have a buddy to drink with, and you…you took advantage of me.”

“No, I didn’t. If you’ll recall, I suggested that we consummate our long standing sexual tension, but you passed out before the fun could begin.”

Eve took a deep breath then walked over to him, “Chris, have a seat. It’s time we had a little talk.”

Chris sat on the edge of the bed with her and met her eyes, “I don’t understand why you’re so worked up about this.”

She placed her hand upon his cheek and gazed into his eyes, “Look into my eyes, Chris, and see the truth. See what really happened that night.”

He met her eyes before suddenly jerked away from her. He spun around and ran his fingers through his hair again, “We…We made love that night.”

Eve watched him as he dealt with the enormity of what their night of passion meant.

“I don’t understand,” He spoke softly as he looked to her, “What does that night have to do with your return?”

“My return is about Danny,” She replied as she looked to her folded hands upon her lap, “I’m here to protect him.”

“Danny? I don’t understand, Eve.”

“Don’t you?” She asked as she met his eyes once again, “I came back because Danny…that night…” She took a deep breath before continuing, “Chris, you are Danny’s father.”

Chris slowly stepped across the room as he absorbed the enormity of the news he’d received. He took a deep breath as he suddenly looked back to her, “And you just now decided to let me in on this little secret? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know, Chris. I didn’t know until I went to heaven,” She shrugged, “I just didn’t know. I truly believed that Ian was Danny’s father. I didn’t remember the night we had slept together.”

Chris moved around the room, “We actually slept together that night?”

“Yes, we did,” Eve nodded, “We made love that night and created Danny, but we never knew anything about it. We were protected from it.”

“Protected? From knowing about the parentage of our own child? How could that possibly be protecting us?” He raised his voice.

“Chris, it’s just important that we know the truth now.”

“Oh really? Why? So we can all be one big happy family? In case you’ve forgotten Eve, we’re dead. Danny’s alive and he’s happy and healthy.”

“Yes, but he’s not safe.”

“What do you mean he’s not safe?”

“It seems that we created a child that’s one in a million, Chris,” Eve sighed with a slight smile. She paused before she stood and placed her hand upon his arm, “Both sides want him, Chris. We have to protect him.”

“We? Oh really?” He asked as he looked into her eyes, “And so you were sent here to gain my help?”

“I’m here to ask you to help me.”

“Really?” He asked as he moved away from her, “Something tells me that wasn’t why you were sent,” He stepped out of the bedroom and made his way to the bar as Eve followed him, “This is all really beginning to make sense.”

“Chris, what are you talking about?” Eve asked as she followed him.

“I’m talking about my visit from Ed, that little visit from Sadie, and now you.”

“Who’s Sadie?”

“Sadie?” Chris grinned, “You haven’t met her yet? Well, when you do, you’ll understand just how hard it is to resist her, and I have.”

“What is there to resist?”

“All the powers of the basement,” He flashed her a smile before he poured himself a martini. He downed the entire glass before he spoke again, “And she was here asking questions. My guess is that Sadie doesn’t know what Ed didn’t want her to know, but if you’re here, she’ll know everything soon. It’ll be a full fledged war.”

“War? What are you talking about?”

“Sadie and Ed will fight until both sides fall apart if they think that Daniel is important. And obviously he’s very important if they’re both sending their agents to see me.”

“Chris, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was sent for the two of us to start teaching our son…together.”

“Is that what Ed told you? Yes, I’m sure he did,” Chris nodded as he placed his glass back upon the table. He stepped across the room before looking back to her, “Go back to heaven, Eve. Go tell Ed that his game won’t work. Tell him that I’m not going to move one inch until he comes down here and gives me the entire truth.”

“Chris…please…”

“Go!” Chris shouted at her.

Eve frowned before she disappeared into thin air. Chris sighed as he looked around, “If they think this is so important, then I think it’s time I get closer to my son…a lot closer.”

Chris stepped into the on-call room where Ian was trying to soothe a very upset Danny. Danny shrieked with his unhappiness, fighting Ian’s every attempt to calm him. 

“Looks like someone is very unhappy,” Chris noted as he watched the little boy wiggle in Ian’s arms.

“That is a vast understatement,” Ian sighed, “I can’t seem to quiet him. Nothing works, and to make matters worse, I was just paged to the ER.”

“Why don’t you let me take care of him for a little while?”

Ian eyed Chris wearily, “I don’t know.”

“I’m a natural with kids. I had to practically raise my siblings, so I’m comfortable with kids. Besides, I owe it to Danny’s mom.”

Ian nodded reluctantly before he placed Danny in Chris’ arms, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Chris looked to Danny while Ian exited the room. He smiled as he sat on the sofa and gently placed his finger over Danny’s trembling lips, “Shhh, little one, there’s no reason to cry. You’re in good hands now.”

Danny suddenly stopped crying and stared at Chris with curious eyes.

Chris smiled, “That’s right. You haven’t seen very much of me up until this point, but you still know who I am, don’t you?” He touched the baby’s chubby cheek, “You’re a very special little boy, and I’m going to make sure that you’re well taken care of.”

Danny leaned against Chris and snuggled into his warmth. Chris smiled contentedly as he hugged Danny close, “That’s right, Danny. You know you’re safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you, no matter what I have to do to protect you.”

Karen stepped into the on-call room and paused as she saw Danny snuggled into Chris. She smiled gently, “You’re a natural with him.”

Chris cast a glance at Karen and allowed his smile to shine, “I think I was always meant to be.”

“Where’s Ian?”

“He was called down to the ER, so I offered to take care of Danny for a while.”

“I’ll take him off your hands now,” Karen stated as she reached for Danny.

Danny withdrew from her touch and held onto Chris tightly. Chris rubbed the little boy’s back, “I think Danny has other ideas.”

“He might put up a fuss, but I’m sure we can quiet him down in time.”

“Karen,” Chris put up his hand, “I’ve got him. Don’t worry about it.”

“But..”

“Karen, look, Danny is the one person who doesn’t need to be protected from me. I’m not going to harm him in any way. He’s my one link to Eve, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that. Now if you don’t mind, Danny and I were having a conversation,” Chris stated firmly as he met her eyes.

Karen sighed as she left the room. Danny looked up to Chris and placed his hand on his father’s cheek. His eyes sparkled with happiness as he slowly lay his head upon Chris shoulder and held on.

Chris smiled as he eased his hand over Danny’s back, “We’re going to find a way, Danny. We’ll find a way to be a family,” He paused as he kissed the crown of Danny’s head, “Somehow, we’ll be together.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Eve watched Chris and Danny from Ed’s office and smiled. She wrapped her arms around herself as she sighed with contentment, “They look perfect together.”

Ed sat beside Eve and placed his hand upon her shoulder, “We have to find a way to keep them together, Eve.”

“But the only father Danny’s ever known is Ian,” She defended, “We can’t just take him away from Ian.”

“You’ve saw how quickly Danny recognized Chris. He knows in his heart that Chris is his father, and as time goes on, he’ll accept Ian less and less.”

“I don’t know,” She frowned, “Ian’s lost so much. I don’t know if he can stand to lose Danny. It would kill him, and I can’t do that to him.”

“Would you rather see us all lose the peace we have here? Because that is what is at stake here,” Ed explained.

Eve took a deep breath, “I want what’s best for everyone, but Ian…he’s going to be so alone.”

Ed stood and made his way slowly across the room as he whispered to himself, “Not as alone as you might think.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ian arrived in the emergency room and stepped into the examination room, “What seems to be the problem?”

“Our patient here needs some stitches, and you’re the lucky doctor on call,” Colleen flashed him a smile as she passed him the chart.

Ian stepped up to the gurney and extended his hand, “How did this happen?”

His patient looked to him with a coy smile, “I seem to be a bit clumsy. Just slipped and here I am,” She explained.

“Well, that’s not a good thing,” He explained as he looked over the wound, “By the way, I’m Dr. Thornhart, and I’ll be sewing you up.”

She smiled, “I’m Sadie Deville, and I’m very pleased to meet you, Dr. Thornhart. Very pleased indeed.”

Chris placed Danny upon the sofa beside him and held out his hand. Danny looked to Chris with questioning eyes before he crawled over and placed his hand in Chris’.

They were transferred to a bright white room where Danny continued to crawl across the floor. He paused before he looked up and smiled brightly.

Eve knelt and picked her son up into her arms, “Hello baby boy,” She hugged him closely and sighed, “I love you so much.”

Chris watched them before he crossed the room to join them, “This is how it always should have been.”

Eve looked to her son, easing her hand gently over his hair, “It never would have worked.”

“It would have. It still can,” Chris said softly, “We’re a family.”

“We are not a family, Chris. We merely had one night where something wonderful happened. That’s not enough to constitute a family.”

“You’re right,” He nodded, “But we have a son together, and we also have eternity together. I think that puts us on the road to starting a family together.”

“We’re friends, Chris. That’s all,” Eve said firmly as Danny placed his hand upon her cheek. He smiled at her before reaching out to his father.

“See,” Chris took Danny’s small hand in his own, “Our son seems to think we make a perfect pair.”

“He’s tiny, Chris. You can’t take the actions of a baby as meaning anything.”

“Don’t be so dismissive,” He said as he placed his fingertips under her chin, “Don’t just wish this away, Eve. Look at what we were able to bring into this world. We created this special gifted little boy. I don’t think that was just a fluke. I think that means more than you want to admit.”

“Chris,” Eve met his eyes, “You’re reading too much into this. We made love. We conceived a child. It’s not all that uncommon.”

Chris gently brushed the back of his fingertips over Danny’s cheek, “Our child is uncommon. He is half angel, half human. Do you even realize what that means yet? Do you have any idea just what he is destined for?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” She asked as she met his eyes, “Tell me, Chris.”

He turned and walked slowly across the room, “Ed…why don’t you tell us both?”

Ed stepped into the room and looked at Danny, “Why did you bring him here?”

“It’s his home,” Chris said bluntly as he slipped his hands into his pockets, “As much as Port Charles is anyway.”

“You shouldn’t have brought him here,” Ed chastised, “He should be back on Earth.”

“He has every right to be here, Ed. He is my son after all. So why don’t you just cut the false fronts and tell us what exactly you want with our son?”

Eve looked to Ed as she held her son protectively. Her angelic boss held out his hand to Danny. Danny looked to Ed before turning his face towards Chris. Chris smiled.

“It would appear that he’s not very willing to accept you, Ed. So why don’t you just tell us?” Chris asked with a smile.

“It’s not for you to know, Chris,” Ed replied simply as he turned and faced Chris.

“Isn’t it? Look, neither one of us wants Sadie to get her hands on Danny. So why don’t you just tell us the truth?” 

“I heard about Sadie’s visit.”

“Hmmm,” Chris walked over to Eve and took Danny from her arms. 

As Eve tried to reach for Danny, Ed blocked her path, “Chris, why don’t you stay for a while?”

Chris looked back to Ed and rolled his eyes, “You must be joking.”

After a moment, Chris sat in the on-call room once again, holding Danny in his lap. He gently smoothed the baby’s hair and smiled, “We’re not going to let them use you, Danny. We won’t let them make you the center of a war. I promise you.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ian finished stitching up his patient while she touched his cheek.

“Dr. Thornhart, I think we should have a talk. In private.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Ian answered softly.

Sadie allowed her fingertips to play into his hair as she gazed into his eyes, “I think it would be a very good idea.”

Ian stared into her eyes, feeling himself drawn to her in a way he’d never felt with anyone else. He felt a heat he couldn’t explain while his heart pounded with exhilaration. He tried to direct his eyes elsewhere but found himself fixated by her.

Sadie smiled as she eased her lips near his, “Now Dr. Thornhart, we’re going to get to know one another…..inside and out. I’m going to be your new best friend, and you’re going to give me everything I want.”

Ian felt himself melting to her influence as she eased her lips to his, sealing her pact with him in a heated moment of passion.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Why did you stop me?” Eve asked angrily, “Why couldn’t I stop Chris from leaving?”

“It’s not time for Daniel to be here, Eve. He has a life to lead,” Ed explained.

“But I don’t understand. You told me that Chris would..”

“I know what I told you,” Ed said firmly, “But you can’t rush these events. They have to play out over time.”

“But Ed…what if Sadie gets to Danny? I can’t let that happen,” She said quickly as she rushed past him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to protect my son. I don’t care how I have to do it, but I will make sure that Danny is safe.”

“No,” Ed said firmly, “You can’t go.”

“Why not?”

“Because Eve, it’s not time. You can’t leave. You can’t go anywhere. If you leave now, you’ll be putting everything at risk.”

“But that’s my son…”

“I know,” Ed touched her shoulder gently, “Believe me, I know. But you’ll have your chance. As for now, you have to leave Danny in Chris’ hands.”

“Chris?” She shrieked, “He’s not capable of taking care of himself much less Danny.”

“Believe me, Eve. Chris is capable of much more than you give him credit for. Danny’s going to be his saving grace…if you’ll just let it happen.”

“But at Danny’s expense?” Eve asked as she searched Ed’s eyes, “Please, I don’t want Danny harmed.”

“I have no doubt that Chris will risk everything in order to protect your son. No doubt at all. That’s why my money is on Chris,” Ed patted Eve’s arm gently, “We’d just better hope that he doesn’t let us all down.”