Second Chances: A PAVAD Duet (18 page)

Kelly’s brows rose.
“Hormones, Al? Not exactly your normal self, are you?”

“
Watch it. I’m at the end
of my rope, Kel. I’m sorry we hurt you, ok? I didn’t mean to do
this. It just happened. We had a crappy night, and we ended up
making a mistake. That mistake has lasting consequences. Can’t you
see that we’re trying to make the best of the hand we’ve been
given?” Ally spun to face the taller Kelly. Kelly’s arms were
crossed, her entire posture defensive. “Other than the fact that
we’d watched you nearly die that night, this had nothing to do with
you! I like your father. A great deal. And the only reason we
called it off six weeks ago was because of you, your sisters, and
my children! Not because we didn’t want to be together, but because
we knew our children weren’t ready for it. And let me tell you
something! Your father cares about me, too. In a way Jack never
did! And I gave that up. How do you think that makes me feel?
Well?”

Ally had never shouted at
Kelly before. Rarely even shouted at her kids. The only person she
could remember yelling at in the last ten years was Jack. Kelly
stared at her, unspeaking for several long moments. “If that’s the
case, why don’t you just go to him and be happy, then? Have a fairy
tale life? Aislin and Ryan will eventually adjust. And Gracie’s
apparently fine with it, anyway.”

“
And where will that leave
you, Kel? Hurt and on the outside? Do you think your father and I
want that? Hardly. He loves you, you have to have seen that. Yet
you still push him away. These babies are just another excuse you
can use. You know what? Do what you want, think what you want. I
have to get ready for work. I’ll see you at the lab.”

Ally didn’t look at her
friend again.

Dan met her at the entrance
to her office, and took a moment to study her face. She hadn’t
slept well, probably no better than he had. He had spent several
hours talking to Gracie and Emma about the changes in their lives.
It was a good discussion, with both girls opening up to him. He’d
just wished Kelly had stuck around to be a part of it.

“
Doc? How are you
feeling?”

“
Fine. I spoke with Kelly.
Yelled at Kelly. Right before I left. I don’t know if it did much
good.” She shook her head. “But Ryan doesn’t hate me or you as much
this morning. Aislin wants to take the babies for show-n-tell. What
about yours?”

“
Gracie and Emma are ok
with things. Seem to think you and I are old enough to make our own
choices. Especially me.”

“
Ryan thinks you and I are
too old to be doing it. But the timing could certainly be better.
Apparently he found out online that his dad is getting remarried.
Then a day later we drop two babies in his lap. No wonder he was so
angry. He wants me to tell you he’s sorry for being a
brat.”

Dan smiled. “He’s a good
kid. They all are.”

“
Yes.” The doc unlocked her
office and attached lab and he followed her inside. He wasn’t quite
ready to go upstairs just yet. He needed to be with her for a few
moments, maybe touch her just a bit. “So what did Kelly have to
say?”

“
Basically what I expected.
Snark, sarcasm. Underneath it all, she feels like we betrayed her.
Which is ridiculous.” She slipped into her chair, then looked up at
him. “I realized that on the drive over. Why should Kelly have a
problem with us being together? It doesn’t change how either one of
us feel about her. She’ll realize that, eventually. She is an
adult, and a relatively reasonable one. She’s just hurt and on the
defensive. But it sure made it tense this morning.”

“
I’ll bet it did.” Dan
dropped his hands to her shoulders and rubbed. He pulled her chin
up so that their eyes met. He was conscious of the security cameras
that Ed had had installed in every section of the building after
Georgia’s ordeal, but he didn’t care. He needed to touch her. “So
we just wait her out?”

“
Hope that by the time the
babies are born she’s forgiven us the unpardonable sin of being
together?” The doc sighed. “She’s a very volatile person, Dan. And
very vulnerable to hurt. I hated hurting her. I still
do.”

Dan dropped a kiss to her
forehead before he thought. “I know. And deep down she knows you
care about her. How are you feeling? Any sickness?”

Ally shook her head. “Not
really. I think I was too busy to even notice. I’ll need to speak
with Marianna today. There will be some extra precautions I’ll need
to take in the lab. And she’ll need to be aware of when I need to
take off for appointments.”

“
I’ll speak to Hellbrook
and Ed today. Ed has mentioned needing someone to help coordinate
the CCU from St. Louis while the three teams are in the field. I’m
thinking of putting in for the position. I’d be home most nights,
with you and the kids.” The first time Ed had mentioned the
position Dan had discounted it. He belonged in the field with his
team. But things had changed. He had kids at home who needed a
father, despite the fact that two of those children were adults. He
had lost so much time with his girls that he thought they deserved
all the time he could give them. The position had started to look
good to him.

In the last day or two, it
had looked perfect to him. He suppressed a small smile. Dan
Reynolds signing up for a nine-to-five life, complete with a pretty
soccer mom sharing his bed—who would have ever predicted that? “We
need to talk about when you and the kids will be moving in. I know
you wanted to wait, but I think getting it over with for the kids
will be easiest. Don’t you?”

“
I don’t know. I need to
think about it. What about us?”

“
Us? You and
me?”

“
Yes. We’ve made plans for
the kids, Kelly, the babies. But what about you and me?”

Dan paused and looked down
at her for several long moments. Should he tell her exactly what he
wanted from her? Maybe not exactly what he wanted. Not yet. And
definitely not while at work. “I expect we’ll spend time together.
Get to know each other. Do the best we can to form a life together
for our family. And doc?”

She looked up at him and he
smiled, knowing what he meant was very clear on his face. “I want
you and me to build on what we discovered weeks ago. I just hope
you feel the same way.”

His words stayed with her
throughout the day. As did the fire in his eyes. He wasn't just
making the best of the situation. He meant it. He did still want
her. That warmed her, more than she thought possible.

Kelly was cool to her,
speaking only when necessary. Ally just ignored the other woman's
attitude and finished what needed done. Kelly was an adult, she
could either accept what had happened and deal with it, or she
could move on. Ally wasn't coddling her any longer. She didn't need
the extra strain.

Marianna had been
absolutely floored when Ally had told her, and Ally couldn't help
but smile remembering the other woman's reaction. Then Mari had
hugged her and promised to help her however she could. And had told
her that Kelly would adjust and not to worry. Then Marianna had
promised to take her shopping so they could pick out baby things.
Little bitty clothes and toys and blankets, all of it. And had
promised to help babysit when needed.

She was a good friend, and
Ally was thankful for her.

Ally's attention returned
to the project in front of her when she heard footsteps. Familiar
ones. She suppressed a sigh. She wasn't up for another
confrontation with Kelly. She pulled the tape off the envelope in
front of her and turned to face the door to the lab.

"Kelly. Are you finished
with the chemical analysis for the CEPD team?"

"It's on its way upstairs."
Kelly wouldn't meet her eyes. She placed a few files in the out
trays, then looked back at Ally. "Look..."

She paused. Started again.
"I just don't get it, ok? My father is nothing like Jack, and you
are nothing like my mother. But then again, maybe that's it, right?
Was he a rebound? A way to get back at Jack?"

Ally leaned back in her
chair. "No. It wasn't like that. At all. I just needed someone that
night, Kel. And I think your dad felt the same way. And why not
him? I like and respect everything he's done. He's a good man.
There was nothing wrong with what happened between us. And if he
wasn't your father, I'd probably have continued the relationship
with him."

"So it's my fault you
didn't? Makes me kind of the bitch, doesn't it?"

"Don't be stupid, Kelly. We
both know you're not. We just decided it wasn't a good time for all
of our children for us to be together. At the time we had that
option. Now we don't. I can't deny your father the chance to be
with these babies while they're growing up. How could I? Not after
what he's been through. And Ryan and Aislin deserve a man in their
lives who loves and supports them. Why am I the bad person for
wanting that with your dad?"

Kelly stared at her a
moment. Her lips twitched, though her eyes were still filled with
turmoil. "You're not. He's not, either. But dammit, Al, my dad? Do
you know how weird that is? I mean, ew. He's old! You're
not."

"Yet, anyway." Ally felt a
weight lift off her shoulders at Kelly’s conciliatory tone. Kelly
wanted forgiveness, but didn’t know how to ask for it. Ally had
seen her be that way before. “And he’s not too old. Trust
me.”

Kelly covered her eyes.
“Stop. Bad thoughts.”

Ally laughed and stood,
placing the small package she still held on the desktop, where it
rolled slightly to one side. Then her tone turned more serious.
“Kelly…we really didn’t think, and we didn’t mean to hurt anybody.
It just…happened. I hope you can forgive us, someday.”

“
I’ll admit it. I’m not
happy about it. Neither family really needs this right now. But I
guess that doesn’t matter. The babies are coming. And of course Dad
had to hit doubles this time. Classic over-achiever. Ally, are you
sure you can handle this?”

“
I’m not too sure I have
much choice. There are twins coming. They need their father. He has
a house big enough for all of us. And he…” Ally felt her cheeks
heat as she remembered she was speaking not only to one of her best
friends, but to the man in question’s daughter.

“
And he…”

“
And he has said that he
wants me. To be with me. And I want to be with him.”

“
Oh, god. You’re talking
about sex with my dad again.” Kelly crossed her eyes. “Please stop.
There are some things I don’t want to know. Or picture. My best
friend and my dad. Eww. I think there are laws against that in
thirty of the continental US states.”

“
So I’m still your best
friend?”

“
Well, I guess.” Kelly’s
expression turned serious. “Unless you all get married. Then I'm
changing from best friend to red-headed stepchild.”

Ally laughed, then hugged
her. “I’ll remember that. And I think you’ll have competition for
that roll considering all of our children have red h—”

A hissing sound interrupted
her, and Ally turned back to her desk. The package she’d opened,
addressed to her from the Indianapolis lab, was hissing and her
eyes widened seeing the smoke pouring out of it.
“Kelly?”

The package popped, once,
twice. Again. The smoke increased. Tripled. Again and again. What
the hell? Ally pushed Kelly toward the door. “Kelly, get
out!”

Skinny arms went around
Ally. Kelly jerked her around and down to the floor, covering
Ally’s body with her own, just as fire rained around
them.

Fire alarms sounded
throughout the building, and Dan immediately left his office. Fire
alarms in a federal building were nothing to joke about. Not in
today’s world. Everyone was following protocol and heading to the
exits. They'd meet up outside and do a head-count, while waiting
for emergency responders to check the building. It went against
Dan’s grain to go out of the building, instead of checking for
injured himself.

What the hell was going
on?

Once outside he looked
around for his team. Present and accounted for, except Josh. Where
was the boy?

Ed Dennis ran by, shouting
to Dan as he did. “Multiple explosions in the lab! Not sure about
the status!”

Ed was heading down to the
basement, and Dan was only steps behind him, protocol be damned.
His family was down there.

***

“
Dan! Go down the left,
hallway A! I’ll take hallway B!”

The doc’s office was down
hallway A. Dan hadn’t thought of going anywhere else. The doc and
Kelly would be in hallway A. Glendower and some of her team would
be down hallway B.

Smoke rolled through the
hallway as Dan ran down each corridor, checking each room one by
one. He heard shouting, people trapped inside the storage room. He
pulled the handle, unlocking the door. Two people ran by, and he
vaguely recognized them through the smoke as Richison and the
little blonde computer tech who’d come with the doc’s team from
Indy. “Where’re Dr. Brewster and Kelly?”