*****031

She lay in my arms, kids now replaced in their own beds, still sleeping the exhausted sleep of childhood. I smoothed her hair, thinking back over the day. So much had gone on.

"Rafe, are you worried about that guy, Jack? Was that even his real name?"

"Yeah, I don't want to get involved with the Mexican Mafia, if that's what it wants to be called. We've had enough going on with Mexico."

"I know, right? I never would have projected these connections in a million years. How did Hannah say she met him?"

"In a club, but that's a lie, unless the club she went to was a clip joint in East. I doubt she'd find her own way there. Somebody might have taken her there. I thought she quit school, and has her own place in Thousand Oaks. Didn't she get an apartment?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought too." Aubrey was circling her fingers over my tattoos idly, in the dim light from the TV which was now simply showing us a night sky-scape with stars and the moon. The sound of wind and waves came from the TV.

"She did okay with the job this week. She started with help at Walrus on Monday, did okay till lunch, then came over to Dark Avenue and mentored slash trained with one of the gals there. We do need a secretary, I don't mind hiring her. I talked to Zack, he wants her to come up to MSLM this week and train with one of his gals for a week."

I had one arm up and over my head, twisting the pillow like I normally did, and one hand softly tickling lazily over the baby bump. We were so busy sometimes, it hardly seemed real that there were live babies inside here, my babies, growing away. I felt a rolling poke, and smiled. They didn't forget.

"I still have the feeling she's not over Jeremy, and isn't content to sit back and watch her younger sister get on with life and love and all that jazz." Aubrey's anxious voice intoned. "I think this gang member date is her way of showing defiance."

"I agree, but what are we going to do about it? She's twenty-one, and fully capable of finding him again if she chooses, or else he might find her, if he still needs her. Not like I can take her phone and her car keys."

"What did you say to her downstairs?"

"I told her about the gangs this guy obviously affiliated with, the human trafficking and illegal immigration he was undoubtedly involved in. I showed her the gang signs on the internet and what they stood for, the prison tats, and his experiences there. I brought up several articles, including his very public, public record."

"And she?"

"She listened respectfully, she's not stupid, but she is angry. She didn't like being told what to do, or stopped in her tracks like a child. That really stuck in her craw to the tune of yelling and screaming and cussing. You'd have had a heart attack for sure."

"Hannah was cussing?"
"Happens to the best of us, Aubrey."

"I'm so naive."

"Yeah, but I like you anyway."

"Again, what are we going to do with her?"

"I told you, Parker is bringing her up there for a week. I'll think of something else by the end of the week. Maybe she can do the gig with us. Come see what Axis is really all about."

"That'll be putting her in Jeremy's vision."

"It's not my job to keep Jeremy on the straight and narrow, Au-ber-ey."

She changed the subject. "Did you see the way he was holding Lissie? He gravitated right to her. Why not one of the other ones? Why her? Do you think he knew she was the birthday girl before? Did Hannah point her out? I didn't even see Hannah go to the patio. I feel like he knew her already, or was looking for her. Do you think he could be one of Roberto Jimenez or Maximiliano Gutierez's guys? Oh, Rafe, that really freaks me out."

"Now don't go jumping to conclusions." I soothed her. "You have to let me handle it, Aubrey. I'm serious. You told me yourself, at this point stress is your number one enemy. You're twenty-four weeks. Ger wants to deliver at twenty five. You and I know that's not going to happen, but Aubrey, you can't take a chance."

She snorted. "They are my top priority, Rafe."

"And Lance's girlfriend isn't bothering you? What about Chris's venom? I know she attempted to shoot poisonous darts at you, she didn't succeed did she?"

Aubrey sighed hugely, ending on a yawn. I took that as a good sign.

"No. She didn't exactly shoot poisonous darts. We agreed to disagree, we admitted we don't necessarily tolerate each other, but we can make a pretense of it. She wants me to encourage Lance not to pursue this thing he has for getting back active in church."

Hm....

My note rumbled through her chest.

I knew Lance would have a hard time if he kept going the way he was. That girl he brought was not a closet lesbian. If she was active in church then everyone knew what she was, and she would taste the bitter chill of ostracism if she married. What they were talking about doing--- marrying for convenience and partnership did not seem like a viable solution to their issues. Nor did renouncing their issues completely and living a lie. I knew church members to be making an attempt to include those of a different persuasion, but old prejudices died hard. This was a very difficult issue for them--- the gays and the straights.

"He's trying to find a happy medium." I said, smoothing her hair back.

"I know. " Aubrey whispered, real regret in her low voice.

"I want to encourage him to pray about it."

"Maybe take him out to lunch or breakfast, or go sit on the temple grounds. Have a talk about how you received answers to your initial prayers. Maybe you can establish a channel."

As always her suggestion was spot on. I pressed my lips to her sweaty forehead, and cuddled her closer, kicking the sheets off my body, we two generated a lot of heat, but with the five between us, an inferno like a burning basketball erupted.

That turned my sleepy thoughts to the babies. "Are you prepared for them?"

Aubrey sighed again, and I knew she was struggling to stay awake. "Is any mother ever prepared completely? I'm even less so. Although, mom brought the preemie infant wardrobes that were available and was running them all through the wash the last I knew. Bless her heart, I just haven't come around to doing it."

"You're not supposed to be doing it." I said, kissing her again. The susurrus of my leg sticking out against the sheets a sound like liquid satin moving. "I hired a freaking team of housecleaners and laundrey-doers. You and your mom can just stop."

She grunted. "Mom will never stop. I don't think she sleeps."

I tickled her temples, and kissed her again, she tasted so sweet tonight. "Just leave the laundry in the laundry room, don't even carry it in, remind me and I will do it. I think I heard your mom suggesting meditation though, were you there for that? I've done meditation, far more in depth than I am now, even with two hours of yoga a day."

"You don't do two hours of yoga." She scoffed, nipping at my nipple. I squirmed, but she held me steady with the flat of her palm.

"Okay, not with you and the kids, but on my own I do. And who can meditate with Felicity humming and Rein racing around the room?"

"It's quality family time." She amended, and I could feel the way her cheek crinkled in a smile.

We were silent, thinking or dozing, watching the stars rotate on our screen. Pretty sure she snored a few times, and then settled into a deeper sleep.

I let myself think about that guy Jack.

I'd seen the way he held Felicity, not even looking at her, only looking at her necklace. It was clear to me, he'd seen one like it, or was looking for it, or something. It made me exceptionally nervous. I needed to sneak in there and retrieve it. She could not, under any circumstances be allowed to wear it ever again. I would have to find her a replacement ASAP.

He was a plant then, and he'd come through a weak link--- one no one would have suspected—except that he was completely out of the mold, off the radar, unsuitable for the girl he'd tried to seduce. I needed to make it impossible for her to ever see him again. That might mean explaining to her about the threats we'd received. Otherwise, she was susceptible to his questionable charm because she was being defiant and rebellious and jealous, and obsessive.

I felt myself heading off into lala land, images swirled in my brain, the best part of dream sleep, the beginning, when you knew, and still knew you were falling asleep. But you didn't care.

I didn't care.

The only thing that had any real substance at the moment, the only thing that mattered at all was Aubrey. Her health, her well-being, her comfort, her love. Nothing else mattered.

****