Chapter 10

Supper time at the Hobbit Hole was always an event. When company was added to the mix, the word event didn't quite describe it. But no matter what word you would choose to describe it, the meal passed with Jackie and Janice the centre of attention. Being the centre of attention went completely unnoticed by both Jackie and Janice, they spent the meal with their eyes locked on each other. It might have seemed like some kind of miracle when Millie had announced earlier that the two of them would fall in love. But anyone seeing them now would think that they were old married folk.

There were a few rules concerning meals in either of the Phillips' households. Only four carried any weight. First and foremost, never come to the table smelling like excrement or animals. More important than even that was to thank the Gods and Goddesses for their gifts. Third, come dressed, there might be company. And lastly save business and bad news for family meetings. Ann G. and Matt were well aware of these rules and had pulled Jack aside before supper and gave him the bad news. Jack had announced that a family meeting would follow their meal. So after all the dishes were taken care of everyone gathered in the large living room with everyone but little Nicky and Millie sitting on one chair or another. They had opted for sitting in Reagan's lap. Ann G. stepped forward and explained what had happened. At the very mention of Nagel's name Reagan went stiff with anger.

Nicky looked to her sister for help, "It's what must happen Nicky; there's no way around it." Millie got up out of Don's lap and went to Reagan. She put her hand on his cheek and he felt a peace he had never known, "Trust the Goddess on this. It's the only way."

Reagan's hand went to the medallion around his neck. Suddenly it felt warm in his hand. He took his hand off the medallion and placed it on Millie's cheek, "If you say that I should trust in her that is good enough for me Millie," For the second time that day Reagan felt the safety and comfort of his new family. Reagan's feelings of comfort and safety would have felt very threatened if Millie had told him all of what the Goddess had revealed to her. It had been hard for her not to say something. Reagan was, after all, like an uncle to her, but in the end she had to follow her own words and trust that everything would be all right.

Nancy didn't have to be told what she needed to do. She got up and went to the terminal in the living room. After putting in her ID and password she pushed the ever sliding glasses back up into place. Once she was logged into the Beowulf cluster that she, Don, Jim and Kim had moved the security system to she instructed the system to increase security levels to maximum. She turned and looked at Jack, "If there's nothing else I have some homework to do." Jack looked around the room without a response. He nodded his agreement and Nancy started to leave the room. She turned and went back to the terminal and after typing some commands into the system turned to Jackie, "Jackie, could you come over here for a minute?" Nancy pulled a cable out of the draw under the keyboard drawer. When Jackie put his good hand on her shoulder she looked up at his smile, "I need to query your hand."

Jackie laughed, "Ask it anything you want." Nancy hooked the cable to the artificial hand and downloaded the data. When she finished Jackie gave her a hug, "Everything all right, my favourite little mad scientist?"

Nancy quickly scrolled through the ten screens of data. She looked up as she pushed her glasses back into place, "Well..." Nancy had a look of grave concern on her face.

"What? What's wrong" Jackie looked panicked.

Nancy quickly undid the cable and moved to where the chair Jack was sitting in was blocking her from Jackie, "If you don't quit scratching you butt you'll run the batteries down." Nancy giggled and broke for her room. Jackie just missed catching the giggling Nancy as the whole room broke into laughter, "I'll get you later young lady." Everyone laughed harder knowing that Jackie was a complete softy where the girls were concerned.

Janice had felt guilty about sitting in on the family meeting but Jackie had held her hand and led her to the living room. When the short meeting was over she had a bushel basket full of questions, but before she could mouth them Jackie squeezed her hand. "I'll explain everything in a bit," he whispered. Her next surprise came when the lady Ranger told her she should stay the night rather than drive back to town. Janice looked to Jackie for her answer. His smile made her choice easy. Kiesha volunteered a change of clothing which she graciously accepted.

Don picked up a very tired Hanna. After saying goodnight to everyone he headed to the girls room. Millie and Nicky said goodnight to their teacher and followed their new Daddy. Just before leaving the room Millie turned to Ann G. and Matt, "You two can sleep tonight; he's not coming tonight." Millie followed Don into the lift leaving the two officers shaking their heads.

Ann G. looked at Matt her eyes twinkling, "You remember me telling you we needed to talk?" Matt grinned and nodded to her, "Come on I have something I've been dying to tell you."

Matt smiled broadly, "Lead the way, Ranger. I've got your rear, or will have soon." Matt made an effort to wag his eyebrows, making Ann G. erupt in laughter.

Near Ozona Texas...

Jeff Nagel was hoping above all hope that the old saying the best place to hide is in plain sight was true. The reason for that was that he was sitting in the Ozona truck stop. Two booths away from him sat four DPS Troopers and all that Nagel had to hide him was some hastily applied theatrical makeup in the form of a beard and moustache. He had been at the diner for over two hours waiting on his lawyer to show up with his money and the information on Jim, Sara, and the baby. He had debated with himself many times since being arrested whether to kill the baby or not since he really had no reason to. It wasn't until after the beatings he received in prison that he let his hatred for Jim and Sara make up his mind. He would kill the baby in front of the two lovers who had ruined him. Sara could watch as he slowly murdered her step sister. Nagel's anger swelled as he thought about all he had lost. It wasn't until the glass of water he was squeezing shot out of his hand crashing on the floor and drawing unwanted attention to him that he forced himself to calm. "Sorry," he said sheepishly to the waitress who came to clean the mess.

He jumped when his lawyer slid into the seat across from him sliding the briefcase full of cash under the table and the envelope with the information in front of Nagel. "I'll have the chicken fry and ice tea, please," the lawyer told the harried waitress. She nodded and hurried away to get his iced tea. Nagel started to speak. The lawyer held his hand up as the waitress set his ice tea in front of him. When she had left the lawyer looked at Nagle; the pleasant face he had for the waitress was gone, "This is it. If you are going after revenge you might want to rethink. Eric Dillon apparently expected you to do something like this. I just found out that when you hired that hit man you triggered a contract on yourself. They backed off when you were in jail but I got a phone call before I left Dallas. If you want to live you better turn yourself in."

Nagel's face had turned bright red. He was about the read the lawyer the riot act when his hand went up again. The waitress set the chicken fry in front of the lawyer along with a basket of rolls. The lawyer's hand went down and Nagel shifted in his seat, "Now you see here, do you remember what I said about your family?"

The lawyer calmly finished the bite of steak and took a drink of tea, "Yes, I remember what you said about my family, that's why before I left I put them somewhere safe. If you had any brains you'd head south."

They sat silently as the lawyer finished his meal. After catching the waitress' eye the lawyer looked across at Nagel. He hated the man more now than ever. It was a sorry day indeed when that man walked into his life. The waitress came around and offered coffee the lawyer handed her a twenty and told her to keep the change. When she was out of hearing range he stood up, "The people that are watching my family don't fool around. If they see you within a mile of them you're dead. Do you understand?"

Nagel looked up and nodded his head. For the first time he questioned his desire for revenge. He watched the lawyer walk out of the truckstop then turned and motioned for the waitress, "I'll have one of those chicken fried steaks." He didn't say "please" until the waitress was too far away to hear it.

Jackie showed Janice to one of the guest rooms. They stood outside the door holding hands and staring into each others eyes. Just as they were about to kiss the lift doors behind them opened. Kiesha giggled when she realised what she had interrupted, "Here's a dress you can wear tomorrow. Do you need anything else?"

"Will someone wake me in the morning? Janice asked.

"I'll take care of that for you," Jackie replied grinning.

Kiesha hugged Janice and then Jackie, "It's good to have you in the family. Goodnight." Kiesha walked back to the lift leaving the two lovers alone. Jackie smiled and then leaned in for the kiss that they both wanted. After breaking the kiss he smiled and ran his good hand through her hair, "If I don't go now I never will."

Janice leaned forward and kissed Jackie, "That wouldn't be so awful would it? Jackie I couldn't love you any more than I do right now. I know it's moving pretty fast, but my mother told me that I would know when I met the right man." Jackie gently picked Janice up and carried her into the room and ordered the door closed.

In another part of the house Millie looked at her sister, "It's beginning. Remember what I've told you. This will test us all, but we mustn't lose faith."

Don sat in bed waiting for his sweeties to finish their night time routines. Rose was the first to walk out of the bathroom and she ran across the room giggling. Several shouts from the bathroom for her not to start without them fell on deaf ears. Rose already had Don's rapidly hardening cock in her mouth. Kim was the next to the bed and she straddled Don's head as a soft moan escaped her lips. Rose notched Don's cock into her pussy and slid it home. She leaned forward and kissed Kim as they started playing with each others breasts.