Epilogue

Three months later.

“Your babies look beautiful, Jenny,” Doc handed back the last triplet he’d checked over to a nervously waiting Dan. “Their weight is good, their skin is a lovely color and I see they all have your eyes, Dan. You’ve created a rabbit, a wolf and a hybrid mix. You must be very proud.”

“Jenny’s been amazing,” Dan’s pride was obvious. “Me, I just fell to pieces when she said she was in labor. How on earth are you going to cope?” He pointed to the really noticeable bulge under Doc’s coat. “Are you going to be your own doctor?”

“I won’t have much choice.” Doc managed a smile as he slowly got up from his stool. The damn thing was just too low for him now and he was still getting used to his change in shape. “Fortunately, child birth is as natural as breathing and we’ve got months before Joe and I have to worry about that.”

“You know, you’re looking awfully big there, Doc,” Jenny said nervously as she fussed over the two babies she held in her arms. “Are you sure your little one’s aren’t due to come already?”

“In theory, they shouldn’t be, but you know mother nature. She can be sneaky sometimes.” Doc was in a hurry to change the subject. “Now, don’t worry about your little boy’s cradle cap, that will clear up by itself, but if you have any concerns don’t hesitate to bring them back in.”

Fortunately, the sweet pair understood a dismissal when they heard one and within minutes Doc was alone again. It was nearly lunchtime and Joe was upstairs painting Doc’s spare room. They were planning to turn it into a nursery. He should go upstairs and help, but in the past week everything, even going up and down the stairs, seemed to be so much of an effort.

“And I’ve got swollen ankles,” Doc grumped as he looked down. Sure enough, he couldn’t see his ankle bones. When his bump bloomed, and it did that faster than Doc thought possible, he’d taken to wearing shorts under his white coat and flat sneakers.

Checking to make sure the waiting room was empty, Doc closed the treatment room door and took out a pottle used for urine samples. He was well aware of the dangers of fluid retention. Deciding he needed to listen to the babies’ heartbeats as well, just to double check everything was okay, Doc reached over for his stethoscope and that’s when a massive sharp pain ran right across his stomach and he tumbled to the floor.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit.” Doc fumbled with the buttons on his white coat as he screamed in his head for Joe. They didn’t use their mind link very often, but he knew Joe would hear him. Sure enough, he heard pounding feet as Joe raced down the stairs.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Joe was surprisingly calm, coming over and picking Doc up from the floor and laying him on the new beds Doc had ordered just a month before. He spent so much time laying on it, seeing as he and Joe liked to listen to their little ones, Doc was determined to be comfortable. “Okay, that wasn’t there this morning.”

Doc looked down. Joe had undone the rest of his coat buttons and was gently prodding his stomach. The lighter patch of gray skin had grown over the past three months and now reached from his sternum to his pubic bone. Another wave of pain flew over his body as a gash appeared in the center of it.

“I’m giving birth,” Doc panted, desperately reaching for Joe’s hand. “it can’t be happening. You, me, our kinds have long pregnancies.”

“Face it, babe, if you got much bigger these babies would split you right open. Can you lay back, on your side, or would you be more comfortable sitting up?”

“Sit, definitely sit.” Doc had to watch what was going on. His mate was a law enforcement officer, not a medic. But Joe seemed surprisingly calm, gently prodding at the opening that looked like something Doc’d seen in a sci-fi movie. It was getting bigger and Doc’s eyes almost fell out of his head as he saw what looked like a little hand coming out of the freaking opening.

“Shall I?” Doc looked up to see Joe watching him with patient eyes, his hands hovering expectantly over Doc’s belly. A rush of pain rippled through his body again and his belly was almost split in two.

“Guess this isn’t a good time to mention I am in no way ready for this,” Doc gritted out. “Do it!”

With apparently endless calm, Joe slid his fingers carefully through the opening which was wide enough now to accommodate his whole hand. Doc had seen many a gruesome sight in his long life and performed more c-sections than he could count. But seeing Joe work calmly and quickly to bring a baby out of his stomach was surreal.

“Here we go,” Joe said with a beaming smile. “One little girl with a full head of hair, and look, she has a sweet gray ankle bracelet. I guess she takes after you.”

“Names. We haven’t even thought of names.” Doc’s eyes filled with tears as he took the little precious while Joe returned his focus back to Doc’s stomach. The child who’d spent his time resting on Doc’s left side wasn’t as keen to leave his warm home. Doc alternated between checking over the baby girl in his arms, while watching Joe gently coax the other one out of his belly. At least his pains had dulled down to a manageable ripple. That was one hell of a way to attract his attention and let him know the babies were ready to face the world.

“Here we go,” Joe’s gentle face shone with pride as the second child’s foot finally slid free of Doc’s belly. “A little boy, and with no noticeable gray skin marks…no, wait, this one has a circle of it on his back. Hmmm….” Joe bent and sniffed. “But he smells like buffalo.” Leaning over he sniffed at their daughter too. “So, does she. It looks like we have two hybrids, babe. I’m so freaking proud of you. We’re daddies. We’re actually parents.”

And that’s when it hit Doc hard. These weren’t two little ones he would pass on to their loving parents right after birth, like he’d done with Jenny and her triplets just two weeks before. He didn’t have to watch them walk out of the door – well, not for another twenty years or so anyway. “These are ours,” he whispered as tears rolled unchecked down his cheeks.

“Lie back, babe.” Joe handed him their son and Doc realized getting the babies out was one thing, working out what to do with the hole he had up his middle was another. “I need to feel inside, I guess,” Joe looked at his hands which were remarkably clean. “Shit, I didn’t even wash my hands. What if you get an infection? What if I’ve done some damage in there? What if I’ve given germs to our babies?”

Joe’s belated meltdown was sweet, but totally unnecessary. “We’re shifters, babe, a bit of dirt isn’t going to kill us or the little ones. Now,” Doc struggled to think. “Get towels for the babies. We haven’t got anything for them here. We’ll have to put in a call to Mrs. Hooper and get some basics like nappies and formula.”

Running to the cupboard, Joe got the towels while Doc continued thinking out loud. “We need a sign on the door. Cancel all non-urgent appointments for three days. Emergencies, well hopefully we won’t get any of them. Work – you need to contact Rocky.”

“I’m not leaving you stranded, Nathan.” Joe seemed to have recovered some of his original calm. “What about your belly? You can’t walk around like that.”

Looking down, Doc saw that the gash wasn’t as red or angry looking as it was before. He struggled to remember other species that went through something similar. Whales, he seemed to recall. Male whale shifters developed a slit for giving birth which closed naturally in about three days. Hopefully he would be similar. “Get some bandages, some of the wide ones from the cupboard under the sink. I’ll get you to wrap me up and then we need to get these little ones some food.” He looked down but both babies were sound asleep. They hadn’t even cried, and Doc quickly checked to make sure their breathing was regular, which it was. Some doctor I am, he thought, angry at himself for forgetting the basic protocols for newborns.

Cut yourself some slack, Joe’s voice sounded in his head and Doc jumped because he didn’t realize he’d projected that. You’ve done an amazing job and I love you, Nathan Farriday.

I love you too. His cheeks heating, Doc held up the babies as best he could while Joe wrapped his torso in bandages. He’d just used the tape to hold it in place when there was a sharp knock on the treatment room door. “You decent?” Mrs. Hooper pushed open the door with the large basket she was carrying. “Now, I just knew it and it looks like I timed everything perfectly.”

“Mrs. Hooper, what are you doing here?” Doc quickly checked to make sure his children’s gray marks were hidden. “Is something wrong? As you can see, I have my hands full right now.”

“You men are totally useless,” Mrs. Hooper huffed as she handed the basket to Joe. “I asked this young ‘un here what preparations you’d made for the babies and he said you both felt you had plenty of time and would deal with things later. Well, I thought to myself, I call bullshit because when I saw you waddling to the mayor’s office that very same day I knew you were ready to pop. And just look at these sweet ones. Wrapped in towels. It’s just as well I thought to make you up a basic care package.”

“Doc, this is incredible,” Joe said, peering through the basket. “Clothes, nappies, shifter-approved formula. Oh Mrs. Hooper you are a lifesaver. Honestly, I was going to call you just as soon as I’d put a sign on the door.”

“Don’t you go locking that door now. I’ve been on the phone all morning,” Mrs. Hooper warned. “There’s baby furniture coming and a whole stack more. Admittedly, none of it’s brand new, but it’s not as though babies do much damage. We pay it forward in this town, and all I ask is that when you’re done with the basics, you pass them on.”

“How have I never heard of this before?” Joe asked. Doc was too busy worrying what Mrs. Hooper would say when she realized the genetics his sweet ones carried. Would she be so keen to pay it forward then?

“Why would anyone talk to you about baby stuff?” Mrs. Hooper chuckled as she took in Joe’s expression. “You’ve always been too busy keeping our teenagers in line. Now you’re a dad, you’ll learn about a whole new side of this town. Come on Doc, don’t keep hogging your babies. I want to see.”

With a sinking heart, Doc realized he had no choice. To refuse the town matriarch just wasn’t possible especially when Mrs. Hooper had arrived like a baby angel bearing gifts. Ensuring his daughter was securely wrapped in a towel he handed her over. Coming to stand by his side, Joe took his hand, clearly sensing his discomfort.

“You are such a beauty,” Mrs. Hooper cooed, so unlike her normal self, Doc almost fell out of bed. “A perfect blend of Komodo and Buffalo. You’re going to break some hearts when you get older.”

Komodo? Doc shared a worried look with his mate. “Mrs. Hooper,” Doc said slowly, “how long have you known what animal I share my spirit with?”

Mrs. Hooper started laughing, her ample body shaking so hard the little girl’s eyes flew open. “I’ve always known. Goodness. I don’t know why you try so hard to hide it, but the old folks in the town can respect that you do. But now you’ve got little ones, you will have to rethink your decision. All Komodo dragon shifters are marked.” She peeled back the towel from Doc’s daughter’s foot and grinned at the gray band of skin that looked like a ribbon around her ankle. “Your little one doesn’t deserve to go through life feeling ashamed of this.”

“It’s not shame.” Doc looked to Joe for comfort, feeling his eyes water as Joe bent down and held him close. “It’s growing up never knowing where you truly came from. It’s knowing how barbaric others view my kind. I didn’t even know there were other shifters like me. There’s nothing on the council website and I should know, I spent dozens of hours looking.”

“Bah, the council are about as useful as a wet paper bag. You should talk to your elders. They know more about shifter lives than any website will tell you.”

“Do many people know?” Doc didn’t know what to think. He’d spent a lifetime hiding his lizard. He didn’t understand why Mrs. Hooper didn’t think it was a big deal.

“Most of the old people in this town, yes. The younger ones, maybe, maybe not. The thing is you and your mate, you’ve carved a permanent place in the heart of the people in this town. I thought you realized that when the town all pulled together and renovated the Deputy’s house. Your children will be safe here – to be themselves, regardless of what form they shift into. That’s the whole foundation of what a shifter town is. Don’t you get it?”

Mrs. Hooper looked down at the newborn girl, who’d settled back to sleep. “More and more hybrids are being born all the time. I like to think our town is blessed, even more so now. Our mayor’s children, that lawyer’s Simon’s children, Beau’s – they are all hybrids. I saw Jenny with her wolf/rabbit hybrids just this morning when they came into the store. They are all gorgeous. They are all hybrids and I truly believe these children will show us how similar we are as shifters, instead of highlighting our differences. That’s a real positive, don’t you think?”

“You’re right, Mrs. Hooper,” Joe said quietly, taking his son into his arms. Doc’s emotions were all over the place, but his arms immediately felt empty, which Mrs. Hooper seemed to realize too. Was there anything that woman didn’t know?

“Make up at least eight bottles and store some in the refrigerator,” Mrs. Hooper warned as she placed Doc’s daughter in his arms. “You do not want to be fiddling with making up formula at two o’clock in the morning when these two are screaming loud enough to rock the foundations. Congratulations, both of you,” she added as she bustled out the door as suddenly as she arrived.

“Wow.” Joe shook his head, but as he was looking at his son at the time, Doc wasn’t sure what the wow pertained to. He looked down at his daughter. Her blond hair, cute button nose and full lips. He could see features of both of them in her adorable face. He rubbed his thumb over her fragile ankle. The leathery skin was still soft and likely would be for some years.

“Hey,” Joe’s weight settled on the bed beside him. “Are you feeling okay? Do you need to sleep? Eat? Have a shower? What do you need?”

“I need a kiss, Deputy Joe Farriday,” Doc smiled through his tears. “A good long kiss, because I have a feeling it will be the last one we have for a while.”

“Are you happy?” Joe asked as he leaned forward, reminding Doc of when he asked that very same question of his mate.

“I can honestly say I have never been happier,” he said, remembering what Joe’s response was three months ago. “And it’s all because of you, and them,” Doc added fondly. “We’ve really got to think of some names.”

Joe was still chuckling as he covered Doc’s lips with his own.

 

The End.

Of course, it’s not the end – there are countless more stories to come from Arrowtown and besides, we still need to find out what Doc and Joe’s babies names are. They wouldn’t tell me when I wrote this story. This book does hit a milestone for me though, which makes it doubly special in my eyes – this is my 50th MM (or MMM) title and I am so proud. Of course, with my to-do list a mile long, I don’t have time to sit back and bask. There will be more books coming soon in the God’s series where Thor meets someone unexpected for him and the City Dragon series where Samuel has some unusual problems with his mate and that is just the next two on a very long list.

It seems strange to think back now, when I was writing my very first shifter book, (The Reluctant Wolf) that I didn’t know any of you and none of you knew about me. I have to say it’s been one hell of a journey and along the way I have made multitudes of good friends through social media. Just recently, you were there to cheer for me when I sold my house and cried alongside me when I lost my precious Scout and Scruffy. You inspire me with your pictures, your comments and ideas – honestly, I wouldn’t have made it this far without you all. So, thank you for that.

As you will have seen on various posts on social media, authors are being plagued with people pirating their books. I am one of those authors and my income has suffered because of it. I hesitate to ask for reviews, because you all give me so much already, but reviews genuinely help new readers take a chance on a new author to them, so if you would like to say a few words wherever you purchased this book, thank you.

Remember, I love to hear from you all – email, PM on FB, or MeWe, or feel free to post in my special groups. All my contact details are provided on the last page of this book.

Thank you for being with me on this glorious journey.

Hug the one you love.

Lisa xx