Satia piled more food onto the plate. To say she was nervous about the prospect of Andrea coming over again and leaving Andre was an understatement. She was fully aware that what she and Stix had couldn't be broken, but Andrea didn't sit well with Satia.

She'd seen the way Andrea had sashayed into the restaurant the night before barely clothed in a bright red dress that could have fit a school girl. And Satia was no fool. There was only one reason Andrea would have worn a dress like that and shown up unannounced. She wanted Stix back. Satia had watched the two of them walk back to Stix's office. Her saber had wanted to burst in there and claim her territory, but Satia had resisted. Jealousy was not an emotion she gave into lightly.

Stix had explained on the train ride home what Andrea had wanted, but after only a few hours of sleep Satia had been awakened by a nightmare and had gone downstairs to make a cup of tea. She'd spent the rest of the early morning in front of the television staring at the screen until she couldn't handle it anymore and she'd gotten up to make food.

"Did I make enough?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Oh, I think this is enough for myself and Deacon."

"I'm sorry I think I got carried away."

He gave her a tense smile. "It was very thoughtful. Thank you. But I have to admit I'm a little too nervous to be eating this morning."

"Why? Did something happen?"

He stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. "No. It's just Andre coming. I mean... a kid. A live, have to keep from dying, kid. What if he gets into something? Or he won't stop crying? Or I can't get him to eat? Or-"

Satia laid her hand on his arm. "Breathe. He's a child, not an expensive doll. He is going to get into things. And he's going to cry. And he's going to refuse to eat sometimes. It's how small children are. But he will live through it. And you will live through it. And together you'll be fine."

Satia swallowed hard. Her words of comfort were for herself as much as for Stix. It was tough enough that her saber had decided that Stix was her mate but that he also had a son and the child's mother to go with him was a lot to process.

"Would you like me to leave so you can have some time with him?"

"No. If you don't mind, I could use an extra pair of hands. I have no clue what I am doing."

She laughed. "And because I'm a woman you think I do?"

His eyes widened. "No. No that's not what I meant at all. I wasn't-"

"I'm kidding," she said. "I'm actually good with children."

"Thank you." He kissed the back of her hand.

Satia looked around the kitchen and then went into the television room. "I do have to say though, this place isn't very child-friendly."

"I agree. Thoughts?"

"Maybe you can finish cleaning those piles I made. I will put the food away for later. I already cleaned up the middle room I think that might be a good place to set up a room for Andre. At least until you have everything sorted out. We'll need to go shopping though."

Stix nodded. "No problem. I'll do the piles and then as soon as Andre is here we can all go to the store to buy... stuff."

"Sounds like a plan."

He nodded, but she saw in his eyes he was terrified. Satia hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her tight.

"You can do this," she said. "You are his father. In the end that's all he needs."

* * *

Stix rushed through the piles and had them mostly sorted by the time the doorbell rang. Several bags of trash that needed to be taken out and a pile that needed to be filed, but on a whole the place looked a lot better.

He walked to the door and stared at it for a moment, taking a deep breath. He could do this. How hard could it be? It was just his child.

Stix opened the door. Andrea stood with a wide smile that seemed a bit too eager.

"Hi."

"Hey. Come in." He stepped to the side.

She carried Andre into the front room. "I see your cleaning is improving."

"Satia did most of it."

"She's staying here?"

"Yeah."

Andrea nodded. "Are you sure she should be living here? I mean especially with Andre..."

Stix's ursa growled. "She's not a problem."

Andrea studied him for a moment, the wheels turning in her head trying to figure out who Satia was and how close they were but Stix didn't care. Until he was sure of Andrea's intentions, he was not going to let Satia be put in the middle of whatever Andrea had planned.

"You don't have much for him to play with. Are you sure you want to do this?" she finally asked.

Stix walked forward and reached for Andre. The little boy's big brown eyes rounded for a moment and then he held out his chubby arms and Stix hefted him. The boy was solid. Good. At least he'd been fed well.

"We'll be good."

Andre reached up and touched Stix's stubble and smiled. Andre moved his hands over his own face like a beard.

The sight made Stix smile in return. His body warmed all over from the contact, and as he breathed in Andre's skin, the little boy let out a funny kind of laugh that sounded almost like it was rooted in his chest.

"Hey buddy," Stix said. "I'm your dad."

Andre stared up at him wide-eyed and smiling. He wiggled his fingers around his forehead.

"Doesn't talk much does he?"

Andrea cleared her throat. "Uh... He's a bit delayed in speaking is all. The doctor says he'll speak when he wants to."

"No rush, my man. You take all the time you need."

"Okay," said Andrea. "So, I guess I'll head out." The nervous edge to her voice was only punctuated by the light scent of fear that wafted off her.

"Yeah, okay." Stix continued to look at Andre and tickled him with his scruff again, making him laugh.

"So I'll be back about five thirty. This is his bag if you need it. It's got some clothes and stuff in there..."

"Uh-huh." Stix didn't even say goodbye as he continued to play with his boy. The door closed and Stix stared at Andre. "So. You want to go to the store and pick out some new toys? Does that sound fun?"

Andre stared at him with a smile on his face.

"Cool. We'll do that as soon as I show you around our place."

For the next ten minutes Stix walked Andre around the house and finally stopped at Deacon's bedroom door. Satia opened it and gave Stix a nervous smile.

"Andre, this is Satia. Can you say Satia?"

Andre stared at Satia with a goofy smile. He held his chubby arms out to her, and she took him from Stix. Andre curled up on her chest and laid his head on her shoulder.

"Awww." Satia's face lit up, and the sight struck a chord inside Stix. His woman and his son. A feeling of completeness washed over him followed by a surge of protective instincts. He'd die to protect them both. Even though they'd only just come into his life, they were all that mattered to him now.

His ursa warbled in delight and warmth spread throughout Stix.

"He's such a sweetie," she said.

Stix snorted. "Give it ten years."

They laughed.

"I'm glad he likes you."

For a moment Stix pictured her big and round with their child. Another playing on the floor with Andre. For the first time in a long time, he believed that it might be real. That he might have a family of his own.

"And this... and these, we'll need at least a dozen of these. And a few of these-"

"Okay, Stix, stop." Satia put her hand on his as he threw the latest items into the cart. "What are these?"

Stix looked at the item he'd just put in the cart. "Those are outlet caps. So he can't shock himself."

She pulled out another package. "And these?"

"They go on cabinets so he can't open them."

She pulled out another.

"Those go on the corners of the fireplace and the counters so he can't bump his head."

"And this?"

"That one detects why he is crying and can tell the difference between them, so I know what he needs."

She scanned the cart and all the products he'd put in there and then pushed him out of the way, picked up Andre and started to walk away.

"Leave that cart," she ordered.

"What are you doing?"

"Saving you from yourself." She walked down the aisle and out of sight.

Stix jogged after her. "Satia. Wait. We need those things."

She walked to the front of the store and put Andre into a new cart and began pushing it back toward him.

"Satia-"

"Look. Can you waste your money on all those things? Yes. And you can waste your money on those useless things on the tv infomercials as well. Things like the weight thing that you shake. Or the blanket you wear like a giant dress. Or that poop spray for the toilet but what's the point besides throwing money away? Andre is a child. A shifter child. You don't need to protect him from every bump and bruise. How does a child learn if you make everything so easy for them?"

Stix swallowed hard. She was right. He was ridiculous.

"Just because a store is so big it has every baby item ever invented on Earth doesn't mean you need to buy them all. Did your parents have bumpers and cushions and caps on everything?"

"My dad tied pillows around my waist when he was teaching me to ride a bike."

"See. And you made it through with minimal brain damage." She smirked.

Stix's jaw dropped. "Minimal, huh?"

She shrugged. He reached for her, but she ran around the side of the cart. Andre laughed as he ran around the cart, and she ran to the other side again. He chased her the opposite way, and still, she managed to elude him. She squealed as he chased her once more and caught her around the waist. She laughed and squirmed against him making him want to pin her down and take her right there.

He backed her into a shelf of teddy bears, bent in close, his lips almost touching hers. Her breath hit his mouth, and he sucked it in. He leaned in closer and her eyes closed.

"Uhm... sir, excuse me, but you're ruining the display."

Stix turned to a stock boy picking up a pile of teddy bears from the floor. Stix chuckled and kissed the tip of Satia's nose before bending and helping pick up the bears.

"Sorry," he said.

Satia walked to Andre and patted his cheek. He waved his hands and smiled at Satia. Again Stix couldn't help but smile.

Satia smiled over her shoulder at him. "Come on daddy. Let's go find the things you really need."

* * *

Satia and Andre picked out a race car bed with some sheets and a blanket. She helped him pick out several stuffed cars and Hot Wheels to play with. Every time Stix would protest that the toys were too small or too hard she would shake her head and put them in the cart anyway.

Then they went to the playdough and coloring section. She picked out several items, and Stix put his foot down with the markers, insisting that he was too young and crayons worked just as well.

Finally, they made their way to the Lego section, in which she didn't even have to encourage Stix to buy things. In that section, she watched as he and Andre picked out several large and small sets with Stix's face lighting up brighter than Andre's.

At the checkout Satia waited as Stix plundered through the clearance bin, plucked out a ball, and tossed it in the air. Satia smiled. She didn't have to wonder like some women did whether or not their mate would be a good father, he was going to be amazing. The thought consoled her.

"Andre. Here buddy!"

Stix tossed the ball to Andre, but Andre didn't even turn at the sound of his name. Satia reached for the ball too late, and it hit Andre in the side of the head. Andre turned as Stix jogged over and then turned back to Satia and began to wail.

"Hey little man, I'm sorry." Stix picked him up and held him tight. "I'm sorry buddy. I didn't mean for that to happen."

Andre looked at Satia.

She rubbed his back. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Andre took his two pointer fingers and touched them together.

"What's the matter, little guy?" asked Stix. He checked Andre's head, but there was no mark.

Again Andre pushed his two fingers together, looking at her. A chill swept through Satia. She swallowed hard.

She put her right hand in front of Andre and made a nodding gesture with it. A-N-D-R-E she spelled. Are-you-hurt? She signed.

He made the sign for hurt again and then nodded. Satia signed Andre's name again and then took her pointer finger and ran it from her ear down to her chin.

Andre copied the sign.

"What's going on?" asked Stix.

Satia looked up at him. She had no idea how to tell him.

"Andre... I think he's deaf."

Stix looked to Andre and then back at Satia. "No. Andrea said he's a little behind."

Satia shook her head. "He's not slow in speech. I think he's deaf, Stix. That's why he didn't hear you call his name. It's why he doesn't talk. This sign," She pushed her fingers together. "It means hurt. And this one," She moved her finger from her ear to her chin. "This one means deaf."

"Do another one," he said quietly.

Satia got Andre's attention again. "Andre, are you hungry?" She cupped her hand and moved it from her throat to her stomach.

Andre nodded and copied the movement.

"What is that?" Stix asked.

"Hungry." She repeated the sign. "He's hungry."

Stix appeared like he might pass out. Satia wanted to say something to comfort him, but she couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through.

"Well then," he finally said. "Let's take this stuff home, and he can have something to eat."

Stix handed Andre to Satia again, and he rubbed his back as Andre put his head on her shoulder. Stix unloaded the cart and paid.

He hardly noticed them as he checked out. Satia kissed Andre's head. What had Andrea been thinking? Had she hoped he wouldn't notice? Did she think Stix was so stupid he wouldn't find out? She swallowed hard. No. She knew what Andrea had been thinking. She'd been afraid that Stix would reject him when he found out. But the truth was, if that's what she thought of Stix, she obviously didn't know him very well. But that wasn't the real question. The real question was, why had Andrea come to Stix now and why was she so desperate for Stix to accept Andre?