Surrogate - Chapter 3
Title: Surrogate - Chapter 3
Author: Christine Collins
Genere: Supernatural Romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1440
Comments: Unedited
Chapter 3
Nathaniel pulled up to his sister's house. Allison was panicked as usual and insisted that he come over. He frowned as he caught sight of the Shared Blessing Van parked in the driveway. He groaned as he realized that she was going to go forward with her latest scheme.
He had spent months trying to talk her out of this one. Mother was a very vindictive and powerful clan leader. She was determined that Allison died childless and alone. How many surrogates did Al have to go through before she finally gave up? Nathaniel had put his foot down this time. He was not going to bodyguard another one. He was through with having that guilt and failure piled upon him. Allison was convinced that an agency was the way to go this time. She said that their society valued family above all other things. Sure the runaway teenagers and vagrants that Allison had tried before were toast but a real mother, with a family and children of her own - well even Mother would think twice before she killed one of those, right?
Nathaniel wasn't so sure. And he most definitely wasn't going to have any part of this. She could get Bobby Joe or Darrell to guard this one.
Satisfied with his decision he let himself in. Even though it was a sunny day and unusually warm for January there was a chill under the black oaks that shaded the log cabin. Following the murmur of voices he made his way over to the 'parlor.' There was a fire blazing in the hearth, it was nice and warm in here.
Taking advantage of the fact that his silent entry alerted no one, he surveyed the scene. Allison and Will were on the couch and between them was a woman in her late 20s. She was showing them and album of some sort and they were oohing and aahing over the pictures contained within. She must be the new victim, he thought wryly. A big blond woman sat in one of the armchairs chatting animatedly with the rather severe looking woman in the other seat. The severe woman must be the Shared Blessings representative - she looked the part: suit, sensible shoes, string of pearls.
He was about to get his sister's attention when a soft voice whispered behind him.
“Excuse me,” it said.
Moving aside to let whoever it was pass into the room he turned to find - her. His obsession, Marie Maher. The reason for his continued existence on this planet and soon to be the reason for his sister's violent death at his own hands apparently. Suddenly he had a bad feeling about this visit.
Allison looked up as Marie entered and saw her brother.
“Marie did you find the bsthroom ok? Good. And Nathaniel,” she exclaimed, “you made it! Let me introduce you to everyone.
Nathaniel barely heard the introductions so intent was he on the fact that Marie should definitely not be here. Especially with the Shared Blessings woman in the room. Surely Allison didn't want...but no - she had introduced the Kimberly woman as her prospective surrogate. Then why was Marie here?
Allison, he thought to her - activating their bond, you had better...
Not now Nathaniel - we'll talk later.
We need to talk NOW.
Fine.
He felt her departure from his mind the same time as she said aloud,
“Well now the seating is even more of a mess. Marie why don't you take my spot while I go and get Nathaniel the item he needed to pick up from my office. We'll be right back.”
Nathaniel turned away and headed upstairs. Maybe I'm wrong he thought, maybe she isn't planning to do what I think she is planning to do. But before he left he caught a glimpse of Marie staring at him with a panicked look on her face. Damn my sister to hell he thought. Wait until I get my hands on her!
He stomped up the stairs and down the hall to her office. He slammed the door opened so hard the handle left a hole in the drywall. By the time Allison finally entered and closed the door behind her he had already paced across the room and back a dozen times.
“Allison please tell me that you do not have Marie here to be your surrogate.”
“Fine, I do not have Marie here to be my surrogate.”
“Now mean it.”
“I can't.”
“Allison, we talked about this. I won't do it! Not her. I already told you I wouldn't bodyguard another of your surrogates again but especially not her. You know how I feel about her. And you promised me you'd leave her alone. When her family died I was glad.”
Allison snorted at the word 'glad'
“Snort all you want but I was glad because then you'd have to pick someone else. Not that I think this will work. It will never work. How many women have to die before you figure it out?”
“But Nathaniel you're wrong. It will work. I have a feeling.”
“Damn you Allison, screw your feelings!”
“No, hear me out. When I saw Marie that day playing in the park with her children I was drawn to her. And when I saw her at the Shared Blessing office afterwards I thought it was fate. I thought it meant that my plan would work.”
“Your stupid plan will never work. Mother won't care if your surrogate is married and has her own loving family. As soon as you plant your child in her belly she'll have a bullseye painted on her forehead.”
“You're right.”
“Damn right, I'm right. Finally some sense out of you.”
“That's why I am going to act like Kimberly is going to be my surrogate while Marie is really the one pregnant.”
“But that will never work.”
“It will if they think Marie is really pregnant with your child.”
Nathaniel stopped in mid retort. For a minute he just stood blinking at his sister. She really is insane, he thought. Allison mistook the pause for approval plowed on.
“See, isn't it brilliant! I knew you'd love the plan. Marie will be totally safe because everyone will think the baby is yours! And Kimberly will be safe because we'll never get far enough in our negotiations for her to actually get pregnant. By the time the baby is born and mine it will be too late! You know that once the baby is born Mother will be bound by the law to leave it alone.”
“No.”
“But Nathaniel!”
“No Allison. I am tired of you and your obsession. I have devoted a lifetime to you, several in fact. You owe me. Please, I am begging you. Don't ask me to do this.”
“Nathan this will work. And don't talk to me about owing you. You wouldn't ever have met your precious Marie if I hadn't had you watching her for me. Maybe this was meant to be. I thought you'd be happy. You get to spend some time with the woman you love. Don't talk to me about my obsessions. At least I am trying to be proactive about my desires.”
“Proactive. Is that what you call it. How about accessory to murder?”
“Oh get off your high horse Nathaniel. This plan is perfect. Foolproof. Even you can't fuck it up. Marie will act like she is pregnant with your child. You are so smitten with her everyone will believe it. Any reluctance she displays will be chalked up to guilt or depression over her dead family. You adore her so much you will work much harder to keep her alive. Nothing will happen to her, unlike the others.”
“What are you saying? Are you implying that I didn't do my best to keep those other women alive? I risked my life for them. I have the scars to prove it!”
“Calm down. I only meant that those other times you did what was humanly possible - or in our case superhumanly possible but because of your love for Maire you protection of her will be better, stronger - divine. You will be able to tap resources withing yourself you didn't know existed. You know this.”
“Damn you Allison.”
“You already said that. You lack of originality seems like a sign of acquiescence to me.”
“Fuck you.”
“Now that is just plain rude.”
“Well what do you think I should say, you self centered bitch?”
“Say yes.”
Nathaniel looked at his sister and sighed a deep sigh of defeat.
“Yes,” he whispered.
“Good boy - now let's go meet your new girlfriend.”