undefined

By Jade Griffin

7.5.99 to 8.8.99

"Well, there’s gotta be some way we can make sure the baby’s gonna be fine."

"Malcom, beloved, you are describing a human doctor." She smiled at him. He was so determined. He always was. Whatever may happen, she vowed never to regret her choice.

"Yeah… I guess I am. So there’s no one else that could help us?"

"Magic help can only do so much. Comp is forbidden to interfere more than he has. It is true that he could show a future to us, but it would be one only relative to now. Things change too much for such a view to help. And because ki-lin have always been magic healers of immediate problems, we have had no need of other help."

"Until now… The problem is, I want a human healer or doctor to make sure you and the baby will be fine, long-term." Malcom was pacing now, his anxiety growing the more he thought about it.

The Lady caught him going past and pulled him closer, made him settle. She wished to show no worry for her husband and so contained all to assure him. There was no true base for any worry, but for the not knowing of what was to come. She sighed and gave Malcom a smile. "But you know of no healer who accepts my world?"

"No. I don’t." It bugged him heavily that this was where his first ‘culture shock’ was coming at him from. But this wasn’t for him…

The Lady was right. He didn’t know anyone in the medical field who knew of magic or mythical—

And it occurred to him… He took hold of his wife. "Lady? I just got a crazy idea… I may actually know someone who can be your doctor!" The idea was way out there, but still a possibility. He was willing to try anything.

The Lady frowned, puzzled at Malcom’s budding grin. "A human doctor?"

"Yeah. Well, he used to be a doctor. He’s a vet now."

"And he knows of this?" Her eyes traced their current surroundings, one of the hidden groves in the magic-created ‘cyberverse’. They’d wanted a lot of privacy and this was as private as it got here.

"I don’t _think_ so… But he did say once that he saw Bigfoot."

Malcom pulled into the gravel parking lot, automatically assessing his surroundings. No cars, a light on inside…

Asking around the Oregon town of Corley Cove, people told him that "Doc B" always stayed late. No windows, and the sign on the door read CLOSED. Malcom got out of the car and tried the door. Locked. He knocked and waited. No answer.

"Dr. Barnes?" he asked, knocking louder.

Malcom heard movement on the other side of the door and ceased, waiting patiently.

The door was unbolted and slowly creaked open. The tall, aging, round-faced man squinting angrily at him wasn’t exactly who Malcom remembered but it was unmistakably him. He smiled but the other man didn’t seem to recognize him.

"What tha hell are you bangin’ on my door for at one A.M, son?" he demanded in a gruff, gravelly voice.

He was really angry! "I wouldn’ve gotten here earlier but—"

"I’m not seeing anyone right now. It’s been a long day and I just lost one of my patients so if you’ll—"

"Sir, I’m sorry about that. I know how dedicated you are. But I can’t leave until I’ve talked with you." Malcom put his most serious into the statement and held the doctor’s eyes firm.

Barnes frowned, then blinked in surprise. "I’ve seen that face before…" His eyes grew wide with recognition. "Malcom?? The little boy with all the questions who doesn’t like his first name!" A funny little smile dissolved the man’s gruffness.

Malcom’s grin returned and he nodded.

"Well, boy, you’ve cheered my evening. C’mon in." Dr. Barnes waved him inside.

"I’m sorry it’s late, and about your patient."

The older man batted at the apology as if an ill-tasting meal. "Lost cause, boy. But I can’t help myself. Now how about you? How’s life been treating you, Mr. Malcom?"

He took the seat offered, opposite the vet. "I’m in the FBI now, and I got married two months ago."

"You don’t say!" The man’s face blossomed at such good news, causing Malcom to duck his head on a grin. "Where is she? I’d like to meet the lady who pulled you out of your brain."

"She’s at home. I still live in California."

"And you drove all the way up here, without your new wife? To see me?" His heavy brows rose. "What’s on yer mind that you’d go and do that?"

"Well, I remember that you used to practice medicine before changing to veterinary studies."

"In my youth, yes, I thought I wanted to be a doctor."

"And you were, for eight years."

"Yes, Mr. F.B.I.. Don’t tell me you want me to do some people-doctoring for you."

"…Not exactly." Malcom shifted in hi seat, knowing he was taking a gamble. "I’d like you to come down to California and meet my wife. All expenses paid."

The vet’s eyes narrowed, as he thought he smelled some connivance. "And why would you do that?"

"Because my wife is very special to me. She is the Lady Epona. This is a picture of her." He handed Dr. Barnes the only photo he’d been able to take of her in her true form.

"This the only photo you have? She’s pretty, even with all that costume."

"It isn’t a costume, Dr. Barnes. My wife isn’t human."

The older man stared at him, blinked, then scrutinized the photograph. Before he could make any further remarks, Malcom took it back and handed him a piece of paper bearing a California address and directions, along with a number.

"I have to go. Please think about it and give me a call."

The speechless vet watched Malcom’s exit.

He seemed like a well-adjusted kid. But this was way out in space field! Barnes could still hear their conversation running around in his head. It was ridiculous. So why was he on I-395 headed for Susan City, CA? Maybe he was nuts, too; but he had to know. Malcom was dead serious. Something had to be up, and the vet was willing to find out what.

He’d called the night before. The directions brought him to an apartment parking lot. Locking up his beat-up old Ford, Barnes made for the fifth floor.

The door of 531-E opened as soon as he rapped on it, startling him into stepping back. Anything could happen from here on out in his mind, despite what reason tried to tell him.

Malcom, opening the door, saw the older man’s startlement and his smile fell. This could really freak him out. Gotta take everything slow. "Hi. C’mon in."

Malcom showed him to a chair, Dr. Barnes looking about. The young man realized he was looking for any sign of the Lady.

"I’ll ask her to come out in a moment. I wanted to talk to you first." Malcom took a seat facing the attentive doctor. "You understand that inviting you here means a lot of trust on our part."

"Well, Malcom, I do…"

"And that what we say is between us."

"Malcom," This roundabout talk was getting on his nerves. "I don’t know why you think I’m here, but I am here. I don’t even know why, so use your own judgement." He sat back in his seat and folded arms across his chest, waiting.

Malcom sighed and nodded. He got up and went into the next room.

Dr. Barnes watched him go, and could hear him talking to, presumably, his wife. But even with what he’d heard and seen and the time to think on the way down here, seeing the beautiful creature step out and walk toward him came as the biggest shock of his life.

She had a short spiral horn coming out of her forehead, large exotic eyes, thick coal black hair flowing past her waist but tied prettily back, four-fingered hands, and little horn ridges instead of eyebrows. Most striking of all were her silver furry legs and black-hooved feet, a pair of strange wings coming out of her back, and a zebra-type tail. But she radiated beauty. In looks, in movement, in manner. Needless to say, he was floored speechless.

She smiled hopefully as she approached and his widened eyes settled on her gentle face.

She took a seat on the couch across from the doctor while Malcom hovered anxiously behind her.

"Good evening, Dr. Barnes. I am the Lady Epona, Malcom’s wife."

Barnes couldn’t break his stare but he found his voice. "You are real!"

Her lovely smile grew. "So I’ve been told."

Recognizing the humor past his amazement, the older human grinned back. Malcom, looking much relieve, sat down beside his Lady on the couch.

"So you didn’t turn crazy!" Dr. Barnes exclaimed to Malcom.

The younger man smiled back. "Nope."

"I don’t know what to say!" He shook his head futilely, eyes always on the lovely creature before him.

"You may say or ask whatever you like. It is my hope to get to know each other well if you are to be my doctor."

The doctor blinked. "You’re doctor??"

"Yes. I am Malcom’s wife and mate." She stood and lay a hand on her abdomen, which Barnes now saw was showing.

"Oh boy…" At that moment, he began to feel light-headed.

"Dr. Barnes??" Malcom saw the doctor’s face turn pale.

The Lady was already at his side.

"I’m okay, I’m okay!" The vet’s voice rose in sudden irritation. It was then that he noted the Lady Epona’s hand on his. It startled him, but only for a second. The four fingers were pleasantly warm. A surprise. But then they lifted away and were gone as she backed away.

It was because of his staring. The Lady thought now that she shouldn’t have touched him. The doctor turned his eyes up to hers.

"…Eh, my dear, don’t take offense but I hafta ask. What are you?" He quirked a frown at her, able to express both his puzzlement and apology.

The half-ki-lin/half-gargoyle smiled. "No apologies. The question is more than familiar to me."

"Lady?" Malcom interrupted with a hand on her shoulder. "Um… Dr. Barnes? How long would you like to stay here tonight? Because the answer’s a long story."

"There is still one thing that confuses me…"

All through the explanations of ‘mythical creatures’ such as unicorns, gargoyles, and dragons being real, Barnes had been relatively silent. They hadn’t told him everything yet, not wanting to overdo it. Things like fey, the ‘cyberverse’, specific gargoyles like Jade Griffin and where she lived were all excluded.

"Yes?" the Lady prompted.

"Obviously, no one else knows about all of these … people… that you’re talking about. Which leads me to assume that they’re all well-hidden. And also that you’ve been hidden up until now, as well. So, as you are both married and living together, how do you plan keeping it that way living in such a tiny apartment? I’m surprised at you, Malcom, if you expect her to stay cooped up in here all the time." He folded his arms across his wide chest, staring accusatorily at the younger man.

Malcom was grinning, having taken no offense. "I would never do that. And this isn’t where we live. I moved out right after we got married."

Barnes looked about, confused. "Doesn’t look moved-out to me!" Indeed, there was a definite occupied feel with all the magazines and books and furniture about.

"Well, that’s to fool guests. I’m still divorcing myself from my human lifestyle, and my job. We have a very special, very large place now, but it’s out of the ordinary. I didn’t want to… scare you away, before explaining."

Barnes threw his hands up. "Bring it on!"

Malcom blinked in surprise. "You aren’t too tired? Or… overwhelmed?"

"No. No, I’m not." In fact, it was a surprise to the doctor, as well. But he didn’t want to think about that. He stood, getting rid of that thought. "How far is this special place?"

"It’s not a matter of ‘where’ so much as ‘what’. It’s actually right over there." Malcom pointed to the closet.

Feeling unusually accepting in spite of all that had been disclosed to him, Barnes went to the door and opened it. A plain empty closet greeted his eyes.

He turned to the approaching couple. "Wrong door?"

"No. Right one. Wrong idea. It’s a magical entrance. To get in, you need to want to see us."

But before Barnes could sort out Malcom’s explanation, the approach of the couple triggered the effect. The portal’s glow startled him into jumping back. They proceeded to the unseen other side as he stared on.

"Magic, hm?" he muttered to himself, squinting into the glow. Well, it wasn’t any stranger than anything else tonight. He, too, walked into the glow.

Barnes emerged on the inside of an impressive home. It appeared to be a large cabin, reminding him instantly of those days as a young boy up at his uncle’s ranch. Couldn’t help smiling at the similarity.

"Our home is in sort of a place-pocket." Malcom explained as he looked about. "Time is the same here as everywhere else, but you can’t get in here unless by magic."

"Hm." The doctor wandered through the living room to what was definitely a kitchen, passing by a… He paused. It was an open… Well, it didn’t’ have a door, so it was more of an archway. And through it lay a great expanse of land, complete with garden, trees, and distant hills. He could even smell late almond blossoms on the pre-dawn air.

He turned back to the waiting couple, eyed them up and down. He’d seen enough. It was a little crazy—all of it. But then again… They seemed somehow… perfect.

His eyes narrowed in that piercing way he used while grilling people. "You want me… to play obs-gyn… for this lady here? When I don’t know a thing about her physiology?"

"I can tell you anything you wish to know." the Lady added quickly.

"We aren’t expecting miracles. We’re just asking for help. And you know more than I do. There is no one else, Dr. Barnes. Please."

Could there be any way to express pleading sincerity more than what he was witnessing? The physician dropped his gruff guise, not wishing to consider the implications. With so much determination and young spirit, how could this be wrong?… He’d been needing a lot of ‘right’ in his life of late. So what if she wasn’t human! He could tell a good person, and this Lady Epona was more than that. She was going to have a baby and was asking for help in case it might be a difficult birth. It was that simple. He could not ignore such a plea.

A smile broke out as the idea fully hit him. "I’ll do it."

THE BEGINNING