Chapter XXI

Warning Signs
~ * * * ~

Leila had agreed to babysit for Simon while her mother and Oliva went somewhere. Her mother had been a little mysterious about it, but Leila figured it must have been important. Right after they left, Glynis called, quite upset, yelling something about Kent leaving, and begged Leila to babysit for the twins. Leila could hear the panic in Glynis' voice and agreed readily. Besides, Leila truly loved being with children, and she didn't mind. As a matter of fact, she had been taking care of Simon more than his own mother lately, and was becomming very attached to him.

She had taken Meg and Emma to their dancing class and had just arrived back at their house when the phone rang. She hurried to get it thinking it might be Madra checking in. She was trying to juggle the phone in one hand, while she had Simon in the other arm, and was a little out of breath. "Hello, Maxwell residence," she said as she picked up the phone. She was surprised to hear Lauren's voice on the other end. "Hi, Lauren, how have you been?" she began..."no, I can't talk to you right now...I'm babysitting....please, Lauren, please. I never meant to hurt you - I promise. Of course I care about you, I never meant for that to happen, it just did. Lauren, please, not now, please..." Lauren's reply left her pale and shaking, and then the line went dead.

Emma had been sitting on the floor playing with the dog. When she heard the word hug, she said, "I want a hug, too!" Leila laughed and took all three of the children and sat in the chair and gave them each a hug. The girls really liked litte Simon. Meg had a lot of fun playing with him, and told Leila that she wanted a little brother like him!
Leila stood there with the phone still in her hand fighting back the tears. Lauren couldn't have meant what she said - she just couldn't! Meg sensing that something was wrong came over and pulled on Leila's jeans, "Are you ok, Auntie Leilia," she began, "do you need a hug?" Leila looked down at the little girl and smiled. "A hug would be wonderful, Meg!" she said.

Mike entered the room, but they were having so much fun laughing, they didn't hear him. He stood in the doorway and took the scene in. He didn't want to disturb them...not just yet. He watched and thought about how lucky he was to have found Leila. What a rare girl she is, he thought. So beautiful and yet so down to earth. I was so worried about her little "secret" at first, I didn't know what to expect. He had to admit that her alliance with Lauren appeared strange to him, but he put that off as her being young and impressionable. She loved him now, and that's all that mattered to him.

He crossed the room and came over to the chair where they were sitting. "Well hello," he said. "Look at all these beautiful women in one room! I'd say we were very lucky, Simon," and with that he bent down and kissed Leila on the forehead, while he stroked Simon's head.

Mike pulled up the ottoman and sat down across from Leila and the children. Meg wasted no time in climbing up onto his lap. "Dr. Mike," she said, "did you see my daddy today?" She was always asking about her father and when he would be home. Emma seemed to keep it all inside, but when she heard Meg ask, she focused her attention on Mike. "Why, yes, I did," he replied, "and, as a matter of fact, he told me to tell you how much he missed you and that he was getting better and better every day and that he would be home with you soon!" The girls were really happy to hear this news and Meg threw her arms around Mike's neck and gave him a hug.

Mike looked at Leila and noticed that she was a little quiet. "Is something wrong, Leila?" he asked. "No, Mike, I'm fine....really, it's nothing," she replied as she reached out to hold his hand.

~ * * * ~ ~ * * * ~

Meanwhile, across town, Rebecca and Olivia had just come out of the clinic. Olivia stopped Rebecca in the parking lot and said, "Well, are you satisfied now? I agreed to the paternity test and it proves that Simon is Jax' son." Rebecca smiled and replied, "Yes, he certainly is. I'm sure you realize that I had to find out for sure before we turned everyone's life upside down." Olivia rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, come on, Mrs. J., I don't want your son. If I wanted to break up his marriage, I would have appeared sooner. I specifically waited until he was married and out of town. Your son and I had a one-night fling -- nothing more, nothing less. He probably won't even remember. If it wasn't for Simon, I probably wouldn't remember it either. We were both a little, ah, inebriated at the time. You see, we were both in Monte Carlo on holiday..." Rebecca cut her short saying, "Then what do you want, my dear?"

Oliva took a breath and began, "Well, it's like this. I have a certain life style that I rather enjoy. Daddy has been very good to me, but if he finds out about my little indescretion, he wouldn't be happy about it, and that could put a damper on my fun. I've managed to keep it from him all this time, but....I can't keep it from him forever. And, if he does find out, I'm sure he would want your son to make an 'honest woman' of me, you see. However, I already have someone in my life. This may sound cruel, but Simon doesn't fit into that life. All I really want is for you to take him off my hands and perhaps give me a little compensation...." Rebecca was incredulous - "You want me to PAY you for your son?! Well, young lady, you are quite mistaken if you think that you can extort money from me."

"Well, if that's your attitude," Olivia began as she turned to walk away, "I guess I'll just go to my original plan. I found a lovely couple that are quite anxious to adopt him. No questions asked. And, they offered to pay all my expenses, too. Of course, that means you will never see him again."

Rebecca was at a loss for words. This was her first grandchild they were discussing. She reached out and grabbed Olivia's arm and held her back and said, "Wait, let's discuss this over a cup of coffee."

To be continued.......

Leila had agreed to babysit for Simon while her mother and Oliva went somewhere. Her mother had been a little mysterious about it, but Leila figured it must have been important. Right after they left, Glynis called, quite upset, yelling something about Kent leaving, and begged Leila to babysit for the twins. Leila could hear the panic in Glynis' voice and agreed readily. Besides, Leila truly loved being with children, and she didn't mind. As a matter of fact, she had been taking care of Simon more than his own mother lately, and was becomming very attached to him. She had taken Meg and Emma to their dancing class and had just arrived back at their house when the phone rang. She hurried to get it thinking it might be Madra checking in. She was trying to juggle the phone in one hand, while she had Simon in the other arm, and was a little out of breath. "Hello, Maxwell residence," she said as she picked up the phone. She was surprised to hear Lauren's voice on the other end. "Hi, Lauren, how have you been?" she began..."no, I can't talk to you right now...I'm babysitting....please, Lauren, please. I never meant to hurt you - I promise. Of course I care about you, I never meant for that to happen, it just did. Lauren, please, not now, please..." Lauren's reply left her pale and shaking, and then the line went dead.
Emma had been sitting on the floor playing with the dog. When she heard the word hug, she said, "I want a hug, too!" Leila laughed and took all three of the children and sat in the chair and gave them each a hug. The girls really liked litte Simon. Meg had a lot of fun playing with him, and told Leila that she wanted a little brother like him!	Leila stood there with the phone still in her hand fighting back the tears. Lauren couldn't have meant what she said - she just couldn't! Meg sensing that something was wrong came over and pulled on Leila's jeans, "Are you ok, Auntie Leilia," she began, "do you need a hug?" Leila looked down at the little girl and smiled. "A hug would be wonderful, Meg!" she said.
	Mike entered the room, but they were having so much fun laughing, they didn't hear him. He stood in the doorway and took the scene in. He didn't want to disturb them...not just yet. He watched and thought about how lucky he was to have found Leila. What a rare girl she is, he thought. So beautiful and yet so down to earth. I was so worried about her little "secret" at first, I didn't know what to expect. He had to admit that her alliance with Lauren appeared strange to him, but he put that off as her being young and impressionable. She loved him now, and that's all that mattered to him. He crossed the room and came over to the chair where they were sitting. "Well hello," he said. "Look at all these beautiful women in one room! I'd say we were very lucky, Simon," and with that he bent down and kissed Leila on the forehead, while he stroked Simon's head.
Mike pulled up the ottoman and sat down across from Leila and the children. Meg wasted no time in climbing up onto his lap. "Dr. Mike," she said, "did you see my daddy today?" She was always asking about her father and when he would be home. Emma seemed to keep it all inside, but when she heard Meg ask, she focused her attention on Mike. "Why, yes, I did," he replied, "and, as a matter of fact, he told me to tell you how much he missed you and that he was getting better and better every day and that he would be home with you soon!" The girls were really happy to hear this news and Meg threw her arms around Mike's neck and gave him a hug. Mike looked at Leila and noticed that she was a little quiet. "Is something wrong, Leila?" he asked. "No, Mike, I'm fine....really, it's nothing," she replied as she reached out to hold his hand.
~ * * * ~	~ * * * ~
	Meanwhile, across town, Rebecca and Olivia had just come out of the clinic. Olivia stopped Rebecca in the parking lot and said, "Well, are you satisfied now? I agreed to the paternity test and it proves that Simon is Jax' son." Rebecca smiled and replied, "Yes, he certainly is. I'm sure you realize that I had to find out for sure before we turned everyone's life upside down." Olivia rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, come on, Mrs. J., I don't want your son. If I wanted to break up his marriage, I would have appeared sooner. I specifically waited until he was married and out of town. Your son and I had a one-night fling -- nothing more, nothing less. He probably won't even remember. If it wasn't for Simon, I probably wouldn't remember it either. We were both a little, ah, inebriated at the time. You see, we were both in Monte Carlo on holiday..." Rebecca cut her short saying, "Then what do you want, my dear?" Oliva took a breath and began, "Well, it's like this. I have a certain life style that I rather enjoy. Daddy has been very good to me, but if he finds out about my little indescretion, he wouldn't be happy about it, and that could put a damper on my fun. I've managed to keep it from him all this time, but....I can't keep it from him forever. And, if he does find out, I'm sure he would want your son to make an 'honest woman' of me, you see. However, I already have someone in my life. This may sound cruel, but Simon doesn't fit into that life. All I really want is for you to take him off my hands and perhaps give me a little compensation...." Rebecca was incredulous - "You want me to PAY you for your son?! Well, young lady, you are quite mistaken if you think that you can extort money from me."
"Well, if that's your attitude," Olivia began as she turned to walk away, "I guess I'll just go to my original plan. I found a lovely couple that are quite anxious to adopt him. No questions asked. And, they offered to pay all my expenses, too. Of course, that means you will never see him again." Rebecca was at a loss for words. This was her first grandchild they were discussing. She reached out and grabbed Olivia's arm and held her back and said, "Wait, let's discuss this over a cup of coffee."