By Marie S

“Maximus.  Maximus!”  Ashley shook him vigorously as she tried to wake him.  “Darling, I need you to wake up now.”  She shook him again.

Maximus woke up suddenly.  His eyes flew open and he grabbed the person shaking him.

Ashley winced as Maximus grabbed her roughly.

“Ashley!”  Maximus’ hands flew back when he realized it was his wife.

“We’re in my home, Maximus.  We have to get help for Dino.  Gabriel will hide our arrival from Sid.  Are you okay?”  Her hand stroked his beard.

Maximus felt momentarily disoriented.  They’d traveled forward to Ashley’s time to get medical attention for Dino, who’d been injured in battle.  He sat up and nodded to her.  It took a few more seconds to steady his equilibrium.

Dino was lying on the floor.  He wasn’t conscious.  Ashley had added bandages to his leg wound.

“He’s still bleeding, Maximus.  I’m so worried.  We need to get him in his truck and drive to a hospital as soon as you can help me.”

Maximus was here to help Ashley with Dino.  Dino fought with his army and was therefore one of his men.  He would do whatever he could and then get back to his men.  Maximus nodded and then hoisted Dino over his shoulder.

“Which direction, Ashley?”

She gave him a worried smile.  “Follow me, Darling.”  Ashley moved toward her bedroom door.  She’d woken faster this time after their journey through the portal.  Sid’s computer, Gabriel, opened the doors along the route to the outside to help them.

Maximus hadn’t been able to carefully inspect his surroundings with the speed of their departure and the effort of carrying Dino through the home, but when they arrived outside before Dino’s ‘truck’ he stopped in his tracks.

When Ashley told him they’d need to get to Dino’s truck he didn’t know what she’d been talking about.  Faced with this spectacle he was unsure what to do.

“Maximus, we need to get Dino into the truck.  It’s like a chariot that is able to travel without horses.”  She was unsure if that made any sense, but she couldn’t think of any other way to describe Dino’s truck in a hurry.  Besides she knew little to nothing about engines other than pumping gas and taking them to the garage when something was wrong. 

Ashley ran over and opened the door.  Unfortunately the vehicle was so high she was barely able to crawl into it herself much less help pull Dino in to it.  Boys, why did they have to have such impractical toys?  She couldn’t imagine a girl ever having a vehicle like this.

Thankfully Maximus’ strength won out and they were able to get Dino onto the truck’s back seat.  Once he was settled she instructed Maximus how to buckle his seat belt in the passenger seat as she did the same in the driver’s side.  Dino had groaned several times but hadn’t woken as they’d jostled him around.  Ashley was very concerned.

“The closest hospital with an emergency room is where I gave birth to Sydney.  It’s faster for us to drive him than to call emergency services.  Hold on, Darling.  I’m going to drive fast.” 

Ashley turned the engine over with Dino’s keys.  The gravel went flying on the driveway as she gave the truck gas and released the clutch.  Leave it up to Dino to have a truck that she could barely reach the pedals even with the seat moved all the way forward.  And manual transmission gave her another pedal to operate.  Her little sports car which Sid loved to drive had manual transmission, but it was tiny and not like driving a tank.

The radio came on when she started the engine and she saw Maximus flinch from the sudden music blaring from an unidentified source.  She quickly turned the radio off.  This had to be horrible enough of a sensory overload for him.  There didn’t need to be additional stimulus.  And Ashley wanted to hear Dino if he woke up. 

There’d been no time to try to prepare Maximus for the 21^st century.  It had to be rather overwhelming.  She knew that early AD Roman times certainly had been for her when she’d first arrived there.

Ashley was concerned about getting Dino the right kind of medical treatment.  She knew a trauma center would probably be the best care for him, but here she was out in a rural area.  At this point some emergency medical care was far better than a field surgeon two thousand years ago in the Roman Empire.  She’d get him transferred to Los Angeles once the hospital stabilized him if needed. 

“God, please help Dino.”  Ashley didn’t realize she’d whispered the prayer out loud until she felt Maximus’ hand touch her shoulder.  She glanced quickly over at him and smiled.  “Thank you for coming with me, Maximus.  I couldn’t do this without you.  Gabriel promised he can send you back to within a few minutes after the time you left so you won’t be away from your men very long.  As soon as Dino is getting medical help I’ll try to explain a few things to you.”  She concentrated on the many turns in the road which she was taking more quickly than she’d ever driven it before.

His hand rubbed her shoulder and she felt some of her tension disappear.

“I am here, Ashley.  You are not alone.”

Ashley wished she could throw her arms around him and hug him tightly.  With the stress and anxiety of the moment Ashley could have burst into tears.  She had her husband by her side helping her in this crisis.  It felt like she was part of a ‘normal’ married couple.  A ‘normal’ couple from different centuries who were helping a friend who’d been injured in battle by a sword in ancient Roman times.  Ashley suddenly heard Dino’s perfect sarcastic comment in her head.  ‘Yeah, right.’   She sniffed.

“Dino!  Wake up, do you hear me!”  Ashley yelled out to him.  “Stop being lazy and wake up!”

“Mmm, tired.  Loud.  Lazy?  Phfft…”  Dino’s voice slurred.

Ashley grinned through her tears.  “He heard me, Maximus.  Hang on, Dino.  We’re almost to the hospital!”  she called to him in the back seat.

“Yoouur’re drivin’ truck?  Greaat.” 

“I could ask Maximus.  Just remember he’s never driven before.”

Dino made another disparaging type sound.  Ashley was thrilled he was at least conscious.  Maximus gave a low soft chuckle and rubbed Ashley’s shoulder with his firm fingers.

Ashley jumped in the seat when the sirens went off behind her.  She was being pulled over by a traffic cop.  Immediately she wished Bud White were with them.

“That’s our law enforcement, Maximus.  I’m driving too fast.  It’s only a little further to the hospital.  I’m not going to stop.  It will take too much time.  I’ll explain once we get there.”  She pushed the gas pedal down further on the now straight road.  She saw no cars or people around besides the patrol car now following her.  Ashley put her hand out the window to wave forward so the officer knew she was acknowledging him.  She put both her hands quickly and firmly back on the wheel.

“I don’t know what else to do.”  She glanced over at Maximus and in the truck’s rear view mirror.

“Shiit.” Dino mumbled from the back seat.

“I’m sorry if it’s bumpy, Dino.  We’re less than a block from the hospital.”  A tear rolled down her cheek.

“Not you.  Situation.  Keep yer mouth shut, Ash.  Lousy liar.  Say nothing to cops…what happened.”  The words were difficult for Dino as he felt like shit, but he knew he had to say them to her.  How could she explain his injury or her husband’s presence?  Not to mention any of their appearances.  They had to look like they’d stepped out a movie or a costume party.  He had to come up with a plausible explanation, but it was beyond his thought processes at the moment.

It suddenly dawned on Ashley what Dino was referring to.  How would they explain that Dino got a sword thrust into his leg on a battlefield in ancient Rome?  Her hands gripped the steering column tighter until her knuckles were white.  They would find a way.

“All that matters is we’re at the hospital, Dino.  We’re going to get you help and get you well.”  She slowed down to try and take the driveway without jolting Dino too much.

Dino still groaned as the pain shot through his entire leg when they went into the hospital driveway.  He nearly passed out but knew he had to impress on someone to be very careful what they said to either hospital personnel or especially the police.  And he wasn’t sure the Princess was getting it.  She was too distracted with him being injured and getting him to the hospital.

“General!”  Dino barked it out best he could.

“Yes, Dino.”  Maximus turned around in the seat to hear him better.  He stared with wonder at the flashing lights on the speeding police car behind them.

“Don’t let Ash tell the truth…what happened,”  Dino winced.  “No one here can know about you.  Ashley, she’s ‘known.’  He didn’t know how to explain it to Maximus.  “Father very wealthy.  Famous…kidnapping.  She needs to be protected.  Have her call my partner and White.”  Ashley went over a speed bump as she pulled into the emergency room entrance.  Dino passed out from the pain.

Maximus saw that Dino was unconscious.  He turned around in his seat and glanced at Ashley.  She was too busy to realize what had happened.  He mulled over what Dino said.  Some of it didn’t make sense to him in this strange world he found himself in, but he was aware that Dino was trying to warn him and protect them all.  He would remember his words and have Ashley heed them.  Maximus did understand that Dino felt Ashley was in need of protection.  He would fight to provide that even in this disquieting place.

Ashley slipped the truck into neutral and pulled the brake on.  She unbuckled her seat belt and reached over to unclip Maximus’.  Ashley flung the door open and was about to struggle to the ground which looked about a story away when she had an idea.  This monster of a truck had to be good for something.  She started honking the horn and it was loud.

A few moments later the doors opened and a person dressed in scrubs looked out.  She leaned out the door and called to them.

“Please, help us!  My friend was injured and needs help right away.  He’s lost a lot of blood.”

The man nodded and disappeared inside the doors again.  By this time the police officer was out of his car and by the door.  Ashley figured it was best to tell him immediately what was happening.

“I’m so sorry I was going too fast, Officer.  My friend is badly hurt and needs help right away.  Please help us.”  Tears fell down Ashley’s cheeks. 

Only a heartless person would be able to deny his wife assistance and the man in the unusual black uniform was definitely not that man.  Maximus jumped out of the truck and opened the back door to get access to Dino then came around to help his wife down.

The police officer opened the other back door of the truck cab as Maximus lifted Ashley down.  Medical personnel were running from the hospital ER pushing a gurney in their direction.

Quickly and efficiently they got Dino out of the truck, onto the gurney and rushed him into the hospital.  One of the hospital workers called to Ashley and Maximus to move the truck before they came into the hospital so the ambulance entrance would be clear.  Ashley nodded. 

The keys were in her hand but when she turned toward the truck her hand was shaking so much the keys were clanking against each other.  She looked up at the police officer still by their side.

“Could you move my friend Dino’s truck, Officer?  I suddenly can’t stop shaking.  My husband doesn’t drive.  We’ll be inside when you have any questions for us.”  She held the keys out to him as her eyes pleaded.

The young officer looked at the distressed beautiful girl before him and took the keys.

“Go ahead.  I’ll see you inside.”

Maximus put his arm around Ashley.  He leaned in toward her.

“Come, little one.  We will find out how Dino is.”  He moved her toward the doors where everyone had disappeared. 

Ashley slipped her fingers into his.  His warmth and presence was so comforting despite how unsettling her whole world must be to him.  No wonder she had fallen in love with him nearly 2000 years before.  Maximus would be an amazing man no matter when he existed.  It was his inner strength and character that made him who he was wherever he was.

The doors opened before them and Maximus stopped.

“The doors will stay open for us, Maximus.  They’ll close only after we have gone through.”

He nodded and led her into the interior of the building.  It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting after the bright sunshine outside.

“Over there to that window,” Ashley pointed.  There was a woman sitting at a desk in a room behind a glass partition.  They hurried over and Ashley explained they were with the injured man who’d just been brought in from outside.  The woman handed them a clipboard with papers to fill out and told them someone would be out to talk to them after their friend was examined.

Ashley and Maximus sat down on chairs in the waiting area and she mulled over the papers.  She began filling out the information she knew.

“I’m afraid there will be huge gaps in the information they need as there is so much of this I don’t know.  If I had Dino’s wallet I could check it for insurance cards.”  She put in his name, date of birth, address and phone number.  Ashley paused at the employer information.  She looked up at Maximus.

“Dino owns a company with his partner, Terry Thorne.  They are both former soldiers for their countries.  They negotiate release of hostages who are kidnapped in other countries.  That’s how I met Dino.  My best friend Connie’s husband was kidnapped in Mexico and Dino and Terry negotiated his release.  That was over 3 years ago.”  She put in the name of the company but didn’t know the exact address of the Los Angeles office where Dino was based.

“Is kidnapping something that happens frequently here?”  Maximus took her left hand.

“Too frequently, Maximus.”  She paused.  “Unfortunately the world I live in isn’t any more peaceful than the one you’re in Darling.  My country is currently at war.  And we’ve imagined many more horrible weapons to kill with than were available in your time.”  Ashley paused as she remembered Dino coming to rescue her after she was taken by Sid.  He had to be all right.

Ashley had sat out of hearing range of anyone else in the waiting area.  Maximus still kept his tone low.

“Dino told me to have you call his partner and White to help you through this, Ashley.”  The doors opened and the police officer entered the emergency room.  Maximus gently squeezed her hand.  “He also wanted to caution you not to say anything to the police officer.”

Ashley nodded.  “That’s Dino.  Always thinking like a covert operative even when he’s badly injured.  I have to say something to him, Maximus.  He’s a policeman and he helped us.  He’s just doing his job.”

Maximus looked into her guileless eyes.  Dino was smart to mention using caution.

“I promise I’ll be careful what I say, Maximus.  It’s important to all of our privacy.”  Ashley got quiet as the police officer was almost by them. 

Maximus squeezed her hand and they both stood up to greet him.  It was the first time Maximus noticed their clothes were both stained with Dino’s blood.  He was certain the blood on Ashley was Dino’s.  On him it could also be from others he fought during battle. 

Ashley noticed the stains and gave a small gasp.  Her eyes were focused on her bloodied gown when Maximus glanced at her.  Again he gently squeezed her fingers.  She looked up at him as a tear glistened down her cheek.  

Maximus took a step forward to place himself between Ashley and the arriving police officer.  He was mindful of Dino’s caution as he bowed slightly to acknowledge and greet him.

“Thank you for your assistance.  I am Maximus Meridius.”

“Officer Carlos Gonzales.”  He nodded toward both of them.  “And your wife?”

“This is Ashley,”  Maximus answered before Ashley.

Ashley had been about to answer that her name was Ashley Weston when she realized her last name was no longer Weston now that she was Maximus’ wife.

“I need to see your driver’s license and vehicle registration, Mrs. Meridius.”

Ashley blushed.  It was the first time she’d been called Mrs. Meridius.  She fumbled for her wallet in her purse.  Thankfully she had grabbed it at the house.  She handed the policeman her license.

“I don’t have the registration, Officer Gonzales.  The truck belongs to our friend, Dino Connero.  He’s the one who’s injured.  The registration may be in his truck.”  Ashley’s thoughts immediately went to Dino again and she glanced toward the treatment area.

The policeman nodded and glanced at her license and back at Ashley.  The picture matched the young woman before him, but the last name did not match her husband’s.

“This lists you as Ashley Weston.”  When he said it out loud something triggered recognition in the officer.  He struggled to remember where he’d heard her name before.

Ashley squeezed Maximus’ fingers.  “We were recently married, Officer.  That’s my maiden name.”  She felt his eyes on her.

Officer Gonzales couldn’t remember why the girl’s name and face were familiar to him.  He’d run her name through the police data bank as soon as he returned to his squad car.  He knew he’d heard of her before.

“Could you explain how Mr. Connero was injured?”

“Ashley was not present.  I heard Dino call after being thrown from his horse.  I got him back to his truck and Ashley drove him here after trying to stop the bleeding.”  Maximus felt that was close enough to the truth.

“He sustained his injuries when he came off his horse?”  The officer jotted down the details.

“Yes.”

“I’ll have to question Mr. Connero when he’s well enough.  Considering the circumstances I’ll simply give you a warning, Mrs. Meridius.  Next time call 911 if you have an emergency.”

“Thank you, Officer Gonzales.  I was afraid there wasn’t time.  I thought Dino might bleed to death before they could get there.  Maximus…”  Ashley grabbed his arm with her other hand as she felt dizzy, her legs began to falter and her sight got hazy.

Maximus began to turn toward her as he felt her hand become cold and clammy in his.  He grabbed her just as she started to crumble to the ground.

“Ashley!”  He lifted her to the chair.  Her head lolled to the side as she fought to remain conscious.

The officer ran to the window, calling for help.  Two orderlies appeared from behind the closed double doors with a gurney.  Maximus picked her up and laid her gently on the gurney.  They tried to get him to remain in the waiting area.

“No, I will remain with her.  My wife is with child.” 

His tone allowed for no further argument.  He followed them beyond the double doors.  The large room was cordoned off by smaller areas with curtains.  The floor was tiled and shiny.  There were several people attending to someone behind one of the curtains.  Maximus thought it must be Dino.

Only one other area was occupied.  A small boy lay with a large bright colored brace of some kind on his arm.  A woman was sitting by his side, holding his hand.  They were the only details that Maximus took in before they pushed the rolling cot into an open area.

A young woman dressed all in blue hurried over and placed a cuff around Ashley’s arm.  She squeezed a ball that inflated the cuff and listened to her arm.  Maximus didn’t know what she was doing.  She then felt at the wrist of her arm and watched the rise and fall of her chest.  The woman’s fingers brushed lightly over the blackened bruises on Ashley’s arm.  She glanced at Maximus after taking in the drying blood on Ashley’s gown.

“What has happened to her?  My name is Maureen.  I will be her nurse.”  She placed a small machine by Ashley’s ear and pushed a button.

“We were outside answering the officer’s questions regarding our friend, Dino, when my wife suddenly got faint.  She got very pale and lost consciousness.”

The nurse heard the concern in the strikingly handsome man’s voice.  He sounded very worried.  But was he the one who caused the bruises on this young woman’s arms?  The thermometer beeped and she removed it from her ear.  No fever.  Her blood pressure was low and her pulse slightly elevated.  Respirations were normal.

“Our patient care technician told me that your wife is pregnant.  How far along is she?”  Maureen assessed the young woman.  She was visually unable to tell she was pregnant while dressed.  Her symptoms were probably related to her pregnancy.  Her vital signs weren’t abnormal for someone who’d just fainted.

Maximus was watching Ashley.  She looked so vulnerable in this strange place.  He longed to take her back to his tent where he could be alone with her.  Maximus remembered her singing the song to him about being together and shutting out the rest of the world.  He wanted to see Ashley smiling at him while her fingers stroked his face.

“She is nearing three months along.”  Maximus took her hand in his.  He brought it to his lips and gently kissed her fingers.  “Wake up, Ashley.”  His lips brushed her fingers again.

Ashley’s eyes fluttered open.  She’d heard him call her.  Her hand reached out and touched his face.

“Maximus.  What happened?”

“You fainted, Dearest.”

“I’m so sorry.”  She struggled to sit up, but stopped when she felt a bit woozy. 

“Do not be sorry.  Let Maureen take care of you, Ashley.  Rest,”  he admonished her but his words had no real reprimand.  Maximus was so happy to see her awake.

Ashley turned her head toward the nurse and smiled at her.

“Oh, hello, Maureen.  My name is Ashley Wes…, I mean Ashley Meridius.”  Her cheeks pinked with a blush which was the first return of color to her face.  She squeezed Maximus’ fingers.  Ashley liked the sound of her new last name.  She whispered it to herself to try it out again.

“How are you feeling, Ashley?  I’m going to take your blood pressure again.”

“I feel a bit tired, but I’m okay.”  Ashley fibbed.  She felt exhausted.  Between the journey through time, the stress of Dino being injured and the fact she hadn’t eaten in many hours she had reached the end of her energy reserves.  “How is our friend Dino doing?”  She had to know how he was doing before she could allow herself to rest.

Maximus made a low sound of dissension.  Dino was right.  She was a terrible liar and she wasn’t telling the whole truth now regarding how she felt.

“I don’t know his condition yet, but I will find out once you are taken care of.  Your blood pressure is up a little, but remains low.  Your husband said you are nearly three months pregnant.  Have you fainted before this?”

Ashley’s hand flew to her abdomen and her face paled again.

“Yes, once.  I didn’t fall, did I?”  She turned toward Maximus in a panic.

“No, you did not fall.  I caught you, Dearest.”  His fingers brushed a stray red curl back off her face.

Ashley sighed in relief.  The baby as if on cue moved inside her.  Ashley closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek.

“The baby just moved, Maximus.”  The tiny flutter was reassuring.  She beamed at him.

Maximus leaned over and kissed her forehead.  Her hand was grasping his tightly.  Neither of them intended to let go.

After obtaining some more information Maureen left them alone.  Ashley had told her she was afraid she fainted from the stress of the day coupled with the long period of time since she’d had anything to eat.  She’d given her the name of her obstetrician.

Once they were alone Ashley quizzed Maximus on what the policeman had asked.

“Did he seem satisfied with your answers, Maximus?”  Ashley was still worried that the truth would come out that Dino had been stabbed in the leg with a sword.  How could they possibly explain that? 

“I don’t think he was finished with his questions before we were distracted, Ashley.”

“From what?”  Ashley blushed as it dawned on her.  “Oops, do you mean me?”  Maximus nodded and brought her fingers to his lips to kiss them.  “Do you think you could sneak over and find out what’s happening with Dino?”

“I do not sneak.  Nor am I leaving your side right now.  He is being taken care of.  Maureen will let us know how he is.”  He said it so matter of factly that Ashley giggled.

Maximus smiled at her.  He was glad to hear her giggle.  It was reassuring and lifted his mood.

Ashley ran her fingers affectionately through his beard.  “I love to see you smile, Maximus.  It lights up your entire face.”  She stroked his chin.  “The problem is the only good sneaky person here is Dino and until I hear his voice and see him I’ll be worried.  He lost so much blood, Maximus.”

He nodded.  Maximus had also seen men get past the initial injury in battle to die from wound infection and fever.  He would not mention this to Ashley.  She was worried enough.

Maureen returned with a fetal heart monitor and some gel.  She had spoken to Ashley’s obstetrician, who would be coming to see her as she was already in the hospital seeing another patient.  The baby’s heart beat was strong and regular she told them.

“May we listen, Maureen?  I would especially like my husband to hear his baby’s heart beat for the first time.”  She beamed at Maximus.

“Certainly you may,” the nurse smiled back at them.  She showed Maximus how to put the stethoscope in his ears and then applied a bit more gel to Ashley’s small, slightly rounded abdomen and put the sensor back where she’d heard the baby’s heart beat.

The sense of wonder and awe that illuminated Maximus’ face when he heard the fast steady sound was priceless to Ashley.  If he hadn’t made this journey with them he wouldn’t have experienced this.  Ashley listened once Maximus was finished and then he listened again one more time before the nurse had to leave.

Ashley saw the moisture in the eyes of her strong and stoic husband.  She leaned over and kissed him gently.  He kissed her back with more intensity.

“You and the baby,” he hesitated to carefully choose his words, “have changed my life.  I don’t want my life to be the way it was before we met.  It was empty and lacking…you.”  He kissed the tip of her nose.

Ashley looked into his eyes.  There were many things that momentarily ran through her mind.  Her life hadn’t felt empty.  It certainly had been complicated.  She hadn’t even known that her life was missing something, but it had.  She stroked his beard and his cheek.

“I was lacking you, Maximus.  It feels so right to have you here.  Especially here.”  She placed his hand over her heart.  “No matter where we are physically, you are always in my heart.”

“As you’re in mine, Dearest.”

For the first time in both of their lives they’d found a love that was strong and equal for both partners. 

Ashley’s obstetrician came and examined her.  After looking at some blood work that had been drawn she gave her a clean bill of health with stipulation that she immediately have a meal.  She asked Ashley if she’d taken her prenatal vitamin today.  Thankfully Ashley had some tablets with her when she went back in time so she could answer in the affirmative.  It was at that moment that she realized she had no idea what day it was.

Had Gabriel brought them back through on the day they left or was it another day?  Ashley didn’t even know what time of day it was other than it was daylight outside.  She searched around for a clock on the wall to see what the time was.  Her heart ached for her sweet girl, Sydney.

And explaining her husband to her doctor was interesting also.  She had met Sid during her prenatal visits when she was pregnant with Sydney as well as during her birth.  Sid was the only partner her doctor knew Ashley to be with.  Suddenly here she was a few months later with a new husband and pregnant again.

Ashley could see the curiosity in her doctor’s eyes, but she didn’t ask about Sid.  She wanted to explain everything to her.  Ashley would save it for another time.  She didn’t like to talk about Sid in front of Maximus.  For that matter she didn’t like discussing Sid in front of Maximus, Dino or Bud since he seemed to enrage them all so much.  Again trying to avoid the subject of Sid seemed to make him suddenly spring into the forefront of conversation when she’d decided not to discuss him.

“Ashley, the hospital personnel have to ask you about the bruises on your arms.  We have to make sure that no one is hurting you since they look like finger  marks.   Can you  tell me what happened?”  Her doctor looked her in the eyes.  Maximus stiffened by her side.

Hello, Sid, Ashley thought wryly to herself.  Even when he wasn’t present he was managing to worm his way into the situation.  She decided to be completely truthful with her doctor with just a little bit of bending of details regarding time travel.

“Sid and I haven’t been getting along very well recently.  He’s none too happy about me falling in love with Maximus.”  She stroked Maximus’ hand.  He shot her a tender look but she saw the rage at Sid barely disguised.  “We had an argument where he restrained me.  Those are the majority of the bruises on my arms.  I’m fine.  I don’t want any harm to come to Sid.  It was a misunderstanding.”

What rage Maximus had thinly disguised was now apparent in the sound he made by her side.  It was abundantly clear to both Ashley and her doctor that Maximus felt differently about the level of harm that should be dealt to Sid.

“I will do everything I can to prevent any further harm to Ashley from Sid, Doctor.”  Maximus was so matter of fact and forceful that Ashley had no doubts he meant by any means.  And yet how could he…Dino.  Had the two of them cooked something up to keep Sid from Ashley?  And if they could they’d involve Bud in it, too.  She wouldn’t be surprised, but now was not the time to question Maximus.

“Ashley, if he poses a threat to you right now you should take legal action.  Don’t hesitate to get a restraining order against him.  You have to keep yourself and Sydney safe.”

She nodded.  “I understand, Dr. Claybourne.  Sid loves Sydney.  She is completely safe with him.  He still loves me, too.  He’s very hurt by our separation.  It will be okay.  I really believe it.”

She smiled up at her doctor, and then her eyes shifted to Maximus.  He was the one who needed the convincing.  All too soon they would be separated again.  She didn’t want him worrying about her.  Maximus needed all his concentration to be on his job as soldier and general so he would stay safe for as long as possible.

“Promise me that you will pursue legal action if he is threatening again, Ashley.  And don’t hesitate to still do it now.  Your bruises are strong evidence.” 

“Yes, I promise Dr. Claybourne.” 

The one thing Dr. Claybourne didn’t understand was that Sid would never consider human law anything that applied to him.  If he did he’d have never kidnapped her.  And with his ability to move from time to place so easily he felt no restrictions to his movements.  He’d recently been in her bedroom at Bud’s house.

Once satisfied her doctor would release her after having some food delivered for her, Ashley persuaded her physician to find out what was happening to Dino.  His doctor was to come and speak to them soon.

Maximus questioned Ashley as to what a restraining order was when they were alone.  She again tried convincing him that she was safe with Sid.

“You are not safe with him, Ashley.  As long as he is in your life he will manipulate and hurt you in some way.  I am not the only one who feels this way regarding your safety around Sid.”

She knew it.  Maximus had spoken to Dino.  Ashley wondered if some sort of alliance had been formed between the two.  Her job was to keep them both from crossing paths with Sid.  She felt it was the safest for all of them.

Before she had a chance to question Maximus on this mysterious ‘other’ who felt as he did regarding Sid, Dino’s physician came and spoke to them on how he was doing.

Dino was stabilized but would need surgery on his leg wound.  He had lost a lot of blood.  They were giving him a transfusion and he would be going into surgery shortly.

“Doctor, may we please see him first?”  Ashley swiped away a tear that slipped down her cheek. 

Despite her protests Ashley was taken over to see Dino by wheelchair.  She and Maximus were relieved to see Dino awake if a bit groggy when they entered the curtained area where he was being treated.

“Dino, how are you?”  Ashley started to get out of the chair and rush over before she was reminded to stay seated.

“I feel like crap.”  A careless smile slid across his face as he looked at her.  “Why are you in a wheelchair, Ash?”  He scowled and looked at Maximus.

“I’m fine.  I just got a little faint.  It had been too long since I’d eaten.  All is good.”  She smiled at him.

Dino was still looking to Maximus until he nodded that she was okay.  Ashley gave him an exasperated look.  Since when did she become so unreliable?

“Are you having a lot of pain?”  She looked very worried.

“Nah.  The wonders of morphine, the miracle drug.  And I’ve had worse injuries.”

It was Ashley’s turn to look skeptical.  “If that’s true don’t share your war injury stories with me.  Save them for Maximus when it is just the two of you.  I was scared enough.  We’ll be right here when you get out of surgery.  She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  Dino looked mighty pleased when she finished.

“Why don’t you go home to Bud’s and get some rest instead.  Don’t forget Sid bugged the place.  Maybe you shouldn’t go there,” he mused.  He didn’t want WW III erupting between Sid and Maximus while he was laid up in the hospital.  That was one fight he intended being involved in.

“We aren’t going anywhere, Dino.  I’m not leaving this hospital until you’re out of surgery, stable and snoring like a baby in your own room.”  Ashley was quite emphatic.  Her hand was wrapped in Maximus’ larger one.

Dino thought it was better if she went and rested, but he saw the look on her face and knew how stubborn she was.  He arched an eyebrow at Maximus.  Dino was beyond arguing with her at the moment even if he really wanted to since it was one of his favorite activities.  It was sort of nice to have somebody waiting for him when he came out of surgery.

“Did you call Terry and White?”  He closed his eyes for a moment as the room swam a bit.

“Maximus gave me your message.  I was going to but the policemen came to ask us questions and then I got faint.  There hasn’t been time.  I will.  Is there anything you need me to get from Terry?”

“Wait.”  His eyes popped open.  “The policeman came to ask you questions?”  The Princess and the Roman General being questioned was such a great idea. 

“Yes,” Maximus interjected.  “We did not get beyond you being injured when you came off your horse and we got you to the hospital.  That was when Ashley fainted which ended any questions.”

“So I came off my horse?  Yes, I remember that now.  It’s too bad the horse stumbled.”  Good story.

“Since Ashley was not there when it happened I supplied the details.”  A knowing look was exchanged between the two men.

“That is true.  I wasn’t there.”  Ashley didn’t add that she had been relegated to the role that women had to play for many years: cleaning up the damage done to soldiers in the aftermath of battles.  She thanked God in a small prayer that she’d been able to help by bringing Dino home.  He might not have survived his injury in Maximus’ time.  She also said a small prayer to bring him safely through the surgery he yet faced.

Dino’s eyes closed again.  He was exhausted.  “Terry can provide the hospital or police with any details they need from my employee file, Ash.  My wallet’s in a belt around my waist if you can get it, Maximus.  My insurance card’s in there.  I’m sure the hospital wants to know it’ll get paid.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, Dino.  I’ll take care of everything.  Get some rest.”  Maximus handed her Dino’s wallet after he retrieved it from his money belt.  The leather was stained with his blood. 

Dino smiled and nodded.  “Thanks, you two.  I’ll do that.”  His voice got lower in tone.  Soon his chest began to rise and fall evenly in sleep.

Ashley stroked his hand gently and then released it.  Her other hand was firmly grasped in Maximus’.  She looked up at him and a tear slipped down her cheek.

Maximus reached out and dried the tear off her face.  She leaned her face against his hand.  Ashley sighed.  Suddenly she felt the strain and stress of the day press down on her.  She felt so tired.

Maximus scooped her out of the wheeled chair and carried her back to lie on the gurney.   He smoothed her hair back.

“Rest a few moments, Dearest.”

Ashley smiled at him and her eyes drifted shut.  She was asleep in moments.

Maximus smiled at the nurse, Maureen, when she came back to check on her patient.  He put his finger to his lips and indicated that Ashley was sleeping.  She nodded and quietly backed away.  They were having a quiet afternoon in the ER now that her patient and her patient’s friend had been stabilized. 

Once he went to surgery she would remain the only patient.  Her doctor had discharged her with the main instruction to get some rest.  In fact she’d laughed when the obstetrician gave her the discharge form and the word REST was in capital letters followed by several exclamation marks.  Maureen figured it didn’t matter if those instructions started right now.  She made sure the curtains were pulled around the area and tiptoed away.

Ashley slept until the sounds of Dino being taken to surgery awakened her.  Maximus had fallen asleep sitting in the chair by her side.  Their hands were still entwined.  He jumped to his feet and reached for his sword, which wasn’t in its place, until he remembered where he was.  Ashley’s eyes met his.

“I think they’re taking Dino to surgery, Maximus.  Let’s quickly see him off.”  She held her arms out to him.

Maximus lifted his wife off the gurney.  She kissed his cheek.

“I will carry you.”  He moved toward the direction where Dino was.

“You can put me down, Maximus.”  She whispered to him and kissed his cheek again.

“I think not.”  A small smile curled the edges of his mouth.         

Ashley grinned.  She wasn’t going to protest if her husband insisted on carrying her.  She could think of no place finer than being in his arms.  If he got tired he could set her down.

Dino was being wheeled out of the curtained area where he’d been readied by people in surgical scrubs.  Ashley gripped Maximus’ arm.  He whispered something reassuring in her ear.  She nodded.

“Don’t even think about leaving without saying good-bye, Dino,”  Ashley smiled at him

“Just when I thought I’d made my clean get-a-way.”  He sounded disappointed.  “Nice mode of transportation there, Ash.”

“The finest,”  she grinned.  Maximus nodded at Dino as they wheeled him by.

“Ge…Maximus.”  Dino found it almost impossible to address him by his first name.  He exuded the station of a man in command.

“We shall be waiting for your return, soldier.”  Their eyes locked for a moment.  Dino was relieved that Maximus was here with Ashley so she wouldn’t be left alone.  There were no guarantees that Sid wouldn’t have picked up on their little journey through time.  He thought of what the bastard did the last time Ashley had gone to ancient Rome.

Dino looked at Ashley’s worried face.  Okay, yeah it was nice to have someone you loved worried about you and waiting for your return, even if she was the other guy’s wife. 

“Here’s looking at you, kid,”  he grinned and winked at her as they waited to whisk him away by an elevator.  The bell rang and the doors opened.  Dino winced with the pain as they jolted him over the elevator’s threshold.

Ashley raised her hand and waved to him.  It popped into her head as the elevator doors began to close.

“Have fun storming the castle, boys!”  she called to him.

The last sound they heard was Dino’s laughter as the doors shut.  Maximus gave her a questioning look.

“Remember I told you about movies, Maximus?”

“Yes.”  He remembered but had a hard time imagining one until he saw the moving images in the waiting area outside this room.

“The line Dino said to me was from a famous movie.  As I waved to him I remembered another line of dialogue from one of Dino’s favorite movies called The Princess Bride.  Soldiers are going off to rescue a princess where she’s being held against her will in a castle.  A couple who helped them wave and call out ‘have fun storming the castle, boys.’  Dino loves that scene.”  She kissed Maximus’ cheek gently and sighed. 

“He is strong, Dearest.”

“I know, my love.”

Ashley and Maximus spent the following hour with Ashley finishing Dino’s registration at the hospital while Maximus gave the police officer the rest of the information he needed regarding Dino’s injury until Dino could be interviewed.

Ashley called and spoke to both Bud and Terry Thorne.  She was surprised when Terry told her he had just arrived in Los Angeles and was supposed to have a business meeting the next day with Dino.  He insisted he would be in Paso Robles as soon as he could drive there.

“Terry, would you mind bringing someone with you from Los Angeles?  Actually it might be two people…and a baby.”  She asked him hopefully and was met with silence for a moment.

“Ashley, I think you better explain to me everything that's happening.  I have a hard time believing Dino fell off a horse, hurt his leg and ended up in surgery.  You’re not convincing me with your story details, love.”

Ashley was the one who hesitated this time.  She took a deep breath and the next statement sort of rushed out of her.

“He was definitely on a horse when he was injured, Terry.”  That went well.  She rolled her eyes.  Ashley could imagine Dino laughing at her.  He’d have found this hysterically funny.  Even though there was absolutely nothing funny about their present situation.  She sighed.

Terry heard her sigh heavily.  Was that bloody well it?  This sure sounded like a situation cooked up by his partner Dino and complicated by the lovely Ashley Weston, whom Dino was completely gob smacked over.

“Come clean, Ashley.”  Terry’s tone of voice allowed for no nonsense.

“I promise I’ll tell you everything when you get here, Terry.  Dino wanted me to ask you for your help.  And I need to see my daughter.  Please, Terry.”

It wasn’t so much what she said, but how she said it.  Terry figured he might as well just fall in line as the latest victim of Ashley Weston’s charm.  He wasn’t saying no to her and Dino, too.  Terry heard the concern in Ashley’s voice for Dino’s condition.  He was certain there was going to be no simple explanation of how Dino had ended up badly injured.

“Every detail when I get there, Ashley.  What’s the address where I’m picking up the others?”

Ashley rattled off the Los Angeles address and phone number of Bud White.  Terry stored it in his phone to put it in his phone’s GPS. 

“Thank you so much, Terry.  I’ll make sure they’re ready by the time you get there.  Oh, and Terry, don’t forget to bring a car with a backseat that accommodates an infant car seat.”

There was silence on the line.  He supposed Dino’s Porsche was out.

******

The Lincoln Town car sped north on US 101 toward Paso Robles.  Terry had finally decided to use the company car that was usually reserved for clients to make the journey to see Dino.  He had quite the menagerie with him. 

Ashley was full of surprises.  First was the baby Sydney, who was an exact image of her mother and seemed to have the same sunny personality.  Terry hadn’t been around an ankle biter in ages.  So far he liked this one just fine.

Secondly was the nanny, Juana.  She was gorgeous.  No wonder Dino had been sniffing around Ashley constantly of late.  Two of the most beautiful women Terry had ever seen were both living under the same roof taking care of Sydney.  That would be irresistible to Dino.

Third was the real enigma.  The old man named Bud White.  Terry had been trying to figure out his connection to Ashley Weston.  White wasn’t saying no matter how pointed Terry’s questions were.  He was finally able to piece together that Ashley had met White while he’d worked as a cop for the LAPD.

Even that didn’t make sense as the tough old man had to be retired at least 20 years, which would have made Ashley a small child.  When Terry inquired if he’d worked for Ashley’s father, Edward Weston, White didn’t answer the question.  He shook his head ‘no.’ Terry assumed that was good enough for White.  He sure didn’t give out any extra information.

Then there was the reaction of all three to him.  Terry had never met any of them before.  Both White and Juana stared at him intently when he introduced himself to them until finally breaking off their gaze and giving a surprised and knowing look to one another.  He couldn’t decipher that at all.  And the baby had maybe the most unusual reaction to him.  She took one look at Terry, smiled a gummy grin and then reached out her arms for him to hold her.

Juana whispered to the baby and Terry swore she said something like, ‘no, not Papa.’  Sydney kept grinning at him like he was the best thing the baby had seen yet.  It was all pretty fucking strange.

So Terry traveled north from Los Angeles with his unusual traveling companions.  Juana fed the baby.  White doted on Sydney like she was his grandchild.  The kid slept most of the rest of the way there.  When she woke up she made this little grunt and then grinned.

A few tics later White started sniffing the air and muttered, “Holy shit!” under his breath.

The smell assaulted Terry’s nose a bit after that.

“Mate, there’s nothing holy about that.”

They both had a good chuckle while Juana changed Sydney’s diapers.  The men lowered the car windows to let in some fresh air until the odor abated.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful until Sydney became fussy when they’d nearly arrived at their destination.  White offered to feed the child for her but Juana declined.

“We’re almost there, Mr. Thorne?”  She looked to Terry and he nodded.  “Then Sydney has to wait for Missus Ashley.”

Bud gave her an incomprehensible look.

“I spoke to Missus Ashley on the phone, Mister Bud.  She has to feed Sydney.  She doesn’t have a breast pump with her so she’s hurting from too much milk.”

By the look on White’s face he’d not thought of that.  Terry was pretty certain he’d never have thought of that.  He barely remembered when his ex-wife had breast fed Henry.  It had been a long time ago. 

Terry wasn’t too sure how much he’d been around while she had.  That had been a pretty intense training time while he was in the SAS.  It was also when his marriage started falling apart.

Dino was not only Terry’s partner, but also his best friend.  They’d been in and out of some nasty cesspools and lived to tell about it, partly because they’d had each other’s backs.

The last couple of years they’d worked their arses off establishing their business in the field and in the office.  They’d finally reached the point they could take a look around themselves and examine their lives.

It wasn’t like Dino had talked to him about it much.  They just didn’t, but Terry recognized the signs.  He saw them in himself.  They’d both spent way too many years unattached.  It was easier with the lifestyle they led.  Get your bed warmed when you wanted or needed it, but no long term emotional attachments with women.

And Dino had perfected it.  He’d been the king of the bachelors, the one other blokes emulated.  Recently Dino seemed lonely and unsatisfied with his life.  The timing coincided with the entrance of the beautiful Ashley Weston back into his life.

She was the one that got away or that Dino had stupidly let walk away thanks to Daddy Weston and bad timing.  Ashley showed up in bad need of Dino’s help.  She’d been like a huge aphrodisiac to Dino.  And then she’d walked away from him again and straight back into a really bad situation.

Ashley had turned out to be Dino’s Achilles heel.  She should’ve been forcibly removed as she wasn’t thinking clearly or competently after being victimized.  Dino had never explained it to him.  He’d been pulled deeper into the whole mess.  And he’d fallen head over arse in love with her if he’d ever fallen out of love.

Now Dino was in surgery and had nearly been killed because of something to do with Ashley Weston.  Terry intended to get the whole story this time.  He’d get it from Ashley even if he had to be tough.  Dino’s judgment was questionable around her.

His GPS announced that they were 0.4 miles from their destination.  Juana was trying to distract Sydney by rattling huge colorful plastic keys on a ring before her.  Her success was limited.  Terry grinned when he looked at Sydney’s pout.  She was having none of it. 

Terry rang Ashley’s cell.  She answered after a few rings, sounding sleepy.

“We can see the hospital ahead of us, Ashley.  We’ll be there in a tic.”

“Wonderful, Terry.  How is my girl?”

“She’s good; in need of you.”

“As I am of her, Terry.  I’ve missed her so much.  There is wonderful news.  Dino is out of surgery.  He’s in the recovery room area and doing well.  We’ve been waiting in his room.  We’ll meet you in the lobby of the hospital, Terry.”

“Ta, Ashley.  See you soon.”

Terry switched off the call when the realization struck him that Ashley had said ‘we’ twice in a row.  He looked at White and Juana.

“Who’s waiting with Ashley for Dino to come out of surgery?”

They both gave him a blank look.  White’s face pulled into an intense frown.

“I don’t know, but it better not be Sid.”  It came out like a hiss.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Bud.  She’d have mentioned to me if Mr. Sid was there.”  Juana didn’t mention that Ashley had asked her to bring a male change of clothes.  She’d thought they were for Dino, but she didn’t know.  Bud and Dino hated Mr. Sid.  Of that Juana was certain.  She remained silent.  Juana didn’t like Mr. Sid very much.  Her loyalties lay with Ashley and she knew if Mr. Sid was hurt that would distress Ashley.  He was Sydney’s papa and Juana loved this baby.

“Sid.  He kidnapped Ashley?”  Terry was certain that was the name.

“One of the shitbird’s many crimes against her.”  Bud felt his coat.  He wasn’t packing his gun and hardly ever carried anymore.  Bud speculatively looked at Dino’s partner.  Did he have a gun?

The wily old man was looking at Terry.  In that one look Terry knew he’d better not underestimate White because he was elderly.  He swore he was checking for his gun.  Terry wasn’t carrying a gun.  He’d never thought he might need one coming to visit Dino in the hospital.  There were other ways to deescalate a situation if one arose.

They parked in the hospital’s lot.  It took a little time to get Sydney and her supplies unloaded.  Terry tried to remember if it had always been so much work when they took Henry somewhere when he was a baby.  He supposed, though, Henry’s supplies hadn’t been as high end as Sydney’s.

By the time they were walking toward the entrance, the doors opened and Ashley came running out toward them.  Her hand was firmly grasped in a man’s who was by her side.  Terry knew it probably wasn’t Sid as this man had a beard and he knew Sid was clean shaven by Dino’s description.

White stopped suddenly by his side. 

“It can’t be.”

Terry turned to look at the former cop, who looked a bit pale and shocked like he’d just seen a ghost.  Their clothes were stained with old blood.  The man’s clothing was…Terry couldn’t pin it down, but ‘not from this time’ was what he settled on.  He was powerfully built and looked like a warrior.

Ashley had eyes for only Sydney for a few moments.  The baby was holding her arms out to her mother as soon as she spotted her.  Ashley lifted the baby to her and covered her face with tiny kisses to the delight of the child.  She hugged her and twirled her around before kissing her again.

“My sweet baby girl.  I have missed you so much.”  She peppered her face with more kisses before and after each sentence.  The baby squealed with excitement.  Ashley turned to the man.

“Maximus, this is my baby girl, Sydney.”  Her eyes shown with pride and delight.  The baby squeezed her cheek in its chubby little fingers.  Ashley giggled.  “She likes to squeeze cheeks very much.  You have been warned.”

Terry hadn’t said a word yet.  Seeing Ashley Weston as a mother was an entirely new experience to him and he was curious about the man with her.  Bud White had let out a huge exhalation of air when Ashley had called him Maximus.  Obviously his name meant something to White.

The man stood admiring Ashley and her child.  He reached out to cup Ashley’s cheek with his hand.

“She’s so like you, dearest.”

The gesture was very loving and intimate.  Terry was clueless.  Who was this guy?  Ashley turned toward Terry.

“Terry, it’s so good to see you.  Thank you so much for bringing Bud, Juana and Sydney along with you.  There’s so much to tell you.  We should get back to Dino’s room to make sure we don’t miss his return.  I promised him I’d be waiting for him.  Let me introduce you first to my husband, Maximus Meridius.”

Terry wondered how much the surprise showed on his face.  Husband? When the hell had that happened?  Dino never said a word.  Terry stuck his hand out to shake.  Maximus shook his hand and gave a small bow that was somehow…again Terry was struck that something was off but he couldn’t quite describe it.

Ashley had leaned over to kiss Bud White’s cheek with great affection.  The old man gently touched the top of Sydney’s head.

“Maximus, Terry is Dino’s friend and his business partner.  And this is my great friend, Bud White.  I told you about him.  He saved my life.”  Ashley shot another look of gratitude and affection toward Bud White. 

“Bud has been kind enough to open his home and provide shelter for Sydney, Juana and me.  He has treated Sydney like his own granddaughter.  He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known.”  Ashley leaned over and patted White’s arm.  Sydney took the opportunity to squeeze the old man’s cheek.

Terry watched the retired cop.  He swore the tough old man blushed.  Certainly he chuckled out loud when the baby got her grip on him.  It was obvious the adoration the old guy had for Ashley and Sydney.

Maximus shook Bud’s hand and grasped his arm.

“I thank you for protecting Ashley when I have been unable to here.  I will forever be in your debt and will honor you in my prayers.”

Terry was watching them carefully and he swore a look of understanding was exchanged between the two men.  He looked to see if Ashley noticed, but she was distracted by her baby, whose now famous grip was wrapped around one of Ashley’s long red curls.  Ashley and Juana were both trying to extract the hair from Sydney’s fist as they laughed.

“I am amazed to meet you, General.  I never expected to, but I’ve learned that the unexpected probably will happen around Ashley.”

Terry stored one more bit of information away as he noted White called Maximus, general.  The man definitely had a military bearing.  He was used to command.  This was not going to be a simple story.

The group entered the hospital and proceeded to Dino’s room.  He had a large private room that resembled a hotel suite as much as a hospital room.  Terry was wondering how Dino had pulled that one off while injured when he realized it was Ashley.  She’d done it for Dino. 

Before Terry had a chance to ask Ashley one question she disappeared into the bathroom with Sydney, who was smacking her lips in hunger.  Nothing was happening until she was fed.  Ashley asked Maximus to come with her and to bring a bag that Juana had brought with her for them.

The nurse at the station checked on Dino’s status and he’d been given pain medicine in the recovery room.  He’d be at least another 30 minutes until returning to his room.  They reported he was stable.

In the bathroom Ashley was explaining to Maximus who knew what about their story.

“Bud is the only one who knows everything, Darling.  I don’t think I’ve kept any detail from him.  He’s my confidant here.”  She smiled at Sydney, who was sucking strongly on her nipple with a ferocious appetite.  Ashley sat perched on a towel she’d put over the toilet lid.  Maximus was crouched at her side and was stroking her arm as he watched his wife with her daughter.  Sydney was cradled in her arm and lap.

She had stepped out of her dress and washed her chest prior to initiating Sydney’s feeding to make sure she was clean before her daughter fed.  Ashley had placed a towel against her before picking Sydney up from Juana in the parking lot.  She didn’t want her baby against her dirty, blood-stained dress that had been in ancient Rome.

“You met Bud in another time when he was a much younger man?”

“Yes, he was a couple of years younger than you are now.  He is the first person I’ve known at more than one time in his life.  It was over 50 years before this time.  He thought I was crazy at first when I told him that I’d time traveled.”  She laughed.  “Bud was very much a tangible realist.  He still is except he knows the truth since I look the same as when I first met him.  He’s very important in my life and Sydney’s.”  The baby’s eyes were watching Ashley as she fed.  Ashley smiled and softly sang a few words of a song to her.

“As he is important to me because of what he has done for you.”

Ashley nodded at him.  “I’m sorry you had to leave your time when it’s so important for you to be there.”  She glanced at him and back to Sydney.  “But I’m so happy for you to have met Sydney.”  Ashley switched the baby to feed from her other nipple.  She greedily sucked from the full one.  Ashley giggled.

“Poor dear was so hungry.  You needed your Mummy, didn’t you, Sweetheart?”  Ashley brushed a finger across her soft cheek.  Sydney stopped sucking and peered up at her mother.  She smiled a milky grin before latching back on to her mother’s nipple and sucking again. 

Ashley took Maximus’ hand and brushed it across Sydney’s tiny red curls.

“Isn’t her hair so soft?  Touching her is so amazing to me.  She’s so beautiful, perfect and new.”

“And so small.”  Sydney latched her grip onto one of Maximus’ fingers.  He examined her fingers and the tiny nail beds.  “Amazing.  I have not spent much time around infants.”

“How long have you been in the army, Maximus?”

“Since I was a boy.  It has been my life and training for many years.”

Ashley reached out to brush her hand across his face.  “And yet you have such kindness in your heart.”

“Not always.”  He smiled at her.

“I know you can be a fierce soldier.  You must.  But you are fair with your men even when you must be stern and discipline.  And still you can be gentle and loving with me.  I wouldn’t love you so much if there wasn’t that side of you.”

Maximus took her hand and kissed her palm.  Her fingers stroked his face again.  The child’s skin and hair were so soft, yet so were her mother’s.  Ashley embodied his ideal of a woman.  He hadn’t truly known what that was until he met her and recognized the traits he wanted in his mate.

“Today I see you in a different way.  You had been my lover who became the woman I love and married.  Now I see you as a mother.  The tenderness I have seen in you is manifested in a whole different way with your daughter.  I look forward to seeing you with our baby as well.”

“I’m eager to see you with your son or daughter.  You’ll pick him up when he falters and yet be firm with him when needed.”  Ashley kissed Sydney’s forehead as she repositioned her to burp her.

Ashley finished with Sydney and changed her diaper.  She handed her to Juana to care for her while she and Maximus washed up.  Ashley removed the rest of her clothes and held her hand out to Maximus.

“Come let’s shower and dress before Dino returns from surgery.  I have much explaining to do for Terry.  Bud needs to know what happened to Dino.”  She turned on the taps of the shower and adjusted the temperature.  Ashley looked speculatively at Maximus.

“The shower stall isn’t very large.  Would you rather shower alone or together?”  She looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

Maximus was examining the shower.  It was different from any of the Roman baths he’d seen, but the water looked very inviting.  Ashley was extremely inviting at the moment.  He lifted her and carried her under the soothing warm stream of water.

“Together,” he whispered in her ear as his hands roamed across her slick wet body.  His lips nibbled on her earlobe.

They emerged a few minutes later, clean, but wishing for more time and privacy to give in to their desires.  Bud’s clothes fit Maximus well enough to be serviceable.

Maximus took Ashley’s brush from her and began to comb through her long tresses.  He watched her troubled expression in the mirror.

“Talk to me, dearest.”  He leaned over and kissed the nape of her neck.

Ashley reached up and placed her hand over his resting on her shoulder.

“It’s time to go tell Terry everything.  He and Juana both deserve to know the whole truth.  And I know we can trust both of them completely.  The telling is sometimes hard.” 

Maximus’ hand tightened on her shoulder.

“I will be with you.”

“That makes it so much easier.”  She turned to smile up at him.

Ashley and Maximus emerged hand in hand from the bathroom and settled in some chairs.  She began her story from the time of Sid kidnapping her until the present.  Ashley saw the skepticism on Terry’s face once the time travel became part of the tale.  She knew Bud had brought the note and picture from when she’d been in 1950s Los Angeles.  Terry would take some convincing as had Bud.

To Terry’s credit he didn’t interrupt Ashley nor Bud or Maximus when she asked them for clarification on certain details.  She grew quiet when she finished and watched Terry.  His anger surprised her a bit.

“Do you take me for a fool, Ashley?  You promised me the truth and the whole story.”

Bud and Maximus stiffened on either side of her.  Neither were pleased with him inferring that Ashley or they were liars.

“I know how implausible this all sounds, Terry.  A year ago I’d have thought I sounded mad.  Over 50 years ago Bud thought I was crazy when I first met him and told him I was from the 21^st century.”

Bud smiled sheepishly at her and patted her arm.  Sydney reached out to touch him and his entire countenance softened when she clapped her tiny hands together with excitement over her Grandpa Bud.

“Here is proof.  The note Ashley wrote me is how we found her in Paso Robles and a picture that was taken on the Santa Monica pier in 1955 of the two of us.”  Bud pulled the note and photo from his pocket and handed them to Terry like police evidence he’d collect.  Ashley smiled at him.

Terry examined the picture and note.  They could be authenticated easily by one of his experts from the trade.  Why were they playing this elaborate ruse?  And why did the younger Bud White look almost like he did when he was younger?

“Terry, Dino will back up everything I’m saying.  He was injured on a Roman battlefield with a sword.”  She hesitated.  “In a place he shouldn’t have been except for me.”

Maximus took her hand.  “Dino made his own decisions, Ashley.  He wanted to fight.  I allowed him to ride with my army.”  He looked up at Terry.

“I have not known Dino for a long period of time, but is he a man who would easily be stopped once he has made his decision?”

Terry shook his head negatively.  “Dino’s a man who can never be stopped once he’s made a decision.  He’s the most tenacious bastard I’ve ever met.”

“Whoa ho!  I hear my name being taken in vain.  I leave the room and here are my friends talking about me behind my back already.”  Dino chuckled out loud as he was wheeled into the room on a gurney.  His voice was jovial, but his look contained warning to stop talking about specific conversations.

Ashley jumped up and rushed over, holding Sydney.

“Oh, Dino!  How are you?”

“I’m okay, Ash and mini me.”  He made a face at Sydney and she squealed out loud her delight.  “They’re going to let me keep my leg even,” he jested.

“Dean Connero!  Don’t even joke about something like that.  And don’t you dare call my daughter mini me.” 

Ashley blew her mock outrage when she started to giggle.  She was so relieved to see Dino and have him sounding like Dino.  Ashley took in his pale appearance.  There was still blood running into his arm.  In fact there were multiple tubes connected to his arms and some coming from his leg that were draining blood.

“Terry, me lad.  To what do I owe this distinguished visit?”  He gave his partner a cockeyed smile.

“I had to make sure my business interests were being looked to, Mate.  Glad to see they’re still intact.”  Terry smiled back at his friend.

Dino pointedly looked at Maximus and back to Terry.  He figured Ashley would have told Terry the whole story by now.  Not that he believed it yet.

“An entire Roman legion couldn’t have kept me down, partner.  Isn’t that right, Maximus?”

“No indeed it could not, Dino,”  Maximus nodded to Dino.

Terry was speechless.  He had several minutes of near quiet as the nurses transferred Dino into bed and got him settled.  Other than a small hiss of pain Dino didn’t make a sound when being moved.  Stoic bastard was showing off for Ashley and Juana probably.  Roman legion…Terry found himself staring at Ashley’s husband, Maximus.  There was no way.  This had to be an elaborate ruse set up by Dino.

He remembered something Dino had said to him several times since they’d known Ashley Weston.  She was a terrible liar.  Ashley had been open as she’d told him her story.  There were no signs of deceit or lying.  He looked at Maximus again.  Roman general?  There was no way.

Terry sat down on one of the chairs.  He suddenly felt the jet lag he should have felt hours ago when the adrenaline of Dino being injured had carried him forward.  He realized that Ashley had said something to him and he had no idea what it was.

“What was that, Ashley?”

“The nurses are done with Dino for a few minutes.  We need to talk now so he can get some rest.”  Her voice lowered to a whisper.  “He really looks tired and needs to sleep.”

“Uh, I’m right here, Ash.  I heard you.  Injured, not deaf.”  He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I know that, Dino.  But you need someone to look after you.  Look what happened to you when you insisted on riding into battle.”  Her voice was very perturbed.

“You’re not going to give me a break on this, Ash?”  Dino's voice was very conciliatory.  He gave her a disarming boyish grin.

“No.  Certainly not yet.”  She looked at him sternly.

“Ha, yet!  She will forgive me.  Terry, you tell me if you had the chance to ride into battle alongside a general with his Roman legion, would you do it?”  Dino looked quite certain of the answer as he pointed toward Maximus, who had a scowl forming on his face.

Terry looked from Dino to Maximus, the general of a Roman legion?  This had to be the most elaborate practical joke Dino had ever pulled, but theoretically speaking as a former soldier and man who’d made his living in all sorts of battle ready situations around the world…

“If the opportunity arose I couldn’t pass it up, Mate.”

“Wonderful.  I’m glad you men had such a rousing good time today.  I didn’t.”  Ashley hefted Sydney up higher in her arms, turned and walked out of the room.  Juana followed her out the door.

“Shit!  Ashley come back!”  Dino called after her and caught the pissed off look on Maximus’ face.  “What?”

“I would not have denied you a place with my men today.  You were worthy and earned it, but do not forget the impact this day had on Ashley both physically and emotionally.  And never place a wedge between my wife and me.  You will lose.”  Maximus turned and strode out of the room in the direction Ashley had taken.

Dino laid his head back and closed his eyes.  He could be a cocky asshole and was being flippant to get a laugh.  Okay, he’d gone too far at Ashley’s expense.  He remembered Maximus telling him she’d fainted in the waiting room hours ago.  Still here she was waiting for him to come back from surgery to make sure he was okay when she should be somewhere resting.

He groaned and focused on White when he opened up his eyes.

“I fucked up.”

“Big time, Connero.  But she loves you and will be back soon.  It’s time to suck up to both of them.  I wouldn’t want to be on General Maximus’ bad side.  And less on Ashley’s.”  Bud gave Dino a wry look.

“That reminds me.  Did Ash or Maximus tell you that when I woke up in Rome his big assed sword was pressed against the side of my neck?”  His fingers touched the scabbed over wound.  “He thought I was hurting Ashley.  I thought he was going to remove my head from the rest of my body. First chance I got to hold a sword that he hefted like a toothpick I thought my arms were going to fall off at the shoulders.  When I saw him in action on the battlefield I think I’d have pissed my pants if I’d have seen him riding at me with his weapon raised.  He’s a fierce, focused and determined soldier.  And he rides a horse like he and the animal are one.”

“I thought it was Ashley that you loved, Mate?  You sure it’s not her husband?”  Terry smiled at his friend, who gave him a dirty look.

“Yeah, my luck; she loves him and he loves her.  And fucking Sid made her watch him die.  She’d be even more pissed off at me if she knew I told him.  He didn’t get to be a general of a Roman legion by being ignorant or dense.  Maximus knew there was something wrong with Ashley.  Bud, he wants Sid dead and gone every bit as much as we do.”  Dino gave him a grim smile.

“I knew I was beginning to like him.”  Bud gave him a steely-eyed look of understanding.

“Whoa, partner!  Tell me I’m not getting the wrong idea of what you’ve been plotting.”  If Terry read Dino right he was talking about killing Ashley’s former kidnapper.

“You’re not getting the wrong idea at all, Ter.  You glommed onto exactly what we’ve been thinking.”

“The sooner that bastard is gone from her life the better.  If I’d have known he was going to break into my house the other night I’d have been waiting for him.  Intruder problem solved.”  Bud looked at Dino and they nodded.  They wouldn’t have even had to hide the body. 

Terry shook his head.  These two had lost their bloody minds.  His wounded partner, an old man and a Roman general had been plotting to kill Sid.  He was trying to remember at exactly what point he’d stepped into a Twilight Zone episode.

“And in all seriousness you’re telling me that Ashley’s husband is a general from ancient Rome and that’s where she met him?  And you were wounded in battle there?”  Terry fixed his partner with a look.  Dino and Bud were nodding in the affirmative at him.

“You’re catching up, Ter,”  Dino chuckled.  “Serious as a heart attack.  It was nearly 2000 years ago.  All this is Sid’s doing.  He’s fucking future boy.” 

Dino winced as he moved an inch in bed and pain shot through his leg.  He pushed the button on a machine that was connected into his IV fluids and delivered morphine right into his bloodstream.  Imagine that?  Dino laid his head back, closed his eyes and fell asleep, effectively ending the conversation.  He started to lightly snore.

Terry watched him for a few tics and then looked over at Bud White.  “That’s Dino,” he whispered and smiled.  Thankfully he was still alive and mostly intact.

The room door opened quietly as Ashley stepped through from the hallway.  Maximus held the door behind her.  Sydney was asleep on her shoulder.  She glanced over at Dino and smiled when she saw he was sleeping.

“Sorry I left the room,” she said softly.

“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d have walked right out of the hospital, Ashley.  Dino often lacks tact.”

“Yes, but we still love him, Terry,”  she smiled.  “I’m going to lie down with Sydney for a few minutes.”  She sat down and curled up on a recliner chair.  Maximus covered her with a blanket.  Quickly both mother and baby were asleep.

Maximus joined the other two men.  They sat in chairs across the room and talked quietly to not disturb those sleeping.  The rest of the story was pieced together for Terry by Bud and Maximus.  Terry was beginning to believe the fantastical tale.  The more he spoke with Maximus the clearer it became that he was not a man of this time.  Terry began to see why Dino respected him and Ashley had fallen in love.  He was an extraordinary bloke.

Terry found himself liking Bud White, too.  Behind his quiet, gruff exterior was a sharp mind.  He had a feeling many men would have underestimated White during his career much to their detriment.  He’d have made a formidable police detective.

The door to the hallway opened and Juana came in with a tray of coffees.  She took in Ashley sleeping with Sydney as well as Dino still sound asleep and quietly came over to the men.

“Missus Ashley wanted you to all have some coffee.”  She handed them each a cup and set a special one on the bedside stand by Dino.  “She said this is his favorite,” she whispered to the other men before going over to set a cup of hot chocolate on a table near Ashley.  Juana finished by plucking the last cup of coffee off the tray and sitting by a chair near the mother and her baby.  The raven haired beauty sipped from her cup.

Bud smiled.  “Ashley can’t help herself.  She needed to make sure we all had something good to drink.”  He gave an appreciative glance in her direction.

Maximus followed his gaze, stood up and walked over to watch Ashley and her baby sleep for a few moments.  His look was one of caring and love.  He reached out to lightly stroke her hair without awakening her.

The hallway door opened again and a man was silhouetted by the brighter light in the hall.  He was wearing a lab coat with a gleaming stethoscope around his neck.  The men all turned in his direction and squinted until their eyes adjusted to the increased light.

Dino and Ashley awoke when the man spoke.

“Uh, uh, uh!  You’re not supposed to be here.  Dr. Sid is going to do something about that.”  He pulled something from the white coat pocket and faced Maximus.  His expression was malevolent.

Maximus instinctively used his body to shield Ashley and Sydney before confirming it was Sid.  

“I think it is you who are unwelcome here, Sid.  I am Maximus Decimus Meridius, the husband of Ashley.”  His stance was defensive and his eyes were murderous.

“Shit!”  Bud White muttered as he struggled to his feet and ignored the stiffness in his joints.  This wasn’t going to go well. 

By this time Ashley was fully awake and Dino gave a small sleepy snort as his eyes flew open.  Ashley swung to a sitting position on the recliner behind Maximus.  She gently cradled Sydney to prevent her from waking. 

“Hello, Sid,”  Ashley spoke barely above a whisper.  Her gaze went from Sid to Sydney to make sure she hadn’t been disturbed.

“Hello, my butterfly.  Why is he here?”  He distinctly enunciated each word and pointed at Maximus.

“Dino was injured and I needed his assistance.  I couldn’t help him by myself.”

Sid laughed mirthlessly as he glanced disdainfully at Dino.  “I see you turned out to be more inferior than I even suspected.  I should have asked the decrepit old cop.  He’s more reliable despite being ready to drop dead.”

He fixed his gaze for no more than a second on Terry, who’d risen to his feet.  Sid’s lip curled to a snarl.

“The inferior redhead’s partner.  You shouldn’t be here either.  Maybe I won’t make you evaporate.”  He snapped his fingers for emphasis. 

This time Maximus took an offensive step toward Sid.  Sid giggled.

“Perfect.  You’re away from what’s mine and will never be yours.”  Sid pointed what looked like a cell phone at Maximus and depressed a key.  Maximus disappeared before them.

“Ashley!”  Maximus called to her.  His voice diminished to a faint echo until it was gone completely.

“Poof!”  Sid giggled again but quickly moved toward Ashley as her knees began to buckle and a distressed cry was wrenched from her.  She pulled Sydney defensively to her chest and the sudden movement woke the baby.  Sydney started to wail in terror as she sensed her mother’s anguish.

Sid and Juana reached Ashley first.  She’d dropped to her knees and rocked back onto her feet.  Ashley clutched Sydney as she tried to shush her ineffectually.  Her eyes closed and tears descended down her cheeks.

Sid picked her up and set her gently on the recliner.  He pouted as he looked at her. “He had to go.  I won’t tolerate him here.”

Ashley bit her lips to stifle the sob that threatened to spill from her.  She’d already terrified Sydney enough.

“Where is he, Sid?  Did you hurt him?”  She opened her eyes and gave him a defiant look.  Sydney continued to cry as Ashley rocked her.

“I should have sent him to the camp of his enemies,” he hissed.  Sid back pedaled when he saw the look of terror on her face and Sydney started crying louder.  “I didn’t.  He is back in his primitive camp with his stinking soldiers in the same time he left.”  He sighed and nonchalantly examined his perfectly manicured fingers.  The whole time he gauged Ashley’s reaction. 

Sid sensed movement behind him and held up his hand.  “I wouldn’t come any closer if I were either of you.  I could send you where or whenever I please.  Maybe to be prey for the dinosaurs.  Or…”  A sly grin played across his face.  “I’ll take Ashley and Sydney and you’ll never see either of them again.”  He was quite pleased with himself.

“Stop, Sid!”  Ashley was quite forceful. 

Sid smiled seductively in response.  It was always an aphrodisiac to him when Ashley challenged him. 

“You don’t really want me to stop, butterfly.”  He moved quickly to her side.

“This isn’t a game, Sid.”  She’d placed Sydney on her shoulder and was rubbing her back.  Her wails had decreased to an occasional tiny whimper.

“Au contraire, ma petite.  Nearly everything is a game, a game where there’s thrill in playing and exhilaration in winning.  And no one plays or wins as well as moi.”

“I am not a game, Sid.  Nor is your daughter.”

“The pursuit of you has been my favorite game.  You as my mate and my child are not a game.”

“Don’t even think about it, Dino.”  Terry’s voice pulled Sid and Ashley’s attention away from each other.  Dino was struggling to get out of bed, lines, tubes and all.  Terry retreated from his threatening position near Sid to gently push his partner back in bed.  “Now’s not the time, Mate.” 

Terry was right, but Dino was pumped full of enough drugs from surgery that he didn’t give a shit for the moment.  He was going to throw that asshole Sid out of his room.  It didn’t matter that he probably couldn’t even stand up without falling over.  Somewhere with his belongings should be his gun and he’d shoot the bastard or at least hit him over the head with it.  White would help him.   He wasn’t getting anywhere and once Terry nudged him back he didn’t have enough energy to try untangle himself and get up.

“Why don’t you just leave her alone?  She’s much better off without you.  And how did you find her here?”  Dino was generally pissed off.  Finally Sid was in striking distance and he was so helpless he couldn’t even get out of bed much less stop him if he carried through on his threat to steal Ashley and Sydney away.  And in the back of his mind Dino knew that fucking Sid was right. 

He’d placed himself in a position to be injured or killed when he should have been protecting Ashley.  Dino had agreed to do that.  Ashley had pled with him not to go fight in the battle.  A smile tugged as his lips.  Actually she’d forbidden him to go fight.  And Sid was right that he’d been a worthless choice.  The 80-something White would have been more reliable.

“Leave her alone to you?”  Sid sneered.  “Not happening.  And if you think I’d ever miss a computer anywhere in the world that registered my Ash-lee…I’m not as inept as you.”

Fucking techno-boy was wired into the hospital computer and seen Ashley’s name when she was examined in the ER.  Had he actually come to the hospital because he was worried about her?  Sid would have to have a heart for that and Dino didn’t think he did.

“This is my hospital room and I want you out of here.”  Great, Dino figured he sounded about as ineffectual as he felt.  Sid, the bastard, turned his attention back to Ashley and completely ignored him.

Sid scrutinized Ashley.  She was a bit pale but otherwise appeared well.  His beauty and his perfect child.  He skimmed his fingers across Sydney’s silky hair and then rubbed his thumb across Ashley’s cheek to dry her tears.  His eyes were locked with hers.

“Are you damaged?  Nothing they’ve documented would indicate any abnormalities beyond stress and fatigue.  You should come home and rest.  Juana can tend to Sydney while you do.  I will tend to you.”  His fingers brushed through her hair.

Dino was boiling, but not surprised.  Sid had hacked into her medical record at the hospital.  He’d probably read his, too.  On second thought ,probably not.  He didn’t care about anything beyond Sydney and Ashley.  And for the first time Dino had to admit to himself the bastard did care about Ashley and Sydney.

“I’m fine, Sid.  I needed food.  Too long had passed between meals.  Your daughter has a voracious appetite.”  She smiled wanly at her daughter, who was now sucking on her tiny thumb.  “Juana is helping me.”  She glanced over to Juana, who remained by her side.

“Then we should leave this place.  The odor is repugnant.  It reeks of sickly humans.”  He glanced over at Dino to make sure he knew he belonged in that category. 

Dino held up his middle finger and flipped him the bird.  It was emphasized by the red glowing pulse oximeter attached to his index finger that monitored the oxygenation in his blood.

Sid gave him a bored expression.  That just pissed Dino off more.

“I have eaten and was resting before you came into the room, Sid.”  Ashley locked her gaze onto Sid’s.  “I’m not ready to come home yet.  As soon as I’m sure Dino is doing well I’ll be going back to stay at Bud’s house.”

Sid threw an annoyed look at Bud, who was standing in very close proximity now.

“I can’t understand why you would want to spend time around that decrepit old flat foot.”  He sniffed disdainfully.  “He even smells…old.”

“I wish you smelled gone, shitbird.”

The two glared at each other for a moment until Sid started to laugh.  Ashley’s mouth quirked into a smile as she looked at Bud and mouthed touché. 

“You would be so much fun to play games with if you’re weren’t so ancient.  Sometimes I’ve thought about going back to when you first met Ashley.  What fun it would be.”

“Bring it on.  I’ll be there waiting, Sid.  No rules.”  Bud looked like the tough cop he’d been when he was younger.

“Certainment.  Rules are for the weak.”  Sid focused back on his Ash-lee.    She was watching him.  He reached out to touch her again and contemplated simply taking her and their daughter with him.  It wasn’t as though anyone in this room could stop him.  “Come with me, my butterfly.  I will forgive even the latest transgression of bringing him here.” 

“I will forgive you, too, for our daughter’s sake, Sid.  But I’m not ready to come home yet.  I need more time.  So do you.”  His thumb caressed her soft cheek.  Ashley hated that his touch still made her skin tingle.

“I do not,”  he pouted.  “I could take you with me.  None of them could stop me.”  Sid motioned toward the rabble. 

“Yes, you could take me, Sid.  You’ve done it before.”  She whispered, but her steady gaze didn’t waver from his.  “It would be against what I want and need right now.”  She kissed the top of Sydney’s head and looked back to him. 

Ashley waited.  She wouldn’t fight Sid if he insisted they go with him.  Dino need rest and calm.  She didn’t want Bud or Terry to do anything that would inflame Sid.  Ashley knew that they would both be angry by now.  They were both ‘others.’  She felt responsibility to protect all the people in her life who were in this room, first and foremost her children.

Sid sighed.  What about what he wanted?  That should be all that mattered.  He leaned down and passionately kissed Ashley.  Her lips stirred beneath his.  He cupped her cheek when he broke from the kiss. 

“You will soon ask me to bring you home and invite me to your bed again.  Then there will never be any ‘other’ again.”  His fingers traced seductively down her neck.

“Stop, Sid.”  She felt the heat in her skin and feared his hand would become even bolder.

“Again your lips say stop but your eyes and body tell me yessss.”  He drew out the word and rubbed his thumb across her lower lip.  It would be so easy to take her as he wished and deserved.

He effortlessly scooped her and their child up into his arms.  Sid should not be denied.  He moved toward the door so quickly that Terry and Bud were barely able to react as the door opened and then closed as he swept out with his precious bundles.  

Ashley gasped ‘no’ as she carefully cradled her daughter in her arms to protect her during the sudden movement. 

When Terry had gone to restrain Dino he’d moved too far from Ashley.  Sid already had too much of a lead on him as he pursued him from the room.  He moved much too quickly for a man carrying a woman and a baby.  Terry witnessed the pleased look of victory on Sid’s face as the elevator door completely closed as he reached it.

But it was Ashley’s look of resignation that would haunt Terry as she shook her head and mouthed a single word, “Don’t,” as a tear trickled down her cheek.  Terry ran to the stairs.  By the time he reached the ground floor he could find no traces of Sid, Ashley or the infant Sydney.  It was as though they’d simply vanished.

Terry stopped suddenly as he was making his way around the perimeter of the hospital looking for signs of their exit.  Maybe they had disappeared.  Sid had done something to Maximus.  He’d been in front of him one moment and the next he was gone.  And Sid had threatened to send Terry to the dinosaurs if he came closer.  Was it more than an idle threat?

What was Sid?  Where was he from?  He certainly was not an ordinary man from this time.  Had Dino and the old cop, Bud, been giving him facts all along?  The only clue he’d found was a clothing tag on the floor outside of the elevator on the first floor.  It was from a well known company of baby supplies.  Terry suspected Ashley had ripped the tag from Sydney’s baby blanket as they’d exited the elevator.

He was proud of Ashley for keeping her calm.  She’d protected herself and her babies to the best of her abilities.  Terry didn’t think Sid would harm Sydney or Ashley’s unborn child.  Terry couldn’t be so certain when it came to Ashley.  Dino had told him enough about Sid’s kidnapping of Ashley the first time.

Sid would take what he wanted from Ashley.  That was obvious from his behavior in Dino’s room.  He was willing to remove anything or anyone that stood in his way of getting her.  Terry had been harsh with Dino after Ashley had been extracted from the house the first time and allowed to return.  He owed his partner an apology.

Terry felt his pockets for a pack of cigarettes.  If there was any time he could use a smoke…this was the time.  He’d quit and didn’t have one fag in his pockets.  Terry cursed, sighed and then strode back into the hospital.  He tucked the ripped tag into his pocket.  Maybe Juana could identify it from Sydney’s blanket.

He’d let a vulnerable friend and her baby be taken right in front of him.  This was going to be hell on Dino with how much he loved Ashley.  They needed to start working immediately on a plan to get her back.  And Terry was now aligned with Dino, Bud and Maximus.  It was Ashley’s only chance at freedom.  Sid must die.