Fic: A Gift - part 2

[i_o_r_h_a_e_l]

:: Part 1 ::



Part 2

Zeke didn't answer and Casey couldn't care less. He cared more about whatever was in the small basket that now looked like a bundle in a blanket. Casey lowered himself down and gasped. That blanket... He looked closer, and a high-pitched keen shot from whatever it was wrapped in the blanket.

Casey's heart ceased beating for a second. It was a baby from the sound of it, though how it came to be there was beyond Casey. It was a baby, nonetheless, and Casey wanted him no matter what. He turned in joy. "Zeke, look what I found here!"

Only Zeke wasn't there anymore. The chair was empty. Casey slowly straightened up. What the hell? "Zeke, where are you?" A gust of cold wind wafted in Casey's face as if to answer him. Casey shivered and whirled back to the baby and snatched it up. The baby squirmed and sobbed softly.

"Ssh, it's okay. You're safe now."

The cry decreased to soft weep. Casey rocked the baby. He couldn't tell yet if it was a boy or a girl but the baby was adorable with its long lashes, pink curved lips, and smattering of freckles across its radiant cheeks. The blanket covered the head, too. Casey wasn't sure if the baby had curly, straight, fair, or dark hair.

"Casey? What are you doing here?"

Casey whirled around, feeling like jumping out of his skin. "Zeke, there you are. I thought you'd gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"Yeah, when I saw you weren’t in that chair anymore, I thought you'd gone back to bed. What were you doing here anyway?"

The look on Zeke's face was pure confusion.

"What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"What was I doing here?" echoed Zeke.

"I don't know. You tell me."

"Casey, are you telling me I was here before? When?"

"Just now."

"And then I left?"

"Yeah. Maybe. I'm not so sure."

Zeke sighed. He looked pretty frustrated. "What are you talking about? Did I leave or not?"

Casey switched the position of his holding the baby. It started to feel heavy. "Yeah, maybe you did. It doesn't matter anyway. Shall we just go back to the bedroom now?"

"Yes, let's go back to bed. You have to work tomorrow, right?"

"I can't."

Having turned back toward the bedroom, Zeke spun around and faced him again. "What?"

Casey walked past him. "I can't just return to sleep. This baby must be hungry. I have to find one of those 24 hour stores to get him milk. I also need diapers, blankets, all kinds of baby wipes, I guess. Babies are known to pee all the time, right?"

"Baby..."

"We need to get him some clothes, too. I love those tiny shirts. What color should we get him? I keep calling the baby him but we should check first. What are we going to name it? Oh, Zeke, I'm so excited and blessed. I can't believe I finally have my own baby."

"Casey, what--"

But Casey couldn't wait anymore. He trotted on toward their room, feeling like jumping around a little except when he remembered the sleeping baby in his arms.

***

One year ago

"Okay, Evelyn, I'm going to call him."

"I'm sorry, Zeke. It's just that suddenly I feel this. Your number was the one I dialed. I know you're out of town right now--"

"That's fine. You should hang up now so I can contact Casey, okay? The sooner, the better."

"Okay, okay."

Zeke could tell she was pretty nervous right now, and so was he. He felt helpless, but he should keep his composure. His team was on an away game and there was nothing else he could do at the moment but call Casey. This was an emergency case. They both, no, the three of them had been careful and cautious. Zeke knew they couldn't have met a better surrogate mother. Evelyn was young, but not underage, pretty, lively, and a straight A's student at campus. But her family needed money and she chose this way to help her parents.

Zeke and Casey were on cloud nine when the foundation introduced them to Evelyn. She was an independent girl. She'd had a boyfriend but they broke up. She said it wasn't because of her surrogacy decision though. She'd even offered to be the egg donor. Zeke and Casey were grateful for that but they'd decided that earlier on.

Zeke'd preferred her to stay in with them. They wanted to make sure she and her baby were all right. But seeing that Zeke and Casey were both busy, Evelyn thought it wouldn't make any difference if she stayed with them or at her own place that was closer to her campus.

"No. It'll be safer, actually."

"What?" asked Zeke.

"If I stay at my dorm room. It will be near campus so I'm not going to bother you every morning when I need to go there."

The problem wasn't if he or Casey would be bothered. They wanted to make sure of the baby's safety. Zeke wouldn't mind and he was sure Casey wouldn't either, having something more to do every day. The favor was more for Evelyn staying at the dorm after her friends convinced Zeke and Casey that it would be best for all of them.

Zeke learned later how it was a decision he'd always regret ever having made.

And tonight--where the hell was Casey? Zeke had called him several times, but he always ended up in the voice mail. Zeke tried again.

"Hello?"

"Casey, finally. You should go take Evelyn to the hospital." Zeke didn't bother with greetings and pleasantries."

"What, now? But she's only seven months--"

"No time to talk about it. She called me."

"Is she all right? And the baby?"

"I didn't ask. Listen, you've got to hurry. It's emergency. She happened to call me because it's my number that's on top of her recent calls, I guess. I wish I were in town."

"But this function in the White House..."

Zeke couldn't believe it even came out of Casey's mouth. This was about their child, for Christ's sake.

"Case, how can you say that..."

At the other end, Casey went silent. Then, "I'm sorry." His voice was quiet. "I'm going now."

Casey was hanging up from the sound of it but Zeke cut him out. "Casey, sorry for..."

"No, you're right. And I have to get going now, right?" He didn't wait anymore now.

Zeke was left listening to a long hollow tone. He stared at his phone long after Casey hung up. Zeke cursed softly.

***

Zeke didn't hear from Casey again until very late afternoon the following day, not that he'd have time to talk long with his boyfriend. The whole morning and afternoon, he and his team were busy. They had light practice, followed by attending several press conferences. Zeke had kept his cell phone in the vibrate mode. He himself didn't have the chance to call Casey. His heart beat faster when his cell phone finally vibrated. An unfamiliar number stared at him from the screen. He frowned.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Tyler?"

"Yes?"

"You are Casey Connor's partner?"

"That's right."

The other person's voice went strangely calmer. "Sir, I'm afraid we have bad news."

Zeke thought he lost a piece of his soul. "Bad news? Who is this?"

"I'm Dr. Hough from Saint Mary Hospital in Columbus. Mr. Connor was taken in last night. He was involved in a car crash."

Zeke's world spun around. "He was? How is he?" The thought of Evelyn and their baby flashed across his mind. Zeke closed his eyes and massaged his brow with his other hand. There was no way he could play the game tonight. He had to go home.

"Some bruises, cuts, and a bit of concussion."

"Jesus. Sorry, Doctor. I-I didn't mean to swear. I...There should be a girl brought in together with him. How is she?" Zeke heard sounds of rustling paper.

"Uh, yes. She's all right, no internal damage."

No internal damage? "Doctor, she's pregnant."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tyler. You're right. About that..." The doctor apologized again before he paused for a considerable amount of time.

"Hello?" Zeke thought the connection was severed but Dr. Hough resumed talking before Zeke had the chance to speak again.

"I'm very sorry about your friend. She is all right but we couldn’t save her baby."

"Zeke, what's going on?"

Zeke whirled around. Bryce, the defense, leaned into the door, keeping it open with his back. Zeke waved at him as he switched his attention back to his cell.

"I-I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Mr. Tyler, I know who you are and where you are right now. We'll take care of Casey and be careful with his concussion."

Zeke swallowed. "No, you don't understand. I have to be there for Casey and the baby." That I just lost. Zeke hung up. His throat tightened and his sight went blurred with tears.

***

Devastation. Casey didn't know the real meaning of that word before and he couldn't explain it now. He couldn't explain how he felt. Sometimes he felt numb, sometimes it was as if he'd sunk into a dark, bottomless abyss, but most of the time he had the strongest desire to turn back time. Wishing it had happened differently, wishing he could have done differently. But they needed to get to the hospital as fast as they could. The baby would be coming soon.

Casey went silent. Or rather, his conscience did. He had not talked for hours. Not since he had come to, not even when the doctor asked him if he could understand him. And now he’d shut his mind, too, because, no matter what it said to him, no matter what excuses it spurted out, they would always be wrong, unacceptable. He could never justify what he'd done. Even the fact that he needed justification only proved how wrong he was.

He was wrong.

Wrong.

Guilty.

***

Zeke found Casey curled up, almost folded into two, his back facing the door, on the hospital's bed. At first he thought he was asleep, but when Zeke circled around the bed to face him, he saw that he wasn't. Casey's eyes were open though unseeing. And they were red and slightly swollen. Tears still ran slowly down the side of his face, one or two clear droplets clinging on his long eyelashes. Casey clutched tightly at what looked like a blanket and pressed it close in his chest.

Aside from what he'd heard from Dr. Hough, Zeke wasn't any the wiser about the accident. The doctors could only tell as far as the time when Casey and Evelyn were brought in. Of course Zeke could ask Evelyn but she was still sleeping. She'd been conscious for some time but she had been sedated then so she could rest.

The only way was talking to Casey. Zeke wasn't sure it was the best way, though. He didn't know the extent of Casey's...involvement. Zeke didn't want to say mistake. He sat at the foot of the bed and sought Casey's leg through the cover.

"I'm glad you're all right," he began, hesitating. "You're all right, aren't you?"

He would have considered himself lucky if Casey had shown a grain of awareness of his presence, but he didn't even flinch. It was as if Zeke weren't even there. Let alone talk.

***

Present Time

The way Casey held the blanket reminded Zeke of one year ago when he had found Casey in that hospital bed with that very blanket in his grip. It had taken hours to get him to let go of the thing. Zeke had thought hell would break loose when he took the blanket. But quiet and empty eyes were all that he'd got.

Zeke froze in place for several seconds before he could shake it off. And did Casey just say baby? What baby?

His breath caught, Zeke saw how Casey sat in bed as he rocked the blanket as if there were a baby wrapped in it. His face brightened as he looked up at Zeke.

"He's so gorgeous, huh?" Casey grinned widely. "And yes, before you ask, it's a boy. What do you think if we name him Stevie?"

Zeke raised an eyebrow. "Stevie? Why? You like the name?"

"Yeah." Casey beamed. "The real name will be Steven. Steven Tyler. I know you love Aerosmith."

Zeke's jaw went slack. "Huh," he said after some time. "You really are bright, just like when you were at school."

"A person doesn't stop being bright after they leave school, Zeke."

"I know." He barely realized what they were talking about, fully distracted by the way Casey rocked the 'baby.' The thing was--there was no baby. The blanket was empty. Casey held nothing more than the soft feathery fabric.

Zeke switched his gaze to his boyfriend, who turned to him again.

"He really looks like you with his strong, pointed jaw and nose. I wonder if his eyes are brown, too. They should be if everything else resembles you."

When starting the program with Evelyn, they both donated the sperm so it could be either of their’s. But of course, once one succeeded, the others would die. It would be impossible for the baby to have Zeke's features and Casey's eyes.

But that would have happened if there actually was a baby. There wasn't. He, or she as the case may be, died one year ago. Casey had taken it as hard as if he'd been the one having miscarriage. Zeke didn't want to blame him for feeling like that. They had wanted to have a baby for ten years. Losing it was tough.

Oh, Casey. Those months spent seeing the psychiatrist, wasn't that enough?

"Zeke?"

"Yeah?"

"Why, you don't want to hold your son? Why aren't you happy at all?" Casey sounded so sad it broke Zeke's heart.

"Case..." Zeke wanted to ask if he was all right, but he changed his mind. He'd let him be that night. Perhaps this was nothing more than a nightmare and everything would go back to its regular programming in the morning.

***

The morning came with a bang, throwing Zeke from sleep with the deafening bawl of a baby. Zeke jerked up to a sitting position, head throbbing, to see Casey perching on the foot of the bed, looking at him over his shoulder.

"Sorry. Did Stevie wake you up? He's a bit warm."

Zeke slowly arranged the cover around his waist as he rose from the bed. Casey was rocking the blanket again, a state he seemed to have been in for hours. Had he not slept at all? Zeke stared at him, completely puzzled about the crying he'd heard. He must have been dreaming, for there was no baby. He refused to fall into the same temporary insanity Casey seemed to be suffering from at the moment. But he would help his boyfriend. He must. Casey wasn't too far gone.

"Casey, you do realize you're just holding a blanket?"

"Can I ask you to stop at the drugstore and--what did you say?" Casey's eyes widened as he seemed to just grasp what Zeke's words meant.

"Well." Zeke ran his fingers through his too short hair. "I said there's no baby. What you have in your hands is only a blanket. The blanket I remember you've had since last year. Since, since we lost our baby."

Casey looked down at the blanket and then back up to Zeke as if Zeke had lost his mind. "You can't see him?" He stood up and brought the blanket to Zeke's face. "This Stevie, you don't see him?"

Zeke drew a deep breath, gazing at the blanket. "I don't see him, Casey, because he doesn't exist."

"But he is here!" Casey shouted, and immediately recoiled, pressing the blanket into his chest. "Ssh, ssh. It's okay. Papa's not angry with you." He glared accusingly at Zeke. "You saying I'm lying?"

"No," Zeke said carefully. "I just thought this time was the anniversary of the accident. The memory of it might come to you a lot stronger than it did me."

Casey blanched but his headstrongness came out more pronounced in his words. "Now you think I'm crazy."

"No. God. Just maybe a bit stressed. Perhaps it's a good idea to--"

"No." Casey's shout boomed along with a squealing noise that sounded exactly like a baby's. There was no mistake about it. Zeke gasped, jumping back, and Casey read it accurately. His eyes gleamed as he watched Zeke closely.

"You heard that, didn't you?"

"H-heard what?" Casey made his skin crawl. It was weird to think that he was afraid of Casey. Not even when there were Mary Beth and her spawns had he felt this way. He could always trust Casey. Right?

"The baby. Zeke, why are you doing this? I know you are sad, too, though you always pretend you are not. You said we should face this together but you skimmed through it. You know what? You have no idea how lonely I feel. You're there but you're never really there."

Zeke frowned. Throbbing pains started to spread behind his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you mad at me, Tyler? Deep down? You knew what happened but you never told me. Come on. It's time to man up and be honest with me. I can take it. I'm strong. I don't need you to protect me."

Now his head spun for real. "Casey, I swear I have no idea what you're on about. It's not a matter of wanting to protect you or not--though if you must ask, I will always do that because...because I love you, Casey."

Casey blinked. His eyes turned bright with tears. When he spoke again, his voice choked. "Really? Do you swear to still love me after I tell you what happened?"

Doubt was never in Zeke's repertoire, least of all about Casey. "You know I do," he said quietly.

Casey took a deep breath. For a hopeful second, Zeke thought he was going to crumple the blanket and put it down on the bed. But that was not the case.

"I killed him. Our baby. I killed our baby."

The world whitened out for a split second. Then Zeke found himself able to breathe again. "What do you mean?" He wheezed.

"You really don't know? The cops didn't tell you?"

"You didn't tell me," Zeke said quietly.

"I thought they would." His eyes suddenly went feral. "And now you can't stand the sight of me. You must want me to leave."

Zeke felt the coming of his growl inside his throat. "How do you know that? Don't put words in my mouth."

Casey shrunk back and there was a small part in Zeke that cheered. At least Casey could still think. In fact, he'd looked normal the past fifteen minutes or so during their conversation, aside from the thing inside the blanket he still couldn't let go.

"I'm sorry," Zeke said. "And forgive me if I say you're ten times more precious to me than any babies in the world."

Casey's eyes widened.

"I'm not saying I don't feel sorry about what happened, but we can try again, Casey. Now, would you give me the blanket?"

"The baby." Casey hesitated as he gestured at the blanket. "We've got it, Zeke. You want to hold him?"

Zeke huffed. "How many times do I have to tell you, that baby is only in your mind?"

Casey looked confused. "And why do you keep saying that?" He glanced at the bundle. "Stevie is really here. Look, he's smiling at me." He then made as if he played with the baby's hands. Zeke felt sick. Clearly his boyfriend wasn't as mentally sound as he thought.

That's it, Zeke thought. I'm getting out of here. He snapped his thumb toward the front door. "I, uh. I have to go for a bit. See you, Case." He took off before Casey could say anything. Zeke unlocked the door, opened it, and he cried out when the door handle slipped out of his hand and the door slammed back closed with a loud thud. Zeke leapt backward, his heart pounding hard.

"Casey!" He whirled around. "Did you do that?"

Behind him, Casey was as white as a sheet. "W-what happened?"

***

"You tell me," Zeke shouted. "The door slammed back closed by itself. Or someone--something--did it."

Casey shook his head. Something did it? "I-I don't understand..." He slowly looked down at Stevie like he wasn't aware of doing it. His head swam, and the sight that welcomed him twisted a knot in his stomach. "Z-Zeke?"

"What is it?"

Casey gaped. He couldn't fathom what was happening. Stevie was staring at him with eyes that didn't look right. Casey couldn't tell what was different until he realized. It wasn't a baby's eyes that stared back at him. It was an adult's. Casey gasped and pulled back. He was no longer holding Stevie close to him.

"Casey, what's wrong?" Vaguely he heard Zeke calling at him but he couldn't look away from the baby.

The baby who was no longer a baby smirked menacingly at Casey and slowly, very slowly, stretched taller and taller. Casey snapped and hurled the blanket away. He gaped at the shape forming into a full man before him, thick, sturdy man, and much taller than Zeke, and fully naked.

The man advanced toward Casey, pushing him back until Casey hit the wall. "Get away. What do you want from me?"

"Case, what's going on?"

Casey heard Zeke shout but he couldn't see him, blocked by the dark shape in front of him. "Zeke! This-this person. I don't know what he wants."

"What person?"

"What?"

"I don't see anyone. Are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine but--" Casey's words were cut out in a yelp as long, meaty fingers suddenly caught him by his throat. Casey grabbed the man's wrists and pushed them hard. The man was much stronger, though. His grip around Casey's neck tightened and he pressed into Casey's throat with his thumb, cutting out Casey's breath. Casey wheezed and clawed at the man wildly, his jaw going slack.

"Z-zeke, help..." His voice weakened, his chest was ready to burst, and dark spots began to appear in his line of sight.

"Casey, hang on there."

Casey struggled to stay awake and caught sight of Zeke as he ran to the back and came back with the iron poker from the fireplace. With his muddled mind, Casey couldn't guess what Zeke might do with that. The man holding Casey against his will was too sturdy, too strong. He could simply swat off a tiny stick like that.

Zeke lifted the iron above his head, and the next thing that happened made Casey’s skin crawl. Zeke swung the iron post as hard as he could toward the man's head, but at exactly the same time, the man spun around, as if he'd known from the beginning that Zeke was behind him. He waved his arm, flicked his wrist, and flung Zeke across the room.

The absence of the hand around his neck meant nothing was supporting him and Casey slid down along the wall and slumped on the floor. But he still saw how Zeke flew in the air and crashed into the book shelf with double glass cover. The cracking sounds of the glass were deafening and Casey covered his head with both arms as he flattened himself on the floor.

When things calmed down, Casey slowly looked up. "Zeke?" he whispered, afraid his attacker would hear him and decide to finish his job.

But that was the thing. Casey shouldn't have worried because the man was nowhere in sight. Huh. Casey arched an eyebrow and swept his gaze around just to make sure. No, he couldn't find him anywhere, and the door was still clasped shut. What's going on?

"Come on, come on." Zeke was suddenly above him, reaching out a hand at Casey.

"Are you okay--Zeke, your head. It's bleeding." Casey rose to his feet and touched Zeke's temple.

Zeke opened his mouth but no words had come out of it when Casey suddenly found himself snatched from the back.

Casey yelped. His attacker was invisible now. Casey couldn't move as his arms were locked to his sides and he had no way of knowing what the man was going to do next. The spirit--Casey didn't know what else to call him--was very strong. Casey twisted and turned but he was still tightly trapped.

"Zeke..." He was close to embarrassing himself by breaking apart right there but Casey didn't know what to do and he didn't know what was going on. He'd mysteriously got a baby, only to have it turned into a monster. Casey squeaked when long, thick fingers crept down to his crotch and started kneading him through his pants. Casey whimpered.

"Oh God." Zeke stared at him unblinking but he seemed to be just as confused. "What's going on? What has he done to you?"

He looked around before he stopped and stared at a point on the floor. Casey followed his eyes and he blinked. The blanket. What was he going to do with that? Zeke picked the iron poker he dropped when he was crashed into the cabinet earlier, and smashed it to the blanket.

To Casey's surprise, the violating hand released him. Zeke resumed the beating and hit it over and over. Casey heard groaning noises and found himself free. He dashed over to Zeke and grabbed his arm.

"Don't, Case. I still have to finish this."

But Casey wouldn't let Zeke go if he could help it. He clung to him like his life depended on it. Maybe it did.

A loud, roaring sound, like one of an angry beast, reverberated across the room. Zeke beat the blanket tirelessly and Casey now clutched at the tail of Zeke's shirt. "What is that sound?" He couldn't hold his voice from shaking.

"Whatever was attacking you," said Zeke in between his labored breaths.

Casey swallowed. "It, it was a big man."

"What's he like? Can you see him now?"

"He's just...very big and strong, and naked. I can't see him anywhere now. What--you can't see him?"

"No."

Realization dawned in Casey. "Just like you couldn't see the baby."

"Exactly."

"But you weaken him by smashing the blanket?"

"I still don't know." Zeke shrugged while never lessening his punishment. He must be exhausted, Casey thought. "I just know it works. It doesn't kill him, though."

"I can help you." As his fear subsided, Casey felt he had to do something. "You must be tired. Let me get a broom or something." He was about to go find a tool when Zeke caught his arm.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I was thinking...this is enough for now, as long as I keep doing it. We have to find a way to get rid of him permanently." Then Zeke fell silent for quite a while it made Casey impatient.

"What? What should we do?"

"A moment. Let me think." Some seconds passed before Zeke spoke again. "Casey, get me my Zippo."

Casey moved, unthinking, but he halted half way. "No, I won't let you burn the blanket."

"Case, it's evil," Zeke cried out. "It's possessed by a mean spirit."

"I don't mean to stop you from burning the evil spirit," Casey implored, desperate. "But you can't burn it inside here. You'll burn the entire building."

"Then take the trash can from the kitchen while you are at it. It's made of metal, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I go get them now." Casey moved to run but Zeke grabbed his wrist again. "What now?"

Zeke met his eyes and smiled. "I love you."

That made Casey's heart clench. "I love you, too." He felt like crying.

Zeke nodded. "We can do it."

When Casey returned with the trash can and Zippo, Zeke immediately set the blanket into the can and lit the fire. It soon caught fire, but suddenly, the roaring sound came again, but this time it was choked with so much pain. Casey ached hearing it, but the monster had to go.

It didn’t take long and everything was gone, including the remains of the blanket. Casey almost didn't trust his own eyes but nothing was left inside the trash can but a smear of black soot at the bottom. The apartment was deadly quiet after all the noise and excitement. Casey turned to Zeke as his knees suddenly gave and he didn't remember anything anymore.

***

"Are you okay?"

Casey nodded. Zeke sighed in relief. The night before when Casey collapsed in his hands, Zeke had been beside himself with worry. When he'd learned later on that Casey had fallen asleep instead of passing out, Zeke could finally breathe again. The encounter with the evil spirit, not to mention the unexpected presence of a baby, had obviously taken its toll on Casey.

They got into Zeke's car, not his GTO from ten years ago, but the newest in the series of Chevy Camaro. Zeke drove carefully, just meeting the city's speed limit. Neither of them said anything. Casey gazed through the passenger's window. Zeke wondered where his mind had wandered to.

They had agreed to visit a church in their neighborhood to talk to the priest there. What had happened the previous night was too...bizarre for them to make anything out of it. They needed someone to tell them that they had done the right and that it would never happen again.

"Mr. Tyler, Mr. Connor, please come in." An elderly priest, Father Jacobson, met them halfway inside the church. He shook Zeke's and Casey's hand. "This way." He led them to his office.

"So, Mr. Tyler, based on what you told me last night, or rather, this morning--"

A gasping sound interrupted them. Casey. Zeke sighed. He didn't tell him he had gotten busy when his boyfriend was out. Zeke told him this morning they were going to the church but Zeke didn't say that he'd indeed talked to the priest.

"I'm sorry," Zeke said. "I hope you don't mind I talked to the priest, Casey. I thought he could help and it would be better if I shared with him before we came here." Zeke turned. "Excuse me, Father, I have to admit I was...freaked last night. I have never experienced anything like it. I didn't know what to do. I was so relieved when what I did worked."

"It's all right. It’s good that we talked earlier. It gave me some time to think also. Well." Father Jacobson glanced at him and Casey. "Contrary to the belief, we priests don't get to deal with problems concerning spirits or possession as often as what's being depicted in movies. I'm not saying those kinds of cases are not common. It's just maybe the cry for help seldom reaches us."

"Are they embarrassed or something?" Zeke asked.

"Perhaps. We can't know for sure. We all have our reasons."

Zeke nodded. "So in our case, my suspicion started when Casey kept talking about the baby while what I saw was just the bundle of blanket."

Next to him, Casey dipped his head down so deep. Zeke squeezed his hand.

"The blanket you burned later."

"Yes."

Father Jacobson faced Casey. "Mr. Connor, can you tell me a little bit about the blanket?"

"Well." Casey hesitated. He glanced at Zeke, and Zeke smiled, reassuringly. "When Evelyn, our surrogate mother, was pregnant, she always carried the blanket around with her, to the hospital, our home, anywhere. I remember she also had it with her the night of the accident and-and I held it for a while." Casey's voice broke at the last word but he didn't cry. Zeke gave him a tight, one-arm hug.

Casey smiled at him before he continued. "That was the last time I saw that blanket at least not until yesterday. I didn't know if Evelyn still had it or not. But...yeah, that's it. I think I have nothing else to add."

Father Jacobson nodded. "All right. By the way, I heard about what happened to the surrogate and--your baby. I'm very sorry and deeply sad for you."

"Thank you. That's a very kind of you." Casey pressed the heel of his hand into one eye but still no tears came out into neither of them.

Zeke wished he could offer more than a hug to comfort Casey but he had nothing. Feeling hopeless, he turned to Father Jacobson and another thought crossed his mind. The father had listened to Casey talking about Evelyn being a surrogate mother and he was also fully aware of Zeke and Casey being partners. Yet he never said anything short of condemning them. He was nothing but understanding and comforting. That was at least something Zeke could be thankful for.

"So, who brought the blanket back to our apartment, Father?" Zeke asked.

Father Jacobson sighed and sat back in his high-backed leather chair across the table. "I have suspicions but I can't know for sure, especially now that both the blanket and the spirit are gone."

Zeke leaned forward, his interest peaked, and he noticed Casey did the same. But the father carried on as if he didn't notice any of those.

"I had my doubts when you said it was a baby. Babies are pure beings. They go straight to heaven when they die. It doesn't matter how, their spirits will not linger and haunt you. I felt more certain when the baby turned into a man. Now." Father Jacobson switched his gaze back and forth between Zeke and Casey. "The blanket wasn't yours, I guess?"

Casey shook his head at once.

"No," Zeke replied. "It was Evelyn's. She always carried it with her."

"I see." The father looked pensive. He looked pointedly at Casey. "You said she survived the accident. Maybe you should go ask her. I suspect it was her family's old blanket. Perhaps there's a bleak history about it that can help us."

Casey's eyes widened. "You can't ask me to do that."

"What? Why not?"

Zeke felt exactly like how he thought the father did. His head whirled so fast to Casey he went dizzy. "Casey?"

Tears were brimming in Casey's eyes. "I can't even make myself face her again. I killed her baby." He half shouted in Zeke's face. "Oh, I know she was going to give it away for adoption, but giving it away is not the same with completely losing it. And I am, I am who's to blame for it."

Zeke was completely stunned with the sudden outburst. It took him a beat before he reached out for Casey.

But it was a beat too long. Casey jumped to his feet. "See? You too are thinking the same." He went to the door.

"What? No." Zeke caught Casey in a heartbeat. "I don't blame you. I never did. We talked about this, right? Look, if you don't want to meet Evelyn, I won't make you. It's only a suggestion after all. Right, Father?" Zeke turned to the priest, pleading for a support. He sighed in relief when the man nodded.

"That's right. I suggested you go to her to find some answers about the attack you had to experience. It was over, so I don't see nothing's wrong if you decide not to go. Your reason is totally understandable."

"And I agree with him." Zeke hugged Casey tightly. It broke his heart a little when Casey didn't resist a bit. He clung to Zeke and Zeke was only too happy to give Casey anything he needed. "Do you want to go home? I think we've got the answer we need." Zeke felt Casey nod slowly on his shoulder.

"Okay." Zeke pulled back a little but didn't let go of Casey, and addressed Father Jacobson, who was rising from his chair and went to them. "Thank you very much for listening to us, Father. Thanks for your help."

Father Jacobson grabbed Zeke's hand and shook it heartily. "Anytime, son. You too." He took Casey's. "Do not hesitate to come over if you need anything. Do you hear me?"

"Yes. Sorry." He sounded small and hesitant.

"There is nothing to be sorry about."

Zeke nodded at him and with a gentle squeeze at Casey's shoulder, he led him out of the priest's office. If only they could be home in a snap of a finger. There was nothing more he wanted to do at the moment than to cuddle up with Casey under their warm blanket, not that wicked one, in their big and cozy bed.

They ended up making love, long and slow, after they returned from the church. Zeke savored the sensation of having Casey's naked, damp body entwined with his own. It was like the over-sensitized nerve ends on his skin were awakened as they made contact with the soft and not-so-soft hair on his partner's milky-toned complexion.

Zeke took in everything, Casey's vibrating body and tears. But unlike the last couple of days, these didn't come from stress and misery. His shaking and crying this time were more from desire, and Zeke preferred it that way. Zeke coiled his fingers round Casey's back, pressing him closer to him if that was possible.

"I'll talk to Evelyn." Casey's voice came to him like a thin breeze of air.

"What?" Zeke asked although he heard it before. He just wanted to make sure.

Casey looked up and nuzzled his nose into Zeke's throat. "We should visit her. I will ask her everything."

"Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yeah." Casey sighed. "Or I won't find closure to any of this. I have to ask for her apology."

"You did that, right? Besides, I have to tell you this again, it was an accident. No one, I said, no one wanted to lose the baby."

Casey shook in his arms and Zeke knew he was crying again.

"Ssh, it's okay. It's going to be all right. Believe me."

Casey swallowed a sob. "Yes, okay. I believe you."

***

Epilogue

"Hey, Zeke, what's up, man?" Dave high-fived and Zeke gave him back.

Casey looked up from his desk and he was sure if he smiled any wider, he'd split his face. He floated up to Zeke and gave a small kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

"Hey," he greeted softly and looked down. "You're here full force," he said as he kissed Evelyn's cheek and brought Liam up to do the same before lowering him down. Liam immediately clung to Casey’s leg.

"Case, are you going to cover another gymnastics championship?" Dave asked.

Casey laughed. "Uh, no. We're going to have dinner. By the way, I'd like you to meet Evelyn and Liam."

They'd met Evelyn before but an almost two-year-old Liam was a new addition to the family.

"Aww, so this is Liam?" Another colleague knelt down in front of Liam and ruffled his hair. Liam recoiled and hugged Casey's leg more tightly.

Casey laughed. "He's a little shy." He bent down. "Come on, Liam. Meet Papa's friends. The other day you met Daddy's, right?" Liam nodded slowly. Casey smiled as he straightened up. "Liam is Evelyn's nephew." He toned down his voice when he continued, "Both of his parents were lost in a car accident. Zeke and I were very grateful when we were allowed to adopt him."

Dave nodded to him and Zeke. "That was good for you."

"Yeah." Zeke squeezed Casey's shoulder and kissed the top of his head.

Dave groaned.

"What?"

"Must you do that again, making us all green with envy?"

They all laughed. Casey lifted Liam up and smooched his soft cheek. His life was complete now but he didn't mean to make others jealous. Honestly.

The End