Chapter 2
Two months later and Alyss was lying down on the couch with her head resting in Will's lap. He gently stroked her hair as they talked about the newborn they would have soon and watched the fire.
'We still have to pick names,' she reminded him softly, unwilling to completely break the soft silence of the room.
'Well, what names do you like?' he asked and they both sunk into deep thought.
'I think we should name it after Pauline for a girl and Halt for a little boy. I don't know anyone else who has changed our lives as much as they,' she said and Will agreed.
'Well, then we don't need to think about that anymore. Who will be the god parents?'
'Horace and Cassandra?' Alyss asked. 'They are our best friends.'
'And maybe, when we consider more, Gilan and Jenny will have a turn,' Will replied and lent down to kiss her. He froze an inch off her lips though when he heard something out of the normal.
'What's wrong?' Alyss asked silently. Will continued to bluff.
'And Halt and Pauline will have to be grandparents,' Will said and then bent down a bit further to whisper in her ear that he had heard something. 'You look half asleep, why don't you go to sleep?'
'I won't wake up again until morning,' Alyss half protested back.
'And if you don't get enough sleep, you will be grumpy. Remember, Halt and Pauline are going to be paying us a visit tomorrow,' he said back and then they both jumped as they heard the rather familiar noise of a certain Ranger falling up some stairs.
'Why am I never able to go up them?' they heard the culprit ask.
'Because there is obviously something wrong with you!' they heard Halt snap back and then knock on their door.
Alyss slowly got up to answer the door and Will went to go and get coffee.
'Halt! Gilan! Crowley!' he heard his wife exclaim. 'What are you doing here?' she asked them.
'Business,' Will heard Crowley say sharply and then walk in.
'Haven't you ever heard of a reasonable hour?' Will asked, pretending to be annoyed and failing. Alyss took a seat at the table and the others soon followed.
'So, why are you all here at this evil time in the night?' Will asked and gave into the yawn that had arisen.
'Something has come up,' Crowley said. He was the only one who wasn't joking or trying to stay awake in the small gathering.
'Why are you so solemn all of a sudden?' Will asked and looked at the others. They were huddled around their cups of coffee, trying to use them to stay awake.
'Because this is serious,' he replied and tried to bring the topic back to what they were there for.
'You're just jealous that you don't have a wife to go back home to,' Halt just said to him. It was more like he had said it into his cup, Halt was that far into it.
'You're right. Now can we get back to the right topic again?' Crowley asked but continued anyway.
'A war has broken out again,' He said.
'We still have to pick names,' she reminded him softly, unwilling to completely break the soft silence of the room.
'Well, what names do you like?' he asked and they both sunk into deep thought.
'I think we should name it after Pauline for a girl and Halt for a little boy. I don't know anyone else who has changed our lives as much as they,' she said and Will agreed.
'Well, then we don't need to think about that anymore. Who will be the god parents?'
'Horace and Cassandra?' Alyss asked. 'They are our best friends.'
'And maybe, when we consider more, Gilan and Jenny will have a turn,' Will replied and lent down to kiss her. He froze an inch off her lips though when he heard something out of the normal.
'What's wrong?' Alyss asked silently. Will continued to bluff.
'And Halt and Pauline will have to be grandparents,' Will said and then bent down a bit further to whisper in her ear that he had heard something. 'You look half asleep, why don't you go to sleep?'
'I won't wake up again until morning,' Alyss half protested back.
'And if you don't get enough sleep, you will be grumpy. Remember, Halt and Pauline are going to be paying us a visit tomorrow,' he said back and then they both jumped as they heard the rather familiar noise of a certain Ranger falling up some stairs.
'Why am I never able to go up them?' they heard the culprit ask.
'Because there is obviously something wrong with you!' they heard Halt snap back and then knock on their door.
Alyss slowly got up to answer the door and Will went to go and get coffee.
'Halt! Gilan! Crowley!' he heard his wife exclaim. 'What are you doing here?' she asked them.
'Business,' Will heard Crowley say sharply and then walk in.
'Haven't you ever heard of a reasonable hour?' Will asked, pretending to be annoyed and failing. Alyss took a seat at the table and the others soon followed.
'So, why are you all here at this evil time in the night?' Will asked and gave into the yawn that had arisen.
'Something has come up,' Crowley said. He was the only one who wasn't joking or trying to stay awake in the small gathering.
'Why are you so solemn all of a sudden?' Will asked and looked at the others. They were huddled around their cups of coffee, trying to use them to stay awake.
'Because this is serious,' he replied and tried to bring the topic back to what they were there for.
'You're just jealous that you don't have a wife to go back home to,' Halt just said to him. It was more like he had said it into his cup, Halt was that far into it.
'You're right. Now can we get back to the right topic again?' Crowley asked but continued anyway.
'A war has broken out again,' He said.