Sparks Flying - A Ranger's Apprentice Story

Chapter Sixteen

"Are you sure you'll be alright while we're gone?" Will asked yet again, searching his wife's eyes worriedly. "Because we can always stay back. Or Halt can take Maddie."

Alyss rolled her eyes, pushing her husband away gently. "For the last time, go already!" she told him. "I'll be fine, I promise. It's the Gathering; you can't miss it! And you can't let Maddie go without you. She needs you there for her assessment."

Will sighed. "I know. I just really don't want to leave you here by yourself."

"I won't be alone," Alyss pointed out. "I have Sable. And Pauline will come out and check up on me."

Will leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. "I know," he said again. "I just worry, that's all."

"You're such a worrywart," Alyss teased, returning the kiss. 

"You wouldn't have me any other way," Will told her fondly. He captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Maddie shouted from across the clearing. "Halt's here!"

"Ew, gross! Public displays of affection!" Halt chimed in.

Will and Alyss broke apart, smiling at each other. Will wrapped his arms around his heavily pregnant wife's waist one more time.

"Now, remember, message pigeon me if ANYTHING happens," Will reminded her.

"I know, I KNOW," Alyss said, pushing Will towards the edge of the porch. "Now GO! I'll see you in a week!"

"Love you too!" Will called over his shoulder. His smile matched Alyss's perfectly as he swung up into Tug's saddle.

"Finally!" Maddie sighed. "I was beginning to think we'd never get going!" Then she turned around in the saddle one last time to wave and holler goodbye to Alyss before the little cabin disappeared beyond the first bend in the path.

In spite of his ingrained worry about Alyss, Will felt his shoulders relax as the three Rangers broke out of the trees and turned onto the main road. It was a warm late-spring day, and he felt his spirits lift with the sunshine and the wind and the fresh air. 

Beside him, Maddie broke into a grin. "This is my favorite time of the entire year," she said.

"Aside from your birthday, and Yuletide?" Will teased.

"Yep," Maddie said, decidedly unrepentant.

"Just think," Halt told Maddie, "in a few weeks' time, you'll have a little god-sibling."

Maddie shivered with delight. "I can't wait!" she exclaimed.

"Me, neither," Will said emphatically. Aside from the fact that he couldn't wait to meet his child, he couldn't wait to be done worrying about Alyss.

Halt smirked. "I can't wait to have a baby grandchild. I'll teach him or her all the bad words I know in Hibernian, slip him or her sugar right before bedtime..."

Will glared at him. "You are NEVER babysitting my child," he said.

Halt rolled his eyes. "Will, do you seriously think Pauline would let me anywhere near a child of yours if I had anything like that in mind?"

"Well...no," Will admitted. "But I'm not leaving you alone, unsupervised, with my baby! Ever! Until my child is forty-five and able to deal with your ridiculousness."

"Ridiculous?" Halt snorted with wounded dignity. "Me?"

"Ridiculous," Will returned firmly. "You."

"Will, I am wounded!" Halt said dramatically. "It hurts my heart to hear you call me ridiculous! Me, who raised you from childhood and saved you from a career in farming, a fate worse than death!"