A Lifetime Ago

Chapter 26

(20 years old - Mid-Early December 9M)

Daphne had a huge grin on her face as she entered the room along with a few others from the medical staff. I couldn't help but smile a little myself. I was nervous, yet also excited. Today was the day I'd get to hold my little girl in my arms, even though I had never wanted or expected children, I was still bursting with joy. The plan seemed way too easy and I knew something would go wrong at some point, it always did. I'd told Rosalind that this was nothing more than a prenatal check up and she had let me leave without a fight which was shocking.

"You're sure this is safe?" I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves.

"I wouldn't have proposed it if it wasn't and given your situation probably our best solution." Daphne replied, while preparing some meds in a syringe.

She injected them into the IV then headed for the door. "I'll check back in a bit." she called back before leaving the room.

I busied myself with reading one of the books I'd brought with me trying not to think or worry. I wanted so badly to call Saul, but didn't want to have to worry about explaining everything to him along with all the questions I knew he'd have. Besides, he would never get past Rosalind. I also couldn't call Rose either as she had now joined the battalion as well. I was on my own for now.

I was glad I'd let Daphne talk me into an epidural because even with it, the pain was almost unbearable.

"Almost there Farah, you're doing amazing." Daphne said, trying to offer support.

A nurse came in and quickly whispered something to Daphne then listened to her reply before leaving. I picked up a hint of fear from Daphne but she quickly swept it under the carpet.

A bit more of that awful torture and I finally heard the small cries of my darling baby girl. Daphne took her to a small set up in the corner to make sure all was well with her. I couldn't really get a good view of her from my place on the bed but I kept my eyes on the two of them. The door opened abruptly and I quickly snapped my glance over to the open door. The same nurse from earlier stood just inside the room, her expression inhumanly plain.

"You have a visitor Ms Dowling." She said, and that was when she caught Daphne's attention.

"Ava," She hissed, "What did I say earlier? No visitors."

The nurse left the room and in exchange Rosalind entered. Daphne moved herself in front of the small bassinet where my daughter lay, instantly alert of the situation. I was in shock and unsure of what events were going to unfold here.

"Sorry dear, private matters." Rosalind said, snapping her fingers.

Daphne dropped to the floor like a ragdoll and my shock was now accompanied by fear. Luckily I could see the rise and fall of her chest so I knew she wasn't dead. Rosalind approached the bassinet scooping up my daughter into her arms. I knew why she was here, what she wanted and most importantly what she was going to do. Once again I was one of Rosalind's puppets and I had been too blind to see it.

"Rosalind please." I pleaded, my voice hoarse and tears pricking at my eyes. Visions of what I'd once witnessed coming back to me, Rosalind's experiments on young, powerful children. Trying to transfer old ancient powers into them. I'd once read a study about it that had been disbanded. It was very dangerous and Rosalind had obviously never read the paper as she kept crossing over powers trying to give a water fairy earth powers which would never work. Rosalind's trials always ended in death.

"She has his eyes." Rosalind said, ignoring me and instead looking over my daughter.

"She's too young," I continued to try to reason with her. "I don't even know if she inherited any magic." My voice was now trembling.

Rosalind continued to ignore me and instead headed towards the door of my hospital room.

"No! Rosalind please! Rosalind!" I screamed after her as she left the room, shutting the door behind her. The tears were now rolling down my face like waterfalls.

My heart ached knowing I'd most likely never see my little girl again. I never even got to hold her, name her, let her know she is loved.

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(20 years old - Christmas)

It was Christmas Eve, and we had been given another leave, which I feared would be our last for a while with Luna returning to power. Saul and I had decided to spend it at the Harvey's. I sat on the couch, Sam beside me with his head leaned against my shoulder and Terra laying across the couch with her head resting in my lap, boy had she gotten big. I stared off in space trying not to let the event of a few weeks ago circle my thoughts while the two children beside me watched The Nightmare Before Christmas and the others in the next room wrapped up their gifts for tomorrow morning.

When I'd first left the hospital I'd been racked with guilt about not being able to do more, but nothing I do will bring my little girl back and we're still in the middle of a war. With those in mind, I decided it would be best to leave that sorrow in the past and look towards the future. I didn't tell anyone, and I couldn't tell Saul.

The movie ended, it was getting late and I wasn't sure if they finished things up in the other room, so I decided to get these two to bed. I got them into their pj's and got their teeth brushed, and of course I had to read each of them a separate bedtime story.

After all that I was exhausted, which seemed to be a common theme lately. So I went to bed, and surprisingly fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

"Auntie Farah" I heard a whisper from beside the bed. I opened my eyes slightly, my head still groggy, to see which one of the Harvey children was there. I caught a glance of Sam then closed my eyes again, I curled up more into Saul, whose hands were wrapped tightly around my midsection, hoping to not have to get up.

"Yes darling?" I asked Sam, yawning.

"I can't go back to sleep and the presents Santa left are so tempting." Sam pleaded. "Can you please come sit with me?"

I couldn't help smiling slightly as I finally gave up on the idea of more sleep and extricated myself from Saul's embrace.

I sat at the kitchen table watching Sam as he watched the last drips drop from the coffee maker. As a compensation for me getting up before the sun he'd offered to brew a pot.

"I can't wait until you and uncle Saul get married." He blurted out and I was taken aback. He pulled the coffee pot from the coffee maker and with much difficulty poured it into a mug then brought it over to the table where I sat. "Would I get to be the ring boy?"

"Of course buddy." I replied, offering him a warm and reassuring smile.

I hadn't even thought about that in a while, so it caught me by surprise when Sam brought it up. It really made me think about us for a minute. About how flawed our relationship really is beneath the surface, how many important truths I'd kept from him...

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AN- Ik! It's a very depressing chapter, but I managed to slide a teeny bit of silrah fluff in there!