Fifty Shades Of Love [On Hold]

Chapter Twenty-Five

I park out front of the Dek house, not surprised to see people moving around inside. I get out, leaving my bag behind, and go up to the house, knocking on the front door.

Kaitlyn answers and smiles brightly at me.

"Emily Rose and Benjamin Anthony" she says, smiling. "I like those names."

I feel my eyes widen and I stare at the four-year-old in shock. What the hell is going on? Am I still dreaming?

Katie appears behind Kaitlyn and frowns when she sees me. "Come on in" she says, her gaze turning to Kaitlyn.

"She's seen them" Kaitlyn says as I close the front door. "The spirits."

Katie's eyes widen and she glances over at me.

"Have you seen a turning?" she asks me.

"So it wasn't a dream?" I ask, my voice quiet and breathy.

Katie sighs and pulls Kaitlyn and me into the lounge room. Andrew looks up and his face breaks into a huge smile when he sees me.

"I guess we can drop the act now" Katie mutters.

The kids laugh and smile, their angelic faces lighting up brightly.

"We're glad you can finally join us" Andrew says perfectly, his lisp still present but not as bad as I thought it had been. "I like the names too."

"I especially like the girl name" Kaitlyn says.

I stare at the three of them in horror.

"Yeah, I know" Katie says sadly. "That's how I reacted when I first found out too. You'll get used to it eventually. You have to or the twins'll end up like Kellie apparently is."

"I am so freaked out right now" I murmur.

"All of you are" Kaitlyn says, sitting on the couch.

"You always freak out until you learn to accept it" Andrew adds. "Which is easier for some than others."

"Sadly, the one who had the easiest time accepting it ended up letting her daughter be tainted by the darkness" Kaitlyn adds.

"You'll have as much fun with this as I did" Katie sighs, sitting beside Kaitlyn. "Maybe you should sit down. You look like you're going to collapse."

"I feel it" I murmur, falling onto the couch. "How do you believe this stuff?"

"I had no choice but to believe it once I met Kaitlyn and Andrew was born" Katie admits. "Honestly, I'm still only just getting used to it. It's tough, believe me."

"That's why we pretended to be normal kids" Andrew says. "So you could get used to us before you found out about this."

"Are you going to leave us?" Kaitlyn asks quietly.

I think abut that, trying to force some coherent thoughts through the babble of chaos in my mind.

"No honey" I say, forcing myself to look at her. "I don't think I can leave you, even like this."

"A true Dek" Andrew says proudly. 

"No one other than a Dek child can do what we do" Kaitlyn says.

"Spirit child" he corrects her.

"We can't exactly say spirit to anyone though" she points out. "That just doesn't work."

"We still have to be accurate" he points out.

"Not precise for all situations" she insists.

"Yah" he says in a kiddy-fight tone.

"Nah" she says, her tone the same.

"Yah" he repeats.

"Nah" she repeats.

"Don't fight" Katie says. "Get ready to go. I'm going to leave you with Sophie again."

"Sophie's awesome" Kaitlyn says, smiling happily, her fight with her half brother temporarily forgotten.

Andrew leaves the room and Kaitlyn follows him after a smile and a glance at me. Katie waits until they're out of earshot before saying anything.

"They're assessing you" she tells me.

"Assessing me?" I ask her.

"They're getting reads on the twins and making sure you're pure enough and strong enough to turn them light" Katie says. "None of them want to turn dark. According to what I've found about her, even Kellie works to be light even though she's dark."

"How is this so easy for you?" I ask in horror.

"It's not" she sighs. "It's impossibly hard. Susie had time to get used to it too and even she has trouble handling this now. I know how hard this is going to be for you, Phoebe, but you have to try. You have no choice."

"There has to be a way" I insist. "For them to be normal."

"Don't start thinking like that" she says desperately. "That's what Kellie's mother thought and that's what the girl between Susie and me thought. Honestly, it's like Derek has a gift. Making kids like this isn't natural."

"You're telling me" I scoff.

She pats my leg and sighs, standing up.

"I have to drop the kids off with Sophie" she says.

I nod and stand too. "I should get to school" I murmur.

"You're not coming with us?" Katie asks me.

I shake my head and start towards the door. I find Kaitlyn in the hall, listening to something. Katie follows me out and pauses when she sees our stepdaughter.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Mommy's still not here" she says quietly, looking up. "Where's my Mommy?" Her voice fell, sounding like a sad toddler who was about to cry. "Why did she leave me?"

"Sweetheart, she'll be back" Katie says, going over to her and hugging Kaitlyn tightly.

"But why did she leave?" Kaitlyn asks sadly.

"I don't know, baby, I don't know" Katie says softly, holding the child close.

"It's okay, Kaitlyn" Andrew says, appearing in the hall. "She'll be back. She can't leave us. You know that."

"She's lapsed" Katie says quietly. "Give her a moment."

I stood there, watching them. I'm so confused, but that's already beginning to seem normal even though it's only been a few hours. After a few minutes, Kaitlyn seems to regain her senses. She steps away from Katie and frowns, an embarrassed blush covering her pale cheeks.

"I hate when that happens" she mutters.

"We understand" Andrew says comfortingly.

Kaitlyn looks up and blushes even more when she sees that I'm still frozen in the hallway.

"Even more embarrassing" she whispers.

"I need to go" I say quietly, escaping the house.

I run for the car and jump in, driving away from the confusing, unbelievable hidden world of The Dek Trek, a huge part that I would never have guessed.

How's Phoebe going to handle this? Will her family find our what her twins will be able to do? When will she experience a turning again? Can the spirit children communicate before they're born? How did Kaitlyn know what the twins' names are?