Lex Învieria

Children Mackinney

"Now no body fully get your hopes up, we have not tested it on a human." I said wiping at my eyes.

"No but with those results sweetling, the odds are high." Lola said coming out of Conner's room settling her dress in place.

I looked at Conner who blushed. "I will explain later." He said holding up his hands.

"Maxwell put Abby on the table please." I said. Lola filled a syringe from a jar and handed it to me.

"You know the drill baby girl." I said smiling at her.

"Think happy thoughts." She said with a smile. I nodded and eased the needle into the vein. I took a deep breath and depress the plunger. Almost instantly I saw the changes begin. The pale skin became peach colored. At first it was slow until it disappear under her dress, then suddenly she took a long deep breath as the color returned to the rest of her. I held my breath, we had gotten this close before. I counted the seconds, then the minutes. I felt Del's hand grab mine and squeeze. I watched her slowly sit up and look at me. There were tears in her eyes.

"Mother...I can feel my legs again." I rushed her her and hugged her hard. After so many years and so many failures, it had finally worked. My children were whole once more.

"Del go get the others." I said before kissing Abby all over her face. I helped her down to the and she took her first steps since the fateful day so long ago. My legs would not hold me any more and I sat down hard tears once more flowing down my cheeks as I laughed.

"Mother..." I looked up to see Maxwell standing above me.

"Oh Max...hold on and I will get you..."

"No Mother, I will stay as I am..." 

I stood shocked, "Why Maxwell? We have worked so long to get to this?"

"I have become accustomed to being like this, they are still young and can readjust to their new way of being."

"You can adjust! You did just fine before!" I said grabbing his hands. "You do not deserve to live like this my precious boy."

"It is not that I do not deserve to be this...It is that in this way I can always be their guardian. Never tiring, never sleeping. I will always be by their side guarding them." He said with a rare smile.

"But Max..." I said sadly.

"It is ok Mother, I have thought about it a long time. I have watched them for so long, and I will continue to do so." he said with a soft chuckle.

"Promise me that if you change your mind, you will tell me." I said placing my hand over his heart.

"I swear Mother." He  said pulling me into a hug.

I heard the other children and Del coming down the stairs and I wiped my face and eyes. I turned and said, "are you all ready?"

We spent the next hour injecting the children, checking their vitals and making sure they could move correctly.

I felt someone tug at my dress and looked to see Abby. "Mother, why is Max not taking the shot?"

"Well Maxwell has decided to stay the way he is so he can always be all of your guardians." I said with a sad smile. "He said that it would be an honor to do so." 

"Is that true?" Abby asked Max and he nodded smiling. The children streamed past me and hugged him around his legs. I smiled at the scene knowing that the children would always be in good hands. Del came hopping down stairs with and arm full of clothes.

"Children! I got you new clothes!" She said dancing around. It was then it hit me, she loved kids. How long had she kept that hidden?

"Alright girls in one room boys in the other ok?" I said as they picked the clothes out. "No fighting, these are just temporary. We will get you all whatever you want later." I said with a smile. As they ran off to the room, I grabbed Del's hand and pulled her to me. "When were you going to tell me you wanted children?"