Chaotic Shadows and the 300 MC (Book One and Two) *ON HOLD/SLOW UPDATES*

Part Two: Chapter Fourteen (True Love)

Kelsea

After breakfast, Michael and Alucard pulled me into the church room, filling me in on what I missed.

"Shadow is in France, more specifically, Nice." Michael started. "We moves out as much of personal belongings as we could, so clothes and anything resembling you." I fidgeted uncomfortably. "There are no traces of you being there. We made sure of it." I chewed on my lip. "From now on, until we know the coast is clear, you're not to be outside. I don't want to restrict you, but it is for your own safety."

"No, I know." I answered quietly. "But, Kinsey... I'm worried for her. She's falling behind."

"Kinsey will have Hanna to tutor her." That's not what I meant...

"I think Kelsea was talking about social interaction with other kids her age." Alucard spoke for me. "I do see why it's cause for concern." Michael looked conflicted.

"I can't let her out of here so often with Shadow on the loose." He was sympathetic. "But... I can do twice a week at least to let her go to a public park." I breathed a sigh of relief. "On the condition... she dye her hair, and you wear clothing you can hide your face."

"I can do that, but I choose the product. Kinsey is sensitive to certain hair products and I don't want her to get sick." Michael nodded.

"Fair enough. Matilda does hair, so I'll have her do some search on a product for her." They went on with some more precautionary stuff, which I understood. After that, Alucard took me back to the room while Kinsey was coming around, going through her morning routine.

"Hey, baby bear." I kissed the top of her messy hair. "Get dressed so you can go eat breakfast, then Hanna is going to get you to do some school work." A frown appeared on her face.

"But I don't wanna do school work."

"Kinsey, I know I took you away from everything back in America, but you have to understand that you need to do it. I'm not going to let you end up like me... You don't want to be a high school drop out." My voice lowered at the end. It was because of her that I had to quit school... It's not that I regret it, because I don't regret having her... It's that I never wanted her to be in my situation.

"Okay, momma..." she went off to go eat breakfast and I sat on the bed, putting my head in my hands.

"Hey, it's okay." Alucard sat next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "She's too young to understand what happened to you. You're just trying to make sure she has a good future ahead of her." I leaned into him, just basking in his warmth. He was practically a space heater, the way his body heat radiated.

"I don't want her to end up like me..." I explained my story quietly, tears flooding at her conception. It was a constant fight with the nightmares that still occurred, even five years later.

"You're strong, Kelsea... You found a will. When there's a will, there's a way." He wiped the tears from my cheeks. "Now is the time we stay low, but when it's over, we'll go somewhere, just the three of us, where you don't have to worry." His hand rested on my cheek, and I closed my eyes, gathering my wits.

"My home is here." I whispered quietly, repeating the words he spoke to me. "I belong here..."

"You and Kinsey both. I wouldn't have it any other way." He presses his forehead to mine, and we sat like that... just the sound of our breathing...

It calmed me like no drug could.

***

Matilda came over sometime later with dye formulated for sensitive skin, for both me and Kinsey. She enjoyed her hair getting done, Matilda understanding her broken, but improving French. Luckily, French Sign Language and American were vastly similar, and she knew French Sign Language, they communicated flawlessly since her hearing aids had to be out.