A Complicated Life [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Draculaura's Point Of View

I sat down in the far corner of the hospital room. Nicole slowly lowered herself to the ground in front of me. "They can't even see you, can they?" she asked.

"No, darling, they can't."

"But... you're a ghost," she said.

"Yes."

"So, why can't they see you?"

"Why would they be able to?" I asked.

"Spectra is a ghost. We can see her," she said.

"Spectra is a little different than I am, darling. We're two completely different ghosts, here," I said. "Besides, I believe it would just destroy everybody if they could see me, even if I wasn't alive."

Nicole sighed. "Yeah, tell me about it." She shook her head. "I wish they would fix me, you know? But, I don't want to leave here, either. I don't want to lose you, again," she said.

I ran my fingers through her hair. "I don't want to lose you, either, darling. I know this isn't easy for you, but it isn't easy for me, either," I said.

"I know it's not. I just don't know how to deal with this kind of situation," she said.

I started braiding her hair. "I know, darling. It's difficult to deal with. It's very difficult to get used to, as well," I said.

"It sounds like I'll be out for a while, though. That means we have a lot of time together," she said.

"Yes, it sure seems that way," I said softly. "Although I would love to spend time with you, I wish you would wake up. This is tearing your father apart. I can't stand to see him like this," I said quietly.

Nicole looked up at me. "You really love him, don't you?" she asked.

"Of course I do, darling. He's the only man I ever truly loved," I said.

Nicole smiled. "I know. I just wanted to hear you say it." She looked away from me. "If you love him so much, why didn't you get rid of me?" I asked.

My breath caught in my throat. "Excuse me?" I asked.

"Like, before I was born... You knew you would die, leave Dad behind, too. Why didn't you just get rid of me?" she asked. "I know he wanted you to. If you loved him so much, why didn't you do it?" she asked.

"Darling, you were our only chance at a child. If I had gotten rid of you, your father probably would've made one of us get... fixed so we couldn't have kids. I knew that. I wasn't going to deprive him of being a father, or myself of being a mother. Even if it was only for those few seconds after you were born, I was still a mother. I wouldn't trade that for anything," I said.

"Not even life? You wouldn't trade that to just be alive, again?" she asked.

"You sure are a child full of questions, Nicole," I said. She shrugged. "No, I wouldn't. I would rather have you be born, alive, and healthy than me be alive. I really wouldn't change that for anything. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise," I said.

"I just figured that... I don't know," she said quietly.

"What's this all about, darling?" I asked.

"I just have so many questions, and I don't know where to start. I have so much to learn about you, figure out who you are... were. Who you were. But, I don't know how much time I have to do all that. I don't want to lose you, again. I don't want to learn everything there is to learn and then have you taken away from me just so I can wake up," she said.

"Darling, you can't think of it that way. Think of it as a second chance. Not every child is able to talk to their dead mother and still be alive," I said.

"Right. That's because every other kid I know still has a mother," Nicole said. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I didn't really have anything else to say. She was right. She was one of the only kids without a mother.

Clawd's Point Of View

"I cannot believe you weren't going to tell me!" Clawdeen shouted.

I closed my eyes. "I wasn't really going to tell anyone," I said.

"Oh, come on, Clawd. You can't do this on your own."

"I can, and I plan on doing it on my own, too," I said.

"You know that's a lie," my mom said.

"It's not," I said.

"Yeah? Do you have proof that you can deal with all of this on your own?" Clawdeen asked.

I nodded. "I do, yes," I said. I sighed. "I dealt with Laura's death on my own. Nicole, however, is alive. Sure, she can't hear me or talk to me, but she's alive. That'll be easier to deal with, I hope. Either way, I dealt with Laura's death all by my lonesome. So, yes, that's my proof," I said.

"You're so difficult, Clawd," my mom said.

"I deal with many things on my own. You all know that," I said as I looked up at my family. "I don't like grieving with other people. I shut out everyone every time that something bad happens. I don't let people in. Not when I'm upset. I push people away. It's just easier that way," I said.

"It is not easier, Clawd. All you're doing is hurting yourself," my mom said.

I shook my head. "No, I'm dealing with life the way I need to deal with it. Maybe my views are different than yours. Maybe my methods are different than yours. But, who cares? I'm still dealing with what needs to be dealt with. Can't you just let me do that?" I asked.

Romulus sighed. "It shouldn't have to be that way. We're all family, here."

"You are not family," I said. "You are a man who helped hide the birth of my only nephew," I said, a low growl forming in my throat.

Howleen frowned. "That wasn't his idea. You can't blame that on him," she said.

"Okay. You hid it from me. It doesn't make either one of you any better. Honestly, it doesn't make any of you any better. You all knew about it. You all knew she was hiding it from me. Do you know I felt?" I asked.

"Yes, you felt like you had been betrayed. Get over it," Thad said.

"You have no part in this conversation. Why the hell is he even here?" I asked.

"Because I brought him," Clawdeen said.

"I'm having him taken off the visitor list," I said.

"You can't do that!" Clawdeen shouted.

"I can. And I am. He has no right to be here," I said.

Clawdeen crossed her arms over her chest. "He's Laura's cousin. That gives him more than enough reason to be here," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't care what he is. I'm still not pleased with his life decisions," I said.

"He turned her into a vampire to save her life! You should be thanking him!" Howleen shouted.

I groaned and put my head in my hand. "I don't give a shit about that. I care that he wanted to turn my ten-year-old daughter into a vampire."

"You wanted to do what?" Clawdeen asked.

"I really don't see why that makes everyone so mad," Thad said. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "At least she'd live that way."

Before I knew what I was doing, I was out of my chair. I had Thad pinned against the wall, my arm against my throat. "Don't you dare say that like she's dead. She's not. She's alive. She doesn't need to be a vampire to survive. And, she wouldn't be surviving if she were a vampire. She'd be dead. I refuse to take life away from my daughter before said life has even begun," I said.

Thad looked at Clawdeen for help. She shrugged. She was on my side, now. Everyone in the room was now on my side.

I was winning.

Author's Notes

Thank you for over 800 reads! It means a lot, guys! :)