a/n: NOT EDITED. I hate this new wattpad thing to read when using a browser!! Ugh! I'm seriously contemplating moving my stories elsewhere...
Chapter 45 – Oakley POV
After leaving Kieran to sleep, uncle Grant and I went back home, just as Ben was leaving with a large box that was probably heavier than him. Instead of heading inside right away we went to sit on the back deck near the pool and silently I was still bursting with happiness.
Kieran was my mate.
My own Gabriel.
My own Aunt Julia.
Though I was happy a large part of me was so torn up about Kieran and his parents. After having time to settle down I felt like his mom was behaving like my father… only it was at the other end of the pole. The area where she was fighting but only when she saw she should fight… when it was nearing to be too late and instead of making her own path with him, mending those broken bridges she wanted to piggy back on my efforts. To come in when he was open to the idea of touching someone, and letting them touch him, and demanding that he trust her.
Demanding.
Changing.
Left behind.
Shattered and drowning.
I frowned despite my still slight good mood. “Hey Bee, what’s going on in that mind of yours?” Uncle Grant asked nonchalantly. Sighing heavily I shrug one shoulder, “thinking about daddy and Sarah, and everything,” he nodded.
Never pushing, just waiting. My uncle never demanded answers from me; he always gave me time to find my words. He knew I had them in me, ‘you have all the words Bee, you just need to take time and think everything over…’
But right now… the only thing I could think was that I wished Kieran’s family knew what to do – to say to show him the support he probably wanted.
I wished that my dad would’ve treated me better, nicer… I know that I was a reminder for him, and that he thought mom left, but even if she had, I wish I wasn’t the one that had to pay for it. I didn’t want to be selfish but I wish I knew for sure that if my dad had to pick between Amelia and I, that he would choose me. I was only thirteen but I don’t think we’d ever be able to fix the gap that was there and that’s why I wish Kieran’s parents wouldn’t treat him the way that they did. Especially when I had Uncle Grant and aunt Julia, it was okay – or it felt like it would be okay that dad didn’t love me enough.
Kieran didn’t have that. Extra set of family members that would support him so he didn’t feel like a burden, a spot on the wall that everyone is gunning to paint over.
I had long given up on having even the slightest relationship with daddy, especially when I found out that they were going to have a new baby.
“I want daddy and Sarah to have a boy,” I told uncle Grant.
“Yeah?” I nodded, “Why?”
I look at the trees around our private backyard, “It’s petty, but I don’t think my heart can take him loving one more little girl more than he ever loved me.”
Grief swam freely in my mind, my mouth dried and I decided to keep my eye on one spot, focus and remain calm.
Pulling my feet up and knees against my chest I shuddered, inhaling deeply and trying to make my heart slow down, stop beating so quickly that it felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest.
“You know, momma used to tell me that as long as you do your best, that’s all anyone can ever ask of you, but you had to really give it your best…”
“She was a smart woman, your momma.”
She was. I think, I’m not so sure anymore. I don’t know how much of her best she really gave, when it came to Chelsea. Then what about me? Daddy and Ben? The lies she kept. How much different would things have been had she kept in contact with the man that was Chelsea’s biological father?
“I think she was selfish too…” I hated saying that out loud but it was okay to say that? Wasn’t it?
“Why do you think that?”
“If she would have told daddy the truth, I don’t think things would have been this way?” I said unsure more asking.
“Do you want to know something?”
I nodded, “Okay, you can’t change the past Oakley,” he says so seriously that I need to see his face, and in fact he isn’t joking or even smiling.
“You won’t know what would’ve changed if she had told your father, but you are entitled to your feelings and right now, you believe that she was selfish.” I hated that he was right, nothing would change, it was, what it was.
“Oakley why doesn’t it bother you that you’re dad treated Ben differently?” I glanced at him from the side.
“Daddy ignored me, but then when Sarah came along, he was happy you know. Then, it was like he went out of his way to make Amelia feel welcomed. Do you know that he took her out on daddy daughter dates? Twice a month.” I say dryly.
“He wasn’t there after mom left and then, everything he couldn’t do with me – he did with her. We had father daughter dances, remember?” he nodded.
“Daddy never wanted to go, so we didn’t go. Then when she moved in, she wanted to go, so we went and found dresses, I was really excited too. I – I don’t think I realized that he wasn’t going for me until we got there and Amelia made this big fuss about getting to dance with him first. Then that turned into a second dance and then he came and sat next to me, and he was all happy,” pausing I swallowed, “He said ‘you’re up next Bee’ but by then I was so – just so,” I couldn’t even stress just how I felt.
Shaking my head I put my chin on my knee, “The next time I just didn’t go at all. Amelia was always there… asking to tag along and Daddy never just said no to her. It was always, ‘be nice Bee, or ‘It’ll be fun if she comes Bee’ – and it was never any of those things. It wasn’t fun, he’s my daddy, hers left and she just moved in and took mine.” My lip wobbled, “And daddy let her, he was so excited to be her daddy but not mine,” my vision blurred.
“When we go back home, I don’t want it to bother me,” I muttered. “I just – I’m only thirteen, I don’t think I can put up with feeling like this forever…” I added not sure if he understood what I meant. I kind of just wanted to put it all behind me, leave daddy, Sarah and Amelia to be a happy little family. I wanted to know that was what he wanted and not be hurt by that. I would never see Amelia as my sister and I would never, ever see Sarah as more than an insecure woman that tried to push herself onto me, while bad talking momma.
“I – Oakley, I don’t know what’s going to happen when we get back, but one thing I do know is that, you never used to be so open with what you were saying… about anything. You sort of – from my perspective – got lost in the shuffle, and even then you never gave out a shout to alert anyone of where you were. You’re father – no not just your father – no parent can read the mind – well no human parent,” I chuckled at his attempt to correct his statement, “can read their child’s mind, they just can’t. Although, you were fairly obvious in your disdain of Sarah and Amelia, I think – to help you put it behind you, to help heal, you’ll have to face them all. You can start to work on yourself though.”
I could feel the sadness drip down my face, “You – geez I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as happy as you are now, here on this island. You’ve – you and Ben both – been so mature about all of this, just finding your own groove and I don’t want you to let that go. Use it… work on healing yourself, your wounds and being the person you need to be.”
“Remember what I told you about loving the little girl inside you?” I nodded, “yes, thirteen year old me should show six year old me all the love and comfort she didn’t get,” I repeated his words in my own way, but basically he wanted me to build up the self-esteem and worth of the girl I was. Doing little things to care for her, by caring for me.
“Keep working on that, using that. Keep a journal, write down your thoughts about all of this, all the things you’ve keep inside, whenever it comes to you. Just write it all out, leave it on the paper, and remove it from inside your heart. When you get back home, give the journal to your father… let him see your words in a way that he can’t ignore it. But don’t just do it for that reason alone. If you think it’s a good idea, do it because you want to take out all the darkness and pain you’re feeling, you’re carrying with you, and leave it in that journal.”
“Talk to me, to Kieran, to Ben, your aunt Julia, Chelsea and Gabriel, your friends, just don’t hold it all inside,” he stressed. I wasn’t sure I could do what he was asking, I was so used to keeping my thoughts protected, because I was sure that no one was listening, but maybe they were. Maybe it was me that wasn’t looking closely enough to see that I had people in my corner all along.
Daddy might have written me off, and not given it his all, but that didn’t mean that I had to shut down. I was here, and I doubt that daddy had stopped living just because Ben and I were gone. Daddy still had Sarah, Amelia and their new baby to replace Ben and I – “Hey Oak one more thing,” Uncle Grant called me back from my thoughts.
Exhaling, my body shaky, I turn to face him completely, “Well…” he starts off slowly, his head cocked to the side as his eyes dance from different places of my body to behind me, and back, “how are you treated here on the island?” I hadn’t been expecting that since, well there weren’t any secrets here, there was really no point.
“Uh – nice… I mean some kids still talk about me but that’s cause they think it’s weird that I’m friends with Kieran, but I don’t care about them or that,” I answer openly.
He nods, “that’s good, but you know you can always tell Chelsea and she can talk-”
“So they’ll talk about how I told on them to the Luna?” I snorted.
He shook his head, chuckling, “Ok so no telling, but Oakley don’t let them bully you okay?”
Was there anyway to stop someone from bullying? I had never understood why people do it in the first place… especially when it’s teasing someone about something they can’t change, something they shouldn’t hate about themselves but they do because a group of people said it was wrong.
“Hey come back to me now,” Uncle Grant joked, “what I really want to know is have you changed?”
Did he mean my clothes? No that couldn’t be it. “Do you need more?” I nodded.
“Back in Middleburg, when you woke up, you told your daddy and I, that you hated everything about yourself, you’re eyes, hair, nose, lips everything… remember?” oh, that.
“No I haven’t changed…” every morning I was the same.
“But some how, people here aren’t teasing you about your looks, they aren’t talking about you the same way?”
“They aren’t.”
“So if the teasing stopped – in terms of who and what you look like – and you haven’t changed from the person you were back home to the girl you are right now what does that tell you?” my eyes focused on his icy blues before looking away.
“You take your time to think about it, Oak,” he said standing and leaving me outside alone. A lot had changed, but none of them were about me directly… I was still the same and here I had three friends, Ben, Uncle Grant, Aunt Julia and Chelsea and Gabriel.
I guess that isn’t true though, I knew that Byrdie was my wolf, that the voice in my head wasn’t me going crazy, but no one knew you were hearing me Oakley, only you were aware of that little fact… I used to stay away from everyone…
Because they were talking badly about you… Byrdie replied.
I wasn’t much different, I was still as smart as I was before, I had the same face when I woke up, my voice was the same… I think you’re uncles trying to show you it wasn’t your fault, the teasing and talking wasn’t even about the way you looked, but that couldn’t be right, I thought frustrated.
What about Ben?
What about Ben? I replied distracted.
Has his loved changed Oakley, from back home to here on the island? Byrdie questioned again. No, Ben has loved me no matter what, I don’t think my looks counted to him, it’s never mattered.
No it hasn’t changed but – but – I stop abruptly thinking about everyone all over again. Everything changed when momma died and people thought she left, daddy changed and it was like he didn’t love me anymore, I couldn’t understand why though. There was no reason, only that he was sad, it never hit me that the reason he didn’t love me was the way I looked until he brought Amelia and Sarah home.
He complimented Amelia to no end, her blonde hair, how pretty her momma looked, her lovely brown eyes, day after day and she basked in all that attention. Going out and people assuming that she was his biological daughter when we weren’t in Middleburg, even strangers never said a thing about how he and I looked alike.
‘Thanks… I got a beautiful family,’ he’d respond happily, but he didn’t have that until they came around. Standing, I went inside walking past Grant and Julia heading to my room and pulling out one of the empty notebooks I had for schoolwork.
On the very first page I didn’t have much to say, but I would start with what I was feeling right then and there.
Dear daddy,
Sometimes I wished that I would have left my hiding space where momma left me, not because I think I could’ve saved her but because then they would’ve killed me too and I wouldn’t be around to hurt you so much.
Bumblebee.
Sighing I closed my notebook, packing a small bag with my pajamas, then I went downstairs and sat next to Aunt Julia, “I found my mate,” I said hiding my face against her arm. Waiting for her response until I started sniffing her.
“Kier - what do I smell funny?” she joked and while a part of me noted that she didn’t sound surprised the new scent over road that small fact.
“Yeah you smell different,” I went back in for another sniff. I reach for the remote, lowering the television to concentrate, using all the techniques Lux and Chelsea had shown me.
“No not just different, you smell…” I sniffed again, “like – like raspberries,” I closed my eyes, listening… “Oh my god you’re pregnant!” I jump to my feet pointing at her stomach, a large smile on my face, while Uncle Grant is confused, his eyes darting between aunt Julia’s stomach and me.
“No – no – I – I’m not,” she says lowly.
“Yes! Yes you are! I can hear it and you smell different!” I smiled until I realized she wasn’t smiling, in fact she looked afraid.
“Do – do you feel different? Have you had any symptoms?” Uncle Grant asks her, she shakes her head. “Well it’s either that or your heart is broken and beating with an echo,” I say.
Chelsea can you come to the house please? I think aunt Julia is pregnant, she smells different and there is a slight echo heartbeat that I can hear, its lower than her own, “I called Chelsea, she’s better at listening and those sorts of things.”
Still excited, I sat in front of them, bouncing in my place, as the minutes went by. “Are – are you sure Oakley?” Aunt Julia whispered, her voice so low I probably wouldn’t have understood without my enhanced senses.
“Aren’t you guys happy?” Uncle Grant opened his mouth twice closing it each time, “I mean you even smell different to me, it’s very strong the heartbeat but the scent is light, but I can still notice-”
I stopped when Chelsea and Jack appeared next to me, “Is she right?” Aunt Julia asked Chelsea, but I just snorted, “I mean, if I smell different? How does – she said I smell more like raspberries now?” Jack
Chelsea didn’t even sniff, inhaling hard as I had, but she nodded, “Oakley is right… but, since I’m sure you’d like more proof than our nose and extra senses,” Jack stepped forth handing aunt Julia a small box.
“And if you want more proof, Chelsea said to offer you a blood test?” Jack offered his eyes serious holding a few tubes and a syringe in a packet in his other hand.
“Yes, a blood test and-“ Aunt Julia stood reaching for the box, “I’ll – I’m going-” she said nearly dazed going to the bathroom.
“How – no, Oakley said she can hear the heartbeat, it’s distinctive,” he shook his head, “I – I don’t understand,” Grant mumbled.
When Aunt Julia came out holding a thin pen shaped object, sitting down next to uncle Grant she held her arm out to Jack, “the blood test too,” her face red, eyes glassy, uncle Grant took her free hand in both of his.
After filling three Vacutainers with her blood, Aunt Julia leaned forward taking the stick and lifting it before her and Uncle Grant, “Oh,” her words breathy and surprised, her hand going to her stomach, “I – I – oh no,” she glanced at me, her face apologetic.
“Wait – what am I missing?” I eyed them not understanding their reactions.
“We wanted to wait, we didn’t want you and Ben to feel that we were not important to us-”
“I think this is great!” I interrupted her, hoping she and Uncle Grant knew I meant that. I did, I knew that they wanted to have a baby for a long time, and now they were getting that.
“Do you want to see the baby?” Jack asked lifting a thick but relatively small box. “Isn’t it too soon?” Uncle Grant asked him, glancing between him and Chelsea.
“I – I mean – can I see?” he turned to Aunt Julia, pointing at her stomach. Nodding she lifted her shirt up to reveal her stomach. Squinting his eyes, he lifted his hand placing it against her lower abdomen.
His eyes wide and watery, “Did you – it’s a bit hard – did you feel – I mean can you tell?” he looked up to Aunt Julia, who shook her head immediately.
“We brought the portable ultrasound, just lay back and we’ll see, if you want of course?”
I moved to sit near Chelsea on the other sofa, while Uncle Grant and Aunt Julia stared at each other, a small smile on each of their faces, “Yeah, we want to see,” uncle Grant says softly.
Opening the case, Jack prepares opening the thick case, revealing a twelve by twelve built-in screen, a wand and buttons on the bottom, the whole machine mirroring a laptop.
The first thing we hear, or well Aunt Julia and Grant hear is the heartbeat, strong and so much faster than I thought it would be, “Oh – wow – that – so strong,” she murmurs her face euphoric. When an image finally appears on the screen, the small smile uncle Grant wore seems to fade down.
“That – this – it can’t be right?” Grant stutters, I glance at Chelsea confused, it looks like a baby, I can tell which end is the head, and legs, “I thought babies were supposed to be dots? I mean on T.V. and movies, they start off as dots…”
“Something’s wrong?” Aunt Julia loses her smile as well, eyes darting frantically between Chelsea and Jack.
“Oaks right – that baby looks to be about ten maybe more weeks old, this isn’t – it’s not possible,” Uncle Grant said his eyes zeroed in on the image.
Moving the wand image over aunt Julia’s stomach Jack focused on the screen, “First, you’re baby is healthy, nothing is wrong here. However,” he moved the wand back, to it’s first original spot, “Because Chelsea healed you there maybe be some affects to your…” Jack tapered off.
“So she fixed be a little too well?” Grant asked in a high pitched voice, “No, the excess blood and the way she healed you may have sped up or enhanced your…” again he didn’t finish the sentence, “Hey, Oakley, why don’t you and I head back to the house to get the screening room ready for tonight?” Chelsea asked standing. I glanced back at aunt Julia and Grant, the both of them dazed and wide-eyed.
“Is something wrong with the baby?” I asked Jack.
He shook his head quickly, “No everything is just as it should be, but the baby is developing faster than normal, that’s all,” he swore so I left with Chelsea.
.
.
.
While helping Chelsea make dinner, I was lost in thought; a large part of my mind was stuck on daddy, wondering more about how his life back home was carrying on. “Do – are you really curious Oakley? To know what’s going on back home with your father?” Chelsea asked me point blank.
I sprinkled the cheese on the pizza I was making; did I really want to know what was going on with daddy back home? I thought of him often, but not with uncle Grants questions I was thinking of him in a whole new way.
It wasn’t that he was all to blame. I knew that. However the things he could have prevented, the things that hurt me, I was starting to see that those were choices.
He decided to have Sarah and Amelia move in.
They weren’t his responsibility, Ben and I were.
When he was starting to bring them in our home, when I had already said I didn’t want that to happen, he could have taken a step back. Daddy hadn’t. Uncle Grant said I couldn’t go back and change things, I understood that to an extent, but it didn’t change the fact that now I could go back and see the moments in time where daddy could have made a difference.
And because of that, because I could go back and see where the mistakes were, I was fighting my own mind, my own heart.
“Things were bad long before Sarah and Amelia came along, it just got worse-” I stopped turning to her, “I want to know.”
Her green eyes sought mine out, just observing me, and looking for something, probably reading my mind too, I smirked when she snorted.
“Your dad contacted mine, he was making trouble asking questions that would bring attention his way, and he told my father that we were related. That our mother had them in common,” I nodded, “Is – was that wrong?”
Chelsea sighed, “Yes it was sort of wrong, because he can’t take on the people that he’d be bringing his way.”
I guess I could understand that, daddy didn’t have any knowledge of shifters, or anything like that, all the information I was given, was given to me here on the island. I could see where Chelsea was coming from, “How did you stop him from looking for information?”
She looked at me, but her eyes seemed to burn, before she rolled her eyes, “Logan, he is the one we have on the outside, the only person we’ve told that we are alive here. He’s the one that brings us all our supplies. He hands his lists to those working for him, they collect the items we ask for, and Logan brings them here.”
“Well, when he learned that your father and mine were meeting and demanded a blood test there wasn’t enough time to gather everything that would have yours and Ben’s DNA, so…” she squared her shoulders.
“They blew up your house,” my eyes widened, I couldn’t so much as blink. “You – they – he – Logan blew… up… our… house?” I stuttered the words out slowly. My heart racing, “Like our car – the house was blown up like you blew up the car?”
Chelsea nodded, “Yes, no one was in the house, and they made it look like someone left the stove on and that caused the fire, but it removed all your DNA, Bens’ as well.” I was starting to see that daddy hurt me but I didn’t want him gone, forever. I also knew that he would never put me first, but I couldn’t let that bother me, because I had to put me first.
You started doing so already Oakley, back in Middleburg in that hospital room, you put yourself first, Byrdie told me. “You know, your wolf is right,” Chelsea murmured.
“I waited too long,” I whispered back, my hand going to my wrist immediately, but she shook her head, “No you just held on until you couldn’t anymore, there’s nothing weak in what you did Oakley… if you would have never tried, of ended things the way you wanted when you first heard your wolf’s voice in your head, then that would’ve been when you didn’t fight or try hard enough.” She finished turning back to her own pizza, adding pepperoni.
“So where is daddy now?”
“He’s staying with your grandmother and grandfather on their farm.”
“Do you know when they’ll get their own place again?”
Chelsea snorted, “Did you know that your mom left accounts for you all?” I nodded.
“Well she bought the house you were in, and if something were to happen to it, that money – the insurance money, from the house will go into those accounts, you’re fathers name was never placed on that deed.”
“So now daddy gets those accounts?” I questioned.
“No… Anya, Norine… our mother… your father has never had access to that money, not even the accounts that paid your tuition. Right now, since they believe that you are gone, your mom gave strict instructions that those accounts will be given to shifter orphanages.”
I stopped working on my pizza, “So – daddy has no money?”
“No, he has his savings and whatnot, but I think he’s going to be staying with your grandparents for a while because with his new…” she stopped abruptly.
“His new baby?”
“Yes, with his new baby, Amelia and Sarah, plus Sarah never having a job, they can’t afford to move out,” I nodded unsure of how I felt about all of this. It was petty, but in a way I was happy that Sarah wasn’t going to get mommas money, she had tried to get everything else, but this wasn’t one of them.
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Ben POV
There were not many things that I could do with Kayla, and I didn’t know how to bake, but if we had an adult and the recipe Oakley gave me I’m sure we could get it right. So I waited for Kayla to say something, but she just put all the puzzles on the table and ran out of the room. I turned to Chris, “I – I – sorry?” I shrugged wondering what I did wrong. Before he could answer me though, Kayla was back with a sheet of paper.
“I made this for you,” she said so quietly that the hum of the fridge was a bit louder than her. Taking it from her I opened it and saw a soccer ball on grass blue sky in the background. “Thank you,” I told her smiling and putting the paper folded into my backpack.
“So… do you want to make the brownies?” I asked, “They taste really good, well if we make them right they will,” I smiled.
Going to the island, Kayla hopped onto one of the stools, so I handed her the baking pans. “With the recipe we can make two kinds the chewy ones and the fudgy kinds,” I gave her some flour and butter.
“So you put the butter in your hands and you wipe it all over everything,” I showed her a bit before opening my backpack, taking out the camera and going to Chris.
“Kayla do you mind if your dad takes pictures of us, then we can make more puzzles if you want,” I asked her.
“I don’t mind,” she said working on her pan, butter on her fingers, she greased the whole pan while her dad took a few pictures and then helped me melt the chocolate, unsalted butter and the vanilla extract.
When we brought out the unsweetened chocolate I dipped my finger in, “eh, bitter” I muttered smacking my lips together, getting a small giggle from Kayla, her blue eyes happy, a small smile on her face.
“What does it taste like?”
“You wanna try?” I pushed the bowl near her and watched as she dipped her finger slowly, bringing it to her mouth, her nose screwing up, “We’re going to eat more like this?” I laughed at her horror.
“No baby, once everything is mixed together it tastes really good, gooey and sweet too,” Chris answered and I just nodded.
She shrugged, “All done,” the two pans all greased.
Taking some flour in the spoon I sprinkled it in one of the pans, “So you do that, and then tilt it like this,” I lifted the pan showing her what I meant. “When you move it around, the flour gets spread evenly and you make sure it’s all covered so when we pour the batter in it won’t stick to the edges.”
We worked together, Chris helping with the mixing and stove, until we scraped the batter into the waiting pans and pushed them into the oven. After she washed her hand, I began trying to help to clean up all the mess but Chris wouldn’t have that, “Why don’t you two go work on one of those puzzles?” I nodded leaving him too it and sitting at the end Kayla at the corner.
“Which one do you want to do?” I asked.
She looked at the seven boxes, “What do you do when you’re done with it?” she asked.
Going to the box I found the backs, “Well Chelsea made these, we can make the puzzles on this, and then we use this-” I picked up the small bottle. “It’s Mod Podge, we paint it on top when we’re done. Then,” I dug around the box, “We use these to frame them,” I held the broken pieces of the frames.
“Chelsea made sure to measure so we don’t have to do that, each puzzle has a back and a frame,” she nodded.
“This one, the one of me?” she asked me.
“Whatever you want to do…” I replied, making sure she chose what she wanted.
When she nodded again, I pulled the backing for the puzzle of her, and she dumped all the pieces of that puzzle onto it, the two of us turning them all face up and began working on them. While we put it together I kept sneaking looks at her, happy when she smiled, and even happier when she was working on the puzzle, her tongue between her teeth. Trying to fit the pieces together, smiling large to her self when she put a few pieces together.
“Oh you did the hardest part!” I told her when she had the bottom left side up to the wings completed. Earning another smile.
“I like puzzles,” she whispered, looking up, something she did a lot. Every few moments I noted that Kayla would look up, her eyes darted around the room before she went back to her puzzle.
When the brownies had been in the oven for nearly ten minutes she sniffed the air humming, “How’s your puzzle coming?” Chris came over and asked her sitting opposite her, “oh wow, you’re nearly done,” he pointed out. It wasn’t a large puzzle, less than two hundred pieces, “I have this sweater papa,” Kayla murmured pointing to the one I saw her in the first time we met.
“It’s sort of like I have blue wings,” she added and Chris smiled large, nodding at her.
“Oh what is that delicious smell?” someone asked from behind me, I turned to face the voice, “Ben, this is my mother Grace-” Chris started to introduce them to me, two women, one with light hair like Kayla the other darker like Chirs.
“Nana, aunt Lucy this is my Ben,” Kayla said behind me, my face reddened but I liked that she said it, “we made – what’s it called again?” she continued.
“Brownies,” Chris helped while I just continued to turn apple red.
“Yeah we made two pans of them, and he made me a puzzle,” I turned to see that she was wearing a small smile on her lips.
The woman came over, her face a mixture of sadness and happiness, “Wow… this is pretty awesome,” she said clearing her throat, then beamed at Kayla.
“I came to start on dinner… are you done with the kitchen?” Chris nodded.
“Ben will you be staying for dinner?” I shook my head.
“Oh –oh, I almost forgot. Do you want to come to sleepover movie night at Chelsea’s?” I turned to ask Kayla, and then turned to Chris, “Can she go? Chelsea’s making pizza and Kiley, Kieran and Tera are going to be there, and Bumblebee too,”
“Bumblebee?” Kayla asked
Laughing, I nodded, “Yea, that’s Oakley, she’s my older sister – well Chelsea is my older sister too, but Oakley – we call her Bumblebee or Oak, she’s thirteen-” I rambled.
I turned back to Kayla, “So do you want to come? It’ll be fun I think we’re watching either Sandlot, Toy story or I think Oakley said something about Stick it.”
“It’s a large room I think it has a lot of sofas in there and a big screen on the wall, and there are lamps if you don’t want to be in the dark Kayla, we can sit together if you want… I – I’ll even shift into my wolf, if you want…” I offered and I think when I mentioned my wolf was when Kayla actually seemed to like the idea a bit.
“Can I papa?” she looked at Chris who twisted his lips thinking. “What if you-“
“Hey Ben, you think I can come too?” Lucy came over standing behind Chris, I nodded with a one sided shoulder shrug, ”Yeah, sure.”
“You can go, but if you want to come back home just tell Lucy okay,” Chris finally answered, his answer pleasing Kayla, and me. Nodding, she went back to her puzzles, “Okay I’m going to pack your pillow and blanket and pajamas Kay,” Lucy said turning to leave the room.
“Can you pack my wolf too?” she lifted the gray and white toy in her aunts direction.
“Sure thing.”
We completed two puzzles, and during the third one, Quinn and Fiona came into the kitchen, followed by three identical girls, two identical boys and two other boys that were older.
“Wala up!” Quinn asked when she got to Kayla’s chair.
“Oh no you don’t,” Chris said standing to lift her in his arms, turning to me, “Ben these are Kayla’s brothers and sisters. Bailey, Michael and Kayla are triplets, Keith and Cole, they’re six, Sarah, Lilly and Hannah are three years old and you already know Quinn and Fiona,” I took a moment to look at each of them, noting that the children older than Quinn and Fiona all had scars on their face, and arms, the younger triplets however didn’t have too many.
Were they all like Kayla I wondered, I was just a little person and they all seemed to be afraid of me, watching me warily the way Kayla had when I first met her. Now though, I guess even though she was still not sure, she wanted to be around me and I was happy for that.
Two hours later, Kayla, Lucy and I left their house going to Chelsea’s one of the larger puzzles with us. Lucy carrying two pillows and two sleeping bags, while I had their two bags.
Entering the gate I saw Oakley and Kiley, in the swimming pool.
“Oakley,” I called her and she climbed out immediately, coming over, “Hey, you must be Kayla,” she smiled at my mate. Kayla nodded not speaking, “We’re just getting out now, I’ll show you guys where to go,” Oakley took one of the bags after she wrapped a large blue towel around her.
“Hey I just pulled the pizzas’ out, you guys can serve yourselves,” Chelsea said her back to us.
“Do you want pizza now Kayla?” I asked her.
“Are you having some now?” she asked me.
I was going to say no, but I had a feeling that she wanted some but wouldn’t say that. Instead I nodded, “Yes.”
“Ok, me too.”
“You guys can follow Oakley-”
“I’ll stay with you,” she whispered to me, only two feet between us.
I glanced at Lucy, who shrugged and followed Oakley.
“What kind do you want?” I asked taking two paper plates from the counter.
“Cheese,” she pointed.
Giving her two slices and five for myself, I got two juice boxes out from the fridge letting her hold them, and following Oakley’s scent to the theater.
The screen nearly took up one whole wall, and four levels each holding three sofas, a lamp on the table between them.
“Kayla where do you want to sit?” Lucy asked her, but she turned to me instead. “On the top that way we can play a game on the ground in front of the chairs and we won’t bother anyone.”
As we ate, Kieran and Tera came in, each placing plates on the table to the left, the smell of popcorn was in the air, stuffing the last bit in my mouth I went and grabbed some for Kayla and I.
“Where’s mine?” Lucy asked when I set them down ready to sit myself. I opened my mouth, closing it and just gave her mine, “I was joking,” she laughed, but I went to get my own.
I don’t know how much fun Lucy had, but after eating while the first movie was playing Kayla and I played Connect Four nearly eight times, followed by two games of Candyland. Kieran, Oakley, Kiley and Tera were at the bottom of the stairs playing monopoly until Oakley won – she always won even when we played back in Middleburg – and they put on the final movie.
By then I could tell that Kayla was sleepy, her eyes drooped and she was really sluggish, “Time to change into your pajamas,” Lucy coaxed her up and headed to the bathroom. Wanting to keep my promise, I left the theater and went to change into my wolf, trotting back in and leaping up onto the sofa Kayla was already getting comfortable on. Cuddling close, I settled just as the movie started, Kayla hugging her toy wolf and me; she released a long humming sigh, and in no time her breathing evened out before the movie was even a quarter in.
.
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Chris POV
Shavon came out to the back much like she had in the morning when I came home from Chelsea’s house, the two of us, Rainy, my father and Nico – Lucy’s mate – watching Lucy, Kayla and Ben leaving the house.
“So… he showed up?” she asked teasing me but I could hear the surprise as well as seriousness in her voice. I nodded, “Yeah,” just as I answered mom came out with a tray of brownies, toped with vanilla ice cream, “And Kayla, Chris and Ben made this together,” mom placed it on the table.
Shavon was a bit surprised but no more than me, “He came, brought supplies, activities and it was easy going,” she nodded.
“He doesn’t treat her different,” I whispered not touching my dessert.
Dad lifted a brow in my direction, “Why would he?” I’m sure Shavon, Nico and Rainy all wondered the same thing. I didn’t want any of my children to grow up and be adults just yet considering just where they were mentally, but I could only hope they were each bless with mates like Ben.
Ones that wouldn’t make them feel inadequate.
“No, not differently but… he doesn’t… I’m sure the last thing he wants to do at eleven years old is sit inside and make brownies and put puzzles together. In fact I’m pretty sure he’s very sporty, he plays soccer, saw him playing volleyball and he’s – he’s the water Elemental, so I’m sure he’d prefer going for a swim before he did anything, he did today.”
“Soccer is a somewhat contact sport and volleyball is fun when played with others, most people playing swimming games are touching; he came up with a fun day for her when those things weren’t his idea of fun,” I explained.
Rainy smiled large, my dad bit his lip before turning in the other direction, while Shavon just looked between them, puzzled to their reactions.
“So what you mean to say is… you didn’t find playing house with me when I was five fun? Taking Logan and me for ice cream? How about coloring with me?” Rainy asked the smile on her face brilliant. But even that couldn’t calm my racing thoughts, or heart.
“He – for a kid – I mean he-”
“Is thoughtful?”
I nodded my vision blurring, I calmed myself before I spoke again, “It’s more than that, he knows not to get too close, and he spent more time sneaking glances at Kayla than on the actual puzzle. Geez he even made a puzzle of her with Chelsea-”
“You did all those things for me,” Rainy whispered again.
“His sisters mate, Kieran, was hurt, and Ben was awake all night, but he came here, and – and she’s so different around him. Anything he talks about he explains so she understands,” I shook my head.
“I’m not sure where you’re going with this Chris?” Shavon said her head cocked to the side, “You’d rather she had someone that… what? Ignored her past and did the opposite of what would be healthy for her?”
“No of course not-”
“Then be happy for her,” I shook my head, “I am happy for her, I mean I told you this morning, the way she woke up, her face serene and no tension in her body. We’ve been here for a little over two months; she’s never gone as far as that little meadow, or to sit at the private beach. She just left for a sleepover, something – I just – and she wanted to go Shavon,” my thoughts are all broken.
“He asked her and she turned to me – asking for something. She never asks for anything-”
“Chris,” Shavon started off her smile not meeting her eyes, “You let her go, but most importantly, do you see how amazing this is? This step she just took? Wanting to go with him?”
I didn’t answer her, “You know in this situation the risks for that little girl? The research, the percentages… entering abusive dysfunctional relationships where she’s only hurt because that’s what she knows. Most importantly, she left, not to go spend the night with Ben alone. I’m sure that there are going to be other people there… right?”
I nodded, “Yes, Bens sister Oakley, Kiley, Tera, Kieran-”
She gestured, “Exactly! People that aren’t in her family… she’s going to experience something normal, and see – learn – that she is safe with other people. She isn’t going to be entirely co-dependent on the people here or just Ben. For now she’s using that feeling of safety to branch out, little by little we help her do that eventually on her own. It won’t be overnight, but-”
“But this is a good thing,” I finished nodding to myself, but the worry wouldn’t go away. Rainy, Shavon and Nico went inside leaving dad and I alone on the deck, “Son, you’re worried about her, but you’re just being a father. You’re just hoping no more hurt falls on that little girl, so I have some small advice for you,” he stopped waiting for me meet his eyes.
“If you behave as though you have no faith that she will succeed when she spreads her wings, Kayla, all your children will have that mindset Chris. You let her walk away and your face looked like pure terror, you might not think that will influence her but it can, you have to show support, be that bit of confidence she may not have.”
He rested back, “I mean you never hear parents telling their kids, ‘just because you put your mind to something doesn’t mean you’ll ever be able to achieve it, regardless of how hard you try, which is why you might as well quit before you try,’ do you?” I snorted.
“Thanks for the advice pops,” I said sarcastically, leaving him on the porch, trying not to worry about Kayla and how she was doing, until three hours later I was dying to know how she was.
Lucy?
Yes Christopher? She teased, using my full name.
Haha!
I’m surprised you lasted this long… Rainy mind linked me about twenty minutes ago, Lucy commented.
How is she?
Well… I’ll just say that Nico needs some mate lessons from sir Ben here, her thought filled with humor, while sending me snap shots in her mind of Kayla, throughout the night, her and Ben playing a board game.
I released a breath I don’t think I realized I was holding when I saw no fear in her eyes; she looked happy – or as happy as she could be under the circumstance. They had taken over the top level of the home theater, it’s going good Chris, Lucy said more seriously this time. And throughout the night, I remained awake, waiting and praying it all went well, that Kayla had a good time; that she slept without issues. She deserved normalcy or as close to it as she could get, and she was my brave girl, I just had to remember that.
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Chelsea POV
Once Oakley, Kieran and the girls settled in the theatre with Ben, Kayla and Lucy I ducked out of the house heading over to see Julia and Grant despite nearing ten p.m. But it was important. Since Oakley and I had left this new played on my mind endlessly but I wanted to test my theory.
Teleporting I knocked just waiting for them to answer, even though I could have just entered on my own. When Julia opened the door and noted it was me, she threw herself into my arms, taking me off guard, “Oh thank, thank you – so – so much,” she cried, getting better at my reactions to these situations I patted her on the back in support. Outside a slight breeze rustled through the trees.
Grant came to the door a few minutes later, searching for Julia no doubt.
“Oh Chelsea, hi-” he was cut off from Julia’s tiny sob, “She’s been doing that since we found out…” he said coming and pealing her from my body.
“Is that good for the baby?” I asked but amidst the tears falling, Julia was beaming. “I’m just so – happy, and Oakley doesn’t mind, and Jack said the baby is healthy, just developing quicker than normal.”
“He took my blood to check-”
“I know he told me, but he also took it because – actually lets sit down for a while,” I said going to their sofa.
“Actually, while what I did could be the reason that your pregnancy is developing quicker than normal is because of you as well…” I started off slowly but the confusion was already there.
“What do you mean?”
“First off, a human pregnancy is nine months, while a wereshifter – werewolf – is shorter by nearly five months,” they both nodded in understanding. How can this be about me? She wondered but remained silent.
“I’m not sure, but what I did coupled with a few other things – your heritage to be specific…”
“My heritage?” I nodded.
“Yes I believe someone in your family was a shifter, maybe eight generations back or further, or the gene wasn’t active, but you’re passing it on to your child.”
I didn’t think her eyes could get any wider than they were right then at that very moment, “You think I’m carrying a – a were child? Baby?” What do I call it? Is it a werewolf like Chelsea and Oakley and Ben?
Grant shook his head, again indoors the slight breeze picked up again, and I cocked my head to the side, replaying everything from the last week.
“Yes, I do. I think what I did to his reproductive organs,” I scrunched my nose, “Well that coupled with your DNA, I believe that explains why you’re pregnancy is progressing as it is.” The two of them remained silent and I listened to see if they now had negative feelings about their child. Would they love that child any less now that they found out it was possibly like Oakley, Ben and I?
“Is it safe for her, for that type of speedy pregnancy? Will the baby grow without – are they safe?” Grant stumbled while Julia remained silent thinking about the child inside her.
“Does this change things for you?” I asked Grant point blank and his eyes hardened.
“Of course not! That – this – what you’re telling me doesn’t change anything for me-”
“Or me,” Julia beamed, the air settling.
“Good, because there’s more.”
“You all saw what Ben did with the water at the beach?” I asked them.
“Yes, impossible, but amazing, I mean you had to see it to believe something like that could be happening,” Julia answered and Grant reached for her hand, placing his other on her flat tummy.
“He’s called an Elemental – specifically Ben is water. Kayla is Earth, Gabriel is fire, and if I’m correct the child you’re carrying is Air.” As the words left my mouth the breeze that shouldn’t be inside this house since no windows were open, appeared again.
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Okay so I just want to clear up what Oakley said, “I was here, and I doubt that daddy had stopped living just because Ben and I were gone. Daddy still had Sarah, Amelia and their new baby to replace Ben and I…” She’s matured quickly, but not quickly enough to know that you can’t replace a child, with another. Even though we all seem to not love Pat, Oakley still has a long way to go with her mindset, so while Kieran does have his setbacks Oakley has her own to work on.
How many saw the Air Elemental being that baby?
It's sorta 50/50 when it comes to me including info about whats going on back home with George... I'm still on the fence. Not many people care about that, so I tend not to want to put that in until the time is right.
Someone said they hope that I'm going to be writing more in this book even though its already 200+ pages? My answer is yeah. I know a lot of people don't want to read longer stories here on wattpad but I guess I put too much details and whatnot so yeah there is going to be more.
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