Saturday, 9th of April.
It was the early hours of the morning when Harper awoke, she was laid on the living room couch, with bandages around her arms and a raging headache. She glanced to her left, watching as Logan stitched a large gash on Michaels forehead.
Bright green eyes glanced down and noticed her laying there, a small smile graced Michael's lips, "morning."
"What happened?" Harper asked, she glanced around as she noticed Calum laying on the other corner of the couch, staring at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Where is everyone?"
Michael sighed, "you were passed out when I woke up, everyone was taken back here. The hospital would cause too much suspicion as to what happened, besides we didn't want Luke lying there helpless and unprotected." He paused for a moment before he continued, "He's upstairs with Aloysius, both are resting off their injuries."
Logan placed a bandage over the stitches and gestured for Michael and Calum to leave the room, they nodded and with their magehounds in tow walked up the stairs. The mood seemed to liven up a little in the room, but not by much, it seemed that despite getting Luke back there wasn't much else to celebrate.
"Explain, please."
Logan sighed as he called out for his wife to enter the room, Leia grimly walked in as she took a seat beside her husband, clutching his hand for dear life. He placed a kiss to her forehead before he looked at Harper and spoke, "I'm a Terra Tractatori. Have been all my life, I was a Pugnantis- which is a fighter- and I was given the tasks to hunt down the Potestas and kill them. I met your mother during one of my assignments, and I fell in love with her. Adora- one of the leaders- was close with me, I told her of my feelings and she allowed me to leave my old life behind, start a new life, start a family. I left and I came here with your mother where we could start a normal life whilst still being surrounded by my element, so if the need arose I could protect us. When you first opened your eyes I realised what you were, I knew I would have to keep an eye out and protect you from harm. Your mother and I both agreed to keep your powers hidden from you-"
Harper interrupted him before he could continue, "was that really your choice to make?" She knew her parents were just protecting her, but she couldn't stop a part of herself from thinking that if she knew how to use her powers she could have helped last night. After all, it was her life and the choices made in it should be hers to make, although more often than not it isn't the case.
Her parents sighed, as if unsure how their daughter would cope with the information, "I know it wasn't fair to keep this from you, but it was to protect you, and trust me if you knew about your powers that wouldn't have stopped all of this from happening." Logan looked at his daughter, he knew the pain she must be going through, and it hurt him to watch her suffer.
"I know. I'm not mad, I just wish I could've known. Is that why I always loved the forest? Why we would always go out there together?" Logan nodded. He wanted his daughter to connect with her element, so that if the need arose her instincts would take over and help her. However, he never wanted her to learn about her powers, to follow in his footsteps, but when he had met Luke for the first time with those familiar blue eyes, he knew his attempts were futile.
"What about that place? In the forest." Harper still couldn't quite believe the events that had occurred last night. She needed to learn more before she could even attempt to wrap her mind around last night. Harper felt like a child learning to walk all over again, questioning the way she had been living. She'd always known that something about her was different, but couldn't quite place her finger on what it was, and now she knew.
Harper wanted to know why everyone could see fog but not her, why she felt strangely at ease in that place. She had known her way despite never having gone in there without her father, and when they had gone in- which was rare- she had always followed him. She'd never seen that place before.
"That is the house of one of our ancestors, only a Williams or those accompanied by one can get in. It's been spelled, hidden from those who aren't blood related which gives us a distinct advantage over others on that land. It was meant to be a safe haven for all Tractatori, but at the end of the day it would always be up to the William's family as to who stayed and who left. I took you there, in the hopes that should anything ever happen you would go there, it's the next safest place. Well I thought it would be a safe place." Logan squeezed his wife's hand as he kissed her forehead once again in a reassuring manner. He knew that Leia had wanted to keep this from Harper, and these recent events had caused nothing but stress for the mother.
"So how did Logan and the twins get in if it's protected?" Harper wondered. As she glanced at the black blade next to Logan, Harper missed the subtle squeeze of Leia's hand by Logan.
"I have no idea." Logan offered no other comment.
"That blade, where did you get it from. I thought I saw Larkin with a similar pair." Logan looked alarmed for a moment before his features went stoic. Harper wouldn't be able to forget the look of the deadly blades that Larkin had wielded with lethal efficiency. She knew that the events from last night would haunt her nights, and perhaps even her days.
"I got it from my father, it's a family heirloom of sorts. Given to the sons of our family. Anything else you would like to know? I understand that this can be overwhelming and your mother and I are always here for you." Logan leant forward, his elbows rested on his knees as he reached his free hand out to Harper, a sign to let him know that him and his wife would always be there for their daughter.
As much as Harper wanted to hear more about her ancestors, she was tired and wanted to go see Luke. "I'm fine for now. I just want to go see Luke, if I need anything I'll let you know."
Leia nodded with a friendly smile as she pulled her daughter in for a hug, clutching her tight in fear of losing her. Pulling back slightly Leia smiler once more at her daughter, whom she couldn't be more proud of, and looking into those forest green eyes she saw the beautiful infant, young adventurous toddler, book-loving teenager, and now a gorgeous and kind-hearted young adult. Leia couldn't be more proud.
"I'll come up with you, I need to check over him quickly, and then I promise he's all yours." Logan laughed as he pushed himself to his feet and walked towards the staircase. Harper slowly followed behind, she was excited to see Luke but she knew upon seeing him that her heart would break, she was scared to see what had become of him. When she had last seen him he had been dead and lying in a pool of his own blood. Now she didn't know what to expect.
Logan came to a stop outside of Harper's bedroom door and turned to face his daughter, "don't be alarmed at his condition, okay? He's healing fast but until he regains his strength he's unable to heal himself."
Those words scared Harper more than she would care to admit, but she swallowed down her fear and grasped the cold door handle. With a final breath she slowly opened the door, her heart pumped wildly with anticipation. The first thing Harper noticed was Aloysius lying spread out on her window seat, his head raised and tail wagged as Harper entered the room. "Hi Aloysius," Harper murmured as she crossed the room and scratched the magehound behind his ears.
Logan quickly walked to Harper's bed where Luke laid, covered in bandages. Harper stood by the window, anxiously waiting for Logan to finish fiddling with the IV and administering a series of meds. It felt like eternity before Logan had finished and left the room after murmuring a quick "goodbye."
As the door shut with a soft click, Harper walked over to the bed. "Luke?" She whispered.
"Hey baby," Luke rasped, his voice croaky and hoarse. Harper breathed out a sigh of relief as she sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers entangled with Luke's.
Harper gnawed on her lip, unsure of what to say. She wanted to ask if he was okay, but clearly he wasn't, and she was scared that if she asked he might get annoyed at her for bringing back up a clearly traumatising event. Harper avoided eye contact as she stared at the pillows to the left of Luke's head. She heard Luke sigh as he squeezed her hand, drawing her attention away from the plain white pillow and onto that gorgeous face of his, despite the bandages and cuts.
"I didn't realise I was that ugly that you couldn't look at me," Luke joked, his blue eyes lit up with amusement. Harper was about to apologise when Luke cut her off by continuing to speak, "its okay. I'm fine, you don't have to beat yourself up about it."
Harper nodded. With a small exhale she spoke, "how come you aren't healing fast?" She gazed down at him and noticed that whilst the small cuts and bruises had gone, he still had larger ones that were very prominent.
"I'm not sure. My body is healing faster than a humans but not as fast as usual, and the boys can't heal me either. I think it's to do with something that they gave me." Luke sighed as his fingers reached up and played with a few strands of Harper's light brown hair. He loved how soft her hair was in between his calloused fingers. Well, he loved pretty much everything about her; her perfections and imperfections.
"What-" her breath caught in her throat, and with a silent gulp, she just managed to finish her sentence, "what did they do to you?" Tears brimmed in her eyes at the sight of her boyfriend and the way he would since in pain if he moved too much.
Luke only smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, "you don't need to worry about that. What matters is that Aloysius and I are back here, alive, and I have my girl beside me."
Aloysius barked in agreement before placing his large head on his paws and closing his blue eyes, content to be safe and able to rest. Harper couldn't imagine the stress Aloysius must've gone through upon Luke's disappearance, all the sleepless nights as he protected her as he would have protected Luke. The guilt the magehound must have gone through upon losing Luke was enough to break Harper's heart, she couldn't imagine the pain Aloysius had been through. He was stronger than anyone could give him credit for, truly mans best friend. The duo smiled at the magehound with admiration. "Thankyou." Harper knew exactly what he was thankful for, how he knew she had no idea.
She glanced at those blue eyes, recalling the time when she first saw him in the street, standing in the rain. When she had thought him a mad man for standing out there in such terrible weather, and oh how she had fallen for that mad man.
Luke glanced at her, noticing the thoughtful expression on her face and she way her forehead crinkled as she furrowed her eyebrows together. She looked cute. "What are you thinking about baby?"
Harper smiled at the recollection of the day, "I'm thinking of the day that I first saw you." May as well be honest, Harper thought.
"The day when I saw you at the cafe? God, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. You lit up the world, and your kindness blew me away baby. I'm a lucky man." Luke smiled.
"Well, I saw you before that. I was sitting on my window seat," Harper motioned to the seat that Aloysius currently occupied, "and I saw a strange boy standing in the middle of the street whilst it was raining. I remember thinking how he would be so sick the next day, and what person would even do that. I remember calling you Storm boy." Harper giggled at the last bit.
Luke looked surprised before he spoke, "you little stalker. I like the ring it has to it, Forest girl." Luke smirked as he beckoned Harper over, who rolled her eyes in response.
"So, when are you going to be up and out?" Harper grinned as she carefully crawled over Luke's body and laid down on the sheets next to him. Her head rested on the comfy pillow as she faced Luke and stared up at his handsome face, and those storm blue eyes.
"I may be in bed rest by your father, but I can think of plenty of activities that can be done in this bed," Luke smirked as he grabbed Harper by the waist and lifted her until she was straddling him, despite the pain it must have caused him as he winced. Harper rolled her eyes, about to respond when the door banged open and in came two tired yet amused boys.
"Well, we probably should have knocked."
"It's just fine. Luke's on bed rest, key word rest. So what you're thinking was going to happen, ain't going to happen." Harper softly patted Luke's cheek as she carefully got off of him and returned to her spot beside him.
The two boys snickered as Luke groaned, mostly in frustration. Harper giggled as she motioned for the boys to come over and sit on the bed, since there was more than enough room. However, Ace and Cato were forced to take up residence on the floor, clearly Harper would need the worlds largest bed to fit all the boys and their magehounds on.
"You're so mean to me," Luke pouted as he pushed himself up into a semi-seated position, which caused a grimace of pain. Harper shook her head, she wasn't going to be able to stop Luke from doing anything that he didn't want to do. He was like a toddler, stubborn and off in their own world.
"It's because you're annoying and not listening to what you've been told. Are you a child?" Michael grinned. Harper laughed, she knew she couldn't be the only one that thought Luke acted like a child.
The light finally seemed to reach Luke's eyes for a moment, although it was gone as quickly as it had come, "maybe I am, and like all children I've got my addiction." The glance towards Harper told her all she needed to know. Her cheeks warmed as she carefully leant over and rested her head on his shoulder, pecking Luke's cheek in a loving manner. Her man could be so cheesy sometimes. However, she wouldn't have it any other way. Luke was her man and no one would ever change that.
"Wait. Where's Ashton?" The room went eerily quiet. The mood shifted, any traces of smiles and laughter long gone as the boys glanced at each other. It was as if no one wanted to speak, to voice what had happened, and that stressed Harper the longer the silence continued.
It was a few minutes before Luke clutched her hand and spoke, "he's missing. We couldn't find any trace of him since the other night at the cabin."
"Don't worry about it just now. Get some rest and we will fill you in on everything tomorrow, alright?" Harper knew it was pointless to argue, so she silently nodded towards Michael as she buried herself under the covers.
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