Disclaimer: Don't own Alpha and Omega Series

Hope and Family

Bronwyn sighed as she was discharged from the hospital, she had been through this routine more times than she cared to even attempt to count over the years of her life. Infection after infection had left her in a state where the doctors weren't sure there was anything more they could do for her.

Cystic Fibrosis, that had been her diagnosis when she was just six years old. Now she wore oxygen all the time and could barely walk around without getting winded. Hope was something she had very little of at that time. She didn't want to give up but she wasn't sure there was any way she could stay alive.

John Cornick watched as his daughter's condition deteriorated by the minute. She was asleep in her bed when his father entered the room. David Cornick knew that his son was suffering as he watched his daughter die slowly before his eyes.

"I can't believe it's come to this, dad." John sighed.

"We all knew it would, John." David replied "Bronwyn's condition is terminal, it's only a matter of time before He calls her home."

"I know, dad." John sighed not wanting to hear that it was only a matter of time before his little girl died, "It's just... this is my baby girl."

Bronwyn's cough caught the attention of the two men and they went in to do what they always did when she got like that, but it was becoming less and less effective.

"Dad... is what Uncle Ben said true?" she asked.

"I don't know, what did Uncle Ben tell you?"

"He told me that... that there is something that could save me." Bronwyn said.

"I think Uncle Ben has false hope, I'm going to have to have a long talk with my cousin." John sighed.

"Dad..."

"Just rest, baby girl, we'll do whatever we have to help you." John left as Bronwyn slipped off to sleep.

David looked over Bronwyn's prone form, oxygen machine helping her just to breathe and he wondered if David realized what his cousin Ben was actually referring to.

"She'd never survive the change, I don't know what you're thinking Ben." he thought as he walked out the door himself.

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Meanwhile Samuel was just settling back into Aspen Creek. This would be the first weekend his niece, SeoHyun would spend with him and his mate, Nicolette. They had made it official just a few weeks after arriving in Aspen Creek. Much to Samuel's shock he had been Nicolette's first, she had been so focused on getting her education and her Naval life that she had barely dated anyone much less had sex with anyone.

He had set up so he had time devoted to taking care of her, easing her through the process of lovemaking. It wasn't the first time he had been with a virgin woman, as a medical professional and werewolf he had been the one to teach his wives about sex before sex education became part of the school curriculum and he had to abolish a few misconceptions from Nicolette's mind even though she was a medical professional herself. She had been nervous about it because of teachers that taught that it could be uncomfortable or even painful to have sex for the first time.

He watched as SeoHyun practiced her violin work. The violin had been a musical challenge for SeoHyun that she stepped up to and enjoyed. She always enjoyed a mental challenge and the family was more than happy to keep her young mind occupied with puzzles and other things to keep her busy and learning.

He had tried to keep track of the family of his one son that had lived long enough to die of old age but he had lost track of his descendants decades ago so he wasn't sure if they were still around or if any still carried the Cornick name.

Nicolette watched as Samuel helped SeoHyun correct her finger positioning for a particularly challenging note with the kind of patience she knew he wielded. She had experienced it first hand and appreciated it so much. She had been so nervous her first time but he had taken his time, eased her mind with his hushed tones and gentle hands. Taking his time to show her what words alone couldn't convince her, that being with him would be a wonderful experience.

Nicolette started looking into his family and the one son he had that survived to grow old and die and learned through Bran that the man had fathered several children of his own who then had their own children and so on down the line but they had lost track of the only remaining family that still carried the Cornick name during World War II and had not been able to locate them sense.

Bran had tracked the family down and learned of their desire to learn if it was true that they were related to the famous Marrok. A few of them had successfully made the change from human to werewolf but there was a pressing time limit on their search. One of the few children in that particular family was dying and it was her wish to know if they were related to him.

He had been trying to talk them into coming up to Aspen Creek to see if anything could be done for her or, worst case scenario, he could successfully cure her with the change. If she didn't survive it would be a more merciful death than wasting away with Cystic Fibrosis, though it would be up to her to try the change or not.

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John sighed, he was against taking his daughter to Aspen Creek until he was told that if there was anything they wanted her to see before she died they needed to do it now that there wasn't much time left at all.

He contacted Bran and told him of this development and Bran informed him that he should pack and report to the private airstrip at a certain time that his son, Charles was going to stop there on his way back to Aspen Creek from a job in Florida dealing with a problem in the Everglades pack. He wasn't sure about this but he and his wife showed up dutifully, bags packed and Bronwyn ready for the trip.

He watched as the tall Native American man exited the Leer Jet, a small brunette woman trailing behind him.

"Charles Cornick," John said though it was more of a question than a statement.

"Yes, this is my wife, Anna." He said introducing.

"I'm John, this is my wife Michelle and our daughter, Bronwyn."

Charles could sense the disease on her as he approached her he knew she wasn't long for this world if something wasn't done. She had fought her whole life and he knew it was only because of her dominant spirit that she made it to seventeen years old. He knew that his father usually made candidates for the change wait until they were at least eighteen to attempt the change, he was going to make an exception for Bronwyn because it didn't look like she would live to see eighteen without some sort of miracle.

He picked up Bronwyn and they boarded the leer. Bran had already had a private lab analyze his DNA and compare it to John's. They found too many markers in common for mere coincidence, they were related. He hadn't told Samuel yet as he knew how bad Bronwyn's condition was. He was unaware that Samuel's mate had learned of this and told Samuel. The door to his office slammed open.

To be continued...