A/N: Aahh...I can't believe I finished writing this! It took me seven days to read Awakened (really three, but I've been busy [[VISITING CANADA FOR 2 MONTHS]] so I couldn't read all day long...so I started on Jan. 4th and finished on Jan. 11th) Literally, as soon as I turned over the last page of the book, I turned on my laptop and this story started writing itself out. 7135 words...that's a record. I would have made it a two-shot, but I thought, 'why? it's already written!'. And it took me seven days to write it...again, really three, but I had to "decorate" it, you know. So, hope you like it :D
Sorry if you get a kind of feeling, like 'What? This character would never say this!'
SET 6 YEARS AFTER AWAKENED.
WARNINGS:
SUPER CHEESY (yah I've been feeling cheesy, ever since I heard my aunt say "cheesy" 10 days ago) Don't like cheesy? Don't read ;)
SUPER FLUFFY
SUPER DIALOGUE-FILLED
SUPER OOC
SUPER SWEET :)
Has some foul language (Aphrodite)
My terrible English is present all over!
All the characters, except for OCs Sandra and Grace, belong to PC and Kristin Cast.
With that said, onto the story!
"Brrrrz," uttered the baby girl as she grabbed the uppermost bar of her playpen and struggled to lift herself up. She did it several times, and every time she would fall right on her little butt, giggle, and give it another try. After a while, though, she would get tired and just lean her head back against one of the lower bars, looking around the room with awareness beyond her age. That sometimes worried her mother. But he simply liked to think she was a special little girl. His little girl.
It gave him so much joy just seeing her wake up every evening, fall asleep every sunrise, and, basically, during the night playing, or staring at the world that surrounded her as alert as could be. She looked so healthy; her cheeks were always blazing pink; her blonde curls glowed under the moonlight; her marine blue eyes had a curious, luminous spark that became more and more visible every day that passed.
He went to stand next to the playpen, and after a couple seconds had the baby's absolute attention. She stretched her arms up, willing her father to pick her up. Rephaim didn't hesitate over it for even a second and scooped her up, cradling her small body, holding her head close to his heart so that she could hear his heartbeat, and fall asleep to its rhythm.
It was at times like that one, when Rephaim found himself battling over how much his life—the same life that had remained unchangeable for an eternity—could have changed so much in less than a decade. Could have found and enriched itself so much. He had always thought of happiness as a forbidden emotion for him, as something only beings with even the littlest bit of humanity left in them were able to feel. Yet here he was, walking the path to utter happiness, step by difficult step. He had been in it for a while now and still wondered how he would get to the finish line, the very ending of what would allow him to one day look back on his life and smile.
The change in the baby's breathing pattern brought him back to reality, and he looked at her worriedly. As he made sure she was alright, he continued pacing the room, observing her sweet little face with tenderness-filled eyes.
He remembered when he first found out about her. Rephaim had just started getting ready to become a full raven—he had found an escape to his punishment; he slept while being a bird, and awoke as a human—when his Stevie Rae twitched uncomfortably in her sleep. He sat next to her on the bed and gave her a light shove. She woke up, panting and sweating. Her eyes found his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Rephaim sat still and waited until she finally calmed down
"Stevie Rae? Are you alright?"
"I don't know; I was tryin' to fall asleep but then I couldn't stop shakin' and it was real hard for me to breathe."
Rephaim gently took a handful of her curls in his hand and released them with so much love anyone could have thought they were living beings. "Do you want me to get Zoey?"
Stevie Rae shook her head. "No; 'tis not necessary. I don't wanna wake her up just 'cause I've been feelin' messed up since dinner."
Rephaim looked her in the eyes very seriously. "I told you too much dip could not be good for anyone."
"But I heart me some extra dip!" Stevie Rae pouted, making Rephaim smile—he still hadn't gotten over how amazing it was that one swift change in the expression could be able to show so much happiness.
"Do you feel better now?"
"Yeah. It ain't nothin', really. Just an ol'—uh oh!" In less than five seconds, Stevie Rae was already out of bed, bucket in hands, 'puking her guts out'. Rephaim ran to her side and held her hair back, totally at a loss. He had no idea what to do—what to expect, when a red vampyre got sick. He waited another two minutes when Stevie Rae finally put the bucket down and raised her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her forehead had gotten so pale Rephaim could see the small blood vessels behind her skin. "I'm gonna brush my teeth."
"Stevie Rae?" Rephaim said, following her into the bathroom. Stevie Rae looked for her toothbrush but Rephaim found it first, and handed it to her.
"Uh?" She stuck it inside her mouth and brushed like crazy.
"I—I don't think that was normal…"
"What?" she said, rinsing her mouth and making the cold water clean everything away.
"You just vomited, basically, everything you ate today."
"So? I guess I'm just sick. I haven't been feelin' good lately, anyway."
Rephaim frowned in worry. "Really?"
Stevie Rae shrugged. "Yeah, really."
"Why did you not tell me?"
"I just didn't think it was important. I've been feelin' a lil' dizzy. That's all. And, uhm, this is actually the second time I puke my guts out."
Rephaim's hand flew to Stevie Rae's forehead. "How are you feeling right now?"
"A whole lot better. Actually, I'm feelin' real hungry." She went out of the bathroom and looked around. "Hmm. Too bad there aren't any of my Mama's cookies in here. I gotta ask her to bake some more. What time is it?" Rephaim was about to tell her, but she said it before; "oh, I know. Six forty-two. The sun's 'bout to come up. Uhm…oh, I know! I'm gonna call her and ask her to mail some. Whe—"
"Stevie Rae!"
"What?" she said anxiously.
"Something doesn't feel good with you. You seem…different."
Stevie Rae laughed. "I'm just bein' me."
"I know. But…" Rephaim came closer to her and sniffed the air that surrounded her. "Yes, you're not yourself, not just apparently. Something has changed."
Stevie Rae gave him a funny look. "Rephaim, I'm the same Stevie Rae you always see."
"No. I mean, yes. But…well, these last weeks, you…I don't really know…" When Stevie Rae raised an eyebrow in wonder, he quickly went on. "Well, you're not the same Stevie Rae I know. You're acting differently, and you smell differently."
"How am I actin' differently?"
Rephaim shrugged. "You sleep a lot more. And you eat a lot more."
Stevie Rae's eyes watered. "Are you sayin' I'm…fat?"
He widened his eyes and waved his hands in front of his face in an attempt to make a dismissing motion. "No, no, not at all! I'm just remarking the changes I have detected in your attitude for the last few weeks. But on the outside, you look exactly the same."
"Then you're sayin' I'm lazy?" she said, crying by then.
"No! Argh…Stevie Rae, you're getting very emotional."
"Well, too bad," she snapped. "I didn't know havin' feelings was a bad thing." She had started walking away, but when she got five feet far, she immediately turned around and ran back to him. "I'm sorry," she said as she wrapped her arms around Rephaim's neck, and he wrapped his around her waist. "I know somethin' seems off. I should have more control over myself." She laid her head on his shoulder and sobbed.
"Shh…it's alright, Stevie Rae. It's alright." Rephaim hugged her tenderly. "Listen; go to sleep now, and once we awaken, we are going to the House of Night infirmary. There, we will see what we can do."
"'Kay," she said, sniffling.
###
"So, let me get this straight. You say red fledglings and vampyres, though more…clichéd, than blue vampyres, are much more in contact with their humanity than them, as they struggle to keep hold on it; thus making some of their body systems work as if they were still human. So, as a result of all that, casualties of life and a lot of magick, I'm going to be an aunt by the end of the year?" Zoey Redbird inquired her BFF.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Stevie Rae said, twirling one of her curls and smiling radiantly.
Z smiled. "Oh, goddess! Stevie Rae, that's amazing!"
"I know!"
"Come over here!"
Stevie Rae ran to her BFF and they hugged each other and cried happy tears. They started jumping in circles and laughing until they felt tired and plopped on Z's couch, still smiling.
They finally calmed down, and Zoey started asking, "So, any names in mind? Who else have you told? How are you feeling right now? How did your mother take it?"
"Waaaaah…Z! That startles me."
"Okay, okay. Uhm…who else have you told?"
"Only you and Rephaim know. Well, and Sandra, the new nurse. She was real nice! How did y'all find her?"
The new High Priestess smiled. "She was transferred from the Atlanta House of Night a few months ago. Glad to get some feedback."
Stevie Rae sighed and kindly placed a hand over her temporarily flat belly. "I'm bored," she said.
"Hey, I know how to lighten up the mood."
"What should we do?"
Zoey bit her lower lip. "Tell Stark." The two friends laughed as they got ready for the red vampyre's reaction. "Stark! Come, please. I need—"
The world's new archery champion was in the room in less than a breath, bow in hand. "Zoey? What is it?"
The BFFs shared looks of complicity as Stevie Rae stood up in a hop and, grabbing Stark by the shoulders, shouted "I'M PREGNANT!" at the top of her lungs. Stark got wordless because of the shock. Right after that, one by one, Damien, Aphrodite, Darius and the Twins came down the stairs wearing masquerades of shock.
"Preg—what?" Shaunee inquired.
"Nant—who?" Erin finished.
"It's not possible…" muttered Damien.
"Your eggo is preggo!" Aphrodite exclaimed, horrified. "How?"
Stevie Rae gave her an annoyed look. "I'm not tellin' you how I made a baby, Aphrodite. You should simply know, that I'm old enough to have—"
"Eww! I don't want to hear you telling me about your fucking sessions with ex-bird boy."
Stevie Rae shrugged. "You're the one who asked me 'bout it."
"Oh my goddess…shut her up!" Aphrodite shouted, covering her ears and burying her face in Darius' backpack.
"Guys, this is wrong. You should be happy for her," Zoey told her friends, giving them a be nice look.
"We are happy for her," Erin defended.
"We're just surprised." Shaunee walked toward Stevie Rae and hugged her. "Congratulations, Stevie Rae."
"Yeah. You must be feeling exuberant at the moment," Damien said, following Shaunee's example and enfolding the red vampyre tightly.
"Stevie Rae, I'm so excited! If you have a girl, can I take her shopping?" Erin asked, running to hug her best friend.
Stevie Rae laughed. "Okie dokie, but I'll judge the appropriateness of the clothes you choose."
Erin frowned. "You just ruined 'Big n' Lil' Sissy GNO' before lil' sissy was even born."
Darius whispered something in Aphrodite's ear, which made her sigh but nod in agreement. "Bumpkin…"
"Yes, Aphrodikey?"
"You're making this fucking harder than it already is," the blonde muttered, but still walked toward her and gave her a hug. "Congratz. Guess your literal taking-off-my-red-High-Priestess-panties-for-one-month-and-resting-at-home really turned out to be good news. Especially 'cause that babe of yours is going to get amazing discounts on every store it sets foot on, under one condition."
"What is it?" Stevie Rae asked amusedly.
Aphrodite knelt and sat on her legs, and being at Stevie Rae's tummy level, said, "Never call me Aphrodikey."
The whole room burst in laughter—except for Stark, who was still frozen in shock.
###
"So, what've you been doin' today?"
Rephaim came back from being deep in thought and turned in Stevie Rae's direction, smiling when he saw her. "Not really much. Just thinking."
"'Bout what?"
He sighed, thinking of how he'd put it into words. "Well…you do know life is going to change a lot, right? For both of us."
"Yep."
"Do you feel ready for that change?"
Stevie Rae snorted. "'Course I do."
Rephaim closed his eyes. "Alright," he said, in a voice that did not sound very convinced.
She frowned. "Rephaim?"
"Yes?"
Stevie Rae sat straight and took his hand in hers. "Don't you?"
Rephaim's fingers intertwined with hers. "I do; I do. It's just that…well, it is a lot to take in so suddenly."
"But it won't happen that suddenly. Sandra said we'd very likely have nine months to get ready, like humans do. We're both practically human, so it's only logical."
Rephaim nodded. "I know. I also heard her say that. But nine months doesn't seem too much."
"Oh, well, if you simply think 'nine months in life' then of course it seems like a very short time. But you'll see; there are so many things we have to ready ourselves for. Lotsa shopping, lotsa visiting the House of Night, lotsa…oh, I almost forgot! We need an interior decorator to come, down here." Rephaim knew his expression was a huge question mark when Stevie Rae laughed and shook her head. "Remember when I told you what 'urban renewal' was?" He nodded. "Well, that's kinda sorta what we gotta do in one of the extra rooms here in the depots."
Rephaim made an "aah" noise and smiled, kissing Stevie Rae softly on the lips once.
###
The day the baby was born was a day Rephaim would always cherish, no matter how it had started, no matter how it had ended.
He had just turned into a boy and was curling in bed next to Stevie Rae when she, for the first time in six months, started twitching uncomfortably in her sleep. It was an odd sight, as the nurse from the House of Night had told them the twitching was caused by Stevie Rae's body reflect to remain asleep through nausea, and it would stop once their first trimester was over. Well, they were finishing the third trimester, and it had come back.
Rephaim shook Stevie Rae's shoulder lightly and she woke up. She smiled when she saw him and—difficultly—lifted herself up. Once she was sat straight, she screamed.
Kramisha ran inside the room, her blonde wig falling when she crossed the door. "What happened?"
Rephaim was caressing Stevie Rae's back. "I—I don't know…she sat up and started screaming all of a sudden."
Their black friend studied her. "Hm…. them pains are caused by the baby." She walked over to them and looked at Stevie Rae. "Stevie Rae, I'm takin' ya to the House of Night. Zoey'll know what to do. Besides, we ain't able to sleep 'cause of your screamin'."
All that time, Stevie Rae had not closed her mouth, not even to breathe. It seemed like someone had put on an endless tape in her throat, and she was toy that had been given cord to. Rephaim, with the help of Kramisha, got her on her feet and they made their way outside the tunnels. She opened the door to her car and Rephaim grabbed Stevie Rae by the elbows, helping her get inside.
"Stevie Rae, you about to have a baby. Get inside the car, shut ya mouth and breathe."
"Stevie Rae?" Rephaim asked once they were inside the car, stroking her hand.
"Hm?" Stevie Rae uttered between breaths as she locked her hand with his and squeezed it tightly. Rephaim winced.
"We'll be at the House of Night soon. Try to calm down."
"It ain't no good that you be askin' her that, Rephaim. Don't give her no more responsibilities than she can handle. Just be by her side," Kramisha shouted over the sound of tires screeching and motor roaring. Rephaim was about to protest—she could rudely boss Stevie Rae around, but he couldn't tell her something that would make all of them calmer?—but decided to obey the last sentence she had said; just be by her side. He could do that. He would do that. Stevie Rae's forehead was dripping sweat and she was panting and crying. If he could not ease her pain, he would be by her side through it. He had watched movies and also read that was what humans would do in such events, and besides, he felt deep inside that was the best thing to do.
Kramisha stopped the car with such force that it spun 180 degrees, practically parking itself. She then helped Stevie Rae out while Rephaim ran to the entrance. He had to get Zoey Redbird, now.
"Go find 'em! We're fine," Kramisha shouted. And that command was the only thing Rephaim could concentrate on. He couldn't even see anything else; it was as if his brain only worked for that. Find Zoey.
"Zoey Redbird!" he yelled at the wind. It was seven thirty-six in the afternoon, and some early-bird students were wandering outside the school buildings. All of them were staring at the apparently ordinary human guy who was running maybe faster than they ever would, even once they had completed the Change and were full vampyres. "Zoey Redbird!" he repeated, this time louder and more anxiously. He had started slowing down when she finally came out of the middle tower, looking around and finding him. He gave a huge sigh of relief.
"What, what?" she said worriedly.
"Stevie Rae…and Kramisha…are outside. Sh—she…is crying and…screaming…and in a lot of pain." Rephaim tried to catch his breath after every phrase. The High Priestess's smile couldn't have been bigger—of course, she could only see the good news behind the whole situation—and she started calling several names which Rephaim couldn't hear due to the blood pounding in his ears. He dragged himself toward the place he and Stevie Rae had been frequenting over the last nine months as fast as he could, which wasn't really that fast after having crossed the whole campus at such speed.
"Sandra?" he called, using his last breath and falling, defeated, against a wall, breathing heavily.
The Asian vampyre with tattoos in the shape of crosses and asterisks saw him there and quickly ran to the room where he was. "Where's Stevie Rae?"
"Out…side…Kramisha is…bringing her…in."
"What's wrong with her?"
He simply pointed to the door, which was, a few seconds later, opened by Kramisha. Behind her came Zoey, Aphrodite, Damien, Shaunee and Erin.
"Where is she?" Sandra asked.
"Stark and Darius are bringing her," Zoey explained.
"Here they are!" shouted Erin, as she hopped aside just in time for the two Warriors to enter, carrying Stevie Rae in their arms. She was still crying and locking and unlocking her fingers, resting her hands on her swollen belly. They put her on the floor, and once on her feet, Stevie Rae dragged her feet toward Rephaim. He managed to lift her up and, following Sandra and her orders, laid her on a bed next to a window that gave to Zoey's office so that no curious students would be gawking inside, and knelt on the floor next to her.
"Rephaim?" she whispered, shutting her eyes tightly.
"Yes, Stevie Rae? I'm here; I'm right here," Rephaim reassured, taking her hand and kissing it.
"I can't believe we…it's almost over…I mean—" but she couldn't finish her sentence because another wave of pain hit her and she bit her lip so hard it started bleeding.
"Shh…don't speak." He wiped the blood away with the tip of his finger.
"We did it," Stevie Rae whispered, smiling through her pain and tears. "We made it here. And today, December 19th, we're havin' a baby."
Rephaim smiled, too, as the words he had been hammering inside his head for the last nine months at last became reality. Realization hit him like a giant rock, and he was filled with a happiness he hadn't known his whole life.
###
Rephaim realized how naïve he had been to think it would be fast and easy. In other words, their baby ended up being born on the next day. December 20th, twelve midnight exactly.
He had witnessed the whole experience with wide eyes. He had been there when two nurses, standing at Stevie Rae's feet, shouted commands at her while she painfully did her best to obey them, and when a third one had stood between the two for a couple minutes and finally turned around, carrying a white bundle. It took him quite a few seconds to understand that she had wrapped a white blanket around a baby.
His baby.
The woman placed the tiny creature in a small tub on a shelf, and then turned to Stevie Rae. Rephaim looked at the red vampyre, and she nodded, weakly raising her hand and indicating him to go to the shelf. He gave a hesitant step, and then another, and another, until he was standing right in front of the tub. Gathering enough courage, Rephaim held his breath and leant forward, seeing the little creature for the first time. Only then did he fully understand every single thing he and Stevie Rae had gone through in the last few months had truly been worth it.
The tiny round head was crowned with a mess of blonde curls, and the eyelids were the color of seashells; soft, pinkish pearl. The lips were the exact same color, and the chubby cheeks were almost fuchsia, bright as they were. Suddenly, the petal-like eyelids started lifting, and a pair of dark blue eyes greedily took everything in, especially as they landed on him.
Rephaim couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips as he met his own child. The baby's arms were raised and trying to reach for his face. He leaned a little closer so that the petite hand could stroke his cheek. Unconsciously, his arms surrounded the tub and he pressed it close to him. The nurse who had placed the baby in it saw him and, beaming, asked;
"Would you like to hold her?"
The question echoed in his mind as he nodded. Hold her…the baby was a girl. He had a daughter. His heart would have burst with pride, had he not released the breath he had been holding the entire time.
The young vampyre lifted the infant, who was still wrapped in the white blanket, and looked at Rephaim. He positioned his arms exactly where they would fit best, and was able to cradle the baby. She raised her tiny hand and kept stroking his cheek. Rephaim's smile grew even wider as he bent down and kissed her creamy white forehead.
Gracias was the only word that came to his mind. Out of the blue and in a foreign language. Gracias, Nyx. This is the best blessing you could have gifted me with. Thank you. I promise you I'll always make sure that she's safe and happy.
Rephaim then walked over to Stevie Rae. She was still surrounded by nurses, all of them talking at the same time, but she was trying to look around them. She finally caught sight of him, and pretend-coughed. As they realized what she meant, each nurse started leaving the room, one by one. Once the last one had closed the door behind her, Rephaim sat on the bed next to the Red One.
"Meet our daughter, Stevie Rae," he said. Stevie Rae automatically made a perfect cradle with her arms, and Rephaim tucked the baby into it. She frowned at the abrupt change of place, but after hearing her mother's cooing and recognizing her voice, closed her eyes and buried her face in Stevie Rae's shoulder.
"She's beautiful. And I'm not sayin' that just 'cause I'm talkin' 'bout my own kid. She truly is."
"I know," Rephaim said, never taking his eyes off of the miniature person. "Gracias, Stevie Rae."
"Huh?" she said, amused by his sudden use of a different language. "Why in Spanish?"
"Well, I found it fitting, for some reason."
Stevie Rae laughed, causing the baby to open her eyes, startled. "Okay. I'm not questionin' you 'bout it." She rocked their daughter for a little while until she was soundly asleep. "You know," she whispered, "I like that word. It sounds way prettier than 'thank-you'; don't you think?"
Rephaim nodded, unwrapping part of the blanket and caressing the baby's left hand, counting its fingers. Five, he thought. She's perfect. Absolutely flawless.
"What shall we call her?" he said absent-mindedly, counting the fingers in the other hand.
Stevie Rae chewed on her lip. "I'd been givin' it hard thought, but couldn't come up with a name. I had some small ideas, but actually seein' her is different than imaginin' her." She stopped rocking her for a moment and looked at him. "This sounds like gracias. Grace."
Rephaim smiled up at her. "It does. And it fits her perfectly."
###
The night was filled with visitors, gifts and medicines. Stevie Rae's mother barely made it before sunrise, bringing a giant basket full of her cookies. She was going to stay in the room that had belonged to Stevie Rae and Zoey Redbird years ago until her daughter was fully recovered; then she would go with them to the depots—a proposition that had surprised both Stevie Rae and Rephaim, as Ginny Johnson never really did approve of her daughter living in those tunnels
Rephaim knew Stevie Rae was exhausted, so it was only logical for her to go to sleep two hours earlier than usual. She was allowed to sleep with Grace, but the bed in the infirmary was too small for him to sleep with them, so he had to stick with sleeping on the couch, right next to the bed. Besides, he'd be turning into a raven soon.
That 'night', which was really day, Rephaim had a bizarre dream. He was sitting next to a pond in a place vaguely familiar to him when the Goddess appeared, floating over the water. He immediately stood up and closed his fist over his heart. "Merry meet, my Goddess."
"Merry meet, Rephaim," she said to him, her ghost-like figure trembling with the warm breeze that had picked up. She examined him thoroughly, and finally spoke again. "I see your life has changed a lot as of today."
"It has, indeed. And I want to thank you for Grace. She is the best of all the gifts you have blessed me with."
"Rephaim, I want you to understand that Grace is not only a gift or a blessing. I had been planning her birth for a very long time."
Rephaim frowned in confusion. "Why did you introduce her into my and Stevie Rae's life, then, my Goddess?"
"Before you get an answer to that question, I want you to tell me something."
"Anything, Nyx. I will tell you everything you need to know."
"Son, do you believe this life-changing event has made you grow, both mentally and spiritually?"
Rephaim pondered over the question for a minute, trying hard to understand what the goddess meant. Nyx smiled in understatement, and rephrased her question. "Do you feel closer to your humanity?"
"Yes," he said automatically, not even thinking. Not realizing the truth in the word until he had said it. The goddess smiled and raised her hands.
"If you truly believe you have finally found a balance in your life, and your soul is that of a human, then I have yet one more gift for you."
At that moment, Nyx's hands, which were still raised, hurled an enormous yellow ball at him. Rephaim thought at first that it had simply gone through his body, until he started turning into a raven again.
"Rephaim, this is the last time you will be able to feel the wind under your wings, for from now on, you shall conserve your human form both day and night. Grace is the bridge that closed the gap between the monster you did use to be, and the human boy who has resided inside you for eons, and has finally decided to fully take over you." Nyx suddenly put her arms down, and he fell to the ground, turning into a boy again.
Rephaim couldn't believe his ears. Conserving his human form, twenty-four/seven, as Stevie Rae would say? He smiled and knelt in front of the goddess. "Nyx, I could not be gladder about having decided to choose your path. I swear I will never deviate from it."
"I hope you keep that promise, son. In return for these blessings, I need you to do something."
"What is it, Goddess? What could a being like me do for you?"
"Have your daughter be middle-named as Leila. As I told you before, I had been planning her introduction into your realm for a very long time—centuries, to be specific. The fact that she was born precisely at midnight is not coincidence at all. Leila is a variant of my own name. Do it and I shall bless her eternally, for the children who bear my name in any of Its forms always have me present in their lives."
Rephaim's grin could not have been bigger. "So I will. Thank you, dear Goddess."
"For now, I leave you with my love, and my desire that you and your new family will always blessed be!" As soon as she finished her sentence, the goddess clapped her hands, and Rephaim found himself lying on the coach where he had fallen asleep. He looked at the time—one thirty-six p.m. He was about to spread his wings, when he realized they weren't there. Instead, he still had his human arms. He looked down at himself, and then remembered what had just happened. His heart almost exploded in bliss as he looked over at the bed, at the two girls he loved the most, and knew, from that instant, that their life was going to be perfect.
###
Rephaim reminisced in all that as he gently placed Grace, who was sleeping by then, back in her playpen. Her tiny chest went up and down, and her fluttering heartbeat was the only sound that filled the room. It was sweet music to his ears.
That was when the statement he had told Kalona little over a half decade ago became even truer; "you gave me power and discipline and anger, but you did not give me love. Never love." Now he wasn't only saying it because he knew what it was like to be truly loved; being a father himself, he could not understand such lack of love from Kalona. He couldn't even imagine himself, acting the way his father had, towards Grace.
He had been thinking about it when a sudden explosion was heard just on top of the depot. Grace's eyes fluttered open, and Rephaim picked her up again, hiding her with a blanket. A scream was heard, and then a loud thud, and the door opened. A grayish mist invaded the door entrance, and then the image of someone he never expected to see again materialized.
Kalona entered the room as casually as if he had been invited in. In a way, he had. He had felt Rephaim from a very long distance, and his scent had been seriously inviting. He took in the peaceful atmosphere which had just been tainted with surprise and…what was it he felt? Fear?
Yes, he could definitely feel it in the air. Tasty, raw fear. Rephaim was scared of him?
Could it be possible? He was backing against a corner, not completely facing him.
Only then did he take notice of the white bundle in his— former—son's arms. Rephaim clutched it more strongly, and it quivered. He started patting it softly, and then shot him a look of warning. Kalona understood then what he had felt.
Rephaim wasn't scared of him. He feared for the white thing he was holding.
"Rephaim," he said simply, with no feeling in his voice. When he didn't reply, Kalona started to approach. Rephaim staggered back, causing part of the white—blanket?—to fall. Leaving a mass of springy blonde hair visible.
"Stay back," Rephaim said, protectively hugging the small person in his arms.
"When…who…" Kalona couldn't find the right words. His eyes were glued to the…baby the boy was holding, and he couldn't look anywhere else.
The tiny being turned its head a little, looking up at Rephaim. Its dark blue eyes had started to water, and it was making indistinct noises. "It's alright, Grace," Rephaim whispered. "I will not let anything harm you."
To Kalona's amazement, it seemed like the infant had understood to a surprisingly large extent what she had just been told, as she nodded and completely turned her head to face him.
"How?" he finally asked. "Rephaim, how did that happen?"
Rephaim sighed. "That happened because Stevie Rae and I decided to reinforce our Imprint."
Kalona shook his head. "Vampyres are not fertile."
The boy shrugged. "She is here. That is all which matters."
The immortal snorted. "Well, that is not the reason I came here for. I want you to know that I defeated the Tsi Sgili."
A smile crept on Rephaim's face. "Neferet is gone?"
"You heard me well. Rephaim, now that our lives have nothing to do with that Vampyre, I want to ask you to do you something."
Rephaim hesitated for a second, and finally nodded for him to continue.
"I want you to come with me and your brothers again. I want you back as my son."
He deliberated on how he would answer to that request, carefully choosing his next words. Finally he spoke. "Really, was I ever your son?"
Kalona chuckled. "What are you talking about, Rephaim? I gave you life; I am your father."
Rephaim narrowed his eyes at him. "Maybe biologically. But you never really did act as my father."
"How dare you say that to me? You are not even—" Kalona stopped mid-sentence. What pretext would he use this time? Rephaim knew his position now. He had no excuses to why he had never been there for his son unless he needed him to complete a task. He had not actually known him until he was physically ten years old—capable of carrying out his evil deeds—and once he had, immediately put him to work.
"Kalona," Rephaim started. Pain filled Kalona from his very core at hearing his own son calling him by his name, as if he were a complete stranger. "Yes, I did say that to you. And I repeat it; you never acted like a father to me. I know what being a father is, and that's definitely not the way you acted towards me during my whole existence. I am not going to leave Stevie Rae. I risked everything in order to be with her, and we have been through a lot together. She means too much to leave her. She needs me…I need her."
"Ah." Kalona nodded. "You have found yourself deeply in love with her," he said, rather dangerously.
"I want you to leave us alone. I am not going to join you. I will not leave Stevie Rae, or Grace."
Kalona gave him his back and looked at the miniature, heart-shaped chandelier that hung from the roof. "Grace is the name you decided to give my granddaughter." He nodded approvingly and turned around, looking at the baby. She was staring back at him with a curiosity-filled look. "Are you aware that she is the first female in the family?"
Rephaim nodded, not quite trusting the winged man's tone, tightening his grip on his daughter.
"I am amazed. I could never have imagined my immortal blood in a girl. It is a very curious situation." The immortal started walking towards them so slowly it barely seemed like he was moving. "But what has she of you? I see her mother's hair and face; except for her eyes, which are a darker blue. Ah, there lies her resemblance to you." Kalona smirked as his granddaughter turned her whole torso to have a better view of him. "Such a pure, innocent soul, with not even a trace of the Darkness that used to inhabit yours."
"I have completely left my past behind, and my family and I follow the path of Light and the Goddess now. Stevie Rae and I gave Grace the middle-name of 'Leila', after Nyx; it is a variant of her name. That was the least we could do in exchange for all the blessings she has filled us with. Perhaps if you turned to her, you could still be part of my life, and I might be able to refer to you as my father again. Until then, you and I are strangers."
Kalona's face was emotionless, but he was breaking inside. He could not believe the son he had chosen to favor over the others could be repaying such privilege that way. But especially, he could not imagine a life full of uncertainty, knowing part of his family—his favorite son and his only grandchild—was who knows where, doing who knows what. He liked to have his people reunited; he felt like he had more control over them that way.
The immortal held on to the little girl's eyes, thinking maybe if he did not look away, he could find the answer to what he should do so that things would go back to how they used to be, how he wanted them to be. She possibly held that which rooted Rephaim to the life he had in those tunnels.
No, he told himself. I cannot believe I am doing this—practically begging him to come back to me? I am completely fine without them.
Kalona was too proud to stay another minute there, inside the Earth, at the place where his son had chosen to make his nest. Pride was his essence; it was the only thing he would not trade anything for.
Yet, could pride outweigh the fact that he would forever have to let go of those night blue eyes? That after giving in to the smugness that had always consumed him, he would never be allowed to seek in that pure soul, without any guilt or remorse, the tiny amount of goodness he probably still owned, buried somewhere along with the love he had once felt for the child's namesake, and any chance of earning her forgiveness and being allowed into her realm again?
Yes. It could. Once again, Kalona chose pride over love, knowing it was a mistake the second his heart started aching of loss, but being too proud to admit it to himself.
"If that is how you feel, then so be it. Reject me and your brothers, and keep your pitiable family together. New enemies are going to appear, Rephaim. And even though Neferet is no longer, who knows when another mind as wicked as hers shall be born. Remember only, should the time come, your brothers and I will fight you. That is what you get when you are strangers with a being as powerful as me."
"Would you fight your own people? Your son, your granddaughter? Would you bring down such cleanliness?" Both Rephaim and Kalona jumped in surprise as Stevie Rae's voice reached them from next to the door—not so much because of her being there all of a sudden, but for the words and tone she had used. For a second, Rephaim didn't know her.
Kalona gave his son and granddaughter one last look; an angry, pain-filled look. He then walked through the exit and forever out of their lives, but not without letting another white feather fall. Like she had six years ago, Stevie Rae bent down to examine it; then picked it up and put it inside her pocket, making a mental note to put it where she kept the other one, later.
"So, what's been goin' on here?" she asked, sounding more like herself. Rephaim sighed and walked toward her, shifting Grace's weight to his left arm and hugging her with his right. Stevie Rae hugged them both and placed a kiss on each of their cheeks.
"Well, Kalona wanted me to go back with him and the Raven Mockers." Stevie Rae was surprised at how easily Rephaim could talk about the people who had once been his family calling them the names everyone else used to refer to them. "But I, of course, said no. I could never leave you, Stevie Rae. The pain would be too unbearable to live."
Stevie Rae smiled a little and softly kissed him on the lips. "I'd hate it if you left. I care too much about you; I couldn't spend a day with no news on you."
This time it was Rephaim who kissed her. Even after all those years, he was still shocked by how the taste of Stevie Rae's lips felt on his own and how it could vanish all of his worries and remind him life was worth living. "Gracias," he whispered.
"For what this time?" she asked, just as quietly.
"For everything. For showing me love. For giving me a reason to live. For being you, Stevie Rae. That's the best thing you have ever done for me; being yourself."
Stevie Rae closed her eyes as her smile grew, breathing in the scent of her soul mate and resting her head against his shoulder.
It was precisely that night, that Rephaim understood the path to utter happiness could be easily achieved and was worth trying; as long as he had something he owned, something he wanted… something he loved.
Rephaim would always love Stevie Rae. His Stevie Rae.
REVIEW PLEASEEEE! GUYS...all of my one-shots have 1k+ hits...but very few reviews! I'm writing what will be a 'book' someday, and if you don't leave any comments on my writing styole how am I supposed to know if I should publish it? If you just can't think of anything, a 'like it' or 'hate it' is enough! *.* K thanks :)
This is my SECOND attempt at writing a birth scene. And my SECOND failure, also. I know, I know. More research on the subject ¬¬ Sorry :x