Chapter Nine
Derek has been staring at the unconscious Dani for quite some time now. The natural blush of her skin was gone, making her look quite frail, but beautiful nevertheless. She was hooked into monitors and breathing tubes to further monitor her condition. While she and their baby are safe for now, both of them are still in a delicate condition. They'd have to be monitored closely until the full term of the pregnancy which is still more or less 3 months away.
"The bleeding was triggered by stress. Though we could guess even without seeing her medical records that she's been having a delicate pregnancy. The patient may be young, supposedly quite fit and healthy for a pregnancy at her age, but it would seem that her body's finding it difficult dealing with the pregnancy. Anyway, both the mother and child are safe now. They'll be placed under close monitoring for a few days just to make sure they're really both alright. Definitely though, we won't advise travelling. I'm afraid she can't go back home to Mexico, you say. Well, not at least she's delivered the baby," explained Dani's physician. She wouldn't have told Derek about Dani's situation as she'd been asking for her family (per hospital protocols), but Derek insisted, telling her he's the father of the baby (though it must be his almost murderous stare at the doctor that did the trick).
His eyes moved on her protruding belly, and a warm feeling enveloped him. His own flesh and blood. Having kids hasn't really crossed his mind yet, but knowing that he'll soon be a father quite excited him. If he just wasn't so worried about Dani and their baby, he would've been grinning like an idiot all day. He listened intently to the baby's heartbeat. It was more stable now, unlike before when their Natalia seemed to be struggling to hold on for dear life. He couldn't fight the urge to touch her belly. Derek then felt Natalia's kick, making his eyes widen in awe.
Derek chuckled. "Hi, sweetheart. Please behave. Mommy needs rest for the two of you." Then he added, "Daddy loves you, Natalia." You and your mom, Derek wanted to say. Driving away Dani months ago hadn't been easy for him; after all these months, he constantly thinks about her. He accused her of plotting against his family, yet she nurtured his own flesh and blood in her body, despite it being so difficult for her. He felt so guilty and ashamed.
He surely has a lot on his mind now: his relationship with Dani, the threat posed by Kate and the berserkers, and more importantly, the circumstances of his and Dani's baby's birth. Derek hasn't really heard of a child between a huntress and a hunted; it was practically unthinkable. He could feel though that there are odds against his Natalia.
x
Araya arrived at the hospital in the morning together with Severo. Derek left Dani's room, allowing Araya to take over. He though has a lot of questions. He cannot fully believe that Araya would allow his child to live—Araya who treats every word of the hunter's code as law.
Severo went out of the room, glancing at him icily. He said nothing, and just walked away. A few moments later, Araya stepped out as well. He stood up from his chair.
"There are a lot of things we need to talk about, Hale." Araya said, in her signature cold, but proud voice.
"I thought so, Araya." Then he got straight to the point. "What are you planning? Why did you let my child live?"
Araya tilted her head. "Oh, I've tried doing something about that, Derek. I was almost successful at having Daniella's pregnancy terminated." Araya was nonchalant.
He froze at Araya's revelation. His jaws clenched at the thought that he might not have even known about Daniella's pregnancy at all—or might have known about it only to find out that their unborn child's life has been so mercilessly taken away.
"Why, thank you then for changing your mind. What made you change your mind, Araya?"
Dani's grandmother sighed deeply, as if so tired by the confrontation all of a sudden. "My Daniella loved the child in her womb from the moment she's learned about her. And even despite you breaking her apart. I would lose my Daniella if I take her baby's life with my own hands. Besides, I owe your mother." She added the last statement as if it was just an afterthought.
Derek frowned in confusion, so Araya explained further.
"I owe your mother Daniella's life. She saved my granddaughter's life fifteen years ago. I then made a vow that I will repay her by helping out her children should any one of them be in need. This is more than "helping", but I owe her a life; certainly, taking away a life from the Hale line is not a way to repay her."
He said nothing at this. He believes that Natalia is safe from Araya's hands, but he's intent on protecting his daughter from any and every harm.
"Daniella and our baby will stay with me from now on. They're my responsibility." He's not asking for Araya's blessing. He's merely letting him know of his plans.
Araya laughed. "My, my, possessive aren't we, Hale? I don't think that would be easy. I won't give up Daniella and my great granddaughter so easily. Their lives are better off as Calaveras, Hale. What made you think by the way that my granddaughter will go with you so easily? After what you did to her? Daniella is a strong-willed woman, Derek. She may be young but she clearly knows what she wants, and what she doesn't want. Natalia, she loves; but you? She can very well raise Natalia on her own, Hale. And believe me, she will." Araya said tauntingly.
Indeed, it's one of Derek's fears. After he drove Dani away, he's not sure if having her back would be so easy. The fact that she didn't bother telling him about her pregnancy clearly sends a message to him that she wants him out of her life—of their baby's life.
"But alright. I am entrusting you Daniella and Natalia for a short while—just until we've eliminated Kate. She's hell bent on banishing your line that I know Natalia is in great danger from her hands. My men and I are doubling are efforts to get her—and solve the mystery of La Loba. Until she's out of the picture, Daniella and Natalia can stay with you. It shouldn't take that long though." Araya had that annoying smile on her face.
"Don't bet on that, Araya." Derek met her stare. "Lucky for me though that you do realize that you have a limited capability to protect them," he remarked sarcastically. At least Araya had the sense that she cannot go on the chase for Kate, and take care of Daniella at the same time.
"Lucky for me, Hale, because I do know for a fact that you can only do so much in trying to convince Daniella that you should be a part of her and Natalia's lives. Good luck to you then. "Again, Araya had that taunting smile in her face.
Dear lord, but she was right. He wasn't confident as well that Dani would be pleased to have him—or just see him.
x
Daniella's room was eerily silent. It was almost noon, and she has been awake for hours. Dani and Araya talked before the latter left for the mission of hunting Kate more intensively.
Araya told Dani that she'll have to stay with him for the meantime, to which Dani vehemently objected.
"Abuela, you can't leave me here! I won't stay with him!"
"Daniella, this is the best choice that we have for you and Natalia. It will be too dangerous for you to travel back to Mexico. I need to go back home, hija. I need to get at the bottom of things—of Kate's power. Your child is now Kate's target as well. I want Natalia to be born in this world with no threat to her life, hija. That's why we must get Kate as soon as we can. Hale, I'm afraid, can do a better job in protecting you from his kind, Daniella." Araya gently tapped Dani's cheek. "Unlike him, your abuela doesn't have the supernatural powers to hunt down Kate, and try to protect you at the same time, hija." Araya smiled tenderly, and kissed Dani's forehead.
Dani just stared at him disinterestedly to his dismay, and said nothing else. The mother of his child would only stay with him because she needed to for their baby, and not because she wanted to. Regardless, he only has that window of opportunity to make things right again with the mother of his child.
Suddenly, the door burst open, startling Dani as well as him. It revealed an all too excited Cora.
"Daniii!" Cora screamed. It was so unlike his sister that he can't keep himself from chuckling in amusement. She then rushed to Dani's side, hugging her tight.
Dani gasped. Derek's eyes widened. "Cora! You're hurting her!"
"Oh, crap! I'm so sorry, Dani. Are you all right?" His sister apologetically looked at him, then Dani.
Dani smiled warmly at Cora. Damn, but she won't even look at him. How could she smile at his sister? "I'm fine. I guess you just missed me too much that you can't contain your excitement." She teased Cora.
"You bet, Dani." Then Cora bit her lip. "And you're having my niece! Really, how can I contain my excitement?!"
Derek called his sister last night to tell her what happened—and that there's going to be a new addition to the Hale family. Cora wanted to get to the hospital right away, but he told her not to as Dani needs to rest well. Cora let the night pass, but he now has his hyperactive little sister all over the mother of his child.
Dani laughed even more. "I guess. I'm glad that you seem excited to see her as well, Cora."
Cora grinned. Then hesitantly, "Uhm, Dani, can I hold your tummy?"
Dani nodded with a smile on her face. "But of course, Cora. Go ahead."
His sister then gently place her hand over Daniella's stomach. "Hey, Baby Natalia. Auntie Cora can't wait to see you."
Derek can't help but smile at the scene. Damn, but Cora could beat him in his excitement over Natalia's birth.
