Chapter 10 Adalind

Was there a limit to the heaviness one heart could handle? Adalind felt she had reached her limit as she walked up to the Mansion that had been her prison during the election. Bonaparte's ring winked at her with an evil shine in the exterior lights. She could almost hear Bonaparte say, "I win after all, Ms. Schade." Once again, her heart was breaking without her baby. Kelly's cries for his mother haunted her every step, yet she was doing this for him and his father. Adalind looked down at the delicate tresses of her daughter. More than ever, Diana was her responsibility. Now it was time to help her daughter, although Adalind was concerned whether she'd be able to teach her all powerful two-year-old what was right and what was wrong. Being here didn't help matters, but Diana wanted her father.

"Your daddy made some very bad friends, Diana. I don't want you around them. We should go somewhere else," Adalind had tried to reason, but the cab started moving erratically as her daughter's eyes glowed. Adalind saw stark terror in the cab driver's eyes as he tried to control the vehicle. "Alright, sweetie, listen," she looked Diana straight in the her violet gaze, "I'll take you back if you stop moving the car before we have an accident," she whispered intensely. Suddenly the cab stopped swerving and the panicked driver gripped the wheel with white knuckles. Adalind gave the man the address and swallowed fear as she sat back next to her child. "Diana, you can't try to hurt everyone who disagrees with you."

"Why?" the innocent question asked in a sweet voice almost made Adalind shiver.

She gulped again and thought carefully before asking, "If you love someone, don't you want that person to be happy as well?"

Wide eyes stared back at her as Diana responded, "Yes," with a nod.

Licking her lips, Adalind proceeded slowly, "Well, I'm worried about you and that makes me unhappy. I'm worried about what will happen with those bad friends of your father's, like his friend that tried to choke Mommy. What would have happened if he had killed me? What would have happened to your baby brother? Who would have been your mommy then? This all makes me unhappy because I love you."

Diana seemed to consider all that her mother had said, "Daddy won't let that happen."

"But daddy was standing right next to the man who choked me and he couldn't help," Adalind had finished as they drew up to a stop in front of the mansion.

Now as they stood there, Adalind simply stared at the BC member manning the front. Without a word, he opened the door for her. As she took her daughter over the threshold, Adalind vowed to herself, 'It's not over yet.'

"Well," Sean's voice came out of the darkened living room. The day was drawing to an end, the sun setting towards the rear of the house and he had neglected to turn on any lights. "I never imagined you would return. In fact I was just planning to threaten all known associates of Burkhardt for your location," He said smoothly as he came into the light. "I just might still do that to find him. Where's your son?"

"Sean, this has to end. I brought Diana back because she's your daughter and she wanted to be with her father," Adalind started to explain.

Sean reached out and grabbed her chin to make her look at him. "I said," he hissed, "where's Kelly?" Adalind glanced over at Diana. She couldn't completely lose her cool, not when she had just lectured their daughter about reacting violently to others.

Adalind slowly but firmly took Sean's hand away. "He's with his father. Did you think I would rob Nick of his child forever?!" she exclaimed. "I know what that's like and I won't do that to him."

Comprehension flashed in Sean's eyes as he backed off. "Completely head-over-heels, aren't you," he replied snidely.

"Yes I am," Adalind said defiantly toe to toe with him. Was that jealousy in Sean's eyes? Adalind realized what irony it was to see that response now that she had no desire for Sean.

He turned on his heel and called to the nearest guard, "Make sure my daughter and Ms. Schade don't go anywhere again." Running a hand through his hair, Sean went over to a brandy carafe and poured himself a drink.

Letting out a long breath, Adalind turned and escorted Diana to her room. With a kiss and an "I love you" she put her little one to bed, tucking a stray curl behind Diana's ear. It wasn't her daughter's fault she was what she was, Adalind accepted with the bitter taste of guilt in her mouth.

"I love you too, Mommy," Diana said with a yawn.

"Goodnight little one and don't worry, I'm right next door," Adalind told her as she turned out the lights.

As she closed the bedroom door, Adalind saw Sean at the foot of the stairs. He didn't attempt to come up to speak with her. He finally knew where he stood in her life now, and it wasn't the vaunted position he held in years past. Oh how the mighty have fallen, Adalind observed. Head held high, she returned Sean's stare till he looked away. Then securing her own bedroom door, Adalind took the burner phone Trubel had given her, out of her bra. In case the guard had searched her, that seemed the safest place. She knew Nick didn't have his own phone so she called Trubel.

"Hello, Adalind?" Trubel's husky voice sounded wonderful.

"Yes, Trubel, it's me," she returned then heard Kelly cry in the background. Tears welled up in an instance, as Adalind almost choked over her next words, "Is Kelly okay?"

"Yeah, he's…" Trubel was interrupted with a shuffling sound.

Abruptly, she heard Nick's voice, "Adalind, are you okay?" The strain must be getting to her because she thought he sounded worried, maybe even hurt. Surely he was happy she left Kelly with him. "What were you thinking?" he demanded.

"I was trying to protect both you and Kelly," she desperately tried to make him understand.

"By taking yourself and Diana back into the lion's den?!" he responded furiously.

"Nick," she paused in her distress, "Diana is a danger to you and her brother." Adalind couldn't keep the tremor out of voice as she continued, "It's my fault she's this way. I won't be responsible for her killing those I love."

"Adalind…," Nick began, but she didn't want to hear his attempts to convince her otherwise. She didn't know if she had the strength to resist that voice, a voice that was so seductive even when they were enemies.

She cut him off with, "Sean said something about coercing your known associates for your location. Is there someone he can get to? If so, you better warn them."

She heard him sigh and say "I understand." Kelly began crying again and Nick said, "He misses you." Her hand flew to her mouth to muffle a sob.

"I miss him, too," she finally replied. "Give him a kiss for me."

"Adalind, I'm coming for you both," he stated in that voice she knew well, the one that wouldn't be moved or dissuaded.

"Nick, don't, " she pleaded. "Diana isn't ready, not yet. She may never be, she's too dangerous."

"I thought we were a family?" he asked in that way that made her melt.

"Don't do that Nick," Adalind begged. "l never had a real family until you and Kelly," she swallowed back the tears, "but Diana needs that from me now or else she'll be worse than I ever was when you first met me. Please be careful. I love you." Without waiting for his reply, she ended the call and let the tears fall freely.