I don't own Hadrian, Sheshona, or Matteo. Disney owns them. I do own Isabel, Kane, Isabella, and Victoria.
13: Into the woods
"Kane, I've got another job," Isabel informed her husband. They were lying in bed, supposed to be going to sleep, but they needed to talk a little before hand because that was just their thing. She was starting them off.
"That's great. Can you work two series at the same time?" he asked curiously. "Or is this something completely different?" After all, his wife had two different vocations; fight choreographer by day and wild street fighter at night. Both are damned sexy for some reason. Shit, I must really be a pervert.
"It's not a street fight, if that's what you're worried about. It's a movie. Maybe you would like to be in it. There is a small part for a boxer," she proposed.
He chuckled; it was not the first time that she offered him such a thing. He knew that she did it because it meant that she would be working with someone that was capable of doing the moves that she desired. He never took her up on the offer, though.
"Sorry, Bella. You know I don't want to be in pictures," he replied, smiling as he spoke.
"It would be good advertising for your business. I know you bug your other partners about getting a chance to do stuff, even though they think you're a moron. They're right, of course," she remarked, a small smile gracing her features.
"Of course. I just try to do things to get on their nerves," he lied, and she knew that he was lying.
"Sooner or later, they'll give in. How are things with the business, anyway?"
"Stable as always. I'm thinking on working on a stock portfolio or something. What do you think?"
"If that's what makes you happy, sweetheart," she replied while snuggling up to him. She breathed in his spicy scent; it was so comforting to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and curled into his shoulder. She smiled to herself; he was the perfect size for cuddling in her opinion.
He smiled a bit while putting an arm around her shoulders to keep her pressed to him, not that she needed any help in that. Silence reigned supreme over the room for a few moments that allowed Kane to think about how far they had come. He could only wonder with glee what the future had in store for them.
-8-8-8-8-
"Shona, don't do that!" Kane scolded the girl, who turned around from her mischief to stick her tongue out at her father.
Sheshona was now three and still very much her big brother's sidekick. Hadrian was stirring up trouble as usual by throwing books off of the shelves in the library. Sheshona was tearing pictures out of them.
"What are you two even doing?" Kane begged to know with a floored expression. His hands were in front of him and pressed together in desperation.
"Gonna color," Hadrian answered as if that was obvious. To him and his little sister, it was.
"All right, you little Picasso-paths, we don't tear pages out of good books for coloring. We buy coloring books and sketchpads," the father explained while grabbing the kids away from the books. It was a good thing that they were short and he and Isabel only kept crappy books where the kids could reach.
"Sketchbooks?" Sheshona echoed in a puzzled tone. What the hell is a sketchbook?
"Yeah, remind—" Kane did not even get a chance to finish that thought because the kids heard the front door open.
"Mommy!" the duo screamed with joy and then charged off to go meet their mother at the door.
"What the hell? I don't get no respect," Kane remarked with a chuckle while following the pair out of the room.
Hadrian and Sheshona attached themselves to their mother, almost knocking over their little brother. Isabel smiled down at the kids and rubbed the tops of their heads. Kane stood back and shook his head.
"Now, why is it, I get tackled to the ground in a way that would make most pro football players wince, but you get warm hugs?" he pretended to whine.
"Because I'm better than you," Isabel remarked.
Kane pouted; it was such a fierce expression that even though Isabel knew it was a pretense, she still had to give in. He knows me too damn well, she thought. She put her arms out, silently beckoning him toward her for an embrace to lift his spirits.
Kane proceeded over, making sure to playfully knock Hadrian and Sheshona out of the way while he was at it. They did not take kindly to the move and wasted no time in attacking his legs, hoping to make him fall over. Kane was pretty sure that they could beat him in the knees with metal bats and he would not fall over once he was in his Bella's arms.
"You are very high-maintenance," Isabel teased Kane as she ran her fingers through his wild, soft auburn hair.
Kane laughed. "Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"
"The pot is about to call the kettle a lot of things if he wants to continue to be a smartass," she quipped with a smile.
"How did your errands go?" he asked to be on the safe side. The last thing he needed was for his wife to get in on beating him with the kids. It was bad enough when she used him as a training dummy.
"I'll tell you later."
Kane gulped; it was a rare day when she did not say something in front of the children. It must be something really bad, he concluded. He did not get much of a chance to contemplate it as Hadrian and Sheshona figured out that punching the same space over and over again caused a lot of pain after a while. He turned around, much faster than the pair ever assumed their father could, and he snatched them up.
"You wanna assault me? Then it's into the hedges with you!" Kane declared, easily throwing both kids on his shoulders.
"Kane, don't put them in the hedges!" Isabel called to her husband, who, of course, did not listen.
Kane continued on for the backyard and Isabel, despite her orders, made no move to stop him. Hadrian and Sheshona knew that they were going to hedges. It was a much better, and funnier, not to mention crueler, punishment when he had the pair convinced that there were goblins in the bushes. They would scream and freak out to the point where Isabel had to save them from the dreaded hedges. They did, eventually, figure out that there was nothing in the hedges, except bugs and twigs anyway.
"Dammit!" the children wailed, letting Isabel know that they were in the hedges now.
Isabel turned her attention to Matteo. "So, my mini-emperor, are you going to go play with Daddy, too?"
Matteo nodded and ran off to go join his siblings in the hedges. Kane just put Matteo in the shrubs because he liked being with his siblings. Hadrian and Sheshona swore loudly when their baby brother landed on their heads.
The shrubs were thick and would have been great for hiding if only they did not hate it so much. Each plant had its branches sheered to the point where Kane was comfortable with dropping his offspring in there, knowing they would not be scratched or cut. The bushes went all around what Isabel designated as the end of the backyard; the hedges were a perimeter to keep the kids out of the larger space that was still their yard.
"One day, they are going to escape out of the other side and then where will you be?" Isabel remarked, coming up behind Kane.
"Dead. Like you'd let me live if I lost the kids," he retorted with a scoff.
"Ah, yes, that would be quite the crime. I'd force suicide on you if you were to lose all of our little ones."
"Guess it's a good thing I told them the grass behind the hedges is quicksand and full of flesh-eating zombies."
She rolled her eyes. "You are just too bad. You'll probably spark their curiosity that way."
"Well, at least I have a will and I picked out a coffin," he commented, smiling all the way through. "Now, what is it that you're keeping silent on? It kinda worries me when you don't talk."
"I didn't want to say it in front of the two comprehending monsters. As you know, I had a doctor's appointment and I am pregnant again," she informed him.
"How the hell is that even possible?" he wondered and then he shot her an accusing glare. "You haven't been taking the pills," he stated, even though that was quite obvious if she was pregnant again. Well, what the hell was the point in going out to get birth control in the first place if she's not going to take it?
"I forget sometimes, on very busy days. I didn't think it would be such a big deal. Do you think we've waited long enough? I mean, Matteo is over a year old. That should be fine, right?" she asked with an arched eyebrow and a pleading look in her vibrant green eyes.
Kane put his arms around his wife's perfect waist. He put his free hand on her abdomen and gently petted her flat belly. She smiled gently down at him.
"Of course, it'll be fine. You've had some time to recover from his Highness and I'm here for you. After this one, though, we've got to figure out some better birth control for you or you'll be pregnant every month," he remarked.
She playfully slapped him, but then wrapped her arm around his shoulders. She caressed his neck, which comforted her as much as it did him. She smiled to herself; how does this little pervert manage to make me feel constantly and consistently at ease? Why does he make me feel like everything is always going to be all right? She did not know, but she loved him all the more for it.
"If only you would grow some each time I have a child, you would match me in height now," she teased.
"You're obviously stealing my essence, so it's impossible for me to grow," he remarked, grinning.
"Pervert," she huffed and slapped him again.
"You just say that because you love me."
In response, she used her second favorite "nickname" for him. "Idiot."
He only smiled, as if he enjoyed being called a pervert and an idiot. Of course, if it was by her, he was fine with it. His hold on her tightened and he fixed his gaze on their children. Another one of those? He smiled wider.
-8-8-8-8-
Kane was no sage and had no pretensions in his mind that he was one, yet he felt terrible all the same to have his prediction so tragically proven wrong. He had promised Isabel that everything would be all right. Not just in the beginning, not just six months ago, not just twelve hours ago, not just ten seconds ago, but right now in his heart he was making that promise. Yet, he was mocked by the reality of the situation. He was a liar thanks to their current circumstances.
His throat was tight and his hands trembled. He wanted to touch her, hold her, promise her out loud again and again that everything would be all right. She recoiled when he first tried and then ignored the shattered look that splashed and remained in his royal-colored eyes. His heart seized up; he supposed he was in the right place to have a heart attack at such a young age. His hair was worse off than usual, going in directions that surely had Sir Isaac Newton spinning in his grave. His eyes flooded with unshed tears, lines dug into his face like trenches. She appeared to be far worse off.
She could not bear to look at him with her broken emerald eyes. Eyes that reflected nothing from the world, but showed all of the barren sorrow of her soul. A soul that was withering faster than a plucked, neglected rose.
Her usually milky skin seemed sickly now, jaundiced, making it seem like it was accurate for her to be in a hospital bed. She lacked a shine, a flare. It was almost as if her skin planned to peel like old, dry paint. Her body was still, as if she were not even breathing. She wished that were case. Better her than …
"I'm glad you're okay …" Kane whispered, hoping those words did something for her.
Isabel closed her eyes, tears falling, running over her nose and left cheek. "Leave," she hissed.
"Bella—"
"Leave!" she shrieked, sounding so shrill that a banshee would have fled the area holding its ears.
Kane sighed and did as she ordered. He left the stale hospital room. The sound of the door shutting practically stabbed her in the heart. She sobbed loudly as soon as she was certain that she was alone. Kane heard and winced.
"You said the wrong thing, didn't you?" Victoria asked him in rather accusing tone, as if being angry with him would make matters better. She seemed to realize that would not do immediately and glanced away, her eyes shifting from furious to sorrowful.
The blonde was holding onto Matteo. Her mother had the mischievous duo, who seemed to know that they should be on their best behavior. Isabella gripping their tiny hands with a certain type of firmness helped their knowledge. The grandmother tried her best to be stern, even at the moment.
"I think my being was the wrong thing. Could you two take the kids for a while?" Kane begged with his head bent down so that his eyes only saw the poorly tiled floor.
"We will hold them. Take care of her," Isabella said with surprising directness, enough to get her son-in-law to lift his head.
Kane nodded, even though his Isabel-confidence was shaken to the core right now. His eyes showed that quiver, which the mother and daughter noted. Their matching eyes, mirrored a similar, yet less intense quake. Other eyes, sapphire, emerald, and amethyst, were only confused; what's going on? Where's Mommy?
"Okay, you little mutants," Kane said with false cheer and a forced grin. "You three better be good for your grandmother and auntie!" he announced.
Usually, the kids would have cheered loudly, but they could tell the grim atmosphere. They mumbled their agreements, knowing instinctively not to disagree. They did have questions, though, especially the usually quiet, parroting Sheshona.
"For how long?" the little girl asked curiously, voice oddly low.
"Not long. Don't worry, you know Grandma will take good care of you," Kane pointed out.
"And Mommy?" she continued on.
"I'll take care of Mommy," he promised. And then she had to ask the one question he really did not know how to answer.
"And Brother?"
Kane was silent for a moment. He wanted to glance up, as if Isabella's eyes would enlighten him and tell him how to explain things to his daughter. He knew that she had no more answers than he did at the moment. He found himself answering in words that he never considered until that moment.
"God will take care of him," the father promised.
"God?" Sheshona echoed in quite the bewildered tone. Her face twisted in non-comprehension.
"Jason told me about him. He's a guy with a lot of power that makes sure people do the right thing," Hadrian explained as best he could. He did not make it a point to listen to the man that claimed to be his father, as that was a sure sign of madness in and of itself, in his opinion.
"How's he gonna help Brother?" Sheshona wondered aloud.
"Fuck if I know," Hadrian admitted with a shrug. He just knew who the guy was, not what he did in his spare time or how he could help little kids.
"You two should work on the children's spirituality when you have a chance," Isabella seemed to scold Kane.
Kane nodded as if his head was on a string. She could probably have told him to learn to grow eight arms and she was certain he would have nodded. She decided it would be best to hold her reprimands for her daughter and son-in-law when things were in order.
"Call if you need anything," Victoria said to Kane.
"Either of us," Isabella added in.
Kane nodded again. He embraced each of his children. Victoria also decided to give Kane a hug, hoping that it would help. If his end of it was anything like her end, she realized that there would be no helping so early on. Apparently, this was one of those things that only time would heal, and even then, they were both certain that the scar that remained would fester. It did not help that she and Kane were quite impatient when it came to plenty of things.
When his family, in-laws and offspring, were gone, Kane took the moment to break down. He collapsed to the cold, tiled floor and wailed as if he was in dire agony. The hospital staff that was around knew the problem and knew to leave him be.
"My son …" he whispered into the floor as tears slid from his eyes, across his nose, and onto the tile.
Of course, now he could weep for his son, but not too long ago, he had actually prayed for it to be his son. He begged with whatever divine being that might be. He implored that out of the two of them, please, leave him his Bella. Let him have her. Surprisingly enough, his prayer was answered. He got his Bella and they lost their son. He had never felt so happy and pained at the same time.
He knew that he could never tell Isabel what he asked for. She was already crushed enough, which was not good considering that she had been so close to death not too long ago. But, still, he was so grateful that she was alive and absolutely dashed that the baby had died.
Kane did not stay like that for more than a minute, being quite conscious of where he was. He straightened himself out as best he could and turned to stare at the room his beloved was in. He decided to brave entering on last time. Her back was to him, yet she was still quite aware of his presence.
"I said leave!" she screamed at him.
When the door closed, Isabel knew that she was alone again. Her tears had dried up, but their stains remained. It all remained the same as before.
She stared blankly at the wall, eyes focused on nothing in particular. There was nothing of the world to focus on, except the vast emptiness inside of her. Her mind wandered, stuck on one thought aside for the tremendous weight on her shoulders that involved losing the baby. Her mind echoed: Mommy was right. Her mother had been so very right.
She did not have the strength to allow any other thoughts to haunt her. She was worn out in every way imaginable, exhausted physically from losing so much blood, fatigued spiritually by having a stillborn, and strained emotionally from costing Kane his newest child.
"Weakling …" Isabel whispered harshly to the air. She was speaking about herself.
-8-8-8-8-
"This sort of thing is normal, isn't it?" Kane asked curiously, quietly. He was speaking to Isabella. He was parked at her table, in her house, sipping tea made by her hands from cups belonging to her. Despite it all being hers, it was his hands that trembled as he held the cup, his eyes that stared at the white tablecloth with shattered expectations, and his heart that felt like it was ready to explode.
"You being here asking advice of me or her being detained at the hospital for a few days?" Isabella inquired as she pulled up the chair next to him, her own tea waiting.
"I dunno. Both?" He shrugged. He was not really familiar with either situation.
"Due to the situation and the fact that I know you're slower than frozen mud, I'll be frank with you, yes, this sort of thing is normal, in both senses. We are family, after all, Kane," she replied in an even tone. "Never be afraid to talk to me, just know that I will treat you in the same exact manner that I treat my daughters."
He sighed, as if her words lifted a huge weight off of his shoulders. Even still, it felt like the weight of the universe was crushing his once powerful shoulders. Now, those parts ached, just like the rest of him.
"She'll be fine, Kane. You know how strong she is. Give her time and keep giving her your support, like always. I know she's back to biting you and burning you like before, but she's in pain this time. Bear with her."
"I intend to."
Isabella nodded somewhat. "Yes. I have no doubt." She would never say it out loud, but she was proud of Isabel for marrying Kane and she was thankful that he was in her daughter's life.
They were silent for a few moments. The house did not have any noise; Victoria had taken the children out with the hope of getting things back to normal. Sips from the tea did bounce off the walls, but not so loudly.
"Kane," Isabella said out of the blue.
"Yes?" he replied.
"We are family," she repeated.
He nodded to show that he understood. "I was so happy that she lived …"
"We all were."
"In the same sense?" he dared to ask. His eyes searched her desperately to find out that she had thought the same thing, that he was not a monster for his prayers.
"You shouldn't think about that anymore," she replied, seeming to completely understand his vague question. She waved it off, as if that would banish it from his mind forever. "There is nothing you can do about it. Sometimes, we cannot help but be selfish, even at the worst of times."
"Would I …" he could not even ask that. Again, his eyes said it all and hers responded, actually helping to put him at ease.
"Let's rather hope to never know just what we're capable of thinking. Have they told you when exactly she can return home with you?"
He shook his head. "They're just trying to treat her first. She's really depressed."
"It's understandable."
He nodded, eyes focused on his beverage. "I suppose …" he mumbled. He could not really picture his Bella depressed, even though he had seen it with his own eyes not too long ago.
"Having never gone through these circumstances personally, I can only speculate on her thoughts to give you some help in what to expect."
"I'll take all I can get. I don't wanna say something stupid to her when she finally comes home. I mean, she doesn't even want to see me right now."
"It has to do with what happened."
"She blames me?" His eyes widened and his lungs decided that breathing was way too troublesome with such an idea in the air.
"Of course not. How would you be to blame? Isabel is a rational creature when given a chance and prone to her own odd logic fed by cynicism other times. Neither of those would be able to work blame onto you."
"Then why doesn't she want me to be in the same room as her?"
"Because she failed you, Kane. She lost your son. I don't think I have to tell you that she adores you. Despite the things she says to you and the fact that she hits you plenty, she loves you in ways that she probably doesn't even realize. She has taken you so close to her heart that you can make her feel ashamed, which is quite the feat."
"How can you be so sure? Maybe she just blames me. I'm the one that knocked her up, after all," he mumbled miserably.
"It took two, of course, and she knows that. The problem was that she was the one carrying the child. That was her and her alone. It was her responsibility to bring a healthy baby into this world and she was unable to carry it out."
"It wasn't her fault, though. The doctors explained it." Not that he had paid much attention to the explanation. How was he supposed to focus on their words? He had just lost a son and his beloved seemed to hate his guts. It was not entirely fair to explain something to him then.
"I know they did. Some things can't be helped, but she isn't going to listen to that. I know wouldn't listen to it," she informed him.
"You would assume it's your fault too?" he asked curiously.
"I would," she honestly told him. "I don't think it's something I could explain to you to help your understanding, but if this were me, I, too, would assume it was my fault the baby didn't make it. And, I, too, would feel utterly miserably knowing I cost my husband another child, especially if he so adored them. I would feel worthless if I lost my own child, knowing how I feel about them."
He nodded, as if that was all he could do for a moment. He tried to absorb the information, but it did not really take. He could not picture Isabella in the same condition as his Bella currently.
"Your husband …" the young man started, but he was not quite sure where he was going with his inquiry.
"A precious man, he was. Nothing like you," she remarked, a ghost of a smile floating across her face for a moment.
"Bella doesn't talk about her father, ever. She complains that I don't talk about my parents much, but she never talks about her father," he said. He was not sure where he was going with the topic now. Maybe he just wanted some escape from the horrible subject that they were stuck on, even if Isabella was trying to help him.
"She was rather young …"
"Did he die?" he guessed.
Isabella waved the question off, but he noticed that she swallowed hard as her neck tensed. It would seem that she did not want to talk about it anymore than Isabel did. Kane nodded, accepting that. He guessed that they were going to have to go back to his unpleasant topic rather than on her unpleasant topic.
"Do you think she'll get better?" he inquired quietly.
"Of course. You just have to give her time, like you always do. You'll be fine, Kane, as long as you're patient and strong," she replied.
Kane nodded; he was not too sure if he had any strength left. He quickly squashed that thought. He would be there for his Bella, not just for her, himself, but also for their children. They needed their mother, after all.
"Kane, there's a reason she's with you, so prove your worth when she needs it," Isabella seemed to be imploring him rather than making a simple statement.
"I'll do my best," he vowed.
Isabella nodded; she had no doubt in the young man before her. She sipped her tea calmly. Silence reigned over them once again.
-8-8-8-8-
Kane stood behind a wheelchair, which was holding the hunched over form of Isabel. She was hidden behind a curtain of dull raven locks, flanking both sides of her pale face. Her eyes stared at nothing, into nothing, reflecting nothing. She did not move and barely breathed.
He accepted that for now; at least she was not screaming at him to leave. She allowed him to come get her from the hospital instead of requesting that her mother or sister do so. So, those had to be some signs of progress, however little it was.
Isabel did not move as Kane lifted her from the wheelchair to the car. Passersby were a little impressed with the show of strength on his part as he easily picked up his much taller wife. He also had no problem balancing her weight, having had a lot of practice in carrying her in such a way.
The ride home was silent. The pressure in the car was thick, but not crushing. It was more like slow suffocation. Luckily, he was able to get them home before they died in the vehicle.
He opened her door, but she did not make any moves to step out in the yard. He did not say a word and just gathered her up in his arms. He carried her up the walkway and to the door. He kicked the door to knock; Isabella answered.
Isabella was babysitting for Kane while he had to go get Isabel. She was also trying to prepare the children for when their mother returned. They seemed to understand as best they could; all she told them was "Mommy's sick, so you have to be on your best behavior." They nodded earnestly.
For the first time when Kane walked in the door, he was not tackled by any of his children. They were in the living room, peeking around the entrance, looking into the foyer. Kane noticed them almost immediately.
"C'mon out and say hi to Mommy, guys," Kane beckoned them.
The trio charged over, but found their voices failed them. They had never seen their mother look so much like a zombie. Their eyes widened at the sight of her.
"Hi, Mommy," the three children said weakly. They seemed more scared to talk loudly than because of shock. What if loud voices disturbed their obviously ill mother, after all?
Kane continued on his way after that, knowing that Isabella would handle the kids. He took Isabel upstairs and put her in their bed. He brushed her hair out of her eyes.
"It'll—" he started to say.
"Leave me be," she breathed out.
He nodded and exited the room. Apparently, they were not out of the woods yet. No, they were far from it.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: Kane works on healing his broken wife while also trying to manage their three wild kids with help from Isabella and Victoria.