-1Chapter 20:

Sephy:

'Persephone Hadley'

I froze when I saw Jude McGregor by my bed as I came back into the labour ward. Slowly, trying not to look as scared as I felt, I continued walking to my bed. I stayed stood up the other side of the bed to where Jude was. I tried telling myself that Jude wouldn't be stupid enough to do anything in somewhere like this.

'What do you want?' I asked coldly. At least I hope my voice came out cold.

'I want you to stay away from Callum' replied Jude.

I sighed inwardly 'I've said this to anyone who will listen and I'll say it again to you: I love Callum and Callum loves me, nothing you say, nothing anyone says will change that. All our life people have tried to pull us apart and for so long we almost let them. But not anymore. Me and Callum are going to stay together and bring Callie up together. Fuck the rest of them world'

Jude took a step towards the bed and I instinctively took a step backwards. 'My sister could've been killed a few years ago because of the dagger bastard she fell in love with, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything like that happen to Callum, so stay the hell away from him'

'Whatever happened with Lynette is nothing to do with me' I replied. I hadn't been aware that Callum's sister had ever gone out with a Cross. 'And it's not going to happen with me and Callum'

'Lynette's boyfriend' Jude spat out the word, clearly hating the fact that his sister was with a Cross. 'Was killed and she was almost killed. Now I couldn't care less if you were killed, Persephone, but if you really cared for Callum you'd leave him now before anything like that happens'

'Jude' I was now too fed up and annoyed to be scared. 'I don't know what it is going to take to get this into your thick skull, but I'll explain this simply for you: Me plus Callum equals forever. What part of that isn't clear?'

'Listen here you dagger bitch' Jude's voice was so quiet and threatening, but I wasn't about to be scared by him again. He was obviously trying to make me feel threatened, while keeping his voice quiet so no one around suspected anything was wrong.

'No Jude, you listen' I replied. 'Nothing you can say will make me and Callum split up. I came so close to losing him I am never going to do that again. I'm sorry about Lynette'

'I don't want your fake sympathy' said Jude. 'Just stay away from my brother'

'Have you got selective hearing or something?' I asked. 'Me and Callum are going to stay together and you can't change that. You can ask Callum if you want, I can guarantee you he will say the same thing I am saying. If you don't like it just forget about us.'

'You're asking for trouble you are.' Jude said and started to walk away. He looked back and said 'If you had any sense you'd leave Callum now, you don't want me as you're enemy'

'Jude, every Cross that was ever born is you're enemy so whether I'm with Callum or not you're going to hate me' I told him.

'This is personal' said Jude. 'I'll be seeing you, Persephone' and with that he walked out.

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'Persephone?'

I sat up slowly and looked at the person who spoke. It was the nurse/

'Is Callie ok?' I asked automatically.

She smiled and nodded. 'She's going to be just fine'

'Can I see her?' I asked.

'Of course' Nurse Fashoda said. 'Come with me' as I followed her towards SCBU she told me 'She's going to have to stay in intensive care for a few more days, and then she'll have to stay on the normal ward for a few days just to be extra sure she's all right, but everything looks good at the moment. She's just about breathing on her own, and she's put on a bit of weight. She's still very small though. You won't be able to hold her until she's out of intensive care'

I would've given the world to have held her, but it was all right because I would be able to hold her in a few days. She was going to be all right. A couldn't help smiling about that; Callie was going to be all right.

I was able to put one hand through a gap in the incubator, so Callie could fell that I was near. She looked bigger than the last time I saw her, but she was still tiny!

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'I told you so' Callum said, when I told him Callie Rose was going to be all right.

I couldn't moan about it, because he had told me Callie would be fine.

'I know you did, and I should've believed you' I said wishing I could hug Callum close and shout from the rooftops that my baby was going to be all right.

'Yes, you should've' Callum was now really rubbing in that he was right.

'She's a fighter, like her parents' I said, and now I truly believed it. 'Jude came to see me'

Even though I couldn't see him I felt Callum tense. 'What did he want?'

'To tell me to leave you' I replied. 'But...' I added before Callum could say anything 'I told him that was never going to happen'

'I can't believe him' said Callum and after a small pause he added 'Yes I can. But still. When is he going to get over it and used to us?'

'I think we both know that's never going to happen' I said. 'We just have to forget him along with the rest of the world, and focus on the future'

'And Callie' added Callum.

'And Callie' I agreed. 'And as soon as she's out of hospital I'll bring her in to see you'

'I can't wait' I could hear a smile in Callum's voice.