October 31, 2012

Thank you to DoB for being my Beta for this chapter. Please read the AN at the bottom

Finding Home

Lost Soul POV

I stoked the fire again hoping the wood I gathered will last through the day. The sun is shining bright against the fresh snow and reflecting into the cave. I know that I won't be able to gather more till it gets dark.

I picked at the rabbit leg I had cooked by the fire and blew on the meat to cool it before trying to feed it to the broken Guardian lying next to me. This man though no biological relation to me had been a father to me in every way that was important. His hazel eyes looked into my red ringed blue with such love and concern. He held his hand to mine refusing the food I offered. He licked his chapped lips then spoke in a raspy whisper.

"Aidan, it has been too long since you last fed. I am dying anyway; let me at least buy you more time. I know your control must be weakening. Feeding from me will help you stay strong."

"No Dad, I can't take any more blood from you. As bad as you are injured I don't think you are dying. Taking blood from you while you are so week might just do you in though so please stop asking me. She will come, I know she will. We've gotten as close to her as we can. I know she feels me like I can her. When she finds us she will be able to heal me and then we can take you to the clinic in the academy. Now please eat."

Moroi only take small amounts of blood from their feeders every day. Strigoi usually go a week or so between feedings but they drain and kill their victims. When I became Strigoi I fought the demon inside me, I have never killed anyone. My father (Matvey) Matthew Tanner has been my feeder. Up until recently he has given me small amounts of blood each day. A few weeks ago after his charge died of old age; he dreamt that it was time to bring me here; to St Vladimir's Academy in Montana. On the way we were attacked by a gang of six Strigoi. We managed to fight and kill them all but in the battle Dad got hurt bad. It has been more than a week since I have last fed on Dhampir blood. I thought of stealing human donor blood from the hospital in Missoula but the thought of taking lifesaving blood from people who need it is unbearable. I have tried animal blood but I can feel that it does little to sustain me. In fact for the first time since becoming Strigoi almost seven years ago I am feeling sick.

I closed my eyes and prayed that my living angel will find me soon. In my heart I felt her reply; it was so clear that I could practically here her words. "Hold on. I'm trying."

Dad released my hand and allowed me to continue to feed him. Once he had consumed as much as I could get him to eat, I carefully carried him to the bed of pine needles and wild grass that I prepared a safe distance from the fire. We recited our nightly prayers as we have done since I was a baby even though I don't sleep; not anymore at least.

Once Dad is asleep I let my mind wander to the women of importance to me; dead and alive. First would be my mom, Kara. I really miss my mom. She had a hard life but she never let her past pain ruin her optimism and love of life. Mom never liked to talk about herself but every once in a while she would tell me about her early days with Dad and his Moroi, Talia Swarovski. It was mostly from Dad and Auntie Talia that I know of mom's life.

Kara Jane was abandoned at a fire station by a young woman wearing an oversized hooded pullover that hid her identity from the camera above the safe baby drop zone. Talia explained to me that a safe baby drop zone is a designated spot in places like fire and police departments and hospitals where an unprepared mother can leave an unwanted child rather than leave it in unsafe places like a trashcan or dumpster.

After spending six months in foster care Kara was adopted by her foster family and all was well until she turned 12 and her mother died of breast cancer. Later that year her father died in an accident against a drunk driver. Kara who was also in the car sustained injuries that would affect her fine motor skills for the rest of her life. Because her adoptive parents were both only children there was no family to take Kara in so she ended up in foster care again

Because of her age and her medical issues she was bounced around from one foster home to another. In a four year period alone mom went through 6 different foster homes. When she was 17 she fell in love with a boy in the group home she was residing at the time. He was six months older than her and his plan was to join the Navy when he turned 18 and would no longer be under the foster care system. His plans changed a bit when he fell in love with Kara. He would still join the Navy because he needed a way to build a future for himself and my mom. He was going to send her money every month and she was to save it up till she turned 18 too. She would travel to where ever he was based and they would marry. They were going to be a military family for a few years then he would use his GI bill to get into University, he wanted to be a doctor.

Unfortunately, Sally Barken, the house mother at the group home was an evil one. When he was of age he left for boot camp and promised Kara that he would write her and call her often. Every day after school Kara would ask if she got anything in the mail and every day Ms. Barken would tell her that there was nothing. Mom once told me that she suspected that Ms. Barken kept the letters he sent mom and only pretended to mail mom's letters to him. Just like with the mail, she monitored the phone and didn't let his calls through.

A few weeks after he left mom got sick at school. The school nurse suggested to her Ms. Barken, that she might want to give Kara a pregnancy test. That night after a test confirmed the suspicion my mother was kicked out of the group home with only a backpack full of clothes and me in her belly.

Mom was done with the system. She had less than six months till she turned 18 and she saw no point in calling her social worker; besides she was afraid that they would take her baby from her because she didn't have a home or job to provide for me. She had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. She didn't know how to get a hold of my father. The first few days she stayed up all night and slept during the day inside a church. She ate what she could at a soup kitchen or when she could beg money from someone. Getting enough nutrition for her developing baby was her main concern.

One evening as she was leaving the church to scrounge for food she was approached by a tall muscular man. He rested a hand on her arm to halt her movement. At first she thought he was going to try to proposition her for sex; this was something she had not yet resorted to and it was last on her list behind stealing or dumpster diving for a meal. There was something calming about this man; instead of turning and running away she bravely stood her place, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"I know you have no reason to trust me or anyone else but I know that you and the child you carry need help and I have been sent to offer it. The child you carry will one day be important; it is my duty to protect both of you. Will you trust me?"

"I don't even know your name. How do you know about me and my baby?"

"There is a 24 hour café just down the street here, if you allow me to feed you a good meal I can explain?" He asked.

"Can I order anything I want; even some desert?" (Dad had told me how her eyes had sparkled in that moment.)

Once settled in the café waiting for her 'Hungry Lumberjack Special' with a side of double chocolate brownie topped with blueberry compote, crumbled bacon and French fries; he began his explanation.

"My name is Guardian Matthew Tanner

"What do you mean by Guardian; like a body guard for the President or something?

"Something like that but it is a bit more complicated than that. How should I explain this without telling you more than you need to know right now? … What do you know of the super natural world?

"Super natural; do you mean like Monsters, Fairies and Aliens and such?" To which he gave a noncommittal shrug. So she continued. "My parents used to say that there was more going on in this world then people know about. I don't have any reason to believe in the super natural but I have a strong belief in the paranormal; you know ghosts and stuff. I have always been able to see and talk to spirits. All my foster families have thought I was nuts but my parents; when they were alive never made fun of me. Mom and dad accepted me as I was."

"I don't think you are crazy."

"You're just saying that so I will go with you. How do I know I can trust you?"

"I can't promise you will always be safe but I can promise that I will protect you and your child as I would my charge." He said to her.

"Would you believe me if I told you my parents; the dead ones are telling me to go with you?"

Mom bravely took a leap of faith and came home with Guardian Tanner. She didn't even blink when they explained to her that Talia was a Moroi; a living vampire. She easily accepted the fact that Strigoi and Dhampir also exist. The only thing she was weary of was the fact that Talia was in hiding.

Guardian Tanner was just out of academy when he went to work for Talia Swarovski. He took her into hiding just shy a year later. As it turns out Dad is a bit psychic; he has dreams and it was his dreams that told him to take his charge into hiding after she divorced her younger, royal husband. Talia had noticed that her new guardian seemed to have a way of knowing things; so when he urged her to go into hiding she didn't hesitate. After they were safely hidden they learned that the husband had put a hit out on her life and if she stayed within Moroi society she would be murdered. His dreams didn't always tell him everything but they led him in the best direction.

It was also his dreams that led him to mom; five years after going into hiding he had a dream about a young woman giving birth to a baby in the rectory of a church. Both were much too thin and in his dream neither of us made it. He woke Talia and told her about his dream. Dad once told me that she didn't even have to think about it. "It is obvious that this girl and her child are supposed to be saved. They must be of some importance to the future and it is our duty to step in." Luckily Dad was able to recall details that led him to find our church within a couple of days.

Talia, Guardian Tanner and Edna the feeder made my mom feel welcome and comfortable in their home. Mom was provided with proper health care and nutrition. Despite the nearly 8 year age difference; mom and Guardian Tanner began to have feelings for each other. Dad tried to find my father because he wanted my mom to have the option to go back to him if they still loved each other and also so that I could know him.

Finding my biological father wasn't easy. The house mother at the group home never called anyone by their real last names and it was a running joke among the residence to use dog breeds and substitute them for their real last names. They did this because the house mom's name was Sally Barken. Mom knew my father as Aiden Poodleton the 5th. He knew her as Kara Jane Retriever. The joke was so deeply entrenched that the teachers at the local high school went along with it. Mom didn't know his real last name because he wanted her to see it for the first time on his correspondence letters from the Navy.

Dad had to hack into the computer archives for social services in North Dakota to find a roster of the children living in mom's group home. Then he hacked into the US Navy computers and that took some time to do without being caught. When he found him, my bio- father was out at sea for another 6 months.

By the time Lieutenant Aidan Masters was stateside and my Dad was able to find a way to chat with him I was already two going on three years old. Dad followed him through his finical records, and found out where Lt Masters usually had a drink after work on Fridays. Over the course of a few weeks Dad hung out at the bar and challenged my father to a game of pool. He chatted with Lt. Masters and got him to trust him enough to share histories. As it turns out my father thought my mom kept the money he sent her for six months and never planned on joining him. He was heartbroken and did what many guys did; he sought comfort in the arms of a willing girl. It turned out the girl was a Captain's daughter. She ended up pregnant with twins and he ended up married.

Mom decided that it was best if my father never new about me because in many ways we lived in two different worlds. My father had another family; a human family and would not be able to understand the world mom and I lived in with vampires and half vampires. Dad and mom proclaimed their love for one another and that summer he married her and gave us both his last name. Mom had already given me the English version of his first name as a middle name so from that point on I was named after both my bio father and my dad.

When I was around 8 Edna the feeder died; she had a heart attack. Mom explained to me that before Edna became a feeder she had been a drug addict. Guardian Tanner sought out a recovering addict who would be at high risk of relapse. Edna had no family and she was in her 40s when he met her at a Support meeting. He followed her that night and stopped her from buying a hit in some alley. He told her that there was an alternative to using street drugs. He promised her that if she agreed to go with him then she would be guaranteed to get a high once a day and she would be well cared for. She was desperate for a high but also afraid to go back down the road of poverty that street drugs would lead her to. She agreed to go with him and after one bite she was willing to stay. Unfortunately the many years of prior drug use had weakened her heart.

Even though Edna had no family or friends outside of us Auntie Talia made sure she had a proper funeral and was buried in a nice plot. We even went to visit her grave on the anniversary of her birthdays. Dad had once explained to mom that Moroi and Dhampir's, in general look down to feeders because they are junkies addicted to the vampire endorphins. Still Edna had been treated like a member of the family and not segregated like the feeders are in the Moroi communities.

When Edna died, Mom volunteered to be Talia's feeder. At first Talia and Dad were opposed to the idea but mom convinced them that she wanted to do it; not for the high but because she loved Talia like a grandmother and she would be doing this to keep her grandmother healthy. To hide her bite marks Dad found a Dhampir tattoo artist through the alchemist. The Tattooist inked a bite right over Talia's real one. The tattoo along with some 'love bites' that Dad always made sure to leave did a good job of camouflaging the actual vampire bite. Mom described it as 'hidden in plain sight'.

For some reason mom never got high from the Moroi Endorphins. This was something that everyone was grateful for. Talia said it is rare but there is a small percentage of the human population that is immune to the endorphins and that legend has it that those people are descendants of Moroi. Somehow over the years of breeding with only Humans they lost the Moroi part of the DNA but kept the immunity to the Endorphin high. Dad always thought the legend was full of baloney. It is rare for a Moroi or Dhampir to breed with a human now a days because we they keep to themselves but he had known many Dhampir's who are the product of a union with a feeder. Some of them have been 3rd or 4th generation of a Dhampir with a feeder parent. All of them were 50% human 50% Moroi just like any other Dhampir.

I miss Mom so much it hurts to think of her sometimes. She died when I was 15 from septic shock. It still boggles my mind that a small cut on someone's arm could kill them. In less than a day of getting scratched by something in the closet she had a fever and Talia said her blood smelled wrong. Talia insisted she go to the emergency room and there she was admitted. They tried to save her but her organs failed so fast. Her arm was so swollen that the undertaker had to cut her sweater so it would fit. Dad was beside himself after Mom's death. It was years later that I found out that after 12 years of trying to have another baby mom was 2 months pregnant at the time of her death. Dad lost his wife and second child at the same time. (I was always counted as his first child.)

After Mom died dad became very protective of me; well even more so. He taught me to fight like a guardian. I wasn't as fast or strong as a Dhampir and I certainly didn't have the endurance of one but still he taught me so that I wouldn't be as defenceless as the average human boy.

I took over feeding Talia and I was lucky like my mom because I could feed her without the Endorphin high. Instead of a tattoo to cover my bite mark Talia used a prominent vein on the inside of my arm. With a t-shirt on no one would be able to see it.

It was lonely without mom's physical presence. I still saw her from time to time, like my mother I was able to see and communicate with spirits. It was months before dad was able to work through his grief enough to really get some restful sleep and when he did my mom was able to enter his dreams. For two years I could still talk to her but that ended when I was 17. The worst part of being awakened was that I lost the ability to see and communicate with spirits; I felt like I lost my mom all over again.

Mom's death affected me greatly. I know that the doctors did their best and I had seen how hard they tried to save her. She explained to me that some things are just meant to happen. Seeing the devotion that the doctors had to saving my mom made me want to be a doctor too. I knew that my biological father did eventually become an oncologist; only solidified that desire.

I remember well the day I was awakened. Dad, Talia and I had taken a tour of the biology department at Penn State when I got separated from them. I knew they would head back to the hotel and I was so fascinated with my own private exploration of the school I had been accepted to that I didn't keep track of the time. It was late at night before I started back to our hotel. I heard my mom scream for me to run but I wasn't fast enough; whoever was after me caught me before I could take more than a few steps. The last thing I felt was the pain of a bite in my neck. I could hear Mom telling me to hold on and keep control of my body. She helped me find the connection to another soul; it was so beautiful and pure. I was able to draw strength from the pure soul. It was because of her that I never fully became a monster.

I woke up in a dark room with a female Strigoi standing over me. She told me that she just gave me the gift of immortality. I knew what she was and I had no wish to join her. I saw an axe in the corner of what I then realized was a tool shed. I fought her like Dad had taught me then I used the axe to decapitate her. I then found my phone which had been turned off for the tour, and called dad for help. That was one call I will never forget.

"Aidan, where are you?" Dad shouted into the phone instead of a greeting.

"Dad something really bad happened to me. I don't know how to explain."

"Tell me where you are son and you can explain when we get there."

"No! I mean I don't know if I am safe to be around. I .. I am a.. There was this woman… Oh God, dad I think I have been awakened." I sobbed. There was silence on the line for a moment but I could hear him breathing and crying too.

"Aidan, I need you to listen to me you have been gone for almost 20 hours. It is dark out, can you get outside and look around and tell me what you see?"

I did as he told me and described the surrounding area. He used the GPS on my phone and Google Earth to find my location.

"Son, listen to me, I had Talia compel me to sleep last night and I prayed that your mom would come to me and tell me where you were. She did come to me. She told me what happened to you and she also told me that you are still in control of your body. Somehow by the Grace of God you didn't go evil like all Strigoi. She told us that there is a way to help you. I didn't want to believe it was true; that you were turned, but Talia and I have done what she told us to and we are coming to help you. Hold on."

None of us had ever heard of a soul maintaining control over their body after being awakened. I could feel something evil trying to take over but I kept pushing it back. When Dad and Talia arrived Dad staked me with a wooden stake. When I woke I could feel that even though the Evil was still there it had lost power and it was easier to fight it. Talia was unconscious and Dad was sitting between us holding each of our hands.

Dad looked at me with awe.

"It was amazing; she took my silver stake and with her Earth magic she put the intent of giving your soul strength instead of the intent of killing you. When we got here she waited till I stunned you with the wooden stake. Then she opened your shirt and held my silver stake against your chest. I watched it slowly dissolve into you. There is a little bit of a scar on your chest but other than that there is nothing left of my stake."

"Am I still a monster?" I already knew the answer. I knew because I could feel the difference in my body. The darkness of the room didn't affect my vision at all. I could hear the heartbeats of both Dad and Talia and of the mice in the field outside. I could smell everything.

"You are still Strigoi, yes; but I have reason to believe you are not a danger to others."

"How will I feed? I don't want to kill anyone."

"Just as your mother and you have done for Talia; I will do for you."

We went back home by rental car. I didn't get to go to college but Talia bought me college texts for all the classes I wanted to take and I studied on my own as well as taking online classes when I could. (I never passed those classes though; because I couldn't go to the few class meetings required.) I don't sleep so after nightly prayers with Dad I would study all night.

Talia was old for a Moroi at 154. Moroi and Dhampir live longer life spans than humans do. They age at the same rate though; at least till about 50 then they seem to take twice as long to age. Just a couple of weeks ago Talia died in her sleep. There had been nothing wrong with her but in the middle of the night her heart just stopped. I woke up dad who immediately started CPR but nothing worked. Because Moroi are not human he called an alchemist who took the body while I hid in his room.

A few nights later Mom visited Dad's dreams again. She told him that there was a brave young woman at the Academy in Montana who would have the ability to free me of my Strigoi state without killing me. We sold everything and began the journey here by car. We took back roads to avoid busy highways full of humans. I may have control of the Strigoi Demon but the smell of the blood pumping through so many warm bodies is still hard for me to handle. We couldn't drive straight through because of daylight, dad planned out a path that included caves and cabins for us to stay during the day.

Our trip should have only taken a few days but on our first day we accidently walked in on six Strigoi who were hiding for the day. They were entertaining themselves physically with the body of a young woman; they were not happy to have us bust in on their party.

We killed them all, but the fight had been brutal. When it was all over dad lay in an unconscious heap. I used my extra senses and what little medical knowledge I had to assess his condition. He had several broken bones: left femur, left ankle, and left wrist along with several ribs on his right side. He had been picked up by his left leg and arm and thrown into the wall. It was obvious that he had a concussion as well. I could well imagine that his internal organs were probably bruised. I could feel as well as see some abdominal swelling. From what I could hear and smell he didn't have any internal bleeding.

I tore up the bedding from the cot in the cabin and used branches to splint dad's limbs as best I could. I wrapped his ribs in an effort to make him more comfortable. There was nothing I could do for the poor girl that the Strigoi had violated; she was dead. I took her identification from the wallet I found near her shredded clothing. I wrapped her body in the remaining blanket and buried her in a peaceful spot near a waterfall. The Strigoi bodies I took to the top of a rock formation where the morning sun would disintegrate them.

We stayed at that cabin for two days till he was able to stay conscious for more than a couple of hours. After that we resumed our journey but it has been slow going with my father being so ill. The last part of the journey had to be made on foot. Though he weighs almost nothing to me and I have Strigoi speed; I couldn't risk injuring him further, so I took my time.

The closer I got to the academy the more I have been able to feel the pull of my Angel. The young woman I am looking for is the same pure soul that has helped me all this time. I realized it was her because the closer we got to St Vlad's the more I have felt the connection. I have begun to feel like our souls can communicate on a level that we are not fully aware of.

I closed my eyes and listened with my heart. "Hang on, I'm coming." The connection is growing stronger still and I know she is coming to take me home; my Angel is my Home.

Annemarie POV

"Wake up Annie; it's time to go for our walk and I want to leave before your grandmother wakes up. Hurry and dress. I have the feeling that we are going to need as much time as possible today."

My eyes popped open even though I don't think I got much sleep. The first thing I saw was Grandpa Abe's mischievous smile. He already had a stack of clothes ready for me. With a kiss on his cheek I took the stack and dashed to my bathroom. He had chosen thermal underwear and thick jeans, a turtle neck and a sweater. When I got back in my room he had my thick socks in hand. I examined his outfit and realized he too was dressed for a long walk on a very cold day. We saved our boots for last since they were downstairs in the mudroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief once we were out of the house. Grandpa waited till we had made it quite a bit of distance from home before beginning the conversation.

"Well little one, I know you are hiding some things and I think you need some help to sort through this mess. You can confide in me, just like with your mom; I will always be there to help you in any way I can. So tell me how can I help you?"

"I need to see my parents."

"We are on the way right now. Your Grandma and sister had them moved to the clinic because they feel they are better off there. I think that they would be best of at home but at least I convinced them to put them in the same bed."

"I don't know what has gotten into those two. It's like they are afraid of everything right now. They are trying to control everything and really you can't do it."

"Well you have found a way of controlling your aging haven't you little one?"

"Did Lily tell you?" I asked.

"No but she confirmed it when I asked. You see, many years ago I used to go to a fortune teller. Yevette was the one who told me that her grandson and my daughter would one day marry and have many miracles. I went to visit her a few years ago and she told me that I should treasure the time I got to spend with you while you were young because it would go by in much less time than anyone would expect. Now we already knew by then that you were aging at twice the rate and you should stop by 5 years but I had a feeling that somehow you might continue past the 5 years. It seemed as if the last year your aging did slow to normal but it has begun to accelerate again; even faster if I am correct. Can you tell me how this is happening?" He kept his face forward and I wasn't able to read it.

"Are you mad?"

"Concerned yes, but no I am not angry, if this is of your own choosing how can I be angry at you for it?" He looked down at me and this time I could read his face reflecting love and acceptance.

"This is, of my own choosing. I am ready Grandpa. I sought out the beings that are charged with calling the Wielders of love into service. They are the ones who get to make up the rules."

"And how did you do this?"

"Wikanda helped me. Through her vision quests I met Bridget Donnelley and she took me to the counsel of the pure. I had to plead my case but they granted me my request." I shrugged my shoulders. "So now I am aging much faster than I did when I was little. I don't know how I have been able to hide it so far but I plan on revealing the truth on my birthday."

"Yes well I don't know what your costume looks like but I am sure that you will look beautiful and modest. Lily has assured me that though it will be stunning and revealing enough to prove to everyone that "You are Not a Child" anymore; it will still cover you to my satisfaction." He sighed and looked at me as though he was appraising me in a way. "Are you sure you are ready? Being a grown up is hard. I don't doubt that you can do it; but are you sure you want to?"

"Yes Dede, I am ready. To be honest I am scared too but I know in my heart that I am ready, for everything."

"Everything?" he stressed.

"Yes Grandpa, Everything. I know I am going to face Strigoi. I will have to face true evil, I am not afraid of that because I know I have the love of God to protect me. I am not afraid of finding my husband because as strange as it sounds I already love him and I haven't even met him. I am a bit worried about the whole, having babies' thing but at the same time part of me is excited about that. Besides I think most young women tend to be a little unnerved about the first one. It might help though if someone would tell me how to make one. I was supposed to take a Health class that also discussed reproduction this semester but grandma pulled me from it and put me in piano instead."

As we approached the clinic the conversation ended. I think he didn't want anyone to overhear us. The clinic was quiet and the nurse on duty pretended she didn't see us when we came in. Before she turned her back to us she gave me a quick smile and wink. Grandpa led me straight to their room. Mom was shuffling her way back to the bed from the bathroom. She looked so weak. Grandpa helped her walk the rest of the way and covered her up after settling Dad's arm around her.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me. She reached out for me and I rushed to the side of the bed. I didn't even know I was crying till she began patting my back and murmuring soothing sounds to me. I couldn't hold back anymore.

"I missed you so much mommy. I was so worried about you but they wouldn't let me see you. They don't understand; they won't listen to me."

"shh shh shh. Calm down baby; I'm here. Who are, They?"

"Grandma Janine and Emma." I sniffed.

"I should have known. Let me look at you it has been so long since I got to see you." I pulled back to arm's length but didn't let go of her. "Annie you are all grown up. What's going on? Are you getting called into service sooner because I am so sick?"

"Huh"

"Did the counsel of the pure decide that you need to be ready to take my place because I am dying?" Tears flowed from her eyes and she pressed her hand to her belly.

"Oh, no mommy no. I have talked to the counsel and I asked for this. I am ready now; I am not afraid anymore. I want to be like you. I asked and they granted me my request." Mommy's eyes lit with pride and love for me and her love wrapped around us.

"I am so proud of you, I am a little sad that my baby is not a baby anymore. I can see that you are nearly old enough biologically and you sound so grown up so I think that they are helping you mature psychologically as well. Have you found Him yet?"

"Yeah I did but the funny thing is I haven't even seen or met him. Remember how I used to tell you about friend that my heart felt but I knew he wasn't a ghost yet?"

"Yes I remember. I always wondered if he was in a coma somewhere and you could feel him but not see him because he was in a sort of limbo between life and death." She answered.

"He is Strigoi mommy. We are bonded already and I think we have been since he was turned. Somehow he has control of himself. I'm not sure but I think I might be part of the reason he has control. Anyway I can feel him. He came looking for me and he is in some kind of trouble. I have to go to him and I have to heal him. If grandma and Emma find out about him they will stop me. I don't have a pack to pull magic from and if I try to borrow Emma's or yours they will find out."

"Don't worry about them. All you need is spirit for healing him. Call on your dad, I know he is unconscious but if I am right there is a bond between you and him because of biology just like we are connected, you are connected."

"But in the Vision quest I saw that you had to touch a spirit wielder and the wielder had to touch daddy; and it doesn't end well for the spirit wielder in the long run." More tears poured down my cheeks as I looked at my dad. He is still my Woody, my friend; I don't want to harm him.

"Maybe this is the reason I made the mistake of giving him too much; so he can share it with you. He has so much spirit that he can share with two people and if I am right; he has so much that he won't need the physical contact with you or your…. God it is hard for me to say this; Your Husband of your Heart." She caressed my cheek. "My big girl, you grew up while I was sleeping; already almost a woman and not even seven years old yet." She looked up to my grandpa. "Baba, will you help her get to him? I give you permission to take her off campus and even travel with her if you have to but help her find him. Keep her safe for me then bring them home."

"That was my intention, daughter."

"He isn't far mommy. In fact I think he is only a mile or so past the wards; in that direction." I closed my eyes and let my arm point where my heart wanted me to go."

"Then go to him but be safe baby."

"I will and mommy you dad and maybe grandpa Abe are the only people I'll allow to call me by kid names like ladybug and baby from now on."

Grandpa and I left and headed in the direction I had pointed out earlier. Once at the fence grandpa used his earth magic to make a tunnel big enough to crawl through. My heart swelled with happiness knowing my special soul was so close. I grabbed grandpa's hand and ran through the forest towards the caves that had been part the attack of the Academy in another timeline.

"I'm coming love. I'm bringing you home." I said to him in my mind.

POP QUIZ

1. Did anyone pick up on the last name of Aidan's Dad? What Relation do you think he has to the other Guardian with the same last name?

2. Abe is very understanding of Annemarie's feelings. Do you think he is too willing to go with her wishes or do you think he is doing the right thing?

3. What do you think of Annemarie's decision to step up to her role as a Wielder of Love so young? Do you think she is too young?

4. Rose seems ok with the fact that her baby is grown and ready to begin fulfilling her fate but how do you think Dimitri will react?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It has been done for a while and sent to a beta but she disappeared on me. I asked DoB to do me the honour of betaing the chapter. Thank you again DoB

For anyone interested I have started a Twi Fic. It is titled Missing. If you are interested in a way to pester me to post or you want to ask me about my plotlines I have a facebook group. Look on my profile for the link.

Please Review and let me know you are still with me.

Suzanna