All characters except for Annabelle Causley, Frederick Randal Laskaris and Rosa Maria de la Luna and a few others belong to Stephenie Meyer…and, of course, the writer is not receiving any profit for this story whatsoever.

AN: I know, I know, I usually update during the weekend but this was a crazy weekend. I didn't sleep all of Friday after coming from work and didn't sleep Saturday night and had to work Sunday evening so I finally finished the chapter and here it is.

As I said, it's a continuation of the last one...and this chapter is a little more heavy on the emotions and angst...the ending of the last chapter should have clued you in!

Next chapter should be set for a couple of weeks from this one...gotta move the time forward. If you don't recall, the twins birthday is on March 6th so the next chapter is set sometime in April -about six weeks before graduation. (Oh! Translations for the Spanish lullabies are in asterisks...and the lullabies are not my own)

Ses and Gaby -you guys rock! Like so so much! Ses, thank you for catching up...I recommend you stay caught up so you won't have to go through the hell of not sleeping for reading chapter after chapter.

Lynn -you're the best, hon. Thank you for your loyalty.

To my new reviewer -silverspear - I hope to hear from you again, as well as my occasional reviewers -Thanni, Whitelily, Moani and all you others.

Enjoy as you read and Review!

Chapter Fifty-Three

Seth was feeling quite proud of his ability to not laugh out loud as he helped Gabriel with his car seat harness, the twins having already unbuckled themselves.

He could hear the excited whispers from inside the house, easily picking out his little girl's heart beat, racing fast in excitement –it was amusing to imagine her working hard at not bouncing in place.

Glancing over at Marcos as he ushered them to the back of the house so they could go in through the back door –as per Rose's instructions –he felt a slight apprehension, seeing in the dark scowl the little boy was sporting the possibility that this whole thing might not turn out the way Rose wanted it too.

He didn't want her surprise party ruined but he wasn't exactly sure what he could do to prevent it.

As they approached the back door, he told the kids to wipe their feet, loud enough so everyone inside could hear him, chuckling at the way Gabriel looked like he was about to explode with excitement, having just been told about the whole thing.

Turning the knob, he swung the door open, finally laughing as Gabriel yelled out surprise, the guests inside echoing him seconds later.

Vivi let out a gasp, covering her mouth with her small hands, her gold-brown eyes wide as she looked at her aunt.

"Happy Birthday Vivi," Rose smiled at her niece as she moved across the kitchen, kneeling down to hug the little girl, kissing her cheek before turning to Marcos, her arms stretched out to hug him as she opened her mouth to also wish him a happy birthday.

Marcos shook his head as he took a step back, staring at her with big brown eyes bright with unshed tears.

Rose took a deep breath as she moved towards him again, "Marcos –"

"No," Marcos spun around, dodging Seth's hands as he ran out of the house across the yard and into the woods.

Seth moved to go after him but Rose's small hand on his arm stopped him, turning to look into her eyes, feeling a stabbing pain at the hurt and disappointment he saw in them.

"Let him go," Rose gave him a sad smile, letting out a sigh as she looked down at her niece, "He –Vivi, what's wrong?"

"It's my fault," Vivi cried, wiping her dripping nose on her sleeve, Gabriel standing next to her with an arm around her small shaking shoulders, "I was supposed to be the oldest but I wouldn't –I wouldn't –and he –he did it and now h-he hates himself an-and it's –it's all my f-fault!"

Rose stared at Vivi n shock, trying to make sense of what she was saying but all she could register was that Marcos had made the choice Vivi couldn't…

The choice to kill her sister.

"Rose."

Blinking, she turned to look into Emily's dark brown eyes, a wave of gratitude washing over her as she offered, "I'll get the kids playing. Why don't you and Seth take Vivi outside for a bit?"

Giving her a faint smile, she turned to look at Vivi as Seth picked her up, little Gabriel looking forlorn as he took his aunt's offered hand and followed her into the living room, his blue eyes never leaving Vivi.

Sliding her hand into Seth's, Rose followed them outside, softly closing the kitchen door behind her.


Seth wasn't exactly sure what to do.

On one arm, he had Vivi, her sobs twisting his heart yet the tight grip Rose had on his hand let him know she too was in need of some comfort.

As if that weren't hard enough, Marcos was out there somewhere, making himself miserable as well.

How did one handle being split three ways like this?

Sitting under a tree, he settled Vivi onto his lap, pulling Rose to sit next to him, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders.

He took a deep breath as she rested her head on his chest, her drawn up legs leaning against his thigh.

Turning his head, he kissed the top of hers, the sweet smell of her cherry blossom shampoo flooding his senses long enough for him to momentarily forget why he was out here, holding his crying little girls.

"Vivi," he whispered softly, waiting patiently until she looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed as silent tears continued to make their way down her chubby cheeks, "There's nothing for you to feel guilty about –neither of you. Marcos made a decision that had already been made…"

He stopped, unsure of how to continue.

Rose reached out across his chest, touching Vivi's cheek, her thumb brushing a fat tear away, "Your mama loved you –both of you. She would stay up late into the night –working on your blankets…some how she knew there were two of you."

Seth leaned his cheek against Rose's head as Vivi avidly listened to her, "Sometimes, she would…she would sing to you –she always said you each had a favorite one. She always had to sing one song then the other."

"I remember," Vivi's words were soft as she stared at her aunt, nibbling on her thumbnail for a few seconds before she softly sang:

Duermete mi niña

Duermete mi nena

Duermete pedazito de mi corazón

*Sleep my little girl

*Sleep my little baby

*Sleep little piece of my heart

Rose sucked in a long breath as they stared at each other, Seth's hand stroking Rose's hair, giving the comfort she needed, "Papa would sing us that song –every night, he would come into our room to tuck us in…and he would sing to us before turning the lights off."

Vivi sniffled, turning to wipe her face into Seth's cotton t-shirt before looking at her aunt again, "I loved mama…I loved her so much…Marcos does too…but he also l-loves me…and when that day came…I refused to do what I-I was supposed to d-do…we were…we couldn't breathe but I wouldn't –I couldn't ri-rip her open for us to get out…so Marcos pushed p-past me…I was small because –because I wouldn't t-take –he did it, Tia Rosa, but only because w-we couldn't breathe,…because I was d-dying…he d-didn't want me to d-die too so he…"

Rose buried her face into Seth's chest, her shoulders shaking as she cried, the memory of that horrible night flooding her, the sounds of her sister's ripping flesh echoing in her mind.

Pulling her in tight, he gently rocked her, kissing her forehead, his fingers speared through her hair as he whispered into her ear, "Let it all out, baby…just let it all go."

He leaned against the tree, holding his girls as they both cried.

Looking towards the woods, he wondered who was holding Marcos –if there was anyone at all holding him.


Rick let out another frustrated breath as he underlined a sentence in red, writing a comment on the margin.

What was wrong with today's educational system? His students could barely string a sentence together and after ten, eleven years in school, that was seriously problematic.

What the hell were those English teachers doing if they weren't teaching the proper construction of a sentence?

Circling where commas should go and crossing out the ones that shouldn't be there, he wondered to himself if he would be stepping over some invisible line if he went to the Freshman English teacher to discuss this problematic situation.

A soft knock at the front door interrupted his mental tirade.

Tossing the pen over the spread out papers on the coffee table, he moved across the living room to open the door, surprised to find Marcos standing on his front step.

"Marcos, what –" Rick was wondering why the little boy wasn't several streets down the road at his own birthday party, "How can I help you?"

"Is Leah here?"

"Yeah," Rick looked down at his watch, realizing he was in trouble for not waking her up sooner, "She's taking a nap. We were going to head over to your place soon –"

Marcos shook his head, finally looking up at Rick, his dark brown eyes showing a deep devastation that Rick himself could identify with, "I need to…I need to –"

Rick stepped aside as he pointed over his shoulder, "Down the hall, back bedroom. Go see if she's awake."

Marcos nodded his head, sniffing softly as he walked across the living room; his small shoulders were slumped as if he carried great weight on himself.

Closing the door, Rick leaned his shoulder against it, wondering how a child could possible deal with the weight of guilt that came with the loss of a loved one.

It was obvious Marcos blamed himself for something that had been out of his control –just as Rick had blamed himself for the massacre of his own family.

Even now, knowing that things happened for a reason, he still felt that stabbing guilt every once in a while…

But he was a grown man, able to remind himself that it hadn't been his fault.

But Marcos…


Leah let out a sigh as she opened her eyes.

Stretching as she looked over at the clock on Rick's bedside table, she let out another sigh, pushing herself up into a sitting position, feeling slightly irritated that Rick hadn't waked her up earlier.

Now they were going to be late to Marcos and Vivi's birthday party –just great.

Tossing aside the pillow she had tucked between her legs, she let out a soft gasp at the sight of Marcos sitting on the window seat, his little face streaked with tears.

"Marcos, what –"

"I killed my mother," he looked into her brown-green eyes; his own were filled with so much sadness it broke Leah's heart, "Why would she want to celebrate that?"

"Oh sweetheart," Leah swung her legs off the bed, sitting on the edge as she opened her arms to him.

Marcos stared at her for a second before hopping off the window seat and moving across the room to climb up unto her lap, his little body shaking as he let himself cry for the first time.

"I'm a h-horrible p-person, Leah," Marcos sobbed into her neck.

Holding him tight, Leah let out a soft sigh as she kissed his cheek, brushing his hair away from his small face as she looked into his eyes, "You're not a horrible person, Marcos. It's a mother's prerogative to give everything they have so their children can live."

Marcos shook his head, moving to kneel beside her because, let's face it, it wasn't easy to sit on her lap, "You would die to let your baby live?"

"Yes," Leah didn't hesitate as she rested a hand on her belly, "I would die for this baby…I would die for Gabriel…you see, Marcos, when a woman becomes a mother…life is no longer about her. It's about her children –everything she does, it's so they can live, be happy, grow and love…life becomes something much bigger than what it had been before."

Marcos stared up at her, the weight of her hand on his small shoulder somehow making him feel better, "But my mother didn't die…I killed her…I ripped our way out…and she bled to death."

Leah cupped his small face, using her thumb to brush away the tears leaking out of his sad eyes, "Do you remember everything, Marcos? Even the time before you were born?"

Marcos nodded, looking down at his hands, picking at a scrape across his palm.

Leah took his small hand in hers, examining the scrape before picking up his other hand, finding it covered in dry blood and dirt, "Let's go to the bathroom and get your hands cleaned up, okay?"

Marcos nodded his head, letting Leah pick him up and carry him into the bathroom.

Setting him on the bathroom sink, she turned on the faucet, taking a washcloth and soaking it in the warm water before wringing it out, "Did your mother love you, Marcos? I mean, before you were born?"

Marcos nodded again, watching as Leah gently and tenderly wiped his hands, surprised to see that there was a deep cut on one of them –he hadn't felt that when he tripped over that tree root while running through the forest, "She would…she would sing to us –every night."

Leah smiled as she rinsed the cloth, opening the medicine cabinet to pull out antibacterial cream and band-aids, "My daddy –he would tell me a story every night…it was always the same story, about an Indian princess and a wolf-man."

"A wolf-man," Marcos' eyebrows lowered over his eyes, watching Leah spread the cream over his cuts and scrapes, not telling her that he could heal his hands faster than the cream ever could.

"Yes," Leah finished with the cream, placing a large band-aid over the cut, "You see, the Indian princess, she was very sweet and everyone in the village liked her. All the boys wanted to be the one to marry her but she didn't want any of them –because she was already in love."

"With who," Marcos wrapped his arms around her neck as she picked him up to take him back into the bedroom, moving to sit next to her on the bed.

"There was a man in the woods…he stayed there because no one in the village liked him. She had seen him once, when she was getting water from the river. He was so handsome –with dark hair and dark eyes. He didn't talk to her or smile but still –she could see that he was a good man, a wonderful man. And she fell in love right then and there."

"But she didn't even know his name," Marcos closed his eyes as Leah wiped his face with the washcloth, not having realized that she still had it in her hand.

"When love sneaks into your heart," Leah kissed his forehead, resting her hands on her lap, "Things like that don't matter. The thing was, she didn't see him again. So she started asking the village people about him –and the stories they told her scared her."

"What stories?"

"One woman told her that the man was a monster. That at night, he would turn into this big wolf and he would eat little children…another man said that the wolf-man would attack other villages, ripping children apart in front of their parents before eating them…they were horrible stories and they all told her she should stay away from him."

"Did she still love him after hearing the stories?"

"Yes," Leah smiled down at his shocked little face, reaching up to brush the hair off his forehead, "Those stories scared her but she still loved him –so she decided that she needed to see him again –to make him fall in love with her."

"How?"

"She asked one of her sisters –she had many of them and they were all older and married. Her sister told her that the way to win a man's heart was by feeding him," Leah folded the washcloth to have something to do with her hands, "So she had her grandmamma teach her how to make a wild berry pie."

"Did she take it into the woods for him," Marcos slid back on the bed before crossing his legs Indian style, his eyes never leaving Leah's face.

"She left it on a log on the edge of the woods…because even though she loved him, she was afraid of the stories about him. The next morning, she went and found the pie gone but she still didn't see him so she asked another sister who told her that art was the way to have a man fall in love…so she found some charcoal and made some paper, the way her grandpapa taught her and drew a beautiful picture of the sunset over the beach, then she left it on the edge of the woods, by the same log.

"The next morning, she went to the log –the drawing was gone but she still didn't see him. She tried everything her sisters told her –she wrote him a poem, a song, made him a shirt but even though it was no longer there in the mornings, she still didn't see him."

"What did she do next?"

Leah smiled down into his round little face, reaching out to cup his cheek, "She went into the woods as the sun was setting. As she got closer to the river, she heard a rustle of leaves. She turned around and there he was. Dark hair, dark eyes and no smile."

"Was she scared?"

"Terrified, but she was also in love so she took a deep breath to gather her courage and asked him why –if he took the things she left for him, why didn't he come out to see her."

Marcos scooted closer to her, leaning to rest his head on her round belly, "What did he say?"

"He thanked her, told her everything she left for him on the log was wonderful but not what he wanted."

Marcos' eyebrows lowered into a vee as he tilted his head to the side, "What did he want?"

"He wanted her to trust him, to come out into the woods and talk to him."

"Even if she was scared?"

Leah smiled as she ran her fingers through his dark hair, "Especially because she was scared. If her love was true then the fear wouldn't stop her from coming to him…and it didn't."

"What happened next?"

"He told her the truth, how he had been cursed to become a wolf once the sun sank into the ocean and that he didn't eat little children. She asked him why he lived alone in the woods, away from everyone else."

Marcos didn't say anything, simply kept his big brown eyes on Leah as she continued, "He told her it was because the people in the village hated him for being a monster –they didn't understand and he couldn't handle their fear of him."

Taking his small chin in her cupped hand, she leaned in closer to look into his brown eyes, "She reached out and touched his face and told him that people didn't know him and everyone always fears the unknown. He had to see that he was worthy of love –to understand what happened to him was not his fault…it was out of his control. He wasn't a monster because a monster doesn't feel remorse –guilt –or pain."

Marcos blinked his eyes furiously, working hard at not crying again –he was a boy, for goodness sake.

Leah brushed her thumb over his cheek, placing a soft kiss on his forehead, "Would you like to know what happened next?"

He nodded, sniffing as he continued to fight the threatening tears.

"She told him that all her gifts were for him because she loved him…and he believed her. That was all it took for the curse to be lifted. They got married and lived happily ever after."

"Did they kiss?"

Leah chuckled softly, "Do you want them to kiss?"

He wrinkled is nose in disgust at the idea, "No."

Leah laughed as she gathered him into her arms, "You see Marcos. All it takes is for you to believe –just once –that you are worthy of love. When you do, the world opens up for you."

He stared at her, thinking over her words, not saying anything as he settled his small head on her shoulder.

Reaching up to stroke his cheek, she rested her jaw against his forehead as she made her way down the hallway, "How about we go see if your Uncle Rick is ready to go to your party?"

Marcos smiled at that but stayed as he was, softly whispering, "Okay."


The dark sky was devoid of any clouds, stars littered across it, making her think of diamonds on black velvet.

"See that right there?"

Rosa looked to where her sister was pointing, "Where?"

"There," Maribel moved closer to her little sister, "That cluster of stars."

"Where," Rosa felt slightly frustrated as she searched for a cluster of stars but it was impossible –to her, all the stars looked clustered.

"Look to where my finger is pointing."

Moving her head to rest on Maribel's shoulder, she looked up to where she was pointing.

"See it?"

"Yeah."

She didn't see it but she knew if she told her sister that, they would end up staying on the roof all night, "I see it."

"It's a constellation called Pleiades –the Seven Sisters."

"How do you know that?"

"Eduardo told me," her voice was slightly dreamy, something that Rose had noticed of late but didn't like.

"Mmm," she didn't say anything because she didn't want to have this fight –again.

"He told me they were the daughters of Atlas."

"Is that the guy who carries the world on his shoulder?"

"Yeah," Maribel turned to smile at her, "That's Atlas."

"That must be really hard…and heavy."

"What?"

She turned to look into her sister's dark brown eyes, "Carrying the world on your shoulders –it must be hard and heavy."

"Oh," Maribel looked back up at the sky, "Yeah…it is."

"Why did he do it?"

"Carry the world on his shoulders?"

Rosa nodded as she too looked back up at the sky, "Yeah. Why?"

"Eduardo says he made the gods angry," Maribel wiggled slightly as she rested her hands over her stomach, "So they gave him the world to carry for eternity."

"There's no such thing as gods, Mari," Rosa pushed herself to a sitting position, drawing her knees up into her chest before wrapping her arms around her legs, "There's only one God."

"Eduardo says that nothing is definite," Maribel sat up, crossing her legs Indian style, "That as the years go by, so many things come to light that reveal more things…he's lived for two hundred years so I think –"

"He's not alive," Rosa rested her chin on her knees, refusing to look at her older sister as she stared off into the horizon, "He's a walking corpse –without a soul."

"How can you say that? He's helped us for so long, has risked his life –"

"He's not alive," Rosa finally turned to look at her sister, "I don't know why he's helped us…maybe after two hundred years of going from place to place, he's finally found something interesting to spent his time on –"

"He loves us, Rosa," Maribel pushed herself to her feet, feeling angry at her little sister's inability to see the truth, "He loves you like a little sister and he loves me like –"

"Like what," Rosa stared up at her sister, seeing the way her face began to flush, feeling a rush of rage shudder her petite frame, "He's a vampire, Mari. He's one of them –just like the monster that killed our parents –"

"No!"

Rosa stood up, reaching out to grab her sister's arm to keep her from walking away, "You can't fool yourself into thinking that he loves you like you love him…he can't –he doesn't have a soul and the soul is where love comes from."

"He loves me," Maribel yelled at her sister, pulling her arm away, "Why can't you just let it be?"

"Because he's a monster," Rosa whispered hoarsely, tears running down her face, "Because he craves blood…because you're…you're the only one I have left…there's no one else for me, Mari…it's just you and…and I'm afraid…I'm afraid he'll take you away from me…that he'll lose his control and…"

"Rosa," Maribel stared at her crying sister, the anger she had felt seconds ago bleeding out as she moved to pull her into a tight hug, "Nothing…absolutely nothing can take me away from you…he would never –"

"Don't," Rosa shook her head, pushing herself away from her, giving her a heated glare, "You can't stay away from him –he's like a disease that's eating away at the person you used to be –"

"I'm still the same person, Rosa," Maribel held out her hands imploringly, "I'm still your sister…your family…but I'm growing up and I want…I want to love –to be loved –"

"Why him?"

Maribel stared at her, seeing the genuine confusion in her wide hazel eyes, the small scar on the left side corner reminding her how close she had come to losing her the way she had lost her parents, "Because…because he's a good man. Because even though he believes his soul is forfeited, he still holds on to the promise of heaven. Because he's…he's given me something so precious…"

Rosa watched the way her sister pressed her hands against her flat stomach, a feeling of dread growing in her own, "What?"

Maribel bit her bottom lip, the fear of how her sister would react making her stomach turn…or maybe it was just the new little life she held inside her, "You won't be alone Rosa…it won't be just me anymore…you're going to have a niece…a nephew…"

Rosa stared at her sister with shock, her mind going completely blank.

Maribel couldn't keep the tears at bay anymore as she watched her sister's face go from shock to confusion then right into horrified disgust.

"You can't…that can't…" Rosa didn't know how to say what she was feeling, her heart beating so hard she could feet it in her throat, "Oh God…"

Turning on her heel, she ran away, ignoring her sister's cries for her to come back as she ran down the stairs into the house, bursting out the front door and down the street.

How was it possible?

How could her sister willingly carry something so…

A cry escaped her as she tripped over the uneven stones, the pain of landing on her knees and scraping her hands lancing through her but it wasn't even close to what she was feeling in her heart.

Pushing herself to her feet, she continued to run as fast as she could, tears streaming down her face.

Her sister was carrying the spawn of a monster…

And now, Rosa was going to lose her.

"Tia?"

The soft word broke her out of her revere as she looked away from the view out her bedroom window, turning to watch as Marcos slowly approached her bed, "Can't sleep?"

The little boy shook his head as he stopped by the side of her bed, his dark brown eyes expressing a deep sadness as he whispered, "I'm sorry I ruined your surprise."

Rose gave him a soft smile as she reached out to touch his cheek, "Its okay, Marc…I understand it's not easy for you…"

"I had fun…"

"Eventually," Rose patted the bed in invitation, pulling him into her arms once he climbed up, "I have a confession to make Marc."

He didn't move as he laid there with his aunt's arms wrapped loosely around him, "You blame me too, don't you?"

"I don't –" it was an automatic response but Rose realized he wasn't going to believe her, "I used to… but I've learned that you're not what I expected…not only that but…Marcos, you didn't kill your mother."

"Yes, I did," Marcos could feel a tear sliding down his cheek as her arms tightened around him, his little head naturally tucking under her chin.

"No you didn't," Rose let out a heavy breath as she finally revealed the truth, "The reason you and Vivi couldn't breathe was because Mari died before you were born…"

"Papa never told us that."

"Your papa didn't know," Rose kissed the top of his head, running her fingers through his hair, "I never told him…he got there minutes after you and Vivi…were born. I used to blame him…you too…both of you…but I've come to realize…your mother…spared you having to kill her so that you can live. I don't know how but she stopped living about two or three minutes before you…before…"

"Tia," Marcos turned in his aunt's arms so he could look up into her face, "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"Because I was a scared child…because I hated what you were…yes, I blamed you for her death but mostly because…I was selfish," Rose leaned her forehead against his, looking into his brown eyes, "I never thought I would learn to love you or that it would hurt me to see how much you hurt…please forgive me."

Marcos reached up to wipe his little hand across her wet cheek before wrapping his little arms around her neck, snuggling into her arms as he breathed in her familiar smell, "I forgive you Tia…and I love you too."

"I know you do," Rose stroked his small back, breathing in the baby shampoo they used, her heart beating painfully against her chest, "Your mother loved you so much Marcos…do you remember the song she used to sing to you?"

Marcos closed his eyes as tears escaped him, slowly rolling down his face as he shook his head, "No."

Rose heard the lie in his answer but she didn't call him out on it.

Instead, she began to softly sing the song her sister had personally put together just for him:

Ven conmigo a un lugar

Y siente mi abrazo, mi corazón

Tengo mucho que dar

No sabes cuanto, amor, no lo sabes

Tengo mucho dentro de mi

Mucha vida que tienes tu que vivir

Y nunca abandonare lo que compartimos

Es un recuerdo adorado

Nunca dejare que llores por mi

Por que todo mi amor

Cada onza de mi amore, te lo doy a ti.

*Come with me to a place

*Come feel my warm embrace

*There is so much I have to give

*You don't know, You don't know

*There's so much I have inside

*So much more life you have to live

*And I never will abandon what we share

*For I cherish every moment that you're near

*I will never let you shed a tear for me

*'Cause every ounce of love I give to you


Seth let out a deep breath as he listened to his little girl's soft voice, smiling softly to himself as he turned in bed to get comfortable.

The words he couldn't understand but the emotion behind them –they touched something deep inside him as he closed his eyes, letting himself relax to the soft cadence of her song, finally feeling at peace.

Everything was fine and cared for in his little family.