Sorry for the wait, just been a little busy. And special thanks to those
who agree with me on the whole M/M issue. I hope you guys like this and
I'll try to get started on the next chapter as soon as possible!
Chapter 11
"Maria! What the hell is going on?!" Isabel exclaimed as Maria swerved again, barely avoiding getting hit by a passing car.
"I think Courtney did something to Mom," Maria said quickly, not bothering to explain further as she concentrated on the road.
"Why the hell would she do that? And why did you, her and Michael seem to know each other?" she pressed, not used to the fact the Maria obviously knew something that she and the rest of her sisters didn't.
"Look, it's a long story, and I can't explain it now!" Maria said in a frustrated tone as yet another streetlight turned red before she could pass it.
"The hell you can't!" Isabel said, getting just as frustrated as Maria. "You can't just tell us that Mom may be in danger and then not give us reasons why!"
"What the hell do you want from me, Isabel?!" Maria yelled angrily as the light turned green.
"I want a damn explanation!"
"Okay, stop!" Tess said, finally cutting in. "I don't know what the hell happened back at the Crashdown, but if Maria thinks that something happened to Mom, then the best thing we can do is concentrate on her, instead of tearing each other apart."
"Tess is right," Liz said. "Maria will explain everything to us once we're certain that everything's okay," she said to Isabel.
"Fine," Isabel said dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Ria; I'm just..." she trailed off, not wanting to admit how scared she was that Maria's prediction may be true.
"I know," Maria said sadly. She reached over to her side and grabbed Isabel's hand, squeezing it for reassurance. "I'm sure everything will be okay," she said unconvincingly. She looked in her rearview mirror to see Michael's jeep right behind them.
"Tess, try calling the house again," Liz said.
"I've already tried three times, Lizzy."
"Well try again," Maria said, not taking her eyes off the road. Tess nodded before dialing her house once again. After four rings, she was about to hang up when she finally heard a voice pick up.
"Hello?" a voice said weakly into the phone.
"Hello?" Tess said warily. "Who is this?"
"Tess," the voice rasped out. "Help, please," it said feebly.
"Jim?" Tess said loudly into the phone. She got no response. "Jim?!" she said louder, worried about the weak tone in Jim's voice. Before she could question him, her cell phone cut off.
"What happened?" Isabel asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Tess said, still staring at her phone. "Jim answered, but he sounded so weak and out of it."
"What did he say?" Liz asked.
"'Help,'" Tess replied, her fear rising as she repeated the words.
"Tess, take my phone and call Michael's cell phone," Maria ordered. "Tell him to follow us to our house; if he asks questions, explain the phone call to him," she said urgently as she reached back and handed Tess her cell phone. Tess took the phone and quickly began to do as she was told.
Meanwhile...
"So, you're saying this Courtney chick was an enemy in our past lives?" Kyle said from his position next to Michael, trying to process everything that Michael told them as he continued to drive.
"Yes, moron!" Michael said angrily, tired of having to repeat himself. He hit his hand on the steering wheel as he was forced to stop at yet another red light.
"I still don't understand what she has to do with Dad being in danger," Alex said, just as dumbfounded as Kyle and Max.
"Look, I'm not going to say it again," Michael said agitatedly as he began to drive again. "I'll explain it more clearly once we make sure Dad's okay," he said.
"You bet you will," Kyle muttered angrily, upset that his dad might be in danger and he didn't even know why.
"Look, Kyle—" Michael started, only to be cut off by the ringing off his cell phone. He looked at the caller id before answering. "Maria?" he asked anxiously.
"No, it's me Michael," Tess said hesitantly.
"What happened?" he asked, instinctively noticing her worried tone.
"Maria wants me to tell you guys to continue following us to our house," she said.
"We've got to get to our dad," Michael said immediately.
"Look, Michael," Tess said with a sigh. "I called our house, to see if our mom was home," she started.
"And?"
"And your dad answered; he sounded bad Michael, really bad," she finished.
"What did he say?" he asked urgently. Tess waited a beat before answering.
"He asked for help, Michael."
"Shit," Michael muttered under his breath. Before Tess could say anything else, Michael swiftly threw his phone against the dashboard, breaking his phone and connection to Tess.
"What happened?" Max asked fearfully.
"Tess called her house and dad picked up," Michael said as he gripped the wheel harder.
"What did he say?" Kyle asked as he waved his hand over the pieces of Michael's cell phone, making it whole again. His improvement in his powers, though not unnoticed, went by unspoken by everyone in the car.
"It doesn't look good," he said, not explaining any further. No explanation was needed as each occupant of the car settled into an unnerving silence.
A few minutes later, both cars arrived at the girls' house to find police cars and ambulances surrounding the house. Not wasting any time, all eight occupants jumped out of their cars and headed to the front door. Before they could get far, a policeman stopped them.
"You can't go in there," he said.
"This is our house!" Isabel exclaimed angrily, barely resisting the urge to blast the man across the country.
"I'm really sorry, ma'am, but this is police business," he said with sympathy.
"What the hell happened?" Max asked. Before the officer could reply, a voice cut in.
"I'll explain that," Jim said as he appeared behind the officer, a large bandage covering most of the left side of his head. Even with the bandage, blood was still seeping through.
"Dad!" Kyle said in relief as he and his brothers rushed over to Jim, each pulling him into a grateful hug.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked after they had calmed down.
"I'm fine, nothing serious," Jim replied with a small smile.
"Where's our mom?" Maria asked, looking past Jim in search of her mother. Jim's smile disappeared at Maria's question.
"Girls..." he started.
"Where is she!?" Liz asked frantically, seeing the pitiful look that came across Jim's face.
"She was taken to the hospital," Jim said sadly.
"What happened?" Maria asked, barely showing any emotion on her face.
"We were just returning from a date," Jim started. "When we got in, Amy noticed that the door was unlocked and began to worry. I told her to stay behind me while I checked out the house—of course she didn't listen. We made it to the living room before I was knocked out. When I awoke again, Amy was lying on the floor, barely conscious; and she was battered and bruised—god, it was awful," he trailed off, remembering the beaten image of Amy that would forever be implanted in his brain.
"And what happened after that?" Maria urged calmly, barely acknowledging fearful emotions running through her.
"When I woke up again, there was a young girl was standing over us; she looked so evil," he explained.
"Courtney," Maria said to herself.
"Excuse me?" Jim asked. At the wave of Maria's hand, he continued his story. "I don't remember much after that. I vaguely remember Khivar standing over Amy. He slapped her, and when I went to stop him, the girl hit me over the head again. After that, everything just went black. When I awoke again, my head was surrounded with blood and the phone was ringing—that's when I talked to you," he said, looking at Tess. "I tried to revive Amy, but she wouldn't come to; I didn't know what to do."
"So you called the ambulance," Isabel said, barely hiding her anger. "We could have healed her, but now she'll have to heal naturally. Do you realize that she may not even survive? What were you thinking!?"
"Isabel, stop it," Alex said, trying to calm her down. "He did what he thought was best," he said, defending his father.
"Easy for you to say," Isabel said snidely.
"Just let me explain," Jim said, stopping any further arguments. "I didn't call the ambulance—they arrived before I even thought of it."
"How?" Tess asked.
"Khivar," Maria said with a cold laugh. "Of course he called them—that way he knows we can't heal her, therefore almost ensuring that Mom dies," she explained sardonically.
"Bastard," Isabel muttered angrily.
"We've got to get to the hospital," Liz said.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Maria said as she began to turn around.
"Wait!" Jim said, stopping everyone's movement. "This was in Amy's hand when I woke up the last time and saw her; I didn't read it, because I think it was meant for you guys to read," he said, handing Maria a folded piece of paper. "I've got to go answer some more questions, so I'll meet you guys at the hospital," he said before turning and heading back to the other officers.
Maria unfolded the paper and read the message briefly before folding it back up and stuffing it into her pocket. "Let's get out of here," she said, heading back to her car, her friends following quickly behind her.
A few hours later, Maria found herself sitting dejectedly in a chair as she and her friends waiting for more news on Amy. When they arrived at the hospital, a doctor had come to them and briefly explained that Amy would need surgery in order to stand a chance of surviving. While the doctor had been hopeful, he made it very clear that the surgery didn't guarantee Amy's life. It was for that reason that she and her friends were spread around the waiting room, hoping to hear news on Amy's surgery.
While waiting, Maria and Michael had quickly explained the flashes they received at the Crashdown to their friends. And although shocking and angering, the revelation of the flashes seemed to worry and frighten their friends more than anything else. Looking up, Maria saw Alex throw his hand over Isabel's shoulders and rub them in soothing way; she saw Isabel give him a grateful smile before looking off into space again. Across from Isabel and Alex, Maria saw Liz lay her head on Max's shoulder as another flow of tears assaulted her. Next to Max and Liz, Maria watched as Kyle slowly took Tess's small hand in his own and squeezed it in a gentle, reassuring way.
Unable to watch any longer, Maria turned away. Since she had heard of Amy's sufferings from Jim, she slipped into the mode that always gave her comfort when she was scared; she closed herself off. She didn't need the comforting hugs or the gentle shoulder rubs. She needed to be strong; she had to be strong. Glancing to her right, Maria saw Michael staring at her expectedly.
"If you're waiting for me to break down in tears, you're wasting your time," she said quietly, not bothering to look at him.
Michael, startled that Maria had seen him staring, let out a loud sigh before speaking.
"Of course not," he said. "God forbid you show any weakness in front of anyone," he said, hoping Maria would take his bait. She did.
"Excuse me?" Maria hissed, turning to him angrily. "How dare you say that to me!"
"It's the truth, isn't it?" he asked calmly.
"You don't know what you're talking about," she said, turning away.
"Actually, I think I do, Blondie," Michael said. "You're scared and worried and instead of expressing your feelings, you're closing yourself off because for some weird reason you believe that closing yourself off will somehow lessen the pain," he said, each word hitting Maria harder than the one before.
"And how would you know?" she asked coldly. "What, you know me for a few months and all of sudden you can read my soul? Fat chance, Guerin." Michael involuntarily flinched at Maria's words before continuing to speak.
"So maybe I can't read your soul, but I know you, Blondie. And right now, I bet you think you're being strong, don't you?" he asked. Maria stayed silent and continued to stare at the wall across from her. "I knew it," he muttered.
"Just go away," Maria said.
"No, because you need to hear the truth, and I'm going to be the one to give it to you," he said as he knelt down in front of her.
"And what is your so-called 'truth'?" she asked sardonically.
"The truth is, you're not being strong—you're hiding," he said, watching as her eyes glazed with anger. "If you're looking for someone to commend you on your strength or admire your ability to stay calm, you're not going to get it. Because as far as I'm concerned, you're just being a coward and hiding behind a wall that you built for yourself," he said, not wanting to hurt Maria, but knowing that she needed to hear this.
Maria stared angrily at Michael, not wanting to hear the truth in his words. Angrily, and more forceful than Michael could have expected, she pushed him out of her way and bolted out of the waiting room.
"Maria!" Isabel said, already getting up to follow her.
"I'll go," Michael said. "Just stay here and wait for the doctor," he said before turning and heading out the same door that Maria fled from seconds ago.
Fifteen minutes later, Michael was still searching around the hospital for Maria. He was about to head back to the waiting room when he saw a small figure sitting curled up in a ball through the glass doors of the hospital exit. Without wasting time, Michael hurried out of the hospital and to the figure, knowing instinctively that it was Maria. As he got closer, he heard her muffled sobs and wished he could take away all the pain she was feeling. But he couldn't, so he had to do the next best thing; he had to help her deal with it.
"Hey," he said quietly, coming up next to her. Maria immediately wiped her eyes and stood up to her full height to stare Michael in the eyes.
"What, you didn't finish insulting me in the hospital? Did you come back for round two?" she asked crossly while glaring at him.
"I wasn't trying to insult you—"
"You could've fooled me," Maria interrupted. "Look, Guerin, I'm not in the mood for you now, just leave me alone," she said as she prepared to walk past him.
"Leave you alone so that you can carefully guard your feelings all over again? Not going to happen, Deluca. You're in pain, and I'm not letting you leave until you deal with that pain the right way," he said determinedly while pulling her arm to prevent her from leaving.
"You're not letting me leave?!" Maria asked incredulously, snatching her arm from Michael's grasp. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I'm your friend, Maria," Michael said calmly.
"Some friend," Maria muttered, walking away from Michael and in the opposite direction of the hospital. She took a seat on the empty pavement on the floor and tried to ignore the fact that Michael was watching her every move. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke up again.
"Michael, please, just leave me alone," she pleaded.
Michael's heart skipped at beat at the pain and desperation in her voice. In an instant, he was sitting next to her with his arms around her. Maria immediately tensed up in his arms before finally giving into the embrace.
"It's okay, you know," Michael said soothingly.
"What?" Maria asked, confused.
"It's okay to cry," Michael explained.
"I can't," Maria said, pulling out of his arms. "I'm too emotional, Michael. The minute I let my emotions show, I lose control of the mission. I can't do that—too many lives depend on my ability to stay strong and in control," she explained.
"We're all emotional, Ria," Michael said. "I mean, look at me, besides you, I'm as weird and emotional as they come. I know what it's like to lose control of something because my emotions got the better of me, but I don't let that stop me from expressing myself."
"It's different, Michael," she said with a sigh.
"How so?" he asked, looking into her eyes.
"I'm always the strong one. My sisters expect that from me, I can't be weak. Showing weakness is admitting defeat."
"Maybe you're right," Michael said with a sigh.
"Really?" Maria asked in surprise.
"I know how you feel, Ria. There are times when my brothers or family tend to unconsciously look to me for answers, and there are times when I feel like it's my job to always have the answers," he said.
"Then you understand how hard it is to show and kind of weakness when everyone expects to see you strong and dependable."
"Yeah, maybe I do," Michael said. After a slight pause, he added, "But they're still my family, Ria. And despite my pride and stubbornness, I know that they would never expect me to close myself off just to make them feel better. They'd always be there for me, just like your sisters would for you. You've got to understand that."
"I can't, I just can't. I can't become some sad, depressed teenager when an entire planet is in danger of being destroyed—it just doesn't seem fair to them."
"And what about you? Is it fair for you to have to close yourself off and become hard when you'd rather just cry out your pain?"
"It's not the same," she said quietly. Michael sighed at her statement, realizing that he wasn't getting through to her.
"Fine," Michael grunted out. "Just promise me something, Ria."
"What?"
"Don't close off from me. I never have and never will expect you to have to always be strong around me. I want you to be open and be yourself, always," he said, running his hands though her hair. Maria smiled slightly at him, surprised and touched by his statement.
"I'll try," she said softly.
"Good," he said with a smile before wrapping his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"She'll be okay, right?" Maria asked after a few silent minutes.
"I don't know," Michael said sadly, wishing he could agree with Maria, but not wanting to give her false hope. "I may have only known Amy for a few months, but I know she's strong." As an afterthought, he added, "And I doubt she'll let a girl half her age keep her down for long." Maria laughed lightly at his comment before becoming quiet again. After a minute, she spoke up.
"I'm worried," she said, finally voicing her feelings.
"I'm sure Amy will do her best to fight this," he said, trying to placate her worries.
"I'm sure she will too," Maria said. "But I was referring to Khivar," she said. She felt Michael tense at the mention of his name. "He crossed the line today, I don't plan on letting him get away with it."
"Same here," he said in a stoical tone, barely containing his anger towards Khivar. "We shouldn't talk about this now—my brothers and your sisters need to be present for this conversation."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Maria said with an exhausted sigh, her tears, outbursts, and fears finally catching up to her. Before she could suggest going back into the hospital, Isabel, Liz, and Tess came barging out. They stopped suddenly when they saw Maria in Michael's arms.
"Sorry," Tess said quietly.
"No problem," Michael said with a smile. "I'm going to go find my brothers, I'll see you inside, okay?" he said, turning to Maria.
"Okay," Maria said with a smile. "Thanks, for everything," she said.
"Anytime," he replied. "Remember what I said, they're your sisters, they'll always be there for you," he said, squeezing her hand before getting up and walking back into the hospital.
Maria turned to see her sisters staring expectedly at her, all wearing smirks on their face. Refusing to acknowledge the smirks, Maria spoke up.
"Any news on Mom?" she asked.
"She just got out of surgery," Isabel said excitedly, replacing her smirk with a large smile. "The doctor said we could see her for a while."
"Is she okay?" Maria asked anxiously.
"The doctor said that the surgery was a success, but they can't guarantee anything until they've observed her for a few more days," Liz replied. "But it looks good, Ria. If the surgery was a success, then Mom has to be okay," she said enthusiastically.
"Oh, thank God," Maria said with a large sigh as she pulled her sisters into a group hug. "Well, let's go and see her," Maria said excitedly, preparing to enter the hospital.
"Ria, wait," Isabel said, stopping all of them from entering.
"What?"
"You know we're here for you, right?" she asked hesitantly.
"What are you talking about?" Maria asked.
"I heard part of your conversation with Michael in the hospital before you stormed out," Isabel explained. "I just want you to know that Tess, Liz and I don't expect you to be strong all the time."
"I know that Iz," Maria said, not looking up at her sisters.
"Are you sure?" Tess asked. "Because I could tell how much pain you were in Ria, but you didn't let one tear drop fall from your eyes. And this isn't the first time you've closed yourself off when you were scared or worried about something—you do it all the time," she said
"I just..."
"Want to be strong for us," Liz finished off. "Look Ria, we've been together all our lives, and if we can't count on each other in our weakest moments, who can we count on?"
"You're right," Maria said, finally looking up. "I don't know why I thought you guys wouldn't understand," she said.
"Yeah, well that's because you're one stubborn girl," Tess joked. Her sisters laughed at her comment.
"So are we clear?" Isabel asked. "No more hiding from us, regardless of the situation, okay?"
"I'll try," Maria said with a smile, remembering saying the same words to Michael only a few minutes ago.
"Good," Tess said with a smile. "Now come on, I want to hurry up and see Mom. The doctor said she probably won't be able to stay awake for long, and I want to talk to her," she said impatiently as she took Maria's hand and started dragging her back into the hospital, Isabel and Liz following after them.
"What room is she in?" Maria asked as they entered the hospital.
"Room 114, come on, it's just around the corner," Tess said as she continued to drag Maria. "
"Here it is," Liz said as they approached the room door. "Are you ready?" she asked her sisters anxiously.
"Of course we are," Tess said, and without waiting another second, she pushed open the door and walked in, Maria, Liz, and Isabel following after her.
"Oh my god," Isabel gasped out as soon as she saw walked into the room.
Amy lay there, immobile, sleeping quietly. Her leg was held up in a cast. Her face was covered with black and blue bruises and her arms had a purplish color to them. And her eyes, eyes that were once lively, were swollen and surrounded by deep cuts. Through her hospital gown, one could see her bruised and bandaged ribs. She looked so weak and fragile, nothing like the strong, stubborn mother they had all grown up with. It was as if she was broken, whitewashed...defeated.
"I can't believe they did this to her," Tess said quietly, still stuck in her position by the door.
"Courtney should be thankful I didn't get my hands on her," Isabel said darkly. "She would have been begging for death by the time I got through with her."
"It doesn't matter—she's gone," Maria said, unable to take her eyes off her mother. Hesitantly, she walked closer to Amy's bed and stood over her. Tess followed her, a bit more hesitantly, and stood by Maria. Liz and Isabel headed over to the bed and stood on the other side of Amy's bed, opposite Maria and Tess. The four of them stood there watching, waiting, for anything to happen. After a few more minutes, Amy slowly opened her eyes.
"Mom?"
"What happened?" Amy asked groggily, her eyes closing instinctively to the bright hospital lights. Suddenly, the night's events came rushing back to her and her eyes snapped open. "Khivar! He was at the house!" she said worriedly.
"Mom, calm down," Isabel said, seeing her heart beat speed up on the monitor. "Dr. Anderson said that you shouldn't exert yourself."
"He was with a girl," Amy said quickly, ignoring Isabel's warnings. "You girls have to watch out for them."
"Relax," Maria said. "We already found the girl, her name is Courtney, by the way. We took care of her, don't worry about it," she said, wanting Amy to relax.
"And Khivar?"
"Is still out there," she replied with a sigh. "But don't worry, we'll deal with him when the time is right," she added.
"So, you girls are okay?" Amy asked, still not calming down.
"Yes, we're fine; we should be the one asking you that question," Liz said as she took a seat on Amy's bed.
"Me? Oh, don't worry about me. What wimp couldn't handle a little torturing session," Amy joked, trying to ease their worries.
"That's not funny," Maria said silently. "You could have died."
"But I didn't," Amy protested. "And besides, I don't even feel half as bad as I look," she added, gesturing to the bruises all around her.
"You still could have died," Isabel said. After a pause she added softly, "Because of us."
Amy groaned at her statement before replying. "We're not going through this again, girls. I have told you countless times that I would willingly die for each of you. I would do it because I love you girls so much and I don't blame you for any of this. You girls really have to stop feeling guilty every time I happen to get hurt by an alien, especially you Isabel. It's not your fault and I know you girls must be getting tired of hearing this, because I know I'm getting tired of saying it," she ended with a smile.
"You're right," Tess said, smiling with Amy. "God knows we've heard that speech too many times."
"Exactly," Amy said. "So do me a favor and don't make me say it again."
"Deal," they said with smiles.
"All right, so aside from my near death experience, how was your day today?"
"Well..."Maria started with a smile as she began to talk.
Half an hour later, Jim quietly poked his head into Amy's hospital room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the doctor said that you have to leave—Amy needs her rest," he said.
"Can't we sleep over?" Isabel asked.
"Not tonight; she just got out of surgery and Dr. Anderson would prefer her to be alone and to relax," Jim replied reluctantly, seeing the sad expressions that came across the girls' faces.
"Hey, don't worry about me," Amy said reassuringly. "Just go home and get some rest—I'll be fine here."
"Are you sure?" Liz asked.
"Yeah, of course I am," she replied. "Just go home and sleep; tomorrow you girls can come here bright and early," she said.
"All right," Maria said unwillingly. "Sleep well, okay," she said before bending over to give Amy a light kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah, and try not to give the nurses too much trouble," Isabel joked, also giving Amy a kiss.
"I'll do my best," Amy replied with a light laugh. "Now get out of here."
"You got it," Tess said and she and Liz gave Amy a kiss. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye," Amy said.
"Bye," Maria said before walking out of the room with her sisters and Jim.
"The guys are still in the waiting room," Jim said once they left the room.
"Are you going to go home?" Maria asked.
"No, I think I'm going to camp outside of her room to make sure she's okay through the night," he said sheepishly.
"You don't have to do that," she said with a grateful smile.
"I want to. After all, this probably wouldn't have happened if I had protected her," he said.
"You tried, Jim," Isabel said with a sympathetic smile. "It's not your fault, and my mom would kill if she knew that you were blaming yourself," she added with a laugh.
"I bet she would," Jim said. "Either way, I'd just feel better if I could keep an eye on her."
"All right," Maria said, grateful that Jim cared so much for her mother. "If anything happens, just call us."
"No problem. Now you go find my sons and head home and rest, you all need it."
"We will," Tess said before she and her sisters headed back to the waiting room. They found Michael, Max, Alex, and Kyle sitting around each other and talking silently. Max was the first to notice their arrival.
"How is she?" he asked hesitantly.
"She's a little weak, and badly beaten, but she'll be okay," Liz replied happily.
"That's great," Alex said, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Yeah, it really is," Tess replied. "We'll be able to talk to the doctor tomorrow to find out more on her condition."
"Good," Max said. "At least this incident is over and everyone's out of danger," he added.
"Yeah, for now" Maria said quietly. Everyone was silent after her statement. After a minute or two Michael spoke up.
"You girls should stay at our apartment tonight," he said. "We have a lot to talk about, and it may take a while," he explained. Without saying a word, the girls nodded their heads, knowing that he was right.
"Let's get out of here," Maria said before walking past everyone and heading out of the hospital, her sisters and friends trailing behind her.
No one said a word on the way over to the apartment, and everyone preferred it that way; they were too lost in their thoughts to carry on some mindless conversation. Almost twenty minutes later, they arrived at the apartment and entered silently. They took their seats all around the living room—some on the couch, some on the floor—and stayed silent, waiting for someone to break the silence.
"Do you girls want anything to drink?" Alex asked feebly. He received nods of no. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "Diane came to cook for us yesterday; we have—"
"He crossed the line," Maria said coldly, interrupting Alex. "It's one thing to leave us on the brink of death, but what he and Courtney did to Amy was going too far."
"And he dragged our dad into it, too," Kyle said darkly. "We can't let him get away with it."
"We won't," Michael said determinedly. "Today, Khivar set the standards for this twisted war when he went after Amy and Jim; we're going to make sure he regrets it."
"Michael's right," Maria agreed. "All we've been doing is waiting for Khivar to attack and hope that we'll be able to win the battle. But that stops now," she said.
"What do you want us to do?" Isabel asked icily, her fear for Amy disappearing and her hatred for Khivar returning.
"I want us to win," Maria said. "And the only way that's going to happen is if we're prepared. No more sitting down and waiting for Khivar to come after us—we're going to go after Khivar."
"We're not powerful enough yet," Alex said. "Especially us" he added, gesturing to himself, Max Kyle, and Michael.
"Then we become powerful," Michael said. "We practice our powers everyday after school. And on weekends, we work from dawn to dusk; not a day goes by that we aren't in that desert strengthening our powers—all of us," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.
"And we shouldn't just practice our powers," Kyle said. "It'd help all of us if we could fight not just with our powers, but with our hands," he said.
"The four of us used to take martial arts classes, we'll help you girls become more skilled in that department," Alex said to the girls.
"And we question everything," Liz added. "We find out why only Michael and Maria can open the cave where the Granolith is hidden. We find out why my sisters and I have a small memory about our past lives, while the four of you don't remember anything."
"And we find out why the only memories Michael has received have only been when he's around Maria and why they receive them at the same time," Max added.
"And when we go after Khivar in a battle, we capture some of his soldiers," Tess chimed in. "We do a little torturing of our own and get as many answers as we can from them."
"And if they don't talk, we get rid of them and move on to the next, until they get the message and start to talk," Isabel supplied.
"And most importantly—we stick together through all of this. We don't have a huge, powerful army like Khivar to fight with. The eight of us, we are the army. So we protect each other, we trust each other, and if need be, we die for each other," she said.
"We're a unit, a team, and from this moment on, we're a family," Michael said, looking into the eyes of everyone in the room, his eyes lingering briefly on Maria's.
"Khivar wants a war—we'll give him one," Maria said.
"And we'll win this time," Isabel said confidently.
"You're damn right we will," Alex said in an uncharacteristically icy tone.
"Khivar will rue the day he decided to mess with the Royal Eight," Tess added.
"That he will," Maria said before pulling out the letter that Jim had given her earlier that night. She reread it before handing it to Alex. Alex read it and wordlessly passed it to Tess who was sitting next to him. Tess did the same before handing the paper to Max. Max then handed it to Isabel, who handed it to Liz. Liz silently handed the paper to Kyle who was sitting across the floor from her. Kyle stood and walked over to Michael, giving him the paper to read. Michael looked at everyone around him before finally looking at the paper and reading the message out loud.
Dear Royals,
Let the games begin.
Khivar
He crumpled the paper and threw it on the coffee table in front of all of them. Liz immediately waved her hand over the paper and turned it to ashes.
"Yes, Khivar," Maria said steely. "Let them."
TBC...
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Chapter 11
"Maria! What the hell is going on?!" Isabel exclaimed as Maria swerved again, barely avoiding getting hit by a passing car.
"I think Courtney did something to Mom," Maria said quickly, not bothering to explain further as she concentrated on the road.
"Why the hell would she do that? And why did you, her and Michael seem to know each other?" she pressed, not used to the fact the Maria obviously knew something that she and the rest of her sisters didn't.
"Look, it's a long story, and I can't explain it now!" Maria said in a frustrated tone as yet another streetlight turned red before she could pass it.
"The hell you can't!" Isabel said, getting just as frustrated as Maria. "You can't just tell us that Mom may be in danger and then not give us reasons why!"
"What the hell do you want from me, Isabel?!" Maria yelled angrily as the light turned green.
"I want a damn explanation!"
"Okay, stop!" Tess said, finally cutting in. "I don't know what the hell happened back at the Crashdown, but if Maria thinks that something happened to Mom, then the best thing we can do is concentrate on her, instead of tearing each other apart."
"Tess is right," Liz said. "Maria will explain everything to us once we're certain that everything's okay," she said to Isabel.
"Fine," Isabel said dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Ria; I'm just..." she trailed off, not wanting to admit how scared she was that Maria's prediction may be true.
"I know," Maria said sadly. She reached over to her side and grabbed Isabel's hand, squeezing it for reassurance. "I'm sure everything will be okay," she said unconvincingly. She looked in her rearview mirror to see Michael's jeep right behind them.
"Tess, try calling the house again," Liz said.
"I've already tried three times, Lizzy."
"Well try again," Maria said, not taking her eyes off the road. Tess nodded before dialing her house once again. After four rings, she was about to hang up when she finally heard a voice pick up.
"Hello?" a voice said weakly into the phone.
"Hello?" Tess said warily. "Who is this?"
"Tess," the voice rasped out. "Help, please," it said feebly.
"Jim?" Tess said loudly into the phone. She got no response. "Jim?!" she said louder, worried about the weak tone in Jim's voice. Before she could question him, her cell phone cut off.
"What happened?" Isabel asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Tess said, still staring at her phone. "Jim answered, but he sounded so weak and out of it."
"What did he say?" Liz asked.
"'Help,'" Tess replied, her fear rising as she repeated the words.
"Tess, take my phone and call Michael's cell phone," Maria ordered. "Tell him to follow us to our house; if he asks questions, explain the phone call to him," she said urgently as she reached back and handed Tess her cell phone. Tess took the phone and quickly began to do as she was told.
Meanwhile...
"So, you're saying this Courtney chick was an enemy in our past lives?" Kyle said from his position next to Michael, trying to process everything that Michael told them as he continued to drive.
"Yes, moron!" Michael said angrily, tired of having to repeat himself. He hit his hand on the steering wheel as he was forced to stop at yet another red light.
"I still don't understand what she has to do with Dad being in danger," Alex said, just as dumbfounded as Kyle and Max.
"Look, I'm not going to say it again," Michael said agitatedly as he began to drive again. "I'll explain it more clearly once we make sure Dad's okay," he said.
"You bet you will," Kyle muttered angrily, upset that his dad might be in danger and he didn't even know why.
"Look, Kyle—" Michael started, only to be cut off by the ringing off his cell phone. He looked at the caller id before answering. "Maria?" he asked anxiously.
"No, it's me Michael," Tess said hesitantly.
"What happened?" he asked, instinctively noticing her worried tone.
"Maria wants me to tell you guys to continue following us to our house," she said.
"We've got to get to our dad," Michael said immediately.
"Look, Michael," Tess said with a sigh. "I called our house, to see if our mom was home," she started.
"And?"
"And your dad answered; he sounded bad Michael, really bad," she finished.
"What did he say?" he asked urgently. Tess waited a beat before answering.
"He asked for help, Michael."
"Shit," Michael muttered under his breath. Before Tess could say anything else, Michael swiftly threw his phone against the dashboard, breaking his phone and connection to Tess.
"What happened?" Max asked fearfully.
"Tess called her house and dad picked up," Michael said as he gripped the wheel harder.
"What did he say?" Kyle asked as he waved his hand over the pieces of Michael's cell phone, making it whole again. His improvement in his powers, though not unnoticed, went by unspoken by everyone in the car.
"It doesn't look good," he said, not explaining any further. No explanation was needed as each occupant of the car settled into an unnerving silence.
A few minutes later, both cars arrived at the girls' house to find police cars and ambulances surrounding the house. Not wasting any time, all eight occupants jumped out of their cars and headed to the front door. Before they could get far, a policeman stopped them.
"You can't go in there," he said.
"This is our house!" Isabel exclaimed angrily, barely resisting the urge to blast the man across the country.
"I'm really sorry, ma'am, but this is police business," he said with sympathy.
"What the hell happened?" Max asked. Before the officer could reply, a voice cut in.
"I'll explain that," Jim said as he appeared behind the officer, a large bandage covering most of the left side of his head. Even with the bandage, blood was still seeping through.
"Dad!" Kyle said in relief as he and his brothers rushed over to Jim, each pulling him into a grateful hug.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked after they had calmed down.
"I'm fine, nothing serious," Jim replied with a small smile.
"Where's our mom?" Maria asked, looking past Jim in search of her mother. Jim's smile disappeared at Maria's question.
"Girls..." he started.
"Where is she!?" Liz asked frantically, seeing the pitiful look that came across Jim's face.
"She was taken to the hospital," Jim said sadly.
"What happened?" Maria asked, barely showing any emotion on her face.
"We were just returning from a date," Jim started. "When we got in, Amy noticed that the door was unlocked and began to worry. I told her to stay behind me while I checked out the house—of course she didn't listen. We made it to the living room before I was knocked out. When I awoke again, Amy was lying on the floor, barely conscious; and she was battered and bruised—god, it was awful," he trailed off, remembering the beaten image of Amy that would forever be implanted in his brain.
"And what happened after that?" Maria urged calmly, barely acknowledging fearful emotions running through her.
"When I woke up again, there was a young girl was standing over us; she looked so evil," he explained.
"Courtney," Maria said to herself.
"Excuse me?" Jim asked. At the wave of Maria's hand, he continued his story. "I don't remember much after that. I vaguely remember Khivar standing over Amy. He slapped her, and when I went to stop him, the girl hit me over the head again. After that, everything just went black. When I awoke again, my head was surrounded with blood and the phone was ringing—that's when I talked to you," he said, looking at Tess. "I tried to revive Amy, but she wouldn't come to; I didn't know what to do."
"So you called the ambulance," Isabel said, barely hiding her anger. "We could have healed her, but now she'll have to heal naturally. Do you realize that she may not even survive? What were you thinking!?"
"Isabel, stop it," Alex said, trying to calm her down. "He did what he thought was best," he said, defending his father.
"Easy for you to say," Isabel said snidely.
"Just let me explain," Jim said, stopping any further arguments. "I didn't call the ambulance—they arrived before I even thought of it."
"How?" Tess asked.
"Khivar," Maria said with a cold laugh. "Of course he called them—that way he knows we can't heal her, therefore almost ensuring that Mom dies," she explained sardonically.
"Bastard," Isabel muttered angrily.
"We've got to get to the hospital," Liz said.
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Maria said as she began to turn around.
"Wait!" Jim said, stopping everyone's movement. "This was in Amy's hand when I woke up the last time and saw her; I didn't read it, because I think it was meant for you guys to read," he said, handing Maria a folded piece of paper. "I've got to go answer some more questions, so I'll meet you guys at the hospital," he said before turning and heading back to the other officers.
Maria unfolded the paper and read the message briefly before folding it back up and stuffing it into her pocket. "Let's get out of here," she said, heading back to her car, her friends following quickly behind her.
A few hours later, Maria found herself sitting dejectedly in a chair as she and her friends waiting for more news on Amy. When they arrived at the hospital, a doctor had come to them and briefly explained that Amy would need surgery in order to stand a chance of surviving. While the doctor had been hopeful, he made it very clear that the surgery didn't guarantee Amy's life. It was for that reason that she and her friends were spread around the waiting room, hoping to hear news on Amy's surgery.
While waiting, Maria and Michael had quickly explained the flashes they received at the Crashdown to their friends. And although shocking and angering, the revelation of the flashes seemed to worry and frighten their friends more than anything else. Looking up, Maria saw Alex throw his hand over Isabel's shoulders and rub them in soothing way; she saw Isabel give him a grateful smile before looking off into space again. Across from Isabel and Alex, Maria saw Liz lay her head on Max's shoulder as another flow of tears assaulted her. Next to Max and Liz, Maria watched as Kyle slowly took Tess's small hand in his own and squeezed it in a gentle, reassuring way.
Unable to watch any longer, Maria turned away. Since she had heard of Amy's sufferings from Jim, she slipped into the mode that always gave her comfort when she was scared; she closed herself off. She didn't need the comforting hugs or the gentle shoulder rubs. She needed to be strong; she had to be strong. Glancing to her right, Maria saw Michael staring at her expectedly.
"If you're waiting for me to break down in tears, you're wasting your time," she said quietly, not bothering to look at him.
Michael, startled that Maria had seen him staring, let out a loud sigh before speaking.
"Of course not," he said. "God forbid you show any weakness in front of anyone," he said, hoping Maria would take his bait. She did.
"Excuse me?" Maria hissed, turning to him angrily. "How dare you say that to me!"
"It's the truth, isn't it?" he asked calmly.
"You don't know what you're talking about," she said, turning away.
"Actually, I think I do, Blondie," Michael said. "You're scared and worried and instead of expressing your feelings, you're closing yourself off because for some weird reason you believe that closing yourself off will somehow lessen the pain," he said, each word hitting Maria harder than the one before.
"And how would you know?" she asked coldly. "What, you know me for a few months and all of sudden you can read my soul? Fat chance, Guerin." Michael involuntarily flinched at Maria's words before continuing to speak.
"So maybe I can't read your soul, but I know you, Blondie. And right now, I bet you think you're being strong, don't you?" he asked. Maria stayed silent and continued to stare at the wall across from her. "I knew it," he muttered.
"Just go away," Maria said.
"No, because you need to hear the truth, and I'm going to be the one to give it to you," he said as he knelt down in front of her.
"And what is your so-called 'truth'?" she asked sardonically.
"The truth is, you're not being strong—you're hiding," he said, watching as her eyes glazed with anger. "If you're looking for someone to commend you on your strength or admire your ability to stay calm, you're not going to get it. Because as far as I'm concerned, you're just being a coward and hiding behind a wall that you built for yourself," he said, not wanting to hurt Maria, but knowing that she needed to hear this.
Maria stared angrily at Michael, not wanting to hear the truth in his words. Angrily, and more forceful than Michael could have expected, she pushed him out of her way and bolted out of the waiting room.
"Maria!" Isabel said, already getting up to follow her.
"I'll go," Michael said. "Just stay here and wait for the doctor," he said before turning and heading out the same door that Maria fled from seconds ago.
Fifteen minutes later, Michael was still searching around the hospital for Maria. He was about to head back to the waiting room when he saw a small figure sitting curled up in a ball through the glass doors of the hospital exit. Without wasting time, Michael hurried out of the hospital and to the figure, knowing instinctively that it was Maria. As he got closer, he heard her muffled sobs and wished he could take away all the pain she was feeling. But he couldn't, so he had to do the next best thing; he had to help her deal with it.
"Hey," he said quietly, coming up next to her. Maria immediately wiped her eyes and stood up to her full height to stare Michael in the eyes.
"What, you didn't finish insulting me in the hospital? Did you come back for round two?" she asked crossly while glaring at him.
"I wasn't trying to insult you—"
"You could've fooled me," Maria interrupted. "Look, Guerin, I'm not in the mood for you now, just leave me alone," she said as she prepared to walk past him.
"Leave you alone so that you can carefully guard your feelings all over again? Not going to happen, Deluca. You're in pain, and I'm not letting you leave until you deal with that pain the right way," he said determinedly while pulling her arm to prevent her from leaving.
"You're not letting me leave?!" Maria asked incredulously, snatching her arm from Michael's grasp. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I'm your friend, Maria," Michael said calmly.
"Some friend," Maria muttered, walking away from Michael and in the opposite direction of the hospital. She took a seat on the empty pavement on the floor and tried to ignore the fact that Michael was watching her every move. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke up again.
"Michael, please, just leave me alone," she pleaded.
Michael's heart skipped at beat at the pain and desperation in her voice. In an instant, he was sitting next to her with his arms around her. Maria immediately tensed up in his arms before finally giving into the embrace.
"It's okay, you know," Michael said soothingly.
"What?" Maria asked, confused.
"It's okay to cry," Michael explained.
"I can't," Maria said, pulling out of his arms. "I'm too emotional, Michael. The minute I let my emotions show, I lose control of the mission. I can't do that—too many lives depend on my ability to stay strong and in control," she explained.
"We're all emotional, Ria," Michael said. "I mean, look at me, besides you, I'm as weird and emotional as they come. I know what it's like to lose control of something because my emotions got the better of me, but I don't let that stop me from expressing myself."
"It's different, Michael," she said with a sigh.
"How so?" he asked, looking into her eyes.
"I'm always the strong one. My sisters expect that from me, I can't be weak. Showing weakness is admitting defeat."
"Maybe you're right," Michael said with a sigh.
"Really?" Maria asked in surprise.
"I know how you feel, Ria. There are times when my brothers or family tend to unconsciously look to me for answers, and there are times when I feel like it's my job to always have the answers," he said.
"Then you understand how hard it is to show and kind of weakness when everyone expects to see you strong and dependable."
"Yeah, maybe I do," Michael said. After a slight pause, he added, "But they're still my family, Ria. And despite my pride and stubbornness, I know that they would never expect me to close myself off just to make them feel better. They'd always be there for me, just like your sisters would for you. You've got to understand that."
"I can't, I just can't. I can't become some sad, depressed teenager when an entire planet is in danger of being destroyed—it just doesn't seem fair to them."
"And what about you? Is it fair for you to have to close yourself off and become hard when you'd rather just cry out your pain?"
"It's not the same," she said quietly. Michael sighed at her statement, realizing that he wasn't getting through to her.
"Fine," Michael grunted out. "Just promise me something, Ria."
"What?"
"Don't close off from me. I never have and never will expect you to have to always be strong around me. I want you to be open and be yourself, always," he said, running his hands though her hair. Maria smiled slightly at him, surprised and touched by his statement.
"I'll try," she said softly.
"Good," he said with a smile before wrapping his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.
"She'll be okay, right?" Maria asked after a few silent minutes.
"I don't know," Michael said sadly, wishing he could agree with Maria, but not wanting to give her false hope. "I may have only known Amy for a few months, but I know she's strong." As an afterthought, he added, "And I doubt she'll let a girl half her age keep her down for long." Maria laughed lightly at his comment before becoming quiet again. After a minute, she spoke up.
"I'm worried," she said, finally voicing her feelings.
"I'm sure Amy will do her best to fight this," he said, trying to placate her worries.
"I'm sure she will too," Maria said. "But I was referring to Khivar," she said. She felt Michael tense at the mention of his name. "He crossed the line today, I don't plan on letting him get away with it."
"Same here," he said in a stoical tone, barely containing his anger towards Khivar. "We shouldn't talk about this now—my brothers and your sisters need to be present for this conversation."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Maria said with an exhausted sigh, her tears, outbursts, and fears finally catching up to her. Before she could suggest going back into the hospital, Isabel, Liz, and Tess came barging out. They stopped suddenly when they saw Maria in Michael's arms.
"Sorry," Tess said quietly.
"No problem," Michael said with a smile. "I'm going to go find my brothers, I'll see you inside, okay?" he said, turning to Maria.
"Okay," Maria said with a smile. "Thanks, for everything," she said.
"Anytime," he replied. "Remember what I said, they're your sisters, they'll always be there for you," he said, squeezing her hand before getting up and walking back into the hospital.
Maria turned to see her sisters staring expectedly at her, all wearing smirks on their face. Refusing to acknowledge the smirks, Maria spoke up.
"Any news on Mom?" she asked.
"She just got out of surgery," Isabel said excitedly, replacing her smirk with a large smile. "The doctor said we could see her for a while."
"Is she okay?" Maria asked anxiously.
"The doctor said that the surgery was a success, but they can't guarantee anything until they've observed her for a few more days," Liz replied. "But it looks good, Ria. If the surgery was a success, then Mom has to be okay," she said enthusiastically.
"Oh, thank God," Maria said with a large sigh as she pulled her sisters into a group hug. "Well, let's go and see her," Maria said excitedly, preparing to enter the hospital.
"Ria, wait," Isabel said, stopping all of them from entering.
"What?"
"You know we're here for you, right?" she asked hesitantly.
"What are you talking about?" Maria asked.
"I heard part of your conversation with Michael in the hospital before you stormed out," Isabel explained. "I just want you to know that Tess, Liz and I don't expect you to be strong all the time."
"I know that Iz," Maria said, not looking up at her sisters.
"Are you sure?" Tess asked. "Because I could tell how much pain you were in Ria, but you didn't let one tear drop fall from your eyes. And this isn't the first time you've closed yourself off when you were scared or worried about something—you do it all the time," she said
"I just..."
"Want to be strong for us," Liz finished off. "Look Ria, we've been together all our lives, and if we can't count on each other in our weakest moments, who can we count on?"
"You're right," Maria said, finally looking up. "I don't know why I thought you guys wouldn't understand," she said.
"Yeah, well that's because you're one stubborn girl," Tess joked. Her sisters laughed at her comment.
"So are we clear?" Isabel asked. "No more hiding from us, regardless of the situation, okay?"
"I'll try," Maria said with a smile, remembering saying the same words to Michael only a few minutes ago.
"Good," Tess said with a smile. "Now come on, I want to hurry up and see Mom. The doctor said she probably won't be able to stay awake for long, and I want to talk to her," she said impatiently as she took Maria's hand and started dragging her back into the hospital, Isabel and Liz following after them.
"What room is she in?" Maria asked as they entered the hospital.
"Room 114, come on, it's just around the corner," Tess said as she continued to drag Maria. "
"Here it is," Liz said as they approached the room door. "Are you ready?" she asked her sisters anxiously.
"Of course we are," Tess said, and without waiting another second, she pushed open the door and walked in, Maria, Liz, and Isabel following after her.
"Oh my god," Isabel gasped out as soon as she saw walked into the room.
Amy lay there, immobile, sleeping quietly. Her leg was held up in a cast. Her face was covered with black and blue bruises and her arms had a purplish color to them. And her eyes, eyes that were once lively, were swollen and surrounded by deep cuts. Through her hospital gown, one could see her bruised and bandaged ribs. She looked so weak and fragile, nothing like the strong, stubborn mother they had all grown up with. It was as if she was broken, whitewashed...defeated.
"I can't believe they did this to her," Tess said quietly, still stuck in her position by the door.
"Courtney should be thankful I didn't get my hands on her," Isabel said darkly. "She would have been begging for death by the time I got through with her."
"It doesn't matter—she's gone," Maria said, unable to take her eyes off her mother. Hesitantly, she walked closer to Amy's bed and stood over her. Tess followed her, a bit more hesitantly, and stood by Maria. Liz and Isabel headed over to the bed and stood on the other side of Amy's bed, opposite Maria and Tess. The four of them stood there watching, waiting, for anything to happen. After a few more minutes, Amy slowly opened her eyes.
"Mom?"
"What happened?" Amy asked groggily, her eyes closing instinctively to the bright hospital lights. Suddenly, the night's events came rushing back to her and her eyes snapped open. "Khivar! He was at the house!" she said worriedly.
"Mom, calm down," Isabel said, seeing her heart beat speed up on the monitor. "Dr. Anderson said that you shouldn't exert yourself."
"He was with a girl," Amy said quickly, ignoring Isabel's warnings. "You girls have to watch out for them."
"Relax," Maria said. "We already found the girl, her name is Courtney, by the way. We took care of her, don't worry about it," she said, wanting Amy to relax.
"And Khivar?"
"Is still out there," she replied with a sigh. "But don't worry, we'll deal with him when the time is right," she added.
"So, you girls are okay?" Amy asked, still not calming down.
"Yes, we're fine; we should be the one asking you that question," Liz said as she took a seat on Amy's bed.
"Me? Oh, don't worry about me. What wimp couldn't handle a little torturing session," Amy joked, trying to ease their worries.
"That's not funny," Maria said silently. "You could have died."
"But I didn't," Amy protested. "And besides, I don't even feel half as bad as I look," she added, gesturing to the bruises all around her.
"You still could have died," Isabel said. After a pause she added softly, "Because of us."
Amy groaned at her statement before replying. "We're not going through this again, girls. I have told you countless times that I would willingly die for each of you. I would do it because I love you girls so much and I don't blame you for any of this. You girls really have to stop feeling guilty every time I happen to get hurt by an alien, especially you Isabel. It's not your fault and I know you girls must be getting tired of hearing this, because I know I'm getting tired of saying it," she ended with a smile.
"You're right," Tess said, smiling with Amy. "God knows we've heard that speech too many times."
"Exactly," Amy said. "So do me a favor and don't make me say it again."
"Deal," they said with smiles.
"All right, so aside from my near death experience, how was your day today?"
"Well..."Maria started with a smile as she began to talk.
Half an hour later, Jim quietly poked his head into Amy's hospital room.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but the doctor said that you have to leave—Amy needs her rest," he said.
"Can't we sleep over?" Isabel asked.
"Not tonight; she just got out of surgery and Dr. Anderson would prefer her to be alone and to relax," Jim replied reluctantly, seeing the sad expressions that came across the girls' faces.
"Hey, don't worry about me," Amy said reassuringly. "Just go home and get some rest—I'll be fine here."
"Are you sure?" Liz asked.
"Yeah, of course I am," she replied. "Just go home and sleep; tomorrow you girls can come here bright and early," she said.
"All right," Maria said unwillingly. "Sleep well, okay," she said before bending over to give Amy a light kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah, and try not to give the nurses too much trouble," Isabel joked, also giving Amy a kiss.
"I'll do my best," Amy replied with a light laugh. "Now get out of here."
"You got it," Tess said and she and Liz gave Amy a kiss. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye," Amy said.
"Bye," Maria said before walking out of the room with her sisters and Jim.
"The guys are still in the waiting room," Jim said once they left the room.
"Are you going to go home?" Maria asked.
"No, I think I'm going to camp outside of her room to make sure she's okay through the night," he said sheepishly.
"You don't have to do that," she said with a grateful smile.
"I want to. After all, this probably wouldn't have happened if I had protected her," he said.
"You tried, Jim," Isabel said with a sympathetic smile. "It's not your fault, and my mom would kill if she knew that you were blaming yourself," she added with a laugh.
"I bet she would," Jim said. "Either way, I'd just feel better if I could keep an eye on her."
"All right," Maria said, grateful that Jim cared so much for her mother. "If anything happens, just call us."
"No problem. Now you go find my sons and head home and rest, you all need it."
"We will," Tess said before she and her sisters headed back to the waiting room. They found Michael, Max, Alex, and Kyle sitting around each other and talking silently. Max was the first to notice their arrival.
"How is she?" he asked hesitantly.
"She's a little weak, and badly beaten, but she'll be okay," Liz replied happily.
"That's great," Alex said, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Yeah, it really is," Tess replied. "We'll be able to talk to the doctor tomorrow to find out more on her condition."
"Good," Max said. "At least this incident is over and everyone's out of danger," he added.
"Yeah, for now" Maria said quietly. Everyone was silent after her statement. After a minute or two Michael spoke up.
"You girls should stay at our apartment tonight," he said. "We have a lot to talk about, and it may take a while," he explained. Without saying a word, the girls nodded their heads, knowing that he was right.
"Let's get out of here," Maria said before walking past everyone and heading out of the hospital, her sisters and friends trailing behind her.
No one said a word on the way over to the apartment, and everyone preferred it that way; they were too lost in their thoughts to carry on some mindless conversation. Almost twenty minutes later, they arrived at the apartment and entered silently. They took their seats all around the living room—some on the couch, some on the floor—and stayed silent, waiting for someone to break the silence.
"Do you girls want anything to drink?" Alex asked feebly. He received nods of no. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "Diane came to cook for us yesterday; we have—"
"He crossed the line," Maria said coldly, interrupting Alex. "It's one thing to leave us on the brink of death, but what he and Courtney did to Amy was going too far."
"And he dragged our dad into it, too," Kyle said darkly. "We can't let him get away with it."
"We won't," Michael said determinedly. "Today, Khivar set the standards for this twisted war when he went after Amy and Jim; we're going to make sure he regrets it."
"Michael's right," Maria agreed. "All we've been doing is waiting for Khivar to attack and hope that we'll be able to win the battle. But that stops now," she said.
"What do you want us to do?" Isabel asked icily, her fear for Amy disappearing and her hatred for Khivar returning.
"I want us to win," Maria said. "And the only way that's going to happen is if we're prepared. No more sitting down and waiting for Khivar to come after us—we're going to go after Khivar."
"We're not powerful enough yet," Alex said. "Especially us" he added, gesturing to himself, Max Kyle, and Michael.
"Then we become powerful," Michael said. "We practice our powers everyday after school. And on weekends, we work from dawn to dusk; not a day goes by that we aren't in that desert strengthening our powers—all of us," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.
"And we shouldn't just practice our powers," Kyle said. "It'd help all of us if we could fight not just with our powers, but with our hands," he said.
"The four of us used to take martial arts classes, we'll help you girls become more skilled in that department," Alex said to the girls.
"And we question everything," Liz added. "We find out why only Michael and Maria can open the cave where the Granolith is hidden. We find out why my sisters and I have a small memory about our past lives, while the four of you don't remember anything."
"And we find out why the only memories Michael has received have only been when he's around Maria and why they receive them at the same time," Max added.
"And when we go after Khivar in a battle, we capture some of his soldiers," Tess chimed in. "We do a little torturing of our own and get as many answers as we can from them."
"And if they don't talk, we get rid of them and move on to the next, until they get the message and start to talk," Isabel supplied.
"And most importantly—we stick together through all of this. We don't have a huge, powerful army like Khivar to fight with. The eight of us, we are the army. So we protect each other, we trust each other, and if need be, we die for each other," she said.
"We're a unit, a team, and from this moment on, we're a family," Michael said, looking into the eyes of everyone in the room, his eyes lingering briefly on Maria's.
"Khivar wants a war—we'll give him one," Maria said.
"And we'll win this time," Isabel said confidently.
"You're damn right we will," Alex said in an uncharacteristically icy tone.
"Khivar will rue the day he decided to mess with the Royal Eight," Tess added.
"That he will," Maria said before pulling out the letter that Jim had given her earlier that night. She reread it before handing it to Alex. Alex read it and wordlessly passed it to Tess who was sitting next to him. Tess did the same before handing the paper to Max. Max then handed it to Isabel, who handed it to Liz. Liz silently handed the paper to Kyle who was sitting across the floor from her. Kyle stood and walked over to Michael, giving him the paper to read. Michael looked at everyone around him before finally looking at the paper and reading the message out loud.
Dear Royals,
Let the games begin.
Khivar
He crumpled the paper and threw it on the coffee table in front of all of them. Liz immediately waved her hand over the paper and turned it to ashes.
"Yes, Khivar," Maria said steely. "Let them."
TBC...
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