Chapter 8

"Momma! Papa! C'mon, let's go!" Kala called. "I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when we get there! C'mon!" I smiled excitedly as I walked hand-in-hand with Brendan, following my excited young daughter. "We're almost there, hurry up!"

"What's this big surprise you've got for us, anyway?" Brendan asked with amusement.

"If you'd hurry you'd know!" Kala called, running up ahead. We rounded a corner and found ourselves at the Chapel, which was richly decorated with colorful flowers.

"Kala, what is this?" I asked.

"I've gotten the whole Evalle and Garsion Clans to help out!" She said. "Now you can get married and we can be a family!" I got down and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you, Kala, this is wonderful." I said. Brendan's face was beaming at the thought, and I felt like mine was, too.

An hour later, standing before the Head of the village, dressed in fine clothing, we recited out vows. I hardly believed this was actually happening when I said, "I do." but I knew it was real the moment I felt the sensation of his lips on mine as Brendan and I were wedded as husband and wife.

Over time, Brendan sold his house, which was soon after demolished and rebuilt as a small school house, which Kala was taught at. I sold the house I lived in with Shane, and Brendan and I used our money to buy a cozy home halfway on each side of the Evalle and Garsion border. One year after settling down there, we celebrated the birth of our new son Calib. Kala was excited at the thought of being an older sister, and Brendan and I were happy this child would never have to go through what Kala did, with Shane's murder permanently on her life's record.

"Liliana, are you awake?" I heard. "Liliana," The voice was choked with panic. "Please, wake up! Lil, please, can you hear me? Lil,"

"Yes, I can hear you, what's going on?" I said. Then I heard a new voice.

"Her fever is getting worse. The chances of her survival all depend on if we can get her to the hospital, and quick. I don't know how she got like this, but I know what needs to be done."

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" I cried. "Hello!"

"Lil, please hang on, please, don't die! I shouldn't have asked you about this, I shouldn't have gone through with it. I'm so sorry, please, just pull through this! Lil, please, please," the voice faded into the distance, and all I could see was darkness clouding my eyes.

"What happened? What's going on? I- I feel like I'm floating, drifting," I whispered the last part out, then felt a surge of pain, and heat mixed with agony shot through my body. "What's happening? Wh- Why do I feel so much pain? Oh, please, someone, please help me! Please!" I heard the second voice again, a frantic shout.

"We're loosing her! Get some ice; we need to bring her fever down! Damn it, she's loosing too much blood! Careful! Not too fast or you'll send her body into shock!" I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't feel anything anymore, much less move.

"Liliana, please, don't, don't die! I'm so, so sorry. Just, please, don't die," came the first voice. It was drowned in sobs, and hard to understand.

"Brendan? I-is that you? What's happening? I can't feel anything," I couldn't help notice they couldn't hear me, but I had to try to talk. "Brendan, whatever is happening, it isn't your fault!"

"Alright, the miscarriage was a success, but her fever is still dangerously high." The second voice sighed.

"Miscarriage..?" I echoed.

"Liliana!" I sat up, and saw Brendan sitting at my side, worry on his face.

"Brendan, what happened? Why couldn't anyone hear me?" I asked, a cold sweat chilling my body. Then I remembered the last words I heard. I looked around the room for the other man who was there, but I only saw Brendan in the silent bedroom.

"Lil, you were having a bad dream. Trust me; I could hear you clear enough." Brendan chuckled. "But, why were you saying miscarriage?"

I looked into his eyes and saw my own realization reflected in them as I recalled what happened. "I was dreaming about the first time we thought we would be parents, it was so real, though, I felt all the pain, the numbness." He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss.

"Forget the dream, that was a long time ago that that happened, and there's no sense worrying about it now." He comforted. "Besides," seriousness flooded his tone. "Your parents are here." I stood up, shock on my face.

"How did they find us? We never told them anything about our marriage, or Calib, or this house!" Brendan just sighed, and walked out to keep Momma and Papa busy while I got dressed. Before going in to see Momma and Papa, I woke up Kala and fed Calib. When I entered the room, it was as if a chill breeze had swept the warmth of the morning away.
Momma and Papa stood up, and Brendan, who was already standing, came over to me.

"Hello, Mother. Father," I said, dipping my head to them. Momma came up to me, looked me up and down then saw Calib wrapped in blankets, snug in my arms.

"I suppose you wish to have shut us out of your life completely, then?" She inquired, hurt in her voice. "You remarried, moved, had a second child, and never even wrote to us once."

"I- I'm sorry, Momma, I didn't-"

"You didn't think we'd care, did you?" Papa finished. "You remarried the one we'd forbidden you to have seen as a child, so you thought we wouldn't care to hear from you anymore."

"No, Papa, I just-" I stopped short, coughing echoing through the room.

"Dear me, the child has a fever." Momma said, putting her hand on Calib's forehead. I sat down in the nearest chair, examining my baby and seeing if I needed to find him a doctor.

"Brendan," I said. "Come here a moment." Brendan came over, and a slight chuckle escaped from him. "Is that what I think it is?" I asked.

"Looks like it," He replied. "Calib's got his tail growing in already."

"And from the looks of it," Papa put in, "he's going to be a nice little eevee Warrior." It was true- it was an eevee tail growing in.

"Momma," Kala said, tugging my shirt. "Why don't I have any Pokemon traits yet?" She looked at me with inquiring innocence, wonder spread on her face.

"Your traits will come soon enough. I didn't get my tail in until I was twelve." I said, kissing her forehead. Momma and Papa sat in the surrounding chairs, and Brendan took Calib into our room for a nap.

"Liliana, you've grown beautifully, honestly and loyally." Papa said. "You've been a good mother to your children. But-" His face grew stern. "You neglect your duties as a wife." His voice changed, and his appearance began to alter. I looked at Momma and saw her begin to look fearful.

"Momma, what's he talking about? What is happening to Papa?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Liliana. I had to." Was all she said. I looked back to see not Papa standing there, but someone else. Someone familiar, though I couldn't recognize him.

"No, You're dead, you're supposed to be dead!" I cried. Brendan came back running into the room.

"Liliana, is everything okay? Oh my G-" A lashing whip of fire knocked him down before he could finish. Kala screamed.

"Momma, Momma, is Papa alright?" She cried.

"Brendan!" I ran over to his side, fanning the smoke that hung in the air away from his face. "Brendan, please say you're okay." I sobbed. I looked back just in time to see the flaming whip of fire that swung from Shane's arm turn to a red-hot fist, clenched angrily as he strode toward Momma.

"And now," He said. "I shall relieve you of the pain you must be feeling. Your husband has been dead for two years now, sacrificing his body to bring me back. You must be straining to keep your sanity."

"Stop it!" I cried. Shane looked around at me, a fierce fire reflecting in his eyes. "Leave Momma alone!"

"Liliana. The espeon Warrior of Stealth. Evalle Clan's adulteress house wife. How long it's been, how long it's been. But, now, no time for the small talk," he turned back to Momma. "It's time for sorrowful goodbyes." Just as he said that, he swung his fist, punching Momma hard in the chest. He held her pinned to the ground, and I watched in painful horror as I saw her body burn from the inside out, until there was nothing left but ashes and bones.