A/N: Almost to the end. And still so much to cover!

Chapter 8: Drastic Choices

Clinic

Trying to get Lauren to calm down was Bo's first job. Her second, was coming up with a plan to get her daughter back from Ronan. She had to wonder how he even got access to Trick's room in the first place. Like the Dal, the Clinic was protected by certain talismans.

They forbade any and all malicious individuals from entering. Ronan must've found a way to disarm them. Or maybe a way around them all together. She had to assume the Dal was no longer safe now. The only place that was impenetrable was the house. Bella's magic was harder to break than a talisman.

But she still worried about her daughter. Ronan knew by taking her, she'd have no choice but to trade her for the dagger. But there was no guarantee that he wouldn't kill Charlie with it as soon as Bo handed it over.

She couldn't risk it, but she also couldn't let him hurt her daughter.

What the hell was she supposed to do?

Ethan had his hands full calming his Mother down, "Mom, you need to take a breath. Ronan's not gonna hurt Charlie as long as we have his dagger. She's safe" he knew that.

"Safe?" Lauren frowned at him. "Ronan is insane! He won't hesitate to hurt Charlie if we don't give him what he wants!" She was hyperventilating. Her daughter had been taken. How many times did this have to happen before they did something?

"What're you saying?" Ethan didn't like the way that sounded. "You think we should hand the dagger over?" Her look gave him her answer. "No. We can't do that. Come on Mom. You've faced enough bad guys to know, that tactic never works. They always try pulling something in the end" he wasn't doing that.

Lauren sighed, rubbing her face. "Not one year goes by, where we're not attacked or threatened. It'd be great, if we could just be like a normal family for a change!"

"Then we wouldn't be us" He said.

That in itself, spoke volumes.

Bo decided to step in. "Lauren, you need to calm down!" She ended up fighting with her Wife for the next few minutes. "I know this's horrible. I know you're worried about her; so am I. But we're not gonna get anywhere by panicking. We have to think" she managed to calm her down.

And it must've worked, because it was enough for her to think of something to help. "What about Parker?" She got a frown from Bo.

"Parker? Who's Parker?" Ethan had never heard that name before. His Parents started talking very quietly and away from him all of a sudden. He hated secrets. "Okay, clearly there's something I'm not supposed to know. Otherwise you wouldn't be whispering. Just tell me"

Bo shook her head, she wasn't ready to fire that gun. But Lauren just kept telling her to spill it. He was going to find out sooner or later. "Parker, is one of Ronan's guys. And also, Bella's new Boyfriend…" she saw his face. "… Yeah, I don't like it either"

He just started laughing, "Oh, I get it. Make a joke at a tense time to try and lighten the mood; funny Mom. Really, you got me!" He kept laughing but his Parents didn't join him. "Or, it's not a joke. And you're serious"

"Dead serious" Lauren replied.

That was when Ethan lost it. "Are you kidding me?! Bella can't have a Boyfriend!" He was worse than when Bo found out. "Nuh uh! This's isn't happening. I forbid it! Where does he live?" He asked them.

That was a very odd question. "Why'd you wanna know where he lives?" Bo asked.

"So I can go there and kill him, why else?" Ethan acted as if it was completely normal. He loved his littlest sister more than his other siblings. He wasn't ashamed to admit it. She was the good one—the best of them.

Lauren placed a hand on his chest, his heart was racing in his rage. But she had to calm him down. "Okay, no one is killing anyone. Except Ronan, if we can manage to get Charlie to a safe distance beforehand. But we still need Parker's help. He might be able to tell us where Charlie is"

"You're right, a smart villain wouldn't go back to their lair once it's been compromised. His Penthouse's still a crime scene; he must've gone somewhere new" Bo would bet good money on it.

"Maybe we should get Trick to a safer location? Ronan might come back" Lauren was worried about Charlie, but Trick was family too and she couldn't just leave him here with no security.

But Trick shook his head, "He won't be coming back. He got what he came for. Charlie's his leverage, he wasn't interested in me. Your worry isn't necessary" he'd been around people like Ronan before. They all operated the same way.

Bo didn't like it; "Trick, we can't risk it. I'm gonna call Dyson, you can rest up with him and Tamsin while we get all this figured out. Okay?" she grabbed her phone and went to make he call. After that, they waited for Dyson to show up, which didn't take long because he was on his way for a visit anyway.

So, with her Grandfather safe and protected; she thought of getting a plan together. "We need to have a family meeting back at the house, so let's go" she walked to the exit.

Ethan and Lauren followed behind. With Ethan having some very gruesome thoughts about what he was going to do to this Parker when he met him.

Dennis Household – Later

They didn't bother calling on their way home, it was pointless. So, they drove home as fast as they could. Running every red light on their route. As they got into the house, Ethan went straight for Bella. He wanted to yell at her, but Shay pulled him away before he could.

"I need to talk to her!" He pointed at his littlest sister.

"Not when you're this angry, you don't…" Shay was normally the one who was going off the rails and now it seemed like she was the sane one in the house. What the hell was going on? "… What's up your ass anyway?"

"Bella's dating an enemy!" He answered her. Was he the only one thinking straight?

She had to laugh. "Why does he have to be branded as an enemy?" She asked him. "Yeah okay, he has a shitty employer. But that doesn't make him evil. From what Bella's told me, he sounds like a good guy" she'd talked it out with her little sister while her Parents had been out.

He raised his eyebrows, letting out a dry chuckle. "A good guy huh? I'll be the judge of that!"

"Is this how you're gonna be with all the people she dates?" Shay asked him, this was ridiculous. "She might be the youngest, but she's sure as hell the wisest of us all. You can't treat her like a baby forever E. If you do, she's gonna hate you for it. Get a grip!" She shoved his chest, then walked away.

Ethan thought about what she said, and she was right. Bella would hate him if he tried to control her life. But he didn't see it as him controlling her, he just saw it as protecting her. But maybe he was being a little bit too full on. He still wanted to meet this new boyfriend though.

As soon as Bo got through the door, she asked Bella to step aside so she could talk to her while Lauren filled the others in. But her youngest looked rather frightened, "What? Why're you looking at me like that?"

"I'm just wondering how much yelling I can expect" Bella figured her punishment wasn't over yet.

Hearing that made Bo hate herself. "I'm not gonna yell at you…" she reassured her. "… And I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier. It was just a shock, you know? And, I just want what's best for you. You know that, right?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I know"

"Good. So, speaking of Parker? I need you to invite him over. The sooner the better!" Bo needed his help.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea—" Bella was cut off by her Mother explaining that Ronan had taken Charlie. And that he wouldn't give her back until he got his dagger. "I can message him, but when he's with Ronan he doesn't answer. Just in case someone sees"

"To save himself, no doubt" Bo muttered it under her breath but Bella heard it loud and clear. She was always thinking the worst.

But it actually wasn't the case this time around. "Actually, he does it to keep me safe. He knows if they find out about us, they'd come for me after they deal with him. Just because he works for an evil man, doesn't mean he's evil too"

Realising her mistake, Bo apologised. "You're right. I shouldn't judge him before meeting him. But, I still really need his help to save Charlie. So please sweetie; call him, message him, you can even Facebook him, I'll take anything at this point!"

"I'll see what I can do" Bella walked away, going to her phone.

Lauren pulled Bo aside, wanting to have a word with her. "What if Ethan's wrong? What if Ronan does hurt Charlie before we get there? Bo, if I lose her again—" she felt herself breaking down away, but Bo hugged her before she could.

"Hey? You're not gonna lose her…" Bo shushed her. She wanted to panic too, but she didn't have the option right now. Not when something needed to be done. "… I'm gonna get her back, I promise. He won't hurt her if he wants his dagger back" she was hoping he wouldn't.

"I know keeping the dagger away from him is important, okay; I get it. But, it's not powered by their deaths anymore…" Lauren referred to her newly revived children. "… So, that means it's useless. Doesn't it? He can't bring Zee back without the power of their sacrifices" she'd give the dagger back if it meant getting her daughter home safe.

Bo understood where she was coming from, but she couldn't do what Lauren was asking. "The dagger might not be able to bring Zee back, but that doesn't stop him from coming after the kids again. Or us, for that matter. Besides, it's the only weapon that can kill him. As long as we have it, the ball's in our court"

"And what about our daughter?!" Lauren hated arguing, but she was too worried about her little girl to care. "What happens if she gets hurt because we were too slow making a decision? I just, want her back" she cried again.

All Bo could do was comfort her, she didn't know what else to do. "So do I, but babe…" she spoke to her in her ear. "… I need you to trust me with this. You know I love her more than anything in the world, and I'm sure as hell; not gonna let her be taken from us. Just, trust me. Can you do that?"

Pulling back, Lauren gave her a kiss. "I've trusted you since the second I met you. I'm just worried about her"

"We all are" Bo replied.

Bella had messaged her Boyfriend and asked him if he could come by the house. It took him a while to respond but he finally did. And told her he'd be there as soon as he could. Hopefully, in the next half an hour. So, that meant they had to wait. Which wasn't something they were very good at.

Shay handed her Mother the dagger, not knowing what to do with it. She, Ethan, Bo and Lauren all spoke about it together. Being that they were the more grown up individuals of the family, they thought they could come up with a plan together. "We can't hand that thing over to him" she said.

"If we want Charlie back, we have to" Ethan replied.

"Even if he gets it, there's no guarantee he'll hand Charlie over to us. If anything, he'll use her for as much leverage as he can. And once he finds out the dagger isn't charged with your deaths anymore, he's gonna go ballistic" Bo feared that outcome.

Shay agreed with her Mother on that. "So, scenario one; we give him the dagger, and he gives us Charlie, but comes to kill us anyway once he finds out it's a dud. Or scenario two; we don't give him the dagger, he kills Charlie, and we kill him with the dagger. Either way, we end up losing" she didn't fancy dying again.

"What if we could trick him?"

The four of them turned around to see Bella standing there. "Trick him?" Lauren frowned. "How do we do that?"

After thinking about their predicament for a while, Bella found a solution. "I've been thinking about it, and I think I might be able to glamour a different weapon to look like the dagger. We could give that to him in exchange for Charlie, then kill him with the real one"

Ethan was impressed, he was still mad but felt differently after what Shay said to him. "That's actually pretty good. How'd you come up with that?"

"I was reading through some spell books and found the glamour incantation. The rest was pretty straightforward. But, it's up to you guys if you wanna go ahead with it" Bella was only giving her opinion.

"Sounds good to me" Shay was all for it.

Bo looked at Lauren, who nodded. They had to admit, through this entire nightmare Bella had come through in more ways than one. And they'd treated her so badly today, that stopped now. "Yeah, it's a good plan. I think we might be able to pull it off. Well done" she winked at her.

Any kind of praise always made Bella feel good. She felt like she mattered more. "I'll get the spell ready, and I'll find a weapon. Can I go through your weapons chest?" She looked at her Mother.

"Go nuts baby girl..." Bo watched her run upstairs. "… So, we've got a plan. Now we just need to know where Charlie's being held—" they all heard a knock at the door, and Ethan's eyes turned serious. It was Bella's new friend. "Ethan? Back up, now!" She couldn't have him killing Parker before they got the information. "Shay? Get the door please"

Shay laughed at her Brother's face. "Dude, chill!" She walked away to the front door, opening it and seeing a rather strapping young lad. Blonde hair, green eyes, and the nicest smile she'd ever seen. Her sister did good. "You must be Parker. Please, come on in" she ushered him inside with a smile.

Parker immediately saw the feared Dennis family standing before him. With the oldest Hybrid giving him evil eyes. He was afraid of this. "Hi, I'm Parker. It's nice to meet you all" he smiled politely.

"Wish we could say the same…" Ethan said. "… I know you and my sister have a thing going on right now. But don't go getting any big ideas. She's not the Bella to your Edward!" That was a subtle movie reference. He was never a discriminator, but he hated Vampires. They were sneaky, cunning, selfish little shits.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?" Parker had never heard that expression in his life.

Lauren pushed Ethan aside, telling him to grow up. "Pay no attention to him. Hi, I'm Lauren…" he shook her hand like a proper gentleman. "… I wish we knew more about you, but Bella's a pretty private person" she didn't want to bring up that argument again.

He nodded, "I know. Though, we've both been keeping secrets since we met. But, only to protect each other. I imagine you all dislike me for working with Ronan?"

Shay placed an arm around his shoulders, she was cool with her little sister dating someone but that didn't mean she wasn't going to give her own stamp of approval. "Hating someone because his employer's an ass, would be hypocritical of us. It's up to you how we see you so, don't muck it up!"

"Shay? Leave him alone!" Bo told her to move away from him. "I would love for this to be a social gathering but I'm afraid current circumstances have forced our hand. You work for Ronan, and he has my daughter; Charlie. Do you know where he's keeping her?" She had no time for getting to know him.

Parker heard from Bella that this was what the meeting was about. "Yes, he's holding her at a Penthouse on Tary Street, Downtown" he saw Bo and Lauren look at each other.

"That little bastard!" Bo couldn't believe he'd be stupid enough to go there. "That's where his Mother and Father used to live before he was born. I had that place condemned. Why would he go there?"

"Maybe because he's a messed-up douche bag with Mommy issues?" Shay said.

Parker shook his head, "Actually, none of the above. If I may explain?" They listened carefully. "Some years ago, you killed his Father in that very spot. The death of a God, marks a certain location with a lot of energy. He wants to harness that power, so that when you come to rescue Charlie; you won't be able to stop him" it was a clever plan.

Lauren sighed, it was just one thing after another. "I don't remember Zee and Hera being this smart. Where does he get it from?" This was ridiculous.

"I got the stuff we need for the glamour—" Bella walked downstairs with Patrick behind her, he'd apologised for his behaviour earlier. So they were cool. But now she'd walked in on her Family around her boyfriend. "Why didn't anyone call me?" She should've been the one to answer the door.

"Sorry, we weren't aware we needed your permission to answer the door-" Ethan said it, but Shay slapped his arm as he finished. He didn't care for that.

Bella gave the weapon to Patrick, then approached her Boyfriend. "Are you okay?" She was surprised they hadn't killed him yet. He told her he was. "How did you get away from Ronan?"

"He'd sent me on an errand, so it actually timed out perfectly" he gave her a smile.

Ethan was having a hard time stomaching all this. "Okay, I've gotta ask; what's your deal?" He asked him. "If you're such a great guy, then why're you helping Ronan destroy us? Us, being; your Girlfriend's family" he hated using that word.

Bella shot Parker a look, "It's okay, you can tell them" they needed to know why he was working for the very man trying to kill them all.

Parker decided it was time. "I'm not working for Ronan, because I'm some kind of mercenary looking for a well-paid gig. Something you probably don't know about Ronan, is that he's broke. My Parents were hunted down and killed when I was young, they left me and my little brother everything"

"How much is 'everything'?" Patrick had to ask.

"Millions of dollars, earned over centuries of hard honest work. I come from a Light Fae Clan. One of the noble families, in fact. I met Ronan at a bar one night. He said his Mother knew my Parents and that they owed her a favour. He'd come to collect from me" Parker explained further.

Bo didn't think much of this boy if he was willing to give in to someone so easy. "And you just gave him whatever he wanted?"

Parker shook his head, "No, I made the mistake of telling him to shove it. So he decided to take the blackmailer's route. He has my little brother…" they became much more sympathetic. "… His name's Donnie; he's ten"

Lauren could feel his pain and fear. And she felt bad for all the negative thoughts she'd placed on him. He wasn't a bad guy at all. He was just a pawn. "So, that's why you've been helping Ronan? And thanks to you, he has an endless supply of funds to bank roll his vile deeds"

"I'm ashamed, and I'm appalled. But, what else am I supposed to do?" Parker didn't have a good answer. "I'm just a Vampire. He's the son of a God, I had no choice but to give into his demands. It's the only thing keeping my brother alive"

Bo approached him. Seeing him in a new light. "You're right. He is the son of Zeus…" she wasn't disputing that. "… But I've killed two Gods already, three if you count Zee. Ronan does. I give you my word, we'll get your little brother back" she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I appreciate that…" Parker was grateful. "… And I know none of you have any reason to trust me, but I just want you to know; I care about Bella. It's not fake, or a ploy. It's real" he needed them to know that.

And as they watched Bella slide her hand into Parker's, Bo and Lauren knew he was telling the truth. "We know. Don't worry, it's all gonna be okay. Especially since, we've got a plan now" Bo gave Bella a look.

Who snapped out of her daze. "Right! Yeah, the plan!" She reached into her pocket and got the page she ripped out from one of the spell books her Grandfather gave her. "If I do the spell just right, I'll be able to morph one of your normal knives into an exact replica of the dagger"

"So, what're we waiting for? Let's get it done!" Lauren clapped her hands, wanting things to move forward quickly. Her daughter still needed to be saved.

"You help your family, I've gotta get back before he wonders where I've gone" Parker let go of Bella's hand, then went to leave.

But Bella didn't want to let him go just yet. "Okay. Be careful" she decided against kissing him like she wanted, so she just gave him a smile as a goodbye.

Shay nudged Ethan's arm, "See, you had nothing to worry about. He seems like an okay guy, besides; he's been through a lot" she didn't normally do sympathy, but after hearing Parker's story she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He had it rough.

Though, Ethan wasn't sold yet. "Exactly. And someone who's been through all that, can become very desperate in situations like this. So instead of welcoming him with open arms, maybe you should ask yourself; just how far is he willing to go to get his little brother back?" He couldn't help but be paranoid.

This was his Family that was on the line. If it ever came down to them and anyone else, even someone his little sister was falling for; it wasn't a choice. He'd choose them every time.

Even though, that little reply made Shay think twice. And she would certainly be cautious when dealing with Parker, she still felt like her brother was being a little overbearing. "Do you hear yourself?" She asked him. "You're losing it man!"

"What'd you want me to say Shay?" He was done explaining himself, his actions were justified. "Someone's gotta be the big brother around here. It's my job to protect Bella!" He yelled in a whisper.

"Correction, it's our job!" Shay liked helping as much as he did, and as the oldest siblings and by far the strongest; it was up to both of them to keep their siblings safe. "But I promise you, big brother…" she got in his face, "… If you do anything, to ruin Bella's happiness; you're gonna have me to deal with" that was a threat.

And if there's one thing Shay was a master at, it was following through on her threats.

She didn't care how that sounded either. Bella very rarely had moments of happiness. She was the youngest so she always felt like an outcast, Shay wasn't going to let her be hurt.

Lauren turned her head when she sensed something, since becoming more than human; she'd been able to sense certain emotions. Much like how Bo could see auras. And she was sensing a lot of anger, coming from Shay and Ethan who were caught in a stand off of some kind.

What now?

"Everything okay here?" She approached them both.

Ethan nodded, but never left his sister's eye line. "Oh yeah, everything's awesome. We're just having a little discussion about how to handle certain, things. But we're good, right Shay?" He wasn't scared of anyone.

Least of all his little sister.

Shay knew better than to start a fight right now, it wasn't needed. All she could do was see how things played out. "Right…" she gave him a nod. "… I just hope we're clear on what we talked about. Are we?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Lauren knew something else was going on, but they weren't throwing punches so she wasn't going to say something that might set them off.

"Crystal clear…" he heard her, loud and clear. "… I'm gonna head to the Dal and get a drink. You know, have some me time. Call me when Mom's ready to go" she broke his sister's gaze, turning around and leaving without talking to anyone else.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about?" Lauren decided to ask her daughter what she just witnessed.

Shay took a breath, she didn't normally challenge Ethan. But she couldn't let him ruin any chance of Bella being happy. However, this was always one of Ethan's flaws. Due to his need to be the protector of the family, he lived in his own little world where everything he did seemed like the right thing.

So, event though to everyone else; the way he was treating Parker and also Bella was considered cruel. To him, he didn't he'd done anything wrong. And Shay knew he wasn't going to stop until he pushed it too far. Normally, he could snap out before then.

But Shay had a feeling this time would be different. "That, was round one…" it was only the beginning. "… Just let him walk it off. Don't worry, I'm all over it" she gave her Mother a wink.

"That doesn't make me feel any better Shay…" Lauren could sense her daughter's anxiety. And it was just rubbing off on herself. "… It's not your job to deal with him, it's mine and your Mom's. Bo?" She turned to her Wife.

"What's up?" Bo approached them, feeling like something was off.

Lauren took a breath, "Ethan's acting strange. I think it has something to do with Parker and Bella. I need you to talk to him before he does something stupid. I won't have us turning on each other at a time like this. He's gone to the Dal" she wanted it fixed.

And Bo was happy to step in, she knew how Ethan could get. "I'm on it. Don't worry, okay?" She kissed her cheek. "Shay? Help your Mom while I'm gone, and make sure Bella casts that spell" she gave them a smile, then ran out the door.

The Dal – Later

This had to be the worst idea Ethan had ever had. But he felt it was necessary. He was all for his siblings being happy. But right now, he wasn't thinking straight. And since she was born, he had a connection with Bella. It was like they were linked or something.

He asked his Grandfather if it was normal, and Trick said it's common in Succubi and Incubi.

Sometimes two individuals from that species would have a deep connection. It was a loyalty bond between two family members. And it didn't help that Ethan's default setting was to be overwhelmingly loyal to all his family, but when it came to Bella he went above and beyond.

Which was why the fact that she had a Boyfriend, didn't sit well with him. He had a hard time trusting anyone who came near her, especially someone who had romantic intentions. That, and he still had a bad vibe from Parker. It was convenient that he told that sob story when they confronted him.

It was the oldest trick in the book.

So, Ethan was going to take matters into his own hands. Before he left the house, he swiped Bella's phone from the kitchen counter. On his way to the Dal, he sent a text to Parker from her phone, telling him to meet her there as it was an emergency. Time would tell if he showed up or not.

He waited for a few minutes, and sure enough; Parker ran through the door. Worried something had happened. "Bella!" He looked around for her. "I'm here!"

"Yes…" Ethan stepped out from the back room, "… You are. But sadly, Bella won't be joining us. Hope you can forgive my deception. I didn't know how else to get you here" he placed his sister's phone on the bar.

Parker didn't understand. "You stole her phone?" This was weird. "So, there's no emergency? Bella's fine?"

Ethan nodded, "For now, yeah. But, if she keeps hanging out with you; I have a feeling that'll change. You may've convinced my Parents that you're a victim of Ronan's madness, and my siblings too…" he jumped over the bar, landing right in front of him. "… But, I don't buy it"

"I told you, what I feel for Bella is real…" Parker hadn't said it to her yet, but he figured Ethan would want to hear it. "… I love her"

Those words didn't fall on Ethan's ears kindly, "Love? What the hell do you know about love? You're just kids!" He grabbed him by his shirt. "Whether it's real or not, your love is gonna get my sister killed. And I swore the day she was born, that I'd always protect her"

Parker didn't like the look in his eyes. "What're you gonna do?"

"Yeah, Ethan…" Bo walked in, shocked by what she saw. Her noble son, about do something that would break this family. She wasn't going to let that happen. "… What're you gonna do?"

Ethan closed his eyes, sighing. "What I have to do, to keep our family safe"

Bo stepped forward, but Ethan kept lifting Parker higher. She couldn't just try and stop him, he wouldn't go for that. She was going to have to talk him out of this.

As if she didn't have enough to do already.

A/N: Oohh! Is Ethan in the right? Will Bo be able to talk him down? Find out next time! Leave me your thoughts.