A/N: Hello Hello! I know that I haven;'t uploaded. Everything is so crazy. This is not a whole chapter. I am only puttingup the first scene to solve that little cliffy, give you a new one and make sure you know I will be updating more. I as considering putting this story on hold because a lot is going on but I jrecently got a review from excitedddd and it inspired me. Thanks! I dedicate this to you and the long continuation that will definitely come!

Chapter 7

Chloe stirred her mocha for what must have been the 20th time. The whipped cream had long ago melted and turned into foamy white swirls atop what remained of the barely warm drink. Chloe stared into the mug as if it held the answers to everything. Caffeine always helped her in uncomfortable situations and given she was in one of the most uncomfortable situations in her life, the green porcelain mug was almost empty.

A tight squeeze of her hand made Chloe look up quickly. As her gaze lifted, she accidentally locked eyes with the elderly woman across from her. As soon as their eyes met, they both looked away. Chloe looked down at her hand that was still being gripped tightly. Alek's hand was intertwined in her own as it had been since they arrived at the coffee shop. She squeezed back. Alek looked down at her, his nervousness evident in his eyes. Chloe gave him a reassuring smile and they turned back to the woman. Well, Alek looked at the wall above her head because he still refused to look at her. Her face held to many painful memories.

The elderly woman sitting across the table from the two Mai teenagers was the same woman that took a 3 year old Russian orphan into her home in London. The same woman who kicked him out 11 years later when he started developing cat claws and eyes. The same woman who showed up at his high school in San Francisco, completely unannounced.

Alek looked at the woman that he called his mother for the majority of his life. A million questions swirled around his mind and he was slowly developing the nerve to ask them. Chloe gave him another reassuring squeeze and smile.

Lindy Greybeck, Alek's adoptive mother, watched the young couple. Before either of their eyes could turn to her, she turned to look at the wall to her right, afraid that she was intruding in a private moment.

Alek opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, realizing he had no idea how to get her attention. He had only ever known to call her as 'Mummy' or 'Mum' but those terms of endearment didn't seem fitting anymore. The only other thing he could think of to call her was 'Mrs. Greybeck' but that definitely seemed too formal and she would consider just 'Lindy' disrespectful.

Chloe noticed Alek's slightly open mouth and conflicted eyes and immediately understood what he was thinking.

"Mrs. Greybeck," Chloe said for Alek. The gray-haired woman turned to the two young blondes.

"Yes, darling?" she said, looking straight at Chloe.

"What are you doing here?"

Mrs. Greybeck eyes snapped to Alek, surprised that the question came from him.

"What are you doing here?" Alek repeated when she didn't answer. "Why did you come to my school? Why did you insist we go somewhere to talk to you?"

The British woman looked startled by the harshness in his voice. First, startled, then hurt, then sad and guilty. "Alek, sweetheart…"

"Don't call me sweetheart!" Alek interrupted her, slamming his hand down on the table. Chloe and Mrs. Greybeck, as well as several other patrons in the café, looked at Alek in shock of his outburst. He took several breaths to calm himself down as Chloe stroked his hand and wrist gently. When he started speaking again it was in a quieter but equally hostile voice. "I did everything you asked. I got out of your house, I even left the goddamn country and I never contacted you again. I never called, I never e-mailed, I never tried to find out what was happening in your lives. You told me you wanted to have nothing to do with me! So now what makes you think you have the right to waltz back into my life like you never bloody said or did anything to me!" Alek slumped back in his chair as if all of the air left him as he concluded his rant. Chloe watched helplessly, alternating between rubbing his arm and shoulders and squeezing his hand, as the blood rushed to his face and tears pooled in his eyes.

Tears poured down Mrs. Greybeck's face. She tried to lean forward and take Alek's free hand but he jerked it away and wrapped it around his and Chloe's intertwined hands instead.

"I never wanted to do any of that, Alek. Believe me! You were my son and I loved you more than life itself. I was trying to protect you!" she insisted.

"Protect me? That's bullshit!"

"Alek…"

"No! There was nothing to protect me from! I was just as scared as you were of whatever I was turning into but you obviously didn't care enough about me to try and help me figure it the hell out!" Alek jumped out of his chair to leave. Chloe gripped his hand tightly, trying to stop him. He shot her a pleading look. Chloe sighed and grabbed her bag to leave with him.

"Alek, wait! Please!" Mrs. Greybeck called.

Alek ignored her and picked up his backpaack to leave. Just as he turned to storm out with Chloe, Mrs. Greybeck called ou tone final time. Alek froze as her words sank in and promptly sank back into his chair as all feeling left his legs.

"Alek, your father was a part of the Order!"

Once again I apologize big time. MORE WILL COME!