Chosen Chapter 14: Past and Present Danger

Part 8

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On a hill outside of San Francisco, overlooking the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, stood a large and luxurious mansion. Swirling spirals of blue energy appeared in front of it, materializing into Ramsey Tate, who was nervously clutching a metallic briefcase. The young scientist walked over to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door was opened by an animated statue of an angel, which signed him to come in. Ramsey followed it down the hall and entered an office. Ambrose was standing by the window, looking outside.

"Ah, you have returned." Ambrose said as he turned to face Ramsey. "Welcome back, my son."

"Uh, thanks… father." Ramsey replied awkwardly.

"Don't be nervous, Ramsey." Ambrose said to comfort him. "I know we haven't spent much time together since I revealed I was your father, but all of that is going to change now. You've made me very proud. I assume the virus is in there?"

"Yeah, speaking of which." Ramsey said. "I kind-of need to talk to you about that. You said it was for a good cause, right?"

"And now you're having doubts?" Ambrose asked.

"I'm not sure how much good a virus can do." Ramsey replied. "Especially one that is deadly to all magical beings."

"It's not deadly to us, right?" Ambrose asked.

"Right." Ramsey said. "I did as you asked and made sure that the virus will not target anyone with wizard DNA. But working on something like this, it felt wrong."

"You're worried about what I'm going to do with the virus?" Ambrose asked.

"A little. I want to trust you." Ramsey said.

"Well, I am your father after all." Ambrose said. "I trusted you. I paid for your education and gave you this opportunity. Why would you doubt me?"

"I don't doubt you. It's just…" Ramsey said hesitantly. "When I started this, it was theoretical. It was a fun experiment. But now the virus is real and…. We're not going to actually release it, right? I don't really want to be responsible for a genocide or whatever."

"Don't worry, son." Ambrose replied as he placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "It's like I explained long ago. We want to reclaim this world for our kind. If other magical beings know we have this virus, they won't risk opposing us."

"So it's a bluff?" Ramsey asked.

"If you want to think of it like that." Ambrose replied. "Come, you must be tired after the day you've had. I've set up a bedroom for you."

"And the virus?" Ramsey asked as he held up the suitcase.

"I had a lab built in the basement." Ambrose replied. "It's yours. And it has a fridge filled with those disgusting energy drinks you like. Come, I'll show you."

Ramsey nodded and walked ahead to the laboratory. He felt assured knowing that the virus would not be used. His father only wanted what was best for their kind and their family. Ramsey was glad to finally be reunited with his family after spending so much time undercover. He wanted to be a part of this, to finally have a place to belong to.

Ambrose followed him with content smile. He finally had the virus he needed to dominate this world. As brilliant as his son was in the lab, he was still childishly naïve when it came to the real world. It was true that the virus was a last resort, but Ambrose would not hesitate to use it if needed.

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After the others had gone to bed, Billie stayed downstairs to watch some TV and clean up. It had been a long day and she was tired, so she decided to go to bed as well. Just as she turned off the lights and wanted to head upstairs, there was a knock on the door. She peeked through the window before opening the door. When she did, Nick was standing in front of her.

"Hey." Nick said.

"Hey." Billie replied. "Violet told me everything, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Nick said a shrug. "Truth is, I never really knew them to begin with. Nathan is the only family I ever truly had."

"Still, they were your parents." Billie said. "It's okay to feel something."

"I know." Nick said. "That's why I'm here. Going back to the past opened my eyes. Life is short, and I don't want to waste my time any more. I spent a lot of time denying how I really feel."

"What do you mean?" Billie asked.

"I mean… I broke up with Darcy tonight." Nick said. "She is not what I really want."

"What is?" Billie asked.

"You are." Nick admitted. "I really like you, and I want more than just what we've been doing. I want to go on a date, for real."

For a moment, Billie was speechless. She had not expected Nick to be this honest about his feelings. He broke up with Darcy for her, which meant that he was finally serious. However, he had just been through something extremely emotional, so maybe he was not thinking straight.

"Look, you've just been through something really upsetting…" Billie started to say.

"Don't." Nick interrupted her. "This isn't me acting out or grieving or anything. What I'm saying is real, so I want a real answer. Do you feel the same, or was this just about hooking up?"

Billie hesitated. The truth was that she did having feelings for Nick. At first, she tried to convince herself that it was just physical attraction, but it slowly turned into more. She just didn't want to admit it, as she believed that Nick wasn't relationship material. She underestimated him. Since he had been honest about his feelings, she owed him the same. And she owed to herself to explore if this could really work.

"I feel the same." Billie admitted. "I'm not sure where this is going, but I'm willing to give it a chance. So yeah, I will go on a date with you."

"Okay." Nick said with a smile. "I'll call you then."

Billie smiled as Nick walked away contently. This could either end in disaster or in something great. She estimated the odds were about fifty-fifty, but she was ready to find out. With everything going on around them, at least there was one thing to look forward to.

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In his bedroom, Duncan was lying on his bed in the dark, staring at a picture of him and Nathan on his phone. He wanted to call him, though Violet had said that he wanted some time alone. Duncan wanted to support him, but he didn't know how. He didn't want to pressure him into talking, but he didn't want him to think that he needed to deal with this alone either. After much tossing and turning, he finally called and waited.

"Hey." Nathan said as he answered. He sounded upset.

"Hi." Duncan replied hesitantly. "I wasn't sure if I should call."

"No, I'm glad you did." Nathan said. "I can't sleep anyway. Nick and I talked a lot, but he had to take care of something, so he went out for a bit."

"Okay." Duncan said. "At the risk of asking a really stupid question, how are you feeling?"

"I don't know." Nathan replied. "She died because some demons thought we were something we were not. Seeing her lying there on the floor like that…"

"Do you want me to come over?" Duncan asked.

"I'm alright." Nathan replied, though by the sound of his voice, it was obvious he was just trying to put on a brave face. "You must be tired as well, you should get some sleep."

"Same goes for you." Duncan said. "How about I just astral project over there until you fall asleep? Or at least until your brother comes back? Just to keep you company?"

"That'd be okay." Nathan admitted after a slight pause.

"I'll be right there." Duncan said.

Duncan hung up the phone and put it away. It was ironic how Nathan was always complaining about his brother being stubborn and not opening up, while did the exact same thing at times. As different as they were, sometimes they really were twins. He closed his eyes and astral projected to his boyfriend, just to keep him company.

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Violet smiled as she listened at the top of the stairs to the conversation between Billie and Nick. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, she just wanted to get some water and happen to overhear. She was glad that they both finally admitted what they wanted. They would make a cute couple, if they didn't kill each other first. When Billie closed the front door, Violet quickly went back into her own room.

"Don't think I didn't notice you." Billie said as she playfully knocked on her door. "Good night."

"Sweet dreams of Nick." Violet remarked.

"Very funny." Billie replied as she headed to her own bedroom.

Violet got ready for bed and put away her favorite necklace, which she had gotten from her mom years earlier. She opened a drawer of her dresser and noticed an old wooden box where she kept photos of her childhood. Feeling nostalgic after everything, she opened it and started going through them. She looked a picture of her parents holding her as a baby and suddenly noticed it was in front of the church where Gideon had handed her to them. As she looked at the bell tower, she was suddenly sucked into a premonition.

Two teenagers entered the church on a rainy night. One was a pale girl with long red hair, the other a boy with black hair. The girl was holding a blanket with something wrapped in it and was crying. A nun walked up to them. The girl handed out the blanket.

"Please, you have to take her." The girl said. "Give her a good home."

"My child, are you sure?" the nun asked concerned.

"We can't offer her anything." The boy said. "No food or clothes. Not even a home. She deserves more."

"We love her." The girl said. "We want what is best for her."

"If this is what you truly wish, the lord shall find your daughter a good home." The nun said. "She shall be safe and loved."

The girl handed the baby wrapped in a blanket over to the nun and cried in the boy's arms as he nun took her away. The baby started to cry, causing the girl to cry even harder. The boy guided her away while comforting her.

Violet was crying when the premonition ended, realizing she had just seen her own parents give her up. She was happy to have seen their faces and to know that they truly loved her. Giving her up was a sacrifice they made to ensure Violet would grow up safe. She could only be grateful for that. Perhaps one day, they would meet again, so they would know their sacrifice had been worth it.

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The End