

### Written by R.A Cullison

### Pack- The Awakening

### By R.A Cullison

### Copyright © R.A Cullison 2013

### Smashwords Edition

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### For Grandma Helen....... I Love you!

It has been awhile since Corbin died. I thought about him once in awhile since then. He even haunts my dreams now and then. It was hard to let go and move on but I managed.

### I am thankful for Matt and the rest of the pack for helping me cope, but deep down inside I had an odd feeling that Corbin wasn't gone.

### It started last week when I was walking a back from the library. I was low on gas so I didn't take my car and the doctor said that walking was good for the baby. I was walking down the street by myself holding a stack of parenting magazines I got free from the library. I wasn't scared because I have walked this street 1000 times. Then from out of no where I heard my name being called, it startled me. When I looked in the direction of the voice there was nothing there. At first, I thought maybe I was going crazy, you know they say the first thing of going crazy is hearing voices.

### I shook it off as my mind playing tricks on me, pregnancy hormones and then I heard it again. This time it sounded a lot like Corbin's voice. I knew that was impossible because he was gone. But still I knew his voice and it was his. I scanned the poorly lit city street for anything unusual, but nothing was there not even a car.

I listened but the only thing I heard was a dog barking in the distance and crickets. 'Wow, I really must be losing it ' I told myself. Then I heard footsteps coming up from behind me. I Thought for sure I was going to I was going to have to fight. I remembered the stun gun that Matt gave me. I reached in my bag and grabbed it. 'Ok punk mess with me and get your ass fried!' I thought.

### I started walking alittle faster, and then I heard a voice. "Nora are you out to get kidnapped or something?" I turned and looked to my relief it was Matt.

### I took in a deep breath. "Matt! Are you following me?" I waited for him to catch up to me.

### "Umm Yeah! I'm your husband remember? I was suppose to meet you at 10 at Jones Diner remember? Not to mention your carrying my baby." I rolled my eyes.

### "Yeah, I forgot. what time is it now?" I went to look at my cell phone.

### "It's around 11:30." he answered before I could even flip the phone open. "After waiting an hour I decided to come looking for you. You know you shouldn't be out this late alone." he said with concern.

### "Yes, hon I know." I wrapped my arm around his. "Now you can walk me home. You can protect me and your baby from the big bad wolves." I teased. We walked down the quiet street together. I heard that voice again, this time I pretended not to hear it until Matt's jerked around. I knew he heard it confirming I wasn't going crazy.

### "Matt, what's wrong?" I asked.

### Matt just looked at me and gave me a weak smile. "I thought I heard something." he had a weird look on his face. I could see his muscles flexing and his jaw becoming tight. I smiled at him and before I could say anything.

### At the other end of the sidewalk a dark figure was standing, looking at us. The street light was behind him making his face very dark. It began to slowly stalked towards us. It moved with such grace it was creepy looking. In a deep male voice he spoke. "I smell something ..mmmmm... savory." I took in a rigid breath. I was gripping Matt's arm so tight it was turning purple.

### There was something terrifying about his voice and movements that made my hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I looked at Matt, he didn't look scared. I was terrified to the point of fainting or running.

### From behind us another person spoke. "Aww, the humans are scared?" he laughed. I turned slowly around to looked to see who it was. I tried to stay calm for the sake of the baby. At first he was standing in the shadows. He walked under the street light causing his ghostly white skin give off a faint glow against his all black clothes and his dark hair. What got me was his glowing red eyes. "Marcus, maybe we shouldn't waste this very beautiful human woman. I might wanna play with her." he smiled at me his white fangs glisten in the streetlight.

### The figure in front of us growled making my head snap around. "Shut up Troy! We need them! We have to feed!" The first dark figure was now in view. He looked almost angelic with short spiky blonde hair and like the other one he had pale skin. He was wearing tattered jeans and a red shirt. Matt gave me a look like he was ready to fight and I was going to have to run.

### Then from out of nowhere a female voice interrupted their attack. "Marcus...Troy stop!" I looked around to see the female that was speaking, but nothing. "No hunting humans you know this!"

### They growled in disappointment. "You got lucky humans." the blonde glared at us both and disappeared into the night the other one was soon behind him.

### I looked at Matt stunned, "Did that just happen?" I said with a shaky voice. I looked at Matt who was more worried than scared.

### He looked down at me. "Nora, we got to get to you home and fast." He grabbed my arm and started dragging me down the sidewalk.

### "Matt, you're hurting me!" I yelled. I heard a growing and some rustle of some leaves.

### "Let go of her!" It was Corbin's voice and this time it was close. Matt let go of my arm and looked at each other.

### "Corbin?" I choked out. "Is that you?" I was hoping to hear no but that wasn't what I heard.

### "Nora." a sigh, "Yes its me. I been following your for along time." I looked towards the sound of his voice.

### "Show yourself!" I ordered. I watched a figure appeared from behind a bush and walked towards me. My mouth dropped, it was Corbin but he looked strange. "Corbin? Your alive!" I gasped.

### "Yes, I am alive." He looked at me and smiled. "I see you are happy and that you two are together." His eyes dropped to my belly and his face began to look depressed. "your pregnant too, I see."

### "Corbin, how?" Matt asked. I turned around and looked up at him in shock.

### "I'm not sure if I can explain it." he took a few steps closer.

### "Try?" I demanded. I waited for him to continue. This is the man who I thought died in my arms and I cried over many nights. I didn't know what I was feeling, well I guess I felt alittle betrayed.

### "I didn't die, I....well ah it's hard to explain exactly what happened." He looked down at the ground looking guilty.

### "So are you still a...?" I stopped because I caught Matt's expression, he looked uneasy. "Matt!" his head mechanically turned to look at me.

### "Yeah?" he answered me with his eyes still fixed on Corbin.

### "You ok? You look funny." I asked looking in his eyes.

### "NO! Corbin is alive and standing in front of us! Doesn't that seem weird to you?" his voice sounding stressed. A weird noise echoed from the right, Corbin's head spun towards it. He crotched and sprung into the thickness of the tree tops. I looked at Matt, we both had this shocked look on our faces, not sure what to say.

### I turned to look at him. "Can you believe that just happened?" I said finally coming to. Matt didn't say anything he just shook his head. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my cell phone and called Kyle. He needed to know his brother was alive.

### I didn't bother looking for his number in my address book, I just dialed it. After three rings, he picked up.

### "Yeah?" he sounded groggy. "Who is this?"

### "It's Nora. I have news for you. Guess who I ran into?" I tried to hide the shock in my voice.

### "I don't know.. Ah... the tooth fairy?" he chuckled.

### "Noooo, Corbin." I said this time unable to hide the shock in my voice.

### "What? Are you smoking crack or something?" he said jokingly.

### "No, but he is alive." I said again. Kyle was quiet for a minute.

### "OK..... Corbin is alive huh? I think you need more sleep." I heard running water.

### "Did you know he was.. alive?" I asked

### "Umm. No, but it's possible I guess. I heard of stories, when my kind sacrifices themselves for someone they love, they well return. I don't know how the whole legend goes. But maybe you should catch me when my brain is actually working." he sounded like he was hiding something.

### "Why do I even bother with trying to figure this stuff out." I looked at Matt who was staring at the ground. "Oh Kyle, I also think we might of ran into ..um vampires." it sounded weird to say that aloud.

### "Vampires aren't real Nora." he chuckled.

### "Oh really? Just like werewolves aren't real?" I teased.

### He got quiet for a moment. "You have a point there. We will check it out, Good Night." He hung up.

### We got back to the apartment as fast as we could with Matt practically carrying me. I felt much safer to be at home where I was at least sheltered. It took Matt kicked off his shoes and plopped down on the couch. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and began channel surfing.

### I decided to order pizza for dinner, I didn't want to cook. I dialed our favorite pizza place, Tizzy's Pizza Palace and ordered the usual.

### "Tizzy Pizza Palace." someone answered.

### "Hi, this is Nora Hanson, I want to order my usual."

### "Hey Nora, its Dirk. The usual huh? Alrighty." he rung up my order. "It will be there in 35 minutes, we are pretty busy tonight." he informed me.

### "Thanks Dirk." I hung up. I looked over at Matt he looked up at me and smiled.

### "Yes?" He said softly and he gently pulled me down on the couch with him. He leaned over and kissed me gently. I rose up and we began kissing. His lips were soft on mine, his sweet hot breath in my mouth. It made every nerve ending kick in full speed. He began to unbutton my shirt and began to rub my bare pregnant belly. I began kissing his neck while he began to take my shirt the rest of the way off. I began kissing on his chest and neck some more. His breathing began to get faster and deep, I could tell excited.

### I climbed on him to face him and he began kissing my chest and neck, sending chills down my body. He gently laid me on the couch. He was on top of me, trying not to squash the baby.

### He ran his finger down my chest to my button on my jeans. He started to pull them down when a knock on the door interrupted us. We both looked at each other disappointed.

### "Who is it?" Matt growled.

### "It's Kyle, Open the door!" He demanded. I quickly slipped on my shirt. I ran to the door and I opened it. Kyle, Ariel, and Nikki were standing there with worried looks on their face.

### "Hey guys, come in." I opened the door wider and motioned for them to come in. They walked in looking worried or scared. I could tell something was wrong. Everyone greeted Matt as they stepped in front of the couch. I shut the door and joined them in the living room. "Whats up guys?" I asked looking at Kyle. Nikki had this huge smile on her face as if she knew what was going on. She rubbed my swollen belly making the baby start kicking.

### "Awww she kicked!" Nikki said with excitement.

### "Yeah she is becoming very active." I rubbed my belly alittle more.

### "Well, we did a scan of the city and there is something strange going on. There have been several killings and some missing teenagers." Ariel informed us.

### Kyle was scanning the room with his eyes. "Whats wrong?" I asked scanning the room for anything out of place.

### "I smell Corbin in here and its strong." he said flatly.

### "I thought you didn't believe me?" I teased, then it hit me that he was in here. "Wait! He's been in my apartment?" I asked looking at all their faces. I could tell that something was wrong. "What are you guys not telling me?" I noticed Nikki's face she was avoiding looking at me. "Nikki? Whats going on?" She turned to look at Kyle, he gave a nod.

### "Corbin came to see us, the night before he showed himself to you." she said.

### I turned and looked at Kyle. "You lied to me!" I was pissed.

### She continued. "He said that he was on the trail of odd creature. He never seen before. They weren't vampires, they were something no one has seen before. So Josh went out with Corbin but Josh never came back." That was the look everyone had, Josh was missing.

### I looked at Kyle. "Where is he?" I asked.

### "We don't know. We lost his trail just outside of town. But we aren't giving up." His head turned towards Matt. "Matt, I know that you have come to love not being like us, but we need you. Whatever these creatures are, we are largely out numbered. So we were wondering if you would consider being changed back into one?" Kyle watched Matt's face, as we all were.

### "I don't know," he answered, "it has its advantages, but it's also a curse. I would be scared of hurting Nora and the baby. I would have to think about it." He answered.

### "Fair enough, but please contact me as soon as you can." Kyle half smiled at us. "We better go guys." They all said their good-byes and left the apartment,

### I looked at Matt who was deep in thought, I could tell by the look on his face. "What are you thinking of?" like I had to ask, I knew what he was thinking of.

### He was rubbing his forehead. "I was thinking of Kyle's offer. I think I should do it, we need a lot of protection in this city and now with them other things out there." he paused. "Nora, I...think...I...am... gonna do it. I can protect you and the baby better as a werewolf then as a human." I stared at him.

### "Are you sure?" Was I ready to have my husband be a werewolf? I had to admit it was intriguing to say the least. I had to support him in his decision. "Ok, do you wanna call Kyle before he gets too far away?" all he did was shake his head. I handed him the cell phone and he disappeared into the next room. The baby began to kick up a storm. I wondered if she knew what was going on. If she knew her daddy was going change into something that scary stories were made of.

### A knock on the door, "Pizza!" I opened the door; a young teenage boy around 17 was at the door. "Tizzy's Pizza." he said and went to hand the pizza boxes to me. I turned to set the pizza on the table but Matt was standing right there. I handed them to him and counted out thirty bucks into the pizza boys hand. "Thanks for the tip, enjoy your pies." he turned and headed back to the stairs. The pizza's smelled amazing.

### I got out some plates from the cabinet, while Matt got the cups and napkins. I opened up one of the boxed and grabbed a hot slice of pizza and two breadsticks along with some sauce. Matt poured sodas for the both of us. I made his plate, three slices, four breadsticks. We both headed to the couch to watch TV. I sat my plate on my tummy, hoping that she didn't kick my plate off again, which Matt thought was hilarious.

### We finished eating, I was supper full. "Ugh, I ate too much!" I said patting my tummy. We both laughed.

### Another knock, "Who is it?" Matt asked

### "Kyle and Nikki!" Kyle answered from the other side of the door.

### I opened the door and let them in, "Matt, you ready for this?" Kyle asked. Matt just took a deep breath.

### "I guess I am as ready as I will ever be." he walked back into the other bedroom with Kyle. Nikki put her arm around me.

### "This is gonna suck for Matt." I turned and looked at her when I heard Matt screaming in pain. The baby began kicking, I had no doubt she could hear her him.

### "Its ok baby girl, daddy will be ok." I laid my hand on my belly.

### "Its ok, this is normal. It's the bite that hurts the most." I didn't like the idea of Matt being hurt; the thought reminded me of losing Corbin and the pain.

### Kyle came out of the bedroom with alittle blood on his shirt. "He is asleep, go check on him in a couple of hours." they left. I paced the floor, keeping myself from walking in the bedroom door. I had to keep myself calm. Being pregnant, I needed to think of her.

### 3 am I woke up to the sound of static on the TV. I must have fallen to sleep on the couch. I decided to go check in on him. I opened the door, and he was sitting on the bed looking out the window. I could see he was starting to change. "Matt? Are you ok?" I asked softly, he turned his head.

### "Please leave me alone, Babe. Please." I slowly backed out of the room. I shut the door and laid back on the couch, I fell back to asleep.

*3 Days later*

### I left food on the nightstand for him everyday hoping he would eat. But when I went in, it wasn't touched. "You gotta eat, babe." He never looked at me; he ignored me most of the time. I picked up the tray and left the room.

### That night I was watching TV when I heard him groaning and crying in pain. I jumped up and listened, he sounded like he was in real agony. I knocked on the bedroom door. I heard stuff being knocked around.

### "Matt? Are you ok?" I pressed my ear against the door. Then it got quiet. I opened the door to peek my head inside. The lamp was knocked over and so was nightstand it sat on, I didn't see him. "Matt?" I called out. I heard a noise in the back of the room. I strained to see what it was. He growled. "Matt?" He stepped closer to me, I back away at first.

### I reached out to touched him, he reached his hand out too. I ran my hands over his fingers and up his arm. His body was covered in thick coarse fur, his eyes were still bright blue. His limbs were longer and he was much taller. I ran my hands up to his face, along his brows. He closed his eyes as I ran my fingers along his head up to his ears. He let out a low growl like sound almost like a purr. He opened his eyes and looked at me, I could see my Matt behind them, which made it not so scary to me.

### He then backed away from me, back into the shadows. I could hear him changing back. He came out of the shadows human and much bigger, taller and muscular. "Are you ok?" I asked.

### He gave me a wide smile. "Yeah I am fine, a little hungry." he looked down at his hands, opening and closing his fists. He was checking out his new/old body.

### I stood up. "I'll go make you something to eat." I left the room, went to make him some sandwiches with chips and a soda. I took him a tray back to the bedroom where he sat ate the whole thing.

### He looked over to me then stood up and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around him. "I was so scared for you. I am so glad your ok." I began to tear up.

### "Shhh. Everything is ok. I'm alright." he patted my tummy, he followed me out into the living room but he went straight to our bedroom to get a change of clothes from closet. He seemed normal, like his old self. He came out of the bedroom, sliding his shirt over his head. I stared at him, "What?" he said kind of chuckling.

### "You look different, Bigger, MUCH bigger." I looked at him up and down.

### "I am the same person I have always been. When we first met I was a werewolf so this shouldn't be a big surprise to you." He slid on a pair of socks.

### "I know but we weren't a couple then." I felt alittle embarrassed to be staring at him at him I was.

### He smiled catching me staring at him. "I know. But I am still the same person, remember that." He said while giving me a wink.

Summer was on, really on; it had to be at least 90 degrees outside.

### I was sitting in my living room under the air conditioner trying to cool off. Whoever says it don't get hot in Maine don't know what they are talking about. I was very pregnant; I was a few weeks from my due date and I was really feeling it.

### I heard a familiar roar; I rose up and looked out the window. Matt coming in his big red monster of a car that could be heard miles away.

### I got up and went to the door to unlock it for him. I heard him running up the stairs, sounded like he was taking them two at a time.

### The door flew open, "Get dressed NOW!" he pretty much screamed at me.

### "Whoa, why?" I asked standing back up. He grabbed my bag out of the hall closet and ran back to the bedroom. He started throwing clothes in it, his and mine. "Matt what's going on?" I asked.

### "I have no time to explain, we have to get you out of town NOW!" he said while grabbing some other stuff off the top of the dresser.

### "I don't understand, why?" I asked while slipping on my sandals.

### "I'll explain on the way to your grandpa's to get your car." he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the stairs into his car.

### The ride to my grandparents was quiet. He pulled into the drive and we went straight for my car.

### "Why my car?" I asked while putting the keys in the ignition.

### "Because it's more reliable then mine and it gets better gas mileage." OK that made sense.

### "Where are we going?" I was hoping for some answers.

### "We are heading out of town, down the highway, south." I took a deep breath and did what he asked.

### After several hours of driving, we had to stop for gas. "Ok Matt I am not going any farther until you tell me what the hell is going on." I gave him a stern look.

### "OK, Corbin has changed, he isn't a werewolf anymore, we actually don't know what he is, but he has turned viscous and deadly...He is coming after you." He looked at me, "To kill you."

### My heart sake, the man I was so madly in love with wanted me dead. "Why? What did I do to him? It's not a good idea for me to be on the road when the baby comes." I said fighting back tears.

### "We don't understand what his motives are or why he has been hanging with the vampires, but it can't be good. Don't worry about the baby, we will be where we need to be before you have her." He got out and started pumping gas. I was stunned I just sat there; he went and paid for the gas. He came back with two sodas and a couple of sandwiches. "Ok, let's go." he ordered. I put the car in drive and we headed down the highway to God knows where.

### 2 am It began to thunder giving hint of a upcoming thunderstorm. I put up the roof to protect from drowning inside the car. I began to get sleepy, so Matt took over driving. I was curled up in the passenger seat shivering, he threw his heavy leather jacket over me. I pressed his jacket to my nose and the smell of him and the warmth of his jack make me fall asleep. The static from the radio being tuned woke me up. I opened my eyes and looked around, "Where are we?" I asked.

### "West Virginia. Do we need to stop at a rest area?" I stretched

### "Yeah, I have to pee like crazy." I reached over the backseat to get a hoodie.

### "Ok, rest area half a mile." he pointed to the big green sign.

### "Good, I have to go, like bad!" I folded my legs up on the seat scared I might pee myself. Having the baby down and resting on my bladder didn't help. Matt was watching me try to get comfortable and was laughing at me.

### We pulled into the rest area; I darted towards ladies room holding my belly swiftly waddled. Matt was laughing at me running into the building. There was no one in the ladies room, thankfully. I walked into the first stall frantically pulling down my shorts and panties, just barely making it.

### I heard the door open then heavy footsteps coming towards my stall. I saw two big feet sticking under the stall door they didn't look like female shoes. I called out, "Hello?" no answer. "Do you mind?" Still no answer, "This is a ladies room." I called out.

### "Nora?" it was strange mans voice, then a tap on the stall door.

### "Who are you? What do you want?" I asked while I opened the stall door and there stood a stranger in front of me. "Who are you?" his long dark hair covered his face. He lifted his head to face me. His eyes were milky white color and a scar on his left cheek that reached up to his hairline on his forehead. He was good looking even with his strange eyes.

### "My name is Jessie McGinny." He had a cane with him, "Matt had me come in and check on you, since I can't see anything. He is waiting for you outside." he backed up and let me out. I washed my hands.

### "How did you get here?" I looked around and there was another vehicle parked a few spaces from us.

### "Me and my brother, Chad, have been following you. I am sure Matt will explain more to you once we are back on the road." I watched him make his way back to his waiting vehicle. I slid in the passenger side of the car.

### "Matt, who is that?" I clicked my seatbelt, and then looked over at him.

### "That is Jessie and Chad McGinny, they are known to the Crows. Jessie is a physic, they use him when things gets really dangerous and his brother Chad is a...witch, that's not right." he bit his lip trying to think of the right word.

### "Warlock you mean?" I interrupted his thought.

### "Yeah, a powerful one, you wouldn't think he was, because he looks so young." my stomach growled. Matt reached over and handed me a sandwich. "Eat, you will need your strength." I took the plastic wrap off the sandwich and took a big bite.

### "Thanks, babe, I was really hungry." I giggled.

### "Yeah I heard your stomach." he was teasing me.

### "Stop teasing me, Matthew!" I faked puckered. He giggled alittle louder.

### "Its ok hon, I am here to watch out for you, even more now since you're carrying my baby." he patted my belly again.

### The sun was bright and we could tell it was going to be another hot day, I dozed off again.

### I felt the car come to a stop, I opened my eyes. We were at another gas station. I got out and stretched. Matt came out with more sodas and food. This time with several Subs from a deli. He smiled at me. "Have a nice nap?" I smiled.

### "Yeah, want me to drive?" I asked.

### "Yeah, if you don't mind I would like to sleep and eat. We still have alittle ways to go." I smiled and slid in the driver's seat.

We were somewhere in North Carolina. I turned the radio on for something to listen to. Matt ate his sandwich and now was snoring in the passenger seat. I was listening to a local station they talked about the weather then they played a song I knew. I sung to it softly not to wake up the sleeping giant next to me. I looked over at him sleeping so soundly. I had to smile at how peaceful he looked. I looked in my rearview mirror I could still see Jessie and Chad. I had to think, 'Were things that bad?' I hoped not, but they must be.

### My lower back began to hurt, I thought I had been sitting for too long I needed to get out and stretch. The back pain then turned into period like cramps. I held my breath waiting for it to pass. "Please don't come now." I whispered. Five minutes later another one It hurt so bad I had to pulled over. I knew what was happing I had to wake up Matt. I shook him vigorously. I kept calling his name over and over until he showed some signs of life.

### "What?" he asked barely awake.

### "I think I'm in labor." I breathed.

### He shot up like a fishing bobber, "What? You sure?" he asked, then another pain.

### "Oh yes." I rubbed my belly.

### Matt looked around and discovered we were in the middle of nowhere. Deep in my gut I knew we weren't going to be able to make it to the hospital. We got out of the car. "Shit! Where are we?" Matt asked frantically.

### I shrugged, "I was following the GPS." I answered, another strong contraction, "OW!" I doubled over.

### "Ok, Ok stay calm." He helped me into the backseat so I could lay down. I felt something wet. Matt looked down. "Did you pee your pants?" Matt asked.

### I looked at him in horror, "No, I think my... my water broke." I stared at him horrified.

### He threw up his hands, "GREAT! JUST FRIGGIN GREAT!" He got this look on his face and began digging around in his pocket pulling out his cell phone. He flipped it open and held it up towards the sky searching for a signal. "DAMN IT! No signal."

### "Matt?" I said.

### "Yeah babe?" he answered. Closing his phone and returning it to his pocket.

### "There is a first aid kit in the trunk maybe you should.." I stopped to breath through a contraction. I didn't need to finish Matt retrieved the keys from the ignition and ran to the back of the car. The contractions were getting closer together and I was becoming more scared. I didn't know what the hell I was doing and I figured Matt didn't either.

### I could hear him in the back talking to himself more like cursing to himself. "It sure in the hell figures! Middle of nowhere and what happens? Nora goes into labor. I am no friggin' doctor. WHY?"

### I felt a lot of pressure going on and then something hard was against my thigh. I slowly reached down to feel what it was, thinking I sat on something. There was a wet head of hair. "MATT!" I screamed. He ran to me with his eyes huge.

### "WHAT?!" he said anxiously.

### "I feel the babies head!" I was scared. I thought I was going to have a heart attack in the middle of giving birth. It took him no time to open the first aid kit and grab a packet of alcohol pads and wipe his hands. He tossed the wipe and the packet in the floor of the car. He had this look of fear on his face.

### A blue rusty truck pulled up with an elder couple it in. "Needin' help?" the elder man asked as his truck came to a squeaky stop.

### "Yes, my wife is having a baby and our cell phone don't get service here." Matt hysterically told the driver. The old woman got out of the passenger seat and climbed in the backseat next to Matt.

### "She sure is." the woman looked back at her husband, "Harold go call 911 and tell them the baby will be here when they show up and hurry." She then turned her attention back to us. "Whats your name?" she asked Matt.

### "Matt and this is my wife Nora." he answered.

### "Nora, honey I am going to need you to push." she then turned towards Matt. "I'm going to need a clean towel or blanket." Matt jumped out of the car and ran to the trunk. He returned with 2 towels and a blanket. She slide a towel under my butt and placed another one on my belly. "Nora keep pushing." I gave one big push and a very loud scream. I felt the pain ease up, I took a deep breath of relief. Then I heard a small whimper then a loud cry.

### Matt was staring at the baby with huge eyes, "it's a girl!" he announced.

### "Yep, you have yourself a little girl." she confirmed that Matt and the ultra sound technician was right. She grabbed the blanket and snuggly wrapped the baby up in it then handed me the baby. I held onto her firmly scared of dropping her. Matt was staring at me holding this tiny little person that we made together in my arms. I was exhausted it took all I had to stay awake.

### It took 30 minutes later the ambulance find us. Surrounded by stranger I had this urge to hold her really close. Matt followed in the mustang as we sped through a very small town.

We pulled into the hospital area, everything was hazy. A nurse took the baby out of my arms. I watched her slowly walk out of the room with my baby. I wanted to get up and go after her. Where was she going with my baby? I felt the doctor poke me with something. A few minutes later felt my whole body get relaxed.

### I woke up to people talking and laughing. I opened my eyes and looked around. The TV was on and Matt was walking around with the baby in his arms. "What time is it?" I asked.

### "Hey, your awake." he reached in his pocket and fished out his phone, "Its 10:45am." then he shoved it back.

### I reached my arms out, "bring her here." I smiled at him. He walked over to the side of the bed and with a peck on the cheek he handed her to me. As I held her I was staring at her. Getting a good look at how beautiful my baby was.

### "What do you think?" Matt asked.

### I stroked her silky dark hair, "She is beautiful and tiny." I pulled her up and kissed her forehead. I rubbed her cheek, "She looks like you." I chuckled. Matt sat next to us on the bed and we both soaked in this moment with her. From that moment I knew I would die for her, do anything to make sure she had a great life.

### "What are we going to name her?" Matt asked.

### "Hmm.. How about April?" I suggested.

### "April?" he raised his eyebrows, "April what?" he stroked her head with his hand.

### "April...... Vivian. After my Grandma. April Vivian Hanson." I looked up at his face.

### "Ok, April Vivian Hanson it is." he smiled. I leaned over and gave him a kiss.

### "I love you. We are finally a complete family." I smiled at him again and then looked back at April. I could tell right away she was going to have Matt wrapped.

### The nurse came in, "Mrs. Hanson, the doctor wants you try to nurse her." she walked over to my side and unfastened my gown and instructed me on how to breastfeed. It didn't take much for me to get the hang of if, "Fast learner huh." April was a great feeder, she got it right away. Matt rubbed her head; she had her eyes wide open, looking at me.

### "Hi baby girl," I still checking her out. Seeing what she has of mine and what she has of Matt. I noticed her ears and laughed, "Matt she has your ears." he looked, sure enough, "if anyone ever had doubts if you're her Dad, all they have to do is look at her." I teased.

### Matt smiled. "Yeah I know, I might have been alittle greedy." we both chuckled. She needed burped, I left that up to Matt. He was all too happy to, he went and sat on the chair.

### I picked up the phone, "I guess I better call my Grandpa and let him know I had her." Matt just shook his head, "is she asleep?" I asked, he shook his head.

### I dialed Grandpa's number; since he got Claira in his life, he's been different. The phone rang once, "Hello?" it was Claira.

### "Hey Claira, is my Grandpa there?" I asked.

### "Yes, one second, Travis! Its Nora." she told my Grandpa.

### "Hello?" he answered, he sounded depressed.

### "Hey Grandpa, guess what?" I asked.

### "What?" he didn't even try, he didn't sound like the full of life Grandfather I knew.

### "I had the baby." I said excitedly.

### "You did! Are you at the hospital?" he asked.

### "Yeah in North Carolina, I think. I'll explain later. I will send you a picture on the cell. Grandpa she is beautiful and has Matt wrapped already." I looked over at Matt; he was rocking her in the chair.

### My Grandpa began to laugh, "You know what they say, Daddy's little girl, but in some cases it's more like the little girl has the Daddy wrapped. I can see Matt being that type. "He chuckled again.

### "Oh I am seeing it right now, she is less than 2 hours old and already has her dad wrapped." I chuckled, "I will talk to you later." We said our good-byes. It was an interesting sight to everyone, this huge man with this tiny baby. I ended up falling to sleep from pure exhaustion.

### I woke to the sound of people chattering, I kept my eyes closed and listened. I heard Matt and a female talking. I had to listen closely, they where talking about the baby. The nurse was flirting, Ha! A nurse flirting with a married man whose wife just had his child. Slut! I rolled over and stretched,

### "Hello beautiful." I opened my eyes there was Matt's face.

### "Mmmmm." I put my hand on his cheek and kissed him, "hi honey, Where is April?" I asked straightening up.

### "They are doing some last minute tests on her. They won't let us take her until we established a home for her." I pulled back.

### "What!" I was shocked and pissed, "they're not keeping my baby!" Matt put his finger over my mouth to shush me.

### "Shhh! They're not." he said in a shush tone, "We are going to be heading to Philly and staying in your Aunt's house. Jessie and Chad both said it was best. So I sent a message over to the house staff to get a bedroom ready for the baby." he sounded serious.

### "Thank God, but we still have to travel a distance to get there." I was worried about traveling that far with the baby.

### "Yes, but the doctor said it was ok for her to travel." he sounded sure of the himself.

### "Ok I guess, but we need a car seat and stuff for......" he didn't let me finish, he pointed to some stuff against the wall, "what's that?' I asked.

### "Baby stuff, I went shopping, there is clothes, diapers, bottles, pacifier, wipe and a car seat." He definitely sounded proud of himself.

### "Aww Matt, I knew you come through." I kissed him.

### The nurse brought her back in, "Here you go mommy and daddy. She is perfect health." The nurse placed her in my arms.

### She was making noises like she had been crying. "Was she crying?' I asked.

### "Alittle we had to take alittle blood." the nurse said as she left.

### "Aww." I picked her up and snuggled her, "mommy's here baby girl." I sat down in the rocker and began rocking her. She began to chew on her fist. I then began to nurse her; she was hungry. The doctor came in.

### "Mrs. Hanson, everything seems to be going good, looks like you will be released tomorrow, if things remain good. You are also allowed to take a shower or bath." I smiled and thanked him. I burped her, she was quietly sleeping in my arms. Matt was asleep as well, passed out on the cot they brought in for him. I just held her, oh yes I was in love with her.

### The nurse came in to get the baby; they needed to check her hearing and sight. I kissed her head and let the nurse take her. I made my way to the bed. I laid there watching Matt sleep, I began to get lonely I wanted him to lay beside me.

### "Matt!" I softly called his name.

### He opened his eyes and looked at me, "Yeah?" he answered

### "Come lay beside me please." I asked sweetly.

### He smile in return, "sure." He got up and crawled next to me, I rested my head on his chest. I just laid there listening to his heart beating. Feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. We both ended up falling into a dreamless sleep.

### I woke up still on Matt's chest, he was softly snoring, his arm was still around me. I could see the glow of the city light in the distance. I rose up, looked around. They must have just delivered dinner; steam was still coming out the sides of the cover of the plate. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I saw the tray.

### I lifted the lid and there, the smell made my stomach growl. A nurse came in with another tray for Matt. I picked up my roll and slathered butter over it and took a bite of it. I noticed the baby wasn't in the room. I slid on my robe and headed down to the nursery. She was in the back asleep, the nurse saw me, "Hello Mrs. Hanson." she greeted me, and I smiled.

### I wheeled her back to the room. I sat in the rocking chair and began to feed her. She nursed hungrily, barely taken in a breath. "Easy baby girl." I rubbed her head. Her eyes where open staring at me. Matt woken up and stretched. "Look April, your daddy is awake." Matt smiled at that.

### "Yes, yes I'm awake." he stood up, he headed for the bathroom. He came out trying to adjust his messy ponytail.

### "You like the sound of that don't you?" I asked him,

### "Of what being called daddy?" he smiled, "Yes I love it."

### I was released so was the baby, we headed towards Philly. April and I both slept most of the way, well until she needed fed or a diaper changed.

### Matt was singing to the radio, he didn't have a singing voice, his voice was too deep, and he sounded more as if he was growling then singing.

### "Where are we?" I asked from the back seat, stretching.

### "We are 50 miles from Philly we will be there real soon." I could see his face in the mirror, he was looking at April, "she asleep?" I looked down at her.

### "Yes, she is out and dreaming." I chuckled at her facial expressions, "must be a pretty good one, too." I got out my phone and started taking pictures of her. I sent one to my parents, Grandpa and Nikki. Nikki sent one back that was sweet;

~OMG! Adorable! Can't wait to meet her!

### Tell Matt, share on the next one! ~ *Nikki*

### I never thought we were going to get there. We pulled into a rest area. I had to pee and do some personal checking. We pulled in, it was crowed. Matt climbed in back with April, while I ran into the bathroom. I walked in not one stall was empty; I leaned against the wall in line.

### "Wow everyone has to pee at once!" a young pregnant girl commented.

### I looked at her and smiled, "I was you just a couple of days ago." she looked at me up and down.

### "You just had a baby?" she asked.

### "Yes, alittle girl, she is outside with my husband." I smiled.

### "Oh, the mustang?" she asked, "Is that your husband in the back seat." I could tell by the look on her face she was curious.

### "Yes, Matt, he is sitting back there with our daughter." I moved up another space in the line.

### "You're lucky, he is cute in a gothic-kind of way." she was rubbing her tummy. I finally got into the stall, did what I had to do and left. I walked up to the car; Matt was walking around with April who was crying.

### He seen me, "I think she is hungry." he went to hand her to me.

"Let me get in first." I opened the back door, slid in and waited for him to hand her to me. I gently held her, Matt shut the door. I began to nurse her, she was hungry. ************************************************************

### We finally pulled up in front of the house; I noticed several cars there, "Matt who is here?" I asked, "They are all rental cars"

"It's the pack and I think Travis and Claira. I don't know who else I could be. Your parents maybe? I don't know." Matt came around to my side of the car to get the baby and the car seat. We headed inside. The house was clean and smelled of coconuts. There where big pink balloons saying 'it's a girl!' and 'Congrats on your new arrival!' I could hear familiar voices coming from the kitchen. I pushed open the swinging doors to see who was all in there. The room was busting at the seams with people.

### "Nora!" my mom's voice pushed out of the crowd. She walked towards me with arms wide open.

### "Hi Mom." I greeted her, we hugged.

### She pulled back to look at me. "Where is my granddaughter?" she asked excitedly.

### I pointed to the other room, "In the living room with Matt." they all filed out except Claira, who for some reason she kept her distance from everyone. Most of the time she glared at me giving me dirty looks.

### I had to find out what her problem with me was. "What?" I asked, "Do you have a problem with me."

### She sighed and stood up, "Yes, I do as a matter of fact. Your manipulate everyone in this family." she had a snotty tone to her voice.

### "Excuse me, where do you get off telling me I manipulate everyone?" I was pissed, "just because you're dating my grandfather."

### "You mean your father, your real father." she was a little too cocky, it took all I had not to hit her.

### "No, my grandfather! I have a Dad, you been dating my Grandpa for what a year maybe. You come into my house and tell me that I am manipulate the people I love. You're wrong, Claira! I think you are jealous of the love we all share and you're lashing out at me, because I am close to everyone in this family. You want to piss everyone off at me for no reason don't you? I didn't do anything to you." I sat down the diaper bag I was carrying. I heard the door creak open behind me. I could see it was Matt out of the corner of my eye.

### "Oh, yes you do, as soon as your name is mention; Travis has to rush to be here, just like the rest of your family. I think you're a... how do I put this.... a conniving bitch." she glared at me. Matt busted through the door.

### "A conniving bitch huh? The only bitch I see around here is you. You come into our home and lash out at my wife for no reason. You got Travis fooled don't you, that's ok, because you don't have us fool." Matt was shaking.

### "Stay out of this, Mutt!" she covered her mouth, like oops.

### We looked at each other stunned.

### "Mutt?" Matt repeated back.

### "Yes, Mutt, I know what you are! You bare the signs. One day everyone else will find out too." she said evasively then breezed past us into the other room where everyone else was.

### I looked at Matt in shocked. "How could she know?" I asked.

### Matt shrugged his shoulders, "No clue." We both headed out to the other room.

### My Mom was holding April, "Honey, she is perfect, absolutely perfect." my Mom beamed.

### "Yeah, well I hate to break this up but I have to feed her and let her chill out alittle. We did just travel a long ways." I took her from my Mom.

### "Your right honey." she kissed Aprils head.

### "Grandpa, could you please come with me." I made eye contact with him.

### "Sure hon....." he stopped. Claira grabbed his arm and was whisper something to him. "I'll be right back."

### "Travis, please, I want to go back to the hotel." she pleaded with him.

### "I'll be right back." he said again and followed me up stairs anyways.

### "Whats wrong Nora-bug?" he asked me as soon as got to the top of the stairs.

### "It's your girlfriend," I opened the door, "I just had a run in with her in the kitchen, along with Matt." Grandpa looked at me shocked,

### "Run in? Like a fight?" he asked,

### "No, more like her saying I am manipulating everyone in this family, including you." I laid April down in her crib.

### His eyes got big, "She said that?" he looked at the ground. He looked like he was disappointed.

### "And she called me a conniving bitch, and that's when Matt came in and boy was he pissed." I sat on the bed.

### "Oh my, I am so sorry honey that explains why she doesn't want to stay her tonight. Matt isn't the only one pissed right now." He went for the door.

### "Grandpa don't leave." I begged, he turned and looked at me.

### "Oh I will be right back. I have to go straighten this lady out or she is going to be hitting the road." Yeah he was pissed. April started to cry. I bent down picked her up and began to feed her.

### 2 hours later a knock on the door, I was folding and putting way some clothes. "Come in!" I called toward the door.

### My Mom's head poked from behind it. "Hey honey." she smiled.

### "Hey Mom, something wrong?' I asked

### "Oh no, the guys are playing some kind of game system and your Dad went to bed, I'm alittle bored I guess." she peeked in on April.

### "You wanted to see her again huh?" I asked teasingly.

### "Yes, my granddaughter, Wow! That's so hard to believe that my baby is married and has a baby. Its bizarre." she began to help me with folding the clothes. "Honey, can I ask you something?" she asked folding Matt's shirt.

### "Sure, what's the question?" I asked.

### "Matt is a big Man, I know it sound weird but, he seems to be a lot bigger than he was at your wedding." she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

### "Well that happens when you work on a dock, loading and unloading heavy stuff, and Matt's never been a small guy so. He doesn't seem any different to me." I lied; even to me he looked monstrous.

### "Maybe its because you see him all the time and this is the second time I've seen him, I will tell you one thing, he sure is cute." we chuckled, "you did good for yourself." we hugged, "I think I am going to hit the hay, see you in the morning."

### "Night Mom." I smiled at her.

### She bent down and kissed April, "good sweetheart" I had to smile.

### I decided to take a shower and get dressed for bed. I was brushing my hair, another knock.

### "Yes?" I answered, it was Bernice, "Oh hi Bernice."

### "Ma'am I am retiring for the night I wanted to see if there was anything you wanted before I did so." she smiled.

### "Oh no thank you, have a good night." I smiled back at her, she left. After another hour had past, I started to get hungry.

### I slipped on my robe and headed downstairs. It was quiet, no TV no sounds at all. Then I saw a bunch of clothes lying on the floor. I knew what was going on, there where out patrolling. I walked into the kitchen.

### There was a werewolf standing in the door. It stared at me and made a part huffing sound. "Matt?' I said softly. It stalked around to where I was, and touched my face. "What are you doing? What if my parents see you or my grandfather?" he slowly back up and headed out the open back door. I ran and shut it; it was freezing outside and raining like crazy.

### I opened the fridge and began to dig out some sandwich fixings. Matt came back in this time in his human form soaked and naked.

### I slide off my robe and handed it to him, "You know tempting me like that isn't good, we still have 6 weeks to go." I smiled,

### "Yeah, Yeah I know. We were just running the boarders, Still no sign of Corbin." he seen my sandwich and then smiled.

### "Here." I handed it to him, "I'll make myself another one." he kissed me.

### "I am going upstairs and check on the baby," he said taking a huge bite. He took three big steps and clear the whole room. I made another sandwich, grabbed a handful of chips and a single size orange juice.

*************************************************************

### Several months had past and April had grown like a weed, she was such a happy baby. Matt and I still lived in the big house; just he, April and myself were there.

### I was in the living room and April was on her tummy, kicking an cooing. I was watching TV, some talk show about who is your baby daddy. I looked at April, "Well April, there is no doubt who your daddy is." she looked at me with her big blue eyes that were the exact copy of Matt's and kicked her legs. She also had Matt's dark hair, you knew who she belonged too. Matt was gone a lot, he rarely was home or in human form. April saw him once in his wolf form and she wasn't scared, it was as if she knew who he was.

### April began crying, "Oh baby, what's wrong." I picked her up. I checked her out, she wasn't hurt. I figured she was teething or hungry. I sat down and began nursing her, she began to fall asleep. I laid her in her playpen with waking her up. I sat back down to finish watching the talk show. My cell began to vibrate in my pocket, I had it turned off so it didn't wake April up. "Hello?" I answered.

### "Nora, it's me." Matt's voice was raspy.

### "Whats wrong?" I asked.

### "Oh nothing, I just wanted to let you know that Nikki and Kyle are on their way to the house and Nikki has a big surprise for you," it didn't sound like a good surprise.

### "Am I going to like this surprise?" I asked.

### "Eh." he said. Not too reassuring.

### "Ok, I'll be ready." I sighed,

### "How is the baby girl?" he asked.

### "Full tummy and sleeping." I answered.

### "Ok, Love you babe." he said before hanging up and not giving me time to answer.

### I waited for about 25 minutes when they finally got here. Nikki looked horrible, "Nikki what's wrong, you look terrible." she gave me a weak smile.

### "I think pregnancy is catchy." she said shyly.

### "You're pregnant?" I asked excitedly.

### "Yes." she took off her jacket, she had a big belly, "I am 8 months." I looked at Kyle.

### "Come in, do you need anything?" I helped her sit on the couch.

### "Actually." Kyle said, "I need for you to keep her here, I am out searching for Corbin all the time and I don't think she's been taking care of herself and things have been pretty rough." he put his hand on her head.

### "Rough how?" I looked at my exhausted cousin.

### "No food or a place to stay, we been living out of the van with the rest of the guys." Kyle answered.

### "Oh my! Of course you guys can stay here." I stood up, "Bernice!" I called into the kitchen. She came out holding a towel.

### "Go ready a hot bath and some food for Nikki, and some clothes out of my dresser.

### Nikki hugged me, "Thank you Nora." her voice was weak.

### "How come you two haven't gone to Grandpa when things got bad?" I asked looking at Kyle.

### "His girlfriend, Claira, she is a bitch, she wont let him do anything except work. We are all starting to think she's a gold digger. All she wants if for Travis to buy her things or she threatens to leave him." Kyle said with a angry look on his face.

### "Well, you can always come to me, no matter what." I held her hand.

### Bernice came out of the bathroom. "Everything is ready." she helped me get Nikki into a hot bath and some clothes. April was up and crying, I figured because she didn't see me. I ran into the living room to find a angry looking Matt there holding her.

### "Oh hey!" I was surprised.

### "I just got here, where were you?" he had harsh tone in his voice.

### "Helping Nikki, she is ready to have a baby." I said defensively.

### "Yeah I know." he letting her stand on his legs.

### "She looks terrible and I will not let her suffer, she is my family." I had a stern tone to my voice. I didn't know what his problem was.

### "I know, its ok, but you left her out her by herself again." he kissed her head.

### "No, Kyle was out here." I gave him a dirty look

### "I still am out here." Kyle's voice came from a dark corner.

### "Oh, ok then." he said with a cocky tone. I took her from Matt's arms.

### "Why do you always assume I am being a bad mother." I asked him.

### "I don't assume anything! You just don't think a lot when it comes to her." his voice stern and insulting. I held her tight in my arms, mostly to keep me calm.

### "Oh, how would you know, your never friggin here! Your always gone! Even when you don't need to be. I am doing this by myself." I put April on my side and started up the stairs.

### "Whoa, hold on. I am out there protecting you and her. So don't give me that I'm never here. I am doing what it takes to keep this family safe." he was right behind me, yelling at me. "What are you doing besides getting fat and basically neglecting our daughter!" I paused on the stairs. I took a deep breath and turned to face him with tears running down my cheek.

### His eyes met mine I could see instant regret. "You promised me, you would never treat me bad again, and look at you! In front the baby too! Your being a asshole! Well, guess what? I want you out of my house. I don't need to take this from you." April was looking at us with wide eyes. "I've doing this by myself for all these months without any help from anyone and you come in here telling me I am fat." I pulled my shirt tight, "I am exactly he same size I was before I got pregnant. But that's ok, you can think of me anyway you want because, Matt, I am done!" his face dropped. "Get out...of...my house." I said it slowly.

### He lowered his head, "Nora... I" I didn't give him a chance to finish.

"Go." I turned and walked the rest of the stairs then turned into the bedroom and closed the door. I paused for a minute just long enough to hear his boots slowly walk down the stairs and out the door. I put April in her crib, I began to cry. 'What the hell did I just do?' I thought to myself. 'Go after him!' I told myself, but pride kept me on the bed.

### For a week I went about what I normally did, I took care of April. I made sure she was fed and changed. I would check in on Nikki when April was asleep. I told her what happened with Matt and myself.

### "Nora, you got mad, if he loves you as much as I think he does he will be back. When he thinks things are calmed down." she tried to reassure me.

### "Yeah, well he said some mean things to me, and I said them back. I can't believe I told my husband to leave." I shook my head.

### "Hey, at least your married, Kyle wont marry me. He said that's not his way." she looked down.

### "So he'll get you pregnant but wont marry you?" I asked. It was pathetic to me.

### "He said marriage is a big step." she sighed.

### "And having a baby isn't?" I shook my head. I heard April on the monitor, "she's up... Good night." I hugged her and headed towards my room. I glanced at the front door, there was Matt looking terrible. I didn't stop to at him.

### "Nora?" he said softly.

### "Yes?" I answered.

### "I am sorry for what I said. I had no right to put you down. When there is no way in hell I would win a father of the year award." he looked at me all-sad.

### "April is crying I have to attend her." I went to open the door. It got quiet, "she must of fell back to sleep."

### "Please babe, can we work this out, I don't want to lose you both." I went to say something when I heard glass shattering and April screaming. We both ran into the bedroom, there was Corbin with April in his arms.

### "NO!" I yelled. Matt transformed into his other form. As soon as Corbin seen him turn he jumped out of the window. "NO!" Matt was already on his trail. I ran down the stairs, Kyle came out of the kitchen. "Corbin has the baby!" I yelled Kyle dropped what he had in his hand and disappeared in the kitchen. I ran outside in my nightgown and rain, crying hysterically for my baby.

### I ran around the house, checking for footprints I only seen wolf tracks. I fell to my knees at the tree line and sobbed. Praying they would find her. Bernice came out with jacket and helped me back inside.

### I changed into some dry clothes, this time active wear. Waiting was hell, I hoped Matt would find her and I dare say this but kill Corbin finally.

### Daylight, Matt and Kyle came back, Matt looked defeated.

### "Did you find her?" I asked.

### "No, we lost their trail outside of town, the rain covered everything." I looked at Matt and began to cry. Matt put his arms around me.

### "We will find her, make no mistake about that." he kissed my head.

### "Why would he take her?" I asked Kyle.

### "To get to you." Kyle answered, I looked at him.

### "Me? Why me?" I asked.

### "We don't know, I think he still thinks he has a claim on you, he was your first, right?" I looked at Matt.

### "Yes." I felt ashamed, but Matt already knew that.

### "He thinks he owns you, he is living in some sort of fantasy world, or maybe he just loves you that much?" I looked at Matt then at Kyle

### "This is a nightmare, seriously screwed up nightmare." I fell on the couch. My cell phone rang, breaking the silence. I picked it up. "It's unknown." I said looking at Matt, "Hello?"

### "You need help, call, this number, 732-555-9877. They may help, but a word of warning they aren't ummm human." the stranger's voice said.

### "Werewolves?" I asked.

### "No something else." He answered

### "What?" I asked again

### "Vampires." he said in the same creepy voice.

### "Vampires? We ran into some vampires before." I looked at Matt who was staring at me as if I was crazy.

### "Call that number; make sure you write it down." I grabbed a pen and wrote the number on my hand.

### "Ok, I got it. Who is this?" I heard a click.

### "Vampires?" Kyle asked.

### I never did call them; I wanted the werewolves to find her not some bloodsucking monster.

### Later that night we got a call from someone who knew Corbin and knew he had our baby. He sent us to a warehouse at the far end of town, the dangerous part. At first we were a little suspicious. But we couldn't afford not to follow up on every lead.

Matt ran into the building leaving the drivers door open.

### It made me nervous, I heard a growling. I started to climb over the gear shifter to shut the door, when a big black wolf was in the door opening. I backed up and pressed myself to the door. Its eyes where red with fury.

### "Please." I begged, but it kept advancing towards me, exposing its razor sharp teeth.

### I reached behind me trying to find the door handle. I heard a tap on the door. I turned another wolf was there, so close to the window its breath fogged the glass. I was trapped and trapped good. I looked again to my relief it was Matt. He ran around the car and attacked the dangerously close wolf. The wolf went to bite me, but Matt pulled it back making its jaws snap a few inches from my face.

### They began to fight; Matt fell back on the door slamming it shut. I slide over into the driver's seat. I turned the key, the car wasn't starting. Then with a pump of the gas pedal, and then car came alive.

### In front of the car, standing in the headlights was the wolf. I put the car in drive and mashed my foot on the gas. The car jetted forward towards the dark demon.

### The car hit the wolf with a big thud. I glanced back and saw it getting to its feet; I jammed the car in reverse and hit the gas again. The wolf's body thudded under the cars tires. This time it wasn't getting back up. I stared at it, watching it slowly turn back to its human form. I didn't see its face, it was face down. Blood began to flow around it forming a dark crimson puddle.

### The passenger door opened, making me jump. It was Matt, who looked pretty beaten up, I handed him my jacket.

### "The baby?" I asked him, hoping against hope that she was in there.

### "She wasn't in there." he slowly shook his head while saying it. Matt was suffering with me, someone had our infant daughter. As her mother, I worried and long to have my baby, my only baby in my arms. My heart sank and worry began to eat at me along with hopelessness.

### I longed to have my baby, my 7-month-old baby in my arm, in her mother's arms with her protective Dad, standing guard.

### "What do we do now? I mean where do we look." I looked at Matt with tears in my eyes.

### "I don't know maybe we go to the brothers and see if Chad can help or maybe Jessie." He said while slipping into a change of clothes from the back seat.

### "It's worth a try." I said quietly while putting the car in drive.

### We pulled up in front of the brother's house just after daybreak. The house was surrounded by junk cars, barely noticeable. We walked up to the door; we were greeted by a huge dog. Matt growled at him and he stopped, whined then ran off. He knocked on the door.

### "Come in Nora and Matt." a voice, said from the other side of the door, which sounded like Jessie. We opened the door and walked into the tiny house or more like a hut.

### Jessie was sitting in a chair and Chad was standing up looking at a big book.

### "I know why you come, you are looking for your daughter," he said it calmly.

### "Yes, do you know where she is?" I asked.

### "Yes, I do, but it will be very difficult to get to her, you will need help, some help from some newly found friends." he had surely tone to his voice.

### "You mean the vampires?" Matt asked, glancing at me like, seriously.

### "Yes, Queen Dorsella, will be willing to help due to the fact she owes Noah some pain." he stood up, "She will not even hesitate and she isn't cruel." he walked over to a table. Queen Dorsella was well controlled, she would help. I hoped she would.

### Jessie handed Matt a map, "This is where you need to go, but I urge you to find the vampire first." Matt opened the map, glanced at it and shoved it in his jacket pocket.

### "Where do we find them?" Matt asked.

### "The old railroad station, but not everyone will welcome you with open arms." he sat back down. Chad walked over to me with something in his hand.

### "Take this." he held up a pedant, "This will protect you from danger." he fastened it around my neck then gave me a heavy bag.

### "Whats this?" I asked looking down at it.

### "Weapons." he touched my hand.

### "Thank you." I said as I raised my head to look at him.

### "Be safe Nora and Matt, Dear friends." he touched both our shoulders and walked back to his book.

### We left the house and got into the car, this time Matt was going to drive. He pulled out the map and laid it across the stirring wheel.

### "First the vampires and then the wolves." he was looking over the map.

### "I am willing do what it takes to get April back." I said, sounding anxious to get going.

### "I am too, but we have to be smart and cautious about this." he slowly turned his head towards me, "I don't care about my safety, but I will do what it takes to protect you and our daughter." I looked at him,

### "Don't do anything stupid, because no matter what happens we need you, April needs her Dad and I need my husband." He leaned over and gave me a kiss it felt like a good-bye kiss.

*************************************************************

### We pulled up in front of the abandoned train station. From the outside, it looks quiet but we knew better. We walked up to the door, Matt went to knock.

### "What do you want?" a stern, deep voice asked from the other side of the door.

### "To see Queen Dorsella." I asked, hoping my voice would be less threatening then Matt's.

### "Whats your business with my Queen." his voice becoming more agitated.

### "Business of Noah Warchec." I said it sternly. It must have struck something. We heard the locks being released on the door.

### "Noah? How do you know him?" he asked peaking out. His eyes where red and glowing.

### "He has my daughter and I need Queen Dorsella's help, please." I choked back a tear.

### "Very well come in." he widened the door and let us in.

### The hall was nearly black; Matt grabbed my hand and led me down the hall. We walked about 100 feet to a very ornate metal door. He opened the door and we walked in. The room had many vampires in it. All doing their own thing, until they got a whiff of me. The Queen looked in our direction, she seen me and stood up. Her beauty took me by surprise. She gave an order to clear the room. Only her and three of her guards where standing by the throne with her.

### "They said they are here to talk about Noah Warchec.," he said while bowing.

### "Thanks you Franz, you may take your leave." she motioned for him to leave. He slowly backed away and left. "Noah isn't liked around here. So I must asked why do you want to bring him to my attention?" she started towards us. "What are your names?" she asked.

### "Matt and Nora Hanson." I answered.

### "Pardon me, but... Noah has our daughter." Matt spoke as softly as his bass tone could go.

### "A baby? How old?" her eyes went from me to Matt.

### "7 months." I said softly.

### "Oh my, a baby indeed.." she walked over to me, "This must be very hard for you, as her mother." she lifted my head with her finger. "Do not worry. I will help to return your infant to you." a tear rolled down my cheek.

### "Thank you" I looked at her very white and blue eyes. She smiled.

### "Marcus, Troy go ready the forces, we must help them find their baby and destroy Noah once and for all." the two guards bowed and left. She went and sat down on the throne.

### "Do you know where they are keeping her?" she asked looking at Matt.

### "Yes." Matt handed her the map. She took it from his hand and walked over to a table. She unfolded it and smoothed it flat. She placed her finger on a spot on the map.

### "The Winston Abbey, outside of Saint Petersburg. I know that place well." she ran her finger along a wavy line. "This is Red Road, it goes deep in the mountains. It's a dangerous road." the door opened and a guard came in with some white armor, a steel sword and some other weapons. She straighten up, "Aww, my armor, I will be joining you in this battle." she untied her cape, it slide to the ground. She slid into her armor and placed her weapons around her. She pulled out a dagger with a huge ruby in the handle, "Nora this is for you." she handed it to me. I took it, " This will help protect you, the blade was blessed and is made of pure silver." I looked at Matt. I tied it to my waist. "Matt, I am sure you don't want to worry about her, so she will stay close to me. Marcus, protect her." She ordered the guard at her side, he bowed his head. "Our time has come to make our way to the Abbey."

### We rode with the vampires to the docks, where a huge ship was waiting for us. We went aboard, the vampires all sniffed the air as I walked by them, but they seemed uninterested in attacking me. Then I realized it must be the pedant around my neck. Marcus showed me to my room, "I will be keeping guard outside the door. Try and get some rest." I looked around and then back at him.

### "Thank you Marcus." I smiled at him; he raised an eyebrow and left the room. I sat on the huge bed, wondering where Matt was and thinking of April. I began to cry from memories flooding my mind. The first time holding her after she was born. I had to stop thinking about that. I needed my mind on positive things like getting her back. I took a deep breath and decided to check the room out.

### The walls had a grey wash on them, the floor was metal and cold. There were several pictures on the wall. One of a schooner on rough waters. The other one was the traditional fruit in a bowl painting. The bed spread was thick and red. There was several random placed rugs on the floor, they were stained some.

### I walked into the bathroom, flipping the light on. It was still kind of dark even with the light on. A shower took up most of the right side of the room, a toilet and sink took up the left with a small mirror over the large sink. The whole place seemed cold to me and informal. More like it was dreary and depressing. No wonder I was feeling like I was, I needed to get the heck out of there. I slowly opened the door and was met with Marcus's eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked coldly.

### "I.. uh.. Wanted to explore the ship." I stuttered, he surprised me with is harsh tone.

### "You cant! So go back in your room and stay there!" he ordered. I frowned at him.

### "I want to see Dorsella." I ordered. His eyes began to get black and anger was now apparent on his face.

### "Fine!" he yelled. He then began to lead me down the corridor to the end of the hall. "She is in there, I will wait here." his tone was making me very nervous. I knocked on the door.

### "Yes? Come in." Dorsella answered. I walked in, she was on her bed naked with one of her guards. I could tell that I was interrupting something very private.

### "Oh, I'll just come back." I said shyly.

### "Don't be silly, Nora. What do you want?" she asked standing up, not attempting to cover up.

### "I was wondering if I could explore the ship? I... I am little bored sitting in my room." I was looking at the floor. I heard her laughing.

### "Does looking at us naked make you feel uncomfortable?" she asked.

### "Yes." I answered honestly.

### "Why? Nudity is beautiful. I bet you look lovely naked." she started walking towards me. I stepped back towards the door.

### "Is it ok if I could explore the ship?" I asked again.

### "Of course, your not a prisoner here, do what you like. And if someone catches your eye let me know." she smiled.

### "Have a good night." I said and left quickly. That was alittle weird. Marcus was waiting for me still looking angry. "She said I could explore if I wanted to."

### "Then explore it, I will be waiting here." he leaned against the wall. I heard Marcus's name being called from Dorsella's bedroom. He didn't hesitate to go in. I walked around looking at the artwork and pottery, nothing to impressive. I went onto the deck, the wind was cool and salty. I looked around, ocean on all sides of us.

### "You must be the human?" I heard a males voice ask in a strong accent. I turned towards him. A black haired man was sitting on a crate.

### "Yes." I answered.

### "I am Nicholas." he introduced himself, holding out his hand. I shook it.

### "Nice to meet you, I am Nora." I smiled.

### "Nice to meet you Nora." he said, "Its lovely isn't it?" he asked looking out at the ocean.

### I turned my head to look in the direction he was. "Yes, I never been on the ocean before and I never been out of the country before now either." I took a deep breath of the salty air.

### "Your from the United States? I am from Transylvania." I gave him a funny look. "I know ironic isn't it." we both chuckled.

### "I am originally from Tampa, Florida. My husband is from Texas." I said, making conversation.

### "Husband huh? Where is this husband?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

### "I'm not sure, on this ship somewhere I am sure." I looked around.

### "Is he Vampire? Or human?" he asked.

### "Neither." I watched his expression become amused.

### "Ah, the werewolf that's on board, Matthew?" he seemed interested.

### "Yes, have you met him?" I asked.

### "Oh yes, he is hard to miss even in his human form. I am surprised he hasn't broken you yet." he started to laugh.

### I chuckled a little too, "I been wondering that too, but we have a child together. That's the reason why I am here." I lowered my head.

### "Ah Yes, the infant girl, that scum Noah has." I looked at him.

### "Nicholas, what do you do here?" I asked.

### "I am a guard of Queen Dorsella, among other things." he smiled.

### "Yes, no disrespect to Dorsella but it seems she has a 'close' relationship with all her guards." I could feel my face getting red.

### He began to laugh, "Oh yes, when you're a vampire your appetite for sex is just as strong as your appetite for blood. But we learned to control both over time. As for me I am over 300 years old, so I am well controlled." he was looking at me then his eyes moved to something behind me. I looked, it was Matt.

### "Matt, where you been?" I asked.

### "Going over some stuff with Troy and a few other guards. We waited for Dorsella but she never showed." His eyes went to Nicholas. "Want to go lay down with me?" he asked.

### "Yes." I turned to look at Nicholas, "Nice to have met you."

### "Nice to have met you too, beautiful Nora." he smiled.

### We went to the room, Matt looked really tired. He took off all his clothes and slid under the heavy red comforter. "Come join me." he smiled. I knew that tone and I knew what he wanted. I took off all my clothes and slid next to him. His skin was warm and felt good. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him.

### I rolled over to face him and began kissing him. I ran my fingers down his back, feeling bumps form on his smooth skin. We soon got caught up in the moment. We both were enjoying this time together. We have been too busy with finding April, we needed this moment together.

### I woke up freezing, Matt was gone. I rose up searching the room, No Matt in sight. I slide out of bed and placed both my feet on the metal floor. My instant reaction was to pull my feet up.

### "Shit that's cold." I shivered. That was it I had to pee. I looked around for my clothes and saw my socks sitting on the arm of the chair at the end of the bed, that was half way across the room.

I climbed on the bed and crawled to the foot. I looked at the distance. 'I can do this' , I thought. I stretched my hand out as far as I could, a little too far. Next thing I knew I was toppling over the edge of the bed. Landing on my bare ass on the cold metal floor. I didn't move at first. I was too stunned at how stupid of a move that was.

### The door flew open and Marcus was standing there with the deer in the headlights look. "You ok?" he asked. I just looked at him then it hit me.

### "Oh crap!" I yelled, grabbing my shirt off the now very close chair and covered up. The look on his face was of amusement.

### "What happened?" he asked stifling a laugh.

### "Never you mind! Get out of here!" I yelled pointing to the door. He turned and walked out the door. I heard him burst out in laughter as soon as the door shut behind him. I hurried up, grabbed my clothes and booked it to the bathroom. By the time I got out Matt had returned with a tray of food and he was smiling. "Why are you smiling?" I asked.

### "Nothing really, just Marcus telling me what happened." he handed me a glass of orange juice.

### "You find that funny huh?" I asked, he shook his head. "So having a stranger seeing your wife naked isn't upsetting you?" I looked at him confused.

### "Marcus is strange but I don't think I have to worry about him. He only thinks of humans as food nothing more." he began to smile again.

### "What? You seem to be in a very cheery mood for some reason." I sat on the bed watching him stuff his face with eggs.

### "I am just in a good mood that's all. Is it a crime to be happy?" he was getting annoyed with me, I could tell by his tone.

### "No, but I cant seem to think of nothing but April." I sat my glass of juice down. I was suddenly tired, very tired I wanted to go back to sleep. Matt sat his plate down and stood in front of me.

### "I know babe, I'm trying not to think about it, so I can get myself together." I looked up at him, "your going to have to eat and get plenty of rest. This trip is dangerous we need our wits about us and our strength." I could see the tension on his face and neck.

### "I know your right, its just hard not knowing if she is being taking care of." I took a deep sigh.

### "You heard what Jessie said that Corbin is taking wonderful care of her." he sat beside me, "think positive, that's the only thing that gets me by." he wrapped his arms around me. I curled up into his side. "You better eat." he handed me a plate of eggs and bacon. I picked up a piece of bacon and nibble on it.

### We finished eating and Matt took the tray back to the kitchen. I pulled out a book that I found earlier to read. It was good getting caught up in the story, leaving reality for just a few minutes. A knock on the door snapped me out of the story. "who is it?" I asked startled.

### "Marcus! I have something for you." he said from the other side of the door.

### "Come in." I put down the book and stood up. Marcus walked in holding a tv and Troy had a DVD player and a stack of DVDs. "so you have something to do and wont be falling out of bed naked again." they both chuckled.

### "Very funny, Marcus." I took the stack of movies from Troy's hand. There were some good ones. One was American Werewolf in London and another was The Lost Boys. I held up the Lost Boys movie. "Really?" They looked at each other, then at me and busted into laughter.

### "Sure, why not? Its always fun to see how Hollywood gets this stuff wrong every time." Marcus worked on the TV and Troy was staring at me with a weird glint in his eyes. If I didn't know better I would think that he was checking me out.

### "What do you mean?" I asked.

### "Crucifixes, holy water, steak through the heart.... Wait that one will work. Anyway Garlic, please that stuff never works."

### "So what makes being a vampire different then being human?" I asked them. I watched their expressions turn to amusement.

### "Strength, immortality and sex appeal." Troy said winking at me.

### "Ah, Yeah ok. I think that's good I can get it from here." I shooed them out of the room. I then turned my attention to the tv and movies. I put in The Lost Boys first, didn't get the movie before I was asleep.

### I woke up to someone getting in bed with me, "Matt?" I whispered.

### "Shhh Yeah, go back to sleep." I felt his warm body against mine. I wrapped my arm in his and I fell back to sleep against him.

### I was in the bedroom when the door busted open and Troy was standing there naked. His perfect body and handsome face staring at me, wanting me. He smiled at me, slowly walked to me with his arms outstretched in front of him. "Nora, come let me show you what makes vampires different from humans and werewolves." I took his hand and he pulled me tight to his chest. We began kissing and he began to rip my clothes off me and they fell to the floor in shreds.

### "I shouldn't." I tried to pull away. He pulled me back and began kissing my neck and bare shoulders. He then pulled his head back smiling at me baring his sharp white teeth and then he bit my neck. I could feel the blood run down my body.

### I woke up with a jolt, looking around the room in a daze. Matt was looking at the DVDs. "You ok?" he asked, obviously concern.

### "Just a bad dream." I took several breaths to calm myself.

### "What was it about?" he asked.

### "It was stupid." I stretched, "want to watch a movie with me?" I walked over to him.

### "Did you realize these are mostly about werewolves and vampires? Seriously, The Howling? I watched this when I was a kid." he picked up another movie, "American Werewolf in London, The Lost Boys, Wolf and Dracula." he then picked up another movie. "Oh look we have a odd one here, Night of the Living Dead. Zombies really?" he sat the movie down. "they're all crap!"

### "I don't think they are doing this on purpose, even if they are this stuff don't scare me." I rubbed his back. He was pissed.

### "You know the whole werewolf movie crap is fake right?" he furrowed his brows.

### "Yes, to them this stuff is just science fiction. Don't be upset about it." I went to touch his arm, he pulled away from me. I could see him shaking with anger. "Why are you so mad? They are only movies."

### "That's not what I am pissed about." he sat down heavy in the chair.

### "Then why?" I asked.

### "No reason. They said we should be there soon and to be off this damn boat sounds wonderful. I feel trapped in here." he was gripping the arms of the chair with his hands making the wood creak in them. I went over and sat in his lap.

### "Matt?" I pulled his face towards mine and kissed him. I felt him relax. "its ok, I know the truth so just relax. Its just you and me right now." our eyes met, we both smiled.

### "Oh yeah, what are you thinking?" he began to lift my shirt in the back. I didn't answer I just began kissing him.

### We laid there naked watching the movie Wolf. Matt actually was more relaxed then I thought he would be. The movie wasn't bad, alittle odd watching Jack Nicholson in that kind of role.

We all made our way off the ship, happy to be off it. I made my way off as well. I was so happy I was ready to kiss the dock. Matt was off with Troy and few other guards. They didn't trust his kind, I trusted werewolves more than vampires any day.

### Dorsella made her way off the ramp, completely decked out in her white armor. She had her hand resting on her sword as did the rest of her guards.

### "On your guard everyone." she ordered. I was the only human amongst everyone that made me nervous. Matt was in human form, but he too wasn't human, not any more. He was always close, never leaving my side for a moment. After her announcement Matt stood beside me, always on the ready for whatever would come.

### "Don't worry babe, I'm not going to be far." he kissed my forehead, morphed and ran ahead with the other guards. Marcus and Dorsella where beside me in their protective stance. Marcus was my bodyguard and he took that task seriously.

### "It's ok Nora." Marcus assured me. "I will protect you or die trying." I looked at him, his eyes where serious.

### I smiled at him, "Thank you Marcus." I heard some noise behind us. A female servant was carrying two backpack with her down the ramp with some canteens. She handed me a canteen and the rest to Dorsella.

### "Here Nora." Dorsella handed me one of the backpacks, "it's a long hike to the Abbey and Red Road can be dangerous, you will need supplies." I slowly took the bag from her hand. It had some weight but nothing I couldn't handle.

### "Thank you." that's the only thing I could say or think of saying.

### "You have your dagger right?" she asked. I reached down and pulled it out of the sheathing. "Very good, keep that close to you." she then turned her attention to the trail and to the sky, "there is a storm coming." I looked up to the sky as well. Some dark gray clouds covered the pale blue sky and the wind gave hints of an upcoming storm. "I hope we make it to the mountain pass before then..... We better go." Marcus picked me up in his arms.

### I turned to looked at him. "What are you doing?" I asked.

### "We have to make it before the storm hits, if your walking we will never get there on time." he arched his dark eyebrow.

### "Ok, don't drop me." I insisted. Marcus did something I haven't heard him do since the bedroom incident, he began to laugh.

### "Don't worry Nora, I wont." he was still snickering, then he pulled me closer to his chest. We were off with such speed and grace. I couldn't tell if we were even moving. Then I heard thunder in the distance.

### "We must hurry!" Dorsella urged. "I see a cave ahead, we should stop there for the night." Next thing I realized we were stopped on the inside the cave. It was dark. "Marcus?" she called.

### "Yes, milady?" he sat me down making sure I was stable before letting me go.

### "Start a fire and Michael search the cave make sure its safe." she ordered, they bowed their heads and went about their orders. "Tomorrow we will have more time and a lot more road to travel." She pulled out the map. Alton, one of the other guards that decided to join us. He was also the one who was naked in Dorsella's bed. He walked over to Dorsella to study the map as well. They went off on their own little conversation. I was alone in the cave with nothing but a small lantern glowing on the ground. They didn't need it so they left it there for me.

### I found a rock leaning against the wall, I decided to sit and search my bag. I unzipped it and reached it to see what I had. I had sandwiches, drinks, a change of clothes and some other stuff. I pulled out a sandwich and began to nibble at it. I stood up chewing on my the bite.

### Flames erupted in the center of the cave, scaring the crap out of me. Marcus was looking at me laughing. I scowled at him, I sat back down on the rock and watched him enjoying himself getting the fire going.

### I made my way over to the fire, where everyone was gathered. No one was eating or talking because like I said before I was the only human. If anyone was eating I would be the main dish. I sat down next to Dorsella who was staring into the fire.

### "Fire is so beautiful," she said softly, "it has so many uses, it can give life and destroy it."

### I looked at her, "what's the plan for tomorrow?"

### "We make our way up the mountain pass and joined the others. The guards should have the way clear for us." she stood up, and started out the door, "Alton and Michael lets go?" he ordered.

### I stood up, "Go where?" I asked.

### She turned and smiled. "To feed, there is a small village close by." I looked at her in horror. "Don't worry Nora, we wont hurt any children." I looked back at Marcus who had this yearning look on his face.

### "Go Marcus, I will be ok." he jumped to his feet, looked at Dorsella.

### "We wont be gone long... stay safe." she smiled and they were gone instantly. I was alone in the cave and jumping at any little sound. I heard a noise and I would jump. I began to feel foolish, like a coward.

### "If I am going to save April I have to have courage." I reassured myself. I dug out my sleeping bag. I better get some sleep, besides if I am asleep I wont be such a friggin chicken. I chuckled at myself.

I woke up to the sound of shuffling inside the cave. I darted up with my dagger in my hand. Marcus was standing 5 feet from me, putting out the fire. He froze for about 10 second then began to laugh. GRRR! I felt like I was his own personal amusement.

### It was first light, there was a heavy mist in the air. I could hear strange birds outside. "What time is it?" I asked Marcus.

### "5am, we have to get a move on if we are going to make it to our next destination before dark." he kept throwing dirt on the fire. I slipped on my boots and rolled my sleeping bag up and tied it to my backpack. Dorsella was discussing something with Alton, it looked intense.

### "You ready Nora?" Dorsella asked.

### "Yeah, lets go." I threw my back pack on and we headed out into the misty morning air.

### We went on for awhile, following the map perfectly. My feet were getting a little tired but I pressed on. It was noon when we finally reached the top of the mountain pass to where the rest of the group. Matt was on the edge of the mountain looking out over the vast expansion of land, full of trees. I walked over to him and placed my hand on his arm. He turned to see who it was. He noticed it was me he wrapped his very large arms around me and pulled me close.

### "We must press on!" Dorsella ordered.

### We came upon a small village in the middle of nowhere. They all seemed to be having some kind of festival. "Whats This?" I asked

### "Not sure." Dorsella answered, looking around at all the laughing and partying people. They were drinking and having a good time. Marcus had this look on his face.

### "I know what this is." he said looking at me dead in the eye.

### "What?" I asked.

### "Varulvar." he answered.

### "Whats varul..var?" I could barely say it.

### Dorsella smiled at my sad attempt to pronounce it, "Oh yes, werewolf."

### "Werewolf?" I repeated.

### "Yes, Lord Vladire use to be the king of this country. He was cursed with the werewolf. He ran all the evil out of this land. This is a celebration of peace to honor that."

### A small child and his mother walked by us. The woman was obviously drunk. Dorsella smiled at the little boy who was gripping his mothers hand tightly. I leaned in real close to Dorsella and whispered, "Do they know about...vampires?" I whispered the word vampires really low.

### "Yes...." Dorsella answered.

### Alton interrupted, "we mustn't linger here long." he was watching all the curious eyes on us.

### "Yes, we must get out of this village." Dorsella agreed.

### "Why?" I asked confused.

### "Once they find out we are here..... Well, all hell will break loose on this whole place." Marcus said softly. He then picked me up, "hold on, Nora." All I felt was the breeze from him running. I was so still and exhausted that I fell asleep.

### I felt the sudden jolt of us stopping, my eyes popped open and I began to look around, dazed.

### "Where are we?" I asked.

### Marcus shushed me, "don't talk." he ordered. I heard a growling and I felt myself being handed off to something much bigger than Marcus. I looked up to the familiar eyes of my husband. I rested my exhausted and spinning head on his chest. His heart was thumping hard. I heard a low rumble in his chest, he seen something. I heard a strange sounds and whispers. Matt pressed me close to his body.

### "Whats going on?" I whispered, but no one answered or even acknowledged that I even spoke. Next thing I felt was the familiar vibration and wind, we were running again. Matt's warm body began to make me sweat. His breathing was showing signs of his exertions of his running. I could hear the pads of his feet thumping against the ground as he ran.

### We stopped, Matt sat me on the ground. I watched him slowly change back into his human self. His lightly tanned skin glistened in the moon light.

### "Are you ok?" I asked him.

### "Yes," he panted, "tired is all." he sat down and leaned against a tree, I sat beside him. We both fell asleep.

### I felt something poking me, I slowly opened my eyes to Alton, Marcus and Dorsella staring at us.

### "Do you know where you are?" Marcus asked.

### I rubbed my eyes and yawned, "No, where am I?" I noticed Matt was up and staring behind me. I rose up and turned around, a very large stone wall is all I could see, then a sign that read 'The Gravehille Manor'. "Whats the Gravehille Manor?" I asked.

### Alton stepped forward, "Sir Shelton Rice?" he asked.

### I shook my head, "Who?" I shrugged my shoulders.

### "Back in the early 1900s he owned one of the biggest textile mills in the world?" Alton asked.

### I shrugged again, "That's way before my time." I said.

### "Shelton Rice built this house for his new bride, Lucinda. She was the village beauty. Shelton fell in love with her at first sight. Shelton then bought her for 100 head of cattle and $200. Back then that was a lot of money. Lucinda didn't trust or even love Shelton. So to prove he loved her and to win her affection he built this." he pointed to the big grey building behind us, which now was over grown with plants. "She fell in love with the house and soon they moved into it. Lucinda spent all her time decorating. The story goes that one day she came across some notes that Shelton had left on the dining room table by mistake. They were about some experiments he was doing on some homeless people. He wrote that he used them because he knew they wouldn't be missed. Lucinda decided to search to see if what he wrote was true."

### "Was it?" I asked.

### "The story goes that when searching the cellar she came across some mummified remains of some children and human remains in glass jars stored next to the canned vegetables. Also its been said that they were one of the first people to get indoor plumbing which made life a lot easier for them. Lucinda didn't want to cause problems, she was in love with the manor and wanted to stay. So she ignored what she found, Until.... She was washing her hands in the washroom when the sink began to back up. Dark sticky ooze was coming up from the drain pipe at closer inspection... it was blood. Lucinda packed what she need and fled. For 4 years she led a normal life under a different name. But she couldn't hide form Shelton Rice, heartbroken, he hunted her down and killed her."

### I looked at all their faced, "Your pulling my legs aren't you?" They shook their heads, "Oh please this sounds more like something from a scary movie." I chuckled nervously.

### Dorsella shook her head, "No, Its true I knew Shelton Rice, he was a cruel man." something about her face made me believe the story.

### "What kind of experiments did he do?" I asked curiously.

### "All kinds, some say that he created creatures using black magic and science." Dorsella answered.

### "Pah!" I said. They knew I didn't believe it. Matt sat there thinking the same thing I did, BULL!

### We all just stared at the building. I could make out where some gargoyles were and a huge fountain once was. Something caught my eye in the window, a small child.

### "Whoa!" I said pointed to the window, "did you see that?" I watched their eyes go to the window I was pointing at.

### "What did you see?" Marcus asked.

### "Not sure, it looked like a child." I watched their eyes scan the building.

### "Boy or girl?" Marcus questioned me again.

### "Girl... blonde." I looked at Matt, "I think."

### Dorsella had this look on her face that seemed uneasy, that she knew I was telling the truth. "Marcus, you and Alton go check it out, you know what to do if you find anything."

### "Yes, Milady." they both answered in unison, bowed their heads and they disappeared over the stone wall. Matt was right next to me with his large hands around my waist. I stared at the house, I found myself glancing from window to window, looking for what I saw before. I turned towards Matt his eyes were fixed on the manor, I followed his gaze.

### There was a figure staring at us, "Dorsella?" I tapped her shoulder.

### She turned staring at the map, "Yes Nora?" she answered.

### "Look." I whispered. He head slowly rose to where we were looking.

### She dropped the map and disappeared over the wall. I picked up the map, folded and put it in my back pocket. They could do whatever they wanted in there. But Matt and I weren't going to follow.

### After several hours of waiting I was being to get bored. I walked around, pacing back and forth. I dislike waiting it drove me nuts, Matt was sitting down scratching his arm.

### Marcus and Alton returned, surprised to find Dorsella wasn't there. They looked at us suspiciously, "Where is she?" Marcus growled.

### "She ran inside." I answered.

### "Why?" Marcus charged at me, Matt got between us, defensively.

### "I don't know, we saw a child in that window." I pointed to the window, "then she just took off inside." they both took off back over the stone wall again.

### Matt was still in his defensive stance and this time he was staring at the building, baring his teeth and growling. I heard many tiny footsteps coming towards us on the other side of the wall.

### My heart began to gallop away with me, fear swept over me. I began to hyperventilating. The sounds of something small clawing at the wall, more like many small things. Sounds of high pitched child-like growls filled the silence. I could hear their nails scratching the stones in the wall, determined to get through.

### Matt scooped me up and ran me away from there. We stopped about a half mile from a small town. He morphed back into this human self. He pulled out some clothes from my backpack. Walking into the town naked will surely draw attention to him.

### We went into the town, people running around doing their normal business. A man was standing outside of his shopping shouting something, we looked at each other. "I have no clue, babe." Matt snickered. We went to walk past him, the man grabbed Matt and disappeared into the shop. It took me half a second to follow him inside. He wanted Matt to buy some suits, "I don't speak whatever your speaking." Matt said to the man.

### He pointed at Matt, "AH! English!" he said excitedly, "you buy new suit make more handsome, make womans go crazy for you." the man smiled.

### Matt pointed to me, "My wife wouldn't like that." he smiled.

### The man wasn't about to give up, "Maybe wife will like handsome man in new suit." they both looked at me.

### I smiled, "maybe."

### Matt gave me a look like, help. I shook my head. It felt good to do some normal stuff with Matt, even with all that was going on. I walked over to a rack of shirts and began looking at them, sliding them apart to see the designs on the front of them.

### "What you think?" Matt asked emerging from the changing room. I turned around looking at him, he was in a black suit with a white shirt and red silk tie. I was surprised he had a suit that fit him.

### "I like it." I smiled.

### He walked over to a full length mirror, "not bad." he decided to buy it and have it sent to our Philly house.

### We decided against our better judgment to return to the manor ruins. As we got closer we saw dark smoke bellowing above the treetops, Matt ran faster. The roof was visible now and it was engulfed in flames. Marcus, Alton and Dorsella were watching it burn.

### "What happened?" I asked as Matt sat me down on the ground. They spun around with their swords drawn and their eyes glowing red with fury.

### "Whoa!" I put up my hands defensively, "Its me."

### It took them a minute to recognize me, "Sorry Nora." Marcus apologized, "we just..." he trailed off, "we should get moving." Matt scooped me back up and we were on our way once again.

### It was dark out, I should say black. The darkness was thick and heavy. The whole world seemed silent, the only noise I could hear was the steady of Matt's thumping heart and his feet thudding against the ground, I couldn't hear the others. Matt had me pressed against his chest, everything was muffled.

### I must of fell asleep because when I woke up I could see light under Matt's arm. Matt began to breathe heavy, we stopped. At that moment I realized that he was getting tired more then ever.

### "Matt you ok?" I asked. He shook his head, I walked over to him and I hugged him, "Its about April?" he sighed, " I miss her too." I stroked his head, "I love you Matt."

### Dorsella was on top of a huge boulder looking out with a pair of binoculars, "There is a building up ahead, I think its Castle Von Meer." she turned and looked at us, "It will be safe there for the night." she through on her backpack.

### Matt was beginning to be sluggish, his breath was labored and he was beginning to pant. We made it to the castle, the rest of the group was waiting for us. "Matt needs to rest." I ordered. Matt morphed back into his human self.

### "I just need a few hours of sleep, then I will be good to go." he looked beat.

### "Troy and Alton went in to see if there is any danger inside." Dorsella said looking at the map, "there is a cave deep inside here, it is suppose to be the healing waters."

### "Healing waters?" I asked.

### "Yes." she folded the map and looked inside the building. We waited for them to return. Matt passed out leaning against the building, this time I watched over him.

### Marcus and Alton returned, "Its safe to go inside." Marcus insisted. I gentle shook Matt to wake him up.

### "Matt come on lets go inside." I lightly tugged on his arm. He woke up and obediently followed me inside.

### We stepped into a huge room with massive staircases on each side leading upstairs. Vines and moss grew on the walls and floors, puddles were formed on the floor from the previous rain. We followed the others to the right.

### "This will be ok for the night." Marcus said starting a fire in the huge fireplace. I laid Matt's sleeping bag out next to mine. He wasted no time in climbing in it and falling fast asleep. I couldn't sleep so I decided to go off and explore the castle. I walked across the mass entrance to the other side to a large room which was once a formal dinning room.

### The table and several chairs remained. Huge tapestries hung on the wall and broken vases littered the floor. I followed the long corridor down several feet when the floor wasn't underneath me. I woke up in darkness, no light at all. I stood up feeling the remains of the floor that was once above me. I stretched my hands out in front of me like a blind person. I felt something smooth, it was the wall. I felt my way along the wall for what seemed like forever.

### I found myself alone in the darkness, no Matt, no Dorsella or Marcus. I was scared, the darkness was thick, and feeling like having my head was under a blanket almost suffocating. I felt my way along the cold, damp wall hoping to find something to get me out of there.

### My foot hit something, something firm. I froze with fear. I bent down to see what it was. I couldn't believe what I was feeling. I felt a leg, my breath caught in my chest.

### "Oh my God." I said aloud. It was a body, it was still warm. I slowly stood up.

### "Help..." someone said, barely a whisper. I bent back down to touch the body again. I felt a hand reach up and grab my arm, "Help me." This time I recognized the voice.

### "Josh?" I said softly.

### "Nora...I can't move, they chained me to the wall." I heard him move the chain. I reached down and felt a shackle wrapped around his leg, which led to a chain that was anchored into the wall.

### "I'll see what I can do, be right back." I reassured him.

### I heard a soft snicker, "if this was a scary movie, I would be dead when you got back." I am glad he couldn't see my face because I was giving him a dirty look.

### "Don't be so, morbid, and don't die!" I ordered him, I stood up and started down the hall some more.

### My hand hit something metal, I felt it again, a doorknob. I slowly turned it. It opened easily, "Josh?" I called down the hall.

### "Still here." he sounded faint but he was talking, thank goodness.

### "I found a door, I will be right back." I heard him snicker again,

### "I'm not going anywhere." his voice was beginning to sound weak. I hurried into the door, not looking where it led.

I blinked wildly at the bright light in the room. I waited for my eyes to adjust. I noticed it was some sort of workshop. I walked over to the worktable, moving stuff around, hoping to find anything that would help. I saw a key ring hanging on a hook. I picked it up, hoping that one of them would be for the lock to Josh's shackles. I saw a flashlight on a shelf. I picked it up, please let this work, I thought to myself. I pressed the button; the light was bright, yes! I thought. I searched the room more, Praying there was another door, but there was nothing.

### I noticed some boxes in the corner. One by one, I checked them for anything useful, but mostly old newspapers. I moved the last box; there was a tiny fridge behind it. I opened it, I sighed in relief. There was water in it and a few other things. I grabbed water and the first aid kit that rested on top of it. I shoved the flashlight in my hoodie pocket, the first aid kit under my arm and the bottle of water in my other hoodie pocket. Gave the room one last look then headed for the door.

### I made my way out to the dark hallway, this time armed with a flashlight. I turned the light on; it was like a beacon, signaling to on coming ships. I shined it down the hallway. I was surprised how close I was to Josh. He covered his eyes when the beam hit him.

### "Wow, that's bright." I didn't waste any time I ran back down the hall, this time at full speed.

### I bent down next to Josh, I handed him the water, "Here." he opened it and gulped a few drinks as I fumbled around with the key. After I checked half of them, I was about to give up.

### "I am going to try this last key, if it doesn't work, I am going back in there and get the hack saw."

### "Hacksaw?" Josh gave me the look, "Seriously?" I shook my head, I put the key in the lock, it twisted in the lock, and we heard a soft click.

### "Yes!" Josh sighed, I bent down checking his leg, and it looked broken.

### "Can you walk? I can't do much here for your leg." I asked.

### "Yeah, if you help me." he put his right hand on my shoulder his other hand on the wall and we started down the corridor.

### I sat Josh down on the worn sofa in the room. I bent down at his feet. I ripped his pants to look at his leg; I washed it off with some of the bottle water from the fridge. "Shit that's cold!" he complained.

### "Oh suck it up, baby." We both chuckled, I then poured some

### Hydrogen peroxide on his huge gash on his leg, it bubbled.

### "Shit! That stings!" he whined, "so much for being the reckless one." I looked up at him, his brown hair was matted, and his scare was barely visible with all the blood and bruises on his face. It got uncomfortable quiet in the room.

### "Josh, what about Corbin? He took my daughter. Do you know why?" I asked, still attending his wounds.

### "Yes, it was to lure you in here to.... to Noah." He lowered his head.

### "Why? I thought Corbin was a good guy." I felt my heart speed up.

### "He is, I don't know how much I should tell you." our eyes met, he sighed, "Corbin has a plan, at first he wasn't going to take your baby, but he had to make things look good for Noah. Noah thinks Corbin has turned bad but he hasn't. He took the baby on one condition, that he would keep her with him at all cost. He takes real good care of her." he adjusted himself; I think he was trying to ease my mind. "When he told me about his plan I thought he was nuts." he kept his eyes down.

### "How did you end up here?" I asked placing a bandage over his leg.

### "We were flanked in the woods, they thought I was unconscious, that's when I heard Noah tell Corbin that several of his men caught your scent in Philadelphia. They're going to come to your house to kill you and the baby. Corbin doubled back to intercept, he then made a deal with him about the baby." I stood up, "he saw you at the bank, and he said he followed your sent, he just had to see you." I felt my whole body shiver.

### "Who did this to you?" I asked.

### "One of Noah's henchmen." he raised an eyebrow, "Corbin said he willing to die again, just to protect you and the baby, even though you moved on, he still loves you." I felt a tear fall down my face. I quickly wiped it away.

### "Whats Corbin's plan?" I asked this time with a more stern voice.

### "To lead Noah into a false sense of security and kill him once and for all." he replied.

### "I don't understand. Do you know how Noah survived?" I sat next to him on the sofa.

### "No, I know how Corbin survived." I looked at him, waiting for him to continued, "Corbin said he was in the backseat of the car. I heard you talking to him and he felt death. When he seen this white wolf, it told him that he had to live, that you needed him. If he died, you would die and that he had to fight. Kyle didn't bury him; he just put him in their parent's crypt. It was easy for him to escape." I looked at him.

### "A white wolf?" I questioned.

### "Yes, a wolf spirit, It's been said when one of my kind sacrificed themselves for someone they love, a white wolf will give us a second chance to make things right. So we can pass to the other side. Us being... What... We are.. It's hard for us to move on, so Corbin got his mission. His mission is you, it always has been you." he took another gulp of his water.

### "What happens when things are better I mean, when I am no longer in danger?" I asked, I knew the answer,

### "He will die, and move on to the next life." his face dropped. We heard a faint howl in the distance.

### My head snapped towards it's, "Who was that?" I darted up.

### He was smiling, "It's Matt, and he is looking for you." I looked at him, "Yes he knows you're around here somewhere."

### "Can you call to him?" I asked, "Turn and let him know I am here." he bowed his head,

### He began shaking his head, "No, they gave me a shot that keeps me from turning." he looked disappointed. There was a banging on the wall; I jumped, grabbing the first thing I saw, which was a hammer. I looked down at it and turned it with the claws face up. I was ready to hit anything that came through the wall.

### The pounding began to knock dust off the ceiling falling on us. I was shaking so hard my teeth were chattering. I could taste the metallic of my adrenaline pumping through my veins.

### "Relax, it's your husband." Josh said, all relaxed on the sofa.

### "Matt!" I yelled towards the wall, the pounding stopped, then started again.

"He heard you; he is a tough son of a bitch." I smiled at him, thinking to myself, he sure is.

### With one big bang, there stood my husband, sorta. He stood there breathing heavy, his massive shoulders falling up and down with each breath. I smiled, even in his wolf form he was still a welcomed sight.

### I watched him, transform in to his human self, "Nora!" he was still out of breath.

### I ran to him, he engulfed me in his massive arms, "Thank God you're ok!" he lifted my face to his and kissed me, as if he hasn't seen me in years.

### "Your ok? You're not hurt?" he asked checking me out.

### "Yes, I'm ok, but Josh isn't." I pointed to Josh on the couch.

### "Josh? Kyle was thinking you were dead." Matt made his way over to him.

### "Nope, I am alive and kind of kicking with one leg" he lifted his good leg. Matt turned his attention back to me.

### "April is in this building somewhere, we can hear her crying, but not sure where its coming from." he went back to the hole in the wall, "can you run?" he asked.

### "Yes, what about Josh?" I turned and looked back at him.

### "Don't worry about me, I'll be ok, Go!" Josh motioned for me to go. Matt turned back into his other form. He picked me up and started carrying me down the hall. I head a soft cry, a baby's cry.

### "Stop!" I yelled, "Listen?" we both held out breath, another cry. We looked at each other, "it's her." I began to cry, Matt pressed me against his furry chest, "Let's go!"

### He ran with incredible speed down the dark corridors, towards the sound of the baby. The sound was getting louder and louder, and then it stopped. We stopped moving, my heart thudded in my chest, feeling like it was going to break a rib.

"I don't hear her anymore!" I was stifling a sob. Matt put me down and howled. WOW! I thought, that was loud. I put my fingers in my ears. He waited for a rely, then in the distance there was a faint howl. He scooped me back up and ran some more. I couldn't see where I was going, even if my eyes weren't being covered by Matt's thick and black fur. Things where whizzing past me, everything was a blur.

### We rounded the corner; I heard a sound like something was triggered. The floor gave out from under us, with one swift motion he threw me up. I watched him fall into darkness, "MATT!" I yelled. I heard a sickening thud, "NO! Matt!" I yelled again. Nothing, not even a whimper.

I looked around to see where I was. I remembered that I kept the flashlight. I shined it down the opening; there was Matt, still a werewolf. Whew! I thought, he was just knocked out.

### "Matt!" I yelled, then I seen him stir alittle, "Matt!" he got up slowly. His head turned towards me. He began looking around, "Can you jump up....." I stopped in mid-sentence. I heard her cry again, so did Matt. I stood up, "Matt she's close." I heard him growl, I heard the familiar sound of ripping.

### "No don't go Nora, help me get out of here." I stood up and began to look around for anything to get him out of there. I saw another hallway. I hesitated, but I needed to get him out of there. I walked up the hall some distance. I heard the sound of a door opening behind me. An icy chill shot through my body. I slowly turned there was Queen Dorsella and two of her guards.

### "Nora!" she was surprised to see me.

### "Thank goodness, Matt is trapped in a hole, I need your help!" I was sounding hysterical.

### "Of course, show us where?" they sheathed their weapons and followed me to Matt. We returned to the hole and he wasn't there,

### "He was here." Both guards drew their weapons. They were staring behind me. I turned in the direction of their gaze. It was Matt; "Matt!" he growled at the guards, "put your weapons away." I ordered them. They waited for Dorsella to tell them to obey me before they did.

### "Did you jump?" I asked, Matt stayed in his fighting stance until he thought it was safe. He scooped me up again and began running. This time with three vampires on our heel. Matt didn't trust them, and I had some doubts. Even though they never did anything for us to distrust them.

### We were outside in some kind of outdoor hot spring. Steam was raising heavy off the water with the rocks surrounding it. Grass was lush and green; it had a tropical feel to it.

### "This is the legendary healing springs." Queen Dorsella said looking down at it with awe. "All my hundreds of years, I thought I would never see it." One of her guards went to stick his hands in the water; she grabbed his wrist before he could. "Don't drink it or touch it unless you want to be human again." she was looking at everyone. She looked at Matt and me, "this is where they use to take my kinds when they wanted to punish them. They would bring them down here. Dunk them in to make them mortal so they could be killed." she and the other guards stayed clear of the water, not even coming close to it, Matt stayed clear of it too.

### "A door!" Marcus said pointing to a rusted door on the other side. We carefully made our way around the spring. Troy tried the handle but it was shut tight. Matt changed back into a human so he could talk.

### "It's locked, where is the key?" Troy asked.

### "There, in the water." Marcus pointed to something gold in the water. "How are we supposed to get that? I don't want to be human." No one volunteered and I didn't blame them. With the battle that was ahead I would want to be immortal.

### "I'll do it." everyone's eyes where on me. "What?" I stepped toward the water.

### Matt gently grabbed my arm, "you sure?"

### I touched his face, "I am the only one who can." I kissed him. I took off all my clothes except my underwear. I sighed, I slowly stepped into the water. No surprise it was warm, like bath water warm. I took two quick breaths and went under. I swam as far as I could with the breath I had, came up for another. I was just a few feet from the key when something brushed against my leg. I turned, nothing was there. I picked up the key and turned to go back.

### I swam to surface, "I have it!" I threw it, I watched Troy catch it. I felt suction pulling me. I fought to break the surface again. "Help!" I yelled. I felt the pull again this time I couldn't fight, I was sucked down. I fell quickly into another pool, I hurried and broke surface. I coughed some to clear my lungs.

### I climbed out of the pool. I was in a cave; moss grew on the rocks on the side of the pool. It wasn't as warm as the one I just came from in fact, I was freezing. I shivered uncontrollably. I hoped Matt would come looking for me. My teeth began to chatter and I could see my breath.

### A hour went by; I was beginning to get sleepy. I stood up to wake up but my legs wouldn't let me. I sat back down curled up into a little ball. I leaned my head on the rocky surface of the cave. Sleep was taking me, I just couldn't fight it anymore.

I heard a soft clicking sound that slowly brought me out of sleep. I opened my eyes, they were blurry so I blinked a few times to clear them. I was staring up at a red ceiling, startled I rose up fast. The room was lavishly decorated, I was very disorientated.

"Morning Miss." a man with a heavy accent said. "Glad to see you're awake." I looked in his direction. He slumped over some folded clothes. His back was hunched over, gray hair and he had some missing teeth.

"Where.... Where am I?" I asked.

"Your in the masters bedroom, he found you unconscious." I looked down, I was completely naked.

"I'm naked." I hurried and pressed the thick blanket against my chest.

"Yes, I have you some warm clothes right here." He held up the folded clothes he had in his hand. "The master would like you to join him in the study, when you are dress." he smiled.

"Thank you...ummm?" lowered my head.

"Excuse me, Miss, I am Roland." he introduced himself.

"I am Nora. Could you please give me some privacy?" I asked nicely.

"Of course I will be right outside." he made his way out of the room. As soon as the door was shut. I dressed quickly in a pair of jean and sweatshirt the smell of lavender was heavy on them.

I opened the door to find Roland was waiting for me. "this way miss." I followed him just a short distance. The whole place reminded me of a museum. Old oil paintings hung on the wall, colorful vases decorated the floor and tables. Vivid colored rugs ran down the halls and were in the center of every room I was in. Not a speck of dust was present.

We walked into a room full of book from floor to ceiling. We stood in front of an over sized desk, a chair was turned away form us. I could see a faint glow of a computer monitor. "She is awake, Sir." he said to the person on the other side of the chair.

"Very good Roland, you may leave." the person spoke, he was obviously English, "Welcome to my home." the man said spinning his chair around. I stood there waiting to see an old man. To my surprise he was in his middle 30s and handsome. His hair was blonde pulled back into a tight ponytail, his suit was pressed, and his tie was neatly tied in a perfect bow. The man was no doubt a vampire. His eyes were red, his skin is pale. He smiled at me, "are you hungry?" he asked.

"No, I would like to find the people I was with."

"You mean the 3 men and the woman? They left, I assume looking for you. The big guy seemed to be more anxious then the rest." he raised his eyebrow.

"Matt, he is my husband, we are looking for our daughter, she....."

"The baby?" he interrupted, "I have heard it cry. The dark skin man keeps moving her from one place to another." he took a deep breath.

"April, she is my daughter and the dark guy is Corbin, he... he is here with another guy... Noah."

"Noah? Him I know." he stood up and walked over to a bookshelf.

"How do you know him?" I asked.

Watching him run his finger along the spines of the books, as if he was looking for something. "Ah, here we go," He pulled a worn book off the shelf. He opened it, flipped through the pages gingerly, "Here." he walked over to me with the book open, "this is how I know Noah." I looked down at the page; it was a photo album, to my surprise it was him and Noah standing beside each other.

My eyes flew to his face, "Your Wolfgang Warchec?" I was shocked; I was standing next to Noah's father. I looked at him in horror.

"Oh don't worry, lass, I won't turn you over to him. However, I will admit to one thing. I am the reason why Corbin has your child. I want to destroy Noah." he placed the book back on the shelf.

"He is your son, you're the reason why he is the way he is." I accused.

"Yes, I made a mistake, all those years ago. I betrayed the Crows family and destroy my son of ever having a normal life." he took in another deep breath.

"He is a monster!" I basically yelled at him. "Since he came into my life he has made it miserable." my hands began to shake.

"Yes, I know all about what he has done to you, this is why I must stop him." he sat back down on his chair.

"You're a vampire, right?" I asked.

He smiled, "Yes, turned by my true love." I looked at him.

"True love?"

"Noah's mother, Dorsella." the room began to spin.

"Queen Dorsella is his mother?" I didn't know if I was thinking or asking, too much information hitting me at once. I thought my brain was going in explode.

"Yes, she dislikes him as well, her reason is more legit than mine." he leaned back in his chair, smoothing his jacket of non-existent wrinkles.

"What reason?" I asked.

"She and I were separated when she found out what I did to him. She fell in love with a man and shortly became with child. Noah tried to kill her, she survived but.... she lost the child."

I held up my hand to stop him from speaking, "He tried to kill his own mother? Why" I asked.

"I am not certain, but my guess is that he was jealous of her having another child. He was always wanting her attention even with me." he stood up and walked to the big stain glass window that covers the far side of the wall. "Soon after she met the other man, who was a ruler of a small country." he sighed, "He was a vampire, and she begged him to change her. He gave her what she wanted. I think it was to rid the world of the most evil being that ever existed." he pressed his finger on the glass, tracing the design of the man, woman and child etched onto it.

"How did you....." I trailed off.

He sighed again, "She came to me one evening, begging for my help." He turned to face me from his expression on his face he was debating whether he should tell me it or not. "Noah was 9 and already been locked in a jail. He killed two men out side of the village we lived in. He decapitated them and hung their lifeless bodies from a nearby tree."

"At 9 yrs old?" I was astounded.

"Oh yes, that's not everything he has done. By the time, he was 16 he was completely out of control. Then he found out he could make others like him by biting, sex or any other fluid transfusion."

"He tried to turn me." I said looking at him.

"Yes, I know. Corbin told me everything." he walked over and stood in front of me. "That's enough talk about Noah, I bet your ready to get going looking for your husband and child." I looked up

"Yes, but I have no shoes, supplies or anything." I looked at my bare feet.

"Ah, leave that to me. Roland!" he called out to the other room.

"Yes Sir?" Roland answered

"Find Nora some supplies and some clothes, she will be leaving." Roland bowed his head and left.

"I can't think you enough for this."

"I am sure you will thank me in some way." he sat back in his chair. He turned around and went back at his computer monitor. I walked around the room reading the binding of the books.

"Miss, I have your supplied." I turned and looked at Roland. He was holding a down jacket with a fur rimmed hood, a backpack and a pair of boot with socks shoved in them.

"Thank you Roland." I took the boots from him, "I don't know where to go." Roland just shrugged.

"Roland, give her a horse. Give her Blaze, my horse." I turned and looked at him, he never moved. Roland sat the stuff down and left.

I put the socks, boots, jacket and backpack on, "Thank you again, Mr. Warchec." No answer.

### I waited for Roland to return, I found gloves in the pocket of the jacket. Roland returned and showed me out to where he had left the horse.

### It was cold out and morning; I could see the sun rising in the distance.

"This is Blaze. He is the Masters horse, very well trained and loyal to his rider." the horse was shiny black, very beautiful. "Thank you Roland." He then handed me a map and GPS.

"The next village is already programmed in it. The map will work when the GPS won't. You should reach it before midday." he went back inside. I mounted the horse. I pulled the hood up and tied it under my chin.

"Ok Blaze lets go." I gave the horse a light tap in it side.

### I rode for hours, watching the sun get lower and lower in the sky. I kept looking at my gps, watching the village marker getting closer and closer. I could see rain clouds forming in the distance.

### My butt was sore and I was getting tired. I wondered where the hell is this small village. I rode to the top of a small hill; there in the horizon was smoke. The closer I got I noticed tall stonewall and inside it was the town that time forgot.

### I dismounted Blaze and tied him to a tree. I walked through the opening, I felt eyes on me. I watched people staring at me. An old man was standing on deck of one of the buildings. I thought I would ask him if they seen the others.

"Excuse me sir." I said in my nicest voice. The man had a shocked looked on his face. He walked in the building behind him as fast as he could. Shit! I thought. I decided I had better find someone who could help me.

### I walked into a building, my luck it was some kind of eatery. I found a spot just beside the door in case things got hectic I could book it out of there. I heard someone clearing their throat, I looked, it was a woman around 40ish.

"Hi do you speak English?" I asked, she just looked at me, "Guess not." I heard a snicker.

"Hon r Amerikanska, Ester." the woman turned towards the mans voice.

"Amerikanska va?" the woman said the person behind her.

"Ta henne speciell, Ester." The woman turned her head to me, "Kommer hon lämna om jag gör?"

He chuckled, "Intel om du inte sknada dig." She turned and headed to the back of the room. I finally got to see who was talking.

"You speak English?" I asked.

"Yes, I am Victor. If your going to visit here you need to learn the language." he smiled.

"Hi, Victor, I am Nora. I'm not staying; I am looking for a woman and three men that came this way. Have you seen them?"

"No. but if your going to leave, I would wait until morning." he stood up, grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.

"Why?" I asked, he looked around the room at all the other people. They were whispering and acting scared.

"Let's just say, if the people wont get to you then other things will." he slipped on his jacket, "here." he handed me a strange piece of paper.

"Whats this?" I asked

"They don't take American money here." with that, he left. Strange, I thought

The woman returned with a big bowl, some sliced bread and water. It smelled wonderful, my stomach growled. I thanked her, oh, she didn't speak English, I thought to myself. I ate the fastest I have ever done in my life. I handed her the money that Victor gave me and left.

### In the streets, I could feel eyes watching me, creeping me out. I slid the backpack on and headed to where I left the horse. He was gone. I searched and found footprints, small footprints. I followed them to a barn. I went inside; Blaze was tied up to a post in the middle. I untied him; I felt a little tug on my jacket.

"NO! NO TAKE!" a little voice pleaded. I turned and looked behind me, alittle girl was standing there. She was pretty little thing with big green eyes and red hair, "MINE!" she yelled while pointing at the horse.

I bent down and pointed to myself, "Mine." she backed up. I heard the door open.

"What you do here?" a woman's voice asked. I turned to look. A very tired woman was walking towards me. "Our horse." she pointed to Blaze.

"You speak English?" I asked.

She shook her head, "Yes, some, understand better than speak."

"Good, She took this horse from me, I tied him outside of town and she took him." we both looked at the little girl who was bowing her head in shame.

"Sorry, she just little girl." she put her hand on her daughters shoulder.

"I know, I have to go before its gets too late." I held on to Blazes reigns and started to lead him out.

"Are you looking for the people who came through here earlier?" the woman asked.

"Yes, have you seen them?" I watched her face drain of all color.

"Yes, they just pass." she pointed to the other end of town, "it better go through town then around," she suggested.

"Thank you." I mounted Blaze and galloped out.

### I trotted through town; I noticed the streets where a lot clearer then earlier. Everyone was running inside of their homes, locking doors and windows. I then noticed how dark it was getting. I was left alone in the middle of the streets, in a strange and I do mean strange town.

"Psst!" I heard, "Miss over here." I looked it was the same man from earlier. Motioning me to come inside a barn. I rode Blaze inside the barn. As soon as the horses behind was safely inside, he shut and locked the door.

"Whats going on here?' I asked, dismounted the horse and taking off my bag.

"I have no time to explain, follow me." he ordered, I wasn't going to disobey, since I have no friggin clue what the hell is going on. We walked to the far side of the barn. He picked up a big gold handle and pulled open a trap door, "Get in!" he yelled. I descended the stair. It was so dark I didn't want to go down the stairs. I reached into my pocket and got my lighter. I pulled it out and flicked it a few times before it would light. The lighter didn't help much.

"It's very dark down here." I said in a hush tone.

"Shhh! Just follow the stairs," he ordered, I wasn't about to argue. I carefully but swiftly descended the stairs.

I reached the bottom, thankful I didn't fall. I waited for him to come down. It was so dark I wouldn't know if there was monster down there or not. I heard a match strike then the faint glow. He lit a lantern that was sitting on the table.

"Whats going on?" I quietly asked. He put his finger of his mouth shushing me, "if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

I chuckled alittle, "try me." he got real close to my face.

"Werewolves, that is what is wrong." he pulled out two blankets and through me one, "get some slee..." the sound of growling, tearing and howling above us, made him stop in mid sentence. I was scared; I had no real weapon besides a pocketknife.

I watched shadows above us through the wooden floor planks. I have seen werewolves in actions; I knew the planks wouldn't stop them from coming down here and tearing us to shreds.

"I smell them!" a creep voice from above us called out, "they are close." at first, I thought it was Matt.

"That sounds like my husband." I said alittle too loud.

"Shhh.... Shut up!" he ordered. The footsteps above us stopped, right over my head. I froze.

"Did you hear that?" a females voice, a strange sounding female.

I looked over at Victor; he made the shushing gesture again, "it's a trick." I curled up in the corner scared.

### A rooster crowed, waking me up. I opened my eyes, I survived another night. I heard breathing; I fell asleep on Victors shoulder. I jumped up and dusted myself off. I folded the blanket up and slipped on my jacket. Victor stood up and stretched.

"Is it safe to leave now?" I asked.

"Yes, its daylight." it didn't take me long to ascend the stairs and get out of that hole. Claustrophobia was beginning to set in.

I was expecting to see the horse torn to shreds. At first, I didn't see him. I saw him in the back of the barn, spooked.

"Easy Blaze, Easy boy" I said in a calm voice. He was alittle leery of me at first but after patting him and letting him see who I was he was good. I looked him over to see if he was hurt, he didn't have a scratch on him.

"Where are you going, anyway?" Victor asked.

"The Winston Abbey. How far is it from here?" I didn't even look at him.

"Five day ride, it's not the kind of trip you take alone, especially a woman." I shot a look at him, "I don't mean to be sexist or anything but men in this country look for the opportunity to...um... 'get' a woman like you." he put the emphasis on the word get. I knew what that meant.

"I'm not scared, I can handle myself." I tightened the cinch of the saddle.

"Never the less, I think I should come with you." he disappeared into a stall and led out a beautiful white horse.

"Come with me? I don't know."

"There is something that I haven't told you," he sighed, "I was hired by someone to make sure you reached your destination." I looked at him.

"Who?" I asked

"Master Warchec." he was putting the saddle on the horse.

"You lied to me; you knew who I was and where I was going." I walked over to him.

"Yes, but it was for the best, I am going with you to make sure you get to where your going." he went back down to the room of darkness. I wasn't going to turn down him helping me, because I needed it. I had no idea where the hell I was going or how the hell to get there.

Victor was silent; it was beginning to get boring. I began to hum a few songs, which seemed to annoy him.

"Please stop." he demanded, "I like it silent."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it gives me time to think, this trip is very dangerous, especially in this area." that was all he said. We stopped several time to eat and use the bathroom, but other than that, he wasn't really a happy camper.

"Victor, I don't mean to break your quiet time, but tell me what's your story?" I asked.

"My story?" He looked at me confused.

"Yeah, why are you in this kind of business?"

"Because I am good at it and it pays well. You don't look like the type that needs to worry about money," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I was lucky I was born into a wealthy family and not to long ago my great Aunt died leaving me with her whole estate. Yes, she was wealthy. But that don't mean I don't know what hard work is. I didn't always depend on my family, I worked." my tone must of took him off guard he was staring at me.

"Really doing what?"

"I worked in a warehouse, gas station and babysitting."

"Oh ok, most women watch children, its kind of like readying for when they have children."

"Or it could because some women are good with children."

He shook his head, "maybe, I on the other hand don't like children that's why I never had any."

"Really?" I questioned.

"Yes, why is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't know you seem like the type that would have 10 or so."

He started to laugh, "Nora, just because I seem the type don't mean I am." he was still chuckling alittle.

"It's nice to hear you laugh." I commented.

He turned at looked at me with a smile on his face, "it's been along time since I laughed." then it was back to silence.

### The trail was beginning to get difficult for us. Victor was always on his guard, every little noise he would jump. It made me nervous to watch him. The trails began to get narrower and the mountain began to get steeper. A few times, I was scared of falling off the side of the mountain. About half way up the mountain, the trail crept close to the edge. I was trying not to look down, but I did. The edge was steep at the bottom was a river.

### "Don't look down." Victor ordered

### "Too late." I said.

### We were near the top of a steep incline when Victor stopped. I hurried up to get beside him to see what was wrong. As I peeked over, I saw a man hanging from a tree holding a sign. I couldn't read it the writing was too faded.

### Victor looked at me, "Let's go!" he nudged his horse in the side to make it go, and I did the same.

### We came upon a small village, at first I thought it was a ghost town, until I saw some people peeking out their windows. The people in this little village where very skittish about us.

### "Why are they so scared of us?" I asked Victor.

### "It's because of the creatures that come out at night." he was looking at the buildings.

### "What creatures?" I was curious; he stopped and turned to me.

### "Nora, there are things stalking this land other then werewolves and vampires" his brow were drawn together, "they are called Skuggor." I was confused, he must of seen my look on my face, he sighed, "they are more vicious then werewolves and crave blood more than vampires." I felt my eyes get huge.

### I swallowed hard, "what do they look like?"

### "They call them Skuggor or shadows, because their skin is black, they blend into the shadows." he looked at the sky, it was becoming a dark, "we better find shelter and fast," he said looking around. I looked at the sky, it was beautiful. It was crimson color that I have never seen before, reminding me of blood. I shivered at the word, "there!" he pointed to abandoned house. We trotted over to it. Victor dismounted to check the door. There was a big iron lock mounted on the wooden frame. That didn't stop him, he took out his gun and shot the lock, I jumped.

### "Sheesh!" I placed my hand over my heart,

### He rolled his eyes, "You have to be more alert than that around here." he kicked open the door, "lets go, we don't have much time." I dismounted and we led our horses into the building with us.

### Inside it looked sturdy, only thing that made me worried was the fireplace and the windows. Victor wasn't showing any sign of worry. I on the other hand was visibly shaking.

### "Will this stand up to the Skuggor?" I asked looking around.

### "I don't know maybe." he went around, checking the doors and windows, "yeah, I think we will be ok." he went over to his horse and retrieved something out of his saddlebag. "Here." he handed me a gun. I looked at it and then back at him, "take it, you need protection without it you will die." I carefully took it out of his hand.

### "I don't really know how to use this." I study it.

### "Nothing to it, aim and fire. But make sure you...." he stopped, held up a finger, he was listening.

### "What?" I asked.

### He shushed me, "Hear that?" he walked over to the wall and peeked through a crack. "Shit! They are coming." he ran over to his horse and retrieved another weapon from it. "Be ready." he ordered, I held the gun with both hand.

### The sounds of something clawing at the roof and walls. I was beginning to hyperventilate; my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. Sounds were all over, coming from everywhere. I didn't know what to do. Victor was calm, too calm. He had his eyes fixed on the fireplace. He had his gun drawn and pointing at it, I did the same.

### "Something is coming down the chimney," he said in a hush tone. I watched the dust fall and heard clawing. "Get ready." he ordered. My hands shook so hard it was hard to keep the barrel straight, "easy, Nora." he whispered.

### A black hand grabbed the edge of the mantel. White-eyes emerged from the fireplace along with white teeth. I have never seen anything like it and the noise it made was a high screeching noise, it made me want to cover my ears.

### It was crotched; its long legs up close to its shoulders and long arms where resting on the floor between its legs. It was getting ready to spring when Victor shot in its head, dropping it a few feet from me. I stared at it, "as I said you have to be on alert." I felt like I was going to faint, "stay with me Nora, I wont be able to hold them off by myself." I shook my head.

### "Ok! Ok! "I told myself, "I can do this!" I ready the gun again. The clawing and screeching began to ease up. We heard screaming, women screaming. I looked over at Victor, "are they...." I didn't want to finish.

### He just shook his head, "They gave up on us and moved to the next house." he lowered his head and began to reload his gun, "tomorrow we are going to have to check and see who was bitten." I looked at him.

### "Bitten?"

### "Yes, bitten," he closed the gun chamber, "we will have to shoot the victims in the head so they don't turn into...that." he pointed to dead creature on the floor,

### I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I don't think I can do that."

### "Have courage, girl!" he pulled out a wool blanket and laid it on the floor, "get some rest." I did the same, but falling asleep was easier said then done. The body of the dead Dredge was turning grey and its eyes where now black.

### "Victor, what about that?" I turned to looked at him.

### "He wont bother you now." he rolled back over and went to sleep. The sound of his soft snores and steady breathing made me more relaxed and I drifted off to sleep.

### The sound of people crying woke me up; Victor was already up, "Good Morning, we have to get a move on." I stood up. The Skuggor was gone.

### "What about the victims?" I asked.

### "I took care of that already. We have to get a move on." he waited for me to get up and get ready.

### We headed out of the abandoned house into the center of town. The center was blazing with bodies burning in it, I quickly turned away. I heard the cries of women and children. I wanted to get out of there, too much sorrow. Just at the edge of town there was another fire going, this time not a crowd was gathered around it, just a woman and a boy. The boy had his hand clamped onto his mothers skirt rubbing his eyes.

### "Poppa!" he cried. My heart broke for him; he couldn't be more than five. The woman looked like she was lost and bewildered. They watched us lead our horse out; I could feel their eyes upon us.

### We got out of the village and mounted the horses, the black smoke from the burning bodies rose heavy into the pale grey sky. I began to think about Matt and how would I feel if I lost him. A tear ran down my cheek and my heart felt like it was going to drop into my stomach. I shook my head and told myself to stop thinking like that.

### "We have two more days of riding a head of us." Victor said shaking me more out of my sad thoughts, "the next town is called Kirov." I looked at him.

### "Russia?" I asked.

### "Very good, you know your cities, Yes Russia." he stared at the road ahead as if he were in deep thought.

### It got very quiet; the only sounds that could be heard were bird and the wind hitting the trees.

### "Victor?" I waited for him to acknowledge me; he turned his head slightly, "what are Skuggors? I mean how where they created."

### "No one knows, people have theories but no real proof." a gust of wind blew his hair off his face, exposing a scare on his neck.

### "What are the theories?"

### "What some people think is that they are what you get when vampires mate with other vampires and others just think that they are a sub-species of vampires. Like I said no one knows."

### "What do you think they are?"

### "I don't have any theories on the matter except to kill them when they come near."

### The expression on his face was of fury and hate. I didn't push the issue anymore.

### We came upon an inn, which was odd because it was in the middle of nowhere.

### "An inn?" I asked

### "Yeah, The White Rose Inn, I been here before, the owner is Ivan, nice chap." we dismounted and tied the horses to the post. I took my saddlebags off the horse and Victor did the same. We went inside. The sound of laughter and glasses clanging filled the whole room,

### "VICTOR!" a man greeted us.

### "Ivan, my friend." they hugged.

### He saw me, "Victor." I knew that tone, he thought I was his woman. The Innkeeper laughed.

### "Not what you think, dear friend, but we need a room with 2 beds if you have any available?" The Innkeeper smiled.

### "For you, dear comrade, of course." he handed a key to him and whispered something into his ear that made them look at me, smile. Victor hugged the man and we headed to our room with our saddles.

### We walked up the stairs to our room; the room next to us had a woman moaning. We looked at each other, Victor opened the door. Only one bed, I looked at Victor.

### "Don't worry Nora, I will behave, you don't have to worry about Me." he looked at me, "do I have to worry about you?"

### "Umm No."

### "Good, now let's get some sleep."

### I took off my shoes and socks for the first time in days, it felt good. Victor stripped down to his shorts and climbed in bed. I did the same with my back towards him.

### "Good Night, Victor."

### "Sweet Dreams Nora." he turned off the light, I laid there thinking of Matt, thinking how I would explain sleeping in a bed with a strange man. I fell asleep, thinking of Matt.

### Daylight, I had the first real nights sleep in a month. I rolled over to no Victor. I rose up to look around the room. His bags where still there, I wondered where he was. I heard whispering in the next room, the tone sounded like Victor. I walked over to the wall and pressed my ear to it. I heard Victor and a strange female's voice.

### "Victor, I was wondering when I would see you gain."

### "I've been busy."

### "Oh so you just come to my room to relive old times I guess."

### "Something like that."

### "What about the female with you?"

### "I am taking her to her husband and child. I am just helping her out."

### "Oh, so you two didn't have sex last night."

### "No, I don't think of her that way."

### "She is beautiful, no?"

### "Yes she is, but she is just a friend and married."

### "Oh" then I heard kissing noises and zippers unzipping. I sighed and decided to take a hot bath. I climbed into the hot soapy bath water when I head banging on the wall and moaning. I laid my head back and ignored the sounds from the next room. The water felt good and it was nice to get clean.

### I waited for Victor to get back, they been finished for about 30 minutes. I heard them mumbling in there, I didn't care to hear what they said. I just wanted to get a move on. Finally Victor made it back, he seen me sitting on the bed waiting for him. He knew I heard them.

### "Old friend?" I teased. He just smiled.

### "Yeah, ready?"

### I stood up,

### "Yes, I have been waiting over an hour."

### He didn't say anything, he picked up his saddle and I picked up mine. We walked out into the hallway; the woman from the next room was standing in her doorway smoking a cigarette. She smiled at Victor and he smiled back.

### "See you again soon, Victor," she said flirtatiously. I had to chuckle, she looked at me, her smile disappeared. She was apprizing me with her eyes as I walked by.

### We saddled our horses when Ivan came out, "Victor, may I have word please?" with his Russian accent made it alittle hard to understand...

### "Sure, be right back Nora." he handed me his reigns. I watched him disappear back into the building. I was standing there waiting, when a strange man caught my attention. He was standing on the other side of an out building, peeking around the back. I watched him suspiciously.

### Victor finally emerged with some supplies, "Ready?" he asked, shoving what he had into his saddlebag. He had seen me staring at the man, "what are you looking at?"

### "That man behind that building."

### He looked; "Man?" then he peeked out.

### "Let's go, lets not worry about some local farm boy, if he was dangerous he would have attacked you when you were alone." We mounted the horses and started down the trail.

### "Frequent here much?" I teased.

### "Ha! Yeah, Natasha is a...um.... good friend of mine."

### "I bet." I giggled.

### "Yeah, yeah, I am a man; I enjoy the company of a woman now and then."

### "Why not get married?" I teased.

### "Me? Married? No, my life isn't for a woman, especially if I were to get her pregnant."

### "Then get a regular job?"

### "No, I am satisfied with my life the way it is."

### That's where the conversation ended and I didn't want to intrude into his life. Boredom sat in I began to softly sing a song, I was surprised he didn't tell me to shut up. He didn't seem to mind it, even with my awful sounding voice.

### "What is that song?" he asked.

### "It was the song that played at my wedding, I don't remember the name of it, and I don't know why it just came into my head."

### "Its beautiful, even with your off key singing." he smiled.

### "Yeah..." The thought of Matt hit me again and I began to tear up, He must have seen it.

### "You will be with him shortly, you don't need to cry."

### "I miss him and my daughter, especially right now."

### "I know that feeling."

### "What?"

### He sighed, "I was once married, to a lovely woman named, Gwendolyn. She was such a kind woman; I was surprised when she married me. She was too good for me."

### "Was married?" I asked.

### "Yes, was."

### "What happened? Oh I don't mean to pry."

### "No, I brought it up, she was killed by a Skuggor." he lowered his head.

### "I'm sorry Victor." I said softly.

### "Yeah, well that's why I won't marry." He raised his head staring out in the distance, "what the hell?" he pulled out a pair of binoculars.

### "What do you see?" I squinted, I saw a bunch of men on dune buggies and 4-wheelers, and "Who are they?" I asked.

### "Scavengers." he pulled out his pistol, "Nora, stuff your shirt and pretend to be pregnant and cover your face."

### "Why?"

### "They won't take you if they think you're pregnant and ugly." I did what he said.

### "Now come over here and ride with me, hurry girl!" I did.

### The sounds of them were getting louder then they stopped. I couldn't really see them because my face was covered.

### "What do we have here?" a mans voice spoke.

### "Me and my wife are off to our new home."

### "Wife huh?" another mans voice said.

### "Yes, she is with child" he patted my false belly.

### The first man huffed; "Well shit!" they took off. We began moving again.

### "Can I get back on my horse, I feel silly now."

### "No, they are watching us." it was beginning to get dark, "Damn! I thought we would be in the next village by now, we won't make it before night hit fully."

### "What are we going to do?" I asked frantically.

### "I don't know." he stared a head then his head jerked to the side, "look there?" he pointed. I turned and looked. A faint glow of a house and rising smoke.

### "A house?" I asked.

### "Our only hope." he nudged the horse in the side to get him at full speed. I could hear the familiar screeching sound of the Skuggors approaching. We knocked but no one answered, "We don't have time for this." he kicked the door.

### No one was in there. We latched the doors and windows. I was beginning to get scared that we were too late.

### "Shit! Victor, they are close." I was in hysterics.

### "Calm down!" he ordered.

### I stepped on the floorboard it made a funny noise. Victor pulled me back and began to stomp on the floor.

### "Yes!" he pulled back the rug exposing a door. He pulled on it, but it was locked. We pounded on the door, "Open this damn door!" Victor yelled. We heard a click of a latch. An elderly man and woman were down there. We hurried up and jumped down.

### "Thank you!" I said.

### "Shhh!" Victor shushed me. I pulled out my gun, Victor had his ready. We heard banging, clawing, glass shattering and screeching. I covered my ears, it made my head hurt.

### I looked at the elderly woman huddled in the back of the cellar, she looked terrified. I walked back to her, sat beside her, which seemed to help her relax some.

### The noises stopped after what seemed to be forever. The man turned towards us, spoke something in Russian. Victor and him had a short conversation. The elderly woman smiled at me, I smiled back.

### "Thank you for opening up." I said.

### "Welcome." the woman said.

### "You speak English?" I asked, she looked at me as if I was crazy, and spoke Russian.

### "That's all she knows." Victor translated. "We should all get some sleep." Victor suggested. The older couple curled up together. I slept in the other corner. Victor slept leaning against the wall.

*********************************************************

### "Poppa! Momma!" a frantic voice woke me up. The elderly couples were ascending the stairs to the frantic male's voice. Victor was gone, no surprise there. I stood and went up the stairs as well; a young man was hugging the couple.

### "He is their son." Victor said peeking in from a broken window. The son looked at us.

### "Who are you?" he asked me.

### "I am Nora, that is Victor; we were riding and were caught out after dark. We had no place to go."

### "My father let you in?" he asked eyeing his father.

### "Sort of he..." Victor interrupted me.

### "Nora we must go." I turned and looked at Victor.

### "Ok, thank you!" I said again to the couple and we headed out.

"The village should be ahead a few miles." Victor said for the tenth time.

### "You already said that, my butt is getting sore from riding.... I need to stop." I pulled back the reigns.

### "Fine I have to use the rest room anyway."

### "Rest room, you mean a tree?" I chuckled.

### "Har, har Miss. Funny-Lady."

### Things between us were getting alittle more relaxed, after 3 days of traveling together is was bound to happen. Victor was still somewhat conservative on some things. He disappeared into the thick tree line.

### I dismounted the horse, "OH! MY BUTT!" I complained, rubbing my butt cheeks.

### "Stop being a baby!" he called from behind a tree.

### "Oh shush, water the tree and let me complain." I heard him laughing. I stretched; something was moving father up the trail. To me it looked like a bird, I couldn't tell. I pulled out the binoculars; with alittle, focusing there was a bird pecking at a body.

### "Oh my! Uh Victor!"

### "What I am kind of busy."

### "You need to see this." He emerged from the trees.

### "What?" I handed him the binoculars, "What the...?" he got on his horse, "stay here." that was fine with me, I had to pee too. I watched the birds scatter as soon as he got closer to what looked like a body. I ran peed and hurried back to watch him.

### He was bent down looking at whatever it was; I really couldn't tell what he was doing. He picked up something, looked like a piece of paper. He hurried back to where I was, "here." he handed me a piece of paper.

### "Whats this?"

### "Read it."

### "O...k," I unfolded it and it was a newspapers article.

Winston Abbey was written in big red letters.

### "Winston Abbey, The Abbey has been abandoned for a century or more, but as of late there seems to be a lot of movement up there. Some sources have reported large animal like creature inhabiting the once beautifully decorated building. Pictures from the early 1800s shows a grand ballroom and an atrium that would make a blind person gasp. This writer has received written permission from the Country of Russia to investigate the ruins of the Winston Abbey. Let us just hope the rumors aren't true. Paul A. Entrich" I read aloud, I looked at Victor, "that cant be good."

### "No, I also found this on the body." he held up a press pass with the name Paul A. Entrich on it.

### "Oh geez." I was nervous now.

### "Let's get going, the sun will set in about 3 hours, we have to get in the city limits before that." we headed out.

### We rode fast all the way there, Blaze was going as fast as he could. "Victor, I don't think I can push him much more." I pleaded but he ignored me. The next village was a welcome sight. It was a city not a village.

### The sky was bright from the lights; there were vehicles and loud people. I dismounted Blaze and led him to a stable just outside of the city. I gave him to the sable boy, "he is old, please take care of him." The boy smiled.

### I was excited to see such a booming place in the middle of nowhere, it also made me homesick.

### "Don't be fooled." Victor said interrupting my thoughts.

### "Huh?"

### "This still has the shadows only the buildings are stronger."

### "Oh, ok, we need to find a place to sleep." I looked around; there was an Inn a few buildings ahead of me, "there." I pointed. I grabbed my bag and began to walk there.

### "Oh shit, RUN!" Victor ordered. I ran right into the building.

### "Why did we do that?" The Innkeeper was staring at us. He said something in another language that even Victor didn't understand.

### "Do... you... have... a... room?" I said slowly.

### "Room? Yes, you check in?" he asked eyeing us up. Victor went to answer him then the screeching began to happen, "OH!" the inn keep ran to the door and began closing iron gates. Victor wasn't kidding when he said the buildings where stronger, "Stay you be safe." the inn keep told us.

### Victor waited for the man to get back behind the counter before saying anything else to him. "That room, Sir?"

### "Yes, Room." he turned around and retrieved a key from a hook behind him, "room 197." Victor took the key and we headed to our room.

### The inn reminded me of a jail with the bars on the windows. The Skuggors would need a miracle to even penetrate the cement wall of the building. I was tired, nearly dead on my feet and I hoped this time there were two beds.

### Victor unlocked the room and we both went inside. "Thank heavens!" I exhaled.

### "What?" Victor looked at me.

### "Two beds." I picked the one away from the window. I took off my shoes, sock and climbed into bed, too tired to do anything else.

### Victor laid on his bed clothed and snoring, it woke me up. I threw one of my pillows at him; all it did was make him move. I heard screaming coming from outside, men and women. I tried to drown them out with my pillow or my fingers in my ears. Victors snoring started back up, so I concentrated on that. Soon the screaming was gone and I was drifting off to sleep.

### The sound of a car alarm woke me up. Victor surprisingly was still asleep. I walked over to the window, the streets where busy. People where picking up the dead from last nights attack and throwing them on a huge fire. It was sad even though the dead didn't have anyone mourning for them; I knew they were someone's child.

### I went to use the bathroom and get ready for the long trip. This time I was going to see if I could purchase something motorized, no more horses. By the time I got out of the bathroom, Victor was already gone. I slipped on my shoes, jacket and grabbed my money.

### The streets where now filled with people chattering and laughing, as if last night didn't even happen. I walked down the sidewalk looking at all the stores praying that one of them was selling something I could use. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sign in English, 'Off Road'. I didn't think twice, I ran towards the sign.

### An older, heavyset man was behind the counter and a younger man was working on a motor. The older man saw me and straightened his shoulders.

### "You need buggy?" he asked

### "Yes, I need a reliable one."

### "Oh Yes, I got just the thing." he stepped out from behind the counter and I noticed he had a peg leg which was odd to me. He led me to a black one with a roof and doors, "Will this do?" he pointed to is. I sat in it and turned it on, "runs good, yes?" he said smiling.

### "Yes, I will take it." I got out and we walked to the counter. I rode it to the inn. Victor was standing outside the door; he turned and looked at me.

### "Seriously Nora?" he said raising an eyebrow.

### "I told you no more horses, besides this will save us time, its faster." he shrugged his shoulders.

### We loaded up the back of the buggy with our stuff; I was excited to be able to drive it. Victor sat down next to me and put on his safety straps, I did the same.

### "You sure you can drive this thing?" I didn't answer I just took off.

### It was starting to get dark and the clouds were showing signs of rain. "We're going to get wet." I commented.

### "We are inside this thing, no we wont." I looked up and smiled.

### "Oh yeah, I forgot, what about the Skuggors?"

### "They wont come out in the rain, the rain washes away the sent of humans and blood. So they don't bother." I sighed in relief.

### The rain was heavy and came down in sheets. Not to mention I was getting sleepy. I stopped the buggy, "I can't go anymore, and I am too tired." Victor looked over at me.

### "I'll drive." he opened the door,

### "Good, I need to sleep." we switched spots and I dozed off. I think the rain is what put me to sleep.

### I felt the buggy stop, I woke up. No Victor in the driver's seat. I got out of the buggy, "Victor!" I yelled. No answer, "Victor!" I yelled again.

### "What?" he yelled back, "We ran out of gas." he said walking from behind a tree.

### "No gas, that's sucks."

### "Yeah there is a stable over there we can get horses from." he pointed to a barn about half mile down the road.

### "Fine back to horses again." I knew I didn't sound thrilled.

### We walked up to the sable, we noticed it was quiet.

### "Is no one here?" I asked.

### "I don't know." He opened the door and quickly shut it, "Their dead."

### "Dead?" I quickly stepped off the porch.

### "Let's just take the horses and be on our way." I agreed, I wanted to get the hell out of there.

### I saddled a black horse, Victor saddled a brown and white spotted one. We rode back to the buggy and retrieved out stuff from the back. Then we were off on the back of a horse again.

### After a few hours of riding, "how much longer?" I asked just then something tall was coming into my view.

A tall gloomy building came in view. Victor stopped and pointed. "That's the Abbey. Are you sure that your friends are in there?" he asked

"I hope so; this is where we were supposed to go. This is where my daughter should be." we galloped towards the building.

Victor stooped sudden, "Look footprints!" Victor pointed to ground. We dismounted and tied the horses to a rotten stump. He bent down, "they are fresh, maybe 2 hours old, if that." I walked up to the huge wooden doors.

"Ready?" I asked him.

"I guess, more than I am ever going to be." he pulled out his gun and checked his bullets, "yeah, lets go." he went in first. I followed him close.

The door squeaked, we paused and looked around, "Sheesh, that's loud enough to wake the dead."

I looked at him and shook my head, "Don't say that kind of stuff around here."

He rolled his eyes and smiled, "don't be a wimp." we pushed the heavy door open just enough to get through.

The place smelled of dirt and decay, "Pew! This place smells of death. Its on everything in this place." I looked over at him, "what?" I just shook my head. We continued on quietly not a word, "Tracks." he said squatting down, "they leave north." we followed fast. We came to an intersection, neither one of us knew which way to go. We stopped so he could study the tracks.

"Left, we go left," he said pointing down a long corridor. We followed it for a while. We started to hear some growling. Victor stuck out his hand for me to stop, "hear that?" he whispered.

### I shook my head and pressed myself close to the moldy walls.

"Be right back, don't move!" he ordered. I just shook my head, Damn straight I wasn't going to move, I don't think my legs would let me anyways, I was too scared.

### The growling got louder and still no Victor or anyone, I was alone. The closer the growling got the father I back up.

### I felt a trembling under my feet, the next thing I knew I was falling. I landed on my side. It knocked the breath out of me and hurt like hell. I grabbed my side in pain,

"Ow! Shit!" I yelled. I then realized I was in a strange room. I pulled out my flashlight and scanned the walls.

### There was nothing on the walls or ceiling besides the big hole I fell through. I shined the light on the floor and it was a grisly sight.

### Bones and tattered clothes where spewed about. I knew that right at that moment I had to get the heck out of there. I walked around the room, pushing on the walls for a door or anything that could get me the hell out of here. I pressed on a piece of wall and it moved. I turned off the light, pressed my back to the wall and pushing with my legs I gave it all I had.

The wall gave and I was on my back looking up to the sky. I was in some sort of Atrium, I quickly stood up. The room was beautiful. The ceiling was a big glass colored dome, with most of the glass broken out of it. Vines grew up the once ivory wall and hints of marble peek through the moss on the floor. It didn't take a lot of imagination to see how it use to look. I heard a noise behind me. I spun around two big shadows where coming my way. I searched frantically for a place to hide. I found an old broken fountain; I squeezed in behind it and waited for them to leave.

"We searched this whole building and no baby or Nora." I heard a familiar voice.

"Relax Marcus, I am sure we will find her somewh....." he stopped. I saw two shadows one on each side of me coming towards me, "Gotcha!" they jumped at me, "NORA!" they yelled surprised to see me.

"Marcus, Troy where is Dorsella and Matt?" I asked.

"Looking for you, Matt knew you would meet us here." they helped me out, "I am here with a guy named Victor. Have you seen him?"

They looked at each other, "No. Come on we have to get you back to your worried man." Marcus picked me up and ran me back to Matt.

"Oh Matt." Troy said teasingly, "I found something of yours."

"Leave me alone guys, ok?" he sounded depressed.

### I felt bad, I jabbed my elbow in Marcus stomach.

"No! this is something you really want." Marcus sat me down. Matt's eyes got big as silver dollars.

"NORA!" he ran to me, scooped me up and we began kissing, "I thought you were....." he stopped and tears fell. We kissed, hugged and it felt amazing to be in his arms. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No I actually need to speak to you alone." he sat me down and we went into another part of the Abbey.

"Whats up?" he asked, holding my hand. I explained everything about Dorsella and who helped back in the cave. I also told him about Victor who was lost somewhere in the Abbey, "Dorsella is Noah's Mom?" he was in shock, I think more than I was.

"We need to talk to her about it." I said.

"Yeah, lets go." he took my hand again and we went to talk to Dorsella.

We walked into the room where she was. One look at our faces and she knew we knew, "you know?"

I shook my head, "Yes, why didn't you tell us?" I asked.

"Because you would have thought that I wasn't going to destroy him or you might think I was evil." she sat down a nearby rock, "who told you?"

"Wolfgang, back in the cave. He actually saved me, I think." I looked over at Matt.

"Yes, Wolfgang always been a generous fellow." she got the map and went to hand it to Matt, "I don't blame you if you didn't trust me anymore."

Matt huffed, "I didn't really to begin with." I smacked his shoulder.

"I trust you." Matt gave me a weird look, "Matt, if you knew the story, if you knew the whole thing or how Wolfgang told me." I looked at her, "I understand." she smiled at me.

"Thank you Nora. I will destroy him." she clenched her fist to her side. Matt turned and started to leave, I could tell he was upset with me.

"Matt!" I called after him, "don't leave!" he slammed the door behind him. I glanced back at Dorsella and went after Matt.

"Leave me alone, Nora!" he ordered me, "I can't believe you trust them." I spun him around.

"Matt I don't mean to upset you, but we need them." he glared down at me.

"No we don't." he jerked his arm from me, began to run down the hall and morphed into his werewolf form.

"Matt!" I called but it was useless he was gone. I stood there shaking my head thinking me and big mouth. I went back into the room with Dorsella.

"I'm sorry Nora, I didn't mean to cause problems between you two." she started walking to me.

"It's not your fault it's my big mouth." I sat down on a wooden chair in the corner of the room. I decided to get a granola bar out of my bag and eat it. After the first bite, my stomach began to turn. I wrapped it back up and shoved it up back in my bag. Everyone in the room was looking at me.

"You ok?" Marcus asked, I shook my head and leaned against the wall.

"You must be tired, Troy go start a fire and retrieve Nora's supplies we brought." Troy bowed his head and left. My eyes began to feel heavy. I heard the door open, it was Matt. He was in human self. I smiled at him, he didn't smile he motioned for me to come with him. I got up, grabbed my bag and followed him out.

"Matt, I am so sor..." he interrupted me.

"I want to be the one to apologize. I shouldn't of left you because you were just being honest about your feelings." he grabbed my hand, "I know you been through a lot along time, and I should be here protecting you not causing more stress." I reached around, grabbed his waist and hugged him, he hugged me back.

"We need to concentrate on getting our daughter back." I looked up at Matt and this time he was smiling.

"Yes." we noticed it getting night, "Night! Lets go." we went back into the room. Troy returned with my stuff including my dagger and sleeping bag. He had the fire going, "Its night." Matt announced to the room.

### They were all dressed for battle; I was locked in a room with Matt. Under other circumstances, this would have ended up with us naked. Matt was in his wolf form and on guard. He hovered close to me. I was beginning to get really sleep. I crawled into the sleeping bag next to the fire and fell asleep.

"THEY'RE COMING!" someone yelled, waking me up out of a deep sleep. I looked at the door. I could hear fighting going on the other side. I unzipped the bag and crawled out. I ran for my backpack to get my dagger and clothes. I dressed quickly, tied the dagger around my waist and pulled out the gun that Victor gave me; it had silver bullets in it. I checked the chamber to see how many I had it was a full clip. I shoved it in my hoodie pocket. I was ready, well armed at least. If anything would come through that door that wasn't one of vampires or Matt, I would faint. My heard was galloping in my chest, I felt like I was hyperventilating.

"Easy" I told myself. Then it got quiet, that's when panic really sat in. I pushed myself into the corner as tight as I could get, "Matt I need you." I told myself again.

The door handle moved slowly and it creaked open. I watched thinking to myself, 'please let it be someone I know.' A white werewolf poked its head in, sniffing the air. I pulled out my gun; my finger was on the trigger. Then another one was behind it, they looked nothing like Matt, they were scary looking.

Blood was matted into their fur and their faces where longer. I had the gun in my hand ready, even with shaky hands. I watched the huge monsters stalk inside. My heart was galloping away with me, I was surprised that they couldn't hear it. They were right in front of me looking around. If they would just sniff they could catch my scent. The white one stuck it nose in the air sniffed, I knew it caught my sent. But it didn't even do anything. Then I noticed the grey one looking right in my direction. I thought I was dead, and then in a flash, Marcus was behind them with swords.

His motions were quick and effortless it all happened in a blur. He sliced through them spraying blood everywhere. Blood splattered on the walls, floor and my face. I closed my eyes, I didn't want to see the carnage anymore. I could still hear the slicing and gurgling from the monsters as they turned back into their human selves. I didn't want to see a bunch of dead humans so I pressed my eyes tight together. I had my face buried into the corner.

"NORA!" Matt called out, "Keep your eyes closed." I felt him pick me up and carry me. I heard the sound of the door squeaking shut. "Ok you can open them." daylight, I blinked a few times.

"I.....I can't feel my legs." I was standing there shaking like a leaf.

"Its ok babe, we searched this whole floor, nothing here." he began brushing my hair out of my face and wiping off the blood. "Marcus is going to run you to the next village." I shook my head.

"NO! I want to find April." it took all I had to say it with out sounding as if I was feeling, scared.

"No, I think you should get out of here and let us deal with it." I shook my head, "Nora, I never wanted to order you or have you do something you don't want to, but I am putting my foot down. Marcus is going to run you to the next village." that snapped me out of the scared feeling into the are you kidding me feeling.

"No! I know you're trying to protect me, but I am not going to have my husband and child risking their lives while I set back and do nothing." He opened his mouth to say something, "I've made up my mind and that's it." I turned and stomped off.

I turned the corner and ran in to Victor, "Nora! Thank Goodness, I been lost in this place forever it seems. Are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, its ok, I found my husband and friends." I turned around with Victor. Matt was still standing there. Victor must of knew what he was he automatically drew his gun, I jumped between them. "NO! That's my husband!"

"Your husband." he looked at me shocked, "Do you know what he is?" I looked at Matt.

"Yes, he is my husband, anything else isn't important." Matt was in his fighting stance, in his human form.

"Who is this Nora?" Matt asked.

"Victor, he is the one who made sure I got her safely." Matt straightened up.

"Thank you for that." Matt stretched out his hand. Victor looked at it as if it was a trick. They shook hands.

"Is he the father of your child?" Victor asked stunned.

"Of course." I walked over to Matt and took his hand.

"Is the child half of what he is?" I shook my head.

"No Matt wasn't that until I was already pregnant, so April is human." I creased my eyebrows, "how did you know he was a.. ummm."

"Werewolf, he bares the signs." I looked Matt over.

"What signs?" I stepped back and studied him. Matt was giving me a funny look.

"This." Victor pointed to his stomach, "Do you see that?" I squinted hard, then I seen it. It looked like a tribal sign.

"Yes, I never noticed that before." I traced it, Matt flinched.

"Your giving me the chills, stop!" he grabbed my hand.

"That's how Claira knew what you were, because it goes up to your face too." I traced it on his face too, "wow, it's beautiful."

"It's the mark of the werewolf." he looked closely to Matt's stomach, "yours are different then the others, yours are a different design, odd." he went to touch him.

Matt grabbed his wrist, "touch me and I will break your hand." Matt had a serious tone, he let his hand drop.

I touched Matt's bare chest, "Matt, please." He looked down at me. Marcus came out and seen Victor.

"Victor?" they embraced in hug, "long time brother." Matt and I looked at each other stunned.

"Brother?" I asked.

"Yes, not of blood, but he is a good friend. Dorsella will be happy to see you." Marcus led him into the room. Marcus turned to me and smiled. "it's ok to come in now," he said looking at me.

"Shall we?" Matt held the door open for me. When we walked in Victor and Dorsella where hugging. I looked over at Matt, he wasn't pleased.

"Something fishy is going on here." he leaned over and whispered, this time I agreed.

"Victor, what brings you here?" Dorsella said finally breaking the embraces.

"I led Nora here." they all looked at me.

I sat back in my corner and watched them move around., Matt was next to me this time. I didn't understand them; they were speaking some kind of weird language, Welch I think.

I stood up, "Matt, can I speak to you out in the hall"

"Sure babe." we both headed out to the hall, "what's up?" he asked.

"We need to get on the ball in searching the lower floors for April. I don't know what happened but the atmosphere in there has changed and not for good." I looked at Matt, he was smiling.

"I agree, how are we going to let them let us go without them."

I smiled, "Leave that to me." we waited for someone to come out. I grabbed Matt and began making out with him.

"Excuse me." Marcus chuckled, turned and went back in the room. We stopped, Matt looked at me.

"You're a genius." he smiled.

"I'm not done yet, follow my lead." we walked into the room, I grabbed my sleeping bags and Matt grabbed my bags.

"Where you going?" Dorsella asked.

"Alittle private time." I smiled, everyone had the weird smile on their faces. We returned to the hall with all my stuff.

"Are we going to have some private time?" Matt asked.

"Not the time and place honey." I touched his face. He looked disappointed, "don't worry we will soon, right now April is my main priority." he shook his head in agreement.

"Your right, so first I think we should condense these bags." We dumped everything out on the ground. We tossed the stuff I didn't need and kept the stuff we thought was important. So I had one backpack to carry around.

### Matt morphed into his werewolf form so he could carry me easier and faster. He ran us down to the next floor below. He sat me down to take a breather, for me not him.

"Yuck!" I said as I stepped in a soggy puddle of something. It made a squishy sound. The whole floor was wet, smelled of wet earth and stagnate water. After several minutes of rest, I was ready to go. He scooped me up and we were off again. I could hear his feet splashing through puddles and hitting soggy ground.

Suddenly he stopped and growled. I motioned for me to put me down but he held me tighter to his chest. I heard weird noises, growls I think. "Matt's what's going on?" I asked, "You're smothering me in your fur. Not so tight!" he loosen up alittle. I peeked from under his arm. Something was moving in the shadows, I couldn't make out what it was. I squinted hard to see what it was. It was a Skuggor. My heart began to beat so loud it was deafening me.

Matt held me close to his chest, wrapping his body around me. The Skuggor was circling around us looking for a weakness to attack. I began to shake and hyperventilating. Matt growled and the Skuggor screeched. It was getting ready to attack us it was crotched and ready to spring. I heard other noises in the room I couldn't see anything and I knew Matt would rather die then let anything happen to me. I heard the sounds of metal swords being drawn.

"Easy Matt." Marcus said. I heard the sound of something being sliced and water splashing. Matt eased up his grip around me now that there was no more danger. I could see the Skuggors headless body laying in a puddle. Its blood was turning the water a dark crimson color. We went to leave and I noticed Matt limping.

### Matt was hurt pretty bad. I looked down at his leg and it was bleeding heavy. I tried to stop it but my mind wasn't working. I took off my belt and put it around his leg to make a tourniquet.

### "OW SHIT!" he yelled as I tightened the belt around his leg.

### "Sorry babe." I kissed him. The sound of the baby crying echoed from down the hall and it was getting closer. "Do you hear that?" I said excitedly.

Matt stood up, "Yes." we made our way down the corridor. We turned the corner and there was Josh, leaning against the wall. "Josh!" he turned to look at us. he put his finger up to his mouth telling me not to talk. He pointed to a door that was in front of him, mouthed the words, 'in there.'

### "Matt." I turned and looked at him; he morphed into his other form, the belt snapped off his leg. "Ok does that mean we are going in?" I asked, he growled. I pulled out my gun and checked the chamber. I had five bullets left I better make them count. We started towards the door slowly taking great pains not to make a sound. Dorsella and Marcus were coming down at the other end with Michael not far behind them.

### "Nora, Matt?" Dorsella's voice sounded surprised. "We heard the baby, we thought maybe you two would be here." she saw Josh, "who is this?"

### "This is Josh, he is my friend." I answered her; Josh looked at me surprised to see the vampires there.

### "Nora? Umm strange company you keep."

### Marcus huffed, "I wouldn't talk mongrel."

### "Marcus." Dorsella said in a stern voice, "stop" he bowed his head.

### "Yes, my Queen." but I knew this wouldn't be over between them two, if we survived. Josh was still nursing his leg. He looked better. April cried again, it took all I had not to storm in there and grab her.

### "Easy Nora." Dorsella said calmly placing a hand on my shoulder. "we don't know what's on the other side of the door, so let us go first." They drew their swords. Matt pressed me against his chest tighter. Troy came around the corner to join in.

### Marcus, Michael and Troy kicked at the door but it was sturdy. Their kicks where strong but not doing the job. Everyone looked at Matt, "Matt, want to try?" Dorsella said as Marcus and Troy moved out of the way.

### He sat me down next to Josh and with one good hit with his shoulder; the door went flying inside the room. April stopped crying for a minute then started again even louder. I went to run in but Josh grabbed my arm.

### "Not yet." he whispered.

### Matt went in first he looked around. I watched his head scan every corner. The room was somewhat lit with only a few candles. Giving it a gloomy feeling as they danced from the breeze of the open door. Matt slowly eased into the room, he surveyed the room more. He looked down at April who recognized him right away. I could see her chubby little arms reaching up from inside the crate she was in. She was opening and closing them eagerly.

### "Dad dada!" she cooed. Matt reached down gently with his massive hands and scooped her up. He pressed her close to his chest and backed out slowly with her in his arms. He turned around and handed her too me. I held her tight in my arms, she clamped on to my shirt with both hands.

### "She is beautiful." Dorsella commented.

### "Come in!" a voice from deep within the room made us all jump, it was Noah.

### "Nora, take your daughter and leave, Josh go with her." Dorsella said standing in the doorway, "Troy, take them to the safe room." she ordered. Troy picked me up, holding April close to my chest and Josh in his other arm.

### The rooms and halls blurred by, before I knew it, I was in the safe room. I sat down on the wooden chair looking at April, checking her out. Besides some small scratches, she was fine. I pulled my shirt up and began to feed her. She nursed forcefully; it was the best feeling in the world. Josh looked up and turned his head very fast.

### "Oh Ok.. Ummm" he said embarrassed.

### "Josh, I am sure you have seen a woman's breast before." I was looking down at April, she was staring at me. "I love you." I whispered to her. She had a hand full of my hair. There was going to no way anyone would get her from me now, they would have to kill me first. She fell asleep, I held her close to my chest.

### I wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Josh who was sitting in another chair in the room. "Hold her please, I have to do something." He gentle took her, still asleep. I took off my dagger and sat it on the table in the middle of the room.

### April was wrapped up tight in a blanket sleeping in Josh arms. He was holding her tight against his chest. I was waiting for Matt to come get us so would could leave. After an hour Matt finally walked into the room looking pretty beaten up.

### "Matt!" I said, feeling relieved. His eye got huge. "Matt, wha....." before I could finish, I felt something cold and hard being shoved into my back. I felt hot liquid ran down my stomach and legs. I looked down there was something silver coming out of my mid section. I reached down to touch it. It was hard and sharp. I raised my hand to my face, blood covered my hands, I looked at Matt.

### "NO!" he started towards me. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Blackness began to creep in around me. I couldn't feel my legs or arms. I felt my legs give away and felt my legs give. I landed in Matt's arms.

### I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness. The only thing I knew I was Matt's voice pleading with me, "Nora, please stay with me." I heard him talking, but I couldn't answer. His voice was shaky like he was crying. I felt his hand on my stomach where the blade pierced me. "Stay awake!" he ordered me, I tried to focus on his face.

### I then heard other voices. Voices of people not in the room, they were barely above a whisper and jumbled together. I could feel myself floating.

### "Nora." a soft female voice called to me. I could see my body and I seen Matt holding me in his arms and April in Josh's sound asleep. "You can't stay Nora." the female voice said again. I looked, it was my Grandma. I looked at Matt working on me trying to get me to breathe.

### "Baby please Breathe!" he was crying, I never seen that look on his face.

My heart began to get heavy and then April began to cry. I closed my eyes. "This is a nightmare." I said to myself. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was pleading me to breathe and not to leave him. I felt guilty for feeling peace when he was in agony. I turned there was my Grandma, smiling.

### "You can't stay!" she said sternly and pushed me backwards, I couldn't stop myself, I was falling fast. I slowly concentrated on Matt's voice and Aprils cries.

### I opened my eyes to terrible pain, "Oh thank God!" he pulled me close to him. Jessie and Chad came out of nowhere to help out. I could feel hands tearing my shirt of me.

### "We have to get her to the hospital, now!" Chad demanded. I felt Matt scoop me up. I heard Chad ask for April. Josh and Jessie hobbled behind us. I was still forcing myself to stay awake.

My head bobbed over Matt's arm, I didn't have the strength to hold it up. "Hold on baby, please!" Matt pleaded with me. I couldn't answer him, I couldn't find my voice. 'I'll try,' I said in my head.

### Matt slide me into the back of Jessie and Chad's car. Josh slid in on the other side. He picked me up and cradled me like a baby in his arms. I could feel his breath on my cheek, it was hot and scattered, like he was still crying.

### "GO!" Matt ordered.

### I took what little strength I had and opened my eyes, "Matt." he pulled me back to look at my face. He removed the hair that was stuck to my face.

### "Baby?" he answered

### "Take care of April." I barely whispered.

### "Shhh, we are almost to the hospital, Just hold on." he was staring at me with his big blue eyes full of pain.

### "I love.. You." I said using the last bit of energy I had.

### "Nora!" Matt gasped, shaking me. I was still there just too weak to do anything.

### "Easy Matt!" Josh said from the other end of the seat, "she lost a lot of blood." Matt pulled me close to him, so tight I could feel his heartbeat thumping against his rib cage.

"Please, please don't go." he whispered in my ear, all I wanted to say was 'I love you.' I never heard that kind of pain before in him, it broke my heart. I wasn't sure if I could hold on much more. I let the darkness unfold on me.

### I was trapped in the endless sea of darkness. I knew I wasn't dead. I could still hear Matt talking to me. I heard the doctors and nurses talking about me. I heard the beeping of the machines.

I opened my eyes; it was dark except for the small light behind my bed. I couldn't move, I scanned the room with hazy eyes. Obviously in a hospital room from all the white and the spell of disinfectant. I blinked a few times to clear my vision, I was alone. I went to talk, but there was something in my mouth, a tube. I felt panic wash over me; I began to gag on it.

### The machines began to buzz. A nurse ran in thinking to find me dead. To her shock, I was staring back at her. "Mrs. Hanson, your awake!" she sounded surprised. I began to pull at the tube coming out of my throat, "No! No! Don't pull on that!" she was holding my wrists over my head, "Help!" she yelled out to the hallway. Two more nurses showed up, one with a needle.

### The biggest of the three held my arm down so the nurse with the needle could stick me. I tried to fight, but they won, three against one isn't that fair. I felt the cold liquid from the needle shoot into my arm. I began to feel drowsy and my arms began to feel limp and fell to my sides.

### "Shit for someone who's been in a coma for a month is pretty strong!" the first nurse commented.

### I passed out again it wasn't for very long. I woke up with the tube out of my throat. I looked around; I stared at a familiar sight. It was the back of Matt's head; "Matt?" my throat was scratchy. He turned quickly.

### "Hey baby." He got down on his knees beside the bed; "how you feel?" he said stroking my head.

### "Can I have a drink?" I started to rub my throat.

### "Of course hon." he poured me a cup of water. I sipped it slowly.

### "How is April?" I asked, "Is she ok? Where is she?" I tried to set up.

### "She is fine; she is with your Mom in the waiting room. They said I couldn't bring her in here because you were hostile." he smiled.

### "I was disorientated, but I'm ok now, I want to see my baby." I insisted.

### "Ok, I'll go get her." he left the room. I looked around some more. I remembered being stabbed, I lifted my gown up. There was a small red line with staples across my belly, I reached around and there was identical mark in my back.

### I heard my Mom and Matt coming up the hall. I began to get excited to see her. I hoped she didn't forget me.

### Mom walked in first. "Nora, my baby!" she ran to my side to hug me. I hugged her back. Matt walked in holding April. As soon as she saw me, she shrieked.

### "Hi baby!" I reached out for her; she nearly jumped out of Matt's arms. I finally had my arms around her; she got into my arms and hugged me.

### "She miss you mommy." Matt smiled.

### "Mommy missed her too." I pulled her back and kissed her cheek.

### Matt bent down and gave me a big passionate kiss, the kind you give when you haven't seen someone in awhile. "I love you" he breathed.

### "Love you too, so what have I missed?' I asked.

### Mom and Matt where looking at each other, "Well." Matt looked like he had big news.

### "Ok guys, what's going on?" I asked.

### "Nora," the way my Mom said my name made my heart fall to my kneecaps. "I have bad news, I mean really bad news." I looked at them both.

### "Tell me, did someone die?" I asked, sort of a joke.

### "Your Grandpa had a stroke." I looked at her as if she was kidding.

### "What?" I looked at Matt and his look gave me all the answer, "is he ok?"

### "No... he died a week ago." I looked at him. "your Dad is beside himself." I lowered my head letting the tears fall.

### "Matt, go find out when I am getting out of here, please?" I asked him, he smiled and left the room.

### "Nora, I am so sorry, so much has happened since you been in here." she pulled up a chair. April was playing with my fingers, biting them.

### "Ouch, easy baby, your teeth are sharp." she giggled, "What about Claira?" I asked.

### "She is in jail." my Mom said.

### I raised an eyebrow. "For what?" before she could answer that Matt returned with the doctor.

### "Hello Mrs. Hanson, its good to see you up and talking." he picked up the clipboard that was hanging off the wall next to the door. "Your husband said you wanted to know when you could go home." he flipped through the papers attached to the board. "I don't see why, you can't go home in 2 days." he said smiling at me.

### "No I want to go home tomorrow morning." I waited for him to contest it.

### "Tomorrow? You do realize you nearly died right?" he asked.

### "Yes, but I am all better now. I want to go home and be with my family." I looked at Matt, "could you please take her?" I motioned for him to take April, he picked her up.

### "Tomorrow huh? Ok, let's give you a good look over and see how you are doing, then maybe," he wrote down something then left the room.

### "Why is Claira in jail?" I locked eyes with my Mom.

### "She made your grandfather have a stroke."

### "This is a unbelievable. These last few years has got to be the worse in anyone's life." Matt shook his head in agreement. April Shrieked again, this time she was excited to be playing with her daddy's hair.

### "Mom, can you take April, I want to talk to Matt alone please?" she smiled and took April from Matt.

### "Come on April, you and Grandma go check out the candy machines." I rolled my eyes. "Matt, what happened? Who stabbed me?" I asked.

### "Victor." my mouth fell open in shock.

### "Victor? But why?" the pain from my memory made me cringe.

### "I don't know, he got away. I was so interested in you that I didn't go after him." he looked down.

### "Hey, you did what you had to do, I am here because you tried your hardest to keep me here." I reached over and lifted his head with my finger. "you did what you had to."

### He took a deep breath. "That is the closest I ever want to come to losing you." his voice shuttered a little and a tear ran down his face.

### "Shhh." I wiped it off. "its ok baby." we hugged. "Your not going to get rid of me that easy." I pulled out of the hug and looked at him. "How did Chad and Jessie get there?" I asked.

### "Well, according to Jessie, Corbin came to him and said that he was needed. Chad wasn't thrilled to be going to Russia. They came and they weren't there more than 25 minutes when they came into the room and helped us." I could tell the memory was painful.

### "Where am I? Still in Russia?" I asked.

### "American Conciliate transported us. We are in Philadelphia." he was stroking my cheek.

### "What happened to Dorsella and the other vampires?"

### "Killed" he lowered his eyes.

### "I want to know what happened." I said.

### He sighed, "After you left we went into the room, we were going to wait for Troy to get back, but Noah was tormenting Dorsella. Dorsella fought him, she was getting the upper hand when he tricked her and decapitated her. Marcus was furious and he attacked Noah, nearly killing him.. Corbin was hiding in the corner, after he killed Dorsella and Marcus, Corbin leapt out of where he was and killed Noah and then..." I interrupted.

### "You sure this time?" I asked.

### He shook his head, "I burned the bodies myself, Troy survived, he was distraught when he seen them burning. He said he was going to bring the ship back to America. He checked on you twice since you been here. He now leads the vampires."

### "Corbin?" I asked.

### "Kyle called and said that Corbin visited him, he said his good-byes. Noah is dead and you're no longer in danger from him." I lowered my head.

### "Mrs. Hanson? Its time for your test." the big nurse from earlier came in.

I was wheeled down to x-rays and they took tubes of blood. It took a few minutes. They made Matt leave visiting hours was over. The room was dark; I had the TV on watching some late night talk show. A figured appeared in the doorway.

"Nora?" a familiar voice said my name. I looked at him; he walked in shutting the door behind him. He looked awful, big dark circles around his eyes and pale.

"Corbin, what are you doing here?" I asked. He sat beside me on the bed.

"I wanted to see you before.... I needed to come and apologize for everything I have done in the past." he looked me in the eyes.

"I...." I went to say something but he put his finger over my lips, stopping me.

"I love you more than anything, I always have. I never felt this kind of love before. I want you to forgive me for all I have put you through." a tear rolled down his cheek. I fell in love with this man. I placed my hand on his cheek.

"I will always love you too and I forgive you." I began to tear up too. He leaned in and kissed me gently.

He placed my hand over his heart, it was beating very slowly. I looked up at him. He kissed my forehead; he pulled back and was staring at the door, as if he was seeing something. I looked I didn't see anything, "Corbin?" It was scaring me; he stood up and headed towards the door. He stopped and turned around.

"Good bye....My love." he opened the door and left. I heard a howling softer than a whisper. I put my head in my hands and began to cry. It was like losing him all over again.

### This time it was harder to know that he was going to die. I put my hands together and began to pray for him, praying that he would make it to the other side. He did what he was sent back to do and that was to protect me.

### I lay back on the bed, staring out into the night sky. I fell asleep, into a deep dreamless sleep. Putting everything behind me, I was now looking forward to going home and being with my family.

I woke up to the sound of a police car sirens wailing by the hospital. I rose up, feeling alittle sick to my stomach. I could feel the vomit in my throat. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it but that didn't help. I reached over and grabbed a little pink dish next to the bed, and threw up in it.

"Mrs. Hanson you ok?" Dr. Anderson's asked.

"Dr. Anderson? Can I go home?" I asked, sitting the dish next to the bed and I covered it with a newspaper.

"Well we got your tests back from yesterday." he looked down at his clipboard.

"And?" I asked anxiously.

"Mrs. Hanson, you're a very lucky woman." he said looking up at me.

"Lucky?" I looked at him confused.

"Yes, the fetus survived the stabbing."

"Fetus?" I repeated.

"Yes, you're pregnant, about 7 weeks."

"Preg..nant?" I said slowly.

"Yes," I automatically put my hands on my stomach. "I take it you didn't know?" he asked.

I just shook my head, "No." I felt my chin tremble.

"Well, this child must want to be born. It surviving the stabbing and all you has been through this past month. That is a miracle itself." he turned and walked out of the room.

"I can't be." I shook my head. Just then a nurse with an ultra sound machine walked in.

"Mrs. Hanson?" she asked.

"Yes?" I watched her wheel it beside me.

"We are going to see how your baby is doing." she put my bed back, lifted my gown, she seen my belly, "Oh, I can see why the doctor wants to see the baby." she put the ultra goo on my belly. It took her a minute to find it. There was the baby; I watched the heart thump fast.

"The baby." I touched the screen

"Yes." she smiled at me.

"Another baby." I was shocked. "Wow!"

She did some measurements, "everything looks good." she wiped the goo off trying not to irritate my staples, "oh they look like they could come out." she touched them.

I just sat there crying silently, I knew exactly when I got pregnant. I cursed to myself, 'that damn ship!'

The nurse left, I reached over, picked up the phone from beside my bed and called Matt's cell phone.

"Hello, babe." he answered. I could hear April crying in the back.

"Why is she crying?" I asked.

"Teething we think, are you ok?" he had slight panic in his voice.

"I need you to come to the hospital and get me; they said I can come home." I didn't want to tell him I was pregnant yet. He would be shocked like me.

"Ok, I will be there soon; I have to wake your Mom so she can watch April."

"Ok, see when you get here." I hung up.

A nurse came in with some release papers; "Before you go, the doctor wants me to remove your stables, from your stomach and back." she smiled at me.

"Ok, can we do my back first?" she had a pair of clippers of some sort with her.

"Sure, can you roll on your side?" I shook my head and rolled on my left side. She clipped them, it stung alittle. "you healed nicely."

"I am a fast healer." I kind of chuckled. She removed the front ones that didn't hurt like the back ones. She also took out my IV and helped me stand. My legs felt like rubber, I held on to the side of the bed.

"Whoa!" I smiled, "this feels alittle weird." I started to take a few steps towards the bathroom.

"You ok?" she asked.

"Yeah I got this." I went into the bathroom to pee, shower, brush my teeth and change into some clothes that my Mom brought a while ago when I was still out.

Dark blue jeans, multi colored t-shirt, matching panties and bra, black flip-flops and a hoodie. I looked at myself in the mirror I didn't recognized myself. I looked older and paler. I ran a hairbrush through my wet hair. I felt so much better not being stuck in bed and getting a hot shower. I couldn't get use to my reflection I stared at myself I realized I looked like my Mom. Then the thought of my Grandpa being gone. I began to cry I didn't like the idea of not having him there when I needed him. I would miss him then I thought of my Dad, thinking he must be in real pain. I wanted to see him. I ripped a piece of toilet paper off the roll and wiped my face. I came out of the bedroom Matt was there sitting on the edge of the bed.

He stood up. "ready to go?" he asked.

"Hell yes!" he grabbed all my stuff and I walked out of the hospital into my mustang, Matt got in the drivers seat.

"This feels great, can we stop and get a hamburger and fries. I have a craving for a milkshake." I could see him looking at me funny.

I looked at him, "What?" I asked.

"Milkshake?" he raised an eyebrow, "Nora are you?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Am I what?" I looked at him seriously.

He turned the key and shook his head. "Never mind." we pulled into a fast food place.

### I sipped on my strawberry shake, I noticed Matt looking at me funny.

"Matt?" I turned in my seat, "Yes." .

"Yes what?" he looked at me from the corner of his eye.

"The answer to your question is yes." I seen the shock slowly spread across his face.

"For real?" his voice sounded like he looked.

"Yes, I found out before you got there." I shoved a fry into my mouth.

"How far along?" he asked.

"Think ship." That's all I said and he began to chuckle. "Darn boredom." I joked.

"Well, April is going to be a big sister." I shook my head.

### We walked into the big house; it was just as if I remembered it. I could hear April crying from the living room. I walked in she was chewing on her fist. She seen me and began kicking her legs.

"Hi baby girl." I bent down and touched her head.

"Mummma!" she babbled. I went to pick her up.

"AT!" Matt said from behind me, "Let me get her for you." he picked her up and handed her to me. She hugged me, "you take it easy missy!" he ordered. He bent down and kissed me.

I pretended to solute him. "Yes, sir." I smiled. I sat down holding her, "she is getting so big, I feel like I missed so much."

"Your Mom has been thinking about her first birthday." I looked up at him.

"One Year already? You're getting to be a big girl." I started nibble on her tummy getting her laughing. But she shoved her hand in her mouth muffling her giggles. Matt handed me my fast food, "does she eat real food?" I asked, feeling stupid being her mother I should know this.

"Yep." Matt sat beside us. I handed her a fry, "she loves french fries." she finished he fry. I leaned back with April in my arms and began kissing Matt. I missed his musky sweet cologne and his blue eyes. April turned around and put her arms around both our necks.

My Mom walked in, "Nora? Your home?" she was surprised.

"Hi Mom, yeah I am home." she had a bottle for April.

"It's her nap time." She handed me the bottle or do you want me to do it?" I looked up at her.

"Could you?" I handed it back to her.

"Yeah, sweety." she took the bottle and went to pick up April but she latched onto me crying.

"I don't think that's ok with her." Matt snickered.

"Ok, I'll do it." I stood up and got April.

"Nora!" Matt said sternly.

"What?" my Mom asked looking at us both, "Oh my, your pregnant again, aren't you?" she asked with a big smile on her face.

"Yes, she is pregnant again." Matt answered her.

"I can handle this, stop freaking out, Matthew!" I carried April right past him and up the stairs. I walked into her room sat down in the rocking chair and began rocking her to sleep.

I began humming a song to her; it didn't take long before she was out. I touched her cheeks and nose. I was still in awe at how much she looked like Matt, but now I noticed some traces of me. I got up and laid her in her crib, she rolled over and put her butt in the air, I chuckled. I covered her up with her quilt. I turned on the baby monitor and left the room. I went back downstairs, Matt was watching TV.

"She asleep already?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" I sat beside him.

"She usually takes forever, must take her mommy's touch." he smiled.

I sat beside him, he put his arm around me. "this feels so good to be home."

"It's good to have you home, I missed you so much." I turned my head and kissed him. Next thing I knew he was on top of me kissing me.

I woke up wrapped in Matt's arms both of us naked. I got up and ran to the bathroom to throw up, I stood up slowly but that didn't help. Dizziness swept over me making me lose my balance, I had to steady myself. I rinsed my mouth and brush my teeth. I took my robe off the hook hanging on the bathroom door. I checked my reflection in the mirror. I started to look like myself again, I sighed in relief.

### I walked out of the bathroom; Matt was still asleep and snoring softly. I grabbed some clothes from the dresser and dressed quickly. I could hear April crying in her room. I slipped out of the bedroom without waking up Matt to go get her. I walked into the room; she was standing up and holding on to the side of her crib.

"Look at you, big girl, standing there." I picked her up, "soaked huh?" I gave her a bath and a clean diaper. I dressed her in a pink dress with lacy socks and sandals. Her hair was long enough to put pigtails in. So I did, with two little clips. She looked cute.

### I went to get her a bottle it seems odd to be doing the mother thing. My Mom was up and watching her in the living room. When I came back, she was standing, holding on to the couch. I stood there watching her. Matt came down, he stood beside me.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, then he seen April.

"Can you believe that? Give me your phone?" I reached out waited for him dig it out of his pocket. He handed it to me I began recording her on his phone. She seen us standing in the doorway she turned from the couch, took a few steps towards us. She stopped and took two more then fell. She looked at us with her big blue eyes getting teary.

Matt smiled, "She looks adorable."

I finally get a chance to do stuff like this with her. I walked over to her letting her wrapper her chubby hand around my fingers and helped her back up, "Walk to daddy." I told her.

Matt got down and held his hands out, "come on baby girl." he was smiling real big.

She started to giggle but she made it all the way there. He picked her up and began kissing her, "that's my big girl." I went over and kissed her too.

"I am going to make breakfast, want anything guys?" my Mom asked. I shook my head.

"Yeah, I figured. Matt?" she grinned.

"Yeah, sure." she went into the kitchen. Matt put April in her playpen. She didn't care for that much, she began to cry. I walked into the kitchen.

"Mom, where's is Dad?" I asked.

"Portland, he's with your Uncle Roger getting things settled." she cracked some eggs in a big bowl.

"Can I call him?" I asked, sitting down on a stool.

"Sure, call Grandpa's house." she starting whisking the eggs. Matt handed me his cell phone. I smiled at him.

"Thanks babe." I kissed him. I dialed the number.

"Hello?" it was my Uncle Roger answered the phone.

"Uncle Roger, is my Dad there?" I asked.

"Hey Nora, yeah he is here....Bro, it's your daughter." I heard the squeak of the rocker.

"Hello?" my Dad answered, he sounded tired.

"Hi Daddy." I greeted him.

"Hey Nora-bug, how you doing?" he asked, he sounded alittle more excited.

"I am good, I am home now."

"Great! I am so sorry I couldn't be there for you."

"I know Daddy; I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you."

"I miss you too, how is my granddaughter doing?" he asked.

"She took her first steps today."

"Aww really? I am missing so much. We're almost done here, you don't mind putting up your parents for alittle while?"

"Of course not, your always welcomed here, Dad. I love you so much." I began to tear up. Matt was rubbing my shoulders; Mom was busy at the stove.

"I love you too, more than anything. Can I talk to your Mom, honey?"

"Sure, Mom, Dad wants to talk to you." she turned and took the phone. We gave the some privacy. April playing with some noisy toys. I peeked in on her, she seen me and began to cry to be let out. I went to pick her up, my stomach turned. I ran to the downstairs bathroom and threw up again.

I came out, Matt was eating, the smell of the food was turning my stomach, "Ugh, I am going for a walk." I walked outside, the warm air felt good. The wind was a gentle breeze it felt good on my skin. I walked down the sidewalk for the first time since I inherited the place.

"Nice day." someone said, I looked an elderly woman was planting flowers in a flowerbed.

"Yes it is." I answered her.

"You moved into the Sally Grossman's house?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am her Great Niece, its nice to meet you." I reached out to shake her hand; she took off her gardening gloves to shake it.

"Great Niece? You must be one of Vivian's Granddaughters, lets see" she looked at me up and down, "Nora, I would guess, I am Nancy Pacer."

"Yes, how did you know," I asked stunned.

"Because she said her other niece was wild and you don't look like that." she smiled, "So are you alone in that big house?"

"No, I am with my husband, daughter, Mom and soon my Dad."

"That's good, its nice to see a family in that house. Sally was a wonderful woman, very giving."

"She was." I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned and looked, it was Matt, "this is my husband Matthew, Matt this is Mrs. Pacer." Matt smiled.

"Good Morning ma'am." he greeted her.

"Nice to meet you, Matthew, It's nice to see that a family is living there, like I was told your wife."

"Yeah, that's a big old house for just one person." he said, "well excuse us ma'am, we are going to be walking down to the store."

"Have a good day, you two."

"You too ma'am." we both said. We held hands walking down to the store. We held hands most of the way just being out in the fresh air and living life was an amazing feeling.

We walked into the small Convenience store, they had everything in there. We walked past the condoms and I began to laugh. Matt looked at me funny, "What are you laughing at?" he asked smiling.

"Oh nothing, just a personal thought that's all." I chuckled. Matt shrugged his shoulders and went back to get some beer and milk. I went and got chips, diapers and some baby snacks for April. We had several bags by the time we left there. Matt carried them all refusing to let me do anything but walk back home.

### April was playing on the floor with Matt. He was getting her laughing hard. She began to climb on him, Matt picked her up and held her over top of him. Getting her giggling, I really missed this kind of stuff.

### I asked Matt several times about Noah's death, for a while he wouldn't tell me. Finally, one evening after dinner, sitting on the couch, I asked him again.

### "Matt, tell me about Noah's death." I picked up the remote and muted the TV.

### Matt sighed, "I told you."

### "I don't think you did." I scooted closer to him.

### He furrowed his brow. "Do you think I lied about what I saw?"

### "I didn't say that."

### "Then what?" he was beginning to sound angry with me.

### "Matt I...I didn't mean it sound like I don't trust you. But something tell me he isn't dead." I tried to sound reassuring.

### "He is...he is dead." he stuttered.

### "Did you see him die?" I asked.

### He lowered his head, "I didn't see the deathly blow." he sighed, "Nora, and you don't realize that Noah and I use to be friends."

### "I thought you hated Noah?" I tried to hide the shock in my voice.

### "Maybe I should of explained." he turned his head to look at me.

### "Explain what?" I looked at him confused.

### "Noah was my best friend before he bit me." I interrupted him.

### "Your. Best. Friend? I said slowly. That thought was hard to sink in knowing how much he loathed him now.

### "We were in school together," he continued, "football, mostly. I was Quarterback he was center."

### "Ok, but..." he held up his hand to stop me.

### "I couldn't watch him die, not after all of these years of...." he trailed off.

### "I understand, really. But I....I don't think he is dead."

### "What do you mean?" he asked.

### "I mean like we haven't seen the last of him." I slowly shook my head.

### "Let hope we have." he gave me a weak smile.

### "Wait I thought you burned the bodies?" I asked.

### "Yeah, only after Michael piled them on top of each other." he drew in a deep breath.

### "Well I hope my feelings are wrong." I shuddered at the thought of him still being alive. I ran my fingers through his thick hair, "I love you and April more than anything."

### He smiled big, "I love you too. You and April are my life now. And we have another one on the way." his hand went down to my belly.

### "Hard to believe that we will have 2 children soon and we thought having just April was hard enough" I chuckled.

### "Yeah but I am sure we can handle it." we stared at each other for along moment.

### "I think we can too, but it will be tough and this time lets hope for a boy." I smiled.

### The next morning my Mom got up and left to be with my Dad for awhile. She was beginning to miss him I could tell. Matt dropped her off at the air port after she gave a few really long good-bye hugs. I noticed she was acting really strange like something was bothering her. When I asked her what was wrong she just said it was the whole flying thing that made her nervous. I knew that wasn't it that something was really wrong and she was hiding something from me.

### Several days later got a call from my parents saying that they were moving to Seattle. Dad got a job at a lab there doing some top secret research. Which he usually does causing him a lot of stress, that might be the reason why he got grey hair so fast.

Things were going good for a few months. Matt and I were getting along great. April had her 1st birthday party. It was just the family. I had my second ultra sound and the doctor said he thought it looked like a boy but it was too early to really tell.

### One thing was missing though, my parents never called to wish April a happy birthday, which was unusual. I knew how much she meant to them and them not calling. I began to worry about them not knowing if they were ok. I felt like I did when I was 17 when I was forced to live with my Grandparents. The uncertainty of how they were and what they were doing.

### Saturday Night after getting April to sleep. Matt and I were on the couch cuddling. We were watching some Antiques Appraisal show. The phone rang, It took me forever to get up so Matt ended up getting it.

"Hello?" he answered. "Just a second. Honey its for you." he handed me the phone.

"Hello? I answered.

"Listen to me." the voice spoke. "If you want to see your parents alive you do what I say." the voice demanded. I looked at Matt.

"What?" he mouthed. I motioned for a piece of paper and pen. He handed me one I wrote down for him to get the other phone.

The man continued. "Your Dad was working on some kind of top secret work. I need you to go to his house in Tampa and get all his research out of his secret lab there...." I interrupted him.

"Secret Lab? I have no idea what your talking about." I said.

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME AGAIN!" he ordered. "Here tell her!" he yelled at someone.

"Nora, listen to me. Remember the stairs that led to your room?" he asked.

"Yes Dad." I answered.

"Behind the picture of the horses is a lever, pull it and a door will open, behind that door is a room. There is a file cabinet in there with some papers. What you need is in the top drawer." I heard a thump.

"You heard him, go do it or your father will be dead in 4 days." he began to sound familiar.

"I'm pregnant I cant fly, my husband will have to do it or someone else."

He growled in frustration. "As long as it gets done! I will call you back in 3 day." he hung up. I turned to look at Matt, he could see that this was hurting me and that was pissing him off.

"I am going to Portland and deal with this whole lab thing. Don't you worry about any of this stuff. I will handle it." He walked over to me and put his arms around me. "I love you and I love this family. I will do anything to make it stay intact." He bent down and gave me a long kiss almost like a good-bye kiss. He turned around and headed up to Aprils room. I followed a second later. He was bent over the side of the crib and giving her a kiss on the forehead.

I was standing in the back door. I watched him morphed into his wolf form and disappear into the woods behind the house. A cold breeze blow past me sending a weird chill over my body. A wave of sorrow wash over me. I felt like this wasn't going to end well that someone will die. As I watched Matt turn into a tiny speck I knew it would be him. I prayed that my feelings would be wrong I didn't want to be a widow with two kids.

Early the next morning I tried to stick to Aprils usual routine, but she noticed Matt wasn't there. I sat her on the living room floor amongst her toys. I sat on the couch watching her looking around. She stood up and walked over to the me, "Daddy?"

"Daddy will be back soon." I told her. "I hope." I said under my breath. I watched her play with her animal sounds and her peg box. Watching her play like she didn't have a care in the world, which is how I wanted. I worried about Matt and about my Dad. Things always seems to be going wrong for me like it was my destiny to have a miserable life.

Dinner was eaten and April was bathed. I let her lay in bed with me. I didn't feel right with her alone in her room. She was asleep on Matt's side of the bed. I had the tv on but wasn't paying a lot of attention to it. I found myself pacing the floor more then sitting. I didn't know what I was going to do if they called me back and I didn't have what they wanted from me.

Just after 1am when the phone rang. I reached over and pick it up my cell. "Hello?" I answered.

A familiar voice spoke, "Hey babe."

"Oh Thank God!" I sighed, "Where are you?" I asked.

"Right now, I am in your fathers secret lab. I wanted to call and tell you something. I was going to wait until I saw you but I couldn't." he sounded weird.

"What couldn't wait?" I asked curiously.

"I am looking at one of your fathers secret experiments. Did you know he was trying to cure cancer?" he asked amazed.

"No, that's a big thing to try." I stood up and began pacing again. "When are you coming home?" I asked.

"As soon as I get these papers. Don't worry I will be there by morning if not earlier. I love you." I could hear him opening drawers.

"I love you too and Hurry home." I ordered and we hung up. I felt so relieved to know that he was ok and he was on task. I slid back under the covers and fell asleep.

### April was sitting up on the bed crying like her heart was broken. Before I could fully get up someone was talking to her, soothing her. I opened my eyes to Matt standing next to the bed. I felt her weight being lifted off.

"Matt?" I groggily asked.

"Shhh, yeah its me." I rose up and wrapped my arms around him. He was holding April and I was hugging him. "Whoa I have a feeling I was missed." he chuckled.

"More than you know." I looked at April. "April daddy." I patted Matt's chest. She smiled and bounced a little. "she went around looking for you." Matt smiled and kissed her cheek. All three of us went down stairs to the kitchen. I saw a big stack of papers on the counter. "are these it?" I asked.

"Yeah... Um Nora there is something you should see." he sat April in her high chair. While he dug out a file I put some dry cereal and sliced bananas on her tray. I sat there watching take her chubby little finger pinch a piece of cereal and put it in her mouth. "Here." He handed me a folder with my name written across the top of it. I opened it up and began to read it.

Subject: Nora Treeman

### Age: 1 month.

There was some words I didn't understand then when I got to the bottom of the page. 'If Carla and Dad knew the truth about Nora they would understand why I don't care if she calls me Dad. Because I am here father. I didn't expect it to take the first try. They said that I couldn't have children, that I had 1,000,000 to 1 chance for it to happen. Then one chance with A.I and I have a daughter. I am going to let them think that she belongs to my father. That way they wont know that I have been experimenting on myself. I must hide the blood test and replace it with one that says she is my fathers daughter, that she is my sister instead of my child. I knew that she was mine she looked too much like me not to be. I just hope that I can hide this from everyone until the time is right.'

I looked up at Matt who was helping April eat. "I really AM his daughter. I knew it." I sat the file to the side. "I knew it." Matt stood up and opened the folder again and flipped to a different piece of paper.

"Read that one hun." he pointed to it.

'Subject: Nora Treeman

### Test subject: 01223

### Age: 3 yrs old.

Subject shows sign of hidden aggression, no doubt from the disease. She seems to have the signs of the progression of it. I don't know what to do I tried everything to cure her. But We have to face the facts that Nora may die from this. I wont give up hope. Carla don't know yet and I am reluctant to tell her. She has been waiting to have a child and now to know that she may die. I don't know how she contracted it maybe something got accidentally switched. I am still unsure.'

### There was some scientific words then a date and more writing.

'I stayed up all night working on this serum, I think I have it right. I am scared to try it on her. What if it killed her. I would be heartbroken and so when Carla. But if I don't she WILL die. So Tonight I will try it, I am praying it will work.'

"I nearly died." I looked at Matt. "from what?" I searched the papers. A headline caught my eye.

'Serum success: I tested Nora four times and she shows no sign of the disease. The serum was a success, I am so thankful. I just cant let this fall into the wrong hands. I cant let either the disease or the cure out. If some person got a hold of this. I shudder at the thought.'

I looked at Matt. "It seems that your Dad was doing some shady shit." Matt said.

"Yeah and it seems like I was apart of it. My Dad has to survive so I can kill him myself." I slammed my fist down on the counter. April looked at me startled and began to cry. "Aw I'm sorry baby." Matt picked her up and was soothing her. She reached for me. I held her, "mommy's sorry sweety. I'm mad a Grandpa." she pulled a back. She had little tears running down her cheeks. I wiped them with my finger. I felt bad for scaring her. I took her into the living room and sat her on the floor with her toys, she was fine in no time.

I kept wondering what I had. Was is cancer or leukemia or what? I was puzzled. I knew I didn't have anything now or the doctor would of found something in either me or April. Matt sat beside me on the couch. We sat there and watched April play in silence.

"Babe." Matt said breaking the silence.

"Yeah. What?" I looked at him.

"Your file is the one that the caller wanted." he was staring at me.

"I figured." the baby was kicking. Suddenly the callers voice hit me. I sat straight up.

"You ok?" Matt asked with concern.

"I know who that caller was." I slowly turned to look at him.

"Who?" he asked.

"Victor! I knew I recognized that voice." Matt's face turned red.

"That Son of Bitch!" he snarled.

"Easy babe. Let him call back." I rubbed his back. His whole body was shaking. He wanted to kill victor since she stabbed me. April was staring at us with curious eyes. I smiled at her and crawled down on the floor to play with her. Matt got up and left the room. I could see him changing and he didn't want April to see.

### 2 days later. It was around noon, April was down for her nap. She usually got sleepy after lunch. The phone rang immediately I knew who it was. Matt was beside me in a second. I picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Hello?" I answered.

"You have the papers?" he asked.

"Yes, I have them." I answered. "how to you want them?" I asked,

"No so fast. First I want you to prove you have the file I want. What is the Test Subject number on the file?" he asked. Matt ran and got the folder.

"Its 01223." I answered him.

"Good, now I want you to take it to the store just down from your house. Around back and I mean you not your mongrel husband. I will know if he shows up besides he has to stay with your daughter." he chuckled.

"Fine, as long as I don't get hurt." I said.

"You wont get hurt and neither will your parents. It will be a switch the files for your father and mother." he sounded sincere.

"Fine. But they cant be hurt either." I ordered.

"Tough girl, fine they wont be hurt either. Be there in 3 hours." he ordered.

"I will be there." I just got out before he hung the phone up. Matt just stood there shaking his head.

"I don't like this. I don't trust him. Remember he tried to kill you." she had worry all over his face.

"If its Victor, I will be ok." I tried to ease his worry. But I too was worried.

I walked down the dark alley to where I was told to go. Every hair on my body was standing on end. My heart was galloping in my chest. I tried to relax but I was on edge. I knew something bad was going to happen. I didn't have Matt he was at home with April. I stood in the spot waiting for the caller to show up.

A shadowy figure appeared at the end of the alley. "Do you have the files?" he asked. This time it was Victors voice for sure.

"Victor?" I questions.

"Very good you remember my voice." he began to walk faster towards me then stopped and smiled. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around there stood my worse nightmare.

"Noah!" I gasped.

"Hello Nora, did you miss me?" he gave an evil laughter. His eyes fell on my belly and back to my face. Next thing I knew Victor was behind me holding my arms. Victor ripped open my shirt exposing my bare belly. He rubbed it gently, "AH, father was right, it worked." I looked at him in horror. "do you honestly think that this baby is Matt's?" A cold chill rushed over me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"When you were out at my fathers mansion? You gave into me so easily. And now your carrying my child." I looked at him in horror.

"What are you talking about?" I was staring at him. He had a evil grin on his face. He was staring at my belly. "Any woman your with will be come whatever you are?"

"See that's why we needed these files. Your father found the cure for it. And you have the cure in your blood and now in my.." he sniffed and listened. "my son.. My son will be like me. You are immune to it but he will be like me." he closed my jacket around my belly.

A car pulled up behind him and 2 men got out. Victor pulled my arms tighter behind my back. "Easy Victor, she is carrying my child." They both began to laugh.

### I shot up straight off the couch, breathing heavy. Matt wrapped his arms around me.

"Whoa another nightmare?" he asked.

"Yes, this time it was about the baby." I began to weep into my hands.

"Tell me about it. It might help." he pulled me back into his arms and sat back on the couch.

"I was meeting the guy about the files and Noah was there saying he was the father of the baby." I shuddered.

"Could he be?" he asked. I turned and looked at him.

"What?" I pulled away from him, he better not of been serious.

"You said that when you woke up you were naked it and in bed." he looked confused and a little hurt.

"No I am sure you're the baby's father. I know each time I had sex. A woman know." I stood up. "What time is it?" I have to go meet them with the files. I just hope the dream isn't about to be reality." I slipped on my sandals and grabbed my hoodie.

I entered the alley like I was suppose to. Chills shot through my body. It was like déjà vu to me. Only thing different is that I had my dagger that Dorsella gave me with me. I watched a dark four figures walk towards me. I could tell that by the two in the middle were walking that their hands were tied as they got closer I could tell that they were blindfolded as well.

"Do you have the files?" he asked. This person wasn't Noah or Victor.

"Yes." I held them up. "Let my parents go and you can have the papers."

"Not so fast, We will let your mother go first." He untied her hand and took off her blind fold. She walked towards me almost running.

"What about my Dad?" I asked.

"That will be a equal switch at the same time." he had my Dad by the back of the neck. I turned and faced my Mom.

"My car is parked by the curb, go to my house and stay with April so Matt can come here." I whispered. She looked at me wide eyed and darted towards the car.

"Same time." he ordered. They untied my Dad and took off his blind fold. They must of really giving him a good beating because both of his eyes where dark purple and blood shot.

"He wasn't suppose to be hurt."

"That happened before we made that agreement. I haven't touched him since." he gave a evil smirk.

"Same time?" I questioned. The man extended his arm that was clapping my Dad around the neck. I held out my hand to take my Dad's hand and with my left I extended the files. The exchanged happened fast I didn't have time to blind it was that quick.

"There, the switch is done." the man said looking down at the thick stack of papers.

"Yes, now you will leave us in peace?" I question or maybe it was an order.

"Of course. If the papers aren't in here then we will be back." he warned.

"Check." I suggested.

"Check?.. Ok" the man next to him laid out his hands to hold up the files while the other man searched them. It didn't take him long before he found the papers. "here we go." he stuffed the paper back in the folder and picked the huge stack back up. "Bye Nora!" they turned and started back down the alley. "OH yeah one more thing." They turned towards me.

"Your coming with us!" the other man ordered. The other guy started back to me. I started to back up.

### My Dad tried to get in between us when a huge black creature jumped in between us, blocking the mans path to me. I watched Matt raise up on his legs. Tallest I have ever seen him. I heard a growls escaping from his chest giving them warning to back off. They got the idea and ran back down to their waiting vehicle. Matt turned and faced us. My Dad was in between me and Matt trying to protect me from Matt.

"RUN!" My Dad ordered.

"Dad." I said calmly.

"NO! JUST RUN!" he put up his fist to fight him. My eyes met Matt's. He was amused and flattered that my Dad would go to extremes to protect me. Matt began to morph back down. My Dad watched him with shock and dismay. There stood his son-in-law naked. "Matt?" my Dad questioned.

"Yeah!" he answered.

"What? How? Ah!" my Dad questioned with confusion.

"Lets get you back to the house before we answer any questions." I suggested. Matt disappeared around the side of the building then emerged dressed. All three of us piled into the mustang and drove home. My Mom was sitting on the couch visibly shaken. "Mom." I walked over to her and put my arms around her.

"Is it over?" she asked.

"I hope so." my Dad answered.

"April?" Matt asked.

"Still asleep, she woke up and I brought her down here, she is in there." she pointed to the play pen. All four of us peeked at her. My Dad hasn't seen her since she was 2 months old. I straightened up right.

"Dad?" I looked at him. His face went grim he knew what was going to happen.

He sighed, "you want to talk about the file huh?" he didn't let me answer. He turned towards my Mom. "Carla, Nora and Matt I have a lot of stuff to explain." we all exchanged glances.

"Explain what?" my Mom questioned.

"First, Nora isn't my sister, she is my daughter." we all watched my mothers expression.

"What? But the blood tests."

"I faked them, she IS my daughter."

"How? I thought you couldn't." my Mom's voice was at the point of sounding hysterical.

"I went to use my Dad's sample in the A.I but I couldn't do it I wanted to try mine first. I thought it would be my only chance. But before I did that I did something stupid. I....." he stopped. "I am getting too far ahead, let me start at the beginning. Before you and I got married, Carla, I worked for a lab that did human experiments. They tried to cure cancer and rare diseases."

"One day a man came into the lab asking for our help to cure his son who had a form of.. ah.. lycanthropy. Which I thought was impossible. But this boy was a.. ah... werewolf." he glanced at Matt and shivered. "I worked for a year on the cure and by a miracle I found it. I was able to cure this young boy of that disease."

"Cure it?" I asked.

"Yes, it's a disease like cancer." he got up and began pacing. "I took a sample of blood from the boy and did some breaking down of it. Then after I isolated the cell that caused the mutation I injected it into myself."

"YOU WHAT!?" my Mom yelled in shocked.

"I know! but it helped change my body, making me able to have children. After you got pregnant with Nora I used the cure on myself. I didn't know it would be passed to her and I thought everything would be ok. Until she started showing signs of the disease and it caused her to form cancerous cells making her very sick."

"That was what was wrong with her?" she questioned.

"Yes, I had to do something before she died so I stayed up one night doing some massive researching and I found the cure and it worked. Look at her." he pointed to me. Everyone's eyes were on me. It made me nervous.

"Stop looking at me guys." I ordered. Mom and Matt turned their gaze back at my Dad.

"What was the mans name? the one who needed cured?" I asked.

"Honestly I don't remember. Its been along time ago." he sat next to my Mom. She had the look of anger on her face and she was glaring at my Dad.

"You could of told me you were her father, it would of saved a lot of problems between me and her." she looked at me.

"What are they going to do with the files?" Matt asked.

"I don't know, but they will be really mad when they see that what they really want isn't in there." he sighed.

"This can wait until tomorrow. Maybe you two should go to bed you had a very trying day." I suggested standing up.

"Your right babe, I'll get April and lets all go to bed." he walked over and picked a sleeping April out of the playpen. I kissed both my parents on cheek, told them good night and we headed upstairs. I didn't realize how tired I was until I laid in bed. Matt laid April in her crib at the end of the bed It didn't take me long to drift off to sleep.

When I got up it was still dark outside I knew I wasn't asleep very long. Matt was lightly snoring behind me, I looked at him he was facing me. I slide out of bed and tip toed to check on April. She was still asleep with her butt in the air. I softly chuckled at her and covered her back up. I grabbed my robe off the chair and headed downstairs. I was half way down when I noticed a light flicker coming from the living room. I walked into the room see what it was. My Dad was on the couch wide awake watching tv.

"Daddy?" he turned towards me.

"Hey Pumpkin." he looked terrible with his bruised eyes.

"Why are you still up?" I asked sitting next to him.

"I cant sleep." he turned his head back towards the tv, "Guilt I guess."

"You and Mom arguing?"

"Yeah, she is pretty pissed at me. I don't blame her really. I am surprised you're not mad me too." he lowered his head.

"I was. But I am just happy that we are ok and that I was right about you being my Dad. I always knew it." I gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah. I should have been upfront about everything. I would be surprised if this didn't cost me your Mom." I watched a tear run down his cheek.

"No, she loves you. I am sure once she thinks about things she will be forgive you." I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"I hope so, right now I am not allowed to sleep in the same bed with her." He looked towards the bedroom door.

"You can sleep in the guest room upstairs." I pointed to the door.

"Thanks Nora-bug." he gave me a weak hug and headed upstairs. I turned off the tv and living room lamp. I noticed a light from under my moms room door. I wanted to talk to her so I walked over and knocked.

"Who is it?" she called out.

"Its me, Mom." I answered.

"Come in, honey."

I walked into the room, she was laying in bed reading a book. I shut the door behind me. "Mom, we have to talk." she closed her book.

"Ok, what do you want to talk about?" she asked removing her glasses.

"Dad."

"I don't want to talk about HIM."

"Stop it! He did what he had to do to save me and to have a child. Sort of like what you did when you thought Grandpa was my Dad." she sat her glasses on the nightstand.

"This is different. He lied to me and to your Grandpa."

"Maybe because he knew how you would act.. Like how your acting now. I wouldn't tell you either if I knew it was going to cost my marriage."

"It wont go that far. I love your father but he needs to be honest with me."

"He knows that. Maybe you should talk to him. Don't let him suffer. Tonight we all be through a lot of stuff and found out things that... well stuff that should have been told long ago. I don't hold anything against him or you, but your hurting him." I stood up. "I'm going to bed, he is in the guest room upstairs just in case you want to talk to him. Good night Mom."

"Good night Nora." she smiled at me. I head back up to my bedroom, climb next to my sleeping giant and fell asleep.

### I got up early the next morning having new hope for the day. April was standing on the side of her crib.

"Good Morning, pretty girl." I smiled at her. Matt was sitting on the edge of the bed. His hair was messy and he looked like he had a rough night.

"Dada! Dada!" April called towards him. He turned his head to face her. His eyes were alittle swollen and he looked pale.

"Matt?" he looked at me. "You feel ok?" I asked.

He sighed. "what do you think?" he said in a scratchy voice.

"Yikes. You sound terrible." I walked over and placed my hand on his forehead. "Your warm. Why don't you lay back down and I will bring you some medicine."

he shook his head, "Nah, I'm ok." he went to stand up.

"NOW MISTER!" I ordered.

"Yes Mommy. Sheesh." he chuckled. He climbed back in bed. I went out to the hall to call for one of my parents. My Dad answered.

"Yeah, Pumpkin." he called up to me.

"Can you come and get April? Please." I smiled.

"Sure." he started to walk up the stairs. He stopped half way up and clutched his chest.

"Dad!" I walked over to him. He had this terrified look on his face. He fell backwards down the stairs. I screamed as loud as I could. "DAD!" I ran after him. I heard doors open. Matt came running and so did my Mom.

"Carl!" my Mom yelled.

"Go call 911!" I yelled at her. I rolled him over to check his heart and to see if he was breathing. His lips were turning purple and his skin was becoming blue. I pressed my ear against his chest, he wasn't breathing. I tried not to panic, "Matt stay with April." I began doing CPR. My Mom ran back to where I was working on my Dad. I wasn't about to let him go. "Mom I need you to stay with April and tell Matt to come here." I continued to do compressions of the chest and breathing for him. Matt ran down the stairs 2 at a time.

"Honey." he looked at me. "I think he's gone."

"NO! Help me!" I grabbed Matt's hand and placed it on his chest. I breathed and he did chest compressions. After 10 minutes I was about to give up when I noticed his hand moving. "Dad!" I breathed for him again. "Breathe Dad! Breathe!" I ordered him. I bent down to do one more breath when his eyes opened and he began to cough. "Thank God!" I sobbed. I pulled him tight to my chest. "Dad!"

### He laid there taking in deep labored breaths with his hand resting on my arm. I sat on the floor next him holding his hand to my cheek. Being thankful he was at least breathing. Matt ran outside to wait by the road to show the emergency crew where the house was. I sat there watching him, soaking in this moment just in case it was my last.

"Nora." he said weakly.

"Yes." I bent down to hear him.

"I love you." he gave a weak smile. The emergency crew bursted through the door startling me. Matt helped me off the floor so they could work on him. I watched them move around him putting an oxygen mask on him and starting an IV. Matt helped them put him on the stretcher then he ran upstairs to get April so my Mom could ride in the ambulance to the hospital. I hurried into a dress and sandals, I wasn't going to leave my Mom there to deal with this on her own.

### I was sitting in the passenger seat crying, the situation finally caught up to me. Matt reached over and placed his hand on my leg.

"He will be ok." he reassured me. I didn't say anything but shake my head. April crying in the back made me realize that one day she and I might go through this with Matt. I turned my head towards him. He was focused on the road. I watched him bite his lip, curse under his breath at the slow drivers and squint his eyes.

"Matt, I love you. I want you to know that." I felt like I had to let him know that.

"I love you too, baby." he glanced over at me and gave me a weak smile. We pulled into the hospital parking lot finally, "Go inside I will get April." I didn't hesitate, as soon as the car came to a full stop and he put the car in park I was out the door.

I jogged into the building, praying most of the time that he was going to be ok. I went straight to the receptionist, "Waiting room?" I demanded. She pointed to it. I turned to see if I could see my Mom. She wasn't in there. I turned back around, "Carl Treeman? He was brought in here by ambulance."

"Are you related to him?" she asked.

"Yes I am his daughter." I answered. She gave the woman next to her a odd look, it made my heart fall into my knee caps.

"Follow me, please." she stood up and I followed her to another waiting room. My Mom was pacing the floors and chewing her nails.

"Mom." I called out as soon as I seen her. She spun around and darted for me.

"Nora." she sobbed.

"Do you know anything yet? How is he?" I asked.

"No, they haven't told me anything yet." she looked around the room. "Where is April and Matt?" she asked.

"Matt has April, I ran in as soon as we got here." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and lead her to a chair to sit down. "Relax Mom, your not going to be any good if you hysterical or worried." she searched my face and then took a defeated sigh.

"Your right." we both sat down in unison. About an hour went by Matt was finally there with April who was not asleep on my Mom's lap. I knew holding her would ease her a little. I started to feel alittle funny, almost like I had the flu or something.

"Are you ok?" he gave me a concern look. "you look like your sick or something."

"I feel funny, my stomach kind of hurts." I rubbed my tummy. Both of them gave me a look of worry. "don't worry about me or the baby we are fine." the doctor walked into the room.

"Family of Carl Treeman?" Matt took April so me and my Mom could go talk to him.

"That's us. How is he?" I asked.

"Well he had a major heart attack. He is on a respirator, IV and a heart monitor. He seems to be holding on but we wont know for another 24 hours." he looked at his clipboard then at me and my stomach. "You saved your dads life." A sharp pain ripped through my stomach. I doubled over clutching my tummy.

"Lets get her onto a bed." he wrapped his arms around me to support me. Matt handed April to my Mom and picked me and carried me back to the examining area. Another stabbing pain, this time everyone started to freak. I reached down to hold my belly to find something wet. I pulled my hand up and it was covered in dark blood.

### Nurses and doctors were running round me trying to help me. Matt was in the back with his eyes fixed on me. The pain was unbelievable.

"How far along are you?" a nurse asked.

"31 weeks, its not time yet." my eyes met Matt's. His big blue eyes filled with fear.

"Get her prepped!" someone shouted. "Nora?" I turned towards the doctor. "We have to get the baby out of you now." I felt a stick in my arm

"Save my baby!" I shouted. Things began to get fuzzy around the edges and then dark.

I woke up to the sound of the intercom asking for Doctor Franklin to go to ICU. I looked around the room and remembered why I was there. I reached down to find that I had no more tummy. I was then fully alert, I pressed the nurses call button. I was alone in the room, I was surprised that Matt wasn't there unless something happened to the baby and he wanted to be by himself. My heart sank, did my baby survive? It killed me that I didn't know.

A nurse came in, "Morning Mrs. Hanson, what can I do for you?" she asked cheerfully.

"My baby? How is my baby?" I asked, holding back tears.

"Your baby? Let me get doctor Franklin." she went to talk out of the room.

"You cant tell me anything?" I slide up on the bed.

"I wasn't here so I don't know. Let me get the doctor." she left. I started to pray, 'please PLEASE let my baby be ok.'

The doctor strolled into the room, "Mrs. Hanson? Hi I am Doctor Robert Williams, I did your cesarean last night."

"My baby?" I interrupted.

"He is fine, alittle small but other wise he is in great shape. Last night your uterus hemorrhaged causing some massive bleeding. We stopped the bleed but to deliver you baby." I took a sigh or relief.

"Him? Can I see him?" I asked. Matt came strolling into the room.

"Yes of course." his eyes went to Matt also. I always found it amazing how people look at him. Sometimes its with amazement and others with terror. Matt strode next to the bed with a smile on his face.

"Hey babe." he greeted me with a kiss.

"Have you seen the baby?" I asked.

"Yes, he is perfect." his smile got bigger.

The doctor cleared his throat, we looked at him. "We will take you down to see the baby. Let me get a nurse and wheelchair." he walked out of the room. I turned my attention back to Matt.

"Have you heard anything about my Dad?" I asked.

"Yes, your Mom is with him right now. She told him about the baby and that seem to help him come to." he said with his eyes locked on mine.

"We have a son." I smiled in amazement.

"Yes, now we have to figure out what to name him." he sat next to me on the bed gently.

"Hmm?" I thought. "How about Matthew Jr." I watched Matt's face turn distorted.

"Ummm no, I don't want to have a son named after me. Lets try something unique." he leaned back and put his arm around me.

"How about Travis?" I smiled. "after Grandpa."

Matt smiled, "You sure?" I shook my head.

"Yes, Grandpa meant a lot to me. So yeah, Travis James Hanson." I shook my head agreeing with myself.

"Ok, then its Travis James Hanson, I guess." We kissed. A nurse showed up with a wheelchair.

"Mrs. Hanson, ready to go see your son?" she asked.

"Yes." Matt helped me up and into the wheelchair. Matt wheeled me down to where the baby was. I was preparing myself for the worse, like him on a bunch of machines. Matt wheeled me to the back of the room to a incubator. There was this tiny little baby with a breathing tube through his nose sleeping soundly.

"Oh my." I whispered. The sight of his was heartbreaking he was so tiny and so fragile looking.

"He is doing great. Don't let the sight of the tube and stuff bother you, its just precaution, because he is so tiny and a few weeks premature." I looked at the nurse.

"Can I hold him?" I asked.

"Yes." she lifted up the plastic sides of the incubator then lifted him out and placed him into my arms. He weighed nothing and was tiny I was scared to hold him too tight. I kissed his head the nurse undid my gown.

"Place him on your skin, it will help him to have skin on skin and he will remember your heartbeat." She helped me place him on my chest and then did my gown back up and placed a blanket over us. I placed my hand on his back to steady him. I could feel his little heartbeat against my hand and his breath against my chest.

"He is so tiny." I choked back a tear.

"He is strong though, like his Dad." the nurse said looking up at Matt who was smiling at that comment.

"Lets hope so." I rubbed his head and his back.

"Have you held him yet?" the nurse asked Matt. He shook his head.

"No, I just talked to him. He remembers my voice." he said touching his back. Matt could fit him in one hand it seemed.

After an hour with him I was being wheeled back to my room. "Wait. I want to go see my Dad." I waited for Matt to protest instead he turned around and we headed for the elevators. After seeing how good the baby was doing, I was hoping my Dad was doing as good.

### The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Matt pushed me out and down the hall a short ways. I could see my Mom sitting in a chair. She smiled as soon as she saw me. I could hear the beeping of the heart machine. Matt pushed me farther in the room. My Dad was sitting up with a oxygen tube in his nose.

"Hi Daddy." I greeted him. He smiled real big and reached his hands out for me. Matt pushed me next to his bed and helped me up. I hugged him so tight against his chest I could hear his heart beating hard. I began to cry.

"Shhh" he said smoothing my hair, " I will be ok." I still cried. The feeling of him breathing and hearing his heart was overwhelming.

"How is the baby?" my Mom asked. I pulled away still looking at my Dad.

"He is strong and tiny." I looked at my Mom. "have you seen him?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, will they let me?" she asked. We shook our head together.

"Who has April?" I asked looking at Matt.

"Well, She is with Nikki and Kyle at the house. They rushed her as soon as they heard about your Dad and you." I sighed in relief.

"How is her baby doing?" my eyes still fixed on Matt.

"Big." my Mom answered. "The pudgiest little thing and cute." I smiled. "April finds the baby fascinating." she smiled.

"Good, I hope she finds her little brother just as fascinating as Nikki and Kyle's baby." I sat back down in the wheelchair. My Dad was staring at me. "Whats wrong daddy?" I asked him.

"I am so proud of you, Nora-bug." he smiled.

"Proud of you too daddy." I picked up his hand and held it. He squeezed it gently.

"Visiting hours are over." a nurse came in and informed us. I hugged both my parents bye and was wheeled back to my room. I was getting really tired. Matt helped me back in bed and covered me up.

"Thanks honey." I yawned. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I fell asleep.

### Early the next morning I woke up to Nikki and Kyle in the room with their pudgy little boy. Nikki put him on my bed next to me. He giggled and cooed he was happy. I smiled at him and played with his belly.

Matt showed up with April, she was crying. "Awww come here baby girl." I reached for her. She hugged me. "daddy being mean?" I teased, smiling at Matt. He stuck his tongue out.

"No she is just alittle crabby she is getting a tooth in." he sat next to me on the bed. "plus I think she misses her mommy." I looked up at him.

"Awww. Its not fair to her that I am always in the hospital or away." I said while smoothing her hair out of her face.

"Its not like you can help it, babe." he bent down and kissed me. April pushed his head away.

"No Dadda!" she said angrily.

"Well, she means business." I turned her around. "April, you be nice to your daddy." she glared at him again.

"What did I do?" he asked her.

She pointed a chubby finger at him. "You bad!" Matt pretended to cry. She frowned. "No cry Dadda?" she stood up and reached for him. Matt picked her up.

"Sucker." he said jokingly and started tickling her. It hurt for me to laugh.

"Mrs. Hanson?" a female interrupted the laughter.

"Yes?" I answered.

"The doctor said you can go home if you want." she had a clipboard in her hand.

"Ok." I said with relief.

"The baby will stay in for a few more weeks before he is released. But we usually ask the parents to visit everyday." she handed me the clipboard to sign.

"that wont be a problem." I said signing my name.

"Ok, would you like to see the baby before you go?" she asked smiling.

"Yes please, but can I get dressed first." I asked.

"Of course." she handed me a copy of the release form and left the room. I got up and dressed without any help from Matt. He holding April and walking around the room. "Matt?" he looked, "Help me with my shoes please?" I chuckled. He bent down and put them on me. The same nurse returned with a wheelchair and we headed to the nursery.

"Can our daughter come in there too?" Matt asked.

"Sure, she can see her little brother." she answered smiling at April. She hid her face from the nurse.

"She is a little shy." Matt smiled at the nurse.

He was awake this time, his eyes scanning the room. I put my head down to his face level. "Hi Baby." I cooed. He was staring at me, his eyes fixed on my face.

"Baby." April said pointed to her brother.

"That's your baby brother." Matt said. "He is our baby." April looked at him and smiled.

"My baby?" giving Matt a serious look.

"Yes, you want to say hi to him?" he sat her on my lap. She stood up looking at him, her hand was pressed against the plastic side.

"Hi baby." she said softly. I looked up at Matt. He was smiling, he was beaming with pride at his little family and I was also.

"His name is Travis. April say Travis." I asked. She turned to look at me.

"Travis, baby Travis." she said looking seriously.

"Yep, baby Travis." I rubbed her head. The baby began to cry. That was the first time I heard it. A nurse came over to check on him. She opened the side and checked him.

"Would you like to try to sooth him." I shook my head. She placed him in my arms. He instantly stopped crying. I pulled him up to my face and kissed him. He started crying again. This time it was heartbreaking sounding. The nurse took him away, "he is hungry, hopefully he will feed this time. He don't like the formula." I looked up at Matt.

"Excuse me, Umm maybe I could express some milk to see if he will take that?" I suggested. The nurse shook her head.

"I would have to ask the doctor." she disappeared in the back. Another nurse emerged a few minutes later with a breast pump. They asked me to pump as much as I could and then we had to leave. It was hard to leave the hospital without my baby.

We were in the elevator when my name came over the loud speaker about going to the waiting room on 2 floor. We hurried there, my Mom was on the floor with her face buried in her hands crying uncontrollably. My heart sank, I knew what happened. I covered my mouth with my hand trying not to scream. I walked to her, "Mom!" she looked up at me.

"Nora your Dad..... He...is... gone." I got down on the floor with her and we held each other crying. Matt stood there with April trying to be strong. He looked stunned.

"When I asked?" she shook her head. "20 minutes ago, he was sleeping when the machines went off. They worked on him for 10 minutes but they couldn't revive him. Matt helped me up and held me close to him as I was crying uncontrollably.

"I am so sorry baby." Matt whispered in my ear. I turned toward his room.

"I want to see him." I told the nurse. She shook her head and led me into the room. He was covered up with a white sheet, he look like he was asleep. I hugged him and kissed his cheek, "I love you daddy." I rested my head on his chest and began to cry. His body was cool and grey, I could feel my heartbreaking inside my chest.

"Babe?" I turned and looked at him. I raised my head up to leave, there was a round wet spot where my head was. It took all I had to leave the hospital. I had to pull my Mom away she didn't want to leave him.

We pulled into the drive way, Nikki and Kyle's car was till there. We walked into the house. Nikki greeted us at the door, her face dropped she knew something bad had happen.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. I shook my head.

"My Dad died." I barely could say it. Nikki wrapped her arms around me and we hugged.

"How is the baby?" she asked pulling away.

"He is strong and he will make it." I said. Matt handed me a tissue. My Mom was walking around like a zombie, "Mom do you want to go lay down?" I asked. She shook her head and disappeared into the guest room. Nikki refused to tell her Dad that mine was gone so I had to do it.

I dialed Uncle Roger's number. "Hello?" he answered.

"Uncle Roger, its Nora." I sniffled. "I have bad new."

"Bad new?" he repeated. "what happened?"

"My Dad had a heart attack." I tried to sound calm.

"Is he ok?" he asked.

"No. He...he died about an hour ago." I heard him sobbing in the background that's when I lost it, telling my Uncle made all that more real.

"Oh no!" he sobbed. I covered the mouth piece with my hand not letting him hear me.

"Uncle Roger." I said after getting my composer. "Mom don't know what she is going to do yet."

"I understand." he commented. We said our I love you and byes, and we hung up. After an hour or so I went in to check on my Mom. I knocked but no answer so I slowly cracked the door to peek inside. She was asleep, I walked over to the side of her bed and crawled in next to her. Her puffy eyes opened and she was staring at me.

"I love you Mom." I said in a hush tone. She reached her hand up and stroked my face as I watched a tear run down her cheek.

"I love you too, Sweetheart." I scooted closer to her and she wrapped her arms around me. I laid there next to my Mom for awhile, I listened to her heart and for one second I thought I could hear it breaking. After she fell back to sleep, I kissed her forehead and quietly left the room.

### Matt and Kyle were playing games, Nikki was watching them until she saw me go into the kitchen. I walked over to the fridge, no matter how heartbroken I was everyone needed to eat.

"What are you doing?" Nikki asked.

"I have to make dinner." I said slowly.

"No, let me handle it. You go out there and relax you been through enough." She gently grabbed my arm and led me out of the kitchen, "go be with Matt and April." I turned and gave her a look. "That's why I am here." I hugged her.

I sat next to Matt, almost on top of him. But he didn't complain, feeling his warmth made me feel better. "NO!" he shouted at Kyle. "Oh yeah think your slick eh?" he chuckled. It was nice to see someone having fun. I wasn't looking forward to what was ahead of us. I heard Nikki in the kitchen clanging pots and pans around. I wanted to go in there but I didn't have the strength, I suddenly felt very tired.

"UHH! You cheating butthead!" Kyle said then laughed.

"Cheating my ass! That was fair and square. Your just a poor loser!" Matt retorted laughing as well. Kyle took the controller from Matt and placed it next to the game system. Matt then turned towards me, he put his arm around me and pulled me close to him. "how you holding up?" he asked whispering in my ear.

I shrugged, "could be better." he kissed my cheek. We heard April talking on the baby monitor. I looked at Matt shocked, "who is she talking to?" We listened to hear another voice but it was just her.

"Puppa." she said plain as day. Me and Matt both had the look of shock on our faces. I slowly got up and quietly tip-toed up the stairs, trying to take my time so I didn't make a noise. I stood outside her door listening to her laughing and I strained to hear another voice. Then I heard or thought I heard a males voice whisper something. I opened the door and she was alone standing on the edge of her crib. "Mumma!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw me. I scanned the room and checked the closet to see if anyone was hiding, but nothing.

"See anything?" Matt asked from the door.

"No she is alone. But I thought I heard a...uh." I caught Matt's look, "never mind." I waited for Matt to pick her up and carry her downstairs so she could have dinner with us. As soon as we cleared the stairs Nikki announced that dinner was done.

We ate a surprisingly good dinner and we all gathered into the living room and watched the kids play on the rug. Kyle and Nikki's little girl wasn't old enough to sit up yet so she laid on her belly. April kept bringing her toys for her to play with. I was so proud of how sweet April was and it gave me a good feeling knowing she will be the same way with her little brother. Hopefully we would be able to bring him home soon, but right now the main thing is to let him stay in the hospital and get bigger and healthier.

The grandfather clock chimed telling us it was after 10pm. I rose up slowly off the couch and turned towards Matt. "I think its time to put April to bed and we should go to bed too." Matt smiled at me. "I want to get up early and go to see the baby."

"Ok babe." Matt said standing up. He picked April up off the floor and we made our way upstairs. I was very sore, I could feel the stitches now more than ever. I walked into the bedroom flipping the light on as I entered. I walked over to the dresser and dug out a pair of warm pajamas for April so Matt could dress her. I headed towards the bathroom to get ready for bed.

I turned the bathroom light on, it flickered some then stopped. I looked at myself in the mirror. I started at myself thinking to myself, 'what else could go wrong in my life'. I took off my clothes and looked at myself in the mirror. My cesarean scar was thick and red. I ran my fingers over it lightly. It wasn't as sore as I thought, it barely stung.

I walked out of the bathroom in my night gown. Matt was in bed watching tv on low volume. I peeked in on April, she was asleep soundly. I crawled into bed next to Matt. It was hard to get in a comfortable spot but I managed. It didn't take long for me to pass out from exhaustion.

I felt being shaking and my name being called. "Nora! Wake up!" I opened to my eyes with Matt staring at me. "You ok? You were talking in your sleep." He had the look of worry on his face.

"What was I saying?" I asked.

"I don't know, but you were crying as you were saying it. It must have been pretty intense." He wipe the sweat off my brow with his sweat shirt sleeve.

"I don't remember what I was dreaming." I closed my eyes trying to remember what had me so upset in the dream, but I drew a blank. "What time is it?" I asked.

He turned to look behind him at the alarm clock. "7:12am."

"I want to get to the hospital early to see the baby." I said slowly sliding out of bed.

"Ok, but do you think you should drive?" he has concern written all over his face.

"No. I will see if Mom will stay with her." I smiled at him. I walked over to the closet and took out a sundress. I change right there, I didn't need to go into the bathroom. I slipped off my nightgown Matt was looking down at my stomach. I looked down to see what caught his eyes. I noticed what he was looking at, my scar and my cesarean cut.

"I never realized how close they were." he said.

"Yeah, me either." I slipped on the dress and a pair of sandals. I watched a smile slowly spread across Matt's face. "What?" I asked.

"Do you realize what your wearing." He stood up and walked over to me.

I looked down at a familiar yellow sundress. "Our first date." I smoothed the dress against my body. Matt gently pulled me to him and hugged me. "A lot has happened in the past few years." I whispered in his ear. April stood up on the side of her crib and was crying. We pulled out of the hug.

"Like Little Miss. April and Travis." He said looking at our daughter who was almost a carbon copy of him.

"Yeah, the female version of you." I said jokingly. He chuckled as well, cause he knew he couldn't deny her.

"Yeah. Watch and see if Travis looks like you or me." He started to change her.

"I doubt it. Speaking of which I would like to head to the hospital to see him." I went to pick up my purse off the table next to the door.

"You going to ask your Mom?" he asked.

"Yep. Bring her downstairs." I walked over to them both and kissed Matt on the lips and April on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around me wanting me to carry her. "I'm sorry baby, but Mommy cant hold you right now." she began to stick out her bottom lip. "Aww" I hugged her. Matt picked her up and we headed downstairs together.

Nikki and Kyle were watching tv, while their baby was on the floor playing. "Good morning." Nikki greeted me. She stood up and hugged me.

"You both are up early." I said hugging her.

"Yeah, the baby got us up." she said looking at the baby.

"I am going to the hospital to see the baby. Has my Mom been up?" I looked at her bedroom door.

"Nope, I haven't heard anything." Nikki answered. I walked over to the door and knocked. "Mom?" I waited for her to answer. I opened the door. She was sitting on the side of the bed staring at her wedding band. "Mom?" her head slowly turned towards me. "Are you ok?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm ok." she said weakly. I sat beside her on the bed. I remembered right then about losing my Dad and I began to cry. We held each other for a few minutes until April came walking in. My Mom's eyes got bright seeing her.

"Nonna!" April called towards my Mom. She walked over and picked her up.

"Hi pretty girl." She hugged April to her.

"We want to go see the baby, so you...." She interrupted me.

"April can stay with me." she answered me before I asked.

"Thanks Mom." I stood up and kissed both their cheeks.

We arrived at the hospital alittle after 9am. I walked into the nursery where the baby was, but he wasn't there.

"Excuse me!" I asked a nurse passing by. "Where is my son?" I asked.

"Your son?" she repeated.

"Yes. Baby Hanson. Travis Hanson?" I asked.

"Oh, he was moved into N.I.C.U." she said casually.

"Where is that?" I was beginning to panic.

"Down the hall to the right." she said pointed to the hall in front of her. I thanked her and headed down the hall, I began to pray all the way there. I read the signs above the doors, then there was the N.I.C.U. I opened the door. There were several people in there and I could hear my baby crying.

"Can I help you?" A woman's voice asked.

"I am here to see my son." My voice was shaky.

"Baby's name?" she asked. I showed her my bracelets.

"Oh, yeah. The little guy." she reached over and handed me a blue gown and a mask, I quickly put them on.

"How is he doing?" I asked as she led me back to see him.

"Very well. He is a fighter and he is beginning to get some lungs on him." she said opening a big white door. I walked into a room with several incubators in there all had tiny babies. I saw my baby in the middle of room. He was all red from crying and to me he looked bigger than he did yesterday.

"Is he bigger?" I asked.

"Yes, he is gaining weight very fast and his lungs are becoming more mature every hour." I looked at her face.

"Is he ok?" I pulled my eyes away from hers and back to the baby.

"He is healthy. We don't understand why he is growing so fast." she looked at him too. "Its nothing too freakish, we think if he was to stay in the womb for another week he would have been a normal size baby."

"Can I hold him?" I turned to look back at her.

"Sure." she opened the sides of the incubator and pulled him out then handed him to me. I cradled him in my arms studying his looks. I was right he would look like Matt too. But I also seen some of me. I rubbed his dark hair, what little he had.

"Who has dark hair?" the nurse asked.

"My husband, I can tell he is going to look like him." I chuckled to myself.

### A few minutes had passed, I sat there and rocked him. Matt walked in with the same blue gown on and mask.

"This must be Dad?' she said sort of jokingly.

"Yes. See Matt he looks like you." we both laughed.

###  **********************************************************

The baby's was finally home and we were a complete family. April adored her little brother and she was a mother hen to him. I was sitting down watching tv holding Travis when April climbed up on the couch next to me. "Hold baby?" she asked.

"Ok, but be careful." I could see the excitement on her face. I put a pillow under her arm and placed him on her lap. She sat right there holding him. "My baby brother." she said touching his cheek and head.

"That's right, he is your baby brother." I stepped back and snapped a picture with my cell phone. My Mom came in and saw them together on the couch.

"Awww look at that." my Mom cooed. "My grandbabies." I had the urge to pee.

"Mom. Keep an eye on them I have to pee." I turned towards the bathroom.

"Kyle is in that one." she informed me. I quickly turned and headed up the stairs. I peed, washed my hands and headed back downstairs. I walked into the living room.

"Oh sweetie, someone woman called about the antique vases, she said to call her back today." My Mom said holding Travis.

"Thanks Mom." I turned and walked into the kitchen and picked up the house phone. I heard voices on the other end. I listened for a second it was Matt and a familiar mans voice talking.

"I don't know if I can do this anymore." Matt said to the other person.

"You must! You agreed to do this, you must follow through." the stranger said.

"We already brought 2 babies into this world. And its not fair to them to know their father don't love their mother and it was all a lie to lure her into a trap." I covered the mouth piece, Not believing what I was hearing.

"Don't be a fool! You tell me you don't love that woman. I know you better then anyone. You love her!" I recognized the other voice, Noah! My insides felt like they were tied into knots.

"Your right I do. But I am not in love with her. She is the mother of my child." he said sternly. 'Child' I thought.

"You must bring her to me tonight." Noah continued. "And my son, I cant believe she hasn't figured out that the baby isn't yours yet." he chuckled.

"She don't know that you impregnated her back at his mansion." Matt said.

"It was sex, she was out and I had sex with her." he chuckled. "I can see why you held on to her for all this time." he continued laughing.

"When and where do you want me to bring her?" Matt asked.

"9 at the docks. Don't be late." they hung up and so did I. Am I dreaming. I pinched myself. OW! I was awake.

I didn't know where to go or who to tell. Then something hit me, Corbin! I ran to Nikki and Kyle's room. I knocked.

"Come in!" They called out. I walked into the room. Kyle was watching tv and Nikki was holding the baby. The look on my face must of said something to them.

"Whats wrong?" Nikki asked. I didn't want to explain yet because I didn't know how to.

"I want the truth, no more Lies." I said to Kyle.

"Ok? What?" he turned the tv off.

"Where is Corbin?" I watched his face turn colors.

"Dead." he said.

"Liar! Where is he?" I asked again. I looked at Nikki, she knew something.

"Tell her Kyle!" she ordered him. "After everything she has done for us!" She kicked him.

"OK!" he looked at me. "Yes Corbin is still alive."

Pack 2 - The Awakening

Pre-view

Pack 3 - Resurrection of Love Lost

### I walked into the abandoned house, scared shitless. Matt was still oblivious that I knew what he was up to and who he was involved with. I wasn't going to let him get away with this. I loved him yes more than anything. Just because his love was a lie don't mean mine was.

### I stepped into a dark room, the only light was from the fireplace. "Hello?" I called out. Something on the table in the back got my attention. I slowly walked over to it. My family portrait accept Matt was cut out of it.

### "Nora?" A familiar voice called from a dark corner. I turned towards it. There stood Corbin, looking like he stepped out of my memory at the train station. "What are you doing here?" he asked. I began to sob.

### "I... I need help." I managed to get out.

### "Help with what?" she asked with concern.

### "Matt?" I sobbed. Corbin walked over to me and helped sit down in a nearby chair. I quickly explained everything and tried not to burst into more tears. I seen the anger flash over his face and I could tell that he still loved me.

### "That SON OF A BITCH!" he growled. "what about your children?" he asked.

### "Matt don't know I know. I don't want to cause them too much heartache. But Matt is Aprils Dad and Noah is Travis's Dad." I said.

### "Wait how could you still be human?" Corbin asked. I explained that to him too. "So your Dad found the cure?" he asked. I just shook my head. He stood up and walked towards the fireplace. The glow of the fireplace danced off his face.

### "Yes." I said. He turned and looked at me.

### "Yes what?" he asked.

### "Yes, I still love you. I never stopped even through death." I lowered my head.

### "I still love you as well. That never stopped even with you marrying Matt and having your children. I only regretted that it wasn't me you had children with and married." He was staring into the fireplace.

### "I do too, Corbin. I do too." I stood up and walked over to him. "You're the only person I can trust. Please help me." I stood a few inches from his face. Our eyes locked his dark eyes where black. He slowly moved towards me and we kissed softly. To me it set the love I had for him back in full on inferno. This time I wasn't going to let him go and I knew it.

