Autumn's Beginning, Autumn's Breeze [2]

Val--

"Isabella, please let me go back!" I pleaded, tugging at Isa's arm. She shook her head slowly, a worried expression on her face.

"Val, it's not safe. You know how powerful my father is. He might hurt you," she argued, putting a hand comfortingly on my shoulder.

"He might hurt Natan!" I argued stubbornly, trying to push past.

"Shhh!" Max snapped, listening through the wall. "I think it's safe. Let her go in," he said, nodding to me but speaking to Isabella. Sighing, she moved out of my way.

I entered the room cautiously.

Nathaniel knelt beside Natan's motionless body, sobbing. Something was wrong...

Natan was barely breathing. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore, but he was so weak...

"What did you do?" I cried, running forward. I fell to my knees at Natan's side. Nathaniel locked eyes with me, and for a moment I thought he was going to attack me again.

Nathaniel-

I looked up as Val entered the room and dropped down beside Natan, taking his hand gently in hers.

"What did you do?" she cried, meeting my eyes with a expression mixed with anger and fear.

I sighed softly and lowered my head. "Something i regret now, i assure you. I'm...sorry, Val."

She stared at me with growing fear. "W...what do you mean?" she whispered. "Natan's going to be fine, r-right?"

I looked down at my son and sighed sadly, letting a tear trickle down my cheek. "I...I don't...know. I think so...I hope so..."

"No, he has to be alright!"

"Even if he is, he will not wake for at least a day. We should get him home. There is nothing we can do." i said softly, laying a hand on Val's shoulder. She flinched but did not fully draw away. I sighed again and struggled to my feet. Val offered no help, of which i expected none. After what i had done, i wouldn't blame anyone for hating me.

Oh, i couldn't wait to confront Bella back home. That was going to be fun...

Val--

Gently, I lifted Natan into my arms.

As we left the room, Max offered to carry him for me. I denied it. The same happened with Davnix, Riley, and Trent.

"Shall I teleport us home?" Isabella suggested.

Nathaniel-

"Yes, let's go home." Davnix said at once.

I stepped forward, feeling the need to do something for them. "I'll take some of you. That way Isabella won't have to take eight people with her."

Isabella regarded me suspiciously for a moment, but then she saw my sad, sincere face and smiled weakly. I couldn't blame her for not trusting me.

Val, surprisingly, stayed close to me. Ariana and Riley moved to me, too, though everyone else kept their distance.

"To the house, then?" i asked.

Isabella nodded. "But outside, so not to scare the wits out of mom and Leira."

I blinked to show i understood and grasped the wrist of Val and Riley, who help Ariana. Together, we disappeared.

Val --

I stumbled slightly as we hit solid ground again, but Nathaniel grabbed my arm to keep me standing.

"Come on, we should get him inside," he suggested, nodding toward Natan. I nodded my agreement and followed him through the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Isabella--

I was the last through the door, and was immediatly tackled by young Leira.

"Isa!" she shouted, running at me.

"Leira!" I picked her up into my arms, hugging her tightly. I turned to see mom and dad holding each other, both in tears. I was afraid for the discussion that was soon to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella--

I watched the group walk in, running to my husbands arms as the others filed in. Suddenly I noticed Valentina carrying the limp figure of my son. I gasped in horror.

"What happened?" I asked, turning to face Nathaniel again.

Nathaniel-

I sighed. "It's a long story..."

Out of the corner of my eye i saw Leira lead Val into Natan's bedroom. The door shut behind them and already the rest of them were separating into small groups all throughout the house, leaving Bella and I standing in the center of the room.

"Can we talk about this in the kitchen...?" i asked since i had seen no one go in there. Bella sighed and led me into the small room.

"Now, explain. Why is our son being carried in, unconscious, by Val? And why do you look so upset? And why did you decide to show up in the middle of the night?"

I averted my eyes, looking anywhere but Bella's worried, angry face.

"I...I lost control...badly..." i muttered, hanging my head like a child who knew he did something bad and was going to get into trouble for it.


Leira-

I led Val into my brother's room and watched as she gently laid him down, stroking his hair. I sat down in a chair next to the bed and watched Natan's face.

"What happened?" i asked curiously.

"I-I don't think I'm supposed to be the one to tell you that." Val said, her eyes never leaving Natan.

I smiled knowingly after a moment. "You love him."

She looked up and nodded, smiling. "Yes."

I sighed, touching Natan's hand gently. "Yeah, me too."

Isabella--

I sat on my bed, Max holding me tightly. I was staring straight at the wall in front of us, not blinking.

"You're worried," Max stated. I did not reply. "It will be fine," he assured me. I doubted it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Valentina--

I sat at Natan's side, holding his hand and touching his face occasionally. Liera didn't leave either.

She was very sweet, telling me little facts about Natan and his past. We laughed a lot, and each eased the others worry slightly.

Then, suddenly, she sat down next to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back.

"He'll be allright, won't he?" she asked, sobbing into my shoulder. I did not expect this, adn found myself crying as well.

"I hope so Leira, I hope so..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella--

"Lost control..." it took a minute for me to understand what he meant. "You mean, you attacked our son?!"

Nathaniel nodded shamefully. "As well as Val and Max."

"Why?!" I snapped, pacing the room quickly. I already knew the answer though. Vampires.

Velna-

Velna watched everyone move around the house. Some talking in the kitchen others in Natan's room. She chewed on her lower lip. They had left Trent, he hadn't come back and they had left. She looked for Davinx every where. SHe could tell him, he would know what to do. Crest was alseep and she couldn't talk to him, she would have to find Davinx.

After looking everywhere she couldn't find him, she walked outside and looked there, he was standing there looking around.

"Davinx?" She said timidly. "Can I talk to you?"

Nathaniel-

"From your expression, you already know the answer." i said bitterly, my anger rising. She noted this and spun on her heel, facing me.

"Alright, just calm down." she muttered.

I watched her pacing for a few moments longer, trying to bring my breathing back to normal.

"So how was it that Natan was hurt more than the vampires?" she asked suddenly.

"He was defending them. He tackled me before i got the chance to do them real harm, thankfully."

She nodded slowly. "Will he be alright?"

I shrugged, looking down so she would not see my tears. "I don't know."

"Well, you'd best go check on him since you're the healer. I'll see to the others."

I nodded thankfully and got up, walking over to Natan's room.


Leira-

I clung to Val, crying softly into her side. "Val, you have to make him better! He's my big brother! He can't die!"

Before Val could say anything, the door opened and my father walked in. He caught sight of me and Val and for a second i thought i saw...anger? But the emotion quickly passed and i could've sworn i saw a tear fall from his eye...

I got up and walked over to him, hugging his leg. "You're gonna make Nata all better, right daddy?" i asked, looking up with hopeful eyes.

He smiled down at me sadly and I felt a tear drop on my face. "I'll try, sweetie."

I wiped the tear away. "Daddy, you're crying on me."

His lips curved into a weak smile. "Sorry."

Valentina--

I sat silently, watching as Nathaniel examined Natan's body.

"Can you help him?" I asked softly, holding Leira.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella--

I stood at my son's bedroom door, watching Nathaniel work. I saw Val watching him closely while hugging my daughter.

She really does care, I thought to myself, a slight bit happier.

Nathaniel-

I sighed wearily and ran my hand distractedly through my hair. "I think so... but it would still be a while before he wakes. From what i can tell, he'll recover...mostly."

"Mostly?" the three of them asked at once.

"He will be much weaker physically, but other than that he will recover. The most i can tell you at this moment is that he won't die."

Leira hugged my leg again, burying her face in my dirty black robes. I picked her up and held her gently with one arm, running my hand through her hair.

"Daddy, when will Nata wake up?"

"Not for a day, at least." i said, my eyes watching Natan's chest rise and fall unevenly with his breathing. I was overcome with guilt. It was because of me he was in this state, on the brink of death. I vowed then and there to do everything in my power to bring him back.

Val--

I yawned, leaning back against the wall.

"Val, feel free to stay, if you wish," Nathaniel said, half-heartedly smiling at me. I nodded my appreciation as he left, shutting the door softly behind him. Leira had gone with him.

Silently, I crawled into the bed with Natan. He was unconcious, but I managed to curl up in just the right was where it felt as if he was holding me.
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Bella--

Nathaniel put Leira to sleep while I gave the others blankets and pillows. The whole group would be sleeping at our house this night.

AFter everyone was settled in, Nathaniel and I went up to our room. Nathaneiel was still very quiet...obviously afraid that I was mad at him. Which, I was, but not as much as he seemed to fear.

"I'm glad you're home," I whispered as we climbed into bed, kissing him on the back of the neck (he was lying facing away from me.) "I missed you."

Nathaniel-

I stiffened slightly at the unexpected kiss but relaxed just as fast. I turned my head a fraction so that i was looking at her from the corner of my eye.

"To be honest, I'm glad I'm back." i said softly. "Looking after all those kids is tiring."

She smiled. "I bet."

Bella--

"But remember," I added while rolling over. "That it was your idea to go after them."

"Yes, I know that," he replied, reaching his arms around my waist gently.

>.< rah

Nathaniel--

"Yes, i know." i said, wrapping my arm around her waist and kissing her lightly on the cheek. "And it's a good thing, too, else who knows which of them would've survived the countless horrors i had to save them from. Perhaps none of them."

She chuckled. "Sure."