Ilena and the Mate that Nearly Broke Her

6

"It’s literally a ten minute drive from the hotel to the hospital and you’re going to use the GPS? Put that thing away, I know how to  get there. Take a right out of the car park and a left at the first light." I said as we climbed into the car, Blake sat in back while Charles drove and I simply fidgeted in the passenger seat.

The car was silent up until the light and then I heard Blake shuffling around in the back seat.

"You look nice." Charles said looking over at me and then looking back at the road.

"Right, just up here... really you think I look nice?" I asked and looked down, I was wearing a pair of skinny jeans that cut off at the ankle with black leather ankle boots with a peep toe and my shirt was a white button up with rolled up sleeves, under that a white corseted Cami. I wore my signature jewelry, my large copper and metal, earrings and bracelet. My hair was down and full, with a bit of a curl, I guess I did look good but it was a down grade from my normal wear.

"Yeah, it’s nice to see you in something other than business and business casual all the time." Charles said and spotted the hospital sign and followed it into the parking lot and I started to fidget once again, it was going to be weird seeing them all again, they all must have changed but of course I have probably changed the most. I mean the main reason I was wearing heels was because I'm taller now than I was when I was human and I'm sure someone would have noticed if I had worn flats.

"Hey, Kent wanted me to warn you. You can’t heal him, what he has vampire blood can’t heal, trust me, we've tried to cure every known disease and even a few humans don't know about. I'm sorry that this is weighing on you so much, it’s been a long time since I've felt an emotion as strong as the one you are experiencing." He said, though I knew he was just trying to make me feel better, it wasn't working. My dad and I are... were closer than anyone, he gets me in a way no one else does and maybe no one else ever will. I wish..."Come on, you don't want to waste any more time do you." Blake said from beside me, he had gotten out and was holding open my door, Charles was behind him. I hadn't even realized we had stopped, I nodded and slid out of the SUV that we had rented at the airport and made a bee line for the hospital doors, Blake and Charles close behind. I stopped at the front desk and waited for the older woman to put the phone down.

"Yes, may I help you?" She asked, her voice sounding a bit rough, like she had quit smoking but it had already been too late.

"Yes I'm looking for Andrew Lyken." I said looking down into her dark and overly tired eyes.

"Just a moment," She said and typed something into her computer. "Ah yes, third floor and take a left, room 243."

"Thank you." I said and headed towards the elevator, I saw there was a sign on the stairway door that said use only in emergency, under construction, that would have been the faster way to go.

I pressed the call button for the elevator and the doors opened, stepping inside, I vaguely wondered who and what I was about to see. I was given limited information on the voicemail and I'm sure everyone is pissed at me for not showing up sooner, like thirteen years sooner. But I just found out he was sick, if I had known I would have found a way to be here. I just wish...

The elevator doors opened and we made our way down the hall on the left and found a group of people in the hall outside of room 243. But they weren't just people, they were family.

"Shit." I said under my breath which had Charles placing his hand on my back ushering me lightly forward, not letting me back out of this one. He was probably doing this for his own selfish gain, to see where I came from.

I walked up to the room door which was closed and peaked through the window, the doctor was in and seemed to be doing something that had dad smiling.

"I'm sorry who are you?" I heard my brother ask from behind me, and since the boys had stayed outside of the group I assume he is talking to me.

Without turning to look at him, "Don't tell me you don't recognize your own sister?" I said and finally turned to look at him. He was staring at me incredulously and then understanding seemed to flood over him as he took me in from head to toe.

"Holy s**t, Ilena? What the...Scratch that, where the hell have you been?" He asked standing up which had the other family members focusing their attention on me.

"Working Brin, why the hell didn't someone call me before now and tell me that something, anything was wrong?" I said taking a few steps toward him and folding my arms, boy was I glad Charles had made me put in colored contacts or my eyes might be doing tricks about now and that would be a fun one to try and explain.

"We have been calling you, emailing, for Christ sake I put an actual letter in the mail haven't you gotten anything?" He said sounding like he had been desperate.

"No the only thing I got was a voice mail last night, seems like I might need to check my screening system." I said giving Blake a scolding side look that said I was not pleased, which had him rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Ilena is that really you? You’re so...different." My sister, Tera, asked tentatively and my other sister Nola stepped in beside her, their spouses, sat in the waiting chairs looking bored out of their minds but knew it would devastate their wives if they were anywhere else.

"Who are they?" Nola asked giving my boys an irritated look.

"They work for me, or at least most of the time, now what is going on, what are they saying about dad?" I said getting a bit irritated, I knew they were curious considering how long I have been gone but we aren't here for that.

"Were waiting on the doctor to come out and tell us." Brin said and leaned back against the wall, they all looked pretty tired.

"Blake, your demoted to coffee boy for the time being, fetch." I said motioning to everyone and he sauntered off down the hall in a huff, I was his elder to him, even if it was only by a year, and there for if I wanted to treat him like my b***h I could I just didn't because I actual am not a power hungry w***e like some people, humans and vampires alike, and I knew what it was like to be the underling.

Charles came up beside me and slid a hand across my stomach and leaned in close to speak into my ear, "I need to call the boss for an update, you alright?" He asked and looked intently into my eyes.

"Yeah, thanks." I said quietly and he kissed my cheek and walked a little ways down the hall, but not far enough that he was out of sight.

"I thought they just worked for you?" Nola asked with the stink of an attitude, that I didn't really understand where it was coming from.

"Most of the time, other times he's mine. Why is that a problem Nola?" I asked glaring at her questioningly.

"Whatever, not like you’re going to be here long anyway." She said under her breath as she walked back over to her husband.

"Look, I don't know why you've decided to be a b***h to me and I don't really give a s**t, I'm here for one reason and he's in that room." I said motioning to the hospital room, behind me. "You want to know where I've been, I've been working, busting my ass to have the life that dad always wanted for me, for all of us and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to make me feel bad for it. Not to mention that I didn't see you coming to visit more than once every three years before I graduated college, now did I." She sat down in a huff but I could tell, that she knew I was right.

"Look, were all just a bit frustrated Ilena, it’s been over ten years since we've seen you and were the ones who have been here, taking care of dad as much as we can and then you show back up and everything about you is different. Not to mention that we all know, that as soon as dad sees you. Nothing that we've done is going to matter because you are and always will be his favorite." Brin said frowning greatly and sighed deeply as he made his way down the hall to the vending machines.

"Brin, I'm..." I started to say but turned as I heard a noise behind me, my mom stood there staring at me wide eyed, "Mom." I smiled and wrapped my arms around her in a warm hug, which she instantly returned.

"Ilena? Oh wow, she wasn't kidding was she?" She said with a weak chuckle, "You look amazing, I guess that job really panned out huh?" She said holding me at arm’s length and looking me over. "It worked out for you then?" She asked brushing some hair off of my shoulder.

"Yeah, turned out wonderfully. Completely changed my life really." I said a little taken aback, this is what she wanted to talk about right now, but of course it was, she had been dealing with all this and the stress of it for a long time, so any reason to distance her mind for even a moment is a much needed reprieve. "How's dad?" I asked softly.

"He's...well you got here just in time, their saying...that he only has the night left, only hours really." She said with a quiver in her voice and two tears slipped free and slide down her soft cheek. "He has asked to speak to you privately as soon as you get here." She said and stepped aside so that I could step into the room with my father just as the doctor finished up and moved past me. As soon as the door closed I turned to my dad who was just looking down at his hands.

"I told you, you were getting old man hands. You should have started using a special cream or something." I say as I slowly make my way over to the bed as to not startle him.

He smiles, but doesn't look up, "Well, you know it starts with a simple cream and then the next thing you know you’re taking vitamins and getting hair plugs and then, then I'm turning into some kind of…Oh...um. Damn what did you call them?" He said snapping his fingers at his brain that seems to not want to work.

"Metro-s****l, men who take care of themselves, inside and out, but arn't gay. I've actually dated a couple now, I thought they were supposed to be super sensitive toward a girls feelings but apparently I was wrong they are only slightly more interested and usually it’s for personal gain." I said smiling as I sit on the edge of the bed and he finally looks up at me. His eyes are brimming with tears as he takes me in for the first time and I move closer to gently pull him into a soft but warm embrace.

"Ilena, I knew once you went into the world you would find your way and look at you now, so beautiful and vibrant and strong." He says and tries to stay strong as he continues but his voice cracks slightly, "I've missed my girl."

"I missed you to dad." I said and chuckle lightly, "You know they all think I'm your favorite!" I said as I pull back to look at him, he looks like he's been up for days, he looks brittle, weak, when the last time I had seen him he had been so strong, sturdy, like a tree or something I can’t think of right now that would be more appropriate but I can’t think of it because well, my mind is still trying to process the fact that he's dying.

"That's because you kind of are, Ilena, I mean, I love all of my children, even your older brother who has still failed to show, your all my favorites in different ways but no one can deny that you and I connect more because of the time we were able to have together, to bond, after the rest of the kids moved out. But Ilena, there's something I have to tell you and you can never tell your mother or brothers and sisters. I hate to do this now." He says sounding worried, "I hope you can forgive me."

"Anything, I could never stay mad at you, what is it?" I asked curiously but I could see the pain bleeding into his eyes.

"When your mother was pregnant, she had had complication after complication, she went into labor early and they had already been saying for months that it would be a miracle if the baby survived. When the baby was finally born, she was rushed out of the room and straight into the NICU, she was in critical condition and your mother told me not to let the baby out of my site, she had barely even seen her face but still she loved her more than her own life. Within minutes I was told the baby had died and I...I couldn't process any of it, I slowly walked back to the room trying to process and figure out how to tell your mother when I saw nurses and doctors running into her room. She had lost too much blood and when I was told she was dying too, it was all I could do not to break down right there. They made me stand out in the hall and wait for their verdict." He said and stared at her through the window into the hall, pure love and adoration filling his eyes, I can only pray I find love like that one day. He takes a couple steadying breaths and tries to continue.

"A seemingly young woman in a hospital gown walks up to me, a newborn baby girl in her arms, she almost looks like the baby I've just lost. She gives me a pleading look and then smiles weakly. She then says,

'I'm sorry about the loss of your baby but if you let me I can save your wife, you just have to do something for me." Her voice was so soft, barely above a whisper and I really had to concentrate to hear her above the commotion going on in front of us.

I tell her that I’ll do anything and she walks into the room with your mother and I follow, I watch as she seems to cast a spell over everyone in the room but me, she has one of the nurse draw two vials of her blood and has them give the blood to your mother. Within moments your mother is healing, her vitals are up and she stops bleeding, another moment passes and it’s as if nothing has happened at all, she's just sleeping now as the doctors and nurses close all the blinds to the room and file out one by one closing the door behind them.

The only ones left were your mother, still sleeping, me, gaping opened mouthed at this women and her newborn baby girl that looks like the daughter I lost. I asked her what it is she wants me do for her, at this point I would give her anything for the gift she has given me.

She says in a soft, sad voice, 'I need you to take my baby and raise her as your own, I know it’s a lot to ask, asking you to raise a child especially after losing your own and I'm not trying to replace her.' She starts becoming frantic and I move to her to rub my hands down her arms to calm her, it seemed to have the desired effect when she continued in a calmer tone. "There are people coming for me and they will kill her if they find out she is still alive. She shouldn't die because I fell in love with the wrong man." She cries and love seems to pour out of her as she looks down at her baby. 'She is special, the first of her kind and she will need some careful adjusting over the years. But nothing that is too hard to overcome if you are looking for it.' She says," He pauses and looks at me like I'm not going to believe what he's going to say next.

When I realized that the baby my mother had really had, died, obviously it wasn't me, I stealthy took out my phone and turned on the recorder application, I might need some of this information later and I want to remember every detail, it’s also a huge perk that I know I will be able to hear my father’s voice whenever I want to...even after he's gone.

"It’s ok, go on." I say encouragingly as I grab his hand to hold it comfortingly.

"Ok, bear with me on this. She says,

'I am Vela Spayord, I am a vampire, the princess of all vampires. I was destined to be queen one day before all of this happened, meaning that my baby is royalty and so many people will want her dead for that fact alone. But even more than that her father is Darious Avent, he is the oldest Titan living to this day. Our two kinds are at war but for a short time my father struck a soft alliance with the Titan's and we fell in love. If they think she has survived my kind will stop at nothing to have her killed, because it means that a permanent alliance could be formed with the Titans because of her bonded blood. Most vampires don't want that because there has been so much blood spilt on both sides of the fight and no one is willing to be the first to give in. It’s so tired some. Look I can’t see the future, I don't know if she will grow up a vampire or a Titan but she will have to coax the other half of her genealogy out of her. I wish I could be there to help her understand all of this but I believe she will be in good hands with you.’ She said looking at me pleadingly, begging me to do the job she will never be able to accomplish.”

“We hear a commotion from down the hallway and she kisses you on the head and hands you over to me and bolts towards the door, she's about to open it when she turns back to look at you once again and says, 'Her name is Ilena, call her what you will but please name her Ilena.' I heard as she bolted out of the door with speed I didn't know anyone could possess. That was last I heard from her. But when you were three, one day I went to pick you up and you zapped me and I flew across the room, luckily I was the only one home at the time but since then I taught you to always touch something metal before you touch someone you probably thought it was OCD or something didn't you." He asks smirking slightly.

"Yeah I did. I've been using my earrings or bracelet since their on me all the time." I say softy as I now try to process everything he said. "How did you remember all of that?" I said breathlessly, I may not need to breath as often as a human but right now I feel like I need to be gasping for air and my lungs won’t cooperate.

"I figure she must have compelled me to do so from the moment she looked into my eyes. I found out later that she had switch the cradle tags and claimed our baby as her own and you as ours. So no one knows who you are or that her baby, you, survived." He said sounding even more tired than before but seeming desperate to finish the conversation.

"Well I guess I can tell you why I seemed to disappear now, my new job, they...um...well. They turned me, I'm a vampire." I say exasperatedly, but then something dawn on me, "Wait does that mean I grew up a Titan and unlocked the other half of myself?" I ask but I don't expect an answer, he's not an expert on our world he just knows what my...birth mother told him.

"That's a fair guess but you might want to ask someone you trust from your world too." He said and I can hear his heart faltering and he starts wheezing lightly.

"Oh god, daddy I wish I could heal you, save you, but I've been told it won’t work." I cry as I kiss the backs of his fingers.

“Please remember me as I was and not the shell I have become." He whispers as his breath is slowly stolen from him, "Can you compel me to stay long enough to say goodbye to everyone?" He asks weakly.

"I can but I don't know if it will work." I say surprised by the request, "I thought the doctor said you had hours?" I whimper but I know that death answers to no man’s call, it comes when it is time, no sooner, no later. "Ok, I’ll try." I say and try to do as he asks.

A couple of minutes later I walk out of the room and let them go in one by one as I inform a passing nurse that they should get the doctor and then I feel Charles wrap his strong arms around me to offer support.

"I wish Devin was here." I whisper and as if on cue my older brother, Devin, comes bolting in from down the hall.

"Please tell me I'm not too late." He pants worriedly as he takes in the scenery around him.

"He's saying his goodbyes now." I whisper painfully and he looks at Nola as she comes out of the room crying and my other sister, Tera, goes in. Brin had gone in first and mom will go last, she smiles weakly up at Devin.

"I'm so glad your here." She cries as her voice breaks and she tries to keep her composure as she throws her arms around him. I wish I could help her through this without taking her need for closure or her right to grieve but I can’t, so I sit back and try not to break like a normal human girl would do.

"Ilena...You’re different!" He observes crudely with a suspicious look in his eye.

"It has been thirteen years." I say, but I'm still wondering why he has that suspicious look and now that I really do look at him he does look different, like from my world different.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" He says and ducks into dad’s hospital room just as Tera comes out. Leaving me openly gaping at him, Charles spins me around to look at him and tucks my head into his shoulder, so no one notices my dumb founded look.

"Did he just insinuate what I think he did?" Charles asks in a muted tone so that I'm the only one that hears him and I shake my head yes just as Blake walks back up with coffees and starts passing them out. "Well, I guess that's a conversation waiting to happen." He whispers as he pulls me a little tighter and I let him and his scent comfort me as my thoughts turn back to my father.

"Ilena." Devin calls as he comes out of the room, "Dad said he forgot to tell you something." He said looking at me quizzically. I walk past him back into the room and Dad looks at me like I'm his prize and jewel.

"I wanted to tell you that it’s ok to look for them, your birth parents, as far as I'm concerned anyway. You won’t be hurting me or disgracing my memory, you have to find out where you came from and what you may be capable of doing. I am proud of you and love you no matter what." He says smiling with all the strength he has left and I hug him one last time as tears start streaming down my face. "I'm ready, I want to her to be the one that's with me when I go." He smiles at me again and I spell him, to let him know that once he's made his peace with mom that it’s ok for him to let go. And I leave the room, my face drenched with tears and more are coming to join the party, I let mom go in and I wait for the inevitable as I get wrapped back into Charles's arms without even meaning to.

I'm finishing my coffee just as I hear mom finally break down and she slowly walks out of the room just as the doctor finally walks back in, Devin pulls her into a hug and I join them and hug moms back as she sobs into his chest, Nola, Tera and Brin, fold into the hug and we stay like that even after the doctor comes out to give us the news even though we already know.