by Martha Woods
She squeezed his hand once more, "I would like that very much Cayden. I can't wait."
He chuckled, "I can't wait either, but we probably should. I don't exactly want our first date to be in a cafe in the middle of Boulder Junction."
She giggled, "I agree, something much nicer is needed."
* * *
Skylar opened her eyes slowly, letting the midafternoon light filter through and stretch across her body. Or at least she would have, had someone not been sitting in front of the window.
"Hey Sky." Hayley waved at her, Farah offering her own lazy wave from beside her.
"Hey yourself." She sat up, smiling, "So you two are watching me sleep huh? That's not... super creepy or anything."
Farah snorted, "Told you she'd think that."
Hayley smiled, "If it's any consolation, you look really peaceful when you sleep."
"I should hope so."
Farah sat down next to her, "So, how's the baby doing?"
Sky grinned, "He's doing so well, he's started moving a lot now."
"He?" Hayley arched her brow, "When did you find that out?"
"Well, to be honest, it hasn't been confirmed yet. I just... I feel like I just know that it's a boy. It just feels right." She stretched out her back, the joints popping from their rested state. She waved her hand, "But all we've been doing for so long is talk about me, how are you? What have you two been up to lately?" She looked to Hayley, "Is there something going on with you and Michael?"
Hayley blushed and looked down, "When we went to look for the witch Michael and I... We had sex."
"I thought so!" Skylar was beaming at her friend, "What are you going to do now?"
She sighed, "That's where things get more complicated..." She rubbed her eyes, "When we met the witch, after we got the information for you she told us about a prophecy, a shifter and a witch would mate. After that she laughed and vanished."
She shook her head, "We're not going to have sex again, though we came pretty close, until we figure out what the prophecy is meant to mean. We don't want to put anyone in danger."
"Well... I'm not an expert on this, but isn't the point of a prophecy that it's destined to happen, no matter what?"
Farah nodded, "That is one of the defining characteristics, yes."
Sky nodded, "So if it's destined to happen, then why worry? Just... take it easy with him. I think you two deserve to be happy." She smiled, "It's pretty cute too."
"Very cute." Farah added.
Hayley sighed, though she couldn't help but smile, "I'll think it over, but we're still going to try and figure out what is supposed to happen. We can't just ignore that."
"I wouldn't suggest otherwise," Skylar smirked, "I'm just saying you should take some time to 'relax' is all."
Hayley chuckled, "God! Enough about me, please!" They turned to Farah, "What's been going on with you?"
Skylar jumped at the chance, "Oooo yes Farah, what's been going on with you? I saw Cayden making heart eyes at you all night yesterday, what's that about?"
Farah chuckled nervously, "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about..."
She gasped theatrically, "No!"
Farah giggled, "I think he's very attractive, and he think I am too. So we got to talking and... well, we're going on a date soon. Is... is that alright with you?"
Skylar pulled her in for a hug, " Of course it's alright with me! I'm so happy for you! You deserve someone who can make you happy!"
"Really? You don't mind? Even though you were with him first?"
She shook her head, "We went on one date Farah, and I didn't even feel anything. No offense to him or anything, but my heart was already set on Liam by that point." She smiled warmly at her, "So no, Farah, I don't mind. I'm happy for you. But if he does anything you don't like, let me know, we'll sort him out."
Farah snorted, then nodded, "God, look at us. Shifters and hunters, what is happening to the world?" She froze, "Wait, you don't think it might have something to do with your prophecy, do you?"
"It might actually..." Hayley pulled out a notepad she'd been jotting down notes in, "Michael and I were discussing it, and we came to the conclusion that it's either something signaling an absolutely catastrophic event, knowing our luck, or a symbol of unity. Honestly, now that one makes sense."
Skylar leaned forward, "Unity?"
She nodded, "You're a human, at least we think you are, who's with a shifter." She pointed to herself, "I'm a witch who is apparently destined to be with a shifter as well." She pointed at Farah, "And now we find out Farah is with a hunter, which believe me is utterly incomprehensible to almost every other witch out there. No offense."
Farah shrugged, "None taken, believe me, I think the same."
"So, what could this all mean then, if not unity?"
Farah continued, "What if it's a sign that we need to tear down the walls between our factions, unite as one?"
Skylar ran a hand through her hair, "But there has to be a reason, right? A really important reason to let go of hostilities, it can't just mean 'stop fighting', right?"
Hayley nodded, "I think that something big might be coming, something that we're all needed for, something we need to be strong for."
"What do you think it could be?" Farah rubbed her arm.
"I don't know," She shook her head, "And believe me, I am not looking forward to finding out."
They were all silent, trying to process what they had just discovered, trying to find some way of working out a solution. Skylar was the first to break the silence, "Whatever happens, whatever comes, we'll be together. That's all we'll need I think, together we're unstoppable."
"I hope you're right." Hayley smiled, "Even if you're not, this is exactly where I want to be."
Chapter 8
The last few days had been... well, not completely ideal, but things were going much better than anyone could have thought. Liam found himself surprised, everyone was coming together and cooperating with no issues.
Well, except with the whole thing with Michael and Hayley, but that might not be a bad thing.
Even Cayden had come through in the end, and while the two of them would never be friends, or likely see completely eye to eye, perhaps they could be more... civil. If more for Skylar than any other reason.
He picked up his phone, ringing each of their numbers one by one. Perhaps a dinner would be a good chance for their little group to unwind. Their reactions ran the gamut from Michael's easy, casual acceptance, to Cayden's cautious, almost paranoid suspicion. After continuous reassurance however even he accepted, and the night was set in stone.
He shook his head, "This life is never uneventful, is it?"
His eyes shot back to his phone as it started vibrating, wondering who could possibly be calling now. He picked it up and placed it to his ear, "Hello? This is Liam Conway, who is calling?"
"Hey Liam, it's Brett. I have some things you should know." He paused, "I recommend that you sit down though."
He did just that, thinking over what could be so important that he would need a warning first, "Go ahead Brett, I'm ready."
He cleared his throat, "I did some digging, it took a lot of work and a few favors, but I did it. Skylar is adopted Liam."
Liam sighed, "I thought so... God, this'll break her heart. What do you know?"
"She was adopted at about three days old, it was a rush job, I guess the birth parents wanted to get it sorted out quickly." He sniffed, "Despite my best efforts, I haven’t managed to find out who the birth parents actually are, their names weren't listed on the birth certificate, and I can't find their names in any other registries. For now, it looks like the trails gone cold."
"I see." Liam ran a hand across his eyes, "Is there anyone you can go to? Any potential leads you can pick up?"
He could hear Brett's smile, "Well ahead of you there, already got some people that might know something or someone. I'll keep you updated on anything that I find, no matter what it is."
Liam huffed, "Thanks Brett, keep up the good work." He smirked, "You're well worth the money."
"Of course I am, I've spent years building this reputation. So, when I tell you I'll find the birth parents, you'll know I'm telling the truth."
"Very true, I'll let you get back to it."
"Thanks Liam..." Another pause, "I am sorry about the news though, I know it isn't what either of you wanted to hear."
Liam shook his head, "No need for apologies Brett, it might just have been exactly what we needed to hear. Good luck."
"Thank you, Sir."
Liam sighed to himself, "God, I'm so sorry Skylar."
He got out of his chair, leaving the office and walking down the hall. He saw her in the living room, curled up on the couch and happily eating a tub of ice cream. She looked so serene, so carefree in this stressful time, like nothing could get her down in that moment.
Liam would never forgive himself for ruining it.
He stepped forward into the lounge, her head turned at the movement. She gave a smile full of love, so happy to see him, but it began to fade when she noticed the grave look upon his face. She turned herself fully, "Liam? Liam is something wrong?"
He grimaced, sitting down next to her, "I need to tell you something, and... I don't think you'll like it."
She grabbed his hand, squeezing it hard, "You're scaring me, what's happened?"
"You know I've had someone looking into your background, trying to find something that could explain if you're supernatural or not..."
She nodded, "I do, why? What did they find?"
Liam squeezed her hand firmly, "Sky..." He exhaled, "Sky you're adopted."
Her reaction wasn't immediate, but tears began to build in her eyes. She tried to blink them away as her voice shook, "No..." She shook her head, "No that's... no!"
"I'm sorry... you were three days old, no one knows who the birth parents were."
"How do you know this is true?" Her voice was raised, she was getting frantic, "How do you know he didn't screw up somewhere?"
He shook his head, "Brett doesn't make mistakes, it's why I've hired him. If he says he found this, it's true."
She pulled her phone out with a shaky hand, "I don't believe this, it... it can't be true!" She dialed her father's number, pressing the phone to her ear, her knuckles white around it.
The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. As soon as she heard the automatic message for voicemail she began to scream, "Dad this is Skylar! Just pick up for once! I need to talk to you, if you ever cared about me even a little, if I ever even mattered to you, you will call me back!"
She clicked the line closed and dropped the phone to the floor, the device clattering along the floor. She furiously wiped her eyes, trying to will the tears away.
I won't cry. I won't!
Sky picked the ice cream back up, shoveling mouthful after mouthful back to try and distract herself. The dull throb building in her head only caused her more discomfort, but at least it was something else to focus on than the feeling of her heart shattering in her chest.
Liam reached over and grabbed the ice cream, her almost feral snarl would have been amusing if he didn't know just how much pain she was really in. "Skylar, look at me. It'll all be alright."
She shook her head, "No, it won't."
He drew her into his arms, wrapping tightly around her to show that he wasn't leaving. She struggled at first, trying to worm herself free, but it wasn't long until she started shaking. The floodgates broke, her tears began to flow freely, cascading down her cheeks and soaking into Liam's chest.
Her body shook with sobs and the sound of her misery lanced directly into his heart, but he could only imagine how she was feeling. "I'm so sorry Skylar, I'm here. I'm here, just let it all out."
She grabbed onto him tightly, her fingers digging into him as she was desperate to have something to anchor her. Her cries echoed through the house for what felt like hours, but eventually began to slow. She looked up at him after the worst had passed, tears still streaking her face. He placed a kiss over each streak, holding her tightly, "It's ok Skylar, they are still your parents."
"But... we just found out..."
He made her look at him, "That doesn't matter. They still raised you, they raised you since you were three days old. You might not be blood, but goddammit they were your parents, nothing will ever change that." He ran a hand down her back, soothing circles rubbing in between her shoulder blades, "All this means is that now we can find out about your family history, we can find out about your pregnancy, and what your power could be. This might not have been the easiest thing to hear, but it will help us."
She placed her cheek on his chest, "I just wish it didn't hurt so much..."
He squeezed, "I know... me too. I just have to believe that some good will come from this pain."
She nodded, "I guess I'll have to believe that too..."
Their moment was broken when they heard the doorbell ring. Liam looked at the clock confused, "No one's supposed to arrive for a few more hours, who could that be?"
He got up and walked to the door, cautiously opening it. Behind it stood a man obviously a few decades older than him, one that he didn't know.
"Hey, I need to talk to Skylar."
Liam crossed his arms, "I don't think so, not until you tell me who you are."
The man started to raise his voice, "Look dammit it's important!" He leaned around him, "Skylar! Skylar are you in there?"
Liam was about to throw the man off his property when Skylar came into view, she looked at him with wide eyes, "Dad?"
The man smiled, "Hey Sky."
Liam stayed between the two, "Dad?" He narrowed his eyes, he knew exactly who this man was. He wasn't going to let him anywhere near Skylar.
"Yeah, that's me. Are you going to let me in?"
Liam almost bared his teeth, "No I'm not. How did you find us?"
He chuckled, "Sarconi left one hell of a trail coming here. It wasn't exactly hard to follow, damn weird though."
Skylar's eyes flashed with anger, "Why did you never tell me I was adopted?"
His eyes widened, "How... how do you know that?"
"Answer the question." This time Liam did bare his teeth.
He sighed, "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it mattered. And honestly, it was better for you not to know."
She seethed, "Better not to know? How could it be better? Who did you adopt me from? Who are actually my parents?"
"I..." He groaned, "Fine. You want to know who your real father is? I adopted you from the daughter of the Don of New York."
Her eyes widened, "What? You adopted me from mobsters?"
Liam sighed to himself, Of course he did. It makes perfect sense with how he was involved with Sarconi. Why can't think ever not be complicated?
"I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but it's true." He made to move forward but stopped himself, "Your mother really loved you. So do I. That's why I'm here."
Liam narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean by that?"
"Sarconi is gone, that's pretty clear. But it's his father you have to worry about." He checked around, "He's the Don of Miami, the shit he's done..." He shivered, "He's coming out here to look for his son, given that he came here and never came back. He's going to tear this place apart looking for him." He looked between the two of them, "You need to leave, get outta here and never come back."
Liam shook his head, "Whatever comes, we'll take care of it. We're not running from anything." He looked back at Skylar, the look of anger on her face almost scaring him, "Now I suggest you leave."
He nodded, "Alright, fine. I'll leave, but I need some cash first."
Liam rolled his eyes, snatching his wallet out of his pocket. He almost tore the money out and had to fight the urge to throw it in his face, "There, that's $500. Now get the fuck off our property."
"You got it." He counted out the money, placing it in his pocket when he was satisfied, "Guess I'll be
going now." He turned and waved lazily, walking down the path whistling an easy tune.
Liam watched him leave, fist clenching and unclenching. He looked at the miserable look on Skylar's face and felt himself become even more angry, "Prick." He almost slammed the door, turning around to Skylar, "I'm sorry, that must have been hard..."
"He didn't even say anything about me being pregnant." She hung her head, "All he ever wanted was money, just like always."
Liam pulled her back into his arms, "It's ok, you've got so many people that care about you. Just remember that alright?"
She nodded, wrapping her arms around him.
God, I wish I wasn't right about him. But father's always let you down, don't they?
But still, something felt off... To come all the way out here, to warn them personally... The Don must be one hell of a problem for him to do that. They couldn't just ignore the advice because they didn't like where it came from, they would have to heed that warning.
They weren't going to run, nothing would change that. But they couldn't afford to get over confident. They faced big threats before, they came close to failing but managed to push through. But they weren't invincible, and Skylar especially was in danger in her condition. He wasn't going to put her in any danger, he needed to keep her far away from this.
If they did things right, if they managed to redirect him to where they wanted him to go, if they ensured nothing led back to them, then they might be able to work things to their favor. But if he got word that Skylar was here, and if he learned who her father was then it wouldn't take long to connect the dots and figure out what happened to his son. If that happened then he would gun right for her, and given her father's reaction to him, he had no illusions about what the Miami boss would do to her.
He was going to keep her and the baby safe, no matter what it took.
* * *
Guests started to filter in soon after, Farah and Hayley immediately flocking to Skylar. He smiled to himself, "Those three are inseparable."