Swept Away: The First Bloodline (30 page)

             
“What are we going to do?”  Liz whispered fighting back the tears as she turned looking over her shoulder at the twins who slept peacefully in the back.  The bond that she had with them was almost as strong as it was with Taylor.  Liz had basically been their second mother for their entire life.  Every decision she made revolved around them.  And now they both had to make this decision together and Taylor was completely torn.

             
“Should we change our names?  Our appearance?  What do we do?  They can find us if they want to.  What can we do?”

             
“I know.  I don’t know what to do right now.  I just know we have to be strong and keep it together until we know what to do.  Just keep driving.  Just keep moving.  That is my only plan.”

             
“Where are Jarrod and Damien?  They could help us.”

             
And here it goes.
  “I made him leave.  They found us through them.  If they tracked us through them once they could track us again.”

             
“Really?  That was the stupidest fucking thing that you could have done.  They are going to keep tracking us.  We had a better chance with them helping us.  Why would you do that?”

             
“I don’t know ok.  I panicked.  I was mad.  He said he could stop the connection between us and I was mad because he heard my thoughts, felt what I felt and those were mine and he could have let them be mine.  But he kept taking them from me.  I tried to get him to come back.  It didn’t work.  Ok.  I fucked up.  I don’t need this shit from you right now.  Trust me I am chewing my own ass and I don’t need you on it to!”

             
“You’re right.  I’m sorry.  So he could read your mind?”

             
“Yes.  Irritates the shit out of me.  And he can feel everything I feel both physically and emotionally.”

             
“Feel.  That could be interesting.”  That’s the Liz Taylor knew and loved.  She teased Taylor.

             
“It was and wasn’t.  That’s not all.  He can like … blink and we are magically anywhere he wants to take us.  He can control your emotions.  If you mad, or sad, he can make it go away and your happy feeling great again.  He can see things you see through your eyes.  Which can come in handy.  He can wriggle his nose and suddenly all you feel is the most intense orgasm you have ever felt.  He can make you feel like you have multiple mouths, hands, touches all over your body.  And I’m sure I’m leaving something out or there is more I don’t know about.”

             
“Holy fuck!  Jarrod can make you get the best night sleep you have ever gotten.  At will, you are out.  He’s strong.  He’s fast.  He can do the blink your there thing.  He said that Damien is special but they don’t know why.”

             
“That’s what Damien said.  He said that all vampires have their own little gifts.  He can transfer into any animal he wants.  How freaking neat that would be.  How many times have we said ‘I’d like to be a fly on the wall’ we could do that.”  Suddenly she was excited by the thought of it.

             
“So let me get this straight.  We are both vampires.  Well then where are our powers?”

             
“We have them.  I don’t know maybe they don’t work until we change.  If we change.”

             
“I would change in a heartbeat.”  She said quickly.

             
“What about the twins?”

             
“What about them?  Knowing that they would never be sick, die, be hurt, or any of the bad shit in this world is the best news I have had in a long time.”

             
“What if they grow up and regret the decision that we made for them?  We have a choice but they wouldn’t.  How is that fair to them?”

             
“I don’t know.  I guess I didn’t look at it like that.”

             
Liz laid her head back staring out the window no doubt she was searching for the same answers Taylor was.

             
She slowed on the outskirts of town pulling into the cemetery.  She had not stepped foot on the grounds since this had become Chase’s final resting place.  She looked towards hi plot, knowing exactly where he lay.  “I just need a minute Liz.”

             
Liz’s soft hand went to Taylor’s shoulder in a way of telling her to take all the time she needed.

             
As she began walking up, she could see that day in front of her just as plain as day.   The sun began to shine bright around her as she replayed it over in her mind but seen the entire thing in front of her.  The heat from the sun took the cold night away.  She stood there like in another dimension watching the events of the day.

             
The blue tent was set up.  She could see herself sitting with Liz holding her hand on the left.  His parents sat to her right.  His siblings sat in the back row with his grandparents.  She had no other family of her own there.

             
The preacher began to read the Lord’s Prayer as she stared at the light blue casket in front of her.  A beautiful blanket of blue tipped carnations rest on the top with the ribbons reading beloved husband, beloved son. 

             
When the preacher concluded the services and it was time to leave.  Taylor hadn’t expected the type of reaction that came over her. 

             
Taylor stood there watching and remembering what was going to happen next.  She could feel the pain of that day coming back as if it were happening all over again.

She watched as she stood, everyone began hugging her, giving their best regards.  When everyone had cleared the tent, she looked back at the casket setting her hand on it.

She spoke to him for the last time.             

“Chase damn you!
Why did you have to leave me?  What am I supposed to do now?  You promised to be there for me always.” She started crying.  Liz held her hand again. 

“Babe I didn’t want to leave you but this is how it is supposed to be.  If you ever really truly need me, speak to me and I will hear you.  I love you.”
 

And then he was gone.  It was like a whisper.  An echo.
She turned to Liz looking for any

sign that she may have heard him but
she could tell Liz hadn’t.

Taylor closed her eyes remembering everything clearly. 

              That day she knew he had spoken with her.  She knew it with everything she had in her.  She admitted she was emotionally unstable but she wasn’t hearing things.  It wasn’t her mind playing tricks on her.  She wasn’t so lost in mourning that somehow her psych made it up.

             
Taylor walked towards the headstone.  When she reached it she stared at the carvings.

Chase Zacharia James

08/21/1978 - 01/15/2006

Beloved Husband

Beloved Son

             
Her fingers brushed over the words and it was exactly like losing him all over again.  She felt as if something was squeezing her heart.  She could feel the grip as it tried desperately to beat again.  Her breathing became heavy.  She felt faint.  She fell to her knees crying.

This isn’t what I wanted when I came out here.  I didn’t want to relive that day.  I just need answers.

              “Chase, please hear me.  I need you.  I don’t know what to do.  You told me if I ever needed you to speak to you that you would hear me.  I need you now.  My life isn’t as normal as we thought.  My decisions from here on out changes everything.  The kids are in danger.  Oh yes kids.  Ashley and Zach.  Your kids are in danger.  DO YOU HEAR ME?”

             
Her hands fell to her knees, her head dropped low; she was completely hysterical and lost now.  She needed someone to tell her what to do.  Where to go.  Anything. 

             
A warm soft touch to her shoulder caused her breath to catch.  She raised her head and turned.  She saw the hand resting there.  It was exquisitely lit with light as if it were glowing.   Her eyes followed up the arm that was glowing to the face that gleamed with beautiful light.

             
She couldn’t believe it.  Chase stood there smiling back at her.  She reached out to him, but she fell stumbling through him.  She turned back to him standing there.

“Babe.  I’ve missed you so much.”

              “Chase, I missed you so much.  I have been so angry with you.  There is so much going on now and I don’t know what to do.  Tell me what do I do?”

             
“I know about the twins.  You have done a wonderful job with them.  It’s ok.  I’d be angry with you if the shoes were reversed.  But they aren’t.  I know you think I gave up Babe.  I didn’t.  I couldn’t take the pain anymore.  I couldn’t see you living half alive when I knew that was not who you are.”

             
“I thought you just gave up.  That you didn’t want to fight anymore.”

             
“I would have fought till the end of time if it would have made a difference.  It wouldn’t have Babe.  You have to keep going.  Know that this is how it was meant to be.  All you need to do is keep following your heart.”

             
“I don’t understand.  I’m scared if I make a wrong decision it could cost them their life.”             

             
“You won’t Love.  You always make the right decisions when you follow what your heart is telling you.  You want to know about your gifts.  Follow your heart.  That is your strongest ability.  Your ability to love unconditionally is your strongest power.  Use it.”

             
“That’s too confusing.  That’s not a power.  I don’t know what my heart is telling me.  Just spill it.  Stop the fucking riddles and just tell me what do I do?”

             
“Love you’re not hearing me, you know what to do.  You have all the answers inside your heart.  I can’t tell you what to do because I don’t know what to do.  You do.”

             
“No I don’t, everything is so messed up.  Then there is Damien, Chase.  I love him.  I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean for it to happen it just did.  I didn’t mean to betray you I swear it.”

             
“Is that how you feel?  That you have betrayed me?  My memory?”

“Yes.  I know I have.”

“I want it to happen.   I want you to follow him.  He’s a good man T.  I want you to be happy.  I don’t want you to be alone.  Move on be happy.  That is what I want.”

             
“I don’t know how Chase.  He’s not a man.  He’s a vampire Chase.  A blood sucking vampire.  How do you feel about that now?  About me following my heart now?”

             
“He’s just as much of a man as I ever was.  He loves you and our kids.  He will treat you all the ways I wish I still could.  But I can’t.  You and he were meant to be Taylor.  Even if I wouldn’t have died, you were meant to be with him.  It’s in your destiny.”

             
“I can’t do this anymore Chase.  I feel like all the life has left me and the only thing that keeps me here are the twins.  Some destiny I have huh?”

             
“Yes you can!  Stop saying I can’t and start saying I will.  What has happened to you?  You used to be full of spunk, faced the world head on and made whatever decisions you needed to based on what you felt in your heart was right.  Feel it again T, you know how.  You always have.”

             
“I lost Damien.  I ran him off.  I don’t know how to get him back.  It’s too late.  I said things that I shouldn’t have out of anger.”

             
“Are you sure?  The connection you have with him is so much stronger than ours ever could have been.”

“Connection?  Some fucking connection.  He says it and now you say it and I still have no fucking idea what you mean with that.  I am not a master of riddles.  I don’t get it.”

“Taylor you do get it.  Think about it.  Remember when I wanted to rodeo and you were so mad at me you didn’t talk to me.  You thought that if you gave me the cold shoulder that I wouldn’t go through with getting on that bull.  Remember?”

I wipe the tears from my eyes.  “Where are you going with this?”

“You told me that if I got on that bull, you would divorce me.  That hurt Taylor.  Worst

thing you could have ever said to me.  I knew you didn’t mean it but it still hurt.  Then right before I was up you came and made everything all better.  You told me you were sorry.  Remember?  Just tell him.  He may be a vampire but he still needs to hear it.” 

“He’s gone Chase.  He broke the connection we had.  He can’t hear me anymore.”

“Even death can’t break a connection.  Think about it.  You are talking to me now.  Talk to him.  I have to go T.”

              “No wait don’t go.  You can’t go.  Don’t leave me again.”