For three weeks Scarlett lay unconscious. Eventually, she healed and found herself in a forest for a week trying to quench her thirst. She lost control of her sanity and killed lots of monsters. A month ago she was fighting a battle between life and death but right now, she was thinking about that person who had been helping her. He wasn't an enemy but he wasn't a friend either.
The next ten days she spent thinking and training. She didn't sleep even though she was already tired out, but she didn't stop either. She wrecked the training room again and it shook the entire foundation of the mansion causing everyone to rush downstairs, everyone except Mr. Quinn.
Surprisingly it was the thirtieth punching bag that came crashing down with her last punch. She was surprised though, that was exactly thirty punching bags. The last time she came down here, there were only ten but now they were thirty and they were all on the floor around her. Her grandfather had tripled the supply knowing she would come down here to distract herself.
Nicole wasn't surprised seeing the damage but she needed to distract Scarlett from her training or else the entire mansion would come crashing down the next time Scarlett came down here. Nicole knew once Scarlett healed, she would make up for the month of training she missed while she was unconscious but this was a bit too much.
"Scar you need to relax, let me train with you,"
"No!"
"Why?"
"You'll make me go easy on myself,"
"That's the point of me training with you,"
"I don't want to go easy on myself,"
"Then stop,"
"Alright you got my attention, what do you want Nicole?" Scarlett asked and turned to Nicole.
"Come shopping with me,"
"I can't," she replied and walked towards the weights.
"We'll go shopping today and tomorrow, we'll go out, after that you'll train as much as you want to,"
"You're kidding right?" Scarlett asked hoping Nicole was just making a joke. Nicole wore a serious look that was both demanding and pleading at the same time. "You know what my training means Nicole. I've been lying unconscious for three weeks and spent another week in the forest and you still want me to waste another day relaxing,"
"You're not wasting the day, we're going shopping and tomorrow we're hanging out with the others, I promise after we're done shopping you can continue your training but tomorrow's for us, please,"
"Shopping…what for?" Scarlett knew Nicole never went shopping without a good reason.
"We need to relax and what better way than to go shopping," Nicole said but Scarlett wasn't buying it, she was scared Scarlett would spend her nineteenth birthday down here training.
"I've been relaxing for a month Nicole,"
"Moaning, turning, screaming in pain and trying to maintain self control aren't ways to relax Scarlett, you've been suffering," Nicole blared. Scarlett finally agreed and they went shopping. When they got there, at the clothes section, one of the sales ladies called for Scarlett's attention.
"Excuse me miss are you Scarlett Quinn?"
"Who's asking?"
"Someone dropped a package for you,"
"What's your name?"
"Julia,"
"Who and why does he have a package for me?"
"I don't know Ms. Quinn; he didn't give any personal information, just the package,"
"Sure…"
"Are you sure about this?"
"Not really, but it couldn't hurt," Julia led them to sit down. She brought out lots of shopping bags and put them in front of the girls. They were stunned, this wasn't a package it was the entire clothes section!!!
"Looks like a secret admirer," Nicole whispered to Scarlett.
"These are yours Ms. O'Connor," Julia said and Nicole stared at her speechless. "Me…but why would he…?"
"I'm sorry but we can't possibly take these," Scarlett said.
"But Ms. Quinn he said it was a gift to you,"
"I'll be right back," Scarlett said and excused herself. Nicole took the opportunity to tell Julia about Scarlett's birthday.
"I don't think she remembers though,"
Once the line connected, her grandfather's voice echoed over the phone. "Hey kiddo, the boys said you and Nicole went shopping?"
"Yes we did,"
"I'm surprised you actually left your training, it's an improvement,"
"What does that mean?"
"You're not as obsessed with training as you were before," Scarlett wanted to ask another question but she stopped herself before the words formed in her head.
"Grandfather did you perhaps keep a package for Nicole and me," she said ignoring his statement.
"No why?"
"…I was just asking, see you later,"
"Bye kiddo," she reluctantly agreed to take the clothes.
"You really don't know who sent these?" Nicole asked when they came out of the mall. Scarlett nodded and sighed. She started the ignition and drove to a dojo where they could train for the rest of the day. They trained till the dojo closed. Scarlett knew the training room would be fixed by the time she got back but she didn't feel like training anymore, she wanted to see what was in all those bags and have a relaxing sleep. Everything she put on was from Xquisite Gold and if the contents of the bags weren't, she planned on returning them saying she didn't like them.
Chris and Michael were surprised to see the number of bags carried inside by the maids. This was the first time Scarlett ever shopped this much. They knew Scarlett wasn't really interested in shopping and Nicole wasn't one to buy this much. She never flaunted her riches no matter what.
Nicole was overjoyed with what she saw in the bags. Just like Scarlett, she also had her own favorite fashion line, Fabulous Diamond. And just like Scarlett, everything she wore was from that line. Scarlett sat still in front of the bags, everything was from Xquisite Gold. No one knew about her clothe preferences except Nicole and…and that person she had told about it in the forest, he was the only other person she had told about it but that didn't explain why he would buy her all these. It didn't make any sense. Why would he anyway? And these things looked way too expensive.
Scarlett lost the enthusiasm to train again; this was the first time she didn't feel like training. Training was all she ever thought about even when she was hunting, so losing the enthusiasm to train just felt strange, she didn't feel weak, in fact she felt very strong. She wasn't the only one who was shocked, everyone was, Nicole the most. She had had to beg Scarlett to come with her and now she didn't want to train. Nicole knew Scarlett wasn't tired and there was no way the little work out they did in that dojo was enough.
"The almighty Scarlett Quinn doesn't want to train," Michael teased.
"Uh…Nicole, are you sure you didn't switch the real Quinn with an imposter at the mall? Chris jokingly asked.
"I'm actually starting to consider that Chris," Nicole replied with a grin on her face.
"It's the real me," she assured them. "Even I'm surprised," they sighed and smiled weakly at her.
"If you need anything, you know where to find us," Nicole said and they left. Scarlett sighed to herself, now she felt tired. She had worked herself up just to make up for a month's training she missed. She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling in deep thought. She had just arrived here four months ago, and in those four months, she'd saved a young dempire girl from Black's bane, survived the same poison since she sucked it in, hunted and drank blood like an irrational vampire and found out her parents never actually died. Her mind kept wandering about the things she had gone through in under four months that she didn't even realize when she slept off.
Then it started again, the nightmare she couldn't remember but hated so much, it was more painful, more real.
Scarlett relived her nightmare all over again. At first she thought it was the pain from the injury and the poison that was messing with her head and mind but even now when she was strong, the nightmare was even stronger. She felt numb, her entire body ached as her nightmare replayed over and over again in her mind, beads of sweat formed on her forehead and she clutched the sheets so tight her nails pierced her palms. She moaned in pain, turning and twisting.
He attacked her again, he was fiercer and the poison felt more real, the pain caused by it was way worse than Black's bane. The pain Scar felt was immeasurable and mind numbing, it was like getting a body part torn off. He beheaded her best friend and brother again, the scene repeated itself over and over again and it was just too unbearable to watch, next was the rest of her family, he slaughtered them like meat that was to be weighed and sold. She wanted to stop him, but she couldn't move. She screamed in agony as she shut her eyes. Her eyes flew open and they were silver, tears flowed from her face and dropped but burned before they reached the ground as though there was fire underneath.
The way her figure flashed around as she drew her silver sword from their chests, she didn't bother if she was being too brutal, blood sprayed all over her body and face with every strike. He stabbed her even deeper with his sword, she fell to the ground as blood flowed like water from her lips and chest. A man appeared in front of her draped in a black cloak. She lay half dead on the bloodstained ground slowly going through the agonizing pain of healing, her blood still flowed. Something in her changed…or rather died, the part of her that always made her rational in times like this, her humanity was dead, those beautiful blue sparks that showed she had her humanity intact were slowly fading.
Scar stared at the man in front of her, her vision once again blinded by anger and something unknown. She attacked with every ounce of energy she could summon, even with all her barely healed injuries. He let her attack him, pouring out the anger that was bottled up. He seemed to be enjoying it but he knew if he let her continue, he would most probably end up being killed so he stopped her. She yelled at him as he immobilized her, her rationality was back a while sooner. She realized it was him and apologized for hurting him. She begged him to let her go but he didn't. He didn't want her to lose the will to continue fighting but she had already lost it. She was exhausted and she looked dead with an empty and hollow gaze in her eyes.
"Just let me die, Nicole's dead, Zev, Xander, Chris, Michael, they're all dead, I failed to protect them, I let them die…please," he made her look at him. He didn't say anything; he just let her cry out her pain, anger, frustration and resentment. When he was sure she had calmed down, he explained to her that her family was safe and they were alright. She didn't believe him, how could he say that when they had been killed right in front of her very eyes? She didn't reply but just kept sobbing and then all of a sudden, she felt large hands hug her. When she looked up, she found herself staring into the beautiful grey eyes of her brother. Her face struck with shock.
Scarlett's eyes flew open, dread filled her entire being. She felt cold, the hair on her skin stood and she knew that someone was in her room. She lay still on her bed and the strange presence remained standing at the edge of her room where the light didn't illuminate. She expected whoever it was to come out since she was very sure he knew she was awake but he stayed still, she couldn't sense him moving but he was staring at her. He felt oddly familiar but she wasn't sure. She wanted to be on high alert but she felt strangely safe with this person that was in her room, she didn't know when she drifted off to sleep without the nightmare for the first time since they first started.
She didn't want to open her eyes; she had finally slept without that nightmare. She didn't want it to end just yet, sleep was really what she needed right now to escape all the responsibilities that she had but if this was just her dreaming, she would open her eyes and be welcomed by her nightmare, either way she wanted to escape both although that wouldn't be possible, she at least wanted to give it a shot.
"Open your eyes," he ordered. His voice also sounded familiar.
"What are you doing here?" she sat up and saw a silhouette of a man's figure standing in front of her bed.
"I thought you wanted to see me? How was your sleep?"
"You know about my nightmares?"
"I was dragged into it,"
"Do you remember anything about it? Even the slightest detail?"
"Sorry kid, it all skipped my memory the second you woke up,"
"Oh…thanks for a peaceful sleep…you got me those clothes,"
"I didn't think you'd know it was me,"
"Why…you say you want nothing but yet your approach implies you do want something from me, what is it?"
"Happy birthday,"
"What? Today isn't my…"she stopped short. She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and checked the date. Today, the first of July and her birthday, how could she forget the day she always anticipated for?
"It's not a bad thing to forget your birthday, you've been occupied lately," he said. She stared at him trying to decipher his thoughts. He said he wanted nothing from her, but his actions were in contrasts to his words. Why was he doing all this? She was tired of asking that question knowing he would just say nothing again or we'll talk soon. This man was just as complicated as her grandfather but her grandfather was way worse.
"You don't love me do you?" she blurted. That was the only reasonable explanation she thought of, not like she knew what it meant to love someone outside your family, she just wanted to ask. This wasn't just about the throne, there just had to something else.
"What makes you think I love you kid?"
"You've been helping me since I woke up after my accident, you got me clothes when I needed them, you brought me a human when I needed blood and you bought me clothes from my favorite fashion line…Nicole said something about a secret admirer, is that what you are?" she said.
"You're talking as though you know nothing about the topics admiration and love but…no kid, I don't love you, my heart belongs to someone else," he said and she nodded. "Enjoy your birthday Ms. Quinn and I promise we'll have a decent conversation soon," he said. She was sick of hearing promises of having conversations, her grandfather promised her that and even now she hadn't talked to him properly yet and then there was this dude. He left her staring at the ceiling in her room.
"I can't believe I forgot my birthday," she said as Nicole walked in.
"I didn't think you'd remember yet," Nicole said. Scarlett turned to her; Nicole had a sly grin on her face.
"You knew I didn't remember?"
"Obviously…happy birthday bestie,"
"Thanks Nicole,"
"Alright let's get you into something nice,"
"Why?"
"Today's your nineteenth birthday Ms. Quinn; don't tell me you want to sit in your room all day,"
"I actually don't have any plans,"
"Ugh, you're the worst…but I was hoping you'd say that, we've planned everything, you'll love it," Nicole pulled her up from her bed and dragged her to her walk-in-closet. "We have to get you into something that screams Scarlett, how about something red?"
"I'm not sure about red; I don't really like the color,"
"And your name is Scarlett," Nicole scoffed. "Perfecto, muy perfecto," she said holding a white turtle neck shirt that had black rhinestones fixed onto it. "It spells your name," Nicole continued rummaging through Scarlett's wardrobe until she found a pair of black jeans with white sapphires embedded on it. The jeans had zippers in front; the knee was ripped and stitched back. "This definitely screams Scarlett, you'll look perfect," she said and dragged Scarlet to her shoe closet. Nicole brought out white boots with black strips and handed them to Scarlett. "Now go have a shower," she said and pushed Scarlett towards the bathroom. Scarlett got out of the bathroom a while later and found Nicole sitting on her bed staring at something.
"What's that?"
"Wasn't this your mum's?" Nicole said holding up a black box with a transparent cover. Inside was a chain necklace of a half heart. On it was Zev's name. Scarlet materialized beside Nicole in an instant, she stared at the necklace baffled she always thought she would never see this necklace ever again
"I…it was my mum's, she always wore it, the one with my dad has my name on it," Scarlett explained. Nicole gave her the necklace and she stared at it as though analyzing whether or not it was real or fake.
"One of the maids came in it with, she said it's a gift from someone," Nicole said and gave her a piece of paper that read 'To my darling Scarlett'
"This is from my mum,"
"Happy Birthday Scar,"
"You knew?"
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, they wanted to tell you themselves,"
"What about Chris and Michael, do they know about it?"
"Yeah, they came over while you were unconscious…I really wanted to tell you but Ramona begged me not to and Regina threatened me," Nicole said and Scarlett smiled.
"Definitely my mum and grandma, thank you so much Nicole,"
"Scarlett Nicole, we're ready to go, we'll be downstairs waiting,"
"We need to get dressed; I promise you'll love this,"
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