One Daunting Night

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

*Friday, 7th July*

The day started off sad and gloomy, the feeling everyone had kept inside was vibrantly shown on the outside, even the sky agreed with the melancholy filling the air, turning into a shade of very dark grey. Ara almost refused to believe it was daytime. But the ticking wooden clock on the wall said different, reading a time of ten past ten in the morning, and she knew she'd have to leave soon. 

The dress she wore felt like it was choking her. The high, long-sleeved collared dress stretched across her body effectively, yet it was tight and stopped right above her knee. It was black in colour. Black; like the colour of Xander's delicate fur when he turned into his large, beautiful wolf. But at that moment, not even him could bring up her spirits. Not even him could put much of a smile on her usually positive face. 

Ara knew Faith was extremely upset during a time like this, but the pregnancy hormones were making it worse. Not even Sebastian could handle her. Not even Ara could walk through the door without some sort of lamp that has been replaced nearly fifty times being thown at her head. If anyone had to take it the hardest; it was Faith. Faith who had known Heather since their diaper days, who had grown up together gloriously and moved to New York together to presume average, human lives for as long as they possibly could until they both met their mates. 

Losing someone that close was like losing a part of you as well. 

"Bella? Are you all right?" Xander's voice appeared behind her, silently standing as she turned around to be greeted with him neatly groomed in a three piece suit, wearing a slick black tie that was so dark it represented just how Ara felt. Absolutely miserable.

She couldn't even try to put on a fake smile for her own mate.

Xander didn't need any words for confirmation, he pulled her into his strong, protecting arms and held her head closely againt his gentle beating heart, knowing that the sound would calm her, that Ara was now a danger to her own self, dwelling in thoughts that kept her miserable and completely unhappy. 

Both Heather and Daniel had died that night. Daniel first, then Heather sacrificing herself heroicly, saving the friends she considered her family. The least Ara could do for them was to bury them together. And that's what they were doing–that's where they were going. 

"I left Caleb with one of the nannies. We better get going." Xander whispered softly and Ara refrained herself from crying, clutching her fingers tightly around his jacket. 

Ara's heart clenched when she pulled back, watching Sebastian steadily lead a hardly pregnant Faith down the stairs, his hand gently placed on her back, ready to catch her any moment she chooses to cripple and fall. No doubt she will. 

Faith managed a sad smile. "We should get going," Sebastian said, "It's getting late." There wasn't anything better to say. It wasn't even getting late–being ten in the morning. 

Xander nodded in agreement and together, they sat in a short car drive that left Ara's stomach settling uneasily. 

Ten minutes later they were there. Ara could make out the familiar couple, a woman with striking gingery red hair crying into the shirt of a man who was elder and graying. Their cries were excessive and loud, the two caskets lying in front of them were clearly too much. 

Within the crowd, Ara saw faces that were foreignly familiar, and faces that were just completely new all to itself. She was even more surprised to see a bundle of other red-headed children holding the long black dress of their mother's, refusing to look in the general direction where two bodies lay, forever at peace.