Moonlight Shadow: Time Can Heal

Chapter 53: Aftermath

A/N: A bit of a boring chapter today but it's needed to set up the final few chapters since this story will be coming to an end soon. I'll try to upload as much as I can.

Have a good day/night!

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Everything was dark. Those same four words echoed in her mind. She just wanted it all to stop. Everything was loud yet deathly silent. All she could do was curl into a ball with her hands cupped over her ears as tears endlessly poured from her eyes.

''What the hell are you doing?'' a familiar, condescending voice asked her. ''You look so damn pathetic. Get up.''

''I-I can't...'' she sobbed, the words still chanting in her ears.

''I said. Get. Up.''

''I c-can't!...'' she shouted, curling further into a ball.

''If you don't get up, you won't know if your wife and son are alright.'' the voice softened and the chanting words began to slowly disappear. ''Isn't that what you want? To make sure they're safe?''

She nodded weakly. That's all she wanted in that moment. None of her transformations had ever felt that painful or violent. When she felt her control slipping and she heard footsteps coming towards the door of the bedroom, everything had gone black and then she was here.

''Then get up. Get the fuck up, get out there and make sure-'' Lex slowly looked up, at the familiar figure. The only thing she saw before a bright flash nearly blinded her was a mess of red hair and bright white eyes.

***

Lex was looking up at the ceiling. She blinked a few times, feeling bandages around her left eye and around her shoulder blades. Groaning, she slowly pushed herself up as the stitches rubbed against her bandages. Lifting up the blanket, she saw she was wearing sweatpants that she didn't remember putting on. Before she got up to move towards the door, she saw a black robe folded neatly on a chair near her.

Her legs wobbled as she moved to the chair and grabbed the robe, she wasn't wearing a shirt. The last thing she wanted was for someone to walk in and see her bare chest. She could have looked in the closet near her but wanted to get out of the room and find her family. When she lifted the robe, she noticed it belonged to Mother Miranda. Her anxiety melted away as she realized that if Miranda was here, her family would most likely be alright.

After slipping on the robe, she left the room. She stumbled down the hallway before coming to a half ruined hallway. There was a large hole near the door of her and Donna's bedroom. She just stared at the hole, realizing that she most likely had done this. Sighing to herself, she made a mental note to fix the damage. Maybe she could ask Karl to help her with it.

Carefully, she moved around the hole and made it to the first floor. She stumbled to the living room, seeing Miranda, Donna and Onyx sitting down with broken debris brushed to the side. She wasn't paying attention to what they were say and rushed to them. Miranda was the first the notice and got up, going to the woman

''Lex, you should be resting. You're not well.'' she said, but Lex just ignored her and went to Donna. The ravenette started at her in shock as Lex got closer before her arms wrapped around her. The Dollmaker tensed at first before hesitantly wrapping her arms around the woman. Lex buried her face into her shoulder, holding her tightly before pulling away.

''By Mother, are you and Onyx alright?'' Lex asked, checking Donna for any injuries. When she didn't find anything, she calmed down a bit and pulled her back into a hug. Donna seemed to relax more into the touch, gripping onto Lex tightly.

From Donna's shoulder, Lex looked t Onyx and immediately noticed the stitches. She pulled away before going to the boy. He didn't say anything and sort of moved away from her as she sat next to him. At first, neither of them said anything. They just stared at each other for what felt like forever. Miranda tried to tell Lex that she should rest but the woman ignored her. Carefully, Lex brought her to Onyx cheek, her fingers brushing against his skin just below the stitches. ''Did I do this?''

Onyx nodded. ''It would have been mom if I didn't push her out of the way.''

Lex pulled her hand away as Miranda placed her hand on her shoulder. The woman allowed herself to be moved.

***

She tried not to move too much as she felt Miranda patching up a few of her stitches that had ripped and began to bleed. Her back was to both her wife and Onyx. ''Do you remember anything from your transformation?''

''No, I don't. None of them have ever been that violent before.'' she explained.

''It could be due to the Cadou. From what I have learned, the bruises that appear on your back is due to different levels of stress and burst open. Did anything happen recently?'' Miranda asked as she placed clean bandages over her wounds.

''Yes.'' she answered, glancing for a moment at Onyx, who looked away as soon as the two made eye contact. ''I found out who really killed my sister.'' Miranda's movements faltered for a moment before hesitantly finishing her work.

''I see. Turn to me.'' she said and Lex obeyed.  As the woman reached for the bandages covering her eye, Lex jerked away.

''I... I don't want Onyx or Donna in the room for this.'' she said softly, looking towards the two. Donna stood there for moment before taking Onyx by the hand and leaving the room without a word. When the door closed, Lex allowed Miranda to continue. ''How long will I need to rest?''

''A week at the least. A few months at the most.'' she answered as the bandages fell into Lex's lap. The woman looked down and saw the stains of black blood on it. Her sight in her left eye was a bit blurry and red around the edges, but she could see. ''Well, you eye has grown back. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised but, well, it was gone once you transformed back.'' she said as she began to clean the dried blood from around the eye.

Once the blood was cleaned, Miranda reached for her set of clean bandages and began to wrap it around her eye. ''Miranda, I need you to be honest with me. Is it safe for me to have a child after what had happened?''

The blonde woman paused for a moment before sighing. ''I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Most likely, you should be fine. But I can roll out the possibilities of something horrible happening.'' she said quietly as she finished with the bandages. The two just sat there for what felt like hours. At first, Lex was going to ask her to leave since she thought she'd be okay now, but when she saw the expression on Miranda's face, she threw that thought away. Miranda looked like she was debating something. Something important.

''I meant to implant you with the Cadou when we first met.'' she said after a minute or two. ''I thought that perhaps, you'd be the vessel I needed. But after studying you, I realized that your DNA wasn't compatible with the Cadou due to your affliction. If I did implant you with the Cadou, then your cells would have fallen apart. You should have died back then.''

They really did save me... Lex thought, thinking back to when Bela had placed the Cadou within her. Avals saying that they were keeping her alive, but not telling her it would cost them their existence, or at least her ability to speak to them.

''Well, I must be a miracle then.'' Lex laughed, trying to break the tension.

''I suppose you are.'' Miranda said before getting up and collecting her robe. ''Well, I'll tell Donna you need plenty of rest and to change your bandages frequently. And, one more thing before I go.'' she said, looking down at the woman with a serious expression. ''Who is aunt Rhody?''

The name rang loudly in her ears as she looked down at her hands. ''I don't know.'' she simply said. Miranda didn't pry any further when Lex had rolled onto her side. As soon as her head hit the pillow, everything went dark and she drifted into a restless filled with dreams of a woman she had never met before. And a voice asking her what she wanted most.