Significance (Completed)

Significance - Chapter Seventeen

"Well, come on, pretty girl. Let's get this over with," Gran insisted as soon as my foot hit the bottom step.

I looked around at the packed red brick kitchen. There were some faces I recognized and some I didn't, but there was a blast of titters and whispers at our arrival.

"Gran," Kyle's mother protested and I couldn't help, but think I needed to learn everyone's name. "Let her eat some breakfast first. I made coffee and honey buns. Caleb told me it was her favorite."

"I'm sure she's ready to not have that thing across her face anymore. Come on," she beckoned me again and took my hand to pull me into the next room. Her skin was cold and soft but I could feel her bones as she gripped me. "Caleb and Peter, you, too. This isn't going to be fun."

I felt my eyes bulge at her words and wondered what she meant by that. She pulled me to lay on the chaise lounge and propped a pillow under my head as I saw Peter and Caleb come into the den with us.

"Now, Caleb, come sit right here," she instructed and pointed to the spot on the floor by my head.

"Is this going to hurt?" I asked, unable to not ask. "It didn't really hurt the last time you removed one."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

Caleb looked at her sharply and I realized he hadn't known that either. "What do you mean?" he asked forcefully.

"Caleb, I'm sorry, sugar baby, but it was different last time. Yes, his intent wasn't pure then either, but this time it was pure malice and deceit. She's gonna have to feel that when I take them back and she'll relive every attack."

"No." He started to get up and grabbed my hand to take me with him. "No, she's not doing it then."

"It has to be done." She held him in place with a hand on his shoulder. "She won't get her energy back until we take them off. Plus she doesn't want to walk around with those things forever."

"No, I don't," I answered softly.

"I didn't know it was going to hurt you," Caleb said softly, squatting down in front of me, pushing my hair back. "We don't have to do this today. You've been through enough already."

"I want to. I want it over with. It's ok."

Caleb looked none too happy about that but nodded tersely to Gran and stroked my other cheek with his fingers before scooting over to my head as I lay back down.

She motioned Peter to sit by my feet so he pulled my legs up to sit under them, pulled them into his lap. He patted my leg and smiled weakly at me.

Then Kyle ran in. "What are you guys doing in here?"

"Healing Maggie. Now get over here and make yourself useful or hit the road," Gran said as she knelt beside me. For an older woman, she sure got around really great.

"Help how?"

"Hold her hand and the rest of you...hold her down." I heard Caleb sigh inwardly in aggravation. "All right." Kyle moved to kneel on the floor on the other side of the chaise and grabbed my hand. He even laced our fingers and his other hand held my arm by my elbow. He and Caleb glared at each other. "Let's get started. Maggie. You heard what I said. It'll be different than the last time I healed you because his intent was different. Before he was just trying to upset Kyle, this time, he was intentionally trying to hurt you. So it'll be worse but we'll get through it."

I swallowed and nodded. Caleb bent down to kiss my forehead and whispered that he was here and I knew his intention had nothing to do with Kyle being there. In his mind, he was extremely upset, pissed about the whole thing, and wanted to grab me and run upstairs. I wondered how he would react when he saw me in the pain from doing this. It was in his blood to protect me.