With Or Without You (Completed)

Chapter 28

"The doctor said you're growing up very healthy in there," Elli cooed at her stomach. She patted her baby affectionately with a soft smile on her face. "That's a very good kid, mommy's so proud of you. And mommy loves you a lot, you already know that - don't you...?"

She was wearing a baggy sweatshirt because of the impressive bump annoucing what was cooking in there. For communication purposes the shirt was lifted up a little at the moment as she talked to the baby inside the secrecy of her bedroom. It'd become a tradition to her. There wasn't a day she didn't talk to her baby about anything and everything. It soothed her and she could just feel that it soothed and strengthened her baby as well.

"You should have a name now, little one," she bit her lip. "But before that I need to tell everyone about you, right?"

Only if this was so easy.

But there was an opportunity she saw in horizon. It was her birthday next week. If she revealed her secret bundle of joy that day, there was more than a huge chance that her crazy family would refrain themselves from bringing out every weapon they'd had hidden in different covert places in the house. She was positive about it. She had to be positive for her sanity's sake.

There was multiple hands pounding at her door suddenly.

Elli almost fell from her sitting position on the edge of the bed. "What the...!" she muttered in shock. It was like there was an earthquake.

"Elli!"

"Open the door."

"Let us in."

"God damn it, Elli, open the door!"

"Princess, it's daddy! Open the door."

Why the fudge was her entire family plus Oliver trying to break down the floody door!

Sensing it sounded as though an emergency, Elli shot towards the door and yanked it open, only to have five tense males of the house barge in and storm past her into her room.

Elli whirled around on her bunny slippers to find them begin a search. Each man went to different directions - they searched under her bed and study table; behind the curtains and picture frames; inside the bathroom and closet and drawers; peeked out the window towards the water pipe snug next to it.

"Hey...! What the f -," she controlled herself from using a slang word, the doctor said it was bad. "fish is going on?"

The men, now looking defeated, came to stand in the middle of her room while she waited by the door - her toes tapping the floor anxiously. Her room looked little with five impressive male gathered in the middle.

Oliver patted Daniel's shoulder in encouragement as her father finally sighed and took a small step towards her.

What just happened there? Since when had her daddy turned into HIS buddy out of all people?

"Princess," Daniel began in his usual gruff voice, thought Elli culd note a hint of suppressed stress in it. "Who were you talking to?"

Elli froze.

They heard.

They heard her talking to her baby!

Oh Lord!

She was supposed to tell them next week!

While she stayed silent, glancing away from Oliver scrutinizing look, Misha came forward."Sis, was there someone in your room?"

"A secret lover?" John spat.

And immediately all males became stiff, especially her daddy and Oliver. Huh!

"No!" she quickly denied. "But even if there were, where's the problem in it?"

How can this be happening? Holy shit! There was nothing wrong in thinking slang words! Doctor had said only about the saying part.

Five relieved sighs could be heard and then she could see Daniel opening his mouth, obviously to voice his protest about bringing in a secret lover while staying under his roof.

But Oliver beat Daniel to it and opened his big mouth, "Then who were you talking to?"

Elli looked away. She was giving in, giving in from the inside and was one second away from saying the truth. There was no point in hding it anymore. She was so nicely cornered - in her own freaking room.

But then, to her amazement but also great relief, Oliver gave a look to Daniel and her brothers. That look must have meant something for everyone's shoulders hunched immediately and faces pinched.

Surprising Elli to the bones and blood and brain and guts - the five weird males in her life whisked out her room at the same speed they came in.

She stood there for what felt like ful ten minutes before finally being able to move. It seemed like for whatever reason she could still reveal her secret in the decided time.

It was supposed to be a good thing, right?

But then - why did she suddenly feel a little uncomfortable about the look they gave each other?

Stress was not good for her, that as well was what the doctor said. So she decided to put the absurdity of it all at the rear of her mind and have a sweet - little nap till lunch.

-- -- --

"Hallucination," Oliver spoke gravely. "A severe side effect of chemotherapy. It... it's not good. It means..."

Her disease was spreading quickly and the therapy was trying to fight it harder.

They were all in Daniel's room for the secret talk.

The brothers were hiding their teary eyes in the small sofa, they were sitting on it quitely and nearly smashing each other because of the small space. Daniel was lying on the bed as a broken man, his face expressionless. Oliver sat grimly beside the man, his eyes staring blankly at the wall ahead and his hand resting supportively on Daniel's trembling one.

All could hear the hidden meaning behind Oliver's words and his expression. Their only sister; Daniel's only daughter... the life of their family, the heart of their happiness was slipping away from them.

"We need to let her know that we... know," John mumbled. "She needs us right now more than ever. Together we'll forfeit her cancer."

"It... it's her birthday next week!" Misha whispered.

Jim sniffled back his grief as manly as he could. "After that."

"After that." Everyone excluding Daniel mumbled in a heartbreaking determination.

Except Daniel, who squeezed closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his temple which had wrinkled noticibly in the matter of a single night.

Oliver inhaled a long breath despite the searing pain biting in his heart. He promised to himself that he would not let this family break apart. He would not let his witch die, not under his watch.

~

:D Oliver! Where will you hide??? Don't forget about Daniel's shotgun.

The climax is coming near! The big revealation around the corner, everyone! And also the process where a certain someone will become a human pulp. (evil laugh)

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Please VOTE; COMMENT; FAN/FOLLOW and SHARE the story! After all you can learn from here how to make a mess of any situation - the Oliver style! ;)

Take care till next upload.
lots of love and hugs,
Lara.