When We Were Young (Part 4)

Brain Dead

I didn't sleep....I don't think I ever will in this place. Where Clayton took me was a warehouse of some sort but from what Vernon and Chase said in the van, this wasn't permanent. This room though it one from dreams. The bed was a king size bed and was covered and rose colored silk sheets and a comforter to match. The walls were painted a beige color with small designs in it the color of the sheets. It was stunning. 

Claytons words keep ringing through my head 'your mother and brother have been wanting to see you.' It's possible right? That they could be alive after all these years....I mean Clayton survived, and so didn't Cora. They could be alive too....but the mother and brother I know would never follow along with Clayton after witnessing how evil he is. Unless they are trapped. 

knock knock knock

My head turned towards the old fashioned and pretty door, without considering the amount of locks to keep me inside. "I can't open the door!" I hollered to whoever it was. 

"I'm just checking if your decent" I heard the voice of Chase answer on the other side of the door. I don't trust Chase even the tiniest of bit but he does seem to still have some soul behind those eyes, maybe he could be an asset to me when I take Clayton down. 

"You're good...you can let me out" I said. 

The sound of a total of 4 locks being unlocked sounded in my ears. As soon has the door opened to reveal a brown haired and blue eyed Chase I was rolling my eyes. "I promise, it won't always be like this" He told me. 

"Does Clayton treat all his new pack members this way?" I asked him. 

"Not to this extent" He answered. 

"Hm" I shrugged. "Alright then...take me to my Mother and Brother" 

"That's what I'm here to do" He said looking in his eyes I saw something change. Taking a whiff of his chemosignals one stood out...pity. 

"What is it?" I asked him. 

"What do you mean?" He asked. 

"Why are you playing dumb? I can smell your chemosignals" I said. 

"I can tell how excited you are. Clayton told me not to say anything to you yet but you should know that seeing your mother, it isn't what you think it is" He told me. 

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?" I asked

"Just follow me" He said. I listened and followed him down a long hallway and stepped into the last room at the end of the hall. It's like the air in the room is different from that of the hallway. Kinda like when you walk into a hospital room and you know the person in there isn't doing well. The first thing I noticed was the long curtain covering what I'm supposed to be seeing. The second thing is the constant beeping like I was actually in the hospital. 

Chase's words flood back to me. it isn't what you think it is

beep beep beep

"She's behind the curtain" Chase tells me. His eyes filled with compassion and regret. Why? I know once I open this curtain my questions will be answered, but at what cost. The beeping of the machine means she's alive right? How alive?

I slowly open the curtain and peek my head through. Thinking it and seeing it are two different anomalies. Sometimes the difference floods you with relief and sometimes it fills you with a heavy heart and complete and udder sadness and confusion. The ladder applies to me. 

"Mom?" I whisper through my clouded vision. I see her, she's here in front of me. She doesn't answer. "Mommy" I say barely audible. 

Nothing. 

Her usual short hair is now longer. Same color as my own dark brunette. Around her is tubes and wires connecting to I don't even know where. The one thing that stands out it the tube shoved down her throat. And the sound of a whooshing  coming from a machine I can only assume is breathing for her seeing as it only makes that sound when her chest rises and falls. 

"How long" I ask. I know Chase is near me and I know he can hear me. 

"Since the fire" He says softly. 

"SHE'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS!" I bellowed. "No this isn't right this isn't, she shouldn't be like this she-"

"She'll wake up soon" I new voice says from the door way. 

Clayton.

"She hasn't woke up in eight years, is that your definition of 'soon'" I ask him, not afraid to let my anger and outrage be shown. 

"Yes, things didn't exactly as planned when the hale house was burnt down. Why don't you sit down and I can explain everything" He said. 

I don't want to look at him. I don't want to talk or even be near him. But I need to know what happened, and he needs to trust me, the key here is to not let my emotions get in the way. "Fine" I say "But not here" 

"Very well" He stands and walks and I follow him into a room that is as fancy as every other room in this house...it's a mansion. He sits on the couch and I sit in the single person couch in front of him trying to create distance from us. Even then our knees almost touch making me sick. I raise my eyebrows at him urging him to start. 

"The Hale's aren't the saints people make them out to be. I loved your mother, I still love her but she was going to leave me because I was doing everything I could to make this family safe, to make us strong" He said. 

"I didn't know forcing a little girl to witness you slaughter people counted as making someone strong" I told him. 

"But it did, look at you. You're a strong young women" He said "Because of me"

"You don't get to take credit for my strength"

"Oh but I do. It was Talia Hale who got inside your head to make you forget everything I showed you, everything I was teaching you. Your mother and Talia they ruined you"

"They tried to fix what you broke" 

"I'm not going to sit here and argue with you. The point is, is that your mother and Talia were going to ruin you and take you and your brother away from me. They were going to lock me up and destroy everything I built. So I fed information to Kate Argent. That dinner when the fire happened that was when they were going to try and take me on, they set a trap but so didn't I. When the fire broke out my plan was to get you, and your brother and mother out but I was a little held up trying to fight off Talia. She was strong, I'll give her that" He explained. 

"I saw mom burn holding you in her arms"

"That's what you think you saw. You're mother was holding someone she was holding Talia. I went to get her out but he begged me to get your and your brother out first."

"I saw Stephen burn too"

"Then you jumped out the window. I got to him before he burnt to death. By the time I got to your mother she was alive...barely. I got your mother and brother and by the time I went to find you the police and ambulance's were already there." He explained. 

"So why disappear and let me believe everyone died?"

"Your mother and Stephen had to heal, I kept my eye on you made sure you were safe. I knew you'd turn into a werewolf eventually and when you did it was time to act" 

"You've killed innocent people, you still are. What's your plan?"

I almost flinch at the sound of his laugh "No no Haley, I don't trust you enough yet. Once you prove yourself to me then I may tell you" 

"And Stephen? Where is he?" I ask.

"Turn around" He said. 

So I do. My hand flies to my mouth as I stand. There is is alive and looking at me. There's something different about him that I can't quite put my finger on but it's him. 

It's my brother.