The Start Of Something New.

39.

A few weeks had went by and my stomach became more revealing.
It was no longer something I could hide under Carter's t-shirts or Joshua's jackets.
The only reason I used Joshua's jackets, was because Carter's were too snug and I couldn't breathe.
Another thing that became shocking with my growing pregnancy.
Was the fact.
Jace started becoming more and more protective when he was around.
He constantly watched the others when they were around me.
And if someone was too close, he'd growl or shove them back.
Which lead to a heated argument.

But today was my first day back home.
I had to tell my mom the news.
Well, more like show her?
Of course with how big I've became, I'm sure she's going to have questions.
And with Irina and Luther's approval.
We're going to tell her everything.
So she can have a better understanding.
Which she may not take seriously.
But we'll see where it goes.

"Is it too tight?" Carter questioned in Stella's bedroom.
She had offered a pair of her sweats, since most of my clothes were still back at my moms.
Stella sat on the bed with Sage at her side, the two watching us.
That also reminded me.
Sage's transitioning was fixing to come, so we were bracing ourselves for her to be locked up.
But based on how more mature she was when it came to her first feeding.
Luther doesn't think she'll be in the cell as long as Monty was.

I tried to breathe through the sweats as I pulled at them.
"Kind of." I confessed.
The bedroom door opened and in walked Jace.
Holding a pair of his sweats as his eyes fell on Carter.
"Hey dumb ass, wouldn't you of thought about giving her a pair of your sweats, instead of pestering Stella about it?" He questioned making sure I took his offered sweats.
Which I did.

Carter made a face.
"She wanted a girl pair." He argued.
Stella rolled her eyes.
"She's pregnant and a female Carter, she'll argue about her style even with a baby inside of her." She grinned at my stomach as I smiled softly.
Jace rolled his eyes.
"Exactly, so get changed and we'll head to that house of yours." He said walking out.

I pulled Stella's sweat pants off before pulling Jace's on.
"Are you sure about this Lexi? Won't your mom be upset?" Sage asked me.
I looked at her.
"I'm not going to have Carters child and live in separate houses, my mom will just have to learn how to deal with it. Even if it means, compulsion." I looked at the other two.

Sage frowned softly.
"I mean I support your choices Lex, always. I'm just making sure its what you want." She said now.
I pulled Joshua's jacket on as I looked at her.
"It is what I want, even if I have four years with Cloven and Carter, plus the rest of everyone here. I'd rather just live here, so I won't stress about bringing our son here every day." I said grabbing my slip on shoes.

She nodded as Carter offered his hand to me.
"We shouldn't be too long, it'll be a small chat that will possibly as you said lead to compulsion. Then you packing the rest of your belongings." He said taking my hand.
I nodded looking to Sage and Stella.
"We'll be back shortly." I told them.
Stella nodded and Sage seemed to hesitate but nodded.
----
"I was wondering if we were still going." Joshua said at the door, his arms crossed with the keys in his hand.
I smiled softly.
"Are Monty and Jace still coming?" I asked him.
Joshua arched a brow.
"They are and they're both fucking stupid." He raised the keys before smirking.
"I may have told them the keys were in the truck." He said.

Carter smirked as I shook my head.
"Jace is going to kill you, you know that right?" I asked him.
Joshua grinned.
"I'd like to see the chihuahua try." He said walking us out.

"You fucking bastard! You have the god damn keys in your hand!" Jace yelled at the truck.
I laughed as Joshua shrugged walking up.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He threw the keys over the truck which Monty caught.
"Your mates had them this entire time." He said with a wink before kissing the others cheek who shoved him.
"Fuck off." Jace growled crawling in the front.

I sat near the door, sending my mom a quick text that we were on our way.
I felt nervous not to mention stressed.
What if she gets so angry she calls the police?
What if everyone starts yelling at each other?
I wasn't sure if this was going to be good for my health, either.

But soon enough, that house I grew up in came into view.
I squeezed Carter's hand who looked to me.
"Things will be fine." He reassured me.
And I wish I could believe things would be.
But with my stomach popping out looking like I was already seven months pregnant?
She was going to scream.

According to Ebony, this was the babies growth so far which meant the baby could possibly be here in late December or mid January.
Even though I got pregnant in November.
Here I was.
Fixing to have a baby, the time balance didn't even meet like it would with a human couple.
But again, Ebony explained it was because the baby was a vampire and they grow rapidly fast.
Even though he was destroying my body from the inside out.
All of this was perfectly normal.

The other thing that would send anyone into immediate panic.
Was the sight of me.
I was skin and bone, my face had sank in and the bags under my eyes were terrible.
I was also losing some of my hair from Cloven draining me with everything I eat or drink.
I was also weighing at eighty-eight pounds.
Which was very dangerous for someone my age.
So it was possible.
I could die during the delivery.

And even though its lead to constant arguing.
Carter is prepared for the absolute worst.
Which everyone is hoping.
Everything goes fine.
----
Carter helped me to the door as Monty went over and pulled the door open.
My mom knew I was coming home.
So the door opening without someone knocking, would let her know.
It was me.

It was quiet inside of the house.
And I was feeling massive deja vue.
I gripped Carter's forearm this time.
The only sound I could hear, was the clock ticking on the wall.
"What's that smell?" I questioned walking further into the room.

"Carter, no!" I heard Joshua yell.
I couldn't even think before a pair of hands were covering my eyes.
"What is it?!" I demanded digging at whoever's hands were on my face.

I managed to step away from the other, that turned out to be Monty who's brows were knitted at the sight.
There was blood scattered against the walls, the couch.
TV, the carpet.
Everywhere.
I covered my nose to keep from inhaling the thickening smell.

Joshua walked into the room, wiping some blood off the wall as he dared himself to smell it.
His eyes turned black.
"Get her out of here." He ordered.
Carter frowned at him.
"Who's blood is that?" He asked.
"Just get her out of here, Carter!" Joshua yelled at him.

I flinched as Carter took my hand and lead me out of the house.
My heart was pounding and I felt everything I had managed to eat, come up as I left my boyfriends side and ran over to the trash can outside, vomiting inside of it.
I looked inside and jumped back with a scream of pure fear.

"What is it!?" Carter ran to my side looking into the trash can.
He pulled out a white shirt that looked like it was caked in blood.
Tears burned my eyes.
"T-That's Noah's shirt, Carter." I told him.
He frowned deeply.
"Stay here, Monty!" He yelled for the other to come outside.

Monty was at my side as he looked at Carter.
"Stay here with Lexi, I need to talk to Jace and Joshua." He said and before the other could say anything, he was going inside of the house.
Leaving the two of us behind.
----
"I'm looking for the bodies." Joshua said as Carter walked into Lexi's moms bedroom.
Carter's brows knitted.
"Don't tell me-"
"A slaughter happened." Joshua looked at him, his eyes black as he looked at the two.
Jace glared at him.
"You're telling me, even with our defenses up. A vampire managed to break in here, and kill four people?" He asked him.

Joshua glared now.
"That's exactly what I'm telling you, Lexi can't come in here. Just like she can't know her entire family got fucking slaughtered." He hissed bitterly.
Carter looked to Jace who was fuming.
"We don't know for certain this blood belongs to her mom and siblings, Josh." He growled.
"It's human blood!" Joshua yelled at him.
"It could of been anyone's blood, Joshua! For all we know, that family is locked up somewhere. Just like that bastard and whore are, its an eye for an eye!" Jace yelled at him.

Joshua stormed up to him as Carter stepped between the two.
Joshua's eyes fell on Carter who looked at him.
"Jace is right, unless there's a body here. We can't claim that her family is dead, Joshua. I know the smell is overwhelming and its dead obvious that they splattered human blood everywhere, but just like in the movies and in the books. Its a war sign, that until we give them Deidre and Abel back. They won't hand over Lexi's family." He said.

Joshua glared at them both before sighing.
"What do we do then?" He asked them.
Carter moved away from the two now.
"I suggest coming back later with extra hands on us, we'll search the house top and bottom and-"
"This house has a basement?" Jace asked him now.
Carter looked at him but nodded.
"Yeah, her dad kept it locked up though. Why?" He asked.

Jace's eyes fell on Joshua who nodded as they walked out of the room.
"Show us the door to the basement." Joshua told him.
Carter frowned but followed after the duo.

"It's here." He pointed at the door and without warning.
Joshua kicked the door down.
"What the actual fuck?" Carter hissed.
Joshua looked at him.
"I wanted to try it out," he looked to Jace.
"Looked cool on the movies." He stated.

Jace rolled his eyes.
"You're a god damn idiot." He spat storming downstairs.
Carter followed after as Joshua frowned but followed them.

"Oh fuck." Jace hissed covering his nose as he glared at the sight.
Flies buzzed around as Carter's stomach sank.
Joshua frowned.
"Still want that search party?" He asked walking over to the bodies.

"Feel for a pulse, there might be a chance." Carter managed to say as he covered his nose.
Jace knelt down beside Jovi's body, pressing his fingers to her neck then wrist.
He looked at her for the longest time.
"She's gone, what about the mom?" He asked.
Joshua knelt down beside the mom, doing the same as he exhaled sharply.
"They weren't even bit into, the son's of bitches just killed them to kill them." He growled lowly.

"What about that blood upstairs?" Jace hissed.
"Its just a random humans blood, as you suggested earlier. They wanted the smell to throw us off, this would of lead to a fucking trap." Joshua growled.

"What about the boys?" Carter asked walking over to Paul's body.
His brows furrowed as he knelt down, feeling for a pulse but frowned deeply.
"Fuck.." He hissed.

"Wait." Joshua remained knelt by Noah's body, his hand on the others neck as he listened.
"This one's still alive, but barely." He stated.
Jace didn't even think, he bit into his wrist before shoving it to Noah's mouth.
"What are you fucking doing?" Joshua hissed at him.
Jace glared.
"She can't lose her entire family, Joshua. That shit will kill her." He said angry.

Jace frowned as Noah bit more into his wrist, drinking the blood.
Carter frowned deeply at this.
"Lexi said a Beatrix Olsen and a Adrian Malone had visited once, its possible this was their doing." He said now.

Jace lifted Noah up as he frowned deeply.
"They brought others with them, I need someone to burn the bodies. Actually, the entire house should be set on fire. Grab what you can of Lexi's and this kids, then meet me outside." He said heading upstairs.

Carter stood there, his brows knitted.
"She's going to go nuts, fuck. Fuck, FUCK!" He yelled.
"Hey!" Joshua caught him by the shoulders, glaring.
"Do not freak out right now Carter, this kind of thing? She needs you to be functional, this was her family she lost. Not yours." He growled.
Carter stared at him.
"We have to get their things." He said.
Joshua nodded.
"We'll come back later to set the house on fire, if the cops see this. They'll either suspect a killer, or they'll really start to think back to 1884." He told the other.
Carter nodded.
----
I bit my thumb before my heart came to a stop as Jace walked out with Noah.
"Noah!?" I ran up to them, hissing in pain but the fear consumed me more than the pain did.

"Why is there blood on his mouth?" I asked Jace.
He frowned deeply.
"Lexi. Your mother, sister and older brother are all gone." He told me.
I ignored him.
My eyes remained locked on Noah who was so still and pale.
His neck bruised but his chest was barely rising.
"Lexi?" I heard a voice but I ignored it.

"Lexi! Come find us!"  Seven and eight year old Jovi and Noah remained hidden behind the trees in their yard.
Playing hide in seek with Lexi, while Paul supervised.

"I'm coming, but you two better be hid well or I'm quitting!" Lexi announced.
"Aw no, please don't quit." She heard Jovi cry but giggled hearing Noah hissing at her to keep quiet.
Lexi smiled softly as he looked around the yard, her parents were standing at the slide door watching the three of them.
Michelle leaning into Allen who smiled watching the three.

She looked behind the bush with an arched brow.
"Hmm.." She jumped behind the tree, earning a surprised Jovi to stumble back with a laugh.
"Oh no!" She laughed locking hands with Lexi who pushed her into the bush.
"You're it!" She grinned.
Jovi laughed as Noah stepped out with a sigh.
"I told you, you're too noisy Jovi." He stated.

Jovi grinned, sticking her tongue out at the other.

"Kids! Time to eat!" Their mother yelled now.
Noah pushed his two sisters.
"Race ya!" He called running from them.
"No fair, Noah!" Jovi cried.
"That's cheating!" Lexi laughed but ran after him, her hand locked with Jovi's all three of them laughing.

I stood there, staring at Noah's body.
I couldn't scream.
No sounds would escape me.
I just saw Monty and Jace's lips moving.
Tears wouldn't even fall.

I snapped back to my senses when I felt Carters hands on both sides of my face.
His eyes locked with mine.
"Come back Lexi, come back." He told me.
And when I did.
All I could do was scream.

"Fuck!" Jace hissed as Joshua ran up to us.
"Sleep, Lexi." He instructed, and just like that.
My body gave in and sleep took over.
----
**Sage's Pov.**

"Something doesn't feel right." I said softly in the dinning hall.
Stella sat across from me, her fingers raced.
"It can't be pregnancy because even though male vampires can reproduce, the females can not if they have a female partner." She stated.
I blinked but made a face.
"No, not that kind of something. I mean with Lexi, the truck pulled up ten minutes ago and no ones came inside yet." I said now.

Stella blinked but then stood up.
"Shall we go see what the hold ups about then?" She offered.
I got to my feet and followed the other out of the dinning room.
As if on cue the front door busted open and in ran the guys.

Carter was holding Lexi and Jace was carrying Noah.
Wait.

"Noah!?" I ran up to them as Carter completely avoided me as he ran upstairs, carrying Lexi.
"What happened?!" I demanded as my eyes fell on the fourteen year old.
Jace glared at me as Stella looked at them.
"Seriously need answers guys, why does this child have vampire blood flowing through his veins?" She asked.
"Vampire?" I looked at Jace, Monty and Joshua.

Joshua frowned.
"I need to tell Irina and Luther, excuse me." He said running past us.
I looked back to Monty who looked like he was in a state of shock from everything.

"What the hell happened? Did her mom threaten to call the police or some shit?" I asked.
Monty's eyes fell on me then on Noah.
I watched the tears appear in his eyes as my brows knitted.
"Monty?" I questioned now concerned.

"They're dead." I heard Jace state and even though I was no longer alive, my blood still ran cold as I stood there, wide eyes with tears now forming and falling.
"W-What?" I choked back a sob.
Jace frowned deeply.
"It was a slaughter invasion, the mom, sister and older brother are all dead. They weren't bit into or anything, they were just killed.. we don't know where the blood came from.. but it was splattered everywhere.." His eyes wouldn't leave Noah's body.

"This kid is going to be so confused and scared when he wakes up." He said now.
I felt like I was going to be sick.
The tears kept falling.
"Her entire family except for Noah is dead?" I asked them.
Monty looked away as he glared harshly at the ground.
"Yeah, they killed them because we have Deidre and Abel." He said bitterly.

"This is going to kill Lexi when she wakes up, why was she asleep?" I asked them.
"Joshua used his sleeping ability, he makes those around him sleep at his command. She was screaming and there was nothing we could do for her to stop." Jace said.
I frowned deeply.
"So is Noah going to become a vampire now?" I questioned.
Jace glanced to me.
"That's the plan yeah, it was the only way to keep him alive. If we had came later like planned, he would of been dead as well." He said as he headed for the stairs.

Monty watched him.
"Are you bringing him to Irina and Luther?" He asked.
Jace frowned.
"I'd give you a sarcastic answer baby, but I'm tired. Real tired." He said heading upstairs.

My eyes fell on Monty who bit the inside of his mouth, before looking to me and Stella.
"What happened to us just being human teenagers? Why all of a sudden, does everyone we love have to die? I just don't understand." He said walking away from us now.

I looked to Stella who brought me into an embrace.
"I don't understand why.. they killed her family, Lexi didn't do anything wrong to deserve this.. why didn't they just kill someone else?" I looked at Stella with tearful eyes.
Stella frowned softly.
"I don't know love, I just know they have officially asked for death. As well as Deidre and Abel." She told me, pressing her lips to my forehead.
"The guardians will get it all worked out, but for now. I want you to remain by Lexi's side, not where you're always there. But so she knows." She told me.
I nodded frowning.
----
**Lexi's Pov.**

My head was pounding and the room was spinning.
Everything was aching and I couldn't seem to focus.

When the bedroom door opened and Carter walked in, I felt this lump appear in my throat as he leaned against the door, not coming close to me.
"How are you feeling, Lexi?" He asked me.
Tears burned my eyes.
"Where is he?" I asked as my voice broke.
Carter's brows knitted.
"He's in a spare bedroom, being monitored by Ebony and Devin." He told me, now coming closer to the bed.

The tears fell as my body trembled.
"Why?" I cried looking at him.
"Why my family?!" I screamed and immediately he got in the bed, bringing me into an embrace even though it hurt more than words could express.
He held me close as he rocked us.
"I don't know baby, I just don't know.. but they won't get away with this, I can promise that much." He told me, not letting go.

I cried against him, clinging onto his forearm as the tears burned falling.
My throat was raw from crying as well as my head that continued to pound.
I was always talking about not wanting to leave my mom behind.
But her and dad, plus Jovi and Paul all left me behind.
What did I do?

"What did I do wrong Carter?" I cried against him.
"You did nothing, Lexi."
"But my mom and siblings are dead because of me!" I screamed at him.
"That's not true, Noah is still alive and he needs you." Carter told me.

I wiped my eyes.
"Right.. of course he needs me, I'm all he has now.." I got out of the bed heading to the door, holding the knob as my entire body ached.
Mostly my heart.

I looked to Carter.
"I love you Carter, more than you know.." I bit my lip as his expression clouded with confusion.
I forced a weak smile.
"But, I wish I never met you.. because then, I'd still have everyone and no one would of died." I told him walking out of the bedroom.

Even though the words felt like ice coming out of my mouth.
He and I both know.
I'll never regret meeting him.
I was just too broken right now.
And he knew that.

I had to be harsh.
So I wouldn't break.
I couldn't afford to at this point.
I've lost too many people I loved.
Who were important to me.

And now Noah was going to be dragged down into this mess.
All because.
I wanted to be Carter's bio partner in Science.

Nice going Lexi.
You have officially fucked everything up.