Guardians of the Watchtower: North

Chapter 28

Ivy waited, while her mother finished talking with the Covens, in her room to share the good news about passing 12th grade and being named Class Valedictorian. Both Shanon and John practically jumped up and down with joy at the news, and before Ivy could even ask for help with her speech, Shanon was already on the phone calling catering companies and making a head count for the graduation bash she was planning for Ivy.
"Mom, what are you doing?"
"Just planning a party for after graduation!"
"No! I don't want a party mom. We don't have time for it! We have to start planning to go to South America, to look for the Fire Coven."
"it's just a small party."
"No mom, you get the graduation and me walking across the stage, then we are leaving for the airport!"
" Hold on, you maybe eighteen now, but you're still my child and you can't just run off to some country with no warning and expect me to just smile and wave and tell you to have fun when your life is at risk too, it doesn't work like that Hedera!"
"You can't stop me from going, mother!"
"I wasn't going to stop you, but you will show me some respect young lady, and I will be going with you!"
"MOM! I don't need you to hold my hand, I can do this on my own, this is why I am the Guardian,!"
"I understand that, but I don't know if you have forgotten or if you just don't care, but a few weeks ago I was holding your lifeless body in my arms begging you to stay with me! I will not lose you again for any reason even if it means I get hurt in the process!"
"Mom I..."
"Mom nothing, Hedera, I have allowed you to do as you pleased since we moved because I wanted you to be happy. As I said...I'm not going to stop you, but I am going with you!We will leave on the red-eye Monday night for New York then from JFK International to South America!"
"Fine...but I..." Ivy began to protest but Shanon cut her off mid sentence.
"And I'm still throwing you a small graduation party because you only graduate once from high school, and while we entertain guests the maids will pack our things. I'll call the travel agent and book the flights, transportation, and a guide after I get off the phone with the caterers!"
"Fine, but I'm not dressing all fancy like I did for my birthday!" Ivy sat on the couch pouting almost because this wasn't what she wanted to happen. She had wanted to leave right after graduation so they could start looking for Kateri.
"Fine wear a t-shirt and some baggy jeans for all I care, but you will smile and be nice and at least pretend that you're having a good time, and as soon as it's over we will leave for the airport, I promise!"
"You swear?" Ivy held up her pinky, Shanon smiled, leaned over the arm of the couch, let herself fall into the seat next to Ivy and put up her pinky.
"I pinky swear!"
Ivy wrapped her pinky around her moms, they both came close to kiss their own hand and put them together. That was their super strong, pinky promise. Ivy smiled, knowing her mom wouldn't break it.
Shanon smiled her big smile. The one where you can see it reach her eyes and see her heart shines through as she got up and made her way back to the door. John was about to trail after her, but Ivy called out to him.
"I kinda need your help, I gotta put together a speech for the graduation ceremony, and I don't know what to write!"
"Write what you feel, let your heart guide you, Ivy, I know you will come up with something epic!"
Ivy laughed at the facial gesture he made as he said the word epic.
"Thanks, John, I'll have dinner up here, in my room tonight, so that I can get this done over the weekend."
"As you wish my dear!"
Over the next two days, Ivy spent night and day researching the Amazon Forest and what to expect as far as the weather changes compare to the states and what she should bring. Making sure she had enough bug repellent was going to be the least of her worries, with over seventy thousand types of insects crawling all over every inch of the ground she would be traipsing through, trying to find Kateri. Her biggest fear was the two hundred and thirty different kinds of snakes, most of which would eat, strangle or poison her resulting in a very unpleasant, untimely death. However, not all the creatures in the Amazon are scary. Ivy hoped they would see some of the thousands of species of beautiful birds or the spider monkeys that make their homes in that hot, humid, earthy heaven. Ivy's eyes grew heavier as the hours passed as she finished the final copy of her speech and rewrote it onto flash cards so she could easily access it. Laying her head down on the tabletop, forgetting the hour, she slipped away into her dreams.
Coming through the doorway, with dinner for two, Sylar smiled to himself as he looked over to see Ivy, sleeping at the table. He walked over and gently brushed away the hair that had fallen onto her face. Very slowly he leaned down and gently picked her up from the chair she was barely in, he cradled her to his chest and carried her into her bedroom. As he went to lay her in bed, Ivy wrapped her delicate arms around his neck, making it hard for him to let her go. So he crawled in with her instead holding her tightly to his body, while he pulled the covers up over her shoulder and kicked his shoes off onto the floor.
He laid there with her in his arms for a while, just looking at her peaceful face, following the lines that made her mouth, half almond shape that made the crescents of her closed eyes, and how her soft lashes looked like black lace gently laying across her cheekbones. She was perfect to him, she had a heart big enough to fill the room and then some, on top of being brave , selfless, unbelievably beautiful, and she was his.. As he fell asleep, cradling someone so precious, his thoughts wondered, how did he get so lucky as to find someone like her.
Ivy opened her eyes to see Sylar inches from her face, which caught her off guard but made her smile. He smelled of the lingering cologne and shampoo with a splash of earth added, the scent made her bite her lip as she snuggled into the hollow of his arms, his heart beat the soundtrack to the rise and fall of his chest with each breath. staying here in his arms was where she wanted to be, this must be what heaven is like, she thought to herself. Sure enough, as the thought came, the knock at the door made it run away as she shot straight up.
"Sylar, get up someone's at the door!" her hushed desperate whispers were clear as day as she began to shake him. His eyes shot open, Sylar's eyes were shades of blue she hadn't seen yet and Ivy bit her lip. The knock came again, and they both rushed to hop out of bed, frantic to figure out what to do. If John caught them sleeping in the same room, much less the same bed, heads would roll. Ivy motioned to the window as she touched the ivy that grew up next to the house and it began to form a way for him to climb down. The knock was more forceful this time, Ivy ran to the other side of the room and yelled,
"I'm coming give me a minute!",before running back to Sylar, who was already halfway out the window.
Ivy smiled a younger version of Shanon's, that made the heart skip a beat, before leaning into Sylar and kissing him passionately. She bit his lip causing his breath to catch and he lost his grip on the vine a little. The kiss cut short because he slipped, making Ivy laugh as she ran from the window to the door.
"Good morning Ivy!" John's looked at her suspiciously before stepping into her room. A bit looking around, over her head, before turning around and walking back to the dining table in the sitting room. Ivy giggled as she trailed behind him, starving for breakfast that was sitting on the table waiting for her. She was on it like white on rice, fork fulls followed by gulps of orange juice.
"Slow down there, hot rod! You're gonna choke if you don't!"
Ivy's reply, around a mouth full of waffles, was lost in translation.
"Okay then, well you mother needs you to approve some things for the party along with some of the stuff we'll need for the trip like tents,cots, food, etc."
Ivy swallow down her mouthful with some more orange juice
"Just tell my mom yes to everything, I have plans to spend the day with Sylar, walking around the lake and talking about the trip and stuff!"
"Uh, that's a negative there ghost rider, you have to stay within the barriers of the house, so we know you'll be safe until we leave the country."
"I'll have Samuel and Michael to protect us. I won't be alone!"
"that's not enough, if your going past the maze, you'll need to at least four more men on your detail!"
"Fine, but you get to deal with the party animal, while I get one last day of being a teenager before I have to finish everything and act like the Guardian...deal?"
"Deal, go have fun kiddo...be back by sundown please, so we can get things ready for the ceremony tomorrow!"
"deal!"
And with that Ivy smiled, grabbed one more fork full of waffles, and ran back to her room to get ready to see Sylar.
Sylar looked up smiling as soon as he heard her voice coming from the exit of the maze. He stood, basket in hand and his smile really shone, when he saw her face. Her eyes were only on him.
"So I thought we could have a light picnic, by the lake. My mom made it for us!"
"That sounds amazing, Sylar!" she leaned forward, locked arm with him and they began walking down the trail, towards the lake. all six of the bodyguards moving like her shadow around them. After walking for a while, they found the perfect spot, where the grass hung over the edge of the lake a bit, Sylar pulled the blanket from the basket and laid it out on the ground for Ivy. He sat down next to her and began unpacking the rest of its content. It was adorable watching him pull out the plates of fruits and finger sandwiches. Popping the top to the sparkling cider, he poured Ivy a glass first before himself, but instead of taking a drink he sat his glass down and reached back into the basket and pulled out a handful of quartz crystals.
"What's are those for?"
"Mom knew John wouldn't be okay with you outside of the house without him. he sent Stones of Protection, to put around, as an extra protection.I'm sure she didn't know John would send your own Secret Service people,to watch our picnic, but there is no such thing as too much protection, to keep you safe!" Sylar cast a circle, around both of them, placing each stone at the points of the star. With the last stone set in place, they began to emanate a soft, white glow. Instinctively Ivy reached out and passed her hand over the circle slowly, It shimmered at her touch, spreading like water over rocks in a stream and flowing together again as she withdrew her hand.
"It won't affect you. It keeps bad things from coming in!"
"Neat!" Ivy smiled at Sylar who came to her side, hoping to finish the kiss from this morning. Giggling, she pulled him down to her side and did just that.
The light in the to the Eastern sky darkened as the sun began to set in the West, The day was one of the most amazing days of her life. Being able to be normal, well kinda normal, for just one day was all she needed. To spend time with Sylar just lying in the sun by his side, or throwing grapes into his mouth from across the blanket or laughing so hard when he ran with her on his back that she snorted, helped the love she had for him grow deeper. For the first time since she came here she felt like she belonged, not just here but with Sylar.
Walking to the back door of the house she turned and kissed him as he said goodnight, she smiled sweetly telling him the same before turning to head inside. Shutting the door slowly behind her she watched him walk into the maze, thinking to herself,how did I get so lucky?
John was waiting for Ivy in her sitting room with a sundress and sandals.
"It's perfect!"
"I'll need your necklace and ring, to clean and get ready for you for tomorrow!"
"Okay."
Ivy lifted her hair and John undid the clasp, then she took off the ring and handed it to him. She smiled sweetly and almost danced to her room. John couldn't help but smile as she fluttered by.
"Get some sleep! The hair and makeup girls will be here bright and early, to help you get ready for the ceremony!"
"Okay, John!" and with that, she slipped into her room, the only sound he could hear was her humming before the sound of rushing water drown out all sound and John turned and left the suite.
Ivy turned on the water, letting the steam, against the cold marble, fill the bathroom. She hopped around, trying to pull her socks off before she hopped in and let the water wash away her day, while she daydreamed. Ivy used the towel that was folded up on the back of the toilet to towel dry her hair a bit so it would stop dripping onto the floor and tossed it to the spot with her clothes. Pulling her hair over her shoulder, she knew it was probably pointless to pull it up into a bun, the people her mom hired to help her get ready would take it back down in the morning. Walking back into her room she set her alarm quickly and snuggled into the blankets.
Walking out of her bedroom, the next morning and into the sitting room, there were people unpacking bags of makeup and hair products,setting up mirrors and brushes like they did when she was getting ready for her birthday. The makeup artist had Ivy take a seat, and they began. This time her makeup was very simple and clean. Clean Spring colors and clean lines, made Ivy's already innocent face look younger, with a splash of sparkles. Her hair was just as simple, they curled it and pinned them up with little diamond pins placing them randomly all over, like stars. The last touches were finally complete, a knock sounded at the door causing a small commotion. One of the maids, still waiting in the room, went to answer it and came back to Ivy's side,
"John says, when you're ready, the car is waiting for you, ma'am!"
Ivy smiled, as she ran back to her room and slipped into the sundress and grabbed her sandals. It wasn't the smartest idea to walk and try to put sandals on, but Samuel caught her mid-fall. He held up, as one of the maids ran over and put the other sandal Ivy's foot, tying it snugly around her ankle, like a ballet shoe.
Ivy quickly grabbed her handbag that was sitting on the side table of the couch and made her way out the door to the car. Sylar's smiling face was waiting for her on the other side of the door as she slipped in and the car left, followed by a few black cars on their way to Lynn Prep.
The graduation ceremony was being held on the East lawn which was off limits to students because years before some seniors had used the area to play paintball tag and ruined half of the statues and shrubbery. Ivy got out of the car, Sylar wrapped his arm around hers, they went to the coordinator for their gowns and Ivy's gold sash before filing into the rows of students waiting for the ceremony to begin. Looking around it was breathtaking the school had really gone all out and dressed up the area beautifully, white sash pinned up with bunches of flowers and the chairs were covered with sashes too. If Ivy hadn't known it was a graduation ceremony she would have guessed it was someone's wedding. Parents filed in and took their seats, the rows for the students began filling up, the Provost motioned for Ivy to come and join him on the stage. Ivy leaned over and kissed Sylar's cheek as she got up from her chair and Samuel and Michael came up behind her she quickly turned,
"I'm going to the stage, not leaving!"
And they both faced out onto either side of the stage, the students looked at her with odd expressions and begin whispering. She rolled her eyes as she walked to the side of the stage and climbed the stairs them to join the provost who promptly began the ceremony. Ivy thought the list of names would go on forever as they began passing out the diplomas and families were cheering and whistling while their child walked across the stage, but as the box emptied the provost went to the podium yet again and called Ivy up.
"In my many years of being a teacher then becoming the dean of this fine school, I'm rarely ever surprised by students, at least that was the case until Miss. Hedera Fomalhaut walked into our establishment, three-fourths of the way through our senior class year. I was sure she wouldn't be able to catch up, much less keep up with the level of education that we offer here, as her previous school was a public school, but even I was wrong, I am proud to present class of two thousand seventeen Valedictorian, Miss. Hedera Fomalhaut!"
The crowd went nuts, and even the guards cheered when Ivy stood up, shook the provost's hand and received her diploma, Ivy moved her tassel to the other side as she took the provost's place at the podium and pulled her flashcards from her handbag.
"I know being the one standing here wasn't what I expected when I came here either, but here I am. I was struggling to think of something amazing and profound to say up here, especially because I'm not very good at public speaking. And that when it dawned on me, we have so many expectations for our lives now that we're adults and finishing a chapter in our lives that we forgot the most important thing of all, to be kind to others and not fear change but embrace it. Because we control what happens from here now, we need to make mistakes to learn from them, fall in love and hard, jump in a car and drive till the gas runs out and end up where we end up. Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Well, I'm making a change in mine, and it's up to you to do the same. So, class of two thousand and seventeen congratulations, and I hope I see the changes you make in the world!"
The crowd broke into cheers as the kids stood up and tossed their caps high into the skies and began running to take pictures with their friends and families.
Sylar was at the side of the stage, waiting for Ivy to come down before posing for Shanon's picture taking and then making their way back to the waiting cars to go back to the manor.