Regrets (Complete)

Chapter Two

"Rei?"

She quickly rushed to her mother's side, kneeling on the floor by her bed.

"I'm here, mom. Shhh, it's okay."

She carefully brushed back her damp hair, bringing a small cup of water to her lips. She had to help lift her head as she drank, noticing that she had appeared to be getting weaker. She had gotten so much worse in the last week and the healers had quietly told her that there wasn't anything else they do to help her. Rei had known for a while that this sickness was going to take her mother from her but she still hadn't been able to face the reality of it just yet.

"Rei. I need to tell you something."

She tried to sit up and Rei gently helped prop her up the best she could. Her eyes weren't completely focused and whatever it was she wanted to tell her seemed to be stressing her out.

"I didn't know, I swear I didn't know. You have to believe me. It was just so much money. But then I saw you and...."

Rei's brow furrowed as she dabbed at her mother's forehead with a cool cloth.

"So many times... I was going to tell her... but the chief of police is.... You were so beautiful. My beautiful ray of sunshine..."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

Her mother's eyes seemed to clear for just a moment as she stared into Rei's. She reached for her, cupping her face in her hands, tears welling in her deep brown eyes.

"I-i... I took you. Stole you. From the hospital. I'm so sorry... I just wanted to be a mother. I hope I was a good mother."

"The best."

Rei blinked rapidly as her eyes welled with tears. She brought her hands up to her mother's gripping them tightly as she gently ran her thumb over her bony knuckles.

"I love you.."

Her mother smiled, a look of peace crossing her face before her hands fell away and her eyes closed.

"Mom?"

Tears fell freely as Rei carefully folded her mother's hands across her chest and kissed her on the forehead. She wiped her eyes as she stood, backing away from the bed slowly as the words started to sink in.

She had been kidnapped.

_______

Rei jerked awake as the memory faded away and she slowly opened her eyes. Her head was pounding and it took her a minute to remember what had happened. She had gone to the police station. A very nice detective had spoken with her but she had gotten the feeling they weren't going to be much help. She had been a little frustrated and grabbed some food before heading home.

She bolted upright as the memories came back. She had just entered her apartment when someone had grabbed her. She had tried to fight back but they had injected with something that had made her world go dark.

Now she appeared to be in some sort of dark cell. A wooden cell. Which meant they knew she was an earthbender. But why had they taken her? She had no money, no family to be ransomed for.

And this wasn't her first time being kidnapped.

The woman she had always thought was her mother had actually stolen her from her real parents. And she had no clue who those parents might be. She was still struggling with the whole situation. Her mother wasn't a bad person. Her guilt had apparently never gone away and she had even thought about turning herself in to the police more than once. Rei only wished she had had more time with her to better understand what had happened.

The door to her cell clicked and she was immediately on alert, frantically looking around for something she could use as a weapon. There was nothing and she backed away as a man entered.

"What do you want with me? Why am I here?"

The man motioned to someone behind him and two chair were brought in. He sat in one and motioned for Rei to sit in the other. Unable to think of an alternative move at the moment she decided to play along and sat down.

"We're friends of your mother's, Rei."

"I've never seen you before."

"No, not your adopted mother. Your real mother."

Rei shifted uncertainly in the chair, cursing herself for how desperate she was for more information.

"You know who she is?"

"I do. Or rather I did."

Her heart sank. Past tense. That meant she was...

"Rei, both your parents are dead."

She closed her eyes, sinking back into the chair. She should have known she wasn't destined for a happy ending. No tear filled reunions or grand revelations.

"They were murdered."

Her eyes snapped to his in surprise.

"What?"

"Your parents were murdered. By Avatar Aang and it was covered up by his friends and family."