Twin Image: Family, Before Anything

65

-A week later-

~November 6th, Sunday~

~Natalie's POV~

I wake up to the sound of my phone ringing. And I immediately recognize the ringtone I set for him. I grab my phone off the nightstand, feeling Tobias stir beside me. And regardless of how we left things off, I answer the call, thinking of my son. "What's wrong?" Is the first thing I ask, assuming I'd be the last person he'd call right now.

Tobias sees I'm on the phone, and asks me who it is. "Damon." I answer, "Natalie, I-I uh, I don't know how to tell you this but uh," The vampire says shakily, and at this point, I was wide awake, "I put our five-year-old to bed earlier, and now," He says, "A teenaged spit-image of me just walked into my main room." I hear, and I shoot straight up out of my bed. "What?!" Bursts out of me, and I feel tears already welling in my eyes. Not again. "He's freaking out Nat. You need to get here now." He says, and I'm already out of bed.

"I'm on my way. Tell him I'm coming." I say, before hanging up. "What happened?" My husband asks me, "Jaden just grew like a fucking weed in his sleep, he's freaking out that he did, and now Damon doesn't know what to do. I need to be there like, now." I explain, whilst getting dressed as fast as physically possible. I slip on my shoes, grab my jacket, and kiss my husband. "I'll be back." I tell him, before slipping out our personal balcony, and taking off like a jet.

***

I burst through the main doors, looking around frantically. And when I spot him, my heart drops. Six foot, Jet black curls, pale skin, freckles, and those big blue eyes. Just . . . a-all grown up. H-He's . . . at least s-seventeen.

"O-Oh my-," I mutter, hands clasping over my mouth. I notice his eyes stopped flickering once he realized it was me, and I meet my baby half way when I see he's already coming towards me. And I hug him like my life depended on it. "Oh my babyboy." I coo, feeling him start to cry. And I cry myself.

Mourning the loss of my son's childhood. Again. And the sheer emotional weight that must be on my boy's mind. This is literally a five-year-old, in a teenager's body! We've told him about this countless times but, this is too much for him to handle.

And just then, I feel the underground structure shake. And for once, it's not because of me. I hold my boy tighter, and I hum near his ear. My mother's lullaby. And soon, he starts to calm.

"You're okay my love. Everything's okay." I tell him, pulling away to wipe his tears away. And my heart skips a beat when I realized they're normal tears. Meta-human tears. "I-Is this the age-up thingy you were t-talking about mama?" He asks, and my heart wrenches when he calls me mama. His voice resembles his father's.

I nod, "Yes baby, it is. But don't you worry, you're gonna be just fine. I know it's scary but, mama's gonna be right here for you." I tell him, cupping his cheek. "You're not gonna leave?" He asks, and I shake my head. "Not until you're ready. You may be all grown up out here but," I say, running my fingers through his luscious hair, "You're still my little baby in here." I tell him, tapping his temple. I add, kissing his cheek and hugging him once again. And he holds me for dear life.

"I don't wanna be ready." He pouts, and I shed a tear, hating this. I spot a mirror, and I get an idea. "Come here." I tell him, pulling him over. And I stand him right in front of it. And I push his chin towards the mirror, getting him to look at himself.

And just like that, I spot the corners of his mouth turn up a bit. He idolizes the man he looks just like so, what better way to distract him than to show him his likeness. He looks at me with wide eyes, before double taking back to the mirror, making his father and I laugh. "I look like . . . " He trails off, getting lost in admiring himself, and I find myself admiring as well. He's so handsome.