You're Mine

chapter 96

"Ahhhh!", Owen and Amelia heard a loud scream and opened their eyes in horror. Both of them sat up straight while Leo continued to sleep in between them. Eleanor was standing at the door, trying to find out what was wrong with one of her kids.

"Layla!", the redhead realized and got up to check on his daughter because his wife was still in pain. "Layla, what's wrong?", he asked as he walked into her room to find out what had happened, but the girl wasn't even awake. She was tossing and turning in bed, tears streamed down her face. "Baby, it's okay, daddy's here.", he said, carefully trying to wake her.

"Daddy is dead.", the seven-year-old cried but let the trauma surgeon lift her into his arms and take her to the bedroom, where her mom was already reaching for her. "She killed them.", she sobbed.

"Who killed who?", Amelia wondered in confusion, feeling her daughter hold on to her for dear life, clinging to her by having her arms wrapped around her neck. "What did you dream, sweetheart?"

"It wasn't a dream.", the little girl informed them after a while when she had calmed down. Her father was sitting next to them on his wife's side of the bed, stroking Layla's back. "It was a memory.", she mumbled sadly. "Of how my other parents died."

"Do you want to talk about it, angel?", Owen softly questioned. He badly wanted to know what had happened in her past but pressuring his child into answering this just because he was so curious didn't seem fair.

"Uh-huh. But can this be our secret?", the young brunette begged and let her parents give her a pinky promise. "I was very small and playing with my plushies in the living room, when the doorbell rang. My other mama opened it and then there was a shot, just like when somebody tried to kill you. That's why I knew you had been shot back then. My daddy tried to get to me and to protect me, but our neighbor shot him in the head before she grabbed me and left the house with me in her arms. I was screaming and crying, hoping someone would notice that I was not her child. Thankfully, a man did and after making his family get into their car for protection, he came over to us and ripped me out of her arms, which caused another couple to hold her still and call the police. But my parents were dead. And then I went to social services...about a year later, they brought me to you, and I am very happy about that, but I am still sad sometimes. Nobody deserves to die such a painful death as my parents."

"Oh God, you're so so right, Layla.", her mother agreed and hugged her tightly. "I am sorry you had to go through this and see it repeated with me.", she sighed, feeling guilty somehow although she had not done anything wrong.

"It's not your fault, mama. The bad lady attacked you.", her daughter pointed out. "I think the memory came back because Harry Potter's parents were killed, too.", she figured and shrugged. "Will you protect me?", she asked her parents, who nodded.

---

Sunday, 23rd October:

Logan: 13; Layla: 7; Leo: 3; Twins: 1; Eleanor: 2

-

"Auntie Megan and Teddy wanna come over this afternoon with Uncle Nathan and Tom and their kids, of course. Are you up for a playdate?", Owen asked his children at breakfast. They excitedly nodded. "Are you alright, sweetheart?", he asked his daughter, whispering into her ear.

"Yes, daddy. Thank you for worrying.", the seven-year-old politely replied. And she truly did seem fine. "I'll let you know when I'm not.", she promised. "Is Killian coming too? Daddy has to meet him!"

"Nah, they will leave him home alone.", her mother sarcastically answered, and Logan started laughing upon seeing his sister's confused face. She didn't really understand irony yet. "Of course, he's coming too."

"He's Uncle Tom's son, right?", Leo wanted it clarified again. He had learned that babies were coming from the mommies, since the twins, Fiona and Daniel had been born. But he didn't really get how a nine-year-old boy had suddenly appeared because of his uncle.

"Yep.", his big brother responded. "He isn't Auntie Teddy's biological child. Like I am not daddy's. And his mother has decided to travel around the world without him, so she finally let him meet his dad and basically left him with Uncle Tom. But as you know, Teddy is his mother too."

"Okay. But I am mama's and dada's biological child. Right?", the three-year-old questioned. They hadn't had the talk yet and didn't expect him to ask that question. "Right, mommy?", he repeated, noticing how she was staring at his father for help.

"Yeah, you are.", Amelia lied, feeling bad the second she started talking. She was hoping he would forget the conversation. Owen, Logan, and Layla glanced at her but chose to role with it. "Why does Ella keep scratching her face?", she changed the topic but had actually wanted to ask this. "El, come in here!", she ordered, checking her dog's head.

"Woof!", the husky complained. She had had a potty break outside, and they were going to go for a walk after breakfast. "Woof!", she said again, not amused about having to be back inside.

"Woah, what did you do?", the brunette wanted to know, looking at a little wound below her left eye. "I think she ran into the bushes again and got herself a scratch. Do not touch your face!", she demanded. But of course, the dog didn't listen.

"Cone of shame!", Layla immediately found a solution, causing her mom to grab the cone out of one of their cupboards. "She hates that thing, though.", she added, noticing how Eleanor started pouting the second her head was put into the fabric cone, that was basically soft but hard enough that she would be able to scratch herself.

"I'm sorry, love.", the neurosurgeon told the dog, that was now laying down, still pouting. "But otherwise, you keep scratching your face and will hurt yourself even more. Maybe I can take it off you later, honey.", she offered, petting the husky before she went to wash her hands and continued eating breakfast.