4. Trent Phoebe{ManxMan}

•CHAPTER 13

I was surrounded by darkness again, floating in a void of nothing, my chest was in pain, looking at it as I moved without pause, there was bruising, as though I had been beaten up multiple times in the same spot.

The strings of light appeared before me again and I grabbed one without thinking, hoping to be grounded and also hoping this would send me home.

I was before a door that I grabbed, running before it could decide I wasn't allowed and I was alone. This time outside, it looked like a magical meadow, flowers of every kind around me, it smelled fresh and warm and I could smell him, my dad.

I wondered where I was this time, had I gone further back? Or slightly forward, I held my chest as a figure in the distance appeared. This time, I couldn't help the surprise. I didn't hold back as I fell to my knees at the sight of him.

His hair was half black and half white, his face gorgeous and his eyes, his eyes were so blue, so mischievous and sparkling with so much. He stood before me then and I sighed.

"Dad." I called him because I just knew, this time I could feel just how much he'd grown since when I saw him, my eyes burned and I wanted to cry but I also wanted to look strong in front of this man who I spent a few months with at the beginning of his life.

"What an amateur." He was smirking as he looked at me, his eyes turned silver and I gasped, feeling like the load on my chest was gone, the suffocating pain evaporating into nothing. I watched as the bruising faded and suddenly I wasn't so dizzy, didn't feel so weak.

"You're okay." I told him as I watched him tilt his head, sadness entered his eyes but he gave me a smile.

"Can I get a hug?" He held open his arms and I lurched forward, his scent was the same, stronger and mixed with my papa, I laughed then and shook my head, burying my nose in his neck.

"Oh, my little time traveler." He muttered and I didn't care what he meant, only that he was here and I was hugging him and he was hugging him.

I realised just how much he had grown and laughed even harder because just moments ago I was with him and he felt like a baby, a child who I needed to hold and take care of and right now, now I was his baby and he needed to hold me.

"You must go now." He pulled away from me and I watched as his eyes stared at me, he chuckled, the sound thick and rich and warm. "Thank you." His eyes were filling with tears. "For not hating me."

"I miss you." I told him instead and he smiled and nodded and fanned his face before laughing and sniffing.

"Go." He said instead and sniffed and I just stared at him waiting and he laughed. "The gift is your child. You can travel at will."

"What?"

He grinned and shook his head. "My sweet boy, will it, and it is yours." There is was, the infamous circle of words and I grinned and hugged him again instead.

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, my little time traveler."

I gasped then, my eyes burning and this time it felt as though I was falling into nothing. I thought about home, the sound of Claude whispering secrets and the look on his face when he was caught by Ace. The way that Travis just had to have his way sometimes. I thought of Kathryn and her nagging, begging for us to eat properly and sleep when we had to. I thought of Dany whom I missed and I closed my mind. The thread was multicolored and I grabbed it, it felt like home, smelt like home too and then-

I gasped, my eyes burning and everything seemed to flood through me at once. The sky was clear and bright and the hollowness in my chest was back.

I sat up and cried then. "Trent!" I heard my brother call out and suddenly their arms were around me and I was home, I was home again but I was not back at the moment I had disappeared no, I cried then into his arms as he held me. "Trent?"

"He's gone." I muttered and whimpered as I held onto him. "He's gone and he's never coming back." I cried and cried for my father whom I loved and missed. The man I had seen so afraid and broken and alone.

I cried because even though he managed to save himself at that moment I had been forced to leave, he travelled alone, he spoke to himself and I cried because I don't know how long it would be before he found them, his friends who I know missed him.

My throat was burning and everything in me was just sad and that's when it all just poured out until there was nothing.

I cried for so many reasons and I needed time to deal with them all.

Being home was nice, the family, the love they had, the constant need to check on me was appreciated I just didn't have the heart to tell them what happened.

A whole month I spent dwelling on Demetri and his life, I wondered about myself, and he version of me that lived through that time, was I a wolf? A panther? A caster? A human? Dragon!? The possibilities were endless however my main wonder was if he and I had met, how it had gone, what I agreed to and how far if at all. I wondered about useless things because I couldn't help it and I felt lonely watching my family build their families.

Knox was an adorable kid, the first in fact to have made my heart feel warm for no reason. He was only an infant and he was fascinated with me. I felt like that was Travis's way to not only get alone time with his mate Raphael but also to get me back to how I used to me.

For them I wanted so badly to get out of this slump, but it was slow and I was coming around.

Knox cooed at me, touching my face and squealing joyfully, his beautiful reddish blue eyes sparkled as though he saw me and everything else. His sister Maeve was just as adorable if not a little temperamental. She burnt me the first time I held her so I was a little afraid.

Either way I had become an official babysiter while I tried to get my life where it was going even with all the babies I was suddenly meant to take care of.

Cassian was a chilled little guy, he was already crawling and he loved to climb things especially me. I had arrived having lost some weight but with Kathryn's meddling I had gained back my weight and the guy was fascinated with trying to conquer me.

"Don't worry, he still thinks we're objects." Claude Pat me on the shoulder and I chuckled lowly watching as Cassian's chubby finger gripped into my calves and he looked determined, cooing and squealing as though demanding I cooperate.

"As long as he doesn't burn me." Claude snickered at me.

The day was beautiful, everyone seemed to decide it was sunbathing day or something because all kinds of pool chairs were laid out and mates were rubbing suntan all over each other.

I caught Travis and Raphael making out as their kids were being stared at by Harkin who was shaking his head in a disapproving way as they squealed and giggled.

Claude pat my shoulder again and then Theo caught my eye, he smiled softly and I gave him a nod. Somehow it's like after my trip he just knew, he knew and we felt closer, like atleast we both knew him.

I picked Cassian up and he pouted and fought me to get down as I saw Kalika pull at Megryn's(Ma-rin) hair. Those two were going to kill each other, I swear.

A\N
Written: 5 April 2022