Darkest Shadows

38) The Other Bond

"Jax will give you a foot rub."--Ambrose

♡

August 30th, 2999

"Hey, sweetheart."

"Hi, babe."

Jax finally relented and allowed Sia to date Daxton after three months of debate, their six-month anniversary is in a few days so Sia invited him over for a hangout today, little did they know it would not be much of a hangout today. Athrhea has been dreading this day for months, her baby boy, and her son is leaving the country for college in the Embassy, and she is utterly distraught about it. "Is your aunt okay?" Daxton asks his girlfriend gently.

"Tarver's going off to college in the Embassy today and she's upset about it, they have a bond that is crazy, and stuff happened that made them one of the same so she's really sad that he's leaving."

"I don't have to go Mom."

"No, you have to. I am not going to hold you back, if this is really what you want then I support you all the way. Just please be safe Cariño and call if you need anything, I will come down there myself."

Ambrose has seen Rhea upset before and yes she's upset now, but in a better way, she's proud of him and is going to miss him but it's a good thing. "I'm gonna miss him too, he's the oldest," Sia whispers, hugging her boyfriend as tears prick her eyes.

"Love you too. I'll call tonight Mom, I promise." Tarver has tears in his eyes too, but like the strong man he is he chokes them back, his mom trying but ultimately failing, to do the same.

When he's turned away and is walking to his car which he's driving to the airport Rhea collapses into her husband's arms and bites her cheeks. "Baby, it's okay, he's not going to be gone forever."

"I know, I am just not ready for him to go, he's my baby," she croaks. The whole family did their best to comfort her, but she waved them off and shut herself in her and Gemini's room where Gemini followed her. Sybella stayed downstairs with her grandparents with Jay holding his only granddaughter in his arms as she cries too.

"I miss him," she cries.

"I know Sybella," Jay consoles. "It's not forever, he's going to come back for visits and holidays, but he has to do this for himself. I know he misses you and your parents very much; Tarver is good at hiding his feelings, but anyone could see the love on his face for all of you, especially you. You are his only sibling; his baby sister and he loves you so much."

"He's going to call tonight Sybe," Sia says from on the couch with Daxton's arms wrapped around her. Gemini comes down the stairs, not exactly rushing but not exactly calmly either.

"Can you both come up?" he asks looking directly at Ambrose and Jax.

Without further interaction, both men are making their way upstairs to his best friend's room. "What's wrong?" he asks.

Rhea is sitting at the sill in their room with Tarver's baby blanket in her lap, running her fingers across it, her breathing ragged and body quaking. "She's just inconsolable and she's in a lot of pain emotionally and mentally. She's petrified and she won't talk about it," Gemini explains, and he steps closer to Ambrose and drops his voice. "I know this is horrible of me, but can you try to read her mind, so I know what's wrong?"

"I can try. Get me an object that she and Tarver bonded over."

Gemini goes to the other side of the room and comes back with her Ruby Dagger; Ambrose remembers when she started training Tarver with it and they had a meaningful talk that left them both nearly in tears. Ambrose clasps it in his hands and closes his eyes—