In My Blood- Arcane x OC (Complete)

Chapter 12- Life

Ezra woke up days later. She could barely move when she woke up. She could see that the walls and floor were wooden, and she could see Vi sitting in a chair next to her bed. Ezra could see the bandages on her forearms and she could feel the oxygen tube in her nose as she took every breath. She was alive, she somehow survived.

Ezra sighed with relief as the joy of being alive filled her. "Ezra." Vi looked up from the floor. She moved closer to Ezra and gently sat down on the bed. "Violet," Ezra's voice was hoarse and dry. "Ezra," Vi smiled as her eyes filled with tears. Ezra, slowly, moved her hand on top of Vi's, "Don't cry. It's okay." Ezra paused, "I'm okay." Ezra's voice slowly became less dry. "You've been out for days, I thought you were," Vi stopped speaking, she couldn't say 'I thought you were dead' after everything that had just happened to Ezra. "I'm not, I can't go yet. I promised Jinx, and now you, that I'm not going anywhere as long as you need me." Ezra smiled.

"It's good to see you awake." A deeper voice said from the doorway. Ezra's eyes widened from disbelief, "Ekko?" Ezra wanted to sit up, but winced in pain just from any small movement. Ekko walked further into the room and stood behind Vi. "You're all grown up." Ezra said with disbelief, "both of you are." Ezra felt a warm, motherly feeling boil inside her. It overwhelmed her. "It's good to see you, Ezra. How are you feeling?" Ekko sat down in the chair that Vi was in, but he brought it closer to the bedside. "Exhausted. I just want to be up and moving again." Ezra sounded exhausted. "Slow down there, you woke up five minutes ago." Vi chuckled.

"I can't just stay in bed forever. I have Jinx to take care of, and now you guys if you want me around." Ezra looked guilty, "I'm sorry I didn't do more to find you both." Ekko looked at Vi with grief and guilt. "We always want you around. Ezra, you're one of the very few people in our lives that's even tried to come back. Most just leave or die." A cloud of grief formed above Violet. "You're the closest person I've had to a mom. You and Benzo were like my parents." Ezra had stood up with all the energy she had and pulled Ekko in close. "How did you get up?" Ekko accepted the hug after a moment of hesitation. "I'm so sorry about Benzo." Ezra whispered to Ekko, "I promise I'm not going to lose you this time," Erza let go of Ekko and looked at Vi, "either of you." Vi hugged Ezra, then helped her sit back down on the bed. "You two and Jinx will always be my kids. Nothing will change that."

Ezra talked with her kids for a few more hours. Ekko explained to Ezra where she was and how he created this sanctuary for people who needed a fresh start. Ezra was overwhelmed with how her kids had grown up to be perfect, she couldn't be prouder. After that Ekko and Vi let Ezra sleep for a few hours. They knew she needed her rest. While Ezra was taking her nap, she had a nightmare about what happened in the river. She felt the sting return in her stomach and heard the splash of her body hitting the water. She saw Vander jump into the water again. The dream scared her to the point where she woke up in a sweat.

"What happened?" Vi jumped up, she was sitting in the chair from earlier again. Ezra slowly sat up. Vi held her hands for support incase Ezra fell while lifting her back up. Ezra sighed, "Just a bad dream." That was an understatement, it haunted her. Ekko barged into the room, "what happened?" He shouted, panic in his eyes. "She just had a dream, take a deep breath little man." Vi reassured him. "Y'know, the weirdest thing happened while I was in the river." Ezra chuckled. Vi and Ekko looked at each other with concern. "I thought I saw Vander dive in, but that's impossible. Right?" Ezra laughed at herself, she thought she was seeing things. "Well," Ekko sounded like a little boy caught in a lie. Ezra looked at him, fear in her eyes, "Ekko and Violet you have about five seconds to tell me what's happening before I find the energy to get out of this bed-" Ekko put his hands up, "Okay, okay. Calm down." Vi turned to Ekko, "No, we promised." Vi whispered. "Yeah I know we promised, but I'm more afraid of what she'll do." Ekko looked past Vi to find Ezra waiting impatient for an answer. "Vander's alive." Ekko spit out and Vi hit his arm. "He's been hiding here." Vi hit his arm again. "Okay stop that." Ekko rubbed his arm.

"What the actual fuck?!" Ezra's eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of her head. "He said he wanted to come find you, but he was scared of what you or Silco might do." Vi explained, she kept herself calm, unlike Ekko. "No shit he should be scared!" Ezra said this as if it should be obvious. "Well now he wants to talk to you, since you're here." Ekko smiled awkwardly. "No." Ezra said simply.

"Ezra, please." Vander stood in the doorway.

"Kids, out." Ezra didn't break eye contact with Vander, she stared at him through her brows. "Ezra-" Vi pleaded. Ezra glanced at her, "Violet." That said it all. Ekko and Vi quietly shuffled out. Vander closed the door behind him. "I see you and the kids are doing great, how's Powder?" Vander sat down and pulled out his pipe. "She goes by Jinx now, but she's doing good. She's all grown up. Speaking of which, let's make this quick, I have to get back to her." Ezra was short and seemed unemotional. "How are you feeling?" Vander ignored her comment about making this quick. "Let's skip the pleasantries." Ezra stared blankly at him. Vander nodded as he released a puff of smoke. He held out his pipe of Ezra to grab, but she declined. "You don't smoke anymore?" Vander hadn't looked at Ezra since he sat down. "Not as often. You're getting off topic! You wanted to talk to me, so talk." Ezra was fed up with Vander beating around the bush.

"I'm sorry." Vander looked up at Ezra. She was sitting on the bed with her arms crossed and brows furrowed. "That's it?" Ezra simply said. "You were right, I should've talked to you about it. Ezra, I'm sorry." Guilt shadowed over Vander. "I told you about Stillwater, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. That place was hell! You have no idea how bad things would've been for me if I had gone back!" Ezra stood up and shouted. She towered over Vander for the first time. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just thinking about the kids. Ezra, I wish I could change what I did." Vander pleaded for forgiveness. "I agree, the kids shouldn't have gone to Stillwater, but-" Ezra couldn't speak as tears filled her eyes. "I trusted you, my mother trusted you." Ezra spoke quietly, "And then I found out that you lied about Silco being dead and you tricked me into going to Stillwater." Ezra had tears streaming down her face. "Vander, you were supposed to protect me and help me."

Vander slowly walked up to Ezra and hugged her. Ezra wanted to push him away, but couldn't bring herself to. She accepted the hug and cried into Vander's chest. "I'm sorry Ezra." He said quietly so only she could hear. Ekko and Vi had snuck back into the room and joined the hug. Vander and Vi let go as Ezra continued to cry to Ekko. "What's wrong?" Ekko asked gently. "I'm scared," Ezra mumbled. "We won't let them touch you ever again, you're safe now." Vander reassured. "No," Ezra let go of Ekko. "I have to go find Jinx and Silco, right now" Ezra felt lightheaded from all her crying so she held onto Ekko's arm. "Not right now. You can barely walk." Vi protested. "No, Hale said he would-" Ezra tried to speak. "The guy who took you?" Ekko sounded frantic. Ezra nodded, "He said he'd hurt Jinx, I can't let him." Ezra spoke through heavy breaths. She looked pale and frantic, as if she was about to pass out. Vi and Vander looked at each other with panic. "Ekko, stay here with Ezra, we'll go to the Last Drop." Vi ordered. She spoke with the confidence of a war leader. "No, you can't be involved." Ezra couldn't hold herself up anymore. "Well you sure as hell aren't going." Vi said this as if it was obvious. "Violet, please-" Ezra blacked out. "Go, I got her." Ekko placed Ezra in the bed. Vander and Vi nodded then left.