The Typhoon ~Vash x OC AU~

Chapter 38: Protect

Leilani

She sleeps soundly, dark lashes sweeping along round cheeks. Her lips are rosy and budded as she suckles in her dreams. So pure and perfect, not damaged or tainted by this world.

Not yet.

I wrap my arms around myself and suck in my lips. I wish I didn't have to think that way. That we could just enjoy our life together – Vash, Grey, and me – but even I am no fool to the naivety of that mentality. For several reasons, actually.

One, Vash is a wanted man. A criminal who has been falsely accused just as my uncle had been. There goes the white picket fence right there.

Two, even if Vash wasn't a fugitive, he is a plant, making our child a hybrid. The chances of her growing up in a quaint town to make friends with other children would be near impossible.

And three, Millions Knives. He poses the greatest threat of them all. As Vash had mentioned, if his brother found out about Grey...

Hot bile rises to the back of my throat. I feel as if I could vomit.

Slowly, a set of hands snake around me, resting on my hips as a pair of soft lips press to the side of my head. I ease, relaxing against Vash, sinking into his familiar hold as I breathe in his heady scent. He kisses me again.

"Jonas is back home," he whispers, holding me tightly. "I made sure he got in."

"Thank you."

The suns set about an hour ago, and Jonas had decided to leave, declining our offer to stay for the night on the ship. I understand why he did it. Being here...being in this place holds many memories of a past he left behind back on Earth. So, I get it. Vash had gone with him back to the surface, assuring he made it home safely.

I turn my head, tilting as I peck my lips against his cheek. "Are you okay?"

He pinches his brows. "Am I okay? Are you okay? You look pale as a ghost, Lei." He presses the back of his hand to my forehead.

"I'm fine," I sigh.

He eyes me, dropping his hand. "Well, you don't feel warm. Still..." Slowly, he turns me until my eyes meet his and we are facing face to face. "Talk to me, Lei," he whispers. "Is it about what I said earlier?"

He already knows the answer. The way he looks at me – the way his eyes gleam like fire in this dim light – tells me so. I look at him, then the sleeping bundle in the basinet. She won't be able to fit it much longer.

"I don't know why I never considered that," I finally say, keeping my gaze trained on my daughter. I swallow a thick coarseness. "Nai, I mean. I don't know why I never thought he would express an interest in her. Of course, he would. Anyone who knew and understood would. She's a hybrid."

I don't know much about plants, but according to Vash, most of the independent plants don't have basic needs like humans. He is the exception. Grey, being only half-plant also has basic needs. But will those needs only last while she is an infant, or will they stretch into her adult years? Will she be more human or more plant, or something completely in between?

I don't know, and that's what makes all of this ten times scarier. If Nai gets ahold of her, there's no saying what sick shit he'll do to her. Dissect her. Inject her with chemicals. Take her DNA. The possibilities are endless.

But humans aren't much safer. If the wrong people found out about her, they could go after her for a multitude of reasons. Experiments, mostly. Maybe harvest her organs in hopes to heal or prolong their own lives. Or maybe even try to find a way to extract her DNA in hopes of creating more hybrids, especially if she turns out being more plant and requiring little to no human necessities – food and water.

It all makes me shudder.

"She's in danger no matter what," I say, returning my stare to his.

He gazes down at me with soft eyes and his lips pressed in a hard line. His hands rest firmly on my hips, holding me close. He knows as well as I do that I am not wrong. We didn't mean to bring her into this world but now that we did, we may have signed her up for a lifetime of pain and heartache...and danger.

"I won't let anything happen to her," he says quietly. His voice is low and husky, the heat of his breath caressing my skin. Shivers run down my spine. "I'll never let anything happen to her. Or you." He touches his fingers to my cheek, tracing until he comes to my lips, looking at me with eyes so soft. "And I mean that. I promise. I swear it."

I know he speaks the truth. He always speaks the truth, especially when discussing protecting us. He has been that way from the very start, and my heart swells at hearing this again. However, despite how meaningful his words are, I pray there will never come a time when he will need to prove that.

He pulls me close, gently pressing his lips against my forehead. "I will always be right here to protect you both," he whispers. "I promise."

God. I hope he never has to prove that.

**Bello lovelies! Well, not much in this chapter but we got to see Vash and Lani talk about their concerns, though briefly. It appears this is all hitting home for them – realizing Greywynn might be at risk no matter what – which is a pretty scary thought. I mean, I'm not a mom myself, but I couldn't imagine the stress and worry I would feel if I had a kid, let alone one as unique as Grey. Their emotions must be running rampant. But yeah. That was today's chapter. Eventually things will start picking up again, and I hope y'all are ready! Stay tuned! Thank you so, so much for all the love and support! Y'all are the bee's knees! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross