The Forgotten One

Chapter Nine

Two days later..
Canaan was sitting in a chair, slowly rocking his son to sleep. He was tired himself and sore, his face covered in cuts and bruises from what he dealt with during his captivity, but he was not keeping him from the duty of being a father. He decided to put him to sleep since Mariah needed the rest. According to Catherine, the delivery was very intense and stressful. The baby was still breached and the stress Mariah was under lead her to go into labor nearly a month early, however he was not here to be with her. After she had gone into labor, they took Canaan back to the house and left him in the bed. They drove to the hospital and had the baby overnight while Canaan slept through the whole thing, but Catherine came back the next morning to their house and picked him up.
The whole ride to the hospital, Catherine explained everything to him. Her vision, how she knew we had been captured, who locked her in her mind, how long he had been gone, etc. she spared no detail.
He felt terrible of course, he saw the way Catherine looked at him with disappointment. He thought it was his fault Margaret died, however he knew she will not die in vain. He was going to hunt down the last vial of the immortality liquid, it did not need to get into the hands of Matthew and whoever that woman was that took the place of Margaret.
Looking down at his son, Canaan smiled warmly. The big blue eyes were staring back at him, he had the facial features of Mariah though. He wore a baby blue outfit that said "mommy's little angel", the irony in the saying made him chuckle. He was wrapped in a soft blue blanket that waited to have his name embroidered. They had not decided a name yet and the hospital was patiently waiting for our answer, but he and Mariah could not decide.
Making a strange face, the baby's face began to turn slightly red like he was about to cry. Canaan reached over to the table beside the window and grabbed the bottle, placing the nipple into the baby's mouth who began to suck the formula out of the bottle. He watched as the baby fed on the bottle, slowly rocking him as well.
"I think you will be more like me then mommy thinks." Canaan whispered to the baby as he giggled. "You are already eating like me, now you just have to look like me."
The baby kept sucking at the bottle, Canaan just sat there watching.
"I honestly would rather you look like mommy then me son." He stated. "You see, your mommy is one beautiful woman. She has beautiful brown hair, stormy gray eyes, a heart of gold. Me? I am just a disappointment. I lost your sister and it was all my fault, I tried to help her but she choose to sacrifice herself to save me. I did not want her to do that for me, it was my job to protect her. However, she protected me."
The baby looked at him, the nipple of the bottle slowly slipping out of his mouth. His wonderful gaze looked on at Canaan, taking in every word like he was actually listening.
"I will not let any of the rest of you down." He stated. "I will stand in front of every single one of you until I am dead. None of you will suffer again as long as I remain on this earth. I love you all very much."
The baby smiled and began to shut his eyes, peace filling his facial features. He began to rock the baby again.
"You really have a way with babies don't you?" Mariah's voice whispered softly.
Canaan looked over and saw Mariah sitting up in the hospital bed, smiling softly at him.
"Hey beautiful." Canaan said. "How are you feeling?"
Mariah shrugged. "I feel no pain of course." She stated. "But I do not feel like myself. It feels strange, like a part of me is gone."
Canaan nodded. "I feel the same." He said.
"It was not your fault." She stated.
"Actually it is." Canaan said. "I am the one that went to my parents old house. I chose not to leave, we could have left even with Catherine in the state she was in. Margaret could have been saved."
Mariah looked at him sadly. "No she could have not." She said. "No matter where we went, where we ran to or hid. They would have found her. That darkness lurked in her and it was a beacon for Matthew. He would have found her and used her like he did four days ago."
Canaan nodded staring down at the floor. "You are right." He whispered. "I just cannot help but feel at fault."
"Do not feel like that." She said.
"I will not angel." He said as he stood up, holding the baby. "Would you like to hold him?"
Mariah nodded, extending her arms out for Canaan to place the baby in. He gently laid the sleeping baby in his wife's arms, watching her face light up as she looked at the baby. The presence of her son made her happy again, something that Canaan could not make happen at the moment.
"What should we name him?" Canaan asked.
"I do not know." Mariah said as she continued to stare at the baby.
"What about the name Lucas?" Canaan suggested. Mariah looked back at him and smiled brightly.
"I love that name." She stated. "Lucas Cole Hathaway."
Canaan nodded in agreement. "Welcome to the family Lucas."
Canaan pulled back the baby blue blanket and grabbed Lucas's little hand. However, he noticed something strange on Lucas's forearm. It was a birthmark, but it was the form of a sword. It almost looked like a tattoo, but it was lighter then a tattoo.
It struck Canaan hard as he realized what the birthmark was on his forearm. It was one of the six marks that angels receive at birth, however they are invisible unless that are release during a difficult time in their family.
"Mariah, is your mark visible on your shoulder?" Canaan asked.
Mariah looked at him strangely. "Why?" She asked.
Canaan showed Mariah the mark on Lucas' forearm. Mariah's eyes widened at the sight of it.
"Look at my back Canaan." Mariah said stunned.
Canaan lifted the back of her shirt and he saw her mark on her shoulder, boldly standing out as a crescent moon. He placed her shirt back and nodded at her.
"Canaan looked down at his forearm to see the a tattoo looking birthmark form in the shape and looks of the sun. "Mine is visible as well." He stated.
Mariah nodded. "The marks have reappeared, that means there is more danger coming our way. God would have not made them appear unless it was really dangerous. Something is about to go down Canaan."
Canaan nodded. "And our family is in the center of it." He said as he grabbed Mariah's hand, rubbing his thumb across it. "However, do not worry, I will not let any of you get hurt. I will protect every single one of you."
"We cannot go back home though." She stated. "They know where we live, we have to at least attempt to hide. We have Lucas now, we cannot be fighting a demonic battle with a baby."
Canaan nodded. "I will find us somewhere safe and place a cloak of protection. Nobody will be able to find us after that." He stated. "I promised to keep you safe, I plan on keeping that promise."
He kissed Mariah's hand and their attention was reverted back to the waking baby. Canaan knew dangerous times were upon his family, it was time to get away and live normal lives. Although he said he would cloak their new home, it will only last for a few years. He has to keep protecting them at all cost.
Matthew was coming back, this time with his original body and the woman who took Margaret's life. Canaan must quickly find the immortality liquid before it is to late or someone in his family will end up in the grave next to Margaret.