History Repeats Itself

Chapter One

Chris knew he was probably breaking over a dozen traffic violations as he sped through the near empty streets. But in that moment, his focus was on getting to the hospital, the voice of his wife still ringing in his ear from the voicemail he had received over an hour ago. He had been in one of the many vaults scattered across the country, taking stock of a new gun shipment and he had opted to turn his phone off to concentrate. After the guns had been tagged and stocked, he had opened his phone to over a dozen text and at least 20 voicemails from his wife Victoria. It was the last voicemail that had him sprinting to his car and peeling out of the parking lot.

"Chris, I don't know if you got the other messages, if your even on your way but they had to induce Savannah's labor, something was wrong with the baby. Please Chris just get here she's asking for you."

From the previous messages Victoria had left him, something had happened with his sister Savannah. They had been in the nursery finishing up the last coat of lavender paint when she had started to feel severe pains in her abdomen. It only increased and at the sign of blood, Victoria had ushered her into the car and raced towards the nearest hospital.

Chris breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the hospital lights in the distance, quickly pulling into the lot and speeding into a parking spot. He had barely put the car in park before he had bolted from the car and into the hospital, his sudden entrance startling the attendant at the front desk.

"Savannah Argent! Where is she? My wife brought her in a few hours ago for labor pains." He had rushed out to the nurse, who quickly pointed him the way to the labor wing. Sprinting down the hall and avoiding running into the many doctors and nurses milling about he had finally made it to the labor unit. Pushing through the last set of doors, he came to a stop, his blood growing cold at the sight before him.

Victoria turned from the doctor, her red eyes and tear stained cheeks the first thing Chris took note of before his eyes moved to the doctor, his face holding the same crestfallen look as his wife's.

"Chris...oh my god baby im so sorry." Were the first words out of his wife's mouth before she broke down, her sobs raking through her body as the doctor made his way over to Chris.

"My sister...the baby are they..."Chris couldn't bring himself to ask the question, afraid he already knew the answer.

"We had to induce your sister when we noticed the baby gong into distress. We delivered her safety but....your sister began to bleed out. It's rare but it can happen. We did everything we could to save her but... after the delivery and the stress, her heart couldn't take it. I am so sorry."

Chris could have sworn in that moment time had stopped. He blinked back the tears, his mind willing himself not to believe the doctor. It wasn't true, it couldn't be. Savannah had always been a fighter, in everything she had done. This had to be some sick joke, one of his fathers fucked up tests he had done with all of his children, to make them better hunters, better killers. It couldn't be possible that she was gone. His body sunk into the nearest chair, his head dropping forward as he let the tears fall. He felt Victoria move to his side, her arms moving around him as she did her best to comfort her grief-stricken husband. They stayed like this for a few moments, the only sound in the waiting area coming from Chris as he sobbed, not even attempting to stop them. He blocked out he fathers voice, reminding him how weak it was, how weak he was.

"The baby...Can..Can I see her?" Chris lifted his head, looking to the doctor who nodded. motioning for Chris to follow. Chris looked to Victoria, who nodded. "I'll call your father and Kate. Go see her." With that, Chris stood from the chair, following after the doctor as they made their way to the nurseries.

Dark blue eyes starred up at him. He tried to recall if any of their family had had eyes that blue. He chalked it up to his niece's father, a man Savannah never talked about. A one night stand she had said, telling her brother it was better this way, that she could handle being a single mother. He felt an ache in his chest, remembering how happy his sister was being pregnant. He remembered her smile as she felt her baby move for the first time, eagerly grabbing Chris's hand and placing it on her stomach, where he too joined in her happiness when he was greeted with a small kick. Kate had rolled her eyes, smiling at her sibling before eagerly joining in, laughing with Savannah as she too felt the kick. He remembered finding her curled up in the newly bought rocking chair, fast asleep, her arms cradling her small bump as a baby book of names laid open on her lap.

His sister would never get to raise her little girl, never know the joys he and Victoria experienced with their own daughter Allison. From her first words, her first steps, her first smile. His heart ached for the little girl in his arms, who would never grow up knowing a mother who would have given her the world.

"Hey little one. I'm your uncle Chris. Your mommy wanted to be here for you, and she would if she could. But don't you worry. I promise with every fiber of my being to protect you, to love you as much as your mother would have. Nothing and no one will ever hurt you. I promise with all my heart Grace Elizabeth Argent."

"Daddy?" Looking up from the squirming infant, Chris smiled slightly as he caught sight of his daughter. She stepped into the room, clutching the stuffed bear Savannah had gotten her last year for her birthday. She rubbed her eyes, reminding Chris how late it was.

"Allison, do you want to come meet your niece Grace?" Nodding her head, she walked over to her father, letting him pull her up onto his lap as he cradled the infant in his arms, watching as she stretched her small hands up, her fingers curled in a tiny fist.

"Hi Grace, I'm Allison were going to be best friends." The little girl said, her finger gently moving to stroke against her cousin's cheek with surprising tenderness from a 4-year-old. Chris felt his eyes water, watching his daughter interact with his niece. He pressed a kiss to her dark curls, gazing down at the two most important girls in his life, two girls he would do everything he could to protect.