Birthday Gift

chapter 7

The light was very bright. Bella looked around shielding her eyes trying to figure out where she was at. "where am I?" she whispered it nervously. there was strong warm feeling wrapping around her. a man appeared in front of her blocking the blinding light.

"Bella it has been too long" the Spanish accent was thought in his voice as he spoke.

"D-Diego? Am I...have I died?" Bella asked trembling.

"you are having what they call an out of body experience. it is very disorienting" Diego replied

"how is it I am able to see you?" Bella asked.

"simply put. you are close to death" Diego explained.

"why haven't you come to me before? all these years? why did you turn your self in Diego? Why did you do it?" Bella asked trembling as sadness washed over her.

"I never did Bella. you disappeared before I could tell you what I was doing. I had assumed you were still upset and left you alone. I didn't know you had run off. I didn't go into town to turn my self in" Diego explained.

"then why?" Bella began to ask.

"I went to tell senorita Maria that she needed to find another. my heart was for you and only you. I could not stand by and watch the two of you fighting any longer. there was no need for it. I know you felt threatened by her and her feelings for... him." Diego replied.

Bella stared up at him in shock as tears began to fall.

"you should have seen it. Everyone went crazy over it. especially when I was searching for you after you disappeared. I think my feelings for you as Diego became clear to the people. it was hectic. and the rumors that were spread...ridiculous." Diego said shaking his head.

"I don't mean to...I mean...i'm not complaining, but why come to me now?" Bella asked.

Diego looked at her with a contemplative look. "you will find out soon enough" he replied.

Bella gave a slight pout at his words. then all of a sudden it felt as though a train hit her. "I'm sorry diego," she said quietly.

"for what?" Diego asked Puzzled.

"I broke my promise. I didnt keep your bloodline alive. I didn't give you the family that you wanted" Bella said looking down.

"no Bella stop that. You have given me everything" Diego replied. "it is I who should be apologizing. I should have gone to look for you sooner" he said.

"you wouldn't have found me. I did not wish to be found" Bella replied.

"I left you alone all this time," Diego said. "even Hades said it would be best I didn't look for you" he added.

Bella's head shot up hearing his words. "Hades?" she asked.

Diego nods. "he said you were hurting too much...That if I went to you that it would only make the progress you were making go backward" he explained. "you know how much I hate it when you are hurting. the fact that you were making so little progress. I didn't want to ruin that" he explained.

Bella began trembling even more however it went from sadness to rage. "Hades knew! this whole time I asked him and begged him for information. He told me he had never once seen you!" she shrieked as tears began streaming down her face.

"do not be upset with him. when he told me about the deal that the two of you made. I asked him not to mention or say anything about me." Diego quickly explained.

"you know about our deal?" bella asked looking up at him alarmed.

"of course I do. Bella, he tells me everything about you" Diego replied.

"but...why?" Bella asked confused as to what she was hearing. "why would he tell you about our deal why...why do you have contact with him at all you should be in the light you should be" Bella said feeling overwhelmed and panicked.

"I know because I work for him now. I am....basically a secretary for him now. i make sure he stays organized and track down any demon or spirit that escapes...and there is a lot of them" Diego explained looking slightly frustrated at his own words. Diego looked down at Bella and saw the tears. "bella...I didn't want to cross over. I didn't want to leave you. it was my choice. he just made me an offer which was suitable to the both of us" he explained in hopes of trying to cheer her up.

"you are not getting rid of me that easily you would have found out when you started taking over more for Hades anyway," Diego said.

Bella gave a smile at his words. "I miss you so much," she said trying to contain her tears, however, more just kept coming.

"Bella Zorro is dead but the  Black whip is still alive. you are going to need her soon." Diego spoke up.

"I cant" bella whimpered.

"I know about your vow. but bella remember your vow to me. our people need you" he said.

"no they need Zorro" Bella shot back.

"Zorro will always be with you," Diego said leaning down and kissing her on the cheek.

All too soon Diego and the blinding light disappeared. She could hear a very annoying beeping. she could faintly hear someone speaking. the more she listened, however, the louder the voices became but the beeping did as well.

"those idiots could have killed her" a young males voice, which she identified as Alec's, said.

"it is a good thing I was in town checking on her" a females voice spoke. it took Bella a while but she soon realized that this voice belonged to Clair one of her doctors.

"I think she's waking up," Alec's voice said.

Bella fluttered her eyes open and looked around. the light was dimed but it was still far too bright in her opinion. "A-Alec" she stammered out her throat sore.

"mom!" Alec was by her side in a nanosecond.

"why am I here?" Bella asked recognizing the room that she was in was a hospital room.

"you swerved off the road. that guy you work with brought you here....actually Bee brought you here but that guy was with you so..." Alec explained.

"was anyone hurt?" Bella asked she was trying to keep her voice down one because her throat hurt and two because all the sounds were making her head feel as though it was about to explode.

"no just you...but it was fun scaring the hell out of that guy you work with," Alec said with a mischievous smirk.

Bella rolled her eyes at

Bella rolled her eyes at his antics.