Chapter 25

*Aliee's POV*

I heard the scream, I had been with Kat and Roxy. Logan had just shown up pale and confused, which just offered me more joy than I could explain, watching my brother so confused. All of us took of in a run, by the time we were there a few people were around the body, but Ivory and Ivory were in the middle, Ivory clutching a twisted body, without seeing the face I knew it was my William. Her growl sent me running to his small form.

"My baby!" I cried, I felt when Micheal showed up, I grabbed my little boy and felt the last of his breath leave his body with a huff, I heard her howl next to mine and Micheal's, Ivory took him from my arms and I growled, how dare she? How dare she take his still warm body from my arms? Her hands clutched his shirt tight in her fist.

"No! Ivianna! You can't, the spirits have him now!" Sabrina screamed and I saw her running toward us and in the next flying away, I looked to Ivory with shocked eyes, but she paid me no mind, here pain stricken face on my little boy.

"No! I won't let them!" She screamed, she watched my boy with hopeful teary eyes screaming, begging him to come back, as if it was her child, her life line she had lost. I howled screaming, until his blue eyes stared it awe up at her, whispering her name he threw his arm around her, but I paid no mind and pulled my boy into my arms sobbing, she brought him back, back to me, I went to thank her when her scream ripped through the air, William tried to pull from my arms, her screams carried on and I saw the scars on her arm whip open, as if they were as fresh as seconds. She began to crumbled after screaming her whole body covered in blood, and then the blood polled in the jeans of her pants, dark red overtook her body, her hair turned dark red with fresh blood, I stared horror stricken as Leo and Levi pounded on the barrier that seemed to cover us all, William tore from my numb arms and wrapped around her, blood covered his body where he touched her, tears in his eyes to match her's, her screams echoed in my ears as the barrier seemed to fall and everyone rushed in, Leo and Levi yelling at her, and all I could do was stare in shock as she screamed as if she was being tortured. Her dead looking blue eyes found Williams and she smiled before a new round of screams took her and she crumpled in Leo's arm as we all stood in shock as he rushed her to the pack doctor... I wasn't sure what just happened, but as I held my small sobbing boy in my arms, I knew if Ivory survived there was no way I could repay her, no word of thanks I could say that would be enough, and no way I would be able to see her as anything other than an angel ever again.

- - - - - - - - -

*Leo's POV*

I didn't know it could break anymore, but seeing Levi's dark eyes and pale skin cracked my heart even more. A new scream ripped through the house she had been screaming for the last two days. We left the hospital room because just as her wounds would heal, they would break again. The doctor had no idea what to say, but he didn't know if she would make it. Unlike the first time by baby came back to us, she was being punished. She had done something against the Spirits wishes. William looked like the living dead, even more so than he really was. I couldn't look at him though, part of me blamed him, part of me wanted to hold him. He was wrapped in Levi's howling embrace anyway. Tears streamed down my face, I was shocked to even notice them, I hadn't been able to eat, no amount of pain nor emotion came from the bond between Ivory and I, and that was somehow worse. Sabrina was being clutched by a tear stricken Rachel, Sabrina had fallen asleep many hours ago, but she seemed more like meditation and praying than restful.

All of a sudden the screaming came the a abrupt stop, I ran to the room not waiting to see who was following but feeling Levi and William next to me, I ran into her room, seeing her pale bloody body, they had decided to dress her in a bra and underwear type wrap, since they couldn't keep up with cleaning the blood. Her body laid unmoving, still breathing but for the first time in two and a half days she looked as if she was sleeping.\

Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep... The familiar tune was filling the room, only slower. William curled around her bloody body, seeming unaware of the thick wet and dry blood caked on her pale body. And then the room was almost silent, her heart slowing to a dead crawl.

Beep.... .... ... ... Beep ... ... ... ... ... ... Beep. Back and forth slow beats as if her body was giving up... and then the doctor said thats exactly what her heart was doing... giving up.

"Ivory." William whispered his head laying on her chest. "Why... Why would you do this?" Though I agreed with his question I knew the answer she would of given... Because I love you. But her mouth didn't move, not twice, not even once. But her heart was beating, and I was sure that in itself was a miracle.

- - - - - - - - -

*Ivory*

I didn't want to move, my whole body seemed to be in a cast of pain. I had never felt anything like it, my Penance was terrifying, but never so bad. Never so long that hunger and thirst added to the pain. Tired and hurting over and over but unable to fall into the comforting darkness, I was finally able to breath when I did. I knew, no more warnings, no more chances, if I ever did that again I would die....I knew that. I felt it in my bones and heard it in a sweet voice in my head. The Goddess, she was warning me. Never again to take a child of hers from her own realm, never again to play god. But no part of me regretted my actions, if William survived, then I felt it, the warm body curled to my side. Warm small and comforting, and then I finally fell into the darkness and I felt my body healing oh so slowly, but I was never so relieved.

- - - - - - -

Bright light was the first thing I saw.

"Ivory? Are you with us? Can you hear my voice? Blink once if you hear me." I struggled but finally managed the blink. I heard a sigh of relief and the bright light left my eyes, I saw a man in a doctor suit, I looked to him and opened my mouth but no words came out. Suddenly a cold liquid touched my lips and I swallowed past the pain drinking greedily, I had never felt such an unquenchable thirst, and then the room was full, I could see everything as people poured into the room. I searched until I saw the bright wise eyes of an innocent face and a smile over took me.

"William!" I gasped and his body all but flew to mine and I felt warm tears fill my face, trail down and land on his head of hair. "I'm so glad your here...so glad" I whimpered, I felt his body shake beneath my hands. I looked up and saw bright green and blue eyes trimmed in dark circle staring back at me.

"You screamed for over two days..." Leo's voice cracks.

"I know... I just don't know how long I was out after." All of a sudden I felt a soft hand hitting me in the head.

"You stupid, idiotic dumb-ass little girl!" Gram screamed at me. "You scared me half to death, I didn't know if you would live, I didn't think you could! No witch ever has and I can't believe in my old age you would do this to your poor..."

"I love you to." I croaked. Her eyes cracked and filled with tears.

"Oh god, I almost lost you again." Her arms came around me and William, and I felt my mates come for me, both my Grams and William moving as four large arms embraced me and tingles spread across my skin.

"I love you two." I felt myself whisper, their bodies stock still.

"I love you to, Baby." Leo said first, Levi's head fell on my chest and his tears dripped on my skin, I closed my eyes and relaxed into their arms.

"Please... take me home." I whispered as sleep fell over my body, and the next time I woke I was in our familiar bed, two warm bodies wrapped around me and deep snores filling the air and I felt complete.

- - - - - - - -

"Don't ever do that to us again." Leo's broken voice brought me from the edge of sleep and I blinked up at him.

"I couldn't if I wanted to, I wouldn't survive again." I whispered sleepily, Levi who's leg was entangled with mine whimpered.

"Then don't, please don't ever try it again. I love you so much." His green eyes, though looking more rested were broken and scared.

"Never, I love you."

"You mean it?" He asked.

"With all my soul." I turned my head to Leo who had his arm draped on my stomach and under my head. "I love you.. so so much." His blue eyes softened and his lips met mine in a gentle caress. I melted but couldn't stay awake to truly enjoy the warmth his love brought.

When I woke again the bed was empty and cool were warm bodies once laid. I got up my wounds gone now, and I felt the lingering affect of Gramdma's magic, obviously, knowing I was not allowed to heal them, she did. I am sure she took Penance for it, for interrupting mine. I stood and stretched shocked to feel so normal after... I felt my throat clog, after the pain. Two days of pain I could barley comprehend, but could easily feel. I could feel nothing other than the pain, the hunger. And as if on cue my stomach growled loud and low, but I needed to fine Grams first. I found her in the place I wanted to be, sunshine coming through the window of the kitchen and dark circles under her eyes.

"It was worth it." She answered my unspoken question, she had healed me... and paid the price. I wrapped my arms around her and laid on her chest.

"Thank you Grandma." I whispered I knew without seeing them, tears had filled her eyes.

"My payment was nothing compared to the months of pain and healing you would of went through. And you had been through so much." Her voice cracked and I pulled back searching her eyes so much like my own.

"I don't regret it, I know I should, I should feel bad for misusing my magic, but I don't. I would do it all over again if I could go back and time and remake the decision. I love William and not even my life is worth loosing him, but I wont do it again, I promise, I can't risk my mates life in the event I would..."

"SHH! Please, Please Ivianna don't say it, just let me hold you, just let me hold you child." Her arms came around me then and rocked me back in fourth in the middle of the room, until finally she released me and we both got some much needed food.

- - - - - - -

"Why did you do it?" William asked from my arms, he had come in while I was eating, silent in my arms until I was done, I tipped his head and stared into his warm sad brown eyes.

"Because I love you, because no matter if Aliee is your mom, I love you in a way that can only be described as a mothers love. I don't regret it William but... Do you? Were you happier were you where?" I asked, voicing something that had been bothering me, I tore him from his own heaven.

"It was nice, thats all I can remember, But I am happy to be with my family, with you. Just don't ever do it again." His bottom lip wobbled.

"I couldn't if I wanted to William, I know it will kill me if I do again. So please be careful, I can't loose you, but I also can't let my mates die because of my selfish need to heal someone either. Please... never put me in that spot again." I begged, tears filling my eyes, he kissed my cheek.

"I promise to try, but I can't promise I wont ever die, we all do Ivory, everyone dies thats the last step of truly living." His eyes were wise but his voice was small.

"I know, but try not to do it for a long while okay?" I sent him a smile.

"I will, no more climbing tree's." He winked, I sighed a breath of relief, what it would of truly been like to never see those innocently wise eyes ever again. Tears filled my closed eyes as I held his small body close, what would... where would I be without him? Dead in a chamber.. never meeting my mates or my new family. I rocked him to and fro until I heard hesitant footsteps, I opened my eyes to see Aliee's back turned, and walking away.

"Allie?" Wild eyes looked back at me and to her son as I sat him down.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to ashamed too look into her eyes, I had taken her child's body from her arms and stole him from his own heaven with the Goddess.

"You'r sorry?" Her voice was incredulous.

"I know thats not enough, to explain why I took him from your arms and ripped him from the Goddess... I couldn't... He isn't even... He's not mine and I made a choice, though it was none of ours, without even your permission... I am so sorry." I heard a choked sob and looked up to see her crumpling to the floor like her knees could not support her, I rushed to her side in time to catch her and lift her to the couch in the room across the Kitchen.

"Allie... I am so sorry to have upset you so bad." A humorless chuckle fell from her lips.

"Stop saying your sorry, I should be saying that!' I stared at her in shock.

"Why?"

"Ivory, I saw it, I was so mad I almost hit you, you took him from me but... You brought him back. To hear and see you in so much pain. Your an angel, I can never express what you did, or what it means to me and Micheal. I can't comprehend how to ever look at you again without feeling unworthy of doing so, without feeling my heart split in two that I snapped at you, that I thought you anything other than the miracle you are. I... I... " Tears filled her eyes and I brought her into my arms.

"I love him like my own child, I have no word to express how sorry I am to feel that roll, when you are his mother...." She shushed me, and looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Please! Please never stop loving him like a mother, two of them is not a bad thing, but if your okay... It would make you my sister, my best friend, my companion in a way a mate can not be. The other half of not my soul, but my life. Never stop loving him like your own, but please... Love me like that, be his mother with me." Her gratitude and sensarity rang in the air and through my tears I could only nod... but that was enough... for now.