16. Addison

Chapter sixteen

Addison

F lashes of violence streaked past my eyes, too quickly for me to grasp. Blood, gore, someone screaming, the noise unbearable, and I covered my ears to block out the sounds. Who is it? Who's dying? I need to save them before it's too late-

My eyes popped open as I sat up in bed, gasping as the room spun, threatening to topple me over. I crawled to the side of the bed, hearing a grunt of pain as my elbow caught someone in the chin. I managed to get both feet on the ground and bolt unsteadily to the bathroom before the contents of my stomach made a dramatic exit.

Once the nausea subsided and I was able to stand, I quickly rinsed out my mouth with mouthwash to get rid of the lingering taste. The room was no longer spinning, but the panic was still there, burrowing in my chest and causing my heart to slam against my ribcage. I needed to find my guys. I need to see that they're safe.

Lurching back out into the room, I saw a concerned and tired-looking Cain sitting up and rubbing his jaw where I must've hit him. I grabbed the bedding and wrench it off, revealing Wyatt asleep further down. Ignoring Cain's protests, I stormed out of the room, slamming Piper's door open, only to find the bed empty. Panic ratcheted up, threatening to bring the nausea back as I practically ran to Austin's room, throwing open the door. Hisses greeted me as I entered, but the only living creatures in here were snakes.

"Austin?" I asked to the room, immediately feeling like an idiot. Of course, no one answered me, because I didn't speak fucking snake. With a disgruntled huff, I closed the door and headed downstairs, hearing Cain's shouts behind me.

The kitchen was dark, and I was trying not to cry now, my breath coming out in sharp bursts. "Piper! Austin! Goddamnit!" I shouted, slamming my foot down. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when a head popped up from the couch. I reached over to turn on the light so I could see.

"Little Spider?" Piper's voice filled me with overwhelming relief, and I half sobbed as he rubbed his eyes, blinking at me in confusion. Austin's face appeared next to his, and this time I did sob, running over to them and grabbing them both.

"What's wrong?!" Austin demanded, alarmed. Cain's footsteps on the stairs were loud and furious, but I didn't care. Everyone was safe.

"I had this dream… I was so worried when I couldn't find you," I murmured, letting Austin pull me onto his lap. I grabbed at Piper's face, pulling him close and making sure he really was here. The scream sounded so familiar, I could still hear it echoing down my spine.

"What was your dream, Little Spider?" Piper murmured, stroking my hair as Austin nuzzled his face into my neck.

"I don't… I don't know… it was just… bad." I tried to explain, feeling more tears run down my cheeks. "Someone was in trouble, and I couldn't get to them." Piper brushed the tears from my face, and Cain held out a glass of water, glaring at me until I took it and took a few sips. "Was this you? Is this like… like the dreams before I met you?" I asked, watching Piper carefully. He shook his head, continuing to stroke my hair.

"This wasn't me," he replied softly, looking down at the floor. I frowned and forced his gaze back up to meet mine.

"Piper, do you know something?" I asked, and the whole room went deadly quiet. "Have you had a… a vision or something?" He shook his head again, a frown creasing his brow.

"I haven't seen anything," he murmured. "Nothing but darkness." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I felt Austin's grip on me tighten.

"What do you mean, darkness?" I asked slowly.

"Let's discuss this in the morning. Er… later in the morning," Cain yawned, gesturing for me to get up. "You two, come to bed, so Addy doesn't flip out and storms through the house again," he snapped, taking my hand and leading me back upstairs. My eyes were threatening to close as he helped me back into the bed, tucking me underneath the blankets once more. I felt Piper and Austin climb in after me, and Piper crawled up beside me, his hand falling on my hip. I drifted back off to sleep, feeling better knowing everyone was nearby.

"Turn off that fucking alarm, please," Wyatt moaned, and I scrambled out from under Piper's arm to grab my phone. Of course, thanks to last night's panic, I overslept, and now I was late.

"Shit!" I moaned, hopping out of bed and getting dressed as fast as I could. So far, my clothes still fit, but my pants were struggling, and one good meal would have the button popping off. I wore a loose blouse so the small bump that was forming wouldn't be noticeable, and pulled my hair up into a half-assed bun as I headed downstairs. My bag was not in the chair where I'd left it, and I swore as I tore the living room apart hunting for it. Did I leave it at the lab? I frowned, trying to remember if I'd had it when I came home last night. I got so tired now. By the time Cain picked me up from work, I was basically a zombie. Did I leave my bag in the car, maybe?

I headed downstairs and growled when I saw Cain waiting by the door, my bag on his shoulder and his keys in hand. "You're late," he commented, smirking at me. I glared at him and stormed past, not bothering to hold the door for him as I headed to the car. He didn't seem to mind my silence one bit, and that made me furious. How was I supposed to give him the silent treatment if he fucking enjoyed it?

"Keep up the smirk. See what happens," I snarled at him, slamming the car door. As usual, he set my bag carefully in the backseat and waited for me to get my seatbelt on, only starting the car once I was completely secure. The ass . He did, in fact, keep smirking the entire way to campus, and I thought about how I could get him back the whole silent ride there.

He passed me my bag back once we were parked outside my building, and I took it from him with a sharp look. "5 p.m.?" he asked, just confirming the pickup time. I grunted an acknowledgment and climbed out of the car. Before I closed the door, I ducked back down.

"Oh, by the way, I've decided I want to have a water birth at home. So you'll need to find out where we can rent the pool from," I announced. Cain made a strangled sound as I slammed the door in his face, smirking myself as I headed up the steps to the building. Let him sweat over that for the day. Serves him right.

I was in a much better mood as I headed into the lab, but it dimmed slightly when I caught sight of Hannah hovering outside my office door, clearly waiting for me. Something was going on with her, and I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but it made me nervous. I slowed to a stop as she bounded toward me; her smile was at odds with the anxiousness behind her eyes. "Addison!" she called unnecessarily, skidding to a stop in front of me. "I've missed you! Where have you been lately?"

Avoiding you . I smiled, feeling a tad guilty. Dark circles told me that she hadn't been sleeping well lately. She looked stressed. "Sorry Hannah, just busy. You know how it is." I adjusted the strap on my shoulder, glancing toward my office door, which Hannah was now blocking. "How are you doing? Are you feeling okay?" I asked gently. Her smile brightened to a nearly unnatural level.

"Of course! I'm great! Just worried about you. Ever since the bar you've been…" She looked down at her shoes, chewing on her lip. Oh shit, she probably thought I was mad at her about what happened at the bar. Guilt washed over me. I was a suspicious jerk for no reason.

"Hannah, I'm not mad at you. The conversation at the bar wasn't your fault," I told her gently. "I've just been busy, honest. I'm not avoiding you." Her whole body lifted at my statement, like I'd re-inflated her with my words.

"Oh, I'm so relieved!" she beamed. "I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost my lab girlfriend." She winked at me, and I laughed, feeling stupid for being so suspicious. Sometimes I forgot that people actually had friends.

"I should go drop my stuff off, but I'll talk to you in a bit, okay?" I smiled, and she nodded enthusiastically, moving to let me pass.

I dropped my bag in my office and set up my laptop, yawning as I sank into my chair. I was so tired already, and it wasn't even lunch. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I frowned, checking it quickly.

No coffee – caffeine bad :(

My blood boiled. Who the fuck was Cain to tell me what I could and could not drink? I'd have coffee if I wanted to! One for me, and a shot of espresso for each baby. How was that? I typed back an angry message immediately.

You know what's worse? Second-hand smoke!!

"There! Checkmate, you overbearing jerk," I harrumphed, dropping my phone back on my desk. My stomach grumbled and I groaned out loud. In the rush, I hadn't had breakfast, and if I got too hungry, the nausea was horrible. I was already terrible at being pregnant. This sucked. I felt tears prickle in my eyes, and I groaned again. Great, now I was crying about being hungry. Fuck, I was going insane.

I went to grab my wallet out of my bag, hoping the vending machine would magically have chips with added folic acid or something. On top of my wallet was a protein bar and a container of cut-up fruit with a fork taped on top. Dammit . More tears formed, and I snarled out loud at my ridiculous hormones. I wasn't stubborn enough to turn up my nose at food though, so I ate my breakfast while I reviewed my notes from last week.

My mood was vastly improved by the time I went outside to check on my subjects. Hannah was still out there, sitting and looking very zoned out in front of a container with a praying mantis in it. Her notebook was on the table next to her, but it looked like she hadn't taken any notes yet today. I pulled up a chair at the table nearby, grabbing one of my spiders in their container and setting it down where I could observe it.

"Hannah?" I called out softly. She jumped as if I'd woken her up, her pen slipping out of her fingers and landing on the floor with a clatter.

"Sorry, did you say something?" she asked, her smile tight. I frowned and shook my head, watching her as she bent down to grab her pen.

"Hannah… are you alright?" I asked softly. "You look… upset. Is everything okay with your boyfriend?"

She nodded quickly, her cheeks turning a bright red. "Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know where my head is today." She laughed, waving her hand. "Everything's fine, he's great. Perfect actually." She smiled wistfully, and I nodded slowly.

"Okay, I'm glad," I replied, still not entirely convinced. But my judgment was a little… off these days, so maybe I was just imagining it.

"How's your… boyfriend?" she asked timidly, and she must have meant Austin.

"He's good." I smiled. Actually, he was elated now that I was pregnant. Oh, and we pierced my nipples, then unpierced them. Then I had sex in his room full of snakes that he can talk to . I said none of this, because that would be one sure way to get committed. It was really hard to make small talk when my life was… well, fucking bizarre.

"That's nice. You have other roommates too, right? Like that guy who drives you all the time," she commented, and my eyebrows rose. I didn't make it a habit to talk about the guys, or my living arrangement, since… It prompted follow-up questions that I wasn't comfortable answering.

"Yeah, there's a few of us there. Helps with rent," I replied vaguely, watching my little test subject make adjustments to her nest.

"Do you sleep with all of them?" Now it was my turn to nearly drop my pen. I looked up at Hannah sharply, but her face was open, curious, no hint of malice, although I swear her question had a nasty undercurrent to it.

"Hannah, that's not an appropriate question," I said coolly, trying to stay professional, even when I wanted to start yelling at her.

"It's fine, honestly! Poly relationships are totally normal nowadays. Dr. Shepard lives with her two partners," she offered, smiling brightly, once again diffusing the intense rage that had been simmering in my chest. Jesus, was I turning into Cain? Oh my god, these babies were going to drive me to madness.

"Oh, I see…" I finally managed to reply, tapping my pen on my notepad idly. "Well, we're just friends. He gives me a ride because it's on his way," I clarified, the lie feeling uncomfortable in my chest.

Just friends was the biggest lie I'd told Hannah, and it didn't do the relationship I had with the guys justice at all. They were much more than just friends to me. That invisible wall between me and Hannah, the same one that existed between me and everyone else normal in the world, seemed to grow, and the silence in the room became weighted. I pretended to take some more notes, but my heart wasn't in it today. I put the container back in its place and headed back to my office to work on my study instead, unable to sit in that uncomfortable room any longer. This was exactly why I didn't like to make friends with my colleagues. Eventually, it became clear to them that there was a line they would never cross into my life, and it made things awkward.

I only ventured out of my office twice more that afternoon – once to make a crappy cup of decaf coffee, and then again when I caved and got a chocolate bar from the vending machine. By the time 5 p.m. rolled around, I was antsy and ready to leave. Grabbing my bag, I slipped out of my office, glancing around to see if Hannah was still lurking around. When the coast was clear, I quickly headed to the door, not stopping when I heard footsteps hurrying toward me. I let the door close behind me and bolted for the exit, feeling more than a little stupid that I was trying this hard to avoid someone.

Cain's car was missing when I got outside, and I double-checked the time, worried that I'd left too early. A low whistle caught my attention, and I saw Piper leaning against a nearby tree, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked… good? Like, really good. I headed over to him, my eyes wide with shock. His eyes were so clear, the blue unmarred by the clouds that normally had him half-here and half-dreaming when he was awake. He gave me a cheeky grin and caught me by the elbow as soon as I was close enough, tugging me against his chest.

"Hello, my Little Spider," he murmured, kissing my forehead. My cheeks warmed, and I sank into him, holding him in the present while I had his full attention.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice muffled against his chest.

"Cain had something urgent come up, a problem with work or something." He shrugged. "I offered to pick you up instead." I smiled and finally let him go, pulling back to look him over. He was fully dressed - and in his own clothes, no less - but still covered in his usual assortment of necklaces and bracelets.

"You seem… different," I murmured, taking his hand and tracing my finger over his knuckles. He looked away briefly, his jaw clenching, and something deep inside my chest screamed at me to pay attention, because something was wrong.

"Let's go." He smiled tightly, tugging my hand and leading me toward home. I tried to talk to him about what was going on, but every time I opened my mouth he beat me to it, telling me about his day, asking about my spiders, anything he could to deter me.

"Did I ever tell you about my great-grandmother?" he asked suddenly, and I raised an eyebrow. None of us ever talk about our families because we'd need a trauma counselor and several days to unpack all of that. I tried to think about the last time Piper had mentioned his past.

"You lived with her for a while, right? And your mom?" I asked carefully, and he nodded, giving my hand a little squeeze.

"I did. She was amazing, my great-grandmother," he sighed wistfully. "She had the gift of Sight, and people would travel from all over just to have her read their tea leaves. You know, she would have been able to tell you the sex of both babies, and name them." He smiled. "She would have liked you," he continued, dropping my hand so he could wrap his arm across my shoulders as we walked. "She liked fiery women."

I smirked, elbowing him in the ribs. "Just like you," I replied, and he laughed.

"She would've liked all of you," he murmured. "Every one of you was meant to be, created for a specific purpose."

I looked up at him, frowning. "You were too, you know," I replied, but he shook his head.

"I was a mistake. A man born with the Sight is an abomination. A curse given breath," he sighed. "She told me that, you know? She loved me and couldn't bring herself to do the right thing and kill me. So she sent us away and told me to do my best and not harm anyone else with my gift." His arm tightened around me, and I stopped just in front of the steps to our studio, frowning.

"That's enough of that!" I snapped. "Why are you telling me this, Piper? What the hell is going on with you lately? You're acting weird, and you're starting to scare me!" He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm, digging in with my nails to stop him from pulling away. "Piper!"

"Cain is worried the babies are his, but I'm more worried that they're mine," he whispered, looking down at the ground. "Something bad is going to happen, and I don't know what it is. Everything's gone dark, Addison. My dreams, the future. All I see now is… a void. Pitch black nothing." I dropped my hand from his arm, a cold chill running through my body. He fumbled with his collar, untying one of his many charms and holding it out to me. "Put this on," he asked roughly, and when I made no move to take it, he stepped forward and tied it around my neck.

The thin cord was wrapped around a smooth, shimmering brown stone, and I touched it gingerly, frowning up at him.

"What is this for?" I asked, and his hand reached up to graze across my cheek. I couldn't help but lean into the touch, and he sighed as if the weight of the world was crashing down on his chest.

"It will protect you. And the babies," he murmured, stroking my skin with his thumb, his sad eyes tracing my face as if he was trying to memorize every piece of me. Damn him, he was cryptic even when he was fucking clear and sober. Without warning, he leaned in, brushing his lips against mine in a kiss that tasted of goodbye. My heart hammered in my chest as he pulled away, and I wrapped my hand around his wrist, holding him tightly.

"Just come inside and we can talk, okay? You're freaking me out." I insisted, tugging on his arm. Quick as a whip, he slipped out of my grasp, taking a few steps away from me so I couldn't grab him again.

"I just want to walk for a while," he replied softly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Go inside, Little Spider." I opened my mouth to call after him, but he was already walking away, his hands shoved in his pockets. I was rooted to my spot on the pavement, watching until he turned the corner and disappeared from view. My breath was coming out in sharp bursts, and I was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"Addy? Babe?" Hands wrapped around my elbows, catching me as my knees buckled and I started sinking to the ground. I could hear Cain cursing, but it sounded very far away. My eyes were glued to the corner Piper had just gone around, willing him to reappear, safe and sound. Something was very, very wrong, and every atom in my body was screaming at me for just… letting him walk away.

I finally dragged my attention back to the present as my legs were scooped up, and I blinked up at Cain, whose face was twisted with worry. He carried me up the steps and shoved the door open with his shoulder, snarling that it should have been locked. The dread in my stomach was leeching my strength, and I dropped my head against Cain's chest as he cradled me in his arms, bringing me upstairs.

"Austin! Get your ass down here and fucking help me!" he shouted, and I heard footsteps thundering down the stairs as he set me down on the couch.

"What happened-"

"Baby?" I closed my eyes, but all I could see was Piper rounding that corner. A cold, damp cloth was pressed against my forehead, and I pushed it away impatiently, struggling to stand up, but hands pushed me back down onto the couch.

"What's wrong Addy? What happened?" Wyatt's face appeared beside me, tight with concern.

"I'm calling the doctor. Where did we put her number? It should be on the fucking fridge!" Cain snapped, and I heard things slamming around the kitchen.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, trying to get up again. "But I need to get him back." Wyatt caught me by the shoulder, refusing to let me stand. I snarled at him, and he swore like I'd bitten him, flinching away.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Austin crawled up on the couch beside me, caging me in with his body. His nose skimmed my jaw, hissing softly as his hands stroked my hair. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and goddamn, did I ever feel crazy? I wasn't emotional like this. What the fuck was happening to me?

"Piper left," I choked out, and Austin frowned, looking towards the stairs.

"He leaves a lot, but he always comes back," Wyatt offered gently.

"Like a bad penny," Cain muttered, holding out a glass of water. "Drink this, now."

I glared at him, but took the glass, suddenly feeling parched. I gulped down the whole glass and handed it back, shaking my head. "No, I mean he left. I let him walk away and I just… something is wrong, and I need him to come back. Now!" My voice cracked, and Cain immediately had his phone out, dialing someone as he muttered under his breath. Austin was still hovering overtop of me, and his hand moved down to my chest, plucking at the charm Piper had given me.

"Why do you have this?" he rasped, and I shook my head again.

"I don't know. He put it on me and told me not to take it off," I explained, touching it gingerly. Austin glanced up at Cain, who was cursing softly and typing into his phone. He looked worried, and I didn't like that. They were the sane ones. They were supposed to tell me that I was tired and hormonal and overreacting.

"That's his special charm," Austin whispered, and Wyatt reached over to touch it, moving very carefully. "He never takes it off. He said his elder gave it to him. For protection, he said." I closed my eyes, more tears leaking out against my will.

"I shouldn't have let him walk away. Something bad is going to happen. It's… I can just feel it," I whispered, pushing to my feet. "I'm going to go look for him." Austin was right behind me, his hands on my waist, and Wyatt moved to block the stairs.

"He's not answering his phone, but that's no surprise," Cain muttered. "You are not going out and wandering around looking for that man. He's like a feral cat, he knows the streets, he's gotten around without too much trouble for years now. He always comes home, Addy. Trust me, I haven't been able to shake him yet." He was being reassuring, his hands rubbing my arms, warming me up.

"Come on sweetheart, just lay down for a while, get some rest. He'll be back before morning, I'm sure of it." Wyatt smiled, but I wasn't reassured. Still, my eyelids were so heavy, it wasn't hard for them to coax me upstairs to my bedroom, the three of them working as a team to get me undressed. Normally, this would've been a fun afternoon activity, but my mind was somewhere else, so the whole thing was quick and mechanical. Austin curled up with me on the bed, pulling me back against him and wrapping his arm around my waist. I could hear Wyatt and Cain murmuring to each other as they left us in the darkness. I felt my eyes closing, sleep coming whether I wanted it to or not.

Something - a sound or a whisper - woke me up around 3 a.m.. Carefully, so as not to wake up Austin, I slipped out of the bed and tiptoed out of the room, shutting the door behind me. I crept downstairs and found my bag by the kitchen table. Pulling out my laptop, I curled up on the couch, checking to see if my online friend was around. Knowing there was someone else out there like… us … gave me a faint glimmer of hope. Maybe this was normal, this… panic . Maybe because of our bizarre connection with each other, I was feeling Piper's panic and misinterpreting it. Could people like us even be pregnant? Safely? All of our parents were normal, as far as I knew. Although Piper's family clearly had something weird going on with them, or at least his great-grandmother. I sent Angelsgrace23 a message and waited, twisting a strand of hair around my finger as I waited.

A soft hiss made me yelp, nearly dropping my laptop as I looked up, expecting to see Austin hovering over me. Instead, I saw a small ripple along the back of the couch, black scales flashing in the dim light of my laptop screen. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" I murmured, holding out a tentative hand towards the snake. I was getting used to their boldness now, and didn't flinch as it shifted off the couch, slithering its way up my arm so it could coil itself around my neck.

This was one of the twin vipers. The black ones that Cain was always nervous about, since apparently they were the most venomous of the crew Austin had assembled. In fact, he'd looked it up, and they were illegal to own. Even the Granddaddy cobra was technically safer than this one, but I trusted Austin and I trusted my little friend here. Austin said that one was a boy and one was a girl, and I believed him, but I couldn't tell them apart.

"Are you Selene, or Helios?" I asked softly, knowing it wouldn't answer. I thought naming them after Cleopatra's twins was fitting since she'd chosen to seal her fate with an asp. Austin didn't name them, except Little Red, because he didn't understand the need for names, but I liked to. It felt weird to just call them ‘snake'. As I'd expected, it didn't answer, so I stroked its body once more and turned back to my laptop, sitting up straight when I saw a new message pop-up.

Is everything okay??

I felt bad. I hadn't talked with her after all my panicked questions about pregnancy and how to deal with four emotionally stunted men.

I'm okay, sort of. I'm worried, I feel like… the babies are making me crazy.

BABIES?!!!!

Oh right, oops . I gave her the highlights, trying to be detailed but also still a little vague, because honestly I didn't know her from Adam, and who knew what this information could do in the wrong hands. I watched the little typing icon blink for what felt like ages, before her message finally popped up.

I don't think you're crazy.

Tears prickled behind my eyes, and I groaned as, once again, I was crying at the drop of a hat. Fucking useless hormones. It felt good to know that someone else believed me, though. Even the guys were acting like I was overreacting and it was starting to make me unravel.

I found someone who had specials for parents.

My stomach clenches, noting the past tense.

What happened to them? To the person? Are they okay??

I waited and waited, stroking Selene gently - honestly, I still didn't know who it was, I just decided it was Selene. This was a girl's night, officially.

His dad was killed a few years ago. He was a bad guy though. Lots of enemies.

His mom died when he was born...

I flinched, and Selene squeezed my neck gently, reassuring me. Of course, I'm sure a lot of us aren't going to the hospital on the regular.

Does he know… was her pregnancy… odd?

I'm not sure. I can ask maybe… he doesn't like to talk about her.

I winced, go figure, we specials sure weren't much for family, it seemed. I told her not to worry about it. After all the help she'd given me, I'd hate to cause her any trouble. I chewed my lip, still fighting the anxiety clawing its way out of my chest. Piper still hadn't come home, and somewhere deep down, I knew he wouldn't. Not without our help.