26. The Good Life

"Come again?" Dom said in a dark tone, one that was clearly mixed with a good deal of skepticism. Frank released a sigh and told us,

"I know what you're thinking."

"I doubt that," Lucius added wryly, he looked as shocked as we all did.

"You're wondering how none of you knew," he stated and well, yeah, we were all fucking wondering that. As for myself, my mind was fucking spinning!

"Alright, so maybe he does know what we are all thinking," Lucius replied sarcastically, before looking to Dom and asking, "I am assuming from the dumbfounded look on your face like we all wear, that you didn't know either?"

"No. I did not," he stated firmly, folding his arms across his chest, his whiskey long forgot. Whereas I had needed to down mine.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, then no one does. Because as far as my past life is concerned, everyone believed me to be dead and well, I just decided to keep it that way," Frank told us, making me eager to discover what type of past life he was speaking of.

"Who were you, Frank?" I asked, feeling as if he had a story to tell and for the first time in the Gods only knew how long, now was the time he had chosen to tell it.

"I was a hunter, one of the Fallen, and doing my time ridding the mortal world of rogue supernaturals, as your Enforcers aren't the only one with that job," he said, aiming this part at Dom and shit me, but he really did know all about our world.

"You're an Angel?" Orth guessed, making Frank nod.

"How did you manage to hide this knowledge?" Dom asked, as no doubt this was what he really wanted to know.

"It happened while I was hunting. An Ego Vereor Demon going by the name Yvonne Dubeck. Found her in these parts and tracked her to a house."

"Your house," Lucius added as things started falling into place.

"Yeah, but I know what you're thinking, I didn't just steal this fucking vessel," he snapped, frowning.

"Then what happened?"

"Like I said, I tracked the bitch to the uncle's house, when a fight broke out. I'd managed to mask what was happening to the uncle, saving him, but when his nephew turned up, she almost killed him during the fight. Injured me too, beyond something I could repair. I tried to save him, but by then it was too late. Yvonne got away, fled the scene and left the poor man to die in my arms."

"So you took his vessel?" Lucius asked, making Frank grit this teeth before answering,

"I had no choice. Like I said, mine was beyond repair but then something strange happened… something I never could have predicted."

"What happened?" I asked, as I was doing a pretty good job reserving my judgement until the end.

"Only way I can describe it, is we merged souls." At this we all reacted, as the confession felt profound for a reason.

"That's… that's impossible… isn't it?" my brother asked, clearly unsure.

"Not if it's fated," Dom replied, making Lucius agree in a tensed tone.

"Indeed."

"What happened, how did you discover this?" I asked, wanting details.

"I took his memories, everything about his life I now knew but more importantly, I felt it all."

"So, you became Frank?" I stated, making him nod, telling us,

"It was like I died that day as an Angel and was reborn into both mortal and Angel combined."

"So that's why no one could detect it in you?" Dom easily surmised, retaking his seat, whereas Frank remained standing.

"I was shocked when no one could. Didn't expect it to happen but I was glad when it did."

"You wanted out?" Lucius asked in surprise.

"I didn't want in to begin with. I was forced into becoming a hunter, so I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth and not take the golden opportunity."

Well I could understand that, as I hadn't always wanted to be King.

"So, you stayed under the radar," my brother said, prompting Frank to continue.

"Yeah, and with it, lived my life like a mortal. I had a family, had friends, all these people I now shared my memories with. I cared for them and with it…"

"You met a girl," Dom said, making Frank sigh.

"Yeah, I met a girl," he admitted with a smile as if now seeing the memory replay itself.

"But before settling down I knew I had one last job to do," he told us.

"Which was?" I questioned.

"Payback for a dead man, hence why that bitch is buried in my backyard." Orth laughed the once at this whereas Dom asked,

"You killed her?"

"She came back to the uncle's house like I knew she would. Of course, by then it was too late for him, as he had been driven mad and drained of most his life. So, it was revenge for them both because, this time, I was ready for her," he told us and I had to say, I couldn't blame him, especially not as it was two souls he would have been getting revenge for.

"Hence, why your Enforcers have never found her," Lucius pointed out; however, Dom's mind was elsewhere, stating firmly,

"What you did was forbidden."

"Yes, and I knew that, but knowing that no one would find out and seeing as I wasn't harming anyone or upsetting the balance, well bluntly put, I didn't give a shit."

I had to say, his excuse was one I couldn't blame him for being honest about. Because hadn't I been ready to do the very same thing with Ella, when I didn't know that she was my fated? It seemed that Frank and I were cut from the same cloth.

"Because you fell in love?" Orth asked.

"Shit yeah, I did. Libby became my whole world the day I saved her from being trampled on at that concert."

"And Ella?" I asked, knowing that she had no idea who her father really was all this time. Now what she would do when she found out, I didn't know, but I certainly wasn't going to be the one to keep shit like this from her. Something I would be telling Frank as soon as his story was done.

"Was a big fucking shock! I had told Libby the chances of us getting pregnant were slim. Told her it was because of medical reasons. As yes, I was breaking the rules, but even I wasn't going to go that far," Frank said, surprising us yet again.

"So, I take it when Ella arrived…?" Lucius asked, letting his question trail off.

"I was stunned and had no fucking clue how it had happened." Orth scoffed at this and said,

"It's called sex, mate."

"Yes, I am aware of how it's done, HellBeast," he replied wryly.

"But you hadn't allowed for this to happen?" Dom asked, wanting confirmation on this.

"Didn't even think it was fucking possible, not for one of my kind, but then I was shit scared that she would be born a Nephilim and you would find out," Frank said, still looking to Dom and making him sigh in response.

"And your abilities to mask yourself to others of your kind, do you believe this transferred to her, making her appear mortal?" I asked, tensing as I waited for the answer.

"No, she was born a mortal and I never detected anything but her being mine." At this he grinned as if he was remembering the day he first got to hold her. It also answered the question as to why they had never had any more kids.

"And Libby, she never found out?" This question again came from Dom.

"Like I said, I lived life as a mortal. I let my vessel age as she did."

"But then what was the plan to come after, as an immortal you would have…"

At this Frank held up his hand and stopped Dom from saying more.

"No, I wouldn't have lived on… not without my Libby." We all frowned at this.

"So, what was the plan?" Lucius asked this time.

"I figured all I ever needed was one life. One mortal life lived with the girl I loved and could grow old with together. After that, after I found myself at the end of that life, the moment Libby left this world, then so would I."

I released a heavy, weighted sigh at that, knowing what he meant, as suicide was certainly rare in our world but not entirely unheard of either.

"You would end it?" Dom asked, shocked.

"I found a way, yeah. But that is my business," Frank stated sternly, as clearly, he still wanted to keep some things close to his chest.

"And now?" I asked.

"Well, now things have changed," he stated with that tick in his jawline back.

"In what way?" Lucius asked, transforming that tense look to one that was pained.

"Yes, why now, Frank.? Why after all these years in hiding, why expose yourself now?" Dom asked.

"I told myself one life. But now it's being cut short, and I am not okay with that," he said, making me frown before realizing what he meant. It was why she looked different, even after this short time.

"Libby,"I said, making him close his eyes as the emotion gripped him. Then he told us,

"She has cancer."

At this I too closed my eyes as Dom did the same. The pain of this, clearly hit us both hard, for those that knew her would find this difficult to hear. But for me, it was also the added knowledge that Ella was going to be fucking crushed.

Heartbroken and devastated.

"Fuck,"I hissed.

"Gods, Frank, I am so sorry," Dom added, but Frank shook his head and said bluntly,

"Don't be sorry, just don't kill my ass when I make it right."

"You have a plan?" I asked, and this was less of a question but more of a statement.

"Libby found out and it broke her. Started treatments but I knew. I knew it wasn't curable. There was no fucking cruise, there was only pain, and she didn't want Ella seeing her while she was sick. That was her biggest worry, telling our girl." I nodded, before telling him,

"I understand."

"And now you want to save her?" Lucius stated, as he too knew how much it would hurt his wife to know she was about to lose her aunt to that awful fucking disease.

"I have never given her my blood. Like I said, I was content at one lifetime but now…" He couldn't go on, rubbing at his eyes as we all knew he was close to losing it.

"Now you're not and you want more," Dom finished, making Frank tense and stand tall.

"Yes, Dom, I want more." After this, Dom sighed before shocking us all and telling him without needing a second thought or any more convincing,

"Then you will have it."

"What?" Frank uttered on a stolen breath.

"As far as I am concerned, you have paid for your time in all the good you have done. But more than anything, your family, our family and that… well, that supersedes all else."

At this Frank could no longer stand, as he fell into a chair, held his head in his hands and started shaking. He was hunched over with his muscles tensed before they shuddered, telling us all he was overcome with emotion. Dom walked over to him and placed a hand on his back, holding out his drink to him.

"You deserve this happiness, Frank." At this Frank reacted and was up out of his seat, pulling Dom in for a hug, with tears in his eyes, now overcome with happiness.

"I can't lose her, Dom."

"And you won't, but you understand what this means?" Dom said, now pulling away from his hold and placing a comforting hand to his shoulder.

"Yes, but how the fuck do I tell them? What if Libby won't accept it…? What if she won't accept me?" At this Dom gave his shoulder a squeeze and told him,

"She loves you, Frank, why would she not be happy to realize that now she has an eternity with you?"

"An eternity with us all," he said now looking at me, as clearly he knew what this also meant for his daughter.

"Besides, for selfish reasons, I am thankful, for it means I get to see the joy in my wife's eyes when I tell her, as one of her biggest heartaches was the thought of one day having to live without her sister." At this Frank grinned and said,

"Well at least I can rely on Kaz to have my back if Libs freaks."

"No doubt," Dom said, grinning, as I finally got my head around this new turn of events. But then Frank shocked us further and said,

"Not sure she will be happy to know I have kept this from her all this time, or that you changed our last name."

At this Dom held up a hand the second I shot him a look and snapped,

"Why am I not surprised you failed to mention this too?"

"I did so for their protection and Keira agreed. After what happened in Keira's past and the supernatural ramifications it could have, I made the decision. Especially after Ella was born, as I knew having a surname that could have been linked to Keira could potentially put a target on their backs. Libby's maiden name was still the same but wouldn't have been ever linked to a Connor," Dom explained and given his reasons, then I couldn't really say that I blamed him. As I was up for most things if it meant keeping Ella safe, most things but leave her.

"I thought as much… although waking one day and discovering my entire family now believed it too… must have been one hell of a spell you had cast," Frank said, and Dom simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to look unapologetic.

"You will have to tell Ella, as I will not keep this from her for long, all of it," I stated, now looking at both of them.

"Of course, just give me the time to heal Libby and tell her, so we can both be there when we tell Ella." I nodded once, telling him this was acceptable. But then this was where the conversation took another turn, as Frank swigged back the rest of his drink and said,

"Right, well now that's out of the way… Does someone want to tell me what shit my daughter is really in?" At this we all looked to each other and, no doubt, all thought the same thing…

No,we really didn't.