Page 10 of Memories of the Dark

“With young men like you and your cousins, the future of The Base looks promising and bright. Monsters always lurk in the shadows, ready to prey on the innocent, and the battle against them is a never-ending one, but your generation is rising, strong, brave and ready to carry on the fight.” Fabian’s voice was thick with emotion as he affectionately gazed over at Nico.

“I’ll do my best to stop these vile men by helping the victims to overcome their fear and testify in court against them. You must be the famous Mister Bloom, my father’s stepfather; the one who was so kind to him. It’s an immense honour to finally meet you, sir. Our lawyers speak very highly of you.” Nico extended his hand, a shy smile, so much like Ardan’s, playing on his lips. “May I call you Granddad?”

“Dear child, you have made this old man very happy! Of course, you may call me Granddad. That is what I am to you, right? Fergus will love you so much when he comes back home because he will, and I’ll be damned if I ever let someone come between you and your father again!” Fabian hugged the boy to his chest, pouring his whole heart into the gesture, his face radiating affection and protectiveness.

Going into the kitchen to start dinner, Helen left Nico in the company of his male relatives. She could hear her son telling them about the mare he helped give birth earlier and about the difficulties both him and the mother-to-be had to overcome because the fawn was placed in a position that endangered both his and the mare’s life.

The conversation continued on the same tone at dinner, Nico being showered with praise by Ardan and Fabian, both visibly impressed by his solid base of knowledge in the veterinary medicine field. The kid told the two men he dreamed about being a veterinarian since a very young age, and started to study very early, around the age of ten.

Then, when Nico was fifteen, one of his closest friends nearly died after being brutally beaten by his own father, who also submitted him to sexual abuse. At that point of the story, Fergus’s son’s eyes darkened, narrowing to two slits as he fought hard to keep his anger under control. He looks so much like his uncles, Fabian thought, smiling inwardly.

Finally calming down, Nico turned to Ardan, asking him if he had any children of his own. In his signature soft, warm voice, the man told his nephew about his teenage sons, Lorcan and Cian, and the special relationship they had with his husband, Alasdair. Then he spoke about Paisley and Axel, his youngest children, whom he called ‘sweet angels.’ At that point, the incandescent light reappeared in Ardan’s turquoise eyes, transfixing him.

From her place at the table, Helen examined the two men of whose existence she had been completely unaware until a couple of days before. Being kicked out by her stepmother at seventeen, after her father’s death, she always yearned for a family of her own, but after a string of relationships ended disastrously, the woman resigned herself, coming to peace with the idea that she would be alone all her life.

That was until the day she answered a newspaper announcement looking for a young, healthy woman interested in becoming a surrogate mother. Although at first, Helen saw it only as a great opportunity to make nice money and live a comfortable life by giving birth and raising a rich kid’s baby, everything changed after she became pregnant.

Seventeen years later, she couldn’t imagine life without the friendly, generous, kind, intelligent, affectionate and sweet teenager Nico turned into. Through the photos the Hawthorne brothers sent periodically, Helen also established a remote bond with Fergus, whom she developed a sisterly affection for. She really wished he could set himself free from that Greenwood bastard’s claws and find someone who could make him happy.

Abandoning the walk down memory lane, Helen brought herself back to the present and took an active part in the conversation, eager to find out more about the world she and her son were soon going to live in. Half an hour later, plates emptied and the chef complimented for the tasty meal, the woman started to clean the table, Ardan offering to help her with the dishes.

The next day, during the flight, Fergus’s son continued to bond with the members of his father’s family, and during the long hours of flight, the two men came to know the complete story of his life, shenanigans included. Ardan and Fabian rewarded Nico’s trust by telling him what living at The Base looked like, the kid listening to their every word with fascination.

“Mom, look. Do you think those people over there are waiting for us?” Nico pointed to a group of silhouettes as the plane was landing on a little, private airport near La Guardia. “Granddad, Uncle Ardan, can you tell from this distance?”

“Sure, dear child. That one over there is my dear husband, Lance. There is also Dunbar on the left and... Yes, of course, Rowan came too.” Fabian shook his head, rolling his eyes, much to Ardan’s amusement. “Oh, look over there. The man with the fiery red hair; he’s your uncle’s soulmate, his husband, Alasdair.”

“The one who was admitted to the college at the age of sixteen?” Nico’s eyes went wide with excitement when Ardan confirmed with a nod and a smile. “Wow, that’s brilliant. I can’t wait to meet him! And my cousins, of course!”

“I’m sure they’re also looking forward to meeting you, and by they, I mean all my sons’ friends who are college students and, when their busy schedule allows them, happily volunteer at The Base.” Ardan lightly caressed his nephew’s golden strands, smiling affectionately. “You’ll be like a little brother for them, the youngest of the bunch.”

“Welcome to New York City. Let me help you.” The long-haired, blond kid was the first who greeted Helen, his ocean-blue eyes filled with a mixture of excitement, curiosity and a well-disguised drop of mischief, directed to Fabian, as usual. “My name is Rowan Norton, and I can’t tell you how happy I am that you and your son will live with me.”

“Helen Addincott, happy to meet such a fine, young gentleman like you. Thank you for the warm welcome. That’s so sweet of you.” The woman warmly hugged the boy, rubbing his back.

“Hello, there. I’m Nico, pleased to meet you. Granddad told me you work for the Van der Meerwe Institute, is that right?”

“Well, I have a lot to learn, but yes. I’m honored and lucky to be a member of Doctor Stark’s team.” Rowan smiled, wrapping his arms around the younger boy. “Granddad? Yeah, that’s better. Granddad and Grumpa.”

“Well, sir, your life will never be the same now that my nephew is a part of it. I see a lot of mischief coming.” Ardan’s wide, toothy grin was like a balm on Fabian’s soul. He is healing, the man thought, wrapping him in a warm gaze.

CHAPTER 9

“Good morning, sweet boy! You look great this morning, less melancholic... did you have a good dream for a change? I didn’t hear you talking or whimpering last night, but then again, I slept like a log. Yesterday was a very busy day.” Dehaan headed to Fergus, who was sitting on an armchair with a book in his hand.

“Good morning, and yes, I had a very beautiful dream, and I was a little sad it ended so soon. I was at Mister Bloom’s mansion, and Mister Hansen was making pancakes. We all had breakfast, and Rowan said something funny, as usual... I miss them all.” A shadow descended over Fergus’s turquoise eyes, dimming the light in them.

“Don’t worry, sweet boy. Your memories will come back sooner than you think, and you will be reunited with those who care about you. Speaking of, who is Mister Hansen? It’s the first time you mentioned the name.” Dehaan offered Fergus an encouraging smile, taking his temperature. “No fever this morning. That’s more great news.”

“That’s because you and Miss Agatha are taking such great care of me. I don’t know how to repay your kindness. You have been awesome, spending long hours by my bedside, skipping meals and missing sleep, always using words of endearment, even when I gave you hard time. By the way, why are you calling me sweet boy? Not that I don’t like it, on the contrary, I love it very much. It soothes me. It calms down my mind and...” Fergus fell silent, lowering his head, a light blush creeping on his cheeks.

“The first time I used those words, I did it to make you comfortable in my presence and because you were hurt and scared. Now, I do it because you look younger, vulnerable and sweet. I like your eyes very much. They are so innocent and full of light, even when you are sad.” Dehaan tentatively touched Fergus’s hair, straightening a strand that had fallen out of place, covering his eyes.

“Blair hated my face. He used to call me hybrid and unfinished, but I thought it was part of the games he liked to play in the bedroom. Last time we met, though, he made his feelings known in a very categoric manner. But enough of my whining, what are your plans for today? I hope you’re not drowning yourself in work again. You could use a break from time to time.”

“Work is necessary. The more time I spend in the lab, the more drug dealers will be out of business at some point. What is Everly doing? I haven’t seen him this morning.” Dehaan hoped he managed to change the course of discussion, turning Fergus’s attention from himself.

“I let him sleep in again. He needs to rest. However, he’ll wake up soon, I think, and will hang out with your friend for a bit. I like the guy very much. Everly trusts him, which is very unusual for him. He hasn’t opened up to anyone until now. But with Xavier he feels safe enough to talk about things he hasn’t talked to anyone about, not even with me.”

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