3.7 Rescue

"Ambrogio this is taking too much time," Adam complained. "Isn't there another way we can search for these time bubbles?"

"I wish there was...." Ambrogio fell silent contemplating what he should do. There was a way but he wasn't sure if he should try it. Time was running out for them. The longer the boys stayed inside the time bubble the harder it would be to get them out. It had already been almost two weeks since he had put them inside the time bubble. To the boys it would have felt more like two years. They could literally live their entire lives in a span of one year of normal time.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Adam asked picking up on Ambrogio's thoughts.

"I didn't think it would take so long. It's almost as if....."

"As if what?" Adam prompted.

"As if someone was blocking me. Preventing me from finding the precise time bubble...." Groaning Ambrogio continued "I made a horrible mistake by putting the boys in the bubble. I thought they'd be safe but instead I put them in terrible danger...."

"What danger?" Adam asked growing impatient.

"The Watchers must have gained control of the time bubbles. That's the only way the bubbles could have become cloaked. If I had known I would never have put them into one because of me they're in unimaginable danger."

Feeling his anger rising Adam tried to keep a lid on it by asking "what do we do about it now? How do we get them out?"

"How can you be so calm?" Ambrogio asked "if it were my son I'd be furious."

"Would it help if I said I was?" Adam asked his voice rising "Ok I am. Feel better? One of us has to keep our heads. I guess I'm elected. Pull yourself together and tell me how I can rescue my son."

"It'll be dangerous..."

"Do I look like I care?" Adam dismissed his concern as inconsequential.

"Only the most powerful vampires are able to produce enough power to open a portal into a time bubble..." Ambrogio began to explain.

"Will we need to do this tedious process of searching for the right bubble or can I just think about my son and the right portal will open?" Adam asked jumping steps ahead.

"Essentially yes," Ambrogio agreed "you as 'The Chosen One' should have the ability. Combined with my power we should be able to open a portal from inside the bubble to escape."

"What are we waiting?" Adam asked eager to find his son.

"We should wait for daybreak when we're alone. We shouldn't be interrupted when we do this."

"Alright that should be in a couple of hours." Adam agreed telling no one what he and Ambrogio planned to do. It either worked or didn't but he had to try.

***

Meanwhile the boys were spending a quiet evening together. Neither one could look at the other for fear of seeing their failure reflected back at them. They hadn't been able to find a way out and their repeated notes to their mysterious helper went unanswered. Don groped for Heath's hand "I'm sorry."

"So am I" Heath said turning to look at him. Instead of the fear and defeat he expected to find he found love and trust shining through his crystal blue eyes. "I love you."

Don turned pulling Heath into an embrace putting his hand on Heath's swollen stomach feeling the baby move. "I love you more than anything in this world."

Heath tilted his face up to his and Don bent to passionately kiss him. "Are you hungry sweetheart?"

"No" Heath laid his head on Don's shoulder. "Please just hold me." It had become his nightly request. Something to reassure him that he was loved and cherished. Something to still his fears that the end was near. That one way or another they were going to be separated and it was tearing him up inside.

"How long?" Don asked his heart aching as he asked. It felt like he was watching the sands in an hourglass run out. The larger Heath became the faster time ran out.

"Not....long" Heath said as a sharp pain went through him. He didn't mention it knowing it for what it was...the beginning of the end. "Promise me no matter what you'll save the baby."

"Heath please don't make me I...I...can't" Don protested pulling Heath close against him. "Don't ask me to choose between you and the baby. I just can't do it."

Lifting his arm Heath ran his hands through Don's hair "it's ok baby. I understand."

"I'm sorry" Don sniffled as tears ran down his nose.

Jerking awake Don moved towards Heath who was whimpering in pain. "Oh honey why didn't you wake me?"

Heath turned his head and smiled through his pain "I was hoping it would be over before you woke up. I'm sorry I tried to be quiet."

"Hon I don't want you to suffer alone," Don blinked back tears determined to be strong. Heath needed him to be strong.

Heath gripped Don's hand as he screamed in pain. Wiping the sweat from his brow Don whispered words of encouragement and endearments as he watched the most important person in his life suffer. Unable to take Heath's severe pain Don asked "what do I do? Tell me what you need me to do."

Smiling weakly "I...thought...you...couldn't..." he panted.

"I can't just sit and watch you suffer either" Don kissed him before continuing "I'm sorry I didn't realize it would be so bad..."

"Don't...be..." Heath motioned with his hand toward his stomach "cut...along...there..." gasping in pain Heath let his hand drop.

Going outside Don grabbed some pain "Heath honey show me again. Where do I cut?"

Weakly Heath brought his hand up again "along there." His eyes rolled up inside his head as he passed out.

"Heath honey wake up...wake up," Don begged. Through his tears he laid his head on Heath's stomach feeling the baby move. Gripping the scalpel their benefactor had provided them with he reached out to cut along the painted line. "I can't do this" Don muttered as his mind attempted to blank out. "I can't believe I'm going to do this." His hands shook as he took a deep breath steadying himself to perform the operation that needed to be done when an unfamiliar voice stopped him.

"Stop you're doing it wrong," looking up Don saw a man dressed in white and blue. 

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm the guy who is going to save your boyfriend and baby" came the cocky reply "stand aside."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Don asked refusing to move.

Shrugging "either way he dies," came the cold reply "why not take a chance. If I'm trustworthy they'll live."

Looking down at Heath he slowly nodded his head. Don handed the scalpel to the man "alright I have nothing else to lose."

"Don't be like that," the man said "the best is yet to come." The man's voice was deep and somewhat reassuring.

"What can I do to help?" Don asked dragging his eyes away from Heath's ashen, blue tinged lips and face.

"Just stay out of my way," the man demanded "this is going to be hard enough without you getting in my way."

Standing aside Don watched as the man sliced into Heath's abdomen wincing as the blood seeped through the incision. Becoming lightheaded as his ears began to ring Don hit the floor before he realized he was passing out.

Looking down Silver muttered "well that's one way of staying put." His hands worked deftly with the crude instruments. He avoided looking at the young man he was cutting on focusing his mind on saving the baby. If he could save both he would but the baby came first. 

Twenty minutes later he lifted a limp infant from Heath. With a sinking heart he knew he had taken too longm the baby was dead. He had failed. Tears welled in his eyes as he gazed into the still features of the little girl that never had a chance to live. There was something, a risk but he couldn't do it here...

Laying the infant down carefully in a towel he turned his attention to the boy. Working swiftly he was half finished closing up his incisions when Rendar and Ton'ga entered the room. Before turning to face them he picked up the infant "you're too late the baby is dead."

"We don't need it now that we have you." Ton'ga smiled moving closer while Rendar guarded the door.

"You don't have me yet," Silver told the woman "such nasty creatures you've become." He waved his free hand towards the two helpless unconscious boys.

"Us? What about you?" Ton'ga replied "you forsook us. Bred with these vile creatures when you could have helped us. You're one of us."

"I'm neither watcher nor creator. I was loved and accepted by no one. Only among humans have I found a welcoming spot." He held the infant to his chest. A soft almost imperceptible stirring of breath tickled his skin. Could it be? No impossible.

"Come with us Silver and we will make a new and better creator" Rendar invited moving from the door.

"Let go of the past," Silver advised "teach your creations how to live peacefully among humans instead of causing them pain and misery. This feud has lasted long enough. The creators have long forgotten about you. I'm trapped here for eternity because of who and what I am."

"You know that's not going to happen," Ton'ga spat at him "we need you to open the door to their realm..."

"Never"

"Why do you resist?" Rendar asked moving closer. "The Creators abandoned you. Why protect them? Join us and get your revenge."

Silver saw his chance and bolted for the door. Jumping from the deck to the ground below. The sound of a baby cry drifted on the still early morning air.

"Did you hear that?" Ton'ga yelled at her mate "that child lives."

"It was your imagination." Rendar told her.

"It was a baby's cry," Ton'ga confronted him "you wanted him to escape. You were supposed to guard the door." Hate filled her yellow eyes "you're working with him. That's why you delayed coming here when I wanted to come earlier."

"Ton'ga it's time you were quiet. You don't know what you are saying." Rendar ordered moving close to  her "I do not work for you or them." He moved swiftly rendering her unconscious. Scanning her brain for the right memories so he could  surgically remove them. Preoccupied with Ton'ga he was unaware of the time distortion as Adam entered the time bubble.

***

"Heath" Adam let out an anguished cry upon seeing his son lying unconscious on the bed, bleeding. 

Rendar stood up blocking his way "what are you doing here?"

Ignoring his question Adam asked "what have you done to my son?"

Shrugging as if Adam's concern was unimportant to him Rendar said "nothing." He smiled seeing his affect on Adam "you should leave before you become too weak."

Wiping blood from his nose Adam said "not without my son."

"Take him, he's of no use to us now," Rendar turned his back to pick up his mate. Turning at the door he said "I suggest you hurry."

Adam ran over to Heath as Don regained consciousness. Sitting up Don scrambled to his feet "oh thank goodness you've found us."

Barely registering that Don was talking Adam's eyes were glued to Heath "who did this?" his anger causing his voice to be rough and ominous.

Taking a step back Don shied away from him as Adam's eyes glowed bright in the semi dark room. 

Stammering Don looked down at Heath "whe....where's the baby?" His eyes growing large with fear as he met Adam's.

Gripping the boys shoulder Adam shook him "what baby? You haven't been here gone long enough to be having babies."

"Ttttwo years," he stammered "Silver came to help. Said he'd....he took our baby," he finished in misery.

Adam was about to speak when Ambrogio broke into his thoughts "you don't have time for this. As soon as Rendar informs the others they will block all exits from here and not even you will be able to get out. We can discuss this later on the other side."

"You're right,"Adam acknowledged turning to pick up Heath he asked "is it true they believe it's been two years?"

"Time passes at a different rate inside the time bubbles. It's very possible it has been two years." Ambrogio told him a hint of regret in his voice.

"They haven't aged any as far as I can tell They still look the same..."

"In real time it's only been two weeks. Their hair and fingernails haven't grown out either. Technically they haven't even aged. They don't belong here. Their bodies haven't adjusted to this time flow yet. That's why the pregnancy was so difficult. The baby is a product of this time and grew faster than Heath's body could adjust to. I'm surprised he survived at all."

"What happens to the baby if it stays in here?" Adam demanded.

"It'll age according to this time flow. A year for every week of normal time."

"But that would mean in a year of our time the child would be over fifty years old. We have to stay and find ...."

"We don't have time," Ambrogio said with urgency. "Heath needs medical attention or he'll die. You can heal him but you won't have the power necessary to open the portal again. You're already weak from coming here, being near the watchers you've become even weaker. Plus there's another concern...."

"What? What concern?" Adam demanded.

"The other boy is pregnant..."

Looking sharply at Don causing him to fidget in place. Adam demanded "how do you know?"

"Concentrate and you'll be able to hear the stirrings of life within him...."

Concentrating Adam expanded his senses and he could hear the faint stirrings of new life beyond the grumblings of internal organs and blood flow. Grimly Adam confirmed "I hear it."

"If you want to avoid another grandchild being born here we have to go now! The Watchers will be back and they want their combined DNA. They will take that child if we remain. There's nothing we can do about the other if it still lives," Ambrogio reasoned.

Making up his mind even though it went against everything he believed in he knew he couldn't let Don suffer the same as Heath had. His grandchild would not live a finite life within this bubble. Walking towards where he had entered the time bubble he concentrated on opening the portal into their time. He could feel his energy draining but he refused to use more power for fear of not having enough left over to heal his son.

***

Staggering out of the portal Adam fell heavily to the ground with Heath in his arms. Checking on his son he found Heath's heartbeat weak and fading, his breathing shallow and diminishing. Don crawled over to him "I'm sorry Mr Van Winkle I did everything I could think of. Heath knew before I did that he might die when the baby was due. He made me promise to do everything I could to save the baby." Turning to Adam "how can I look at him and tell him I let someone take our baby?"

Putting a hand on his shoulder Adam squeezed hard causing the boy to wince in pain. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have prevented it."

"I....I....fainted. Fainted when he needed me the most. It's unforgivable. I let him down." Don moved to touch Heath's hand pulling back as if scalded. "He's going to hate me."

"No he won't," Adam told him "how did you feel before you fainted?"

"Lightheaded, dizzy, ringing in my ears..." Don looked up with a questioning look "why?"

"How do you feel now?" Adam demanded.

Shrugging "about the same except I feel sick to my stomach."

"Can you really heal him?" Don asked his attention riveted on Heath.

Adam smiled watching him. He had known there was something special between this boy and his son ever since they were young kids. He wished they could have discovered it for themselves instead of having it thrust upon them. He could only imagine how they must have felt trapped and alone for what felt like years waiting wondering why no one came for them.

"I'm going to try," he told him "opening the portal has almost drained me. I need to rest before trying to heal him. Can you reach inside that bag and give me one of those juice packets?"

Nodding Don did as he was asked. "It's true then that you are a vampire."

"Unfortunately," Adam grimaced "but under the circumstances it's a good thing. I wouldn't have been able to find you or get you out of the time bubble without being one."

Nodding Don stared at Heath tears trickling down his cheeks "I'm confused why it took so long for you to find us." He tried to keep his voice calm but he could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Adam gripped his shoulder "I understand that to you it's been two years but for us it's only been two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Don questioned "that can't be right. Heath kept track of the time from the start. I was so sick when we arrived. I wasn't aware of much of anything." He picked up Heath's hand as he spoke "Heath kept me alive. Saved me. I couldn't even do the one thing he asked of me..."

Despite his weariness Adam pulled Don close comforting him "you did all you could do. How were you supposed to prevent Silver from taking the baby? He was stronger more powerful than you. In your condition you did all you could do?"

Pulling away Don stared at Adam "what do you mean 'in my condition'?"

Frowning Adam asked "you don't know do you?"

"Know what?" fear encompassing him Don could feel the panic gripping his heart.

Squeezing his shoulders "calm down Don," Adam told  him "I should have realized you might not know you were pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Don said in a mixture of surprise, anguish and disbelief. "I can't be pregnant. I'm not a halfling. You've got to be wrong."

Grunting "I wish I were. I can hear the baby moving inside you. It's the reason why I decided we had to leave instead of staying to look for Silver and the baby. I couldn't let you suffer the same as Heath." Adam smiled gently at him "that is after all my grandchild."

Holding his stomach Don recalled the dizzy spells, the upset stomachs, the queasiness that never went away. It all started to make sense. "But how?" he asked.

"From what I understand your a descendant of the original halfling, a being that is half Watcher and half Creator," Adam went on to tell Don everything he knew.

Digesting what he had just been told Don nodded a few times before saying "Heath was right. They were after our baby." Adam nodded in agreement. "We'll never be safe, will we?"

"No I'm sorry," Adam shook his head "but the burden isn't yours alone. I'm here to help you which I'm better equipped to do as a vampire than the average aging human male."

"My parents, do they know?" Don asked.

"Your dad is outside resting," Adam assured him "he's here to help you too. Don you and Heath will have all the support and help we an give you. Together we'll succeed." Hugging the distraught young man Adam suggested "get some rest and when you wake we'll start to plan out what we need to do to find  your daughter."

"It was girl?" Don asked missing the frown that flitted across Adam's face. He allowed Adam to fix up a bed on the floor for him to sleep on.

"Ambrogio," Adam called out in  his mind. How did he know the baby was a girl? Where had that knowledge come from? He could only think it came from Ambrogio. Was he in contact with Silver? 

"Ambrogio" he called again with the same results. He had become so accustomed to having Ambrogio inside his head he almost felt empty without his presence. Feeling shaky and weak Adam decided he couldn't wait any longer Heath was fading too fast. Cutting into his wrist he let his blood flow as he had for Percy and Quentin. Reaching for his bag he made sure he had several juice packets at hand. Growing fuzzy and dim witted he became aware of someone shouting at him.

"Adam, Adam you've got to stop," Ambrogio shouted at him. "You're draining yourself."

Lifting his head he fuzzily complied to Ambrogio's persistent commands. "Did it work?" he asked reaching for a juice packet finding it almost to heavy to lift.

"You should have waited," Ambrogio told him.

Lying down Adam sucked on a second juice packet "I called for you but you weren't there." Eyes closing feeling completely drained of power and energy "where were you?" he mumbled before falling into a deep sleep.