3.28 The Passage of Time - Finale

Heath moaned from his position on the floor. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was Gerald forcing a kiss on him. The man's eyes kept changing color. Sitting up holding his head Heath looked around the room he was in. Blinking he groaned as he took in the familiar room. It couldn't be. He squeezed his eyes shut counting to ten hoping it was just a dream. Opening his eyes again, heart plummeting to his toes when he was still where he shouldn't be. He began to shake as he wrapped his arms around himself. He gave way to the fear engulfing him.

He reached out with his mind and felt .... nothing. Her comforting presence was gone. It served to confirm the awful truth of where he was and who Gerald really was. Why the man had given him a bad feeling from the moment they met. Heath held his stomach wondering what was coming next. If this time he would survive being here alone.

***

The sudden silence was deafening as Adam breathed heavily still holding his head. "Daddy are you alright?" Keenan asked fear in his voice and unnatural light eyes.

"Yeah" he gasped ruffling the boys white hair "give me a moment to collect myself." He tried to smile to reassure the boy but knew from experience that it wouldn't. It's devastating to watch one's father be in pain and unable to help them. Weakly he got to his feet and resumed his seat on the bench.

"Should I get Mommy?" Keenan asked. Nodding Adam let him go knowing it was better the boy feel like he was doing something to help.

It couldn't be possible. It shouldn't be happening. Adam reached out with his mind and touched his advisers minds. "Come now" he commanded "we have trouble." He knew they would come. He was after all ruler of both Moonlight Falls and Midnight Hollow. Without question they would drop everything and come.

***

Don received the call from the school that Kimberly was having an anxiety attack. He sat through a long winded lecture from the school nurse about getting her the best help to cope with her anxiety. The entire time Don nodded without hearing a word that was being said. His thoughts on Heath and the trouble he was in. He should never have let him go alone. That Gerald character showed up, he was sure of it. If he hurt his husband he would have to answer for it Don thought. While the stupid woman droned on Don pleaded with whoever was listening for Heath to be alright.

After what felt like hours Don was allowed to take Kimberly home. He could tell she had been crying from the way her eyes were red and swollen. She sniffed intermittently as she tried to curb the tide of tears. "Daddy's gone."

Don's hand jerked on the steering wheel "what do you mean gone?"

"He was there, that man you don't like and Daddy was scared." She looked out the window swiping at her eyes. "Then he was gone. I can't feel him anymore. I can't connect with him..."

Don could feel his heart pounding in his chest as if his heart was trying to escape his chest. It hurt worse then any physical blow he had ever received. His mind recoiled from what 'gone' could mean. Was Heath dead? Was...oh god no. Anything but that he thought. 

Kimberly turned to him "he has Daddy doesn't he?"

***

With a feeling of trepidation Heath walked to the glass doors hoping he was wrong. He screamed upon viewing the breathtaking landscape. Shaking he fell to his knees covering his head with his hands. It couldn't be but it was.

Heath gave vent to his despair. Once his tears had been spent he sat up leaning against the railing. His back to the panoramic view. He couldn't deny it anymore. No matter how much he wanted to. He was back in the bubble universe. 

He was alone. No one to talk to. No one to keep him sane. No one to care whether he lived or died. Again he found himself rubbing his stomach. It was going to be a surprise. Now it may as well be a death sentence. He smiled sadly "Don would have been so happy. He wanted more children. I thought four was more than enough."

He was almost eight weeks pregnant. A permanent reminder of Heath's first art show. Heath had been shocked. Scared remembering how difficult his first and only  pregnancy had been. Don made being pregnant look easy. Heath didn't enjoy it or the subsequent nausea, the aches and pains, the raging hormones. He had no happy memories of being pregnant other than being with Don, knowing he was loved. Now all he felt was numb. He'll feel scared tomorrow once his situation soaked in. How long would it take for his father to find him? How many years would lapse this time? Two weeks would be difficult, four weeks would be impossible.

***

"Are you sure?" Alanon asked putting a comforting arm around Ambrogio.

Nodding Adam sighed "I wish I wasn't but I got the message loud and clear from Heath. It's him. I don't know how he escaped but we all knew he would eventually."

"I thought we'd have more time," Ambrogio said quietly leaning into Alanon.

"We all hoped for more time," Adam confessed "the last think I want is for him to find out about my son." Adam couldn't keep the anguish he felt from filtering into his voice.

"Has he made contact with anyone?" Alanon asked trying to focus on the concrete things "Once he does we'll have a better idea what we can do. Where to look for Heath."

"Wouldn't he be in the same bubble universe?" Adam asked. What if Heath was in a different bubble? What if time ran backwards or went twice as fast? The possibilities were endless. He rubbed the top of  his nose hoping for calm, for inspiration. After eight years of ruling over thousands of supernaturals he could still feel helpless when it came to his family.

"He would definitely hide Heath in a different bubble universe" Ambrogio spoke softly "It'll take time to search all of them not to mention the disruption it'll cause."

"How so?" Adam asked. He didn't really care how disruptive it might be. His son was in trouble. That's all he cared about.

"We can't all go into bubble universe." Sighing Ambrogio prepared himself for a blast of Adam's ire when he continued "for instance your needed here...."

"The hell," Adam shouted standing up "I will not sit around doing nothing. Waiting for someone else to find my son...."

"Who will run Moonlight Falls? What if there are more skirmishes in one of the other dimensions that you need to mediate? You can't risk causing chaos here to go and look for Heath yourself." 

Ambrogio shook his head "Alanon and I will search for him."

***

"I'm coming with you," Don asserted "he's my husband."

Shaking his head Percy tried to reason with the younger man "your children need  you."

"They need Heath," Don almost yelled "I won't sit back and do nothing. We need all the people we can get searching for him."

Percy nodded putting a hand on the man's shoulder. Ambrogio and Alanon are searching for the most likely bubble universes where Silver could be hiding Heath. Until then all we can do is wait."

"How long will it take?" Don fretted "Heath worries all the time about the time we lost with Kimberly. Now this. We have to find him quickly."

"We're doing all we can," Percy assured him.

"Don nodded looking down "I suppose you're on your way to Moonlight Falls?"

"I'm the only one who can help Adam maintain the peace the while Alanon is occupied with searching for Heath." He gave Don a stiff smile "Adam feels as bad as you for not being able to physically search for Heath. We all have to do our parts until this is all over."

"My part evidently means watching the kids while they ask me where their Daddy is," Don rubbed the bridge of his nose "I wish I hadn't..." he sighed "the last conversation I had with Heath ended in an argument. He'd call every night and talk with the kids but wouldn't talk to him. What if that's the last..."

"Don he loves you" Percy told him "don't start doubting that. He knows you love him."

Nodding Don wished he was as confident in that as Percy was.

***

Why hadn't he told Don about the baby? Heath kept asking himself through out the day. Why hadn't he told Don he loved him the last time they were in the same room together? He should have given in to Don's request and cancelled the show but he wanted to prove he was capable of making his own decisions. As twenty-six year of age he should be able to make decisions that effect his career.

The thoughts and recriminations kept assaulting him. He had endless hours to contemplate what he could have done differently. The words he should have said but didn't. What if he never saw his kids or husband again?

"Didn't I tell you if you were mine I'd never let you out of my sight?" the now familiar voice of Gerald filled the room.

"I'll never be yours," Heath asserted.

"You'll pine for that wretched husband of yours forever," Gerald frowned "you'll never feel his tender touch, his soft sweet kisses, his loving gaze as he peers into your eyes." Laughing harshly "you're mine now."

"Never," Heath shook his head "I'll never be yours....I'd rather be dead."

"That my dear boy can be arranged," the man shouted as his body transformed before Heath's eyes into the man who had caused him so much trouble in the past.

"Silver," Heath gasped in shock, horror and acceptance.

"The one and only," Silver gave him a nasty grin "you'll agree to be mine or I'll rip that unborn fetus from your womb and eat it before your eyes."

Shaking Heath backed away from the monstrosity before him. Crossing his arms in front of him as if he could protect the child growing inside him.. What choice did he have? He had to protect his child. Don's child. He took a deep breath "I'll be yours once that baby's born. You leave me alone until then."

Silver walked towards Heath anger bright in his eyes "you're in no position to make demands." He stopped in front of Heath leaning over him forcing a rough kiss on him "but I agree. I want you free from all attachments to any other man." With those words he disappeared.

"Wait," Heath cried " Come back." He fell to his knees contemplating Silver's ominous words. What did they mean? What was he going to do to his child once it was born? Would he be so cruel as to wrench the child from him as soon as it was born? Yes the answer was yes. He had done it before with Kimberly. Heath knew he had to figure out how to escape from this prison before the baby was born. He had bought the child a little more time but that was it.

***

Don watched the twins playing outside. Their happy voices and laughter grating on his nerves. He twisted the ring he wore on his left hand around and around. Would he ever see Heath again? As each year passed it grew less and less likely.

"Dad," Noah called from the swing set "will you come and push us?"

"Please dad," Madeline called "make us go really high."

He smiled at them despite the ache in his heart. Wherever Heath was in time and place he was missing so much of his kids lives. He did his best telling them about their Daddy but the twins had so few memories of their own and Lilliana had grown into a sullen teenager.

"Dad," Kimberly lightly touched his shoulder "will we see him again?" She spoke softly keeping her voice low.

"I don't know baby," he replied. The days he had believed he would had long past. "It's been eight years Kimberly....I..." his voice became strangled as he tried not to cry.

"Dad we can't give up hope," she insisted trying to sound confident.

Lilliana stopped in her tracks on her way into the house. Scowling she asked "why not? I'm tired of hoping he'll ever come back. Alanon and Ambrogio have failed to find him. We'll never see him again. Never." She shouted running into the house crying.

Kimberly turned to follow after her when Don reached out and grabbed her arm. Shaking his head "let her grieve. She's right we can't live in expectation that Heath will ever come home." Twisting his ring around his finger "it's time we move on with our lives."

***

Kimberly nodded walking away. She knew her dad had a point but she couldn't give up hope just yet. Somewhere out there her daddy needed their help. Her help. 

"You're right he does," Silver spoke in her head.

She gasped out loud shocked at the unexpected intrusion. Sh looked around to make sure her dad hadn't heard her. He was occupied with the twins and hadn't noticed. "Where's my daddy?"

"Not yours anymore" Silver taunted "he's mine. At least he will be when the brat is born."

"What?" she asked dumbfounded by Silver's laughter in her head. The sinister intent sent chills through her "what have you done to him?"

"I'm saving his life," Silver taunted her "I need you to come into the bubble universe and deliver the brat and take it back with you."

"Whose child is it?" she asked confused.

"Heath was pregnant when I took him into the bubble universe. He won't be mine until I get rid of every last vestige of his former husband. I would rather have ripped the fetus from his womb except he would never have been mine if I had done that. Instead I promised that I wouldn't harm the child."

"I don't understand," Kimberly cried "it's been eight years...."

"In your time but to Heath it's only been eight months. It's your choice either come with me or not. Either way their lives are in your hands." His voice faded from her mind and was gone.

***

"Grandpa did you hear that?" she asked as soon as she was sure she was alone in her mind.

"Yes," Adam replied. Kimberly could hear the anger in his voice.

"What should I do?" she pleaded.

"Exactly what we planned," Adam told her confident in her ability "You can do this. Once your there I'll be able to join you. Together we an close that bubble universe behind us locking Silver in there."

"But he'll just keep coming," she complained.

"It's the best we can do until we can figure out how to stop him for good." Adam told her " I know it's not what you want to hear. Silver is so much more powerful then we are."

"And he has no moral compass," she added.

"You can do this," Adam assured her.

"I know but I..." she swallowed "I never wanted to see Silver again."

"I'll be there with you," Adam told her "Silver won't hurt you. I won't let him."

***

Kimberly spent a restless night waiting for Silver to contact her again. She regretted not sharing what was happening with he Dad. If he knew she wouldn't be able to hold him back.

 

"Follow my instructions" Silver's voice said inside her mind caused her to jump. Lilliana looked at her funny but chose to ignore her. "Go to the back yard and enter to portal that I will open for you."

Standing Kimberly mumbled "I'm going outside." Lilliana smirked uncaring what her sister was up to. Heart beating fast Kimberly did as instructed. Disoriented she looked around the room in dismay. It looked like the same house she remembered from her time with Silver.

Groaning from the bed caught her attention. She moved in the dim light "Daddy" she cried grabbing his hand.

Despite the pain Heath's eyes opened wide in surprise "Kimberly? How? It ....it can't be...."

"Daddy it's me," she kissed his hand "Silver brought me here to deliver the baby."

Heath tried to sit up hampered by his pregnant belly "what happened to my little girl?"

"I'm still here Daddy. I'm just not so little anymore." She blinked back tears at the pain she saw in his eyes "I'm sorry Daddy it's been eight years back home."

Heath swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. "I've lost so much time. I'll never get it back. I should just stay here."

"That's crazy talk and you know it," Adam spoke firmly once he arrived through the portal Kimberly held open for him. "If your Grandpa can come back after being gone for sixteen years you can too. He'll help you adjust. We all will."

It was almost too much for Heath to handle but he nodded trying to lift his bulk from the bed. "Help me up so we can get out of here," Heath said "if I'm going home I want my baby born anywhere but here."

Heath landed hard coming through the portal. Kimberly half dragged him out of the way so that Adam could come through. Without checking to see how his son was doing Adam turned threw the potion into the opening of the portal. A small explosion occurred within the portal. "That should keep him contained for a while." 

"Grandpa the baby's in trouble," Kimberly looked up "I feel it's pain."

Adam looked at Heath's ashen complexion. It was amazing that he was still conscious considering the amount of blood on the ground beneath him. He picked him up stating "get your Dad and meet us at the hospital." He ran the distance to the hospital knowing his vampire powers would be quicker then driving or waiting for an ambulance.

The next day Heath opened his eyes to find his husband staring down at him "I'm sorry."

"Shh," Don stroked his face "there's no need for that. We both said and did things we both regret." He leaned over and pressed his lips softly on Heath's "I love you."

"I love you too," Heath blinked back tears "I've missed so much....."

"It's alright. There's still time. The kids love. I love you," Don repeated "we will get through this."

Heath closed his eyes afraid to ask the one thing that could break him "the baby. How's the baby?"

"He's in the neonatal unit. He's small and his lungs are under developed but he's a fighter. Just like his Daddy." Don didn't ask if the baby was his. He knew Heath would never cheat on him and according to Adam and Kimberly he understood Heath was in a bubble universe where time moved much slower than it had for the rest of them. There was one thing is needed to know "why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to" Heath mumbled "I wanted to surprise you. The night before I left all we did was argue....I....I wanted it to be a happy occasion."

"Oh Heath it would have been. It still is. This baby we will raise together....you and me."

Tears sprang to Heath's eyes "I thought maybe you wouldn't want me after so long. I never gave up hope that I'd see you again even after I made that promise to Silver."

"What promise?" Don asked. 

Looking down Heath hesitated but don had to know. "I promised I'd be his if he'd let the baby live. I didn't know what else to do. I had to buy the baby some time."

"He didn't touch you did he?" Don asked his voice gruff as he pulled Heath into his arms. 

"He never touched me Don" Heath shuddered "he kept saying he was saving if for after the baby was gone. Other then the kisses he would force on me he never touched me." Heath sobbed upon his husbands shoulders "I'm sorry. You must hate me."

"Babe I could never hate you," Don stroked Heath's face "what Silver did was out of your control. We will get through this together. I love you. You're my everything."

Smiling Heath captured Don's lips with his "I've longed to feel your arms around  me, to hear your voice, to taste your lips. Don I love you so much it hurts."

"I know babe. I know I felt the same way" Don told him "but we have all the time in the world to enjoy each other now."