Dark Connections: The Other Half

Disclaimer: This is an original story, all characters have been made up by me and in no way represent any people that are alive or dead. This is my story, I created it and have not ripped it off of anyone.

Warnings: Angst, Death, Language, MC,N/C, OC, Tort, UST, WIP

Paige and Elizabeth had finally made it out of the tunnel. It had taken them longer than Paige had expected. The end of the tunnel led into a small cave that was one of the entrances to the mountains. It was where Paige and the rest of the vampires and shifters that didn't agree with their masters went. It was a place of neutral ground, no fights were allowed between the two species.
The Gathering. That's what they called their meetings. It was the one place that was sanctuary for both shifters and vampires.
Elizabeth did not want to leave the cave. Dawn was minutes away and she needed a lot of darkness. "You'll be safe here, I promise." Paige ensured her.
"Can we at least run there?" Elizabeth asked.
"To run would cause a slight panic. Since they're not expecting anyone, it would be wise to walk." As reluctant as possible, Elizabeth walked out of the cave. She was a little surprised. It wasn't a snow covered mountain. They were full of color fading leaves and green grass mixed with the rock walls. Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time she had been in this type of mountain. She was awed by the sheer beauty of it. They walked for a few minutes and she began to feel more at ease about the sun. If it stayed this slow at rising she just might make it.
"How much farther?" she asked.
"A few steps." Paige answered. Elizabeth didn't even have time to be confused. They walked into something that she couldn't see but once she walked into it the air around her started to ripple. It felt like thick water was clinging to her skin trying to prevent her from passing. She reached out, trying to find something to grab onto so she could pull herself through. A hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward.
She fell to the ground. Day light had changed to night. Elizabeth picked her head up to look at her surroundings. There was a group of people all around. At least sixty. Half vampires and the rest were shifters. There were some tables set up with candles that lined the tables. A short stone wall enclosed the space. The man in front of her offered his hand.
"Welcome to the Gathering." he said helping her to stand. Elizabeth gaped at him.
"Brant?" she asked curiously. He flashed her a grin that was all fang. "Brant!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"You two know each other?" Paige asked confused. They pulled apart and both nodded.
"Brant's my sister in laws best friend. He's always hanging around being a nuisance." she told Paige laughing. It was so great to finally know someone.
"You're from Oregon? When were you going to tell me?" Paige asked crossing her arms over her stomach, Elizabeth knew this had turned suddenly personal. Nobody said anything.
"Paige, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. It would have jeopardized why I came here."
"And that reason would be?" she asked hotly.
"I can't tell you. Not yet at least." Paige was angry. More angry then she had been in awhile. Elizabeth didn't want this to end badly.
"Why don't one of you tell me what's going on here?" she suggested. Anything to change the subject. Paige sighed in frustration.
"This place was created not long after I was sent to Tyler's pard. It is always night to accommodate the vampires. We have come together, shifters and vampires, to over thow over masters. What they are planning must be stopped. And together, we will see it happen. At least most of us." she shot Brant a cold glance. He brushed it off. Now wasn't a good time.
"How did you get here anyway?" he asked Elizabeth.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what? I've been here for almost two months now." So that explained where he had been instead of Oregon.
"Me, Savannah and Ashton were attacked at the house. I ended up here, in a room that damn near fried me." Brant was suddenly worried.
"Is Savannah alright, Liz?" he asked grabbing one of her arms.
"I don't know. She tried to help me get out of the house but I was taken. What happened to her I don't know." Brant's eyes were too big, showing too much white. He pushed Liz aside and stared down Paige.
"Is she here?" he asked angrily.
"If Evan didn't get her then no, she's not here."
"What if he was wrong? Where is he?" Paige looked at Liz.
"He's gone, Brant. We were helping her escape through the tunnels when the creature was called. The Leviathan, not in water but its name suits it."
"Do you want to die or are you just stupid?" he yelled. Everybody silent. Apparently none of them wanted to take the risk and interrupt them.
"What else were we supposed to do? Make a run outside? We would have been caught that way. So yes, we raised four lives and one was lost. That doesn't mean he's lost forever." she told him, keeping her voice low and deadly.
"Four? Who else was there?" he asked. Paige looked like someone had slapped her in the face. How could she have said that? She had to be losing her mind.
"Let's not get into this now." Elizabeth said, trying to divert the conversation.
"No, I want to know who else was there." Brant demanded. Paige moved forward, grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach.
"You want to know who else was there? It was my child, alright? Are you happy now?" she told him, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Brant's face crumbled. He felt like a jackass now. Gently he drummed the ends of his fingers against her stomach.
"It's his, isn't it?" his voice was so low, filled with so much pain.
"Yes. I'm due next month. Don't know if I'll make it or not." she said.
"Does he know yet?"
"No, and I don't want him to. If I can have this baby without him knowing and get out of here I'll be happy enough."
"You're going to leave? Where?" he asked. The last thing he wanted was for her to be out of his sight. Paige smiled and turned to Elizabeth.
"I'm going home. To start a new life. I'm going with Elizabeth." Murmurs sprang up in the crowd. And they were not friendly ones. "Pick me up." she said to Brant. He bend down and grabbed her knees to lift her straight up into the air. Her feet rested on his shoulders and he held her legs to keep her steady just in case. Shifters and vampires were extremely strong. They could move just about anything.
"Everyone be quiet." Brant commanded. The murmurs died off slowly.
"Listen to me. I am not leaving you all alone. All of you have been invited to get out of this place once and for all. To begin fresh with a master that is true and has respect for his people." Brant eyes Elizabeth carefully.
"What about us? Those of us who are not vampires?" a female shifter asked. Elizabeth climbed up on the stone wall so she could be seen.
"Don't you get it yet? Paige is a shifter. Maurice will find all of you a pack and pard that will fit you."
"And if we don't want to be separated?" the same woman asked.
"Then we can still find someplace for you to go. Together." Elizabeth told them.
"What about the others who are being held against their will?" A man asked this time.
"They will be freed." Brant answered. "But that is something I will worry about, not you."
"How will we get out?" a shifter asked. "The full moon is in two days. And we can't travel in the day. The safety of the vampires would be compromised."
"That is what all of us are going to have to decide. I know we will leave after the full moon. That's just the smart thing to do. After that, I don't know. It will be up to what you decide. Because really-" her words were cut off by a nail biting scream. Paige hunched over in pain. Brant almost lost his grip on her. He hadn't been expecting her to just drop like that. He brought her off his shoulders and to the ground. Her body started to convulse and twist on the ground. Elizabeth jumped from the rock to help Brant hold her down. It took both of them to do it.
"What's happening?" Elizabeth asked Brant.
"I don't know." Brant answered a little scared.
"She's going into labor." The female shifter from earlier told them stepping forward. "It's very violent."
"But she's not due for another month." Elizabeth told her, pinning Paige's legs to the ground as best she could.
"With shifters the birth can happen at any time. I think that the full moon in two days is why she's going into labor. Her body can't fight off holding back the change anymore."
"What's the baby going to look like?" Brant asked hesitantly. Her stomach didn't look that big. It made him nervous.
"A fully developed human looking baby. The baby will be fine, Brant." Paige's body stopped it's seizure.
"She can't have this baby out here." Elizabeth said.
"What else are we going to do? We can't take her anywhere." Brant said. Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair.
"Alright, you," she pointed to a few shifters "We'll need clean towels, a bucket of water and three blankets. Run as fast as you can and get back here quickly." They nodded and were gone from sight.
"It'll be alright, Paige." Brant whispered to her. Elizabeth looked at Paige and wondered if that was really true.


Half an hour later, Paige was laying on one of the blankets, the other one draped over her legs. The bucket of water had been heated but it wasn't scalding. Paige's contractions were only a minute apart and she was fully dilated. Elizabeth had never helped birth a child but knew that she could do this, she had to. Brant was holding her hand, allowing Paige to take out her pain on him. Something struck Elizabeth's mind suddenly.
"Do you know if the baby's turned?" She asked Paige. She shook her head.
"You're going to have to feel." The female shifter said, whose name Elizabeth learned was Erin. Liz just looked at her for a minute.
"I'm sorry for this, Paige."
"I don't mind. We need to know." She told Liz. Elizabeth leaned in to Paige's legs and carefully pushed her fingers into her. After a moment she pulled them out.
"They baby's ready to go. You can start pushing." Liz had made everyone but Brant go to the other side of the clearing. Erin wasn't as far back, she was helpful with some things. Paige squeezed Brant's hand almost to the point of breaking and started to push.
It was the worst pain Paige had felt. It felt like her insides were being burned and scrambled into raw meat. She screamed painfully. Tiny bones in Brant's hand popped under the pressure that Paige's hand applied.
"I see the head. Keep going. A few more pushes." Paige took a breath and started again. The pain didn't lessen but grew in intensity. She wanted to give up, do anything to stop the pain that was raging inside her. "I have him!" Liz said happily. Paige sighed in relief and relaxed against the ground.
"Here," Erin said holding her the towels and the bucket of warm water. Brant used his working hand to throw her his pocket knife. Liz carefully cut the umbilical cord. She lay the baby on one of the towels and cleaning him off with the other. The baby was crying loudly, wanting his mother. She used the last towel wrap up the baby.
"Congratulation, you have a wonderful baby boy." Elizabeth said smiling. She moved closer to Paige. Brant held her against his body so that she was sitting up somewhat. Liz carefully handed the baby to Paige. Everyone started to clap and cheer. Paige was on the verge of tears. The pain was starting to ease and she was so happy that the baby was born. She looked up at Brant, her blue haired, blue eyed vampire and didn't care that he had kept his secret.
"You did great." Brant said kissing her forehead. "So did you." He told Liz. She smiled, holding back her own tears. She had never been present when a baby had been born. It was amazing.
"What's his name?" She asked Paige. Paige looked down at her baby boy.
"Dylan, Dylan Reynolds." She said. Brant and Elizabeth smiled.
"That sound good to you guys?" Brant called over his shoulder. They started to cheer again. Apparently, everyone approved.