22: Daggers of Ice

First update for this one with my new computer!

"Gabriella!" Nate started to scold her before Gabby could open her mouth. "Why did you have to do that?! All I wanted..."

"Shut up, Nate!" she screamed back at him. "We were too late! If you hadn't tried to be Mr. Hero we might have gotten there sooner! Now look at her! What's happened? Did he turn her?!"

"Yes." Marge croaked from the region of the sofa.

Gabriella gasped in horror and collapsed onto her knees. "No." she whispered, begging from someone to contradict her mother. When no one did, her face fell and she cried into her hands.

Nate realized everything Gabby had said was true. He caused them to waste time and now everything was his fault. He slowly walked over to her to place his arm comfortingly around her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped as she shoved him off of her angrily. She looked over at her mother as she moaned on the couch.

"C'mon, Mom. Let's get you in the bed. At least there you'll have a little more room." she said as she walked over to get her.

Nate beat her to it and lifted Marge to carry her to the bed Gus recently vacated. Gabby glared at him.

Nate felt a pang of helpless sadness because he could feel the rage directed at him from Gabriella, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't blame her for being angry. Trying to convince Gabriella to stay behind wasted too much time. He'd never forgive himself for this.

He gently laid Marge down on the bed. "How's your back?"

"It hurts like hell, but it's healing remarkably fast." Marge replied as she winced and took in sharp breaths. She looked over at Gabriella glaring at Nathaniel. "Gabby, don't be angry with Nate. It's my fault I got into this mess. I'm so sorry."

"We could've gotten you out." Gabriella replied icily.

Her words hit Nate like frosted daggers right into his heart. He left the bedside and walked out of the room without so much as glancing at either woman.

All my fault. All my fault. August never wanted to bargain. He planned on turning her the entire time if she proved to possess the same ability Gabby does.

He'd literally just finished turning her when I showed up. I could've saved her.

He walked into his bedroom and heard Marge ordering Gabriella away from her. That was probably a good thing. There was nothing either of them could do to make her any more or less comfortable than she was now.

He heard the bedroom door close. Then he heard Gabriella stomp up the stairs before the upstairs shower turn on. The severe pain of the hatred coming from her made him wish he had the ability to cry.

She will never forgive me for this, he thought as he fell to his knees and placed his head on the small sofa in his room.

To say Marge felt very uncomfortable would be a gross understatement. Her body couldn't decide if it had the chills or a raging fever. Hot flashes from Hell, she thought to herself.

She cried out as her backbone painfully snapped itself back together. 

Grateful for the regained use of her legs, she pulled herself into a ball.

Gabriella needn't be so angry at Nathaniel. It's not his fault. Stupid me got myself into this. If only I weren't so sick I could talk some sense into both of them. They need each other.

This must be why I never could get a good read on that moment in Gabriella's and Nate's future. It's because I'm becoming a different creature. And Augustus will have total control over me. Somehow I doubt suicide is an option. I'd just self-heal before I could get good and dead. Maybe I could get Nate to chop my head off... but first I must talk to Gabriella and also get them to understand it's nobody's fault but mine!

Gabriella didn't care that she might be hurting Nate with her thoughts. She was pissed off. Because of their dilly-dallying, they were too late to save her mother. Now her mother was turning into a monster.

Nate is a monster. How could I have forgotten that?

Oh yes. That's right. I thought I loved him.

And now I've sold my house and moved in here. I should stay here at least until Mom has finished her transformation. My protection can keep Gus away from her for that long at least. Then I wouldn't be surprised if he called her to him and she had to leave.

I've lost my mother, Nate, and it's all your fault. I'm leaving shortly after she does. Gus doesn't need me anymore. I'm safe from him now. Small favor.

You can just put up with my thoughts and emotions or you can have your damn headache. I don't care either way.

When she got out of the bathroom she saw she had another message on her cell. Shit, I forgot it was Monday! The message was from Mr. Knight.

She called him back and said that there had been a family emergency yet again and that she'd come in tomorrow.

I wonder if I could crash at his place for a few days while I find a new house, she thought, deliberately being cruel because she knew how that thought would make Nathaniel angry if he was listening in.

Marge sat up in bed and called for Gabriella. Her second time doing this, it was Nate who answered her call.

"Gabriella's in the shower." he told her sadly as he stood there with his hand still on the doorknob.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you as well." she told him.

His eyebrows raised as he turned slightly to close the door. "What is it, Marge?" he asked, staying near the door.

"Don't think for a minute that what happened to me is your fault."

"It is." he said before she could say another word.

"No." she argued and put up her hand to stop him from arguing further. "I was stupid and drunk and brought attention to myself. Of course, odds are he was hunting me anyway so he would've found out..."

"Hunting you?" Nate asked.

"Most likely, yes. That's probably exactly what he was doing."

"So he decided to hunt here in town since we'd thrown him out of the house."

"Apparently." she replied.

"So, he was hunting because of my decision to kick him out. I'm sorry, Marge, but it's all my fault."

"And I was a complete smart-ass..." she tried to start up again.

"Easy to do around him." Nate interrupted.

"Nate! Stop blaming yourself!" Marge demanded.

Nate just stood there blinking at her, saying nothing, but thinking of all the reasons what happened to her was  his fault.

"I'm never going to convince you of that, am I?" she asked, resigned.

"Never." he affirmed.

"If you keep blaming yourself you'll drag this around with you forever and never come to terms with what happened, and I don't want that to happen to you. It's not your fault! I do not blame you so stop it!"

"Gabby blames me. In fact, right now she's tearing into me about it." he said sadly.

"Which is why I must talk to her. Is she out... oh yes, I don't hear the shower any more." Marge's eyes widened when she realized how much more sensitive her ears had become already.

"I'll go ask her to come down." he said with his eyes cast down.

He slowly made his way up the stairs to find Gabriella. He stopped in his tracks when he saw her exit her bedroom, her hair still damp and up in a ponytail. His heart clenched at the sight of her and he wished closing his eyes blocked out the wonderful way she smelled in the same way it protected him from seeing her.

What?! she thought harshly to him.

He swallowed and said, "Your mother wishes to speak with you."

"Fine." she said simply and even though she was terribly angry with him, she hated the pained look on his face.

She went into her mother's temporary room and felt much relieved to see her sitting up, but her brow creased with worry at the obvious physical changes that had occurred while she'd taken her shower.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked.

"Yes." Marge answered. "I want to apologize. This is all my fault that I'm going to have to leave you to be with that monster." Her voice sounded contrite and full of sorrow.

"Mom..."

"No. You want to blame yourself or Nate. It's not your fault nor is it his. And while I'm on that subject," she held up her hand to stop Gabriella from interrupting, "please don't hate him."

"I don't. I'm just furious, Mom." Butt out!

"Don't be. He did what he thought was best, and it doesn't take a mind reader to see that he's hurting something awful." Marge knew her words might as well fall on deaf ears, but she hoped soon they'd be heard in memory and taken to heart.

"Mom, that doesn't stop me from being pissed off." she scowled. "Is this all you wanted to talk about?"

"No." she sighed. "Gabby, I know you hate your gift."

"If we didn't have it we could live a regular life."

"No, we couldn't." she said and shook her head for emphasis.

"Why?"

"Before I get to that, I need to tell you something else." She took a deep breath and apologized to her deceased husband. "Your father was a psychic as well. He was better than me even, but not better than you have the potential to be."

Gabriella had to sit on the bed because she couldn't trust her legs. "Why have you never told me this before today?"

"Because he asked me not to." Marge watched as Gabby closed her eyes, processing this new information. "There's still more."

"More?" Gabby asked. "Oh, that's right. You alluded to another reason we're not normal." she waved her hands around exasperatedly. "What, are we leprechauns or something?"

Marge smiled sadly, "No, not quite."

What else could there be?

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 Okay, in the beginning, I forgot the couches were moved previously. Let's just say Nate moved em back real fast hehe.

I'm so happy I could change their clothes finally! It just didn't make sense earlier for them to rush around and 'oh wait! let me change clothes first!' 

I'm so glad CC hair works in my game now. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't, but no matter 'cause now it does! :)