26: Stronger Bond

warning: I went snap-happy! This update has loads of pics. :)

The entire next morning, Gabriella and her mother stayed upstairs, and Marge taught Gabby everything she could think of that she could teach within a short period of time. Nate stayed downstairs and gave the women their space.

About lunchtime, Marge came downstairs saying she wanted to rest more. Nate thought she really looked exhausted and that she'd overdone herself.

Gabriella stayed upstairs, and not much later, Nate heard a small explosion.

He ran up the stairs to check on a very annoyed and slightly crisp-looking Gabby. 

"Are you okay?" he asked while trying to not laugh at the ridiculous way she looked. 

Gabby stood and looked at the far wall as she replied stiffly, "No, I'm obviously not okay. Why in hell would you think I was okay? I just had reagents explode in my face is all."

He tried not to laugh. "Alright, well as long as you're okay." He couldn't keep the smile out of his voice.

She sighed in irritation, knowing there was no point in getting any angrier with him. Fine, go ahead and laugh. I'm just going to chalk this up as a learning experience.

She spent the rest of the day up there, ordering pizza at around dinnertime. Nate gave her her space.

Marge went up and helped her some more once the pizza smell diffused away. Nate could tell her transformation was nearly complete, and he could, if he tried, hear Gus at the property line pacing back and forth.

Not much more time went by when Nate heard through Gabby's mind that Marge was completing her change. He came upstairs in a split second.

Gabriella leaned back against the far wall, and Nate positioned himself between the two. He felt Gabriella's gratefulness for that.

Marge flew up into the air as the transformation finalized.

When she landed on the floor, she looked at the two of them wildly. Nate felt disappointed he still couldn't hear her inside of her head, but he sure could hear Gus calling her.

"I must go." she said, her voice sounding different. It had a singing, sensual quality to it. He felt Gabriella shudder in her knowing what an awesomely powerful vampire her mother had become.

Gabby shuddered because she foresaw how adept a hunter Marge would be when she used her ability to seductively draw in her prey. Nate himself felt a pull towards her that wasn't too hard to fight, but it was still there all the same.

Marge spoke, "Gabriella, no matter what, I'll always love you."

"I love you too, Mommy." Gabriella said with a slight hitch in her voice, breaking Nate's heart as he listened to it.

Marge slowly walked up to her and Gabby moved herself out from behind Nate.

Marge reached up one hand to caress her daughter's face.

Nate felt extremely nervous about the whole scene in front of him and let out a low, feral growl from the back of his throat. Marge's head snapped up to him before she hissed back in response.

Gabriella felt herself pulled quickly back to behind Nate as she watched her mother take on a defensive pose.

"I wasn't going to hurt her." Marge snapped.

"I can't hear in your head, and I no longer trust you." Nate retorted.

"I would never hurt my own daughter! I don't give a shit how strong the bond is between August and I, it cannot top that between mother and daughter!" Marge argued.

"August is calling you." Nate said simply and gestured to the stairs.

"I am aware of that." she said and started for the magical tome. Nate heard Gus telling her to get it.

"No." Nate said and blocked her path.

"I must get it." she said fiercely.

"Gabby, get the book!" Nate quietly yelled to her as he held Marge back while she snarled at him. Gabriella had an even better idea.

"Marge Hudson, I rescind your invitation into my house." she choked out painfully and watched as that same invisible force lifted her mother and took her away to the property line.

Nate felt her desire to see what happened, so he lifted her around her waist and brought her to the back porch.

They watched as Gus caressed her mother's face adoringly before glancing up at the two of them. Nate watched Gus smile sadistically at them before he and Marge fled in the direction of the far hills.

Nate held Gabriella to him as she cried. He could feel her sorrow and anger towards him, yet she still allowed him to hold her. He wordlessly stroked her back and silently hoped what happened to her mother wouldn't drive a permanent wedge between them.

-------------------------------------------

Well, lots of pics for such a short chapter. :)