Dawn's Promise

Candice lifted her chin and looked up at Will. Humbled by the awestruck expression splaying across his face as he stared down at Chance. Gently smiling, she reached up and patted his hand. "Yeah, I know," she whispered proudly. She was very proud of her son. Throughout his childhood years, she'd worked hard not to spoil him. To teach him values and what was important in life. And her efforts had paid off threefold. Chance was a fine young man.

Candace focused her gaze on her son and then back up to Will. Shifting slightly on the bed, she slid her shoulder out from under his fingers. The years had been generous to Will. Not in the way one could appreciate a man approaching middle age. As if he'd stopped aging altogether after they'd parted. As if time had just simply stopped for him and the hands on the clock stood still, at least in his outward appearance. If she looked into his eyes, she saw the effects of time, as if the sweep hand had fast-forwarded in double time and there was wisdom evident far beyond his years. "Will, what happened to you? You left and you never came back."

Will sighed and eased down on the side of the bed. Wincing at the pangs of regret, he stared down at his booted feet. "I never meant for it to happen like it did. If I'd known I wasn't going to come back, I wouldn't have... we wouldn't have. I wouldn't have done that to you. I can't imagine how you must have felt. I hurt you. And for that I'm sorrier than you can ever know.

"I would have never have left you like that, if I'd known about Chance. You have to believe me. I came home for Thanksgiving break expecting the usual. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and football. And instead, I found my destiny. I was recruited into this life and I got so wrapped up in it. I never looked back and I should have. I owed you an explanation. Closure. I should have given it to you then instead of just walking away."

Will reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen over her cheek and dropped his hand as she shifted out of his reach. "I checked up on you, years later. By then, Chance was already born. You had a little boy and your own life. I'd assumed you'd moved on. I never guessed, never thought about the fact that he might be mine. I'm sorry Candace, so sorry that I left you to raise him on your own."

Candace worried her bottom lip with her front teeth and focused her attention on Chance instead of on Will's touch. Too many things were left unresolved between them. Painful things she'd rather forget then dwell on. She nodded and took a deep breath. "It was hard at first. I thought about not having him. I was so young and my parents pushed for me to have an abortion. They even offered to pay for it. But, I couldn't do it. I already loved him. Everyday I could feel him inside of me, kicking and growing, so eager to be born. As if he couldn't wait to get out into the world. I knew then that he was going to be someone special. Someone good."

She looked up from Chance and over her shoulder at Will. "I wanted to hate you for abandoning us. But, I couldn't. Not when you had given me such a precious gift as my son. That Thanksgiving, you say you found your destiny. And I found mine. I was meant to be a mother, to be his mother, to bring this child into the world and raise him the best that I knew how. And I've never regretted it, no matter how hard things got, not for one second.

"Chance asked about you from time to time. Wanted to know what kind of a man his father was. I imagine he idolized you as some kind of a hero. The kind of dad every little boy wishes for. I didn't put you up on a pedestal, but every time he'd ask. I'd tell him his father was a good man, a kind man, and that if he'd known he had a son, he would have loved him more than life itself."

Will wanted to reach out to Candace. Hug her and erase all the damage his selfishness done. She was the brave one. She was the strong one. At the time, he'd been weak, nothing but a self-absorbed prick to leave her like he had. She could have told Chance the truth about him. That he'd abandoned them. Left them to fend for themselves. Chance could harbor feelings of bitterness and resentment toward him if Candace hadn't shaded the truth the way she had. Instead she had given their son something positive to believe in regards to his father. And for that Will was grateful. "You're right. Chance is something special and so is his mother. And you're right about something else too. I do love him more than life itself. He's ...he's the only thing of worth I've ever had."

Chapter 13

Chance awoke to the sounds of soft whispers and the gentle stroke of fingers in his hair. How many times had he awakened wishing to hear the softness of her voice and the lightness of her touch? Not willing to give in to the dream, but needing so desperately for it to be real instead of a cruelty of his imagination, he forced his eyes to open. "Mom, you're really here," he breathed, closing his eyes and sighing in relief.

"Yes, baby, mom's here," Candace said gently. Her voice was shaky, on the verge of tears. She steeled her resolve and forced a smile. Being this close to him and seeing the pain etched on his features broke her heart. He'd suffered so badly these past few months, agonizing, long months of not knowing. She ran her hands down the curve of his cheeks, her fingers brushing across the rough stubble on his jaw. "Did you sleep well?"

Chance yawned and shifted in the unfamiliar bed. The sheets were crisp and new, scratchy against his skin. The room smelled of fresh paint and newness. He leaned against the pillows, burrowing down into their softness. He kept his eyes closed out of fear that if he opened them she'd be gone. "God, I had some crazy dreams last night," he said, rubbing the heel of his palm across his forehead.

Reluctantly, Chance opened his eyes. Last night had to be a dream. Insane stuff like that didn't happen in real life. He supposed it was just a side effect of the shock from finally seeing his mom again, if she was really here. He focused on her face and answered her smile with a grin. Blinking in confusion he let his eyes trail around the room till they landed on the hulking man seated in a leather club chair across the room. "Fuck!" Chance flung back the covers and leapt from the bed. He assumed a defensive stance with his feet spread shoulder with apart and his hands balled into fists.

Cautiously, Will stood and crossed his arms over his wide chest. "Easy there... take it easy, no one is here to hurt you or your mother," he said in a low, cool, and calm voice. This was going well. Less than five minutes after waking up Chance was ready to go another few rounds. Too bad. Will had no intention of taking another knife in the gut to prove his point.

Candice was quickly on her feet, standing between the two men with her arms spread wide to put distance between them. She put on her best mom face as she turned her head to her son. "Chance, sit down and take a breath. And you," she said, glowering at Will, "back off my son." Ok, so obviously this morning had gotten off to a bad start. But, there was no reason for Chance to be rude to Will or for Will to try to intimidate her son.

Chance flopped down on his bed, dejected from his scolding. His mom was using her best 'I mean business voice' with him. And when she used that tone, she meant business. He felt like he was about ten years old again. In a way, it was good to hear her voice in any fashion. But, damn did she have to reduce him to little kid status again? Groaning, he rested his head in his hands and tugged on the roots of his hair with his fingers. "It's really true. All of it."

Candace quickly positioned the blankets around Chance's shoulders and sat on the bed next to him. The last thing she needed was for him to pass out and hit the floor. He didn't try to wiggle out from under her arm when she slid it across his shoulders. "I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did," she said in a soft voice. Will sat across the room, awkwardly shifting his weight in the chair. He looked as if he wanted to say something but was unsure of what to add. She shot him a cautionary glance. Now was not the time.

"Yeah, me too." He pushed his thoughts of fear and repulsion from his mind. Maybe, vampires weren't so bad? This was still his mother and he still loved her. Nothing would change that, nothing. Somehow, they'd figure this mess out.

Lifting his head, Chance eyed the man sitting in the chair at the very edge of the room. The guy squared his jaw and met his stare, unblinking and with hard-edged determination. They'd faced off once in the ring at the gym and then again in the recreation room. Chance would love to kick his ass, just for the sheer pleasure of working out his frustrations on somebody.

Will, Chance thought his name was, not that it mattered much. He hated that Will hovered around the periphery, tarnishing his reunion with his mother with the very taint of his presence. Chance tried to ignore the guy and forced his attention back to his mother. He laced his fingers through hers and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too." Candace gave Chance's fingers a squeeze in return and blinked at the tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She sensed this talk with her son was far from over. She knew her son well and she could practically hear the wheels of his mind turning. She hated that Will felt he had to be here to baby sit out of fear that she might snap, lose control, and harm their son in a haze of bloodlust. The situation between Chance and Will was uncomfortable at best.

She sighed and ruffled his hair. Sometimes, motherly instincts won out and she didn't care if she embarrassed Chance by the affectionate gesture or not. "We'll talk more after you've had some breakfast. You've got to be starving."

"Mom!" Chance missed his mom terribly. But, she was wrecking any attempts he made at male posturing by treating him like a five year-old. He brushed her hands away and pushed off from the bed. He saw the bathroom door. Which reminded him he had more pressing issues than an empty stomach. "Hey, I need a minute, Ok?" he said, excusing himself as he headed to the bathroom.

"Yeah sure." Candace forced her hands and her feet to remain still. He was a grown man. He didn't need her to go to the bathroom with him and hadn't since he'd been five years old. She could hardly bear to take her eyes off him even for a second. She busied herself with making the bed while she waited for Chance to finish in the bathroom.

Chance ran a damp rag along his ragged hair and face. He was really trying hard to accept his new reality. As unreal as it seemed, his mother was a vampire. A vampire. He lifted his upper lip with his index finger and stared into the mirror. His canines looked as normal as they ever had, short, blunt, and white, and perfectly human. He definitely wasn't a vampire. He dragged down his lower lids. The flesh was still bright pink and healthy looking. Not anemic. No puncture wounds on his neck that he could see. "C'mon Chance," he said, scrubbing his face dry on a fluffy white towel. "You can do this."

Chance walked down the hall beside his mom. Holding her hand as the big one trailed behind them. Chance leaned in close, whispering in his mother's ear, "What's his deal?" He glanced over his shoulder at the big guy and was greeted by a fang filled smirk. Not wanting to piss him off until a better opportunity presented itself, Chance spun his head back around and took in every nook and cranny of his surroundings on the way to the kitchen.

The loud giggles and sounds of womanly chatter stopped abruptly as Chance and his company entered the kitchen. A cute blonde was kicked back at the table, slurping on a bowl of cereal. Another very pretty woman with shoulder length auburn hair and brilliant brown eyes, sat across the table from her, staring down into a battered, chipped and abused mug of coffee. "Oh, hi," the blonde said, jumping up and dabbing at the dribble of milk that had spilled down her chin. "I'm Janine and this is Alex."

"Hi," Chance replied, eying the blonde suspiciously. Her skin was warm and soft. He felt the pulse at her wrist as they exchanged handshakes. Human, he mussed. He offered his hand to Alex. She nodded politely, but didn't accept his hand. Noticing the fact that she wasn't eating and the mug in her grip was full to the brim with murky, cold coffee. And she refused to shake his hand. Vampire, he automatically assumed.

"Well, we'd better go." Janine nudged Alex and then made her way over to the sink to rinse her bowl. "There are all sorts of munchies in the fridge and in the cabinets. Feel free to help yourself." She dropped her bowl in the dishwasher and dried her hands on a towel. Alex's eyes were fixed on the guy, rudely staring at him as if he were a cockroach that had crawled out from some dark hole. Weird. But, of course, Alex was a vampire. And she was all sorts of weird these days. Janine dismissed it with a shrug and towed Alex out of the kitchen by the hem of her sweatshirt.

"Go ahead and sit down," Candace said to Chance and Will, herding them to the kitchen table with a wave of her hand. "I'll see what we've got to work with here." A contented sigh escaped her lips and she relished doing something she thought she'd never have the chance to do again. Make her son breakfast.

Most mornings had been such a mad frenzy of craziness. Her, hurrying to get ready for work and out the door by eight and Chance, dragging out of bed at the crack of dawn to head to the gym before class. They rarely saw each other during the week. But, Sunday mornings had always been reserved as their time. The morning consisted of a leisurely breakfast and hours long discussion over the Sunday paper. And after dishes were done and put away, watching a game on TV.

Candace opened the fridge and quickly slammed it shut. Her eyes wide with despair and her hand clutched to her stomach as it pitched and rolled. The fridge was filled to the point of bursting. The contents looked fresh enough. But, everything in there smelled rotten and old. She held her breath and riffled through the contents, gathering up the less offending bits on the shelves. She settled for making a quick breakfast of eggs and toast. She couldn't stomach the stench radiating off the raw bacon. "Chance, I know you usually don't. But, would you like some coffee."

"Yeah Mom, coffee would be great." Chance rested his head in his hands. Scooting back in the chair as Will sat down at the table across from him. He was so happy to have his mother back, puttering in the kitchen, seemingly so normal on the outside. No matter what her condition, he was sure they'd find a way to deal with it. Who knew, maybe there was a cure out there somewhere.

Chance glared at Will across the table. The tension and silence was almost palpable in the air between them. Chance waited for Will to speak. Obviously, Will waited for him to do the same. But, the minutes silently dragged by. The pressure of Will's relentless stare, his hard brown eyes bore into him, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Did I hurt you last night?"

Will grimaced, his hand reflexively wandering to the spot where Chance had planted the knife into his stomach. "Yeah. It hurt."

Chance took the steaming mug from his mother's hands and scooted back so that she could place the heaping plate of eggs and toast in front of him. "Good," he retorted. Happily digging into the pile of scrambled eggs and tearing off a hunk of toast with his teeth. He winced as his mother flicked him on the back of his ear with her finger and gave him a warning glare. "Oww!" Sheepishly, he muttered an apology to Will through a mouthful of eggs and toast.

"You'll have to let me know how they are," Candace said, taking the empty seat on his right, which placed her conveniently between the two men. They acted more like children than adults. Glaring at each other across the table, Chance slurping his coffee and noisily chewing his toast, and Will grating his molars in obvious annoyance with his son's behavior.

"They're great. You want some?" Chance held out the fork loaded with a heap of steaming yellow egg and stringy cheddar cheese out to his mother.

"I can't honey." Candace scooted her chair back, holding her breath against the stench of the eggs. She watched Chance quickly stuff the bite into his mouth and chew, quietly this time. Scrambled eggs and cheese, wheat toast with butter and grape jelly, she closed her eyes for a moment and tried to remember what they tasted like. Frowning when she couldn't recall the sweetness of the jelly, the sharpness of the cheese, or the muted flavor of the eggs.

"Oh, sorry." Chance poked the loaded fork into his mouth and hurriedly swallowed it down. Shamed that he'd forgotten and hurt her feelings. He could tell by the way she furrowed her brow in a hard frown and focused her eyes on the cheerful print of the tablecloth instead of meeting his eyes.

Although, he had no appetite, he forced himself to eat, more for her benefit than for his. His mom was back, really back. He was grateful to have something to keep his mouth busy. He had plenty of questions, for his mother, not for her watchdog though. He wanted to hear her answers, not his. The smart ass continued to glower at him from across the table, watching every move he made. And it was damned hard not to shout at him, not to demand some privacy with his mom.

When Chance pushed the empty plate aside, Candace hopped up to collect the dirty dishes. Anxious to avoid another incident like the one last night, she cleared the table. Not wanting her son anywhere close to the knife drawer. "Why don't you two get acquainted while I clean up?"

She watched the men from across the stainless steel breakfast bar that divided the kitchen from the dining room, taking her time washing the skillet and plate. Will and Chance stared across the table at each other in silence. How was she ever supposed to make this work? The things she had to tell her son weren't going to be easy for him to hear. It would help if he at least tried to pretend to like Will, just a little.

Candace played out several scenarios in her head. Weighing her options and evaluating the possible outcomes. She could just blurt out the truth and let the chips fall where they landed. But, she'd thrown so much at Chance already. She could just avoid the whole issue and tell her son nothing about his father. She knew Will would trust her judgment and never push her to reveal the truth. But, she knew deep in her heart of hearts avoidance wasn't the answer either, Chance deserved to know. And Will deserved the opportunity to make up for lost time.

Will sat across the table, trying not to stare at Chance. But, he couldn't help it. The idea was still so new in his mind and his feelings regarding his son so raw and unexplored. When was Candace going to tell Chance about him? When was he going to tell her about his theory regarding his son? Was there ever going to be a right time to get all the secrets out in the open? The silence drug on and on, broken up by the clanking of dishes in the sink and the sound of running water, Will buckled under the pressure to break the ice between them. "You're a pretty good fighter."

"Obviously, not good enough," Chance grumbled. He shifted his weight in the chair, diverting his attention to his mom anxiously fidgeting about in the kitchen. He wondered what was really going on. After twenty years of it being just the two of them, he could read his mom pretty well. She was nervous. She only fidgeted when she was anxious. He sensed a connection between his mom and Will. What was it? And what, if anything, did it have to do with him? "Mom, why don't you sit down for a while?"