GianCarlo Ch. 10

She turned her attention to Gian's prone body and almost broke down in tears. With the same intensity Analise placed her palms on either side of her bloodied son's head. As she muttered her Latin prayer Delia crawled over to her side observing them closer. She prayed for much longer, fat tears forming behind closed eyelids and falling onto her cheeks. When Analise prayer concluded she pressed a kiss to his forehead and stared at him with love.

"Thank you for doing for him what I could not," she said, still savoring what may be the last images of her son. "I've done what I can, please be safe," she looked up with her full brown eyes piercing Delia. She gave Delia a gentle kiss on the forehead then phased away.

###

Her mind and body frozen, stooped over Gian's form. He was a gory mess, blood soaked his dark locks and stuck to the only recognizable parts of his face. If Delia could think it was only to grasp at the thought that Gian might be dead; that what she was looking at was a corpse.

Delia groaned in deep sorrow as she began to accept the truth floating between her and Gian's body. Her groan of agony turned into a sob as the pain of that truth seared through her chest. Reflexively she reached down for him wrapping arms around his neck holding him close and pleading to God that Gian would hug her back.

The longer there was no reaction from Gian's body the deeper Delia sobbed. The sorrow cut deeper when she realized that all that was left of him rested in her womb. She had done such a bad job of protecting their unborn child, having been rag dolled by an ancient vampire and watching helplessly as their father was beaten to death. She prayed that there was still life inside of her.

Delia held Gian fearing to let go and face life without him. She was startled out of her haze by buzzing from Gian's pocket. Delia had decided to ignore it but became incessant. She peeled herself away from Gian's body long enough to reach his phone. It was Stefan, Delia immediately answered and was bombarded by a mirage of Italian curses.

"Stefan! Stefan!" Delia exclaimed, cutting him off. "Gian is dead," she sobbed into the phone

"How do you know?" He asked his stillness being felt over the phone.

"He's not moving he's not breathing there is blood everywhere," Delia said becoming more shrill and hysteric as she took in what she observed, "Oh his face! Stefan he is dead or dying!"

"Has his head or his heart been injured?" Stefan asked, raising his voice to focus her.

Dee felt him, examining his head and chest. His chest seemed bruised, not damaged. His head was banged, though, and his skull soft in the place where he'd been struck.

"His head." Delia sobbed, "Oh God, his head is caved in."

"He's not dead yet," Stefan said slowly, "he needs blood, a lot of it."

Delia looked from Gian to her hands covered in his blood then down at her wrist. He needs blood. Delia reacted quickly. Lifting Gian's head she opened his mouth and pressed her wrist to his teeth. Gian didn't move.

"Delia?" Stefan called over the phone. She didn't answer her mind frantically trying to figure out how to get Gian to feed from her. "Delia, you have to get to the fridge, don't let him bite you or..."

Delia gasped as Gian's sharp vampiric incisors descended into her flesh.

"Delia, no!" Stefan called guessing what her gasp meant, "He'll drain you! Delia, pull away."

It was too late though, Gian's fangs extracted the blood he needed swiftly from Delia wrist. So quick it made her dizzy, then sleepy then finally darkness.

###

Stefan had to be quick. He called Delia over and over to no answer. He drove faster. He had to make it to Denise. She was the only one he could trust to help him in this matter. When Stefan arrived at the Camden house he quickly jostled Denise out of bed. He took a moment to appreciate that his Mate didn't need words, she read the urgency on his face and was dressed and out the door ten minutes later. In the car, though, Denise grilled him like prime cut steak. Stefan gave her as much information as he had. Gian was gone or had been gone for some time during which his father Durante paid an unexpected visit to his apartment. Stefan couldn't tell her what transpired since but knew Delia was alone with Gian who was in a bad state.

Stefan watched Denise's body stiffen but her face remained a cool mask. Stefan read in her posture her fear, anger, and determination to see her sister safe. Stefan renewed his energy and propelled his car faster toward Gian. He prayed they weren't too late.

###

Delia came to consciousness confused achy and afraid. She jumped up shouting for Gian. She could not recall where he was but knew something was wrong. Delia felt warm arms wrap around her shoulders and hold her in place. Panic rose in Delia and she began to fight off the arms that held her. Persistent those arms, as a familiar voice followed them breaking through her haze of panic and fear. It was her sister's voice.

"Dee! It's okay, you're okay! I'm here I've got you." Denise cooed. The sound comforted her and her scent drove her to tears. Her sister smelled like home. Delia threw her arms around her sister burying her face in Denise's shoulder and sobbed.

After her sobs turned to moans Denise in a soft voice called Delia.

"Dee, you think you can tell me what happened?"

Delia sniffed wiping back her tears

"Gian and I got into an argument." She started in a small voice. "I said some things I shouldn't have, and he took off. He was gone all night and all day." Delia's voice broke at the end and she took a silent moment to collect herself.

"Earlier this evening Durante, Gian's dad, showed up with Gian's mom out of the blue. I had to think quickly. I made him believe I was Gian's study buddy. He bought it up until..." Delia's voice trailed off as she absently placed a hand over her belly.

During Delia's silence Denise regarded her as she began to put a few things together. "Until what?" Denise gently prodded after a while.

"Gian burst in yelling and attacked his father. He had to be high or something because he wasn't steady on his feet. Durante pinned him down, choked him and beat him to pulp." Delia sobbed out her words.

"He came for me when I tried to stop him, throwing me hard into the..." Delia sobbed harder and clutches her mid-section.

"Delia, are you okay? What are you not telling me?" Denise asked already guessing but needing to hear it confirmed.

Delia began to shake but managed to croak "I'm pregnant."

The news still rocked Denise although it was what she was thinking. She watched her sister clutch her belly in the way that pregnant women unknowingly did. She held Delia tighter and rocked her, letting her cry out the pain, fear and trauma of the night.

After Delia's sobs died once again to whimpers she said, "We have to go now, like right now."

"Go where?"

"As far from the East Coast as possible. Durante disowned Gian and called off his hitmen, but Gian and I got to leave. He gave us twelve hours to get out, or he's coming for us... and you," She said the last pinning Denise with a serious look.

"I and Gian had signed a lease for an apartment in Oregon and we need to get there tonight but I don't have any of that information and don't know what to do next."

Denise recognized Delia slowly switching from pain and grief to panic and fear. She comforted Delia. "Don't worry, Stephan can help? He'll draw up an escape strategy and I'll help you pack your and Gian's stuff up."

They both began to get up knowing what needed to be done next. Suddenly, Denise stopped her sister, "and Delia, you are stronger than you think. Your child is already so loved. They will not want for anything and I promise you won't do this alone. You can do this! You've been through some shit and you can do it again. Life ain't a movie and every day is a fight for happiness and every day has its victories. This time you're not just fighting for Gian you're fighting for your family. Now, up let's get moving."

Delia smiles gravely and hugged her sister tight

###

Stephan listened to his Mate console Delia as he made quick work of assessing and cleaning Gian. He worked at a speed that tends to unnerve humans and was glad they were in the bedroom. With a wet kitchen towel and water he quickly rid Gian of his bloodied clothes and managed to wipe away most of the blood to examine him.

Lots of bruises spotted his long pale body. Stefan found a few broken ribs and fractured bones but those had already begun to heal. He examined quickly the huge gash on Gian's head no doubt it had been more gruesome than before he nearly drained Delia. The bruises around his neck indicated that his father's strangulation crushed his larynx and his spine had been snapped but had also begun to heal.

The number Durante did on his son, on top of all that Gian had done to himself Stefan felt only heartache. Gian had become more than his charge more than his friend. In him Stefan saw the eyes of his actual little brothers whom he sold drugs to help, he saw in him his son Anthony but mostly he saw Gian a man with a lot of training and no real guidance.

Stefan spent the rest of the time feeding Gian bag after bag of blood until there was no more in the house. It took a few hours but Gian finally began to wake. His eyelids fluttered but his gaze was unseeing.

"Kid!" Stefan said almost too loud. He hadn't want to alert the girls just yet. Stefan gently smacked his cheeks until Gian's gaze focused on him. Gian had regained a little of color but he had a long road to any real recovery.

"Kid, you OD'd you terrified your Mate, hell, you scared the shit out of me." Stefan said surprised to find his eyes pricking. Gian's eyes closed and his head lolled back. Stefan shook him once more and his green eyes refocused.

"You should have died, but your Mate saved you. When you recover you owe her every-fucking-thing, you hear me?"

Gian let out a deep guttural moan that sounded more animal than man before Gian slipped back into deep slumber. Stefan had called a physician who catered to the vampire world and had expected them any minute. He moved Gian to the couch and proceeded to make the necessary plans to get Delia and Gian out safely.

###

After a few hours of packing Delia was tired, hungry and sore, sun up would be coming soon and the only thing keeping her going is the fear that Durante would double back and slaughter them all.

Denise helped her bring out the two duffle bags that Delia had originally run off with. This time one held essentials for Delia and the other Gian's essentials. In the living room there was a short man, pale and stout, packing up his black traditional medical bag. Gian laid prone and breathing deeply as if sleep.

Stefan was at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room his hands flying inhumanely swift over a keyboard, every so often he'd switched to the tablet propped up beside it all while speaking softly into his cell cradled between a shoulder and his ear. Delia stood at the door stupidly frozen, wanting to cry because she didn't know what would happen next. Luckily Denise spoke first.

"Babe, what's the plan?" she said. The small man brushed past them and left without even sparing a glance. Stefan without missing a beat. Quickly ended his phone call and answered.

"Well, we get Delia out of here."

"What about Gian?"

"He should recover, but recovery will be long and arduous. The doctor had found that Gian had suffered essentially an overdose which was made worse by the head injury. Delia, he would have been had he been human or even unmated. Once again you've saved his life. He will be able to move but he won't be responsive, and will need to be on an IV for the next couple weeks. Since we've got to get you guys out of here, it will need to wait until you've made it to Oregon."

"But—" Delia had begun to say but Stefan cut her off.

"I'll explain everything in the car but now we've got to get to the airport.

Denise managed the two duffle bags and Stefan picked up and carried Gian. Delia took one last glance around what had been her home for the last 6 months before following them out.

###

Delia woke up confused. She was being violently jostled about and could feel the weight of Gian's body crushing her into the side of... where was she again? She blinked her eyes open and took in her surroundings. She slowly remembered she had jammed into a tiny plane with Gian and a short slim friend of Stefan's.

As soon as Stefan, Denise and Delia had got inside the car he began throwing information and instructions for the next few days at her, so quickly she knew she hadn't caught all of it. Just as Stefan ended Denise looked at her and said, "Don't worry, I sent all that info to your phone."

Delia nodded confusion and panic making her thoughts blank.

"Dee, take a moment, breathe. You can do this. Follow the instructions and sit tight. I and Stefan are going to join you as soon as we can." She said the last throwing a meaningful glance at Stefan who'd gave a nod that said, he'll work on it.

"Call me as soon as you get in and get settled at the apartment, okay? Be safe."

They had pulled up to the tiny empty Opa Locka Executive Airport and twenty minutes later she was introduced to Aaron, a pilot and longtime friend of Stefan. He would take her on a nonstop flight to Portland airport and call her ride to the apartment building.

Now Delia has been on the plane for close to seven hours in a fitful but inevitable rest. With the time zone difference Delia found herself waking up to a dim late afternoon.

"I'm surprised you'd gotten any sleep, sunshine." Aaron said, "We're landing in twenty, should be nightfall by then."

"When we land will I have to go through the terminal to get a ride?" Delia asked not remembering if Denise mentioned it in the notes.

"Yeah don't worry, though. I brought a wheelchair. Your Uber can help get him into the car.

When they had landed Delia could barely take in the sight of the foothills of Portland off in the distance and appreciate the crisper air as she made her way from runway to terminal. She pushed an unconscious Gian, whose long body slumped motionless with their two duffel bags piled on his lap. The sight she must have made. This added to her anxiety about her new surroundings and uncertainty of what was to come. Delia gritted her teeth and continued on she had to meet her Uber at the pickup terminal in five minutes.

Delia was relieved to see her driver already waiting with the car door open, ready to help with her stuff.

"Oh thanks so much." she said when he'd grabbed her second duffel bag to put in the trunk.

"Is he okay?" The man asked glancing over his shoulder. He was a tall tan guy with curly hair and hazel eyes. When Delia looked up, he was smiling at her.

"He was nervous to fly," she said having come up with her explanation in the terminal, "overdid it on Xanax."

Her driver merely lifted an eyebrow, "He your boyfriend?" He made it sound casual, but the way his gaze trailed down her body lingering at her lips then back to her eyes said that it wasn't.

'Actually, he's my baby daddy' She wanted to say more to shock him away from flirting. She simply nodded. The driver said nothing else helping her put Gian and the wheelchair in the backseat. Delia sat in front.

During the ride her driver whom she found out was named Devon glanced at her a few times and made conversation. Delia was grateful he didn't continue to eye her with interest. She could really use a friend here. Delia found out he was born and raised in the city and was also an artist and club promoter. They pulled up to a cluster of buildings that housed the apartments. The buildings were made of a Greystone with white roofs and were laid out in rows like dominoes. When they'd found the leasing office Devon had agreed to wait while she ran in to get the location of their apartment. Stefan had also said to make sure that the landlord turned on the utilities.

Stepping out of the cold unwelcoming leasing office Delia stared at the map then checked the surrounding layout. If she was reading it correctly, where they needed to be was three housing blocks down and on the second floor. Delia sighed deeply imagining how her back would ache lugging Gian two duffel bags and a fucking wheelchair up the flight of steps.

Delia felt a presence behind her and looked to find that her driver had come up and was reading the map over her shoulder.

"Second floor eh?" He said with a playful smile, "Don't look so scared, I don't mind helping,"

Delia gave him a genuine smile of gratefulness. It took them both an hour to find the apartment and get Gian the two duffel bags and the wheelchair up the two flights of steps and dumped unceremoniously in the middle of the floor. Delia thanked him profusely.

"It's no problem," Devon said. Delia found him quite charming and was happy that he seemed receptive to the idea of showing her around. Delia asked him if he knew of any places hiring and exchanged numbers when he did he'd get back to her when he'd heard of something.

"You're good to him," he said gesturing quickly to Gian slumped against the far wall.

Delia flushed in embarrassment, "I know it looks bad, right now but its circumstance... you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. He is good to me and right now is my opportunity to be good to him."

Devon nodded slowly then gave her smile, "well, I'll get back to you about that job."

Delia followed him to the door.

"Be safe," he said, "oh yeah, and welcome to Portland."

Delia closed the door behind him and turned to face the nearly empty space. She fashioned a makeshift pallet of the clothes and bags in the center of the floor and maneuvered Gian to it. She curled up next to him comforted by his warmth and scent. As the weight of the last few days descended upon her, she buried her face in Gian's shoulder and cried. Delia cried until she could make no sound and produce no tears. As she slowly dozed off, real or imaginary, she felt Gian's warmth curl around her. Delia fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

###

Knock-knock knock-knock-knock

The knocking was loud and excessive as if the person outside had been knocking for a while. Delia tried to pop up from sleep but realized Gian's long lithe arm around her held her down. Where was she? She blinked away the sleep as she recalled the events that brought her to where she was. Delia removed Gian's limp heavy arm and wiped away her sleep from her face.

"One minute," she called out to end the incessant knocking. Who could it have possibly been? The only person she knew in Oregon was an Uber driver and Denise has yet to call. Delia contemplated searching their bags for a makeshift weapon but her body felt too heavy for the quick movement. When Delia finally answered the door she was greeted by a short pale woman with dark waves and a huge smile. Delia also noticed that it was night again, she'd slept through the day.

"Hey?" Delia groggily said, but it sounded like Who are you?

"Delia, Delia Camden? I'm Rachel Pumatti, Analise sent me to check on you and the little bun you have in the oven."