I linked Haley, “You need to heal the scars on that me’s back too.” She raised an eyebrow at me but nodded. EJ said, “I'm all over getting a Vampire for some reason. Good to see you again, Ladybug. We’ve missed you. I’m sorry you got into an accident of some kind, but I’m glad Cayden was watching you. Or dad’s guy.”
I winced, “Yeah… that’s going to be fun to explain… go get a Vampire… and maybe I’ll fade, and it won’t be up to me to have to do so.” EJ popped out. Cayden asked, “So what happened here? You were not in an accident.” I corrected, “I mean… I was.”
Cayden blew out a breath. I continued, “I was also just in two fights. One of which Trevor tried to mark me in… so actually, I was in three fights. You’ll need to take the necklaces she wears off her neck… gently. Definitely do NOT rip them off like I did… that was a very bad call.”
Cayden said, “Oh well, that answers that then.” I replied, “I know…. Because I just answered you.” Cayden snorted, “At least you are the same in every reality.” I shrugged, “If by that you mean I answer people’s questions, and they are weird about… that does seem pretty standard for all the realities I go to.”
Eric laughed. EJ popped back in with King Arthur who released Eric from the compulsions. Eric growled. EJ asked, “Dad?” Eric looked at me, “You were never in New York, were you?” EJ said, “Umm what?” I answered, “So… no.” Eric winced then Titus and Veronica walked in. Goodie. More things for me to explain.
Veronica spoke, “I know you.” I nodded, “Yup. You have a good memory…” I muttered, “Apparently in all realities.” Cayden threw his hands in the air and yelled, “WHAT?!” Xander and Haley stepped back. Xander said, “That took way too damn long. What the fuck is going on?!”
I ordered, “Someone give her lots of morphine for when she opens her eyes. I don’t react to drugs like everyone else… so a high dose… to help with the whole suppressed wolf thing.” Eric said, “I’m sorry, what?” I groaned, “It’s not fun in my reality to explain, and it’s not fun here either.”
The other me opened her eyes, locked eyes with Xander, gasped, then started to cry in pain. Brody looked at me and gave her more morphine while Xander held her. I said, “By the way she thinks T, Mom, and my dad are dead… and that Jase hates her.”
I paused then added, “Oh and Ads… Jase doesn’t have a mate. Everly is T’s mate. Kai is T’s son and ummm… Dalton and Dakota aren’t bad guys. So, everyone should just have that information…for reasons… that I hope I’m not here to explain.”
EJ asked, “Wait, our Melanie thinks her family except Jase is dead?” I added, “And that dad isn’t her biological dad becausethey told her when she didn’t get her wolf that umm… that meant the guy who killed our family was her dad.”
Eric shouted, “What a load of shit!” I nodded, “Yeah… then there was the whole fake being banished…. And…” EJ gasped, “Ladybug thinks Peter banished her?” I nodded, “Yes.” Cayden asked, “In your reality, how did this moment go?”
I explained, “You took me so Trevor couldn’t mark me while I was unconscious… and then…” Xander roared in anger. I said, “Wow… ok… umm you called Brody… I was out of it for a while…. And the details are hazy… but we were in South Dakota.”
Cayden clarified, “So Alexander didn’t come to heal you?” I answered, “No… I’m positive that’s going to be the evil peanut butter cookies fault… so… for sure it was them. I met him when Angela interfered and brought him to a Rebel concert.”
I clapped, “Someone go save Odette here though… ok? Her mother is horrible, and I hate her. Something weird is going on… so get her before her mom takes her… and probably.. kill her mom. I’m just saying. Ok?”
Haley gasped, “Odette?!” Eric’s jaw dropped. I answered, “Uhhh… yes. I know you don’t know her because you’d have helped her.” Paige asked, “Wait, what do you mean Odette’s mom takes her?” I sighed, “I don’t know where… I just know they vanished. They left everything we got for Odette, including the phone, and I can’t freaking find her… which has to be magic.”
My eyes started getting heavy. Cayden demanded, “Give me Odette’s address so I can send Jed and Hendrix to get Odette.” Paige quickly offered, “I’ll go get her since Odette knows me. There’s no need to freak her out by having two men show up to take her somewhere after Melanie saved her from being abducted by the Ring.” I faded out as they were talking.
I woke up and looked around. I sighed, “Oh come on… where the hell am I now?” I was in someone’s house. I looked aroundthe room and found the window and sighed in relief. I was at least in Black Mountain’s territory. So that was good.
Freya offered, “This is also our reality.” Good. I walked out of the house, ran back to the main house, and walked in the door. Elise jolted saying, “Um I thought you were asleep.” I grumbled, “I was trying to sleep. I ended up in the Ribbon and then woke up in someone’s house. Thankfully, in this reality and realm.” Elise bit her lip.
Dad gently asked, “Ladybug, you really got your boss to agree to a meeting?” I said, “That’s a way to put it. Ok… I’m going to take a nap. Hopefully I won’t end up in another reality or realm. We can discuss that… meeting… after I’ve had some sleep.” Tristan nodded, “Ok, get some sleep Ladybug.”
I trudged upstairs literally feeling multiple people’s eyes on me until I was out of sight. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. What felt like seconds later my computer alarm started going off. I fake cried and groaned.
I dramatically threw the covers off and grabbed my laptop. I growled, “This had BETTER be good, and that’s all I will say about that.” Freya said, “Agreed.” I quickly saw that my code to crack Ezra’s files had been unlocked.
I sighed wishing I was someone who could know that and take a nap, but I wasn’t. I was too curious, so I started reading. I linked Sierra, “I need coffee.” Sierra sighed, “I thought you were napping and for the record we all actually agree that you should nap.” I replied, “I need coffee… right now.”
My eyes read the same line over and over until Sierra came in with coffee. My friend said, “For your information, they all know you are not sleeping now.” I said, “They will know that in a minute anyway. Are you reading what I’m reading?”
I flipped the computer around. Sierra winced, “Uhh that’s bad.” I snorted, “Bad? This was the first crack against the allies that Eric has.” Tristan linked me, “You are aware it’s ok to napand not work.” I replied, “Work… disagrees. I was lying in bed trying to nap… the universe is the one who said no.” My older brother sighed in reply, but he also knew this side of me well.
Sierra sighed while I drank the coffee and kept going. I groaned, “Dang it! I need to talk to Ezra. Which means I need Xander to come back… because I’m going to have to tell him I run the Resistance before the meeting I set up.”
Sierra asked, “Why would you tell him now?” I snorted, “Because I don’t want to get pissed off and blurt out things… in front of Ezra… who you know I have wanted to explode at… so many times. Now… there’s no repercussions of him finding out I run the Resistance… there were before… which kept me quiet.”
“So, just in case I scream at that EVIL MAN in a RAGE… I need to talk to my mate about things I didn’t even want to talk about later this week. I HATE BEING ME SOMETIMES! UGH!” I threw myself back onto the pillow.
Freya linked, “If it matters, I think telling mate is the right call. He’s torturing himself over this phantom shadow taking advantage of you.” I sighed, “Fine. That’s… an angle I didn’t consider. You’re right.”
Sierra asked, “So, who are we calling first?” I closed my eyes and called a number I’ve called many times, so I wasn’t shocked when he answered. “This is a surprise.” I sighed, “Not one you will like. Well… that’s not true. I’m sure you’ve been curious… or wanting answers… I would…”
Sierra advised, “Focus, Melanie.” I sighed, “I need you to talk to a Fairy in your Beta family… probably… I mean they live there… you could borrow one too… if they are busy… but like I need you to come to Black Mountain.”
