Significance - Chapter Seventeen

"Well, come on, pretty girl. Let's get this over with," Gran insisted as soon as my foot hit the bottom step.

I looked around at the packed red brick kitchen. There were some faces I recognized and some I didn't, but there was a blast of titters and whispers at our arrival.

"Gran," Kyle's mother protested and I couldn't help, but think I needed to learn everyone's name. "Let her eat some breakfast first. I made coffee and honey buns. Caleb told me it was her favorite."

"I'm sure she's ready to not have that thing across her face anymore. Come on," she beckoned me again and took my hand to pull me into the next room. Her skin was cold and soft but I could feel her bones as she gripped me. "Caleb and Peter, you, too. This isn't going to be fun."

I felt my eyes bulge at her words and wondered what she meant by that. She pulled me to lay on the chaise lounge and propped a pillow under my head as I saw Peter and Caleb come into the den with us.

"Now, Caleb, come sit right here," she instructed and pointed to the spot on the floor by my head.

"Is this going to hurt?" I asked, unable to not ask. "It didn't really hurt the last time you removed one."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

Caleb looked at her sharply and I realized he hadn't known that either. "What do you mean?" he asked forcefully.

"Caleb, I'm sorry, sugar baby, but it was different last time. Yes, his intent wasn't pure then either, but this time it was pure malice and deceit. She's gonna have to feel that when I take them back and she'll relive every attack."

"No." He started to get up and grabbed my hand to take me with him. "No, she's not doing it then."

"It has to be done." She held him in place with a hand on his shoulder. "She won't get her energy back until we take them off. Plus she doesn't want to walk around with those things forever."

"No, I don't," I answered softly.

"I didn't know it was going to hurt you," Caleb said softly, squatting down in front of me, pushing my hair back. "We don't have to do this today. You've been through enough already."

"I want to. I want it over with. It's ok."

Caleb looked none too happy about that but nodded tersely to Gran and stroked my other cheek with his fingers before scooting over to my head as I lay back down.

She motioned Peter to sit by my feet so he pulled my legs up to sit under them, pulled them into his lap. He patted my leg and smiled weakly at me.

Then Kyle ran in. "What are you guys doing in here?"

"Healing Maggie. Now get over here and make yourself useful or hit the road," Gran said as she knelt beside me. For an older woman, she sure got around really great.

"Help how?"

"Hold her hand and the rest of you...hold her down." I heard Caleb sigh inwardly in aggravation. "All right." Kyle moved to kneel on the floor on the other side of the chaise and grabbed my hand. He even laced our fingers and his other hand held my arm by my elbow. He and Caleb glared at each other. "Let's get started. Maggie. You heard what I said. It'll be different than the last time I healed you because his intent was different. Before he was just trying to upset Kyle, this time, he was intentionally trying to hurt you. So it'll be worse but we'll get through it."

I swallowed and nodded. Caleb bent down to kiss my forehead and whispered that he was here and I knew his intention had nothing to do with Kyle being there. In his mind, he was extremely upset, pissed about the whole thing, and wanted to grab me and run upstairs. I wondered how he would react when he saw me in the pain from doing this. It was in his blood to protect me.

Gran didn't do my face first and I wondered why but didn't say anything. She did the one on my hand, placing her fingers and palm in exact alignment as the black handprint and as soon as she was in place the vision hit me and I felt his hatred for me as I watched and felt the scene as it ran its course backwards of how I received that mark. It showed Marcus grabbing me to push me in the open car door but it was in reverse and disorienting.

It choked me, burned in my skin and I yelped. Then it ended. When I opened my eyes everyone was watching, looking ill and angry. All I could hear was my erratic breathing.

Caleb grunted and breathed hard through his nose.

"Are you ok?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah," I breathed.

He leaned his head on mine and I saw that he felt what I had felt, saw what I saw and was actually experiencing it for himself with me. It was killing him inside to see and feel what had happened to me before he got there to save me.

"Marcus better pray I don't ever see his sorry hide again," he growled.

"Go," I said to him as he lifted his head.

"No," he said firmly, knowing exactly why I was trying to send him away.

"You don't need to be here. The others won't relive it with me like you. Just go."

"Absolutely not."

"Caleb," I protested.

"Maggie."

"Did you know it was going to be like that for him?" I asked Gran, not unkindly.

"No." She looked at him curiously. "No, I most certainly did not. Caleb, maybe you should go wait in the kitchen."

"Not gonna happen, Gran. She stays, I stay."

"So noble," Kyle muttered sarcastically under his breath but everyone ignored him.

"Caleb, I've never seen it where one significant feels another's removal of offense marks or anything else I've ever done. I'm not sure it's a good idea-"

"Gran, I'm not leaving." He looked down at me. "You still want to do this now?" he asked and I nodded. "Then let's finish it but I'm not going anywhere."

"Peter," Gran implored.

He shook his head and twisted his lips. "Caleb knows what he can and can't handle, Gran. If this was Rachel, I wouldn't leave either."

"Well, you're of no help are you? All right, you two, brace yourselves."

She did all the ones on my arms next. There were four between the two of them and each one was excruciating, horrifying and I hated that Caleb had to go through it with me. And I hated that I had to go through it all twice.

Then she lifted my shirt and we all saw the long arm print with fingers wrapped around my side as Marcus's friend had grabbed me around the middle. She lined her arm up and began as I felt the pressure of Peter's grip on my legs and Kyle's on my arm. I tried not to scream, tried to ride it out with grit teeth. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. When she released me this time she told us all to take a minute because the last one, the one on my cheek would be the worst.

I barely contained my whimper at her words and dreaded it being worse than it already was.

They all took their place a minute later, holding me down tighter this time. Caleb gripped my shoulders and laid his forehead on mine. I heard a small girly gasp behind Gran and looked up to see Maria.

"What are you doing? I heard screaming. Uncle Caleb?" she squeaked and looked at him like he was a monster.

"Maria, we're helping Maggie."

"Why are you hurting her?"

"Maria," Gran stepped towards her, "listen, baby, sometimes you gotta do things you don't like in order to do something good."

"I'm fine, Maria," I told her as strong as I could, "Really. It's not pa-," I was gonna say painful, but knew that was a lie. "It just sucks that's all." I smiled weakly at her.

"Mama says I'm not allowed to say sucks," she whispered and gave me a look like I was in trouble.

We all burst out laughing, even me. "You know you're right. I shouldn't say that. It's not very ladylike is it?"

"It's ok. I won't say anything."

"Thanks."

"All right, child," Gran said. "Get gone. We're almost done and we're gonna be a hungry bunch when we are. Why don't you tell your momma to have some plates ready, hmm?"

"Ok," she said reluctantly and turned to go, but then looked back at Caleb. "Don't let her be hurt anymore, ok?"

He didn't nod or say anything as she walked out, just looked at me with regret and guilt and I felt it pouring out of him. I needed to tell him, but didn't want to in front of everyone so I focused in my mind and tried to send it to him. It worked surprisingly easy. And I felt the familiar beat of his heart as I always did when I focused on him or shared my mind with him.

Caleb.

His eyes jumped to mine and he leaned down to look at me upside down and stroke my cheek with his fingertips.

Yeah, gorgeous?

I smiled. And he smiled. But then I got serious.

You will not blame yourself for this. I was stupid. I was the one who let him tell me something that I should have known wasn't true. You didn't do anything wrong. You were out trying to help me.

I should have known they'd try something. I shouldn't have gone with my father.

That sounds a lot like blame. I'm serious. None of it.

He chuckled out loud and I glanced around and saw Peter watching in awe, Gran looking pleased and Kyle looking disgusted.

"I can't believe you're doing that. You know," Peter leaned forward on his elbows with my legs still in his lap, "your mother and I tried to do that for months after we imprinted and couldn't, until much later. It's amazing the things you two can do already."

"She started it," Caleb said and winked at me.

"Caleb, I mean it," I resumed my plea out loud since he'd been diverted. "Please."

He sighed. "I'll try. But I mean it, too. We've got to figure out a way for us to be together. I can't just let you go home and pretend everything's normal when I know that this isn't over. Marcus isn't going to just stop. We have to keep you safe and I can't do that sneaking in your window every night."

"Sneaking in her window!" Gran said scandalized.

"Gran, what else was I supposed to do? He was hurting her in her-" Caleb said while Peter said. "Now, Gran. You know with our kind there have to be exceptions."

"I know, but...Lord have mercy. Back in my day you'd have been shot for sneaking in some girl's bedroom."

"Well, her dad doesn't know, Gran. Otherwise it wouldn't work."

She threw her hands up.

"All right. Enough! My poor ears can't take much more." Peter and Caleb chuckled but then Gran knelt beside me and everyone sobered. "Ready, pretty girl? Last one, worst one. Let's be done with this."

"Ok."

Everyone grabbed on and Caleb resumed his previous spot, forehead to mine like he could take some of my pain away. She took a deep breath and laid her hands in line with the hand print and then pulled back.

"You've got a fever, Maggie."

"I'm ok." I glanced at Kyle and he rolled his eyes guiltily. "I'm ok, really. Go ahead."

She leaned over me, her gray eyes swirled green, making me dizzy to watch it. She realigned her hand and I saw her half moon tattoo on her inside wrist with 'Raymond' wrapped around the curved side right before the reverse vision came. In reverse and slow motion, I saw Marcus and his friend yelling something and Marcus grabbing my stinging wrist. Then a hand coming across my face and his hand dropped back to his side right after I pushed off the door. Marcus's mouth opened in a scream, then kicking him in the shin as he tried to push me into the open car door.

The whole time the vision was hitting me not only could I feel his hatred for me, I could taste it. Just like I knew Caleb's feelings, I could feel Marcus's. And taste. The taste was bitter and acidic, burning my tongue, pulsing the burn along with the flare of his emotions as the scene played out.

I also felt my fear, as ripe as it had been when it was really happening. I didn't realize I was crying. I didn't realize I was yelling. I was trying to kick and push them away. I felt their grips tighten on me and with the vision at the same time it frightened me even more.

When I opened my eyes, Peter was holding my legs with both arms, Kyle was fallen back on his butt looking at me with a 'what the' face and Caleb was still grasping my shoulders and hovering above my face with his own. Gran was standing over us with a tired expression.

Once I realized what I had done I immediately started to apologize.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."

"Don't you dare," Peter consoled gently. He patted my leg once more. "Are you feeling better now?"

I examined myself. There was no residual pain or weird feelings from the visions. My tongue tasted normal, my skin felt normal, and I felt normal again and completely energized. I hadn't realized how much those things were draining me until they were removed.

"Yes. I do. Thank you. I am sorry."

Peter shook his head at me, smiled, patted my leg again and got up. "I'll tell Rachel we're all done in here, and starving."

"You fought back from the very beginning," Caleb said proudly. "Good girl. I'm so proud of you."

"All right, let's go eat," Kyle blurted and stood up.

"Go ahead. I need a minute with Maggie," Caleb said.

"What? She's hungry, let's go eat."

"Kyle," Gran said sharply.

"Fine," he said as he stalked out.

As he waltzed out, I knew right then I'd have to have another talk with him about everything because he apparently wasn't getting it. I also felt horrible that I was the cause of their tension. They'd been best friends until literally ten minutes after I met Caleb. That one incident changed everything.

"Hey," I looked up to Caleb's voice and saw that Gran was gone as well, "he's being an idiot. If the situation were reversed, I wouldn't egg him on even if I did have a crush on the girl. It wouldn't be fair to either of them and with the imprint being so phenomenal anyway, like this is, they wouldn't need me being an ass."

"I know. I can't help but feel bad though and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't stand that you guys aren't friends anymore because of me."

"Not your fault." He slid his fingers over my cheek before coming to sit beside me on the chaise. "He'll get over it one day. He has to. And then, we'll be friends again."

I sat up and he automatically pulled me to sit sideways in his lap.

"Maggie," he sighed. "I don't think I can ever leave you alone again. How am I even going to finish college?"

I knew he was joking, but partly serious, too. He was so angry, so scared, so guilty. "I'll just have to go with you."

His gaze jumped to mine. "Really? You're going to go to Tennessee with me in the fall?"

"Well, I still hate the idea of your family paying for it so I'll look into student loans or whatever I have to, but...yeah. I'm coming with you."

His face split with a grin and he took my mouth forcefully and gratefully. I fisted his shirt front as his arms went around me. I begged that we'd have no interruptions this time as his skin worked like a sponge to extract all my worries and sorrows. It felt like the room took a spike in temperature, I felt too hot, but in a good way. My hand wandered to his hair, shaggy and soft. I let him devour me until I was sure I'd die of not breathing properly.

I pulled back a little, but he didn't release me, just let us sit so close, our lips almost touched and our foreheads did. His breath was hot and intoxicating.

"I'm so happy, Maggie. I hope you know that, even with everything that's going on, I'm so happy I found you."

"I'm happy, too."

He leaned back a little to look at me. "Are you really going with me or was that just a diversion to get my mind off Kyle and Marcus?"

"No," I laughed, "I'm really going. But that was a good idea, I should have thought of that."

He tickled me in retaliation and we laughed. His lips skimmed my temple before he stood up and steadied me.

"Are you good? We can wait a few more minutes if you need it. I'm sure we can find something to do," he said with inflection and clear enjoyment.

"I'm fine. I feel really good actually. Between you and Gran, I'm good as new," I crooned making him grin.

"Awesome, because," he let our lips graze, "as good as you taste, green eyes, I need some real food."

"Ditto," I said giggling at his lame line.

He took my hand and laced our fingers, pulling me along, but then stopped.

"Oh, yeah, you better call work."

"Oh, crap. I forgot about that." I looked up to his face. I remembered last night talking about how he didn't think I should work today, or ever again, or at least that's where it seemed he was going with it. He looked at me like I might rebel and tell him to go screw himself. It was comical, actually. I giggled. "Caleb, I agree with you about not working today. I'm not gonna bite your head off."

He looked relieved. "Good. You understand that I have to keep you safe, right? It hurts to think about you in harm and I'm not sure I could sit here while you worked today after everything that happened last night."

"I understand."

"Besides, you don't have to work anymore. Not only is it not safe but I'm taking care of you now. And you'll be leaving in a few weeks for school so you'd quit anyway."

"Caleb, I told you I don't really feel...comfortable with you paying for my stuff. I don't need you to-" He cut me off with a kiss and then spoke his words against my mouth.

"In the words of some really beautiful smart girl I know, just give me what I want."

I laughed despite it all. "Ok, but...even though I'll call them and tell them I'm not coming in today, I can't just quit without any notice. They've been like family. I can't do that to them."

"Ok." He blew out a long breath. "We'll think of something." He smiled reassuringly.

We stepped into the kitchen and I looked around at my new family. Maria walked up to me with a plate piled high with homemade honey buns and strawberries.

"You're not allergic, are you?" she asked.

"Nope. I'm not allergic to anything," I said as I took the plate. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm allergic to kiwi, but it's ok because I don't really like kiwi anyway."

"Really?" I pulled away from Caleb and gave him a smile over my shoulder. "I love kiwi," I told her and followed her out to the table where there was already about ten women seated.

"Hey, Maggie," Jen greeted and I was glad. I didn't want everyone to feel weird about me because they knew what had just happened to me. I prickled as I wondered if everyone had heard me screaming. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks. Gran is a lifesaver."

"And Caleb, I would think, too," a new woman said giggling.

Other giggles erupted and Rachel covered her mouth before going on.

"Now, now, leave them alone. It's been so long since we were that age, we've forgotten what it's like."

"Oh, I never forgot," the woman said. "That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

Everyone laughed, even me. Then, they told me some stories about Caleb when he was a kid.

"So, by the fifth go-round, he finally realized that I was tricking him! He was so cute, all disgruntled," Caleb's aunt ended her story.

Everyone laughed as they remembered.

"Well, I remember the time he house-sat for us, and Ken charmed the house plants before we left. Every time Caleb came around a corner, my potato vine had moved something, a chair or the palm had flipped a picture frame. It was so hilarious the first phone call we got from him," she did her best Caleb impression, "Uh, Aunt Margo, I think something's up with your house." She laughed and cackled. "He finally figured it out at some point and when we got back he looked at us as sternly as a sixteen-year-old boy can and said, 'Very funny'."

I laughed so hard at their stories I was wiping my eyes.

"Well, Maggie, where are you going to school?" Jen asked after everyone settled down.

"Um, I think I'm going to go to Tennessee."

There were a lot of breaths of relief and I looked around curiously. Jen looked at me and smirked while Rachel explained.

"It's just that we're wading through uncharted waters, Maggie. Human girls are so...different. Demanding and independent and there's nothing wrong with that but it's just not the way of our kind. The Virtuoso have always been old fashioned and we were worried that you'd rebel against it all. Caleb is a good boy...uh, man." She sniffled and two ladies near hear patted her hands. She laughed through her tears. "I'm a mess. I never thought I'd see this day and now it's here and I can barely believe it." I bit my lip in uncomfortable respite. She smiled at me. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, I'm just so happy and very proud of Caleb. He's handling everything so well, as are you. He'll stop at nothing to make you happy, Maggie. Know that. You don't have to worry about mundane things anymore."

I nodded in understanding and smiled at her and her aunts, nodding and beaming with pride. I broke the silence by asking about their imprints.

I sat and finished my lunch with them, listening to their stories of when and how they imprinted and ascended. I was fascinated. I was sure they were sick of my questions, but they kept smiling and eagerly answered.

I so enjoyed them and no one treated me like I was a child or naïve. They sympathized, they laughed, some cackled more than once. I tried to keep my gaze off Jen, knowing she wouldn't have a story to tell, but when my eyes did drift to her she looked happy and content with Maria seated on her lap.

Eventually the guys came out and pulled some chairs to sit around us.

"You're alive?" Caleb jested. "I was scared of what I'd find out here."

"Yes, I'm alive. And I've learned a whole lot," I spouted with eyebrows raised.

"Oh, no, now I'm scared."

"You should be." I leaned forward to whisper loudly. "I know about the Scooby Doo underwear."

He groaned as I laughed and Kyle's dad, who I could never remember the name of, came over.

"Caleb, come play for us."

"No, no." He waved him off.

"Yes, yes. It's been ages since you played. Come on, play while we throw the shoes."

"Come on, Caleb!" someone else chanted.

"Fine." He grimaced at me and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Guitar. And Kyle's dad's name is Max by the way." Then he kissed my temple and smirked at me as he took the guitar from Uncle Max and sat back in his chair.

He started to play something and Max set up the horseshoes. I glanced at Caleb as I recognized the song he was playing, Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead. He wasn't even looking at the strings while he played. He was looking at me.

Then I saw Kyle coming my way and I froze.

Crap. Crap!

I knew he was going to ask me to be his partner in horseshoes, I could see it on his face and I so didn't want to have any more conflict between Caleb and Kyle. That would do it for sure. So I jumped up from my chair quickly, acting like I hadn't seen Kyle coming, who had only been about seven feet away at the time, and made a beeline to Peter who was leaning on the next table over watching everyone.

"Hi."

"Hi there," he said easily.

"Do you want to be my horseshoe partner?"

He smiled. "An old man like me doesn't get asked that much anymore."

"Aw, come on, you're not old. And I've never played before so I'm not sure if you should play with me or run."

He laughed out loud just as Kyle reached us. Dang it. He followed me over there. "Mags, you wanna play with me?"

"Uh, I think I convinced Peter to partner with me, if he's brave enough."

"Oh," Peter said grinning as he stood and placed my hand in the crook of his arm. He walked us towards the others. "I'm brave enough, all right. But you better watch out because my wife taught me everything I know."

I laughed. "Aha. Well it's not like I could tell the difference between bad and good anyway. You're going to have to teach me."

He showed me how to line them up and how hard to toss. "So, feeling better now?"

"Much."

"Good. I'm worried about you and Caleb. I'm still trying to figure something out for you two."

"Thanks. You know, I'm not that worried though. Caleb's pretty crafty and it'll all work it out. I know it."

He nodded and smiled. I looked over to hear Maria squealing and saw an ivy vine racing across the yard towards her as she ran from it in zigzags. I looked around until I found the uncle concentrating on it. He winked and smiled at me.

"I'm glad one of you is level headed," Peter continued and I realized this was just a common thing with them, to use their abilities in everyday life.

We played a few turns and I actually won a few. He asked me about school and things. I told him about running track.

He threw a shoe and it stopped midair. I gawked at it, but he smirked and turned around to find Rachel. She smiled.

"Are you telling her that old lie about me teaching you everything I know?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am." He opened his arms and she went into them giggling in amusement. With their arms around each other they looked back to me. "Honestly, Maggie, my wife is terrible at shoes. Unless she cheats," he said grinning and guffawed when she playfully punched him in the stomach.

"I wish it weren't true, but it is," she admitted. "So, how is our Maggie faring?"

"Wonderfully. She's a natural at horseshoes." Then, he cleared his throat. "That was really thoughtful, what you did, Maggie."

"What?"

"I saw you before and I saw Kyle making his way to you. I could practically read your thoughts as you scampered over to me."

"Really?" I wrinkled my nose. "I wasn't trying to hurt Kyle's feelings, but he knows how to rub Caleb the wrong way and he does it on purpose. I'm just trying to avoid conflict."

"I know. And trust me, Kyle didn't see but I did. And so did Caleb."

He nodded his head to Caleb and I glanced over. He was looking at me with so much love in his eyes, it was terribly obvious but I didn't care. I smiled at him and then giggled when one of Caleb's uncles grabbed my arm to drag me away for another game.

I was handed off to several other uncles and cousins before it was over, one uncle, who was apparently the one to see almost a minute into the future, predicted with accuracy mine and all the other wins and losses.

He even gave me some pointers before shots and told me I was literally changing my future.

I really liked him.

Somehow, I kept away from Kyle. He looked like he maybe caught on before it was over with, but it couldn't be helped. He leaned back in a chair and sulked openly, leaning the chair back on its hind legs. I cared more about Caleb's feelings than Kyle's and Kyle was really pushing it lately.

They were all sweet and talkative as we listened to the tinks of metal hitting metal and the strums of guitar. They told jokes and Rachel passed out lemonade.

Caleb was so good, I couldn't stop my eyes from traveling to him every few seconds and even though he played a lot of modern stuff, his family seemed to really enjoy it. I guess they just enjoyed him. It still seemed so foreign to me to have so much family and be so close to them.

Then the music stopped and I turned to see Caleb standing behind me.

"I didn't get my turn," he said, cocky and grinning.