Knights v Hunters; The Return

Becca was slightly amused at Caleb’s stoic attitude as he sat blindfolded in the back of the vehicle. Rafe drove the vehicle and Ella sat in the front with him, while Becca sat with the birthday boy who, although alarmed at first at the thought of having a party, eventually relented. He was a sport, she realised. Eden, Eli, Sera and a few of the other Young Hunters were travelling in vehicles behind them. Becca was grateful that Jude had granted permission for them to travel en masse into New York, but was surprised that the permission wasn’t accompanied by a list of instructions. Instead her parents and the leader of the Hunters had told them to enjoy the party and not to draw too much attention to themselves.

Caleb sat in silence, perturbed at the thought of having to participate in a celebration he didn’t quite enjoy. He’d tolerate it though, because Becca had arranged it, which meant something to him. He had no idea where they were going, since Rafe had been driving for more than an hour already and he couldn’t read anything off his brother. Rafe could be that way when he needed to. He had also heard a few other voices when he got into the vehicle and suspected that more of the other Hunters were joining them. He hoped that Eden was one of them- she deserved to be included in the pack. He faced tonight with trepidation though, because he was still in two minds about whether to confess his feelings to Becca and if he chose to, he didn’t want to do so in front of an audience.

Rafe was relieved to be driving, which took his mind off his more troubling thoughts. Eden looked almost ethereal tonight and he had struggled to keep his eyes off her. Of course, she had hardly noticed him, spending her time whispering to Eli as she got into their vehicle. He had the strangest thought that what he was feeling was actually jealousy! But why would he be jealous with regards to Eden? She meant nothing to him. Sure, when he had first met her, he felt that he had known her before, but he got that same feeling off other people too. Although, to be honest, other people didn’t paralyse him as much as Eden! He didn’t recognise the person he became when he was around her. He realised that she had hurt him the moment she had shrank from his touch during their mission all those months ago. Other people had never had the power to hurt him like that. He decided that when they went back home, he would need to have a long conversation with Caleb to clear the air. He needed his brother’s wisdom when it came to matters of the heart.

Matthew, Josh, Kyra and Nate waited at the diner, which had set up a private area for the celebrations. They could hardly wait to see their sister because even though they spoke to her on a daily basis, it wasn’t the same as fighting over a board game, training together or sitting down for a family meal in their mother’s kitchen. Eden was sorely missed, especially by Matthew. The eldest and youngest in the family had formed a very strong bond at an early age and were both similar in outlook and temperament. Matthew knew that he had broken his sister’s trust and he was working hard to regain it, but it would take time and the physical distance between them both made it more difficult.

“Uh, hi there.” The Knights turned around as they heard the voice behind them. It was James, the Untouchable who worked at the bakery. It turned out that Becca had invited him to the dinner for Caleb as well and James had volunteered to bring the birthday cake. After all, he did work in a bakery! It turned out that Lucia Ginello, despite her treachery, had in fact left the management of the bakery in the hands of James and another of his colleagues during her “leave of absence”. James told the Knights that no Untouchable had come near the bakery since Ginello’s departure, since they had obviously received word of Ginello’s demise. However, Detectives Peck and Channing had been around a few times, looking for Lucia Ginello and some of her former employees and were surprised to hear that they were no longer around. James knew that the NYPD was still keeping a close eye on the bakery though. The Knights and James continued to chat for a while and were interrupted only by the arrival of the Young Hunters.

Caleb was led into the diner, blindfolded, but nonetheless in good humour. When Becca eventually removed the blindfold, Caleb was more than taken aback to see that he was back in the diner and surrounded by Hunters and Knights alike. Amidst well-wishes, gifts and cheers, Caleb asked Becca, “So how did you get this right with my dad?”

“I have my ways and means,” Becca said mysteriously, glad that Caleb was at least enjoying himself. The Knights and Young Hunters seemed to be mixing pretty well and were engaged in some animated conversation. Even Rafe was laughing at something that Nate said and Caleb realised that he hadn’t seen his brother look that happy and relaxed in a long while. He searched for Eden who was sitting at the other end of the table and noticed her sneak a few looks in Rafe’s direction, longing clearly written all over her face. My birthday wish is that they find their way back to each other, Caleb realised. Rafe deserved some happiness, as did Eden, after all that she had been through in the last few months. They grounded each other, provided the stability that they each needed, but Rafe’s memory gap of their relationship had unsettled Eden as much as it had Rafe.

“Rafe, can I ask you something?” Ella asked hesitantly. Rafe looked at the girl he considered his little sister, aware that she was nervous about what she was going to ask him, which was unlike her.

“You know you can ask me anything,” he assured her, placing his knife and fork down, giving her his full attention.

Ella took a deep breath before she said, “What happened between you and Eden?” She watched the emotions on Rafe’s face, wondered what he was thinking.

“What do you mean?” Rafe eventually asked.

“Many months ago, when we went for a walk one evening and I told you that I had certain feelings for a Young Hunter, you told me that I needed to wait for the person who was right for me. And when I asked you how I would know who was right for me, you said that I would know when I met him, like you had when you first met Eden. I mean, I know that there was this connection from the first moment you two met, since I saw it when I helped your mom take care of Eden. So, I guess I’m asking, what broke you two up? You were crazy about her and she about you, so why would you walk away from that? Did you realise that maybe she wasn’t the right person for you?” While she spoke, Ella didn’t realise that Rafe had reeled back in shock, that his heart was beating faster than it had in a while, that a flood of emotions was threatening to drown him.

Instead, Rafe looked at Ella and asked quietly, “Did I tell you I was in love with Eden?”

Eden looked at him in confusion. “Yes,” she said. “You loved her so much and you told me that you were going to spend your life with her. And she felt the same. What happened?” she prompted.

He looked at Ella and then turned towards Eden, tears clearly forming in his eyes and said sadly, “I think… I think I forgot.”

James was helping Becca bring out the cake that was now lit with candles. Caleb was surprised that Becca remembered his favourite and turned around to tell his brother when he noticed that Rafe was not in the diner. He proceeded to cut the cake and while Becca and James handed out pieces to everyone, he went in search of Rafe.

Rafe was standing outside the diner, hands in his pocket, deep in thought. “You okay?” Caleb asked.

“Yeah,” Rafe turned around and realised that despite his protestations, Caleb was enjoying his surprise dinner. “I just needed some air.” He really needed to speak to Caleb, but he wouldn’t spoil his birthday. He was still reeling from the discussion he had just had with Ella. “I’ll be in soon. Go back before Becca comes to get you.”

“She’s a bossy one,” Caleb acknowledged, slapping his hand on his brother’s back. “I’m here when you’re ready to talk,” he said quietly and walked back into the diner.

Rafe sighed. The bond between him and Caleb had always been strong, strengthened even more by their ability to communicate telepathically since they were toddlers. Yet, they were very different in personalities, with Caleb being more extroverted, but his brother always had his back. He trusted no one more. Rafe turned around when he heard the door to the diner open once again. It was probably Ella coming to check up on him. She had been distressed to see Rafe upset but he thought he had sufficiently assured her that he was okay. Instead, it was Eden.

“Seems like we had the same idea,” she said with a smile in her voice.

Rafe nodded and turned back to look across the road at nothing in particular. How could he have forgotten her? He was certain that it was part of the memories that Matthew had cleaned and yet, if he had supposedly loved her so much, surely some part of him would have remembered? And what about Eden? If she loved him too, why had she just let him be? Ahh, he realised.

“So, uh, why did we break up?” he asked Eden, surprising her as he himself had been surprised a few moments ago.

“So you spoke to Eden?” Caleb asked Rafe early the next morning in the lounge while the girls still slept in the rooms. “And, what happened?”

“She told me that we were seeing each other many months ago and then we broke up,” Rafe said casually.

“And?” Caleb prompted.

“Well, there’s really nothing more to say. We weren’t together when her brother so kindly cleaned my memories, so maybe he did me a favour,” Rafe announced, almost coldly.

“Rafe, is that it? Caleb asked with concern. “You were seriously in love with this woman! You would have done anything for her and she felt the same.”

“Maybe, but she ended our relationship from what I understand and to be honest, if Ella hadn’t innocently mentioned it last night, I would never have known that Eden and I had a relationship once.”

“Bull!” Caleb said forcefully. “You’ve been on edge from the moment you met her again and it’s not because you’re repulsed by her.”

“Caleb, don’t read more into this than there actually is. The person I am now, cannot believe that I was actually involved with a Knight. And we know how badly that ended the last time around!” Rafe exclaimed.

“Rafe, listen to yourself,” Caleb pleaded. “You became the man you were meant to be when you were with her! Now, you’re discounting it as a mistake?”

“No,” Rafe said with a sigh. “I’m saying that it’s over. We were over a long time before we met again. It’s for the best anyway because we would never have worked out. Besides, I don’t remember anything about her! Surely I would have remembered something about her even after the memory cleaning?”

“Bro, even you’re not that powerful. The problem is that you’re looking for memories of her in your head!”

Rafe laughed. “That’s usually where memories are stored.”

“Look into your heart, bro. Listen to what it says when you’re thinking of Eden or when you’re close to her. The mind may play tricks on you, but the heart never lies. You told me that once,” Caleb said.

Matthew, his siblings and Nate were staying in a hotel a few streets away from the Hunters’ apartment. Last night had been strange – he had actually enjoyed himself at Caleb’s birthday dinner and it was interesting meeting the rest of the Hunters in a more relaxed, celebratory setting. Caleb had been welcoming and had even hugged him, but Rafe seemed distant, lost almost. He wondered if either of the Young Hunters knew that he was in the midst of serving out a punishment for his breach of the Knight covenants. He had been severely reprimanded by Gabe for applying his cleaning ability on Rafe and was barred from engaging in missions for six months and from exercising his cleaning abilities, Not for the first time, Matthew regretted the decision he had made all those months ago. He had to admit that although he thought he was doing both Rafe and Eden a favour at the time, he also knew that their forbidden relationship would have created complications for Gabe and would have placed a strain on his leadership of the Knights. Now, Matthew had to bear the consequences of his actions of that night each time he saw his little sister, the person he was closest to in the whole world. Last night, he had seen Eden’s eyes closely follow Rafe around the room, whilst Rafe studiously stayed out of her way. She had followed Rafe outside later that night and had returned a while later, looking heartbroken and desolate. He had done that to her. He had taken away her chance for happiness. How could he make it right?

Just then, Eden walked into the lounge and noticed that her brother was awake already. “The dinner was great last night, wasn’t it?” she asked, still looking forlorn.

“I was just thinking that,” Matthew admitted. “How are you doing?”

“Adjusting better than I thought actually,” Eden smiled, although it didn’t reach her eyes. “Everyone at the compound has been more supportive than I could have hoped for and Jude and Ava have made me feel at home.”

“And Zeke?” Matthew asked reluctantly. He still felt that his sister shouldn’t have been allowed to leave with Zeke so easily. The only thing that comforted him was that Jude would never let anything happen to her. Neither would Rafe nor Caleb.

“I didn’t expect to connect with him so easily, but I have. We’re a work-in-progress, but I understand myself more since I’ve met him. Is it strange that I knew who he was the moment I saw him?” she asked her brother.

“Well, considering that none of us knew about your heritage, yes,” Matthew answered honestly. “How did you know though?”

“I saw him and I saw me in his eyes and I just knew. I knew that we were connected, that he was my biological father in that instant. And everything changed then,” Eden said, her voice shaky.

“Hey,” Matthew said, sitting up, “are you okay?”

Eden sniffed. Her shoulders were hunched and when she looked up at her brother, her eyes were misted. “I don’t know where I belong anymore,” she confessed. “What if I’m asked to make another choice, Matthew? I messed up so badly the first time around,” she said and Matthew knew that she referred to Rafe. “How do I choose between the family who raised me and the Hunter who longs to be a part of my life?”

“Who’s going to ask you to choose?” Matthew asked. “Father would never put you in that position.” He forced Eden to look at him. “Are the Hunters pressurising you to make a decision?”

“No,” Eden said. “Jude knows everything that happens with his people and he only interferes if it threatens the safety of the pack. Can you believe, he even knew about Rafe and me and he did nothing?”

The guilt rose within Matthew. He had done something about it, when the most powerful Hunter had looked the other way! “Why are you worried then?” he eventually asked.

“Let’s be realistic. How long will I be allowed to straddle both worlds? Each day, I feel myself become more of a Hunter. The arrows flow in my blood as much as it does in any Hunter. Why would the Knights take me back?” she asked worriedly.

“Because you’re a part of us! Father would never abandon you. You have training as both a Hunter and a Knight. None of us have that. That makes you more powerful than any of us.”

“Matthew, what if I mess up? What if Zeke realises that there is more Knight in me? What if I disappoint everyone?”

“Hey! Listen to me. You’re not going to mess up. The problem you have is that you do everything not to disappoint your family, even if it hurts you. And Zeke, well, even I have to admit that he clearly loves you, as much as any father loves their child.” Matthew couldn’t believe that he was defending the Hunter who had taken his sister away, but he couldn’t hide from the truth.

“Can I get a lift with you?” Eden asked, changing the subject.

“You’re coming back to the town?” he asked.

“Yes, just for a few days. I already spoke to Zeke early this morning to let him know. I’ll call Eli and let them know that I won’t be travelling back with them.”

“Are you running away from Rafe?” Matthew asked gently.

Eden looked at her brother, her eyes having misted over once again. “Yes,” she admitted.

Caleb sat in the control room monitoring the whereabouts of a few of the Hunters who were out amongst the Normals on various missions. His father and Ethan had requested that the Young Hunters stay closer to the compound for a while and continue with their training. The training had been going well, and some of the Young Hunters continued with their studies in between. Caleb knew that his brother was once again absorbed in his books, using it as a means to hide his emotions and thoughts. He knew that his brother could be stubborn, but it never crossed his mind that Rafe could also be delusional! Rafe loved Eden. It was as simple as that. No memory cleaning could take that away from him, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself. Eden’s absence from the compound these past few days had affected him although he tried to hide it. Rafe might have stayed away from Eden when she was visiting the compound, but he had always known that she was close. Now, he was lost again because he couldn’t sense her.

Caleb himself had other thoughts on his mind, besides Rafe. He hadn’t had a moment alone to share his feelings with Becca. The fact that Eli was always close to her had played a part in his frustration. Eli displayed the signs of a man smitten and Caleb felt guilty at the thought that he might be going after someone who was already taken. Just then, the Hunter of his dreams and current restless state, walked in, looking casual in grey cargo pants and a white t-shirt.

“Why are you hiding in here?” she asked, winking at Caleb.

Caleb resisted the urge to pull her into his arms. “Just standing in for your father actually. He’ll be back in a while. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, this and that,” Becca said mysteriously. “Some of us are going over to Eli’s to watch a movie tonight. Do you want to join us?”

Actually, what Caleb wanted, was some time alone with Becca. “No, but thanks for asking.”

“Do you have another hot date tonight then?” Becca asked.

Caleb was silent for a moment and looked directly into her eyes before speaking. “My mom always told Rafe and myself that you need to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince, or in my case, my princess. Let’s just say that I’m done with kissing my share of frogs!”

Becca turned away from Caleb, pretending to straighten some maps on the table next to her. She didn’t want him to see that she was distraught. “Ah, so you’ve finally found your princess?”

“Yes,” Caleb said without hesitation. “Now, the only thing I have to do, is convince her that I’m worthy of her.”

Becca turned around, her heart silently breaking. “Oh Caleb, don’t doubt that you’ve worthy of anyone. I’m so happy for you,” she said honestly, pushing back the tears that were threatening to rush to the surface. Becca walked towards the door, desperate to leave before she made a fool of herself. She stopped when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Bec, please don’t tell me you’re in love,” Caleb pleaded. He tried to make her turn towards him, almost afraid to see the truth in her eyes.

Becca reluctantly turned towards Caleb, wishing she could tell him what he wanted to hear. “I’m sorry, Caleb,” she said, wondering how he had guessed her feelings towards him, “please don’t let this change anything between us.”

Caleb’s heart sank. She loved Eli! Just when he realised how much he loved Becca, she had fallen for another Hunter. He would never forgive himself for being so stupid, but he could never punish Becca for being happy without him. “It won’t,” he said gently, pulling her into a hug, putting all his feelings for her into that one embrace. “You’ll always be the first girl I asked to marry me.”

Becca laughed as she remembered a six-year old Caleb handing her a daffodil. “The way I remember it, you told me I was going to marry you!”

And yet you went and fell for someone else, Caleb sighed.

“So why are you moping around the house?” Rafe asked Caleb a few days later. His brother had skipped a few of his morning runs, which was unprecedented, choosing instead to sleep in a bit longer. It wasn’t like Caleb to mope, but Rafe could not describe his behaviour as anything else.

“Not moping, exactly. Just reflecting,” Caleb replied, lying on the sofa and staring into the ceiling, as if it held all the answers.

Rafe sensed that there was something else going on. Caleb was one of the most energetic Hunters he knew and was always on the move. Something had flattened him and he thought he knew what it could be.

“Did you speak to Becca yet?” Rafe asked with caution.

Caleb looked at him, the dullness back in his eyes. “Yup.”

“And?” Rafe prompted, imitating his brother from a week before.

“And I was right. She’s in love with Eli. I’m totally okay with that,” Caleb said, “I just wish I would have said something months ago.”

“Is that why I see you punching him in your mind?” Rafe laughed.

Caleb grinned. “I can’t seem to stop myself”

“Are you sure Becca said that?” Rafe asked.

“Yes,” Caleb replied, replaying it in his mind, allowing his brother access to his most private, painful moment.

Rafe saw and heard what was in Caleb’s mind, but something didn’t seem right. Did Caleb misunderstand Becca’s response? “Wait here,” Rafe instructed as he hurried out of the house.

“Didn’t plan on moving, bro,” Caleb responded. He had really messed up with Becca and he hadn’t gone outside the past few days out of pure embarrassment. He also needed time to process his feelings. He loved her, yes, but he couldn’t force her to love him. He respected her too much for that. Was that what Eden was going through at this moment? Maybe he should call Matthew and ask him to clean his memories as well, he mused.

Half an hour later, Rafe marched back into the house with Becca in tow, startling Caleb. Rafe had a huge grin on his face. “First of all, I say this with the greatest love. You two are idiots!”

Caleb was now on his feet and he finally had a good view of Becca who had initially stood behind Rafe, her petite form being completely blocked by his brother. She looked like how he felt, completely down. But why? Surely, she couldn’t be feeling miserable because she wasn’t in love with him. “What’s going on?” he asked Rafe.

“I spoke to Becca about the last conversation you two had,” he said, watching both Becca and his brother colour in embarrassment, “and I think that you need to talk and because I don’t trust either of you to correctly interpret anything, I’ll start the discussion.” Rafe turned towards Becca. “Becca, are you in love with Eli?”

Becca reeled in shocked. “No! We’re just good friends. He’s in love with someone else.”

“What?” Caleb asked confused. “I don’t understand. When we spoke, you said that you were in love.”

“Yes,” Becca responded. “But not with Eli.”

“Then, who?” Caleb asked, hoping against hope.

“This is when I take my leave,” Rafe said, walking out. “Don’t mess this up!”

Idiots, Rafe muttered as he walked the perimeter of the compound. Becca and Caleb loved each other and hadn’t even known it. He hoped that they did, by the time he got back. He couldn’t bear to see the both of them so unhappy the past week. And you? a little voice asked. How long can you stay unhappy?

His discussion with Eden on the night of Caleb’s birthday dinner had floored him. He had been in love with Eden once! He still couldn’t believe it. She told him that in the Year of the Choice, she had chosen to remain with the Knights, which meant that she couldn’t be with him any longer. She told him that she had loved him more than she had thought it possible to love anyone and yet, he thought, she had found the strength to walk away from him. You didn’t do that, not to someone you claimed you cared about. Did she still love him? he wondered. Had he loved her? Surely if he had, he would be lost without her now? He would be moping around like Caleb, helpless in love, trying to figure out his life and how he would cope without her being in it. Knowing himself, he would have become quieter, more reflective. And what exactly have you been doing these past few months, Rafe?