Adopting

I wake up to Alec jumping on my stomach, yelling about a bear...I think it's a bear at least.

"Mommy! Wake up!" He yells. My eyes open, and he smiles really big. "Yay! Mommy's awake!"

"What's wrong?" I ask him, sitting up. I stretch, and see Liam isn't next to me.

"There was a bear! It was so scary! But mommy, you helped papa fight the bear!" He yelled, jumping on the bed next to me.

"Be careful not to fall.." I warn him. He continues, as if I didn't say anything.

"You and papa are so brave! You fight bea-" he almost falls off the bed, but I catch him just in time.

"Alec! I told you to be careful! No more jumping on the bed!" I scold him. He starts tearing up.

"I'm sorry mommy.." Alec looks down. I pull him into a hug.

"It's okay...I just don't want you to get hurt." I tell him. I pat his back, and he hugs me tighter.

"Thank you mommy..." Alec whispers. I hear his crying start up again. We pull out of the hug.

"What's wrong, baby?" I ask him. His eyes start watering even more.

"I wish you were my mommy!" He yells. What? But I thought, that he thought, I am his mom.

"What do you mean? Do you remember your mommy?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Mommy left me at the big building. Then, the scary lady who lived there, left me in the scary place. I like you much better! You and papa helped me!" He explains.

So, his mother left him at an orphanage? But the caretaker left him in the woods?! Why would they ever do that? He's so sweet...and just a child. Alec decided that since we saved him, we're his new parents. I think I understand, now.

"Don't worry, that won't happen again..." I tell him. He looks up at me.

"Really?" He asks. I nod my head, and he hugs me tight. "I love you, mommy.." I hear him whisper. I smile. He is so adorable.

"Am I missing something?" I hear Liam ask. We turn to look at him. He smiles, and tackles us.

"Vivi, what did you promise him?" Liam asks, sitting up.

"He told me about his past, before we knew him.." I tell him, purposefully avoiding the question.

"Really?" He looks at Alec.

"She left me in the scary place, the place where you and mommy found me." Alec tells him.

"Who did?" Liam asks.

"The scary lady did. This mommy is nice!" He points at me, and smiles.

"Do you know where you lived before?" Liam asks. I put my hand on Liam's back, I can tell he's getting mad.

"I'm not sure" Alec shakes his head.

"If you saw it again, would you recognize it?" I ask Alec. Alec nods.

"It was scary there. It looked like it would eat me." He says, as he climbs into my lap. "Mommy! You should be smiling! You look really pretty when you smile!" Alec tells me, while grabbing my face to try and make me smile.

"Thank you!" I say with a smile.

"How about we go into town? We could find the building.." Liam suggests. I've never been in town. I've seen it from above, but never actually went in it.

"Yeah!" I agree. I really want to go, now.

"I'll have cat boy prepare a carriage." Liam says as he leaves the room.

"Alright, I'll get Alec ready to go!" I call after him. I turn back to Alec who has a blank expression on his face. His eyes turn to the back of his skull. "Alec?!" I yell. His eyes roll foreword again.

"Mommy, it's in the town. We'll find the scary building in the town" Alec tells me.

"What? What do you mean?" I'm freaking out. Is Alec okay? What happened to him?

"Mommy! Calm down, I'm alright!" Alec shouts. "I saw us go to town, we found the building.." Alec explains. I look at him with shock.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask him one more time. He nods. I sigh in relief, and hug him.

"Mommy? Did you hear what I said before?" Alec asks.

"Yes, baby.." I respond. "I think you may have magic, baby.."

"Magic?" Alec asks. We pull out of the hug, and Alec looks at me questioningly.

"Yeah. I know someone who can see the future...just like you seem to.." I tell him.

"You do?" He asks. He looks so amazed.

"Yep!" I smile. "Now, let's get you dressed!" I pick him up, and walk over to the table near the door. The clothes we found him in, are sitting on the table. They're fresh and clean. I change him into the clothes.

"Mommy?" Alec asks.

"Yes?" I answer. He looks up at me.

"Who was that crazy lady? The one that kept smiling at me last night?" He asks. Is he talking about Annabelle?

"Did she have long dark hair, and pink eyes?" I ask.

"Yeah!" Alec answers. I giggle.

"That's auntie Annabelle..don't mind her, she was just excited to meet you." I explain to him.

"Oh, Is she your sister?" He asks. I shake my head.

"No. Liam's brother, uncle Zack, has a fiancée. Annabelle is Zack's fiancée." I tell him.

"What's a fiancée?" Alec asks. I almost forgot I'm talking to a toddler. He's really smart for his age, and it's weird thinking that I've been talking to a toddler this whole time. Wait a minute, how old is Alec?

"Alec, how old are you?" I ask him.

"I'm four." He answers. Four?! He looks like he's two!

"When's your birthday?" I ask him.

"I think it's April 13th." He replies.

"So you're birthday wasn't long ago.." I think aloud.

"Mommy? Are you going to answer my question?" Alec asks. I look at him puzzled. What question?

"I asked you what a fiancée is.." Alec recalls for me.

"Oh..sorry baby. A fiancée is the person you're going to marry, so Liam's brother is going to marry Annabelle." I explain to him.

"Oh! Are you and papa married?" Alec asks.

"Not yet" I tell him.

"But you love each other...so why aren't you married yet?" Alec asks.

"Because we haven't decided when the wedding will be." I answer.

"Alright! Ready?" Liam comes rushing into the room. I turn to look at him.

"Yep!" I smile. I turn back to Alec, and pick him up. We walk down to the ground level. We get in the blue and silver carriage.

"Papa? Are you going to marry mommy soon?" Alec asks. Liam looks taken aback by his question. I know I'm blushing.

"I'm not sure, kid...we haven't decided when we will get married." Liam answers. Alec looks dissatisfied with his answer.

"Why don't you and mommy get married tomorrow? Then you'll be married! Why do you need to decide when?" Alec asks.

"Well, we have people we want to invite..." Liam answers, and yet again Alec looks dissatisfied. Alec was about to ask another question, when he sees something that catches his eye.

"Stop! Stop the carriage, papa! This is the building!" Alec yells.

"Stop the carriage, please!" Liam commands.

The building looks like it's in shambles. It doesn't look stable, it looks like it will collapse in any moment.

We get out of the carriage, but Alec is hesitant to leave the carriage. I gently smile, and pick him up. He's trembling.

Alec hides his face in my shoulder. He's really scared of this building. For good reason, too. He wasn't kidding when he said it looked as though it would eat him alive.

I pat Alec's back. He clutches onto my dress, as we get closer to the deteriorated building. An old woman comes out of the building. She's small, and boney. She has an annoyed expression on her face. When she sees the carriage, her eyes widen, and she puts a smile on her face.

Alec, who had just worked up the courage to look at the building, takes one look at her and shudders. We definitely have the right building.

"Hello, hello!" The woman greets with a somewhat sinister smile. "Are you interested in adopting a child?" The woman asks, with a hopeful smile on her face. Alec wiggles around, hiding his face in my hair, trying to look at her.

"Uhh...actually, we're not mainly here to adopt." I tell her. The woman's eyes focus in on Alec, and he turns back into my shoulder.

"I don't have the room for anymore children, as you can see." She points to the terrible building. "I can't take that one."

"We aren't here to drop him off either." I inform her. Alec tugs on my shirt.

"Then why are you here?" She asks.

"We wanted to know if you had lost a child a few days ago.." Liam answers.

"I didn't.." the woman responds, eyeing Alec. "Why?" She questions. Alec tugs on my shirt again, and I look at him. Alec looks at me worriedly.

"We found him, and he knows this place.." Liam answers.

"Mommy, that's the scary lady.." Alec whispers to me. I start bouncing Alec, as though he were a baby.

"It's okay baby..." I comfort him. I look back at the woman, and she's staring at me. "Is there something wrong?" I ask.

"Who are you?" She asks.

"I'm Liam, and this is my fiancée." Liam introduces.

"I was speaking to the girl!" The woman snaps. "Who's that child?"

"I'd rather not tell you.." I tell her, keeping my composure. I may be calm on the outside, but inside I'm mad. She was the one. She left Alec in the woods.

"Tell me your name!" The woman demands. We're all startled by her. Liam goes between the woman and I. I notice some children come running out of the building.

"That's enough!" Liam yells at her.

"Why do you want to know my name?" I ask the woman. The woman is caught off guard, as if she doesn't know why. She looks down.

"Who is the child?" The woman asks once more.

"I don't believe I should tell such a hostile woman. Should a hostile woman, like yourself, be taking care of children?" I ask.

"They never leave!" The woman screeches. "The children! They're like an infectious disease! No, they're like a..a pack of wolves. The more that come, the more they call in reinforcements. There's no end to the children!" The woman yells, with a look of insanity.

I watch, as the woman starts laughing hysterically. The children in the doorway of the building, look frightened. Liam turns to give me a look, I nod. I walk to carriage, and set Alec down on the seat. He looks just as frightened as the other children.

"It's okay.." I pat his head. "I'll be right back.." I tell him. I step out of the carriage, and walk over to the children. I take a look at Liam, and see he's trying to calm the woman down. I knew down to the children. "Hello.." I smile at them.

They all cower away from me. One little girl, steps foreword. She trembles in fear.

"Please...help! A boy used to be here...but yesterday he...he was missing.." the little girl pleads.

"Is his name Alec?" I ask the little girl. She nods. "He's in the carriage.." I tell her. Her eyes widen.

"Did he run away?" She asks. She shudders, "or did she banish him to forest, like the rest?"

Like the rest? He isn't the first one?! This woman is so cruel! How could she do that to a defenseless child? He's so sweet, and tries his hardest not to make you upset.

"It's going to be okay.." I tell her. "Can you keep this conversation a secret?" I ask her. She nods her head. I smile at her, and she smiles back. I turn to leave, but she stops me.

"Umm..miss? I'm sorry, but could you tell Alec, 'Jessica says hi'" she asks, unsure of weather or not she should have asked me.

"Yes, of course!" I respond. I turn to leave again. I look over to see Liam fighting with the woman again. I get into the carriage, and see the worried look on Alec's face.

"What are you worried about, now?" I ask him.

"Are they going to be alright? They're with the scary lady." Alec asks.

"I have a feeling they'll be just fine.." I tell him, while smiling. "Oh! Jessica says hi.." I tell him.

"Jessy?" He asks. "You talked to Jessy?"

"Yep! She's a brave one! She looked so scared, and yet she came up to me anyway." I tell him.

"That's Jessy!" He smiles. I look out the window, to see Liam walking away from the woman. The woman is now screaming. I'm not sure what she's screaming about, but she's screaming about something.

"Let's go!" Liam yells to the driver, as he comes in. We get going, and I see Liam angry. I put my hand on Liam's knee. He looks up.

"You okay?" I ask him. Liam's face softens.

"Yeah.." Liam smiles.

When we get back to the castle, Xander and Arthur greet us.

"Xander! Get a guard down to the orphanage in town! The woman there needs to be arrested!" Liam orders, as I help Alec out of the carriage.

"I see my vision was right.." Arthur points to Alec. "You do have a child who can see the future.."

"I thought so, but I did want to ask you.." I tell him. He nods knowingly. Alec looks at us questioningly. I pick Alec up. Alec, Arthur and I walk inside.

"You do not need to worry about him.. this is normal, when they first start out seeing the future.." Arthur answers my unspoken question. I'm relieved.

"Thank you.." I smile at him.

"Mommy?" Alec asks. "Am I yours?" I smile.

"I don't want you to go back to that orphanage. I want you to be my son." I tell him. He smiles widely at me. I kiss his forehead. "I'm going to adopt you as soon as I can.." I tell him.

"That's good! I already made arrangements to get the paperwork ready!" Liam says coming from behind. We turn to him, and he's smiling really big. He hugs us. "I love you, both of you.."

"I love mommy and papa too!" Alec yells.

"Well, I love you both, as well" I lean into the hug. I'm holding in my arms, a new member of my growing family.