Double Trouble

Savannah was practically in tears by the time Eli concluded telling his story. Hearing exactly how her brothers-in-law kidnapped her kids was exceedingly difficult. Then, when Toby arrived home and the story had to be repeated for his sake, Savannah could barely stay quiet, her sobs interrupting the story as it was told to the father—and brother of the kidnappers—of the missing children. Her children were gone; kidnapped by their uncles and used as leverage to seek revenge on her and Toby for what happened seventeen years ago. Completely inconsolable, Savannah adjourned to her room with Eli and Toby at her side to get her through what happened. Thomas would have accompanied his sister as well, but he had business to attend to and had no choice but to remain in the coffee shop until closing time. Only then would Thomas see to his sister. “Aunt Savannah,” Eli said when they got upstairs. “I really am sorry I couldn’t ensure their safety. They completely blindsided me.”

“My brothers tend to do that,” Toby warned Eli. “Just before Camp Strange began, they blindsided me and told me that whichever girl I picked for the group was to be killed. I picked Savannah, but never killed her and that’s what started this whole thing.”

“Yeah, too bad they never realized that you picked Auntie V for your group so you could protect her and ensure that nothing happened to her. You were in love with her and didn’t want to see anything more happen to the girl that you loved so dearly,” Eli replied, knowingly. “Neither one recognized the fact that she was the same girl already targeted in the past and that Aunt Savannah had issue with them.” He chuckled softly. “Even without even knowing what they did to her, Aunt Savannah knew what was going on.”

“Now, my kids must suffer the consequences of what happened,” Savannah said sadly. Just knowing that her children were now spending time with their monster uncles frightened Savannah beyond all reason. When Reuben, Keith, and Dawn were around, no one spoke of Jason and Justin Evermore, and with good reason. There was no need to alarm the kids, not when there was no way for the men in question were dead.” She turned to Toby. “Any idea as to how your brothers might have turned up alive. We made sure that Calarasi was dead before leaving Romania; there is absolutely no way in hell he could be alive."

Toby shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Maybe Calarasi was never dead?” Eli suggested.

Savannah peered at her nephew. “Not dead?”

Eli nodded. “Did anyone ever check to see if the guy was dead? I doubt that you did because you were a little too focused on returning Uncle Toby to his mortal state. Maybe all of this could have been prevented, if only you guys took the time to check if Calarasi was dead. There was probably never a need to, but it wouldn’t have hurt to check if he was dead after using that blue rose to return Uncle Toby to the mortal state he left behind a hundred and twenty-nine years prior to that,” Eli reminded his aunt and uncle.

“You know,” Toby said thoughtfully, “I think your nephew might actually be right. We never did check to find out if Calarasi was dead. Everything that happened within the past week could have been avoided by ensuring that Calarasi was dead.” He groaned. “I suppose we’ll just have to look into this while we’re dealing with possible ways to save our children. And, you…” Toby pointed to Eli, “…will have nothing to do with it.”

“What?” Eli exclaimed.

“Did I not warn you that you’d be unable to deal with this,” Toby argued. “I know my brothers; know what they’re capable of. Do not forget that. I spent a century and a half living with those two assholes; they cannot get away with kidnapping my children. And, to ensure that they are rescued, you will not be coming with us. You allowed my children to be kidnapped, albeit not purposely. I cannot take any chances that this will happen again.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. Toby never did like the fact that Eli was aware of the truth, even of his former life as a vampire. Eventually, Toby was bound to find a way to keep Eli from participating in the rescue mission that they would attempt. Savannah cast a somber look at her nephew as he left the room. “Toby, a little harsh, don’t you think?” she asked.

“Harsh, no; needed, yes,” Toby noted.

“My nephew had no way of knowing this was going to happen,” Savannah argued. “Yes, his mistake caused our children to be kidnapped by their uncles, but this is not his fault. He does have the right to be able to go after Jason and Justin; they were stolen right under his nose.” The dream from the previous week then made its way to the back of Savannah’s mind. She had forgotten it since that first day, but not that her children were gone, the memory of that dream came flooding back. “And anyway, in Eli’s defense, he did try to get them back. It wasn’t without a fight that he let them go. Jason and Justin overpowered them and took the kids by force; Eli would have gone after them if he could, but we both know that such a thing would have been impossible because they’re vampires.”

Toby’s dreamy blue eyes shot wide open. “Savannah! You knew!”

“I did,” she said quietly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Toby wondered.

She shrugged. “It came hours before you and Thomas got hit; it didn’t seem relevant at the time, so I never bothered to mention it. Plus, I thought it was only a dream, not a vision. There’s no way I could have known that my dream would actually come true.” Dealing with Jason and Justin Evermore was never something Savannah wanted, nor was it something that was ever possible; how could she have ever come to the conclusion that what she thought were dreams were actually visions? Such a thing was far too far-fetched to be believable.

A knock on the door came and Savannah looked up. Eli was once again standing there. “There was something I forget to mention to you. Just before they took Dawn, I gave her a warning.”

“What was the warning?” Savannah asked.

“As soon as I realized that Jason and Justin were standing in front of me, I told her that it was best if she not use her name around those two. If either of them found out what her name was, there’s really no telling as the fate that would befall her,” Eli explained.

Savannah cast a glance at Toby who seemed rather surprised that Eli would take the initiative to do something like that. Considering that it was on his watch that this would happen, Eli wanted to do whatever he could to help them. And, giving Dawn such a message was the smartest thing he could ever do, for it could lull the Evermore twins into a false sense of security. “Thank you, Eli, for letting me know,” Savannah said. “That was smart thinking.”

“What was that about?” Toby asked when Eli left again.

“Something we probably would have regretted if we allowed it to happen,” Savannah reminded him. “The day Dawn almost decided to change her name, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Toby remembered.

The day their daughter that she wanted to change her name was one that Savannah would not soon forget. Any conversation that ended in the way that one almost did would be one that Savannah might never forgive herself for allowing to happen. Savannah sighed. She couldn’t wait for the day that Dawn started school. Once that occurred, there would be no need to go gallivanting around the house just to find her. “Dawn, where are you hiding?” she called to her three year-old daughter. There was no game of hide-and-seek going on; Dawn simply just didn’t want to be found, for whatever reason. But, she would find out.

After ten minutes of pointless searching, Savannah finally decided to ask the only other person who might know. “Hey, Thomas, any idea where my daughter is?” she asked.

Thomas shook his head. “Sorry, no.”

Savannah groaned, throwing her hands up in the air. “Ugh! Where is she? I turn my back for two seconds and the next thing I know, my daughter has completely disappeared. You know how much of a bad thing that is, Thomas. I won’t allow that to happen.”

“I do,” Thomas nodded. “As do Toby and Eli. However, your children and sister-in-law are completely clueless as to what’s been going on. You know you’ll have to tell them sooner or later.”

“Yes, well, I prefer later,” Savannah replied. A shuffling of feet could be heard upstairs. “That would be my daughter. I need to go find out what’s been going on with her.” She carefully headed upstairs, making sure that Dawn didn’t hear her. By doing this, Savannah was able to locate her daughter. “Dawn, why are you hiding? I was calling for you.”

“I know,” her daughter replied.

“Then why didn’t you answer?” Savannah inquired.

“Because my name isn’t Dawn,” she replied.

“Of course it is,” her mother insisted. “Dawn Rose Meadowbrook. You were named so because of my past. Naming you was of the utmost importance because you’re the only one who can protect your brothers should danger ever arise.” Though the chance was slim, Savannah was not about to take any chances in allowing what she dreamt to come to pass.

“I want to change my name,” her daughter explained.

“To what?” her mother wondered.

“Eve,” she replied.

Savannah panicked. If her daughter changed her name to Eve, it would counteract what Savannah and Toby were trying to do. They wanted to protect their children and the only possible way for them to do so was to have a daughter and name her Dawn. Safety was a priority issue after everything that happened through the years, and she would not let this occur. “Dawn, I want you to listen to me very carefully; no matter what, you can never change your name, especially to Eve. You were given the name Dawn for a reason and I cannot allow that reason to be jeopardized. Should you ever feel the need to use the name Eve, do so only if you run into a pair of red-heads who share your eye color.”

“Mommy, why?” Dawn asked.

“Just do as I say, Dawn,” Savannah explained to her daughter. “Should the need ever arise, you need to be protected and this is the only way to do that. If and when that day ever occurs, your name must be Dawn. You’ll understand why someday. But, understand that I named you so in order to protect you. After what I went through when I was growing up, this was all I could do to keep you and your brothers out of harm’s way.”

Toby rolled his eyes as they reminisced about that day two years ago when their daughter nearly changed her name. “You know, I always did wonder what caused Dawn to mention something like that. It just seemed so unprovoked; it was almost as if…oh no!”

“What?” Savannah asked.

“Iyana,” Toby replied.

“What about my brother’s wife?” she asked.

“Savannah,” Toby reminded his wife, “each of the kids is close to one of us. “You were always closer to your nephew, due in part to the fact that you played babysitter to him; Thomas and Reuben always had a special relationship; Keith had one with me; and Dawn? Dawn was always close to Iyana, for whatever reason. I think Iyana was responsible for that.”

“Damn it!” Savannah exclaimed, slamming his fist down. “I’ll kill her! Ever since my brother married that witch, I never trusted her. We hated each other with a passion and I never understood why. There was just something about her that I just didn’t like. If I had known about this long ago, this might not have happened. Iyana is a plague on my life; the only thing that she ever did to make me happy was give birth to my nephew. Toby, I can’t really be sure but I think that Iyana has something to do with some of the things that have been happening around us. After we save the kids, we need to look into that.”

Toby nodded. “Thomas won’t be pleased with that, but I think you’re right. We may have to deal with Iyana yet; Dawn is close to her aunt and I can’t help but wonder if Dawn possibly changing her name was Iyana’s idea. You know it very well could,” he replied.

“And, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Savannah replied. Thirteen years ago, Thomas forbade his sister from investigating Iyana. She did anyway, but never found anything worth mentioning. There were times Savannah wished she had. There was a mutual dislike between the two women, not unlike the relationship she had with her brothers-in-law: the Evermore twins; it was clear—at least to Savannah and Toby, for Thomas seemed oblivious to it—that something was something very wrong going on, and she feared what it might possibly be. Plus, any part her sister-in-law played in this could have an adverse effect on the Meadowbrook family. She just hoped that things could not get any worse than they had; there was no way that Thomas could take much more of that, not now and not ever.