Chapter 12: Only The Truth Can Hurt Like This

It hit her like a ton of bricks all night long. Everything her mother said. Jaxon and Echo's words repeating in her mind. Her parents some how was always fighting. Her father was always jealous. It was all Ellie Millow Auntie Millie she makes me call her. It was all her she fed dad all the things mom and Onyx were doing. She placed all those little paranoid theories in his mind. Hell it makes look like Onyx is the victim and was always trying to show gratitude and it just happened. Being the friendly shoulder to cry on as that evil woman crumbled their marriage. 

It wasn't based on a rock hard foundation to begin with but her mother did love her dad. She loved their family. Millie was always jealous and wanted dad for herself what a prefect way to get her out of the picture. Who would have thought she would have actually mated to Onyx. Maybe everything Millie fed them was based on some truth but who knows wat would have happened if she didn't push his jealousy to the edge maybe so many would still be alive right now. I don't think she thought it through for dad to still be pining for his wife even now. 

She wanted to hear it straight from her lips if she regrets telling him anything knowing she didn't get what she wanted in the end she is still lonely and single still chasing after hi like a lost pup. She still gets short with Ana when she pushes her away. Even now with all the wedding stuff she still trying to wiggle her way in and gets shoved back even by Paige. SO many things running through her head. She called into work and stayed home watching movies. She told everyone she was tired and taking mental health day they all knew how exhausted she was day before. There might still be some things left on these videos. 

After all day and looking in every single crack she could find there was nothing else to know. She took everything every single thing her mother left for her down her and buried a hole so deep in a box she needed to cut a drop of her own blood in and hid a container next to it on the side incase she doesn't come back before she dies. And sealed it. Covered in dirt she came to wash up and make something to eat. Watching the T.V she remembered she still needed to pack an emergency bag. Starting to wonder about all the tracks she is covering she started to wonder what her next move should be. There was so much more to all this then she realized. 

Next day she walked in and put up the wall she heard them in the back coming up smiling to her then taking a step back as the smile fell. "Good morning little one." Nix told her in a pleasant voice. "Uh huh." She told him "Did you rest well." Echo asked her happily trying in his own way. "Nope not a wink." She told him not looking at him. "Are you alright?" Nix asked her as they took a step together closer to her but took the step back when she turned around and said. "You mean since Jaxon told how my mother died." The look on their face fell. 

"Jaxon is the fake mate, yes?" Echo asked him. "No Jaxon is the Fiancé who my father choose for me since apparent forcing people to get married worked out so well for him. Right? It had to of because not only did he get a daughter out of it. He watched his wife get imprinted and mated to the second in command of the great general of the D'marlians. Now do either one of you one to tell me why neither one of you told me about my mother and Onyx?" She asked them arms crossed anger flowing off in waves. 

Niko and Melana came in happily to try to greet her and was stopped in their tracks by the tension. "What's happened?" Niko asked looking at them. "The fake mate has told Ana about how her mother died and how she got mated to Onyx." Echo answered as Niko and Melana mouth hung open. "Analeigh this wasn't something we withheld from you on purpose. Not to hurt you or anyth-." "That's is such BULLSHIT Nix and you know it." She said as she slammed her hand down once on her desk. Turning slightly before she turned back to him. 

     "That is exactly what guilty people start off by saying. Well let me stop you right their Phoenix. You did alright. It did hurt me. It hurt like a mother fucker hearing those things come out of Jaxon of all peoples mouth when you know what in the last almost year here working with you it should have been you! I understand Jaxon being a scared ass hiding behind my fathers orders but who was holding you back Nix huh? Who was pulling on your reins to reel me in from knowing what happened to mom. If anything any of you at any point should have told me it only helps your case against my dad and help point me in their direction off this planet right? What benefit did you have by not telling the truth at any given fucking time. I asked all of you if you knew and you all lied to my face. Why?" She asked looking around the room. 

"Did you not tell me so I can help you? Huh did you think I wouldn't help you? Do you also think so low as I didn't need to be told what happened? You all see me struggle with closure because I had no answer when this whole time all of you were sitting on them. Right now you are no different then Jaxon and my father in my eyes because that is the most evil thing anyone ahs ever done to me. You have done some shit to Phoenix and I let it all go. I forgave you. Then you keep this from me? Do you actually see me as your friend? Do you actually see me as someone you need. Because I'm calling bullshit. You don't do this to your friends. You don't hide this kind of shit from someone you care about someone you say is important. You don't."

"All this time the only thing I've ever asked from anyone is to be honest with me. Now I'm stuck in arranged marriage with someone I don't know if I want to trust even if I could because I can't get out of it. I'm also locked in my work building with people who made me prove my trust to them and dropped mine at the door. There wasn't anything I haven't done for you guys and more. Whether you asked me to or not. I did because some of us actually have heart and mean what we say. I gave you my word and I kept every single one I given to you. Why couldn't you have done the same respect for me. I think it's because deep down you don't respect me. I think deep down maybe you and my father are more alike than I thought. Doing and saying whatever you need to, to get your way and what you need from someone before you toss them aside. Why else would of all people keep this from me? I need to go." She said wiping her cheeks and face off. Walking out the door.

"Aren't you going to stop her?" Echo asked Phoenix in a worried tone. "To say and do what? That she is right? That any point I could have told her the truth about how her mom died for us? You think anything I have to say right now would mean anything to her. Look at my track record here brother. I hidden myself in here for weeks before she found out I was actually alive. I brought my brother here who beat the hell out of her. I force the gift of our people on her which put her body through hell. I didn't tell her about the scouts. I didn't tell her I stayed in contact all these years with brother Denarius. I never told her anything until it was too late." He snapped at Echo. 

"She's done so much for me I have given much of myself to her since she has given much of her to us. There was no reason I couldn't have told her all this time. I just hate being the one who keeps hurting her. She is right in this way I am no better then the fake mate or father. This is on me. She is my friend and I let her down in the worse way." "We let her down any of us could have told her brother. It was selfish on our end." Niko told him stepping up to place a hand on his shoulder. Echo just looking down in sadness and let himself fall to sit on the floor. 

Sitting on a couple of huge pipes on the -19th floor. She was staring at some of the water pumps as they glistened away from her. When she felt something she couldn't see sit next to her. "You shouldn't be up on this thing it's bad for the baby." Ana said not looking at her. "Baby is fine." "Liar. Your hormonal and upset because I'm upset and you feel bad. Therefore baby feels bad." Ana said not looking at her still just dazed off. "Well this is true as well. You are right. We should have said something. It just gets too hard. Analeigh we lost so many lives that day. It is so rough on our hearts. When remember back it is not good on us emotionally or mentally. I can only speak for all of us on that. I can speak for myself on this." She said as she took Ana face quickly and opened her mind gate to share the memories.

Screams and cries were everywhere. Niko was holding on to her hand. Wait that's not my hand that's Melanas hand. Running around Echo got tossed on a ship and left holding his sides. Rydin and Paige were shooting at some others talking about the other pod and told Niko to get in this one. Niko helped Melana on it and Phoenix came charging full pace to them trying to hop in the ship when three humans jumped on him bringing him down shoving the end of their guns through his body over and over again.

 Before Niko could jump down to help him she saw the men hit the ground as her mother shot them. Onyx on her tail covering her. Looking Nix over she told him to hurry get up and go trying to push him in the pod when she got shot in the shoulder. Oddly enough Onyx shoulder jerked back which made them all look at each other quickly nothing hit him only Emerie. Next thing you know a gun went off and destroy the control pad which Niko and Melana quickly came to Nix side and helped get him up. "There are no other ships go back to the lab building and hide in the lower levels of -17 no one will ever find you. I'll make sure you get help and get out." Emerie told them. 

Onyx set the pod to take off automatically even though there would be no oxygen it would still fly no one would think they were still on Earth. "I'll be back for you." Onyx told them. "Please take care of yourselves I promise I will make sure somehow you get home. Please promise you will come back for Analeigh." "I promise I will come for Analeigh." "Thank you Nix. Run you guys quickly we'll hold them off. That's the last thing Melana remember seeing other than hearing a roar that tore through their bodies. "Phoenix was a way behind me he saw more than I did. You should go up to him and gather what he knows as well. I am sorry Ana. Please forgive us." She said tears rolling down her face.

"I have to forgive the pregnant lady especially when she let me in her mind." Ana said as she put her hand over hers as they just stayed in silence lost in thought and heart ache watching nothing. Just sitting and being in the moment. Listening to each other breathe. When Melana got up she hugged her and went on her way. It must be a few hours sitting here calming myself down. Niko must have called her in. He must be worried with her gone so long with no word. Maybe I should get up and get some more answers too. 

When the doors open Echo and Phoenix jumped to their feet looking at her silently. As if they were waiting to get scolded by a parent. She walked straight in like a woman on a mission and went straight up to Nix hands on his head and quickly searched his head before he caught on. Seeing everything he saw the last time he saw her mother. Watching as her father order someone on a walkie to push a button and seeing her mother shove Onyx out of the way watching side of her face be instantly melted as Onyx cried heavily over her body as the light left her eyes. The roar that ripped their hearts.

It over took the sounds of her father screaming to get to her mother tears on his face as the reality of what just happened Paige being put on a stretcher looking lifeless. When she saw Paige in a bed after everything was done. "Come here Nix I know you are with me. I can feel you." Paige told him in her doctor room. "Don't look so sad. I guess I just aint meant to be a maternal mother. This is the second miscarriage. I guess no sibling for Quinn Just when I got Rydin back again I lost the only part of him I had left. You can't tell anyone I miscarried again. Just let them believe it was the one few years back." Nix only nodded. "Good kid." She said rubbing on his forehead. "Now leave before you're caught. I'm leaving as well. I wish you happiness Nix. May you find your mate and get the time I should have had." She said tears rolling down her face. 

Ana took her hands off him. He let her see everything she wanted in his head. He owed her this much. She even saw extra stuff of trying to tell Ana on some days but went against it. She knew why he did it. It doesn't change the hurt she feels. "You saw everyone you cared for get beaten, experimented on by my father. Or die. You went through so much and you still couldn't find in your soul to let me take some weight off you by telling me wat happened? This was my parents fault. You don't think I should have taken on some weight in this. That's my damn place Nix." She told him in a choked out voice.

"I let you in because I know nothing I can say should be believable after holding so much back from you. I know I have been messing up time and time again with you. It doesn't matter what type of good intentions it was done for. It doesn't matter that I thought it was best to protect you. I should have let that choice be yours. I am sorry. I know nothing I say or do right now will change the hurt I brought it doesn't really change anything. I just hope you can forgive me and still be able to trust me going forward in the future. I know you probably need space right now and I will give it to you." He said to her looking down at her putting a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I am so mad at so many people. You know what the worse part is right now. I am so hurt. Angry and confused and I still can't push you away. I still feel like I need you to catch me because I can't stop falling and I swear any minute it feels like I'm about to slam through the ground but it doesn't feel so bad or so suffocating if I know you're right here with me." She told him not even looking up at him just staring in a daze at his torso he was so tall. Taking his hands and wrapping them around her. 

"I'll always be around to catch you little one. I want you to know how much my heart felt at ease once I found out who you were. I felt like I was finally keeping my promise to Emmie I owe her my life. The least I can do is save what's left of her soul." Echo looked at them and felt his heart strings tug. He was proud of his friends. A D'marlian word is everything so to be able to keep their promise to those who dies for them and their people meant more than words can say. 

"What else are you confused on I hope I can answer your questions." "Look in my head for this woman and tell me if you remember her being shady or anything out of the ordinary." Nix looked down to her as his eyes glossed over and then his body was shaking. "Is this female still here?" He asked gritting his teeth in anger. "Show me." He just looked away for a moment. "Nix." She said taking her hand to bring his face to look at her. "Show me, please." She saw everything the person in charge of most of the experiments that killed or were torture instead of science was her father but the one doing the other was Millie. 

After watching the scenes he remembered and all the fights both verbal and physical between Ellie sand her mother. She pushed away from him bent over the trash can and vomited. "Ana." Echo called out as Nix just held her ponytail up rubbing her back. Echo came with a wet towel. "It's not an easy thing to see. It's why I couldn't bring myself to show you let alone tell you. You already have hate for your father but he is still your father. You didn't need anymore fuel to that fire." Nix told her. "Who is she to you." Nix was angry. "That is Ms. Ellie Millow. Growing up we called her aunt Millie a combination of her name you know. She was and is in love with my father and watching the tapes my mother made. Turns out Millie added the fuel to all my parents fights." Wiping her face as she stood up.

"She is not good person. She is part of a demon." Nix told her his hands on her upper arms. "Stay away from this demon nothing good happens when she is near." "I see her everyday or every other day it's no big deal. She doesn't suspect anything and she is getting butt hurt because I won't let her have any saw in the wedding. Which actually brings me closer to my dad because he don't let her either. He tells her that's what Paige is for. How it's my day it should be how I want it. All that crap." Ana said rolling her eyes. 

"Nix this gift to see inside someone's memories can I only do it with you guys or can I see into a humans too?" Ana asked him in a curious look. "I think in order to have the gift to see into humans you have to be mated to the royal family. No regular being can have this power. Which is why Darius can never exceed the throne. No matter how much he tries. There are no females to mate to either so he is out of luck unless he tries to love my older brother." Nix said with an evil smirk. 

Shaking her head to him. "Well you never know." The smirk fell with a glare instead. "Why do you ask such questions?" Echo asked her feeling his interest pull him in. "I want to know if I can get into a situation where if I get her unconscious if I can see everything she's truly done." Ana told them with a shrug like it was an everyday thing to think this way. "You know who knows maybe its worth a shot if you can come up and get ahold of me and him who knows what other wonders you unlock. Why not try it?" Echo encourage her.

"You're telling her to put herself in a vulnerable position how does she get her unconscious without dragging attention to herself?" Phoenix asked crossing his arms. "How do you do that Analeigh?" "I thought I would have lunch with her in her office." She smiled. Grabbing two plants and taking them to the back with her. Both of them looked at her with strange looks. "A simple lunch. It's all it is. It's almost as scary as when she told me I was walking right through the front door." Echo whispered to him. Pushing him away he went to go check communications with his brother to let him know of the new events. 

*Knock* Knock*The door opened up. "Hey Auntie Millie. A little bird told me you were working through lunch. Luckily I had some spare time and thought to swing by to see you since it's been awhile." "Oh that sounds wonderful. Ohh smells so good. You remembered my favorite soup. Such a sweet child. Come. Come. Come tell me all about everything you been up to lately." She asked excitedly. Ana smiled as she gave her the soup and took hers. "Well I picked out where I want to go for the honey moon and I wanted you to see these flowers here before I placed an order tomorrow." Ana said showing her the flowers and bouquets. 

"Everything is perfect you really have an eye. I think you might even out do Sienna. Here colors are so vibrate but a bit much for me I like yours better. Yet both seem to suit you both perfectly. I am so excited for both big days. Where you going for the honey moon?" "I was thinking of either Italy, Ireland, Japan or China. I'm torn but if we get two weeks like dad promised I might even both of either Japan and China or Ireland and Italy a week in each. Give or take just five days in each so we have time to relax and come home. I'd like to have the house set up before we leave so we can just dust and relax once we get back." 

"Mmm. Smart girl." She said as she was half way through the soup. "You know what place I think you'd really love is… is." All Millie got to say before she was snoring on her desk with the slam and loud noise that came with it. There were no cameras in Ellies office so she had no need to worry and everyone knew if Ana was in there not to come in for awhile. "Well that sounds good I will look that place up." Ana said as she got up walked around and found the temples of Ellies head and focused everything she had on opening the channel to Ellies memories being out of sound mind hopefully her mind will let her wonder in. 

So many horrific things flashed through mind. The screams of the test subjects the screaming of her mother and fights they had been the screaming form Ellie to her father as they argued so many times. Then watching around the corners as she watched my parents argue so many times. It was her who sot the control panel to Niko, Melanas and Phoenix's pod. She even spoke and worked with Darius before she crossed the species over by helping slaughter them as they ran for protection. Her father is only half to blame. It was Millie who helped him get into the mindset and it was her who helped kill her mother. Without the extra jealousy from her father that was seeped in his mind by this evil woman then that horrible day never would have happened and so many lives would not have been wasted because of pure hatred. 

Stepping back and looking at her as she slept she would be past out for hours. She was doing everything she could not vomit. If this worked on this evil woman she wondered if it would work on her father. That was one path she did not want to journey down. Nothing in her life would prepare her for those haunting images. Ana thought hard about it and she's not sure she could ever see her mother dying from her fathers point of view. Getting everything cleaned up and taking out the lunch and throwing it out she turned to go walk back to her elevator when she saw Jaxon walking by with two of his friends from his office talking over a project. 

His eyes light up when he saw her only to drop back down when she just nodded to him in acknowledgement. She heard some jokes about him being in the dog house but ignored them and walked on. Sharing what she found with Echo and Phoenix who were angry but left in shock. When she gathered her things to go home She had the others as she made Phoenix show them everything. The words kept ringing in his ears before she walked away. "No more secrets." Heer voice just a whisper but it was a promise he was going to do everything to keep. This time he meant it. He would hold nothing back from her. He didn't want to blow what could be his last chance of a friendly peaceful friendship. Not when they have years of seeing each other up ahead of them.