Still Waters

Readers,

I apologize for this, but I must be honest with you. I cannot finish this story. My heart is not in it. So, instead of writing something subpar, I've decided to just stop. In my entire short career as a writer, I've never left a story unfinished. Hopefully one day, i can come back and finish this one, but for right now, I am unable to continue.

I know that this is disappointing, and you may be upset, and i truly apologize. I'm hanging it up for now. If i write, it'll just be for myself. I will not add a story and find myself stuck and unable to continue.

To me, the characters in this story are real. Each one is a part of me, and the fact that this story has frozen tells me what I suspected all along, that I'm broken. At first, it seemed like it helped, but now nothing comes to me, and the added stress from being unable to finish has caused the anxieties that I deal with daily to increase. I'm healing, but it will take time. Please feel free to enjoy all of my previous works. Again, I apologize for letting you all down.

Without further angst, there is the final part I've written. I hope you enjoy.

*****

Chapter 7

Tia sat in her office. She could not help but worry about Deacon. She could only imagine the pain her son was in. she felt his hurt. She could also feel the anger emanating from her mate. Tia closed her eyes and prayed to Luna for peace, if only for a moment. No sooner than her brief prayer ended that her phone rang and it was Dallas.

"Hey, I know you're worried but right now everything is fine. Olivia didn't go through with the abortion and she and Deacon have gone to her apartment to talk. I'm staying at the alpha home." Dallas paused.

Tia knew this was hard for him. Her mate was a fixer. If anything went wrong with his cubs, he fixed it. This situation was not one he could fix.

"Dallas, what is it?" Tia asked. She knew he was holding something back.

"Her father, Jebutu. I want to hate him, but I can't. He is just like me, a father trying to protect his child. There is something about him that makes me want to know more. Yet, I'm so angry at this girl, and a part of me blames him and his mate. If they were so concerned, why allow their daughter the freedom to get caught in this predicament." Dallas paused again. Tia swallowed. For years, she never saw this side of her mate. He was judgmental. A apart of her wondered if she had met him years ago when she struggled to survive, what would he have thought of her?

"I'm sorry." Dallas whispered. "I'm wrong for thinking that, but Deacon did not do anything wrong here. Olivia is a beautiful young woman, and I can see that she loves her parents and hates disappointing them. Her father is tortured by this. In my mind, I want to blame him, but he is as upset as I am with his daughter's decision. I can't talk to him yet." Dallas paused.

Tia listened. She knew this was hard for him, but for now Deacon needed him with him. "I'm not gonna stay for very long, but Deacon has to stay here. I will make sure everything is settled before I leave. Babe, how are you? I know you're working."

Tia smiled, "I'm fine. I miss you though. Take as long as you need and make sure Deacon is ok. This girl, Olivia, Evangeline really respects her."

Dallas sighed, "She's beautiful, Tia. She is also very young. Her parents are very firm." Dallas paused.

"Dallas, listen, rest and try not to worry." Tia whispered. Dallas sighed. "ok." They hang up and Tia finished her shift. Soon, a beta arrived to drive her home.

Tia smiled as she entered her small home. Apparently while she was at work, Evangeline and Declan straighten up for her. She smiled and retired to her bedroom. Across the compound in their own private space, Declan slept with his mate tucked safely I his arms. Evangeline snuggled deep into her mates arms. She dreamed. In her dreams she was eight years old and fishing with her dad.

"Vange, girl when you bait your hook, leave the end of the worm danglin' so the fish can see it wiggle. They're sure to bite. We gone catch is a mess of perch for dinner. Momma gone be happy tonight."

Evangeline smiled and cast out her line. As she sat by her father, he hummed. Evangeline hummed along with him in her sleep.

At Jackson, Bertha dreamed too. But for the first time in months, the dreams weren't sad. She dreamed of her daughters. She was in an audience watching ach one give a speech. She was so proud of them, and then at the end, her Willie stepped out on stage and blew her a kiss. In her mind she heard him say,

"Bertha, live. You have so many more years and adventures ahead of you. Don't stop living just because I'm not standing here. I'm with you always."

She woke up. Something truly shifted inside if her and for some reason she felt the need to just go and explore.

Getting out of bed., Bertha went for a run. Shifting into her glorious wolf, she dashed across the plains. Bertha ran faster than she ever had before. There was no one in sight, just her, the stars and the sliver of moon light. She ran until she was exhausted, collapsing beneath a Great Oak near the river.

"Soon, she realized she was not alone. Becoming alert, bertha looked around. It was then she saw him. He stood and waited before taking a tentative step in her direction.

Bertha knew who he was, and for a moment, she was afraid. He shifted. He waited, Bertha shifted back to her human form. "It's good to see you out and about Bertha, I heard about Willie, I'm sorry." He whispered.

Bertha was still wary. This is Jackson property. Why are you trespassing?" bertha demanded.

The male smiled, "That's simple, many decades ago, I left the woman that should have been mine behind when I should have stayed. I followed my alpha. That mistake led to her finding a mate elsewhere. So I had to always and forever will be my woman. I'm here to stake my claim. You will mate with me woman, because we have always belonged together."

Bertha was speechless. "Leave, go home, now." She ordered in her sternness voice.

He smiled, "Has you ice queen routine ever scared me, Bertha? No and it doesn't now. You see, I know what it takes to make you melt, and soon, my future mate, we will explore those passions together."

"Look, Simon, you need to leave. I'm sure Alpha Ryelle has no idea that you are here." She added.

Simon smiled, "Yes he does, and he gave me permission to stay as long as I need to."

Bertha stood and frowned. She needed to get away from him. Shifting she took off. The echoes of his laughter following as she ran back to the safety of her home.

****

Earlier that night, Deacon sat on a stool in Olivia's apartment. She was silent. He said nothing. Olivia stared out into the darkness. There was nothing she could say that would erase the tension between them.

"Why? Why would you do that Olivia?" Deacon asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Olivia faced him. She didn't know how to answer. The decision she made was not easy, but she really believed it was her best choice. "Years ago my father got a woman pregnant. She ran and took the baby with her. Father didn't know he had a son, and my brother was raised by another wolf family. After that mistake, father was very careful, cautious. For years, I've been taught to be responsible. I've been taught to not take risk. You surprised me and I never thought beyond the moment.

When I realized I was pregnant, I was terrified. All of my life, I've never disappointed my parents. I was afraid that this time, I had. I was trying to find a way to fix this mistake, but I made the situation much worse."

Deacon was silent. You don't have to keep the baby, Olivia. When he or she is born, I will take the baby with me. Your life does not need to be affected in any way by this."

"You see, you're wrong." Olivia turned and faced him. "At that clinic today, I could not hurt my child. For the first time, I understood what it meant to have someone totally dependent on you for their survival, and I changed my mind. I'm a mom , Deacon. As a Mom, I will raise my child. So we need to figure something out. We co-parent, or ewe find a way to live together, because, I am not giving him up."

Deacon sighed, a part of him was relieved, but would Olivia change her mind once again.

Bertha awoke the next morning and went for a walk. She ended up at the lake. She sat for a moment, simply staring at the water. There were a few ripples, but just like always the lake was mostly still. She was not alone for every long. "Deacon, you didn't have to follow me down here." Olivia added annoyed.

Deacon sighed, "I just didn't want you down here by yourself."

"I know you don't trust me, but this is not necessary Deacon." Olivia added, clearly annoyed. Bertha didn't mean to listen, but they were so loud she could not help but hear. The two talked some more then left.

*****

Bertha decided to go home, when once again, she heard a familiar voice. "I knew you'd come here?" Simon whispered. Old Willy loved fishing. He sat beside her and took her hand. Sit down, bertha, let's talk."

Bertha started to refuse, when he smiled. I'm not leaving until we talk."

"Fine, Simon, talk." Bertha huffed. Simon chuckled. His Bertha had not changed one bit.

"You were always so driven. I wasn't surprised when Alphonso found you and brought you home that you were loyal to him. For a while, I thought there was more between the two of you." Simon sighed. "If I was dark, would you have given me a chance?" Simon asked.

Bertha looked away. Simon, your color was not an issue for me. You were a slave just like I was. I saw how they beat you every day until you managed to escape. Deep down, a part of me wished I could have gone with you, and a few years later, I got my chance. Don't get me wrong. I loved Alpha Bertrand and Madam Serene, but they abandoned us in the height of our fight because they did not want to take sides. I have not forgotten. I realized then that we must fight for ourselves."

Simon waited. "Call me by my real name."

"What? I haven't used your name in over a century." Bertha sighed.

"Please, I just need to hear it for once." Simon whispered.

"Symeon, Symeon Roundtree" Bertha whispered.

Simon smiled. "I love the way you say my name. I am here Bertha, and I'm not leaving. I made a mistake by leaving years ago, but now I'm here to take what's mine."

Bertha stood and stepped away from her friend. "I'm not the girl I used to be. I'm older, now, and much wiser. You may not like the woman I have become."

Simon sighed. "I've changed too. Change can be a good thing. Just give it a chance, bertha. Give me a chance."

Bertha sighed, "I have to go, but I'll think about it." Then she left. Simon took a moment and sat. Staring at the water, he remembered times in the past. He remembered leaving with the Alpha Bertrand. Bertha thought he left because he didn't want to fight for their cause, but in truth he left to avoid prison. Unbeknownst to the Jackson pack, when several prominent members of charlotte society disappeared, Simon was the cause of their disappearance. By leaving, he was never caught. Now time had passed, and he was ready to settle. He wanted to settle with the one woman he was willing to kill for.

*****

Again, if I can finish this, then one day I will. But for right now, I must stop.

IR2Re.