Chapter Twenty-six

Targ stood up as they approached. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about leaving out the testing part. I just remembered that you said someone tested on you. I feel like an as-..."

Dawn stopped him before he finished. "It's alright. Forgive me for overreacting to your story. You were just telling how it happened."

Targ's shoulders relaxed. "If you want, I'll tell you the rest omit that part of my story."

"Please." She said glad that they were forgetting what just happened with her.

They took their seats again, and Targ went back into his story. "Well. After she just vanished one day..." Dawn smirked at that. Vanished? Thats what they thought? Good. They didn't need to know she just ran through a wall to some place familiar. "Father used what he knew to recreate the compounds in her blood. There were many trial and errors.

"He was about to give up when he accidentally cut himself and a few drops fell into the compound. He didn't know until he tested that compound and made the discovery that it worked. He found out that ten shots of the serum at certain key points on a person's body, they become something more.

"Most people he had injected, like myself, were dying at the time from one reason or another. He gave us a second chance thanks to fate. If that woman hadn't been admitted to his hospital, so many wouldn't be here today." Targ looked at Pana. "I wouldn't be here today nor Pana."

Dawn looked to Mark wondering if she should tell them. She had conflicting emotions. Mark leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It would be alright to tell them." He leaned back with an encouraging nod of his head.

She held his hand as he turned back to the two who were watching very curiously to their silent exchange. She swallowed to clear the lump from her throat. "You know that I have been around for a long time." They both nodded. "Well. Twenty years ago I was mugged and struck over the head. Hard. It put me in a coma like state for about a month. When I came out, I was alone in a hospital room. I checked the chart and got scared when I found that some doctor was preforming tests on my blood which he took a bit each day. I ran."

Targ made the connection. "It was you. You're the source blood that spawned the serum." His eyes grew wide with another realization. "That's why you changed. A creation's blood still carries the serum. And when I gave you some of my blood, that little bit of serum must have hit your system more profoundly then in a normal person. Possibly because you already had some of the same compounds in your system." He was making more connections.

Dawn sighed and relaxed at Targ not getting completely worked up about her being the one their 'Father' had tested on. Dawn looked up to Mark with a tilt to her lips. "They're not going to call me 'mother' now, are they?" The three laughed and Mark kissed her forehead delighted with her question.

"We can keep this between us for now. Just to know that I don't have to search anymore is amazing." Targ said calming down.

Dawn tilted her head confused. "You were searching for me?"

"The reason why I was there in the city with Patience was to search for you. I was getting her help to find you. When I found Father's journal and found out that he only created it because of a source blood, I knew I wanted to find the person it was from. Throughout the whole journal he only refers to you as the source blood until you woke and ran away. He was distraught and simply wrote 'she vanished'. I knew that was enough to try and start a search to sate my own curiosity."

"Please don't ask too many questions just yet."

Targ held up his hands. "Don't worry. I know that you're going through a lot right now. You already supplied me with two answers. Why you left the hospital and how. I don't need anything else." He looked so happy. Then he hit his head. "I forgot Patience's vision. She was right."

"Vision?" Mark said as Dawn leaned her head on his shoulder.

Targ nodded. "When I first got to the city, I let Patience hold Father's journal. She was surprised to see a echo vision that she already had. Of you two actually. At the time, that particular vision had already taken place."

"Her gift was trying to tell you what you wanted right from the get go I bet." Pana chimed in with a smile. "You just didn't know all the details at the time. You only dismissed it because you thought she wasn't old enough to be the source."

Targ took her hand. "That's true. Now I know better." He turned to Dawn. "We won't tell anyone till you're ready. And no one will call you mother unless they are joking with you. I know one person who would joke like that. He never means any harm in it." Only plays all the time.

"Attention passengers. In about ten minutes, we will be descending into Lincoln Air Field. Thank you for flying Price Air Three." The pilot announced making them all settle themselves into their seats and buckle up. The attendants were checking everything and putting anything that was out in its place.

Dawn saw Targ holding Pana's hand as Mark was holding hers. He smiled at her and she at him. She was feeling even more normal even in this abnormal group. It was a wonderful feeling for her. To be so normal. Not an outcast. Not a freak like she had thought for so many years.

Mark leaned over and kissed her cheek before he whispered in her ear. "It's good to feel normal, doesn't it?" Dawn nodded smiling at him when he pulled back.

Dawn yelped softly when the plane touched the tar mat a little harder than she thought. Mark put his hand over hers and she smiled shyly at him. She loved that he was there for her. She knew that she was beyond in love with him. He had become her prince like she always dreamed about growing up. She was part of one of her many stories her nose was stuck in all those nights she stayed up reading. Ones that had enticed her and wowed her for so many years.

Targ and Pana were the first to exit the plane. He had told them that their brothers were outside waiting. He thought it best to go with Pana first. Give Dawn somewhat of a buffer before she came out.

He went out first with Pana closely following him. Down on the hanger floor, he smiled brightly at his brothers. "You two didn't have to be the ones to come." He embraced his favorite brother, then his friend and brother.

"Well. Who else would pick you up? It's not like anybody else likes you." Targ's friend teasingly said with a smile.

"Han!" Targ whined playfully as he put his friend in a head lock. "Why would I need anyone else to like me when I have you two?" He winked at Pana who was shaking her head at the two.

"Whoa. Who's that?" The other brother asked looking up at Dawn as she was descending down the stairs from the plane. She was holding onto Mark's hand with one hand and his arm with the other.

"Don't get too interested Barr. That's Dawn and she's with Mark." Barr started to walk over and Targ knew he was about to hug Dawn. "Barr. No touching." He had to make sure Dawn wasn't put off by his family already.

Barr stopped, turned around, and pouted. "Why not? She's so pretty. Like a sparkling jewel."

Dawn's cheeks flared with a brilliant bright brush. Targ chuckled. "She's not comfortable with anyone other than Mark. We should respect her wish for personal space." Barr frowned as his shoulders slumped. Targ looked to Dawn and Mark. "Let me introduce you to my brothers. The bear looking brute is Barr. This dark tan wolfy guy is my best friend and brother Han."

Han bowed his head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dawn. I do have one question. Are you sure about Mark?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Mark snarled out. Dawn's heart jumped at his tone.

Han put his hands up in defense. "I'm just making sure."

Dawn placed a hand on Mark's cheek and he turned to her. His anger receding with her touch. "Shh. He didn't mean it to sound like that. Remember what you told me of your past?" He nodded to her. "He must be thinking of that right now. I know you're not the same man as you were then."

Mark sighed and put his forehead to hers. "Thank you." Mark lifted his head up and looked to Han. "Sorry for getting defensive."

Han waved it off with his hand. "I understand your reaction. I would have had the same one if someone asked that of Diana." Han smiled a wolfy smile. "Good to see she has the touch with you as Diana has with me."

"Lets get home and eat. I'm starving." Barr exclaimed as he started to walk to a huge SUV outside the hanger's door. Targ shook his head at Barr along with Pana.

"You're always starving Barr. There's no end to your eating." Han shouted after Barr. Everyone laughed as they followed. Several workers had bags in hand and putting them in the trunk of the SUV when Barr opened it up.

Barr hopped in the driver's seat with Han taking the passenger's. Targ and Pana let Mark and Dawn take the back seats while they took the center seats. The ride was a little long on winding roads. Dawn was looking out the window the whole time just watching the scenery passing them by. She was in awe each time.

Mark loved seeing Dawn look out the window. He would smile watching her seem to light up at everything. It was like she was really opening her eyes for the first time in her life as she traveled. She was in awe by everything. He was even so happy when she leaned into him so he could wrap his arms around her. Oh how she completed him.

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