The Brocade Baby (Rewrite) Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The hunt begins

13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13

 

"Wait, what do you mean they're coming to slaughter us all?!" Brielle demanded as the others stood there in shock and horror.

"Is that what you meant by us being in grave danger?" Audrey asked nervously as she finally put the pieces together.

"I'm afraid so," Elio replied in a somber tone. "But it's so much worse than you think. As Barnim and I interrogated Henri on his relationship with Raoul, we discovered something far more horrifying."

"What is it?" Timotheos asked in a nervous, clearly afraid of what he was going to say next. After a brief moment of silence, Elio finally spoke.

"Now that those mercenaries know where the baby is, they will all be coming for him and are planning to destroy the town by July 28."

This horrified everyone in the room, with some having their faces turn pale at the dreadful news. Even the dogs seemed afraid as to what was going to happen as they began whimpering in fear. Ambroise was the only one who wasn't worried as he was too busy sucking on his own hands and babbling away. Brielle could only step back and sit on the couch in shock while Julien could only try and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. July 28?! Timotheos thought to himself. That's next Monday!

"He's that desperate," Brielle began in a shaky tone. "Desperate enough to commit GENOCIDE!?"

"Unfortunately yes," Elio replied in a somber tone. "Now that he's running out of time and his brother is going to be returning by August 1st, he will do everything he can to get what he wants even if it means slaughtering a whole town of innocent people."

"Our home," Miranda began in a horrified tone. "Our people. Our friends. Not to mention our families. Raoul would surely kill us all just for money!?"

"Yes," Elio replied in a somber tone. "Knowing him, there's no doubt that he'll also betray the very men that he hired to take out Ambroise and the rest of you. He'll either kill them himself or simply frame them for his crimes just so he can get off scot-free. There are no lines that he wouldn't cross, no depravity that he wouldn't sink into just so he can satisfy his greed."

"So what are we supposed to do then?" Audrey asked desperately. "There's a time crunch on this! We have to act fast or we're all DOOMED!" As he said this, she began to breathe heavily in a panic, causing Timotheos to wrap his arm around her shoulder and stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her down. It worked as she found herself relaxing and feeling safe in his arms, with Ambroise's presence making it better.

"We should warn the whole town about this," Miranda stated. "If these criminals are going to attack us, those with children of their own should at least escape before they get themselves killed."

"I agree," Barnim said in a grim tone. "The elderly ones may not be able to defend themselves either so they need to leave as well. Anyone who is a non-combatant won't survive what's coming and will need to stay somewhere else in Belgium or leave the country entirely for their own safety."

"What do you mean by that, grandpa?" Timotheos asked in confusion and anticipation.

"What I mean is," Barnim responded in a dark tone. "If that no-good rich arschloch wants a war, then we'll give him one. Him and all of his men. They made a huge mistake in underestimating just how dangerous we can be if provoked."

Timotheos and Audrey were both surprised by the sudden cursing, especially since Barnim rarely swore and in front of children, nonetheless. But given how serious the situation was becoming, especially with the impending crisis that would destroy the town if nothing was done about it, they knew that the old man was not going to take this lightly. It helped that they had just recently found out about Barnim and how he and his family resisted the Nazis when they took over Amable and tried terrifying the civilians into compliance. Seeing this side to him both scared and impressed both of them, with Timotheos being the most curious as to what will happen next. The police as well as Miranda and Elio nodded in approval as they too decided that it was time to prepare for war. Though the 2 teens were scared of what was to come, they both believed that they along with Ambroise would be able to make it out alive.

The next day, word spread quickly regarding the news and needless to say, panic spread. Almost everyone in the town feared for their lives as they saw that their days were numbered the more they stayed in Amable. Many of the townspeople assembled in the church building where the reverend tried to calm everyone down for the important meeting, with both the Blumenthals and the Larues sitting on the front pews with Elio. Though the others were wary of him, due to his past as a hitman as well as being indirectly responsible for leading those criminals to their home, the 2 families assured the others that he meant well and was willing to help defend them from Raoul's men. Some of the police were also present in order to keep the peace, with the others having gone back to the station to inform the other stations on what will happen as they needed all the manpower that they could gain.

"Quiet! Quiet everyone please!" the reverend shouted desperately as he tried to get everyone to calm down. Unfortunately, the people were too excited and panicked to quiet down, let alone hear what he had to say. Miranda could only place her palm on her own face in exasperation while Timotheos, Audrey and her parents sat nervously and awkwardly in the pews. Barnim decided enough was enough as the panicking was too much for him to handle and stood up. He took a deep breath before finally letting out the biggest shout he could muster.

"SCHWEIGEN!!!"

This caught everyone's attention as they immediately came to a halt and the whole room was deathly silent.

"Right then," Barnim began before going back to his seat. "Reverend, as you were saying?"

"R-right," the reverend began. "As we all know, both the Blumenthals and the Larues are being targeted by a vile noble named Raoul who wishes to kill Ambroise along with anyone else who is associated with him all because of an inheritance issue. Is that correct?"

"Yes sir," Barnim replied with an affirmative nod.

"Right, and now he is sending these... brutes to kill us all just for taking care of the baby. Given how most of us have not been in combat, at least not since the Nazis, it is best that some of us leave this place with our loved ones and escape or stay here and fight for our home."

The crowd began to murmur among themselves regarding on what decision they wanted to make. Most of them knew that staying would mean certain death, that is if they weren't prepared to fight. While others were more than willing to escape to places like Brussels, Tervuren or even to places outside of Belgium, there was one person who was rather disgruntled at the idea of having to fight or even leave their home for the sake of a baby.

"Why should we do anything for that stupid brat!?" one person shouted, causing everyone to look in the direction of the person who spoke. As it turns out, the person who spoke was a rather mean-spirited old man named Malthe Schroder who was known throughout the community for always complaining and yelling at people for the most minor reasons. Though Blumenthal was one of the more peaceful communities in Belgium, Malthe was unfortunately one of the few people who was severely disliked if not hated by everyone for his sour demeanor.

"Let's face it," the old man began in a sneering tone. "That brat has been nothing but trouble ever since he came here. Not only is he the one being targeted by those thugs, he's practically forcing us to fend for ourselves and risk our lives for nothing. Have we also forgotten that hitman over there is the one who brought those thugs here in the first place? And for what? To protect one useless baby whose own mother didn't even want to bring him with her?"

This caused the others to become shocked and appalled by his callousness and cruel words. The Blumenthals and Larues were disgusted by how he chose to blame a baby for this whole mess even though it was clear that Raoul was the one responsible for all of this. Even the police were shown glaring at him for his horrible words as even they weren't stupid enough to actually believe him, especially since Malthe was known for calling the police on people for the most pettiest and stupidest reasons.

"And on that note," Malthe continued, not noticing or caring about the angry and disgusted stares he was receiving from everybody, "What better way to solve this problem than just get rid of the brat? Why don't we just hand him over to this Raoul character or to his men, maybe then this whole situation will be over and Amable will no longer have to deal with this nonsense ever again! Or better yet, just kill the brat already and let it be done with!" The others in the church could only watch in astonishment and disgust as they couldn't believe that he would consider something that heartless, especially since Elio and 2 families made it very clear that Raoul would betray anyone just so he wouldn't have to waste any money. Barnim found himself growing more furious the more the old man continued to rant whereas Miranda remained eerily calm and poised. Julien could only watch in disgust while Brielle and Audrey were fuming at the audacity that the old man had when it came to his "ideas". Timotheos was the most furious and found himself hating Malthe the more he continued to talk without a care in the world.

Okay, that's it, Timotheos thought to himself with growing fury as he almost got up from his seat to give the old man a piece of his mind. However, before he could do anything, Elio got up first and quickly yet silently approached the jabbering old man with a cold expression. The others became afraid of what he was going to do, though most of them were eager to see what kind of punishment the hitman would inflict on the old man. Malthe didn't realize how much danger he was in until he found his throat being clamped by Elio's grip, preventing him from saying anything more. The police officers immediately drew out their guns, as to prevent any more needless bloodshed, though Elio had no intention of killing him but rather he wanted to give him a piece of his mind. Plus, he wasn't worth killing anyways.

"Listen to me you piece of horse shit," Elio snarled with cold, barely restrained fury. "We are all at risk of dying at the hands of those monsters who are after the baby. Ambroise is not to blame for this mess, but his so-called uncle is. You do realize if we did kill Ambroise or sacrifice him, Raoul would still raid this place and destroy every living being here, including you. So either you shut up and listen to what we have to say or you can drop dead like the useless piece of fat that you are. Got it?"

"Ngk.... y-yes?"

"Very good."

Once Elio let go of the old man's throat, Malthe could only cough and pant as he tried to regain his breath. But even after all that happened, he was still idiotic enough to try and continue his rant.

"Y-You see?!" Malthe cried out. "He just tried to kill me! You all saw that! This proves that man along with that baby are up to no good!" Everyone could only sigh or roll their eyes in exasperation and frustration over his stubbornness and idiocy.

"I think you should leave," Barnim warned in a cool yet dark tone as he stood up from his seat and glared at the old man. "Unless you want to cause any more trouble and disrupt the meeting, I suggest you get out of here. Stay in your house or leave Amable for good, I don't care. Be grateful that Elio was willing to spare you in the first place and that you can still breathe air in your lungs."

Malthe could only watch stupefied as he saw that no one was on his side and were unwilling to listen to his "advice". With a snooty humph, he got up from seat and proceeded to walk his way out of the church building in an attempt to regain whatever dignity he had left. As he walked through the aisle, everyone either glared at him or turned their heads away as to not be associated with him anymore, not that anyone liked him in the first place.

"Mark my words, you'll see," Malthe responded. "You'll all see that I'm right! You'll be sorry to have thrown me out! I swear it! You're all gonna die!!!"

The police themselves also grew tired of his incessant ranting and decided to drag him by the elbows before literally throwing him out of the church. Though Malthas was somewhat overweight and old, he was still strong enough to endure being thrown out and fall face-first onto the ground. The police immediately shut the doors before resuming the meeting.

"Anyways," the reverend began. "As we discussed, we have very limited options when it comes to dealing with Raoul and his men. Personally, I believe it is best to escape now while making sure to protect the baby from any harm. However, given that they're still lurking around and waiting for a chance to strike, that may be too risky for us. We can also stay here and fight, or at least barricade as many buildings and houses we can take shelter in, as we cannot let our fear divide us during these dark and uncertain times."

Though there were some that were willing to stay and fight for their homes, for the sake of their friends as well as Ambroise, others were more reluctant and worried for their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.

"But what about our children? Think of their lives before deciding anything that risky!" one woman cried out.

"What about the elderly as well as the handicapped?" a man pointed out. "We can't just leave them here to fend for themselves let alone fight these monsters!"

"Don't worry everyone," Miranda stated as she also stood up. "We have taken that into consideration. We're not going to force everyone to stay behind and fight for Ambroise and the town. We will assist in evacuating anyone who is incapable of fighting for whatever reason and will make sure it is voluntary. We are also going to stay behind and defend the baby along with this town so you don't have to."

"Wait what?!" Timotheos exclaimed as he wasn't aware of this part of the plan. "Mama! You never said anything about this!"

"I know Timmy and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier," Miranda said in a discreet tone while smiling at him in a comforting manner. "I'll explain it to you later."

Timotheos could only stare in shock while nodding numbly in the process. Why didn't she warn me about this earlier? Is she planning to sacrifice herself like some martyr? Is that it? Does she think I'm not capable of protecting Ambroise too? What about Audrey and her family? How do they fit into this plan? The other folks in the church building were still debating on whether they should stay behind or leave their home possibly for good. Sensing that there was still some reluctance among the people, and for good reason, Barnim decided to take control of the situation.

"Everyone, I know this is difficult for you all to decide," Barnim began. "We're not saying that we should all vote unanimously to either leave or stay behind and fight. We have the police as well as reinforcements coming so if you wish to leave this town and protect yourself and your loved ones, you may do so now. If not, then please stay as we have a plan as to how we will survive this."

After a small beat, a few people began getting up and slowly left the church building, with some rushing out compared to the others. Whether it was out of shame or fear regarding the impending battle, they left swiftly and shortly before closing the church doors. The sounds of footsteps walking/running away were heard as well as cars driving away from the parking lots. At least half of the crowd remained in the church, still seated in the pews with determined or uncertain expressions on their faces. Barnim raised an eyebrow at this sight as he wasn't sure whether they were fully committed to actually fighting for the town and Ambroise.

"So, this is everyone who is willing to stay?" Barnim asked with suspicion in his tone. "No one wishes to leave? This is your one final chance to go back to your homes and pack you know. No one's going to judge you for leaving as this is going to be a serious battle. Not one of those "mock battles" that's performed for entertainment or anything of that sort."

The people said nothing as they continued to stay seated in the pews, with some fidgeting with their clothes or hands in nervous anticipation. Wanting to test their resolve, Barnim decided to do one last thing.

"As you all know," he began. "I used to live in Amable many years ago before I retired and moved to another town in Belgium. However, what some of you may not know is that me and my family were secretly part of an anti-Nazi resistance group who sabotaged many of the Nazis' attempts to take over Europe. We aided refugees as well as other rebels against their captors and even assisted some Nazi hunters in eliminating some of the worst Nazi remnants so that they will never return to their former positions. When Hitler had some of his troops take over our town and terrorize us into compliance, it made our positions more difficult due to the heavy crackdown on any signs of rebellion. Did we give up and surrender? NO WE DID NOT! Sure we couldn't leave this place but not because they trapped us here. No, it was because we CHOSE to stay despite knowing how dangerous our operations and missions were. Yes, we lost many companions and allies during the Holocaust but not once did we ever consider the idea of giving up and letting the enemy get to us. Now, we face a new enemy and a rather pathetic one to that. We received word that this new enemy is planning to wipe out our entire town just for fostering an infant who has done nothing to deserve this horrid treatment. He has hired thugs to terrorize the town and murder anyone who is connected to the baby in any way. Compared to Hitler and his thugs, these men are nothing more than weaklings, cowards and lowlifes who think they can simply threaten us and get away with it. Well, I'm not going to stand idly by and watch him destroy this beautiful and peaceful haven that is Amable. I've lived a long life and don't care if I die or not as I lived in this place before and will gladly die for it if I have to. If you are willing to help us against those who threaten this town's safety and its people, stand up and say aye!"

The moment he finished his speech, the people in the pews immediately stood up and proceeded to say "aye" while raising their hands. Some applauded with tears in their eyes along with applauding him for his bravado. Timotheos, Miranda and their friends also joined in on the applause as they were also greatly impressed by his strong words. Now that they had allies who were willing to help them protect the town from total destruction as well as protect the baby, they believed that they had a winning chance against Raoul. The reverend also partook in this applause before raising his hand to silence everyone for a moment.

"Thank you for that wonderful speech, Barnim," the reverend began. "Now, if no one minds, allow me to say a word of prayer to help guide us through these uncertain times and provide us with protection both physical, emotional and spiritual."

Everyone immediately bowed their heads and closed their eyes in solemn prayer, both standing and seated, as the reverend stood behind the lectern where he had placed a large Bible on it for his sermons. However, because this was a serious situation, he closed his eyes as he bowed his own head before beginning.

"Dear Lord," he said in a solemn tone. "We are being attacked by a new enemy. An enemy who wishes not to dominate us but destroy us completely for such petty reasons. We have allies who are willing to assist us in our darkest times but there are some who fear that it may not be enough. We can only pray that those who have left or are in the process of leaving will be safe in their travels while the ones who chose to stay behind will fight with as much courage and strength as they can. I myself have decided to stay behind and protect this place once again like I did before and can only wish to provide as much moral support as I can. As for the Blumenthals, the Larues, Elio and Ambroise, please provide them with the guidance and protection that they will need for the incoming future. We can only pray that they at least survive and make it out of this mess alive as they are the only ones who can reunite little Ambroise with his family. For the ones who chose to stay behind and defend this town, please give them the courage and strength to fight for the greater good and live to see another day. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."

"Amen," everyone else responded as they finished this important prayer. Once the reverend was done, he gave a silent nod to Barnim to continue with the rest of the meeting. Barnim faced everyone with a confident grin as he decided to proceed with the next phase of their plans.

"Alright then everyone," Barnim began. "It's time to prepare for the hunt.

Preparations were quickly underway as everyone in Amable was ready to either leave or gather any weapons or tools they would need for shelter or safe travels. Those that wished to leave were quickly and safely escorted out by the police, with assistance from Barnim, Miranda and Elio. The ones that stayed behind were put through some serious training by Barnim and Elio, who had more combat experience and were very thorough in where to aim for striking. As for Timotheos and Audrey, as well as Brielle, Julien and Ambroise, they were all currently staying in the Blumenthal residence with Miranda who informed them of the next phase of their plan. Turns out, the next phase involved Elio accompanying the Larue Family and Timotheos to Brussels as that is where they were to meet Ambroise's mother Louise and finally reunite with her with her baby. They were to leave this Saturday, which would be 4 days before the attack, as a head start should the enemy try to ambush the town earlier than expected. Unfortunately, because Barnim and the fighters would need medical assistance, Miranda along with some remaining nurses and Dr. Fuchs would have to stay behind and help treat them during and after the battle. Though Audrey and Julien were saddened to hear this, as they really liked Miranda, they respected her decision and understood. Timotheos however was not happy to hear about it and neither was Brielle, who considered Miranda to be more of a sister than a friend. Even though they both offered to help fight for the town and defend Ambroise, Miranda firmly turned them down as she did not wish to risk their lives being taken.

"You can't mom!" Timotheos cried out in anguish as he stood up from the living room couch while the others remained seated. "I already lost dad, I can't bear to lose you too!"

 

"I know, Timmy," Miranda replied. "But you, Audrey and Ambroise are still young and don't deserve to get caught up in the crossfire. I could never forgive myself if either of you got killed by Raoul and his men. Elio will also be accompanying you as only he knows where Louise is and should be able to guide you to her."

"But what about you?" Brielle asked. "What if we never see you again? Are you really willing to throw away your own life just to protect us?"

"Well someone has to treat the injured and wounded here," Miranda replied with a sad smile. "I know this isn't the best option but it's the only one we have so far. Besides, there are plenty of nurses who have also agreed to stay behind to help aid the fighters. Even Dr. Fuchs also agreed to stay behind even though his wife begged him to come with her."

"Mama," Timotheos responded with tears in his eyes. "Please, I don't want to lose you. I know grandpa is too stubborn to leave this place but you aren't. You still have a chance to survive with us. Please."

"Listen to your son Miranda!" Brielle begged with tears also in her eyes. "Think about it! Those monsters will be coming here expecting the baby and when they find that he's gone, they're going to kill anyone in their way, including you! Do you really want to risk leaving your son motherless for the rest of his life!?"

Miranda was silent for a moment before shedding tears of her own as she took a deep breath in order to calm herself.

"I know it is difficult to hear and take in but please understand," Miranda began. "I have lived in this town for years and have been more than willing to defend it from monsters ever since I was a child. It is the place where I have made many memories both good and bad. While that is reason enough for me to defend it, there is also another reason as to why I need to defend this place." As she said this, she got up from her couch and approached Timotheos before cupping his face in her hands. "Timmy, you are my little spark of joy and my child. You are all I have left of Jarem after he died and I would be devastated if anything happened to you. Not only that, you, Audrey and, of course, Ambroise are the next generation that will help guide people in the future along with the other children that live in Amable. Therefore, you must survive for the sake of the old generation who died and gave their lives to help build this town. Please, Timmy. I want you to have a bright future alongside Audrey and your baby brother. Can you at least do that for me?"

As Timotheos listened to his mother's words, he recalled all the happy memories he had with his family and friends. Though not perfect, Amable was a peaceful and happy place along with providing a safe haven to anyone who wished to visit the smaller communities in Belgium. The idea of it being destroyed forever was too much for him to bear and made him realize that she was right. Though there was a chance that he would never see her again, he didn't want to keep arguing with her and inconvenience her when she was supporting the fighters. Timotheos looked his mother in the eye and nodded while wiping his tears away.

"Okay, mama," Timotheos responded in a teary voice. "I'll do it."

"Timmy," Audrey responded with tears in her eyes as well. She was both impressed and saddened by how both Miranda and Timotheos were willing to accept that they may never see each other again. It's a shame too. I would have gladly taken Miranda as my mother-in-law that is if I ever get to be with Timmy. Barnim would have been happy to see us together too. Brielle was close to weeping as she still couldn't accept that her friend was going to sacrifice herself.

"But Miranda," Brielle began in a fragile tone. Miranda could only give her a sad smile before holding her hands.

"Brielle, if anything happens to me and Barnim, I want you to take care of my son and Ambroise if the mission goes south. Can you do that for me?"

Seeing that Miranda was serious about this, she could only muster up a smile and nod in agreement.

"I'll do it," Brielle responded with tears streaming down her cheeks. "For you. For Barnim. And for Amable." The 2 women shared a deep hug before breaking apart as the rest of the discussion continued. The rest of the plan involved Timotheos and Ambroise staying with the Larues and preparing for their departure with Elio, as they only had 4 days left before Saturday. Though Timotheos was reluctant to leave his old house, he knew that it was for the best and packed everything up, with assistance from Audrey. During these last days, they had grown closer and spent more time together, through Audrey was frustrated that she couldn't confess to Timotheos due to the situation at hand. She promised herself that she would confess once this was all over but doubts soon began to cloud her mind.

Will there be another day for us all? What if none of us make it at all? What if Timotheos becomes interested in another woman and I'll have lost my chance forever? Audrey thought to herself as she watched Timotheos play with Ambroise in front of the Larue residence. Their front yard had a lawn that was large enough to have a picnic on or at least play around as Timotheos and Ambroise were playing around on the grass, with Brielle and Julien watching from underneath one of the trees. Audrey herself was just sitting on the front porch as she was in deep thought over how she and the others were going to survive this. In an attempt to ease the tense atmosphere, Julien and Brielle decided to have one final picnic before leaving the town, especially since they were almost done packing their things. It helped that it was a beautiful sunny day and the breeze felt just right. A calm before the storm if you will. As for Elio, he was standing near the front of the house considering he was their bodyguard and watching them from a short distance. Though his presence creeped them out, due to their fears that he would somehow betray them, they tolerated his presence as Miranda and Barnim trusted him and they in turn trusted their judgement.

"Is something the matter, signora?" Elio suddenly asked, causing Audrey to squeak in surprise. She did not expect the hitman to suddenly talk to her, especially since he barely talked to anyone unless it was to discuss the plan.

"N-no," Audrey claimed in a shaky tone. "I was just thinking to myself."

"About what exactly?" Elio asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just... stuff that's all," Audrey replied.

"Really? Is that really it?" he asked with a sly grin.

"Yes it is why do you ask?!" Audrey asked in frustration.

"Oh just out of curiosity," Elio claimed. "Though I must say, you've been staring at that boy for a while."

"R-Really?" Audrey responded with a blush. Dangit! I didn't think he noticed! She thought to herself in embarrassment.

"Yes really," Elio responded. "I may be a hitman with very little time for social relations but even I can tell that you hold special feelings for that boy. Isn't that right?"

Seriously? Even a hitman could see I have feelings for Timmy?! Oh this is embarrassing on so many levels! First my parents, then Miranda, Barnim and now him!? What am I gonna do?! Audrey couldn't believe that so many people knew about her feelings for Timotheos and in a short amount of time too. It was both mortifying and hilarious in a way. But then again, people have been teasing me about my friendship with Timotheos for years....

"Word of advice, kid," Elio began, causing Audrey to turn to him. "Tell him how you feel before it's too late. Sure we may be in a tense situation at the moment but maybe your feelings for Timotheos could help cheer him up and make the separation from his mother easier. That and it may be your only chance."

"How do you know it will work?" Audrey asked in doubt.

"Because I have met people who kept postponing their attempts to be more open about who they were only to lose that chance permanently. Especially if it involved romance."

"Really?"

"Yes, unfortunately for them. Look, the point I'm trying to make is, don't let fear get in the way of your feelings for someone as it may end up costing you a chance for good. You understand?"

"Y-yes."

"Good."

As they finished their conversation, Elio decided to leave her alone by heading to the other side of the house as a sort of reconnaissance check. Once Audrey was left all alone, she began to wonder if she should take his advice. Should I do it now? Or should I just wait until after we've survived? What if there is no tomorrow and today could be my last chance? No, Elio's right. I can't let my fears and doubts get in the way. I must tell Timmy as soon as I can. But the question is, when?

"Hey Audrey," Timotheos asked as he approached her, prompting Audrey to sit up straight and blush. "You okay there?"

"Y-yes, why wouldn't I be?" Audrey responded.

"I saw you talking with Elio earlier. Is everything alright between you two?"

"Oh that, it was nothing. Just talking about how to deal with the situation at the moment. You know, with us leaving this place to reunite Ambroise with his mother?"

"Right," Timotheos responded sadly. "It's funny really. I didn't expect to leave this place so soon nor did I expect to have to say goodbye to Ambroise like this either. On top of that, I have to deal with my mother and grandfather staying behind in order to fight those monsters." As he said this, he had tears in his eyes which worried Audrey. The fact that he had placed Ambroise in the hands of Brielle and Julien so he could talk to Audrey alone made it even more complicated.

"Oh Timmy," Audrey began. "I know this is hard for you but I'm sure everything will turn out right in the end."

"But what if it doesn't?" Timotheos wept as his tears grew bigger and began running down his cheeks. "What if I never see Ambroise or my family ever again?" As he said this, he ended up openly crying into his palms which prompted Audrey to pull him into a tight embrace.

"It's okay, Timmy," Audrey responded as she patted his back. "It will be okay. I swear it. You're mom and grandpa are strong and probably the bravest people I've ever met. I'm sure they'll get out of this somehow."

Brielle and Julien could only watch from underneath the shade with Ambroise with rueful smiles on their faces. They wished they could comfort Timotheos as well but felt that it was best for Audrey to do it for now as to not ruin the moment or their budding romance. Elio himself happened to be standing beside the house when he happened to overhear Timotheos' emotional breakdown and watched with a smile on his face. It's a start, he thought to himself as he saw Audrey comforting Timotheos as much as she could.