Last time on Blind Hope

"No!" Emily growled, slapping Bruce. "You do! That was your kid you pushed into the glass!" Emily took a step away from Bruce. "Go for a run and clear your head. Don't you dare go near our children until you've realized the monster you've been." Bruce recoiled as if he'd been slapped, but obeyed. He shifted, and ran out of the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

Vivian sat on the couch with her fists curled against her legs and her head bowed. Bruce had ordered her to go home and stay away from Hope - no contacting, no talking, no reaching, no nothing. She was to stay home and ignore her charge, her best friend. Hope kept reaching out to Vivian, panicking. Hope was in pain. She was lonely. She was hurt.

Vivian could do nothing, but feel the distress through their bond and mindlink. It was Hope's instinct to reach out to Vivian, but this time, Vivian couldn't respond.

A pain filled sob escaped Vivian as Hope's emotions kept being thrown at her. Hope wasn't doing this to her on purpose, but she had never been without Vivian for long and was freaking out. Even Red was reaching out to Vivian's wolf Timber. Neither one could respond.

Vivian desperately wanted to break out of the Alpha command, but she wasn't sure how.

"Unless..." As if a lightbulb went off, Vivian remembered. "Pain... Pain can break the hold." Vivian swallowed and released her claws.

She needed to get to Hope. She raised her claws to her face - the face would have the most pain. "I'm coming, Hope." She whispered, squeezing her eyes closed. She brought one claw to her forehead and cut down quickly to the ear. She screamed, falling to the floor, breathing hard.

Hope? Hope?

"It worked!" Vivian panted, struggling to her feet, holding the right side of her face. Hope didn't respond, but she could reach out without pain.

I'm coming, Hope. I'm coming. Vivian ran like the devil towards the pack-hospital, her parents having linked her earlier and explained the situation a little. Wolves dove out of the way as Vivian ran through the hospital hall ways as if on fire.

"Mom!? Dad!?" She shouted, reaching the part of the hospital strictly reserved for Alpha and Luna care. "Where is she!?" Hope's smell of honey and oats mixed with the metallic smell of blood reached Vivian. "WHERE IS SHE!?"

John and Tammy stepped out of a room and closed the door behind them. "Calm down, sweetie. Everything's okay."

"I need to see her, Mom." Vivian pushed past her parents, who didn't bother to stop her, and stepped into Hope's room. She was lying, pale, on a gurney. Her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. "I though you said everything was okay," Vivian whimpered, sitting in the chair next to the bed and taking Hope's hand. "This is not okay."

"She will be." John said quietly, rubbing Vivian's shoulders to calm her down. "The doctor gave her a sedative to calm her down. They removed all the glass from her and cleaned the cuts. They'll be gone by the time she wakes up. The doctor's think it was more mental than physical."

"If you pushed me into a glass table, heck yeah, the pain would be mental." Vivian growled. The cut she created throbbed, and Vivian winced.

"Did you do this?" Tammy said, pushing Vivian's long black hair out of the way to get a closer look at the wound. "To get out of the Alpha command?" Vivian nodded and winced. "I'll go get the doctor. That might need stiches." Tammy left, and John sighed sadly.

"It's no longer safe here." Vivian nodded, leaning back and placing her hand on her father's in understanding.

"I know. Our alliance will always be with Hope, and right now, her parents want her gone."

"I just don't understand it." John murmured. "I get that she isn't the ideal child, but she's the sweetest person I've ever met. Why treat her like this?" Vivian bit her lip and looked at Hope sadly.

"She said Alpha Victoria and Alpha Bruce find her a burden. They aren't, by chance, feuding, are they?"

"Could be. Hope could be the collateral damage, being used by both parties." John responded, carefully, mulling over the possibility. "I don't think it's likely though." He sighed and went to sit on the gurney. He carefully avoided Hope's legs and sat down, looking at Vivian. "Listen, Viv, what I'm about to tell you is going to be horrible, but true okay? I think I know what is causing this friction between Hope and her parents. Vivian nodded, leaning forward, desperately wanting to know.

"I found a doctor." Tammy said, entering the room. "Over there, Doc. I think she'll need stiches." A young werewolf with shaggy blonde hair and the brightest green eyes looked over at Vivian and smiled lazily.

"Well, someone's had a rough day." He went to Vivian and tilted her head up. "Oh, yeah. That'll need stiches. What happened?"

"I fell down some stairs." Vivian lied, as the doctor began using some materials beside Hope's bed to clean the wound.

"Uh huh. That'll do it for some people. I'll go get some thread." He smiled again and left the room, not believing Vivian in the slightest. Word gets around. He knew she punched the visiting Alpha. Fell down stairs? Yeah, right.

"You were saying, Dad?" Vivian asked eagerly, giving him her full attention again.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Well, Hope isn't the strongest person in the pack. She has the blindness which holds her back from reaching true potential. Not to mention, she isn't from a mated relationship. At this point in her parent's life, they're beginning to train their children for Alphaship. But with Hope existing, there's a problem. She technically the heir for both packs. The wolves in her parents don't want that. They want their mate's children to takeover. To them, their eldest daughter has become an interloper." Vivian sat back in shock.

"You're saying that Victoria and Bruce's wolves have cut Hope off!?" Vivian shook her head, opening her mouth to respond, but the doctor walked back inside the room.

"I'm not interrupting, am I? Seems serious." He gave his lazy grin again and went for Vivian, tilting her head up once more. "This'll hurt." He began stitching her up, and true to his word, it did hurt. Vivian remained perfectly still and when the doctor was done, he nodded. "Yep. Needed stiches." Vivian sighed in annoyance.

She had figured that out.

"Thanks, Doc." She said with finality, hoping he'd leave.

"No prob. Hey, listen, guys." He said, suddenly turning serious. "The Alpha kinda wants your heads. I'm technically harboring fugitives right now. She says you've gone rogue."

"You can't go rogue." Vivian groaned, rubbing her hand down her face. "You become rogue!"

"Hey! That's what I said!" The doctor grinned wildly. "So, listen guys. You'll have to leave or face charges." John shook his head in disbelief. "But don't worry!" The doctor continued. "The pack is completely willing to turn the other way if you want to leave. You've this girl's protector's for so long, that deserves something, right?" No one said anything, so the doctor went for the door. He'd warned them just like he'd been asked to by some of the other warriors. He had other patients to see. "Oh," he said, turning back around. "Hope can't leave. Alpha's orders." He left, pulling the door shut behind him.

"It really isn't safe here for us anymore." Tammy whispered, going to John and letting him pull her close. He placed his forehead to Tammy's and they mindlinked each other. Tammy nodded, a single tear falling down her face. "It's the only option."

"What is?" Vivian said anxiously, not liking where this was going.

"You mother and I are going to cause a distraction so you can get Hope out of here."

"What!? But-"

"The Alpha, before being burdened by the Alpha role, gave us all one job, Vivian. Do you remember what we told you about that day?" Vivian nodded, looking down.

"Protect Hope. No matter what happens, no matter who stands in your way, Hope will always come first. The first child of two Alphas in centuries. She was born for greatness." Vivian hastily wiped a tear away. No matter who stands in their way - Hope was to live. That included going against orders from her own parents. "Okay." She stood up, and hugged both of her parents. "I love you very much."

"That's our little warrior." John whispered into her hair as he and Tammy slowly pulled away from her. He cleared his throat. "You'll have to carry Hope. Go for the West border."

"The West?" Vivian said incredulously. "But that's rogue land! That would be danger-"

"Not anymore." Tammy sniffled. "Alpha Blake Harden of the Moonshire Pack just took it over to expand his pack. I hear he's lenient, listening to people before making a decision about their fate." John nodded in agreeance and picked up Hope from off the gurney, handing her to Vivian.

"We love you, Viv. We'll meet again one day." Vivian nodded and took off running through the hospital. She would get Hope out and safe. She would come back for her parents. And she would kill Victoria and Bruce.

Tammy and John also left the hospital and went straight for the Alpha's office. They needed to keep Victoria's attention away from Vivian.