"Well, I suppose this is one way it could have ended!" Hannah sighed as she saw Alannah collapse.
"Alannah! " Kurt shouted and rushed forward.
"Don't you think you have done enough?" Bruce snapped as he walked out, leaving Tao and Matt in the middle. Tao and Bruce were still having to hold Matt up as he was still unconscious.
"Bruce, don't you dare talk to a syndicate chairman like that!" Xan ordered.
"Chairman?" Bruce said, confused.
"Yes, he is the Chairman of the British Syndicate!" Hannah said, rolling her eyes.
"I knew it! I knew there was something I didn't trust about you! " Tao said triumphantly.
"Guys, can we sort this out later? Sis is in a bad way! " Aiden shouted.
The rest of the group looked temporarily shocked. One of the twins' being serious was a rarity. "You are right! Aiden and Ethan carry her to the car. I will drive and Bruce can text Maya to get things ready. Let's go! " Tao ordered. The group all started to walk out when Hannah stopped Xan and Kurt.
"I need to talk to you in my office," Hannah said.
"Can't it wait?" Xan asked.
"No, not really!" Hannah huffed and Xan nodded. Once in her office, Hannah began to talk. "First, here are her winnings. No matter what, she earned it! " Hannah said, passing a briefcase over to Xan. "There are close to a million dollars in there. The Red Vixen definitely draws a crowd!"
"I am guessing you did not ask us in here to give us this," Kurt said, frustrated. He wanted to check on Alannah, not be in some random woman's office.
"Alannah picked a perceptive one, didn't she? Well, I expect nothing less from the Chairman of the British Syndicate! Tell me, how is the old motherland? " Hannah asked as she lit a cigarette.
"Hannah! " Xan growled impatiently.
"Oh Xan, lighten up! Alannah is going to feel like shit for a couple of days, but she will be fine. " Hannah said.
"So," Kurt said.
"Our friend has been causing quite a stir recently. There have been many whispers and rumours. Hannah said, taking a drag.
"Of Alannah?" Xan asked.
"Yes, and an old friend of ours," Hannah said.
"Who?" Xan said his eyes narrowed.
"Akihiko!" Hannah said, and Xan laughed.
"So? Akihiko is no threat! He left China years ago and is probably on a beach somewhere! " Xan said.
"God, you gangsters are so arrogant! Xan's men are already in your territory! " Snapped Hannah.
Xan's face suddenly turned serious as he said, "What?"
"They were here yesterday, asking for info about Alannah. You know, the normal sort of things: does she fight here, who is her fighting family, where does she live? " Hannah said.
"But that could be a prospective buyer asking questions! Xan argued.
"Why would a prospective buyer be asking if she had a sexual partner?" Hannah asked, and the two men were silent.
Still, asking about someone is no reason to panic. Especially as I am guessing you didn't say anything. " Xan said.
"No, of course not!" Hannah said.
"Why are you telling us?" Kurt asked curiously.
"Because Alannah is my friend. We were transported together and sold on the same day. That is a bond that can't be broken. Throughout all the horrendous things we have both been through, she has kept a kind heart. She always seeks to protect those that need help, and above all, she loves her family. Look how she ran to the Twins and you when she saw the Tiger Claw attacking you! " Hannah said, looking at Kurt.
"She did not run to protect me, but the Twins and Xan!" Kurt grumped.
"I quote, "Get your filthy hands off my brothers, my boss, and my boyfriend, or I will kill every mother fucking one of you!" Did you not hear her? Alannah screamed it loud enough! It is very plain to see that she loves you! In the world she comes from, that was a declaration of undying love! " Hannah explained. "How can these men be so blind? The woman was prepared to take on 15 trained fighters, single-handedly to protect him! " Hannah thought frustrated.
"Still, I don't know why she would come here in the first place!" Xan said.
"Several reasons, but mostly to forget about Kurt. Alannah could have stopped at any time, but she kept going. According to what I've gathered, she discovered you're the Chairman, correct? Well, in this world, that means you are completely off-limits! In her eyes, she basically found out that you had died. " Hannah said, putting out her cigarette. She then continued, "So, I hope you don't punish her too harshly, Xan. Alannah has always been faithful to your family and made you a lot of money personally."
"Hannah, Alannah is not going to be punished. We plan to set her free! " Xan said.
"Alannah won't go without the others. She sees the twins as her little brothers! " Hannah said quickly.
"We are in the process of negotiating that, but she will be my Queen, make no mistake about that!" Kurt said sternly.
"Well, Mr Blackwood, if I were you, I would circle the wagons!" Hannah said, seriously.
When Xan and Kurt were back in their car, Xan was instantly on the phone. "Denug, double security on our sites. No one is allowed into the family complex unless I give the specific order. Do background checks on everyone our families come into contact with. " Xan ordered.
"Sure thing, Xan, is everything OK?" Denug asked.
"No, Akihiko might be back!" Xan said.
"Fuck!" Denug said.
=========================================================================================================
Alannah was rolling in and out of consciousness. She was vaguely aware of being put into a car and Theo driving like a bat out of hell. She could hear his voice booming, "What the hell were you thinking?"
Alannah kept mumbling "sorry" over and over again until she slipped into darkness. Suddenly, she was in an old ballet studio, and she instantly recognised it as her Mum's back in Birmingham.
"Ahh, Malyshka! How you have grown! Have you been practising? " Alannah's mother asked.
"Mum!" Alannah said, rushing forward and hugging her.
"Now, come on! We need to start practising! How on Earth are you going to catch a husband otherwise? " Alannah's mom asked.
"Catch a husband?" Alannah said, confused. Her mum never gave a dam about that sort of stuff!
"Yes, a husband! Look in the mirror! " Alannah's mom said.
Alannah looked at the mirror and saw Kurt. She thought he was smiling at her, and she smiled back. Suddenly, a stunning woman with blond hair walked up to Kurt. Kurt smiled as he put his arms around her and started kissing her. "Kurt! No way! I am here! Kurt, look at me! I am here! " Alannah said, banging on the mirror.
"Oh Malyshka, did you think he would pick you? You are a monster after all! " Alannah's mom said sadly.
"No! I am not! " Alannah said, looking at the women and Kurt giggling together. She desperately wanted to be that woman.
"You have taken life, Malyshka!" Alannah Mother pointed out.
"Yes, yes I have. But only when there is no other choice! I have scars and I don't even know how to walk properly in high heels, but I am not a monster! I am sorry if I disappointed you, but you are not my mother and this is not real! " Alannah screamed. Black mould started to grow out of the corners of the dance studio.
"She is coming, my malyshka! You must run and not let her catch you! " Alannah's mom said desperately. The black moulds were starting to engulf the room, and moths were flooding in through the gaps in the door.
"Quickly, go through the mirror. I love you, Malyshka! " Alannah's mom said as she pushed Alannah through the mirror. Alannah felt she was flying and she heard some voices.
"Why has she not woken up yet? Hannah said she would be alright in a couple of days! " A voice she recognised as Kurt's said.
"I am trying my best! God only knows what was in that tainted fucking wine she drank! I can't get her temperature down and her liver is packing in! " A female voice said.
Alannah fell to the ground with a thump. She looked around and saw that she was back in the boat that had taken her to China.
"You are back!" Jenny said.
"Great!" Hannah grumped.
"No, this is not real. We got out of this place!" Alannah said.
What are you talking about? We are never getting out of here! " Jenny said sadly.
"Yes, we are! We make it to China, and I become a fighter! Hannah becomes a rich businesswoman! " Alannah said.
"Don't you mean you have become a monster?" Hannah asked.
"No!" Alannah said.
"A monster who falls in love with a Syndicate Chairman!" Jenny said. She then started laughing maniacally.
"Have you ever heard of anything so incredibly funny in all your life?" Hannah said in between laughs.
"She pretends to protect everybody... yet she could not... protect her own mother! " Jenny said.
"Or herself!" Hannah added as they both continued to laugh.
"Alannah can't even admit to her own feelings. It is so... pathetic! Jenny said. The black mould started to grow on the ship's walls.
"Ohh, she is coming to get you!!" Jenny said.
"She has found you alright! Better run now, because if she catches you... " Hannah said as she made a cutthroat sign. Moths started to fly into the room.
"Owww, this is going to be good!" Jenny said, excitedly clapping.
"Can she work it out? What do you think, Jenny? " Hannah asked.
"Nope!" Jenny said, and they both laughed maniacally again.
"If I had the time, I would kick both your arses!" Alannah said, thinking quickly. She knew she was inside her head. That means she would have to find an escape route. The escape route was a mirror before, but there was none around here. "So, what? Come on, think! " Alannah scolded herself. It suddenly came to her! "The water! The water is a reflective surface! " Alannah said triumphantly.
"Run, little fox, before she catches you!" Hannah shouted as Alannah raced to the deck. The moths were following her, and there were a lot more of them now. Alannah got on the deck, and without a moment's thought, she jumped over the railings. She hit the water with a crash, and again she thought she was flying. The voices also started again.
"Grace, for the love of God, tell me what is wrong with her!" Kurt pleaded.
"I don't know until the blood tests come back!" The female voice said,
"How long will that take?" Matt's voice demanded.
The voices drowned her out, and Alannah decided to float for a while.
=========================================================================================================
"How long will it take?" Matt demanded.
"Woah, watch your tone with my niece!" Theo warned as he glared at Matt.
Theo could understand the frustration. Alannah had been out for nearly a week and was deteriorating slowly. He saw his niece racking her brains trying to figure out what was wrong. Grace was a great doctor, but even she was stumped!
Kurt was beside himself and had to be physically removed from the hospital room Alannah was in. He had a few hours of sleep and was back again. The Nine-Tails were not in any better state, especially the twins. Tao was trying to keep them busy with training, but it was not working.
"It just doesn't make any sense! " Theo thought. Truth be told, he liked Alannah a lot. She reminded him a lot of someone he knew a while back.
"The truth is, if we don't find out what is wrong soon, her heart will give out!" Grace said with tears in her eyes.
"Come on, Alannah, you've got to keep fighting!" Kurt said softly as he took hold of her hand.
"She Will, she is a fighter!" Theo said as he moved closer. His eyes suddenly caught a golden locket on the side cabinet.
"What is that?" Theo asked if his eyes were narrowing.
"Oh, it's her locket uncle. We had to take it off when she was admitted. " Grace said.
"It was her mother's and is the only thing she has of her old life," Bruce explained.
"Can I have a look at it please?" Theo said, and Kurt handed it to him, confused. Theo gasped. He saw the lion emblem at the front. He turned it over and saw the inscription: "
"To Emily, please keep me close; Love your Lion." He quickly opened it up and saw a picture of his one true love, Emily. He closed his eyes as he tried to process everything. "Of course, it all makes sense now!" Theo thought.
"Uncle?" Grace asked.
"It has nothing to do with what Alannah drank. Alannah has Haemochromatosis, Type 3. " Theo said.
"What? Too much iron in her blood? But type 3 hemochromatosis is extremely rare! I only know of one person that has it, and that is you…." Grace pointed out.
"Yes, I know that Grace." Theo said, still looking at the locket in his hand. Everyone was silent for a minute, trying to figure out what Theo had just said.
"Shit! You are Alannah's father! The locket has a lion on it, the emblem of the Evan's Gang, and you are known as the Lion! " Bruce was astonished.
"That means she is my cousin!" Grace said with a smile.
"Alannah is a Lioness?" Kurt was shocked.
Kurt knew she was special, but Theo's daughter? That would make her an Evans and a member of the Gang!
"No wonder she is fierce and a pain in the arse!" Matt grumbled.
"Let's be logical about this! We need to get an iron blood test done and a DNA test as well. Oww, I can't wait to tell Xan when he gets back! " Grace said, almost skipping out of the room. After a few minutes, Grace came back. "Luckily, the iron blood test is really easy to do!" Grace said, pricking Alannah's finger and taking a sample. Grace then put it into a machine. "I am testing the serium ferritin levels. By the way, ferritin is the protein that stores iron in the body. Now the normal range is 11 to 307 micrograms per litre for a woman. If Alannah has hemochromatosis, her level will be way over that! " Grace explained.
"When will we know?" Kurt asked anxiously.
"Oh, in about 30 seconds!" Grace said with a smile.
Thirty seconds soon passed, and Grace's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, her levels are 1000! She has hemochromatosis alright! No wonder she is not waking up! " Grace said.
"What can we do?" Bruce said.
"Well, we're going to start bloodletting right away and put her on chelation therapy!"Grace said.
"Blood Letting?" Kurt growled. It sounded positively medieval!
It is fine, Kurt. I have done it four times a year. Once her levels are down, she will feel so much better, "Theo said.
"I will get a DNA test done for Uncle. It will be completed within 90 mins! " Grace said.
Grace silently thought the chances of it being a positive result were high. The Evans' famous green eyes and a rare type of genetic blood disorder were massive indicators that Alannah was Theo's daughter.
"Thank you!" Theo said.
It was at this point that Alannah's heart stopped beating.