Reaper's Genetic Legacy Experiment [Complete]

[KRae]

I'm hoping to see more of Lala and sweet little Maybel soon. It's so heartbreaking. A toddler just couldn't understand that Daddy wasn't abandoning her.

[LivvieLove]

Lala walked in and was instantly adorable and glorious and then we got kicked in the souls.  Sigh.
Eveline's pancake comment was lovely!  Nice bit of comic relief after the seriousness of the chapter.

Kicked in the souls? Hahah I love it! I mean, I don't love kicking people in the souls, but I've just never heard that before... I do love Lala. She's super sweet and always so cheerful. This won't be the last time we see her.
Majnun has a massive slight obsession with pancakes. Eveline takes after he does. I'm glad there was a bit of comic relief there. I'll hopefully have a few brighter chapters incoming.
Hopefully. These characters write themselves sometimes.

I'm hoping to see more of Lala and sweet little Maybel soon. It's so heartbreaking. A toddler just couldn't understand that Daddy wasn't abandoning her.

Wish granted! I have a chapter coming up with her in it. =) She's far too adorable to leave alone. I feel bad for Rachelle, but she's just not... pretty. In more ways than just appearances. She's just mean most of the time and she takes after her mom in a lot of ways...
Lala though? She's something else. I adore her. Maybel is so cute too! Ugh, Edward has such beautiful kids. He'd do anything for them.

[LivvieLove]

This chapter is another collaboration with the fabulous @mpart! We thought, hey! Edward could use a friend and then... things never work out the way we intend for them to. Ah well... Johanna who?
Anyways, mpart is responsible for all the dialogue belonging to Gwen Labelle and she's also responsible for all the lovely pictures! Find Gwen's version of events HERE!

The Pirate and the Siren
Bridgeport: Present Day
Edward sighed as he stood in front of the police building in downtown Bridgeport. The sun had set and rain had started to come down. It matched his mood for the evening. Today was supposed to be a day full of victories but he only felt hollow. He had the initial custody hearing - the one that would hold them over for the big fight. He had the whole town and his friends on his side - he couldn't possibly lose.
Yet in a way, he had.
Maybel wasn't his.
The words echoed in his ears. His little girl wasn't his. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Yet Johanna had proof. One home DNA test revealed Maybel was not a match to him. The courts took a DNA sample and intend to do a real test soon, but he already knew the answer. Maybel looked nothing like him. She would always be his little girl, but she looked nothing like him.
They wouldn't let him take Maybel home with him until they had confirmation that she was his child; however, he did get to take the twins home with him. Lala had nearly broken down into an asthma attack when she saw him, and Elle seemed to have grown bitter and angry with him - giving him more attitude than she usually did.
Being back in Bridgeport was almost eerie to Edward. He called in a favor from Jonathon, an old buddy of his who owned a diner out in the outskirts of the town, and managed to grab a rental house to stay in for the time being. Looking at the fight ahead, they could be here a while.
Johanna started calling his phone again now and Edward grimaced and sent it to voicemail. He was not going to put up with her tonight. He just couldn't. She flipped like a switch and it drove him insane.
"Let's get back together."
"I HATE YOU."
"You were never good enough for me."
"I'm so sorry, Edward... if you had just been there for me, then I wouldn't have gone to someone else!"
"It's always been MARY this and MARY that! Don't you ever care about anyone else?!"
"I've only ever been good to you, you know that?"
"Did you ever love me?"
Edward shook his head and thought about chucking his phone across the street and into the mud, but he resisted. Instead he stood and let the rain soak him to the bone, yet it didn't make him feel any less numb.

Edward found himself wandering down a familiar road to one of his old haunts. Davy could make one hell of a drink when you were down, and Edward found himself in desperate need for one. He opened the door to the bar and stepped inside.
It was quiet in there, a little too quiet. All the people in the room were speaking in hushed voices. Edward's brow became knitted together in confusion as to why, then he remembered he didn't care. He shrugged his shoulder lightly. All that mattered was he got something to drink - something strong. He slowly sauntered to his regular spot at the bar, where a woman with bright neon hair sat smirking and looking like she was about to kill someone. Edward looked at her briefly before reminding himself his universal truth: he just didn't care.

Slowly Edward laid a bill on the counter and signaled to Davy. "Hit me with a rum and coke, minus the coke." He gritted his teeth and felt his phone going off in his pocket again. He couldn't take it any longer. He just couldn't take it. He pulled his phone out and sure enough: "Wicked Witch" popped up on his phone. He was fully aware how much of a child he was, and at the same time he didn't care. He turned back to Davy and sighed, "and a glass of water, please?" He watched Davy give the woman next to him a glare before grabbing a glass and filling the order for water first. The water glass was set down and Edward wasted no time taking his phone and sinking it into the ice water. He watched the phone slowly die with satisfaction. "That's better."
He would need to call Lala from the bar phone and get a new phone tomorrow... yet at the same time he just couldn't bring himself to care. The woman next to him watched with a strange look on her face before reaching for his water glass, yanking his phone out and shoving her own phone in it. She sighed with relief and slowly lowered her head into her hands. "Maybe he'll shut up now." She mumbled. Edward watched her with sympathy. He knew the 'just-divorced' look better than anyone else at the bar right now. She then turned to a man who was staring at her with awe and fear in his eyes and spoke with confidence. "Get my shoes from outside."
The man mumbled something back to her, but she wasn't having any of it. "Now." She commanded. Edward resisted smiling. The woman certainly did know how to control a crowd. Were all the people here cowering away from her?
Edward wasn't good at the whole "magic" and stuff that Mary was, but he could tell when someone was different and this woman was certainly different.
The woman stared at her glass now, slowly mumbling under her breath. "I should have sold that stupid car and that ring."
Edward couldn't stop the smile that pulled on his face. She was cute and amusing. He stared at her a little longer and realized he was mistaken. She was powerful and beautiful, strikingly so. How could he have missed that the first time? She gave him a glare as she realized he was smiling at her. He decided to break the ice in the best way he knew how. "I don't know about you, but I would've kept the car regardless." He shrugged lightly. "I sold my baby for my ex. Worst decision I ever made." He winced, remembering how he sold his motorcycle to appease Johanna. It hadn't been enough. Nothing was ever enough for her.
She sighed lightly, seeming to resist rolling her eyes at him. “It was a beautiful model and I drove it into the ocean with the rest of ex’s stuff. I should have killed him before I killed the car.” She frowned. “Getting married was one of the worse decisions of my life. I thought it would fix everything but instead, it just added to the chaos.” Her phone started to ring again from within the glass of water and her eyes widened slightly. “He bought me a waterproof phone. You have got to be kidding me.”

Edward stared at the glass of water with annoyance. Divorcees were supposed to be dealing with silence, not with begging exes. He reached into the glass and pulled the ringing phone out before yanking the back off. The phone immediately silenced as he pulled the battery from its nook and placed the phone down on the counter. He looked at her levelly. "What a sad end. At least your car went out nobly. My poor baby got left in someone else's grubby hands." He pinched the bridge of his nose then and drank down the rest of his drink. "Perhaps... the only more noble death for such a fine beast would be to tie your ex up inside the car before driving it into the water."
The woman laughed then, and Edward noted that she had a beautiful laugh. Her voice in general seemed magical to listen to. He would have to ask Mary about it sometime... if he remembered, that was. The whole point about tonight was to not remember.
“Thank you.” She frowned. “Maybe I ov-” She paused and her brow furrowed with concentration. The rain outside seemed to increase and made a hollow sound that echoed in the bar. There was something very off about this woman... beautifully off. Edward was fascinated by her confidence. "He should have been driving the car off a cliff and then told us to move on.” She shook her head. “I don’t know whether to hate him or love him.” She looked at him with suspicion in her eyes as she really studied him this time. He studied her back equally; her eyes, her face, her lips. Well, he was single now, and she was gorgeous. He didn't need the mess that came with trying to date someone... but she seemed so different. “Who are you?” She finally brought herself to ask.
Johanna's eyes were cold and harsh, but this woman seemed to have a gentleness to her face. Her eyes weren't harsh and cold, but sad and bitter. He wondered how they would look if they weren't sad and bitter. She would be breathtaking then, he imagined. The world sucks the joy out of everything it seems.
Everything she had said struck a chord with him and he frowned. "You do both." He paused. "You hate and love them because it's all you can be capable of doing. Doesn't matter who else they sleep with, or how much they ask you to give up... you can never just hate them - but after all they've put you through, you can't just love them anymore either. Then, once you've established that," he pointed to her glass then. "You take a huge drink and you pretend you're ok, because people need you to carry on even when you're falling apart." He let out a long breath and raised his glass in a light way to ask the bartender for another. He looked back at the woman and held out his hand. "Name's Edward." He smiled warmly at her. "Most call me Ed, but you can really call me whatever you'd like."

She smiled at him slightly. “Nice to meet you Ed.” She took his hand in hers and shook it. “I’m infamous for falling apart... I think I messed up badly this time though and that is a lot coming from me I guess.” She frowned as she stared at the counter then. “I have known you for roughly five minutes and I already like you more than some people I have known for years. That woman, whatever she did, was an idiot.” Her eyes came back up to meet his levelly.
Edward chuckled. "Was it my irresistible charm or my natural good looks?" He joked but shook his head. "You have a name, stranger?"
Her face soured. “Probably because you had a glass of water nearby and figured out how to turn off my phone.” She snapped, yet after a short minute the anger diffused from her face and she pursed her lips slightly. "Gwen."
He was very good at pushing his luck with women, he found. Gwen was no exception. "Hey, I'll take what I can get." He gave her a good-natured grin. "For what it's worth, Gwen, it sounds to me like you're better off without your ex, much like I'm better off without mine." He looked down at his phone and sighed. "Unfortunately, my ex refuses to let me be free. That witch is going to drag me under and suffocate me." He pursed his own lips slightly as he stared at his waterlogged phone.
“I’m not sure I am.” She laughed and her eyes narrowed. “Is she a Siren?”
Edward stared at her and his brow furrowed. "A who-ha?" He chuckled. "If you mean like the kind that makes noise, then yes. She makes a lot of noise - none of it pleasant, and it often leaves me alarmed." He gave her a wily grin. "I'm pretty sure that's not the kind you meant."

She laughed now and Edward could see real joy in her eyes. “I will show you.” She mumbled something incoherent under her breath and the downpour of rain suddenly stopped. Mary certainly couldn't do that. Edward raised his eyebrows and made a face of minor fascination.  She ordered one of the men staring at her to come to her before he shuffled over with adoration in his eyes.
“What can I do for you?” He asked, seemingly slightly dazed from the spell he had been put under.
Gwen pointed at Edward then. “Tell him what you think of me.”
The stranger looked at Edward, still somewhat dazed. "Our goddess is the most beautiful in the realm. Bowing to her will is a gift itself and some say you can even hear her-"
Gwen held up her hand. "That's enough. I release you." She turned and smirked at Edward. “There.”
The man seemed stunned as he got his will and abilities to move back before he took off running out of the bar, full speed. Edward's eyes bounced around the room with interest. This was definitely not his area of expertise - but there was something really attractive about a woman who could control a room.
Most people would usually be alarmed by the sheer power this woman had, but what else was new in Edward's life? His father was raised from the dead, his sister was trained by their great-great grandmother in magic before she ran off and married the son of a god of some kind... what's one more magical thing in his life? He shrugged lightly. "My ex was definitely not a Siren then... but she did have the ability to nag me into doing anything. Does that count for anything?"
Gwen laughed a little and then sighed. "That just means she was a highly manipulative woman." She frowned. "I never thought anyone saw me as a goddess. The more you learn." She shrugged.

Edward knew these tricks. He resisted the internal struggle in his head. Was she looking for a compliment? Would she slap him for it? Did he care enough to filter himself? The answer was no. He didn't care. "This is one of those traps isn't it? Hm, I'll bite." He nodded then, giving her a grin. "You're beautiful, witty, powerful, determined... yeah, that's arguably a goddess." He took a sip from his drink. "You can hit me now. I'm ready for it." It would be worth it. Beautiful women should know that they're beautiful. Powerful women should know they're powerful. He had no trouble telling Gwen that she was both.
She sighed and he knew she didn't take him seriously. It nearly floored him. This woman had the entire bar captivated and she didn't believe in her own power. "It wasn't a trap, at least it wasn't SUPPOSE to be a trap. You created a trap all by yourself and walked into it. I can do a little magic trick. That doesn't make me special. You have just seem to meet me on one of the days I'm actually nearly a decent being." She looked at him hesitantly then and seemed to be scrutinizing him.
"Well drat." He shrugged then. "Ah well, I was never the brains in the family." That was all Mary - always Mary. "Also, Gwen-" He paused on her name, sounding it out. "You're far too hard on yourself. Clearly you're more than just a decent person. You've been letting a stranger talk to you for half the night - and you didn't even hit him when he made a trap and walked into it all by himself."
"You are right. I made it through half of the night without killing you. I deserve a reward." Gwen sighed. "I kill every decent person I meet or I cause their destruction somehow. Right now, I should be at a hotel with my kids and I'm sitting here, torturing a bartender for nothing but pure enjoyment."

This hit Edward and he knew exactly what she meant. He should be home with Lala and Elle - his girls, but he also couldn't do that to them. He needed to get himself together. He wouldn't become his own mother. He wouldn't fall apart on his girls. He remembered Palmira as she fell apart every morning over Noten's grave. She tried so hard, but she just couldn't do it all. She couldn't grieve and parent, and she never stopped grieving. "I should be out trying to get my kids back from their crazy mother, yet... here I am too. If you're such a bad person, what does that make me?" He paused then and held up his hand - "wait... no. Don't answer that." He smiled and laughed a bit. "We can't take care of our kids if we're falling apart ourselves, Gwen. I'm a firm believer in that you shouldn't set yourself on fire to keep other people warm." It was true. He should be building an airtight case against Johanna but he couldn't do that when he was falling apart.
"My aunt is a very firm believer that you need to set yourself on fire." Gwen shared her head. "She is something else." She stared at the counter and spoke softly. "No Ed, you aren't a bad person. A bad person is someone running away from their son after they just saw what maybe the remains of their daughter."
"She sounds like an interesting lady." Edward paused and then frowned harshly before his eyes fell onto her seriously. He bit his cheek and looked at the bar counter. "Did... did I hear you right... that your ex ran off after seeing the remains of your daughter?" He couldn't have possibly heard that right. No father in his right mind would be anything other than broken at the death of his own daughter. He thought about Lala in her hospital bed and felt his whole body go numb. He would snap in half if he thought about losing her. Just thinking about it broke him. Rachelle... Maybel... Lakisha. They were his world. He just couldn't be without them.

Gwen seemed to get emotional as she contemplated what she would share with him. "We were driving and my daughter was missing when we saw a car that was ours that was surrounded by blood and showed signs of a fire. So much blood, I just, lost it. He stood there telling us to move forward so I tossed my ring at him and stole his car."
Edward had been attempting to take a drink when he spit it out suddenly and nearly choked as he had inhaled some of the liquid. He nearly slammed his glass down on the counter in fury. "You’re… you’re joking, right?" He turned his fury onto Gwen. "What kind of monster sees evidence of his kid's death and does nothing?" He shook his head. "You tossed your ring at him? You should've tossed a broken bottle." He gritted his teeth and then sighed. "'Move forward? "I'm sorry. I know it's not my place to judge, but... you have to understand. I have... I have three girls - and if any one of them... watcher, any ONE of their friends... I just couldn't..." He gripped his glass and frowned. He couldn't even articulate it. It was more than he could handle. It was just more than he could believe.
She frowned as she thought. "I thought I was being the foolish one. I was always doing something wrong. There was a girl in my house acting as if she was my daughter and my ex told me how terrible I was for wanting to get information out of her. Then my son acts as if he cares more about his little 'girlfriend' than his sister but hey, who am I to judge because I wasn't around for the majority of my children's life? Now I'm here when I should be at a hotel with my three children that are somehow still alive and I'm doing nothing but drowning in self-pity."
Edward felt his heart pounding and it reminded him so much of his own mother. He turned and looked at her very seriously, giving her every bit of his attention. "Gwen." He spoke her name until she turned to look at him. "Don't buy into it." He shook his head vigorously and his voice softened. "Don't buy into the crap that you're not a good mom, or that you're not doing things right because you're not doing what everyone else is doing. We all do things our own way - and there's no such thing as a perfect parent." He paused and realized it was story time, he let out a sigh.
"My wife-" He stopped suddenly and cleared his throat awkwardly. "My ex wife." He corrected. "Walked all over me, cheated on me with two men, and then broke up with me in a screaming match in front of our girls. I did a million things wrong in that relationship, but I'm only human." He looked at her intensely. "You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else. You know who taught me that? My mom. You know how?" He looked at her and she shook her head slightly. "My dad died when I was five. Shot in the back." He gestured with his thumb and gritted his teeth. "My mom fell apart. She fell apart but tried to pretend that everything was ok... and in the end she couldn't keep it up. She melted down and wasn't there any longer."
Edward almost couldn't take remembering that day he sat on the beach waiting for his dad to come home. He had waited and waited and eventually Noten did come home... wrapped in a bloody sheet on Matteo's boat. "My mom is a great lady - Gwen - she really is... but she never took that time to heal for herself and my sister and I suffered for it. Don't ever feel guilty for taking time to heal yourself - because as I've learned... no one else is going to take care of you once you're an adult. You've got to look out for yourself as much as everyone else around you. If you have to break - then break. Pick yourself back up and put yourself back together before trying to carry someone else though, otherwise they're just going to watch you break over and over again and struggle to even help yourself." He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "You've got so much strength left in you Gwen... I can see it, but take it from me - your kids will be happier if you're taking the time you need for you."
She stared at him for a long minute, her eyes slightly glassy and her chest slowly heaving in deep breaths. The silence carried on as her mind processed what he just said, but in the end she surprised him. She reached over, gripping his shirt and pulling him to her as she pressed her lips gently to his. His eyes went wide as he slowly registered her kissing him. Should he be letting this happen? They were two broken people, both getting out of divorces and they both had children to think about and...

He didn't care. When had he ever? He shrugged lightly and let himself melt into her kiss. He could feel the magic she wielded just underneath his skin. It made him feel alive. He couldn't recall a time he had ever felt this alive kissing someone. He didn't care about Johanna, or the custody battle, or the fact that he would need to pick up a new phone in the near future... He usually didn't care about many things, but this was something he certainly did care about.
Slowly Gwen pulled away and Edward kept his eyes closed from the breathtaking kiss she left him. A Siren, eh? Apparently Siren means great-kisser.

He slowly let his eyes open and she was staring at him with her gorgeous eyes filled with hesitation. He felt a wide smile pull on his lips. "Wow." It was all he could manage. He chuckled lightly. "Can't say I saw that one coming." He certainly didn't, but he definitely wasn't mad. "I'm not sure what I said that caused that, but could you fill me in so I can say it again?"
She sighed lightly. "You are making it VERY hard not to kiss you again." Yet she smiled and Edward knew he was a goner then. "Maybe it is because you are thoughtful, kind, and you are willing to actually listen. I feel sorry for the stupid woman that gave you up. She clearly had no idea what she was missing."
Darn straight, Edward thought; yet he stood grinning like a fool at her. Where did his smooth responses go? He scrambled in his head to find something to say and quick. The last thing he wanted was for her to walk away without at least pressing his luck for one more kiss - just one. She could destroy a world and rebuild it with just the curve of her lips. He stumbled on words. "Well... I mean... I certainly wouldn't object to another kiss." He used to be good at this. Is that what having kids does to you? Kill your moves? He struggled to not frown at himself, though he didn't think he could after a kiss like that. "Of course, I would never push a lady for one." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and suddenly his charm was returning to him. "If I didn't already know your ex was a psychotic monster, I would tell you that he was a fool too." He paused then. "Nope, he's definitely a fool. The way you kiss..." He leaned in and looked at her with teasing in his eyes. "Are you sure this guy had more than one braincell?"
She rolled her eyes at Edward then. "What have I done?" Yet she smiled at him genuinely. "Thank you. That means a lot... I never knew I was a good kisser." She shrugged.
"What have you done?" Edward could do this. He could be smooth; keep pushing your luck, his ego urged. He had to try for another kiss. "Well, you told me some of the problems you were struggling with and then you gave me a dizzying," He raised his eyebrows and grinned, "wonderful kiss and now we're sitting at a bar and I'm really pressing my luck to see if you'll kiss me again." He smiled sheepishly. "Is it working?"
Gwen's eyes briefly fluttered around the bar but a slow smile creeped onto her lips. "Yes." She pressed her lips again to his in another, dizzying kiss. He let his fingers run through her short, curly hair - the neon hair and blue-grey eyes that would be forever burned into his skull. In one night Gwen Labelle had left such a mark on Edward Reaper that he would likely never see straight again.

He had once heard stories of the sirens who would lure pirates into the deepest part of the water to have their way with them or kill them. Edward didn't need to be lured.
No, he had abandoned ship head-first into the deep, and that was ok.
He didn't care about anything else anymore.

[mpart]

Awwwww. Ed! What happened here? We thought they both needed a friend..they disagreed it seems. What should we name their child? Ugh, I HATE the baboon.  Why Johanna, why? Thanks for allowing my siren to have some happiness. It doesn't happen a lot in my story so my characters seem to always react in ways I don't expect them to. 

[oshizu]

Wow, I wasn't expecting this chapter but I'm very happy that Edward has found a kindred spirit!
And Gwen is as gorgeous as Ed is handsome. Gwen is absolutely, positively gorgeous!
I'd never noticed before that his eyes are violet.

Didn't take Ed long to get his game back! I hope she can help build the confidence Ed needs to win ALL his children back!

[LivvieLove]

Awwwww. Ed! What happened here? We thought they both needed a friend..they disagreed it seems. What should we name their child? Ugh, I HATE the baboon.  Why Johanna, why? Thanks for allowing my siren to have some happiness. It doesn't happen a lot in my story so my characters seem to always react in ways I don't expect them to. 

Haha, this is what we get for trying to give our divorcees a friend.
(sigh), well, I vote for a nice unique name for the baby they'll definitely be having at this rate.
"I think Edward will want to take it slow and be her friend first."
"Yeah, I think Gwen will want to take it slow, too."
Edward: Hi
Gwen: Hi!
<Simultaneous making out>
@mpart and Livvielove: (sighs)
Livvielove: I vote they elope on the beach.
mpart: I'm turning off Risky Woohoo.
Livvielove: Oh look, Edward has turned to goop. Welp. There goes my strong pirate man.
mpart: Oh man, I just had a nightmare about them having a kid. Gwen's already had too many kids.
Livvielove: Edward already has three and Gwen has four... what's one more?
mpart: They'd make beautiful babies.
Livvielove: (sighs) What have we done?
mpart: <sends picture of beautiful Edward/Gwen potential kid>
Livvielove: I need this in my life.
XD Welp, nothing ever goes according to plan. Ever.

Wow, I wasn't expecting this chapter but I'm very happy that Edward has found a kindred spirit!
And Gwen is as gorgeous as Ed is handsome. Gwen is absolutely, positively gorgeous!
I'd never noticed before that his eyes are violet.

Didn't take Ed long to get his game back! I hope she can help build the confidence Ed needs to win ALL his children back!

I wasn't 100% sure I would even post this chapter to be honest. I figured I would pass Edward off to mpart and things would go from there with him popping back in every now and then, but then everyone responded so well to Edward and Lala that I felt like... maybe you guys might be interested in a bit of the story that goes on there.
Mpart has been awesome and is letting me help write Edward for her chapters - and he'll be around a lot there. I'm not going to post everything that he's doing here as well, but I'll do a few key things (like I'll have an upcoming chapter of Lala, likely, since everyone likes her and she's basically an adorable Anne). I hope no one else minds the minor turn. I'm just enjoying writing this generation a lot and mpart and I are slowly bringing our stories a little closer together so I thought it would be fun to have a nice, funny, Edward-Chapter. He's really something else and I love writing him.
Edward does have those violet eyes! Noten, Edward, Lakisha/Rachelle all have the violet eyes. =) Anne also has those same eyes (though she's not technically related to the Reapers before Eveline). There is a chance that Eveline and Jupiter could have violet-eyed children.
Let's just say... I was messing around... >.> with some genetics and stuff...
Gwen is absolutely STUNNING. Ugh. You should see Solstice/Eric/Calloway/Matt. They're all so, so gorgeous. James "Ugh" Lake was at least good for giving us some pretty babies... even though that's all he was good for in Gwen's world.

Anyways, thank you for the kind words! =) Like I said, I hope it's not too troubling that I'm kind of just writing about everyone. I don't want it to get confusing with too much back and forth, but I figured - hey, I'm not getting the screenshots and I had a blast writing the chapter with mpart, so why not?

[oshizu]

Not troubling one bit! And it was particularly nice after all the melancholy chapters to have a not-so-dark kissy chapter.   

[PeregrineTook]

I don't trust this siren girl.  It's a trap.  It's got to be a trap.  At least that's what something at the back of my brain is screaming.
So sad that he couldn't just be at home with dear, sweet Lala...and her sister.

[LivvieLove]

Not troubling one bit! And it was particularly nice after all the melancholy chapters to have a not-so-dark kissy chapter.   

I'm really glad everyone is enjoying it!
Well, hopefully I can keep up the momentum with a few happy chapters. =) I love writing happy, mush chapters.

I don't trust this siren girl.  It's a trap.  It's got to be a trap.  At least that's what something at the back of my brain is screaming.
So sad that he couldn't just be at home with dear, sweet Lala...and her sister.

Haha "home with dear Lala... and that other chick."
So we have some skepticism on dear Gwen... how interesting. =D


Edward's Date
Those who were interested or enjoying some Edward Reaper/Gwen Labelle mashup - they actually went on a date and you can read about it Here!.

Some excerpts if you were interested:

"I'm not a goddess." She frowned. "I wasn't joking. It is a very long story."
"Oh! What a strange coincidence! I have ears. And time." He paused. "And a drink... and a seat here right next to me at wherever might be most convenient for a non-goddess goddess to tell me long stories. What a small world?" She could hear him smiling into the phone. Gwen grinned and sighed.
"I still don't understand why you listen to me in the first place but this non-goddess goddess would love to tell you a long story."

One trip to Jonathon's Diner later:

“Darn straight! We only cook the best here!” Jonathon reached over and banged on the bell a few times before calling back. “RIGHT, JOEY?” A young man poked his head out of the hole in the wall, flour on his face.
“What is it, you lout? I’m working!”
“Eddie’s here! He brought himself a girl this time too.” Jonathon pointed.
Joey whistled,“crikey, Ed… where’d you pick up that beauty? Is she blind-er-something? You could do a lot better than that ol’ man.”
 Edward shook his head and chuckled, “you guys are terrible.”
“That’s why you come back, right?” Joey called. “Hey, how’s Lala? I miss her pretty voice around here. Now I have to deal with Danny singing all by himself and boy is that a trainwreck if you ever heard it.”
A voice called from the back of the kitchen. “You got a problem with my singing?!”
Joey turned his head and shooed him, “nah, go back to your dishes, Danny.”

And of course when the lovely non-goddess goddess named Gwen asked about his childhood?:

Edward nearly spit out his drink before he chuckled. “Compared to your story? You don’t want to hear mine. Boring stuff. My dad died when I was five, my mom snapped under the pressure. My sister had to pretend to be a guy… we fought a couple wars. I killed a few important people and had to flee a country. My sister was granted some voodoo magical stuff and we resurrected my dad with my long-lived great, great grandmother” He paused and pointed at her, with humor in his eyes. “-who was awesome, by the way.” He shrugged. “I worked under Queen C in good ol’ Isla Paradiso, my sister married the son of some god and my niece is blind.” He rested his head against his hand and raised his eyebrows. “Oh, and I’m going through a divorce. See. Boring.” He leaned back in the booth and crossed his arms slightly, laughter bubbling up in his throat.

Edward keeps things classy, as always. =) Working on another (hopefully mushy) chapter!

[KRae]

I did go read that chapter in mpart's story. I want to go back and read all of it, but it's a little daunting.

[oshizu]

@LivvieLove

Happy birthday!!! *sings and throws confetti

[LivvieLove]

I did go read that chapter in mpart's story. I want to go back and read all of it, but it's a little daunting.

I understand! If you have any questions feel free to pm either @mpart or me! =D We love talking about our stories, and while I'm no expert in her story, she's given me a peek into her wonderful mind so I am fairly well versed in what's going on/has gone on in her story. =D
She has a family tree attached to it, but those not fond of spoilers might have trouble with that! Let me know if I can help.

@LivvieLove

Happy birthday!!! *sings and throws confetti

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! =D Awww, I really appreciate it!

[LivvieLove]

Warning: you're about to read was half-written during a time when I had a super high fever... and my fever-addled brain was like "yeah, this is good."
The Reaper Mansion is getting a massive makeover. I can't wait to show you all when it's done. Anyways, I laughed and cried and had many emotional spells writing this chapter; don't know if it was the fever or the chapter itself. Could be both. I hope you all enjoy!

Wild Heart
Midnight Hollow: Present Day
“Jupiter? What are we doing? Are you… are you taking me through a portal? How?” Eveline was grinning as she bit her lip.
“I don’t get much time with you and I’d rather not waste it on a plane.” He smiled wide enough that it showed his fangs. He remembered how she had fallen asleep on him during the flight to Egypt when they had gone. He had been so nervous during that flight. He never dreamed he would be capable of being so close to her. Now here he stood, just a foot away from her and that was almost too far for him.
“How though? When did you learn to teleport, Mister Vampire?” She poked his chest teasingly.
He pulled her to him then, embracing her closely. “I just called in a few favors, ok?” He kissed her forehead, her cheek, and then her lips gingerly. “Now would you hurry up and get in the portal? I don’t know how to reactivate these things if they close on us.”
She giggled with excitement and jumped up to kiss him deeper - an act that knocked the wind out of him. “What was that, sweetie?”

His brow furrowed and he took in a deep breath. “What’s my name again?”
She laughed and stepped back. “You ready?”
He nodded. “Sure… I think. How do you use these things anyways?” He poked it hesitantly, suddenly getting buyers remorse. Olivia said it was safe. Did he trust her? Absolutely… but what if he did something wrong?
She was resisting laughing at his hesitation. “Like this!” Eveline picked up his hand in hers before walking casually into the abyss, yanking Jupiter behind her.

Olivia rubbed her arm idly as she looked at her growing collection of books. She had always been fond of the unbiased knowledge that came from most books. Some were relics of history, some were information in the form of written words, and some were just… interesting.
That was an odd emotion for her to feel - being ‘interested.’

Spirits were not supposed to feel anything outside of their bound. She was a Spirit of Protection. She’s only ever wanted to protect. That was all she had ever felt. No reasons behind it, just that she wanted to protect something or someone.
Things were different now. Something had changed and she didn’t know what. A century ago she wouldn’t have even fathomed doing half the things she had done now. Even a few decades ago she can’t remember... feeling the way she does now.
Was she ill? She rubbed her arm again and stared down at the scar she received from Malice. It hadn’t gone away no matter what she had tried.
Spirits didn’t have a form. They weren’t made of anything. Her skin shouldn’t be permanent. It shouldn’t scar, yet it had.
“Hey, where’s the contract?”

Olivia jerked up and eased as she saw Esmerelda leaning in the archway. “Huh? Contract?”
Esmerelda rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “You’re joking, right? Agnes’s Contract. The contract for the Reapers. Where is it?”
Olivia sucked in her lips and gave Esmerelda a weary stare. “It’s… gone.”
Esmerelda frowned harshly. “Gone… where?”
“It disintegrated.” Olivia rubbed her forehead and sighed. “It was broken after Noten died.”
Esmerelda’s brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me?! We’ve been dealing with that lunatic god all this time... Why have we been pursuing this silly lineage all this time if we’re not going to get any guardian’s out of it?!” She threw up her arms and walked across the room.
“Things are… different now.” Olivia bit her lip slightly. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated…! You don’t say?!” Esmerelda was steaming. “Does Aggie know that her contract was voided? No, it doesn’t matter - why didn’t you at least tell me?! We were in this together!”
Olivia walked over to the table and sat down, resting her head on her arms. She felt heavy. She felt confused. She just felt and it wasn’t anything she was used to. “I’m sorry, Esmerelda.”

Esmerelda stood stunned for a moment before concern filled her eyes. “Hey, are you ok?” She walked over to the table and tilted her head. “What’s going on?”
Olivia let out a long, slow breath. “Something’s wrong with me, Esmerelda, and I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Before Esmerelda could say anything, Olivia had slowly pulled up her sleeve to reveal the bite mark on her arm. “Is that from…?”
“Malice, yes.” Olivia looked at her sadly. “It’s not going away, Esmerelda, and I just feel so odd. Ever since Eveline was attacked I’ve been on a downward spiral. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Esmerelda pulled a chair out next to Olivia and sat. “Slow down. Start from the beginning. First, the contract.”
Olivia sat up and nodded. “The deal was 5 heirs to start before we reevaluate the contract. They would be magically inclined - and they all were, but their magic went dormant when Aurora wasn’t trained in her magic, then Emrin disappeared off the grid, and finally it ended when Noten died.” The female heirs needed to be trained in magic before pregnancy in order to avoid the magic going dormant, and Aurora had gotten pregnant almost immediately before her magic could be awoken. Raven had pursued magic, so there was still hope, but then Emrin carried the line further with already dormant magic that she never got to awaken before Noten and Atrox came along… and finally Noten had long been out of reach until he finally died, thus fully destroying the contract. It had been a mess, and Olivia was amazed things had fallen apart so quickly.
Esmerelda put her head in her hands for a moment as she groaned. “Well, that fell apart quickly, didn’t it? I told you we should have added a clause to make the heirs more apparent. You didn’t listen.”
“I know.” Olivia said defeatedly. “Mary resigned the contract under Agnes and now we’ll at least have five guardians.”
“Don’t you mean four? The tenth generation Reaper will be a god, don’t you remember?” Esmerelda shook her head.
Olivia smiled. “Agnes wants to stay on to help, so that makes five.”

Esmerelda pursed her lips, “so that explains that part. What about you? When did you start feeling this way?”
“I can’t pinpoint a time period when I started… feeling anything, exactly. I just know that I’m not how I should be and it’s a little bit frightening.” Olivia’s eyes went wide. “I’m not supposed to feel fear… what’s wrong with me?!” She put her head in her hands.
Esmerelda patted her shoulder. “You have been growing more self-aware lately. Maybe you should head to Irena’s library to look into it?”
“Do you honestly think there will be something on… whatever this is, there?”
Esmerelda tipped her head slightly and shrugged. “Probably not, but if there is anything out there, it would be at Irena’s library. If you would’ve told me sooner I would’ve looked while I was there not too long ago when researching the Legends. You were right - they are involved in this. Their lineage goes back to Calypso.”
Olivia frowned then and groaned herself. Calypso and Fate had recently made a pact and she was well aware of it. “Majnun better be doing something.” She grumbled.
Esmerelda bit her lip and looked at Olivia strangely. “Perhaps that’s where you should go?”
Olivia looked at her with confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t follow.”
“Majnun.” Esmerelda held her hands up to weigh the options. “You are his ward. He is technically responsible for you, and… as uncomfortable as he makes me I must admit he is very intelligent and good with magic.”
“Or he’ll kill me.”
“Or he’ll kill you.” Esmerelda shrugged. “I mean, what could possibly go wrong? Except for everything? Don’t answer that.”
Olivia sighed and laughed lightly. “I can always count on you for your unfailing optimism.”
“You’re the one who only hangs out with suicidal maniacs.” Esmerelda looked at her seriously before her face broke out into a grin. “No, but you did save my life… and give me a new purpose when I had lost everything. I don’t think I can ever repay you for that.” She paused. “I’m just saying if you don’t find anything in Irena’s library, maybe you should see what the madman knows. You might as well get something useful out of your ridiculous arrangement with him.”
Olivia nodded and looked at Esmerelda gently. “You owe me nothing, I’m just happy to have some company during this crazy misadventure.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not getting rid of me. Once the madman is dead we can start a new project - which means we’ll need to figure that thing out.” She pointed to Olivia’s arm then.
“It sounds like a plan.” Olivia said levelly.
“And next time, we’re adding that clause in.” Esmerelda stood up and narrowed her eyes skeptically.

Olivia laughed again. “Of course.” She watched Esmerelda leave the room and her eyes returned to her arm. She wasn’t even sure if she would live long enough to see their current project through at the rate she was going. Nothing was certain anymore.

Eveline laughed and threw her hands up in the air. “Jupiter! This is incredible! I had almost forgotten how big this was!”
Jupiter slowly picked himself off the ground - it was official, he wasn’t cut out for all this magic and portal stuff. He dusted himself off and looked over to Eveline, a smile pulling on his lips. She always had this way of making him feel lighter - making him feel happy.

Eveline turned to look back at him, she was grinning and biting her lower lip. “This is EXACTLY what I needed!” She gasped. “I can actually see the entire footprint of the place now! I have    really gotten better with this magic stuff!” She giggled.
Jupiter could only smile a lopsided grin. She never ceased to amaze him.
“Cat got your tongue?” She joked as she laughed. “Why are you so quiet?”
He slowly found his voice again. “I’m just admiring the view.”
“It must be gorgeous to see.” She turned again in the direction of the pyramid.
“Oh, I didn’t mean the pyramid.” He said back lightly.
Eveline turned back to him and stuck her tongue out at him. She laughed and ran over to him, throwing herself into his arms. “So you’re telling me, Mister Vampire, that you’re not looking at the massive pyramid, but instead… at little ol’ me?”
“Pyramids are nice… but you’re nicer.” He squeezed her tighter against him. “I’m glad you like the location though. It was the first place I ever felt like I could be myself at, and it was also the first place I ever felt real hope of happiness.” It was always her. The way she had fallen asleep against him on the plane. Her laughter those mornings they spent half exhausted in Egypt. Her enthusiasm at going to a pyramid. How she stood by him even when he had reacted stupidly after losing his plasmafruits. He knew from the first time he met her that she would mean so much to him, but it wasn’t until that moment when they were locked in that pyramid that he knew he couldn’t be without her.
Eveline smiled at him and her cheeks slowly turned pink. “You’re exaggerating.”
Jupiter’s voice was warm. “I’m not.” He slowly lowered her to her feet and he caressed her cheek slowly. “Being with you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Eveline made a face at him, but she smiled bashfully. “I love you, Jupiter.”
“I love you too, beautiful.” Jupiter pulled her against him and rested his cheek on her head.
“So are we going tomb-raiding again, for old time’s sake?” Eveline teased.
Jupiter chuckled. “If that’s what you want to do, I-” He tensed up suddenly and began mouthing at something in the distance.
Eveline’s brow furrowed as she slowly pieced things together, “Atris? What are you doing here, my dear?”
Atris missed Mother. Atris almost got lost trying to find Mother and blue-haired one.

Eveline turned and let Atris perch on her arm, Jupiter began acting strangely and Eveline pursed her lips as she rubbed Atris’s head. “You didn’t need to come all the way to Egypt, my Atris.” Atris purred and rubbed up against her.
Jupiter was growing more agitated. “Yes! You didn’t need to come here right this second…!”
Eveline turned slightly towards Jupiter and looked at him oddly.
Mother, tell the blue-haired one to stop shooing Atris. The blue-haired one asked Atris to come here and give Mother this metal thing.
Eveline felt something drop into her hand.
Jupiter slowly put his head in his hands. “Not yet!” He groaned.
Atris tipped his head slightly. Atris brought the metal thing for Mother. What more does the blue-haired one want?
“Metal thing?” Eveline’s brow furrowed. “What are you-” She slowly felt the ‘metal thing’ Atris dropped in her hand and her mouth came open wider. “Jupiter…?”
Jupiter slowly got down on one knee in front of her. “Well, this wasn’t how I imagined this going… at all.” He sighed nervously.
“Oh gods, Jupiter…” Eveline took in a deep breath, feeling her eyes water over with tears. Her breathing was escalated. He was going to ask her to marry him. “You’re going to ask me to marry you? You’re… going to ask me to marry you right now?”
Jupiter looked at her nervously, perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all. “I… yes. I-”
“Yes! Yes… YES! A thousand times.” Eveline covered her mouth as she felt herself start to shake. “Of course I will.”
“I… yes?” Jupiter looked at her as relief and joy flooded him. He was lighter than air. “You’ll marry me?”
“YES!” She nodded enthusiastically, unable to stop herself. “Oh my gods; oh gods.” She kept sucking in shaky breaths, tears began to spill from her eyes. “Of course I will!” She repeated.

Jupiter pulled himself to his feet in a heartbeat and was wrapping his arms around her. “You’ll really marry me? You’re saying yes?”
Eveline kept nodding. “Yes! Yes I’m saying yes…!” She rested her forehead against him and tried to calm her breathing.
“You said yes.” He laughed. “And here… I had this whole speech ready.”
Eveline’s eyes went wide. “Oh? Oh! I’m sorry! No… go ahead… do it… I’ll… pretend like you haven’t asked me yet!”
Jupiter laughed, this wasn’t how he saw this proposal going at all, yet it was even better than he could have imagined. “Do you know where we are, Eveline?” He whispered to her as he wiped the tears of joy that fell from her eyes.
She sniffled and smiled at the same time. “A pyramid?” She was laughing as she spoke, feeling as light as Jupiter did.
“Not just any pyramid. This is the Pyramid of the Burning Sands.”
Eveline’s eyes went wide. “The one we found the flame fruit in?”
Jupiter nodded. “It was in that moment that I knew I could never be with anyone else, Eveline.” He took in a breath. “From the moment I first saw you I knew you were different. I was… attracted to you and confused at the same time. You were everything I always wanted to be. Unafraid, confident, powerful, remarkable. You made everyone around you seem dull. I never thought that I would ever get a chance to be so close to you. I never thought… I was worthy of that chance.”
Eveline shook her head. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe it was, but I believed it.” His gaze searched her face. “Prom came, and I couldn’t just hide behind the distance any longer. I had to get closer to you. I thought I could use my… rather obsessive crush on you to at least ensure that I could keep you safe. I also thought that getting closer to you would help me see you as a person and not as some untouchable, perfect being.”
Eveline laughed, “perfect being? You thought I was perfect?”
Jupiter grinned, his fangs showing. “I still do, because you see… it didn’t work. After prom I just wanted to be closer to you. Closer than I should have been. I couldn’t let anything happen to you though, and your grandfather knew it; that’s probably why he asked me to come to Egypt with you.” He paused and closed his eyes as he remembered it. “I made a promise to myself on the flight in that I would stay with you in some form. I would keep you safe from a distance. It was the closest I thought I could ever be. You were everything I ever wanted and the longer I was around you the harder it was to be ok with keeping my distance. You could get married and have a family and I would always keep you safe, but then I got this crazy, idiotic idea in my head that maybe… maybe that could be me that you loved. Maybe it could be me you married and had children with.”
He looked down and pointed to the ground. “This was the spot that I kissed you in the first time. This place is when I realized that I had to find a way to be with you.” He swallowed hard. “And I know things haven’t been perfect. I made so many mistakes and I know I’ve hurt you; but no matter what happens I will always come back to you. I love you, and for as long as you’ll have me, I want to be by your side.”
Eveline’s tears were falling again and she kept nodding.

Jupiter slowly lowered himself to one knee again. “Eveline Keeper, I’ve loved you ever since I met you and I always will. Will you marry me?”
Eveline hastily wiped her face and nodded. “I will marry you. I will.”
Jupiter stood up fluidly and pulled her into a deep kiss, his hands taking the ring from hers and delicately sliding it on her ring finger.

Eveline and Jupiter stumbled into an unfamiliar vacation house, their lips still locked in a passionate kiss. Jupiter kicked the door shut behind him as Eveline pulled slightly from his grasp, giggling and breathy as she did so. “Where are we?” She half whispered.

Jupiter had pulled her back against him, his lips kissing her neck and jawline. “Our home away from home.” He mumbled as he continued kissing her cheek, slowly turning her head back so he could kiss her again. She giggled against his lips before she kissed his cheek and up to his ear.
“Wait.” She whispered to him. “I want… I want you to do something first.”
Jupiter pulled back, smiling at her as he resisted laughing himself. “What’s that?”
“You can’t say no.” Eveline whispered again. “I’m not going to tell you if you say no.”
Jupiter rolled his eyes. “Ok, I won’t say ‘no.’” He chuckled and kissed at her neck again.
“You promise?” Eveline breathed.

Jupiter rested his head against her shoulder and laughed. “I promise.” He said as he bit back more laughter. “What is it, beautiful?”
“I want you to…” She giggled as she tilted her head to give him further access to her neck. Her voice grew serious and quieter. “I want you to bite me.”
Jupiter stopped suddenly, his eyes wide. “W-What?” He shook his head. “Eveline, you know how I feel about-”
Eveline held up her hand. “Please… Jupiter…” She held his face with her hands, feeling the familiar lines that made up his cheeks. She whispered to him. “I want to share this with you at least once. I don’t want the only time I’ve ever been bitten by a Vampire to have been against my will. Especially not since my soon-to-be-husband is one.”
Jupiter closed his eyes slowly and let out a breath. “I don’t want to hurt you, Eveline. I love you.”
Eveline nodded and put her finger to his lips. “I know. I love you too. Please… do this for me.”
Jupiter felt his walls crumbling. He rested his forehead against Eveline’s and sighed. “Ok.” He whispered as he nodded. “I’ll do this just once for you, but you need to be able to stop me if it hurts.”
Eveline’s smile grew wide. “It won’t.”
“If it does-”
She shook her head. “It won’t.” She smiled at him and kissed him. “If it does, then I’ll send you flying across the room with my magic, ok?”
Jupiter hesitated but he nodded slowly. “Ok.” He never stood a chance against her, and when she wanted the same thing he did it only made it harder to think clearly. “A-are you ready?” He could feel the ice as it ran through his veins. Her racing heart pounded in his ears. He could hear the sound of her breathing, her blood moving, the reflexes in her body. He could see the magic that surrounded her and the heat radiating off her skin. She nodded slowly, tipping her head to give him access to her neck.

Jupiter could feel his mind starting to cloud over as he moved in closer to her neck. One hand gently cradled her face as the other steadied himself on her shoulder. He took in a deep breath, inhaling her familiar scent: flowers and honey. He smiled slightly, flowers, honey and fire. He had always joked that she would be the death of him, but in reality she was his only reason to live.
His fangs delicately scraped across her neck and her eyes fluttered closed, her face flushed. This was what Vampire seduction was supposed to look like. Jupiter kissed her neck slowly until he found the spot that was once where Lucien had bit her. This spot was his now. Eveline was his. Jupiter kissed the spot delicately before slowly sinking his fangs into her neck.

Eveline’s dream was different from any other dream she had ever had. Her body ached, but it felt good all at the same time. She was fully aware that she was dreaming, yet she hadn’t woken up yet. What was even stranger was that she could see. She hadn’t had a dream where she could see since the horrible nightmare that she awoke from to find a daffodil in her hair. Her dreams usually lacked picture and color. Yet in this dream she could see everything in a beautiful house.
Eveline walked the dream-house. It was a familiar place, yet she knew she had never been there. Her dream self was looking for something. What was she looking for? She looked around the room and admired the colors and shapes that she had never seen before. She stepped down the stairs slowly when she heard a crash of glass breaking. Her brow furrowed and she kept walking down the stairs. She couldn’t seem to move any faster than the slow pace she was going, and that made her anxious. “What’s going on?” She called out, her voice had a hollow sound as it echoed off the walls of her dream. After an eternity she made it to the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner into an unfamiliar kitchen.

She stopped suddenly. In front of her, two boys were trying desperately to reach the cookie jar on the counter. They couldn’t have been older than three. One of them stood boosting the other on his shoulders as the other reached across the kitchen counter. “What are you two goobers doing?” It was her voice, but she hadn’t spoken it. The boys turned around suddenly, eyes wide as they fell over from being caught. They both grinned at her with Jupiter’s smile. One had glowing eyes and the other had her grandfather’s bright orange eyes.
“Momma!” The one with glowing eyes called to her. He giggled and pulled himself rather unsteadily to his feet before trying to help the other boy up. He pulled on the boy’s arms until the golden-eyed boy was up this feet, which caused the first boy to fall to his butt and laugh.

The boy with the bright, golden eyes stared at Eveline seriously and suddenly he was at her feet, wrapping his arms around her legs when he had, only a moment before, been across the room. “I can’t hear you, momma.” He whispered. Eveline reached down to touch his face when he was suddenly too far for her to reach. He held his arms out to her. “Momma! It’s too quiet!” The house was getting darker and the boy was too far from her reach; he began to cry while covering his ears. “Momma!”
Eveline jolted awake to the room in Egypt as magic lurched in her lower stomach.

She could see everything then.

Majnun grumbled underneath his breath and frowned as he sat in the quiet of his study. His fingers drummed the desk idly and he sighed. “I never know what to do without you here.” He murmured.
With a slow sigh he stretched and sat up taller in his seat, but there was still no amusement on his face. “I… have never been able to have the relationship I hoped I might with Aleccas.” He rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. “I feel like I’ve tried everything, but it seems that the Essence is laughing at me.” He chuckled darkly. “And the shelves, and the drapes, and the invisible people in the walls.”

Majnun slowly opened his eyes and let his stare fall to his desk. “Mumble gutter, dust enticing, swirling pine. Each day feels like an eternity, Anne; I just don’t think I can do this much longer.” He slowly let his head sink to the desk and he let out a long breath. “We’re about to go to yet another war and it’s just another reminder of how I lost you and I can’t take it.”
His eyes looked at the crystal daffodil sadly. “Out of all the voices in my head… why can’t I ever hear yours?” He moved his finger so it delicately ran across a petal. “I would give up anything in this world to hear your voice once more, my heart.” He spoke through gritted teeth, his voice barely a whisper. “Anything.”
He rolled his forehead so it was directly down against the desk. “I am the strongest human god. I am the most powerful being under TIME itself!” His voice broke. “Yet I’m not strong enough, Anne.” He clenched his fist. “I’m not.” He lifted his head and let it fall harshly back to the desk again and again.

After a minute his head grew quiet and he stared at the desk with hollow eyes. “The world has fallen into destruction without you. We’re entering a dark age and no one is prepared. So many will die, Anne, and no one cares. Not in the way you did.”
He rolled his head over again. “I take that back, my heart. There is one.” His smile was weak, but it was there. “You would have loved her, but the gods are so quick to tear apart any good the world has.” He sighed slowly. “Her spirit is like yours and I just couldn’t stand to see it broken.” He sat in a lull for a moment before speaking again. “Her name is Maleficent.”
He pulled himself up and leaned his head against his arm. “She’s been tortured by the Goddess of Fate too - yet she smiles, much as you did. She will not show the world she is broken.” He frowned. “If you had been what you were meant to be… if you had risen… then perhaps she wouldn’t have been broken at all.” He clenched his jaw momentarily. “The world wouldn’t have been broken if you had lived. You were too good for the world. You were too good for me.” 
His mind grew noisy as things came rushing through him at an incredible speed. He groaned and began hitting his head against the desk again. “Why.” Racing manics. “Did.” Spilling fireworks. “You.” Ripening thunderbolts. “Leave.” Jackleby twisttie. “Me?” Silence. He let out a harsh breath that he choked on.
“You were my everything.” He breathed. “You were my everything!” His nails raked across the wood of the desk. “I can’t do this anymore.” He swallowed hard. “I can’t.”

He would’ve given anything to hear her say something back. Anything.
Yet there was only silence.
Even his own mind wouldn’t taunt him in that manner.
He’s thought about every, single way he could bring his life to a close faster than the crawl it seemed to be moving at this point, yet all of them involved taking down everyone associated with him too. Time had this nasty habit of eliminating everyone related to a troublemaker - just in case.
He sat up and slumped back in his chair, closing his eyes again. He would protect Eveline no matter what it took. He couldn’t keep Anne safe, but there was no way he would let anyone touch his Eveline, his swallow.
Eveline had always been special and he knew it long before she grew into having Anne’s features. She was his salvation - his ticket to Anne; however, on top of that she was rambunctious, carefree, and an unstoppable force of nature. She was just like Anne in how she could bend the world with a downward twitch of her lips. Majnun had been weary of Jupiter, but the boy was almost hilariously harmless, and it was immensely clear he loved Eveline in the same way Majnun loved Anne.
Majnun had doubted Jupiter before though, and he had proved him wrong. Jupiter had killed to protect Eveline. Majnun had prepared at least a half a dozen ways for the boy to “disappear” should the need arise, yet the need did not. Mania had wanted to eradicate the boy right away, but Majnun was good at playing the long game, and it played off well for him. The day Eveline was born Mania had seen her death in the Divination cards: Vampire bite at the age of seventeen. The odds had not been in her favor, but Majnun had ample time to prepare.
Majnun turned to look at the yellow, flower ring that sat wrapped around the crystal daffodil and felt an ache in his chest. “My heart, I-”
He stopped suddenly when he felt it. His eyes went wide.
Eveline was pregnant. He could feel the drain of his magic, the weight of his age. A wide smile pulled on his lips and he carefully put away the flower and ring. “I’ll be with you soon.”
He slowly pulled himself up and stretched, already feeling an ache in his bones. Yet it was an ache of hope for him. He snapped his fingers and sent some orders down the stairs to Mania. He wanted all the outcomes of Eveline’s pregnancy. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Until then, he prepared himself to travel. Eveline might need a bit of help getting adjusted to the growing life inside of her and the magical change it would cause.

The new generation brought him one step closer to Anne, and that was all that mattered to him.

Mania sat at her divination table and looked down at her blank cards. She smiled softly to herself as Raeveth played with her toys on the floor within Mania’s watchful gaze. Mania’s hands hovered over her deck as the voices hidden in the cards hummed to life.

The familiar feeling of pulling the future into her grasp ran through her as she prepared to ask her question. The whispers grew louder and louder, almost to the point that they were unbearable. Something wasn’t right. The deck was too riled. What was going on? Mania struggled to get the whispers to come back around to her, to answer the questions she needed it to.
It was like lightning ran through her suddenly. Her eyes went open wide and all the cards turned over at once as a wave of magic overtook the table.
Mania had never had anything like it happen before. It had felt almost like her heart had stopped. She gripped the table and looked down at the overturned cards.
Each card had taken the picture of a daffodil, save for the one in the center, which was Majnun’s card - the wolf in a jester’s costume.
Mania trembled from the strength of the magic that had run through her. It had not been Divination that had changed these cards - as the images were burned on them permanently. She could hear a woman’s laughter that echoed off the walls.

Something big was coming, and it would shake the world.

[mpart]

Awwww! Eveline and Jupiter are adorable! Those adorable boys! Just no words at all for the adorableness. Well then, why don't you just rip my heart out and feed it to the lions? Anne was right there. She was just right there. So much to say on this chapter. Loved all the emotions as always! 

[Magpie2012]

Oh. EM. GEE!!! Just when I think that this story couldn't get any better... You come up with THIS!!! Eviter-boos on the horizon *smustles* Majnun just breaks my heart. And now I really need to know why Aleccas thinks his dad killed his mom... Man, Jupiter just gets hotter and hotter, when he bite Evie I got a little curl in the pit of my stomach. I want a Jupiter!!!