Genesis Crisis: Resurgence IC

Nadenka's House - Aruka Manor

Beleobog

Belobog smiled as he saw Ehlana, who entered the kitchen, drenched in sweat. Belobog gave up upon making complains that she should enter the kitchen after the shower, besides her company was nice to have in the morning.

When Ehlana back from the quick shower and spoke about her schedule, Belobog blinked and was about to protest. Then again, he sighed as Ehlana made her point clear. Besides, it was true, he did not like the idea of explaining such things.

"Yeah, I get what you mean. I will help out, you probably need extra hands." Said Belobog, this time he realized Ehlana was about to protest, he gestured the same way she did. "I'm pretty sure you do not want to explain to Jax how we were late for that special occasion. I don't want him to lecture us on what should be our priority or what is important." Belobog rolled eyes, thinking about an incident that showed how dutiful he was, and then had been lectured by Jax about what should be the priority.

Belobog chuckled, "Besides, I am done with my report, and got time to kill." he smiled. Somehow spending time here helped Belobog to be much more expressive and be able to smile often. He liked that. The past Belobog would never know such feeling.

When Ehlana made a comment about the two sleepy heads, he shook his head. "I know, right? But I'm sure Alexei's honest stomach should be making some noises." He chuckled, "I will go and wake them up." Said Belobog, "The ones with the white spot are made with vegetables." He added as he knew Ehlana would take some slice while he was gone to wake them up.

Belobog reached to the door where Nadenka and Alexei were sleeping together. He knocked at first, then there was some sound. Then he knocked again, "Come on, you two. Sun is up and your breakfast is ready." Said Belobog with a gentle smile on his face.

Nadenka’s House – Aruka Manor

- Alexei -

Alexei lay with Nadenka in silence, just enjoying the warmth of her body, the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. He’d never imagined this future, back in the depths of Arusia. It seemed like the kind of life that belonged to a different type of person, a domesticated sort. He’d never had intentions of settling down, of naking a home, of loving anyone. But then he’d met Nadenka, and everything had changed.

He smiled to himself, drifting listlessly halfway between waking and sleeping. Then, his stomach growled, and the spell was broken.

“Well, aren’t you a mood breaker.” She teased as she smiled with her eyes closed.

“Sorry,” he murmured, half-sheepish and half-amused.

Nadenka pressed her lips to his, whispering to him in Russian, “Good morning, sweet heart.”

“Good morning, light of my life,” he replied, his Russian improving with time.

A knock on the door, which could only be Belo, told them breakfast was ready.

“As usual, he is so punctual. How did you two survived without him?” she teased. “I bet you two skipped meals when he was not around.”

Alexei smiled and shrugged. “Ehlana and I are not so fussy as him with things like mealtimes. And we survived anyway.”

He rolled over and positioned himself above Nadenka, pinning her to the bed with his weight. He grinned down at her, then leaned in to kiss her, slowly and passionately.

“I’m thinking...” he said, drifting his mouth down to kiss along her neck, “...that we skip breakfast and have dessert instead.”

He dipped down, kissing tantalizingly in a line below her collarbone, when the door was knocked on again.

"Come on, you two. Sun is up and your breakfast is ready,” Belo called.

Alexei sighed. “Nag,” he murmured, though he couldn’t help but smile as well. Then he called through the door, “We’ll be right down.”

When Belo’s footsteps had disappeared, he slid out of bed and pulled on his clothes. The he held out a hand for Nadenka, who slipped her small one into his large grip before they left to join the others.

Nadenka’s House – Aruka Manor

Nadenka

“I’m thinking...” said Alexei, drifting his mouth down to kiss along her neck, “...that we skip breakfast and have dessert instead.”

Nadenka's arms were around Alexei's back as he did it so, "I would like that," she whispered. But alas, Belobog was pretty persistent with the breakfast.

As they prepared to head down to eat breakfast, Nadenka sneakily took out a small wrapped present box and put in her pocket. It was the day to surprise someone and she was not going to get it discovered.

She smiled cheerfully as she took Alexei's warm hand. It was Alexei's birthday, and this man, the love of her life had no idea what she and his comrades were planning for him.

Just in a few hours, everyone else will be here and celebrate. She couldn't help but smiled playfully. The look on Alexei's face, it was going to be priceless.

A Second Chance at Home (aka The Home)

- Marcus -

Marcus put his palm on the small of Lenka's back as they stepped into the home. After all the dust had settled and he'd been given the "all clear" medically, she'd finally let him take her out on a date. Actually, they'd been on three of them since then, and he found himself spending quite a bit of time studying with her as well. With the next year of university coming up, they'd had a lot of summer homework to get caught up on, due to their adventure.

"Welcome to the home." Marcus said, gesturing to the hallway before them. This was her first trip here. Since her dorm room was closer to campus, they'd spent most of their time together there. "I'd be willing to bet we can find Ben in the library. So, how about we introduce you to him first?"

He guided her down the hallway to where a spiral staircase went up to the second floor. Right beneath it was a large, open door. Inside, stacks of worn books littered the floor, and the two far walls were covered in shelves, overflowing with more books. In front of the window, a young man laid on the couch, an open book on his chest. Every few seconds, he would thumb a page over, but he seemed oblivious to the outside world.

On the arm of the couch, behind his head, sat a young girl, who was practicing tricks with a yo-yo. As they stepped into the room, she whipped the toy up into her hand and waved to them. "Hey Marcus! Ben isn't talking right now. He's only got..." She twisted her head around to look over her shoulder, "thirty four pages left."

"That's fine. I just wanted to introduce Lenka to you both." Marcus responded as the girl slid off the couch arm and walked towards them. "This is Rebecca." He said to Lenka. "And the quiet one on the couch is Ben." At least the later wasn't totally without manners. As he turned another page, his eyes shifted in their direction for about a second, and he raised a hand in greeting.

"What's he reading this time?" Marcus asked Rebecca as she reached them and offered her hand to Lenka.

"One of Jess' books." Ben's ears turned noticeably red. Curious...

"When she was talking to her friends on the phone earlier, I think they called it a 'smut'?" Rebecca asked it like a question, almost as if unsure what that meant. Ben's entire face was red now, and Marcus coughed to cover up a laugh.

"I see. Do you know where the others are?" As the words left his mouth, a scream arose from somewhere down the hall.

"TROY!!!"

The shuffle of feet could be heard around the corner, and a boy that looked somewhat short for his age dashed into the library, diving under the couch. Ben seemed unaffected by the entire incident, but Rebecca grinned as she yelled towards the door. "Library, Jess!"

"Welcome to the madness." Marcus whispered in Lenka's ear as they turned to greet the only other occupant of the home that was their own age. "Afternoon, Jess."

"Hi, Marcus." She started to move past him but paused, her eyes drifting to Lenka. "And... Friend?"

The Home

- Lenka -

Lenka looked around curiously. Finally they’d found some free time to visit the orphanage Marcus grew up in. Even though everything was simple, it had a homey feel to it. Lenka felt reminded of her own home.

She followed Marcus into the library. Well library was a little exaggerated. It was a room overflowing with stacks of books and more books.

“Hi,” she beamed at Rebecca and Ben. Before she could ask any more questions, the commotion began as Troy hid under the couch and Jess entered the library.

“Hi, I’m Lenka,” she replied when Jess’ eyes fell on her, wondering for a short moment how much they knew about her. “What happened?”

That seemed to get Jess back on track and her eyes searched the room. Without any delay, she went over to the couch and pulled out Troy from underneath.

“This one managed to soil the entire bus while doing his chores,” her eyes narrowed at Troy. “I’m still not sure if it was an accident or on purpose.”

Troy didn’t really look like he was plagued by a bad conscience about his actions.

“At any rate, we have to clean it,” Jess said. “You’re going to help and you and you and you,” she said sternly and pointed at the kids present in the library.

There was mumbled protest.

“But I only have thirty-four pages…” Ben began to say.

“You can finish your book later, Ben,” Jess replied. “Besides, it will be good for you to get outside while the sun is out.

Lenka snickered, catching a slightly irritated look from Jess. The words just reminded her of the countless conversations she had had with her own brother.

“It’s okay,” she piped up with a smile. “We can help clean the bus too.”

The others looked at her surprised. No one ever volunteered for work.

“C’mon, we don’t have any other plans right now.” She gave Marcus a light push towards the door.

A Second Chance at Home (aka The Home)

- Marcus -

"Sure, we can pitch in." Marcus responded as Lenka shuffled him towards the door. He probably would have offered to help if Lenka wasn't here with him anyway. So, there wasn't a lot of reason to fight her on it.

"I didn't even do it this time." Troy complained as Jess pulled him from the room by one ear.

"Oh really?" She asked, sounding completely unconvinced. "Then who's responsible for this?" Jess waved her hand at the bus, which was covered in all manner of 'art', which had clearly been drawn with various things found around the orphanage.

"Ask Terrance." Troy responded as she finally released him, and he scurried behind Ben, using the larger boy as a shield.

Despite his complaints, Troy grabbed a brush while Marcus filled the buckets with water. Jess continued grumbling about how she shouldn't have to put up with this, and Ben made several attempts to duck back inside, all thwarted by Rebecca, who cleared her throat loudly, every time he started to wander too far away.

Laughing to himself, Marcus handed one of the buckets to Jess and carried the other over to Lenka. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked as he dipped a sponge into the bucket and then began scraping goo off of the windows.

A sudden scream came from the other side of the bus, and Marcus dropped his sponge, dashing towards the front. "Terrance! Stop!" A now soaking wet Jess' words were ignored as the young boy turned the still running water hose towards his next victim.

"Hey, easy there..." Troy backed away slowly, but his efforts seemed equally futile. At least his reflexes were better though, and the boy ducked beneath the stream, which hit Marcus square in the chest, shooting over his shoulders and running down his torso.

"Told you it wasn't me!" Troy yelled as he dropped and rolled under the bus to get away from the water.

"Somehow, I still feel like it's your fault though!" Jess yelled back as she wrung what water she could from her top without taking it off. At the sound of her voice, Terrance turned back towards her, and she screamed again, ducking behind the bus for cover.

Marcus used the opportunity to seize the water hose and wrap his free arm around the young boy's torso. "Spray us, will you?" He growled playfully, taking slow steps in Jess' direction. The woman herself now stood out in the open again, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Troy said it would be fun!" Terrance responded, trying to wiggle free.

"Oh, I just bet he did." Jess said as she lifted her bucket and deposited its contents over Terrance's head.

"No fair! That's cold!"

"Taste of your own medicine." Marcus responded, letting the boy go. With a sigh, he peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto a nearby lawn chair. "Now, grab a sponge and start cleaning, or I'll use you to scrub the bus."

Rolling his eyes, Marcus turned back towards Lenka. Maybe it hadn't been Troy that messed up the bus after all.

The Home

- Lenka -

“Well it’s better than driving around in a dirty bus,” she grinned back at Marcus. “I’ve seen worse.”

Suddenly a scream called their attention to the other side of the bus.

Lenka followed behind Marcus as they hurried off. This was her luck, because the water stream hit Marcus in the chest. Lenka, standing just behind him, was shielded from the water and only felt a little light mist on her face.

She laughed, watching as Jess emptied the water bucket over Terrance’s head. From their expression she could tell that they weren’t really angry with him.

When Marcus tossed his shirt and turned back towards her, her expression immediately changed, and she stared at him with her wide blue eyes.

“Lenka, what is it?” Marcus, feeling worried for a moment, looking around for something that caused her mood to change so suddenly.

Lenka took a tentative step towards him, shaking off her own surprise.

“I can’t believe you kept that…” she said, her voice thick and full of emotion. Slowly she traced the scar on Marcus’ chest. Then gently she placed her hand on her own handprint on his skin.

She felt tears collecting in her eyes but wiped them away with her sleeve. They had talked about the tears. Less tears, as it was better for both of them. But this, it just caught Lenka off guard.

“Well, at least it’s not a tattoo with my name,” she said, trying to lighten the mood with a lame joke.

The Home

- Lecarde -

As Lenka pressed her hand against Marcus' chest, there came the sound of someone quietly clearing their throat from behind her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something."

Lecarde's gaze shifted between the two of them, and though his smile seemed entirely sincere, there was the faintest glimmer of mischief in his eyes as he took in their current state.

"I just wanted to welcome you back, Marcus," he said. "It's been some time since you were last here. I hope you plan to stay a while. I wanted to hear about your recent exploits at the capital."

"Exploits?" Terrence asked, popping around to look. "What exploits?"

The other kids circled in, all looking very inquisitive, but Lecarde laughed and shooed them off.

"Sensitive government matters," he said. "Not for young ears."

The kids began to mutter mutinously, but Lecarde only laughed more.

"Now, that won't do," he said. "How about ice cream after everyone finishes?"

That earned him a cheer, and everyone scrambled back to work. Lecarde turned back to Lenka and Marcus, shaking his head.

"Well, I hope you won't keep me waiting too long," he said. "But do have fun with it."

As he walked past them back toward the home, he stopped to put a hand on Marcus' shoulder.

"You're not the same Marcus who left here," he said softly. "And I couldn't be more proud."

With a parting wave, he disappeared back up the way.

A Second Chance at Home (aka The Home)

- Marcus -

A look of understanding crossed Marcus' face when he realized what had caused Lenka to become emotional. He stood still while she ran her fingers over the burn scar, but when she rested her palm over it, mirroring the glossy skin with her fingers, he rested his hand on top of hers, holding her cool fingers against his chest. Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short as Lecarde drew attention to himself.

"Actually, you are." Marcus grumbled his reply to the man's words as he reached out to wrap his other arm around Lenka and pull her to him. Smiling, he rested his forehead against hers.

"The tattoo seemed a bit rushed." He said in a voice low enough that only Lenka could hear. "But this felt natural." Marcus gently squeezed the hand still pinned between his fingers and chest. "You breathed life into my world, partner. In more ways than one. Even if we go our separate ways someday, nothing will change that." He pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose before stepping back.

Only a moment later, Lecarde turned back towards them, and Marcus struggled to focus on what the man was saying. His attention remained on Lenka until the final words registered, and he couldn't stop himself from looking in Lecarde's direction.

"Thank you." He responded, now struggling to keep his own emotions in check. "We'll talk later."

Turning back towards Lenka with the beginnings of a grin on his face, Marcus scooped up the bucket that had been sitting beside his feet. "But right now, I need to dump a bucket of water on my girl so she can pretend she isn't crying."

University of Academia - Counsellor’s Office

- Alex -

He’d faced down Majin, the Leviathan itself, and the darkest depths of his own mind. Somehow, that still didn’t prepare him for facing Lisa across a counsellor’s desk.

“So, what do you think?” he asked tentatively. “Am I doing better?”

He’d been making time to pop in - sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally - to see her for appointments. They were never easy, but they were becoming more bearable. Lisa never sugar-coated anything, but he needed that. Luke had been a good companion, but Luke always saw the best in people - one reason he admired him. But that meant he couldn’t always tell Alex exactly what he needed to hear the way Lisa could.

“I tried to make it back in time for the wedding,” he said, smiling. “Are you excited? I’ll bet you’ve had a lot to do as the maid of honor. Ever think it’ll be your turn someday?”

Counsellor's Office

- Lisa -

Lisa rolled her eyes at Alex's questions. He'd asked the same ones on several occasions, and she wished there was a way for her to hammer home the message that only he could validate himself with the responses. "We've been over this." She responded, leaning across the desk with a smirk on her face. "In great detail."

"If I didn't think the sessions were helping, I wouldn't keep telling you to come back, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if I see improvement. You have to see the improvement in yourself. That's how this," she waved her fingers back and forth between them, "works."

To be honest, he'd made a lot of progress since they'd started, and in a way, their sessions were therapeutic for her as well. Knowing that she was capable of helping someone through issues as deep as Alex's had been was a healthy dose of self-validation for her career choice.

Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. "I am excited for them. Despite our history, Raidon has proven that he loves her, and he's surprisingly good with the kids too." Lisa laughed a little to herself. "I'm actually concerned he might spoil them, and Arya will be the one that has to lay down the law when they get older. Wouldn't that be ironic?"

Her smile faded a little when Alex asked about her turn. "You know, I may just be Auntie Lisa forever. Men are the worst... Present company excluded. Barely." She let her head fall back against the chair and closed her eyes.

"The last two guys I've dated have dumped me because they thought dating a psychology major was like being in therapy all day. I can't help it that it's not exactly something I can 'turn off'."

After a few deep breaths, she sat back up, smirk back in place. "But we're not here to talk about me, are we?"

University of Academia - Counsellor’s Office

- Alex -

Lisa tried to hammer home how exactly this therapy process worked, and Alex could only laugh.

"I know, I know," he replied. "Just trying to see if I can actually get a compliment out of you."

Surprisingly, he did. Sort of. He wasn't the worst man in the world, at least by a slim margin. For Lisa, that was pretty high praise indeed.

"I'm sorry that happened." He frowned. "For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. Maybe that doesn't mean much, coming from me, but it's true."

She was right, though. It was his therapy session, not hers.

"Back on topic then," he said, shrugging. "I think traveling has done me a lot of good. But someday, I'm going to need to settle back down, do something constructive with my life. I'm just not sure what yet." He stared down at his hands. "I have so much power, but I'm clueless what to do with it all."

Counsellor's Office

- Lisa -

"I hear you trying to butter me up so I'll take it easy on you for the rest of the session." Lisa responded to Alex's statement with a teasing tone. Much as she hated to admit it, getting compliments from anyone she had sessions with did mean something to her, and the fact that Alex took the initiative to say what he had was worth more than a non-answer.

"Thank you though. It's good to know that what I'm helping you work through is appreciated." There was a moment of awkward pause before Lisa cleared her throat and rested her elbows on the desk. "Yes, back on topic..."

She listened to Alex's comment about settling down and rolled the idea around in her head. Before the rise of the Riders, Alex had never really expressed the kind of wanderlust she'd seen from him since. "That's a good train of thought. Sometimes, when a person loses control of some part of their life, they try to tighten down on the other parts, but in more extreme cases, people have been known to throw away whatever control the still retain instead."

"Maybe your need to travel is a result of the emotional chaos caused by the incident a few years ago. That kind of reaction could also explain how Lev came about." Lisa paused, making sure the mention of the name didn't seem to disturb Alex before continuing. "The fact that you're considering settling down again might mean that you finally feel more in control of your situation again, and you're willing to trust that things around you can remain stable."

She paused again, letting the silence stretch out for several moments. Alex needed to absorb that information before she continued.

"You do have vast amounts of power, and there are a lot of great things you could do with it." Lisa restated his own words. "But is that what you want?"

"Regardless of how useful those powers could be... No, especially since those powers can be taken advantage of. Since you can be taken advantage of... Whatever you decide to do needs to come from you and only you."

"Find the thing that makes you happy and pursue it with all that power inside of you. If you don't have a goal yet, take your time and think about it. Don't just rush into something because you're the most qualified for it. If I'd done that, I would be designing industrial buildings right now, and I would be absolutely miserable."

"You'll know what you want when you find it. Dense as you can be sometimes, you're not actually an idiot. So, here's your homework for next time. Find something that makes you happy and invest yourself in it for a day. When I see you next week, we can talk about it."

University of Academia - Counsellor’s Office

- Alex -

Alex nodded at Lisa's words. What she was saying made a lot of sense. His brow furrowed at the mention of Lev - obviously not something he was proud of, but not something he was willing to shy away from anymore - but he was more focused on the future than the past.

"I've always wanted to help people who couldn't help themselves. To protect people who were powerless. Maybe that's another reason why I felt so helpless when Aegis dispersed. I didn't know who I was outside that anymore."

He smiled at Lisa's suggestion of homework and stood from his chair. "All right. I'll think on it."

She was right. He didn't need to solve every question at once. Taking the time to think would be good. Maybe even being back for the wedding would be good, help him see something beautiful that might inspire him.

"Save me a dance at the wedding, all right?" He smiled and opened the door. "And thanks, Lisa. For everything."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the hallway, Alex spotted Luke and waved. They'd parted ways before Alex's session, with Luke heading off to find Marcus and Lenka and catch up.

"You get a chance to find them?" he asked as they started to walk off together.

The University of Academia - Hallway
Luke

"Hey, Alex!" Luke waved back, "How's Lisa?" He smiled and asked, with a little teasing tone. Luke gave a gentle shrug, when Alex asked about Marcus and Lenka, "Well, the two love birds were doing fine. I heard about the story of their visit to the orphanage." Luke continued, walking with Alex. "And the little incident they had over there sounded interesting."

As the two came out from the Hallway, Luke eyes drifted to the blue sky, gentle smile on his face, "But, I think, the way they look at each other and their smiles, those were what I needed." Said Luke, then he gave Alex a playful look. "What about you? Did you get to ask her?" He gave a goofy grin.

As they traveled together, Alex pretty much said that he had a thing for Lisa. That has become something to tease Alex with, but just when they are alone.

"Well, I also learned news about my friend Mark." Said Luke, "I am just glad that everyone is doing fine." Luke had a smile, beaming with life. "I hope it lasts as long as possible. Well, if something happens, I'm sure we all will play our part to make it better."

Gemnity Concert Hall

- Rise -

Rise waved to the cheering crowd, her heart racing as she stepped off the platform. It had been one year since the Redcape attacks on her last concert. She'd been afraid people might not show up to this memorial concert after what happened last time, but if anything, the crowd had been even larger. She hadn't planned a speech, but it came naturally.

Another year later, we're another year stronger. She'd said that, and she meant it. That day, when the Redcape attack had happened, she'd almost broken down at the thought that the peace they'd worked to build was so easily shattered. But here they were again, better and stronger for it.

"You did great out there, kiddo," Darcy said, smoothing back his slicked blonde hair. "Nice to see you back in form."

"And back making you money again," she teased.

"Saving the world just isn't profitable." Darcy grinned. "Even if you're equally good at it."

She squeezed his hand in thanks, then headed out the back. When she stepped outside, the cool night air felt good on her skin after the heat of those performance lights. The evening was surprisingly quiet back here, even with a large crowd just around the other side. It felt peaceful... but lonely.

James... it was hard being apart. They made it work as best they could, but it wasn't the same as having him beside her. There was one thing that made it all worth it, though, and that was seeing the look of fulfillment in his face when he told her about his work. Knowing he was doing something he loved was enough for her.

Still... she closed her eyes and extended her hand to her side, imagining James standing right there beside her. What she wouldn't give to have him there right now.

Gemnity Concert Hall

- James -

Backstage in the concert hall, James skidded to a halt. He was still breathing hard from his sprint, but his eyes looked around, searching. Damn, late again.

“You just missed her.”

James whirled around when he heard Darcy’s voice.

“But -,” before James could get too worked up, Darcy interjected and pointed towards the backdoor.

“She just went outside,” he said with a grin. It faded into a smile when he saw the relief on James’ face. With the dark rings under his eyes, James looked like he hadn’t slept in a while and his skin seemed even paler than usual. And that hair. Darcy shook his head lightly. Didn’t James know how to get a haircut? But his eyes, his blue eyes were bright and clear.

With a thumbs up towards Darcy, he quickly headed towards the backdoor. He stopped, with one hand on the handle and took a deep breath to collect himself. It was pointless to get upset over all the little things that had caused him to be late. Again. He was here now. For Rise. Nothing else mattered.

Quietly, he opened the door and stepped outside.

In the quiet alley, he could see Rise, standing with her eyes closed and the moonlight shining down on her. His heart soared. He’d missed her. Everyday.

Without hesitation, he closed the gap between them and gently took her hand in both of his. He pulled it close to his chest, no his heart.

“Rise.”

It was just one word, but enough to express his feelings.

Gemnity Concert Hall

- Rise -

Rise's eyes flew open at the touch of someone's hand on hers.

No, not someone's. James'. She knew those hands as well as her own.

“Rise.”

She stared up into his face - confusion, surprise, and excitement blended into one. Words failed her, so instead she threw herself into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder. After simply holding each other for what felt like ages, Rise pulled back and stared into James' eyes.

"When did you get back?" she asked. "How long are you here for?"

Gemnity Concert Hall

- James -

James pulled Rise close. He took a deep breath, feeling like a weight dropped off his shoulders. This. This is what he had needed, finally holding her in his arms again. It felt much more real than he had imagined.

When she pulled back, he felt like he wanted to hold on forever. James looked back into Rise’s eyes. He smiled.

“I just got back now,” he said. “I wanted to be here in time for the concert, but I ran a little late,” he looked apologetic. “I miss seeing you perform. And I really missed you. Not seeing you every day made me realize how much I love you, Rise.”

He ran his hand through his hair, pulling it back. There was something different about him. Maybe a new air of confidence.

“I’m here for about two weeks,” James added. “Tomorrow morning, I have to attend a Council meeting. After that, no more appointments until after the wedding.”

“I’ll be all yours for those days,” he said with a grin. Then his expression became gentler, he was still staring into her eyes and suddenly leaned in to give Rise a kiss. “That is, if you can make time for me in your busy schedule.”

Gemnity Concert Hall

- Rise -

Rise stared into James' blue eyes, marveling at how much he'd seemed to grow in this last year. It made her proud, and all the more excited to see how he'd keep growing.

And how they'd keep growing together.

"I missed you too." She kissed him gently. "And I love you. More than ever."

Two weeks wasn't enough time - would never be enough time with him - but she intended to make the most of it.

"Well then," she took his hand and interlaced their fingers, her smile playful. "Let's see what we can get up to by tomorrow morning."

Caltha – Wedding Venue

- Arya -

Arya nervously fidgeted with her white wedding dress, looking at the mirror for the millionth time. Of course everything looked perfect. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a nervous tingle.

She took a deep breath. Luckily, her attention was called away when one her twins piped up. She recognized the voice immediately. Emilia. Immediately, she walked over to their little bed and was about to lift the little girl up.

Even though the two were twins, they looked different, yet similar at the same time. Luciano had the same dark hair as Raidon, but his features were graceful and slender like her own. Emilia on the other hand had light hair so blonde it was almost white, and her eyes were a completely different color from either of her parents. They were a bright blue.  

“No, you can’t. Your dress.” Arya stopped when she heard the voice from the door, clearly torn about what to do. Alina stepped into the room.

“She’s right, you know,” Lisa agreed, coming from the bathroom in her maid-of-honor dress. “This is your day.”

Arya sighed. “Thanks for doing this, Alina,” she said. “I had hoped they would be asleep by now.” Gently she placed her hand on Emilia’s stomach. Her little hands grabbed her mother’s fingers and pulled them close. After a few moments, her breathing became deeper as she fell asleep.

“There you go,” she smiled at Alina. “Maybe take them outside before they wake up again.”

Then she turned to Lisa. “You look beautiful, Lisa,” she said. “I am so happy you are here.”

She still felt nervous and sighed. “Please do not let me screw up.”

This was it. The last few moments before it was time to step out there. By now everyone would be there, getting seated and waiting for her entrance. Just thinking about that made her throat tighten.

Then she thought of Samael and a little smile appeared. Even though he had been plagued by doubts about his father qualities in the beginning, most of them had been unfounded. The twins adored him, especially Emilia couldn’t get enough of him. Going through this experience had made them even stronger together.

Caltha – Wedding Venue

- Raidon -

Raidon stood straight and erect as a statue, his eyes fixed on the door. This was it. It felt like he'd been waiting for this moment forever.

"Relax," Keynes murmured. "You know she's going to say yes."

Raidon glanced at his best man and smiled, some of the tension easing from his muscles.

"Thank you for agreeing to this," he said. Considering their very rocky past, it meant a lot to see how they'd developed since then, enough for Keynes to stand beside him now in the most important moment of his life.

And not just him. All their friends were there. Rise sat with James, already dabbing at her eyes. Marcus with Lenka, and Luke and Alex sat near them. Jax, looking very sharp in his suit, smiled and gave him a discreet thumbs up. The Arusian trio and Nadenka were present, with Alexei looked very uncomfortable in a suit but equally intrigued by the pomp an ceremony. Kokonoe was actually smiling, and Ariana was bright as could be beside her. Even the Counsel were all here, with Serena more relaxed than he'd ever seen her and Kurik beside her.

The music began to start, and Raidon's heart began to hammer. It was time.

- Alina -

"Relax." Alina said as she transfered Luciano from the bed to a stroller. She'd been trying to help Arya here and there as practice. So, the process wasn't new to her. "I'll take them for a little walk during the ceremony, and with any luck, they'll stay down for at least the first half of the reception."

Luciano squirmed a little in his sleep, but he didn't open his eyes as she strapped him into the stroller. As Arya stepped away from the bed, Alina gently scooped up Emilia. Unfortunately, this transfer didn't do go easily, and Alina winced as she carefully removed the sleeping infant's tiny fingers from her hair. "Kid has a heck of a grip." She muttered as she buckled Emilia in.

"Now, I'm off to go get some undisturbed baby time." She pulled Arya into a quick hug. "Don't worry about them. Just enjoy the day, and let me do this for you, since you'll have to skip the honeymoon for these two little sweethearts."

"Not that you and your husband-to-be need any extra practice at making babies." She grinned as she stepped back and pushed the stroller out the door. As the door closed behind her, Alina made her way down the hall, humming a gentle tune. It was hard to imagine that Raidon's kids could be this cute. Hopefully, she and Jax would be blessed with the same.

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- Lisa -

As Alina left the room, Lisa pulled Arya into a hug of her own. "I wouldn't be anywhere else, and you know it." She pulled back and gave her sister a warm smile. It was strange to hear Arya's concerns now, but this was an emotional day. So, maybe it was warranted.

"You know, not that long ago, I would have considered you marrying Raidon a major screw up." Lisa said. "Actually, now that I think about it again..." She let the words drag out, keeping a thoughtful look on her face. Lisa even brought a finger up to tap on her chin, letting the silence stretch for a few additional seconds.

"Yeah, there's no way you could screw this up." Lisa continued, reaching out to grip Arya by her shoulders. "That look that just crossed your face? The one that said you'd defend him, even to me, of all people? That's all the proof I need, and it should be more than enough for you too."

Smiling, she pulled Arya into another embrace and whispered into her ear. "Now, let's go get you hitched so the rest of us can eat cake."

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- Keynes -

"You know, I considered turning down the offer." Keynes responded. Something in his tone was distant. Not angry, but sad. "But then, I asked myself what Jane would have wanted, and you know what I came up with?"

Raidon shot him a look because the music had just begun to play, and Keynes grinned. "She'd have paid for front row seats to the fall of the mighty Raidon. So, who am I to turn down a free backstage pass?"

It was true that things between the two of them might never be easy, but at least they could keep it real. That was better than a lot of friends could say.

Caltha – Wedding Venue

- Arya -

“Thanks Lisa,” Arya said and smiled at her sister. “I’m very grateful for your support and for everything you have done.”

They could hear the first tones of music.

Arya took another deep breath and squeezed Lisa’s hand.

“Thank you for being at my side on this important day.”

And with those words, she opened the door and stepped through, Lisa by her side as they slowly approached the altar.

Arya meant to look around, to see where her friends sat, to see where Alina was with her twins. However, once her eyes fell on Samael, they couldn’t lock on anything else.

Even though he usually looked elegant and sharp, this was different. More. More handsomeness, more happiness and more love.

She felt her heart beating in her chest as they approached the altar. For the last step, she released her tight grip on Lisa’s hand and allowed her to step off to the side. Decidedly, she stepped up and stood in front of Samael.

Nothing had ever felt so right and her emotions threatened to overtake her. She looked up at Samael.

“I love you,” she mouthed just before the ceremony began.

Caltha – Wedding Venue

- Raidon -

The world started and ended with Arya. As she walked down the aisle, Raidon’s vision was solely white gown and veil, like a dream stepping into reality. As she stepped up into place beside him, his hands found hers, as though to anchor himself.

“I love you,” she mouthed, and it was all he could do to just smile, his eyes misty.

The minister proceeded with the ceremony, his words washing over Raidon like fine mist. It wasn’t until it was finally time to say the words that everything because real, clear as crystal and engrained in his mind with permanence as though it had been etched there with a white-hot brand.

“I do.”

He captured her lips like there wasn’t a moment to spare, before the minister had even finished his famous words. The room errupted in applause and a triumphant surge in music, but none of that mattered because his world started and ended here, kissing Arya.

His wife.

———————————————————————-

Spoiler:

The world was spinning as they danced, Arya holding close to him as they stepped in time to the music.

“This is how we started,” he said softly in her ear. “Dancing, like this.”