Hunters and the Hunted

"I can't. I can only move so fast, and if I'm at a distance then you might get hurt before I get to you. Can't you just like, pretend I'm not there? You can stay with Kieran and Caleb." She gestured to the kids that were hovering around her.

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Faye sighed quietly. "I never normally have that long. When he says that I have to do something, someone will be here within the hour, I bet."

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Cain watched her go with a pinched face, shoulders stiff and arms still tightly folded. He twitched again, jerking a hand up to press to his neck as his gaze darted towards the floor absently.

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Kai was waiting in the living room still, sat almost awkwardly.

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Tuesday shuddered and gently bit down on the side of her hand to stay quiet.

"Well, until then, stay here with me?"
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"Nope, because I still want to physically main or at least seriously injure you for what you tried to do." Jess called and she kept walking.
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Scarlet walked into the room not long after Rachel left it and she walked carefully to Cain. "Cain, talk to me."
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Rachel soon sat next to him.
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He moved her hands and he kissed her lips.

Indigo sat on the edge of the bath as she watched him.

"I can do that." Faye smiled weakly.

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"Excuse me?" The youngest one, Caleb, had appeared at her side, tiny wings shivering nervously. "C-Can I ask what m-momma did?" His words were careful and slow, as if he wasn't used to talking.

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"What is it you want me to say?" Cain responded, voice flat.

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"Did it go okay?" Kai asked, relaxing immediately as she sat down.

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Tuesday kissed him back almost breathlessly.

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Jason tucked himself into as small a position as possible, occasionally wincing.

"I'm asking you to stop hurting yourself." Indio mumbled wen she saw he was in pain. "Don't do it."

"Tried to kill my best friend's daughter." Jess told him. "Now go back to your momma."
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"Speak what's on your mind." Scarlet told him.
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"Good." Rosco smiled.
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Rachel told him everything.
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He kept the kiss and her pleasure.

"Well, I can't help it now. Hot water on open wounds isn't comfortable."

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"Oh, that was mean...b-but, can I stay with you? If I d-don't, then the scary man will kill my daddy and little brother that's not born yet and....the scary man gets really mean when he starts getting ill." Caleb shuffled nervously, looking frightened.

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"There's nothing for me to say, Scarlet."

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Faye kissed his cheek gently. "Should we tell the others?"

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"So, he's still a stuck up git and we're just going to avoid him until this baby is born?" Kai asked.

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"C-Come on," Tuesday eventually complained, breaking the kiss with a soft noise. "Please?"

"No, you stay with your mother." Jess told him and she walked faster.
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"Tell that to your face." She walked around to face him and so they were now toe to toe.
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"Iff you want us to."
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Rachel nodded.
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With her plees he stripped them both of their clothing, before he faded to black with her.

"You know what I mean, Stop doing it on purpose."

Caleb was scrambling to catch up now, determined not to leave her alone, wings fluttering weakly.

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"It's of no concern, Scarlet."

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"I wouldn't mind showing off my ring to others," Faye laughed quietly.

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"Lets go home then?" Kai stood slowly.

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Jason swallowed quietly. "As an order?"

"Yes. You are not allowed to purposely hurt yourself."

Jess managed to put a good distance between her ad the kid.
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"It is to me, you're my husband." Scarlet told him.
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Rosco smiled. "Lets then."
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Rachel nodded, standing up.

Jason nodded quietly, moving to scrub at his hair.

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"Can you at least ask the scary man not to kill daddy?" Caleb called after her, giving up on following and just standing there, staring after her with upset on her face.

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"I'll be fine, Scarlet. Don't worry," Cain offered a weak smile.

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Faye stood, absently playing with the ring now that she could.

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Kai moved to tangle his fingers with hers.

She smiled as she watched him.
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"Just go away, kid."
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Rosco watched her, then he stood up.
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Scarlet sighed, kissing his lips, just as Hayden walked to them.

"Mummy, daddy."

Indigo leaned back and watched him.

Kai led her to the door, humming happily at the thought of leaving Scarlet and Ian behind.

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"Please promise Mr Death won't kill daddy?" Caleb asked again, plaintively. "Last time momma made you upset, our sister had to go away...a-and Mr Death will listen, because he's tired and not well and because he likes you, right? The same way daddy likes momma?"

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"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to kiss you again first," Faye sighed. "This is just too pretty and you've made me feel so happy."

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Cain kissed her back, but extremely softly and weakly, his mind obviously far away.

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Jason eventually started to uncurl himself when the water sluicing off him started to become clear instead of bloody.

"Don't make me look into your head myself." Scarlet warned him.
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"You won't hear any complaints."
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"Just go away you little brat." Jess told him.
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Rachel went with him.

"You won't find anything more than a mess."

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Faye moved to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him gently.

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Caleb darted around to be in front of her and then stuck his arm out. He wasn't trying to stop her, but wanted to show the black, flaking wounds that were twisting up his wrist. Quietly, he mumbled, "Mr Death is suffering worse than this, and this is what we take to keep him with us. Please go back and care for him at the very least? Or he may not be there for you to return to at all." He was very thoughtful and pragmatic for a kid his age.

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"He'll learn to deal with it someday, I'm certain."

"Just go away Caleb." She told her, suddenly moving her hand and sending the kid away from her.
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Scarlet looked at him. "I've been in there before."
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He pulled her close, kissing her back.
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"I hope so."

Caleb blinked at her, eyes going out of focus as he muttered, voice suddenly grave, "If you do not return by the seventeenth hour, there will be nothing left to save. Death is fading, he has had his role for too long. A replacement comes soon. Heed these words, or lose the one you love." His nose had started bleeding, but not from her push. It wasn't well known, but he was actually a psychic and had forcibly used his powers to try and convince her. If she didn't return, Death would truly be in danger because he would push himself until he collapsed.

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Cain stared at her, face blank before he declared, voice quiet and emotionless, "Two more seals have broken, one major, one minor, as a result of the conversation with Rachel. My mind is a mess, Scarlet, and if you go in there now, you will cause more harm than good. If I lose three more major seals, or eight minor seals, then Ian will be lost."

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"I love you so much," Faye murmured against his mouth, moving one hand to his shoulder. "And I would so like to show you just how much, but I don't want to get interrupted or have to leave halfway through."

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"Obviously it's your final decision, but I'm hoping this won't be our last child, so he's going to have to learn to live with it, or be cut out of your life for months at a time."

Jess sighed and left him, she returned to Death and she walked up to their room.
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"Then what can I do to help you?
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"Let's just go and tell your people the good news and then we will do whatever we want to celebrate and show how much we love each other."
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Sh sighed. "I know." She suddenly found herself crying. "I don't know what to do."

Death was still sat at his desk, back stiff and almost unfocused as he stared at the pages in front of him, which were covered in strange symbols and words. His hands, clasped in front of him, looked as if they had gone through a paper shredder, oozing a grim looking black substance. He was much paler than normal too, and had decided for now that breathing required too much energy.

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"Nothing." Cain smiled grimly. "I have to adjust."

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"So, mom and dad need to know. Alarick, Scareth, his Aria too. Penelope and her family...your family if you have any and maybe Scarlet? Or will Scarlet hear from dad?"

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Kai immediately gathered her into a hug, shushing her softly and holding her close. "I will aim to be a better person for your father. How about that?"

"But you shouldn't have to change and I shouldn't have to choose."
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"You can tell her." He told her.
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She sighed.
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Jess watched him. "Do you have something to tell me?"

"Lets face it. I'm not exactly the best example of a partner, he's right in that retrospect. I'm crass, rude, and rough on more occasions than I need to be. I...I could do with improving."

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"Well, mom and dad seem the best place to start." Faye stepped away from him, taking his hand. "Lets go tell them."

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"The seals can be rebuilt, but only those who know how to, and mastery has been lost for hundreds of years. We - Ian and I - are just unlucky in this retrospect. I'll be more careful. I just got frustrated by Rachel questioning my authority."

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Death absently brushed a thumb over his lips, pulling away more black gunk. "It seems I'm deteriorating. It was to be expected, I suppose. I never did like rushing special occasions."

"This doesn't look very special." She told him. "And you couldn't tell me this sooner, because?"
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"You know she hates being in the middle. Kai is her prince but no matter what, you will always be her king my love."
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"Alright." He told her, standing up.
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She shook her head.