Hunters and the Hunted

"Do we just leave them to do whatever in the back garden?" Tuesday asked, warily.

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Faye appeared at Scareth's elbow, and at seeing Serenity was immediately tense. She turned her head slightly to Scareth and asked, lips barely moving and voice barely audible, "Where did she come from." She was noticeably on edge, hands trembling with nervous energy as if she was ready to fight.

Serenity lazily drifted closer, sighing quietly, "What a pretty name for a pretty little thing." Her eyes lifted to Death. "A pretty little thing, stuck with an ugly thing like him."

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Kai leaned to kiss her forehead. "Do you want to sort out the living room for guests or should I?"

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"I'll stay as long as I can," he promised quietly. "For Rachel, and the kids."

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"Next best option is Ian," Jason said quietly. "Him and his. Or, at the least, Cain. He's less angry than his counterpart. They have healthy children somehow."

Scarlet smiled, kissing his cheek. "That's my amazing husband." She told him as they reached the path that led them straight to their daughters house.
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Jess didn't know what to do, but if anything she backed up, almost walking into death as she did so.

"I have no idea, but Jess isn't looking so good." He told her, looking between them. "What is she?" He asked, nodding to Serenity.
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"Yeah might as well." Sirius told them. "Why don't we go and visit our new grandchild?"
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Rachel shook her head. "I'll need to spend time with her, dad gets antsy if he doesn't see my holding her." She nodded to her daughter.

((So after shit and my laptop bricking itself until I got a new one, should all be good from now on fingers crossed lmao))

"I do try." Ian smiled, but it was a little weak.

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"Bad news," Faye muttered. "She's one of the four. Death is head of the table. The rest of them never really liked it, and he's only just recently usurped War. To be honest." Faye looked between Death and Serenity very quickly. "I'm not sure who would win in a fair fight. Death is tired. Whatever our grandmother did to lock her up must have been wicked dark and wicked powerful."

Death curled a hand protectively around her elbow, as if to pull her back

"Come now, brother," Serentiy took a step forward, sweeping her hands out. "Learn to share."

---

"Lead the way." Tuesday gestured loosely, other hand to her forehead as if she was staving off another headache. "Let them have the house. Let them take whatever else my mum left behind if just to burn it to ash."

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"The weird family thing?" Kai asked then grimaced. "Well. Over the top family thing."

Rachel nodded.
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Scarlet smiled softly.
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Scareth nodded, he understood more than most would.

Jess flinched slightly at Deaths touch but it wasn't to his touch it was the feeling his touch caused.
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Sirius nodded.

"Whatever floats his weird little boat."

---

Ian fell silent.

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Serenity kept walking forward, and Death pulled Jess back gently, trying to encourage her behind him.

"Here we go," Faye muttered and quickly threw her hair up into a ponytail, as if fully prepared to fight as well.

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"Fingers crossed Kai's in a good mood today."

Scareth took a step back, letting his sister take the lead on this one.

Jess did as he asked and moved behind Death.
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"Fingers already crossed." Sirius told her.
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Rachel nodded to him before smiled gently picking up their daughter who looked at her in curiosity and tried to reach for her face. When she had her daughter, Rachel looked more at peace, and she dared to even say that her daughter relaxed her.
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Scarlet watched him as they reached their daughter and Kai's place.

"You've gotten soft," Serenity said and within her next step she was suddenly in front of Death, hand on his shoulder, grinning up at him. "I think I'd quite like the name change." She twisted just in time to catch Faye by the throat and tossed her aside like errant luggage.

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"Does it make us bad parents that we're betting on our sons' mood?"

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"Right." Kai dusted his hands on his thighs. "Time to make the house presentable so your dad doesn't try to fight me for a dirty living room."

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Ian stayed quietly behind, letting Scarlet take the lead.

Scarlet knocked on the door.

"It's not that bad." She told him. "His has been worse." She looked to the door as she heard the knock. "No time anyway." She looked to the baby in her arms, somehow despite not really knowing what to do, she was very protective of her daughter.
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"Not really...Anyway we have bet on worse things."
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Jess moved back from Death and Serenity and into Scareth who dragged her further back.

"Here we go," Ian muttered, shoving his hands into pockets.

"Fuck, here we go," Kai said under his breath before going to answer the door.

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"I suppose we have." Tuesday hummed thoughtfully. "Though never about family - unless my mum counts."

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"She's a soft excuse," Serenity murmured. "What happened to Blood? What happened to the real War?"

Faye sat up, gasping softly. The skin around her throat was mottled, like it had started to decay before her healing caught up.

"You shouldn't do this," Death said quietly. "Don't make a decision you'll regret." He kept himself between her and Jess and Scareth.

Scareth had no choice but to watch, and he kept himself in front of Jess.
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"I guess in a weird sense, she does." Sirius shrugged.
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Rachel watched him.

Scarlet smiled at Kai when he answered the door. "Hello Kai, how are things?"

"So soft," Serenity sighed sadly, and there were a few moments of blurred movement before she suddenly had her hand buried in Death's chest, where his heart would be, assuming he had one.

Faye scrambled to her feet, shaking slightly.

---

"She did make me," Tuesday muttered. "Have yet to decide if that's a good or bad thing."

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"Going well," Kai managed, voice calm. His eyes darted to Ian, but Ian wasn't looking at him.

Jess' eyes widened, but Scarethheld her back, Death was protecting her for a reason.
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"Well, I think it's a great thing."
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"Is Rachel home?" Scarlet asked. "How's she getting on?"

Death gripped Serenity's arm tightly above the elbow, squeezing hard enough that the look of triumph on her face faded into something nervous. His eyes looked past her shoulder to Faye, who was waiting nervously to intervene.

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"You," Tuesday elbowed him gently, "are biased."

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Kai stepped aside. "See for yourself." He gestured loosely, to let her in.

Scarlet smiled and she walked inside, finding her daughter instantly. "Sweet girl." She hugged her daughter after Rachel had put her own daughter in her bed.

"Hello mum."
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"So?"
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Jess watched them.

Kai and Ian seemed to be doing their best to ignore the other existed. Ian stepped forward, murmuring, "How are you darling."

---

"That means your opinion isn't being taken into consideration," Tuesday teased.

---

Faye circled around. Serenity's threw her other arm out as if to ward her off, but couldn't get away from Death's too tight grip.

"I'm okay....I'm finding it hard."

"It is hard at first, but really you're doing so well." Scarlet told her.
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He pulled a tongue at her.

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Jess watched Death, she wanted someone to say something, she was getting scared.

Ian swept Rachel up in a hug, ignoring the soft snarl from Kai who was almost angrily shuffling on the spot.

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"Oh, how mature of you," Tuesday laughed. "Come on, Kai won't be waiting forever."

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"We knew it might go this way," Death addressed Faye. "So you can't step back now." He glanced over his shoulder at Jess, his face softening, voice even softer as he murmured, "I'll see you soon."

Rachel hugged him back.
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"That is true."
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She nodded. "Be safe." She whispered.

"I'm proud of you babygirl," Ian murmured before letting her go.

---

"Patience isn't his strong suit." Tuesday led them down the path towards Kai and Rachel's house.

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Serenity took a swipe at Faye, who ducked. Death's free hand swept up and grabbed it, by the wrist. Then Faye stabbed Death in the throat, taking the metaphorical 'death' blow.

Rachel smiled softly, before it vanished when her daughter started to whimper.
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"Noticed." Sirius told her as he followed her.
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Jess hid her face into Scareth's back.

"I've got it," Kai muttered, crossing the room quickly.

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"If Ian's there are you going to behave?"

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Death slumped and Serenity let the body slide of her arm, looking down at him disgust.

"You know the rules," Faye said, white faced and trembling, blood up to her elbow from where she'd hit the artery. "Immunity as the states settle."

Serenity snarled. "I can't hurt you. But I can hurt him, from when he inevitably crawls out of his hole." Her eyes turned to Jess.

Scareth got in the way straight away.

Jess hid behind Scareth, using his wings as a shield.
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"Am I going to behave?" He asked her.

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Rachel nodded.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow watching them.

Faye stepped around, making sure she was in the way as well, trembling knife held aloft. Serenity didn't stop, making as if she were about to walk straight through Faye as she murmured, "Just you wait, I'll carve up your pretty face too."

"Scareth, take Jess and go," Faye said, voice shaking. "She can't kill me, not now."

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"Well, I'm not the bad one here, am I?" Tuesday asked, mock innocently.

---

Ian was definitely nervous, looking as if he wanted to intervene.

"Shh, there," Kai murmured, rocking his daughter gently.

Scareth nodded and he and Jess were gone.
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He raised an eyebrow.
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Rachel gravitated closer. "Is she okay?"

"All of you are cowards," Serenity breathed. "Refusing to see how the world works, bending to the wind like grass. Weak."

"Just go," Faye said, voice still shaky. "Death is - Death is me, and I cannot be touched. Go."

"You cannot be killed. There is a stark difference."

Faye just stood her ground.

---

Tuesday just smiled and knocked on the door.

"Here," Kai said softly, handing their daughter over carefully. "She's fine, just a little scared of all the voices I think. I'll get the door again."