Hunters and the Hunted

Death was in his office, bent over a table with Faye next to him, her mouth twisted angrily as they went over several documents and photos.

"And what if it's wrong this time too? What if we miss him by that small amount again?" she asked irritably. "He's your brother, how did you lose him?"

"Pestilence does as he wants, when he wants, wherever he wants. I don't keep tabs on my younger siblings because I believed they could act like adults. Of course I was mistaken."

"So more people die, day in day out. We're tired."

Death's face twitched, his lips pursed. "And I apologise. But until he's found, the number of dead will continue to grow and you will continue to work."

Faye threw herself into the nearby chair with a groan, scrubbing at her face.

---

Aria had woken up a short while ago, but was simply perched on the edge of the bed, having a quiet conversation with someone who wasn't there. From the look of content on her face, it was someone she knew and was once close with.

---

Kai poked his head around the doorway of the bedroom, his hair and clothes slightly askew, since he'd just come in from a run. He'd found exercising helped with his excess energy and anger.

"You okay there sweetie? Getting up any time soon, or should I leave you be?"

---

"It's not really a fair fight now, is it?" Ian asked. "When the older one has a knife?" He was watching closely, chin in hand as he rested. His other hand was resting loosely on his side.

---

Tuesday was sat in the bedroom, hands cupped around something small in her hands that she was watching with a faint lost expression.

Jess looked up at the ceiling and she soon sat up with a start, being a vampire she could be quite sensitive when she needed to be and she felt that something was wrong.
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Rosco sent Faye a text, like he normally did when he felt like she needed cheering up with something cute and loving.
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"You could join me." She hummed, looking over at him. "I love how she sleeps."
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Scareth looked on on her and he smiled, mouthing the word breakfast since he was making some for Lucy and himself.
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"I admire how he doesn't use it." Scarlet told him, moving to be next to him. "Are you still coming to see our granddaughter today?"
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Sirius searched her mind on habit to see if she wanted him.to join her.

"Having a phone in the workplace is unbecoming," Death said abruptly.

"Having your lover in the workplace is unbecoming," Faye snapped back snidely, even as she smiled at the text she'd received, quickly typing one back. "I should be honeymooning right now. Instead I'm looking for a man who can cause painful death with skin contact, and sometimes even less than that."

Death made a face but didn't reply, almost as if ashamed.

---

Kai hesitated and then looked back over his shoulder. "Not going to lie, I was hoping to get a shower in. Ran a bit longer than normal this morning. Trying to get all the ..." he waved a hand uselessly, "out before your dad gets here."

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Aria nodded in reply, and then stood, making a motion as if hugging someone, whispering a quiet goodbye.

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"I just...sharp things plus children makes me antsy." Ian settled his arm around her waist, leaning gently into her. "And if you want me there, I'll go."

---

Tuesday hesitated, before shrugging and mumbling, almost to herself, "It's just something that used to belong to mum. I'll put it away."

"You don't have to." Sirius told her.
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Rosco simply smiled at her reply before he moved to lie in bed.
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Jess got herself up and onto her feet, dressing quickly, and she carefully.openes the door.
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Scareth disappeared when he got her answer, going to make breakfast

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Rachel nodded."I was going to get one as well but listening to her breathe is soothing." She hummed.it was no secret that both the pregnancy and the birth had been hard, and Rachel was just grateful that their daughter was alive.
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Scarlet nodded. "Of course I do, you're her grandfather."

"It's bad to hang onto the past though. I suppose I'm just bitter." Tuesday opened her fingers slightly, letting the necklace that she'd been holding in her palms fall down, the chain entangled in her fingers and the jewel hanging low.

---

"Go home for today," Death suddenly said, quickly rummaging over his files to try and get them neatly into a single pile. "I'll have one of the others fetch you if I need you again any time soon."

Faye looked at him suspiciously and asked, "What?"

"Go home. Now. There's nothing you can do until we have a conclusive location."

Faye wasted no time in making her way to the door.

---

"Were you having a fun play with your dad this morning?" Aria asked Lucy, and she nodded exuberantly, bounding over to take Aria's hand.

"Lots'a fun."

---

"How about, I shower, then run you a bath afterwards? That way I can sit with her while you relax for a bit."

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"I'll come with. Are we leaving Cole and Hayden to be babysat, or are they coming with us?"

Sirius sat next to her. "Sometimes yes."
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Jess was on the other side and she was about to knock before Faye opened it.
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Scareth smiles hearing them.
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She nodded. "Okay."
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"They can come.too."

"Was my mother ever a good person?"

---

"Oh! Sorry, Jess," Faye sidestepped her before they collided. "Everything okay? Or are you looking for his lordship?"

Death was intently sorting his files, his shoulders stiff and tight.

---

"Time for breakfast then," Aria told her, leading her down the stairs towards the dining room.

"What are we having?"

"It's a surprise, I'm sure."

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"I'll be right back." Kai darted in to give her a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. The shower clicked on several moments later.

---

"Is he leaving his knife behind?" Ian asked, almost amused.

"Sometimes."
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"How bad has he been to day?" She asked her, she knew partially what was.going on.
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By the time they joined him,Scareth had already served breakfast.
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Rachel smiled, before it disappeared.
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"If you tell him to."

"I suppose that's good enough." Tuesday smiled suddenly. "How hard do you think Faye would hit me if I gave her this necklace as a gift?"

---

"He's snippy," Faye said, ignoring Death's scoff. "But I suppose we can't blame him. Every person that dies is another weight on his shoulders after all. We're just the deliverymen. There's a lot of deliveries."

"Stop boring Jess with such mundane details," Death murmured.

---

Aria helped Lucy up into a chair before taking a seat herself. Lucy wasted no time in diving messily into her food.

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Kai came through about another ten or so minutes later, a towel tucked around his waist and his hair still dripping slightly. "Your bath is just pouring. Shouldn't be too long."

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Ian's expression twitched then. "He doesn't feel unsafe, does he? That isn't why he feels like he needs a knife?"

"He's just happy to be able to be trusted with something, the novelty hasn't quite worn off."
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She nodded. "Okay." She had picked their daughter up after a few minutes when she started to whimper.
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Scareth laughed slightly watching.
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Jess looked at him. "Hey Faye at least lets me.know what's going on without being extremely vague." She told him before she looked at Faye. "Go and be with Rosco."
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Sirius shrugged. "Probably hard."

"So long as its just that." Ian still seemed a little uneasy.

---

Kai got dressed quickly and methodically before he briefly left the room. When he returned, he held his hands out expectantly. "Need a hand into the bathroom?"

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"Well, she doesn't get it from me," Aria said, amused.

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"I'm gladly gone," Faye replied, giving a mocking salute before she headed towards the front door. The house had wards that wouldn't allow her to pop in and out as she pleased.

"Faye's lips are too loose. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

---

"Yeah. I thought so too." Tuesday dropped the necklace back into the box she had taken it out of, and flinched briefly when it clattered and then began to glow.

Scarlet had him look at her. "Try and relax Hayden is a smart child."
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She shook her head and she got up to place the baby back into the crib, before she headed to the bathroom.
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Scareth looked at her. "No, you're more prim and proper."
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Rosco was still awake, watching the ceiling.
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Jess walked to him, sliding her arms around him from.behind. "enough about Faye and everyone here,. Talk to me." She whispered into his back.
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Sirius watched it.

"I know but it makes...it's like an itch under my skin I can't scratch." Ian looked back over almost anxiously.

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Kai watched her go, before he settled in next to the crib, lazily waving his finger at the baby.

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"My mother did believe in good manners, after all," Aria sighed quietly, picking gently at her own breakfast.

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Faye opened the door to their bedroom quietly when she arrived home, closing it just as gentle. And then, without warning, she flopped face first into the bed and groaned into the pillows.

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"One of my brothers is...loose, is the word I would put for it. I'm simply trying to track him down by following the trail of dead bodies he leaves. It's nothing of much importance." Death relaxed, but only slightly.

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Tuesday hesitated, reaching as if to pick it back up. When her fingers made contact, she hissed and drew her hand back, her fingertips burnt.

"What the hell," she muttered, curling her hand protectively against her chest.

Sirius took her hand immediately when she winced and he healed her hand.
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"It is if you haven't rested for about three weeks, and I've not been able to get hold of you." She told him.
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He felt her fall onto the mattress, he turned on his side and kissed her hair. "Good evening, my darling wife."
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He smiled. "I do like you being a lady." He told her.
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Rachel slid herself into the bath and she groaned in relaxation as she sank into the hot water. After a few minutes, she looked towards the door. "Kai, can I talk to you for a second?"
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Scarlet nodded. "It's okay, he will leave it here."

Suddenly there was a thud at Ian's knees and Cole had attached himself to his father. "Papa,"

The necklace stopped rattling and then suddenly, between one moment and the next, there was a young woman in the room with them. She was dressed all in white, and blindfolded, but she was immediately scrambling to remove it from her face.

Tuesday stood up automatically, half defensive, half in shock, moving as if to drag Sirius with her.

---

"He shouldn't be loose. I don't know what, or who released him. And if they might do the same to Famine. Faye is still learning her role as War, so at the very least I only have one and not three after me." Death pinched the bridge of his nose. "If I can avoid the apocalypse I will."

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"It's a better evening now I'm home," Faye mumbled, turning onto her side so she could hide her face in his neck and throw an arm over his waist.

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"I do try," Aria smiled slightly and then froze. Her fork fell from her hand and clattered against the plate, startling Lucy who looked up, her own fork halfway to her mouth.

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Kai scooped up their baby girl and moved so he was sat in the hallway, back against the door to the bathroom. "Go ahead."

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"Hey there champ." Ian leaned down to scoop Cole up, nuzzling their noses together. "How are we doing today."

Sirius moved with her, watching the woman.
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"I know." She told him, pressing a gentle kiss to his head. "But you still need to rest, I know that even you need to rest of you will burn out."
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He held her close. "It will be."
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"I'm okay papa, big brother was giving me some defence pointers." Cole told him, rubbing his nose to his.
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Scareth watched them, he was used to this by now, so he was simply waiting.
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Rachel looked to the water. "Kai....I want to ask you something...."

The woman dropped the blindfold, looking around the room in confusion before she seemed to only just catch sight of Tuesday and Sirius. Her eyes narrowed in anger and distaste.

"You charlatan!" she shouted at Tuesday. "How dare you keep me locked up in that gaudy piece of shit! And you call yourself righteous, you, you...you're not her..." Her voice petered out slowly. "Where is she? Where is Summer?"

"My mother?" Tuesday asked, bewildered. "She's dead. Has been for god knows how long. Who are you?"

The woman watched her with still narrowed eyes, as if in disbelief.

"Serenity," she finally spat out.

Tuesday looked to Sirius, as if he knew who she was.

---

"I will survive yet. But if you insist, then I will listen." Death let out a slow sigh.

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"I won't be staying," Faye mumbled. "At least, I don't think so. He'll probably nab me sooner or later."

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"And did you learn much today?"

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"There's...umm..." Aria seemed stuck on her words. "There's something wrong. At your parents. It wasn't here and now it is. It...it feels like...like, um, that guy. Who Jessica is close to."

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"I'm listening. Ask away, sweetheart."

Sirius looked at her. "Fucking hell, not another one." He muttered. "Serenity, seriously?" He obviously recognised the woman.
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"Go to bed, lie down, let your people do their job, if they find anything, they will tell you." She told him.
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"So I had best make the most of this." He told her. "Just so you know, when all of this is over, we are owed one hell of a honeymoon."
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"Oh great, we stay as far away from it as possible, dad will call if he needs help."
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He nodded, starting to babble about all of the things that he had learnt.

Scarlet watched them and she smiled, she always enjoyed watching Ian interact with any of their children.
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"Do you still love me?" She asked. "Do you still find me attractive? Want to spend time with me?" She asked it all in a rush before she lost her nerve. "It's just since I fell pregnant, it's been like you don't want to be with me anymore, like you can't bare to be in the same room." She continued and she was starting to feel herself getting upset. Kai hadn't spent as much time with her as before, and in her baby state of mind, she had taken it negatively. "I mean I can understand, I don't exactly look desireable just a month after giving birth, but I don't know...I miss you....And I love you, so so much, and I can understand if you don't love me anymore."

Serenity looked disdainful of the both of them, leaning down to pick up the necklace with a crook of her finger.

"Must be through rumours. I'd know if I'd met anything as hideous as you." She squeezed down on the jewel of the necklace until it cracked. A thin vapour poured out and disappeared into the air.

---

"I doubt I'll be able to just shut off like that. I could work on something less strenuous, instead..." Death deliberated quietly, murmuring to himself.

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"The biggest, best honeymoon. With like, a luxury cruise and all of the Mediterranean islands until we get sick of brightly coloured cocktails and white beaches," Faye agreed.

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"It's, um...a big presence. It...can't close itself in," Aria mumbled, leaning over to press a gentle hand to the back of Lucy's neck when their daughter winced all of a sudden. "But if you believe your father can deal with it..."

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"You'll have to show your old man someday," Ian said enthusiastically. "See if you can't teach me any new tricks, huh?"

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"Rachel, if I wasn't holding our newborn daughter right now I'd come in there and prove you wrong," Kai said bluntly. "You are, and always will be attractive to me. The birth was hard, we both know that. I didn't want to come on too strong and hurt you, either while you were pregnant or even now, while you're still recovering, because that would kill me."

"Here we go again." He told her. "But believe me sweetheart, I wish I didn't remember a bitch like you."
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"What did you have in mind?" She asked.
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"I don't think we will ever get over that."
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"I hope he can." Scareth told her.
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He smiled. "Yeah!" He was excited about being able to one day practice with his father.
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Rachel suddenly started crying, curling up in on herself in the bathtub. At this point, everything was taking it's toll lately, she hadn't truly slept, she hadn't regained as much energy as she should have due to not being around Kai as much, she was scared that he was going to leave her and her emotions were still all over the place.

Serenity smiled, and it was all malice.

"I have spent centuries in this piece of shit necklace, listening to the whims of children. I let my guard down for a split second, and your bitch of a mother snapped me up and locked me tight. Blood of the brood could set me free, she said, and then told me she wouldn't have children. Filthy liar. Can you even begin to comprehend what it is like to be stuck, in your own mind, for years, tending to the desires of those beneath you?" Serenity clenched her fist, the necklace crumpling in her palm like it was paper. "God, I could just strangle you now and it wouldn't take much to see your mother's face instead."

Tuesday bristled, but stayed still and uncertain.

---

"Something smaller than Pestilence. Just...something to organise." Death twitched, and reshuffled his papers, as if looking at them again could help him solve it.

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"You're right. Let's just runaway, right now, and hide on an island somewhere in the South Pacific."

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"Did you want to check, just in case?" Aria shivered gently, reaching her free hand up to behind her ear as if trying to stifle something. Lucy was beginning to squirm, looking uncomfortable and upset.

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"Maybe when you're bigger. You're such a sprout now! When are you having your growth spurt, huh?"

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"Oh, honey, sweetheart, no," Kai began. "I'm coming in, okay? We're coming in, me and wee babba, we're coming in." He eased the door open with his elbow and shut it gently with his foot, moving to kneel by the bathtub, holding their baby with one arm, the other reached towards her, fingers curled so she could hold it if she wanted.

Sirius gave her a warning snarl, moving to stand in front of his wife.
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She sighed. "Then I shall retire to the library again, see you again in another two weeks."
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"Don't tempt me." He told her.
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"If he's anything like Rachel and Hayden, should be in the next two weeks."
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Rachel was still crying, but she held his hand. "I'm sorry." She whimpered.

At hearing her mother cry, the baby started to whimper.
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Scareth looked at her. "Will you two be okay?"

"Puppy teeth," Serenity scoffed. "I've no squabble with you. If she's long dead, so be it. I suppose I shall have to see what's been made of this world and the other."

---

Death suddenly snagged her wrist in his hand. His fingers were twitching, a very faint tremble. His other hand was gripping the edge of the desk tight enough the wood was creaking.

"Ah," he said softly. "Perhaps there is something we can do."

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"I will tempt you all I like, as that is my duty as a wife." Faye lifted her head to kiss his chin before tucking her face away again.

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"Big growth, or little growth?" Ian asked, shifting Cole's weight in his arms.

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"You've got nothing to be sorry for. You're upset, baby's upset, but we're all here together and we've got it all out, yeah? We're all good. We can work through it." Kai ducked his head to kiss their daughter on the top of her head.

---

Aria tried to smile, but it came out wobbly.

"Yeah. If we were the targets, I'd know. We'll be safe."

Scareth nodded. "Remember to call me as soon as anything changes." He told her.
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Sirius bared his fangs.
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Jess looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
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Rosco smiled, moving to kiss her lips.
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She shrugged. "Could be either, he is due a growth spurt soon so we will just gave to wait and see."
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She nodded, wiping her tears with her free hand and her other hand moved to fently stroke her daughter's cheek. "She still needs a name,"

"Promise," Aria nodded, stroking Lucy's hair gently.

---

Serenity ignored him, striding over to the window and peering outside, fingers fumbling with the unfamiliar latch.

"Who is she?" Tuesday asked quietly, her lips barely moving.

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"I don't know where she came from, or how she got out, but Famine has shown her face, in the vicinity of your friends and their families. I would like to go face her, if you're amenable to joining me."

Death was tense, his face sharp and almost angry despite his mild tone. His hand on the desk had loosened to drum a quiet pattern into the wood.

---

Faye lazily kissed him back, moving so she was laying more on him than the bed.

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"Think you'll be taller than papa someday, huh?" Ian asked Cole, lifting him above his head.

---

"Whatever you want to call her," Kai said softly. "You have any ideas just let me know."