Reuniting Tornedalians

"Christian doesn't stay here long, he hasn't for months, you promised to be back soon." She told her, putting on a dressing gown as she spoke.

Michelle shifted standing in the room. "I know...it took longer then I had wanted. I wanted to come back but I wasn't ready..."

"And what makes you ready now?" She asked, looking at her. "A lot has changed since you left, I for once have changed."

"I've noticed that. I'd like to speak with Christian, do you know where he is?"

She looked at her. "Do you not recognise me?" She asked. "But he stays in the encampment most nights."

"When you first opened the window I did not," she admitted. "When you began speaking I did. I want to speak with him should I go there?"

"No, it's a ceremony tonight, Christian and Eric will be drinking themselves into stuppors, you should stay the night, my mother should still be awake, you should tell her that you're back."

"A ceremony?" She asked quietly looking around the room. "I will."

"A wedding and a joining ceremony." She told her. "One of the lord's sons married a human, she chose to become immortal, the ceremony celebrates their marriage before they take to their marriage bed, the next ceremony will begin tomorrow and it will incorporate the joining of her to the clan after her new husband has bitten her during their marriage consummation."

Michelle listened quietly. "Is that how it usually works? I mean the marriage and change or does a change take place be a marriage too?"

She shrugged. "It depends on the people I guess." She told her as she headed downstairs with her and now in the light of the stairs, Michelle could see that Angel had changed. She was much older, definitely within the eighteen years to nineteen years age bracket, with long hair the same colour as her mother's, but she had her father's eyes, full of mischief and magic. "I know with my parents, they married and then my mother was turned."

She nodded following along behind her. "I see." She eyed Angel with a soft smile. "You've grown a great deal since I've seen you last."

Angel smiled. "Two months can change a lot with vampires." She told her as she led her into the study that had been set up by her parents and it held old portraits and books, things that Elijah, Marie, Laura and Caleb had brought with them from times.

"I remember I watched you grow several years while I was here." She followed her into the room.

"Mumma?" She called out. "Pappa?" She rounded a room where a man stood lit by candlelight, and he was shirtless. At seeing him, Angel put herself between him and Michelle. "What are you doing here?" She demanded. "My father will have your head for finding you here." She warned him.

"Oh really, little girl." The man stalked over. "I've been told to bring the head of the daughter of the great king." He told her, brandishing a knife. "I hope that you aren't attached to a head as pretty as yours."

Michelle was right behind her eyeing the man over her shoulder. "Who is this Angel?"

"He started coming by not long after you left, hassleing mainly Christian, Eric and I, then he realised who our dad was and things went a bit crazy from there." She told her, watching the man as he stalked closer. "Come any closer and I'll scream."

"Do that and I'll tear out your throat." He warned and he lunged for Angel as she screamed for her mum and dad, but he suddenly had her in his grip, the knife pressed to her neck.

Michelle didn't think twice before she shifted into a tiger. She didn't appear dangerous at least until she roared stalking closer to the man.

Before Michelle could have done anything, the man dropped to the ground, the knife in the far wall along with a choking Angel and Elijah stood where the man had been, dusting his hands.

"Daddy!" Angel shouted as she ran over when she noticed her dad and she flung her arms around his neck.

Michelle snared lowly her eyes shifting from each of them.

"I'm sorry daddy, I should have been stronger, like Christian and Eric."

"It's alright my princess." Elijah told her. "You aren't as strong as your brothers yet but you will be." He looked over at Michelle as he held his daughter close. "I expected you to take longer." He told her.

"I should've come back sooner," she whispered her gaze on the floor the moment she shifted back.

"You wouldn't have been able to do anything about this." He reminded her. "Now, both of you go and get some sleep, unfortunately you're going to have to share Christian's bed with Angel until tomorrow."

She wasn't exactly speaking about this she was speaking for Christian but she said nothing. A simple nod was all she gave.

Elijah knew what she was on about, that was partially what he meant, but he wasn't about to dwell on it and he let Angel got up to bed and take Michelle with her as he got rid of the man's body.