The Age of The Masrui

“I can’t do anymore than you Sienna, but if you want me… just don’t expect me to be a miracle worker?”

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“I miss my mom. I want my mom.” Lux cried, burying her face in his arms as she sobbed.

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Bella was sat on their bed, clutching a frame to her chest - the picture inside being a childhood one of Bella with her siblings.

Ronan sat himself down beside her, silently pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Bella...."

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"I know, Lux. I know." Dorian whispered, voice breaking. "It isn't fair, is it, baby? It isn't fair. I never wanted you to have to go through anything like this."

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"Never expect that.. just want to see you, daddy." Sienna sighed.

Ronan sat himself down beside her, silently pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Bella...."

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"I know, Lux. I know." Dorian whispered, voice breaking. "It isn't fair, is it, baby? It isn't fair. I never wanted you to have to go through anything like this."

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"Never expect that.. just want to see you, daddy." Sienna sighed.

“I think you should move back in here for a bit Sienna.”

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“I just want my mom.” Lux repeated hysterically as she clung to him.

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“Esme was right… I’m the only one left now… they’re all gone…”

Ronan gave a sad nod of agreement, whispering, "You're not alone though, you'll never be alone." Before resting his chin on top of her head gently.

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"I- I was going to ask, actually." Sienna admitted quietly. "Grayson is barely around since I lost it with him, Theo is back in university so I... yeah, just me and the kid all the time now. Would it be okay for me to move back?"

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"Odette? Dorian?" Marlowe called gently as she wandered into their home.

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"I know, I know." He soothed softly.

Ronan gave a sad nod of agreement, whispering, "You're not alone though, you'll never be alone." Before resting his chin on top of her head gently.

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"I- I was going to ask, actually." Sienna admitted quietly. "Grayson is barely around since I lost it with him, Theo is back in university so I... yeah, just me and the kid all the time now. Would it be okay for me to move back?"

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"Odette? Dorian?" Marlowe called gently as she wandered into their home.

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"I know, I know." He soothed softly.

“Of course it is, you can come back for as long as you like. I’ll get your old room ready for you.”

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“Hi.” Odette whispered from where she was sat nursing a coffee on the couch, legs tucked under her. Lucia and Henry nowhere in sight - having gone up to bed.

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“It’s all my fault, I did this…” Lux cried. After a few minutes of tears she stilled and stopped sniffling, having cried herself to sleep against him.

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“I’m so… I keep losing people. My entire family… there were so many of us… and now…” Bella shook her head, burying her face against her knees as she placed the photograph to the side. “What did I do so horrible that I’m being punished like this Ronan? What did I do? Why am I being hurt so much?”

"Thanks... you uh, have room for Atione too?"

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Marlowe moved across the room to her, sitting herself down beside her and pulling her into a hug. "I'm so sorry for your loss, especially so close to... horrible."

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"You didn't do anything, mon amour." Ronan promised gently, "Do not start going down that way of thinking. We're going to find who done this, and we are going to make them suffer."

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Dorian let out a controlled breath, not moving from where he was so he could continue to hold her. Silent tears escaping his own eyes.

“Seven people in a year…” Odette swallowed thickly as she hugged her back. “I’ve been where Lux is now, losing two parents in one swoop. And she’s concussed and injured to boot… and I’m worried about Dorian because Serena died in his arms. He couldn’t breathe when I found him. I thought he’d been shot because he was covered in her blood. The hospital said that even they wouldn’t have been able to save her because of where she got shot, right through an artery. Her death sentence was signed as soon as she was hit… and Kadir shot point blank to the head… and they didn’t even fucking take anything Marley… all that violence and they didn’t even take anything. They died for nothing…”

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“I can’t take anymore Ronan. I can’t do it… I’m going to break.” Bella whispered, wiping at her eyes. “My Serena… and Kadir didn’t deserve this either….”

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“Of course, you’re both welcome.”

"I've been where Lux is too, and Dorian has been - difference is we didn't have a family to fall back on. We were left destitute and traumatised from it. Lux is going to be fine in the long run; she is going to be bruised and... and sensitive and it'll always affect her but she will be fine. Dorian.. well, I've cleared my schedule until further notice - for you, for him."

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"I know, I know..."

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"Okay, I'll uh... I'll see you soon then. Pack up, come straight over."

“He won’t tell me what she said to him, her last words. He - I don’t know if he just won’t tell me or if he just can’t process them or what.” Odette pulled away to wipe at her face. “Lux screamed at me when I tried to comfort her, telling me I’d never be her mom and I didn’t mean to do that, I know I could never replace Serena - I don’t know how… how to be there for her and not look like I’m overstepping. Dorian can’t be the only one there for her, it’s too much for him, he needs help too… he’s so… I’ve never seen him like this Marley. I feel so helpless…”

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“I can’t keep doing this.” Bella sobbed then, pressing her face to his chest as she cried.

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“I’ll get the rooms set up and ready. Your brother and sister will be glad to have you back.”

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“Knock knock…” Erin murmured quietly as she let herself into Tesni’s apartment, carrier bag in hand. “I uh, I saw the news. That woman that died… she’s the woman that sparked some of your writing that you told us about, from France, right?” She set the bag down on the table, taking out containers of food. “I don’t know if you wanna be alone right now but I figured you probably wouldn’t wanna cook…”

Tesni flinched at the sound of the door open, leaning forward on the sofa though meant back when she heard her. "Oh, uh... Erin, hi. I - thank you. You didn't have to - I... I never expected."

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"Yeah? It'll be nice to see them. You and mom too, been nice living apart but... weird too. I feel out of the loop."

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Ronan gently rocked back and forth with her, tangling his fingers in her hair as he watched the wall.

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"With Lux... just try not to take things personally I suppose. Give her space, and when you feel the moment is right move in again; let her know that you are around if she ever needs to come to you." Marlowe advised gently, "With Dorian... I - he'll be okay, he has lost people before, he's had more traumatic events happen to him. Time, and therapy; those will be what'll heal them both."

“They showed pictures of that guy you used to be friends with too, said it was his aunt? I’m sorry for your loss… I know there’s nothing really to be said when it comes to grief and all of that so I’ll just… leave you to it I guess? Sorry for disturbing you.” Erin awkwardly rubbed her head before going to leave again.

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“He keeps saying he’s fine… he can’t be fine after what just happened. I don’t want him to bottle up what’s happened.”

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“Well you’ll be right back in it with us.”

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“How do I go on without them all Ronan? It hurts too much…”

"He has to pretend to be fine right now, for Lux. Once Lux starts to... numb, after the funeral that's when he'll start to be honest."

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"Yeah, yeah it uh... can you drive? Could you drive me to an address. You can use my car, keep it until I need it back. I should probably go and see Henry..."

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"You can do it, you will learn how. You still have us."

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"See you soon," Sienna grinned before hanging up.

“I - yeah, yeah I can drive if you need me to. Haven’t in a while but I do have a license.” Erin nodded. “I don’t mind…”

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“Im so tired of losing people… what if it’s you next?”

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“He wants me to rest but… I couldn’t sleep right now even if I tried.”

Tesni nodded, getting to her feet and headimg into the kitchen to put some alcohol bottled into a bag
Grabbing the keys from her bag; offering them to her as she came back to join her.

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Marlowe nodded in understanding, "Don't sleep then, just.. lean back. Turn some nonsense onto the television. I'll make some food for everyone, look after you all."

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"It won't be, it won't. I promise."

“You can’t promise something like that though can you? Serena promised we’d always have each other after the boys died and now she’s gone! I’m going to lose you next aren’t i?!” Bella sobbed hysterically.

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“Thank you… I know he’s worried about the baby but we don’t have the same issue this time. We’ll be fine… it’s him I’m worried about more than anything. And Lux…”

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“I thought you’d have a personal driver or something…” Erin mused as she headed out of the apartment and down onto the street, pressing the button on the keys and looking for the lights to flash on a car to find which one it was

"No, no I don't... I like to keep to myself, not really a people person." Tesni mumbled quietly as she followed her. "It's the Fiat, the little one."

“I get that…” Erin nodded, getting in the car. “Directions?”

"Couples of blocks away, down the big driveway near that car dealership."

Erin nodded, setting off, glancing over to her sister and gently moving to squeeze her shoulder.

"You need to stop worrying about them and let yourself grieve too, Odette. I'm here for you all, no looking after people right now."

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"No, no. Sshh. I'm here, I am right here, Bells."  Ronan soothed.

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"I was going to give up on it all... Cain and Wren, they got to be here with family when things went bad and Louis.. he dropped me off in France with people that we didn't know were even blood relatives at the time that I'd only ever seen in passing and it... broke again. All sense of belonging, all sense of purpose I had built up since being with them just.. evaporated. It was hollow... it was Serena who snapped me out of that, said even if they had abandoned me that I shouldn't.. I don't know." Tesni whispered, staring out of the window. "Thats all of them gone now, every single one of them."

“I’m his wife. It’s my job to look after him. It’s what I need to do…”

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“For now! You’re here till you’re not and someone shoots you or your plane falls from the sky or your car crashes!”

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“Maybe you could honour her by writing about her? About what she meant to you, what she inspired you to do? I heard she had a daughter… I bet it would mean a lot to her to hear that her mama was adored by other people too.”

"Maybe, not... not yet though, not for awhile." Tesni whispered, swallowing thickly and closing her eyes. "I can't... I don't want to even think right now."

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"As are you, so now let's just enjoy the 'for now' part, instead of worrying about what anyone may do to us or things we can control in the future."

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"He'll feel a lot better if he knows you are taking it easy. Please, trust me."

“I’ve never felt so useless… I just want to make everything better.”

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“Grief is the price we pay for love mm? The price we pay for the pleasure of getting to know someone and being privy to their lives.”

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Bella shook her head, pressing her face into his shoulder and screaming.