Hope Falls

“So because I want to make sure you’re okay I’m in the wrong here?”

---

“Like what?”

"Like..." Karina began, wrinkling her nose. "Cassius always needed me to check beneath the bed for him, to make sure the monsters weren't hiding but the idea of doing it was horrible! That'll be your job if ours ever need it. I kept picturing someone staring back at me."

---

"I want space. Not space where you are watching me from a distance - actual space."

“The monsters in their world are different to ours…”

---

“Space… from me in general or…”

"Monsters are the same in all worlds - people." Karina whispered. "That's all monsters are. There is something eerie about looking under a bed in the dark though to 'check'."

---

"Space for half an hour to think." Dmitri hissed in frustration then. "Just... go. I'll meet you at home later."

Ada flinched at his tone, hesitating a moment before nodding and getting up, leaving him be.”

---

“I’ll check in future then.” Emmett assured, closing his eyes.

Karina smiled warmly, studying his face before leaning forward to touch her forehead to his. Whispering as she closed her own eyes, "I love you."

“You too…” Emmett murmured as he drifted off.

Karina drifted off not long after.

---

The next morning Karina stirred, moaning quietly against the light of the sun and turning her face into the pillow to make it bare able. Only having those few minutes of bliss though before jerking herself up to sit up straight with wide-panicked eyes, patting the spot beside her to search for her children - not used to being undisturbed by them for so long so instantly assuming the worst.

---

"Ada?" Florence called quietly from outside of her door, drenched in sweat mostly from her morning run, but partly because she had dragged a stumbling Dmitri home from a near by village pub. "Open up? I found your fiancè this morning."

---

"Hi," Matilda greeted softly as she entered the breakfast hall and sat beside Thea. "How - how are you getting on this morning? The King is awake yet?"

“Morning.” Thea greeted tiredly, giving her a smile. “Magnus is still sleeping, he’s not slept past sunrise since - well since we got back. I didn’t want to wait him, his peace is returning.”

---

“Thank you Florence, I’ve been up all night worrying.” Ada frowned as she quickly opened the door, still dressed in her clothes from the day before, having been up all night searching for him.

---

Emmett was on the sofa in their living space, quietly drinking his tea as he watched the twins play with each other on the floor.

"He's still... adjusting to it all, mm?" Florence whispered with a grimace, gently guiding Dmitri so he leant against Ada instead - the smell of alcohol coming in a whaft as he moved. "I couldn't imagine it - what the two of you are going through right now."

---

"Oh." Karina whispered as she rushed into the room, breathless. Straightening herself up to try and appear more put together before explaining; "You didn't have to get up with them. You could have woken me."

---

"And what about yourself?" Matilda frowned. "You should be sleeping beside him right now. You should be peaceful together."

“Im okay,” Thea shook her head. “Just needed some tea to settle my stomach and having someone bring it to me wouldve woken Magnus. I just want to let him finally sleep, he’s finally managed to get in a solid few hours, I’ve ordered everyone off our corridor so they don’t wake him.”

---

“What he is going through. He reminded me yesterday that I can’t relate to him.” Ada murmured, gently leading Dmitri into their room. “And he’s right… I have no idea.”

---

“I was already up, they came and found me.”

"What you are going through too. The future has changed for you." Florence frowned as she followed her inside. "You might not be able to relate to the specifics but... it has changed your life aswell. I am sure he doesn't mean to be cruel."

---

"Oh." Karina whispered, clumsily dropping down beside him and resting her head on his lap. Letting her eyes close once again, "Oh that's sweet. You see? They love you."

---

"That's very protective." Matilda hummed in amusement.

“He deserves the rest. I’ll make sure he gets it.” Thea said quietly. “He was the one out there, fighting. Seeing horrific things… he deserves peace.” She took a sip of her drink before leaning back in her seat. “You’re not with Izsak this morning?”

---

“Or I’m an adult and like most younger ones they gravitate towards the adults.”

---

“It’s him that needs help right now… but I’m not doing it right.” Ada gently made Dmitri lay down on their bed, kneeling and taking off his shoes.

"There is no right way. He needs your support but you can't.. some things he has to deal with on him own. It doesn't mean you aren't being a good partner." Florence frowned, leaning her weight in the doorway. "Get him settled, then come and spend a few hours with me? We can do something girly."

---

"They could have poked me, woken me up. They chose to find you. That means something lovely, don't diminish it."

---

Matilda shook her head, admitting quietly; "I'm struggling being around one person so... constantly. After so long alone, it's strange."

(( Night night ))

“And your… bond is in the early stages still where he still wants to be all over you constantly, or needs to or whatever the beast inside dictates and what not. I can see how that would be suffocating.”

---

“I should stay with him when he’s this drunk, he could choke on his own vomit.”

---

“I’m just - I don’t want to read into things.”

"You can be one room over, we can stay here then. I can.. bring some things over. We can make face masks?"

---

"It isn't sufficating, that's.. the wrong word. I am struggling to find the correct word right now, but it isn't that one." Matilda whispered. "I'm just.. adjusting. That's all, and I am still working through things left over from Søren... so.." She shrugged

---

Karina lifted her hand up to rest her palm sleepily on his cheek. "Mm. How did you sleep?"

“I - sure, sure.”

---

“He’ll never leave you.” Thea moved her hand to take Matilda’s. “But he’ll also be really proud of you for growing past the grief and moving on. I don’t think there’s ever a time to be ready for it all. But if we waited till we were ready… we’d never do anything.”

---

“I dozed a bit… I mostly watched the three of you.”

"Grear!" Florenece exclaimed, eyes lighting up with a childish excitement. "I'll be right back with everything we need. I'll be like... five minutes at most."

---

"It's hard... scary." Matilda whispered, swallowing thickly.

---

"Well we should swap places then, hmm? You lay down. Let me fuss over you."

“I understand.” Thea assured, squeezing her hand gently. “I’m pregnant.” She admitted. “So I understand how scary it is to be going into something you’re so not ready for again. After Alexandria I didn’t want another baby, the way you didn’t want anyone after Søren. But we know how fate works, we see it, fate has other plans and for once, as much as it feels hard and wrong and everything else… they’re not being horrible to us with what they’re doing.”

---

Ada nodded, making sure Dmitri was on his side in bed.

---

“I’m okay.” Emmett insisted.

"No," She whispered, sitting herself up and patting her lap. "Lay down, you. You can still watch the kids laying down."

---

"Okay," Florence hummed, coming back give minutes later with her arms overflowing with herbs, creams and bowls of snacks. "I think this is everything we'll need."

---

"That is what is scary though, isn't it? When are the Fates ever kind to us? Other people get kindness, we get lured into being happy and then have to witness-" Matilda swallowed thickly. "Congratulations, on the baby, perhaps she is a gift from Alexandria?"

“I don’t know… Magnus likes that way of thinking. I’m - Im trying to not think exactly what you just said, that I’m being tempted into happiness to have the rug pulled from under me. I was so happy last time and… well you know what happened.”

---

“Aren’t you busy with General Hawk today?”

---

“I’m fine, Kari.”

"Much to his displeasure he has had to work." Florence hummed with an amused grin. "I, on the other hand; am still jobless so I am going to take advantage of that for an extra day."

---

"I'm not. I want to feel your head in my lap." Karina frowned, adding softly "Please... it's not all about you."

---

"Well, Sarika and 'Ven - D- Draven won't be a problem for you anymore." Matilda whispered, tensing slightly as she swallowed thickly.

“As much as I’m disappointed his head isn’t adorning my fireplace… if you’re wanting to take the time to travel back to the Manor to see Draven, I’m not going to forbid it.”

---

“I thought Isolde wanted you in the infirmary?”

---

“I don’t want to lay down for now Kari.”

"He hates me. It wouldn't be... pleasant." Matilda mumbled miserably. "He - He had always been my best friend. It's - I hate that he made me do it, go against him. I begged him not to hurt you Thea; I really did and I - I told him that he'd be going too far in my boundaries too. I - I understand you have lost so much more than me in all of this but my heart still aches."

---

Karina flinched, nodding mildly and tentatively moving off of the sofa to sit with her children before.

---

"She does, but I still have to make the effort. Organise it all myself, and I can still be told no by the healers there. It's part of the... adjustment."

“Have you talked to Izsak about this?”

---

“Is it something you want to do? Be a healer?”

---

“I’ve notice that Ira looks to Eden to take the lead…”