div class="chapter preface group" style="border-width: 1px 0px 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; border-style: solid initial initial initial;"
div id="notes" class="notes module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.643em; position: relative; width: auto; float: none; clear: right; min-height: 5em;"
blockquote class="userstuff" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0.643em; padding: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A/N- Sorry this took SO LONG to write, I've been pretty busy. My school is performing Footloose and we have had practice every night. Enough with excuses, here you are! (ALSO MY FANFIC ABOUT MARE BEING PREGNANT DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS FIC)/p
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div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.63px; float: none; word-wrap: break-word; color: #2a2a2a;"
h3 id="work" class="landmark heading" style="border-width: 0px 0px 0.25em; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-weight: 500; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0.125em; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; height: 0px; clear: both; color: transparent; border-color: initial initial #333333 initial; border-style: initial initial double initial;"Chapter Text/h3
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Part 2br /Mare's POVbr /I woke up to an empty bed. The sunlight was streaming in from where Cal hadn't closed the curtain, and blinded me with white light. Groaning I got up to search for him. Cal Calore had been a restless sleeper since his brother, Maven Calore, had been killed. I could finally sleep, the nightmares never truly diminishing but not keeping me awake in fear of being killed. Cal had it the opposite. He couldn't help but dream about his younger brother, his little Mavey who looked up to him, dying before his eyes. His loss was greater than mine when it came to Maven. But I knew how it felt, to lose a brother. The pain was great, and heavy. Hell, I was still mourning the loss of Shade. There was nothing that could make the loss any better but time, and now we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by it. But time heals things, and time had given me so much more than the Mare from years ago ever thought it would./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I walked down the halls and took a minute to reflect each of the pictures on the wall. The first thing Cal and I had done to the castle was hang up a picture of our family. We felt so awkward standing in this new kingdom, with nothing of ours surrounding us. It was still littered with Maven and Cal's father's things. Still had the smell of his step mother lingering in the halls. Since there was only one picture of my family, and my Mom had it, we decided to pass on the Barrow family. Julian had approached us with pictures of Corinne Jacos, and we hung them up. Pictures of Cal and his mother, his father made appearances too. They had been close before Elara came into the picture. We avoided hanging pictures of Maven, due to the pain he still caused./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"There had been millions of pictures hung since then. Our wedding picture hung proudly in the middle of the room. Next there was a picture of Cal, Sharlene and I at the zoo. Farley had to work that day and asked us to babysit. The seven year old had grown up fast and it was hard to believe that it had been seven years since her birth, since the war ended. There was a picture of Cal, Sara, Julian and I on their wedding day. Beside it was a picture of my family, my parents, Gisa and her boyfriend, Tucker, and my two brothers with Jenna and Caroline, my in laws. Farley stood with us too, holding Sharlene. I smiled at the memory, looking on to see the picture of Farley, Kiliorn, Cal and I at my wedding reception./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"As I gazed I felt a breath on my neck. Turning around I noticed Cal embracing me. I smiled at him and he did the same. br /"Hello there." I said and he nodded at me. br /"Hello Mare." He replied and smiled to himself, muttering "that rhymes" under his breath. br /"Nerd" I laughed and he let out a chuckle and muttered whatever under his breath. br /"So, where were you this morning? I was looking for you." I said and he nodded. "And you got distracted?" He finished and I nodded. br /"Julian needed me for something." He replied. "Okay" I said and then he seemed to remember something. br /"Sara needs you later. I mean I would get something to eat then go see her." He said and I /"Do you know what for?" I asked and he shook his head, but there was a small spark in his eyes. I could tell he was lying. "No clue. I'll see you later babe." He said and kissed my forehead, leaving the room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I went to the kitchen and made some breakfast, but started to feel the room spin as I did. I ran to the bathroom only to see Sara standing at the door. She nodded a knowing smiled and pulled my hair back just in time for me to vomit my breakfast up. I looked up to her and she placed a wet rag on my neck. I studied her as she placed a hand on my stomach. It clicked. br /I'm pregnant./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I wanted to cry, and apparently my body was already one step ahead. Hot tears rolled down my face. Sara's face went from happy to fearful and she grabbed me before I could collapse. "Does Cal know?" I asked her and she nodded. That's what he was hiding. Julian told him this morning. I knew I should find Cal and tell him and that's what I did. He was pacing outside of his office and when he saw me and stopped. My eyes were still red with tears and he pulled me into his embrace, holding me tight. We both cried and laughed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Six years later/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I woke up to a little boy and a little girl jumping on me. Shade and Corrine shook me awake. "Mommy, Mommy wake up!" The three year old little girl yelled and was chastised by her older brother. "Good morning" I yawned, pulling the brown haired boy and the darker haired girl into a tight hug. Corrine looked just like her father, where as Shade looked identical to me. The only thing that was switched was the eye colors. They both hugged back and I heard the door kick open./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Cal's POVbr /I was carrying a tray to Mare and I's bedroom, following the trail of giggles from our young daughter. It had been a struggle to wake them up and get them to make breakfast for Mare, seeing as they shared her love for sleep. I kicked open the door and put my hand under the tray, heating up the food slightly in case it got cold on the way from the kitchen to our room. The kids were in cases in my wife's grasp. She looked up and smiled at me and I set the tray down, waiting for Corrine to jump on me. "Daddy!" She yelled and I swooped her up. "Hey there love bug, I heard you screaming from down in the kitchen." I said to her and she beamed at me. Mare held Shade in her arms, and they both started pecking at the pancakes. "Happy Mother's Day my love." I said and Mare smiled at me, pulling me down for a kiss. I still went weak at the knees when it came to her. br /"We still need to make an appearance today." I reminded my wife, and she nodded. It was mandatory for people to see the Royal family each holiday./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"We all dressed and headed down to the ball room. People gathered inside and the trumpets went off. I watched Mare walk over to me, her purple, 1950's style dress flouncing around her legs as her heels hit the floor. My daughter's hand was inside hers, they had dressed her in a pale pink sunflower dress. I held onto Shade's hand, and he itched his neck, whining about how itchy the suit was. "I know bud, I used to hate them just as much as you do. I'm sorry" I said and he smiled at me while I tied the bow tie and placed the matching purple flower on his coat pocket. I was wearing the same one. Mare took my arm and held onto me, and I picked up Corrine, shade trailing next to us. br /"And now stand for Queen Mare Calore, King Cal Calore, Princess Corrine Calore, and Prince Shade Calore." The announcer said and everyone cheered. I had changed my full title to just Cal, getting sick of hearing such a formal name./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"We danced for a while and everyone cooed over our little princess. I danced with my wife, listening to an old song about leather and lace (kudos to you if you know that song) and we just talked. br /"I love our little family." I said and Mare looked at me with a sarcastic glance. "Wow, I wouldn't have ever guessed." She said and I gave her a smile. Sometimes old Mare Barrow would break through, the girl who used her sarcasm as a defense from the life she though she would live. I kissed her with passion and felt a tug. Our children stood and grabbed both our hands. We smiled at eachother and spun them around. Before we knew it the night was over and mare and I were carrying them to bed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I tucked in our daughter and mare tucked in our son. She pulled his jacket off of him to hang and cookies started to fall from the pockets. I laughed and she shushed me, but giggled too. We walked out together, each of us with cookies that our son had stolen stuffed in our mouths. "He's like you." I said and she raised an eyebrow. br /"Is that right?" She replied and I /"Yep, steals things, loves sweets." I said and she laughed. br /"Kind of like I stole your heart?" She said innocently, and I nodded, pulling her close and stealing one of her cookies./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Exactly."/p
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div id="notes" class="notes module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.643em; position: relative; width: auto; float: none; clear: right; min-height: 5em;"
blockquote class="userstuff" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 1em; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0.643em; padding: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; word-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A/N- Sorry this took SO LONG to write, I've been pretty busy. My school is performing Footloose and we have had practice every night. Enough with excuses, here you are! (ALSO MY FANFIC ABOUT MARE BEING PREGNANT DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS FIC)/p
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div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.63px; float: none; word-wrap: break-word; color: #2a2a2a;"
h3 id="work" class="landmark heading" style="border-width: 0px 0px 0.25em; border-image: initial; outline: 0px; font-weight: 500; font-style: inherit; font-size: 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0.125em; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; height: 0px; clear: both; color: transparent; border-color: initial initial #333333 initial; border-style: initial initial double initial;"Chapter Text/h3
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Part 2br /Mare's POVbr /I woke up to an empty bed. The sunlight was streaming in from where Cal hadn't closed the curtain, and blinded me with white light. Groaning I got up to search for him. Cal Calore had been a restless sleeper since his brother, Maven Calore, had been killed. I could finally sleep, the nightmares never truly diminishing but not keeping me awake in fear of being killed. Cal had it the opposite. He couldn't help but dream about his younger brother, his little Mavey who looked up to him, dying before his eyes. His loss was greater than mine when it came to Maven. But I knew how it felt, to lose a brother. The pain was great, and heavy. Hell, I was still mourning the loss of Shade. There was nothing that could make the loss any better but time, and now we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by it. But time heals things, and time had given me so much more than the Mare from years ago ever thought it would./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I walked down the halls and took a minute to reflect each of the pictures on the wall. The first thing Cal and I had done to the castle was hang up a picture of our family. We felt so awkward standing in this new kingdom, with nothing of ours surrounding us. It was still littered with Maven and Cal's father's things. Still had the smell of his step mother lingering in the halls. Since there was only one picture of my family, and my Mom had it, we decided to pass on the Barrow family. Julian had approached us with pictures of Corinne Jacos, and we hung them up. Pictures of Cal and his mother, his father made appearances too. They had been close before Elara came into the picture. We avoided hanging pictures of Maven, due to the pain he still caused./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"There had been millions of pictures hung since then. Our wedding picture hung proudly in the middle of the room. Next there was a picture of Cal, Sharlene and I at the zoo. Farley had to work that day and asked us to babysit. The seven year old had grown up fast and it was hard to believe that it had been seven years since her birth, since the war ended. There was a picture of Cal, Sara, Julian and I on their wedding day. Beside it was a picture of my family, my parents, Gisa and her boyfriend, Tucker, and my two brothers with Jenna and Caroline, my in laws. Farley stood with us too, holding Sharlene. I smiled at the memory, looking on to see the picture of Farley, Kiliorn, Cal and I at my wedding reception./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"As I gazed I felt a breath on my neck. Turning around I noticed Cal embracing me. I smiled at him and he did the same. br /"Hello there." I said and he nodded at me. br /"Hello Mare." He replied and smiled to himself, muttering "that rhymes" under his breath. br /"Nerd" I laughed and he let out a chuckle and muttered whatever under his breath. br /"So, where were you this morning? I was looking for you." I said and he nodded. "And you got distracted?" He finished and I nodded. br /"Julian needed me for something." He replied. "Okay" I said and then he seemed to remember something. br /"Sara needs you later. I mean I would get something to eat then go see her." He said and I /"Do you know what for?" I asked and he shook his head, but there was a small spark in his eyes. I could tell he was lying. "No clue. I'll see you later babe." He said and kissed my forehead, leaving the room./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I went to the kitchen and made some breakfast, but started to feel the room spin as I did. I ran to the bathroom only to see Sara standing at the door. She nodded a knowing smiled and pulled my hair back just in time for me to vomit my breakfast up. I looked up to her and she placed a wet rag on my neck. I studied her as she placed a hand on my stomach. It clicked. br /I'm pregnant./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I wanted to cry, and apparently my body was already one step ahead. Hot tears rolled down my face. Sara's face went from happy to fearful and she grabbed me before I could collapse. "Does Cal know?" I asked her and she nodded. That's what he was hiding. Julian told him this morning. I knew I should find Cal and tell him and that's what I did. He was pacing outside of his office and when he saw me and stopped. My eyes were still red with tears and he pulled me into his embrace, holding me tight. We both cried and laughed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Six years later/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I woke up to a little boy and a little girl jumping on me. Shade and Corrine shook me awake. "Mommy, Mommy wake up!" The three year old little girl yelled and was chastised by her older brother. "Good morning" I yawned, pulling the brown haired boy and the darker haired girl into a tight hug. Corrine looked just like her father, where as Shade looked identical to me. The only thing that was switched was the eye colors. They both hugged back and I heard the door kick open./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Cal's POVbr /I was carrying a tray to Mare and I's bedroom, following the trail of giggles from our young daughter. It had been a struggle to wake them up and get them to make breakfast for Mare, seeing as they shared her love for sleep. I kicked open the door and put my hand under the tray, heating up the food slightly in case it got cold on the way from the kitchen to our room. The kids were in cases in my wife's grasp. She looked up and smiled at me and I set the tray down, waiting for Corrine to jump on me. "Daddy!" She yelled and I swooped her up. "Hey there love bug, I heard you screaming from down in the kitchen." I said to her and she beamed at me. Mare held Shade in her arms, and they both started pecking at the pancakes. "Happy Mother's Day my love." I said and Mare smiled at me, pulling me down for a kiss. I still went weak at the knees when it came to her. br /"We still need to make an appearance today." I reminded my wife, and she nodded. It was mandatory for people to see the Royal family each holiday./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"We all dressed and headed down to the ball room. People gathered inside and the trumpets went off. I watched Mare walk over to me, her purple, 1950's style dress flouncing around her legs as her heels hit the floor. My daughter's hand was inside hers, they had dressed her in a pale pink sunflower dress. I held onto Shade's hand, and he itched his neck, whining about how itchy the suit was. "I know bud, I used to hate them just as much as you do. I'm sorry" I said and he smiled at me while I tied the bow tie and placed the matching purple flower on his coat pocket. I was wearing the same one. Mare took my arm and held onto me, and I picked up Corrine, shade trailing next to us. br /"And now stand for Queen Mare Calore, King Cal Calore, Princess Corrine Calore, and Prince Shade Calore." The announcer said and everyone cheered. I had changed my full title to just Cal, getting sick of hearing such a formal name./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"We danced for a while and everyone cooed over our little princess. I danced with my wife, listening to an old song about leather and lace (kudos to you if you know that song) and we just talked. br /"I love our little family." I said and Mare looked at me with a sarcastic glance. "Wow, I wouldn't have ever guessed." She said and I gave her a smile. Sometimes old Mare Barrow would break through, the girl who used her sarcasm as a defense from the life she though she would live. I kissed her with passion and felt a tug. Our children stood and grabbed both our hands. We smiled at eachother and spun them around. Before we knew it the night was over and mare and I were carrying them to bed./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"I tucked in our daughter and mare tucked in our son. She pulled his jacket off of him to hang and cookies started to fall from the pockets. I laughed and she shushed me, but giggled too. We walked out together, each of us with cookies that our son had stolen stuffed in our mouths. "He's like you." I said and she raised an eyebrow. br /"Is that right?" She replied and I /"Yep, steals things, loves sweets." I said and she laughed. br /"Kind of like I stole your heart?" She said innocently, and I nodded, pulling her close and stealing one of her cookies./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Exactly."/p
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