A/N:
Good morning everyone, it's early I know...but I finished this chapter twenty minutes ago and just finished editing it. There might be a few mistakes, but I felt the need to post it now. It has been a while since I have added a new chapter to Pantoufle Noir, so I wanted to add the third chapter to this story. I'm still working on fixing Lizzie's chapter as well as working on Chapter 83 of Through the Looking Glass' main story. I'm having a bit of a hard time getting it to flow the way that I want, but I'll eventually figure things out. I'm not going to give up yet. I'm not sure when Chapter 4 of this will be out, but I will say that the next chapter will contain a lemon, as it will be the second to last chapter in this story.
I hope you guys have been enjoying these, I know I don't update them as often as I would like, due to my focus on the main story...but I promise to work more on Black Aria, and Black Apple, as well as the new story that I will try to finish today, Black Hearts which will be the pairing of Lizzie x Blake. I'm not exactly sure when I'll post that, but I will try to finish that...I might post Chapter 76 of Through the Looking Glass tonight, as I've already started leading into the next story arc, and I'm sure you are all looking forward to it...so let me know what you think of this new chapter. Hope you all like it! Have a good morning, or night if you are across the world!
Through the Looking-Glass
Alternate Universe 2
Ashlynn's Happily Ever After
(Alternate Ending to Through the Looking Glass)
While Ashlynn was at home, helping take care of his niece Zelda, Blake found himself in Cendrillion, at a cafe. He was currently waiting for his friend Cupid, who he had called to meet up early Sunday morning. It was currently Monday, and since Ashlynn had decided to take a few days off, he had nothing to do. He was actually quite happy to be up during the day and be able to enjoy the morning sun. Unlike previous days where he would wake up in the late afternoon, ate whatever leftovers were in the fridge and sat down in front of his television, playing video games and drinking into the late hours of the night, only for it to repeat the next day. He felt like he was finally doing something with his life. Now that Purple Rhapsody was going to break up, he wouldn't have that to look forward too anymore.
He had been practicing his magic a lot too. Being the son of the Evil Queen, he still had quite a lot of magic within him. After what happened during the Dragon Games at the beginning of his Junior year, he had been steadily practicing. Whenever he wasn't drunk off his mind, he would be out in the nearby woods, honing his skills in case he needed them. Raven had been practicing a lot too, whenever she wasn't busy with her own musical career. He still remembered the day she had launched her first album, he had been immensely proud of her. And before she had gotten pregnant with Zelda, they had done a tour around the realms. But now that she had to take care of a three year old girl, she didn't have much time for her music. So every single album she produced was made with care, and it was always high in the charts. The two of them hadn't seen the Evil Queen in quite a long time. She was still locked up in Mirror Prison, her mirror kept safely back in Ever After High, under the constant watch of Milton and Giles Grimm.
He heard the bell jingle and looked up, seeing his friend Cupid entering the cafe. She had changed quite a lot since they had graduated from high school. She had grown a lot taller, and into a fine young woman, who caught the eyes of many a mortal man. Her wings had also grown in size, since she was an angel now, she had more angelic looking wings, being covered in beautiful white feathers, decorated with small pink, red and orange flowers. Her long pink hair was in a high ponytail, with two long strands framing her face, and was kept straight, instead of the curly style she had during her high school years.
Her fashion style hadn't changed much since they had left high school, but was still more mature and chic than what she used to wear. Her dress was a soft pink color, with two thin shoulder straps. The collar was lined with white roses, area around the bust was a dark red in color. The dress highlighted her curves, two bows were attached at her hips, the skirt of the dress fell down past her knees, the hemline being a dark red color. She was wearing white leggings with hearts printed on them, and had brown heels on her feet. She was also carrying her bow in her hands, her quiver of arrows slung across her shoulders. She pulled her sunglasses off, glancing around the cafe, quickly spotting him near the back. She gave him a wave, moving toward his table.
"Hi Blake, sorry I'm late...it was raining on Mount Olympus so I had to wait a little bit. You know I can't fly with wet wings."
"You could have taken the portal...but you love flying, so I understand. Thanks for coming all the way here, it means a lot that you did." he replied, earning a small laugh from the pinkette. She placed her quiver and bow on the table before her.
"I'm your best friend, practically your sister. For you, I'd do anything, and it was a conference day at the academy. Someone got into Zeus's bolt storage room, and we have reason to believe Hercules's son was the one that got into it."
"Really? I'm surprised, I thought he was a good boy. Then again, his father is pretty mischievous too...anyway, would you like something? I'll pay for it, since I called you out here." he said, flagging the waitress over.
"That's sweet of you, thanks."
Once the waitress had taken her order, and had grabbed Blake's refill, she headed off to prepare everything. Cupid and Blake spent a few minutes catching up, speaking mostly about her job as a teacher on Mount Olympus, and how she had to handle the children of the gods, and train some up and coming cherubs. Of course the conversation shifted in his direction after a few moments, and they talked about the band, and about the Glass Slipper, which most of their friends already knew about. He left out a lot of other details, Hunter's visit being one of them. He didn't really feel like bringing that up, he was happy his friend was on the right track, but he wasn't over everything he had done yet. He pushed that to the back of his mind, wanting to finally start speaking about what was ailing him. He was sure Cupid was eager to start too.
"Anyway, it's been nice catching up but...I want to speak about the real reason I called you here. I know I said in the past that I would never, ever need your advice...because I wanted to follow my heart but...it seems my heart became a scum bag. So, I need your help."
"Are you serious? Blake Queen, son of the Evil Queen, wants help from the Angel of Love herself? The sky must be falling!"
"Shush! Keep it down, god! I don't want the whole of Cendrillion to frickin know this...sheesh. You still got that weird quirk of screaming things, I thought you'd grow out of it." he snapped, causing the girl to flush.
"Sorry, I'm just so excited! I've been keeping this file open just in case I ever had a need for it." she replied, pulling her MirrorPad 3 from her purse, placing it in the table, attaching the detachable keyboard to it.
"Uh...what's that for? Don't tell me you are gonna record this!"
"I am, but it's for educational purposes...I still have my love show you know, but the only difference is, I help the realms now, not just Ever After High students. Even my friends back in the Monster World can tune into this. Now then, name the girl that's caught your fancy!" she said, once she had set up everything and had hit record.
"Really? Can I at least sign a release form so I know you aren't putting this online?" he asked. She sighed, reaching into her purse for a folded piece of paper and a pen.
"Here, you are lucky I carry multiples of this with me." she replied. He opened the paper and briefly skimmed it. He initialed and signed his name at the bottom, handing both the paper and the pen back.
"Okay then, well...hold onto your wings, because this is gonna be a girl that you already know...the girl that I've...started liking is...Ashlynn."
"Huh? Did I just hear you correctly? Will you repeat that name?" Cupid cried, her eyes widened with surprise.
"I said, I like Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella...now stop reacting that way dammit! People are looking over here." he said, lowering his gaze a bit. He was glad to have picked a booth by the back of the restaurant, but that didn't mean people still didn't look his way. Cupid took a few deep breaths, her wings fluttering a bit as she regained her composure.
"Sorry, sorry...I just wasn't expecting her at all...I mean, Raven told me about her break up. But I wasn't aware that you had feelings for her." she said softly. He gave her a nod, leaning back in his seat.
"Yeah...I dunno when exactly it started happening. But we've been business partners and housemates for awhile. I guess it started with her waking me up with cold water when I passed out drunk on the couch. I got so pissed off, but that cute scowl she gave me was just so...damn adorable. Then there's her singing too, I wake up every day to that beautiful voice, and the birds chirping. I barely cooked in that kitchen, just eating canned stuff whenever I got hungry, and hot pockets when I had them."
"Hot pockets." Cupid muttered, imitating the catchy jingle. He glared at her, and she quickly straightened up, placing her hands folded on the table, gesturing with her head for him to continue.
"Anyway, more recently, I've been helping her get over everything that Hunter did. Helping her cope with loosing him, all of the mental abuse she must have suffered, along with all of the drinking he did in front of her. I helped her get comfortable again, got her to focus on her work...but most importantly, I got her to stop crying."
"Crying? She was crying a lot?"
"She cried herself to sleep most nights. I could sometimes hear it from my room, and it was hard for me to stand it. She's a strong person, and she most likely wouldn't have let me speak with her...so I didn't do anything. But I helped her in other ways, I kept her distracted and the crying lessened, until recently." he said.
"Alright...so you started falling for her because you wanted her to be herself again. She was always a peppy girl back in school, and cared a lot about animals. Hearing about this though...it's so heartbreaking. Go on...I hope you don't mind me taking notes."
"Christ, you're already taking video, what do you need notes for?"
"Shush! This is my process, I'm the angel of love remember?" she said.
"Hey Angel of love, there's no filming in the restaurant...store policy." the waitress said, placing their order on the table.
"Oh come on...please let me record, this is my profession after all. I help people fall in love, and I have to have video to teach my students." Cupid said, a pleading look on her face.
"Store policy honey, sorry...unless you can get someone to notice me." she said, earning a smile from the pinkette.
"Sure thing, just point to him and I'll take care of it."
"It's a her, actually...she's sitting by herself near the window, the girl with black hair." she said, pointing across the restaurant. Blake stood up, grabbing a hold of Cupid's bow, along with one of her arrows.
"I got this one, just to stand in front of her, and grab her attention." he instructed. The girl shrugged, walking away from their table. She walked across the restaurant, looking visibly nervous as she approached the raven haired girl.
"Um Blake, are you sure you can do this? Remember what happened back in high school, when Joey took my bow."
"I got this Cupid, it isn't that hard to fire an arrow." he replied, holding the bow up, keeping his sight trained on the raven haired girl.
Somehow, no one else had noticed him standing up, taking aim at someone with what a normal person would see as a deadly weapon. As soon as the waitress reached her table, the girl looked up, giving her a curious look. Blake licked his lips, taking a breath as he pulled the arrow back as far as he could. Once he had lined it up, he released his hold on it, watching it sail through a donut, heading straight to the raven haired girl, striking her in the chest. The mist burst from the arrow, swirling around her for a second before going into her nose. She shook her head a bit, giving the waitress a cute smile. She said something to her briefly, which caused the waitress to nod, she turned around, giving the two a thumbs up.
"Nice shot, I don't think I would have made it. But seriously, through a donut?" she asked, earning a shrug from the boy.
"There's always time for trick shots...anyway, let's continue, before our tea gets cold." he said, setting the bow back down on the table.
"Okay...let's move on then. I know everything that you like about her, and how you started falling in love...but the big question is...does she like you back?"
"I'm not sure...I mean, she's been affectionate. She's held my hand a lot, and when we were watching Titanic the other night, she was really close. Like laying her head on my shoulder close...she smelled like vanilla, and it just felt...normal...it felt right." he said, trying his hardest not to blush. Cupid of course noticed this, but decided not to point it out. She set her tea cup down, giving the boy a grin.
"Well then, it seems that she's starting to like you back...but clearly we won't know until we ask her."
"No! You can't ask her...that's embarrassing...plus what if she doesn't like me back? After everything with Hunter...I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't want to date anymore." he said, lowering his head a bit.
"Oh sweetheart, you don't know that. Sometimes you have to nip it it the bud and ask her. But since you don't want this, it severely hinders my progress...I could just shoot her, but that might have an adverse effect."
"Like?"
"Well, if she really likes you, she'll admit it. But if she likes someone else, or still has feelings for Hunter...then she'll go back with him. I know she said that she doesn't want to get back together...but they were together longer than anyone else. Well, aside from Raven and Dexter, who are in fact married." she said, frowning slightly. She still held some feelings toward his brother-in-law, but she had gotten over most of them long ago. That still didn't mean she felt anything however.
"I see...well, that would make things a bit worse than they are. Cinderella liked Hunter a lot, but when she got the full story, she was more disappointed than mad. Of course, Henri was pissed because he hit his little girl...I'm not sure how that meeting went. I don't think I would take it well if they got back together." he said.
"Yes...I know that feeling...you who's been single all this time, only being with Cerise...it would hurt. You've finally moved on from her entirely, and are ready for new love...and now that you've had this chance, you don't want to risk it."
"Mhmm...well, I can always marry you. I've always wondered what it would be like to have winged babies." he said, causing her to spit out her tea, thankfully not on anyone. She grabbed a hold of a napkin, wiping her lips with it.
"That's not a funny joke Blake! Giving birth to winged babies is quite difficult, and if you must know, no the feathers don't form in the womb. They grow in during the baby's first year of life. But that's beside the point, we have to figure out if Ashlynn likes you back...hmm, what to do?" she said, tapping her chin with a finger. He sighed, reaching inside his jacket for his phone, dialing his sister's number.
"I got it." he said, pressing the device to his ear. He bobbed his head back and forth for a few seconds, until Raven finally picked up the call, sounding rather tired.
"Blake, is something the matter? Zelda didn't break anything did she?"
"Uh...not that I know of, I'm not home...Ash is watching her, I'm actually out with Cupid...I sort of have an issue. What...what's up with you? You sound exasperated."
"That's because I am...my manager just told me they lined up three concerts, one in Wonderland and two in Ever After. It was a surprise thing, and now I have to be away from my baby girl. Dexter is going on business during that week too, and the In-laws can't take care of her."
"Sweet sister of mine, am I painted on the wall? Jesus, how many times have I told you before, if you have to do something business related, I'll take care of Zelda? Sheesh, in one ear and out the other." he snapped, sounding rather annoyed.
"I know that, but you and Ashlynn are busy taking care of the store. I don't expect you to be able to watch her and manage that. Darling is off on a mission, and Daring and Rosabella got two to handle already...are you sure you can take care of her?"
"Yes, I can take excellent care of her...I'll bring her to work and have her color or some shit. I'm sure the Glass Slipper will look even better with her little doodles everywhere. We are starting a kid line soon, so it might help get some extra gold through the door." he said, shoving a tea scone in his mouth.
"It'll be for about two weeks, I got two concerts in Wonderland, and two in Ever After, so I'll be really busy...I'll explain everything when I get there...I've got some happy news for all of you, though I'm sure you already know what it is."
"Okay, hey...do me a favor and uh...would you mind prodding Ashlynn a bit...I'll come out and say it, I'm in love with her and need my older sister's help. Think you can manage?" he asked curiously. He heard a giggle on the other end of the line.
"I can handle it, I'm about ten minutes away, I'm assuming you won't be there...tell Cupid I said hi, feel free to share the info with her."
"Will do...thanks sis, I love you."
"Love you too, see ya soon!" Raven replied, hastily ending the call. He set his phone down, glancing back at Cupid, who had been eagerly waiting for him to finish.
"So, we got someone on the inside...this is always the fun part."
"I suppose so...Rae says hi by the way. Oh yes, she got some tests done a couple months back. She wanted to wait a few more weeks before having another one done and...well, she's pregnant."
"Again? Jeez, those two need another hobby." Cupid said, poking her empty cup with her finger.
"Tell me about it, I'm surprised Raven waited almost four years to have another one. Now, I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl...only time will tell I'm afraid, hopefully Professor Oak doesn't make a mistake.
"Huh? Who's Professor Oak?"
"Only the greatest man who ever lived, he taught me everything, including not to ride a bike indoors...it was never the right time." he said, bowing his head, his face looking quite sad. Cupid sighed, deciding to remain quiet and finish her tea.
xxx
"Would you like some more juice sweetie? We still got plenty left."
"Sure Auntie Lynn, when's Uncle Blake coming home?" Zelda asked, earning a shrug from the auburn haired girl, who took her empty cup into the kitchen.
"I'm not sure, he said he was going to meet up with Cupid for something. But he never said for what...he'll be back soon, then you can show him your drawings."
"Okay, I'll try to draw Auntie Cupi too!" she happily replied, grabbing a clean sheet of paper and a black crayon. Ashlynn set down her refilled cup, making sure the lid was firmly on. She sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote. She flipped through some of the channels, stopping on the Celebrity channel when she saw Raven's picture on the screen.
"This just in ladies and gentlemen. It seems famous Hard Rock singer and songwriter Raven Queen Charming, was spotted coming out of a clinic here in Meadow Brook. This young artist has been hiding from the limelight since her previous album released, because she's wanted to focus on her young daughter. But it seems that someone has a bun in the oven. One patient claims to have overheard the news while on the way to the restroom."
"Hey, why's my momma on TV?" Zelda asked, causing Ashlynn to change the channel, quickly putting on some cartoons.
"No reason...hehe, they're just...talking about her music...you know your momma is a famous singer right?"
"Oh yeah...she sings me to sleep every night! I'll draw her too!" she cried excitedly, reaching for the purple crayon that sat beside her.
Ashlynn sighed with relief, she really wasn't looking forward to explaining to a three year old, that her mom was expecting another baby. A knock came from the door, causing her to shoot up to her feet, quickly heading over to it. When she opened it, she saw a tired looking Raven, along with Nevermore, who seemed to be panting a bit as well. She stepped aside, letting her and the dragon into the house.
"Let me guess, you got caught at the clinic and had to get out of Dodge before anyone with a camera could interview you?" she asked, a smirk on her face.
"You have...no idea. I wasn't even out the door when people were asking me about my new baby...I had to run out of there. Not to mention I had to leave Nevermore at the nearby Pet hospital because she wasn't allowed at the clinic. It was hectic, but I brought Fro-yo for you and for my little girl."
"Momma look, I'm drawing you, Uncle Blake, Auntie Cupi and Auntie Lynn. I also drew Nevermore, flying in the sky!" the little girl cried, showing her mother the drawing.
"Wow, look at how cute we all look...you're becoming an amazing artist sweetheart. Here, I brought you your favorite." she said, handing the girl the frozen yogurt she had bought her, along with the spoon. The girl quickly took the cover off, shoving a spoonful in her mouth.
"Thank you momma!" she cried, earning a loving kiss on the cheek from Raven. She took a hold of Ashlynn's hand, dragging her into the kitchen.
"We need to talk, something serious." she said.
"Oh...okay...you need help with the baby shower or something?" Ashlynn asked curiously, accepting the frozen yogurt her friend handed her.
"No, we aren't having one this time...at least I'm not. Dexter might push me into it though, he can be annoying when he wants. But this conversation isn't about me and Dex, or our new baby. I want to know...are you, you know...into my brother?"
"Huh...what?" Ashlynn asked, taken aback by the question. She almost dropped the frozen treat in her hand. Thankfully she caught it in time, setting it down on the countertop.
"I ask because...you know...I've been over a lot over the last couple months. You're demeanor has changed a lot...you were a lot shyer before, and clammed up really often. But now, you're almost back to normal, like you were back in school. I'm sure it's because Blake has been helping you cope right?"
"I...yes, he has. He's been really sweet...he's been helping me out at the store. Not only as my manager, but as the entire staff. He stocks, he helps with the jewelry, and he gives good advice to the ladies. Whenever her has a day off, he does my laundry for me, helps my mom out with her garden, and takes me out to dinner every week. He's been really sweet and caring but...I..I'm not sure what to feel."
"Hmm...the tone in your voice says it all. You're in love with him, but you are unsure if you like him back...you're scared aren't you? That what happened with Hunter will happen again." Raven said, earning a sigh from her friend.
"Yes...I am a little scared. I loved Hunter with everything I had, everything in high school went great...but after we graduated, what should have been a beautiful life...turned into something else. It was a horrible thing to experience, seeing the man you love falling into an addiction. Telling him to stop, only for him to hit you...all of the insults...I just..don't think I'm ready to date anyone else." Ashlynn replied, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. She grabbed a napkin, dabbing her eyes before her make up started to run.
"Ash, honey that isn't gonna happen again. You've had a lot of time away from him, and have been recovering steadily. But you can't hold yourself back because of this. Sometimes, in order to forget a horrible relationship, you have to jump into another one. Because if you have a happier relationship with a loving person, you'll forget the horrible one you came out of." Raven replied, causing Ashlynn to look away.
"I know that...I used to think it was horrible advice to give. But right now, I'm not so sure myself. I know Blake isn't going to do that, he's been sweet, and kind, and selfless. I mean, look at everything he's done...he saved Wonderland, fought back against the Evil Queen...he's used all of his money to help the needy. He's...the most wonderful boy...man, I have ever met."
"Then I think it's time you let yourself love again...it's time for you to move on from Hunter. He's moved on from you right? With that Morgiana girl from the Aladdin story? Well, I think it's time for you to move on too. Who knows? Maybe Blake is your Prince Charming, you never signed your page, so it might actually happen." Raven said, giving her friend a wink.
"I guess you're right...oh, but how do I tell him? I mean, does he even like me back? Would he like me? After all, I feel like I've been mooching off him for my entirety here."
"Ash that isn't true...you know he doesn't mind you being here at all. In fact, he said that since you moved in, he's been a lot happier. So he might actually like you. We're twins remember? I can feel what he feels sometimes." she said, giving him a wink.
"That's right...I suppose I won't know until I ask him right? Do you know where he might be? What cafe he's at?"
"Uh...not really? I'll text him, but don't tell him we spoke about this alright? I'm sure he would get annoyed if he finds out I helped hook you two up." she said. Ashlynn nodded, returning her focus to her half melted frozen yogurt.
"Ah! I hate Tammy the Cargo Ship! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!" Zelda cried, her voice becoming more and more distorted as she shouted. Raven raced into the room, grabbing the remote, changing the channel quickly. She let out a sigh, turning to her daughter.
"Now sweetheart, remember what I told you...your magic is starting to come in, and we don't want you to blow up Uncle Blake's house. Try not to get mad, okay?"
"Okay momma...sorry." the little girl said, earning a smile from her mother, who picked her up, placing her in her lap as she sat down on the couch.
"Let's watch some of Uncle Blake's cartoons, he has a lot of them that you might like...Ashlynn, would you mind?"
"Not at all Raven, I think we can start her off with something that made all of us laugh back in high school. Season one of Spongebob Squarepants." she said, grabbing the Steelbook from the movie shelf, popping the first disc from inside. She quickly changed to the HDMI channel, turning the gaming system on. Raven meanwhile, focused on relaying a message to her brother, hoping she could get the address of the cafe he and Cupid were currently at.
xxx
"Yeah, Zelda wouldn't stop chasing the origami animals when we got there. Those poor things must have been so scared of her. The Queen of Hearts almost suffocated her from how tightly she was hugging her." Blake said, swiping through some of his pictures.
"She looks so cute in that Wonderland outfit. Lizzie has become such an amazing fashion designer...she designs my stuff you know."
"Yes I know, she designs my stuff too...we're in a band together, remember?" he asked, earning a flush from the girl.
"I know...shut up, I've been grading a lot of papers lately. Tell me who one of my kids put this answer on his test. The question was, if you see someone doing drugs or any other illicit things, what would you do? He replied with, I ain't no snitch, so I'm keeping his secret. If he's poppin mollys, why am I gonna ruin his fun?"
"That's horrible...where the hell are these kids learning this? What's the grade level you teach again?"
"Seventh Grade, so they're between the ages of ten and twelve...I had to call his parents and have a meeting. He was really mad at me, but it was a serious thing, turns out his older brother was talking to some guy who sold drugs in the Monster World. He's in rehab right now...to get him detox and some other stuff." she said, finishing the last of her tea.
"Damn, kids these days...they deserve that, it's for their good. The last thing their parents need is two druggies living on their couch for thirty years. Oh hang on, I got a text." Blake said, grabbing his phone and swiping his screen.
"What's it say?"
"It's from Raven, she wants to know what cafe we're at...apparently Ashlynn wants to talk to me." he said, glancing up from his phone.
"Oh yes! That means she's gonna confess to you, this is so cute...but you can't meet her at a cafe. Come on, I got a better place to go." Cupid said, shoving her tablet into her purse, grabbing her bow and quiver. The boy sighed, tossing his payment on the table, along with a nice tip for the waitress, who had been speaking to the raven haired girl for most of her shift. He gave the two a wave, happy that he had been able to bring them together.
Cupid didn't say anything, she just took his phone and sent a reply to Raven, without letting him see it. He just followed behind her through the streets of Cendrillion, wondering where she was leading him. After awhile, he realized that they were walking toward the eastern side of the city, toward a grassy hill that overlooked a nearby evergreen forest. In the distance were the mountains that held the crystal mines owned by Henri and Cinderella, which looked very alluring against the blue sky and the shining sun. There was a nearby tree which was packed with bright red apples, and lush green leaves. It added to the beauty of the hill, the perfect place for two people to confess their love.
"Okay, all you have to do is wait here for Ashlynn to show up...I'm sure you know what to do from here. Don't fuck it up, or I will be forced to shoot you." she said, shaking her finger before his face, a stern look on her face.
"Sure...why would I even mess this up? I like her, I wouldn't put my foot in my mouth."
"I know that...but you can never be too careful...I'll be close by, keeping an eye on everything. If it starts going south, I'll shoot both of you, though I'm sure I won't have to do that. Don't disappoint me!" she said, giving him a hug, she spread her wings and took off into the sky, heading toward a nearby thicket of trees.
"Gee, now I'm being watched by an angel...except she's the guardian of my love life. How embarrassing." he thought, trying his hardest not to laugh. He moved over to the apple tree, climbing up to one of the lower branches, sitting down on it. He reached up for one of the apples above him and pulled it free. Once he had cleaned it off with his shirt, he took a bite from it, looking out into the mountains.
It wasn't long before he spotted Ashlynn walking toward the hill. He started getting nervous, and considered for a second to hide in the tree. But he knew that he couldn't do that to the girl, who had walked all the way there, just to speak with him. He tossed aside his apple core, jumping down from the tree, surprising the girl a bit. He gave her a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
"No...it's fine...I've just had...a lot in my mind. Oh uh...Raven came back, she's taking care of Zelda now...so you don't have to worry." she replied.
"I figured, did you figure out why she was so exasperated earlier?"
"Yes, she got news that she was pregnant and someone overheard. So now they've put it all over the news, so she had to run out of there." Ashlynn replied, causing the black haired man to laugh, moving some hair out of his eyes.
"Oh man, I feel so bad for her. This was supposed to be a secret and now the whole of Ever After knows that she's got a bun in the oven. Everyone will be saying, I know what you and Dexter did to her for awhile now. It was about time, I'm sure Zelda was starting to get a little lonely."
"Maybe this time if it's a boy, they'll name him Link...then they'd have the set."
"Nah...I want them to name their son something cool...like Boromir, or Legolas, or Harvey Dent." he said, earning a sigh from the girl.
"You can't name the baby Harvey Dent, that's a horrible name!" she cried.
"No it isn't...it's an awesome name...he could be best friends with my eventual son, Bruce Wayne...and then he can go through the whole Batman phase, asking everyone if Harvey Dent can be trusted."
"You are such a nerd, you know that?" Ashlynn said, causing him to nod.
"Mhmm, and I'm damn proud of it." he replied, shifting his eyes back toward the mountains.
"Um Blake...there's something I want to tell you."
"Me too, but I'll let you go ahead first...so go ahead, I'm all ears." he said, turning to fully face her.
"Erm...okay. This is gonna be a bit challenging for me but...here goes. Blake, over the last couple months we've been living and working together...I've started to...forget some of the things that happened. You've been helping me forget what happened with me and Hunter, you've let me stay at your house...you've been working for me for free. You've been really sweet, and kind and caring. I..."
She paused, her voice shaking a bit as she gathered her thoughts. The boy remained silent, not wanting to say anything. His heart was beating hard in his chest, that familiar choking feeling in this throat. He tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, but he was a few steps away from bursting. He didn't know how to react, he just wanted her to speak her mind before he said anything, already promising to respect her wishes either way. Ashlynn looked up at him after a second, brushing some hair behind her ear.
"Sorry, I'm just...super nervous. I haven't felt this way since...way back in high school. Regardless...you've been such an amazing kind person to me, have helped me recover. You make me laugh, you make me really mad when you get drunk, you make me cry whenever you sing a sappy song, or you deliberately pick a sad movie. I mean seriously? You know how much I cry when I watch Angel Beats, why do you force me to relive that sadness?"
"I don't know...I just, like when we watch anime together. I know we've only done it a few times but...it makes me happy, whenever I see you smile, or burst into laughter at some silly thing Jim Carrey is doing on screen. I love hearing you laugh, I hate seeing you cry...I find that annoyed expression you give me when I pass out on the couch cute. I like the way you hold my hand whenever we walk through town...I just want to make you happy." he replied. Ashlynn didn't say anything for a few seconds, before a look of relief appeared on her face. She held one of her hands to her chest, taking a few deep breaths.
"Hoo, my heart's racing right now...I suppose, I just realized something...something that will change my life for the better. I want to try something, okay Blake? I want to see if I feel something."
"Eh? Feel something, now you're confusing me...what do you want to feel?" he asked curiously. She slowly approached the boy, wrapping her arms around his neck, making the young man's eyes widen in surprise.
"A spark." she whispered, pressing her lips against his.
He didn't know how to react for a few seconds. His brain had just completely shut down, unable to process what was happening. He blinked a few times, eyes softly closing as he put his hands on Ashlynn's hips, pulling her closer to him, kissing her back. It was a soft, loving and nervous kiss. She had a great deal of experience, much more than he did. Still he kissed her back with equal passion, licking her bottom lip. She parted them slightly, allowing his request for entree, making their kiss more intense than before. They continued kissing for a few more seconds, parting for air briefly before kissing again. This time it was much more intense before, all traces of nervousness were gone between the two. Now, they were both expressing their love for each other, releasing the pent up feelings that both of them didn't realize they had. The two pulled apart after a few more seconds, panting for breath, still shaking from their make out session. Blake shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts a bit, glancing into Ashlynn's green eyes.
"Did you feel a spark?"
"I felt more than a spark, in fact..that spark lit the fireworks." she replied, causing the boy to laugh. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly, pressing her ear against his chest.
"Wow, your heart is beating just as hard as mine...that means the two of us feel the same thing."
"I suppose so...I don't care of it's too early, I love you Ashlynn."
"It isn't too early, because I love you too." she replied, closing her eyes, a giddy look on her face. Blake glanced over to the thicket, seeing some slight movement. He saw something shooting into the air before it burst into some glowing pink smoke, which formed a giant heart in the sky. Ashlynn opened her eyes, glancing at the heart, taking one of Blake's hands into her own.
"A pink heart in the sky...was Cupid watching us?"
"Uh...I'm sorry, the number you have reached is currently unavailable. You may leave your message or press 1 for more options."
"Blake, this is a face to face conversation!" Ashlynn cried, giving him an annoyed look, placing her hands on her hips.
"Oh my god, you are so adorable when you do that...sorry, I was a bit scared, so I called in some back up. Cupid gave me that little push I needed." he replied. Ashlynn sighed, crossing her arms as she looked toward the heart in the sky, which was starting to fade away.
"Well...I'm glad she gave you that little push...because she helped you get with an amazing woman...and now, I have a wonderful man by my side."
"Yeah, you're right...I can't thank her enough for that. I promise Ashlynn, I will take care of you. I will never do the things that Hunter did, while I like to drink, I will give it up if it means I can keep you by my side."
"I understand...it's alright if you have a few drinks here and there, just don't drink a bottle of Jack and pass out on the couch. You know what will happen when you do, that hangover won't be the only thing you'll have to deal with in the morning." she replied.
"Absolutely, I prefer happy Ashlynn over pissed off Ashlynn any day. Come on, wanna go on a quick date before heading home? We can grab your favorite, low carb grass with high calorie dressing, on the side."
"Honestly, I have no idea how you can not like salad. Do you know how healthy it is for you? It will give you much more proteins and energy than eating fatty red meats."
"Dear lord, please make it so that I never fall into her vegetarian lifestyle, amen." the black haired man said, pressing his hands together.
"Oh you big baby...fine, I'll get a salad, you get yourself a big greasy hamburger with everything on it, even the cheese and bacon."
"Alright, but only if you get one too...just this once...please?" he asked, giving her a pleading look. She frowned, glancing away from him.
"Just this once, I can get sick from eating that stuff randomly."
"Yes! You are awesome Ash, truly you are." he said, kissing her cheek. She giggled, grabbing his hand once more, pulling him along.
"Let's go, it's still early in the afternoon, so we might get some stuff from the lunch menu. No fast food though, that stuff is gross...unless it's fresh never frozen meat."
Blake rolled his eyes, ignoring his girlfriend's antics as she lead him back toward town. He felt a lot lighter now that he had confessed his feelings to Ashlynn, and he was glad that she had confessed to him too. He wasn't going to do anything to make her feel uncomfortable, not now...not ever.
xxx
"Man, where can those two be? It's been like two hours since Ashlynn left." Raven muttered, patting her daughter's head. Zelda had fallen asleep shortly after Ashlynn had left. So Raven was left alone to surf through the channels trying to find something interesting to watch, that didn't have her face plastered over it.
She was of course wondering how everything with her brother and Ashlynn was going. She knew that the two of them were in love with each other, but she also knew that there was a slight chance that Ashlynn didn't feel the same for her brother. She knew that they were in love with each other, but she couldn't help but think a little negatively. Even through all of those thoughts, she could feel something in her heart, something that told her that everything was alright. She carefully stood up, as to not wake her sleeping daughter, and started heading toward the kitchen for a glass of water. In that moment, Blake and Ashlynn walked through the door, both laughing loudly at some joke. However, as soon as Blake noticed his sleeping niece, he quickly quieted down, pushing Ashlynn toward the kitchen.
"There you are, I was growing worried...are you two...you know?"
"Mhmm, we're officially dating. Sorry about that sis, we had a bit of a quick lunch date, I got Ashlynn to eat a burger for the first time in almost seven years." Blake said.
"Really? How was it?"
"Pretty damn good, made me almost quit being a vegetarian...almost. I wanna thank you Raven...that conversation we had earlier...it helped me think about everything. On the way to meet Blake, I thought it over...and you were right."
"I was? I mean...pfft, yeah...I was right." she said, a proud smile on her face.
"So, I take it you gave her a push in the right direction?"
"More like into your arms...but yeah, I did. Seriously, I hope you two are happy together. After everything that's happened to the two of you, you deserve happiness." Raven said, hugging the two.
"Momma, I'm hungry." Zelda cried, bringing their attention to the groggy little girl, who stood at the kitchen entrance, rubbing her eyes. Raven sighed, releasing her embrace on her brother and friend, turning to face her daughter.
"What would you like sweetie? I'll make you whatever you want."
"Chocolate cake!" she cried happily.
"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich it is. I'll have that ready for you in a couple minutes, don't worry, I'll cut the crusts off. Just how you like it." she said, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. She looked a little mad, but settled with the sandwich her mother offered.
"Wonder where she gets that sweet tooth from." Ashlynn said, glancing at the ceiling.
"Well, it isn't from Dexter, he doesn't like chocolate that much. It definitely comes from Raven, she's the only one who ate chocolate coated fried pickles when she was pregnant."
"What? Those cravings were insane, try having a kid with magic powers and have that shit go haywire. The cravings hit you like the Titanic hit that iceberg." she young mother replied, grabbing the peanut butter and jelly jars from the pantry.
"Oh...I hope I don't have weird cravings when I have a baby...what other things do you get?"
"Mood swings, morning sickness, atomic blasts from Satan's asshole, the weird cravings obviously." Blake replied.
"What was that third one?" Ashlynn said, earning a chuckle from the boy.
"Stinky farts, you ever smell pregnant lady farts? Jesus Fucking Christ, it's the worse thing possible. Not as bad as her water breaking in an ice cream parlor." he replied. A blue ball of magic struck the boy in the face, fading out of existence a second or two later. Glancing up at his sister, he could see she was blazing mad, her hair moving slightly with her magic power.
"Okay...the line was crossed, time to jump back over it. Let's go watch a movie, how about Pokemon 4Ever?"
"What's up with you suggesting sad movies to me? Really, it's like you want me to cry." Ashlynn snapped, giving him her annoyed look, which made he flush a bit.
"Sorry...if the movie makes you cry, then I can hold you until you feel better. That was once of the perks." he admitted, lowering his gaze a bit. She lifted his head slightly, pressing her lips against his, giving him a firm loving kiss.
"Alright, I guess that is a good reason."
"Auntie Lynn, why did you kiss Uncle Blake? Are you two like momma and poppa?" Zelda asked, causing the two to share a look.
"Um...when two people like each other very much...they show their love by kissing each other. I'm in love with your Uncle, so I want to show my love with a kiss...you'll understand when you are older. You'll find a nice guy, fall in love with him, and you'll want to kiss him too." Ashlynn replied, causing her to scrounge her nose.
"Ew, I think boys are icky...why would I want to kiss one?"
"You won't be saying that when you are twelve and in middle school." Blake said, earning a jab to he side from Raven.
"Easy there tiger, you fill her mind with filth and I will cut you. I'm pregnant again, so the moon swings will be back, and you know what happens when a pissed off pregnant sorceress is like." she warned, her eyes flashing violet.
"Yes...yes I do...I should have built that nuclear bunker after all. There might not be any nukes here, but seriously, it would protect all of us from pissed off Raven Queen." he said, shuddering a bit.
"Do I even wanna know?" Ashlynn asked, a curious look on her face. The twins shook their heads, not wanting to go into detail. She just accepted their answer, moving toward the living room.
"Come on sweetie, wanna help me pick out a movie?"
"Sure Auntie Lynn! Can we watch South Park? They talk funny on that show!" she said, causing Ashlynn to look at Blake, who quickly rose his hands.
"It wasn't me, I don't even own any South Park on DVD, all of that stuff is on my laptop. I've only burned some episodes but I gave those to Daring for his birthday." he said.
"So...guess I'm visiting Rosabella on my way home. I've got to pack my little girl's things before I leave on that tour. I'm gonna wring out his fuckin neck for letting my little girl watch that filth."
"Raven, maybe you should start by not swearing around the kid, she's gonna pick that up." Blake said.
"No she isn't, I put an enchantment on her so she doesn't hear when you or I swear like sailors. It doesn't however, block those words when spoken through videos or television shows...thus leading me to wring Daring's neck...plus I get to see my niece and nephew as well...but still, wringing out his neck." she said, placing the knife in the sink.
"Make sure he lives, we have plans this weekend." her brother replied, watching his sister walk into the living room with her daughter's sandwich and her cup of juice.
"No promises, he might be in a magically induced coma for a few days. Anyway, we need to talk about this tour, so you know what to do while I'm gone...I'm sure you two can handle it, but Zelda has a lot of quirks you need to be prepared for."
"Oh boy...magical quirks from magical children, let me get my pen and pad." Blake said, heading toward his room. He briefly stopped to kiss Ashlynn, taking her by surprise, making her almost drop the movies in her hand. He pulled away, giving her a wink as he headed up to his room.
"Hey Ash, does my brother make you happy?" Raven asked, looking up at her friend, once she had made sure her daughter was eating her food.
"He does...I saw fireworks when I first kissed him, I didn't even see that when I was with Hunter...why do you ask?"
"Because...when he kissed you just now, the two of you were glowing gold...it was brief but...I think he really is your Prince Charming." she replied, making her smile brightly, glancing toward the stairs where the young man had disappeared.
"I think you're right...I feel that way too."