Caleb gone south Chapter 10: Julian and Nerissa's song, a w.i.t.c.h. fanfic

Julian and Nerissa's Song

Nerissa was back in the volcanic caves of Meriden contemplating her next move. She had lost any chance at getting the Heart of Earth. Now that the Guardians were powered by two Hearts she would need a third to increase her powers in her fight against them. So it was time to figure out where to strike next. If only she could focus! The past few days had left her on edge and she was having difficulty concentrating on anything. Especially today for some reason, but she couldn't remember why. "Why, why can't I focus? What is so important about today's date that is making it impossible for me to do the simplest of things?"

"Mom is it okay if I come in?" Caleb asked nervously from the doorway. He knew his mother wasn't feeling well and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wraith.

"Caleb honey of course you can come in. Please sit sorry about the mess. I was never much of a neat freak," she told him as cleared some space on her rock furniture. Her heart swelled with pride each time she saw him. Nearly losing him was the scariest thing she had ever faced. She didn't know what she would have done if he had died. "So what's troubling you Caleb? You haven't said much since we got back from Earth."

"I'm fine really. I'm still astonished that Cornelia's sister Lillian was the Heart of Earth. I mean stranger things have happened like finding out my dad married a former Guardian."

"That's what's been nagging at me all day! It's mine and Julian's anniversary! Oh how could I possibly forget something as important as that?" Nerissa exclaimed as glanced down at the small gold wedding band on her finger. It had cost Julian everything to get it for her and she never removed it. No matter how many years passed she never had forgotten her wedding date until now. "I can't believe this will be the first anniversary I'll celebrate without him."

"You know Mom I really don't know much about your relationship with Dad. All I know is you two fell in love and had me. I would love to learn more about your past relationship if you're willing to tell me. Please?"

"Get comfortable Caleb this is going to take some time to tell and it's going to be hard at times. Try not to interrupt or ask too many questions until I'm done. I first met your father a year after I took over as the Mage. Even then I was already planning my triumph return and those plans didn't include falling in love. Still when I first met your father my heart filled with joy and I could hear our song already playing," Nerissa began to narrate as got a dreamy far off look in her eyes.

(Julian and Nerissa's song is At The Beginning.)

We were strangers starting out on a journey. Never dreaming what we have to go through. Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing. At the beginning with you.

Nerissa laid the flowers at the base of the grave. It had been nearly a year since the passing of her friend. She would always remember the Mage's kindness and love as she tried to get her to see the big picture. Since her passing Nerissa had take on the appearance of the Mage to aid the Meridianites. She sensed troubling times ahead if that evil Prince Phoebus took power before his newborn sister grew up. If that happened the people of this world would need to rely on her for the needs to save the kingdom and that would eventually lead her to taking its Heart.

She had just left the clearing when she heard a twig snap behind her. Whirling around she prepared to attack with all the magic she possessed. A shadowy figure emerged from the thicket and she was about to blast it to oblivion when a loud and masculine voice cried out "Please don't!" The figure stepped into the light and Nerissa gasped softly. Standing before her was the most handsome gentleman she had ever laid eyes on. "Please great Mage, don't attack me. I mean you no harm. My name is Julian and I'm with the Rebellion. I'm looking for a place to build a shelter for us in times of trouble. If you would assist me I'm sure that my mission would be a success."

"Rebellion? Then the rumors are true. Phoebus has killed his parents and taken the throne for himself. What of the newborn princess? Does she still live or has the prince taken her power for himself?"

"The princess has been spirited away to Earth until she is ready to reclaim her throne. I fear for our world in her absence. If you would help me in our fight against him I'm sure we can defeat Phoebus before he grows too powerful."

"I would be honored to assist such a great warrior like yourself Julian. Come I know the perfect place to make your rebel base in. The Infinite City has many secrets and it is so vast Phoebus will never find you in it," she told him opening a secret passage to the vast city. As she guided the young man down the steps a thrill went throughout her body. She had feeling she would be seeing more of Julian in the days to come.

Julian at that moment was gazing out at the skies as the dawn was about to grace it sweet sunrays of hope that their kingdom so desperately needed at the moment in time. It'd look like it'd be a beautiful day indeed. Just as it been when he and Nerissa had become man and wife. He gazed his wearisome eyes on the gold band he wore. Thinking back to the day he met the woman of his dreams.

No one told me I was going to find you. Unexpected what you did do my heart. When I lost hope you were there to remind me this is the start.

He was running as swiftly yet not nearly as nimbly as a deer all the way through the thick underbrush. The Rebellion had just archived a small victory in the battle with the heartless in addition to merciless Prince Phoebus. He wanted to share the good news with the Mage. He had been courting the enchanting woman for a few months now.

He found her at their spot the old willow by the lake just off Mackenzie Falls. She seemed to eagerly awaiting his arrival. Yet she was very upset when she saw the huge gash on his forehead.

"Oh Julies, my love what happened?!" she cried with concern coating her lovely voice. She began to examine him as if he were a small child injured in a schoolyard scuffle.

"It's nothing really. I'm fine," he lied to her not wanting her to worry too much. He was very woozy and had lost a good amount of blood.

"You are most certainly not fine!"

Before he could reply he fainted before her from the sheer exhaustion of the battle he had just fought. He didn't feel her carry him to her domicile or know the long hours she stayed and tended to him. He knew nothing till he awoke a week later and she had prepared some kinda of a broth for him.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Julian! You hear me. I can't image how life would be without you here to make me feel alive. It so lonely in the city that has no end," she confessed as she spoon feed him.

"You've a good heart, my love. Take care of it or it will be stolen from you," he said with a weak chuckle as she wiped his chin.

"I believe it's already been stolen. By a very dashing scoundrel who is quite a charmer," she told him as they kissed passionately in the soft amber glow of candles.

Feeling his forehead for the small scar, a lasting a reminder of that battle. He had successful lead a small band of rebels in a raid to get much need medicine and food from the evil prince. He had gone toe to toe with Lord Cedric who had clawed him up as he kept that snake distracted so they could make out the medicine alive.

He looked once again at the sky thinking about Nerissa as she was thinking of him at the same time. Both of them were looking at the same sky thinking of the other at the same time.

And life is a road and I want to keep going. Love is a river and I want to keep flowing. Now and forever a wonderful journey. I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I want to be at the beginning with you.

Nerissa eyes teared up as she recalled how scared she was when she nearly lost Julian. She had come to treasure their moments together and her anger about her imprisonment and the loss of Cassidy was eased by each passing day. For awhile she even forgot her plans to make a new universal order. Those thoughts had been completely driven from her mind the day Julian had proposed.

Nerissa was waiting anxiously by Mackenzie Falls for Julian to come. It had been ten months since they first met and those months had been the best months of her life. Not only had she been able to greatly assist the Rebels as the Mage, but she had come up with a new disguise as Trill a pleasant woman who worked in the kitchens. From there she was able to gather information about Phoebus and give it to Julian. It was exhausting at times being two people, but she managed it well. Suddenly she heard the bushes rustle and her heart sang when she saw Julian emerge carrying flowers for her. "JULIAN! I was so worried you weren't coming!"

"Are you kidding Mage? Not even rampaging Hermanuda beasts could keep me away from you. I love you to much Mage. I love you so much that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. What I'm trying to say is," he said kneeling in front of her and showing her a small silver band with a small emerald and diamond cluster on it, "Mage will you do the honor of being my wife?"

"Oh Julian of course I will! Just think it two months from now will be wed!" She exclaimed as he slipped the beautiful piece of jewelry on her finger. All thoughts of universal domination were banished from her thoughts as she started planning her wedding.

Blunk had just returned from getting some breakfast from the kitchen when he noticed Julian by himself. "Oh Caleb's dad looks sad. Maybe Blunk can cheer him up! Hello Caleb's dad how are you doing today?"

"Oh hi Blunk I'm doing fine. How have you been I haven't seen you in awhile. Where have you been?"

"Blunk visit mama to make sure she's doing okay. Oh Blunk sorry, mention of mama must make you think of Nerissa and Caleb."

"It's okay Blunk really. Actually I've never stopped thinking about them since this whole mess started. Especially today of all days. You see eighteen years ago on this very day I was married to Nerissa. It was the happiest day of my life. I remember it as clearly as if was yesterday.

We were strangers on a crazy adventure. Never dreaming how our dreams would come true. Now here we are unafraid of the future. At the beginning with you.

Today was a perfect day to get married. The sun was shining brightly, there was a gentle breeze and the flowers were starting to bloom. Julian was dressed in his armor while his bride to be had chosen to wear a pure white robe and a crown of fresh flowers with a short veil. The only other people here were the priest and their single witness a female Passling named Belva (Blunk's Mama!) both sworn to secrecy to what was about to happen. "You may begin."

"Yes of course this highly unusual. Still I'm bound by my oath to perform the ceremony. Dearly beloved we are gathered here to join this man and this woman together in holy matrimony. Marriage is a sacred trust one built on both love and trust. By binding you together you have both sworn to love another for all time no matter what troubles arise and never betray the other. Do you both feel you can handle this responsibility?" the priest asked while trying to ignore the sounds of Belva crying.

"We do. Please continue," Nerissa encouraged gently. Inside she it felt like a million butterflies were trying to escape. Never in all her life had had had she been so scared yet at the same time excited about something important like this.

"Very well do you have the rings? Very well place them on each other's fingers and repeat after me. I solemnly swear to love, honor, and cherish you for the rest of my life. In sickness, health, rich or poor I will chose no other and remain loyal for all time."

Both of them repeated the vow and the priest pronounced them husband and wife. When he told them they could kiss the whole world faded away and nothing else mattered. The wind chose that moment to blow through the trees causing a shower of blossoms to cascade down on them. It was the happiest moment of their lives.

When Blunk heard Julian's account of past events he was stunned to learn his mama had been there witness. She had mentioned once she had watched a wedding, but she never told him to whom! "That sounds very pretty. Make Blunk cry."

At the volcano Caleb was also crying. Hearing about his parent's wedding day was amazing. He had never in a million years pictured anything more beautiful. "So what happened next? I mean how long were you married before I came along?"

"After are wedding things on Meriden steadily got worse. Your father was away far more often then I liked so the only time I saw him was when I was smuggling information from the castle as Trill or when I was assisting the Rebels as the Mage. When we surrounded by others we couldn't reveal our relationship. Still we managed to find some time to be alone and it was about four months into our marriage that I discovered I was one month pregnant. I can still remember when I told your father.

She was waiting impatiently alone in her lonely room deep within the well named infinite city below Meridian. Where was he? Why was he gone so long? She prayed silently that nothing had befallen her husband, especially not now. She began to pace wearing a path in the old cracked stones beneath her feet.

"Julies we are you beloved? I've not see your handsome face in almost a month! I need your breath to revitalize my dried lips and your soothing touch at my fingertips to calm the fury of the storm within me. Please come, I need you now," she whispered to herself as a starry colored bead of moisture descended from her eyes and hit the dirty floor beneath her feet.

"Please don't cry my sweet angel, I've returned at long last!" he said as he held out a bouquet of Meriden Roes out to his wife. Wiping her tears from her eyes they kissed for a long time as if forgetting they needed air to breath.

"Oh Julies, when you hold me in your strong arms I feel as if I at last found a sanctuary where no evil or pain can defile and break a person heart," she told them as they curled up by the magical glow of the copper flames. She played with his sweet chocolate locks playful as they nibbled on some strawberries that he'd gotten from the red head woman Trill.

At last she told him the good news, "Julian you've done so many miracles for me and our home. Now you've done the greatest miracle there is,' she told him cryptically.

"What do you mean my love?" he asked her confused by the way she was smiling. She gently took his hand and placed over her stomach and kissed it.

"You're going to be a father, my beloved. I'm with child."

For a moment neither spoke then he said at last, "You sure, my love?"

Nodding they both kissed happily and began discuses their unborn child future as the glow of the copper flames slowly died away leaving them in the cloak of magical ebony darkness.

"Your father was ecstatic at the thought of becoming a father and I couldn't have been happier. It seemed like I had out witted the Oracle's punishment. Here I was on Meridian making a difference against the forces of evil with a wonderful man and to think soon I would have a little baby of my own to raise. It was exciting times," Nerissa told Caleb.

Julian had just told Blunk about the night when he first learned he was going to be a father. How happy he was and scared at the prospect. "I didn't know what to think at first. Of course I had always dreamed of becoming a father, but I was worried about Nerissa. How would she be able to handle being pregnant and being part of the Rebellion? I also worried about the future for our child and wondered what kind of life was in store for him."

Knew there was somebody somewhere. I looked in the dark. Now I know my dreams will live on. I've been waiting so long. Nothing is going to tear us apart.

"Please love you need to rest! You shouldn't be working so hard not in your condition. Do you want to lose the baby?" Julian scolded her as he helped his six month pregnant wife to bed. The past few months had been difficult time for both of them. Fighting Phoebus took a lot of energy from both of them and trying to hide the Mage's pregnancy from the rest of the rebellion was getting harder to do.

"Julian please calm down. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Nothing is going to harm me or our child I assure you. Right now we need to continue our discussion from last night. How are we going to explain to the rebellion how you came to be a father when as far as they are concerned you have no wife."

"I know I'm still trying to think of something. I can't tell them the truth about us. If the Rebellion found out they might lose faith in us and if Phoebus ever learned about the identity of the mother of my child he might become a target. No it will be safer to keep your identity a secret. I just wonder how were going to raise the baby in these troubling times," Julian admitted.

"Will think of something my love we always do. Our son and don't argue with me I'm sure it's a boy will be a strong and powerful lad. He will be a great leader like his father. Who knows he might be the key to putting an end to Phoebus reign of terror. Our little Rebel Leader," Nerissa whispered stroking her bloated abdomen. She wondered if her son would posses the same powers she had as a Guardian. If he did then he would be a force to reckon with.

"When I think back that day I have to wonder if that's when Nerissa started thinking about using Caleb in her plans to conquer the universe. She had to know that there was a chance he inherited her powers. Still deep in my heart I know that she loved the thought about being mothers more then the idea of become the Queen of the Universe. Don't ask me why Blunk, but I don't think Caleb was originally meant to be her pawn in restoring the Heart of Meriden to her proper place."

"Blunk agree with Caleb's dad. Blunk's Mama talks about bond between her and Blunkiboo. Maybe there's a bond like that between Caleb and Nerissa?" Blunk suggested.

"I would certainly think so Blunk. Especially after the all the horror time she had giving birth."

"What happened on the day of my birth? How long did I stay with you after I was born?" Caleb questioned.

"Giving birth to you was the most difficult thing I've ever done. While there's much about Meridian I love the lack of medical technology and hospitals is something I could do without. Had I given birth to you on Earth I don't think I would have nearly lost you during labor."

"Ahh man it hurts so much! Julian you have to help me please!" Nerissa screamed as another contraction hit her. She was sweating profoundly and she was exhausted after nearly nine hours of labor. Her water had broken that morning and since then she had been trying to give birth to her son, but something wasn't right. So far she had been pushing, but the baby hadn't come. Instead blood had been pouring out.

"Stay strong love please! I'm sure the healer will be here soon. Oh there so much blood. Can you still sense if the baby is alive?" Julian asked her hurriedly doing his best to clean up the blood and encouraged her to push. He couldn't bear the thought if he lost both his wife and unborn child.

"We can't wait for the Healer Julian I've lost to much blood. If you don't get this baby out of me within the next few moments were both going to die! You have no choice you have to cut me open and remove the baby yourself!" she screamed as another sharp pain filled her body.

"What? I can't do that! Please love you have to try to hold on just a few minutes longer," he pleaded, but one look in her eyes told him he had no choice. Nodding his head he quickly dipped his knife into some alcohol sterilizing it. Then following her instruction exactly he opened up her abdomen, cut a slit inside her uterus, and removed the baby from womb cutting the cord. The second his son started crying the magic of quintessence healed Nerissa body making it so it looked like she hadn't been given an emergency C-section. "Oh my love look at him. He's perfect. Ten little fingers and toes, a strand of brown hair and he has your eyes. Oh what should we name him?"

"Caleb, after my father. He was a strong and compassionate man and I believe our son will be just like him. Come here little one do you know who I am? I'm your mother and I'm the happiest person in the entire universe right now. You have no idea of your potential Caleb, but don't worry your father and I will make sure you realize it," Nerissa cooed as she gazed at the crying newborn in her arms. "I love you my little warrior."

"A few days after I regained my strength Julian introduced you to the Rebellion. Everyone was so happy for him and nobody questioned him about the identity of your mother. I was able to care for you for the first year of your life before I had to start distancing myself for your protection. Still those were the happiest moments of my life. I recall them often when I'm troubled."

"Sounds like you and dad loved each other very much. It must have been hard for you not being able to be with me all the time. It's nice to know I wasn't created just so I could unite the Meridianites and overthrow Phoebus. Do you ever wish that you and dad could have been a normal family?"

"All the time. There are many nights I dream about a future where there's no fighting the Guardians, no trying to conquer the universe, no stealing Hearts, just the three of us living a happy life on Meridian. It's a nice dream, but it will probably never happen."

Nerissa had no way of knowing at the same time Julian was telling Blunk the exact same thing. No matter what horrors his wife committed he still loved her and would always. Blunk was surprised at this, but thought better about asking more on the subject. After saying goodbye he left Julian alone letting him contemplate about today's meaning and wondering where in the universe his wife and son were.

Life is a road and I want to keep going. Love is a river and I want to keep flowing. Now and forever a wonderful journey. I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I want to be at the beginning with you.