Gwen heard a knock on the door and went to answer it, hoping that it wasn't Declan because Mikael was home and she really couldn't deal with the two of them being in the same house. She was very relieved to find that it was Rebecca instead, at least for a little while.
"I'm not staying very long," Rebecca told her quickly. "I just came to tell you that after that spectacle I made of myself when I met Declan, I realized that Eli doesn't deserve that. I've decided to leave him so he can be with someone else, cause he deserves to be with someone who can commit to him, you know? And I just…after all that's happened, I don't think I can. I've hurt him much more than he deserves to be hurt, even though he's too much of a gentleman to admit it."
"Are you pregnant?" Gwen asked.
"No!" Rebecca cried, moving to sit down cause she felt a little dizzy. " Or at least I don't think so. And even if I was, that'd just be another reason for me to leave. Eli shouldn't have to feel obligated to take care of a kid at his age. I have a place set up to live, and you know my number. And please," Rebecca finished, "Please don't tell Eli where I've gone, okay, Mother?"
"All right," Gwen sighed. "But I really don't think the answer is to run away. And what will I tell Robbie?"
"Oh, I'm sure he won't even care that I'm going," Rebecca replied. "Just, if you can, make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."
"I'll try, but you know how difficult he is to handle," Gwen replied. "He is exactly why, if you are pregnant, the child should be raised with their father around."
"I get what you're saying," Rebecca assured her. "I do. I promise. But it's not as simple as that. Just let me do what I need to do, even if you think it's stupid."
"Fine," Gwen replied. "You go ahead and go. Luckily for me, I have enough going on around here to occupy my time so I don't dwell on what a stupid choice you're making."
"Good," Rebecca nodded. "Goodbye, Mother."
She left then, and when she was gone, Gwen shut the door and sighed. She'd really hoped that Eli would be the one to rein in her wayward daughter, but apparently not. Whatever had happened to them, it was bad.
"What just happened to you, Gwendolyn?" Mikael asked, coming into the living room and noticing her tired expression. "Was Rebecca just here?"
"Yes, but only to tell me that she's decided to leave Eli," Gwen said. "And on top of that, I think she might be pregnant. I swear. You try and raise children who will just be normal and get married or live their lives in a way that doesn't make you have to constantly worry about whether or not they're happy, and it never works." She sighed. "Do something foolish to distract me, please."
"Why do you assume that it needs to be something foolish?" Mikael asked, feeling offended. "Wouldn't going to bed be just as effective of a way to distract you as me making a fool of myself?"
"No," Gwen shook her head. "Not really."
But before Mikael could say another word, the back door opened and Declan called out, "Gwen, I'm here! Are you busy?"
"What is he doing here?" Mikael snarled. "And did he come in with a key? Why did you give him a key?"
"Cause I thought he should have one," Gwen replied. "It makes it easier for him to come and visit."
Then, another voice called out. "Grandpa, I came with Declan too, so you don't have to be freaked out about having a total stranger in your house."
"See, there you go," Gwen smiled. "Regina is here too."
Mikael glared at Gwen and then went to see Regina as she and Declan removed their coats. "I was wondering if you'd come over to your parents' house with me while your…friend and Gwen have their little chat." He said.
"If this is about me giving up Declan, you two need to give that a rest," Regina said. "I have no interest in seeing anybody else."
"I don't know if that's possible," Mikael replied, crossing his arms and frowning. "Your father and I are very concerned about your relationship with this young man. Your father told me what he saw you two doing when he came to your house."
"So what?" Regina wanted to know. "That's just how our relationship works. We both find pain a turn on. And we take care of each other after. It's not like we just hurt each other and leave it at that."
"Even so," Mikael replied. "Think of your lineage. You have a bloodline to uphold and you can't really do that if you marry someone like that boy."
"You know, since he's Aunt Gwen's kid, you're really badmouthing her and saying that she's not good enough for you," Regina pointed out.
"No, I'm not!" Mikael replied. "It's not the same thing."
"Yes it is," Regina replied. "Now you and Dad find some way to accept Declan, or I don't think we'll be seeing each other much anymore," Regina said. "Cause if you want me to pick between him and you, I'll pick him every time."
"It seems like we've reached an impasse," Mikael told Kol tiredly. "Regina says that we have no choice but to accept Declan into our lives, otherwise she's gonna run off with him."
"And you're just accepting that?" Kol asked in amazement. "Who are you and what have you done with my father?"
"Well, if it were just about Regina, then of course I would fight a bit more, but Gwendolyn feels the same way, and I don't want to lose both of them," Mikael admitted.
"Wow, after a thousand years you finally found a woman you can't control, yet you still want her in your life," Kol smiled. "Interesting."
"Don't dwell on it!" Mikael snapped. "That doesn't help! So…what should we do about this Declan issue?"
"Killing him is off the table now?" Kol asked.
"Well, maybe not," Mikael replied. "I think I just got an idea: What if I challenge him to a duel? If he wins, he can stay with Regina and you and I won't complain about it. But if I win, he and Regina will have to separate."
"I don't know if that's gonna work," Kol replied. "And why is you who gets to fight him? Regina's my daughter!"
"Okay so we'll both fight him," Mikael said. "It's only fair. I mean, the boy does have magic and we don't."
"So you're actually gonna go through with this?" Kol asked, just to be sure he was hearing correctly.
"Why not?" Mikael smiled. "We can make a party out of it. It will be grand."
"So, let me get this straight," Declan said to Gwen. "Your husband wants to duel me, and if I win, he'll leave Regina and me alone?"
"Actually, it's both Regina's father and my husband, but yes," Gwen nodded. "They're very determined to see you go, apparently."
"I guess," Declan nodded. "So what should I do? I don't know how to duel at all!"
"Well, then you cheat!" Gwen replied. "I mean, Kol and Mikael are fighting you two against one, so it's only fair you use your powers to crush them like little bugs." She laughed. "I can't wait to see the look on my husband's face after he's defeated."
"I don't know if I feel quite right about this," Declan told her. "It doesn't seem very fair."
"Well, you can either use your powers and kick their asses, or not use your powers, and die," Gwen told him. "Cause they won't hesitate to kill you if they can. What's fair is not a factor here. You should be more worried about keeping yourself alive."
"Fine, I'll cheat," Declan replied. "But that doesn't mean I'll win."
"But you might," Gwen replied. "Think of it that way instead. And if you win, Mikael's promised that he won't bother you and Regina again. If you don't want to fight for yourself, fight for the woman you love."
"All right," Declan nodded. "That I can do."
The duel was set for two days later, and on the morning of it, Regina was really reluctant to let Declan get out of bed. "You don't have to do this nonsense with my father and my grandfather," she told him. "Just skip it. What will it hurt?"
"Gwen said that if I win this duel, your father and grandfather will stop hounding us," Declan told her. "I have to do it."
"Okay," Regina replied, letting him go so he could get out of bed and dress. "But you better win. I don't want to see you die."
"I can't make any promises," Declan replied. "But I'll try my best." He got dressed and then, after Telling Regina what time the duel was, went to the basement to practice with his sword. His skills were still woefully inadequate, but as his mother pointed out, he had magic to make up for where skill failed him. After a few minutes, he put the sword down and headed over to Mikael and Gwen's, where the backyard was decorated as if for a party and Gwen sat at a table on the lawn with a plate of sandwiches.
"Well, isn't this festive?" He said to Gwen dryly.
"Yeah, it was all Mikael's idea." She pushed the plate toward Declan. "Sandwich?"
"No thanks," Declan shook his head as he saw Regina come into the yard and take a seat next to Gwen. "I just want to get this mess over with as soon as possible."
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Kol and Mikael came into the yard, smirking and laughing as they handed Declan his sword and the weight of it made him fall face first to the ground. But he didn't stay down for long. Wiping dirt off his clothes and face the best he could, he got to his feet as Mikael counted down from three and proclaimed the start of the duel.
It didn't start out well. Kol and Mikael went after him with a vengeance as Gwen and Regina tried to shout encouraging things to him from the sidelines. It was only after Kol's sword knocked him to the ground and he scrambled to his feet that his mind cleared and he was able to get his bearings. He stood up, bewitched his sword, and sent it flying after both Mikael and Kol who took off running as they yelled about what a cheater he was. Finally, his bewitched sword sliced open both their shoulders, and as they fell to the ground, Declan pinned them both, his knees in their chests, to keep them there. "Looks like I win," he said as Regina and Gwen cheered. "I hope we'll have many civil family holidays from now on. Then, he left them on the ground and went to accept a sandwich from his mother, and a kiss from Regina and bask in the fact that he had won, and Kol and Mikael had lost. After they got to their feet, they decided to go kill Doctor Vladimir since they could no longer go after him. He hoped they were successful. Having the doctor gone would be no real loss to the world and better for everyone in the long run.
"So, how are you feeling?" Gwen asked Mikael that night as she put cream on her face. "Is everything okay?"
"Did you tell Declan to cheat?" Mikael asked her.
"Well, yes," Gwen nodded. "But really, don't expect me to feel bad. You and Kol were fighting him two against one. That's not fair, is it?"
"I realize he's your son, but I just…I don't like him," Mikael said. "Don't you get that?"
"I understand," Gwen replied, coming in to join him in bed and putting her arms around him. "I'm not asking you to be chummy with him, or kind. I just want you to be civil. Kol too. You think you can do that?"
"Fine," Mikael said. "I have no other choice. As long as he doesn't pick fights with me, I won't go out of my way to pick fights with him."
"Good," Gwen replied and kissed his cheek before lying back down and facing away from him. "That's all I ask."
"Now just a minute!" Mikael cried, turning her back around to face him like she knew he would, so she was grinning. "You can't just give me one little kiss and call it a night."
"Oh, all right," Gwen sighed. "I guess you have had a hard day."
"You're damn right I have!" Mikael exclaimed before Gwen shut him up with a kiss and ran her hands over his body. He let out a moan and with great speed flipped her over so she was underneath him before pushing into her and giving her neck a little nibble.
"What are you doing?" Vivi asked as she came into the attic when she got done with her after-school tutoring job and found King with a firm grip on their daughter as he ran with her around the room as if she were a super hero.
"Just practicing," King replied. "She's gonna start showing her powers soon and I want to make sure we're prepared when she flies around the room."
"You don't know that she's gonna do that," Vivi replied. "Be careful and don't drop her. She's just a little baby!"
"I know that," King replied, changing position to hold her normally. "There's no harm in letting her have a little fun, is there?" He paused. "And I'd say the same for you, too. Next date night, we're going out!"
"Well, all right," Vivi replied. "Out is good." She then took Eva from King and sat down with her as she opened her mouth and began wailing. "You see?" She told King gently. "This is why you can't get her worked up too much. Her little self can't handle it."
"Sorry," King replied.
"Oh, it's all right," Vivi told him. "I can fix it." She cuddled Eva a little longer and once she'd calmed, put her to bed. Then, she went calm King who still looked very distressed about distressing his daughter.
"Don't beat yourself up," Vivi told him, giving him a hug. "You didn't know. You just wanted her to have fun."
"I can't parent," King sighed and sat down in the rocking chair. "Do you think I should just give up?"
"No!" Vivi replied. "Just give it a few months. Once she's moving around, she'll be better suited for the sort of stuff you wanna do with her. And I bet when she's a toddler, she'll hardly want anything to do with me at all cause you'll be more fun!"
"You always know what to say," King replied, breathing in the scent of her hair as she massaged his back with circular motions of her palm. "You take care of me."
"Why don't you go out and hunt?" Vivi suggested. "You've been cooped up here, and it'll make you feel better."
"Are you sure you can handle things by yourself?" King asked.
"Yes," Vivi nodded. "Go ahead and go, please?"
"All right, I will," King replied and gave her a kiss. "But I'll be back soon, I promise."