The Other Half

"Mama!"

"Rose!"

Jaina caught her daughter and lifted her bodily into the air, twirling her around, "Rose, my little girl!" she placed her down, smiling, putting a teasing hand to her back, "Ouch, not so little any more! Remind me never to do that again! You must be at least six foot already!"

"Am not!

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!" she turned, laughing, and caught sight of her second child, "Mattie! What, you too old for a hug from your long-lost mother?! Get over here!"

She wrenched him over to her and smothered him in a hug, placing kisses wherever she could reach, despite his wriggling protests.

"Aw, mum! Cut it out." Mattie managed to squirm away and wiped his cheek, ferociously, "That's gross..."

She felt a grin slide onto her face, "Yeah yeah, honey, you keep telling yourself that." She lowered her voiced, adding in an undertone: "'Cause it's not gunna last long..."

"Hey guys." Michael said, smiling slightly.

"Daddy!" Rose ran up to him, pulling him down into a hug.

"Hey dad." Mattie replied before dumping his bag down at the door.

"Mattie, what have I told you, don't just dump that there, put it away!"

The young boy scowled, but shook his head, and did as he was told.

Jaina watched the display with a wide smile on her face, "So, what you two do at school today, anyway?"

"I drew a picture, wanna see?"

"Hell yeah I do, let's see it."

Michael got there first, looking at the picture over her shoulder, "Oh, it's mummy!"

"Uh-huh!" the girl replied, proudly.

'Mummy' walked over, taking her first glance. She raised an eyebrow at the scribbled blue lines forming what she thought looked like a hurricane wearing a hat and smiled, delighted, "Rose Marie, that's fantastic! Thank you, honey, this is amazing!" she caught Mattie by the shoulder just before he managed to sneak upstairs, "And how about you, kiddo, what you learn at school today?"

He shrugged, nonchalantly, as only an eleven-year-old truly can, "I can spell 'purchase'."

"Let's hear it, then."

"P-U-R-C-H-A-S-E. Purchase."

"Very good. Okay, another one, how about... exercise." She had picked a difficult one on purpose, and wondered how he'd do with it.

"E-X... E-R... C-I-S-E."

"Well done!" she replied, genuinely impressed, "Okay, how about... omission."

"O-M-" he paused for a moment, running it through, "O-M-I-S-H-O-N."

"Very close. And very good, Mattie, well done! Keep at it, yeah?"

"Uh-huh." Mattie dragged his jacket off his shoulders, and, after a firm look from his father, grudgingly went to hang it up. In doing so, he noticed her holster strapped up on the high shelf, "Aw, mum, you got a new gun! Can I have a go, pleeeease?"

She laughed, shooting the Enforcer a quick look to make sure the safety was on and it was still out of his ever-growing reach, "Not a chance. Give it a few years and sure, but, at the moment, that thing's likely to take your shoulder outta place. It's a little too big, sweetie."

Michael shook his head, "Mattie, go try with the one on the fireplace, that one's fine." Blade shot him a questioning look - clearly saying 'what the hell, Michael, that's a Master Flintlock rifle, don't you know the damage that thing could do?', and he smiled, "Took the ammo out of that one as soon as Rose started to walk. She was a nightmare..."

She laughed, but still felt keenly the sense of regret inside of her. Regret at all these precious moments missed. She shook her head, ridding herself of the thought, and then turned to her family, "Right, guys, listen up! Mama's got a bit of an announcement."

They looked at her, obediently, and she took in a long, slow breath, "Today... I've got something very important to do. To do with my work. You understand?"

"Hero stuff, mama?" Rose asked, her ears perking up at any talk about what she did on her long nights away.

She laughed, "Yeah. Hero stuff. There's..." her voice sobered slightly, but she kept it forcefully light: "There's a very bad man I've got to go see. I've got to go see him to make sure he stops doing bad things. Do you understand?"

"You're gunna go kick his ass, mum?"

"Watch your mouth, young man!" then she shook her head, "But yes, yes, I suppose I am."

The kids laughed and Michael gave a small playful frown, "You're all as bad as each other..."

Jaina shot him a smile, and then shook her head, "What I was saying, was that I might not be back for a bit. This might take some time. You might not see me for a few weeks."

"Aw, mum!" Rose Marie protested, "That's, like, forever!"

"No, honey, it's not, believe me. It won't be too long, sweetheart, I promise."

"When you going?" Mattie asked, suppressing his concern in that way young boys did.

"Pretty soon-ish, I'm afraid. I just popped back to see you guys, but soon I've really gotta be off."

"Okay, well, see you later, then."

She raised an eyebrow, "You know I'm not gunna let you off that lightly. Get here."

He moved forwards, reluctantly, and she grabbed him, pulling him into a hug. She didn't push it, however, and pulled back quickly, "Look what I got for ya."

"Oh, wow, mum!"

He took the toy gun with a delight any child could manage, but also a consideration accessible only by the child of a Hero, "What's the range?"

"I have to say I haven't tried it out yet. Go on, go out in the back yard and test it for me. And Rose, here's one for you, go on."

"Thanks mum!"

"Thanks mum!"

She smiled, "I'll see you guys in a few weeks, okay?" Rose Marie pulled her down into a hug, and Jaina pulled her close before releasing her, "Gunna miss you, kiddo."

"Me too, mama."

"You better. Now, go on, off you go. Go play."

The two kids ran off out into the garden, already arguing about whose pistol they thought would shoot the furthest.

Jaina watched them for a few moments, smiling. Michael came up to her, putting an arm round her hips, "Mattie inherited your intellect."

"Yeah, and, unfortunately for her, Rose Marie got my artistic side..."

He laughed, shaking his head, "Well, that's good, here was I think she had got mine."

Jaina shook her head, smiling, turning back to the shelf, reaching up to retrieve her holster. Michael let his hand slide down her back until he wasn't touching her back at all, and she corrected him with a playful slap.

He smiled and retreated, hands up. He watched her for a few seconds, and then shook his head, "You're gunna be okay, right?"

She smiled, "What, are you joking? I'm the Fourth Hero! Master of all three Heroic Outlooks - Strength, Skill and Will! I'm the Hero of Bowerstone, huzzah!" he laughed, and she shook her head, smiling, "Though, technically, I'm not actually from Bowerstone, I was born somewhere outside the border. But 'the Hero of Not-Actually-Bowerstone-Somewhere-Outside-the-Bowerstone-Border' probably doesn't have as much of a ring to it..."

"Yep, I'll agree with that. But you are going to be okay, aren't you."

She turned to him. She paused for a moment, looking at him, and then shook her head, kissing him softly on the lips. "You really think anything could take me away from you?" she asked, gently, "You're stuck with me, mister."

He gave a low, mocking sigh, "Yeah. Yeah, I am, aren't I?"

"Yep. Now come help me with this damned thing, will you?"

He smiled and immediately moved forwards, helping her attach her back holster. She shrugged the straps over her shoulders and waited patiently as he clipped the buckle and adjusted the tightness, "That alright?"

"Yeah, thanks." She tested the tension, yanking out her Daichi to see if the holster allowed her the correct amount of manoeuvrability. It did. She nodded, satisfied, and then picked up her pack, slinging it over her neck so it hung by her hip, out of the way of her blade.

Michael was watching her, smiling again, "Ready? I mean, in your own time, of course..."

"Yes, exactly in my own time!" Jaina replied, shaking her head, "I'll take as long as I need to - it's a woman's prerogative!"

His smile grew and he shook his head. She turned, heading towards the door, pulling it open, moving out onto the step, "There, that better?"

"Much."

She looked at him for a second. Then she shook her head, "I love you."

He smiled, "I know."

Jaina raised an eyebrow, "Still not done enough to earn it yet, then?"

He shook his head, smiling again, "Nope."

"Oh, come on!" he laughed and she hit him playfully on the shoulder, "Say it! Just once, c'mon, please? See? I'm begging now. Please?"

"Oh, alright, fine." He rolled his eyes, teasingly, "I love you. Satisfied?"

"Well, I'd say about eighty percent. But I'll guess that'll have to do."

He leaned closer to her ear, "Swing round again after all this is done with and we'll see if we can roll it up to a hundred."

She blushed despite herself and he laughed again, shaking his head and giving her a slight push out the door, "Go on then, Hero. Go fulfil your destiny..."

"Yeah, just promise not to turn into Theresa when I do!" she took the steps, easily. She stopped at the bottom, turning back to him, a playful smile tugging at her lips, "Wish me luck!"

"Yeah, yeah, honey. See you later."

She laughed, a grin sliding over her face, and then shook her head and turned her back, "I love you!"

He shook his head, "Yeah, whatever, now get outta here!"

She blew him a mocking kiss and turned, following the path, the sound of her husband's laughter following her down the streets.