~ Chapter Fifty- Seven ~

Acceptance

Rose and Brooklyn returned to the castle an hour later.

Landing carefully on the platform, Brooklyn folded his wings around his shoulders and intertwined his talons through Rose's fingers as her wings adjusted behind her back.

"Mmm," she said happily, holding her stomach and leaning into him. "That pie was good."

Brooklyn chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Rose laughed, then poked him in the arm. "What are you talking about? It wasn't bad at all! Don't be dramatic. Come on, babe, admit it. The pie was good."

Brooklyn grinned cheekily. "It was alright."

Rose laughed some more, then leaned into him and sighed. "Tonight was lovely. Thank you for the surprise, my love." She looked down at her shiny ring with admiration. "The ring is beautiful. I love it, and I love you."

"Only the best for the love of my life," Brooklyn said, kissing her forehead. "You're very welcome. Thank you for being mine, my love." He paused, saw her yawn, and smiled. "Can I at least carry you to bed? I can tell how tired you are."

Rose laughed again. "Thank you for the offer, my love, but I have feet."

"Yeah, but feet can also get tired, too, you know."

Rose smiled at him lovingly and was about to open her mouth to speak when a familiar presence shot through her system. Gasping, she stopped and used her powers to draw into who it was.

"What is it?" Brooklyn asked, turning to face her. "Rose, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said softly, still focused on what her new powers as Goddess of Death were telling her. She had since learned to tune out the passing of souls since coming back home, but her senses were still very in tune with them.

"Is it Gnash?"

"No, it's not Gnash…" Rose whispered, then finally looked over at him with wide- eyes. "It's Emily."

Brooklyn's eyes widened. "Emily?"

"Yes."

"I don't get it. What about her?"

"She's here. In the Castle."

It was against her better judgment to remain in her Fae form, but she couldn't shape-shift into a human anymore. Or at least, she didn't want to risk her son's safety by shape-shifting too often. As Rose and Brooklyn walked into the castle together, she kept her chin raised high, knowing her best friend was about to freak out upon seeing her.

Across the room, Emily was surrounded by the clan, and seeing her blonde-headed friend again made her heart pound. Rose should have been feeling complete surprise and joy that Emily was there, but instead, she felt a strange dread and anxiety.

Emily wouldn't remember any of the pain when the Draugr ripped his razor-sharp teeth into her delicate flesh and wouldn't remember the sounds, sight, and smells of her dying.

But Rose did.

Every night whenever she shut her eyes to sleep.

The nightmares have gotten better with passing time, but those terrible memories still sometimes wake her up in a pool of sweat. On those nights, it took Brooklyn calming her down and reminding her that all is over for her to realize that it was all a dream, but he couldn't take away the memories of what they'd gone through in Avalon.

Nothing could.

Trying not to think about that memory or images of her best friend getting ripped apart by those damned creatures, Rose walked into the living room of the Castle with Brooklyn still holding her hand. By the couches, Emily was speaking to the clan and was conversing amicably with all of them.

As Rose stared at her blonde-headed best friend, tears instantly filled her eyes. There were unseen scars Emily didn't know about, and Rose wished to protect her from it all.

"Are you sure about this?" Brooklyn suddenly whispered in her ear. "She may have a bit of a hard time seeing you like this."

"I know, but Emily deserves to know the truth," Rose said softly.

"And if she decides she doesn't like it and leaves?"

Rose stayed quiet for a moment, then breathed, "then I completely respect her choice to do so. It's her life."

Brooklyn's face fell slightly, and he sighed heavily.

"Rose… look, babe, I get that you are looking out for her, and it's truly selfless and honorable what you're trying to do, but do you remember how much saying goodbye tore you apart the first time?"

When she didn't respond, he continued, "Well, I do. I remember every tear you shed and cried at night and felt the ones you didn't shed within our bond. The pain of losing your best friend was enough for me never to allow it again."

Rose lowered her gaze. "I know," she said quietly, "but it's not about me, sweetheart. It's about Emily and the welfare of her family. I understand that my life is now a bizarre one, and if she wishes to remain in a more… normal life, then I completely understand, respect, and support her decision in that regard."

"But…"

"Besides," Rose continued softly, touching his arm, "right now I can't shape-shift back into a human, even if I wanted to. I don't want to risk hurting Gnash now that my pregnancy is speeding up. So, either way, Emily gets to see me as I truly am because I need to stay in my Fae form from here on out. Or at least until Gnash is born."

Brooklyn thought about her words for a few seconds, exhaled deeply, then finally nodded.

"Alright. You're right… just…" he paused, then continued, "please, don't let this break you, my love. You've dealt with enough pain. I don't want to watch you suffer anymore."

Rose looked at him, smiled, and squeezed his claw. "I'll be okay. I promise."

"Well, even if you aren't, you know that I will always be here to comfort you and make things better again, right?"

"Yes," Rose smiled, "I know."

After giving each other supporting nods, they finished crossing the room, and when Emily looked past the Clan to look at them, her happy and smiling face instantly faded into shock and horror. But Rose was prepared for her reaction and kept her face calm and pleasant. Her chin raised high and confidently.

"Hi, Em."

Hearing her voice seemed to shake Emily loose from the shock. Blinking rapidly, she gasped, "Rose? Is… is that you?"

"Yes," Rose whispered, smiling gently, "it's me."

No one said anything for a few seconds, and behind Emily, the rest of the Clan was giving Rose sad smiles, but she nodded at them, silently telling them that she knew what she was doing. She then looked over at Emily and locked her gleaming amber-yellow eyes on her frightened bright blue ones.

Emily's face was now pale, but not out of pain, but fear.

Stammering, she held her hands against her mouth and took a few steps backward, but Rose didn't let it sway her.

"I know it's a bit of a surprise, Em, but I promise that it's me."

"I… I don't understand," Emily gasped. "H-how are you-?" She swallowed then looked like she was about to cry. "Rose, what the hell is going on? Why… why do you look like... this?"

"Because this is my real birth form, Em," Rose explained gently. "You've known about me having magic capabilities, but it's not because of a crazy or random reason; it's because I am not a human at all. The human Rose you knew was merely a temporary form that I didn't know wasn't real until recently." Rose paused, then said, "I found out who my birth parents are, Em, and they were Faeries from a magical realm in this world. Let's just say that I've uh…. gone through quite the journey since we've last spoken."

Emily's eyes widened even more, her jaw hung open, but she didn't say a word to Rose. Glancing over at Brooklyn, Rose exchanged a nervous look at him when suddenly Emily spoke.

"I know. I've seen you before. L-like this."

Rose looked back at Emily, and now it was her turn to look shocked.

"What?"

"I've seen you in this form before," Emily repeated, then pointed to her wings. "The reason I'm here is because of something I thought to be so stupid. But, now that I see you in your natural form, I wouldn't say it's stupid at all."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought I was crazy for not calling first before booking a one-way flight across the country to come and see you," Emily said. "But, I needed to talk to you again. I needed to see you and make sure that the nightmares I was having weren't… real."

"Nightmares?" Rose repeated blankly, and Emily nodded.

"Ever since I've moved to Oregon and have had my newborn son, Daniel, I've been having terrifyingly real nightmares about you and those winged, rotting demon creatures that were stalking you."

Rose's eyes widened.

"Night after night, for almost three months now, I have had nightmares about them eating me alive," Emily continued, walking towards her slowly. "They were so real, but when I would wake up, I told myself that they weren't real and that it didn't happen; but, still, something never felt right. The same nightmare kept happening, and I wasn't so sure or convinced anymore that they weren't real. So, the real reason why I came unannounced to see you was because, in those nightmares, you were also in them. But, in my nightmares, you were different than the friend I knew. Instead of having hazel-green eyes, they were like live flames of amber yellow, and on your back…" her eyes suddenly went cold and ventured to her wings, "were black feathered wings."

Rose remained still, and she could feel Brooklyn comforting her through their soul-bond.

"And in these nightmares, you had taken away my family and killed them," Emily whispered. "Chris, Katie, and Daniel disappeared in a flash of purple light, and the last thing I've seen was you in this strange form, taking them away from me."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest, and by now, her blue eyes were swimming with tears.

"So, I came to New York to see for myself that I was wrong, that I was crazy and needed to seek psychological help for my nightmares. But now, I realize that I am not crazy because you are exactly as I've seen you."

Rose didn't say anything and could only stare at the intensely dangerous look in her best friend's eyes. Reading her soul, she could feel the building resentment and hatred for her—the hurt and confusion.

"Say something," Emily snarled suddenly. "Explain yourself, Rose, and for once, tell me the truth. Tell me what the hell is going on here and why I've seen you kill my family."

Rose shook her head, tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't shed them."I didn't kill your family, Em. I never would do anything like that. You know that."

"Do I?" Emily asked coldly, looking her up and down with distrust. "I don't know, Rose. I don't seem to know who you are anymore."

Brooklyn opened his mouth to speak, but Rose beat him to it. Her voice was steady and calm, despite the hurt welling up inside of her soul.

"I told you about my parents, Em, and found my true identity. There's a world within Earth, called Avalon, where all manner of magical creatures lives. Within that realm, I'm the Goddess of Death, like my biological mother before me, and the nightmares you are having are not make-believe or a fragment of your imagination, but are real and are memory-based."

Emily stared at Rose as if she had gone insane, but when no one said a word, nor looked surprised, she gasped, "W-what are you talking about? Goddess of Death? Memory-based?" She paused. "Are, are you saying that my nightmares have actually happened?" When Rose didn't say anything, Emily backed up from her, then gasped, "did you kill my family?"

"No, I didn't," Rose whispered, "but my father, Lord Demetrius, and Kevin did. They created a Death Curse, powerful enough to take out the entire world, and used it on everyone. That's the purple light you see in your nightmares… and the Draugr eating you alive…" she stopped, swallowed down her tears, and breathed, "that happened as well."

Emily's eyes were wide as saucers. Breathing rapidly, she looked as if she was about to run away and looked around at the Clan for help.

"She's telling you the truth," Goliath said softly, "but it's not what you are thinking, Emily. Please, listen to what Rose has to say."

"But, but… she…" Emily gasped as Angela placed a claw upon her shoulders.

"Maybe it's best if you sit down," she said gently, "we can explain what has happened since you moved to Oregon."

Emily stared at her as if she, too, were insane, then finally looked over at Rose and Brooklyn. Her wide eyes settled upon Rose's large abdomen, and her breathing calmed down slightly.

Holding tears in and pushing them down, Rose stepped closer to her best friend, then held out her hand to Emily.

"Come on, Em. If you're willing to keep an open mind and hear the truth, then we've got a lot to talk about and catch up on. I would never hurt you or your family, and you do know that. I may look different and have an insane story to tell you, but I'm still the same Rose you've always known, loved, and trusted." She paused, stepped forward even more, and stared into her eyes intently. "And…after I tell you what has happened and still wish to never see or talk to me again, I want you to know that I... completely understand and support your decision. I love you, your family, and I wish for what's best for you and all of your happiness. I will always love you, Em. No matter what you decide."

Emily stared at Rose, her face frozen in shock.

Rose was sure that she was about to run, still, but suddenly, she blinked and nodded.

"Okay," she said, her voice shaking, "tell me everything, Rose, and leave nothing out. I want to know what happened after I left for Oregon. Tell me the truth, Rose, and then I will make that decision on if I'll stay or not."

Rose nodded, understanding completely where Emily was coming from. She had to protect her family and herself. She'd want nothing less for her best friend. But, still, she longed for her not to lose her best friend for the third time now. Once, by moving, twice, by death, and the third… by breaking off their friendship for good.

At her thoughts, Brooklyn's claws rested on either side of her shoulders, giving her silent comfort again.

"If I tell you everything, you must promise me to have an open mind and listen until the very end," Rose said to Emily, who nodded.

"Fine."

"Sit down then, please," Rose whispered, gesturing for Emily to sit on the couch. "This may take a while and maybe quite a shock to listen to."

Emily, however, scoffed out a laugh. "When it comes to you, I feel like I've both seen and heard it all."

"Oh, no, you haven't," Brooklyn muttered, chuckling darkly, and Emily looked over at him nervously.

Rose sat down next to her, and the Clan settled on the couches nearby and listened as she dove into the story, starting from the beginning. From Hela's past, Oberon's, Avalon's, to everything that had transpired between them. As Rose told her best friend the truth, she got lost in the painful memories, but re-telling them wasn't as painful as it usually was.

Perhaps the more she spoke about her own nightmares, the less painful they'd be. The less her chest would feel whenever she shut her eyes to sleep at night. The quieter all of the screaming voices in her head from all the soul's dying would be… and less frequent...

The terrible sounds of Emily dying…

Rose wanted to heal from it all, and as she told Emily the story, she looked around at her Clan, to all the people she loved, and prayed that everyone could also find that same kind of healing.

Hours passed.

When she finished telling Emily everything that happened, she could sense the tremendous fear within her soul. In Emily's eyes, she was no longer the Rose Connelly from their college days, but instead, was the Faerie and Goddess of Death from her nightmares.

Over and over again, Emily looked over Rose's new Fae form and was sure she was going to run or pass out, but slowly, Emily took a deep breath and was seeming to process it all.

"So…we did die? All of us," Emily breathed, "I'm not just having random nightmares? They really happened? You just wiped my memory... and all of the human's memories away?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, but it seems that, when I took everyone's memories away, there are remnants still, and because you know me, you knew it wasn't just nightmares you were seeing, but something more." She smiled sadly at her. "You were right to come to New York and find out for yourself the truth, Em. I would have done the same thing if I were in your shoes."

Emily nodded, looking terrified, but then whispered, "So, after we all died from the Curse, you and Brooklyn saved us? You saved everyone and brought us back?"

Rose blinked and was pleasantly surprised that Emily was choosing to take all of the madness and try to understand all sides of it. That she was choosing to stay a while longer after finding out the truth.

"I couldn't let everyone die, so yes, we did what we had to do for the good of all."

Rose squeezed her mate's claw and glanced over at him. No one had said anything as she told the story, but some had tears in their eyes, Brooklyn included.

Since their return from Avalon, he, too, had nightmares about the Death Curse. But, they always held each other whenever that happened—willing the nightmares away and letting their love lull them back to sleep.

Rose looked back at Emily and took a deep breath, with eyes so full of tears now; she could barely see her.

"Em, I've told you everything now, and like I've told you before, if you cannot stay my friend for safety reasons or because you wish for your life to be normal, I will respect your wishes. But, please know that everything I've ever done has been to protect the ones I love. I'm sorry you've had nightmares, but I have them too. I relive the war almost every night and hear my father's taunting laugh… the screams of everyone I have ever loved as they die… and the Death Curse sucking my child's soul away…"

Rose broke off and held her stomach and was fully crying now. Brooklyn held her in his arms, sniffing away his tears, but Rose looked back up at Emily, holding her gaze.

"If you decide to leave for good this time, just know that I love you. I love Katie, Chris and…" She smiled at her, "Daniel. Your sweet baby is back and is so lucky to have a mom like you. You inspire me, Emily, and it's because of you that I've found my voice. So, I guess I want to say this before you leave. Thank you, Em, for sticking by my side all these years, and for putting up with so much drama and insanity. I will never forget our friendship because it has shaped me into who I am today, and I'm so grateful for that."

Rose sniffed, wiped her tears away, and couldn't seem to stand looking at Emily anymore. She didn't want to see what she was thinking by one look into her eyes. She didn't want to see the goodbye in them. She thought she had the strength for it, but she didn't.

Not again.

Rose cupped her large stomach, by habit, stared down at it, and thought about her son. She hoped that he would be proud of her and that he wouldn't run from her once he found out who she was, as well.

Brooklyn took her hand tightly.

He won't. Don't you dare think things like that. Gnash loves you, Rose. Remember? He already knows who you are… just as I do. You're so much more than the Goddess of Death.

Rose didn't answer him but nodded.

I told you not to spiral or beat yourself down.

She smiled, but not out of humor.

By now, minutes had passed by in silence, and Emily still hadn't said anything. Now, Rose was thinking about being the one to walk away first and put space between them- when Emily suddenly spoke up.

"How are you feeling?"

Rose blinked and looked up at her through her tears. "What?"

"I asked… how you are feeling." Emily nodded to her stomach. "Has your pregnancy been going well?"

Rose blinked in shock again and wasn't sure if she'd heard her right. Emily was asking her about her pregnancy? When Rose didn't answer her, Emily turned her attention to Brooklyn.

"Um…so, you mentioned that you guys are having a son that can turn into either a Gargoyle, a Human, or a mixed Fae, right?"

Brooklyn smiled and nodded. "That's right."

"And you're going to name him... Nashville?"

"Gnash, for short," Brooklyn said, holding Rose around the waist, "but, yeah."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Emily said, smiling. It was apparent that she was stalling for something, and there was a nervous energy about her that Rose narrowed her eyes at.

"What are you doing?"

Emily looked over at her. "Hm?"

"Why are you making small talk?"

Now it was Emily's turn to look confused. "Um, because I haven't seen you in a few months? We've caught up on the heavy, so now, I just want to talk."

"Talk?" Rose blinked and raised her eyebrows at her. "You want to just… talk?"

"Yeah, talk," Emily said slowly with some sarcasm, then chuckled at her, "you know, like what normal people do, or are we too past normal that we can't even do that?"

When Rose didn't say anything, Emily snorted out a laugh. "Oh, come on, Rose. What's wrong? Can't we continue to have a conversation?"

"But, but," Rose stammered, still looking at her with wide eyes, "I… I thought that you wouldn't want… to…"

Catching on to what Rose was saying, Emily's eyebrows raised high into her hairline. "That I wouldn't, what, want to stay after what you've told me?"

"Well… yeah."

Emily stared at her with astonishment and shook her head. "No."

"No?"

"No," Emily laughed, then said, "oh, come on, Rose. I flew across the country to come and see you. Not just to talk with you for a few hours about some pretty heavy shit, then pack up and leave forever."

"No?" Rose repeated, her voice small and breaking. "Because you could if you needed to. I wouldn't blame you for leaving."

Emily froze and was struggling to remain calm and keep things light. It occurred to her then that she did just that before when Katie got hurt, when she blamed Rose for it.

Emily exhaled heavily. "Okay… still with the heavy." She looked up at her, then took her hand. "Look, Rose… I know what you are thinking, and I know that the way I left was not right nor fair to you, especially when you did nothing wrong. If anything, you and Brooklyn saved Katie from the fire." Emily paused, then sighed and smiled, "which is something you two do a lot of, don't you?"

"What?" Rose whispered.

"Saving people."

Rose's face fell with fluster. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"No," Emily cut in, "don't tell me that you didn't do that because I can see that you guys did. So, I'm here to tell you that my intent in coming all the way here was to apologize for leaving the way I did and to tell you... that I'll always be your friend, no matter what. But…" she paused and stared into Rose's tear-filled eyes, getting emotional herself, and squeezed her hand tighter, "but, if that got lost during the heavy conversation or my initial reaction to you, then I'm sorry. That was not my intent."

"Really?" Rose asked quietly. "Even after everything I've told you? After seeing me as the winged monster from your nightmares? For being another realm's Goddess of Death… you… you aren't afraid of me, and you still want to be my friend?"

"Yeah, I do." Emily nodded, smiling through her tears. "Rose, what you've done for my family and me has surpassed all of the anger. It wasn't even anger directed at you but the situation. You and Brooklyn not only saved my family but everyone on the Earth, and no one even knows that." She paused, then shook her head in amazement.

"How can I walk away from you when you are still the bravest, selfless, kind, and most caring best friend? I was a complete idiot to hurt you the way I did, even though our move was something we had to do, but I promised myself on the airplane that I wouldn't make that mistake again. You deserve much better than that."

When Rose still didn't say anything, Emily leaned her face closer to hers and smiled cheekily.

"I already knew you weren't normal, Rose, but I'm here to tell you that I'm okay with it. Honestly, seeing you as your full bad-ass birth form as a freaking faerie is nothing short but amazing to me, and yet…" Emily contemplated her, then said, "it suits you. When you were a human and had a random explosion of magic, it didn't make sense. It was freaking awesome, sure, but random, and there was no explanation for it. But now? It makes sense and completely suits you. Both of you." She looked between her and Brooklyn and smiled. "Looking at you two, I can see how you two were meant to be. I mean, you two are truly soul-mates."

Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing, but her words were slowly dawning on her. In their soul-bond, she could feel Brooklyn's relief flooding through him.

"Thank you," Brooklyn said, smiling at Emily and squeezing Rose's side. He then smiled endearingly down at Rose. "I've always thought so."

"Your words are… kind, Em," Rose said softly, smiling at her and pulling one hand of hers to grasp Brooklyn's, "but I do have a question for you."

"Sure. What's up?"

"I've told you that I can see the souls within the eyes of the people I look at, and when I first saw yours… I saw fear, uncertainty, and anger." Rose paused, then smiled sadly. "You were going to run away at first." Emily shifted uncomfortably on the couch but held Rose's gaze. "Why did you change your mind?"

Emily blinked in shock."I didn't realize your powers are just like having a built-in lie detector in your mind."

A few clan members, including Brooklyn and Rose, snorted out a laugh, but Emily's smile faded slightly after a few seconds.

"You're right. I shouldn't lie to you, even if it's a white lie. You've told me the full truth, and here I am hiding things from you." She looked up at her and then sighed heavily. "Alright, yes, I was going to leave when I first saw you…"

"So, why didn't you?" Rose asked gently.

Emily opened and shut her mouth, looking unsure what to say, so Rose added, "Don't take my question the wrong way because I want you to stay my best friend and never want to lose you again, but, I've since learned that I must let go of the ones I love if it's what's best for them. So, while I'm thankful for your words, I'm not at peace with your decision to stay just yet. I need to know that you are one-hundred percent alright with staying a part of my abnormal life." She looked over at Brooklyn and held his claw tightly, then smiled at the rest of the Clan and added, "our life."

Emily nodded. "That's fair. Well, since you want honesty, Rose, I'll tell you the truth." She stared into her ember eyes carefully. "I'm choosing to stay because one, you are my best friend and have shown me so much loyalty. Two, because you've saved mine and my family's life, and I would be… a shitty person if I left now. But, mostly, because you cared enough about me to keep your promise to me."

Rose blinked, not expecting that. "Promise?"

"Yes," Emily nodded, smiling.

"What promise?"

"Do you remember when you first moved to New York to be my paramedic partner after you graduated college? Right before you and your, um," she paused, then trod carefully, "ex… were about to get married?"

"I try not to look back on that time," Rose said dryly, "but, yes. I do remember."

"July 18th, while working our night shift, we were dispatched to a car accident on Williamsburg Bridge," Emily said. "A guy in his thirties was traveling home from work. He fell asleep at the wheel and crashed on the Bridge."

Rose nodded, unsure why she was bringing this unpleasant memory up.

"I do remember that call. When we got there, it was a shit show. We essentially picked him up on our backboard, and I drove like hell while you were in the back with him, trying to stop his bleeding and get his airway open."

Emily nodded grimly."Yeah, and when we got him to the hospital, he was immediately put on life support and was unconscious. You and I stayed to do the paperwork but remained close by until his family showed up. When they did, I overheard the ER doctors telling his wife that there was little to no brain activity and that he would most likely not make it. Then, do you remember what happened?"

"Um, we had to leave?" Rose said slowly, unsure why they were discussing this unpleasant call. "We had to get back at doing our jobs."

"Yes, but you and I had a conversation in the ambulance on our way back into downtown. Do you remember what we talked about?"

Rose thought it through, and while it was ringing familiar to her, she couldn't quite place exactly what was said.

"I had just had Katie bug," Emily said, "and named you her godmother and guardian. So, I asked you that you would take care of my family if anything happened to me. You could marry Chris and take care of Katie."

Rose thought it over, then laughed, and nodded. "That's right… you did say that."

"Sounds fine and dandy, but Rose is mine now," Brooklyn said, pulling Rose close to his side and smiling at Emily. "Sorry for the change of plans."

Emily winked at him, then looked back at Rose. "I know, but the point I'm trying to make is that I had you promise me that if I was ever in a situation where I was unable to help myself, whether by injury or illness, that you would not let me suffer."

"Yes," Rose said, as tears welled up in her eyes. "I do remember promising you that."

"So, when the Draugr demon was eating me alive," Emily said shakily, "you did the unthinkable and put me out of my misery by killing me. You stopped my suffering and sacrificed yourself to bring everyone back from the Death Curse. Including myself and my family. Since then, you have even stripped me of those horrible memories, and while they live in my nightmares, you've done everything to protect me."

Tears were streaming down Rose's face, and Emily squeezed her hand.

"Rose…" her voice shook, "I cannot imagine how hard that must have been for you to do that for me, but because you loved me enough to keep my best interests above yours, I am forever in your debts and will forever be your friend. For what you've done for me, Katie, Chris, and even Daniel… I…" Emily cut off and took a deep breath, "I love you, Rose, and I am choosing to stay in your life. If you, Brooklyn, and the Clan will have me, I want to stay."

Rose was speechless, and as she stared through her tears into Emily's eyes, she saw that she was sincere. She was telling her the truth.

"What about Chris?" Rose asked, but Emily waved the comment away.

"I'm his wife, and because I wanted to come, he supported me. Besides, I know that he'll eventually come around. He loves you. Katie, of course, asks about you and 'red' every single day..." Brooklyn and Rose laughed, and Emily smiled. "It'll be fine, Rose. You are my best friend, and I trust you with everything I am. I'm staying in your life and have never been more sure about something in my entire life."

With an exhale of relief, Rose shot across the couch and hugged Emily tightly. Hearing that she wanted to be a part of her life still meant everything to her.

"Thank you," Rose breathed in her ear. "Thank you for choosing to stick with me through all this and for accepting me for who I am."

"No need to thank me," Emily whispered back, hugging her tightly before letting her go, "when it should be I who forever is grateful for you."

"Well, she didn't do all that alone," Brooklyn quipped in, and Emily instantly stood up and hugged him tightly.

"I know. I cannot thank you both enough for what you've done."

Brooklyn released her, smiling. "Choosing to stay Rose's friend is payment enough for me."

"Well, since you're staying, and I'm guessing that includes the night," Goliath suddenly added, looking elated at how things turned out, "you are free and welcome to use a room to sleep in."

"Thank you," Emily said gratefully, then looked at Rose. "I was hoping to visit for about a week. I can help you with anything you need." Her eyes ventured down to her stomach, and she chuckled. "I have a feeling you may need me, seeing how… uh… quickly you are progressing since I last saw you."

"Yeah," Rose laughed, cupping her stomach. "I'm six months along, but I have a suspicion that my magic is making this pregnancy go by a lot quicker than normal pregnancies. I am pretty much ready to pop any night now."

"I'd say," Emily laughed, "you're looking… um… pregnant. That's for sure." She smiled but reached her hand out and touched her stomach lovingly. "But, you are insanely gorgeous right now. I was a whale when I was pregnant with Daniel, but you are a goddess. Literally." Emily shook her head. "I'm kind of jealous."

"Well, don't be, because I feel like a whale," Rose laughed, adjusting herself on the couch and leaning into Brooklyn's chest. "But, thank you all the same. You're sweet."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, since Emily is staying, and all is well, does she want to join us in a family game of charades?" Lexington piped up. "All of us were going to play a few rounds." He then looked at Emily. "If, of course, you and Rose are feeling up to it, that is."

"Charades?" Emily asked, then laughed, "um, hell yeah, I'm in. I love that game."

"Excellent," Lexington grinned.

"What about you, fatty?" Broadway added, looking at Rose, "are you feeling up to it?" Not even a second went by when he instantly received another smack from Angela, and he gasped, "Ow."

Rose laughed, but Brooklyn turned sharply to stare at his brother with wide eyes and a confounded face.

"Who the hell are you talking to?"

"What?" Broadway laughed, shrugging.

"Who are you talking to?"

Broadway froze then and saw the danger in Brooklyn's tone.

"It was a joke."

"Uh-huh, well, that's not very funny to me."

Knowing what he was about to do, Rose quickly placed a hand upon his chest and whispered, "Brooklyn, I don't take offense. It's okay. He's just teasing me." But, he stared at her, raised his eye bone, and stood up anyway.

"Uh-oh," Emily said, giggling and watching them with anticipation. "Someone's getting their ass kicked." She took Rose's hand, then whispered, "Brooklyn really loves you, you know."

"Oh, I know," Rose whispered, smiling at her, then turned to watch the brothers face each other. "He's my guardian angel."

Brooklyn slowly approached Broadway, with arms across his chest, and was staring stone-faced at him.

"Hey, Brook… it was a joke," Broadway laughed, holding his claws up, "come on, let's not get into this."

"No, let's."

"Brooklyn," Goliath warned, but both brothers suddenly smiled mischievously at each other. Brooklyn then launched at Broadway, wrapping his arm around his neck, but instead of attacking him, they both began wrestling playfully.

Goliath rolled his eyes, sighing heavily, as Angela muttered, "Hatchlings."

Emily watched the brothers wrestle and laughed, "Are they… always like this?"

"They used to be a lot worse," Rose said amusingly.

"Yeah, but I thought you said Brooklyn has since matured," Lexington teased.

"He has," Rose laughed, but stopped, stared at her mate, then shook her head at the hilarious sight of them taking each other on. "However, while I may be the Goddess of Death and brought everyone back from a worldwide Death Curse, I cannot work the impossible."

Lexington, Angela, Akira, Goliath, Hudson, and Emily all laughed as a panting Broadway and Brooklyn rejoined them, now best buds again.

"Sorry about that," Brooklyn said, grinning. "Sometimes, my brother needs a knuckle sandwich."

"Whatever, I can't help it if you're too sensitive over a joke," Broadway chortled, then looked at the others and asked, "so… what are we talking about?"

Emily snorted. "You."

"What?" Brooklyn asked, looking around at Rose, who smiled sweetly at him and kissed his beak.

"Oh, nothing, darling."

Brooklyn raised his eye bone at her in disbelief, but she continued to grin innocently at him. Lexington clapped his claws, then raised the box of Charades up.

"Alright, everyone! Time for games! Me, Brooklyn, Angela, and Emily are on a team. Rose, Akira, Hudson, and Broadway are on the other. Goliath has already said he wants to watch."

"Wha'?" Hudson teased, clapping his claw on Goliath's shoulder. "Yeh don't wan' to play the game with us?"

Goliath chuckled and settled himself down on the couch, with a large book in his claws. "Thank you, but no. I have been looking forward to having a quieter night for a long time."

Hudson chuckled and nodded. "Me too, lad. Me too. It's been a long time comin'."

"Yes," Goliath said softly, looking at the clan set up the couches to face each other and get onto the appropriate teams with a smile. "Yes, it has."

The game of Charades lasted for hours.

By the time Emily retreated to her room to go to bed and the other couples went to do their own thing, it was well past midnight.

Sighing in exhaustion, Rose climbed into the soft sheets of hers and Brooklyn's bed, in her same stone room with a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that Xanatos had given her, and instantly curled up into her mate's solid and warm arms.

Brooklyn wrapped his arms around her waist as he intertwined his legs around hers and then wrapped his wings around them both. It had taken them time to figure out how she could sleep with her large, feathered wings since they were more like a bird's and weren't as pliable as his, but she had learned to settle them behind her back and lie on them comfortably.

The room was dark but bathed in moonlight as they breathed each other in. Their lips instantly found each other, and for many minutes, they kissed silently but passionately. Their tongues danced in each other's mouths, their lips pulled against one another, and then, moaning, Rose pulled away and tilted her neck upward so he could have access to her skin.

Brooklyn held her to his body with one arm. His other claw rested gently on her swollen abdomen and gently kissed and tasted the length of her neck from her jawline to the top of her chest. This continued for another few seconds before his lips claimed hers again in a silent but demanding kiss.

Rose raised her leg above his hips, drawing him closer to her, and it was then that Brooklyn suddenly pulled away.

Rose sighed and rested her head against the pillow as their bodies continued to be pretzeled together. Brooklyn slid his claw from her abdomen up over her large and soft breasts, then cupped her jaw and peered deeply into her eyes.

"I love you," he breathed, and as they stared into each other's eyes, Rose swore she was staring into the face of Heaven.

"I love you more."

"Impossible."

Rose laughed, then snuggled herself on his bare chest, admiring her new diamond ring, before she looked up at him. "I'm so glad that things worked out the way they did tonight."

"Yeah," Brooklyn sighed, "me too. I'm pleased Emily chose to come around and remain your friend. I was scared she was going to bolt."

"Yeah... I thought so too."

Silence passed between them for a few seconds before Brooklyn gently cupped her chin, raised it, so she was looking into his eyes, and gazed deeply into her eyes. "But, she didn't. Everyone you love is forever going to stay in your life and will never leave you ever again. That, I promise you."

Rose smiled at him and loved him with all of her heart.

"Thank you," she breathed, kissing his lips. With her growing stomach, they couldn't get as close as before, but that didn't stop them. Moaning, she carefully pinned him down and climbed on top of his waist.

Brooklyn pulled away from her lips and stared up at her, admiring for a moment her silky, spaghetti-strapped nightgown.

"Rose, we… we probably shouldn't…"

"Shouldn't what?" she whispered, slowly lowering one strap down her shoulder, making his breathing intensify. "Make love? Why can't we?"

When she leaned forward and ran her tongue down his neck, he hissed out a laugh. "Well, for one, I've already knocked you up."

"Hmm, true, but that's not the only point of making love."

When Rose ran her fingers down the chiseled planes of his abdomen, Brooklyn shut his eyes and gasped at the sensation of getting aroused.

"But, you need rest…"

Rose lowered her mouth and tasted his abdomen where her fingers went. "I can sleep afterward."

Brooklyn let out a loud moan, and she stopped right before his loincloth. She lifted herself, braced her arms on either side of his face, and claimed his lips with her own.

"Gnash…" Brooklyn tried again, speaking through her mouth, but she breathed, "... will be alright."

She lifted from him now and smiled down at him.

"If you really don't want to, then we don't have to. But, if I'm only going to get more uncomfortable and pregnant with every passing night, I say why not take advantage of it while I'm feeling good?" She tossed her long deep red hair away from her face and then lowered another strap down her other shoulder. He watched the movement with hungry eyes. "So," she breathed, leaning her chest down to his, "what's it going to be, my mate? Are you going to let me make love to you or not?"

Brooklyn's smile turned predatory, and his low laugh sent a shiver down her spine, making her wings jolt. Shivers then shot down their bond.

Without tearing his eyes from hers, he lowered his claws to his belt, undid it with one swift movement, then ripped his loincloth away. Her bare skin under her silk gown ached as his arousal pressed against her legs. If she shifted herself just right over him, they would be in business.

Brooklyn sat up just then, and she naturally fit over and slid down his long shaft with one smooth movement, making her cry out loudly and desperately. Growling with pleasure, his lips found hers as his claws slid her nightgown off in one movement. Now wholly naked before him, Brooklyn looked her up and down and exhaled a growl.

"Gods, you're exquisite. I could never tire of this, Rose. Never."

Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and chuckled, "You enjoy the sight of me even though I'm this big and pregnant?"

Brooklyn's tongue slid into her mouth, and his claws found her hips as she moved over him.

"Especially then," he gritted out.

Rose laughed and flipped her long hair away as she moved deeper onto him, keeping the movement tormentingly slow.

"So, you don't mind me being a fatty as Broadway has so kindly called me?"

Brooklyn growled deeply. "You're not fat, Rose. You're growing my child within you. There's a difference…" He paused, then added with a guttural laugh, "But, I will give you this. With you being greatly pregnant, there is more for me to love."

Rose tipped her head back and laughed loudly, and when he lifted himself to kiss her lips, she grabbed onto his wrists, pinned him down, and lifted herself off him.

Brooklyn whined like an injured dog at the blast of cold and emptiness her leaving gave him, and another laugh escaped her lips.

"You know, that was kind of rude."

"I wasn't trying to be rude…" Brooklyn hissed. "I was trying to be sensitive to you." When he tried to have her come back on him and refused, he growled at her again.

"Oh… poor baby," Rose pouted, grinning at him, "do you not like me leaving you like that?"

"Rose..." Brooklyn growled, but she denied him still. He gritted his teeth, then whispered, "please?"

Rose grinned. "There are those missing manners." However, she slid her center right over his tip with one swift and sharp movement, teasing him more. He gasped out loudly, moaned, and met her amber eyes with a fiercely intense gaze.

"I'm sorry," he whispered with a heavy breath, "I wasn't trying to be rude. I love you and think you're the most beautiful woman on the face of this planet. Now, please, get back over here…"

Pleased, she smiled at him, then hovered herself inches above him.

"You're forgiven." She lowered her lips inches from his and kissed him with the slightest touch. "Now, what's it going to be, my love? Me? Or sleep?"

Growling, Brooklyn sat himself up and pushed against her from pinning him down. Wrapping his arms around her hips, he encouraged her to dig herself even deeper onto him and to take his whole length.

Rose shut her eyes, cried out loudly, dug her fingernails into his shoulders, and let her head fall back in ecstasy. Then, slowly and deeply, he helped her move on him, going faster and faster.

"You," he breathed against her lips, his breath hot against her face. His deep eyes were focused on her loud moaning, panting, and extended neck as she moved on him, and the beautiful sight was all he'd ever need. "It's always going to be you, my Goddess wife. I'll sleep when I'm dead."

When she was crying out in desperation for more friction, he turned her gently so that her back was against the backboard and took over pleasuring her. Keeping her in a sitting position for her comfort, he reached his arms out and grasped onto the headboard tightly, all while keeping off her stomach.

As they made love, watching her body move in unison with his was like a drug to him, and though he'd never touched any substances like that, he knew that this is how it felt. He loved every inch of her body and was addicted to how perfectly they fit together. He felt drunk with the sensations that came with making love, and hearing his name fall off her lips as she climaxed was the only high he'd ever want or need.

"You," he repeated against her lips, silencing her cries with his mouth, thrusting himself deeper and faster into her body, loving her so much, it hurt. "I'm always going to choose you, my love. For you are all I'll ever need to truly live."