Neave moved like her knees were just hinges, wobbling to and fro before falling on her padded bottom. Then she clapped like it was all part of the plan and rolled to her stomach to get up again. She gave a wide smile, displaying the few small teeth she had spread in her mouth, and it made her look cute as hell. She was dressed in a primrose pinafore dress and those soft first shoes kids wear, the ones they can still feel the ground through. Then from behind the grey couch came her Aunt Harper with a smile to light up the whole town. Neave giggled, waving her arms for the pick-up she knew was coming, but before she was hoisted high she was on her bottom again.
"You silly billy!" Laughed Harper as she lifted Neave in to the air and kissed her softly on her rosy cheeks.
"She's adorable," Zeke smiled watching Harper place Neave back down and encourage her to play by giving her the pink bear Zeke had bought her.
"Isn't she just!" Neave began to trot off again to the other side of the couch as she held on to it for support to help her sit back down on the floor, where she then began to bite down on to the bear causing some of the seems to tear slightly. "Neavie no," Harper whined taking the bear from Neave and began to examine it. "The stitching's just come a little loose, I can easily fix that!"
"Maybe I should have brought her a chew toy," Zeke joked nervously.
"I think we might have to take you up on that! You know, if you don't mind me saying, I'm surprised you're this calm around her you know considering…"
"She's a werewolf. Yeah, when Justin first told me I was freaked out but she's just a baby. There's nothing to be scared of, right?"
"Obviously, you've seen her she's harmless. I guess I'm just impressed with how mature you've been about it all."
Harper looked up and accidently came in to eye contact with Zeke, her heart thumped so hard that she swore it was audible, their eyes had met and he smiled. It was only a small smile, but it was enough to make Harper go weak at the knees. Quickly distracting herself, Harper turned her attention to Neave, who had now crawled over to the television stand and tried to use it to pull herself up.
"Hey missy! Get down!" Giggled Harper nervously, scooping Neave back up in her arms.
"You're really good with her. I knew you were good with kids anyway, but you two have a great bond."
"Yeah," Harper smiled at Neave as she carefully fixed her newly formed fur by stroking it softly, "I was I the room with Alex when she was born so I guess I've just always felt close to her. Plus Alex has me on standby for babysitting duties."
Zeke gave a laugh while he shook his head, "why am I not surprised?"
Harper laughed along with him before sitting down on the couch with Neave on her lap. She held her closer and kissed her softly on the head, Zeke sat down next to her quietly and cleared his throat nervously.
"So, umm… do you think its true?"
"What?"
"What Justin said, that Mason's cheating."
"I hope not, it's not really great timing for Alex. I mean, what would happen with Neave? It's hard enough having a regular baby on your own, never mind a werewolf baby."
"I just don't see him doing something like that…"
"Well we'll have to wait and see," Harper sighed hugging Neave tighter.
"I know if I was him I wouldn't risk all of this, especially if I was with someone like you." Harper smiled and giggled giddily to herself while Zeke happily watched her, "hey, do you ever miss us?" He asked.
"Miss us? What like together?"
"Yeah, as a couple."
"To be honest, when I got over us I never really thought about it. But now I can see what im missing, yeah. I think I do."
Sadness. Something Alex never understood. Why be sad of something which has already happened? After all, there's no point crying over spilled milk. Unfortunately, little did she know, when Mason felt sad, to him it's like being stabbed in the heart a thousand times without dying. He knew because he experienced this several times throughout his life. He remembered the blood-thirsty fiery feeling spreading through his neck when Juliet bit him in Transylvania, the tears which stung like bees when he had his heart was broken when Alex broke up with him at the wizard of the year banquet and the deafening screams coming from Ana when she fell from the roof on that terrible rainy night on Waverly Place.
You see, the way he saw it, it's memories that create emotions and it's emotions that create those memories.
Alex watched him uncomfortably as Mason awkwardly avoided Alex's gaze and shook his head in disappointment. Alex fidgeted nervously as she felt everyone's eyes watching her before quickly pulling Mason to the side, "hey whats going on? You okay? You've gone kind of quiet." She laughed anxiously, "you think Ana's adoptive parents might know something, you think they can help us. This is good, right?"
"What so you really just expect me to ignore the fact you dragged your brothers here with you to spy on me because you thought I was cheating? I know you didn't mean to cause any upset but did you really think this wouldn't hurt me? I just can't believe you'd think I'd do that…"
"Mason, buddy," Justin interrupted. "it wasn't Alex who was spying on you, it was me. I'm sorry, it's just I thought you was acting weird at the hospital and I heard you arranging to meet someone and well considering what happened between you and Juliet I just thought-"
"Wait, what?" Mason quickly tuned to Juliet, "you told him?"
"I bet you told Alex!"
"Obviously! We tell each other everything!"
"What like you told her about Ana?"
A low growl escaped from Mason and Juliet's fangs erupted from her gums as their eyes burned in to eachother.
"Guys!" Yelled Alex furiously, "gosh! I think I'd prefer it if you two were cuddling up to eachother again!"
"Look I'm sorry," sigh Justin, "I know that looking back now it's stupid. It's just knowing what knew about you guys and everything that's happening with Neave I guess I just got protective. But I shouldn't have spied on you, I'm really sorry."
"Yeah and he even put the truth spell on you!" Max happily interjected smiling proudly to himself while Justin's eyes shot daggers into his direction.
"YOU WHAT!"
"Yeah but he didn't tell him anything, just stuff about Alex." Everyone gave a heavy sigh in relief before Max began to continue, "so you guys are going through a dry spell in the bedroom, so what, is Neave like a cock blocker or something?"
Everyone, except for Max, was mortified, frozen to the spot. They all felt traumatized. They couldn't believe what had happened.
"Right if I let all of this go and forgive everyone can we all please forget this conversation ever happened, especially that last part?" Mason begged desperately, earning vigorous head nods in response.
"So let's change subject," Justin exclaimed, "you guys said something about Ana's other parents?"
"Yeah well I've kept in touch with them ever since the funeral and when Neave got sick Mason come to me and asked if I could get him in touch with them to see if anything like this happened to Ana when she was young."
"Why didn't you just tell me though?" Alex asked Mason, pulling him close to her by his hands.
"Because like I said I didn't want you to get your hopes up. I know it's been hard for you and I didn't want you to think everything is going to back to normal when it probably isn't. I know what the doctor said, I just thought it would be worth a try."
"You still could have told me, you didn't even tell me it was Ana's birthday."
"That's not important right now, and if I did tell you about Ana's parents then how would you feel after weeks of convincing yourself that she can be turned back when she can't? When I was stuck as a werewolf you wasn't comfortable with me, and just didn't want you feeling like that around Neave. I thought if you got your hopes up too much you might find it harder to deal with."
"Mason, of course her birthday is important and this is completely different!"
"Is it? We thought I was going to be stuck as a werewolf forever, and it's the same for Neave-"
"I was younger then!"
"Yes but you were still old enough to handle what was happening, I mean, you made me use a map to cover my face when we went to Zekes party!"
"And what you think I'm going to do something like that to Neave? What do you expect me to do, put a mask on her when we take her to the park?"
"Of course not."
"Then why didn't you just tell me?"
"Because I was scared okay!" He exclaimed, "I still am, what if theres really nothing we can do? How is she supposed to have a normal life?"
"Mason," said Alex pulling him in to a hug, "it's gonna be okay."
"How? You do realise this is going to completely change our lives don't you? You've already quit your job on the council, we're probably going to have to move to the wizard world and she'll have to go to some sort of magical creature school."
Alex softly cupped Mason's face and gave him a gentle kiss, "I don't care about any of that, as long as we're all together and she's safe that's all I want. So, are you going to tell me this plan or what?"
"Well," laughed Mason, "Juliet was going to tell me before your big dramatic entrance."
Alex winced in embarrassment and slowly turned to Juliet, "sorry…"
"It's fine," Juliet laughed, "there's not really much of a plan. They called and said they're coming to visit here tomorrow and I was just going to ask if you wanted to be here, that way you'd get the chance to talk to them."
Alex turned to Mason and shot him a reassuring smile, "what do you think?"
"I… I don't know," he stuttered, "I've never really talked to them properly, not even at Ana's funeral."
"Well I haven't seen them since the funeral either, I'm just as nervous as you. But it's okay, we'll get through it together." Tenderly Juliet caressed Mason's arm and sweetly smiled.
Alex snarled at Juliet before wrapping herself around Mason closer than food wrap and is just as transparent. She gazed at him through her puppy dog eyes with her cloying vapidity, simpering softly before saying "I can come too, if you want." Then she giggled like a dippy school girl, twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes repeatedly until her eyes began to sting and water.
Mason stared uncomfortably at Alex, "are you feeling alright love?"
"Uh! Yeah!" She scoffed playfully, "I'm fine! I just don't want you to think you have to go through this alone."
"But he'll be with me," Juliet interjected.
"Yeah, you don't really count he doesn't actually like you that much…"
"Woah, rude," murmured Justin earning daggers from Alex.
"Fine," sighed Mason, "you can come. Thanks love."
Alex smirked and squeezed Mason tighter into another suffocating hug, "okay, anything for my man."
Tossing her hair back flirtatiously, Alex turned to look at Juliet and sneered before giving Mason a peck on the cheek while Juliet watched them awkwardly. Justin quietly tittered to himself and raised a finger to his temple. Suddenly in her head she heard his voice echo inside her head, "you're so jealous…"
Alex rolled her eyes and subtly rested one of he manicured nails against her head, Justin jumped in his spot as he heard a bellowing voice cackle, "What! Like you were when we walked in and saw Juliet holding Mason's hand?"
Justin scowled at his sister in annoyance and rose his finger back up to his head, "stop yelling! You know im susceptible to head aches. And shut up! You know nothing!"
"I know you haven't stopped staring at her with your tongue hanging out the whole time we've been here…"
Quickly justin self consciously grabbed his jaw, only to feel the edge of his tongue peering through his lips, he then came to the realisation that he had been stood facing Juliet the entire time. Justin shook his fist furiously and turned to see Alex mocking him quietly by pointing at him and snickering to herself while Justin stared at her, turning the red in the face due to his anger.
"Go away Alex!"
Bit by bit, Alex lowered the finger resting on her head and grinned at Justin mischievously. "So!" Alex continued chirpily, "what time are Ana's other parents coming?"
"About two I think, you can come anytime you're ready though. No pressure or anything."
"Okay," nodded Mason, "we'll see you then, I guess."
Justin watched on as Mason and Juliet talked between themselves, he carefully eyed Juliet as she approached Mason and he couldn't help but laugh to himself when he saw Alex continue to drape herself over Mason's figure. Gradually Justin felt the sensation of his wand vibrating in his pocket. Gripping his side tightly he hurried over to the corner of the room, with Max watching him suspiciously, and released his wand from his pocket only for bold blue letters reading, 'WizTech calling…' To evaporate from the tip of his wand.
"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered in a panic.
"Hey bro, you okay?" Max asked.
"I really don't know…"
Theresa frantically paced the length of the apartment, repeatedly checking her watch as the minutes slowly lurched on. Her heels clicked loudly on the cold wooden flooring as she swooped across the room, sighing exaggeratedly as she moved around the room continuously. Jerry watched her from the grey cushioned couch with Neave curled up in his embrace, he held her closely whilst gently cradelling her as she relaxed in to him and her eyes became heavier.
"Where are they!" Theresa exclaimed, "they've already missed dinner and it's nearly Neave's bedtime!"
"Theresa they'll be here soon, Neave's just got out of hospital do you really think they'd all just walk out on her?"
"Considering it's Alex we're talking about here, I'd rather not answer that question…"
A subtle click grabbed Jerry's attention and Neave's bedroom door opened revealing Harper as she emerged holding a fluffly pink blanket in her arms. "Harper!" He called startling her slightly, "how long did you say they'd been gone?"
"I don't know, a couple of hours maybe a little more? I can't really remember…"
"So you've been on your own this whole time!" Theresa gasped dramatically, "what if something had happened to Neave, how could they expect you to deal with that on your own?"
"Well…" She began hesitantly, "I wasn't actually on my own. Zeke was here, he left just before you guys got back."
"Zeke?" Theresa asked surprised only to be instantly echoed by her husband.
"Zeke? Since when was he back on the scene, you too back together?"
Nervously, Harper burst in a random spout of laughter. Her body trembled furiously as her laughs erupted through the room, disturbing Neave from her sleep, Jerry and Theresa watched her awkwardly until finally she took a deep breath and squeaked, "I don't know…"
"Okay then," Jerry quickly interrupted, "let's just leave it at that for now. Did you get Neave's blanket and pacifier for me?" Harper handed the items to Jerry and he carefully passed them over to Neave, who eagerly snatched them from her grandfathers grasp. She shoved the pastel yellow pacifier in her mouth and sucked on it soothingly, she closed her eyes and felt her body relax as she felt the soft material of her blanket stroke her cheek as she massaged it across the side of her face. Jerry prudently swayed Neave in his arms and began to soothe her softly while she began to drift in to a peaceful slumber.
"I swear," Theresa moaned, "when they get back here-"
With that Alex barged through the door with Mason closely following her, as they attempted to make their way over to their daughter but instead they were stopped in their tracks by
Theresa when she stomped out infront of them both.
"And where have you guys been? We have been worried sick!"
"Actually honey, it was just you!" Jerry intercepted.
"Shut up Jerry!" She snapped before turning back to the couple, "where were you? Poor Harper has been on her own for hours!"
"No I haven't…"
"Shh, Harper please!" Theresa whined, "I'm trying too prove a point!"
"Okay!" Alex interrupted, "I'm over all of this now, so, sorry we were gone for so long. It won't happen again, we promise. Now, is Neave okay?"
"She's fine, your father has just got her asleep."
"I'll go and put her in bed then," said Mason quickly rushing over to Neave and out of the awkward conversation. He carefully took Neave from her grandfather before tiptoeing in to her bedroom.
Alex sighed and turned to her mom, "happy now? We've come back to parent our werewolf child! You're all fee to go!"
"Alex mijha, we… I was just worried you two are finding this hard to deal with. You know we're all happy to help out with Neave whenever you need us too!"
"I know, I'm... we're fine, seriously. Now it's been a long day, you guys should go home and rest."
"Are you sure? We're okay to stay longer if you want us-"
"Mom," Alex said stopping Theresa from rambling on, "it's fine. If I'm being honest I'm the one who needs to sleep."
"'Course sweetie, you've had a crazy few days. You go get some rest," Theresa engulfed her daughter into a suffocating hug, "just call if you need us, okay?"
"Okay Mom!" Alex mumbled as she was being squashed into her mom's body. When she let go Alex sighed in relief and smiled reassuringly at her mother. "Seriously, go! We'll be fine."
"Okay mijha, love you. C'mon guys let's go."
Theresa quickly pecked Alex on the cheek before leaving the apartment, she was soon followed her husband who copied her actions and bid Alex goodbye. Lastly, Harper approached her friend and whispered, "What happened? Are you guys okay? Where are Justin and Max?"
"I don't know they freaked out over something and left but it was a false alarm. Justin was just scaremongering again! We're fine, thank you for looking after Neave."
"I'm glad everything's okay," Harper said hugging her friend. She let go and waved as she headed towards the door to leave when Alex exclaimed.
"And don't think you've got out of giving me the details on what happened with you and Zeke while I was gone!"
Harper spun around and pulled her tongue at Alex as she shut the door firmly behind her. Alex looked around at her empty apartment and paused when an idea suddenly popped in to her head. Swiftly, she moved across to a nearby mirror hung on the wall and began to carefully fix and plump her dark locks while pouting her lips and checking her rose lipstick. As she continued to admire herself Alex heard the bedroom door creak, and in the mirrors reflection she saw Mason sneak out of Neave's room.
"She must have gone out like a light, she didn't even flinch when I moved her in to the bed. Your Dad's got the touch, it usually take me ages to-" Mason was instantly interrupted as Alex's lips brush against his. Not innocently, like a tease but hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. He wanted to pull away before he lost himself but he couldn't…In this minty moment, Mason's senses were seduced and he can no longer think straight.
Eventually Alex pulled away, leaving Mason lingering after her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "for thinking you could ever cheat. I know you wouldn't, Justin just scared me a little."
"It's fine, he was just looking out for you."
"Yeah but I should have known better, so I want to make it up to you…"
She leaned in and gave him another soft kiss, but this time Mason quickly pulled away sighing guiltily. "Alex love, you don't have to make it up to me. I wasn't the one who wasn't truthful about what I was doing."
"I don't care about that. If I'm being honest, I cant stop thinking about what Max was saying earlier about what you said to him and Justin when you were under the truth spell."
"Why what part?" Alex shot him a look and then Mason's cheeks began to blush, "oh, that part…"
"Yeah," she giggled, "and I don't want you to ever feel like I'm neglecting you or that I don't care-"
"Alex don't be daft! I don't think anything like that!"
"I know but, sometimes I feel like I don't appreciate you as much as I should, actually I probably don't appreciate anyone as much as I should. But I just don't want you to forget how much I love you."
"Alex, seriously stop. I know you do, and I love you as well but you have nothing to make up for! Besides, sex isn't the most important part of a relationship and you shouldn't need to think that you have to use that to apologise in anyway. Especially if you don't want to do it."
"But I do! I miss you," she pouted wrapping her arms around his neck, "I miss it being just us sometimes…"
"Me too," Mason smirked pulling Alex closer to him, "I can't even remember when we last went on a date."
"Me neither! God, it must have been maybe when we went to the beach for a barbeque last summer."
"Alex love, that was your mum's birthday," Mason chuckled resting his chin on top of Alex's had as they hugged eachother tightly.
"Oh yeah…"
Alex looked up at Mason, smiling in amusement. Then leisurely he lowered his head and pulled her body closer to him so that they were pressed right up against eachother, "Alex," he whispers slowly, prolonging each letter as if to savour them. "I love you so much." Alex smiled widely as her heart fluttered at his voice before clasping her hands on either side of his face. Never before had her name ever felt so wonderful as she gradually leant in for another kiss.
The next thing Alex knew, Mason had slammed his lips on to hers and nearly knocked all wind from her lungs.
She hardly had a moment to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips and, at her grant of access, delved inside my mouth. It was a very sloppy kiss with the strong scent of mint from Alex's gum being exchanged in the intermingling of their billowing breaths. Alex's arms reached up and tangled around Mason's thick, strong neck. In an instant she had pulled away and arched up into his broad chest, moaning in the contact of body heat against my own, before she drew back into his lips. Alex could nearly feel the slight burn of the mint as it rolled off her tongue and seeped down my throat with every push of Mason's tongue against hers.
Justin frantically paced around the lair with his wand tightly grasped in his hand, he puffed dramatically as he asked Max, "what do I do? I don't know what I'm supposed to do next!"
"You could maybe call WizTech and see what they wanted?" Max suggested from the nearby recliner.
"And then what? Get told I'm fired or going to wizard jail?"
"I don't know… maybe?"
"Yeah, thanks Max!" Justin snarled collapsing back on to the small red velvet chair. He dropped his head into his hands and groaned loudly while Max watched on in amusement.
"I'm sorry bro, I'm mortal now! I don't have to deal with this type of stuff."
"Lucky you…"
But Justin quickly leapt back up from his seat when his father barged in through the door leading in from the substation. "There you are!" He exclaimed looking between his two sons, "where have you guys been? You were supposed to be helping out with Neave!"
"We know," Justin stammered, "we're sorry something just… come up."
Jerry looked suspiciously at his son and then turned to Max who sat smiling like a buffoon. "Okay, what's going on?"
"Nothing!"
"Liar!" Max bellowed laughing.
"Justin?" Jerry stared impatiently at his son as he jitterd nervously.
"Fine! WizTech has tried calling me, and, I'm too scared to call them back."
"Oh… I see, but you've got to face them sometime."
"I know, but it's just a lot sooner than I thought! What if it's bad news?"
"Well you're not going to know that unless you call them back."
"You're right," Justin sighed in defeat, "it's time I man up for once." Justin brought his wand toward his face and began to dial rapidly, "beep boop bop bop beep boop BEEP!" He held his wand against his ear and tapped his foot nervously. "H-hello?" He mumbled "It's Justin Russo, I've had a miss call from you guys?... Uh huh… Right… Okay…WHAT!" He screamed, "SERIOUSLY! Oh okay, sure, yeah I'll be there. okay, thank you, thank you, bye." With that he hung up his wand and collapsed on to a near by stool.
"What happened?" Asked Jerry.
"They're taking no further action, they've found some evidence that clears me and Alex from Professor Crumb's death. They want to meet us tomorrow…"
"Well that's good right?"
"I think so, we'll just have to see what they say first."
Sorry for the slow update, stay safe everyone!