ZEDD - A FEW MINUTES AGO

Thomas and I are leisurely following after the kids, walking hand in hand. There are days, and I admit this is one of them, that I can't believe how my life is turning out. Hell, as recently as a century ago, I'd have never thought that I'd be happily married - with children no less. I exchange a smile with my ever so handsome husband.

Smiling back at me, he raises a curious brow. "Penny for your thoughts, mate?"

"Just happy."

"Do tell."

Shrugging and slightly uncertain how to explain myself, I finally go with the simplest explanation I can think of. "I'm just happy that I'm happy, if that makes any sense."

Smile growing at this he gives a nod in agreement. "It actually does, and just so you know, I'm happy that you can be happy with things how they are right now."

"I like how things are right now."

Pausing and turning in my arms, he wraps his own around my neck. "I like how things are right now too." Offering a brief kiss he's barely had time to pull back when I'm hit full force by entirely new, and old, feeling. Gasping at the sudden sensations overwhelming me, it only takes a moment to realize what is I'm feeling, and powers help me, I want it. "Zedd, what is it?"

"Dark power - lots of it and close."

"Dark power? What- oh god - the kids!" We run toward the park both knowing full well where the power is coming from, though both hoping against hope that we're wrong. Suddenly we see the kids, their path blocked by a male. Jimmy is trying to comfort a crying Jacob while the male addresses Mara Jane who is also on the ground. Suddenly, I feel another surge of dark power that abruptly spikes to levels far too high for a child to be able to control.

Watching with me as Mara Jane scrambles to her feet, Thomas seems to register exactly what's happening a split second before I do as he thankfully pulls me out of my stupor with his command. "Zedd stop her!"

Barely getting my staff up in time I watch as my beloved daughter rears back and throws what looks to be a straight ball of dark power straight at her challenger.

"No!" I use my own dark power to draw the orb to me and dissipate it. "Thomas, check on the boys. I'll handle Mara Jane."

A brief nod and we separate. Mara Jane is shouting, "You shut your damn mouth! You don't know what you're talking about!"

A quick look at her opponent and I'm fairly certain I can guess what's been said - or at least some of it. "Jax, I'm reasonably positive that Thomas was clear when he told you to leave us alone. Get away from my daughter."

"It's not my fault that you decided to not only bring another abomination into the universe, but also chose to come here and flaunt it. Never mind not being honest about your past. What exactly have you been telling her, Zeddic? That you're some sort of heroic power holder? Has she not seen how you really look now? Seen what a self-serving, cold blooded killer you became when you disgraced our family name? Not to mention that aside, kidnapping and mating with some human pet? For hell's sake the only reason she can probably even pass for an Eltarian is his weak human genetics dumbing down her power, unless of course you just used your own to disguise her."

"Lies! All lies! I swear I'll kill you were you stand!" I draw and dissipate another orb from my child. I have to get this under control and fast.

"Jax, if you're half as smart as Father thinks you are, you will leave and now." I turn Mara Jane toward me, breaking her laser like gaze on her uncle. Oh hells, her eyes are so black! "Baby girl, look at me. Take a deep slow breath and look at me."

"He deserves to die!"

"But you will not be the one to kill him" I state firmly, deciding at that moment that I will do whatever I must, Jax's life be damned, if it means keeping her from having blood on her hands. "Mara Jane listen to me, hear my voice and look at my face, not him. Look at me and focus on me. I'm here now, you're safe, Jacob, your daddy, and Jimmy are all safe. Everything is going to be okay but you have to come back to me."

She's trembling under my hands, but at least gives me the majority of her focus now, some recognition registering in her eyes, even if they are unfortunately still not showing any sign of their normal purple hue. "Papa?"

"I'm here, it's okay, everything is okay, just breathe and calm down, sweetheart. You have to calm down."

"Papa, he said- and called them pets- said you were as evil as they come- and Jacob and I were abominations- that you were supposed to kill Daddy- said something about you and your pet- and that I'm evil just like you-" She stops abruptly and I can practically hear the gears in her head turning. I shoot a quick prayer to the powers that what I've understood from her disjointed sentences continues to make no sense to her the way it does to me. My hopes are however quickly dashed as I feel the power flare up again, rage once more clear on her young face, reminding me far too much of myself many centuries ago. "He called Daddy a pet!" Shit.

I quickly grab her as she turns to launch at Jax. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Thomas holding Jacob and Jimmy talking to him quickly and quietly. This is not going to go well. One thing at a time, Zeddic. I turn my attention to my daughter. "Mara Jane, stop. Look at me. Listen to my voice, princess. Don't let the anger win."

"He deserves to die!"

"You will not kill him!" Concern growing as she continues to fight against me, her power flaring up and making it hard to focus on the task at hand, I finally give one last attempt to reach her. "Mara Jane Elizabeth Anise Oliver, I order you to stop!"

Yelling in rage that is no doubt fueled by my command she abruptly and forcefully elbows me in the ribs.

Momentarily taken aback as she has never dared to attack me before verbally or physically, I barely keep my hold on her as she tries to use my shock to her advantage and break free. "Mara Jane, please, baby please don't do this!"

"Let go!"

"No! I won't let you become killer like me!" This seeming to finally register, her struggles slow gradually as she begins to breathe, working to calm herself down. It takes a few minutes before her eyes return to their normal color, although the distress is still far too clear for my liking.

"Papa-"

"We'll talk about this later, okay?"

Before she can do anything more than nod at me, I see a rapid movement from Thomas. He hands Jacob over to Jimmy and turns to Jax, who has not had the sense to leave. I have never seen an expression like this on Thomas' face before, something I'd almost call ice cold hatred. He stalks toward my brother. "I know I was very clear, Jax, when I told you to leave us alone."

"You aren't going to do anything, mutt. You're a power holder."

Thomas ignores this. "I believe my exact words were: Leave us alone, Jax. No calls, no visits, no sending anyone after us. If you don't leave us alone, I will do whatever I have to do to keep my mate, my child, and the rest of my family safe - no matter what it is. I will kill if necessary and without hesitation. Do not test me or you will be sorry."

"So what?" Jax sneers. "Again, you're a power holder and won't, or can't, do anything."

"You're right I am a power holder, one that you seem to have forgotten, is bound to no master or mentor. Free to do anything I want - with or without using my powers."

Finally, Jax seems to realize exactly how much danger he's in. He holds his hands up placatingly as he starts to back away from my mate, even as Thomas advances on him. "Now, now. You wouldn't want to upset Mother and Father, would you? Never mind your brats." At the look on Thomas' face, he backpedals quickly. "Kids! I meant kids!"

A cruel smile passes over Thomas' face. "Speaking of, I wonder what your own children and mate would think about your behavior today, never mind your parents. Pushing one child to the ground, frightening another. I have had enough of you, Jax, and quite frankly am in no mood to give you any more warnings. Whatever their lineage, whoever their parents - they are children. And honestly the only thing keeping me from ripping your goddamn head off is that I don't want to scare or upset them any more than they already have been."

"Thomas, love, that's enough."

"No, it's not nearly enough" he snarls. "And the saddest part is the fact that if I choose to back off right now, it'll only reinforce the idea that I'm a pet doing what I'm told. It won't be that I stopped to keep from scaring our daughter or to keep from killing my brother in law. No, it's because I'm a pet doing as my master commands."

Jimmy speaks. "Uncle Tommy - it doesn't matter what he thinks."

"It wouldn't be just him! It never is!"

The boy speaks once more. "And what about what Dad thinks? Or Mom? Or even Uncle Zedd? They're the ones that matter, right?"

Thomas hesitates. I want to say something, but I know that now's not the time. Anything I say now might only fire him back up again as my earlier command did with our daughter. Seeing her Daddy seeming to struggle with his own desire for revenge, one that I'm not certain she is over herself really, Mara Jane wiggles free of my arms, goes to him and takes his hand. He looks down at her hand in his and then at her face. His own rage backs down. "Come on, Daddy. Papa's right, he's not even worth it." She gives him a mischievous little smile. "Besides, I think I'd much rather go tell Grandpa a little story about our day at the park and what lies my uncle has been telling." That's my girl.