JACE
After learning about the twin planeswalkers, Jace decided to stay for supper, so he would get the chance to meet them before he continued gathering the others. Liliana facilitated their meeting by inviting the twins to take supper with her in her office. She had, at first, considered taking them to dine out, but Jace suggested they needed privacy to discuss everything without being overheard. Planeswalking and threats to the Multiverse were not common topics of conversation, after all.
At the appointed time, the flaxen-haired twins arrived together. Liliana welcomed them and thanked them for coming, but Jace noticed her playfully admit to the girl she was surprised to see her make it on time. The girl responded with a mischievous smile and a gleam in her eye, not unlike Liliana herself often affected. Here was, he realized, another impressionable young woman who had spent enough time with Liliana to begin mirroring her behavior and expressions.
After greeting the two of them with fond familiarity, Liliana immediately introduced them to Jace. He stood awkwardly off to the side and tried to hide his curiosity, but he couldn't help staring at them with keen interest.
Will seemed equally interested in Jace, and the two studied each other like museum exhibits. Rowan didn't seem to notice, however. She was simply ecstatic, which surprised Jace to no end.
"So, you're Jace! It's so good to finally meet the man who won Professor V's heart," she exclaimed, shaking his hand. She was clearly not the shy one. "She's the best! Of course, you already know that I suppose."
Jace was surprised the girl already knew about him. He gave Liliana a questioning gaze and she shrugged helplessly. Then he said, "Thank you, Rowan. It's a pleasure to meet you, too. I've heard a lot about both of you and I must admit, I'm impressed by what Lil—ah, Professor Vess—has told me."
They sat down to a delectable meal, which had been prepared for them by Witherbloom's cooking staff and delivered shortly before their guests arrived. Jace was always impressed that Liliana and the other professors were able to take advantage of having a somewhat personal cooking staff, each within their own associated colleges. Even when he was the Living Guildpact of Ravnica, he hadn't had a personal cooking staff provided. He had to hire his own and pay them from his own pocket, to boot!
After the initial questions and getting to know each other, they all settled into a great deal of interesting discussion and more laughter than Jace had had for a long time. He watched with a smile the way Liliana interacted with the two youths. Their familiarity really was like that of a family, and for a moment he was a part of that family. Somehow, it all felt natural, and for the first time he could really see himself having a family of his own. It was never anything he had considered before but sitting there with Liliana and her two favorite students gave him a glimpse of what it could be like to have a family with her.
"So," asked Rowen, after a momentary lapse in conversation, "how did you two meet? And where did you meet, I guess I should ask, since we're all planeswalkers. Ooh, did you find each other in an exotic jungle world and he saved you from a vicious tiger?"
"Well, it was not an exotic jungle world—unless you consider a world-city a jungle," Jace laughed. "And if anyone would do the saving between us, it would be your dear Professor Vess who saved me."
The lovers shared a brief gaze, before suddenly Jace had a stab of memory from the past. For a moment, he could almost feel the mana blade, simultaneously cutting his flesh and searing his soul. He shivered.
Liliana seemed to notice the change because her expression changed to one of remorse. Then she said, "It's true. I did save him. But…I was also the one who got him into that situation in the first place."
Jace held up his forefinger, and said, "Actually, not exactly. You were the one who got me caught, but I was the one who put myself on Tezzeret's naughty list."
"Wait, she got you captured?" asked Rowan. "Like, imprisoned?"
"Yes," they replied in unison.
Then Will, who was usually quiet in group settings, asked, "Why didn't you just planeswalk away?"
"Ah, well, the planeswalker who imprisoned me had already thought of that," Jace explained. "He was—or is, actually—also a highly skilled artificer. He designed a containment unit that drained mana, so I couldn't use it against him or use my spark to 'walk away."
"Why did you get him caught?" asked Will, turning to Liliana with curiosity rather than accusation.
Liliana sighed. Jace knew it was hard for her to think back to that time, and to face it. He reached out and took her hand, his thumb gently rubbing the back of it. A pained smile indicated her gratitude. Then she said, "I didn't want to hurt him, but I was…under a contract from which there was no escape. Not at the time, at least. I loved him, but I deceived him because my…master demanded it."
"Why didn't you just betray the other guy?" asked Rowan.
"She couldn't," said Jace. "Not without losing her life."
"My…tattoos," Liliana explained. "They're the remnants of a…contract I made. If I didn't do my demons' bidding, they would burn me alive from the inside out."
The twins looked mutually horrified.
"I didn't understand it then," said Jace, gently rubbing Liliana's back, "but I understand it now. And I've long since forgiven her. It took many years for me to get to the point where I could even begin to understand, and a lot of…introspection.
"We all make mistakes," he continued. "We all make poor choices from time to time and hurt people without meaning to. But Lili—I mean, Professor Vess—has long since proven to me that she is not the same person she was then. Nor am I. And I think we are both better people because of all we have learned and how we have changed."
Liliana looked down at her hands in her lap and Jace noticed the corner of her mouth quiver. She got up then and excused herself. He knew she was trying to hide that she was going to cry. Instead of letting her go, however, he grabbed her hand and said, "Lili, please. Stay with us."
She let him pull her into an embrace, but beat her fists against his shoulders, saying, "Now look what you've done, Jace! You've completely ruined me."
"If I have, I'm sorry," he teased. Then he kissed her gently on the mouth.
Rowan watched in awe, but Will looked away and his cheeks turned red.
Jace offered Liliana his napkin, which was still clean. She accepted it and wiped her eyes. Then she looked at her former pupils, and said, "This man is either the greatest or the worst man I have ever known. I'm still trying to decide which he is."
Rowan laughed, but Will seemed confused. His sister nudged him in the side and leaned in, to explain, "It's a joke, Will."
"Oh!" the young man gasped. Then he smiled awkwardly and began fidgeting with his silverware.
Rowan rolled her eyes and turned back to the couple, who were returning to their seats.
"Well," said Liliana, in her exaggerated way, "I apologize for that absurd interruption."
"I thought it was sweet," said Rowan with a smile. She blushed and looked down, adding, "I hope I can find someone to love like that someday."
Will snickered. "Wow, Rowan—I've never taken you for the sentimental type!"
When Rowan slugged him on the bicep he winced, and his smile faded quickly.
"Shut it!" she demanded. "I'm not sentimental!"
"All right," said Liliana, "that's enough—both of you. I will not have you quarreling at my table and in front of my guest."
"Aren't we your guests, too?" asked Rowan.
"Not if you keep it up," said Liliana with a firm look, but there was a hint of playfulness in her tone.
"Okay," said Rowan. "Sorry, Professor V."
"Sorry, Professor Vess," echoed Will.
"All right," said Liliana, accepting their apologies and moving on to business. "Now, it's time to discuss our old friend Tezzeret and what he's been up to, of late."
"Tezzeret is the same megalomaniac you were telling me about the other day, right?"
Liliana gave a nod. "One and the same. The bastard is like a fly that keeps buzzing around your face, but every time you try to swat it, it's too fast and gets away."
"Only, we are hoping that this time," said Jace, "we can outmaneuver him."
"You mean kill him, right?" asked Rowan, perhaps a bit too eagerly.
"With Tezzeret," said Jace, "there's no other way to stop him. We've learned that the hard way."
"So, where is he now?" asked Will. "And what is he trying to do?"
Jace exchanged a glance with Liliana, who urged him to continue. He cleared his throat and began the short version of the explanation. They listened with rapt attention, grimacing and widening their eyes at the appropriate moments. Will's face drained of its color, but Rowan looked almost excited. She reminded him a bit of Chandra, only with more mischief and less anger. He almost laughed at the comparison but managed to keep his demeanor serious and somewhat professional.
When he was finished, he sat back, and said, "So, that's where the Gatewatch comes in."
"That's the group of planeswalkers he formed to protect the Multiverse," Rowan explained to Will.
Her brother rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I got that. Thanks, Ro."
"Just wanted to make sure you were following along."
"Aren't you usually the one who has a hard time keeping up?" he quipped.
Liliana cleared her throat to get their attention and put an end to their volley with a look in her eye that could freeze a pot of boiling water. Jace liked that look when it wasn't directed at him. He had to clear his throat and look away, to hide his smile.
"Ah, right…so, where were we?"
"You were about to ask us if we're in, right?" asked Rowan. "If we'll join the Gatewatch and help stop this Tezzeret guy? 'Cause I can definitely say we're in. I'm sick of sitting around at university when there's so much else to do and more important things happening in the Multiverse than tests and assignments."
"Tests and assignments are important, Ro," said Will.
"Not if there's an unstoppable army of artifice threatening to kill and destroy everything."
"It's still important," Will mumbled. "Just not as important…"
"That's my whole point!" said Rowan, throwing up her hands.
"So, are you in, Will?" asked Jace, hoping to diffuse another potential spat between siblings.
The young man remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded. "Yeah, I'm in. I like it here, but none of this will be here if those Phyrexian guys come here. And if what you've said is true, there's no stopping them once they start invading other planes. So, yeah." He nodded again, more firmly. "I'm definitely in. What do we need to do, to make it official?"
"Well, normally I'd have you swear an oath," said Jace.
"What kind of oath?" Will inquired.
"Each one's unique," Jace explained. "You just say what's in your heart. Maybe what brought you to want to join the Gatewatch. Why you'd be willing to risk your life to protect the Multiverse. Those kinds of things. But I think we should wait until you come and meet the others before you swear the oath. Then you can have time to think about what you might want to say."
"Awesome," said Rowan. "When do we leave?"
Liliana met Jace's gaze, and said, "Jace is still gathering everyone, so it won't be for a while. And you've still got a final exam to take. So, if you think this is your ticket out of finishing your work here, young lady, you're quite mistaken."
Rowan's face fell, but then she quickly tried to hide her disappointment. "Yeah, I know. I…wasn't thinking that. Just eager to save the Multiverse and meet new people, I guess. But promise you won't leave without us?"
"Me?" asked Liliana.
"When the time comes," said Jace, "I'll return for all of you. And we won't leave without you."
LILIANA
Once they had said goodbye to the twins, Liliana locked the door and went to the table to pour herself a drink.
Watching her with a smile, Jace remarked, "I can see it now."
"See what?" she asked, clutching her wine glass as she turned to him after taking her first sip.
"You, a mother. The way you are with them—you're very motherly. I never realized it, until tonight."
She leaned with her hip on the table, and said, "I don't know what you mean. I don't treat them like children. I treat them like students. Perhaps even friends."
He smiled. "You treat them the way a mother might treat her grown children—children she has nurtured and watched grow into fine young adults."
"All right, Mr. Know-It-All," Liliana teased, to deflect her discomfort at being so easily read. "If you say so."
"I just think it's beautiful, watching you interact with them. I can tell you really care about them."
"You don't think it's only because I see them as useful?"
"Well, that's what first got you to pay attention to them, I have no doubt. You're nothing if not pragmatic. But then, like always, you can't help it that you have a heart. You start to care."
"And then I become foolish. Reckless. Stupid."
"Then you have something worth living for, and even worth dying for."
Liliana sighed and took another drink. Then she placed her cup on the table and walked over to Jace. "Stay tonight. Please. I just…want you to hold me."
He raised a brow in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that. You, of all people, know that side of me."
"I'm probably the only person who knows that side of you," he said, slipping his arms around her and pulling her back against him.
"Then why do you act surprised when you see it?" she asked, tilting her head to meet his gaze over her shoulder. Then she inhaled deeply and laid her head back on his shoulder. Then her neck started to hurt, so she pulled away and turned toward him, searching his gaze. "Will you stay?"
He reached up to touch her cheek. "Yes, I'll stay. You know I hate leaving you. And I don't know how long it will take me to find the others. Nissa and Chandra were easy. The others…I've got some ideas, but that's about it."
"Can we please just not talk about the others, right now? I just want to be you and me, for what's possibly the last time. Once everyone's together again, there won't be time left for us."
Jace nodded and pressed his forehead to hers. "Then it's just us tonight."
Liliana would never admit that lying in his arms while he slept made her feel safe. He probably already knew, though he would never injure her pride by saying so. She appreciated that about him. He knew and understood her better than anyone—except maybe old Beef Slab, who seemed to understand everyone better than anyone. While Jace snored lightly, Liliana snuggled into his embrace and soon drifted off to sleep, knowing all too well things were about to change drastically.