Undying

AN: I wrote this garbage in a day right after watching the second movie. There are SPOILERS, you've been warned. It's HEA because life sucks, so the one-shot is mostly just fix-it, but I threw in the tiniest bit of plot, I guess. I wrote this on my phone, typing is hard. I tried to fix what my dumb fingers messed up. G'day, poor unfortunate souls who stumble across this.


June thought she was free.

The enchantress was dead, Rick wouldn't work with the Suicide Squad any longer, and Wal- She could have no possible need for her.

June was right about exactly, one, of those things.

And honestly, the fact that Wa— the bitch from hell, wouldn't call on her anymore, made being wrong about all of the rest, worth it. The woman was evil, a necessary evil, sure, June wasn't that naive. All civilizations throughout history had a person or organization like Her. But the less June ever had to do with her, the better.

Rick didn't want to give it up, and though she loved him, it was somewhat disappointing that their love had been orchestrated by the she-demon. When Rick had refused to leave, June had.

And that left only one option, the enchantress wasn't dead. Oh, the consciousness or soul of the woman that had shared her body was gone. But in a last ditch effort, the Enchantress had instead made June her successor. June was the enchantress, or one of the many other names she'd gone by. Neither June nor the one before her had been the first. But now June was the one with that all that power.

And the woman had given the power of her also dead brother to the fetus inside of June.

Yes, that was another thing, June was pregnant with Rick's child, something he did not know about, because if he knew, then She would know. And June would not risk Her having any interest in herself or her child. June could admit that she was terrified that She would just, somehow know, that Succubus and Incubus had not died. Terrified and Paranoid.

June had made the mistake the first time, of telling people, of seeking help, and all she got in return was threats, being controlled, and her heart ever so gently stabbed.

She felt love for Rick still, especially because he had opted to take her home instead of directly to a hospital, she hates hospitals, see. Hated them. And She must have drudged up her mostly forgotten sympathy, and let Rick take her favorite pet away. Or hadn't wanted to pay for the hospital bills. June was betting on the second.

It was only because of that, June was sure, that she and her child were able to get away scott free.

She had mostly slept for the week after the battle, every single one of the enchantress' memories were now inside her head. Its was difficult stuff to get through. She had been going through them slowly, meditating the entire week while she was sleeping, until she had come across woman's very last memories. One of them in particular stuck out to June: the memory of Incubus dying, of the enchantress screaming in sorrow, and gathering his life force and spirit, before shoving it into the child the body carried.

And all efforts to meditate halted as June woke and rushed to the bathroom and threw up. Not morning sickness, too early for that, just pure shock.

That was when she had escaped.

She hadn't meant to, not really, one minute in the bathroom agonizing over the fact that she was pregnant and didn't want anyone to know. Didn't even want Rick to know.

And she was gone, deep within the South American Jungles again.

June went back only minutes later, after having a good cry. She would at least let Rick know that she couldn't stay. She truly did love him.

She was packed when he came home. Home. They had gotten married, created a home, and a child within ten months. Not necessarily in that order, but still.

He looked at her, at her bags, "I was wondering."

She met his eyes, "I love you."

He nodded. "Yeah, love you too June."

She stood, trying to keep the sway and force that the Enchantress had thousands of years perfecting out of her walk. She placed her hands on either side of his face, and repeated, "I love you." She stared, deep into his eyes, "I don't want to leave you. I want to spend the rest of our lives together."

She didn't know how that would even work as she was now, functionally immortal.

"I love you," and this time she was crying.

He wrapped his arms around her, "then don't go, June. Don't leave me."

She sniffed against his chest, "I love you so much, it's stupid. But this, this is crazy. And I brought you into it, and now even though She has no more use for me, you can't or won't get out."

He sighed, "June…"

June shook her head at him, "don't tell me which it is. When I'm ignorant, I can be righteously enraged. But I couldn't live with either the guilt or the heartbreak."

He said nothing, merely taking her back into his arms, "I love you, June."

She nodded, "thank you."

He guided her to the couch, sitting down heavily across from where she perched on the edge.

"So, you're moving out?"

She nodded.

"Do you know where you're going to go?"

"Back to the University, I have other possible south American and Mesopotamian sites. I can increase my knowledge of other areas around the world if I want to. See what I can find, maybe something good this time."

Because she was telling him the truth, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. And the enchantress remembers others of her kind.

"Do you want to file fo—"

She covers his mouth with her hand, more tears in her eyes as she rapidly shakes her head. "No, no." She closes in on him, straddling his lap and kissing him deeply again. "No," she says again into his throat. He smells like gunpowder and roasted chestnuts. Heat, spice, and war.

"No, I want to know. I need…" she sucks in a breath, and says one of the most painful things she's ever had to say. "I'm already in the know. She would have no legal recourse to deny me information regarding you."

His eyes are wide as they bore into her, and his breath escapes him in a slow sigh, "you want to know when I die."

She can't meet his gaze, "She calls it the Suicide Squad Rick. So far she's used you to do what she says nobody else can. But how long until the name becomes more true than it already is? How long until you're the flashy distraction, or better yet, sacrifice so that someone else can do the job?"

He's silent, his lips pursed. "For a second I was going to say, 'She wouldn't do that,' but," they both know She would. She quite literally created their relationship, so that she could have control over him.

June nods, "I love you. And if you were on any other secret task force in this world, I would stay. I would be in fear for your life every day. But I would stay. But I can't be even in Her peripherals. I'm don't want to be scared anymore Rick," and a bitter laugh crawled out of her throat, "but even now I don't even want to say her name." June tries to keep from sobbing. "But yes I want to know when she takes you away from me."

He nods, "okay. I don't like it, but, yeah, I understand it. Can I come see you?"

June sighed a lay her head on his chest, "the answer to that question, is the same as the answer to this one: Can I come see you?"

He sighed, "I want you here June, I want you here with me, all the time, honey. But I have this Job to do." He kissed her on the forehead, "anytime we can, I want to meet up."

June laughed wetly, tried to hide the tears, "I get a cute booty call?"

His eyes darkened, "oh no, the gorgeous booty call is mine. Come here," and she went, willingly, she went.

He was harder, rougher than normal, it was exactly what she needed. June wanted to feel him for a while after she left. They lay together, facing each other, he was playing with her hair, one of his favorite things, and June was trying to memorize his face with her fingers.

"I love you, love you so much baby," he whispered.

And June felt the tears slip over the bridge of her nose.

He leaned over, kissing her between the brows, "we'll figure it out June. Move wherever you want, just as soon as I'm done with this shit."

She nodded.

"Good, I like that plan."

He smiled, and soon fell asleep. June sobbed silently, just watching him as the exhaustion and the emotions of the day eased, and his face became so soft.

June reached up, the tips of her fingers glowing green, before pressing them to the top of his head.

He didn't, and wouldn't know it until it happened, but she had placed a marker on him, to let her know where he is at all times. Seconds before he died, she would appear before him. Hopefully, by that time, she would be able to save him.

June was gone before he woke in the morning.


The University accepted her back with open arms, just as excited as they were curious about the 'government contract' she had worked. She told each and everyone of them, that the job had sucked, wasn't exciting, hardly any research, just answering a lot of difficult question for men and women in suits that were too stubborn to accept her answers.

The interest died soon after.

Rick gave her a week, and then he appeared ten minutes before her last lecture of the day. He said nothing, just stood by the door, going through emails on his phone if his furrowed brow meant anything. And indeed she knew exactly what that particular crease meant.

The class let out, most ignoring the unknown man who slipped into the room. And once the last one left, he closed and locked the door, covered the window on the door with one of many posters, and cornered her to a blind spot within the room.

No one would be able to see anything from the windows.

He was on his knees, face under her skirt before she could even really think, and at that point all thinking went out the window.

She kept her eyes closed, breathing heavily against him chest, because she knew her eyes were backlit with gold light right now.

And that wasn't something Rick could see.

She pressed soft lips to him blindly, getting first to his chest, and traveling up to his lips. He hummed as he slowly got his strength back to step out from between her legs.

His hands were gentle as he combed her now very messy hair back.

"Hey baby," he said against her lips.

She hummed, "hi love."

"I've missed you," he said, voice breaking for just a second.

She nodded, "I've missed you too." She finally felt safe to open her eyes.

She smiled as his hand rested against her cheek, eyes searching hers.

"You still love me," he breathed, his eyes wide and slightly scared. She could understand that emotion.

"Forever," she affirmed, and then he was moving in her again, softer, tender, his lips hardly ever leaving her.

"I want dinner," he said softly once they were dressed.

She grabbed his hand, pulling him along behind her, "I have a new favorite a couple miles away."


It was another month before she found her way back in his arms, letting herself into the house quickly.

The very air was silent for a moment, and then she dropped her keys into the bowl next to the door. June smiled as the safety of a gun clicked.

"June, baby?"

She kicked off her shoes, walking and shedding clothes throughout the condo, until she found him. She frowned, he was banged up, bruised and had too many cuts and scrapes.

She sighed, at least he wasn't wrapped in bandages this time.

She crawled over him, catching hands that tried to grab her, and held them still for a second.

"Shoulders okay?"

"Yes, why?"

She pushed his arm back, "no touching," his eyes widened, and then rolled.

"You're that mad I got these teeny tiny scratches, huh?"

"Shut up," she whispered against his lips.

He grinned at her.

"What're you going to do up there?"

She hummed, "whatever I want," she says sliding down the bed and kissing his hip to start with.

His grin quickly dropped, eyes squeezing closed as he fisted the pillow beneath his head.

They made dinner together after, speaking about her work, and the people who had annoyed him this time.

He held her for long minutes after dinner by the door. "Stay June, stay the night."

She buried her face into his neck, "okay Rick. Okay."

He led her back to bed, it was a few hours before they actually went to sleep.

"I love you," they both whispered, before falling asleep.

He was gone when she woke in the morning, a big E for emergency on the fridge door.

June sighed. She'd gone through the fridge last night, there was hardly anything in there.

June went out and shopped for groceries before coming back and cooking. After portioning out the food and leaving her own note about it, she left.

He was back a week later, this time in feared the bandages and even two braces. He kissed her in the parking lot of the Uni.

"Hey, sorry I had to disappear,"

She nodded, "you're alive. That's what matters."

He nodded, "I love you."

She smiled sadly, "I love you, Honey. Now, Rick, go the fuck to bed."

He laughed, stumbling to his car. "Come home tonight?"

She nodded.

She goes home just like he asked. They don't talk, or have sex, he's very grateful for the frozen meals. They quickly fall asleep together.

He doesn't realize she's accelerated his healing. Not a lot, not enough to be noticed, but enough for him to feel better, and quicker.

In fact he feels better in the morning, enough to throw her legs over his shoulder for a couple hours, until she reminds him she too, has a job.

"Rest Rick. Take a shower, and rest. Eat sleep. Call me when you feel better, or when you leave again. I love you, honey."

"Love you, baby." She smiled.


Life continues, they have dinner twice a week when he's in town, sex more frequently.

Four months since the whole ordeal, and she know she has to leave.

His eyes widen when he sees her, "you've gained weight," and this statement is quickly followed by, "it looks fucking amazing on you."

She wondered what her face had looked like for him to tack that on so quickly.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't mean that as an insult, you look amazing June, just I don't know, fuller is a word, maybe?"

And June laughs, because that seems safest, "thank you, I guess."

He frowns, "is it easier to eat without the…" the enchantress, she knows is what he won't say. But she nods, "it's easier to keep track of what I eat and the days themselves. So yeah, I might be gaining weight."

He nodded, "you're alright though?"

And June shrugged, "I- I'm good, yeah."

"Come on, we're seeing a movie that the guys have been telling me is absolute shit."

June snorted, Rick enjoyed watching action and war flicks, and heckling them for every stupid idea and movement. It was, endearing. Mostly it reminded her that her husband was one of the most dangerous and well trained men in the country. And that made her have hope that he wouldn't be dying on her any time soon.

June had created a new account on a delivery service, and she's started having baby things delivered to her new apartment. Just a few outfits and diapers.

But now she has other ideas.

If she's telling Rick she's going on an expedition, she might as well actually go on one.

When they get home she climbs over him, face at his belt, and hips over his.

She feels him still as he realizes the skirt zips all the way down, and under that is nothing.

"You fucking gorgeous woman, gods."

She grins and and gets to her own part of this particular party for two.

She's lying against his chest, fingers tracings scars through the hairs there, "I have a job coming up."

"Mesoamérica again?"

She nods, "I think I found the most dangerous thing there already. So, it should be fine."

"You'll be careful." It's not a question. She doesn't tell him that she has incentive to being the most cautious she has even been in her life.

She nods, "yes."

"When do you leave?"

She smiles against his throat, "next Wednesday. I have a lot of packing to do."

He sighs and his hand grips her thigh, "I'm leaving in two days on a job."

She nods, "you want me to stay the night and tomorrow over?"

And suddenly he's above her grinning, "silliest damn question."

She smiles, he kisses his way down her body again, "you taste different, what did you eat today, because you should eat a lot more of it."

She laughed, "I'll keep that in mind."

So she stayed over, his hands and mouth left red marks all over her body. He was gone by the time she woke the next day.

She sighed, and locked up after leaving.

The next few days were informing the university she had an expedition in mind. She had no classes for break, and was already cleared at the beginning of the school session.

It was another month and half before June figured out that she was right. She had in fact already found the most dangerous things in meso and South America.

She did find several other important sites, and reported them to the college who would then hand them off the the regional authorities. But only after June had cleaned them out of anything magic.

Just because they weren't as dangerous as she was, didn't mean they weren't dangerous to others.

She was nearing six months pregnant when she finally reached a place that had cell service, though she was turning out to be one of those women who didn't actually show all that much.

She called Rick, and he answered almost immediately, "Waller what—"

"Rick."

"Baby?" He breathed out, "hey June, how are you?"

"Making historical finds left and right, nothing all that fancy though."

"Fancy, or… fancy."

She snorted, "yes Rick."

"Oh okay. So you're being safe?"

"Of course I am," and he couldn't see it but she was rolling her eyes at him so hard.

He sighed, "miss you baby, when are you coming home?"

She frowned, looking down at her mostly flat stomach, "I'm not, Rick. University has me lined up for a job in Israel, heading west towards Egypt on the route I have planned."

He was silent for a long moment, "Israel?"

She hummed and nodded, walking down the road and looking for a pace to eat. "Yeah, the dream is to find evidence of Pangaeic civilization."

He sighed, "you have sunscreen? You burn like nothing."

And now she couldn't help but laugh loudly, gathering a few glances from passers by. "Yes I do."

"And water baby, gotta make sure you have enough water."

She could literally pull it from thin air, but "yes, I know honey."

He groaned, "no, June I'm serious, when you think you have enough, triple it. Okay. Please. Have a gel camel pack on your back chest, and each thigh babe. It's not overkill, I swear to god."

She giggled at his rant, "sir, yes sir."

He went very quiet suddenly, "I need you to either never do that again, or always do that again."

"Yes sir, Colonel Flag," she whispered lowly.

And he choked, "swear to god, you better stop. I'm serious baby, you gotta be safe, okay?"

"I will be with a contingent of well trained soldiers guarding me every step of the way, the only time I won't be, is when I am studying my sites. And even then I will still have an escort at all times."

He sighed, "call me again, before you get on a plane?"

"Okay, love you Rick."

"Love you June."


She called him many time before she actually landed in Israel, and once again when she got to the hotel. That last time though, he didn't pick up.

So she left him a message, "hey baby, got to my hotel for the night. Flight was good, literally one second of turbulence. It was fine. I'll be escorted to the college here tomorrow, and myself and the team of historians and archeologists will decide how we'd like to do this whole thing. I even have three camel packs, I couldn't get a fourth, that was all the store had left. Love you, call me when you can. And leave me a message if I don't pick up."

A week later, there was some news that popped up on her phone about Harley Quinn blowing up an amusement park.

June stared at it for a long second. But shrugged soon afterward.

The woman was absolutely batshit, and worse, loved someone even more crazy than her, enough to actually let herself become crazy for him. June still remembered what she'd seen in Harley's mind, the numerous break ups and reconnections between her and the Clown crime lord. The desire to just, be and live with him. For happiness. For children.

June didn't know if Harley would ever get it, but best of luck to the woman. She was a sweet girl otherwise, or rather, normally. The man was probably just too damn broken for her to fix.

June shrugged and tossed her phone to the bed, finding her other hand resting protectively on her recently dropped belly.

Just a little while longer now.

A little while longer now, happened in the middle of one of her sites just two months later. She was early, but not as big as she could be. She hid it with the draping fashions of this corner of the world. One of them women with her Miriam, tsked at her darkly.

"You should be at a hospital. And probably not working this much."

The other guard, Adva looked between the two on them in confusion.

"Is there something wrong with Miss Moone?" Adva asked with genuine concern.

Miriam huffed, "her back has been hurting her all day, and she never wears her shoes. My mother was them same."

June froze, realizing that Miriam knew.

She looked the woman dead in the eyes and said forcefully, "nobody can know!"

Miriam was silent for a moment, dark eyes assessing her with a sharp intellect. "I see. Well then. Close the site today. I will take you a place where nobody will know."

Adva looked between them again. "Miriam what is going on?"

Miriam shook her head, "do not worry yourself. I will deal with it."

Adva stepped back.

And June groaned, knowing that Miriam was correct. It was time to stop.

Miriam helped her to the vehicle. "My mother is a doula, it is why I know."

June nodded, breathing through whatever pain this was. She had assumed Braxton Hicks, but, June had been wrong about many different things before.

It was good Miriam was allowed to drive her personal car.

"Does nobody know?"

June shook her head, "just you and myself."

"And if your baby is not well?"

The enchantress would never allow such a thing. June herself now had the enchantress' powers. June too, would never allow such a thing.

"Get there, when we get there," she replied.

The woman huffed. It was another thirty minutes before they pulled into a small home.

The second June stepped out of the car, she lost her mucous plug, and it was disgusting.

Miriam evidently though so too. "Mama!" She yelled, supporting June from a good foot away.

A woman appeared at the door, and her eyes went wide at seeing her daughter supporting a young woman, holding her belly and her pants soaked.

The woman got to business immediately.

"Pants off, in the birthing room, now."

A boy in the living room saw the three women, and bolted. June laughed.

"He is not supposed to be here when women come," the woman informed her. "Your pains, how long?"

"Three days off and on, it's why I wasn't concerned."

The woman huffed at her, "three days of pain, not concerned. You're a first time mother yes?"

June nodded, "yes."

"The father?"

"My husband. He doesn't know I am pregnant."

Both women looked at her the most comically identical looks June had ever seen.

She laughed.

Miriam scoffed, "how did you hide being pregnant from him?"

June shrugged and breathed harshly for several seconds through a contraction. "I went to South America and then Israel. He has a very dangerous and time consuming job."

The women stopped asking those particular questions. But the others, those June answered as best she could.

Hour later, June had a bloody and crying baby boy against her chest.

Miriam's mother, hissed, "take the baby, Miri, a bath. Miss June and I have more work to do."

Miriam turn wide eyes to them, but quickly went to bathe her baby.

Jun frowned, "more work?"

June assumed she meant the afterbirth, and then the contraction hit.

"Oh."

The woman laughed, "yes, oh."

She didn't really remember the rest of it.

Miriam had called the University and informed them June had fallen ill, and as she had been paying for her own hotel room, and hadn't yet missed a single day of work since starting, the woman managed to finagle for her, an entire week off.

She had a week to spend with her twins. A girl, smaller than her elder brother. June had not even thought to check, she just knew that the life inside of her was well. She named them Richard Solomon and Luna Marian.

Miriam blinked, "did you just name your child after me?"

June shrugged, "do you mind? It's just… thank you for not leaving me alone."

Miriam scoffed and stomped away.

Miriam's mother, a delightful woman name Gali laughed. Before long her laughter subsided, "what will you do?"

June shrugged, winced, and checked each baby to ensure they were still comfortable. "What all single mothers throughout history have done. Make it work."

Gali sighed, "but you aren't single."

"He works under a woman that would have him killed in a heartbeat if she thought the United States could benefit from his death. Or if he annoyed her too much."

The woman frowned, "I am sorry then."

June shrugged, "Not your fault. I'm planning on buying a house here. I've already brought up a transfer. The University has no problems and my lease at my old place is up."

"You are running from him," Gali accused.

And June shrugged, "he can't leave his job. I'm running from her, and until she dies, I will keep doing so."

June called him that night, "Rick, I love you. You are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. Thank you for letting me love you."

She didn't know it, but that was the last message Rick would respond to, but not the last she would send. Far from it.


She works, and it's only because of her own abilities that she is able to mother two newborn children without anyone knowing that one, she was ever pregnant in the first place, and two, that she has someone else living in that cute little condo she'd bought.

Miriam had begrudgingly become the best friend June had ever had, and Gali had once so profusely thanked her for being a friend to her daughter as well. Miriam had also become unofficial godmother to her children.

June sighed, her children grew up speaking five languages, English, Arabic, Hebrew, Egyptian, and Greek. That was something June had always wished for herself, that she hadn't had to work so damn hard to learn a new language when she was ten, and then another at twelve, and another at fifteen, and eighteen, and twenty.

June now spoke eight languages. She would add Spanish, Russian and German to the childrens' repertoires later.

But some of the gibberish that came out of their mouths was absolutely hilarious, especially when they mixed the languages within sentences and confused false cognates.

Absolutely ridiculous. June loved it.

In fact, teaching her children was one of her biggest joys in life. An incredibly long life as it was, one that her children at least would share with her. They were like her, like the enchantress. Homo Magi. They looked like normal humans, on the outside. But June knew her body had been changing down at a cellular level ever since the Enchantress had first possessed her.

June eventually found what she was looking for in Mesopotamia. Another totem, she had ten now collected, just lying in the bottom of a box in her house. But this was the one she had been looking for specifically.

She looked to her children, four, almost five, years old now. They were excited for their fifth birthday, in the next months. As for herself, June was a little dispirited. She didn't know exactly where they would be when their birthday hit, but it wasn't at this condo. June had unfortunately, become a little too well known for finding ancient sites. She knew that would have to move soon. She didn't know how to tell them.

But Luna knew. She always seemed to just, know.

"We have to leave, don't we Mama."

June nodded, "yes, I'm sorry."

Richard shrugged. Luna sighed, but bounced back immediately, "we'll start packing!"

And June was very suspicious, the little girl was far too happy, like she knew something June didn't. That happened often, unfortunately. It got very annoying trying to hide presents.

It was while the kids were packing all of their things, deciding what to keep and what to donate, when their mother fell to her knees and clutched her heart.

She looked to her children. "Stay right there!"

With a burst of black smoke she reappeared in her office, grabbed the totem, and then disappeared.

She kept herself invisible, watching as Rick and some other man in a very strange dove emblazoned costume brawled in an underground building of some sort.

Her heart was in her throat the entire time, it felt like eternity, though it was probably less than five minutes.

She almost screamed as the porcelain was shoved through his chest.

And her magic thrummed through her and into him, placing a physical shield before his heart, keeping him going while the world tried to tear itself down around her.

Some young girl and the man had a conversation about a hard drive of some sort, but the girl bolted.

The second the man was gone, June was with Rick.

"Rick! No! Nononono…"

He opened his eyes, and they were unfocused and she could tell he had a concussion, "June? Baby? M'dreamin?" He shook his head, eyes never leaving her as she poured magic into him. "No, m'dying."

"You are doing no such thing Richard Rogers Flag."

His eyes went terribly wide, and that's just about the same time June healed the concussion. "Jesus, June, what? How are here!" She tapped the shard of porcelain, and watched it disintegrate into fine particles of dust, and June rapidly poured energy into him.

The ground above them shook.

"June baby, how, what?"

June didn't look at him, not yet, "do you still love me?"

He grimaced in pain, "I listen to every single one of the messages at least once a week June, you're the only reason I still have that damn phone. God yes, I love you."

She met his eyes, knew they were backlit with golden power, "good, because I love you, and you aren't allowed to die yet."

Her magic inscribed runes made of his blood all around him, and She charges charged the circle. He watched her silently with wide, frightened eyes.

"You said you loved me?" June asked, one last time. "One more chance to back out Rick."

"I die otherwise?"

She nodded, "I stay with you if this happens?" She nodded again.

"Do it."

June cracked open the totem, watched as the red smoke flowed into him.

His eyes went wide.

"Destroy the magic, after," he managed to gasp up, and then passed out from the ritual.

She grinned, still so strategic, still making sure their asses were covered, even now.

She burned her magic of the ground as the smoke fully entered him.

His eyes opened briefly. The red irises glaring, "Inanna," his mouth hissed darkly, "you dare!"

"I want my mate, and you were the mate of the last enchantress, not me."

The red irises burned with a brilliant white fire, "I could fight you to the end for this. Then both of us would die."

She hummed, "or you could become one with him, and you both live."

The red eyed man taking over her husband hissed darkly at her, "I am God of war,"

She hissed back furiously, "and he is a warrior!"

He was silent for a moment, "he would not be the same man, he would be both of us."

"Just as I am not exactly the same woman whom he loved before I became one with Succubus."

He blinked, "and Incubus, where is he, your brother?"

June smiled, "I bore him, this time around."

The man inside her husband nodded, "not the first time."

She shrugged, "I found you along the great northing river, what was your last incarnation?"

"Ares," he replied. "Yours,"

"I was called Ch'aska, my brother Chin. Well, when they called us anything or weren't calling us demons. There weren't many of us over there, here I mean. Maybe ten, altogether. So we all traversed the entire continent for a long time. Good fun."

"How many of us are awake?"

She smiled, "two,"

And his grin was ever so vicious, victorious even, "let's keep it that way?"

She grins, "we'll see."

"We could be royals this time Inanna. It could be us."

She smiled and shook her head. He didn't know yet, hadn't gone through the memories of what he considered an inconsequential mortal yet. He would know, when he woke, what had happened.

He groans, "I sleep then, and get your idiot mate up to speed."

She smiled at him, "all is well, Ares. Good night," and dropped a kiss to his lips.

His eyes flashed for a moment, and he grabbed her wrist, "are you still also my Aphrodite?"

She shrugged, "it is memories of memories, distant."

He frowned, "a shame."

And with that and the building falling on top of them, she disappeared them both to the continent of Africa. After she scrubbed away the evidence of magic. Rick would be proud.


When she appeared the children were still packing, but stopped the second she appeared with their father. Luna was smiling, "Papa is finally home!"

And Ricky stared, dumbfounded. "I know him."

June nodded, "yes, you had combat with him in another life. You were not born yet. I didn't even know you existed, and your soul was put into my belly for safe keeping."

"Oh," Ricky said softly. "Will he hate me?"

June's heart constricted like a vise, "if he does he's a dummy, and we don't want him anyway."

Ricky floundered, "but you love him?"

And June nodded as she knelt before her son, "and I would choose you any day of the week. I have been choosing you since the day I know you would be born."

The boy nodded, "okay mama. I hope you don't have to."

And then acting like absolutely nothing had happened, she went to work, knowing it would be a while before Rick was awake.

A week, like her, most likely.

She ended up being right, almost to the second.

The children were with Miriam for the day.

And she waited by his bed silently, tracing fingers over the lines of his hand.

He woke, but didn't otherwise move, soldier training still firmly in place, perhaps more so now.

"Hey honey."

He closed his hand around hers.

"What are we now?" But other than that sound, he said, did nothing. Not even opening his eyes.

"Not gods," she replied.

He chuckled darkly, "I could've told you that."

She shrugged, "they thought they were."

He opened his eyes then, and June would never be able to describe just how grateful she was that his eyes remained their natural green hazel.

"They let the power humans gave them get to their heads."

She said nothing as he sat up, he gripped her hands in his, "she didn't die," he said softly.

"She did, but her power, her memories, those stayed. Those all just, they were given to me. I am basically her heir."

"And myself?"

She frowned her head falling to the side in confusion, "you should know, don't you?"

"June I watched you get torn apart emotionally for over a year, because she was living inside you, taking you over."

June nodded, "yes, that is their first inclination: Possess the body, change it to their liking and use. They normally have no intention of sharing. But the ritual I cast around you, it kept that from happening. Forced a melding of yourself and Ares.

He nodded, "god of war. But in other incarnations he had other aspects."

She nodded, "yes the man who was Zeus stripped him of his aspects over military strategy, wisdom, generalship. Agriculture was given to his sister. Other aspects, given to many others, after they were stripped of him."

He frowned. "But why?"

Because he could, is the simple answer.

But June knew this was a Rick question. He wasn't looking through the memories, and if he had he just couldn't understand such actions.

She smiled, "others believed your incarnation more worthy of the title of King. And so he weakened you, tore agriculture from you and gave it to Demeter."

"I remember, it was the stipulation. He would keep Ares in his mother's stomach if he didn't relinquish one of the major aspects. But the others?"

"Athena was more loyal, truly zealous to her father. You know this, why ask?"

"It was his own son?"

She laughed, "a curse that followed them, their first born sons born to be greater than they ever could be."

And Rick was truly, terribly confused, "how is that a curse? Doesn't that mean you'd done it right, raising them?"

Suddenly, all that June could feel was relief.

"I'm so happy you are who you are," she whispered, trying to keep the tears of joy out of her eyes. She reached over, slowly so as not to startle him, but he immediately grabbed her, and crushed her to him in a hug. "I've wanted to do that from the second I woke up.

She nodded against him, "me too."

His hand dug into her side. "So that's why you ran."

It wasn't really a question, but she shrugged and answered, "in part," anyway.

"Do you still love me?" He asked softly.

"Do you still love me?" She returned swiftly.

He chuckled, "got it. Yes to both."

"What do we do now?"

She grinned, "well, for now," she leaned back, and pressed a kiss to his lips, "I have ideas."

And his eyes flashed gold for a second."

"I like those plans."

He lay back down and she helped him remove his clothing before divesting herself of her own.

"Come here, come here, baby."

He whispered oaths against her skin, and she went, oh so willingly she went to him.


She was still curled half on top of him, when he asked a question she wished he hadn't remembered about. Just one more hour of peace, was all she really wanted.

But no.

"What did you mean, we'll see? About others, are there more?"

She huffed, and stood, "come on, time to get dressed then."

She threw on a simple robe, and called Miriam after she stepped out of the bedroom.

"Time to come home," she told the woman.

Her only answer was a soft, "thank fuck," before the line clicked off.

"Okay, this Miriam, another one of us? You said there were only two awake"

She jumped to find him right behind her. Sneaky ass. He was looking at her phone, the contact information.

She smiled, "you'll see. And you will act civil, as well."

He seemed nervous at that, "civil? I'm bad at civil, June"

She rolled her eyes, "polite then, at the very least."

And he seems even more anxious now. He started pacing.

The thing was he didn't have very long to wait. She and Miriam shared two halves of a condo now. Miriam proceded the children through the door in less than five minutes.

Luna skipped right up to her father, grinning up at him, but Ricky stayed hiding behind Miriam.

Rick was silent head going back and forth as he took in both of his kids.

Finally, after a long moment he turned back to June. "Twins. You had twins, without me. Without telling me. Without me in their lives. And I swear to god I want to strangle you right now, but I also want to marry you all over again, because that is the strongest, bravest, most terrifying thing I've ever seen. You ran for them, and I don't even fucking blame you."

"Language," She reminded him.

"Just because they don't use it in front of you, doesn't mean they don't know it," he rebutted swiftly. He looked both of them in the eyes, "Don't use that language until you're good enough to beat me in a one on one fight, because that's what will happen," he turned and told the children, before immediately turning back to June.

"Twins June. Twins! How far along were you?" He turned back to Miriam, "hello your name is Miriam, I believe. Can you take them back for a minute while I have a very heated discussion with my wife?"

Miriam looked seconds before bursting into laughter at the very uncomfortable looking June.

"I can do that, come along brats."

Luna pouted, "he hasn't even said 'hello,' yet."

And Rick immediately knelt before his daughter, "sweetheart, I'm going to say hello so much over the next few weeks that you are going to get sick of me. Now get."

She frowned, "can I at least have a hug first?"

Rick nodded, "hell yes, you too brat," he motioned to Ricky, "get over here!"

Ricky moved slowly, stiffly around Miriam, but still he was totally unprepared for Rick to swing his arm out and catch both him and Luna in crushing hug.

"Don't know what's wrong kiddo, but as soon as your mother and I have a very loud conversation, me and you can hash it out, okay?"

Ricky nodded, and scampered away as soon as Rick let him. Luna however stayed, clinging to him like a limpet.

He laughed at her, petting her hair softly, "Down you get Brat."

"My name is Luna, thank you," she replied huffily.

And Rick snorted, "yes well, down you get, brat named Luna."

Their daughter rolled her eyes at him, before following a silently laughing Miriam back out the door.

Rick turned on her, scooping her up and quite literally flying back to the bedroom.

"I thought we were having a heated conversation?" She gasped between kisses, and he laughed again her neck.

"Heated, loud if I do it right, but not angry. Nope, not that."

It was heated, and loud, and he did it very, very right.

But at the end he lay still between her legs, one still over his shoulder, as he gently traced stretch marks with his fingers.

"There is less than I thought there might be. I wouldn't assume pregnancy if I didn't know." His head lay on her mons, and she gently scraped her fingers through his hair." Your hips are wider though, ow," he complained as she tugged hard enough on his hair.

He looked back up to her, "do you honestly think that's an insult, because really, you'd think the attention I paid to them would imply otherwise."

And she roped her eyes, "you could instead just stop conversing about it."

"I'm kicking myself currently actually. Because if my horribly bad memory serves, I actually commented on the fact that you had gained this lovely weight before you left. And you wouldn't let me play with your tits as much. And that the shape of you, inside had changed. And that so had the taste of you."

She flushed and he laughed bitterly, "I think the only reason I didn't assume was because I thought you would tell me," and she couldn't stand how sad his eyes were. She looked back to him when he caught her chin, "I do not blame you. I think it was the bravest thing, you walking away. I hate that you had to do it, but I don't resent you for it, do you understand?"

She nodded, breath shaky as she asked him, voice full of tears, "are we having that conversation now?"

He nodded, "yeah baby. Yeah we are." He crawled up next to her, wrapping her in his arms, her back to his chest.

"You were right," he whispered into her hair. "You were right about how far she'd take the name."

June's teeth clenched, jaw aching with the desire, the need, to kill the bitch.

"I hate her," June hissed, and her anger was what had hot tears flowing. She turned her face, burying the tears into her pillow.

He hummed against her shoulder, "yeah. Wicked bitch of America."

She snorted. "I'd kill her if I had the skill, Rick. I had to have surgery in Peru to remove the tracker. But I still don't think I'd be able to get close enough to her and still be unnoticed. I can't do cold anger, it would make any transitions noticeable; lights would flicker, loose object rattle or shatter."

He sighed, "stop, none of that. That's kind of my job, baby."

June sighed and rolled on top of his chest, "it's was literally your job. But you think she's a necessary evil."

He eyes her then, "you used to agree with that."

June groaned, "Rick! Rick, she tried to sacrifice you, you said! Had someone planted in the team to make sure that information on the hard drive wouldn't be a problem for her." She was screaming now, she knew she was. She had a privacy barrier in the room though, so that wasn't a problem. "She had him do his best to kill you, and then he was going o kill that young girl! If she ever sees your face again, or sees mine, we don't age!" In fact they both looked younger than when Waller had last seen them. June's face paled as she thought of the next issue, "And then, if she finds out we have children—"

He froze underneath her, "I wouldn't let her touch the kids. Not in a million years. Or you, June. I just got you back, eternity wouldn't be enough time."

His hands were stroking down her bare back, trying to calm her.

It worked.

She quieted, "sorry for yelling."

He shook his head, "forgiven."

"I don't feel safe most of time Rick," she hid her face in his chest as she whispered her shame. "Big bad immortal magical sorceress, and I don't feel safe with that woman knowing my face. My past, and present possibly. My children hardly ever even meet people, I've kept them cloistered, and most of me doesn't feel guilty for that, at all. I feel even more insecure about their safety than mine, Rick. I'm terrified all the time, and I just—"

He kisses her softly. He nodded, "you're right. I've been keeping tabs on you too. I've known where you were, but you seemed happy, and you were out, so…"

So he let June be, he kept himself far away from her, listening to her voice on his answering machine, and stayed far far away from June.

He sighed, stroking fingers through her hair, "if it makes you feel better, as one of the most interested parties, I didn't know you had kids. I don't know if she dug further than me. But you've been quiet for coming on five years, finding digs that no one could find anything magical about—"he looked down as she squirmed.

"Okay. That you stole anything magical about," he corrected with a laugh, and scrubbed his hand over his face.

"You're precious," he told her. "Please never lie to anyone."

She laughed then, no, lying was her worst weakness.

They were silent for a moment.

"How old are they, should be just four, right?" He asked, voice loud in the comfortable silence.

She shook her head, "almost five. Two weeks."

His eyes bore into her, crunching the numbers in his head, "How far along were you?" His voice is careful.

"Almost four months."

He froze, "you, you were pregnant when… oh god."

She nodded.

"And that's what you mean by you bearing Incubus. He's still our son though, right?"

She nods, "still ours, still a child. He's still afraid you won't like him because he used to be that other being."

Rick frowns, "but he's our son," Rick stressed.

And June nodded, "I know that, you know that, you just need to remind him of it."

Rick hummed, arms tightening around her, "what's his name, Baby?"

"Richard Solomon Flag," June said with a mischievous smile.

"The third," he breathed in a unadulterated awe. "You're an angel, June Moone, a fucking saint."

She snorted, "sure, if you say so."

He nodded sharply, "I do, every second, of every day. And her name?"

"Luna Marian Flag."

He sighed softly, head falling back against the pillows, "I have a daughter and a son, that I didn't know about, and I missed almost five years of their lives. Baby," he rolled them over, hovering above her, "You can never leave me again. I'm not letting any of you go for maybe a thousand more years."

She snorted, "I don't have to. You're dead, Rick."

He frowned, his eyes went terribly wide, and soon, his grin followed. He eyes her with a remarkable amount of mischief in his eyes, "you know what, you're right."

She nodded, "I know."


Miriam gives them the night, and Rick completely monopolizes the kids the next day, sitting with them, talking with the about literally everything under the sun. June stays in the room, finalizing paperwork, and completing her own research essays and articles for publication.

All three leave her alone as the room literally packs itself.

She sends her papers through email, one copy to each college that night, and the university has already expressed their regret to see her leave. She now has a pretty paycheck coming her way

The kids are asleep on the bed that they pretend they don't share. She comes up behind Rick as he watches them, sliding her arms around his waist, and pressing her forehead into his shoulder.

"I love you," she whispers.

He grips her arms tightly, "and I you."

They are silent for a long while. He can't take his eyes off the kids. And June smiles, they're past the 'too cute to stand', and the 'absolutely horrific monster' stages. Pretty much locked into the, 'adorable and sarcastic little people' stage now.

"You're packing."

She nodded, "I'm returning to America in a couple days, I said my goodbyes to the college a couple weeks ago. They've known I was leaving. We already have a buyer for this half of the condo."

He hummed, "Baby, I was just asking, what are we going to do next?"

June smiled, "whatever we want, my love. Whatever we want."