Chapter 32
20 years later
Fay hummed quietly while sitting on the armchair, petting her cat Lancelot. The big grey cat was purring happily on her lap.
"No!" she heard Lucien's voice shouting. "You won't take her to America!"
"Be reasonable," Tristan's annoyed voice replied. "It's just a year…"
"That's too long!"
"I agree," Kol's voice said.
"I believe she would enjoy the journey…"
"No, it's too long for her."
"Have you asked what she thinks?" Tristan required coolly.
"Have you? Am I the only one who cares about her wellbeing?"
"I am not going to dignify that with a response," Tristan snorted.
"Really, Lucien, that was uncalled for," Kol huffed.
"I don't care," Lucien snapped. "You are not taking her and that's final."
"You think that is your decision to make?"
"Yes!"
Fay stood up and kept humming while heading to the library. She was holding Lancelot in her arms. Lucien was shouting at Tristan and Kol was rolling his eyes as she entered the library.
"Please don't," she pleaded quietly. "You are scaring Lancelot."
The cat glanced at them carelessly before closing his eyes. All three men turned immediately to look at her.
"Sweetheart," Lucien murmured. "I thought you went riding…"
"Lancelot doesn't like shouting," she stated, gently kissing the cat's head.
"No, of course not. I'm sorry."
She walked over to the fireplace and placed the cat on an armchair.
"I want my darlings to be happy," she hummed before looking at the three men. "How can I make you happy?"
They all looked embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, Fay," Lucien repeated. "I didn't mean…"
"Me neither, darling," Kol added. "You're not some property we can fight over."
"Of course not," Tristan added. "I apologize for not talking to you first."
She looked at her three boys and smiled at them. They needed her. They took care of her, but she wasn't helpless. She wasn't stupid. Her mind was damaged, but she understood more than most people realized. Even when things had been really bad after the compulsion had ended, she had seen something very clearly. Tristan and Lucien had needed her.
She had stayed with them because she had wanted to, not because she would have been some mindless doll. She had wanted to give them everything she could. Then there was Kol. He had been broken. Alone. She had wanted to help him. He was her maker. Her father. Her family. They all were. She loved her family more than anything and she would have done anything for them.
"How can I make you happy?" she repeated gently.
Tristan cleared his throat.
"Well, I was hoping that you would like to travel with me. I have business in America and I…"
"And I'm concerned the journey is too long for you, my love," Lucien cut in. "And you would be away from me for a year… That's too long."
Fay smiled and touched Lucien's cheek.
"You would miss me?"
"You know I would. That's too long."
She looked at Kol and Tristan.
"We could go together."
Kol looked amused.
"All of us?"
She nodded.
"Our whole family."
She paused and looked at the three men in turns.
"I want you all to be happy."
"Would that make you happy, my sweet?" Tristan asked.
She walked over to Tristan and touched his cheek.
"I am happy when you are."
He smiled and gently kissed her forehead.
"I don't deserve you."
She cupped his face and caressed his cheeks with her thumbs.
"You deserve the world," she hummed.
"Don't encourage him," Lucien chuckled. "He already thinks that the world revolves around him."
"I find that amusing coming from you," Tristan stated.
Kol smirked as he glanced at Lucien.
"He got you there."
Lucien rolled his eyes.
"Look who's talking."
Kol shrugged.
"Who needs modesty. I know how handsome I am."
Fay smiled at him.
"You are beautiful, papa."
Kol's eyes softened as he looked at her.
"Not nearly as beautiful as you, darling."
She kept smiling as he took her hand and kissed it.
"I think Fay is right," Lucien stated. "I do have some business in America as well."
"Fine," Tristan replied. "I trust that we can all be civilized."
"Of course," Lucien hummed smiling. "I am always civilized."
"Me too," Kol added.
Tristan sighed but didn't say anything. Fay moved beside him and took his hand.
"I have a gift for you," she hummed. "Come with me."
Kol and Lucien stayed in the library as Fay led Tristan to her room. He had arrived today, and she had been very happy to see him.
"You didn't have to get me anything…" Tristan started.
"I dreamt of you," she hummed and cupped his face. "It was a beautiful dream."
He smiled at her warmly. That was a rare smile, he didn't give it to anyone else.
"I missed you," he murmured. "Thank you for coming with me, I couldn't bear being away from you for so long."
"I wouldn't let you go without me," she hummed.
He smiled and kissed her.
"May I unwrap my gift now?" he asked, caressing her neck gently with his fingers.
"I didn't give it to you yet."
He grinned and wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Yes, you did."
She giggled and pulled away from him.
"You're naughty."
"Not nearly as naughty as you," he replied smiling. "My special girl."
She walked over to her dresser and picked up a piece of paper she had carefully kept under couple of books.
"What is that?" Tristan asked.
She suddenly felt shy as she approached Tristan.
"Your gift."
He stared at the paper as she handed it to him.
"Do you like it?" she asked insecurely when he didn't say anything.
"Like it?" he murmured. "It's amazing. Who drew this?"
"I did."
He finally raised his eyes from the paper and looked at her.
"Sweetheart… Why haven't I seen any of your drawings before?"
"I haven't drawn before," she murmured. "It was Miss Maryann's idea."
Tristan frowned.
"Miss Maryann?"
"She is Lucien's friend. She came here when I couldn't sleep."
Tristan remembered now; she was the witch Lucien had summoned to help Fay few months ago.
"I see. And she told you to draw?"
Fay nodded.
"She was very nice. She taught me how to draw my dreams. This was my dream about you."
It was a picture of her and Tristan in a garden. His arms were around her and she was smiling at him. She had drawn a lot after Miss Maryann had taught her, but some of her drawings felt different. More special. She had given one to Lucien and Kol as well.
"Thank you," Tristan said and kissed her forehead. "I love it."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. You are very talented, sweetheart."
She shook her head.
"I draw what I see inside my head. Miss Maryann said that I should."
"I agree with her."
Fay tilted her head and bit her bottom lip.
"I think some things I see inside my head scared her."
Tristan couldn't help but smile.
"Scared her?"
"Yes. Sometimes they scare me too."
"Fay…"
"But I don't mind." She paused and smiled. "Some people should be scared of me."
