Abe strode forward to embrace me. I began to sob against his shoulder; and he knew why. This was the main part of my heritage that I hated. The world of dark magic would fight the light for the key: me.

We all went back to the truck, and once inside, I explained to everyone what my father and I had meant. Mr. Manning just about had a stroke when I told him that anyone who defended me had a pretty good chance of dying. The whole while, Abe held my hand firmly in his, rubbing slow circles on the back of it with his thumb. Against my warnings, Hellboy, Abe, Liz, and Krauss swore to protect me. Mr. Manning just sat in the corner of the truck looking like a deer caught in a set of headlights. This didn't make sense since I was the one who's completely evil mother who had tried to kill them since they were born was coming back.

We continued our lives for the following months, trying to keep the opposing war in the back of our minds. We had some more things to worry about anyways. We started getting more and more disturbances to address; it almost seemed like the magical world could sense my mother's coming just like I could. I officially moved into the B.P.R.D building, which really only consisted of me packing three boxes and bringing them back to my suite with Abe's help. Abe and I got deeper and deeper into our relationship. We had an agreement that Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends he would spend the night with me, and the other nights he would stay in his tank. Even Bahia had taken a liking to him. Liz and Hellboy were now engaged, ever since Abe accidentally sensed that Liz was pregnant during a sparring match. That sent me into some thoughts that Abe had given me many weeks before when he told me that I had given me the best news. Something that he had wanted in his first life, and still subconsciously wanted now, was a family. As much as I too wished to have a family, we were two completely different species; since I didn't even know completely what species I was. None of my textbooks had ever had deity listed in the genus and species charts. And also the fact that we were still only dating, and we were following my culture's rules and societal norms. Why we were considering norms was over my head, but I brushed it off.

It was now Midsummer night and we were enjoying a party in the park as a team; unfortunately, the celebration was for my birthday. I was now twenty three. And one of only three people to avoid the alcohol. Abe didn't drink in general, it was against my culture to drink, and Krauss couldn't really drink or do anything like that.

About two hours into the party, Abe pulled me off to the side away from the others. Once we were out of sight and hearing, he turned on me and trapped my back against a tree. His lips closed over mine, which were becoming quite used to his cold and soft skin. My hands intertwined with themselves behind his neck, drawing him a little closer. He instead stepped as close as he could and deepened the kiss. One of his hands was moving down my side from my shoulder to my hip as the other went to the back of my neck. He used his holds to draw me closer to him.

After about a minute, we broke apart; both of our chests were heaving slightly from the lack of deep breaths. "Happy birthday." He whispered as he kissed my cheek.

"Thank you." I whispered before I quickly kissed his lips.



It felt like he wished to continue with it again, but he broke away. "I was wondering, since you're now a year older, how much longer you were going to go?"

I looked up in confusion at him. He knew the way my kind aged. We aged normally until we chose to stop, and then we were immortal from that point on. "I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

"Well, if you didn't know yet, I was going to suggest twenty-six or something around that." He turned his eyes from me to the ground.

"Why do you suggest that?" my interest was rising. Why would he suggest twenty-six? It's was such an odd number; twenty-five being a bit more rounded. The only correlation that I could come up with was that he was forever twenty-seven. A year older than the age he suggested for me.

"Because of my next question." He took my left hand in his and began playing with my fingers. He locked eyes with me for a moment, my burgundy and brown captivated by his blue and black. Then he slowly sank to one knee, keeping my hand in his. "Cara Anwen Majere, my love for you will best any war. In knowledge of this: will you join me for the rest of our lives as my wife?" he crossed between the proposals from his time and my world perfectly.

For a moment I just looked him in the eyes, imagining what could happen depending on what I said. Then I glanced down at our hands, which fit together perfectly; as did the rest of us. My head usually found a perfect resting place in the crook of his neck whenever we embraced, our forms fit together like puzzle pieces when we slept, we worked together perfectly, and most importantly: our hearts had blended into what seemed to be one. "I will stay by your side for the rest of our lives as your wife." I recited, but in no louder than a murmur, the words I had heard Crysania speak to my father what was now four years ago.

"Thank you." He whispered as he stood quickly and seized me into another kiss. It held the most passion I had ever felt from him. It was almost instantly deepened as he carefully led me back to the tree I had been backed against before. But before we took it too far; where we were, who was here, and certain pain in the neck rules fluttered into my previously empty from joy head. I began to pull away, which was aided by Abe apparently remembering the same things I had. We stayed in contact, though; his hands on my waist and mine on his upper arms. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot." He broke away from me momentarily and reached into his jeans pocket. His blue hand came out with a thin gold and silver ring. On the top of it, the smallest emeralds I had ever seen wove themselves into beautiful vine work. He took hold of my left hand again and slid the ring onto my third finger. He looked back up to my eyes. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" a spontaneous smile crossed my face. "But nowhere near as much as I love you!" I whispered as I stood on my tiptoes to reach his lips. I was unfortunately still a good six inches shorter than Abe. Before I lost my balance, Abe easily picked me up from the ground and supported my weight with his hands on the backs of my thighs, which he kept at his waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck for a bit; before sense kicked in and I jumped down from his grasp. Once I landed another sense hit me. It was 

both good and bad. But at the moment, I was too overjoyed to think about the bad it meant. "Come on!" I grabbed his hand in mine and raced back to the others.

Once we got there, we noticed that the group had grown, which I knew it would. Standing by the original four were three new figures. Standing closest to us was a man with long red hair and beard wearing loose brown pants, a white traveler's shirt, and a leather warrior's jacket. Strapped to his belt was a black hilted sword, while a full quiver and a bow were slung across his shoulder. His brown cloak fastened with a bronze aspen leaf. Next to him stood a very tall and extremely muscled man in metal and leather armor. But his helmet rested on the hilt of his great sword, allowing his curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes to be seen. Next to him was an almost child-like figure who looked very much like Sindri. But his black hair was pulled into a tight topknot, and wore blue pants and a white shirt instead of purple robes. He also seemed older and wiser.

"Tanis!" I happily exclaimed. I rushed to the adventurer who stood only a few feet in front of Abe and I and threw my arms around his shoulders, thus leaving the ground a little. Tanis Half-Elvin was an old friend and fellow Hero of the Lance of my father.

He chuckled as he pulled the end of my braid and set me down. "It's good to see you too, Cara." I beamed as I turned to the next. I didn't get any words out of my mouth before I has picked a good foot and a half off the ground in a bone-crushing hug and spun around. I was finally released when I started trying to kick my uncle in the stomach. "Caramon," Tanis spoke to his friend. "She isn't a little girl anymore; and now her friends are staring at you."

"It's alright." I voiced, out of breath. "It is good to see you as well, Uncle."

"Yes, it seems like I haven't seen you in years. Which is almost accurate, since Raist has you running his little escapades left and right and you moved to this blasted place." He lightly, for him, shoved my shoulder; but it was in reality like a full-fledged punch that sent me stumbling backwards into Abe.

He caught me around my waist and steadied me against his chest. As soon as I took one step away, his hands were replaced by Tas's; the kender portion of the party and the Heroes of the Lance. "Cara!" he cried, even though he was already clinging to my waist. Tasslehoff Burfoot was an old friend of Tanis's and had been part of the group that saved my home world many times.

"I missed you too, Tas." Even though he was over a century older than Damian and I, he had sometimes acted like our little brother, along with Sindri.

After the hyper ball of nervous energy removed itself from me, Tanis stepped forward and rested his tanned hand on my shoulder. I nervously looked in his green eyes; the reason they were there suddenly hit me. "The war is beginning." He whispered.

I sunk my head in sadness and anger as my hands became fists at my sides. Tanis stepped away from me and Abe came beside me and took one of my hands in his. I uncurled it to intertwine my fingers with his. When the confusion on my uncle's face began to grow and change into something that was not good, I gave a nervous laugh and raised my head to explain. "This is Abraham Sapien, my, um, fiancée." Hellboy 

collapsed onto the ground on the other side of the small clearing. My uncle's face as well as those of the other two from my world grew in confusion. I mentally smacked myself for forgetting that they have no idea what that meant. I sighed before I restated. "I'm his betrothed." Now it was Tas's turn to collapse; but he did so from laughter.

Tanis simply shook his head as he walked over to the tree line to lean against one. My uncle's mouth had popped open from shock. "Does Raist know?"

"About the title; no. About the feelings that led to the title; yes." I sighed. I hadn't taken into consideration what my father would say.

Krauss then came up behind us and made a sound that replicated someone clearing their throat. "Ignoring a recent turn of events," He turned his bubble of a head between Abe and I. "I think introductions and explanations are in order."

I nodded as Liz dragged Hellboy and a drunk Mr. Manning over to us and Tanis shrugged away from the tree to join us. "These are Tanis Half-Elvin, Caramon Majere, and Tasselhoff Bufroot; they are three of the Heroes of Lance. They've come to help deal with my mother." I pointed them out before I moved to the team. "These are Liz Sherman, Hellboy, Mr. Manning, Professor Krauss, and I already told you about Abe. They all work for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense." When confusion became apparent on all their faces again, I sighed. "I'll explain later." Then they, too, nodded.

Krauss decided it would be best if we moved everybody back to head quarters; to which we all agreed. On the way back to the truck, Tanis pulled me aside; he got Abe too, since he wouldn't leave my side. "Raistlin and Sindri are coming in a few days, but they're trying to hinder your mother coming to give us a head start."

I nodded as we continued to make our way back to the truck. I mentally steeled myself for the war ahead. Looking up at Abe, I realized that I probably wouldn't live to what was supposed to be the happiest day in my life. Well, it's not like I thought I was ever going to get one to begin with. I guess I was just going to have to enjoy this while I could.

Abe must have sensed my unease, because he brought his head down to mine. "We will win." He whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek.

I nodded, but I could not agree with him, no matter how much I wanted to. I knew this was one dream that wouldn't come true.

Hi there! Both halves of idkaname here!

Sorry it took us so long, we had to get through our first week of school before we could post again.

Woohoo! Go Abe! But now it all has to come to an end (or does it?!). What will happen when The Dark Queen shows up?



Find out in our next chapter. That will be out sometime before next weekend. Also, to all our fans out there, go to our bio page and vote on whether or not we should give this sequel.

As always, your opinions (reviews) are highly valued and ALWAYS replied.

Sincerely,

C M + L W idkaname