"I'm happy you're coming home, but it figures that you're being released on the day that the guard is going to pick up Harry," I whispered with a minor tone of frustration in my voice as I folded Gabriel's clothing. He was standing by the window of his private ward, looking out at the bustling night life on London's streets. He turned to me with his right hand holding his left forearm. He looked strangely thin. Being in the hospital for a number of weeks, from mid-July to early August, had caused him to loose weight, even muscle.

"You could have gone with them. I didn't need you to come and pick me up."

"Because of your past stays here, the Healers will not release you unless someone signs off on your papers," I said looking at him. "I did have to come and pick you up."

Gabriel gave me a weak smile as he approached the bed to help me fold the clothing from his stay. Almost two years ago, Gabriel had spent a few months in the hospital in a coma because Divinity sent him a vision, causing him an episodic state of amnesia. At times, though it was very rare, Gabriel forgot details of his life as a result of the past amnesia. Divinity still sent him visions, as he was her Guardian, and at times they wiped his memory for a few hours. He always looked like a stranger when he woke up from those nightmares. Because of the possible amnesia, Gabriel was not allowed to release himself from St. Mungo's. I knew he didn't like it, but as his wife I wasn't going to give him much of a choice. His decisions didn't just affect him anymore.

"When did I become an old man, Cadence?" Gabriel asked sorely as he shoved some of the clothing into the duffle bag on the bed. I looked up at him with surprise.

"You're not old, Gabriel," I responded. "Dumbledore is old. You are only in your forties."

"A young man would not have taken this long to heal."

I frowned as I studied him. He looked defeated. His eyes were sullen in his thinned face. He was paler then normal, almost sickly looking. Even despite that, he was still the most handsome man I had ever seen; with his tattooed arms, dark eyes and hair, and muscular (yet thin) build. He was tall and broad shouldered with big hands and arms. I moved around the bed and took his rough hands in mine. He looked at me with surprise.

"You're only as young as you choose to be," I whispered as I squeezed his hands. "You are not dead yet, Gabriel. Just because it took you long to heal this time doesn't mean you are unable to keep fighting."

"How'd you know that is where I was going with this?"

"Believe it or not, I know you pretty well," I responded with a frank smile. Gabriel returned the grin as he released my hand and stroked my cheek with his rough fingertips. He leaned down and placed gentle kisses on my full lips. Despite the change in his physical appearance, there was no doubt in my mind about who he was. Only Gabriel could kiss me in a way that lit a fire inside of me. No man ever kissed me that way.

"I would hope so," he whispered in my ear. "Let's go. I'm starving and I'm sure you're itching to see Harry."

I nodded and stepped away from Gabriel. He finished packing his bag, zipped it shut, and then we were on our way out the door. When we arrived at Number Twelve, Alastor Moody was the first person we saw in the foyer of the house. He pulled his wand on us immediately, his gnarled hand pointing the chipped and bent wand straight at us in a threatening manner.

Before either Gabriel or I could say a word, Moody stepped forward hissing a question through his chapped lips. "When is the first time I met Cadence Coleman?"

"I was at Hogwarts," Cadence replied with my hands in the air so Moody could see them. "I called you Mr. Moody and you said you didn't trust me."

Moody nodded and looked to Gabriel. "Why didn't Scrimgeour assign Coleman as my partner while you were in St. Mungo's two years ago?"

"Because I told him Cadence would not respond well to your authoritive methods. She has issues with authority."

I frowned and raised my eyebrows at both men while tightly crossing my arms over my chest. "Really?" My eyes traveled between the two of them with a harsh sternness. Moody grumbled and stood up straight as he tucked his wand into his pocket, while Gabriel gave me an innocent shrug and docile expression. I rolled my eyes and turned to face Moody.

"Alastor, where is Harry?"

"He's upstairs," Moody pointed over his crooked shoulder. "Everything went fine as planned."

"Good," I sighed with relief.

"I don't like the circumstances," Moody muttered. "That are putting him on trial."

He was referring to the incident with the Dementors a few weeks ago.

"No one does," I said.

"We still have no idea how those Dementors ended up in Little Whinging?"

Gabriel had taken the case when it was first opened a month ago, before we got into trouble with Mitchell and the bomb at the pub. But shortly after the initial event, the case was scrubbed by the Minister himself. He argued that 'we should not be wasting expensive and powerful resources on the make-believe accusations of an attention seeking teenager.'

"No," I whispered. "Scrimgeour has been forced to abandon the case by direct orders from the Minister."

"I'm looking into it myself," Moody said quickly. "Going to speak to Dumbledore about it tonight at the meeting."

"It's obvious that someone from the Ministry sent the Dementors to attack Harry."

Gabriel frowned deeply at my comment but nodded his head as he rubbed the back of the neck with his free hand. "That is not very encouraging. How can we be sure if this person who sent the Dementors is on the Ministry's side or Voldemort's? And how do we know it's just one person?"

"Leave it to me," Moody said thumping Gabriel's shoulder.

"I'd like to help you Alastor," Gabriel said as Moody moved towards the kitchen stairwell. "If you don't mind."

Moody rolled his eyes and grunted with ambivalence. "You know I like you Gabriel, but I work better on my own. I'll keep you informed though."

Gabriel looked at Moody with a heated glare, but did not say anything to argue with the old man out of respect.

"The meeting has started," Moody hissed as he limped away. He was down the stairs and out of view within a second, as if he had never been there at all. I looked up at Gabriel who looked uncomfortable and annoyed with Moody's words.

"Gabriel," I said touching his chest as I looked up at him. "You have plenty of work to do already. Scrimgeour has put me with you and Athena for the time being. He wants us to looking into Mitchell's death and what he was up to leading up to it."

"You haven't made any head way on that in the last few weeks?" Gabriel asked with a frown.

"Athena and I haven't been able to find anything," I replied soundly. "And I've had other things on my mind…" My voice trailed off as I pulled away from his body. I took his bag and began to head upstairs to our bedroom. I wanted to put everything away and see Harry before I headed to the Order meeting downstairs in the kitchen.

The halls of the house were empty and quiet as Gabriel and I moved up the stairs to our room. I was thankful for the silence because I needed to compose myself before Gabriel inquired about what else has been on my mind. I knew he would ask, especially because I was putting up my Occlumency walls. When we arrived and he tightly closed the door behind us, he looked at me sternly. He was perturbed that I was blocking him, but he would just have to deal. If he wanted to know what had been going on with me since he went into the hospital he was going to have to ask.

"What else has been on your mind?" he questioned.

"Oh, I don't know," I snipped. "Maybe the fact that you were in St. Mungo's, Carrigan and I haven't talked in a week, Harry might get expelled, Benjamin is going to Hogwarts with Carrigan and I'm—"

"Benjamin is going to Hogwarts with Carrigan?" Gabriel interrupted with a shocked face. "Is that really a good idea?"

I sighed with frustration as I threw Gabriel's bag on the bed. The most important thing that had been bothering me for the last week I still hadn't said. Gabriel had interrupted me too soon to hear what I really wanted to tell him. And of all the things to pick out of my complaints, he picked that? He wasn't concerned that Carrigan and I haven't talked in the last week?

"Yes," I said. "It is the most reasonable solution to keep up her training while she is at school. He is seventeen, he'll be a seventh year."

"Won't it look suspicious that a seventh year is paying such attention to a thirteen year old forth year?"

"Suspicious to who?" I questioned. "Who cares if two students are interacting and one is tutoring the other? It's way less suspicious then a grown man coming to give private lessons to a seventh year."

Gabriel smirked slightly and bowed his head in understanding. "Alright," he said coming to me. He touched my shoulders, sensing that I was still upset about something. "I don't think Carrigan really hates you. You're just having a misunderstanding. Teenage girls fight with their moms all the time."

"That isn't the worst of it, Gabriel," I whispered sadly.

"Well, what is it then?" he asked as he kissed my forehead. His arms engulfed me tightly as his hands rubbed my back. It felt so good to be in his arms again that I almost forgot all of the things I was worried about. I looked up at him and stood on my toes to kiss him delicately. Our lips met as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. Passion erupted through my entire body as we kissed. His mouth felt wonderful on mine.

He pulled away mid-kiss to look down at me with raised eyebrows.

"Tell me," he said as his dark brown eyes studied my green stare. He was smiling at me, even though he could sense that what worried me was bad news.

"Gabriel," I said his name slowly as I relaxed in his arms and took a step back. "I'm pregnant."

Gabriel's smile relaxed for a moment. I could tell he wanted to be excited, but he knew that I was not excited.

"Do you want the baby?" he asked.

I hesitated because I wasn't sure how to answer the question. Yes, I wanted the baby. But I did not want the baby if it was going to be a monster. I did not want to be pregnant if I was going to loose the child in a miscarriage. I didn't want to deal with the pain and healing process again. I didn't want to deal with Gabriel's disappointment. I wanted the child if I could actually have it. And I wanted the child if Gabriel was going to live because I could not raise a child as Voldemort was regaining power.

"Cadence?"

"It's not a simple question."

Gabriel frowned and nodded his head as he turned away from me. He ran his hands through his hair before turning back to me. He gave me a strong smile that broke my heart.

"I want you to be happy," he said coming to me. "If this is too much for you; If you're life is at risk then I want us to have an abortion. I don't want to loose you to the pregnancy."

"The chances that I'll carry to term are slim to none," I whispered. "And what if this is what the prophecy has been about the entire time? I am supposed to protect a powerful magical child—"

"Well that should give you hope that you will carry the child to term."

"Then you will die," I whispered as my voice shook.

"No," he shook his head. "Persephone said that I would die before the summer is over—"

"—there is still a month left of summer!"

Gabriel gave me a stern look, causing me to frown and bit my bottom lip. I looked up at him with an apologetic stare, which caused him to beam at me. He continued to speak.

"But if you were to grow independent then I would live. We will be able to protect the child together because you have become independent of your Guardian."

"Is it really the best time to be having a baby?" I questioned. "With everything else put aside, it is a very dangerous time. I will be vulnerable while pregnant. I won't be able to protect Carrigan. And Merlin knows how long this war is going to go on! Gabriel we were so afraid last year of who would take care of Carrigan and Caspian if my father returned and something happened to us…well he has returned and there is a very high likelihood that something will happen to us, who will take care of Carrigan and this baby then?"

"We have friends who are more like family here in the Order. We are not alone, Cadence. I'm sure the Weasley's would take our children if anything were ever to happen. You don't know what could happen—"

"That's the issue!" I yelled suddenly. "I don't like not knowing what could happen! A baby makes everything so much more complicated! We are in constant danger. Why would I want to bring a child into that danger? Our child deserves more then that."

"We can't wait until the war is over to have children, Cadence," he said instantly. "We don't know when that will be and if it will be possible. I want to have a child with you. Maybe this is our shot."

"Gabriel," I sighed suddenly as I looked at him with pained eyes. He was looking at me with a similar pain. He knew that his words were hurtful towards me. He knew that he had let all of his secrets slip in that one statement. I realized quickly that he was just like Sirius. At the end of it all, he wanted to have a family with me, just like Sirius did. I was coming off as the cold-hearted woman who didn't want kids. I never wanted kids and somehow I got knocked up all the time it felt like.

"I just meant someday," he said quickly. "Someday if you're ready and you want it too. You're more important to me then anything else in this world. And if not having a child with you is the price to keep you then I will do it. But you are pregnant Cadence, so I will ask again, do you want the baby?"

"I don't know," I said quickly. "I don't know. I think it is irresponsible to have a child now. I think it is stupid and foolish. And especially for us, the risk is too high."

"If we survive the war—"

"—we will," I said sharply.

Gabriel gave me a weak smile as he took me in his arms again. "When the war is over, and we have the opportunity, would you like to have a child then?"

"Maybe," I said honestly.

"If in the future you can't have children, will you regret giving this one up?"

I thought about the question for a few moments before I answered. "Yes," I whispered. I don't know why I said it, I just did. Maybe to make Gabriel happy.

When I was pregnant with Caspian, before the accident, there was no question in my mind about having the baby. Now, because of so many reasons—the rules of Guardian and students reproducing, my father's return, his attempts to take Carrigan, the constant danger—it just all seemed like too much.

"If that is truly your answer, then I think you've made your decisions," he said quietly in my ear before he kissed it. I wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"You're sure we can do it?" I asked softly.

"Yes," he said before kissing my neck. "You are an excellent mother already. We will protect our child fiercely, and they will be well loved. That is all that matters."

"I love you, Gabriel," I said as I pressed my head against his shoulder. He squeezed me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.

There was a knock on the door that prevented us from continuing to kiss and share affection. Gabriel kept me in his arms as he turned his head over his shoulder and called that the door was open. Carrigan busted in quickly beaming with happiness. It was the first time I had seen her smile in a week. As she entered, she didn't meet my eye. She only looked to Gabriel.

"Gabriel!" she cried excitedly. Gabriel pulled away from me carefully as Carrigan dashed to him. She jumped into his arms and he spun her around playfully, much like he used to when she was younger. "I was so worried about you!" Carrigan said as she clung to him. "And Mom wouldn't take me to see you!"

"I asked her not to," Gabriel said honestly. "I didn't want you to see me like that."

"Gabriel," Carrigan scolded as he set her down.

"How have you been, Carri?" he asked tucking her hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him.

"Fine," she glanced at me. "Mom and I have been fighting."

"Yes, she told me," he said looking to me as well. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave Carrigan a serious look. She stuck her tongue out at me before turning her attention back to Gabriel. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. I suppose it was good to know that Carrigan still had her childish moments. She wasn't completely grown up. She was still innocent.

"It's not my fault she's being unreasonable," Carrigan chimed with a bob of her head. She appeared happy today. Perhaps Harry being brought to Number Twelve had given her something else to look forward to.

"She's had her reasons, Carrigan," Gabriel said as he glanced at me.

If you tell her, there is no going back. I said into his mind with Legilimency.

Do you not want me to tell her?

Just not yet. Let's wait until after my appointment on the twelfth. I don't want to get her hopes up if the healer is going to say it's a slim chance to carry to term.

Gabriel nodded and looked back at Carrigan.

"What's going on?" she questioned.

"You don't know?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "Can't read our thoughts?"

"You're both blocking me."

"Well at least you have enough control of it now to know if we're blocking you," I said. Carrigan turned a harsh eye on me. She and I hadn't spoken since the disagreement last week in the kitchen after the Order meeting. She was too stubborn to admit that she understood why I did not want her running at night, and I was too proud to tell her I was sorry for snapping at her. Neither of us wanted to be the first to speak to the other because it would mean admitting we were wrong.

"The meeting is over already," Carrigan said as she looked back at Gabriel. I frowned. She didn't even want to look at me. "Dinner is ready. You should come see Harry."

She left without another word.

"You two are too similar," Gabriel said looking at me as the door shut. "For Merlin's sake, what did you two argue about that has caused the room to freeze over when you're both in it?"

"She asked if she could go running at night with Benjamin and I said no," I shrugged. "It's just too dangerous. I told her that I would like her to run during the day and that you or I would go with her and Benjamin."

Gabriel nodded as he studied me. "You can't go jogging now."

"That's not the point."

Gabriel gave me a smile, which melted my heart. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me fiercely. "Let's get to dinner."

As we left the room, my heart skipped a beat. We had made the decision to the keep the baby. I had lied when I said I would regret it if I gave up the child and couldn't have any in the future. I had said what Gabriel wanted to hear. Gabriel didn't realize how slim the chances were for me to carry the child to term. Not only did we have to worry about the child being too powerful for me to carry, like Caspian had been, but I had a severely damaged uterus, covered in scar tissue. I was lucky I was even pregnant for a fourth time. I would be lucky if I didn't have a miscarriage. But, Carrigan was a miracle pregnancy. It was completely possible that this pregnancy would be a miracle, despite the constant danger.