So many questions and thoughts filled her head, yet very little seemed answered to her. She tried to understand the term of a capital and that there were personifications of nations and capitals. But it all seemed too farfetched to believe. Feriah ran the path, doing her best to process and understand as she mentally thought of the plans for the new ring that popped up. She was just lucky for that little slip up on their behalf, she was more lucky that Hercules was willing to be a fake buyer and pull what he could as well. Well, all that and finally letting out the truth of her. She was afraid that Hercules would want nothing of her, that her past destroyed her too much yet he proved that wrong. Every time she spoke with Marie or Marissa or even Neema, he was there, hands on her shoulders as he whispered what he liked about her and how strong she was. Those little things, how minute they seemed yet, in reality, they were holding her together more than she thought.

There was never a moment he wasn't beside her now. Ever since she learned of him and what was real, she really couldn't get him out of her mind even. He was like a movie on constant replay as he gave her that cheeky smile or those hypnotic eyes glance her way. There was never a dull moment with him either, always proving her wrong in some way. He made sure she understood the threat of Genesis and what it had with her, how to use more than her usual Canik TP9 for defense, and how to swim as well, giving her confidence within herself and teaching her of the nation and its rich history.

That as well also shocked her, how old they all were. None of them looked past the age of twenty-five, let alone hitting thirty. Yet he, Sadiq, Dryas, and Gupta were all hundreds of years old. She shook her head at it, hearing Neema and Habibah scold her for thinking down upon it all.

Now those two, they were more saving graces than thought. Once she got the truth, she spent nearly every waking moment she could with them, asking question after question which they gladly gave to her and with it she had bonded quite deeply to them. Making the turn around the bend, she saw the city slowly coming to life as she let the months fly through her head again.

A high pitched yowl caught her ears as a set of laughter caught her. Looking around, she found the source as a group of teens seemed to be messing with something, only when she looked harder did she see what they were doing.

"Hey!" she hollered at them, running down towards them, "Stamáta to!"

They all ran away as she was near them, shouting at one another as they fled. She stopped at the alleyway watching as they all scattered like roaches in the sun. The pained yowl came back to her, looking down she saw the little kitten that they were kicking around. Carefully, she leaned down and picked it up, cradling it against her chest as she tried to quiet its upset.

"There now, you're ok. They're gone, no more hurt for you." she whispered to it as she stroked its little head. "I know just what to do."

As fast as she could, she made her way to Hercules's apartment within the large place, the one he finally got her to move into after Genesis actions of late. That and the knowledge of Bejing didn't help either. Moving around people and dodging vehicles, she finally found herself upon the doorstep of the small place; she just prayed he was awake. She could hear the skittering of paws run across the floor as she knocked and called out his name.

"You would decide to sleep at this time, wouldn't you?" she huffed to herself as a few more cats strayed from the side.

That was another thing she had slowly gotten used to with him, the number of cats that would grace his side at any given point was maddening but awing as well. She saw the yellow tabby run up to her, weaving himself between her legs as he begged for attention.

"Only you, Ares." she smiled down at him just to hear the tumble lock of the door.

Finally, those green eyes found her as he looked at her with sleepy surprise, "Feriah?"

"About time. I need your help." she said making her way in.

"Um, ok then, nice to see you too." he replied as he came over with her, "What's the matter?"

Placing the tiny thing down on the counter, she sighed, "Found a group of kids kicking and hurting it. I just couldn't leave it there and you're the only person I know that knows so much about cats. So please Hercules."

"No need to ask." he said as he took the tiny thing in his hands.

Light whispers of Greek left him as he looked over the little kitten, smoothing his long fingers over its back as he checked its legs and face.

"A ripped claw here on her one foot."

"Her?"

"Yes, it's female."

"How can you tell?"

She heard Hercules chuckle, "She's a calico, and most calicos are female. That and I know what I'm looking for."

Feriah nodded as she watched him continue to work on her, "Seems they tore a little of her pads here, maybe hauled on her as she tried to escape over the road. A singe spot here on the tip of her tail, her ears seem fine but her one eye is closed. Might be infected but can't tell right off. Her teeth look good but she's still quite young, has her baby teeth still. Spine seems good but she does seem to have a limp."

She watched as the kitten walked away from him, attempting to hold her little paws up from the pain as Hercules walked away, "Might be sprained or broken. Hold her for me Feriah."

Feriah picked her up, holding her to her chest again as she rubbed her fur, feeling the bone under it, "Poor baby."

"Alright, hold her against your chest while I figure out which leg it is."

She held her as best as she could, feeling the little thing squirm in her hands, "Come on now, we're trying to help you."

"Comfort her, she feels like you are going to drop her. Surrounder with yourself."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You have boobs, use them."

"Hercules!" she couldn't believe that came out of him.

"What I'm a man, I've looked." he said as he straightened the kitten out between her breasts, "There, just like that."

Oddly she seemed to quiet down as he stretched each leg out, "What are you-"

A sharp shush came to her as he closed his eyes. His fingers traced her legs as she seemed to just ignore him until he moved to her front leg. Only then did she try and bite, letting out a pained mewl as he quickly moved around. Before she realized, he had wrapped up the leg, making sure that no movement could be gathered as he moved to her hind legs.

A distraught meow caught her as Hera jumped up on the counter her mixed-matched eyes looking over the two of them as he pulled yet another pained cry from the kitten, making Hera jump on his shoulders.

"Not now Hera. I'm trying to help her." he said as the white cat looked over him.

"She's just being a mom and worried about the baby." Feriah smiled at the motherly cat, knowing she cared for all of them around the house as if they were her own, including Hercules.

"I know and she can now." he replied, "Her one leg, as I felt, is fractured while the other is sprained. There's a local vet here that I can take her to."

Feriah just smiled at him, it was interesting, to say the least. He cocked his head at her in curiosity but all it made her do was giggle at him, "What?"

"You. I never knew you to be such the cat veterinarian."

He smiled, "Well some of us are better with some animals than others."

"Like who?"

He sat down at the table as she placed the kitten on the plush bed as Hera waited patiently for her. Moving to join him, Feriah waited anxiously for him to speak.

"Well, Sadiq and Gupta are good with horse and camels, Tim is good with horses as well along with rabbits. Man can fix either of those two up, no matter the difference. Yao is pretty good with pandas as Taj and Prem are the ones that know elephants best. Gilbert is good with birds, mostly any kind as Ludwig is one for dogs. Last I remember Jett worked with animals from the outback, mostly koalas and kangaroos while Logan is normally found with the kiwis and other smaller animals of New Zealand." he explained, "Each nation can care for their animals, just gotta see who has the strongest pull to them."

"Wow." Feriah sighed, "That's actually fascinating."

"That I know so much?" he smirked.

Feriah scoffed at him as she felt herself smile at him, he really was something to be around. She thought on the day she first arrived, unsure and worried about the world as she plotted the end of the ring, never would she have imagined herself here with answers to her dreams and falling for the personification himself.

"Do I need to send a rescue party in there?" she felt him tap her head as he grinned at her.

"Hayır, kaybeden."

"I am not, diavolikí gynaíka."

"How am I evil?" she asked him.

"You taunt me."

Feriah just shook her head at him, knowing that the banquet wasn't far from time, "Alright, you had your fun, so what do you need for this banquet tonight?"

"Nothing really." he sighed, "Just have to look good and be friendly with people."

"Ah, the two things I lack."

"Feriah." his voice laced with warning.

"Ne?"

"You know what."

"Fine, I won't talk bad. But still, me and friendly with others doesn't work very well."

"You're friendly with Habibah and Neema, along with Sadiq and Dryas and Gupta."

"But I know them. Strangers and I don't mix. Besides, you want me to join you and I have nothing to wear that...fancy."

"Habibah has that covered so no worries." he told her, "Which in fact they should be here-"

A solid knock came to the door as he gave her that cheeky smile, "Now."

"Persistent man." she sighed, wondering what trouble would be caused for that night.

Before long, Feriah found herself in the bedroom, trying not to glance in the mirror, terrified of what she'd see. She was shocked that Habibah had anything for her, let alone the dress she was in. It was beautiful as it moved with her body, it's flowy length close to her legs. The golden clip that held the shoulder in place sparkled as the royal purple stones within added a flare she was shocked to find fit together. All she had to do now was grab the sash and place her hair where it needed, and Habibah already demanded that she was doing so.

How Feriah found herself in this predicament was more so than she thought. It seemed that no matter what she did, she found herself almost glued to his side, joining him in things that she normally would have laughed at and walked away from, yet here she was all dolled up and presentable for a banquet full of snobbish aristocrats. Shaking her head, she walked back into her bedroom, seeing Habibah at the table, cards out before her as Feriah went to her side.

"Alright, might as well get the rest of this over with." she said to the woman, yet no reply came, "Habibah?"

Feriah looked at her, the sweet woman's eyes seemed transfixed on the cards before her, small little wells pooling at the corner of her eyes.

"Habibah, sweetie what's wrong?" Feriah dragged the chair next to her as he brushed her fingers over the woman's cheek.

Finally, her dark eyes landed on her, "Oh, sorry Feriah, just got lost in the reading."

"Lost my ass, you were crying, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing to worry over." she said, hoisting herself up to her feet as her belly protruded outwards, "Let's fix your hair now."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. What are the cards saying?" Feriah demanded.

Yet she wasn't given one. Habibah took the brush through her hair as she asked for pins and ties, pulling and messing around upon her head.

"Look Habibah, I know you always tell me to speak up when something is wrong, so why won't you?" she pleaded the woman, "Please Habibah, as my friend. I'm actually worried about you."

A heavy sigh came from behind her, hearing the chair move slightly. Feriah turned around to see Habibah looking over the cards, her eyes drawn to them as she placed her hand on her belly.

"You know, I never thought against the cards. I always believed they showed me the truth, and they mostly have. I saw Neema's change to Cairo, saw you coming to Greece, even my pregnancy and finding Sadiq." her lower lip trembled, "But now, now there's nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"That's just it. Every time I think of someone else, you, for example, I can see you. The fates changing here and there as I ask or look for certain things but when I think of myself it's the same. I've even used three different sets of cards, shuffled them multiple ways and more, yet it's still coming up the same."

Feriah was starting to become worried about her, "Habibah, what's wrong, what are they saying?"

A shudder rocked the woman as she took in a shaky breath, "There is nothing. No future, no husband, no child of mine, nothing."

"Oh, now that's just madness." Feriah stated, "Look at you, you're here nearly eight months pregnant with Sadiqpractically up your ass in worry over you, don't tell me nothing-"

"They've stopped as well."

"What stopped?"

"The dreams. The women within then, they've stopped coming."

Now that shook her a little, "Habibah, I'll admit mine aren't as loud as before but they're still-"

"Yes I was the same, but they only stop when you change. I haven't changed yet each day that passed, a soul seemed to have left me. One by one they all left and now, I see the future of myself. And I think, was I meant to be a capital?"

Feriah gripped the woman's shoulders, forcing her to look at her, "Listen to me Habibah, they're probably going silent due to your change coming. Maybe that's what the cards are showing you, that your change is coming."

"But the one card is death and-"

"But to be a capital you must die!" Feriah nearly screamed at her, "There is nothing to worry about Habibah. You will become Ankara and the little baby inside you will be Istanbul or Izmir or Bursa or whatever city it wants to be. You will be with Sadiq for all eternity and have Neema and I as best friends until the very end. Do you hear me?"

Habibah stared at her with wide eyes, she even shocked herself with how she handled the woman, but she knew why. Years of seeing death and more before her eyes was the reason behind it, the very thought of anyone close to her dying set of a barrage of nightmares before her eyes. It was even scaring her that she would have to die to become a capital herself, but of all people she didn't want to see death happen to, was the sweet woman before her.

"Ok, you're right. Maybe I'm just over thinking it all and not reading them right." Habibah smiled at her, "I just get overwhelmed with it all. Plus this one moving around me doesn't help."

Feriah chuckled at her, seeing the round globe of Habibah's belly move slightly as a foot came to her hand, "I'd agree there."

"Right, well, let's add some extra things to you to have you sparkle tonight." Habibah told her as a small glint of trouble sparked in her eyes, "That, and I think you and Hercules need to play a little game with each other."

"A game huh?" Feriah smiled at the mischievous woman, "What kind of game?"

Habibah giggled at her, the woman's hand caressing her belly, "The same game Sadiq and I played that led me to this very predicament."

"And here comes the more of a headache." he heard Sadiq say as the presidents of the two nations spoke tightly to one another, "What do you think they'll fight over this time?"

Hercules shook his head, his gaze in his glass, "For once I hope nothing."

"Now my friend, you know as well as I do that isn't an option when it comes to politics."

He knew the man was right, no matter where he went, there was some world leader that had to puff out their chest to look good, man or woman for that matter. It was something that was just normal in their world.

"Seems to me your mind is still stuck on Feriah." Gupta said, coming to their sides.

Well, that was true enough. Ever since learning the truth of what happened to her and what came with it, he had been practically by her side, making sure she was positive about herself. Having her talk to Marie and Marissa and even Neema for that matter and he knew Cairo would add Habibah to the mix as well. But since exposing the truth of her past, she had awoken a few times with nightmares, ones that scared the hell out of him as she screamed next to him. He could still hear her apologizing to him for it all, but he just calmed her down and let her relax with him.

"Can't help it."

"She doing any better with talking to the girls?" he asked.

"So far, there are days that are good," he replied taking a quick sip, "and days that are bad. This morning was one. Don't know what she dreamed of, but it was ugly."

He heard Sadiq sigh, "It's a hard world Hercules, I was there with Habibah. Poor thing was terrified to sleep. She told me once that she was afraid to, that when she woke up she'd be back there and away from me."

"You serious?" he heard Dryas say, finally coming into the conversation.

"Yea. It hurt to see it and hear it. There are days even today where she just stares off into nothing, but you know she's reliving those nightmares." Sadiq replied, laying a hand on his shoulder, "That there, Hercules, is where you need to prove to her that the nightmares are just that. Past. No more harm will come to her and you won't disappear."

The man was right when Habibah first met them all, she was terrified of her own shadow and now, she was practically the mother they all needed to have around as she just beamed nothing but happiness.

"You're right." he told him.

"Of course I am, bout time you agreed." Sadiq chuckled with Gupta.

"Bok." Dryas let out in a huff.

"What?" he and Sadiq asked as Gupta tried to see what he was looking at.

"Oh I see now." the Egyptian said, "Good luck."

The man patted his shoulder as Dryas's eyes were stuck at the opening of the banquet hall. What the hell was going on? Looking around, he tried to find the source of their actions, just to feel Dryas move his head to the spot, only then did his own jaw drop.

There coming down the steps was Feriah. Her hair up in the ornate way of the Greeks, he could see the added gems to the braids and pins that Habibah placed on her. The olive green dress stood out against her tanned skin, the white sash adding an illumination to her just for the gold and amethyst jewelry stood out. Dear god, it was like looking at one of the goddesses before him, yet she really was his.

"Well, then." he heard Sadiq say, "Looks like Hercules here has some issues to deal with."

"What issues?" he asked him just to feel Sadiq place something in his breast pocket.

"We'll leave you alone with her." he said, taking the other two with him.

What the hell was that about? Reaching into his pocket, he found the foil wrapper as the man's laughter reached his ears, "Haha, funny. Not likely."

Although he did wish to dive into that world, he wouldn't touch her, not without her ok at least. Finally making his way down to her, he felt a sting of jealousy as he saw the prying eyes of all the men around them, watching as she walked over to him. A primal need to protect was slowly overcoming him as she smiled at him.

"Well, aren't you handsome tonight." she spoke sweetly.

"Look at yourself." he took her hand, kissing the tender knuckles upon it.

He saw the blush rush to her cheeks at his action, making her look like a school girl crush, "So, do I hold out the Greek style well?"

She twirled in front of him, her poppy scent hitting him like a wave of the sea. She sparkled and glowed before him, never seeing her so radiant than now, "That you have, Feriah. Habibah did well with you."

"Too bad she couldn't come along."

"Yes, but she is quite heavy now and Sadiq would be more of a pain in the ass than he already is." he told her.

"True, true." she sighed as she smirked up at him, "But speaking of them, she gave me a great idea."

The glint in her eye said it all, he was in trouble, "Really, what is it?"

"A game." she sauntered over to him, her body practically molded against his own, "A game of will-power and tease."

He knew what she was up to, heard Sadiq rave over what Habibah did to him at his president's event and the actions that led to it afterward, "Guessing, we see who's the strongest then?"

She hummed in reply in his ear, her hands ghosting up the front of his dress coat just to lay nimbly on his shoulders and her breath tickle his ear, "However long it takes, may it be a half hour or longer, I can tease you, however, I see fit. Either with looks or touch, but the longer you last the better it'll be in the end."

"You do realize," he whispered to her, his hand caressing the bare skin of her back, "That it can go both ways in this case."

"Well, that's where the point of will-power comes in." she practically purred in his ear as her hips brushed his forming arousal.

Hercules knew it wouldn't be long, he would snap under the pressure before long but he wanted to hold out, to change the tables on the game and have her nearly bursting for it.

"Fine then, let's begin."

With that, she took off. Leaving him open and bare in front of everyone. Ok, she was going to be difficult. He watched her sway her hips away from him, almost baiting him to her. She was ready to play this game and she was playing hard as she smirked at him, and if she kept it up, he wouldn't make it as he watched her wrap her lush lips around a strawberry, licking the falling juices from them. Oh, he was in trouble as he heard the others laughing behind him.

"Alright, little kitten, want to play. I'll play."