(A/N): We're back in 1967 with Sebastien, Cipicia, and Miasenna. Foreshadowing. Pretty obvious foreshadowing, actually.

Trigger Warnings: Pseudo-incest (more in depth talk of Sebastien and Isolde). Misogyny, both for the way Daimen reacted to finding out about it- though it isn't really blatant that he meant that in a misogynistic way- and Sebastien also makes a bunch of crude comments about both Isolde and Cipicia. He also makes an inappropriate comment about Miasenna 'having to get used to blood', since it's 'part of girlhood'. Aftermath of child abuse, I guess, since they're literally cleaning Leonides's room after Cipicia attacked him, plus Miasenna gets threatened. Anthophilius is mentioned as an obstacle once more. Talk of infidelity (the Joannis's being unfaithful, as well as sleeping with other people who happen to be married).

October 19th, 1967

Sebastien

"And you'd know all about 'doing' mothers, wouldn't you, Sebastien?" I stared at her for a moment, almost taken aback by her boldness, before my lips split into the biggest smirk possible.

"I suppose I would, darling," I purred, and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Though I would say Isolde hardly fits the bill." She arched an eyebrow.

"I'd certainly hope so," She said pointedly. "If she was older- if she had married your father sooner-"

"She isn't, and she didn't. Either way, it wouldn't have made her my mother, so it doesn't matter. And I quite liked taking a turn with a younger woman, one with a pair of lovely, perky-" She cut me off with a glare that would put my sister to shame- I admired it.

"You enjoyed yourself right up until you went to brag about it to your father and he congratulated her for 'ingratiating herself into the family', that is." Ugh. Unfortunately, she was correct- I wasn't about to tell her that, though. "Also, you weren't complaining about my level of 'perkiness' earlier, husband." I tried to eye her body, but she snapped her fingers in my face before I could get a proper look. "Stop that! That wasn't an invitation."

I shrugged roguishly. "You should know by now that I don't need one," I told her, and she rolled her eyes at me. "I suppose experience is a more important attribute than youth... although, Isolde certainly had plenty of both- and you aren't exactly a fumbling prude yourself, deare-"

"Hold your tongue before I cut it out, Sebastien." I grinned at her, practically offering her the opportunity to do so, if she truly wished.

"If I know you, sweetness, you'd rather bite it off." Her brow arched far more sharply now, as if trying to illustrate the validity of this threat. "I forgot how... dentally inclined you are, love- though I'd prefer it if you were more orally-"

There was a crunch of glass, and Cipicia and I both turned to see Miasenna examining the strange goo on the wall, which required her to walk across the shattered glass to get over to it. "Careful, don't-" Cipicia faltered, her expression conflicted as if she didn't know whether to stop her or not. Whether to try to protect her, or not. "Don't touch that. It's not- It's not important, just... something the Healers gave him, for his leg." Miasenna looked at her, the concern clearly evident in her eyes.

"If he doesn't have his medicine," She started somewhat tentatively. "Does that mean he won't heal?" Cipicia winced, and extended a hand halfway toward her before suddenly letting it drop seemingly for no reason.

"He'll heal," She assured our daughter, who didn't look any more convinced than she had before. "He'll heal, it'll just take a bit longer- a lot longer- and it will... it'll hurt more." She looked like she almost regretted her actions, but couldn't bring herself to do so.

Miasenna glared at her, but given the situation, we let it slide... this time. "So he'll be in pain until we get him back." It wasn't a question, and she made no attempt to pretend it was. "Which means we need to get him back fast. Where should we start? How far do you think he could-"

"I told you- I. Don't. Remember," Cipicia snapped, which was a vast difference between her previous timid assurances. "And even if we could bring him back, it would only be a matter of time before someone found out what he was- not to mention that he's. Not. Human." She focused on me, rather than Miasenna, now. "We would have to lock him up, to keep him from hurting anyone- that's no life to live." I shrugged.

"I don't particularly care about his quality of life, especially not when mine is on the line." She glared at me, clearly not swayed by my personal concerns. "Besides, if you believe it to be so inevitable that he'll eventually hurt someone, then wouldn't we be doing the world a favor by keeping him contained?"

"...maybe so, but there's no way we could keep him long term without consulting an expert. And any expert we talk to-"

I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest. "Will talk to your father- yes, I know. But... what about-?" She shook her head, cutting me off before I could truly bring it up. Bring him up.

"No. No, he might not talk to my father, but- There's no- We can't trust anyone, especially not a Hunter." Her face changed to an almost mischievous expression. "Not to mention, you never liked him, anyway. Would you even be able to play nice- and you would have to play nice, considering that one wrong move would send him running to my father?"

I couldn't help but scowl at- well, this whole thing, really. "I don't tend to play nice with men who are openly trying to sleep with my wife- then again, maybe I should. Maybe if I had, it might have changed things somehow, and I would have been cuckolded by a Vampire Hunter, instead of a vampire." She shook her head, a disgruntled look on her face.

"Once again, I told you- I have no interest in anything to do with-" Her eyes narrowed as if she was struggling to get the words out. "Even if I had a thing for older men, a Hunter would never be my type- especially not one that also happened to be married." I shrugged once more.

"I'm sure you've slept with married men before," I said, which she didn't deny, but also didn't seem happy about. "I know I've slept with more than my fair share of married women, so I can't exactly say anything." She rolled her eyes at me.

"Of course you have," She sighed. "We should... clean this all up." She turned to scan the room, her eyes snagging on different problem areas. "Sebastien, you take the glass, and the salve on the wall. I'll take the ash from the pamphlets-" Pamphlets? "-and Miasenna... fix the edge of the rug." She moved back toward the door, where I'd seen the ash when we'd first entered, and whipped her wand out again.

I headed toward the wall, preparing to clean up the glass and the goo- salve, apparently- only to be distracted by Miasenna's horrified gasp. Cipicia and I both turned around, and she took a step in her direction, seemingly instinctively. "What is it now?" I drawled, and Miasenna raised a shaky hand.

"Bl- blood!" She stuttered out, pointing to the middle of the rug where, as I looked closer, I saw more than a few drops of blood staining the blue and green fibers, along with one smear that looked like it might have been a palm print.

"Ah," I said, drawing my wand in a way that made Miasenna flinch, likely thinking that I might be about to stun her again. "You'll have to get used to that sort of thing- part of girlhood, I'm afraid."

Cipicia elbowed me in the ribs and I glared at the side of her face, since she very pointedly refused to look at me. "I told you I hurt him," She said deceptively simply, and Miasenna was blatantly appalled. "I'll clean that up- it's my mess, anyway." Well, technically, it was the boy's mess, but... "You just... stand guard." Miasenna reluctantly slunk over to the doorway, and stuck her head out into the hallway.

"Oh, would you look at that," She said. "It's empty. How interesting." Cipicia shot me a look that I felt was distinctly blaming- as if to say, 'She gets that from you, you giant twat.' "Can we go back to talking about Leo, now? Even if he's-" Seeing the look on Cipicia's face, I cut our daughter off.

"Mouth shut, young lady, or I'll shut it for you." She swallowed thickly but was obviously struggling not to disobey, so I continued. "Leave it to your mother and I- no one has more at stake in this than us."

She frowned heavily- almost pouting, really. "You have a lot at stake," She admitted, so I allowed it. "But I love him- and that's a lot more important."

(A/N): Sebastien sees himself as a bit of a 'rogue' among 'gentlemen'. Also, getting to call him a twat, even in his own head, was quite satisfying.