#thecrossingroleplay

[angelicinsanities]

Hi babydolls

Unsure if you’re new or old to this blog but I’m say hi anyway. Hope y’all are having a good evening or morning. I’ve been trying to get active again and really get into roleplaying on tumblr. My main focuses are my two roleplays I run, The Crossing: A supernatural original character based roleplay. ( @thecrossingroleplay​ ). Most characters are originals but you can go with a premade too. And Royal Pains: an alternate universe roleplay where the world and various countries are divided into roleplay families ( @royalpains-roleplay​ ). The ‘problem’ young royals are all shipped off to the royal pains estate to mature and learn. Pretty cool concepts. Love both to death. But I also roleplay outside of both. If I’ve liked you or followed you recently, feel free to hit me up as I have some misc. original characters too. Anyway, that’s all.

[stricklandwitch]

AU Wedding.

Only trigger warning you need is if you hate fluff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A white gown flowing down to her feet.

A flower crown adorning the top of her head.

Her blonde locks twisted into curls.

She took herself in as her mirror-self stared back at her. It was finally sinking in that her life would be forever changed soon. It was sinking in that she was getting married.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Day Before]

The girls laid in bed together, Persephone facing Harper. Their limbs were intertwined as the blonde gently moved her fingers over the brunette’s face. While trapped in the necklace, Seph’s spirit cried out for the brunette constantly. Being back, being with Harper was healing to her soul. As the blonde stared at the girl beside her, she tried to picture her life without her, but she just couldn’t. Harper and the kids were everything to her.

The brunette raised a brow at Seph’s look of thoughtfulness. “What are you thinking about so hard?”

She moved her hand to the girl’s brown locks, her fingers threading through it. “How incredibly lucky I am to love you.” A smile tugged at the blonde’s lips.

Harper’s lips lifted into a smirk. “You weren’t gone that long, Seph. You’ll probably get tired of little ol’ me.”

Seph rolled her eyes. “Unlikely.” She finally rested her arm over the girl. “Being dead sucked, but being away from the babies, away from you was Hell. I thought my soul was going to go insane.”

The brunette sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out sooner. But I’m glad you’re back now. The girls and TJ missed like crazy. And so did I.”

Seph’s blue-green eyes took in the brown hue of the brunette’s. It was as if she was trying to memorize every feature of the girl’s. After a moment, Persephone moved closer and pressed her lips to the other hybrid’s. The kiss started out gentle and loving, but as Seph slipped her lithe fingers beneath Harper’s shirt, her fingers caressing her skin, their kiss grew deeper, more intense. Harper quickly rolled the blonde to her back and moved atop her straddling her waist. She intertwined her fingers through the other girl’s free hand.

Persephone moved her head up and brushed her lips over the girl’s pulse point on the barrel of her throat. “Marry me,” she uttered lowly.

Harper let go of her hands and brought the blonde’s head up to meet her eyes, a look of shock on her face. “What…?”

Seph gave her a curious look. “Marry me.”

“Seph, I…” the brunette started.

The blonde hybrid sat up from underneath the girl. “Look, I know we were never official, and I know we have so many things to figure out,” she paused and moved her hands to cup Harper’s face, “but I love you. You are my person, my happily ever after. It’s you or no one else. We can figure everything out…together.” Seph held up a finger to make the girl wait while she leaned over to the nightstand and slid out a drawer. She pulled out a black velvet box and opened it up to reveal a ring. “So, what do you say? Marry me, Harper Ophelia Snow?”

The brunette glanced down at the ring then flickered her gaze back up the blonde. Her teeth caught her lip as she thought about the blonde’s question. Slowly, she smiled. “Persephone Rowena Strickland, I would be honored to marry you.” A bright smile lit up the blonde’s face. Quickly, she pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto the brunette’s ring finger. Her arms wrapped around the other hybrid, her hand sliding up her back into her hair. Lovingly, she pushed her lips onto Harper’s.

The brunette hybrid returned the kiss fervently, her hands roaming the blonde’s torso. Another smirk lit up the girl’s face. “Mmm, no time like the present, right?” Harper wriggled her brow, causing the blonde to laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leaving her safe space with Harper had been tough, but the girls had a wedding to set up and complete. Getting a ring bearer and a flower girl was no issue. TJ was proud when his mom asked him to do an important task for her. And the girls were going to be wheeled down in their stroller by Emery to toss out flowers. Getting an officiant had been no issue either. Of course she wanted all her family there, but she thought Jeremy would be the perfect person for the job. The guest list was short, with it consisting of her family, Isobel, Rain, Colin, Annie, Nathan, Jess, Ainsley, Essyn, and Leah. The only things she had left to do were finding a dress and asking a certain someone to walk her down the aisle.

Seph tried every locator spell she could think of to locate her brother. It wasn’t till she was about to give up that his presence finally showed up on her map. Putting together herbs for a new spell, Persephone chanted an incantation until she was transported to a house. A smile lit up her face seeing the back of her brother.

“Mark. Brother. It’s me.”

The male turned around, his brows lifting in surprise. “Persephone… You’re alive? That must mean Ms. Snow was successful.” He stopped as his face turned to a look of confusion mixed with wariness. “What are you doing here, Persephone?”

The blonde ignored his want to be direct and crossed the room to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. “I miss you, little brother.” She sighed softly feeling his arms come around her to return her hug. “I wanted to talk to you face to face.” The blonde pulled back, her smile not wavering. “I’m getting married. Tomorrow. And I wanted to invite you to come. But…I also wanted to ask you to give me away.”

A slight smile tugged at the vampire’s lips. “Sister, that’s wonderful news. I’m guessing it’s to that spitfire brunette that saved you.” A chuckle left him as his sister nodded. Then his smile vanished, a look of grief on his face. “I would love to give you away, my dear Seph, but I don’t know that I’ll be able to make it. Business and such.”

She knew that was a lie. She and her brother were a lot alike; they both felt things deeply and when something went wrong, they blame themselves more than anyone, then they internalize it. Seph put on a brave face for her brother. “Oh. Okay. Well, the invitation is always there, but I would love for you to make it.” She gave him a sad smile before kissing his cheek and going back to where she was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls had settled on an outdoor wedding. Caleb had threatened a wedding planner trying to encroach on using a winery surrounded by cherry blossom trees.

Persephone stood in front of a body length mirror, trying to pick out a dress. Annabelle was sitting on the couch behind her, going through the dresses she still had not tried on. The blonde vampire sighed. “Just pick one for Christ’s sake. You’ve looked beautiful in every one of them.” She shook her head and tipped back the rest of her cup of champagne.

Persephone smoothed out the front of the dress before turning her gaze to her sister. “I just want all of this to be perfect. At least Harper deserves that.” Seph set her glass of champagne down and unzipped the back of her dress. She slid the material down her body and stepped out of it then grabbed the next one to try on.

Annabelle stayed quiet for a moment. “Seph, if I were Harper, I’d think that just marrying you in front of others is perfect. I’m sure she would have been fine with eloping, too.”

The hybrid rolled her eyes, yet a smile lifted the features of her face. Sisterly moments like these were rare for them. “Eloping. Why didn’t I think of that?” She joked.

“Well, had you eloped, you would have missed on wearing a fabulous dress.” Belle smirked at her. She got up from the couch and moved to stand behind her sister. Her blue eyes took in her sister’s form in the dress. “I think this is the one, darling sister.”

Seph stared at herself in the mirror for what seemed a while. Finally, she nodded. “I love it, Belle.” Her eyes found her sister’s in the mirror. A smile ghosted her pink lips. “Thank you. Not just for the dress but for being here, as well, as my maid of honor.”

Annabelle smiled in return. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Her petite hands came up to the hybrid’s shoulders and rubbed them in a comforting fashion. “Alright, let’s get this party started, shall we?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blonde paced inside. There was still no sign of Mark, and Persephone needed to walk out soon if she wanted to marry her fiery brunette. She wrung her hands as her eyes scanned the group. She found TJ chatting off Alexandria’s ear. A soft chuckle left her lips watching them, her anxiety disappearing for a moment. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and her head turned to find Annabelle with her bouquet.

“Still no Mark?”

Seph shook her head and tried a smile. “No. But maybe I was expecting too much.”

Belle gave her sister an empathetic smile. “Well, it’s time.” She handed the bouquet to Seph and placed a kiss on her cheek before going out to join the crowd.

Her eyes met Caleb’s as he crossed over to her. “If it’s not too presumptuous, I wonder if I might escort you.” He held out his hand to her.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

The both turned around to see Mark in a dark suit, a smile on his face. The female felt the prickling of tears starting to form in the corner of her eye.

“You’re late,” Caleb remarked.

“Fashionably so.” A slight smirk appeared of the older Strickland’s face. He moved forward and took one of Seph’s hands while Caleb grabbed the other one.

“Well, then. Looks like you’re stuck with both of us.” Caleb squeezed her hand, earning a thankful smile from the blonde.

“You ready?” Mark asked her.

Seph nodded, blinking back tears. “I am now.”

Together, the three walked outside to the path lined up with white lily petals. Persephone’s eyes instantly found Harper’s, and she couldn’t walk away. They were going to be joined together for eternity, basking in and celebrating their love. Once they got up to Harper and Jeremy, Persephone broke off from Mark and Caleb, gracing their cheeks with a kiss, before going to Harper.

She gave the brunette a smile. “You look beautiful.” Her voice coming out in a hushed tone.

“Dearly beloved!” Jeremy started. “Now, not to make this all about me, but we know how families work. Sometimes it’s dinner and sometimes it’s death. Now, I don’t know why it takes something as special as this to wake us up, to make us aware of the beauty in the moment, during the moment. To be grateful for what we have while we have it. Now, I for one am grateful for today, and I’m grateful for all of you. Never would I have pictured Harper becoming my sister, then again, I pictured Isobel becoming family.” The younger Strickland smirked, a growl coming from Caleb and a death glare from the audience. “But Harper and Persephone balance each other. Dare I say, they were meant for each other.”

After that, everything seemed to happen in a blur. Persephone’s eyes never left Harper’s even when tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. After the vows, TJ toddled up to his uncle and handed the rings over. Seph slid the ring she chose for Harper onto the girl’s finger before lifting her hand and placing a kiss on. After Harper slid the blonde’s ring onto her finger, Jeremy pronounced them wife and wife. Both girls pulled the other as close as they could to each other, and their lips met in a bruising kiss. Mark cleared his throat after a moment, making them come up for hair. Persephone let out a chuckle as their guests started to clap. As if on cue, petals from the cherry blossom tree started to fly around them. Taking Harper’s hand, Seph lead her back down the aisle and back inside. Speeding up to the room Seph had been in, the blonde gently pushed the girl into the wall. She leaned in and pressed her lips to the brunette’s, a grin spreading across her face. “I love you, my beautiful bride.”

“As I love you, wifey.”

[littleunicorn2018]

Flashback: Chastity Holt

Trigger Warning: Mention of kidnapping; Angsty hearbreak

~

𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒

𝒯𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝑜𝑜𝓇

'𝒞𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝒾𝒻 𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒

𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝐼'𝓂 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒

She had waited for him come back. She had hope that he would realize he was a dick and that he would come back and sweep her off her feet with some grand romantic gesture. For days, she alienated herself from the people she loved, sitting in the same spot he left her in. She knew he wasn’t coming back, but she was foolish. Chastity looked down at the ground, her heart broken and feeling cold. Brett had left and took her heart with her. A part of her wished had just literally took her heart. Death felt like it would be easier than the constant pain she felt. She hadn’t allowed herself to cry over him. Not yet at least. She knew where the opinion of the asylum stood. That she was stupid for getting herself into a toxic relationship with him. To her, they had never seemed toxic before. But she guessed that was because he had only been her best friend. No other feelings were involved. And now that they were? Chas hated it. She hated feeling like this. Like she wasn’t enough or that she was stupid and naïve for falling for her best friend. And worst of all, she couldn’t even hate Brett for this.

𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹𝒷𝓎𝑒

𝐼 𝒹𝒾𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒

𝐼 𝓁𝒶𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉

𝒜𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝓎 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒

𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝐼𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝑒

𝒲𝒽𝓎 𝒹𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝑒

She sat down on her bed, her phone in her hand. How did everything get so screwed up? Colin won’t talk to her, not that she blamed him. She hurt him, and that hurt her. In choosing someone who ultimately hurt her, she lost one of the greatest people in her life. The human guard didn’t see her as the insecure little girl almost everyone else saw and expected her to be. He knew she was a good person. Glancing down at her phone, the background on her screen lit up. It was a picture of her and Colin that Rain had taken at a bonfire. The pair looked so happy. She wished she could go back to that moment, back to that feeling. Chastity went into her photo gallery and flipped through her pictures. She found one of her and Brett not too long after she had turned. Her heart hurt just looking at the pictures and all the memories it brought up. Her finger tapped on the back of her phone. The blonde vampire needed closure.

She dialed his phone number and put her phone up to ear. She listened to it ring and ring until she heard the message of his voicemail. She sighed as she felt her anger boil up to the surface. “Hi, Brett. It’s, uh… It’s me. I thought that maybe you would actually pick up.” She stopped and chuckled bitterly. “Guess that was stupid of me.” Another pause as her eyes welled up. “Brett, I don’t understand. Why was I not enough for you to stay? Why was it so easy for you to walk away?” She inhaled a deep breath as tears started to flow down her face and her voice cracked. “I needed you. I needed you to stay. Why couldn’t you have just stayed! I loved you, Brett! But I needed my best friend. But you have left me with nothing. Nothing but a broken heart. Can you not hear how I’m completely falling apart without you? Why is this not hurting you? Because this hurts so much that I can’t breathe. And I hate you for hurting me. I HATE you.” She hung up just as her body was starting to wrack with sobs. In a fit of anger, she threw her phone across the room.

𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎

𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎

𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒾𝓈

𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝐼 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓈

𝒯𝑜 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎

𝐼'𝓁𝓁 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎

She found herself in the middle of the forest. It took her a minute to adjust to the light. But then she saw him clear as day. Brett. He was here in front of her. He came back. The blonde quickly stood up from the ground, a smile growing on her face. Until the anger took over. Her smile fell, her fangs dropping as she hissed at him. She charged at him, pushing him back. No words coming out of her mouth, just angry screams. He just let her push him until he was finally pushed against a tree. The female smacked his chest. “You left me! I hate you, I hate you!” She screamed at him. All he said was, “I’m sorry.”

Those words rang in her head as she stared at him. “You’re sorry?” She laughed bitterly. “Oh, okay. Yeah, I’ll just forgive EVERYTHING because you said you were /sorry/.” She shook her head. “I needed you, Brett! I needed you! Why was I not enough? Why!” Her chest heaved as she stared at him. “What? No comebacks? No defending yourself?” She turned her back on him and walked away from him just a couple of inches. Then it dawned on her, and she turned back around to him. “You’re not real… Of course you’re not real. God, I am so stupid!” The blonde vampire let out a blood curdling scream.

Chastity woke up, still in the basement of the asylum. She briefly remembered being taken by of the doctor’s goons. The female wiggled around, her hands hitting the cool metal of the restraints holding her down. It had just been a dream.

[queenofherownhell18]

-W A R N I N G: Character death ahead. -

Breathe in

Breathe out.

But she couldn’t. Every breath she took made her lungs burn. It felt like everything was weighing down on her, overwhelming her, stealing her breath. Amanda couldn’t handle everything that was going on. Her emotions and her thoughts were running rampant, and the demi-God was slowly losing her grip on herself. The feelings started a week ago when Amanda thought she was pregnant. How would she be able to explain that to Jeremy, or even worse, Jessamine. And as she started to grow accustomed to the idea, a nurse told her she wasn’t. It was just symptoms of stress. Then at the pool party, Amanda met her twin sister, Pierce. Her whole life was filled with lies. “Your mom was a human,” Hades had told her. “Had she lived, she would have loved you as much as I do.” But her mother had lived, and she chose to take Pierce. And just when she was starting to tell herself she wasn’t second best, Annie Williams come back. Jeremy’s perfect little angel. Amanda felt as if everything was being taken away from her.

Amanda was taking a walk outside to the gardens to clear her head or to scream, she couldn’t choose which. The girl sat down on the bench and let all her feelings bubble up to the surface. A sob erupted out of her and tears flowed from her eyes like waterfalls. Mandy didn’t really have anyone to talk to. Jessamine had her kids to worry about, and Jeremy was with his angel now. She didn’t have many friends, and she knew that was her fault.

The girl just sat there on the bench and cried. She didn’t realize someone had come into the garden when a hand touched her shoulder. She flinched away as if she had been burn. Mandy looked up to see it was Clarissa. She hadn’t talked to the girl, but she had seen her around with Jeremy’s friend, Harry. The fae gave her a worried look. “Hey, are you alright? I didn’t mean to scare you. I was coming back and heard you in here? You’re Amanda, right?”

Amanda stepped away from the girl before speaking. “Yes, I’m Amanda. And I’m fine. You should go.” More tears flowed from her eyes as the fae watched her.

Clarissa sighed softly. “I’m not going anywhere when you’re hurting. Please talk to me. Maybe it’ll make you feel better.” The girl was only trying to help Amanda.

Amanda just shook her head. “Nothing will make this better. Just please go,” she shouted at the fae. She didn’t mean to be harsh, but the only thing Amanda could control was not breaking down in front of a complete stranger.

Clarissa gave her a determined look. “No, I’m not going anywhere till you tell me what’s wrong.” The little fae held her ground and crossed her arms over her chest.

Power can be a tricky thing. When you’re pushed to a breaking point, it just shoots right out of you. As Amanda’s body shook, she stretched out her hand to point to the exit. She screamed at the fae. “GO!” Clarissa felt her heart slow down as pain overtook her body. Amanda had no idea that she had used her ability. The fae slowly fell to the ground, and the demi-God just watched the life leave her, too shocked to move.

“Oh my Gods.. Oh, no, what did I do?” She rushed over to Clarissa’s body and tried to do CPR, but it was no use. “No no no. You cannot be dead. Oh my Gods, what have I done?” Amanda started to freak out. She hadn’t meant to kill the girl. She just wanted her to leave. The brunette stared down at the fae’s lifeless body, and her body wracked from her sobbing. “No, I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry.”

Mandy heard another person walking towards the garden calling for Clarissa. She sniffled and looked back down at the body. “Gods, please forgive me.” The girl took off running out of the gardens, running in fear. She got back into the asylum and ran to her room. She slammed the door shut before sliding down to the floor. “I’m a monster,” she muttered to herself. She brought her knees up to her chest, and she cried. She cried for the girl Amanda wanted to become; she cried for her broken heart; but she cried most of all for the innocent girl she just killed.

[stricklandwitch]

Trigger Warning: Major Character Death, Angst, Heartbreak

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Snow.

It was so white and so pure. And it felt warm as the blonde hybrid lay in it. She felt peaceful, happy. As her fingers ran through what should have been cold flakes, her vision blurred, and she was taken back to reality. Back to her death.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

She lifted her hand to find her fingers covered in her blood. “Well, that’s not snow,” she muttered lowly. The bare foundation of a smile made her lips perk up slightly. “Snow,” she whispered to herself. Her eyes darted around until the face of the person she wanted to see most came into view. “Harper...” The voice coming from the blonde didn’t sound like her own. It was hoarse and low pitched. A grumble of pain seized her as the other hybrid flew to her side.

“Hey, hey, hey.. It’s okay. You’re okay,” The brunette tried soothing her.

Seph looked up at her, a dreamy look on her face. “For a second, I thought I was going to die alone.”

The girl shook her head. “You’re not going to die, Seph. You’ll be just fine, okay? Just... Just hang in there for me. Okay? Or hang on for TJ and Thalia and Roxie. Just please.”

She could feel her breathing becoming worse. Time was running out, and the cure wouldn’t get there in time. Her eyes cast down to her necklace. It was one her mother gave to Lenore to give to her. Seph moves her hand down to the brunette’s own hand. She interlocked their fingers before setting their hands on her chest over her heart. “Harper, I’m dying... And you know as well as I do that there’s no fixing this.” She could see tears welling up in the girl’s eyes. “Hey, listen to me,” she paused to wheeze, “my necklace. Use my necklace.”

Harper leaned down and kissed her hand. “Seph, please. Don’t leave me again. Maybe Strickland blood will heal you.”

She could hear a heavy sigh leave Mark before he spoke. “Ms. Snow, that wouldn’t work.”

Seph shook her head, her breathing getting slower. “I’m sorry, Harper. I don’t think I can hold on.” The blonde’s eyes went up, and she blinked for a second. “I can hear them calling me. Mary and Henry, and Thomas. I hear them.”

“No, tell them to go away. They can’t have you. Not yet,” Harper replied.

The blonde’s eyes closed. “Tell my babies I love them. And my friends, I love them. And Abel, that I’m sorry and I’ll be with him always.” Her eyes drifted over to her siblings. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you all. Jeremy, especially. But please know I love you, all of you.”

Jeremy snorted. “Oh, please. She’s just being dramatic. She’ll be just fine.”

The blonde’s eyes closed. “No, don’t you dare close your eyes! You can tell them that yourself!” Harper searched the girl’s form for a sign of life, and a shuddering breath left her. “No... No, you have to hold on. You have to...” The brunette shook Seph.

No response.

“No, no, please, Seph. What if I sing that song you sing to the kids? Yeah?” The brunette grabbed the blonde’s hands then started to sing, her voice breaking. “You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” She leaned over the girl’s body as her own wracked with sobs.

“Harper, she’s gone,” Caleb spoke softly as he touched her shoulder.

Harper sat back up and flared up at him. “It should have been you.” She shook her head and quickly got to work. She did the spell to trap Persephone’s soul within her necklace whilst Harper found a way to get rid of the curse. Taking the necklace off her friend’s neck, the brunette clasped it around her own. She stood glowering at the rest of the siblings.

Caleb sighed. “We’ll bring her back.”

A bitter chuckle left the female’s throat. “No. No, there’s no ‘we.’ Before she went into the asylum, it was her and me, and after the asylum, when we found each other, it was her and me. It’s always her and me. And you know why? Because she is my family, and I’ve been more family to her than her actual siblings.”

Annabelle’s heels clicked against the floor as she walked forward to speak. “I would hold my tongue if I were you.”

Harper dared to step forward, a hard look on her face. “Where were you when she had morning sickness at two in the morning? Hmm? Where were you when the girls were born? Jeremy was there, but the rest of you weren’t. And what about helping or even seeing the girls and TJ? None of you treat her like a sister. She blindly loves each of you, and look where it got her.”

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are. You’re not her family,” Caleb remarked angrily.

“I’m the girl she loved! I am her family, like I just said. I have helped her and loved her. I’ve been there for her when none of her siblings even cared.”

“Now, she’s just being melodramatic,” said Jeremy.

Harper rounded on him, using her magic to shut him up. “You have no room to speak. Oh, she’s told me about each of you. And I have no idea why she loves people who don’t show her an ounce of caring. So, no, there will be no ‘we.’ I will get Persephone back because unlike the rest of you, I want and I need her back.”

Caleb watched, in shock and anger, as the brunette scooped up his sister’s body and walked out. He looked over at Mark, and as they shared a glance, they knew that they needed to get their sister back, if they wanted to keep their family together.

[stricklandwitch]

Trigger Warning: Violence

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Always and forever had been a con. One told by Caleb to keep his siblings close. Persephone thought she was now included in that. And that was her downfall. Her love for her siblings was unconditional, even if not showed. When Caleb called to tell her, his idiotic self pissed off a warlock, she dropped what she was doing and went to go help her siblings. Luckily, the kids were in the Underworld with Jessamine and her family. Not wanting her to go alone, Harper went with her.

The girls got to Caleb’s location pretty quickly. Out front, Mark was waiting for them. Seph climbed out of the car with a heavy sigh. “Hello, little brother. What has Caleb gotten himself into now?”

Mark went over to his sister and kissed her cheek and nodded towards Harper then lead them inside. “How about I let our little brother explain it to you? Caleb!”

The sandy blonde hybrid came into view. “Persephone! My favorite sister! Come to save us all!”

She gave him an unamused look. “What did you do, Caleb?”

He put his hands behind his back and a smirk tugged at his lips. “In the late 1800’s, I seduced a young girl named Wendy, trying to get information on a vampire that was chasing her brothers. She was just collateral damage. Imagine my surprise when her oldest brother Dylan popped up. Apparently, he’s courting our darling Isobel’s sister.”

Persephone shook her head. “Let me guess, he set warlock friend of his on you.”

Caleb’s face fell. “I was not expecting him to be so powerful. He’s just about as powerful as you, dear sister.”

She glowered at her brother. “Knock it off with the flattery, Caleb.” A groan left her mouth. “Who else did you call?”

“Me. He thought I’d have fun causing some chaos and bloodshed. Though if you three have it handled, I brought a bag of popcorn and chair. I’ll just sit back and watch.”

Mark sighed. “Hello, Jeremy.” The younger Strickland gave his siblings a wicked grin.

The female Strickland felt a pull on her shirt sleeve. She glanced over to Harper. “Seph, I don’t have a good feeling about this. Let’s just leave this mess to them and go home. Please.”

The blonde gave her person a small smile and patted her hand. “This will be easy, Harper. I’ll just simply spell him then we can go home.” The brunette sighed and just shook her head.

A female voice came out of nowhere. “Having a family reunion without me? How rude.”

Mark’s face lit up with a small smile. “Annabelle. It’s been awhile.”

“Indeed, it has, big brother. I see Caleb is up to his old tricks,” Annabelle replied.

As her siblings talked, Persephone went around the room putting up crystals to help their situation. The warlock would come in and be trapped as soon as he stepped into the crystal circle. Then all she would have to do is poof him into the ocean.

“Waiting for me?”

Persephone turned around hearing the gruff voice of a male only to be sent flying back a few feet. The blonde landed hard on her back, the wind knocked out of her.

“SEPH!” Harper screamed and sped over to her friend.

The warlock smirked seeing the blonde hybrid down. “Really? She was the best you could do?” He stopped and let out a snort. “Cute, Strickland.”

Caleb gave him a steely look. “You will pay for that.” He looked back at Jeremy. “Wanna have some fun, brother? Have at it.”

The younger Strickland stood back eating popcorn. “No, I’m good.” Annabelle slapped him upside the head before stepping up to where Mark was.

Mark finally spoke. “If you leave now, you’ll leave with your life. You’re caught in a pissing contest between my brother and your boss. It’s pathetic to be honest.”

“Hey!” Caleb exclaimed, a small pout settling on his face.

The warlock rolled his eyes before settling on the blonde female getting up from the floor. “I was going to kill you all fast, make it hurt less, but now I’m thinking a more slow and painful death. Especially for you, hybrid.” He remarked, a smirk thrown Caleb’s way.

Persephone watched as the two started to battle. Caleb used his supernatural speed to rush at the warlock and pushed him away. He smirked as the groan the warlock let out before flying off into the wall himself. The warlock stood up and rolled his shoulders. He started to move back towards Caleb until Mark plowed into him grabbing him by the throat and raising him up to throw him. The warlock struggled at first then used an incantation to throw snap Mark’s neck letting him down. Seeing his brother down, Caleb tackled the warlock. They rolled a few feet before the warlock settled on top of Caleb. He threw one punch before Caleb flipped them and pinned him by the throat.

“I could do this all day,” Caleb said with a smirk. The hybrid shoved his hand through the warlock’s chest. “Maybe you could send a message to Mr. Everly for me?” The warlock felt blood pooling in his throat, yet he still struggled under the hybrid to get away. “No, I’m not going to kill you just yet. But go back to Mr. Everly and tell him that if he ever comes near me and my family or Isobel again, he won’t live to regret it.” He pulled his hand out of the man’s chest then stood up. He walked back over to where Annabelle was kneeling with Mark as he woke up. “Brother, are you alright?”

The elder Strickland nodded. “I’m fine.”

Jeremy booed. “That was anti-climactic. Our grandmother would have fought better than that!”

Persephone shook her head with a chuckle then took Harper’s hand and walked over to her siblings to join them. She was so focused on her siblings that she didn’t see the warlock get up and heal his wound. She didn’t see him pull out a dagger, one that she would have recognized as cursed by the glint of a symbol meaning death. When he started running towards Caleb, Persephone didn’t think. She just acted. The blonde sped towards the warlock and tackled him to the ground.

A blinding white hot pain.

The warlock looked up at the blonde, a hateful smile lighting up his face. “Well, you’re not who that was intended for, but I’m not displeased.”

Seph’s face drained of color as she looked down, the dagger sticking out of her chest. Her gaze went to the warlock in question before she fell to the side.

Harper’s eyes widened. “Seph…” She ran over to the blonde. “No, no, no, no.” She took a hold of the dagger and pulled it out. The brunette looked over at the warlock, her face becoming dark. She lifted her hand and used magic to make the warlock choke.

Mark and Caleb ran over to the girls. “Persephone? She’ll be okay, right?” Mark asked.

Harper turned her dark look to them. “No. No, she won’t. That dagger? It was cursed. Like a bad curse for vampires. It sends a curse through the blood, makes them unable to heal.”

Caleb looked down at his sister. “She took that dagger for me…” He sighed, something changing inside him. “Well, how do we fix this?”

Harper stared down at the unconscious blonde. “We can’t.”

[angelicinsanities]

/. Hey my dudes. I got a few new followers so I wanted to let yall know I am a multimuse but I'm in the process of editing up my themes and stuff. I'll have a new muse page up running soon. Also gonna shamelessly promote my two roleplays. We moved from Facebook so we're gaining footing. Lots of available roles and accepted original characters. @royalpains-roleplay and @thecrossingroleplay . Just take a look and message me if you want.

[stricklandwitch]

~ Trigger Warning: Labor, Birth, Snippy Supernaturals. ~

~~~~~~~

The blonde had been up late. She had been trying to get everything in the nursery done before she had to reluctantly follow someone’s orders to relax. The room was perfect so far. Earlier on in the week, Persephone and Harper painted the nursery and TJ’s room. The nursery was reminiscent of a beautiful sunset which perfectly matched TJ’s warm yellow room. The hybrid was in the middle of arranging all the furniture in the room once again that day when she felt a cramp radiate through her stomach. She groaned quietly in pain and breathed heavily for a minute before the pain went away. Ten minutes passed by before the pain came back followed by a warm trickling liquid rolling down her thighs. Seph quickly went into action and called the hospital to let them know she was on her way then called Harper to meet her at the hospital. The blonde quickly grabbed her small suitcase then got TJ ready. She placed the child in his old carrier then grabbed the second one and off to the hospital they went.

~

~

Persephone sat up in her hospital bed, the contractions getting closer together. The blonde shuddered in pain as her nails dug into the fabric of the bed. She didn’t remember TJ’s birth hurting this much, and she read labor with twins would be similar to labor with a single. She didn’t understand why there was so much pain. The blonde felt a masculine hand wrap around hers. She looked up to see Abel, and her lips curled up into a tiny tearful smile. “Abel. You’re here.”

The male lifted her hand up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. “Of course, love. I’ll always be here.” His other hand went up to her head and his fingers lovingly ran through her hair. “What can I do to help? Where’s TJ?”

The blonde took a deep breath. “The nurse went to get the doctor to see how far along I am.” She squeezed his hand as the pain intensified. “TJ is with Harper in the lobby. She offered to stay out there with him till Jeremy and Annie got here.”

The mention of Harper’s name had the vampire’s brow raising, but he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he nodded and replied. “Alright. Is there anything I can get you? A cold cloth? Ice chips?”

Seph shook her head. “No. Just please stay. With me. Please.” The look on the hybrid’s face was enough for him, so the male moved closer to her bed and stayed beside her.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, the doctor came in. “Hello, Persephone. Let’s see how far we are now.” The female went over to the fetal monitor and moved it closer to Persephone. She put two electrodes on the hybrid’s rounded stomach. The doctor finally grabbed the stool and rolled it in front of the girl. Persephone laid back and put her feet up in the stirrups. The doctor put her gloves on and moved one of her gloved hands to check the blonde’s dilation. Persephone could see the doctor look at the fetal monitor in concern. And that scared the blonde more.

“Doctor Byers… What’s wrong?”

The doctor rolled back. “Well, Ms. Strickland,” she started as she took her gloves off, “you’re at full dilation and effacement, but neither baby is progressing.” The female went back over to the monitor and studied for a moment. “And I’m worried about Baby A. Her heart rate is very slow.”

Seph looked up at Abel then looked back to the doctor. “Will she be okay? What should we do? I just want them out safely,” she said in a panicked tone.

Dr. Byers turned back to the hybrid. “I want that, too, Persephone. The safest way to get them out is a C-section. It’s fairly common in births with multiples. The risks are very low, and mother and babies should be okay.”

The blonde stayed silent for a moment before finally nodding. “Okay. Let’s have a C-section.”

The doctor gave Seph a warm and hopeful smile. “I will get an OR ready. A nurse will be in shortly to prep you. See you in there.”

Seph looked up at Abel as the doctor left. But he gave her a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine, my love. I’ll be in the lobby waiting for you.” The vampire let his thumb stroke over the back of her hand, and he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. The nurse came in then with sickly sweet smile on her face. The couple stayed quiet just sharing a look as the nurse explained what was going to happen to her and assuring her that she and the babies would be safe. Persephone said a quick goodbye to Abel before being wheeled out of the room.

~

~

Abel went back out to the waiting room. His attention was immediately drawn to the little boy he was fond of. But he was in the arms of a tall brunette. ‘Ah, this must be the Harper Persy was talking about,’ he thought to himself. The brunette was playing a game with TJ, probably trying to distract him from wondering where his mother is. With a smile on his face, Abel went over to the two. “Oh, my goodness, TJ, you’ve gotten so big. Hi, buddy.” He went to pick the child up, but Harper pulled the child onto her lap to protect him.

The brunette gave him a glare. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are.”

Jeremy piped up from where he was sitting with Annie. “This is Abel, the love of our dearest Persephone’s life. Nice to see you again, Tylan.”

The vampire gave the younger Strickland a look. “Jeremy. A pleasure as always.” His attention turned back to the female and the child. TJ had a large grin on his tiny face and his arms were stretched out, so Abel leaned down and took the child from Harper and bounced him around slightly. “Hello, little love. How you doing? I missed you so much, bud,” Abel cooed to the child. He then looked to Harper and asked, “And who might you be?”

Jeremy opened his mouth to answer, but Harper’s glare and Annie’s smack to his arm made him quiet again. The brunette reached up to TJ and patted his little hand before answering. “Harper. Persephone’s best friend.”

“And lady love,” Jeremy muttered under his breath. He gave a shrug to Harper when her shape gaze turned to him once again. “Just saying.”

Abel raised his brow. “It seems like I have missed a lot.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “Yeah, at least three months’ worth.” Persephone had told Harper about Abel and their relationship shortly after the girls reunited.

Abel’s face went stoic, trying not to get riled up especially with TJ in his arms. “Right. And as Percy’s supposed best friend, where were you in the asylum? ‘Because I don’t remember seeing you.”

An irritated huff came from the hybrid’s mouth. “I looked for her. For a long time. And when I wasn’t able to find her, I just assumed that she didn’t want to be around me anymore. And had I been in that asylum with her, I would have done a better job at being there for her unlike other people she loves.”

A groan interrupted the two. “Just because she’s my sister doesn’t mean I have to interfere in her affairs. I didn’t even know about her till a year ago.”

Harper let out a growl at the vampire. “I wasn’t talking about you, dipshit.”

Jeremy put his hand over his heart, feigning a hurt look. “Ouch, sister-in-law. That hurt.”

An amused look appeared on Abel’s face. “Had she not sent me away, I would have protected her in there. I love her, but I also understood that she needed space.”

The hybrid turned back to Abel and took a menacing step towards him. “And after the asylum? When she needed someone? Where were you?”

“Being poisoned and having someone heal me so I didn’t die,” the vampire deadpanned. His look turned towards TJ when he started to babble. “That’s right, buddy.”

Harper crossed her arms. “That’s no excuse.” She gave the child a small smile before looking back to the vampire in front of her. “I have been there for her every time she has needed me. When she needed to just cry or when she felt scared or hopeless. I was there when she needed someone beside her so she could sleep. I’m her person.”

“And I very much appreciate that, but I’m here now, so all that isn’t needed,” he told her.

They both felt a hand on their shoulders. Both Harper and Abel peered down to see Annie between them. The angel was giving them a stern look. “Let’s calm down, okay? We’re all here for Persephone and the children.” She turned to give Jeremy a look when he muttered, “Speak for yourself,” under his breath. “How about we take a breather, alright?”

A clearing of someone’s throat broke the tension between all of them. A nurse had joined them. “Ms. Snow? Ms. Strickland is requesting your presence in her room.”

Harper went over to the nurse. “Is she alright? The twins?”

The nurse nodded. “Yes, Ms. Strickland is fine. I think it’s just nerves, but she wanted a family member to be with her.” A warm smile took over Harper’s face as the nurse escorted her back through the double doors to the room Persephone was in.

~

~

The hybrid was sedated enough to not feel anything. Except the nerves in her stomach going haywire. She wanted someone to be in the room with her, and the only person she wanted at the moment was Harper. When Harper came into the room, tears pooled in the blonde’s eyes. “Harper!”

The brunette walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “Hi, Seph. You doing okay?”

The blonde nodded as she sniffled. “I’m a lot better now that you’re here.” The blonde let out a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready.” She lifted her hand up from the cover and grasped Harper’s hand.

The doctor explained everything she was doing as she moved the blade across the hybrid’s stomach. The nurse helping Dr. Byers stretched the skin near the incision out. Dr. Byers cut through layers of fat and tissue until she saw the amniotic sac. As the nurse held open the incision site, the doctor cut carefully and gently across the top of the sac. Dr. Byers smiled when she saw the first baby. “Alright, Ms. Strickland. First baby.” The two hybrids shared a smile before the doctor proceeded. The nurse put the protractor in, and the doctor carefully got the first baby out.

Persephone frowned when she didn’t hear her child cry. “What’s wrong? Why isn’t she crying?” Her head turned to the side with a panicked look on her face as another doctor took the baby and placed her in a ventilator.

“It’s alright, Persephone. Your little girl wasn’t breathing, but Doctor Lewis is helping her right now. We’re onto baby number two,” the doctor replied. Harper glanced down at Persephone and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Dr. Byers worked quickly and carefully took the second baby out. The little girl gave a mighty cry which was followed by her sister as the ventilator helped her breath.

Persephone choked back sob as a smile took over her face. “My two girls. They’re okay.”

Harper leaned down and placed a kiss on the blonde’s forehead. “Yeah, they’re here.

The blonde couldn’t keep her eyes off her two new babies as the doctor delivered her placenta and stitched her back up. Once she was wheeled back to her room, all she wanted was to be with her two girls.

As Persephone and Harper talked about names, the others waiting in the lobby came strolling into her room. Abel quickly came over to the hybrid and kissed her cheek then Annie went over and gave her a hug.

“Alright, where are they?” Jeremy asked.

Seph rolled her eyes as a chuckle escaped her. “The girls are in the NICU. Their lungs needed a little extra help, but I’ll be able to take them home in a few days.”

The angel beamed with glee. “So, what did you decide to name them?”

The blonde glanced up to Harper with a smile. “Thalia Annabelle and Roxanne Jessa Strickland.”

[stricklandwitch]

Flashback (sort of): Persephone Strickland

Trigger Warning: Mention of assault, mention of abortion, mention of miscarriage

Admin note: I do not take the character's deciding process lightly. If there's any part of this writing piece that doesn't sit well with you or you think could be written better, please don't hesitate in messaging me. I do not want anyone feeling offended or triggered in any way. Also, I’d like to give Jessamine’s admin a writing credit for helping me. -C

~

Persephone stood in front of the sink in the bathroom she shared with her roommate. She was staring at herself in the mirror. Her shirt was raised exposing her stomach. It had just a slight roundness to it. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the confirmation that she was having another baby. She hadn’t needed to see her stomach to know. Not when the last couple of days she was exhausted but couldn’t sleep, nauseous all the time, and her emotions were all over the place. The memory of her confirmation was fresh on her mind.

Christmas day, her birthday, she went to the infirmary to get a test. The nurse gave her a judgey look as she handed the test over to the blonde. Seph hurriedly walked back to her room and to the bathroom. Several minutes later, she stood in the bathroom after she took the pregnancy test. The minute she had to wait felt like a lifetime to her. She paced back and forth, her eyes darting to the test every couple of seconds. When the minute was up, Seph picked up the test. Positive. It was positive. The blonde leaned on the sink for a support. She was in shock for she knew how this baby came about. Her fingers curled around the edge of the sink in a tight grip as hot angry tears formed and started to roll down her face. She was pregnant by the monster that assaulted her, that took her life, that broke her.

“Seph?”

A light feminine voice sounded from the doorway. Persephone’s head whipped up to see her roommate, Emery, standing there. With a deep breath, the hybrid stood up straight and wiped her eyes. Clearing her throat, she finally responded. “Hey, Em. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

The younger blonde looked up at her with concern on her face. “It’s okay.” She paused taking in the distress that the older female was displaying. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Seph shook her head and wiped her eyes again. “Nothing. I’m okay. I’m just ‘in my feels’ as you kids call it.”

Emery gave the woman a look before sighing and moving closer to her. “Persephone, whatever it is, you can talk to me. You’ve become like a sister to me since we started sharing the same room.”

It took a minute for her to respond, but Seph let her walls down for her new sister. “I never told you completely what happened to me.” She pauses and took a deep breath. “I didn’t lie when I said I was tortured to death. I just didn’t want to say how... I was raped by one of the guards.” Seph looked down at the floor, not wanting to see Emery’s shocked and horrified reaction. “And after I got free, I completed my transition by killing him. I thought maybe it would make the pain easier, knowing he had paid for his crime.” She shook her head, more tears falling down her cheeks.

“Oh my God, Seph. I’m.. I’m so sorry,” Emery started.

A sob erupted from the older female’s chest. “I can’t ever escape him. He’s in my nightmares, his blood runs in my veins, and I’m carrying a small part of him.” That was the first time she was able to admit she was pregnant, and as she realized what she said, Persephone looked up at Emery.

“I was a science experiment in a way. My conception took place in a petri dish, so the scientists could change my necromancer genes.” Emery explained, ringing her hands. “My mother just wanted me to be normal, but her love for me never wavered when I grew into my powers. She loved me so much that we never had a stable home so that she could protect me. She protected me even from my biological father, the monster he was.” The younger girl took the hybrid’s hand. “From what I’ve seen, Seph, you’re a wonderful mother. Your son loves you so much, and so will your new baby. He or she will think you to be so brave for what you went through and for seeing that they were happy and healthy.”

A soft sniffle came from the older female. “Em.. I don’t think I can have this baby. I just… It hurts.”

Emery nodded in understanding. “Have you thought this all the way through? I can only imagine how overwhelming this is.” She paused as Seph shook her head. “Give yourself some time to truly think about it. As your friend, I will support whatever choice you make, but I don’t want to see you rush into a decision.” The necromancer gave her friend a small smile.

Seph took a deep breath, her emotions calming. Emery was right. She shouldn’t rush into this when a tiny sliver of her had hope and wanted to raise this child. She pulled the younger girl into a hug. “Thanks, Em.”

They pulled away from each other after a moment. “Of course, Seph. I’m always here for you if you need me.” The little blonde squeezed the hybrid’s hand then turned around and left the bathroom. Seph remained standing there, Emery’s words settling into her mind.

~

~

~

Two days later and Emery’s words still rung in her head. Later that same evening, she and Emery bonded more and she gained more insight of the necromancer. She understood completely what Emery went through. She had lost TJ for over 200 years till she met the woman who was able to bring him back. Seph warred with herself still on the decision. Her reason seemed logical to her. It wasn’t because she didn’t want another baby. If the act had been consensual, her pregnancy would have a more positive tone around it. How was she supposed to raise a child that would be a constant reminder of what happened to her? What if she resented her child for existing? She couldn’t go through that; she couldn’t put her unborn child through that. Of course she considered the other option beside the blatant two. She could have the baby and let it be adopted or see if Annabelle or Isobel or any one of her friends would like to raise it.

She was lost in her thoughts as she walked down the hallway to Mark’s room. Maybe her little brother could provide some insight on what she should do. She reached his door and knocked on it gently. She heard a quiet “Come in” from behind the door, and she pushed it open to see her brother rocking his son to sleep.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mark. I can come back later.” Seph turned to leave, but his words stopped her.

“Nonsense, big sister.” Mark moved and put Tristan in his bassinet. “Please come in. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you. How are you?”

She walked further into the room after shutting the door. She took a seat beside him and let out a heavy sigh. “I…” Her gaze went to the floor and her hands fiddled together. “I’ve been numb, if I’m going to be honest. I thought if I could numb myself from the tragedy and the pain that I could move on with my life and cope. But I have constant reminders.” She finally glanced up at her brother.

Mark looked at her concerned. “Persephone, I’m not going to say I know how you feel because I don’t. I have never gone through what you did. And I have no words to comfort you, not that they would. But I believe you can overcome this. You are so strong and so good that I have no doubt that you can beat this.” He gently put his hand on hers.

The female’s eyes filled with tears and held his hand tightly. “Mark, I’m pregnant, and it’s that monster’s baby.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to do, Mark. I’m terrified.”

The male vampire remained calmed. “Why are you terrified?”

Her hand went to her stomach on instinct. “I’m terrified that if I have this child that I won’t love him or her like I do TJ because of who fathered them. I’m terrified that I’ll resent them for being a reminder. But I’m also terrified that if I end this pregnancy, I know I’ll be making a huge mistake. I’ll be ruining two lives.”

Mark stayed quiet as his sister spoke, a thoughtful look on his face. “Persephone, the fact that you feel so terrified of those things proves that those things won’t happen. I don’t love Pixie or Roseclear any less than Tristan because they aren’t mine. Those three and their mother are my world. And I know that you will love this child more than anything, and I think you’ll do anything to give them the life they deserve.” He moved his arm around her in a hug. “Now, this is your choice. And no matter what you choose, I will stand beside you. But you’re already a great mother to TJ and this baby will be no different.”

Seph settled her head on his shoulder as she wiped away her tears. A wave of peace came over her. Maybe she could do this. The more time she took to consider, the more love and attachment formed her unborn child. The blonde placed a soft kiss on her brother’s cheek. “Thank you, Mark.” The pair sat there watching Tristan sleep. Deep down, she had decided that she was going to keep her baby. Mark and Emery were right, and if it was the last thing Seph did, she would make sure TJ and this new baby would have the life they deserve.

[stricklandwitch]

◜Day Twelve: A Christmas Tale◞

➤ It's Christmas morning. Write whatever you want.

~

The magic in Christmas had lost its meaning after her sixth birthday, after she was traded away. It was just another day to her. But this year, things were different. She was a mother, and while she was going through her own stuff, she wasn’t about to neglect her son’s needs. She did her best to get him excited for Christmas. She set up a little tree in their room. Luckily, Emery didn’t mind. She even helped decorate. And Persephone had even managed to get a few presents for TJ, and for her siblings and friends.

The morning had been busy. The blonde got TJ up early and helped TJ open his presents. Then she took him down to the cafeteria for breakfast, sitting back as he charmed the people who came over to say hi: Annie, Nathan and Millie, and Heidi and Alfie. After that, Seph took TJ to see Isobel, Mark and Leah and his cousins, Jeremy, and Jessamine and her family to say “Merry Christmas.” For her child’s sake, she kept a fake smile on her face all day, not completing fooling anyone.

Finally, Persephone brought TJ back to their room. Emery wished them a “Merry Christmas” before bouncing off to see Claude. The female put her son down for a nap, kissing his forehead and turning on his mobile. She came back into the room, and on her bed was a single rose and a small black satin box. Seph cocked her eyebrow, a sneaking suspicion on whom it was from. The blonde took a seat on her bed and picked up the box. On it was a note.

“To my dearest Persy

You came into my life

Like lightning lighting up the sky

Electrifying the darkness in my heart.

Happy birthday, my love.

xx Abel”

Reading the note made her smile, something rare these days. She unwrapped the ribbon from around the box then opened it. The blonde gasped at her present. Inside was a gold necklace with a gold lightning bolt. Another smile graced her face as she moved her pointer finger gently over the bolt. The female finally glanced up, her gaze not settling on anything in particular. The smile stayed on her face as she slipped the necklace from the box and fastened it around her neck.

Maybe Christmas wasn’t magical anymore. And neither was her birthday. But the one thing that remained magical in her life was the amount of love she felt at that moment. From her son and from Abel.

[stricklandwitch]

—F L A S H F O R W A R D—

~TRIGGER WARNING: Depression, Mention Of Heartbreak.~

It had been hard just living. Persephone had only been back for a week, but breathing still hurt. She thought the first day was the hardest. Colin had found her and helped her to her new room, and he stayed with her until his shift was over. But that night by herself in the silence, that was the worst part. Her mind replayed what happened on a loop.

As the days went by, the woman barely left her room. That way she could pretend that nothing had happened, that she was living a lie. The only time she would leave was go to see Jessamine and see if TJ could have a play date with Jamie and the girls. When Isobel came to check on her, Seph has been curled up under a heap of blankets, listening to the music on her phone through a pair of ear buds. Seph didn’t even look up as the blonde vampire sat beside her. The song she had on repeat reminded her of the vampire that broke her heart, the thunder to her lightning. Persephone tried to shut off her mind to both events playing in her mind, but the tears on her pillow suggested that she had failed.

Her new roommate Emery came into the room later that same day, an envelope in her hand. “Seph, this was by the door. It has your name on it.” The pink haired girl handed the envelope over to the blonde. Seph stared at it for a moment. Who would send her a letter? She opened it and pulled the letter out, instantly recognizing the hand writing.

“My little witch,

I hope this letter finds you well and happy. I hope TJ is doing wonderfully. I can’t believe he’s four months old. I can only imagine how big he’s gotten. I miss you both, incredibly so. I cannot begin to express how sorry I am to you. This time away from you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face, and we both know your brothers.

When I said I love you, I meant it. I still mean it. I know what I did hurt you, and the look of hurt on your face still haunts me. Your beautiful face should always have a little smile or a dimples smirk on it. Along with your shining blue eyes. I dream about them every night. I dream about what our life should be: outside of the asylum, happy and in love, with maybe another baby on the way.

You are my heart, my love. You will always have my heart. Although I might not have yours, I have hope that you’ll find it in your big heart to forgive me.

I love you, Persey. Always.

Abel.”

The blonde sat on her bed in tears. She still loved the male vampire, and she wished more than anything that he was there with her, to hold her so she could sleep or to tell her that everything would be okay. She needed him, but her pride kept her from reaching out to him. She sniffled and looked up to see Emery watching her with concern. “Hey, are you okay?”

Seph shook her head. “I need my heart back, but he took it with him.”

[stricklandwitch]

P A R T T W O

-TRIGGER WARNING: Blood, Death. Proceed at your own risk.-

The silence woke her up.

It was quiet. She could hear her heart thumping, the ringing in her ears. A white-hot blinding pain pulsed in her throat. The blonde witch sat up and looked around. She was the only one in the room. She reached down and broke off the other ankle restraint. Persephone slowly got down from the exam table, slipping in blood once her feet touched the ground. She guessed it was her own from her torture, her assault. Persephone steadied herself, trying to ignore the ringing in her head. She walked a few feet towards the door, her eyes darting to around to see if anyone would catch her. With no one in sight, Seph made a run for it. She ran out of the room and followed the hallway to the end where there were stairs. She climbed the stairs two by two till she was at the top. The burning in her throat became more intense the more energy she burned. At a brisk pace, the blonde walked down the halls navigating her way back to the main part of the asylum. She was almost there when a familiar scent, a familiar voice hit her.

“Well, well, well, it’s little witch bitch. Here for more fun?” Eddie. The guard that ended her life. Persephone stayed quiet. The main artery in his throat was bulging out of his skin, pulsing just to taunt her. When he snapped his fingers, her eyes went up to his face. “Yoohoo, crazy witch? Anyone in there?” He started to laugh. But he shut up as soon as she took a step towards him, her face taking on a menacing look. “Whoa, there crazy pants. Look, we had fun, but I’m about to take my lunch break, so…” The artery started pulsing again. She felt her mouth starting to salivate. “Yo, what’s wrong with you? Are you stupid? You can’t be after the lesson I taught you.” That did it. With a burst of energy, she used her magic to fling him back into a wall.

Blood. The smell was intoxicating. That’s all Persephone could focus on even as the pigheaded guard groaned from the pain. He looked up at her and with his best authoritarian voice, he said, “Look, witchy, I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you come near me again.”

Persephone laughed bitterly, the first sound she made since waking up. “You don’t want to hurt me? Yet you defiled me and killed me.

Eddie snorted. “Oh, yeah? Well, if you’re dead, how are you still standing here?”

“Like this.” With a wave of her hand, she lifted the guard up from the floor and incapacitated him. “Now, you’ll never hurt anyone else, and I’ll have done the asylum and the world a service.” She dropped him from her magical hold and got down on her knees. “Say goodbye, Eddie.” She tilted his head back and ripped into her throat with her teeth.

When Persephone had drained the body of blood, she sat down on the floor by the body, her clothes, face, and hair drenched with blood. She had turned into a vampire. Staring at the floor, her mind was swirling with how her family and friends would react. But what worried her most was her son. Would he still see her as the caring and loving creature she was to him? Or would he see her as a monster? Persephone broke down into tears and whispered to herself, “What have I become?”

[stricklandwitch]

P A R T O N E

-TRIGGER WARNING: Torture, Rape, and Death

Proceed at your own risk-

Drip.

Drip. Drip.

Drip.

That’s all she heard once she finally woke up. She tried to stretch out her stiff limbs but was restrained by metal around her wrists, her ankles. All Persephone could remember dropping TJ off to Leah for a play date with the girls. She deduced that she had been attacked from behind and injected with something that put her to sleep. Her body was cold and achy. The witch looked around. It was dark, but she could make out that she was in some bizarre hospital room. It wasn’t the infirmary. That place was too bright, and all the nurses were frightened little creatures. No, this had to be the basement. This had to be the part of the asylum where people were experimented on. Sepp had heard stories about it but never cared enough to see if it was true.

The jingling of a set of keys made the hairs on Seph’s arm stand up. ‘Danger,’ her body told her. She foolishly glanced up to see a man in a scrub gown smiling gleefully down at her. “Oh, Ms. Strickland, you’re awake! Fantastic!” A chill ran down the witch’s back as she watched the “doctor” grab a few tools. “What we’re going to do is try to get down to the part of you where your magic lies. Now, my coworker thinks it’s in the blood. I personally think it’s in the liver. Let’s see, shall we?” She heard the sound of a drill then the pain started. And her turned black.

The sound of jazz filled the air as the witch woke up. She winced slightly at the light above her. She tried hard not to show it, but the pain from her stomach was blinding; it made her nauseous. The blonde was working at slowing her breathing, steadying it so the pain wouldn’t be much worse. But she was taken off guard when something was shoved into her arm. She squirmed and squirmed, and it made the doctor laugh in amusement. “Go ahead, little witch. The more you move around, the faster the serum will work.” And it did. A couple of minutes later, her body felt as if it were being burned from the inside out.

~

Days went by as Persephone drifted in and out of consciousness. The longer she stayed down there, the more painful it became. Her became stiffer and what was a dull ache turned into blinding pain. She didn’t know how much longer she could take it. In the brief moments she was awake, Seph would think about TJ, how she hoped he was safe with a loved one. And she’d think about her siblings, if they were okay and if they were happy. Then she’d think about her friends. If Jess and Vincent were okay and the kids. If Isobel was happy wherever she was. If Nathan was still his happy self with Millie. Or if Essyn got what she wanted. Tears slowly slid down the witch’s cheeks. She knew she might never get the answers to those thoughts. Part of knew she would die here. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t be going out in a blaze of glory like she wanted.

But her captivity was made a little easier by a feisty nurse, who she would come to learn was named Dawn. Dawn would come down after the doctor was done for the day with a vial of blood. Persephone would take the blood as Dawn explained each time that it was from a vampire they had down for a while who the asylum couldn’t find after the last freedom days. The blonde thanked her each time, even commenting that if she ever got the chance to meet the vampire, she’d thank him. Dawn seemed like an angel. She would stay down there with Persephone, making her talk and laugh and smile. Persephone found that it was hard not to smile around the beautiful nurse. Seph would tell Dawn about TJ, then Dawn would tell Seph about her own messed up family, how she came from a family of werewolves though she never got the gene. Dawn made the days go by faster every time she visited.

~

Day of eight of captivity passed, or so Persephone assumed. She tried to keep her sense of time, and timed when the doctor would come down and when he would leave. She also knew the time of day when Dawn would come down to visit. But a new face appeared in the basement. A guard, who reminded her of Colin with the same build and the same hair and same blue eyes. She would stay quiet as he checked her wounds and her restraints. Every time he was around, Seph got a chilly, eerie feeling down her spine.

Eddie, the new guard, loved old music. He was always listening to something he called a “classic” when he came down for patrol. Day ten of her captivity was no exception. Eddie came waltzing into the room, earbuds stuffed in his ears. She could hear “I’ll Remember You” coming through his earbuds. She recognized the song. It was from “The Notebook,” the movie Isobel made her watch and fall in love with during a girls’ night. The witch rolled her eyes, feeling a small spark of sassiness still left inside her. Eddie’s eyebrows raised. “Something you wanna say, witch?”

Seph shook her head. “Oh, no, sir. I’m just /appreciating/ the type of music you listen to.” Her words dripped with sarcasm. “I’m confused. Do you listen to that music to be creepy or is it just a coincidence?”

Eddie chuckled and came over to her. A sharp slap resounded against her cheek. “I see you have some spunk in you still. I’m surprised the good doctor hasn’t snuffed that out yet.”

Persephone moved her jaw, working out the pain. She glared up at the guard. “You know what’s sad? That you give up your nights to patrol a basement instead of going out to play with a girl or with friends.”

He shook his head, a dark look crossing over his face, his jaw tense. “Well, I figured I could just play with you. I’m sure that would interfere with the doctor’s experiments too much.” Eddie moved closer to Persephone then leaned down and sniffed her hair. “Mmm, you smell like citrus. Dawn must have been down here.” The blonde froze when he started to undo her wrist restraints. “She’s a nice girl. I have no clue why she would hang out with the likes of you.”

Once her hands were free, Persephone punched Eddie in the mouth with all the force she could put behind it. He stumbled away from the exam table, which gave her a couple of seconds to undo one of her ankle restraints. Seph wasn’t paying attention when Eddie grabbed by the throat and hit her head back on the table. She grunted in pain, little white specks dancing across her vision. “You stupid bitch! Now, I’m really going to teach you a lesson!” Eddie climbed on top of her to keep her from struggling. Seph let out a whimper as he landed a hard blow in her stomach and the wind was knocked from her lungs. With one hand, Eddie pinned her hands above her head and moved his other hand to his pants to undo his fly. He tugged up the hospital gown she was in before spitting on his hand and rubbing it over his length to make it slick. Persephone cried out when he rammed his length inside her forcefully. She felt more blinding pain as her sex started to bleed around him from the blunt trauma. Eddie snapped his hips into her harshly, soft grunts and the sound of Tiny Tim ringing in her ear. Persephone managed to get one of her hands free, and she pushed against the guard to stop him. She tried to sit up to knock him off her, but he pushed her back down, hitting her head against the table again. She screamed out in pain, and to shut her up, Eddie wrapped his hand around her throat. With a few more snaps of his hips, Eddie finished inside her but his hand stayed around her throat. As tears rolled down her eyes, she struggled to breathe, and she heard her heart beat slowing. Her vision started to blur, and as her world turned black, all she heard was a song:

Living in the sunlight

Loving in the moonlight

Having a wonderful time!

[stricklandwitch]

She saw red, the moment she was pushed inside the room. There was Bradley standing by the window, a cold smirk on her face. The demon turned around and held out his arms.

"Persephone Strickland," he claimed, enunciating each syllable in her name. "My, what a pleasure to finally meet you. I hear good things about you."

The witch stood before him, a stoic look on her face. "Bradley Adams. I can't say it's a pleasure. Everything I've heard about you is awful. You're a monster."

The demon king chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, no need to flatter me. Though I'm sure you've heard these things from sweet little Jessamine, who I've heard has befriended you."

Persephone's brow raised. "My friendship with her is not your concern."

"Oh, but it is, witchy. You see, I'm in a war with my bitch of a sister," Bradley stopped to give Persephone a look at the anger on her face. "I could use your magical assistance."

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Oh, you must be delusional if you think I would EVER help you."

Bradley chuckled menacingly as he stepped towards her until he was an inch away. "Oh, little witch, you WILL help me." He snapped his fingers at his demon minion. The minion brought over a tablet, and what Persephone saw made her blood turn to ice. Little three month-old TJ was tied up with duct tape over his mouth in what looked like a dark box.

Persephone looked up at Bradley, her eyes full of hate and anger. "How dare you touch my child! If a hair on his head has been misplaced, I will kill you myself and let Jessamine have the victory," she spat at him.

Bradley just chuckled. "Careful what you say, Ms. Strickland. All I have to do is give my dinky minion here the word, and poor, little TJ will be thrown into a pit of fire."

Persephone lost her cool. The blonde lunges forward and punched Bradley in the face. His minion restrained her, but the witch would never give up her fight. Bradley wiped his bleeding lip and started to laugh maniacally. "Oh, I like you. You're a little spitfire." He just smiled eerily at the woman. "Vic, please make sure that Ms. Strickland gets back to the asylum okay, will you? It was a pleasure meeting you, little witch. I'll contact you when I need you."

The last thing Persephone saw was Bradley's smirking face. The minion had poofed her back to the lobby of the asylum. The witch quickly ran to her room and over to her son's crib. TJ was fidgeting around his crib, unharmed and calm. She picked her son up and held him to her, then she did one thing she hadn't done since she banished Abel: Seph broke down in sobs. The blonde witch slid down to the floor, still holding TJ tightly, and she just cried.

Seph kissed TJ's head with a slight sniffle. "Oh, my sweet boy. I swear to you, no one will ever harm you or even think about threatening you again. I'll make sure of it."

[stricklandwitch]

Heartache.

That's how someone would describe the blonde witch if they saw her now, laying in her bed with her face wet and puffy from all the tears she's shed. But for Persephone, "heartbreak" could nowhere near describe the agony she was in. Abel was gone, and she never wanted to see him again.

It happened during the days they were free from the asylum. The pair traveled as much as they could. The first night, they celebrated with wine and a movie in a simple hotel in North Carolina. Then they celebrated TJ being a month old in Chicago. Then to mark the end of their freedom, they stayed in a little cabin in Northern Wisconsin.

The witch had put her son down for bed, allowing her and Abel to have a little free time. The brunette vampire made a simple dinner for the two of them, and they sat at the counter in the kitchenette talking and flirting. They were on the topic of her brothers. Seph had been telling about how happy she was to see Jeremy be happy again now that Annie was back. She had asked about Abel's history with Mark and Caleb; and bitterly, he finally revealed it. Caleb turned Abel, but because of family drama, Cal and Mark abandoned him, after compelling him. Seph sat there shocked, to say the least. She finally realized the Mark she had idolized was far more different than who he really was.

"Abel, I'm so sorry. I had no clue," she tried apologizing.

"Ah, don't be, love. I got a little revenge on them," Abel claimed as he smirked at her.

"Oh, do tell." A chuckle escaped the blonde. She sat and listened to him as she sipped on a glass of wine.

"You see, I fell for a beautiful blonde witch related to them. She truly captured my heart. Which wasn't fair given my previous plans for her. But now I'm completely hers. Her brothers can't do anything to make me stop loving her." Abel finished his small speech then downed the rest of his wine. Their eyes met from a short distance, and she knew he was smitten with her. She knew he loved her because she returned the feeling. She had fallen for him hard, as much as she tried not to. They had so much in common, and he truly loved TJ. She couldn't want a better half for herself.

But then her thought process stopped, and her smile fell. "Your previous plans?" She studied Abel's face as his smirk fell, and he looked as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Persephone..." he started.

But it was too late. The witch had figured it out. "Oh my Zeus.. You were going to use me to hurt my brothers?" Seph stood up from the chair. It felt as if her world was crashing. "You were using me?!"

Abel stood, and as he neared her, Seph took a step back. "Persy, my love, please.. It was a stupid plan, one that fell threw. And I'm glad it did. I got to know you, and I've fallen in love with you. I completely abandoned my plan once I started to feel something for you. I love you, sweetheart, and I love that little boy as my own." He saw the tears flowing down her face, and he moved closer to her. He cupped her cheeks and tried wiping away her tears. "I have you now, and I couldn't imagine life without you now."

Persephone knew she was manipulative sometimes, but she would never cross the line he did. The blonde moved his hands off her then pushed him away. "You're going to have to try." She sniffled, looking at him hurt. "You're wrong. You don't have me. In fact, I want you to leave. I want you stay far away from me and my son. If I ever see your face again, it'll be too soon. Just please go."

"Seph..." Abel started.

"GO! Just...go." Her voice cracked at the end, refusing to look at him. Her tear-filled eyes were still gazing down at the floor as she heard him pack up his stuff. She finally glanced up as she heard the door open. As Abel left, he whispered, "I'm sorry, my love," then he sped away.

Persephone dropped to the floor from her spot and she cried. She wanted to wail and kick and scream, but she couldn't disturb her sleeping baby in the other room. When the time came to go back to the asylum, his betrayal and her heartbreak had changed her. She stayed in her room with TJ, occasionally going out to get TJ more food. It was only her third night back, and she only had the emptiness and the broken pieces of her heart to keep her company.

[stricklandwitch]

Sleep that night had been uncomfortable for Persephone. She tossed and turned for hours, fidgeting with her body pillow. She was at the end of her pregnancy, and it felt as if things were getting worse. Her mood and her magic was everywhere. She felt darker, and the effects of her spells were worse than what they should have been. The little witch was just starting to fall asleep when she felt an intense cramp in her abdomen which radiated to her back. Seph moved around slightly trying to sit up and noticed her sheets were a little wet. Once it dawned on her what was happening, she sat up in her bed and moved off it completely.

“Essyn!” She softly called out to her roommate. She grabbed a hold of her nightstand and called out again. “Essyn!! Wake up!”

The dragon woke up startled and unsheathed a knife from under her pillow. “What? Who’s attacking?”

Seph groaned softly. “No one’s attacking unless you consider the little body trying to come out of me as an attack.”

It took a second for Essyn to register what she meant. “Wait, are you in labor? Whoa, dude…” At the witch’s grumble, the petite dragon hurried out of bed over to her roommate. “Uh, what do I do?”

A contraction hit the blonde, and she waited to respond till the pain subsided. “Jess. I need Jess. She’ll know what to do.” Essyn carefully wrapped an arm around Persephone to support her as they headed out of the room into the hallway. The girls got down to the end of the hallway before they were stopped by one of the witch’s brothers, Mark.

Mark raised an eyebrow at them. “Girls, it’s late. Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Just then, another contraction hit Persephone, and she let out a small whimper. “Wait, sister, are you in labor?”

Persephone nodded and let out a strained breath. “If you love me, you’ll get Abel and our siblings and meet us by Jessamine’s room.” She watched Mark nod before she added, “Please hurry.” The male Strickland sped off in search of their other siblings and Abel. Essyn continued to help Persephone down the hall before another person came across them. It was Colin, a guard at the asylum whom she was friends with.

The blonde male gave the girls a concerned look. “Is everything okay? Usually everyone is asleep at this time.”

Essyn gave him a wicked look. “Oh, yeah, everything’s fine. Just the little witch here is going to push out a baby.”

Colin went wide eyed. “OH! Well, here, let me help.” He quickly went over to them and wrapped his arm around Persephone, helping Essyn keep her up.

As the three got closer to Jessamine’s room, the rest of Stricklands arrived with Abel and some of Persephone’s friends. Abel was the first one to go over to her. He pushed Essyn and Colin out of the way and picked the blonde witch up. Essyn opened the door for them and shouted inside, “Jess! Stop whatever you’re doing with Vincent, and come help us.”

A minute later, the young Queen came out with a robe tied around her. “Could you be any louder? The babies are asleep.” She let out a deep breath. “What do you need help with?” She finally glanced over to Persephone and the group of people crowding the room. Jessamine just nodded before shooing everyone but Abel out. Jessamine quickly took Abel and Persephone to an empty room and helped her witch friend up onto the exam table. She put a blanket over the witch to keep her covered as she checked to see how dilated she was. As Persephone went through more contractions, Jessamine was gathering tools to help her deliver the child. The contractions got closer, and Persephone was in more pain.

Jessamine put on a pair of surgical gloves and stood in front of the witch. “Alright, Seph. I know it hurts, but on this next one, I need you to push, okay?” As Seph’s next contraction hit, she started to push. To the witch, it felt like hours had passed as she continued to push. Finally, a smile lit up Jessamine’s gentle features. “Here comes his little head!” The witch just snorted before pushing again. Persephone pushed for fifteen minutes before the baby was finally out and safe. Jessamine grabbed a towel and cleaned him up, suctioning out the goop from his mouth, eyes, ears, and nose. She bounced the baby boy gently, cooing at him. She turned to Persephone. “Congratulations, Persephone. He is perfectly healthy.” Jess handed the baby over to the blonde.

Persephone took the baby in her arms and beamed down at him. She studied all his features as if committing them to memory. “Hello, my beautiful little boy.” She rocked him gently, focusing on only him as Abel cut the umbilical cord. Jessamine left the couple alone with the baby while she went to let everyone in. Abel kissed the top of the witch’s head and muttered how proud he was of her.

“Aye, how is Jeremy Jr.?” Jeremy interrupted them with his comment. Seph gave her younger brother a look.

“Really, brother? That’s the first thing you say to our sister after she’s given birth?” Annabelle said as she walked in behind her brother.

“What? I asked her if the boy was okay. I did something good.” Jeremy snarked back at her. Annabelle just stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

“Brother, sister, behave yourselves.” Mark scolded them as he walked over to Persephone. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before checking out the baby. “He’s beautiful, Persephone. Looks just like his mother.”

Beaming at his comment, Seph watched as Isobel, Julie, Rain, and Essyn came in. She gave the dragon a thankful smile and mouthed a thank you to her. Isobel and Julie came over and gushed over the baby boy.

“Aww, Seph, he’s so precious. Congratulations!” Isobel exclaimed and hugged her witch friend. Caleb came up behind the blonde vampire with a smile as he took a glance at his nephew.

Essyn just wrinkled her nose. “Uck! Now the baby is going to take my sleep, too.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm. Jessamine just looked at her friend and gave her a look that said to behave.

Julie stepped forward to peek at the baby. “Have you thought of any names, Seph?”

The witch looked down to the baby. “I decided on his name a long time ago. His name is Thomas Jeremy Strickland.” The eldest Strickland looked up to her siblings, her gaze focusing on Jeremy. He had a smirk on his face, but deep down, he was happy to know his sister wanted her son to have his name.

“I want the next one named after me,” Caleb joked.

“Oh, no, it’ll be after me. And the baby will have the best fashion sense ever. Well, besides me,” Annabelle said.

Seph looked up at Abel and shook her head. “How is the baby behaving better than they are?”

Abel just chuckled and gave her a smirk. “Seems like it runs in the family, love.” He nudged her gently. Persephone rolled her eyes but a smile stayed on her face. For the first time in a long, the little witch was happy. Her family was together; she got second chance at love; and the son she lost so long ago was finally here, in her arms asleep but alive. She was so grateful to be surrounded by the people she loved, welcoming another member of their family into the world.

“Happy birthday, little TJ.”