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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 0:56:23 GMT -5
Riley looked down at the beautiful little girl that now rested in her arms, and the look in her eyes took on a motherly quality that she didn't even know she had. For a few moments, holding Mara and looking at her adorable little face, no one else in the room existed. Lina and Cyrus were really quite lucky to have a baby like this, and she hoped that she and Roland had created something just as perfect.
"Hi, sweetie," she almost whispered, smiling at Mara as the girl showed off her few teeth. She lifted the girl up, planting a kiss on her forhead and then allowed Mara to cradle her head in her neck. She didn;t realize what Mara was trying to do, but she felt like the girl was trying to reach out to her. She was something special.
She glanced at Lina and Cyrus. "She's perfect, you know."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 1:10:44 GMT -5
Roland couldn't take his eyes off of her as she held Mara. In fact, it was difficult to breathe.
He had seen her holding Mara once before, at Christmas, when he was still trying to fight his feelings for Riley. Even then, it had nearly brought him to his knees. She just looked so perfect with a baby in her arms. And soon enough, she would be holding their child. It made him ache for her in ways he couldn't describe.
"Riley?" he said, almost forgetting that Cyrus and Lina were in the room. "I love you."
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 11:28:14 GMT -5
Riley had been so absorbed in the child in her arms that she was almost startled when Roland said her name. She couldn't wait to hold one of her own while Roland held her. For the first time, she was excited for the late nights, the early morning feedings, the first steps... she wanted to experience all of it, even if she still thought she didn't have what it took to be a mother.
She looked up at Roland, and when he said he loved her, she smiled widely. "Do you want to hold her?"
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Post by Cyrus Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 14:45:04 GMT -5
Watching Riley hold Mara made Cyrus smile. He was proud of his brother even if he should have been angry with him for just disappearing like that.
The way that Mara acted with Riley made him believe that she was going to become a great mother. He already knew that Roland was going to make a good father. Putting an arm around Lina, he leaned close to her ear. "Maybe we should let them babysit one day," he whispered to her. Cyrus gave a smile and then looked to Roland. He could have teased him to no end but Roland had just returned to the land of the living so maybe one day without serious teasing would be alright.
"She's missed you, you know," he spoke up looking to Roland. "After everything she was a lot quieter."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 16:16:58 GMT -5
"I want to hold her, but not yet," Roland replied to Riley. "I kind of like watching you hold her."
Riley may have been convinced that she had no maternal instincts, but to look at her now, no one would have believed it. She was a natural. It reminded Roland of how nervous he had felt the first time he held Mara. He'd been absolutely terrified that he would drop her or something. But of course, he had been fine. Riley would be, too, when they had their own.
He was oblivious to Cyrus's whispered comment to Lina, but when Cyrus spoke to him, Roland reluctantly tore his eyes from Riley and the baby. "Really? I was sure she wouldn't even remember me. I've only seen her a few times..."
And the last time had been under less than favorable circumstances. It was when Alec had attacked Lina in Hogsmeade, and Roland had come to the realization that he would have to take drastic measures to protect the family from Blake and the others.
"Lina... Listen, about what happened... I heard that you blamed yourself for my... well, you know. I hope you understand that none of it was your fault."
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Post by Lina Harper on Jul 23, 2009 17:50:43 GMT -5
Lina smiled and nodded to Cyrus' suggestion. "I don't think we'd ever get Mara back, though," she teased quietly. It was pretty obvious to her that Roland and Riley were going to do just fine as parents. Mara loved them both.
"No, of course she remembers you," she told Roland. "She was always so relaxed when you came around. Cyrus is telling you the truth... she did get pretty quiet. We figured she was picking up on our stress and... grief... but I was worried about her."
And then Roland addressed her specifically, and her eyes dropped the the floor, her smile with them. How had he heard? Riley, of course. But it didn't matter who told him. "Well, you're alive, so it doesn't really matter, does it?" Still, whatever had happened to him was her fault, and she would feel guilty for a long time still.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 21:12:56 GMT -5
Roland knew by her tone that she still felt guilty. He understood why she did, but she shouldn't be. He didn't ever want anyone to blame themselves for something that he did to protect the family. He did it willingly, because he had to.
"If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else. These guys... they knew my weakness was family, so they were going to go after anyone I cared about. They were going to try and get to Amandine next, they told me. I had to stop them, whatever way I could."
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Post by Lina Harper on Jul 26, 2009 19:56:43 GMT -5
Lina's eyes were still on the floor, and she was leaning into Cyrus. She knew she shouldn't have felt guilty, but Ama was protected at school, as was Jamie. And everyone else in that family was an Auror and could have protected themselves. She should have been able to protect herself and Mara. It still killed her to think what would have happened to Mara had Roland not come by.
She shook her head. "I know, Roland," she said softly. Maybe now that he was alive, she could let go of that guilt. "But enough of that... we should celebrate now that you're home."
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 26, 2009 19:59:50 GMT -5
Riley's eyes scrunched a little as she tore her attention away from the perfect little girl in her arms and looked at Roland. Had she been there when they threatened Amandine and forgotten about it, or was this another time?
"You never told me that," she interjected softly into the coversation. It was vague enough that Cyrus and Lina didn't have to suspect anything. But Roland should have known she would have done everything she could to make sure Ama was protected. And if she had been there for that threat, why didn't she remember it and do something about it? Granted, Roland's fake death had been a reason to stop that, and maybe he did tell her. It was hard to think straight at the moment.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 26, 2009 23:07:50 GMT -5
"I think he said it just because he knew it would get to me," Roland said. "It was the night..." He stopped and glanced at Lina and Cyrus. "It was on New Years. We were fighting... He was just trying to make me angry. He might have done it, if things had worked out differently... But it was me he wanted all along. And I couldn't let anyone else be hurt on my account. It was my mistake, it was my mess."
He sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, it's over now. We're all safe. And I'm alive. And I promise, I'm not going to leave you guys again."
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Post by Amandine Ferrera on Jul 31, 2009 12:05:21 GMT -5
The second Hayden's apparation landed herself, Sheena and Hayden in St. Mungo's, Ama had bolted through the halls, looking in each room for Roland. She was still a little lost, not 100 percent sure to believe Roland was actually alive. She had to see him before she could completely believe it.
Ama finally found Roland's room. Lina, Mara, and Cyrus were there, so was Riley. Good Godric was she the last to know everything? Then she saw Roland, and the swell of emotions that hit her were all to much for a 14 year old girl to handle.
Without thinking, Ama ran at Roland and hugged him tightly before she started to cry/ "You're here..." Ama whispered. "You're really really here."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 31, 2009 12:13:46 GMT -5
One minute, he was talking to Cyrus and Lina, and the next he found himself being engulfed in a hug from Amandine, who had seemed to come out of nowhere. "Ama!" he cried, hugging her back just as tightly. "Sweetie, it's so good to see you... I've missed you so much..."
He pulled back after a few minutes, and looked at her, a broad smile on his face. "I think you got a little taller," he said.
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Post by Amandine Ferrera on Jul 31, 2009 12:23:27 GMT -5
She looked up at him, still gripping him tightly and tears still falling from his eyes. "I've gotton taller?" Ama shook her head and laughed at her brother. "You've been..." she didn't want to say dead, for fear that none of this was reality. "...gone, for months and all you can say is I've gotton taller?" she laughed disbelivingly again and continued to hold ontto Roland.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 31, 2009 16:43:31 GMT -5
Roland laughed softly, then reached up with his thumb to wipe away her tears. He hated to see her cry, and he couldn't stand being the reason for her tears.
"Please don't cry. I'm here now... you didn't think I was going to leave you, did you? I promised I'd always be there for you, remember? I'm sorry I scared you, but I promise I won't leave again. I missed you too much."
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Post by Amandine Ferrera on Aug 1, 2009 1:25:53 GMT -5
He wiped the tears from her eyes and she calmed down a little. "I missed you too," Ama said. "It was aweful while you were gone, it really really was," Ama said. Her mind went back to her fight with Jamie, crying with Jamie and crying with her dad. There was a lot of crying.
Ama turned a little, still hugging Roland, when she finally realized the other people in the room. "Hi you guys..." Ama smiled sheepishly.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Aug 1, 2009 1:39:09 GMT -5
Roland felt another pang at her words. She wouldn't know this, but he had done this to her deliberately, and the guilt he felt about it was starting to build up. He had thought he was protecting her, but he'd just hurt her in a different way. And now he wasn't really sure that it was better.
"I know it was, sweetie. And I'm sorry. But I have some good news for you. Well, besides the fact that I'm back."
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Post by Amandine Ferrera on Aug 1, 2009 13:59:22 GMT -5
Ama turned to look at Roland again. "Good news?" Ama asked. There was more good news other than Roland's comming back to life. She looked at the others, wondering if she could tell what it was by their faces, but she couldn't, so she turned back to Roland. "What kind of good news?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Aug 1, 2009 17:51:35 GMT -5
Roland smiled broadly and leaned in close to her. As he did, he turned his head slightly and gave Riley a sideways glance. "You're going to be an aunt again," he whispered to Amandine. "Riley and I are having a baby."
Of course it wasn't a secret; it was quickly becoming common knowledge. But he still sort of credited her for getting them started, so to speak, with that shy, hesitant kiss under the mistletoe. It had lead to the more heated kiss that came afterwards, and that kiss was ultimately what forced him to admit to himself how he felt about her.
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Post by Amandine Ferrera on Aug 2, 2009 0:06:53 GMT -5
Ama grinned wider than she ever had. "I knew it," She squealed. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" She jumpped and the rushed from Roland to hug Riley. "I knew you loved each other." She hugged Riley as tight as she had hugged Roland. "I'm so happy for you two!" Ama smiled.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Aug 2, 2009 0:36:59 GMT -5
Roland laughed at her reaction. He had known she would be excited about it, but he wasn't prepared for just how much. But it was sweet, and he was glad to be able to to share it with her at last.
"You were right, Ama. It took us a little while to figure it out, but we finally did. We're together, and we're happy."
At that moment, he looked so happy, he was positively glowing. He almost looked like a different person from the moody, cynical person he had been before.
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