Coming out

‘Seth, what the hell happened to you?’

‘Blake did. Let me in, will you? I don’t wanna be seen hanging around.’

‘Of course.’

Twenty minutes later…

‘So I’m gonna have to see less of you, or at least be more discreet. I need Blake to trust me, or I’m out on my arse.’

‘Oh, Seth… you sacrificed that for the sake of Nyla and Jude? You really are one of the good ones.’

‘Look, I ain’t gonna pass up a chance to protect a woman from a violent man.’

‘That is what makes you a good person.’

‘I wouldn’t go that far, Roza. Jude’s just a kid, though, and Nyla… She’s soft as hell, that’s obvious. She reminds me of Billie. I ain’t leaving those two at the mercy of Blake and Austin.’

‘So you took the damage yourself.’

‘I know how to take a hit.’

‘Unfortunately, so do Nyla and Jude… If only more men were like you, then we wouldn’t be in this mess.’

‘You’re being nice to me today.’

‘Oh, please. I am not a dragon all of the time. And you are hurt. Both physically and emotionally. And I bet nobody is looking after you, either.’

‘Nah, you don’t gotta worry about that. Landon’s barely left my side.’

‘Landon, huh…?’

‘…We’re together. It’s kind of a secret. I mean, I’m keeping it a secret from people I don’t trust. I’ve seen what shit he gets, I don’t wanna be openly gay in the gang. Not that I am gay, I ain’t gay, I’m still into women-‘

‘Seth, it’s fine. You can trust me with this. You know you can.’

‘I just… didn’t expect it. I always thought I was straight.’

‘So, you are bi. So am I. There are more of us than you’d think.’

‘Yeah… you’re the only one I can think of, though. Billie says she’s been curious but I reckon it’d be a million years before she’d make a move on someone.’

‘How did it happen for you? Who made the first move between you and Landon?’

‘Neither of us. We just… ended up kissing. God, that sounds so fucking stupid to say. Ugh, I hate this shit.’

‘That’s cute.’

‘Don’t call me cute ever again, Roza. How can I re-establish myself as a hard man if I’m being cute with another bloke?’

‘Oh, please. You think gay men can’t be hard? Even Landon is built like a brick shithouse.’

‘Yeah, I know, and it helps. But you think the gang can really be some kind of gay pride parade? They don’t get it. I wish they did, but they don’t. So I ain’t saying shit to people unless I know they won’t judge, or if they will, I can knock their teeth down their throat. You get me?’

‘I understand. I would especially encourage you to knock some teeth down throats.’

‘Don’t worry, I will.’

‘Anyway, about Stan… You shouldn’t stop being friends with him. He didn’t mean to get you hurt, and neither did the Gallos. You have been friends so long that it would be a shame.’

‘Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to lose him as a mate, but like I said to you, I can’t be seen with certain people no more.’

‘Do you want me to say something to Nari? I am sure they would be apologetic if they knew what had happened.’

‘Nah, it’s fine. I ain’t mad at them or Stan. I was, but… there’s no point. Like you said, they didn’t mean to get me hurt. So I don’t need an apology. If you wanna pass on any message to Stan or his family, tell ‘em I ain’t holding a grudge. I’m just… protecting myself.’

‘Blake won’t win, you know.’

‘I hope so.’

‘One way or another, we’ll make sure of it.’

‘It’s always nice to see you three, dear. Thanks for coming over.’

‘No problem, Mum, but we probably ought to get back before long. Mattie could do with a feed.’

‘Of course. But before you go, can I just talk to you about something? I have something to tell you.’

‘Sure. What is it?’

‘I’ve been seeing someone. But it’s not just anyone... It’s Roxxi.’

‘Whoa, really? For how long?’

‘That’s the awkward part… We’ve been together since your wedding.’

‘But… that was nearly two years ago, Mum.’

‘I know, honey.’

‘Way before she left Tate.’

‘Look, we’re not proud of the fact that we started as an affair. It’s something I said I’d never do. But this was different. And we’ve taken things very slowly. For a long time, it was more of an emotional affair. She needed a friend, more than anything.’

‘I can understand that… She always seemed so lonely.’

‘She was. It was unexpected, I’ll admit it.’

‘How did it happen?’

‘We got talking. She was a little tipsy and said more than she intended to. She ended up opening up about a lot of things. And then we ended up kissing. But that was it. Like I said, we did no more than kiss for ages.’

‘That’s good… I have to admit, I’d feel a bit weird if you’d used our wedding to score.’

‘Logan… Don’t be rude.’

‘No, I understand. It really wasn’t like that, though.’

‘We don’t need to interrogate her. If they’re happy together, that’s great, isn’t it? They both deserve someone nice.’

‘Sorry… I didn’t mean to sound like I was objecting to it. It’s just a bit of a surprise, especially to hear it’s been going on so long and that she was taking such a big risk. I mean, what if Tate had found out?’

‘It’s a valid concern, sweetie. We are happy together. Though individually, she isn’t. I’m a bit worried, actually. She sounds really depressed.’

‘Oh, no… Poor Roxxi.’

‘We both regret that we got together under those circumstances. We so wish things had been different. I wish I could be there with her. Instead she was stuck with an abusive husband and needed to flee the whole country. We just made such a good connection. She’s so easy to talk to, she’s kind, non-judgemental… I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, Logan. It had to be a secret, and then she needed to settle into Isla Paradiso. We’re telling people now, though. The triplets will be next.’

‘That’s good… Who else knew?’

‘Hmm… Edward, Nalini, Nyla and Aria.’

‘Aria kept that to herself?!’

‘Her finding out was an accident. It was from the others. It’ll be nice not to have to keep secrets or make anyone else do it though, God. It makes it feel like we’re doing something really wrong.’ 

‘Do you love her, Mum?’

‘Yeah, I do. I think that’s exactly how I'd describe it.’

‘Then I’m happy for you. And since we all know each other already, there shouldn’t be any issues. We already all are family.’

‘And next time we visit, we can all go together again, but now you’ll be able to be open about it.’

‘Aww, thanks… We’re going to be open with everyone else as soon as possible. Though of course, I don’t want it getting back to Tate at all. Not that either of you are on speaking terms with him, but these things travel…’

‘We’ll be discreet, don’t worry.’

‘What about Julius? You might end up bringing him up.’

‘Well, as for telling him, Roxxi says she wants to talk to him shortly after the triplets. And… if I become his stepmum, I’m fine with that. I’d just hope he takes well to me.’

‘Ah, c’mon Mum, who wouldn’t take well to you?’

‘Julius would probably be really easy to win over. He’s a pretty simple kid. Gaining a second mum – and a really nice one at that – can only be a plus.’

‘You two are sweet. So… will the weirdness of the situation put you off? Not only could you get some stepsiblings, they’ll also be your wife’s siblings. They’ll be both your brothers and sister-in-law as well as stepsiblings…’

‘…Good point. That’s kinda weird but… eh, I’ll get used to it. Considering they also have sister-cousins, I won’t even be their weirdest relative.’

An Update in Which Nalini Sighs Forever

(A/N: So uh, first of all huge apologies for the gigantic delay. A mixture of feeling inspired and computer issues delayed the shit out of this. Depending on what can be done about my laptop, I'll be switching to full prose updates instead of the usual screenshotted ones for the forseeable - my laptop with all my Sims shit on it spontaneously died, can't currently afford a new one and my housemate's one can't run Sims. Switching to prose is better than not updating at all, and when I can, I'll redo the prose updates properly and fix the links in the index. Thanks for understanding!)


The drive to Devil's Port had been long and uncomfortable, and resultantly, Nalini felt quite irritable by the time she saw the familiar sights - and smelt the familiar scents - of the city. A feeling that had only been exacerbated by the need to keep Zaryn and Evijan up to date with what had been going on to lead them to their current position. Though she had glossed over the details of Miles' past atrocities, not wanting to upset or trigger Edward. And besides, it was not her place to do so.

'Jesus,' Evijan declared, once the vampire had finished. 'Aunt Nal, how the fuck d'you keep gettin' tangled up with these kinda nutters?'

'By being an interfering cunt,' she bluntly replied.

'She, um… got involved with someone with a lot of baggage, past and ongoing,' Edward said.

'Both are equally as true,' Nalini stated, as a huge stately mansion was visible through the car windows. 'Anyway, from what I've been told, this is the place. We'd better park as close as we can to the house, because quite frankly, we all stand out like sore fucking thumbs.'

'Dunno what you mean, I blend in beautifully,' Evijan grinned.

'Aside from being a six foot tall dragon hybrid with hot pink hair.'

'Shit, are you sayin' that's a tail behind me?! I was thinkin' it was a big, spiky reverse cock,' Evijan retorted.

'Oh, shut up.'

‘Oof, no thanks. I prefer my cocks not to be spiky,' Anstine said.

'I'd say the same, if I was remotely interested in cock,' Evijan agreed.

'...Anyway, my point is, we don't want to be noticed by anyone on Abraxas' side. A simple description would give us away in an instant,' Nalini sighed.

'Sure, but without actually followin' us, no fucker here's gonna know where me and Zar come from,' Evijan pointed out. 'Hell, they'll probably take one look at me and think of Dragon Valley.'

‘True, but that doesn't mean we should draw unwanted attenti-'

'- Come to think of it, I'm amazed Mum's never been to Dragon Valley, she'd be fuckin' spoilt for choice,' the hybrid added. Nalini and Zaryn both groaned, the former resting her forehead on the steering wheel in exasperation.

'I'm gonna enjoy working with you,' Anstine said, bursting out laughing, as Edward didn't know quite how to respond.

'Aunty Eva probably never went to Dragon Valley so she wouldn't end up with another half dragon kid,' Zaryn teased, as Evijan held a hand up for Anstine to high five. He reached over and gladly did so.

'You set the curtains on fire once, and never live it down!'

'...That sounds nightmarish,' Edward remarked, looking out of the window at the manor. 'Anyway.'

'Alright, serious face now,' the fairy giggled. 'Yeah, this has to be the one. God, who the fuck needs a house this big? If I didn't know otherwise, I'd say he'd have to be compensating.'

'What, d'you mean he has a giant -?' Evijan began.

'Okay, Evijan and Zaryn, you'll be watching the front door,' Nalini swiftly interrupted. 'Don't make enemies, but at the same time, don't let anyone inside.'

'Got it,' Zaryn nodded.

'Loud and clear,' Evijan added.

'Edward, if she's willing, try and talk to Annalise,' Nalini continued. 'Anstine and I will be helping take bags and shit out.'

'I'll do my best,' Edward promised.

'I know you will,' she replied, giving him a smile, before climbing out of the car. She had a cautious look around; there were still plenty of people on the pavements, but nobody seemed to be paying any attention to Abraxas' manor, to her relief. Still, she was slightly concerned that would change once the others began to follow suit, rethinking whether it had been such a good idea to get Evijan involved in the first place. Too late for that now.

The vampire strode toward the front door, daughter and niece keeping up behind her, Evijan actually taking measures to try and stay as out of sight as possible. Nalini rang the doorbell and waited, as Evijan leant up against the wall beside the door.

'Fuckin' stinks here,' she remarked.

'It's a feature of the city in general,' Nalini replied.

'Yet we keep ending up back here,' Anstine said.

'If I have any control over the situation, I would very much like this to be my only visit,' Edward said, wrinkling his nose.

'Fingers crossed,' Nalini said, as the front door opened, revealing Annalise's tired, frightened face.

'Oh, thank God,' she muttered, relaxing a little when she noticed Nalini, along with a few other vaguely familiar faces, and stood to the side to allow them to enter. 'Come in.'

'How're you holding up?' Nalini questioned, as the group strode through the door.

'Not great,' she admitted. 'I'm pretty exhausted but can barely sleep.'

'Baby? Nerves? Both?'

'Definitely both.'

'No wonder, your baby can't even be two weeks old yet,' Edward sympathised. 'I'm Edward, by the way.'

'Nice to meet you…' Annalise wearily nodded.

'I brought Edward here because he's got experience in counselling,' Nalini explained, 'so if you feel comfortable with it, you're more than welcome to get any of the emotional baggage off your chest with him while the rest of us start loading luggage into the van.'

'Oh. Right, okay,' she replied.

'Should we sit down?' Edward suggested.

'Um, yeah, sure,' Annalise said.

'We'll keep an eye on things out here, let you know if anything happens,' Zaryn announced.

'Thank you, sweetheart,' Nalini smiled. 'Right, where should Anstine and I go to help with the luggage?'

'Um, upstairs, on the second floor,' Annalise replied, 'the boys are still packing at the moment, there's… a lot they don't want to leave behind.'

'Understandable,' the vampire said, setting off toward the staircase.

'The dining room's probably the closest place to sit down,' Annalise then added to Edward, and showed him the way.

'How is baby, anyway?' he asked, following her. 'Sleeping?'

'For now, thank God, but it won't surprise me if she wakes up for a feed or a change before we're ready to go,' Annalise replied, entering the dining room. She pulled a chair out and flopped down into it. 'She's called Hope.'

'Ahh, that's a nice name,' Edward said, taking a seat nearby. 'I have a child, too. I know how difficult newborns can be.'

'It's a lot worse with an asshole husband bringing in his friends, who disrupt everybody's sleep,' Annalise tetchily replied, rubbing her eyes. 'And then gets himself hospitalised, the stupid idiot.'

'I'm glad you've got the chance to leave him behind, then,' the vampire told her.

'Me too. I'd say I should've done it a long time ago, but then Hope wouldn't have been born,' she sighed. '...So, what are we meant to be doing here, exactly? Just talking? I know Nalini suggested therapy, but…'

'You can say as much or as little as you want,' Edward replied. 'It sounds as though you've had to keep a lot to yourself for too long.'

'Yeah… You were at Indigo's wedding, right? You all look familiar, except the green haired girl,' Annalise then commented.

'That's right,' he nodded. 'Nalini wanted to cover all of our bases when planning on getting you out of here.'

'I suppose I'm at a bit of a loss for what to say. I'm run down and exhausted, and desperate to get out of here. Abraxas must've been lying to me - I don't actually know why he was attacked by those, um, people. And I can't really ask him about it, either…'

'...Abraxas went after one of their own, and they retaliated,' Edward said, a little tensely. 'It's too long of a story to get into all of the details, but that's a very condensed version.'

'...W-What d'you mean he "went after" one of them? How? Why?' she stammered, her eyes growing wide.

'From what we can piece together, he sent one of his allies to spy on someone who is one of Tate's enemies,' Edward explained. 'But he was caught in the act and dropped Abraxas' name, which is why they came here.'

'One of his allies…. Annalise murmured. 'Who? One of Saul's thugs? Saul himself?'

'I'm afraid I don't know that much,' he said.

'...What was the end plan? Was Abraxas going to hurt this enemy of Tate's…?' she softly questioned, chewing on her bottom lip.

'It was a bit more than that,' Edward admitted, looking at her carefully, not wanting to spook her.

'...Really hurt him, o-or…?' She swallowed hard, the horrible feeling that she had married a man ready and willing to kill creeping over her.

'...Take him out. Permanently. He's a dangerous man, which is exactly why we're getting you out of the crossfire,' he vowed, feeling his own heart rate speed up.

'Oh my God,' Annalise muttered, holding her hands to her face. 'I married a man that is ready to kill at a moment's notice… Being cruel to his kids is one thing - a-and not a good thing, I mean, God, I've b-barely been able to look him in the eye since Indigo told me all of that stuff, but… murder?'

'This is a longstanding feud going on between two men about as bad as each other. Abraxas has chosen to involve himself in it,' Edward sighed. 'I'm sorry, Annalise.'

'Let's not waste any more time talking,' she decided, her expression hardening. 'I - I don't want to risk any of Abraxas' friends coming to "check up" on me, the - the sooner we're out of here, the better.'

She got out of her seat again, looking worse for wear, rubbing her temples.

'Evijan and Zaryn are keeping watch for that reason,' Edward said, getting up and going over to her. 'Nalini and Anstine will be going as fast as possible. I don't want you overworking yourself.'

'Yeah, but… We - we should make the most of the time we've got, right? To get out,' Annalise countered. As much as she tried to push the thoughts out of her head, she could not help but dwell on the new information Edward had told her. She compared it to what Indigo had told her in the past, about Abraxas' violence, and it seemed almost insane. No, she could not deny that he was certainly capable of violence, but killing? Could she really believe that? 'If… if he was prepared to kill this man for Tate, then… W-Wouldn't that mean he's… used to it…?'

'I shouldn't have told you that yet, I'm sorry,' Edward frowned. 'I think the best way you can help is by resting and not lugging about heavy things. You're not healed yet, you don't want to risk injuring yourself. That'd be no good for Hope.'

'I suppose you're right,' she conceded, half reluctant and half grateful. As much as she wanted the answers, part of her was very aware that once she knew, she would not forget. 'I'd better go and get her.'

'You've been immensely brave,' Edward told her. 'You're doing the right thing, despite how difficult and terrifying it is. And she won't remember any of it.'

'I'm so glad for that. I just wish the boys wouldn't, either. They've not been themselves, and who can blame them? Just because they don't like their dad doesn't mean they were willing to be witnesses to a brutal assault like that,' she lamented. 'Sam especially's become so clingy with me, like he's afraid of what'll happen if I'm not in sight. I'm amazed he hasn't come running for me already.'

'That's no surprise,' he said sadly. 'Something like that needs some time and care to recover from.'

'Yeah. A-And a fresh start might help. Therapy and a new place. Somewhere that isn't this stinkhole of a city,' Annalise decided. 'Okay. I'm - I'm gonna grab Hope, supervise the boys' packing, and then we can leave. For good.'

'Good,' Edward said, finally smiling. 'I can come with you, if you like.'

'Yeah, okay,' she nodded. Exiting the dining room, she went upstairs, going to find the boys. Nalini was in the room with them, holding a bag, and turned when she heard footsteps.

'Everything okay?' the vampire questioned. To her surprise, Annalise answered her by flinging her arms around the other woman in a hug. Staring over Annalise's shoulder, Nalini gave Edward a "what the fuck?" expression, awkwardly hugging her back.

'It will be,' he said, looking back at her with a half-smile.

'Good, good,' she replied, waiting to be released.

'Sorry,' Annalise muttered, breaking away and looking down. 'It's… I'm just grateful for all the help you've given us.'

'Don't worry about it, it's fine,' Nalini told her. 'I suppose you haven't really had a whole lot of adult affection.'

'I won't mention what Abraxas thinks of being "affectionate",' Annalise replied, pulling a face, 'not in front of innocent ears.'

'...I can guess,' the vampire blinked.

'I'll, uh, just get Hope,' she decided, heading off again. Nalini muttered "nasty" under her breath as she left.

'All the same, aren't they?' Edward said distastefully.

'Quite,' she agreed, deciding not to say much more in front of the kids. When Annalise returned, she had a small bundle in her arms. 'How's Hope holding up?'

'Fine, thanks. And won't remember any of this,' Annalise replied, cooing at the infant. 'Will you? No, you won't. Lucky mite.'

'I think I'm done,' Samhain announced, looking over at his mother from the mountain of bags that had been piled up.

'She's beautiful,' Edward smiled, looking at Hope.

'Thanks,' Annalise smiled back, as Samhain dragged his bags over. Nalini held a hand out to take some of them off him, and he eagerly passed them over. 'What about the rest of you boys, much more to do?'

'Oh yeah, shit, we forgot to grab the wine,' Parry muttered to Auren.

'You're not stealing your father's alcohol,' Annalise scolded.

'It's not like he can drink it from hospital, is it?' Parry retorted.

'Or deserves to,' Auren added.

'I know, kids, I agree, but I'm not letting any of you touch booze until you're older,' Annalise sighed.

'That stuff's not worth it. Take it from me,' Anstine declared, flying back into the room and touching down again. 'How much is left?'

'I think I've just about got everything, too,' Nehemiah agreed.

'And you boys?' Annalise questioned the twins. 'Without including any alcohol!'

'Ugh, but it's such a waste to leave it for that gorilla brained ball-ache,' was what came out of Parry's mouth, and Nalini accidentally let loose a snigger.

'Can we at least put dish soap in it or something?' Auren asked, and Annalise groaned.

'No.'

'Fine, then I guess we're done,' Parry tutted.

'With a bit of luck, he'll come back and try to drown his sorrows, drink it too fast and end up choking on it,' Anstine said, and Edward did his best to look disapproving. '...Or something.'

'We'll keep our fingers crossed,' Auren told him seriously.

'If we had a dog, we could've let it pee in it, and let Dad drink dog pee,' Parry added.

'Okay, kids, let's not waste time thinking of revenge plots,' Annalise cringed.

'If you want to give your bags to Edward and Anstine, then we can start making an actual move out of here,' Nalini instructed, trying to keep a straight face. 'And for what it's worth, Annalise, my niece had similar ideas about her mother at that age.'

'Did she grow out of it?'

'...Admittedly no, but Evijan's… unique, shall we say.'

'As I'm sure you'll find out,' Edward laughed, taking a couple of bags.

'Let's just think of this as a fun little road trip,' Anstine said. 'One where we can say goodbye to Devil's Port and its permanent pee smell, and hopefully drive past some actual nice sights.'

'God, yeah, it smells like Nem's room sometimes,' Auren announced, to his other brother's irritation.

'I've stopped using pee bottles, shut up!'

'And not a moment too soon,' Annalise sighed, wishing she had a hand free to facepalm.

'Aren't children wonderful?' Nalini laughed, as the last of the bags were bundled onto the adults.

'I know,' Anstine snorted. 'I'm looking forward to adopting with Tony one day.'

'And you'll be the "cool" dad?' Edward said.

'You know it.'

'Lucky child,' Nalini joked. 'Okay, well if we're all ready, let's get the hell out of here.'

'My bags are already by the front door, I didn't need to pack a whole lot, just Hope's stuff,' Annalise said.

'Okay, good to know,' Nalini replied, and started back down the stairs again, the rest of the group trailing behind her. Opening the front door, she checked up on Zaryn and Evijan. 'Any troubles?'

'Some dude yelled at me to get my tits out, so I dropped my trousers and mooned him,' Evijan replied.

'...I sincerely hope you're joking.'

'I am,' the hybrid grinned.

'For God's sake.'

'Shame,' Anstine snorted. 'If someone had done that, I could've got mine out instead.'

'Yours....?' Edward asked, reluctantly.

'Hey, they're both worth showing off and it'd put the creeps off. Win-win.'

'Pfft, those ain't even a B cup. Trust me, I'm a titty connoisseur,' Evijan laughed.

'Evijan, watch your language,' Nalini scolded.

'Booby connoisseur.'

'Pain in the backside.'

'Now that's just rude, Aunt Nal.'

'Does being pierced count for anything?' Anstine asked.

'It means you lack common sense?' Nalini jokingly answered, piling bags into the back of the minibus rented specifically for rescuing Annalise. She was grateful to have gone with the larger option, instead of a smaller van, not wanting to risk lacking space for anyone or anything.

'See what I mean? Rude,' Evijan grinned.

'Yeah, I'm wounded!' Anstine laughed. 'I mean sure, it hurt, and it was impulse, but no regrets.'

'Will you get the other done?' Parry questioned, as Nalini took Annalise's bags, peering up at the fairy curiously.

'Maybe one day,' he replied, loading some more bags into the van. 'Or maybe I'll stay uneven.'

'Sometimes I kinda feel like I wanna get somethin' done, but ehhh. I dunno what,' Evijan mused. 'Plus it'd be awkward to have a facial piercin' around a buncha grabby kids.'

'Ouch,' Zaryn winced, 'that'd be a quick way to lose a piercing.'

'Well, that's nightmarish, thank you girls,' Nalini snorted. Once all the bags were loaded into the minibus, Nalini ushered the rest inside, climbing into the driver's seat. Then, after checking that everyone was seatbelted up and secure, began to drive away.

Away from Abraxas, away from Devil's Port, and for a fresh, less traumatic start.

Topaz prose

Sunset Valley was proving so far to be a wild experience, something in which Topaz Exner certainly wasn’t lacking. Before her awkward, somewhat stifling stint of living with her brother, it had been rehab. Before that, a long run of misfortune and misery that led to the alcoholism that put her there in the first place. Little wonder then, that she had been so looking forward to a fresh start, free of drama and conflict. That was before she had met her new housemates. Ivy, the drummer of a three piece metal band. Stanley, the store owner. Aria, the fellow security guard, who just so happened to be the daughter of Topaz’s new employer. She informed the werewolf that the mayor had a taste for young, attractive women, liked to cheat on his wife and was therefore likely to make a pass at her. Topaz laughed it off at the time, but unfortunately, her enthusiasm for the job had been ruined before she had even started. She hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with it. Tate Farrington was the mayor of the town, for God’s sake. She would be guarding his wife and four children, too, one of whom had just been tortured. Would the man really attempt infidelity under such terrible circumstances?

Within the first few weeks, at least, nothing had yet transpired. From his wife Roxxi’s barbed remark about reporting any ‘flashing, accidental or otherwise’, however, it certainly seemed like Aria’s warning was valid. Potential homewrecker was not something Topaz intended to be, even minus the horrible family situation. Not even if Roxxi herself offered, as she was a damn sight more attractive than her husband. In fact, Topaz didn’t intend to date or have sex at all. Much as she had certain needs and desires, she figured the responsible thing to do would be to settle into her new life first and foremost. She still needed to prove herself, after all.

Topaz liked the younger Farrington kids, at least. Carmella was a sweet girl, and clearly a lot like her mother. Zeus, the budding nudist, was perfectly friendly, though after their first meeting he had started to wear a robe around the house following the telling-off from his father. Tristan rarely surfaced from his bedroom, still feeling the effects of his recent trauma. Roxxi had explained that he had previously been confident and bold, but had retreated into himself after losing his eye. The youngest boy, Julius, took little interest in Topaz, being only six years old. That was something she had expected. What she didn’t expect, however, was to end up supporting one of the older Farringtons too.

Of course, she had hoped to get along with Aria, as well as her other two housemates. But she had not been around for very long before shit hit the fan. Aria, upset with Anstine’s lack of action against Miles Atwood, travelled to Midnight Hollow to take matters into her own hands. She had intended to kill Miles in his own home, but hadn’t counted on Rikard arriving with him. Desperately, she changed her plans. Instead of killing Miles, she tried to get him to kill her instead. That way, she could act as a sacrifice, so that Anstine would have no choice but to finish Miles off.

Which left Topaz with a mentally ill housemate who she still didn’t know very well. Helping ill friends wasn’t a new thing to her; she had been there for Tony during his problems. But it was difficult to know how to proceed with somebody she was not yet close to. She didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. Nor did she want to ignore the fact that somebody was clearly struggling. When she was already involved in Aria’s family, acting like there was no problem at all was not an option. Not only did she know what Aria had done, Aria knew that she knew. There would be an air of awkwardness regardless.

Topaz decided the best option would just to be spend some time together, to try to let a friendship grow naturally. Aria had friends and family with whom she could open up. If she chose to do the same with Topaz, it would be welcome but not expected. So Topaz asked her if she wanted to go out while they both had a day off, and Aria agreed. A pleasant July day, they did some shopping in town before stopping for a drink in the cafe.

‘Y’know…’ Aria began cautiously. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’ve really enjoyed coming out, but… You don’t have to be nice to me just because I’m not well.’

‘Hey, I’m not,’ the werewolf protested. Shit, she had seen right through her. ‘I mean, I wanted to try to make you feel a bit better, but I still would’ve gone out with you anyway.’

‘Right…’ the blonde said, looking off into the distance, staring at nothing in particular. ‘My family are doing it too. They’re being really, really nice to me. I guess I get it. I really scared them.’

‘But it gets uncomfortable, doesn’t it?’ Topaz sympathised. ‘Like they’re being very delicate and careful around you. It’s well-meaning, though.’

‘Exactly,’ Aria agreed, looking a little surprised.

‘Yeah, I can relate. I’ve had it a few times, most recently when I came out of rehab. But it’ll pass. People are just worried.’

‘I think they feel guilty, too. For letting it get to that point. But it’s hardly their fault. It’s mine.’

‘Nah, there’s nobody to blame for that kind of thing, really. It’s not a depressed person’s fault for not recognising how bad things are, for not getting help sooner. You’re not thinking straight. You can only look back on it objectively once you’re out of that haze,’ Topaz said knowingly.

‘To be fair, I’ve not been right for twenty-eight years. Well, at least twenty. Ten maybe if you start from where I could’ve conceivably done something about it,’ Aria mused. ‘It wasn’t as bad then, though. It’s the past few years that have really hit home for me. Seeing my sister get married - I’m really happy for her, and she really deserves it! - and my brother, with his long term partner… Even Edward’s got a girlfriend now. I wish them all the best. But… it leaves no room for me. Oh God, it’s a nightmare.’

‘They don’t have as much time for you, now?’ Topaz asked, gently.

‘Yeah, I mean, obviously. When you’ve got your own family going on, you don’t spend your time bothering over your twenty-eight year old sister, do you?’ she sighed. ‘Because by that point, she should be managing all of her own shit. She should have her own family or… or something.’

‘Hey, I’m thirty-three, and I’ve got fuck all too,’ the werewolf pointed out. ‘I hoped I’d be in a better position than this. I really want kids. But I’ve no partner, and I’ve just moved into shared accommodation after living supervised by my little brother because I was an alcoholic.’

‘You’re not asexual,’ Aria said. ‘I don’t want a partner or kids, and I don’t have anything to fill that void either. At least you have some kind of goals. Not to downplay your problems, or anything,’ she hastily added.

‘No, it’s fine. I didn’t mean to do that to you, either,’ Topaz said, giving Aria a smile. ‘But I just meant, there’s older people than you who haven’t got things all sorted. Twenty-eight is still really young, too.’

‘To a werewolf, yeah.’

‘Even to a human. Everything could change in the next five years,’ she insisted. ‘Isai’s ace too, you know. He’s…’ Topaz hesitated, realising that she couldn’t really use the word happy. ‘Getting by okay.’

‘Oh, really?’ Aria asked, looking interested. ‘He didn’t seem happy when I saw him before. But then that was also my fault.’

‘No, he’s always like that,’ Topaz said quickly. ‘He’s pretty much the grumpy one out of all of us. He’s a very serious person. He’s got a heart of gold though, deep down.’

‘So what does he do with his life, outside of work?’ she asked. ‘Or does he just dedicate himself to that?’

‘He’s not got much spare time, but he loves his garden, and fitness. He spends time with the family, sometimes sees old friends… Honestly, he’s pretty introverted. He does his own thing.’

‘Ahh…’ Aria nodded. ‘I try to get into hobbies. Sim Fu, the gym, my friends. But it’s kind of like filling a gap. I think… I’ve got a lot to fix.’ She looked so sad as she said it, and Topaz felt like reaching out and giving her a big hug.

‘Plenty of people can bounce back. I’ve seen it,’ Topaz said.

‘Not really bouncing back if I was never there in the first place. It’s like, the foundation is shit. I’m not recovering from one traumatic event. I’m scared that it’s just ingrained in my personality now,’ Aria confessed quietly. ‘It happened during my formative years. All the neglect is just catching up to me. If you mistreat a child so badly when they’re little, they just grow up to be a flawed person.’

‘We’re all flawed in some way,’ Topaz began, and although she felt bad about it, she held a hand up to silence Aria when she began to argue. ‘Your siblings had the same neglect, right? Would you say they’re bad people?’

‘They coped better than I did,’ Aria said. ‘They turned out better people. They did! They turned out good, in spite of Tate and Sheri, whereas I just absorbed all of it and ended up fucked up! I’m just not as strong as they are.’

‘Of course you are,’ Topaz disagreed. ‘You’re still here. That’s strength.’

‘Only because it went wrong,’ the blonde muttered.

‘And have you tried again since?’

‘...No.’

‘Why is that?’ Topaz asked.

‘I promised I’d try to get better,’ Aria sighed again. ‘For my family. Because I don’t want to hurt them any more. Not out of some great will to save myself.’

‘That can change. I went through hell and back, and I’m finally on the other side. Pre-treatment, I never thought I’d be better either,’ Topaz said. ‘I lost my friend, in the army. Then later, I lost a baby. I miscarried,’ she said, voice wobbling a little. ‘...More things happened, but you get the picture. I couldn’t see myself ever being happy again. The only times I was happy was when I was drunk, so I just chose to be drunk all the time, until it became a full-blown addiction. I was fucked up, and I dragged my family down with me, too, until they finally had me in rehab. It wasn’t just a case of weaning me off the booze. I had to talk to a load of therapists too. And bit by bit, it helped. I learned how to cope. And you can do the same thing.’

‘I’m sorry about your baby,’ Aria frowned.

‘Thanks. It was just after twelve weeks. I’d just started telling people… Then I had to tell them never mind. Was a really shitty time.’

‘No wonder.’

‘Anyway, that’s the past,’ Topaz said. She didn’t want to go in-depth about that whole sad story, not wanting to get upset herself when she was supposed to be supporting Aria.

‘Well, I’ll try… I did promise I would,’ Aria then said. ‘And I’ll really try, not just go along with it.’

‘Good!’ Topaz encouraged. ‘You should rely on people. Don’t be afraid of bothering them. They really do care. You can always talk to me, too, if you need someone. I’m only upstairs. I get that I’m not your first port of call when there’s Stanley and your family, but you don’t have to go into the personal stuff if you don’t want to. We could just hang out together, watch a film or some shit.’

‘I’m surprised you’re not put off by all this, honestly,’ Aria said. ‘You’ve been around all of about two minutes and you’ve already been sucked into Farrington family drama. I’d run a mile if I were you.’

‘I’m kind of used to drama,’ Topaz shrugged, smiling. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘Well, like I said, don’t feel like you have to put up with Tate,’ the blonde said seriously. ‘You don’t have to be a part of this. Any of it, me included. It sounds like you’ve been through enough crap already.’

‘If it gets too much, I’ll say so, alright?’ Topaz insisted. ‘I’m a big girl. I know what I can and can’t handle.’

‘It should be me reaching out to you to help. You’re the one who’s in a new town, not knowing many people. Especially with it being a really human town like this.’

‘Yeah, I’ll admit, I’ve barely seen any other supernaturals at all,’ she said. ‘I’ve been getting a few weird looks.’

‘I’ll show you around some more places,’ Aria offered. ‘You could meet Edward if you wanted to. He’s a vampire.’

‘Oh, I already did!’ Topaz recalled. ‘Yeah, he came to deliver the PND. Seemed nice.’

‘Yeah, all of the good qualities went to him, believe me,’ Aria said, rolling her eyes. ‘But yeah, I can help you fit in. Well, you probably won’t need me to. You probably get out a lot more than I do in general. But you know what I mean.’

‘Thanks,’ the werewolf smiled. She hadn’t expected to open up so much with Aria, but didn’t regret doing so, seeing how much it had cleared the air. In all honesty, she didn’t know what would happen now. Nonetheless, she felt much more reassured, and even cautiously optimistic.