As his feet hit the cold hard tiles of the kitchen, Jeremiah yawned, stretching his arms over his head till he heard a small cracking in the middle of his back. The sun had started to warm up and winter was finally over, but one thing he knew was nothing could drown out the sounds that were softly drifting through the open back door of La Croix manor. Resting his shoulder against the framework on the door he watched as the newly created courtyard buzzed with commotion “Children, take it to the grass, Please” his voice alerting them that he was finally awake. “Don’t be so grumpy, Miah, they‘re just playing” Connie smiled, coming into his view as the morning rays of sunlight caught the honey tones in her hair. “Are you okay with that?” he asked, taking the basket of fresh herbs and eggs from her hand and placing it on the bench beside him before she could even answer his question “I was” she shrugged, not fighting his hands as he pulled her closer to him “And how’s the little one?” resting his chin on her shoulder his hands wrapped protectively around her expanding stomach as the baby inside moved, leaving Connie grumbling softly about being kicked in the ribs “This child is going to end up bustin’ a rib if it keeps up it’s acrobats today” nuzzling into her neck, Jeremiah kissed the soft skin before pulling away slightly “She’s never hurt her Momma” he said, giving Connie’s rounded stomach another soft touch “So sure it’s a girl, aren’t you?” she grinned, wishing it to be a boy as she started to make his breakfast.
So much had changed since the day Connie had come screaming across his overgrown back yard and into his arms. So many things were finally laid out in front of him so that he could see the truth. And the truth was frightening. All his life Jeremiah had been shipped from house to house, family to family till he ended up in the care of the Balder’s. A fate that had been written into the stars from the moment he had been born in this house “Are you sure you’re up for this shin dig tonight?” he smiled, sneaking a freshly crisped piece of bacon from the plate “Don’t think I didn’t see that, Miah” she chuckled, landing a dainty fist to his abdomen playfully like she had been doing since the day they met. Tapping the egg against the side of the pan she let it fall, the sizzle telling them that the pan was hot enough for it “And yes. For the last time I am up for this. I’m pregnant not on death‘s door. And it’s ‘Alban Eiler’ we cannot miss this festival, it’s almost as important as Samhain. Plus..” turning sideways she ran her hand across the width of her stomach, pulling the sheer fabric that covered her skin tighter, before looking up at him “I think we have to be thankful for what we have been given, we’re about to transition into the next phase of our lives” rubbing his hand over the stubble that covered his chin he nodded “I know, I guess” he sighed and shrugged, not wanting to admit that he was afraid “I know, Jeremiah” Connie’s southern twang filled the kitchen like a bright summer’s day “I’m scared too, b…but one thing’s for sure, we ain’t gonna give up livin’ just because someone wants to kill the world of things that are, ya know, different and all” Giving Jeremiah a grin, Connie twirled the spatula in her hand before flipping the egg out onto a plate “Sunny side up” holding it out she cracked more eggs into the pan “BREAKFAST Y’ALL” shaking his head as he feigned a racing heart Jeremiah headed to the seat at the head of the table with his plate, as he watched the heavily pregnant woman he loved, dominate the kitchen as she handed freshly plated eggs and bacon to every single person who came through the door.
Taking her seat at the other end of the long oak table, Connie raised her glass of Orange juice and smiled “Family, New and Old, raise your glasses” waiting she watched as her mother raised her glass and smiled at her “The shamrock with its leaves of three, like a blessed triple goddess be. Of earth and fire and ether free on this our Alban Eiler day. To the new Dawn, the new beginning and a new earth” lifting the glass to her lips she took a sip, before sitting down. “To New beginnings” the voices around the table echoed before the noise of knives and forks against the fine bone china of Virginia La Croix. In just over a year, La Croix manor had gone to being the solitary home of Jeremiah, to a bustling household that was expanding week by week. When Connie had dropped the bombshell on him that Magic was real, Jeremiah wanted to laugh in her face, but a small anchor inside he told him that it was real, that everything Connie had said that night was true. And that meant that Jeremiah needed to protect her. Love hadn’t been on his mind that first night. It was more revenge that had set his heart beating so hard that he felt it was going to bounce out of his chest and across the gravel driveway. That moment had changed their lives to a point that he was now sitting down for breakfast with nymphs, shifters, wolves, elementals and one very broody creature whose origins had yet to be discovered. Jeremiah was in over his head on all this Supernatural mambo-jumbo, but he had his Connie by his side, so he knew he could do anything he set his mind to.
Standing up, Jeremiah gathered his dirty dishes and placed them on the sink before turning to look at the gathering around his table “I’m heading into the forest today to grab some things for tonight, I expect everyone to help Connie and no buts about it. “Alberto, Tobias, I think we’ll take the day off building the new housing and enjoy the day, but could you help Connie with setting up the tables that are in the barn?” The two wolves nodded in his direction, although they weren’t fond of taking orders from Jeremiah they knew they owed him their lives, he had taken them in when Robert and his bunch of goons had chased them out of the Bayou. But they were determined to go back and find their families. Jeremiah had agreed to build a new housing building for the wolves to live in after they had an argument with the shifters “Thanks” Jeremiah nodded, walking out of the room as he rubbed his forehead, the affects of a headache slowly sinking into his train of thought.
When Jeremiah came back downstairs from getting dressed, the kitchen was almost quiet. The males had departed to get the daily chores done early so they could spend the night relaxing and hunting in the forest. Walking over to the sink he kissed Connie on the shoulder before whispering in her ear “Don’t forget to relax, my love” chuckling as she flicked soapy water over her shoulder “Y’all gonna treat me like I fragile till this baby comes out aren’t you” Nodding Jeremiah grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl that dominated a large portion of the end of the bench “I’ll make sure she doesn’t over do it” the voice came from behind them as they both turned around to look at the white haired woman standing in the doorway in a yellow sun dress “Mama, don’t you be siding with him now” Connie shook her head as her mother laughed watching Jeremiah slip quietly out the back door.
Moving the apple around in his fingers, Jeremiah stepped into the shade of the trees. Slowly heading deeper into the forest that dominated most of his estate with every footstep. He was going slower than he usually wood, but for some reason the forest today seemed damper, darker and the fog clung to the mossy underbrush. Stopping to take a bite out of his apple he heard a twig snap nearby “Hello?” he called out, arching a brow in interest as to what had made the noise as he heard another twig snap, then the hushed tones of someone whispering to themselves. “I won’t hurt you, I promise” Jeremiah called out, taking another step in the direction of the noises he had heard. Another step, then another step, slipping slightly on the moss that covered the steps carved in the stone heading down to the stream below. “Shit” Jeremiah growled, grabbing the tendrils of a nearby bush to stop himself from slipping as a hand reached out of the fog. The small fingers gripped his shirt and pulled him back toward “Be careful, Human” the females voice whispered as her face came into his vision. Coming face to face with spherical orbs of azure that he had never seen before in his life, he realised the figure in front of him to be feminine. Her dark hair curling softly around her arms and hanging down her back “Well” swallowing the mouthful of apple he had he stepped back toward the top of the stone steps, backing away from the creature.
Stepping forth toward him out of the fog that surrounded her she bowed her head in acknowledgement of him, her lip curling up in what seemed to be a smile “I am sorry for startling you” she spoke clearly with a hint of an accent, taking another step forth she was out of the fog completely and for the first time Jeremiah could see just who had saved him from slipping to his death. “Wings?” he asked, not really too sure of what was coming out of his mouth as he took in the full visage. Nodding she raised her head, the spike like teeth could be seen just past her opened lips as she spread the purple/blue wings that hung on her back “I take it this is new to you, Master of the woods?” laughing at the name she had given him Jeremiah nodded “I’ve never seen.. wings before, better yet, I have never seen anything like YOU before” reaching out he touched the bicep on her left arm softly where a slight splattering of blue and purple freckles ran across the skin. Shuddering at his touch, her markings instantly disappeared along with her wings. “I am Liliana, of the Oaklands. Daughter of the Summer Priestess, Seelie Warrior for the Tuatha Dé Danann” bowing her head slightly she relaxed her hand on the bow that had creaked under the pressure of her nerves “And I fear I am lost in your world now” the somber look that came to rest on her face made Jeremiah feel bad for laughing at her “Call me Jeremiah, and I’ll try to find you a way home” holding his hand out to her he noticed for the first time the scars that covered the skin that was visible to him “So…you’re a what, exactly?” he didn’t care much for the formal side of things when it came to creatures, though he felt ashamed after he had said it “I am Seelie” she swung the bow around till it hung safely against her back, watching the confused look on his face “Fae?” still he was confused. Jeremiah was new to all the creatures of the world and though he was blunt about asking people what they were, he didn’t want to disrespect them by thinking the wrong thing “I believe in your world, we are called Fair folk, or Fairies” stopping he turned to look at the raven haired girl with the eyes so blue they looked like inviting pools to swim in “Shit eh? Fairies are real?” nodding she crossed her arms in defence of her kind “We have been around longer than the Human race” raising his hands Jeremiah smiled “I didn’t mean no offence, Lils” adopting a nickname for people who amused him was an old trait of Jeremiah’s “I’m just amazed that there are so many things in the world that we, I mean I, don’t even know about yet. But welcome to my home” He spun around a little, gesturing the woods “This is La Croix estate, and I am guessing there’s a crossroads somewhere around here that will help you get back home to, wherever it is you exist”
The day hard started off normal, and ended in Jeremiah getting another taste of the Supernatural world. He seemed to be a beacon for them now, although he was grateful that the Fae had shown up when she did, he wondered if she could be trustworthy. Fairies from the stories they had heard when they were younger were troublemakers and miscreants, and that was something Jeremiah needed to watch out for. She was more than she said she was and more important to him and his cause than he knew, but only time would tell exactly how important the Fae would be in their lives, and the life of his unborn child.
