Chapter 68: Aftermath

[Alaric]

It had been just over a week since the fight with Edward ended, and everyone was starting to get a sense of normalcy, following months of erratic and neverending chaos, everyone except for Sinclair, that is. After two days of waiting, our army returned home as we weren't the only ones hoping against all hope that Maeve would return. They wanted to thank her for all she'd done for them, just as much as we did, but after two days of waiting, we couldn't allow them to wait any longer and had to send them on their way.

Maeve hadn't woken up, and the only signs of life we'd seen from her was that occasionally her heart would begin to beat, then it would stop. If it weren't for this happening, we would have assumed that she would never return. Every time her heartbeat, it restored a bit of our hope that she was coming back, and every time it stopped, that hope was crushed once again. In that week, Sinclair was slowly coming unhinged, even more so than he was previously. He steadfastly refused to leave her side, even to feed, and the lack of feeding, coupled with the crippling anguish he felt, was pushing him closer and closer to regressing to his recreant mania.

Damien asked me to stay; as thanks to the enhancement spell Nia had placed on me, I was the only one strong enough to refrain Sinclair, should I need to. I found myself dreading the coming days, as it was becoming more and more apparent that I might actually have to kill Sinclair, should he continue to refuse to feed.

*'I've never wanted to believe in a god more than I do right now. If Maeve doesn't return soon, Sinclair will fully revert into his recreant mania, and I'd have to kill him. Sure, the two of us have had our differences, and we didn't much care for each other when we first met, but that was then, and this is now. Sinclair is one of the most genuine men I've ever met, and the last thing I want to do is rob this world of a man like him. I can't just forget all he did for Mercy when I was trapped in Nia's head, not to mention what he's done for all of us. If it weren't for him, we never would have met Maeve, and she wouldn't have given her life for ours. Damn it, why didn't she tell us? We could have tried to find a way to save her! Then again, it's pretty clear why she didn't tell us. If she told us what was going to happen, we would have fought Edward with everything we had, and half, if not most of us would have died. I only wish she didn't have to sacrifice her life for all of ours.'*

"Alaric, what are you doing?" Mercy asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I turned on my side so I could look into her beautiful golden eyes, smiling softly as she nuzzled against me.

"Thinking, despite my every intention not to," I responded as I kissed her forehead, running a finger along her spine as I watched her.

"About Sinclair and Maeve?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure she'll come back, Alaric. Two days ago, her heart started beating four times, unlike the days before where it only did it once."

"I can only hope so. It's been eight days now, and everyone is losing hope that she'll return, especially seeing as how her heart didn't beat at all yesterday." I said, laying on my back as she stepped out of bed, leaving the bathroom door open as I heard her brushing her teeth, then her hair. "I've been thinking about something else recently, and I don't want to get your hopes up about it, as I still need to clear it with Lucifer."

"Yeah? What is it? I imagine something important if you have to clear it with the king." She asked as she came out of the bathroom and started pulling out clothes to get dressed, blushing when she saw that my full and undivided attention was on watching her. "You always act as if you've never seen me naked before."

"I very much enjoy seeing your body, is there something wrong with that?" I challenged as I stood and crossed over to her, pressing her body against mine as I ran my hands down her curves, chuckling when I heard her breath catch in her throat.

"You're killing me. You know that?" Mercy breathed out as she stood on the tips of her toes to bring her lips to mine before taking a step back to resume getting dressed.

"I was thinking about our lives in England. You have your sisters here, but is there anything in England worth staying for?" I asked as I pulled a suit out of the closet to dress as well before sitting on the edge of the bed to put on my shoes.

"The only thing I had in London was my mother, and we both know how that turned out. Why?"

"Bartholomew and I want to ask Lucifer about trading continents. It's a double win, by all accounts. William and Bartholomew wouldn't have to spend weeks and months apart, and they'll be able to run a continent together. If we were to stay, you could become my lieutenant, and I'll teach you how to run a continent, and you'll still be near your family." I said, laughing out when I saw the look on her face, telling me that she more than loved that idea. "Don't get your hopes up, kitten. There is no guarantee that Lucifer will allow it."

"Well, I know, but I didn't know that was something you could do." She said, trying to blink away her surprise as she sat down next to me to lace up her shoes, gasping out in shock before looking up at me curiously. "I'm not a vampire, babe, so I can't be a lieutenant."

"You're half recreant and half elemental. Even being half recreant is like being a full vampire. Even if you cannot be my lieutenant, which I would understand, I can still teach you how to run a continent, and you'll still be near your sisters." I said as I held my hand out to her, walking hand in hand to the main house where I could hear Bast and Damien conversing in the kitchen.

"What would be the point in teaching me if I can't run it?" She asked with a giggle as we walked into the house, waving hello to Azeneth and Ciaran before making a beeline for the coffee pot.

"Do I want to know what the two of you are talking about?" Damien asked with a chuckle, looking back and forth between Mercy and me before returning his attention to the fruit he was chopping.

"It is something Bartholomew, and I wanted to speak to you about. I fully understand if the answer is no, as I know it's never been done before, and it may take some getting used to." I said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Bartholomew and I wish to switch continents, so he and William do not have to leave one another continually, and Mercy will not be a continent away from her sisters."

"You're right. It has never been done before," Damien said thoughtfully as he washed his hands, thinking for a few moments before saying anything more. "If the two of you can assure me that it is a transition you can make on your own, without causing an uproar amongst your peers, then I will allow it." He finally said, making me release a breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding.

"Thank you, I honestly wasn't sure if you'd agree to it or not," I said as I stood to shake his hand, laughing as he snorted in amusement.

"That would mean telling Bast that I had the option to let Mercy move closer but passed it up. Not to mention, it's a good idea. Since you will be handing your lieutenant to Bartholomew, will you be taking his as your own?"

"I mean no offense to his lieutenant, but I cannot have an unknown as my second. I know because Mercy is not a vampire that she couldn't be my secondary, but I would still like to train her as one. Do you suppose Sam would be opposed to me taking Samantha as my second?"

"Samantha as a lieutenant? Does she want to be one?" Mercy cut in, smiling apologetically to Damien. "Sorry."

"Because I turned Samantha, it gives her the right to be an elder, before any other lieutenant. When I turn someone, it makes them skip the line. I suppose you could say, because of who turned them. If she does not wish to be one, she does not have to be, but she is dating the second to the king. It would surprise me if she didn't take her rightful place." Damien said, waving dismissingly to Mercy's apology, telling her not to worry about it.

"Bartholomew and I have talked about it for the last few days. From what I know, he wants to wait for your response before telling William, and I've just told Mercy a few minutes ago. He will be delighted to know you'll allow it."

"Bast, are you okay? You're really quiet today." Mercy asked Bast, peering up at her curiously over the brim of her mug.

"Yeah, just- You know, worried about Sinclair and Maeve," Bast responded with a nod, forcing a smile as Damien gave her a reassuring smile.

"Bast-" I started to say but cut myself off as I heard a faint heartbeat. At first, I thought it was Maeve until I realized it was coming from the end of the driveway. Damien and I wasted no time in running out of the door to see what it was, trading looks of curiosity when we saw a woman strolling up the driveway, glancing around her as if she was looking for something.

"Are you lost?" Damien asked her as we walked down the driveway to meet her, not using our vampire speed as we didn't want to alarm her if she didn't know about vampires.

"I'm not sure," The woman responded in a faded Irish accent, brushing her long fiery red hair out of her face, her strikingly blue eyes looking back and forth between us. "I was told to come to this house, I think."

"By whom?" I asked her, furrowing my brows as I stopped walking, waiting for her to come further up the driveway.

"This is going to sound insane," She said with a soft laugh, holding her hands up in a show of surrender as she stopped a few feet in front of us. "Is one of you Sinclair?"

"No, we aren't. Why are you looking for him?" Damien asked her, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the woman standing before us.

"This is the part that's going to sound insane, but I was told to come here to help someone." The woman said, then shook her head as she held a hand out, taking it back with a nod of understanding when neither of us reached to shake her hand. "My name is Leena, and I'm a fae. Maeve is in the faeverse, and she's unable to return to her body without a fae helping her."

"You're Leena?" I gasped, taken aback as I know Maeve had mentioned conversing with a fae named Leena in the faeverse when she visited. *'Is this a trap, or could this really be the same Leena? She said Maeve couldn't come back to her body without assistance, is that why her heart keeps beating, then stopping?'*

"Yes, I'm Leena. So, is there a Sinclair here, or did I make a wrong turn somewhere?"

"Yes, come on in," Damien said, stepping to the side, motioning for Leena to walk into the house. "Can you elaborate a bit more when you said she couldn't return to her body without assistance?"

"I can't explain the why to you, as she refused to tell us what happened, but when she tries to return to her body, it forces her back out, like her body is rejecting her," Leena said as we led her into the kitchen, then waved hello to the kids, then Bast. "Would you be Azeneth and Ciaran by any chance?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ciaran asked, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. It took everything I had not to laugh when I saw this, as he looked like the mirror image of his father when he did this.

"I will inform Sinclair," Damien said, tapping my shoulder to get my attention, nodding to Leena, telling me to keep a close eye on her.

"Maeve told me about the two of you. She speaks very highly of you two and says she wouldn't have a body to return to if it wasn't for you." Leena said with a grin as she kneeled before them, holding her hand out to them. "She told me to tell you two when I saw you that she's really proud of you and to thank you for helping her. She also asked me to tell you that if she can't return to her body, to tell you that you did everything you could and that she still wants you to hold up your end of the promise, even if she can't hold up her end of it? I'm sorry, I don't know the details of the promise, but that is what she asked me to say."

"We will!" The twins responded in unison as they jumped into Leena's arms, hugging her tightly as they started crying.

*'No matter how smart the two of them are, sometimes it's surprising to me when I remember that they are only children. I know they've been in so much pain these past days, sitting on pins and needles to see if they were able to save Maeve. At least now they know that some semblance of Maeve is alive now, even if it's not physically.'* I thought as I watched them, smiling softly when I saw how painfully happy they were to know that Maeve wasn't upset with them. *'Even with Leena's words, they'll never forgive themselves if she isn't able to return to her body. At least they're speaking now.'* I added, glad that they finally spoke, as they hadn't said a word since Maeve died.

"Are you really Leena?" Sinclair suddenly boomed from just behind me, making me jump in surprise as I hadn't heard him coming, and just like the children, he'd refused to speak since Maeve died.

"Oh, she wasn't kidding when she said you'd scare the ever-living shite out of me!" Leena gasped, putting a hand over her chest as her heart quite literally skipped a beat. "Yes, I'm Leena. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. I haven't left the faeverse in decades, and my body was in Ireland. I'm here to try and help Maeve return." She said after giving her heart a moment to recover from the shock.

"Try and help?" Sinclair asked, narrowing his eyes as he took a step forward, giving Leena a suspicious glare, watching her cautiously.

"Well, Maeve wouldn't tell us what happened, as I've never heard of a fae being unable to return to their body. Every time she's tried, she didn't leave the faeverse, but it was like she faded, then was thrown back. I imagine her heart has been starting and stopping randomly, which would be the times she's tried to return, but has been forced back. Because I've never heard of this before, I can't say with certainty that I can or can't help her." Leena said with a nod as she sat down in the chair next to Ciaran, shrinking back from Sinclair's soul-burning glare. "She told me that you wouldn't believe me at first because there's no way to know if I'm trying to help or hurt her, so she told me to say... I win?"

Sinclair gasped when she said this, his golden eyes going wide in shock, then shook his head with a smile. "If you cannot bring her back, tell her that she won by a default, and a default is a victory not worth boasting about."

"I will, but I swear, I'm going to try my hardest to bring her back. Could you show me to her, please?" Lenna said, then followed Sinclair and me as we led her up the stairs and into the bedroom where Maeve was, then stepped to the side as we watched her. "I'm going to try and pull her back, but if I can't, I'll have to go into the faeverse to try to bring her back with me." She said after a few moments, then sat on the bed next to Maeve, putting her hands over her, closing her eyes in concentration. I knew what was going to happen but still found myself awestricken when Leena's hands began glowing the same way Maeve's had so many times before.

I could see Sinclair jump with excitement as we heard Maeve's heartbeat, both of us hoping that this time it would continue to beat rather than stopping as it had so many times before. The relief I felt when I saw Maeve sit up in bed with a gasp was a relief like nothing else I'd ever felt before. It wasn't just because Maeve had come back, even though that was a big part of it. It was also because I knew I wouldn't have to worry about Sinclair any longer.

"Maeve!" Sinclair gasped as he sat on the bed next to her, pulling her into a hug, unable to contain himself when he was finally able to hold her again.

"Too... tight..." Maeve struggled out, gasping for breath as Sinclair was crushing her ribcage, the sound of her bones breaking beneath the force making me wince.

"I'm sorry," He gasped out, then chuckled as he kissed her forehead, pulling back to inspect her face as if he'd never seen it before.

"Leena, thank you so much!" Maeve gasped out, pulling Leena into a hug before trying to stand, but immediately began to fall the moment she put weight on her legs. If it weren't for Sinclair being there to catch her, she would have fallen to the ground. "I must have been gone a while?"

"Eight days now," Sinclair said with a nod, setting her back in the bed carefully as if he thought she was a fragile glass doll.

"Sinclair!" Maeve gasped, then narrowed her eyes with a growl as she glared at him. "Don't look at me like that. Why the hell are your eyes brown?" She yelled, doing a double-take when she saw the color of his eyes, then shook her head when he started to respond. "No, Sinclair. I don't care what happens to me. You aren't allowed to give up like that! Go and feed, or I swear to god..." She trailed off, leaving the threat unknown.

Though I didn't know what she could do to Sinclair that would be enough to scare him, the threat alone seemed to be enough for him as he nodded and left the room. I could hear Sinclair opening the fridge, then pulling the drawer open, no doubt getting a blood bag. *'I should have known he wouldn't leave to feed, and lord knows we have enough blood bags after we stocked up for a war that didn't happen.'*

"Maeve, maybe you should stay in bed?" Leena said, sighing as Maeve was trying once again to get out of bed, despite her failed attempts to do so not long ago.

"I can't just lay in bed. I don't care how long I was out, and my body will heal, I hope." Maeve said, then bit her lip as she looked up at me. "Would you mind? I want to test if I still have my abilities, or if I lost all of them doing... well, you know."

"I- Sure," I said as I crossed over to the bed, taking her hand in mine. I hesitated for a moment before squeezing her hand, wincing as I heard her bones snapping.

"Mmm, ow," She winced softly, watching her hand for a long few moments, tears gathering in her eyes when her hand remained broken, showing no signs of her fae abilities. "I lost my abilities," She whispered as she lost the fight against her tears, and they began trailing down her cheeks.

"Here," Leena said, taking Maeve's broken hands between hers, healing them. "You gave up your abilities. That's why you couldn't return to your body, because you aren't a fae anymore. Wait, no. Your body healed from Sinclair hugging you on its own, so you should still have your abilities!"

"Maybe healing from the broken ribs used up everything I had left?"

"It's possible, but I think you might just need a transfusion of sorts," Leena said, squinting her eyes in thought before looking around the room. "Do you have any medical equipment here?"

"We don't, but Lucifer owns a hospital. We can get the equipment you need, I believe. What do you need?" I asked her as I sat on the end of the bed, looking back towards the doorway when I heard Sinclair knocking softly, his eyes now their standard shade of gold after feeding.

"What do you need?" Sinclair asked as he sat on the other side of the bed, across from Maeve.

"She's lost her abilities, and the only way to help her regain them is a transfusion. Because she was born a fae, her heart has the ability to produce fae blood, but she needs fae blood to kickstart it."

"You'll really do that for me? Even when I haven't told you why I lost my abilities?"

"It seems pretty self-explanatory, Maeve. We knew you were getting into a war to help your friends, and now you've lost your abilities. You gave the elemental king your abilities, and I'm guessing you stole his while you were at it. Oi, where is he?" Leena gasped as she jumped off of the bed, looking between the three of us with excited curiosity.

"In the basement, why?" I responded.

"You can take your abilities back from him, Maeve. Whereas I can transfuse you with my blood, you still won't have back the full power that you lost, not unless you take back your power."

"What will happen to him if I do?" Maeve asked, smiling at Sinclair as he helped her stand.

"If you took all of his elemental abilities, and now if you take all of your abilities back, it should leave him a human," Leena said with a shrug, stepping back so Sinclair could lead the way. Rather than following them,

I went back to the kitchen where Azeneth and Ciaran played with their food, while Damien, Mercy, and Bast were sitting across from them, doing the same. "She's back," I said as I sat down, grinning when the twins squealed out in excitement and jumped out of their seats. "No, Leena is trying to help her get her abilities back. Stay, and eat your breakfast." I said as I pulled them away from the doorway, setting them back in their seats.

"Get her abilities back?" Damien asked.

"Yes. The twins gave her enough to heal her body, but it wasn't enough to fully restore her abilities. Leena said she could take her abilities back from Edward, which would leave him as nothing more than a human if she's able to." I said with a nod as I stood and made two plates, setting them on the table for Maeve and Leena, as I knew they'd both be hungry once they were done. "Mercy, when you're done eating, we've things to do today."

"Really? Cool, I thought I would have to die of boredom." Mercy giggled, then took a big scoop of her eggs, snorting softly when she saw the way Bast was eyeing her. "No offense."

"None taken," Bast giggled out softly, shaking her head as she bowed her head to eat.

"Will you be beginning your transition?" Damien asked, smiling as he watched Azeneth and Ciaran eat.

"Yes, I'll let Bartholomew know of your approval, and we'll be going to his office to see what needs to be done to start," I said with a nod, leaning back in my chair, waiting.

"Though you do not need to, are you going to be warning your continent of your transfer?"

"Hmm, you're right, I probably should do that. I'll call and get the jet ready. While we're there, Mercy, you can pack up anything you'd like to bring with you, and that will give Bartholomew a chance to do the same."

"You're doing everything this quickly? Are you in that much of a rush?" Bast asked, looking back and forth between Damien and me curiously.

"It's best done quickly, my love. A slow transition will do more harm than good and may leave the continents open for an attack. Alaric and Mercy will travel back home to pack the things they need while Bartholomew does the same here, and they will likely trade the jet. Bartholomew will be settling into Europe by this time tomorrow, while Alaric does the same here." Damien said with an affirmative nod, chuckling softly when he saw that Bast was still confused.

"If we don't move quickly, those underneath us could take that time to do whatever they wish while we are transferring. I believe the best course of action would be for Mercy and I to return home, send the jet back to pick up Bartholomew and William, and by the time they arrive in London, Mercy and I will be packed and ready to come back." I responded, watching as Mercy stood to wash her plate. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to the pilot, telling him to get the jet ready, then sent a message to Bartholomew, telling him of the plan.

"Oh, I get it. I guess that makes sense." Bast said, smiling as she looked past me and to the doorway where Maeve, Sinclair, and Leena were walking into the kitchen. "How'd it go?"

"Well, Edward is a human now," Maeve said with a shrug, then yelled out in laughter as Azeneth and Ciaran tackled her to the ground, blubbering through their tears as they hugged her.

"I understand why you did what you did, Maeve," Leena said with a smile, watching as Maeve sat up, pulling both of the kids into her arms as she kissed them both on the foreheads.

"Please, don't tell anyone in the faeverse."

"I won't, I swear it," Leena said, smiling her thanks to Damien as he set the plate I'd made on the table, motioning for Leena to sit before pushing her chair forward. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," Sinclair said, then put an arm over his abdomen as he bowed deeply to Leena.

"No need," She said with a grin before taking a bite of sausage, sighing in contentment. "The food in the faeverse is good, but I've missed a good homemade breakfast."

"Are you going to be returning to the faeverse?" Maeve asked as she and Sinclair sat at the table, "Thanks," she said as I set her plate down in front of her before sitting back down.

"Aye, I will as soon as I get back to Ireland,"

"Why Ireland?" Mercy asked, sipping her coffee slowly as she watched Leena.

"It's where I kept my body while I was gone, as you may be able to imagine, finding a place to keep a dead body where it will never be found, isn't very easy to do. I was gone for almost sixty years, and if I left it just anywhere, I'd probably still be trying to get out of the coffin and clawing my way to the surface. Not to mention, people would notice a concaved grave in the middle of a cemetery, and that would cause quite a stir."

"That makes sense. Mercy and I will be returning to London in a few hours, so we could make a detour and drop you off in Ireland if you'd like?" I said.

"Aye, that would be grand, thank you!" Leena agreed happily.

"Sounds good. The jet will take a few hours to get refuel, but we should be ready to go within three hours."

"I've nothing to do but wait, so I'm ready when you are."

"I'm going to pack my stuff from the guest house, so when we come back, it's ready to go." Mercy said, stopping to hug Maeve as we made our way out of the house, then headed to the guest house. "It feels like it's been an eternity since we went home, and we're only going home to pack up and leave it again." She said as she pulled out her suitcase and began packing her clothes from the closet.

"Mercy, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. We don't have to move here." I said as I pulled her into my lap as I sat on the edge of the bed, putting my arms around her, searching her golden eyes for any signs of regret, or sadness, trying to gauge how she really felt about this transition.

"I want to, Alaric. I honestly do. It's a triple win. We get a fresh start somewhere else, and I get to be only an hour drive from Bast, and a two-hour drive from Octavia, rather than a four-hour jet ride, then a three-hour drive." She said with a grin before kissing me, putting her hands on either side of my face as she leaned into me.

"That's two things, Mercy, you said triple win?"

"Mhm, while we're packing up in England, we can take care of Nancy while we're at it. She probably thinks she got off scot-free after everything she did, and if we're leaving everything behind, we're leaving her body behind as well."