Avira didn’t listen.
“you know why I did it, I did it to help with my family, I needed to do it; you know what it’s like to lose your family, can you imagine what it was like to discover that I still had living relatives?” Avira asked, her eyes glazing over with tears.
“Of course I do, but they were the side we were fighting, the whole reason this started was because your mum was trying to give you a better life by putting her own at risk, and how did you repay her? By almost killing your friends, the people who swore to protect you, you ran back into the arms of the killers, you heard what Hannah was thinking before Lucius even got to the door, it echoed around your head.” Misty added.
“They hired the hit on their daughter, your own mother and you just walked into their house, you planned everything, your manipulative, whatever goodness was in you when you were with Evan is gone now. Tell them Avira, everything that happened after we went inside” Misty ordered and she sat down into Seth’s arms.
“After they locked the doors on us, they showed us into the main lounge room and spoke more about the house, while my grand-parents were psychically calling for back-up. We spoke about everything in the meantime, and then they asked if Misty knew about them and I said that she did. It all happened so fast I didn’t know how to react, Lucius grabbed Misty by her hair and pulled her to him and Hannah grabbed me, then they began pulling us out of the house. I’m so sorry I let it get like this, I just needed help so bad” Avira began to sob she was losing her friends now.
“I have to go” she said suddenly and ran out surprisingly it was Misty who stopped her at the front door.
“You planned it from the beginning, did you plan on falling in love with my brother?” she asked.
“No I never planned to fall in love with anybody, I didn’t want the succubus side of me to become a danger” Avira replied instantly.
“well that makes you a part of our family and family comes first, I’m not saying I forgive you, I’m saying that I get why you did what you did, and that I can’t fully blame you for it because I fell for it; come inside. Your one of us”
Avira walked straight up to Misty and hugged her.
“I’m so sorry” she cried and fell to the ground.
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Seth watched out the window as Misty held onto Avira and let her cry.
“She mature, and compassionate, but she has strength, in three years she changed so much” Misty’s mum was saying
“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe I ever got your names” Seth smiled apologetically at them.
“I’m Michaela but you can call me Kay, and this is Zachary but you can call him Zach” she replied.
He nodded.
“Well Kay your right about that but your daughter is so much more than that. It’s what I love about her” he added and continued to look out the window.
He felt her stand beside him.
“you’re a good man Seth, you have a fire inside of you that makes you want to fight, yet protect as well, if it hadn’t been for you; none of you would have gotten out alive, I thank you for that and I couldn’t have asked for more when my daughter fell in love with you” she whispered then placed her hand on his shoulder and turned away.
Seth smile to himself then moved away from the window when Avira and Misty came back inside.
“Everyone sit” Misty ordered and they all sat.
Onyx and Talia together, Avira and Evan, Zach and Kay; Misty and himself.
“Let’s get this all straight, so no one’s memories are twisted again.” Misty looked pointedly at Avira and she nodded.
“I’m going to be staying here, in this house, I’m eighteen in a month and I will be of age. Avira finished school last year but due to her enter score not being high enough she came back to repeat to boost it up. Once I have finished the senior year I will be going to Traverse University; if you don’t get it yet I will spell it out for you. I’m staying; I never had an intention of leaving my home town or my family.” Misty smiled at her parents and brother.
“I love you all but I can’t start a new anywhere, with my eyes the way they are, and my hair changing shades constantly I will never fit it, where at least here I have the chance to prove the people who bullied me all my life wrong. As long as you drop in from time to time I think we can all manage a life.” She explained then looked at everyone else.
“Is this ok?” Seth asked her. “Are you sure it’s what you want?”
She answered him with a kiss.
“Does that answer your question?” she whispered. He nodded and smiled. He wasn’t going to lose Misty after all.
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Onyx drove Talia home; he held her as close as the car would allow and she clung to him as tightly as she could.
“everything is going to be alright now” Onyx whispered in her ear making. He could feel her relax like it was the first time she believed what he was saying.
“stay the night with me” she requested and leant her head against his arm.
“I would stay with you forever, and follow you to the ends of the earth” he vowed and turned down her road.
He pulled into her drive way and they snuck into the house, up the stairs and into her room.
They didn’t make love, they just stayed in eachothers arms and spoke.
“what are your plans after highschool?” Onyx asked.
“I want to be an environmentalist, but I don’t want to leave Traverse” she replied then looked up at him.
“what do you want to do?” Onyx smiled.
“marine biology, I have been into it a long time, I even used to volunteer at the mariner down the road, they offer courses so I don’t have to leave. I also like helping people so maybe a paremedic im not one hundred per cent sure” He answered.
“so neither of us want to leave Traverse, and we can have jobs in the area and im sure the university has some courses for me. Maybe we could move in together.” Onyx laughed.
“I would like that, but you know we have only known each other for two weeks, maybe we should try dating properly before we move in” this made Talia laugh.
“the serious side of you that looks both ways before you cross a road or come to any decision I love that in you” she whispered and yawned.
They fell asleep dreaming of the future.
**********************************************************************************
Misty heard Seth say goodbye to Kay, Evan, Zach and Avira at the door.
“im so tired its not funny” Seth called as he walked into the loungeroom to Misty.
“Misty?” he asked but she didn’t answer she was sitting by the fire and staring into the flames.
“its weird, we have known eachother two weeks, and I cant imagine life without you” Misty said then looked up at him, tears streamed down her face and you could see the flames reflections in the small drops.
“is that a bad thing?” Seth asked sitting beside her and pulling her close.
“no it’s a brilliant thing, but all this time I have been selfish thinking of myself. I never asked if you wanted to leave Traverse or what you wanted to do with your future. I never stopped to think or ask.” Seth smiled and kissed her forehead.
“im not leaving Traverse, im not sure I want to do, but I know that my future lies with you, you are the most sefless person I know, you helped Avira when you knew it was a trap, you forgave her when you outed her mistakes, you keep this group together, you’re the one who trained us, you made everything work out ok and you were even willing to kill yourself to save us all” Seth added.
“but in the process I got you killed” Misty injected.
“yes but I came back, and then we finished them off and got the others out, yes I know there may have been innocents there, but that’s not our fault.” Seth soothed then wiped away her tears.
“what did you plan on doing at uni, im the selfish one for never asking”
“social work, I want to make a difference, by taking troubled children out of bad homes” her answer made Seth laugh.
“and that’s not selfless, you want to help, its in your blood” Seth explained.
“Misty one day we are going to get married, have children and be happier than we are now” He promised.
“get married? You don’t want to marry me” she joked.
“sure I do, you bring out the fire in me” he replied which made her laugh which was shortly cut off with a kiss.
“I love you Misty” Seth admitted.
“and I love you” Misty replied and kissed him again.
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Talia woke up with the sunlight kissing her face. Onyx was still asleep next to her. She smiled and kissed him.
“good morning” he whispered and opened his eyes.
“morning, come time to get up for school, maybe you could meet my mum.” She added and got out of bed he moaned and climbed out too.
They got dressed quickly and decended the stairs.
“about time you two got up” Talia’s mum called from the dining room, Misty and Seth were already seated.
“nice to meet you Onyx, im Arinna.” Arinna introduced and gave him and Talia a hug.
“its nice to meet the two who have been giving my children such love, but enough chit-chat im late for work, breakfast is ready and on the table enjoy, Onyx and Misty come over again soon I would like to get to know you both” she sang and walked out the door.
“that’s mum” Talia laughed and sat down.
“I didn’t hear you come in last night Seth” Talia commented.
“that’s because we came in this morning, Misty wanted to meet mum” he explained just as the doorbell rang.
“come in” Seth yelled. Avira and Evan appeared a few seconds later.
“good morning, how is everyone?” Evan asked, giving his sister a kiss on the cheek.
“we’re fine, and yourself?” Talia asked cutting a square out of her pancake which was smothered in maple syrup.
“we’re great. I got the news this morning, im allowed to be transferred here and they are going to help me come back to life so to speak.” Evan replied which made everyone cheer.
“in a few months, I will be Ryan and I will also be getting married”
“to who?” Talia asked then smacked her head.
“sorry I know who, congratulations.” She squealed and hugged them both”
They celebrated until it was time to go to school.
“a time for new beginnings and happy endings” Talia toasted and they all clinked glasses and mugs.