Juliet
Soren and I visited my old part of town a lot in the next couple of weeks. It was a place we could hang out free from the confines of my house. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Nick. I avoided being there when Sita would. Jack and Francis kept in touch and let me know. My old neighborhood had been assigned to the werewolves. Mateo, Ben, and Francesco came around when we were there. They liked Nick and were getting bored not being able to go out into the world yet.
Soren was leaving the following day, and we were saying goodbye. The fire was blazing. We listened to Nick's stories about Palmyra and everything he had gone through. The multiple times he had to invade other places. Soren and I sat in a locked gaze. We had talked about the possibility of other planets. But the universe became a little smaller every time we were there. He would be a long way from home, and I didn't know when I would see him again. My attention was leaving. Louis had not come home like he said. It had been so long since I saw him last.
A car stopped in the front of the street. The headlights had shone against the mountain. There was a wall around the house, but nevertheless, you could see it. When there was a knock, I got up and went to the front door. I opened it but wanted to close it immediately. Not ready to deal. Louis's foot pressed in between the door and the frame. I swore loudly. "Go away!" Tears were already pooling. My breath was shallow. He pushed the door open, grabbed my wrist, and swung me around, pressing my back against his chest.
"What did you say… Over the phone? F- I will?" His voice had that authority in it. The dominance and menace.
He picked me up. I was kicking and screaming. "Let me go!" I tried to get out, but Louis was strong… Jessy was driving, and my husband was kidnapping me. This one was just succeeding. We fell into the back seat. My back against his chest. He kept kissing my hair and the side of my face. It infuriated me. Jessy closed the door and drove us home.
Louis got out with me like that and carried me to my room. He threw me inside, closing the door behind us. I was so angry I couldn't catch my breath. Unexpected tears fell down my cheeks. I wanted to run for Marcus's room. But he stopped me. I wanted to go for the door. He had enough and caught me, pushing me onto the bed.
"Juliet. This is going to happen… We have to come together. Even if it's only in this way."
"That's convenient for you. Are you going to stay for the night?"
"You know I can't…"
I shook my head. "I don't want to." I stood up and wanted to walk past him.
He didn't like it. "Why? Do you hate me again?"
I nodded and turned around. "Yes! I hate you. I can't handle this half-assed relationship anymore." He wasn't there for me. I was going through so much, and all he cared about was getting laid.
I wanted to leave, Louis's arms wrapped around my middle and picked me up again, throwing me on the bed. He lay himself on top of me, pressing into me, grinding on me, trying to kiss me. "Louis… I don't want to!" I yelled, pushing him away.
"Then what do you want?" He yelled back, slamming his hand next to my face on the sheets.
I was stunned. Too emotional to even compute. I glared at him. "Get… off… me!" He shook his head and kissed my neck. I wasn't going to fight him. I was more than four months pregnant. I had put off going to Rodrigo, having too much fun. "Louis, so help me, you better get off me." He lifted his head at my tone, watching me. He wasn't reading me, but he rolled off and moved away from me to the edge of the bed.
I stormed at the door. I glanced back one last time. Both hands covered his face, elbows rested on his knees in defeat. "I told you. You could give it to anyone else. You're already filing Marcus shoes. I have two husbands that can't choose me. You were supposed to be the one that stayed, Louis. The one that never leaves! You knew why I came to France. You were supposed to be good for me. Does it look like I am doing well?"
Louis's shoulders started shaking. Frown lines played at my brow. "You better not be laughing."
Louis's hands dropped from his face. All I could see were wounded eyes imploring me not to leave. His hand stretched out to me. My heart broke instantly. He was actually crying. WTF! I walked over and pushed him back onto the bed, kissing him.
"If you were that desperate for a lay, you could have said."
He responded immediately, holding me, kissing me back, hands everywhere. Our relationship had just become its own rollercoaster. I had no idea what the hell was going on. Louis soon took control and turned me over so he didn't have to look at me... It hurt too much all around.
***
Soren
I watched through the window as Louis dragged Juliet to the car. I struggled to catch my breath. I had to leave the following day. We thought we would have that one night to say goodbye. Mateo came to stand next to me, watching Juliet struggle. Louis fell into the car with her on his chest. For a long time, we stood there in silence… "You okay, man?" I shook my head. "Juliet is one of a kind. You guys have a history or something?"
"You could say that. Do you think you'll go back? To Palmyra."
"I have not lived out my sentence. My mother thought it good for me to live out my days here until I am a hundred." We both chuckled.
"I think I'm gonna get going," I said. "Maybe, just maybe, I'll see you around." We shook hands. "Come, I'm going greet the others. With her gone, there isn't really a reason for me to stay."
"Yeah, the night just took a turn for the worse and became a little duller without her. Louis is a little too much for my taste. I don't feel like staying either." Mateo said.
Light shone into the lounge. My eyes traveled back to the street. A car was approaching. I lifted the curtain. It wasn't Louis bringing back his wife. "Maybe not… Isn't that your long-lost cousins getting out?"
"Who, Jack and Francis?" Mateo joked.
"Wow! Who is that babe…" I said softly.
Mateo opened the curtain a little, peering into the street. His eyebrow raised. "Not bad… Let's see who they brought."
Mateo opened the door. Francis and Jack came in and introduced Sita to us. I could see Mateo stiffen when he had to reach out and shake her hand. A definite pull around his mouth… I went back in with everyone, intrigued to find out who she was. Jack pulled me aside. "I think you should leave. Juliet hates my cousin. Like wants to kill her. Hate her. Like she is the reason she had to come back." I stopped in my tracks, retreated, and left the house.
***
Sita
I greeted my grandfather. I haven't seen him in a while. He was getting older too fast. Those were the signs I was told. Everyone was sitting outside around a fire. They were all quiet around me. I had heard that the werewolves were being pulled into the compound. The world at least wanted to know what they were dealing with. When I heard that Francis and Jack had met Charlene's baby daddy, I thought my luck had increased. But the three men knew that it was me who helped Qadir. So, I was going to have to play the situation in some way. And I still didn't know who the son was. By their reaction to me, they didn't like that I had teamed up with the enemy.
"Should we talk about what happened?" I asked as demurely as I could. "You know we would never have hurt Miné." The three men's faces were as stoic as Marcus's. "I heard you also didn't want to stay, Ben? Why don't I ask Liv and have a talk with her to get you all to go back."
"No, that's okay. Thanx Sita. We're starting to see the value of staying on Earth. Going back means only two choices for men." Ben said.
The son couldn't be Ben. If there was a baby. A girl, baby. The queen would have done anything to get them back. So it was between the Spaniard and The other guy. I didn't know what Queen Brylee looked like, so I couldn't rely on the family resemblance.
When the three boys left, it was only family. I turned to my grandfather. "One of those boys is Queen Brylee's youngest son."
The disappointment on Nick's face was evident. But his loyalty ran deep. Even if it was to my dead mother. Francis and Jack stared at me, infuriated glares between our grandfather and me. I didn't think Jack would be the one… "You couldn't sleep with Chris. How are you going to sleep with one of those boys? That can be your only plan! To give her the first granddaughter to take over the planet. Get yourself up the ranks." He sneered and stood up in a huff, swore loudly, and threw his beer against the rocks that lined the back of the lawn area. I jumped, not used to Jack throwing his weight around. The glass shattered into pieces. Jack yanked the door open, and we heard him slam the front door. My eyes were cast down. I was not content with my life. My grandfather was quiet. Francis waited for him to speak.
"Do you know how to find out which one it is?" Nick asked. I shook my head. He drew in a deep breath and sighed.
***
Carl
I had moved into Marcus's house when we returned from our world tour. Charlene was there, and it wasn't awkward at all between us. As if nothing had happened. Maybe it was something that needed to come to the surface so that I could realize we were both too young. Before Marcus left, he gave me everything that there was in Jabin's room that night. The laptop, the teleporter, and the two black tubes. I didn't know what it was. No one could answer me. But it had to be important.
I knocked on Juliet's door. "Come in." She was haunched down on the bridge. She glanced over her shoulder to see who it was. "Oh, it's good to see you, Carl. How are flying lessons going?"
I smiled. It was actually really cool. "That good, huh? Glad you didn't tie yourself down?"
"Funny, Jules! I need to ask you something." I took out the black tubes. I held them out in my flat hand.
She jumped up, almost falling, throwing her arms around my neck. "Is Michael back? Tell me he was hiding somewhere with my uncle."
I frowned and shook my head as she pushed away from me. Charlene appeared at the door. Juliet walked over to her and put her head on her shoulder.
"What did you do?" Charlene asked, irritated.
"I'm sorry. These were in Jabin's room that night he died. I showed them to her, and now she's like that…."
"What is it?" Charlene asked.
Juliet's shoulders slumped. She was biting the inside of her lip and fell down on her bed face first. "I need to tell you guys something."
***
Charlene
Juliet was about to talk to us. We heard the bell ring at the red gates. All I had to do was walk backward a few steps out of the room and glance down the corridor. My heart skipped a beat. It was Ben. I didn't really know what to do with my hands in my back pockets. Carl pushed past me to see what was going on.
"Oh my!" Juliet said, wanting in on the action.
Mateo and Francesco pushed him into the yard and past him. Juliet made a b-line for Mateo, who picked her up and swung her around. She led them to the patio, ran to the kitchen, and got everyone drinks. Carl didn't have anything to feel guilty about, so he joined them. From his side, he had done nothing wrong. He didn't even kiss me back. I cheated and fought with Ben. Called him a lousy father… I sighed, took my hands out of my pockets, and walked towards him.
The lane with all the trees was as good a place as any to talk. I was happy to see him. The months we had apart had made me think a lot about everything. "How are you and Miné?" He asked.
"Fine, thank you."
"I'm sorry for how we left things. How I left you…"
"Yeah, kinda promised myself I wouldn't talk to you again if you left me there alone."
Ben stopped, eyes cast down. "If I asked to see Miné, would you let me?"
"Of course." His eyes came up and met mine. "I think we should start over. Try to make it… better." He nodded. "Come on, let's go back inside."
"Hey… Whatever happened to you and Carl."
"Nothing…" Ben seemed surprised.