Time had flown by quickly for Emma, watching Mercedes and Oceane grow up. She had thought that as children so close in age that they would become best friends, as it was, she often found them in separate bedrooms, Mercedes playing with Peaches and Oceane playing with Riley. Of course Emma saw nothing wrong with imaginary friends, but to spend all their time separated....she didn't quite understand. Braendan, though, didn't seem to really mind and would often tell her not to worry so much over it. And she tried, but it wasn't always so easy to do. She took comfort in the fact that they often sat together on the bus and stuck together at school along with their little friend Shayne Mithrilien who was becoming a regular in their household(he was the only one who didn't mind Peaches and Riley).
Time had passed and Braendan began to spend more and more time away from home as he got higher and higher up the ladder at work. She was so proud of him, joining the Agency even though she missed him, and he still found time for the kids. She couldn't have ever imagined picking a better father.
Emma began to grow antsy, feeling as if she was being watched. She had been uneasy since the dolls came in the mail when the children we're just toddlers. This was the first time she'd spent more then five years in one place and she was afraid that they were catching up to her. But so far, she'd seen nothing. No one no where. Her, Patches, and Nautilus had been patrolling, just to make sure.
Patches and Nautilus had been taking turns wandering the town, looking for any sims that matched the sketches she'd drawn. While Emma would take to her sprite form and dart off whenever she had the chance.
Braendan began to notice how tense she was all the time and questioned her on it. When she finally confessed she was worried that someone was after them, he suggested a long trip aboard. At first she refused, but after a week of the three working to convince her that they could take care of themselves while she was away she agreed to spend a month over seas, on the condition that they took precautions and the children never went anywhere alone.
She had decided to divide her time between two different countries, China and France. She spent the first two weeks in China, exploring and relishing in the feel of being free to wander and do as she pleased with no worries again, knowing here that she hadn't been found and wasn't being followed. Soon she traveled to France, where she discovered the art of creating nectar and gardening something she quickly grew to love(well the nectar part, not so much the gardening part. She didn't care much for flowers despite being a fairy).
It was there that she met Jules. He was a vampire with a sweet tooth. She often found him somewhere in the nectary, sampling some sort of nectar. He would often join her while she waited for the machine to finish pressing her nectar and putting it in bottles. They talked about everything, from her children to her often absent husband. She even found herself confiding bits and pieces about her long forgotten past. He made her laugh in a way Braendan hadn't since Mercedes and Oceane were toddlers.
So when she wound up at his place, having had a little too much nectar, and ended up in the shower with him...well it seemed only natural at the time. But then again, that could have just been the nectar talking....
As to whether or not she regretted that night, well she had yet to decide.
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Back at home, Braendan often had Kearney and Mason over while Mercedes and Oceane invited Shayne to spend the entire month with them. Why his parents agreed, Braendan would never understand, but the Mithrilien's were an odd couple, at odds with most of the families in town, and Fintan hated his wife, So Braendan actually considered it a blessing to the poor kid to be able to come over here. He often seemed starved for love, something his wife didn't seem to mind giving to him.
It wasn't long before Braendan received another invite and he left the children with Mason, disappearing into the dead of the night.
Mason knew where he was going, and while he didn't agree, he kept his opinions to himself. It wasn't his place to say. Instead, sitting with the kids, Mercedes in his lap, watching a horror movie their mother would never let them watch on their own.
Braendan climbed up the trellis to Sarah's window, where she stood waiting for him. "Be quiet now, we can't wake Finn or Wynn." She whispered, wrapping her hand around his arm and helping him inside. Even though he didn't actually need the help.
"I know, thankfully Emma's gone for another week."
"Otherwise we wouldn't be able to meet. I know." She whispered, her gaze sorrowful.
"I'm sorry my love." He stroked her cheek and gently kissed her.
She shook her head, a single tear slipping down her cheek, her hand over his.
"I love you." She whispered, her eyes slipping closed.
He said nothing back, just led her over to the bed and spent the night with her in his arms.
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Within two weeks of returning home, Emma began to spend every evening with the toilet. She became suspicious when she began to crave crepes with watermelon. Now, she loved crepes, that she wouldn't deny. But she absolutely despised watermelon. She could not stand even the flavor of it. Let alone chunks in her crepes with cheese? Disgusting, but she couldn't quit eating it.
Braendan found it funny. He would laugh every time she would be sitting there, shoveling it in, giving it the death stare. Well, he would until she turned her death stare onto him. That shut him up real quick.
With all the time she spent preparing for her new born, all thoughts of her family and being stalked flew from her mind and instead was replaced with ideas for nurseries, color schemes, and stuffed animals. Braendan and Mason became invaluable during those few months that her stomach grew heavy with child. Mercedes, Oceane, and Shayne were often found in the nursery helping their father and honorey uncle painting and putting together furniture. Often times the invisible Peaches would be giving a hand, while Riley snuck up on the grown men and seemed to enjoy scaring the daylights out of them.
Emma would often sit in the rocking chair in the hall watching all of this through the doorway, not allowed into the room due to the paint fumes.
Many afternoons were spent like this, memories filled with laughter and love.
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Towards the end of her pregnancy, Emma began to grow cabin fever, becoming antsy and edgy, snapping at everyone and anyone who so much as looked at her wrong. Until finally Braendan suggested that she took Patches and Nautilus down to the Cat Park for the day, to take time to relax and get away from it all. And after several minutes of glaring at him, she conceded and left mid noon to go and relax while the cats played.
Diva Flora, Emma Blood, and Satrina Caro had brought Zoey, Eleanor, and Llia, which allowed Patches to be able to spend time with all her litter for the first time in a long time.
The four women sat on the benches, talking and laughing, allowing Emma to relax despite her pregnancy hormones. The topic often turned towards Emma's upcoming birth, the other women lamenting their desire for a child.
"You're so lucky to have Braendan. He seems so nice, always taking care of you. All my men have been jerks." Diva moaned, laughing along with the rest.
"I just want a child of my own." Satrina added in.
"I could care less to be honest." Emma Blood shrugged. "I wouldn't mind being a godmother though." She laughed.
"Well you can be godmother to this little baby." Emma rubbed her belly. "That way this little bean can have god mama Emma and mama Emma."
"That little bean can call me their Aunty Em, you can be mama Emma." Emma Blood laughed. "I don't want to be anyone's mother." The rest of the girls laughed and soon talk turned to details of the nursery built by the rest of Emma's household.
When her back began to ache, sometimes with a shooting pain, Emma decided it was time to call it a day. She invited all the girls over for some coffee, but Satrina declined, stating she had other engagements and then was gone. Emma had a feeling she knew what other engagements Satrina had, but she kept her mouth shut. She knew the power of secrets.
Diva and Emma Blood helped her gather up the rambunctious cats, Nautilus being the most difficult to grab-this was the first time Nautilus had really been active since she was a kitten before Mercedes was born, so her resistance was a shock.
Emma had never lived far from the town's center, and it wasn't long before they were walking in the front door of Emma's rather large "humble" abode. Seeing Mason sitting on the couch with the three kids, Braendan no where in site, a knot formed in the pit of Emma's stomach, the shooting pains growing worse.
"E-emma, we didn't expect you back until this evening." Mason stuttered, a nervous smile on his face.
"What's up with you?" Emma Blood demanded, eyeing the vamp like he was about to have her for dinner.
"Nothing, why do you ask?" His tone was too formal and his smile was starting to get a little creepy.
"Um...you're being weird...and very very creepy." Diva put it bluntly, her arm linked with Emma's.
Emma had remained silent, the knot growing and the pains coming at an alarming rate. She was very afraid she knew what was coming.
"Mason." Her tone was quiet, neutral, calm. Her face reflecting no emotions. He focused on her. She raised her eyes to meet his and asked, "Where is my husband."
His head dropped and his words were barely audible but here them she did. "He's with Sarah Dolen, They'v been seeing each other in secret for a while now."
Emma didn't even flinch when her water broke.
