Blue

As Titus had gotten older, more capable of helping Symphony with her terrors. He often became her assistant in her devious endeavors. What they did in that attic...Emma would never know, nor quite frankly did she want to know.

She often heard mutterings of Spider and got goose bumps, terrified to think of what lurked in the shadows up there. She could just imagine the giant creatures and rats the size of house cats.

Poor Nautilus may get eaten by the monsters.

Although Emma doubted anything could devour her late cat's feisty kitten.

Nautilus had become fascinated by baby Symphony although it wasn't long after Symphony and Delmar's first birthday that they lost Patches long before her time and Nautilus disappeared. Emma had begun to worry, Symphony's cries for the kitten pulling at her heart, until she heard from Satrina. Nautilus had been lying on her couch with Llia one day when she came home and stayed there. The two kittens took comfort from the other, spending their time milling about the house, adventuring. Until Satrina moved away, disappearing into the night.

What Emma hadn't known was that Emma Blood and Diva Flora wouldn't return from their trp. While Shannon was shamed when Emma found out said woman had come on to Mason. Her family came before the "good witch". There were plenty more like her.

She didn't need a home wrecker, none of them did.

A thump and crash from above made Emma cringe, jarring her from her reverie. A loud yowl from Nautilus received a sigh. Breaking glass received a groan.

When the loud cussing started, Emma let her head fall into her hand.

Dear lord, would it ever stop?

Kona came running by, nearly tripping over the flower vase, Topaz had climbed on the furniture and lord knows where Carmelo had gone. And then someone started pounding on the door.

When Emma pulled the door open, she was rather stunned to see the blue girl standing there.

"Hi!" The girl smiled, her face bright, waving at Emma as if it was completely natural for her to be there. "Is Symphony in?"

Then the girls aqua eyes went wide, her mouth forming the shape of an O. "I'm so sorry, I didn't introduce myself." She laughed quite loudly. "My name's Nephthys. I'm new in town." Her face became bright again, smile so wide the corners of her eyes crinkled, her hand out for Emma to shake.

"Symphony was nice enough to friend me at school and invited me over sometime to study alchemy together so I said yeah, plus she said most of her fam's faeries like me and mine and maybe we'd get along since there's so few of us here. Plus she told me about Nautilus and her new pet dragon you gave her plus the Sanctuary you built for her so I, was like, cool! And she said I should come see. Anyways, nice to meet you." And Nephthys-after gesturing wildly through her long winded speech-held her hand back out for Emma to shake.

Emma just stared at the girl-Nephthys-her mouth hanging open and eyes wide, her hand still resting on the door knob and the creepy expression she possessed, of half a mind to slowly back a way and lock the house down. But after several more minutes, Emma's face twitched into a creeped out, half smile, with too much teeth and too thin lips, reaching out to shake Nephthys hand slowly like how you would approach a growling dog-if you were that stupid.

"Hi." Emma croaked. "N-nice to meet y-you." She cleared her throat, forcing a nice smile but she knew the fear was still in her eyes. Hopefully Nephthys didn't notice.

"Symphony's upstairs in the attic. I can-" Emma began, stepping back and pulling the door open to allow the blue girl access to her home.

"Oh, you don't have to. I can find my way. Don't worry. I know I freak you out. I've the tendency to do that."

And with that Nephthys skipped her way inside and up the stairs, pigtails bouncing, googles askew, humming to an unknown tune.

Leaving Emma standing in the open doorway, once again wearing a stunned expression. Before she corrected herself and put her smiling mask back on and closed the door.

Pacific

The house was trashed. To say the least. Egyptian tunes resonated through the house, children laughing and screaming mingling with the noise.
She could hardly believe how fast time had flown. She could remember when she had to stumble through a plausible explanation of how Symphony's hair had changed colors, giggles and screams, tricks and pranks, and now she was getting married.

Titus had even found love and she now had another grand baby: Octavia and Delma. Delmar and Kristy's little girl.

She was a little darling.
Thistle was now on her fifth boyfriend this month, although she constantly raved on and on about Teague who was twenty years her senior.
Emma often was the recipient of Thistle's ravings of love and heartbreak.
And now she was down to three...
A loud knock broke Emma of her reverie, when she heard the door open and Titus' deep voice greeting the visitor, Emma relaxed back into her chair and picked up her book, going back to reading about the mysteries of catching the golden koi.
It wasn't until later that Emma would regret not answering the door herself among many other poor choices made over the years.

Sandy Days

When Emma recieved the invitation, to say she was surprised was to put it mildly. It had been a long time since she'd heard or seen her daughter Cello. And today, on the tenth anniversary of Braendan's death...Emma was grateful to hear from Cello and a day at the beach sounded like just what Emma needed.
Symphony sulked the entire morning in the attic, even though Topaz and Carmelo had gone to a friends while Kona planned to spend the day in the garden so Symphony could do as she pleased, she was forced to remain inside most of the time due to her sensitivity to the sunlight.

As Emma headed out the door a loud bang from above made her wince and begin to question just what her children were doing up there...

By the time Emma arrived at the beach, Cello was already there relaxing on a towel.

When Emma was only a few feet from her daughter, Cello sat up and moved to hug her mother.

The act shocked Emma, but she recovered quickly enough to return the hug after only a moments hesitation.
Cello pulled back and silently helped her mother spread out the blanket and set the wrapped food down.

They both sat down and silently munched while looking out over the empty beach and ocean.
"I was really mad at you." Cello finally broke the silence.
"For the longest time...since you told us all the truth, I don't know. I just blamed you. For everything. All you've done." Cello cut herself off, sitting in silence.
Emma didn't say anything, she'd had a feeling Cello was also angry with her, but Cello was far more reserved then Symphony.
As time passed in the quiet, Emma saw the tears develop in Cello's eyes and her daughters shoulders slump.
"Were you ever going to tell us or just let us continue to believe that da-that Braendan was our father and never tell us the truth? When were you going to tell me that Kearney was my father?"

"I guess I never really thought about it." Emma saw the outrage and disbelief in her daughter's black eyes, but continued. "When I was pregnant with Symphony and Delmar I wasn't sure who's they were to be honest, I'd planned on telling Braendan after I gave birth when I knew the stress wouldn't cause them any harm. I knew we'd be able to tell after I gave birth who's they were and then it would be up to him, but the day I went into labor I learned he'd found another. And he left. Not then, but it wasn't long. A few years. When Symphony and Delmar were fourteen months I met your father and you and your sister were born but me and him didn't last.
He wasn't interested in family life I guess.
I had you two and then Braendan came back. Not long after I discovered I was expecting Topaz. And right before Braendan passed, I gave birth to Titus and Carmelo." Emma fell silent for several moments.

"I don't claim to be an angel. I've made my fair share of mistakes, I've sinned and have quite a few regrets, but I live my life and love all of my children and I don't regret any of them because then I wouldn't have all of you."
This time they both stayed silent, just watching the sun set together.

"I don't get it." Cello shrugged. "It doesn't make sense to me, and somehow I don't think you're telling me the whole truth, but I also don't think you're going to anytime soon either."
Emma didn't say a word, a small frown tugging the corners of her lips as they fell into a tense silence as the sun finally went below the horizon.

Tredecim

Who's Who Table of contents for the family

13 years later

Despite all the memories attached to their home, Emma had decided it was time for a change. And more room, and with a bit of coaxing she had managed to convince her teenager daughters and adoptive son to move to a home on the other side of town. Titus, Topaz, and Carmelo thankfully were too little to really care.

Emma was hardly surprised when Cello and Thistle asked to move in with Mercedes. She hadn't been surprised when Delmar had come to her and asked to go with Mercedes when she got a place with Mason Sackholme. Her late step-father's partner. Now that had nearly struck poor Emma dead, learning he was a vampire nearly gave her gray hair.

Impossible, but you get the point.

"Symphony!" Emma yelled from the kitchen. "Get ready! Now!"

She knew her daughter was lounging around, still in casual clothes. She also knew her daughter rolled her eyes and stuck her headphones in.

"We are going to be late for your sister's wedding! Now get a move on!"

Thumping was her answer and assurance that Symphony was getting ready.

Topaz had already changed. running around giggling to herself while Titus and Carmelo sat on the floor playing with their dolls and Kona, who looked quite nice in his suit.

Symphony had turned out to be the trouble child.

She was the one breaking curfew without a care, staying up or out as late as she wanted. Pranking neighbor's houses. Rather irritating having friends show up covered in raw eggs or toilet paper or both. But she refused to listen to her. Braendan had been in her life just a short time and Symphony refused to acknowledge her biological father. The only people she would even begin to listen to were Oceane, Kona, Titus, and Doyle.

Symphony adored her older sister and Oceane's youngest and only son Doyle. Titus had her wrapped around his little finger and Kona had her heart. Emma would never understand how she got regulated to the back but she did.

Sometimes, the way Symphony acted, some of the things she said... well Emma just wondered if her daughter even loved her or if she sometimes wished she were dead...

"There. Happy now." Symphony snarled, stomping down the stairs dressed in a violet and dark orange gown, her hair styled up so that it prominently displayed her purple highlights.

"Yes." Emma sighed. "You look lovely dear." Of all her children, Symphony was the one she felt closest to despite their differences and Symphony's snarls and hisses.

Sometimes she thought her daughter had snake blood.

"Whatever." Symphony huffed, walking past Emma to crouch down by Kona and Titus. She lifted the red transparent toddler into her arms, tickling him, a smile lighting up their faces and revealing their fangs.

Kona lifted Carmelo into his arms, laughing at his girlfriend and Titus. And Topaz had climbed on a chair and was preceding over her imaginary royal court. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Topaz!"