𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭-𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬² | 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 ✓

𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈

Last night was nothing less than bizarre for both Meloria and her son, Tobias.

The morning had come quicker than expected and Lucine wasn't ready to face everyone again. She needed time to process the fact that she was back and now very visibly older.

Lucine sat alone in a random cabin in the woods Ren and Tobias had found a few months ago while exploring.

She looked at her hands, trying to process everything that was happening. 

She walked over to a dirty mirror hanging on one of the walls, wiping the dirt away to look at herself. A gasp escaped her mouth as she looked at the slight wrinkles that had formed around her eyes and lips.

She had been stuck as an eighteen-year-old girl for so long, she was starting to think she would never age. "This is insane." She muttered to herself as she touched the wrinkles.

Her age was more visible in other aspects too.

She was so caught up looking at herself that she didn't hear the creak of the front door opening.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" A voice spoke from behind her. A voice she recognized immediately but the person the voice belonged to couldn't see her as she was covering the mirror.

"I didn't know this cabin was occupied." She spoke softly, nervously. She wasn't ready to face anyone yet.

The air felt different. The person started walking slowly towards her and all Lucine could do was hold her breath. The person turned her around only for her to find Jasper standing there, his hand cold. She hadn't felt the cold since dying. It was always warm and sunny where Tobias took her. Even when she was alone in the darkness, it was always a comforting warmth.

Since dying, she sighed, I was supposed to stay dead.

"Lucine. How are you-" He said as he stumbled back, not believing his eyes. She shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think it was possible but I guess Tobias was more powerful than I thought." She said with a small smile.

"Tobias? He did this?" Jasper asks confused. The boy felt more human than anything. How could he have pulled off bringing the dead back to life?

"Yes and no. Angel Tobias, I guess had something set up for me while human, reborn Tobias has no clue how this all happened. The boy didn't even know he was celestial until last night." Jasper was trying hard to process her explanation but all her words were a mumbled mess in his head as he looked at her.

After a few seconds, he pulled her into a hug, feeling her warmth and her heartbeat to convince himself that she truly was here and this wasn't just some cruel prank the universe was pulling on him.

"I can't believe you're here. Actually here, in my arms right now." He said into her hair, not wanting to let go. Not that Lucine was complaining seeing as she was now crying. She had missed her friends.

Her people, her family.

"I missed you, Jasper." She spoke as she buried her face into his shoulder. He chuckled as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I missed you too Lucine. I thought we were never gonna see each other again." She pushed back just enough to look him in the eyes.

"I didn't think this was possible either. I thought I was going to be stardust in Tobias' consciousness for the rest of his life." She said with a light laugh and smile as she wiped her tears.

"I'm just glad you're back and alive." He couldn't help himself from pulling her back into a hug, causing them to fall backward on the couch. Laughter erupted around the cabin as Lucine lay on top of her best friend.

She had missed being alive, being able to hold the people she loved. But now, she was, thirty-three years old and laughing with one of her best friends again.

"When were you planning on telling us?" He asked as they sat up. She shrugged, "I'm not sure yet. I was planning on staying here for a bit and having Tobias give me updates on you guys but since you've already found me, probably sooner than intended." He nodded.

"Rosalie's missed you like crazy." Lucine's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her lover. There was never a moment where she didn't think about her.

"How was she? After I died?" She asked as she played with some of the lace on her dress. "Devastated. We all were but Rosalie and Bella probably had it the worst." She looked up at him, there was something he wasn't telling her.

"How? What did they do?" He looked between her eyes, contemplating whether now was a good time to tell her or to wait and have Bella explain herself in person. "Rosalie threw herself into her art. She spoke to no one and barely ate. She spent most of her time either in her studio or sitting on that cliff you love so much." Lucine's eyes started to water again.

She wanted to see her lover. She wanted to hold her and show her that she doesn't have to miss her any longer.

"What about my sister? What did she do?" She asked, not wanting to dwell too much on it knowing if she did she would spiral and act impulsively. Jasper stayed quiet for a second.

"I think it's better if she tells you herself." Lucine just looked at him as he tried his hardest to avoid her stare. "Bella was a new vampire when I died. Please tell me you guys had her in control." She pleaded but Jasper's avoidance was enough to tell her they didn't.

Bella did something horrible in her passing and Lucine was terrified to find out.

***

AHHH!

I'm so excited to write about Lucine again! I've missed writing her so much and originally I wasn't going to bring her back but I needed to spice up the storyline. It felt too boring the way it was going and what's better than bringing someone back from the dead?

Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far!

- HS.*