Where I Come From
Passion Pit
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"Natalia Elizabeth Fairwater!" Her mother shrieked, "What in Raziel's name do you think you're doing? You are not going to San Diego!" Natalia flinched, picked her bag up, and walked out the door, her mother gasping and yelling after her.
"Well, mom, that's where Alex is, so that's where I'm going. Or have you forgotten how much it hurts to be away from your parabatai?" She spat the last sentence. She wanted her words to hurt her mother just as hers had hurt her daughter. Natalia turned back around, the wind in the valley whipping her hair around her in a crown of red and cinnamon.
She walked up the hill, and started on her journey to Alicante. Natalia followed the long winding road for hours, her heavy boots no doubt leaving blisters on her feet. The sun hadn't yet risen, leaving the full moon high in the sky. Judging by its position, she guessed it was about 2 a.m. She shrugged and continued walking.
She trudged up a hill, the bright lights of Alicante in the distance. Natalia sighed in relief. Her feet ached, her shoulders stung with pain where the straps of her bag rubbed against her skin. It was warm for a spring night, she noticed, wiping away the sweat on her brow.
The closer she got to the North Gate, the more the knot in her stomach tightened. She hadn't seen Alex in months, it felt like something was missing. Like a fraction of her soul was missing, but that was how it worked for parabatai. She crossed the gate with ease, heading towards the Gard. The only Portal to and from Idris was there, well the only legal one, that is.
Suddenly the knot in Natalia's stomach untied, a feeling of relief, and being whole again washing over her like a tidal wave. Her head snapped into attention. Up in front of the Gard doors stood Alex, his bright blonde hair standing out. He waved, and she wondered how long he had been standing there.
"I've been here for about five minutes. So don't worry," he laughed, giving her a friendly embrace. "They don't know you're coming home. But I'm pretty sure the twins are getting suspicious."
"I haven't seen them in a long time. Two years almost." I haven't seen Sam even longer, Natalia thought. "What about Lily? And Adrianna?" She shifted the bag in her hand, the handles digging into her fingers. Her parabatai noticed and took it from her, making her roll her eyes. Alex was always too much of a gentleman for his own good.
"Your sister and Adrianna are over in Sacramento right now. They got called in by the Conclave, a hoard of Shax, Oni, and some others have been attacking mundanes in the area." He noticed the look in her eyes, a smile flicking over his features. "Don't worry, they'll be back in a few days." They reached the Portal, bidding goodbye to their fellow Nephilim guarding the Portal.
She nodded, taking his hand. Together they stepped through the shimmering Portal.
***
Sam sat in his usual chair next to the fire place in the library. He knew something was off, but he kept it to himself. He looked at the twins, and then at Cecilia, noting how they were trying to bond. He frowned.
He went back to his demonology book, ignoring the small cramped hand writing on the margin. It was Adrianna's, like almost all of the other handwriting in his books. Being the second oldest, at the age of twenty, Sam never had anything of his own.
He ignored his younger sisters, the twins Coralie and Maeve, as they bolted out the room, Cecilia hot on their heels. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and laugh. She was always doing that around him, acting as if she had never disliked them in her life.
"By the Angel! Sam! Get down here!" Maeve was yelling like she did whenever there was an unwanted visitor in the Institute. He couldn't help but grab his sword as he snapped his book closed, running after his sisters.
***
Natalia stepped onto the sand of the beach in front of the San Diego Institute, a bright smile on her face. It was still night time here, but the lights were brightly shining in each of the rooms. She followed her parabatai up the stairs, and through the doors. Everything felt familiar as she walked through the corridors to the room she kept. The walls were still the same dark blue they had been the last time she had been home.
Alex set her bag down, and helped her unpack what she'd brought. Natalia cleared the bed of the old blanket on it, stripping off the sheets as well. She was tired and hungry, but getting rid of the dusty bedding was more important. He'd left at some point, coming back with sheets, pillow cases, and a comforter. Together they put her bed back together, throwing the old sheets in a pile by the door.
She grabbed her sweat shirt, and fuzzy socks, slipping into the bathroom to change. She did so quickly, swapping her worn sweater for her gray hoodie, kicking her boots off, and slipping her socks on. She looked down at her ripped skinny jeans, noticing how pale she'd become since she no longer spent time on the beach. Natalia sighed, opening the door, and following Alex to the kitchen.
"How long do you think it'll take them to find out I'm here?" She asked, a slight amusement in her voice. Alex looked at her and shrugged. He heard the thudding of footsteps on the top floor. They looked at each other and laughed.
"Probably about two seconds," Alex looked at the kitchen door, watching as it swung open to reveal three of the other occupants of the Institute. Natalia waved, setting her mug of tea down.
"By the Angel! Sam! Get down here!" Maeve cried, launching herself at Natalia. They stood there laughing, Coralie joining in with them. Natalia noticed the dark haired, tawny eyed girl standing off to the side, confusion written on her face.
She reached her hand out, "Natalia Fairwater, its nice to meet you." The girl looked at her hand, and back up at her, and then to Alex, who had a goofy grin on his face. Natalia raised her brow, "And you are?"
"Cecilia Blackcross." She shook her hand, no smile on her face. Natalia heard more footsteps as the twins let her go. The door opened with a bang, a glint of a silver sword in the hand of another. Natalia's silver eyes met a pair of dark brown ones from across the room, her heart beat quickening.
She took one step forward, the clatter of metal against wood sounding in the silence. He looked at her, a soft sadness and pain in his eyes. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, her hand covering her mouth. Her feet moved on their own accord, carrying the rest of her body towards him. "Natalia!" Arms outstretched, he braced himself.
"Sam!" Natalia threw herself into his arms, wrapping her own around him. She heard laughter. His laughter. It was the same, yet deeper, and clearer, like the tunes of the piano he used to play for her.
She felt her feet leave the floor as he spun her around. It was so familiar she could cry. Maybe he did still love her after all.
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Homecoming (The Mortal Instruments Fanfiction)
Fanfic"She watched him fall to the ground on his knees, a seraph blade through his stomach. Pain stabbed through her body, matching his. She stumbled over to him, falling in front of him. She felt their bond break as his life slipped away. "Natalia! Nat!"...
