almost - post war storm au

Chaper Five - Cal

"Oh my god," Mare mutters for the millionth time, summarizing my thoughts.

Evangeline sighs, first Norta's Premier is coming after Silvers, now the Hay and Em are gone. Taken by some newblood with Shade's powers. "Oh my god isn't going to get them back, Mare." Evangeline tries her best to be comforting, but everyone can tell she's happy Alec is okay.

Mare doesn't hear her, having gone into full that's-my-kid mode. I try not to follow. We won't get them back by freaking out. She paces back and forth, rubbing her temples. "We have to get them back. We have to - "

"Mare," I say. I haven't moved, portraying my worry much differently than my wife. "I hate to say it, but we don't know where they are."

Maven nods from his spot next to Thomas. "We don't. Maybe you could just calm down..."

"Calm down?!" Mare snaps. Maven recoils, he knows he said the wrong thing as soon as it left his mouth. "Calm - down. My kids are missing! Taken by who knows what! But of course, you can calm down because you don't have kids!"

"Mare - " I start, attempting to save my brother. Key word: attempting.

Maven's more skilled with words than I'll ever been and ever will. "I was suggesting that maybe if you viewed the situation from a calmer perspective - "

"Stop! Don't, Maven! Don't try to understand! It was never your strong suit anyway!" Mare storms out of the room, the lights flickering in her wake. Kilorn moves to follow her, but I beat him. If anyone knows what Mare's feeling like, it's me. Hayden and Emery are my kids too.

I race after Mare. For someone as short as her, she's fast. "Mare!" I call. "Mare!" She ignores me, pushing herself forward. I grab her shoulder, spinning her into me. "Mare, stop."

She shakes her head, pulling away from me. "I'm going to find them."

"You?" I ask as she spins around.

Her expression is the definition of confusion. "Yes, me. Cal - "

"I'm coming."

"No, you're not. I'm not losing you too - "

"I'm not losing to you either!" I sigh, grabbing her hand. "When I put this ring on your finger, it wasn't about you or me. Your kids or my kids. It was about us. Mare, I'm not going to choose anything but you and them. I know you will do anything to help them, but I'm coming. Nothing you can say or do will stop me for coming with you." I know what's she's going to say before she says it. Mare wants me to stay. Let her do all the dangerous things. "Please."

Mare struggles to say something, arguing with herself in her head. Finally, she sighs. "Then let's go get our kids."

"Where do we start?"

"You start with telling people where you're going," A voice says, we turn.  Maven. The lights flicker overhead as Mare's fists clench. "You're right, Mare. I don't understand what it's like to have kids. I can't imagine what must being going on in your head, but I can't - " Maven gasps, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Maven!" I say, taking a step towards him.

He holds up his hand to stop me, relaxing again. I glance at Mare, even she looks worried. "I can't lie to you two anymore. My... mother. She's still there. She's still in my head." My brother's voice goes slack of any emotion or pain. "She's getting stronger."

•

Right when I thought that life was going to be fine. That Hayden and Emery could grow up normal, my past, Mare's past, Maven's past - the past comes to bite us in the back. Which is absolutely amazing. I'm overjoyed to be dealing with this again. Ha, I wish.