Fatherly Advice

Damien shoved his clothing in his bag as he cursed himself for his carelessness over the last few months. Seeing Gretchen writhing in pain and gasping for air as blood dripped from her wounds was a wake up call for Damien. No matter how hard he tried to hold onto her, he kept hurting her and pushing her away.

As he watched Damien struggle with his conscience, Daniel crossed his arms and thought about what to say. "It's time for a different approach, Damien," Daniel said from the doorway.

Damien glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "I know."

Daniel shifted on his feet as he looked around at the dark heavy aura of regret and loneliness that blanketed the room. "So, what's the plan then?"

Damien sighed and shook his head as his doubts whispered to him that he was fighting a losing battle and that he'd spend yet another lifetime without his mate. "I have no idea. Do you have any suggestions?"

Daniel huffed through his nose as a smirked and he slowly walked inside the cold and gut wrenchingly empty room. "I always find that the truth works."

"Wasn't it you who's been helping me conspire against her all this time?" Damien didn't mean to snap at his father that way, but his desperation and heartache were tearing him apart inside and he needed to allow the pressure of it to escape before he exploded into an unstoppable inferno of chaos and destruction. He hadn't been blind to Gretchen kissing Eason and it took every ounce of sanity and self restraint to stop himself from reacting, he had little of it left to spare now for anyone.

Daniel clicked his tongue as he rolled his eyes away at Damien's petulance. "First of all, this has been for her and second, I never told you to hide the truth from her. You've been working an uphill battle with Gretchen due to the tone you set the first night you met in the forest."

Closing his eyes to yet another painful reminder of his failures, Damien swallowed the truth down hard. "You're right, I'm sorry for that. I'm just so lost without her."

"You don't ever need to apologize to me, my son. I know your heart. All I want for you, for both of you is to be happy." Daniel put his hand on Damien's shoulder. "When she comes to you, Damien, be humble and be honest, no matter how you fear it." Daniel pulled Damien into his embrace. "I have never told you something that didn't come to pass, have I?"

He pulled away and looked in Damien's face. It was painful to bear witness to his heartbreak and how history was repeating itself in Damien. He remebered the nights he spent away from Rosemary when she rejected him and he knew better than anyone how it takes the mind to the darkest of places. "No, never."

Daniel lightly smacked Damien's cheek and smiled. "Everything will be alright. Now...go get your girl back."




"You know, you really shoud be resting, Gretchen. You're barely even healed." Teddy put his arm around Gretchen and pulled her close as he leaned over and kissed the top of her head while she limped to the the dock.

Gretchen took a deep breath through her nose and crossed her arms as she looked out over the harbor. As the boats sailed off into the pink and orange sunset, she smiled at the peaceful waters slapping against the shore. "I know, I will. I just wanted to get a look at this again. It's just so beautiful here."

"You know, I was never much for the water and all, being a witch, but I must admit that this is pretty good. Your Momma would just love this." Teddy sighed and licked his lips as he looked to the ground. "Oh, damn! I wish Haldir would come back and tell me what the hell's happening. I feel so goddamn useless."

Gretche turned and put her hand on Teddy's chest."That's the hardest part about being here. Not knowing what's happening there and that even if you did, there's nothing you can do. Pap wouldn't let anything happen to her if he could help it, though, you know that."

Teddy took her hand and kissed it then looked past her to the water. "Haldir and I haven't had the best relationship over the years. We've both said some very unkind things to one another, but, yes, I know he means well."

Gretchen nodded and crossed her arms as her curly brown hair flaoted around in the breeze. "I got a bone to pick with him myself. He's the one who dragged me to that castle in the first place. I hate to think that he was in on this whole thing too."

Teddy smirked to himself. "I'm certain he was Gretchen. You can't really be cross with him, he loves you and wants you to be happy. Even an ornery old blasphemer like him knows you need your mate. I've known him a lot longer than you have, he's not above such manipulation."

Gretchen turned her head slightly and raised her eyebrows. "You mean like you did with Tessa?"

Teddy looked down at Gretchen and nodded. "Yes, like that. My sister was a certifiable disaster. She was living a wretched and filthy life, pissing away her soul and her talents on people who didn't matter while her mates were waiting patiently for her. Tessa just needed a well timed push in the right direction. I don't regret a thing I did to get her there, and I'm sure looking back, she doesn't either."

Gretchen blew out through her mouth and rubbed her chest over her heart. A quick smile came to Teddy's lips and he sighed as he looked out over the water. "His hearts calling out to you. You feel is pain."

Gretchen nodded and glanced away as her eyes filled with tears. "I knew it was going to be a bitch to leave my mate. I was so angry when I left him, I just didn't care about the consequences, but this...this is just the worst."

"It's supposed to be. It's Fates little reminder that you're not really in control, Gretchen. We aren't like humans, honey. They get the luxury of free will and a choice in who they love, we don't." Teddy took a deep breath through his nose and contemplated it. "However, having been recently murdered, I can honestly say that immortalility isn't such a bad trade off."

Gretchen wiped her tears away and chuckled. "You ain't lying!"

"You need to talk to that boy, Gretch. I know you and how you lose your shit easily, you got to put that ego aside for a few minutes and listen to him. I'm not saying that he made good decisions, but I'm sure he didn't do them with bad intentions."

"I know he didn't, Daddy, not for him at least. He wants a life that doesn't exist anymore. I just don't think I can give him what he wants."

"Are you sure about that? You can spend the next millenium being miserable without him Gretchen, or you can at least try to reach an understanding. I don't want you to waste another second of your life being unhappy, baby. Not one more. If you have even a miniscule chance of being happy with Damien, you need to snatch it up. If you keep pushing Damien away, eventually he's going to stay there, there's only so much a man can take."

Gretchen blew out through her mouth and rubbed her forehead . The thought of that actually happening was too much. "I'm pregnant, Daddy."

Teddy grabbed Gretchen and pulled her tight ot his chest."Well, then I'd say you better get things settled quickly. Damien doesn't come across as a hands off parent kind of man, Gretchen."

Gretchen licked the tears from her lips and sniffed back the rest. "What if it's too late? I know I hurt him so much when I left. What if he's over it already?"

Teddy kissed Gretchen's forehead and leaned down until they were eye to eye. "It's not, but you're never going to know that until you go see about him. Just keep that smart mouth shut and give him a fair chance to explain himself."

Gretchen nodded her head. "I will, I will." Then, she looked down between them at herself. "Holy shit! I'm having a baby. Can you believe that? Dear God, what the hell kind of mother am I going to be?"

Teddy hugged her tight again and said, "The best, Gretchen. I know you better than anyone, there won't be a better mother in the world than you. Just don't tell your Momma I said that. I'm terrified of that woman."

Gretchen laughed and pulled away from Teddy. "Your secrets safe with me, Daddy. Now, if my nose still works right, I'd say its dinnertime. Let's go eat, I'm starving."

As they turned to walk back to the city square, a bitterly cold breeze blew through the trees and swept through Gretchen's hair. When the scent of lemon and sage filled her nose, Gretchen's eyes closed while Damien's presence wove itself tightly around her like a sad blanket. The life inside Gretchen called out to his father and she felt it surging through her veins as Drago's magic sparked itself into existence in his rapidly growing form.

Gretchen opened her eyes and sighed. "He's here."