On the Hunt

Gwen and Cybele joined Kala and Virgil for breakfast. "I feel bad, like I've said, Ellie's talked a lot about you guys. And I think...well, I hope we'll still be able to visit her. I don't know, do you have anything you want to know about us?" Cybele spoke, earning a glare from Gwen.

***

Ellie smirked, "A shower sounds good. Hot water...running down my body.." She jumped off the bed, ready to head to the master bedroom's private bathroom. Then she paused, "But Bahara, there's something I should tell you before we go and see the kids. You see...when I was gone....I had a daughter."

Kala glanced at Gwen, easily noticing her reaction. "Yes, I'd like to know alot about you, but I won't ask for what your sister doesn't want me to have. Either way, me and Virgil... we don't mind either of you visiting. We have no issue with her daughter, so why would we have an issue with you? The only people we want to filet, are the people who took her away from us, and the one who got her pregnant. We can't do anything though, so... well, I'm just glad to have her back. She's basically my mom, and that's not going to change. Same for Virgil."

~~~~~

Bahara paused, looking up at the ceiling. "Hm... yeah, I know. Ellie, I never forgot anything. I could picture you perfectly in my mind. How you looked, sounded, smelled... felt. I could feel something different while we were... uh, making up for lost time. It's part of why I got so rough at one point... sorry if there is any bruising, by the way. Anyway, I know. But I also know that I love you, and that you would never intentionally try to hurt me. So... I forgive you."

Gwen sighed, "Do you guys think you'll be able to figure out who all was involved in Ellie being gone? I'm guessing you've noticed she can't really say anything about it."

~~~~

Ellie went and stood by Bahara, gently taking his hand, "Really? You do?"

Kala sighed. "Yeah, we noticed. We want to find out, but I'm not positive we can, when she can't tell us anything at all. Dad will try to think of something."

~~~~~

Bahara smiled softly, giving her hand a squeeze. "Yeah... yeah, I do, Ellie."

Ellie felt tears of relief and happiness sting the back of her eyes, "Come here and kiss me before I start crying again."

Bahara smiled, moving quickly forward, pulling Ellie close as he kissed her softly. "Just please, don't leave me again. And if you must leave, if you have no choice, then just come back. I'll never love you any less."

Ellie rested her head against Bahara's chest, "I promise, Bahara." She pressed close, comforted by the feel of her skin against his. "We should shower, eat, check on the...well, I guess they're not really kids anymore, but check in on them nontheless...I need to call and check on Linnea too." She looked up at him, "Sound like a plan? Repair our lives a day at a time, I guess?"

Bahara shrugged noncommittally. "Sure, sounds good. Just shouldn't take too long, we only have the rest of our lives to work with." He smirked slightly. Considering how long they'd both live...

Ellie smiled at Bahara's words. Being a half deity had its advantages, now that living for centuries looked bright again, with Bahara's family back in her future. She took his hand and they showered. It took longer than it should've -- it required far too much strength of will than either of them possessed to even try to keep their hands off each other while they bathed. But eventually, they were clean and dried. Ellie dressed in the clothes she'd come in, braiding her long hair down her back while it dried.

She still felt shy in this house, in this family she'd abandoned and which had welcomed her back with more ease than she deserved. So it was she took Bahara's hand again as they left the master bedroom and headed towards the dining room.

~~~~~~~~~

"If it helps at all, we don't know anything either," Cybele shrugged, "About what happened with Ellie, I mean. She just...kind of showed up on Gran's doorstep."

Gwen had her head tilted and looked up to see Ellie follow a man into the room. One who all senses told her must have been Bahara.

"Cybele? Gwen?" Ellie blinked.

"You forgot to call," Gwen drawled, "Gran got worried."

"I know, I'm sorry. I...well, I," Ellie looked over Kala and Virgil and up at Bahara with a smile, "I found my way home. Is Linnea...?"

"She's fine," Cybele waved her hand, "Just upset you didn't call. Gran's watching her, of course. Should I have her pack yours and Linnea's things?"

Ellie bit her lip, looking up at Bahara again. She'd never live anywhere without her daughter, of course. But she felt uneasy. She had no doubts any of this family would treat Linnea with anything less than compassion. Just the girl's parentage would hang between them.

Bahara seemed confused as to why Ellie looked at him like that, then blinked. "Oh, you're asking... ah. Ellie, you sometimes worry about the strangest things. Ellie. You, your daughter, and your friends? All welcome in my home, and I will love your daughter as if she were my own, just as you've done for Kala and Virgil." He then smiled at Gwen and Cybil. "Bahara Pandra, nice to meet you both." Kala and Virgil, seeing their father smiling so brightly for the first time in years, and alongside Ellie... it was little wonder that Kala started crying.

Ellie felt the awkward cold lump in her stomach disintegrate. She suddenly stood on tiptoe and placed her hands on Bahara's cheeks as she thoroughly kissed him. Gwen gave a wolf-whistle, making a blushing Ellie finally pull away from the kiss, feeling and then finding all eyes upon her. "Thank you," she said to Bahara, her voice low as she tried to express how much she'd been worried and how grateful she was for his easy acceptance. "I'll call Esti so I can give her directions," she pulled out her cell phone and stepped away. The demigoddess staying just in eyesight as she sensed it'd be a comfort to her healing family.

Cybele was blushing just a little less than Ellie had been, clearly not used to seeing so much PDA. "Uh, thank you, sir. It's nice to meet you as well. Ellie would tell us stories about you. And Kala and Virgil. It's nice to meet the real people."

Bahara chuckled, feeling lighter than air. "I'm just glad Ellie is back. You'd think I'd have a harder time handling it all, but..." He shrugged, then glanced at Kala. "Did Tiara already head in to work?"

"Yeah, she left a few hours ago. Again expressing a desire to just merge all the buildings into one, or at least moving them closer."

"Merge buildings?" Cybele murmured, her inquisitiveness earning a glance from Gwen.

Ellie came back, standing beside Bahara, "They'll be here in a couple of hours." She looked over at Kala and Virgil, "Do either of you have plans for the day? I'd like you to be here to meet her, if you can." There was a plate of breakfast at her old seat on the table and she smiled as she sat down to see they'd remembered her being a vegetarian.

"We should probably be here, too," Cybele piped in.
"Gran will want to make sure we haven't screwed anything up," Gwen added with a roll of her eyes.

Bahara grinned. "By merge buildings, we mean having our home, my shop, and Tiara's orphanage all connected. Or at least next to eachother."

"No, no plans. Even if we did, we'd cancel."

"We can't miss the arrival of our new little sister, can we?"

Cybele gave Bahara an incredulous look. Even Gran couldn't do that. Or at least, not that she knew.

Ellie beamed at Kala and Virgil. She'd never be able to express how grateful she was for their easy acceptance of her Linnea. She and Bahara had their breakfast before they decided on where Linnea's room would be and cleaned it up for her pending arrival. When that was finished, Ellie spent time alone with Bahara and the 'kids', the twins getting restless and going for a walk.

A little over two hours later, they all waited in the living room. Ellie felt Bahara twitch to an approaching magical presence--a powerful one. "It's Esti. She's...well, you'll see." A few moments later there was a swift knock at the door and a little girl ran in as soon as it opened. Linnea ran straight up into Ellie's arms.

"Mommy! You were naughty and didn't call," the girl, a pretty image in her white sundress, chastised her mother, shaking her finger and obviously imitating the attitude Ellie took when she was admonishing her. Her frown soon disappeared, "Can I have a Toot-less? I really want one."

"A what?" Ellie blinked.

A redhead woman dressed like a metal fan walked in, her aura crackling with her magic. "She watched 'How to Train Your Dragon' on the way down," she gave her best shit-eating grin as she hefted a couple of suitcases. The twins giggled before going out and helping their grandmother unload the van.

Bahara, surprisingly, didn't feel even a twinge of resentment toward the little girl, not even briefly. How could he blame her for being born? He slowly came over, smiling at her. "Hello, Linnea. My name is Bahara, and it is very nice to meet you."

Linnea peered up at Bahara. She was almost a miniature of Ellie, with the shape of her face, petite form and long brown hair. But her large eyes were a startling, beautiful green. "Hello," she said, almost shyly as her nostrils flared instinctively to take in the new man's scent. The almost pure unicorn stiffened and looked at Ellie in alarm.

"It's okay, Linny. Bahara is my friend. And they are Kala and Virgil," she nodded to them in turn, Linnea looking at them both before looking back at Ellie. "You remember the stories I told you? They were real and we're going to live here now, as a family. They're good dragons, Linny."

"That means mommy will be happy now?"

"Yes, I'll be happy now," Ellie felt a tear run down her own cheek as she kissed the girl's forehead, where a pale patch of skin in a perfect diamond was barely visible in the light.

At that Linnea smiled and looked at the three new people all again in turn. "I get Toot-lesses!"

Bahara blinked, and laughed softly, while Kala laughed more openly. Virgil was grinning brightly, something he didn't often do. It was charming. "Yes, Linnea, you do. Why don't we show you your new room, then we'll all get to know each other, alright?" He then turned to Esti, holding his hand out. "It's nice to meet you as well, Esti."

Esti, the twin's Gran, didn't appear a day over 25. She took Bahara's offered hand, her shake confident. The dragon god would easily be able to tell her mixed ancestry of djinn and werewolf from that touch, a fact she usually kept hidden, but this was the man her friend loved. "It's nice to finally meet you. Me and the twins will get the rest of the things inside. You all can do your family stuff."

Linnea hopped down from Ellie's arms once they got into the cleaned bedroom. She looked around and smiled again, evidently pleased. "Scar likes it," she pronounced, brandishing the stuffed lion from the Disney movie. Ellie had long ago given up asking why her daughter liked the villainous lion so much. The girl bit her lip before going to Bahara and putting out her right hand like she'd seen him do. "I like it too," she admitted once he shook it.

Bahara happily shook her hand... and then she was suddenly on his shoulders. "Alright then, time to show you around!" He then started through the house, with Linnae on his shoulders and holding Ellie's hand.

Linnea squealed in delight as she was lifted up to Bahara's shoulders. She dug her fingers into his hair to hold on, clearly used to riding this way on others from how she didn't pull his hair unnecessarily.

Ellie beamed up at her daughter and her mate, squeezing Bahara's hand happily as they toured the house together. It felt like...like coming home. They saw the bathroom and Kala and Virgil's rooms and were stopped outside of Bahara's room.

"Where's mommy's room?"

"Well, mommy's going to stay with Bahara in his room," Ellie explained.

Linnea looked down, "Mommy's going to stay with Baha?" Her lips pursed as she considered the idea and studied Bahara's face. "Okay, mommy can stay with Baha. But I get to come in when there are monsters."
She leaned down a little to whisper in Bahara's ear, "Scar is scared of monsters."

Bahara grinned, whispering back. "Well, the three of us will keep him safe then." He then carried her to her room, which was right next to the one he and Ellie would share. "And this is your room, Linnea."

"My room?" Linnea looked around before squealing again. "But it's all empty," she said sounding confused.

"Esti and the twins are still bringing your things in," Ellie explained, moving aside as Esti came in.

"Yeah, squirt. We're gonna get it all set up for you," the were-djinn hauled in a box, followed by the twins bringing in more boxes. They promptly starting assembling furniture and getting everything in order.

"Are you hungry?" Ellie asked her daughter.

"Yes. I want juice, too," Linnea answered.

"Let's get you a snack then."

Bahara carried Linnea down to the kitchen, before finally setting her down and moving to the fridge to get her some juice. "Any idea what you'd like to eat, Linnea?"

"I like carrots," Linnea stood nearby, holding Scar in her arms. "I can't eat meat. Mommy says I need to tell people that." Ellie excused herself to use the bathroom, telling Linnea she had to listen to Bahara.

"Are you really the Baha from mommy's stories?"