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D'Abugine Summer Home; Champagne, France
Topic Started: Feb 4 2008, 01:36 AM (1,107 Views)
Emma_D'Abugine
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Another voice joined the collection and Katie was the first to look round and clap her hands a the sight of Leslie - not surprising really, the amount of time she spent at Leslie and Gabe's. "Katie recognizes a familiar face when she sees one." Emma stood to hug Leslie, looking about for her cousin. "I'm guessing Gabe's working till later?" She looked at the box in Leslie's arms and took it from her before she could protest. "You shouldn't be carrying boxes. You should be taking it easy. You're fit to drop." Emma nodded towards her rounded bump of a stomach. "How's turnip doing?" Gesturing towards one of the cushioned chairs they'd brought for the adults, Emma invited Leslie to sit. "Come on, take a load off and let's see what Auntie Leslie and Uncle Gabe got for Katie shall we?"

Settling on the rug beside Katie, Emma lifted the lid of the box, eyes widening. "Oh Leslie you shouldn't have! You spoil her. These are lovely. Look Katie, aren't you going to look gorgeous?" She reached inside pulling out a shirt and jeans set, and a shirt an skirt set along with such tiny little runners for her feet, perfect for when Katie was properly walking about. Katie however wasn't currently interested in the new clothes. She'd crawled over to see what inside the box and had reached straight for the stuffed toy elephant, grabbing it out of the box with the hand that wasn't holding onto the toy dog. "Well, she knows what she wants. Thanks, Leslie. These are brilliant!"

When Lynx greeted Katie, she looked up beaming and waved the arm now holding the elephant, giggling. She knew it was a special day. all the balloons and streamers and presents... They were trying to keep the cake out her sights. Then when James waved, she waved again, beaming at him. "Okay, the odd sleeping patterns definitely sounds like Tyler," Emma laughed, "But being a quick learner, sounds like both of you. Clever like his mum."

Emma was glad to hear that Lynx was better. She'd heard what had happened and had been worried. "I hope you haven't just jumped back into work. You did give yourself a chance to properly recover, right?" Her tone mildly stern. She knew Lynx. "Kevin seems to be doing okay. I think he's just glad it's over and glad to be home."
Edited by Emma_D'Abugine, May 31 2009, 05:44 PM.
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Leslie Law
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Leslie hugged Emma back, gave Katie a smile and a wave and was lead into a chair without being given a chance to argue, but when she was sitting, goodness she was thankful. "It's really not heavy though. I know you and Gabe are related now." She felt like clarifying from her seat, there was also a little astonishment that she was getting the same treatment with Emma as she had at home. "Yeah, seems like he works all the time, but really, I sit at home and do nothing so of course it feels that way." She gave a thought and then rubbed her belly. "Turnip is doing good, they're in proper position now, which I was beginning to worry about with only 6 weeks left. Nursery is under way, which anytime my friend is over painting, Gabe is in a foul mood, so let's hope he doesn't go home before he shows up... My parents are going to be here soon, wedding plans are under way, and things are falling into place now." She smiled

Leslie smiled when Emma and Katie looked in the box and Katie took the elephant right away. "Well we should have, it's her birthday, and she deserves it. Katie has been through lots and she is such a sweet little girl. Gabe and I know she'll be a great big cousin. And I am glad that she likes the elephant, Turnip has the same one. By the way, if asked how the box got here, I sent it by owl and met it here." She sat there watching Katie and shifted her weight a little so she was leaning a little on the arm of the chair.

She recognised some faces from the hospital, but she wasn't going to join in. The two months were the hardest she, and everyone else that were deemed the solvers had to face, what with everyone's lives in their hands. She was just glad that everyone was better.
Edited by Leslie Law, Jun 1 2009, 05:31 AM.
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Lynx Rubin
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Lynx watched as Emma helped open Leslie's present for Katie, smiling when Katie immediately went for the stuffed animal and the box. Of course children liked playing with the boxes best. Which reminded her...

She took out her own gift for Katie that she had stored in the lower part of James' stroller. Inside the wrapped box contained a book entitled "The A-Z book of Magical Creatures". It was recommended by the salesman at Flourish and Blott's for children around a year old because it helped them start to learn the alphabet and had colorful, moving illustrations that kids usually loved. With it was a small set of toy kitchen utensils and food, which Lynx had read somewhere that small children always enjoyed playing with.

"And this is for the birthday girl," she said, handing it over to Emma with a smile.

She nodded at Emma's question, saying, "I'm perfectly fine. More than ready to get back to work. It's actually more stressful being out and knowing that things are piling up. Glad to hear Kevin's doing okay too. And how are you? I know from what Tyler went through that solving was pretty stressful too."
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Emma_D'Abugine
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Glad to have Leslie sitting, especially given the size of her rounded stomach, Emma settled herself back onto the rug. "Gabe and I are definitely related and I'm pretty sure his mum's given you the lecture about takiing it easy as well? I got it when I was pregnant with Katie. Just wait until my mother decides to po round to visit... or worse, if mum and Auntie Karen visit together. They'd have you stuck to your seat with a permenant sticking charm." The thing was, Emma actually wasn't kidding. "you'll have me lecturing you next, although I did put up a good fight about sitting still... and still snuck off for a bit of field work when pregnant."

She knew Gabe had been at work a lot and had also heard about Leslie's friedn who was painting the nursery. He was avoiding him she believed... that and, "He's just trying to put food on the table while you're not able to work. But here's a tip. When know one's watching, they can see you not sitting around doing nothing.! Emma laughed. "As for Gabe being in a foul mood... just... keep him away from that friend of yours...I'm getting the vibe he's a tad protective over you, especially now that your expecting. I think he's just protecting the family... male pride sort of thing.." Emma knew how protective Gabe could be. Growing up she'd been the one gettign protective whether she needed it or not.

"I can't wait to meet your parents and I know Karen's anxious to meet them as well and the wedding! I can't believe it's not that far off. Well... time has sped by." Leslie was indeed right. Katie did deserve spoiling - it was her birthday. Everykid deserved to be spoilt on their birthday. "At the moment I'm not sure she knows there's a baby cousin on the way but when they've arrived I know she'll be hooked on looking out for them." The fact that Katie and Turnip had matching elephants made Emma laugh in amusement and was glad that Leslie hadn't carried the box herself.

"Aww, Lynx. You didn't have to," Emma stated, taking the wrapped box from her and calling Katie over. Katie crawled over, dragging her toy dog and elephant. Katie looking over eagerly, Emma helped her unwarp the box and open it, Katie's eye instantly drawn to the bright colors of the illustrations and grabbing up a kitchen whisk with interest. "Oh, Lynx, these are wonderful." Emma opened up the cover of the book flipping through the pages, Katie gaze taking in the pictures pointing at a few with a babble and a grin. "Yes, Katie. That's like the baby dragon Mommy told you she saw." She looked back up at Lynx. "This will definately be her new bedtime story book... or picture book. We'll have her reciting her alphabet in no time. And the utensils and food are perfect. She's been doing some baking with her gran so now she can practice at home."

Emma laughed lightly noddeding as Lynx stated how ready she was to return to work. Oh yes, Lynx was certainly better. She was pretty sure Lynx must have got withdrawals being away from work when cooped up in the hospital. "Me? Glad the virus is all cleared up. Praying nothing else it lurking behind the next corner as it always seems to be." It was a horrible truth but true enough anyway. "Was exhausted coming home finally but glad to be back with all of the family under one roof again. Just needed some family time... at least while it lasts." At the mention of the solving being stressfull, Emma nodded. "Exhausting too."
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Lynx Rubin
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Lynx smiled at Katie, who was playing with the book. "I'm glad she likes it," she told Emma. "I figured it would help her with starting to learn the alphabet and all that." James, spotting Katie from his stroller, reached his arms out to be taken out of the stroller, curious to explore the environment around him.

Lynx went to take him out and hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should pick him up. What if he started crying, and she had no idea how to stop him? That seemed to happen a lot with her. But she didn't want to just leave James in his stroller the whole time, so she took a breath and unbuckled him, picking him up and putting him down in the soft grass with Katie. "There, that's better now, isn't it?"

He immediately crawled over to where some of the torn wrapping paper was and picked it up. He was now sitting next to Katie and he looked at her and held out the wrapping paper, interacting with her in his own way.

"I think James is trying to give Katie a present too," she remarked.

"But yeah - family time sounds good. As far as work goes, I'm scheduling meetings with everyone just to see where people are at and how to get things back on track in a way that's best for everyone," she explained.

Looking over at Leslie, she listened to her talk about the baby and about her overprotective fiance. "Congratulations on the baby," she said. "Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl yet?"
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Kevin_D'Abugine
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Kevin was carrying a large package, the wrapping paper being of floating, golden snitches. He had been completely wrapped up -- get it, wrapping? ha.--in the present, as well as getting everything ready to eat. After all, isn't it a tradition of sorts to let the birthday-girl smash cake into their face?

Well, Kevin though she should be allowed to anyways. If she wanted.

So he joined in--carefully putting the package down--and waved to the guests, before kissing Emma's cheek and crouching down to see Katie too, grinning.

"Sorry--I, was finishing the icing on the cake."

In the shape of an elephant, of course.

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for those days we've felt like a mistake; for those times when loves what you hate
somehow; we keep marching on // there's so many wars we fight, there's so many thing's were not...
but with what we have; I promise you that we're marching on {there's not a flag that I'd wave...}

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Gabriel Law
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"Did someone mention cake?" Gabe's voice floated across the grass as he made his way out of the house, approaching the group settled in the garden. Work had been mental. Three deliveries that afternoon and one of those had gone into labr just as he'd been about to leave earlier. Luckly the baby had practically shot out like a canonball, otherwise he'd not be there at all. "Sorry I'm late. Seem baby's that want delivering and pregnant women wait for no Healer..." He trailed off, glancing at his fiance and her rounded stomach. "And they have every right not to wait."

He crossed the grass to ruffle his niece's hair smiling down at James. "You made a new friend there? Look, he's got you some wrapping paper. Are you going to say thank you?" Katie in response, took the paper from James with a broad grin and held out the whisk in her other hand. "At least she's sharing," Gabe laughed, eyeing the box Kevin had sat before him. "So what's this about cake?"
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Leslie Law
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Leslie laughed at Emma's tip. "Oh Karen's got me under wraps for sure, I am surprised Gabe hasn't assigned her to babysitting me while he's at work..." She rolled her eyes with a smile. "And as for you lecturing me, no being hypocritical now, I need you on my side here, I am outnumbered three to one, my mother, Karen and Gabe." She looked around and then slid her sunglasses back over her eyes.

"He's taking on the alpha male role definitely, and its not as if I saw it coming either. But its not like I don't try and keep them apart, I started having Chester come and do the painting while Gabe is at work, but I doubt that its making Gabe feel better, so might have to move it so Gabe is there. Something is going on and I don't know what." She told Emma and then smiled as one of the other guests congratulated her.

She rubbed her belly and shook her head thoughtfully. "We have an idea, but we want it to be a surprise. So everything in gender neutral thus far. And your little boy, he's beautiful, you've done a good job with him, he looks really happy." She said gesturing to James and Katie on the rug.

"Ahh, looking better Kevin..." She laughed as he finally joined them, she hadn't seen him since the day in the hospital.

When she heard Gabe's voice, her smile widened and she turned her head to look up at him. She sighed a breath of relief when she noticed he was in a decent mood, which meant that Gabe had not in fact went home, or if he had, his and Chester's paths did not cross. "Nice cover up..." She laughed and grabbed for his hand immediately. "Katie loved her presents." She told Gabe as she watched the two kids on the ground playing together, with the dog and the elephant close by.

"Ooooooh, Gabe, if you need help with putting together the furniture, what about asking Kevin to help?" Leslie whispered to Gabe, tugging him closer to her.
Edited by Leslie Law, Jun 3 2009, 04:27 AM.
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Emma_D'Abugine
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"My aunt would gladly babysit you, really. But I guess a mother herself, she knows how frustrating sitting around doing nothing can be, even if it is what's best." Emma gave Leslie a pointed look. "I am on your side," she laughed. "But a bit of relaxation now and again doesn't hurt, surely."

Emma loved Lynx's idea of starting Katie on her alphabet, "It's wonderful, thank you. We'll have her reading in no time." Well Katie could say her first word so what was stopping then starting her on learning how to spell? James seemed eager to meet Katie and Emma watched with interest as he was set down next to her, Katie not having interacted with many babies her own age. She bit her lip watching the interaction. It was just too cute to see James offering her a bit of her own wrapping paper. At about the same time, Gabe arrived, uttering apologies on his being late and Emma watched her daughters reaction when Gabe asked her if she was going to say thank you. The fact that Katie offer little James in return her whisk had Emma laughing. "Well at least they know how to share," laughing again as she realized she'd just mimiced her cousin.

"Ah and speaking of the alpha male..." she grinned at her cousin as he tried to save himself from digging a deep hole with his fiance, pretty sure she could imagine him being jealous over Leslie's friend Chester. Her grin widened at the sight of her own husband. "Or two alpha males in my life." Her cheeks warmed at the kiss, eyes darting down to the wrapped box that he'd set down. "Oh it's finished?" Emma had caught but a briefly glimpse of the cake in the kitchen before Kevin had whisked it off to be iced. "Katie, Sweetie. What's Daddy got for you? You going to come and see?" Katie didn't need asking twice crawling along on her hands and knees at speed towards them, babbling 'Daddadda ddadad' all the way and only pausing to glance back at James. "Yes James can come and see as well. And Edward," Emma looked round to Sayuri and Edward with a warm smile.
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Leslie Law
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Leslie stood up with a little effort and leaned into Gabe. "I know you probably don't want to but maybe we should go to this dinner we were invited to," she told him softly. Not that she'd tell him, but she really wanted to meet his father, if only once. She knew Gabe looked like Karen, but there had to be some traits he had taken from his father. There was also fear though, Leslie had heard the best stories, but maybe he was different now. "Emma, Kevin and Katie can come for dinner, later this week." She offered him.

Gabe's face fell and nodded. Leslie looked at Emma apologetically. "We were invited to dinner. So we have to head out, but I will end an owl later and maybe you can come for dinner." She said, the apology in her voice was clear.

Leslie grabbed onto Gabe's arm, needing him to get back to their apartment, getting to France was hard enough. And they left.

[Permission to GM given]
Edited by Leslie Law, Jun 8 2009, 01:09 AM.
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Lynx Rubin
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As people started to take their leave after a while, Lynx, too, stood up, getting James back into his stroller. He was tired from a long afternoon of playing with Katie and meeting tons of new people.

"Well, Em, I gotta get going.And happy birthday again, Katie," she bid them both goodbye. "I'll see you later, but right now I think this little guy needs to go home and get some sleep," she said with a grin.

After saying goodbye to the D'Abugine family once more, Lynx took James home.
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Emma_D'Abugine
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Gabe and Leslie were the first to make their excuses and leave, if reluctantly, having another engagement to attend, a dinner and Emma fully understood. Besides, the kids had played, cake had been eaten and Katie had had a wonderful time interacting with kids her own age for a change. It had been a fabulous first birthday for their daughter.

Lynx and James had been the next to leave - it had been an exciting afternoon and Katie also was about ready for her bed, yawning yet seem to try to stay awake. Cake still on her fingers and in her hair, having nose dived in the elephant cake. Bidding goodnight to the guests, it had just been a case of settling down Katie for a nap in her playpen while they cleared up after the party, before apparating home and settling Katie down for the night.
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Andy Grant
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Andy had never felt calmer than here, this had always felt like home. Coming here to see Bassy and Abi were the memories that filled her head. She watched as the boys ran around in the grass, laughing and playing while she sat on the blanket under the umbrella with the girls who babbled and played with each other. Feeling the breeze pick up slightly, she shook out her long dark hair that looked healthy finally after how terrible it looked while she was stressed out.

Checking her watch, she finally called it a day and shepherded her kids into the house to wash up. No sooner had the boys walked into the kitchen, their clothes were being pulled off and abandoned in favour of their underwear. Andy rolled her eyes as she held the girls in her arms. "When you're done with those dishes, go clean up outside." She ordered harshly.
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Julianna Eppes

It had been exactly two weeks and two days since she had been at home. That long, since she had seen her son, or Llian. It was a really lucky thing that Andy wanted her to cook so much, because that was calming for her. And she needed, calming. Even it wasn't enough though; she was still scrubbing a little harder than necessary, arms shaking with the exertion.

It'd been about a week since Andy had taken her from that gingerbread house, and she'd been mostly healed. Mostly. Her bruises were still flaming colors, a deep brown, purple, or blue. None of them were sickly yellow yet, but she knew they would get to that point. Her knife wounds were bandaged, healed enough that it wasn't dangerous; her secrumsempra cuts at the very least closed up, but still hurting, still showing. She herself was changing the bandages, trying to lotion the bruises and encourage healing. There just wasn't much she could do though. She didn't have her wand. She didn't have enough magical ability to get away, and she was tired. Just, deep, bone tired. Mentally tired.

And suddenly, she was the maid.

It hurt to watch Andy out there with her boys knowing she was missing Taylor, knowing he was missing important feedings and she was missing the development. That was what was getting to her; not the physical pain, but the emotional.

When Andy and her children came into the house, Juls just paused, staring into the sudsy water she was elbow-deep in. Clothes were being thrown everywhere, it was suddenly extremely loud... and Andy was giving her more things to do.

The funny thing was, Juls had thought Andy had come to help her escape. Not to lock her back in. For a moment, Juls was silent, just breathing, and then she closed her eyes and pulled her hands back out of the sink, wiping them off on a towel.

"Why?" It wasn't a question to why she was being told to clean up; it was a plead for answers on what the hell this was all about. Why she couldn't go home. Why she had been used as a pin cushion, a punching bag, of sorts. She just...didn't get it. And for a while she was just too weak to bother pushing for the answers. Now wasn't so much better, her swaying on her feet just the slightest, but it was with focused eyes that she turned to Andy, arms crossed defensively.

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Andy Grant
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Smiling. Andy had waited for the day the mutt would get out of the bed that was provided for her, for when she was healed enough to be enslaved. The poor house elves had to deal with the kids, so when Julianna was healthy enough, she was to cook and clean up afte them. She did not appreciate the dirty bitch's defiance when she crossed her arms. "Do you think you can handle it?" She asked sarcastically.

Placing the girls in the swings, Andy turned back to Julianna. "Why? Because you don't deserve what you have. I will keep you out of the picture long enough to make them all forget you. Saint Julianna, I don't understand why anyone likes you... you're an abomination to the wizard name, so is your son, and you've taken Llian down with you. I hope you're happy, ruining his chances at being happy." She spat at the other woman venomously.
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Julianna Eppes

Juls didn't bother responding to Andy's comment about whether or not she could handle 'cleaning up' outside. It was a jab, and Juls knew, possibly better than anyone, that rising to the bait only added to the misfortune. It wouldn't help her so much as hurt her to be sarcastic back, to bitch back over such a tiny comment.

Instead, she focused on the answer to her question of why. At first, Juls just slumped slightly against the counter, not bothering to even bother flinching at the feel of the hard surface against her bruises. The longer the explanation went on though, Juls ended up reaching a hand up to her face, to her eyes, trying to not let it get at her.

"They won't forget about me." She first murmured, her voice completely soft in response to Andy's harsh tone. "And my son is not an abomination. Llian..." She had to take a break, shuddering as she finished, "-is happy."

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Andy Grant
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Watching Julianna, Andy was careful to watch her reactions, so far her thought were very obvious, the restraint and the trying to remain calm. Well that was no fun, Andy wanted more of a reaction than that. "No, I think he is, things like you shouldn't be allowed to mate. And on the off chance you do, the resulting progeny should be euthanized." She hissed at her, sneering at her.

"And Llian only wants you to think he's happy. He's too nice to be honest to such weak people. That, or he's probably afraid that you'll turn on him and bite him wth your rabies infested mouth." Andy jabbed further.
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Julianna Eppes

Juls shook her head. "Look, I get it, okay? I get that you're jealous. I get that maybe your life isn't where you want it to be, and you aren't used to not having him be at your beck and call or whatever. And I get that you can easily be angry with me because of that. But don't you dare...don't you dare tell me my gorgeous, healthy baby boy that you are keeping me from should be killed."

Taylor was...definitely Juls' weak spot. That baby was her life; she loved him more than anything else in that world, and the thought of him not in it would have brought up a lot of anger had she the energy for that kind of emotion.

When Andy went on to tell her that Llian wasn't truthful about how he felt because he was too nice, because for some reason, Juls was weak or scary or something, the tears did spill. She was tired, and she wanted to go home, and she wanted her family. She didn't want to deal with this. However, with the tears came her incredulous laugh, slight and thin, but a laugh none-the-less. Not that she'd ever say so to Andy, but Juls was fully aware Llian never minded when she 'bit' him.

"We both know that's not true. He's never been prejudiced against wolves, and for the record? He was the one that kept coming back to me. I was surprised every single time I heard a knock on my door past the acceptable time of just checking up on me for his job. Okay? He initiated it. I didn't lock him into a relationship he didn't want."

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Andy Grant
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With her wand drawn, Andy's face went from calculating to angry. "Impedimentia!" She said, watching Julianna crash backwards into the cabinets. "Once I am done with you here, he's next, believe me. And if for some reason you get out of here before I decide what I want to do with you, and you do tell people about this place, so Merlin help me, I will torture him in front of you, slowly and horrifically painfully." She threated through her teeth.

She walked around the kitchen slowly and threw the sopping wet cloth in Julianna's face. "Don't you dare analyze my life, you know nothing about me. But believe me, I will make Llian forget about you. What do you think he was doing during the last full moon?" Andy asked, wanting to plant doubt.
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Julianna Eppes

Well.

Juls had to say she wasn't completely surprised, but she still gave a small cry when she slammed into the cabinets, sinking into a crumpled mess on the floor. It'd have hurt just by itself, but the application of that much pressure to her cuts and bruises just added agony to the mix, leaving her gasping, as if extra air would sink away the pain.

Juls pushed herself into a sitting position, reaching back gingerly to find a tender area on her skull, paling. "No, you won't." Thinking her head had stopped spinning enough, she slowly stood once again, grip on the counter white. "You won't, because Andromeda, I will kill you before you even lay a hand on him. I don't like hurting people. I don't like killing flies. But if you touch my son, so help me merlin, it will be the last thing you ever do. You can throw me around, and order me around, but you will not touch Taylor. Do you understand me?"

Her eyes had begun to melt into a lighter color, her voice darkening to a near growl the longer she spoke. Still, the wet rag was a wake up call of sorts, and she answered firmly, "Taking care of our son."

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