Always a thief(lady/moon)

"Well considering I spent most of my life knee deep in death, it does tend to not affect me as much." "And your powers aren't as reliant on...life as james is. You're less affected even if your hurt. You two will be okay though."loki said fussing over thrm all some."Yea we are. As much as I hate to not being on the case...well a enforced vacation is sometimes okay."he shrugged. Wincing a little at james words."yes....that's the sense I got. That she knew something but was so traumatized by it she didn't want to say..."

"I know...I'm sorry."belladonna said softly, biting her lip a little."yes...he looks different...or maybe I've just grown since I saw him, but I remember."belladonna said before frowning, paling slightly at the idea. "Truly? You think...yes. I can see that..."now that she knew what was happening, she understood the puzzle pieces that hadn't made sense. Of course mab was in the shadows on this. Looking annoyed at the stalling she huffed out a sigh."you know as interesting this is, it's not what I wanted to know."she sulked a little."...twin...sidhe?"she stared at her father in shock. While it was commonamong the fae, for the widhe, true royals of either court, twin pureblood sidhe was rare. And simply being near them she knew there was nothing common about these two.

"We'll be just fine Loki." he promised. "you don't have to fuss so much." he complained affectionately. "an enforced vacation is exactly what you need." James grumbled at Alex with a smile. "besides, Belladonna very likely knows who the murderer is. she just has to calm down and come to terms with what happened." he admitted. "i'm sure she will be okay." he hoped to god she would be okay.

"There is nothing to be sorry for my beautiful Nightshade." he promised her with a smile. "no, he looks rather different." he admitted. "i believe he no longer hides himself, nor is he marred by pain and hate and grief." he admitted before he nodded. "the Dark Queen has found that the bastard twins where not slaughtered as she had believed." he admitted softly. "she has sent hr assassins to murder any half fey twin children they can find." he swallowed thickly before smirking at her complaining. "these twin boys are hunting the very thing that hunts them." he admitted, very worried about them. "i think they may be the missing twin heirs tot he Thrones of Sun and Moon." he admitted softly. "the one, the Life Mage, he has reported to have been dreaming about you. that was how we where able to find you. he dreamed you where calling for help and told him where you where."

Loki twitched as he settled back into a chair, huffing a little."he definitely needs a vacation." "I'll take a vacation when we find this killer...but yes. I agree. Belladonna is probably aware of who it is."alex sighed closing his eyes, exhausted with even just the small trip to james' room, though he was still fidgeting, trying to figure out how to bring up what else they needed to discuss.

"...well.okay."she sighed quietly, biting her lip a little because she knew this was going to hurt her father. Badly."yes...that seems right. He seems...easier."she said smiling because even only the few times she'd seen him since she woke, he seemed more relaxed. Quiet. "Well. Maybe we'll be able to stop them from being killed. It would be a good thing. Sidhe children are to be cherished....she will be out of options, maybe, if we prove they are who they say they are."she said though she didn't sound sure about that before blushing a littlw."yes....he is who I've dreamed of....I wasn't sure until I saw him though."

"We can't push the investigation Alex. especially not now that Cernunnos is involved. his daughter was kidnapped. that means the kidnapper will now face the wrath of the Wild Hunt. if we don't tread carefully, we could easily start a war." Gabe explained. "we need this vacation to carefully plan what we are going to do." he admitted smiling at the exhausted lover. "come now. i should take you back to bed." "wait..." James ordered. "i just wanted to let you know... i think it's kind of great." he admitted. "you obviously really love Alex, and you keep him safe and make him sleep and eat and i know you would never ver hurt him so.... so i think it's great. because you make him happy, and stuff." James admitted, making Gabe gape at him. "however, if you ever hurt my brother i will make you wish you had never been born. i will cut you open and make you watch and i will slice you apart inch by inch and bury the parts of you so far apart no one will ever find all of you." "...understood..."

Cernunnos smiled at her a little. "he is much easier. he has a new mate, they hide it though so it would be wise not to comment." he admitted. "Sidhe children are only to be cherished so long as they are pure-blooded and not a threat." Cernunnos scoffed. "you forget sweetling, that the others are not like we, the Wild Fey." he admitted. "they do not treat their children with the same reverence as we do." he admitted. "particularly those of the Unseelie. they are not children anymore at any rate." he admitted with a sigh. "and proving who they are would only have them in even more danger than they are already i think." he admitted before smiling at her a little. "do you know what it means to have dreams of another?" he asked her.

"...I know. I just dislike knowing that I'm laid up here, and whoever it is is probably out there killing someone else."alex sighed a little. Because he knew they couldn't just rush head long into it no matter what he wanted to do. He just hated not being able to protect everyone."...yes bed would be good..."Alex yawned before tensing looking at james before blushing a little. Fidgeting. Embarrassed and worried james was upset with them."...I...are you upset with us?for not saying anything?"he asked cause it had only been in the last five years, since his and james relationship had become so strained that him and gabe had gotten together. They'd been friends forever it'd just taken that long for them to get together.

"Ah, okay. I will not mention it. Though I doubt there's no one who doesn't know now, that alex has been hurt."Belladonna sighed. Before wincing a little."I'm glad I'm a wild child, even being old and going to court makes me break out in hjves. They're just so...."she trailed off not finding the right word to describe the sidhe that didn't make their home in the wild court. There were rare exceptions, but mostly the sidhe were arrogant fools."...yes...I do."she said ducking her head, blushing brightly.

"i know. but you can't save everyone Alex and you can't help people if your dead yourself." he pointed out. "it's better to slow down now and take care of yourself than die because you didn't and not be able to help anyone at all. besides, i'm pretty sure we, you and i, are now the main target." "why would you say that!?" Gabe demanded. had James figured it out!? "because not only did i escape him, we also managed to Save Belladonna from him. we're half fey twins, exactly what he's hunting. he won't let us go so easily, no i think he'll focus all of his attentions on us. especially since we will now know his identity. we don't, but we will soon enough i'm sure and that will make him both furious and afraid. i'm almost certain of it." he admitted before smiling at Alex. "no. i'm not mad." h promised. "i could never be mad. for one, we weren't exactly on the best terms and for two it was to protect you right? so you wouldn't be used against each other? i can get down with that... i'm a little upset to have missed the wedding though." "there wasn't one. it was a spiritual thing with just the two of us." "oh. then i'm not mad at all." he promised. "i get to be the groomsman when you get married." he sniffed. "and i get to arrange Gabe's Stag Party."

"that's true." he agreed. "however, not many ever saw them come in here to begin with. we should endeavor to keep it a secret for as long as possible. you where hurt because of your ties to James and you two had never even met. i fear what might happen if Gabe was to be kidnapped. or worse, you where kidnapped again." he admitted, gently stroking her face. "i wish you where six again, and i could just lock you in your room where you would be safe and content to play with your tea set." he admitted with a sigh. "they are huffy, bigoted snobs." he suggested to her with a smile before chuckling at her blush. "do not fret so my daughter. you do not have to do anything, after all. though i think, after he risked so much for you, you should at least thank him." eh admitted. "he very nearly killed himself in his desperation to rescue you, the poor fool. he had lost himself to the wild you see. it was your dream that gave his mid back to him. you rather saved him too and i think he wants to thank you and make sure you are alright now that the fever has gone."

“Yea I know. It’s just hard relaxing enough to not go running headlong into trouble.”Alex huffed a little before wining at gabe’s demand, reahing out to gently stroke his arm, trying to alm him. “Yes....until we’re gone, I think he’ll focus on us. Espeially since he has to know we wont turn away and not find him now that we have a lead on who he is.He’s gotta be feeling desperate.”Alex sighed quietly before relaxing nodding. “Yes it was. Even without this case, work is dangerous enough I’m not about to let anyone figure out I have a weak spot somewhere.”Alex said shrugging a little before snorting. “Spirital thing, sex under moonlight and all. Doubt you would have wanted to be there.”Alex added smiling beause he liked teasing james before snorting. “fine. If we ever have a wedding, you an be groomsmen.”

“Ah, true. We’ll protect them, as long as we can.”Belladonna said, well aware they could get in trouble for it, but they’d do it. Because it was the right thing to do. Wining a little at the idea of the others being hurt because of the twins. They were sure to not handle that idea well at all. “I’ll stay here until we straighten things out. If I thought he’d listen, I’d tell you to keep Gabe here to, but I doubt he’d let us.”Belladonna said before grinning. “Yes, that’s good words for them.”She said before nodding. “I know, but he is....I have dreamed of him for so long.”she sighed a little ebfore nodding. “I will thank him, I just was waiting till I was strong enough to go see him without passing out. And that he would be aware enough to understand who I was.”Belladonna smiled slightly.

"i know." James and Gabe echoed, both sounding a little exasperated before Gabe sighed and smiled at Alex because he couldn't help but calm down when the other was so gently trying to make him feel better. "so this means that he won't hurt other people, he'll be focused on us." James promised Alex, hoping to god he was right because his brother would never forgive himself if they where wrong. "Well i won't tell anyone and Loki won't either right Loki?" James asked, grinning at Loki before rolling his eyes at Alex. "we both know there's going to be a wedding eventually." he admitted. "might not be for a few years yet, but there will be one." he admitted with a chuckle. "now go away, Loki promised me a bath and i can't do it myself with my hands." he admitted. his hands where burned nearly to the bone, he couldn't use them at all, or get them wet so he'd have to sit in the bathtub and let Loki scrub him. "Do you need help?" Gabe asked Loki. unwilling to leave if h thought James needed help because he knew it would upset Alex.

"We will have to. they are the only change the Seelie and Unseelie courts have." he admitted. "i remember now, where i saw that wound. the one on James. the previous assassin, the Dark Queens favorite liked to eviscerate his victims." he admitted. "it would appear she was sick enough to send her assassin to murder two children. the wound is old enough that James couldn't have been any more than ten when he was split open." He admitted, shaking his head. "That could very likely be why he has such a block on his powers, the trauma of being attacked, if he blamed his abilities he would very likely place unconscious locks on what he could do. he will need a lot of work to get over that." he admitted with a sigh before smiling at her. "Gabriel would never leave his lover." he admitted. "especially not with him in so much danger." he admitted before smiling at her. "well. he is aware now. in fact, i believe he is well enough to even have a bath today." he admitted happily. "he is making remarkable strides in his recovery." he admitted.

“yea, I think so. Maybe.”Alex saids sighing a little, hoping the other was right. He could deal with putting hismelf in danger, resting while there ewas someone else being hurt. “No, the only people I talk to regularly, are in this room. Sorta makes gossiping about anything hard.”Loki teased a little before smiling. “Definitely going to be a wedding.” “....fine. Wahtever.”Alex said rolling his eyes before snorting, standing up carefully. “Have fun.” “No, I got it. Just get alex to bed. Out of the two of them, he seems to be recovering slower.”Loki said looking worried.

“....Truly?Then she really is insane. More then we suspected.”Belladonna shook her head a little before shuddering at the idea. Swallowing hard as she nodded. “You said both of them had. They both must have locked down themselves to protect themselves unless abosolutely needed.”Belladonna sighed a little.”Good. They needed protecting.”She muttered glad the prince had such a good mate, he would be well protected. “Good....well then I will go see him after he has bathed.”

"that's very true." James agreed with Loki, offering him a smile. "that's because there's so much life here, my magic is getting a hell of a boost from all the Nature and specifically the Wild Magic." James admitted. "Alex isn't connected like mine is so he has to heal naturally while i'm getting a significant boost." he admitted. "sorry Alex." he said, well aware his brother hated being sick or injured and bed bound. "if it makes you feel better, as hurt as i am, we'll probobly get out of bed at the same time." he admitted with a smile.

"yes truly. i cannot prove anything of course, this is all speculation." he admitted. "but i do truly think the Queen is behind the murders." he admitted with a sigh. "no. the block Alex has on his powers is different than James." he admitted. "Alex can take his down. James is entirely unaware of his. they will both need some heavy training or they will never survive the backlash of their powers breaking free." he admitted before smiling at her. "why wait? you should go examine the goods." he teased her with a grin. "he is a Fey after all, i doubt he would mind letting you see him in the nude." he teased, he loved teasing his daughter and she was well old enough to decide if she wanted to mate with someone. if she had been sixteen he would have been having issues, but she was an adult and he didn't need to protect her.. besides, he knew enough about James to know he would never pressure or force or blackmail, guilt trip or anything else, his precious daughter into anything.

“Ah. That sucks. Thanks jamie.”Alex grumbled yawning a little as he made a face at his sibling as he let the other help him out of the room. It just was unfair, even if he knew james wasn’t doing it on purpose.

“Ah, well you are intelligent and old enough to put the pieces together when they’re there. If that’s the picture it makes, it probably is.”Belladonna said before wincing. “We’ll train them. Make sure they’re both looked after, they’ll need it.”she sighed before snorting, “he’s been sick. He probably smells. I’d rather visit a good smelling fey.”Belladonna said even though she was blushing at his teasing.

James chuckled and held his arms out to Loki, he was too weak to do much on his own but at least he could make it easier for his friend. "thanks for taking care of me Lo." he mumbled, smiling. "sorry but i don't think we'll be having 'late night festivals' anymore." he admitted with a chuckle. "i don't think y mate is going to want to share. we'll have to double down on finding Thor for you." he admitted. "maybe she has a clue as to where he might be?" they could always ask, after all.

Cernunnos grimaced and shook his head. "or i could simply be seeing the things i want, or worse, they want me to see." he admitted before nodding. "they will need a great deal of work." he admitted before chuckling. "that's true too i suppose." he admitted with a smile. "or is it that you would rather smell nice yourself, hmm?"

Loki smiled a little as he stood up with the other in his arms, pressing a kiss to his head. “No, I didn’t think we would be.”Loki said sounding amused before snorting. “And as odd as the fae can be about sex, I still doubt your mate would be accepting to sharing....we’ll find thor.”Loki said shrugging a little. “Probably somewhere in europe, he usually is. Besides that, not really.”

“Ah. Maybe. But she is lost, and she has lost what she once was. Everyone but Lord Oberon can see that father.”Belladonna said before snorting. “Maybe. Now, if you’re not going to be nice, you can go away. I should get a shower and clean up myself.”

James smiled a little. "i'll miss you though." he admitted. "no one could make me scream like you can." he teased with a chuckle. "well, the Unseelie wouldn't care for the most part so long as they know i belong to them, but the wild fey here tend to be really possessive from what i've heard. makes me feel all tingly." he admitted with a chuckle before sighing happily as he was able to get good and clean. he wasn't the cleanest person in the world but even he felt grungy after four or five days without a good scrub. he insisted on Loki scrubbing him hard enough his skin turned pink and only then would he get out of the tub and go back to bed, tired after all that he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. his hands ached horribly though and sleep certainly wasn't going to be easy for a while.

"Oberon is as lost as she is daughter." he informed her. "he does not see how mad the Dark Queen has become. i fear both will have to be... removed." he admitted. "i always play nice!" he protested, smiling at her. "i am glad you are better." he admitted, kissing her forehead.

“I’m glad to hear that. I have to stay in good shape for sex, otherwise thor would be most disappointed.”Loki snickered a little before rolling his eyes. “I’m sure that’s all that makes you tingly.”He teased grinning as he cleaned the other up, well aware the other was cleaned up, knowing belladonna would be by the visit when she was up and moving. “I know it hurts, but try and sleep.”Loki said soothingly, gently stroking james’ hair as he sat down the edge of the bed, looking worried about him.

“...He is not as insane. Simply....in love I think. Which is odd but....”Belladonna sighed shaking her head as she considered the lord of illusion and light. Wondering if it was a willful blindness to his queen’s faults that kept oberon in the dark, blindness because the king could not deal with the idea of his wife being so twisted. It was horrible, but also touching to see a man so in love still. “I know what it would do to you to have to remove him...I am sorry father.”She muttered before laughing, rolling her eyes. “You do not. Now shoo.”She ordered easing out of the bed, and heading for the bathroom.

he snickered a little. "Thor would be very disappointed." he agreed with a smile. "You've been such a slacker Loki. you only had sex with me every few months. totally getting rusty." he teased with a chuckle. "i dunno, but i like being tingly so that's fine." he admitted happily. "i don't think i can." he admitted once he was in bed, trembling from the pain. the potent painkillers they used could not be supplied too often or James would get highly addicted, and n his weakened state if the addiction didn't ill him, the withdrawal would. because of this for every seven or eight hours he was pain free, or at least too doped up to care he was in pain, he had one to two hours of excruciating pain. there was only a period of two or so hours where he was lucid and wasn't in pain. because of this,he was awake and had tears in his eyes by the time Belladonna was out of the shower, and he still had an hour and a half left before he could have more painkilling herbs. it was only Loki reading a very goo boo to him that managed to keep him somewhat distracted from the pain.

he shook his head. "no there are other things." he admitted softly. "the Seelie court has always held themselves in a certain way. their...control is slipping. Oberon's desperate attachment to his wife is beginning to affect him with the same sickness that is affecting her. and now that it is beginning to affect him, it will spread to the rest of his court." he admitted softly. "Oberon is getting sick and he feels i am being 'overly paranoid' when i try to bring it to his attention. I dare not spend too much time with him now, for fear it could spread to me." he admitted. "and i have checks in place. the Lords watch very closely to me and to each other for unusual behavior." he admitted, trying to reassure her. "if i fall ill, i will be placed into hospital care. i would rather be tied to a bed than hurt my people" he admitted. "now. stop being mean to your father." he ordered, looking amused as he slipped out of the room so she could bathe as she pleased.

"...very true."Belladonna said tilting her head, conceding the point even if she knew it would hurt her father if they had to kill oberon. And half wondering if the Lord of the fae was being bewitched by his wife, but not bringing it up because it was such a desperate longshot. By the time she got to james' rooms she was fidgety and nervous about meeting her mate, knocking lightly on the door before sticking her head in. "May I come in?"

James looked over at the knock on the door. he was trembling and sweating and miserable with the pain but as soon as he realized who it was he perked himself up, forced himself to stop trembling because he didn't want her to feel bad that he was hurt. he wasn't sure she would but he suspected it and that was more than enough to make him force himself to not look as miserable as he was. "sure. come on in!" he said, looking very eager to have her company.

Belladonna smiled as she walked in, tilting her head as loki politely excused himself. Looking bemused as she took the gods vacated seat she looked james over, pain in her eyes."I am sorry, lord byrne. When I prayed for someone to find me, I did not know this would be the result...or that your twin would be harmed."well, it seemed feeling guilty for things was a fae habit, or at least for some. "Do you need anything?"

He smiled at Loki, silently thanking him before grimacing. "one." he said firmly. "don't call me Lord. it's creepy and weird. Two. this is not your fault and you should neither feel bad for it nor blame yourself." he ordered. "and three, i did what i did because there was no other option, and because i wasn't thinking clearly. i had lost my mind to the wild and then was covered in Cold iron and that went a long way to my decision to even be there when i was, being honest here, weak and helpless." he admitted before smiling at her. "besides, it was totally worth it." he admitted. "i never thought you where real you know... i used to... well, no, i dream of you." he admitted. "recently, i've had more and more dreams and i realize it was because you where in danger and The Wild was trying to warn me." it almost sounded like James didn't actually understand what the dreams meant. "I could use some water actually." he admitted. "there's a glass there, with a straw. would you hold it for me?" he asked hopefully. once the straw was to his lips he gulped it down and smiled at her. "thanks. the medicine the scary doctor has me on makes me thirsty." actually, it was probobly the burns and the fever.

“Okay, no lord. And well, okay.”She said reluctantly, as slow to not take the blame as alex was before wincing a little. “Ah, that explains some of this. You were still iron weak, then you touched more. I’m sorry.”She smiled a little before blushing a little, ducking her head. “No...I didn’t know you were real either. I mean, I’d read the old stories, that some chosen mates dreamed of each other, but I’ve never met anyone who did. Some dream, some have other ways of find their special people.”Belladonna said, watching him, nervous about telling him, and wondering if his twin had had similar dreams of Gabe, but not quite sure how to explain if he had no idea what was happening. “Here you go.”belladonna said smiling as she helped him drink, before snorting. “She is scary. And I think it’s the fever, but rest. You need it.”

He smiled at her. "your as bad as Alex is." he admitted with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "i was Iron weak." he admitted. "the death magic saturating everything wasn't helping either." he admitted before smiling at her. "it's not your fault. i would have one it for anyone." he promised her. "So those stories are rel? your my... uhm... soul? part of my soul?" he asked softly. "we're 'destined'?... what if we don't like each other?" he asked, looking concerned. "i'm not the easiest guy in the world to get along with after all. if you can't stand me are you... stuck?" the idea of trapping her made him crawl. He wanted to be with her, sure. she was beautiful and he'd been dreaming of her all his life, but he wanted it to be, because they wanted it to be. not because they had no other choice. he didn't want to be her only option if they didn't work out or worse. "can't sleep. it hurts too much. i have another..." he glanced at the time candle on the desk. "forty five minutes to go before i can get more painkillers." he admitted.

“Maybe. I still haven’t spoken to him, I’m sure he’ll be fun to talk to.”Belladonna said looking thoughtful before wincing at his words, blushing a little as he nodded. “They are. Though it has been a long time since it’s happened. The last one I’ve heard of was my father, and that was long ago.”Belladonna said before smiling slightly. “I am part of you, but sometimes, destined pairs are better friends then lovers. I am not stuck, the bond can be broken if we wished, the dreams are just.....a way of finding who faerie has chosen, for whatever reason, as your mate. We can turn away if we wish, though I have not actually heard of a couple who found life unbearable with their chosen.”Belladonna looked thoughtful before looking around. “Oh....well...I could read to you?”

"He's a whole bundle of fun." he agreed dryly before smiling at her. "well. it's an honor to meet you then. i'd shake your hand but i'm not allowed to use them." he admitted with a smile. "your father had dreams of his mate?" James asked, curious. "so we don't Have to be lovers." he said, sounding relieved. "nothing against you of course, but if we're going to be... intimate, i want it to be our choice. i don't want it to be forced or it will be like..." he shook his head. "anyway. i'm sure we'll get to know each other and we can decide for ourselves what we want to be, right?" he offered her with a smile. "would you?" he asked hopefully. "i'm a huge bookworm." he admitted with a smile. "do you like books?" James had three passions. books, plants, and burgling. well, the girl from his dreams too but he'd found her.

“I’m sure he is.”Belladonna said looking amused, having been talking to sith some, to find out about the boys to. “Yes, no using your hands. The doctor scares me enough to let you behave.”She teased before nodding. “He did. Centuries ago, long before I was born....my mother was not his chosen....she died in a war, my older brothers are her sons. My mother was his second queen, chosen because he was lonely....sadly, she died to.”Belladonna sighed, thinking about her father, who had lost two of the loves of his life, no wonder he held so tightly to his children. And it pained her to know what she knew. “No, we don’t....and I would like to know you before anything happens.”She smiled before nodding as she picked up the book. “I love books. I’m going to school for literature.”