3:24 Brotherly Love

The grim reaper; the being who had stolen her love so many years before, guarding the entrance to the graveyard that held his body.

And the stone pillar, the same one that had changed her niece's life. Ominous statues, watching the dead on this cold, starry, moonless night.

She couldn't help but cry when she realised how long it had been. The grass had grown back, the mound of dirt was long since gone, and a thick layer of frost covered everything in sight. Was this the right thing to do?

The only activity in the area, were a few ghostly figures coasting on the other side of the lot, not appearing to see her as she started clawing at the hard ground with her hands. She wished she'd bought a shovel, but it would have seemed suspicious as she'd never gardened.

Safe and warm, she thought, as she climbed into bed several hours later. And in just a few days she wouldn't be alone under the sheets.

_____

"Why does it always have to rain when you least want it to?" Shaena wondered out loud, as she rang the doorbell of her brothers log cabin.

"Hey, Shae! Bit early for you to be up!"
"Hey Lou. Yeah, we need to talk about something important. Away from Mum..."

Luis led Shaena into the small shack, and turned in the entranceway, silently urging her to continue.
"Is Layla in?"
"No, she's out collecting seeds."
"Shouldn't you be the hunter-gatherer?" Shaena joked.
"No, me man. Me carry heavy stone and chop wood for fire." Luis put on a caveman voice, making the pair of them giggle.

"But, seriously Shae. What's so important that you're ringing my doorbell at 7am, on a day you have a council appointed lie-in, that you can't talk to Mum about? Not pregnant are you?" He was joking about the last part - trying to lighten the mood, but Shaena still rolled her eyes. Older brothers sure didn't get less annoying with age.

She smiled as she thought about how much they had wound each other up when they were younger, particularly high-school. Luis had been like a brother and a father at the same time, she wouldn't have it any other way, but that may well be out of her control.
"Shae...? Are you pregnant?" Luis looked and sounded very concerned now, and Shaena hadn't even realised she'd not answered his question.

"No, Lou! God's sake, is that all you ever think about?"
"You didn't answer, so I thought..."
"Yeah, I know, because Mum had you young everyone thought I'd go and do the same. I'm not stupid Lou. I don't mean Mum was, I just know that I wouldn't be able to raise a child so young like she did."
"She did a good job." Luis chuckled.
"Clearly not. The poor boy has serious trust issues." Luis burst out laughing now, and Shaena couldn't help but giggle herself, just like old times.

 "I've got trust issues? I'm not the poor little pregnant teenager who won't tell anyone."
"Lou, seriously, I'll drag you up those stairs and push you back down them if you don't shut up"
"What? A weak little knocked up thing like you?"
"LUIS!" Shaena tried to look angry, but she couldn't hold her laughter in well enough to scowl.

Luis stopped laughing eventually, and waited patiently while his sister tried to compose herself.
"So what did you come here for, other than attempted murder?" Shaena hit him gently on the chest.

"I'm worried about Mum. She made these two potions, and told me she was going to bring Dad back to life..." Shaena paused, she'd never met their father, but Luis had. Would he be as against this as she was? "Kaity said she saw it would work, but..." She closed her eyes and sighed, unsure how to say this last part.
"But you don't want to meet him? You don't want anything to change?" Luis seemed to understand.

"Look, by the end of the day you'll be an adult. You're moving in with Alex tomorrow, and then it won't be long until the triplets age up and move on, I'd assume that around that time Aunt Taylor will move in with Bebe, and then what does Mum do? Just sit around and twiddle her thumbs for the next however many hundreds of years she lives for?"
"I... Hadn't thought of that..." Shaena felt heartless now, how could she not have seen her mothers side of things?

"Don't feel bad for not thinking of it, you're only human-" Luis stopped short, as he realised the phrase he'd chosen. She was only human. Luis and his mother would live for hundreds of years, while Shaena would be lucky to make eighty. "I'm sorry, Shae, I wasn't thinking, it just slipped out..."
"It's fine, Lou. I'm used to it. I don't mind, actually. It means I don't have to worry about losing all you guys, and I know there'll be someone there for any kids I have."

"But there's more. About Mum, I mean." Shaena continued. "She dug up his remains last night. I don't know when, because after the party, me and Kait were up til really late, and she was definately in bed when we went up." The pair fell silent for a few moments. Neither really knowing what to say.

"I suppose it's the only way to do it..." Luis started, not really sure where he was going. He was a little freaked out by the idea, but well aware that his father wouldn't be able to come back without a body. "I'm not saying I think it was a good thing to do. I don't. I barely remember him, but I still don't want anyone digging him up."

Suddenly, like a freight train, the realisation hit her.
"Lou." She was almost breathless. "If this works. If she can do it." Luis smiled, knowing her train of thought. "I'll meet him. I'll meet our Dad."
"Yes. And he'll love you. You know you look just like him, don't you? I mean, you've seen the pictures, but you really do."

Joking, to avoid the conversation becoming anymore serious, and possibly upsetting her birthday plans, she grinned as she said:
"Am I purrdy?"
"No, I just told you, you look like a man."
"LOU!" Luis laughed to himself, at Shaena's fake look of hurt.
"Come on, get in the car or we'll be late."

"So... I thought you were going all wild-man, I get that you built the house by hand, and most things in it, but a car...?"
"Yeah, so I didn't make the car, but it runs on water, no pollution, which is the main reason we weren't going to have one. It'll make it easier to cart the kids around..."
"Kids?! Oh my God, Lou! Is Layla pregnant? Is that why you kept telling me I was?" Shaena squealed, and Luis laughed at her excitement.
"Cool it, 'auntie'. Not yet, hopefully soon."
"Aww, can I hold it?" Luis burst out laughing, and swerved a little at the violence of his outburst. "LOU! Maybe you should just teach your kids to fly, I'll do the driving lessons..."

_____

"Aunt Madison?" Madison was watching out for her children, they weren't here yet, but surely they would be soon? She had something to talk to Luis about. "Madi!" Rose demanded her attention for now.
"Yes?"

"My stomach is killing me. Can I have some money for food?" Rose clutched her abdomen, in an overly dramatic style, emphasising her point. Jake just tried to ignore it, and pretend this embarrassing spectacle of a girl wasn't any relation. He loved his sister, but did she have to be so loud and embarassing?

Madison gave in to Rose's whineing, and gave some money to each of the triplets, and to Shaena when she arrived, before pulling Luis off to talk. The skies darkened, threatening a storm, and Shaena was annoyed that it was clearly going to rain all day. Some hot food helped, but she still felt cold, wet and miserable.

"It'll be fun! You just... Dive on in!"
"It won't make me any drier."
"At this point, you can't get much wetter, so what will it hurt?" Kaity had managed to pull Shaena to a bathtub filled with water. There were apples floating in it, and you were supposed to get them out using only your mouth. She just had to convice Shaena to have a go.
"Fine."

The girls knelt on the ground, held their hands behind their backs, and got ready to battle.

On Kaity's count, the girls plunged their faces into the water. Neither managed to get an apple, but they had fun trying anyway.

"Rose, don't go in there! You'll cry."

"Shuttup, Jake! I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"

And she wasn't. She came out fifteen minutes later, looking positively bored, surprising Jake, as she screamed blue murder whenever she accidentally touched a cobweb.

As night fell, Shaena felt her teenage years slip away, and her young adulthood began.

Once home, she looked in a mirror, and was happy with her transformation. One more sleep in her old bed, and she'd move on to her life with Alex. She was all grown up now, no more school, she didn't even have to work as Alex made so much. She was looking forward to a life of love and luxury, with her family nearby.

_____

Around 2am
_____

Madison woke with a start when she felt the presence on the bed next to her.
"Geoffrey...?"








Shaena is now up for download.
*hides from things being thrown because of the awful cliffy*