I Won't See You Tonight

I was pulled from my sleep by someone lightly shaking my shoulder.

"Sam, you need to get up sweetheart." I opened my eyes to see Brian leaning over me, fully dressed for the day. He smiled as he noticed me waking up. I groggily returned his smile, before he spoke.

"I'm sorry to wake you up so early, but we need to go talk to my father this morning," he said quietly, as he walked to his dresser and pulled out a purple sundress, grabbed the pendant and dog tags, and brought them to me. "I had someone put your make up and hair products in my bathroom since you've slept in here the past few days, as well as your clothes. I hope you don't mind. Gloria is already up and getting breakfast, so you can come down when you finish." I thanked him with a peck on the cheek, and went to the bathroom to change. After looking at my appearance, and deciding I looked decent even for my first meeting with Brian's father, I slipped on my shoes and made my way to the kitchen. Brian smiled as I walked in.

"We don't have much time, but I had them make your favorite, blueberry bagels. Well at least I hope they're still your favorite. Otherwise I can get you something else..." I couldn't keep myself from giggling as I cut off his rambling with a peck on the cheek.

"They're still my favorite. Thank you," I told him with a smile. I ate quickly, feeding some if it to Gloria, and her puppy, who was begging at my feet. As I finished, Brian branished a leash, and told Gloria if she was careful, we could take her puppy on our walk.

After getting situated, we were out the door, Gloria walking in front, and Brian and I holding hands behind, keeping an eye on her.

"Gloria, sweetie, did you ever decide a name for your dog?" Brian asked. So much had been going on, we'd both pretty much forgotten about the little guy/.

"Yep! I named him Coconut, because his face is brown, but his body is white." We couldn't help but laugh at our daughter's adorableness. We walked for about ten more minutes until we reached a house, larger and more majestic than another other house I'd seen on the mountain. As we walked the staircase, Gloria yelled "Grandpa!" and took off running before I could stop her. Brian's hand moved from mine to rest on my back, pulling me slightly closer to his body. As we reached the top, a saw Gloria standing before a man with Brian's unmistakable features: sharp jawbone, piercing chocolate eyes...definitely Brian's father.

"Father, I would like you to meet Samantha. Sam, this is my father, Alaric." As his judgmental eyes ran over me, I subconciously scooted closer to Brian.

"Pleasure," Alaric spoke curtly, though I knew it was no pleasure at all. I bit my lip as he continued. "Let us go inside to speak. This is not the place. Isadora, will you please take Gloria to the garden. I will send them to get her when we are finished." I woman I hadn't noticed stepped forward and ushered Gloria into the house. Alaric turned a scrutinizing eye back to me, before he gestured us to follow him. Brian kept his arm around my waist as we walked through the house, stopping in a lavish office. Alaric took a seat in an armchair, as Brian pulled me to the adjacent couch, sitting me next to him, and putting his hand in my lap for me to take. I smiled at him in appreciation, knowing that some point during this conversation I would need the comfort.

"So...to what do I owe this visit, my son?" Alaric asked, relaxing in his chair.

"You know what father. I have spent four years away from Samantha, looking for another woman as you requested. I have found none worthy of my time. I've spent months researching ways to allow her to stay, and the only solution is to have her changed. And that is what I've come to ask. Gloria is not an issue, she can stay any amount of time. But Sam's time is limited. Four years was far too long, I don't think I can do it another day. I need her. And it would be the ultimate way to keep her safe. Matthius can't touch her if she is married to another god. I see no issues with it, but I need your help." Brian squeezed my hand, and looked to his father with hopeful eyes. That was certainly not what I was expecting to hear. Yet, I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my lips at his words.

Spending forever with Brian. That sounded about perfect...

Alaric sighed and looked at the floor, thinking over Brian's request. It was quiet for a full minute, before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry son. You know I can't do that." Brian ripped his hand from mine and shot out of his seat.

"Why the fuck not?! There's no one I want more than her father. You've changed other people before, why the hell is this any different?! Why is it that everything that makes me happy, you shoot down? You're the one made me leave, you're the one responsible for making her miserable. You owe her this! You owe me this!" he fumed, pacing the floor in front of us.

"You know very well why, Briax. All of the people who have been changed earned the title of a god. They did more than suffer a little heartbreak for a few years. It must be a group decision, and I know for a fact none of the other elders will go for it. It's too dangerous."

"If you don't change her, then I'm giving up my immortality. I'm serious father, I will not live without her. This all is {b}nothing to me without her and our daughter," Brian spoke calmly, though I saw through straight through it. It was after Brian's statement, his father lost his cool composure.

"Like hell you will," he nearly growled, sending me a glare that epitomizes the saying "if looks could kill". "I told you not to go down there. I told you to stay here and find a wife and go about this properly. But you didn't listen to me. You found this..." he gestured towards me with disgust lacing his tone, "...fuck son, she's practically a prostitute. You can't live your life with something like that." Brian growled at that statement, moving to stand in front of me, blocking me from his father's view.

"Fuck you, like you've never found woman on earth to be with," he spoke, low and threatening, keeping his stance in front of me, and wrapping his arm around me, pulling me into his back.

"I did, but all they were used for was sex. All that's all she's good for. There's not a chance that she could give you a son. She is useless to you, and I won't stand for it, and I won't allow you to give away your gifts for nothing. It is your duty to serve these people. We all have to make sacrifices in our position. These people need you, you can't give up your gift for a fucking prostitute. She stays until the problem with Matthius is solved. Then she goes home," he practically spit in our direction, and then turned around to look out at a garden. "She leaves the mountain and goes home. Alone."

I gasped, and Brian let out another growl.

"You can't do that-"

"The child cannot thrive on earth. She must stay here. The woman is human, she cannot. That's life son. That's the reality you brought down on you both when you went to earth and "fell in love"," he scoffed, and even without seeing Brian's face, I knew he was fuming. Without looking at me, Brian grabbed my wrist, and dragged me out of the room, cursing under his breath the whole way. Dragging me to the garden, I all but ran when Gloria came into view. I scooped her up in my arms and buried my face in her hair.

He can't take her away from me. He can't tear our family apart. Not when I just got it back...

As if reading my mind, Brian came beside us and wrapped his arms around us, crushing us to his chest.

"I won't let him take her away. Even if we can't be together..." he paused and took a deep breath, proving his adversion to that plan. "Even if we can't be together, I won't let him separate you two. He doesn't have the power to do that. If you were a bad mother, maybe. But you're not. She's safer with you, than here with someone who won't love her the way she should be. You won't lose both of us. And I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure you don't lose either of us. I don't know how, but I'm going to make it happen," he whispered in my ear, so quietly, I don't think Gloria could hear him. I simply nodded, not trusting my voice after that meeting.

After a few minutes, he let us go, and grabbed Coconut, attaching his leash. Brian took Gloria, and cradled her to his chest, and passed me the dog.

"Let's get the hell out of here," he spoke quietly, taking my hand, and leading us out of the house.

Once we arrived home, Brian brought Gloria upstairs to bed, and I walked out into the garden, standing amongst the flowers, and wrapped my arms around myself. I stood in silence for a few minutes, before I was pulled into a hard chest. Brian kissed my forehead, and rested his head on my shoulder, holding me to him by my hips.

"I will fix this Sam. We'll figure something out. My friends make up half the coven, if they see how much I truly love you, or even a sliver of that, they'll side with me. We will fix this, I promise."

Do you know what's forth fighting for when it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away, and you feel yourself suffocating...?