Simone and Lewis had been dealt a blow that was hard to deal with. However, in the past few weeks, their children were… the light of their lives. They had made a hard decision and it wasn’t one they made easily. Though compared to a lot of things the choice was easy when they considered their twins were in the crosshairs.

Outside Mone was laying on Lewis with her eyes closed. Lewis had his arms around her and his hand was square on where her womb would be. They were still thinking about it deep inside. The hurt they felt wouldn’t go away for a while but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy their life now.

“The sun feels good today,” it was an odd thing that left her mouth. For the last two weeks, Simone hadn’t gone outside. She had laid in bed and curled up into a ball. Xeik had to give her vitamins and such to stay healthy but even he was worried about her. Today was the first day she had managed to pull herself out of bed, with Lewis’s help, and sit outside. “It’s warm… Like you.”

It had taken a monumental effort to get Simone out of the house. It was all Lewis could do to convince her, so when she decided to merely lay on him, basking in the sunlight, he could only complain but so much. At least she was getting light and fresh air. He gently stroked her dark hair, which was warm from the sunlight.

“Just take it easy,” Lewis replied as he closed his eyes. The wind blew across them, sending the scent of one of Simone’s many gardens wafting in the air. It was a beautiful scent, one that made Lewis smile. There were things all around them that reminded him of her. It was, for the first time in weeks, a pleasant experience for them both.

“You know,” a familiar voice said from behind them. “I’ve seen messy rooms…but yours takes the cake.”

Lewis opened his eyes, and tilted his head up to look behind him. “Xeik?”

Xeik was wearing white shorts and a loose fitting tank top, which was unlike him. What was like him was the sleeveless hooded vest he always wore, which was up and covering his face from the sun. “I tried knocking, but when I didn’t get an answer I took a look inside. Was worried about you both. Looks like you haven’t left the room in weeks.

“That's a fairly accurate statement,” Lewis responded dryly. “Any particular reason you’re here?” It wasn’t meant to be aggressive, but Lewis did sound a tad bit pissy.

Xeik knelt down, and plopped onto the grass in a graceless motion. “Well…Lady Angela had a request for you. It’s nothing complicated, but she won’t let me tell you what it is. Something about…wanting to make the deal herself.” The healer shrugged. “Angela works in mysterious ways.”

“I refuse,” Lewis said almost instantly. It had taken everything he had to get Simone out of the house. Stepping into Elysia was more effort than he was willing to put forth.

The Divine Mender sighed. “Look, it’s just a quick hop over there. You can tell her no to her face. All right?” Without waiting for an answer, Xeik snapped his fingers and the Divine Sands whipped out of his pockets and encircled Lewis and Simone. Before either could do anything, a gateway opened beneath them, and each dropped into Elysia, more or less in front of Lady Angela.

Xeik dropped in after them, and the portal closed behind him. “There…was that so hard?”

Simone hummed up at him as she laid there. This was as easy as she had it currently. Her gray eyes looked up at Xeik and he actually got a small smile out of her. It didn’t last long but it was there. Simone let Lewis do all the time talking which was out of the ordinary for her.

Though once they got dropped in Elysia she pulled herself from Lewis and looked up with sad eyes at Angela. “I know Simone,” Angela’s voice was just as sad. “I have a favor…”

“Can’t I just lie in my bed and mourn my loss?”

“You can but I don’t think that’s getting anywhere. I did say I would look into it… Didn’t I? I am believe it or not.” She pointed to about a dozen books with different bookmarks. “If there is a way I will find it. Until then you can’t let yourself get this beat down to where Xeik has to pump you full of vitamins to keep you alive.”

Angela pulled herself up. “I want you to take over doing Raine’s paperwork. She had a breakdown and started to lose feathers.”

“No,” Simone looked sad. “I can’t do that right now.”

“You haven’t heard what I’m willing to give you just yet.” Angela stood up and offered her hands to Lewis and Simone. “Come with me to the inner gardens.” Xeik knew the inner gardens well by now. They housed all the herbs they collected for medicine but they also held something else.

Simone tilted her head and looked at Lewis giving him a shrug. It would do her good to walk. I can still tell her no even if she shows us something to bargain with.

“You two have been dealt a large loss… It hasn’t gone past me as I supervised the research on more than one occasion.” The goddess sounded sad as she opened the doors to the courtyard. “What I am offering you… is something I never do for anyone else.” She took them over to what looked like an ordinary cabbage patch but upon further inspection…

“Are those… babies inside those… orb things?”

“Yes, dryads. We use them in the temple as servants and clergy. Normally we grow them fast but… What I am offering you… Can you figure it out?”

Lewis was not happy with Xeik and the way that he forcibly brought the two of them into Elysia, but now wasn’t the time to bring up that grievance. At the moment, with Angela in front of them, Simone seemed to have at least a brief change of heart, and was willing to listen to Angela’s proposition. As long as Simone was willing, Lewis had no issue backing her up. And so, when Angela led them back to her gardens, Lewis was confused. What could she possibly have back here that could be used as a bargaining chip for Simone?

In the back of her courtyard were plants, but unlike normal plants, these seemed to be growing babies of sorts. When Angela said they were dryads, Lewis’ brain started to work out what Angela was offering, which meant Simone was already on top of it. He crossed his arms. Ultimately it was up to Simone. Lewis was definitely okay with the idea, but after the loss that she had just taken, he wondered if she would go for it.

“It’s up to Simone,” Lewis said aloud, realizing that it couldn’t all be in his thoughts. It was clear, though, that he had a slight interest in it. He approached one of the buds, and looked into it, seeing a developing baby. “They’re so small…”

Simone collapsed onto the ground by one of the smaller ones looking at it, “You can see everything…” There were tears forming on the corner of her eyes. Angela sighed a bit and pushed Lewis towards his wife. She nodded and looked up at Xeik. “I know that you know my will… You are closer to them than I am… So please…”

Angela pat Xeik on the shoulder and left, “I’m going to start going over my notes again for these two. I’ll let you take over.”

Simone put her hands on the orb and she was scared as she pulled her hands back several times before feeling it. It felt like a womb. How one was when someone was pregnant. The baby was kicking gently. “It’s a little boy?”

She looked up at Xeik. “…” She took a moment and looked up at Lewis. “Do we even deserve this Lew?”

Xeik knelt down, and smiled. “Go ahead, Simone, it’s ok.” She seemed hesitant but with the encouragement, she touched it, remarking at the baby boy that was growing. The Divine Mender sat down next to Simone, crossing his legs. This was one of the parts of the role he enjoyed, watching the starry eyed patrons look at life blooming before their eyes.

“Of course we deserve this,” Lewis replied as he placed his hand on her shoulder, kneeling down. “We deserve all of this and more. And you know that, deep down.”

“He’s right,” Xeik added. “This one is for you. Well…if you accept taking over for Raine.” He looked to the side. “The poor bird is losing her feathers. She really needs a break. If you take over, this boy here is yours.”

To Lewis, it seemed too easy. Almost as if Angela were throwing them a lifeline. In fact, it was probably what she was doing. An easy job for a high reward. It must have been her easy of apologizing for not being able to fix their magic. Once more, though, Lewis looked to Simone for her answer.

“I’m in, if you are,” Lewis said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “I even have a name…it came to me. Glyn…” She knew where it was from.

Simone gained the strength to touch once Xeik told her it was okay. She knew that she had the ability to create life just as much as she did to take it. That part hadn’t been lost on her all these years. She wasn’t some villainess who thought her only purpose was to take life. It was the exact opposite. She didn’t like to do it unless she had to and only then did she ever enjoy it.

The phoenix tilted her head into Lewis’s hand and smiled up at him. Deep down she did know. Her gray eyes stared down at the little boy in the orb. “Always.” It was the only thing she had but this little boy was her whole hope. “Angela is always here… to give us these chances when we need them the most… She did the same thing with Everett… Remember?” Maybe it was time to stop calling her a baby snatcher.

The name brought a smile to her face as she tilted her head and kissed Lewis’s cheek. There were tears in her eyes but she laughed a bit, “Glyn Ovarre. He wrote Poppies in the Summer. You’ve been favoring that one lately.” She looked down to the small baby and took Lewis’s hands. “I know I can’t get pregnant but it feels like this Lewis. Just like this… I wish we could have felt the twins like this.”

Simone looked at Xeik, “You knew when you came to see us? Is that why you were so forceful?” Her eyes had a bit more light in them. Their kids had been worried about her and had all come snuggled in bed with her for long periods of time. Even Rex had come to spend time with her. “We’ll do the paperwork… But can you show us how?”

She took a breath. “When can he come home with us Xeik?” She smiled up at Xeik for the first time in a long time. “I want to bring the kids to meet him so they can see him before he can come out.” She held the orb with Lewis and leaned into her husband. “I think… I needed this a lot more than I thought I did…”

Xeik was happy watching as the baby lifted their spirits. There was a lot of work that needed to be done around here, and Xeik knew that they’d be running around and asking a lot of questions, but he knew that it was worth the extra work that would be piled on his desk at the end of the day. It was strange that they had started out as the best of friends, and as time went on they became enemies. Now…it was almost like Xeik had become a guardian angel of sorts for them, always there in the wings to help them. And it was always worth the pain…

“Hasty aren’t you,” Xeik called to Lewis with a smirk. “Glyn is a wonderful name, though. I’m sure he’ll grow into a fine young man if he’s raised by you two.”

Simone took her time talking it out with Lewis, and when she turned to Xeik, calling him out on his plan, Xeik merely continued to grin. “Of course it is, Simone,” he said finally. “I always have your best interest at heart. I promise.” He thought for a moment. “I’ll have to double check with Angela, but I’m pretty sure that Glyn here will be ready in…” He counted on his fingers. “Five months? Give or take. It’s a lot like a real pregnancy…there’s always a bit of wiggle room, but I’m pretty sure Ang has this down to a science.”

Xeik stood up, and dusted his shorts off. “In the meantime, Raine starts her vacation today, so if you could start today, that would be great. We can go ahead and…” He looked back. “Yep. There they are…”

From across the courtyard, Xeik could see Raine putting down her suitcase. She looked absolutely miserable, and Xeik was glad that she was finally getting the vacation she deserved. Beside her was Maalik with his usual brooding look about him. “Right, we can go ahead and get started on the paperwork. Simone, it’s pretty easy to start. It’s filing what she has finished at the moment, and then we can get to work on the actual tedious part.”

Lewis stood up. “And what about me?”

Xeik smirked. “You’re going to be the messenger. Normally, I would leave that to Simone since she can turn into a phoenix, but I’m pretty sure you’ll say no to that, and want to keep her here. So that means you’ll have to trek it yourself. The gateway in the back of the temple can be fine tuned…but you know about that.”

“Thank you…” She was proud that Xeik thought they were good parents. She looked at Lewis and gave him a questioning look. Just trust me. She got up and kissed Xeik’s forehead. “Thank you for everything Xeik. It seems like lately, you’ve been there whenever we’ve needed you and I can’t thank you enough for it. You are family to us.”

Simone looked back down to Glyn, “Can I come read to him every day? I heard babies like that when they are in the womb. I feel like I missed out with the twins…” Though to be fair she read every day out loud to Lewis but it wasn’t to them and that was special. “I don’t want to invade your space unless… You know… I have permission.”

Once she saw Raine and Maalik together she chuckled, “I didn’t realize Raine and Maalik were a couple. I guess I should have seen it coming. I thought Angela was joking when she said Maalik was her beau. Tall, dark, and brooding… Sounds like she has my typewritten all over her.” For the first time in the past few weeks, she nipped Lewis’s lips.

“Just show me where to start working,” Simone’s mood had improved greatly. “The faster you delivery stuff the more presents you can get at home.”

Lewis could tell that Simone was feeling much better, and her almost brazen flirting was getting to be a bit much. “Later,” he said, trying to hide his smile.

The Divine Mender took a moment to answer Simone’s question, “I don’t have any problem with it, but I doubt you will have time to do so this week. Just..take it easy right now, and we;ll figure it all out next week, okay?”

Xeik led Simone into Raine’s office, which was quite the mess. It took all three of them, with Lewis taking frequent trips, to get the office in a working order before Simone could even start on the tasks she was given. For the first two days, Xeik was running back and forth between his own office and Raine’s. Between the clergy looking for Raine, the clergy looking for him, and the clergy who still refused to talk to Xeik because of Mia (what a jealous bunch they were), the poor healer barely had a break. During the third day, though, Lewis and Simone started to get a hang of it.

The fourth and fifth days went by with much, much less work for Xeik than originally, which finally gave him a bit of quality time with Mia (most of which was much needed sleep and cuddles. Mia was a happy wolf.) At the end of the week, Xeik saw them off, and collapsed in his room.

“What a week,” he muttered to himself, exhausted. “It’s a miracle anything gets done around here…I’ll have to change my opinion on how much work Raine actually does.” Not that he thought she slacked off a lot, but it was surprising what she had to do. Xeik shared a similar workload, but somehow Raine had time for her shenanigans as well, where Xeik did not have any free time during the week. “I guess I just need to be more efficient…”