You Might Not Believe In Me

Who: Eden and Ian
What: The first date night for our new parents
When: Evening
Where: Their flat and then out


“I can’t thank you again for this, love. You know I wouldn’t leave him with anyone else,” the bathroom door was open just a crack, Eden calling out to Juniper through it while she finished getting ready. “Bloody hell, I think I’ve lost my touch.” She sighed heavily and flipped off the light, stepping back into her bedroom. “I’ve spent so long pregnant or in mummy mode that I don’t quite remember how to dress like a slag anymore,” Eden quipped with a smile, perching next to Jun on the edge of her bed long enough to strap herself into her shoes for the night. She didn’t care if they were just going for sandwiches and she was the most over-dressed girl in the entire place, she’d given Ian fair warning that she was wearing heels….and something designer. It’d been far too long since she’d had a reason to dip into that expansive wardrobe of hers and longer still since she could fit into most of it – apparently bespoke couture was not really intended to follow you through pregnancy. But it had been a few months now and between breast feeding, chasing Liam and Charlie around and pure exhaustion, she’d gotten off a good portion of what she’d put during those nine months; there were still a few stubborn pounds that didn’t seem to want to budge, but for now, Eden could live with those. “It feels like ages since I’ve been a real adult, gone out and done adult things.” Especially things that involved Ian, given that the two hadn’t dated all that long before she’d gotten pregnant. Was it a sign of her old age that she was looking forward to just a simple dinner with him, that maybe a glass of wine after so long was going to be the high light? “Come here gorgeous boy,” she leaned down to scoop Liam off the mattress where he’d been playing beside Jun and Jory, settling him on her hip, “let’s go and find da, shall we? Then we’ll say good-bye and leave you with Crazy Aunt Jun and your very best friend.” Eden chuckled, flipping off the bedroom light as the three made their way down the hall to where Ian waited, comfortable on the sofa beside Charlie.

“I think I’m nearly ready to go. I’ve gotten quicker now, thanks to this one,” she joked, giving Liam a squeeze. You had to be quick about getting ready with such a little one around, they couldn’t be left alone for long. Of course, that meant that Ian hadn’t had to wait as long as he might have otherwise. “Alright, off you go,” Eden pressed a kiss to Liam’s temple and handed him over to Jun before she could let those ‘new-mum-first-time-away-from-their-baby’ doubts to set in and moved to retrieve her purse from the counter, slinging the tiny chain over her shoulder as she dropped her cell phone into it. Now, the key was getting out the house, and quickly, before she had a chance to second guess herself. Thankfully, Ian seemed more than aware, already up off of the couch and headed over to say his good-byes as well. “I’m sure we won’t be too late, but just call if you need anything, love.” She trusted Juniper with her son’s life, let alone her own, so there wasn’t a reason for Eden to worry – but there was the off chance that Jun wouldn’t be able to find something she was looking and a phone call would save her the stress. “Ready?” she slipped her hand into Ian’s, lacing slender fingers through his own, “I’ll let you drive, as I plan on having a drink tonight and we all know that right about now my tolerance is non-existent.” If she wasn’t done in by a single glass of wine, Eden would honestly be amazed. Her doctor had assured her that a little now and then wouldn’t hurt, that it would even be beneficial if she had a hard time producing milk, but she just couldn’t bring herself to risk anything. But tonight was a special occasion and she didn’t plan on going overboard with it, so it seemed like an alright idea.

Her hand in his, she followed Ian out the front door and down the walkway to the drive, leaving Jun and the two little ones safely behind. “Oh my god, I am that mum,” she muttered, as if she couldn’t quite believe it, “I am internally freaking out right now about the fact that I’ve just left Liam.” Nevermind that it was with the person, outside of Ian, that she trusted with him most. It made getting in the car that much more urgent because leaving the flat behind greatly decreased her chances of marching back in there and never leaving again. But she could do this – it was just a couple of hours and it was going to be fun; Eden did her best to tamp down that maternal panic, settling into the passenger’s seat next to Ian. “I haven’t even asked you where we’re off too tonight,” she realized, glancing over at him. “Going to share your secrets?”

Who: Juniper, baby Jory, Ian, Eden and eventually baby Liam
What: Liam's arrival
When: Early afternoon
Where: The park, then off to the hospital

“This is bloody torture at this point,” Eden grumbled playfully at Juniper’s back, trudging along behind her with Charlie as she pushed Jory through the park. Their daily walks hadn’t let up in recent months – if anything, they’d gotten longer as the weather had started to warm up. Now it was July, the heart of the summer, the sun was shining overhead and Eden was due any day now. She was ready for Liam to make his highly anticipated entrance, given that she’d finally reached that part of pregnancy where nothing was fun and everything was uncomfortable. Ian deserved a medal just for putting up with her lately, especially given her unpredictable moods, her inability to get comfortable enough to sleep – for just dealing with her. “Alright, really, no more walking for the pregnant lady for the moment,” there was only so much she could take this far along and the benches lining their usual path were just far too tempting today. Charlie hurried over to hop up next to her, nosing at her hand as if he could sense her discomfort. Dragging her fingers through the hair at the nape of the little dog’s neck, she smile gratefully as Juniper came to rest beside her. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a bit of a wanker lately. I just feel so bloody miserable,” Eden stretched out her legs, running a hand over the curve of her stomach, “I’m just so bloody ready for him to be here.” She might not have been looking forward to the pain of labor, but she wasn’t honestly sure how much more of this whole pregnancy she could take either.

“I don’t know how you did this. You made it look so easy, you bitch,” Eden joked, narrowing her eyes playfully. There had been moments when Juniper had looked uncomfortable, but they had seemed to be so few and far between from what she’d seen of her. It reassured her to watch her best friend and Jory now, to see the two of them together and know that all of the pain, the sweat, the discomfort would be worth it. Eden knew that, of course, but it was an entirely different thing to be able to watch it. Jory’s strolled was turned to face the two of them where they sat for the moment, a little giggle bubbling out of him as Charlie licked at Eden’s fingers. “I can’t believe how much he’s grown already,” he was just shooting up like a little weed, up to something new every time that she saw him. “Jaida mentioned that Cal finally went back to work full time. How’s that working out for the lot of you?” It had been like pulling teeth from what Eden had heard, the new da still relatively unhappy with being pulled away. But Vivian wasn’t the type of woman to give him endless leave and, besides he made more than decent money in his position. Given that their hadn’t been any more high-profile attacks against places like the bar he managed, business had started to boom once again.

A sudden twinge in the pit of Eden’s stomach had her shifting, pressing a hand to where it had come from, her discomfort evident in the way her features suddenly drew together. She waited a moment for it to pass, thinking maybe it was just a harmless little cramp, but another bright burst of pain followed after a moment. “Jun, I think we might need to start back for the car…” Something wasn’t right, it was a sudden realization that washed over her. Whatever this was, it wasn’t ok. “I’m having a bit of cramps or something, I don’t really…” The sudden wetness on her thighs sent Eden upright in a flash, gaze dropping to her now sodden lap. “Bloody hell, did my water just break?” Because just….now? No. Here in the park? Just no. She wanted Ian and the hospital and drugs….and soon. As soon as possible, actually.

This is Ian. I need to tell you something, if this is still your number.

Who: Eden/Juniper.....then Eden/Ian
When: Sometime in the afternoon
What: An unexpected revelation
Where: Eden's bathroom....and then the hospital

This is nothing, Eden assured herself, gaze fixed on the ticking seconds’ hand of her watch, it’s just a silly bug and I’m being a complete nutter about it. There wasn’t anything to worry about, there couldn’t be; she’d always been the type of woman to cover all her bases and this was just…an extension of that. She was just being thorough. It didn’t mean anything, it wouldn’t. There was just this and….and then she’d know for sure, she’d have proof and everything would go back to normal. Maybe she’d take a nap, rest up a little, drink plenty of fluids and, once she’d recovered, she’d tell Juniper (and maybe Ian) about this little incident and they’d just laugh and laugh… She could see it now: all of them enjoying a bottle of wine, recounting this little adventure, everyone just overwhelming amused by her little smidge of a mental breakdown. There was no need for worry, no reason to panic – she just needed to wait out these few (impossibly long) minutes and she’d have her answer, she’d know for sure that this whole mess was nothing more than a bit of an over-active stomach bug. People got them all the time, right? Especially in the winter, particularly when they lived in countries with cuisine different from their native tastes… Ok, so maybe that was a bit of reaching, but really, there was some truth to it.

Gnawing a bit at the manicure on her thumbnail, she stared unblinkingly at that tiny gold hand, waiting until it cross the ‘12’ one last time. For a moment, Eden didn’t dare approach the bathroom sink – she eyed it cautiously from a few feet away, like one might watch an enemy who might drawn down on them at any moment. You can do this, she took a deep breath, giving herself a little shake to ease the tension from her shoulders, just take a bit of a peek, then you’ll know for sure. Right…all she had to do was look. That was it. Squaring those now-loosened shoulders, Eden took a tentative step closer to the sink, then another, reaching down to carefully pick up the little white stick that sat along the basin’s rim. She raised it to eye level, her heart stuttering in her chest…

“Oh bloody fucking hell!”

She couldn’t set the damned thing aside quickly enough, heels clattering sharply against the tile as she hurried back into her bedroom to fumble through her bag in search of her cell phone. It took far too long to unlock the damn thing and sift through her contacts’ list for the one person that might be able to ease the panic rising in her chest. “Jun?” she tried to keep her voice steady once the were answered the line, “It’s Eden. Listen…I…well, fuck…I…” Ok, this wasn’t going to work – Juniper couldn’t help her get her wits about her if coherent sentences couldn’t even be constructed. “Right….so, I’ve fucked up, quite epically really, and I need you to pretend to be completely logical for a bit so I don’t lose what’s left of my mind. Do you think you can do that, just for a bit? Please?” She really needed someone to be sensible right about now because – fucking hell – she wasn’t going to be capable for a bit yet.

Who: Sophie and Ian
When: October 16th 2056
Where: Ian's house
What: A reunion...of sorts

( I've been wrong but I've been changing/I've been wondering what to do* )

[*lyrics: The Wreckers - Hard to Love You]

Who: Eden and Ian
What: A dinner exchanged for a rescue
Where: Eden's place
When: Night


Sometimes you had to throw the stupid rule book of men out the window, and do what you wanted. Ian hadn't waited days to call the number Eden had given him, only a day. And with the reason of wondering just how she was doing after her rather nasty run in with a few human fundamentalist. Most men would have called that too hasty, or desperate. Most of the men who said those sort of things were single, always would be single, and for good reason. Ian didn't want to seem desperate, he didn't think he was, but he didn't want her to think he was just some flake that liked to flirt with attractive women that happened to stumble into the ER. So, even though he had called the following day, he didn't agree to dinner until some time later. Though he would have been able to come sooner, there was that issue with seeming desperate. Now was perfect. Just enough time to make all the arrangements, but not so long for her to completely forget about it, and him. They had agreed to meet later in the month, once the full moon had passed. It didn't matter that he was no where near as threatening on a full moon as a were was, he doubted she wanted to spend an entire evening with his dog form, playing fetch, and feeding him dog treats. That would have been one seriously awkward first date. One that not even an Australian accent could bring you back from. Was this a date though? Well, no, not technically, this was just a thank you dinner.

All the same, he had decided to not only dress in some of his nicer clothing, but he had also stopped by one of the down town florist shops, and browsed what arrangements they offered. There hadn't been anything that caught his eye, they all just seemed a bleak reminder that she was a earth elemental that would have to be cleaning up dead flowers in a few days. There was something strangle dark about that, or he might have just been putting too much thought into it. Still, he had abandoned the search at the florist, and stopped by on the organic nurseries, and found a lovely potted lavender plant that had reminded him of her. Now the real challenge had come when he attempted to situate himself, and the plant on his bike, and not have the damned thing go tumbling off every time he made a turn. If nothing else, he could at least be thankful that his time spent on the bike had equipped him with some seriously developed thigh muscles. Ones which had done the trick in holding the plant in place, long enough for him to make the journey to her home.

Ian parked in her driveway, rested the lavender on the seat, as he removed his helmet, and soothed his curly hair back into place. The lights were on inside the house, she was home, thank god, she hadn't decided to ditch on him. As he reached the door step, before he could even lift a hand to ring the bell, he was met with a series of interesting barks, and short little howls. Squatting down, he peered in through the etched glass window at the side of the door, and could just make out the shape of a small black beast. Grinning to himself, he reached up, and pressed the door bell, not moving from his spot, as he watched the little dog through the window. Though when the door opened, he looked up to Eden. "Your little friend has some great ears on him."

Who: Viv/J, Eden/Ian, Jun/Cal
What: Everyone has been shook up
Where: Visigoth Headquarters, Outside of a low key supernatural club, Jun's house
When: Night


"Thank you so much for joining us this evening... Pruflas? That is how you wish to be addressed, yes?" "Yes, or Pru, if you like. Thank you for having me, it's a pleasure to be sitting here with such an accomplished, and well respected journalist such as yourself, Mr. Brock." She was silhouetted against the very large flat screen television which took up nearly an entire wall of her office. The remote in hand, as she watched one of the many interviews that the demon Pruflas had given in the days since his announcement. An announcement that was still vibrating unpleasantly through out the supernatural world. The crazy fucking demon had outed them all, made it impossible for them to continue on with life as it had once been, and it wasn't even just a matter of taking even more cautionary steps, it was about trying to make yourself seem all the more human. That was what the humans would want, it would make them more comfortable with the whole transition. Seeming human wasn't going to be possible for all of those races, especially those who hated humankind, and wished to seem nothing like them at all. They would be the ones who hid, who tried to extract themselves more, and more. Then there would be all the others, her kind, demons. They fed off of humans, either directly, or in directly. Even Pru at that moment was feeding off of the people residing in the room with him. Their confusion, and fear was powering to him, was it any wonder why he had kicked up such a huge shit storm, just to combat his own boredom? Vivian didn't think so, not when she actually thought about it, saw it all begin to unfold. As crazy as Pru was, he was actually doing something that so many of the races had wanted to do for centuries, he was providing them the chance to take the upper hand, and in a way that wouldn't be met with much hostility. It was brilliant, and that was why she was actually considering his offer. The distant chime let her know that someone had entered her wing of the building. There were no secretaries around at this hour, only security posted at all the doors. They wouldn't be allowing anyone into the place, unless they were someone she could trust. The little muse was trusted, but, that didn't mean she was a welcomed sight at the moment. The two had been fighting ever since Pru had visited Vivian, and asked her to join the campaign. That wasn't what had struck a chord between the two of them, if had been because Vivian hadn't flat out refused. "Sorry... I left my phone in the car." Of course, that didn't mean she couldn't have checked her messages from the phone in her office, she just decided against it, knowing that returning a call would likely end in another disagreement. Still, this was worse, face to face. Turning her head, she finally looked back to the muse, her shoulder, and body following, before she folded her arms over her chest. "What brings you here?"

Tension was obviously a theme being carried over many miles, not just from the supernaturals, but the humans were feeling it as well. Many were trying to live in a type of denial, demons, vampires, and all that shit, it wasn't real, this was just.... some weird stunt, a big prank that the whole world media was in one. That had been easy enough to believe, until you began to see them out in the open. Winged creatures, people with animal parts, fangs, glowing eyes. Just mixed in with everyone else, it wasn't natural. Amsterdam had been where it all started, that was where that fucking demon had come from, and so, naturally... they had flocked to the place. Crowds of humans, waving signs, and chanting in protest. Standing any where, and every where they could find empty ground. Amsterdam was soon named the hotbed of sin, and as good Christians, it was their duty to let all those who inhabit the place, know just how they were going to burn in hell. That was love in the eyes of the fundamentalist. Instead of turning the other cheek, as Jesus said, they were going to follow that word of a vengeful God, and seek biblical punishment for all those who offend God. Some how they had learned of a few of the safe havens for the creatures of the dark. A club in Los Angeles, often populated by demons had been bombed, leaving only the humans inside either wounded, or dead. Even if it hadn't been a direct below, it had caused everyone to rethink their habits, and their haunts. All those flashy clubs had become near ghost towns, even in Amsterdam. The risk was not worth it to some. Others weren't going to let the change, or the worry stop them from enjoying themselves, just as some of those humans weren't going to stand around, waving signs to make a point. They were looking to do more than protest, as was the group posted outside of the small bar in downtown Amsterdam. it wasn't an obvious location, but with so many supernaturals no longer bothering to hide what they were, it made deciding on a place rather easy. This was the place to be, they simply had to wait for their target to emerge.

Of all the people to shy away from the night life, no one might have expected it to be her. The fire cracker, the first on the dance floor, no, not her! Things change, and boy had they. Life had already been flipped on it's head, and now things were even more topside. They had all been labeled monsters by some of the press, and by some of those humans they encountered on a daily basis, who would have never been the wiser. That was a scary thing to be, when you were young, female, and living alone. Even a were could be caught unaware, over powered by a small mob. That was why she was trying to keep her nose clean. Home, work, and rehearsal, that was her day to day schedule now, and it wasn't often that she squeezed in anything else. It had been keeping her from seeing many of her friends, Callum included. Plans to visit him at work were almost out of the question, even more so when things still remained so unsteady between them. Unlike before, she hadn't completely stopped having anything to do with him. She had called him, brought him lunch a couple of times since their run in at the bar, but the visits were always kept short, likely to save them both more awkward moments of interaction. Ever since Pru outed them all, she had kept even more to herself, having called him only once before, and that had been to ask if things had improved between he, and Shannon. They hadn't. The new vampire seemed to be the only one not dampened by the sudden change in events. Tonight was like any other. After rehearsal, she dressed, loaded her things in the back of her antique baby blue Carmen ghia, and headed off home. Home was a small, but comfortable house, nestled away in a bohemian neighborhood, set back aways from the street. She pulled into the half circle drive, stepped out, and then retrieved her bag from the trunk. It was as she walked up the path, that her nose began to twitch, and her eyes lifted from the ground. A few feet away from her unlit front door, she paused. "Who's there?"