Lucius

Epilogue

I don't normally do author's notes, as most of my followers could tell you, but since I've had several requests I thought, why not? So here it is, an epilogue to Lucius. Hope you like it.

"Jesse, Jacob, Shelly, Karen, Shawn, Natalie get in here right now!" Faline yells at her children beyond angry at what they've done this time.

Faline doesn't get angry often but when she does every one walks softly. The children don't dare to hesitate or drag coming into her presence. Lucius sits on the couch with a smug little smile just waiting for his children to enter the room. He hasn't seen Faline this angry since the witch cast that spell on him before Faline killed her.

The children rushed in the room. He sighs, he never thought he'd have children and now he has six and the youngest will be graduating college in a couple of months. Where has the time gone? Lucius wonders. It feels just like yesterday they brought Jesse home from the hospital.

As the children come into the room they stand in pairs. Jesse with Karen, both vampires. Jacob with Shelly, both wolves. Shawn a vampire and Natalie a wolf. All are with their mates. It made both councils sigh a breath of relief but also no little terror. The children take after their parents completely. But at least the pure lines will continue for at least another generation.

Once they are all stopped before her Faline fires her first salvo, "Why?" Just that and nothing else. The three couples look at her innocently with a bit of confusion that makes Lucius nearly burst into laughter.

"You know that never worked when you were younger, what makes you think it will work now?" Lucius asks with hidden amusement. Faline shoots him an irritated look. He loves her more now than he did more than thirty years ago when they said their marriage vows to each other in front of nearly five hundred witnesses. A hundred of which had been human. He still has nightmares of how many times they had to stop one of the vampires from drinking from a human or a wolf from tearing one apart because of some insult. But he smiles at the memory of how many supers found human mates at his wedding. That still makes him laugh.

He stifles it quickly when Faline gives him another warning glare.

Natalie sighs, "What are you angry about this time mother?" Her tone showing barely any respect to Faline and that brings out a growl from Lucius. Natalie shows a startled look at her father and says, "Forgive me mother, you are obviously upset about something, what is it so that we might help you?" Natalie says in far more respectful tones and peeks at her father. There's no denying that she's a daddy's girl and his favorite. She looks and acts the most like Faline even if she is a vampire.

Tina, Sharee and Quin slip into the room unnoticed. They listen with unabashed glee. Faline and Lucius let their children run far wilder than any of the other pack members are allowed, including Sharee and Quin's twins that are the same age as Jacob and Shelly.

Faline loses her anger and instead fights her tears. She just found out that she's pregnant again after nearly twenty years and she's already having trouble dealing with it. She moves out of the way so the six can see the broken remains of their mothers favorite vase. It was a gift from Lucius to Faline and was an antique. She had fallen in love with it on their honeymoon.

At the sight the six take on guilty looks. They all knew how much their mother valued the vase.

Jesse sighs and steps forward. "It was an accident, Karen just told me some news and it made me trip. I wasn't able to regain my balance before hitting the wall and table. I tried to grab the vase but I missed it. Don't punish the others for my mistake."

Faline closes her eyes and slowly lets out the breath she'd been holding.

While she's doing that, Lucius is intrigued what his daughter could have told her mate to make him trip. Jesse isn't only the oldest, he's also the most even keeled of his children. He smirks, not that that's saying much, but still. "What did Karen tell you?"

Jesse pulls Karen to his side and gives her a warm smile, "We're going to have a baby!"

The others in the room all give them congratulations and hugs. Faline no less than the others. "Well, I guess this time is as good as any other to tell you our news as well." Lucius takes his cue and stands by Faline's side although he's not sure what her news is.

"I'm pregnant as well." Faline's words drop like a bomb into the room.

The children look at her in shock, but no one is as shocked as Lucius is. Tina is the first to break out of the paralysis Faline's words bring on every one. She smiles warmly as she congratulates her. She leans over and whispers, "I can fix the vase, don't you worry." When she hugs Faline.

"Thank you," Faline says then wipes her eyes.

Suddenly she swept up into Lucius's arms and out of the room. Shutting the door behind him Lucius sets her down on the floor. "You're pregnant?"

Faline nods too nervous to speak. Her last pregnancy had been hard on her and it had taken her several years to completely recover from it. She'd been warned about any further children.

"Baby," Lucius pulls her into his embrace. Tears falling down his face. He can feel Faline's worry and distress. "We'll be alright, you and the baby will make it just fine."

"I know, it's just scary. They are finally grown and even starting their own families now. I'm starting over with ours and it scares me just as much now as it did with Jesse." Lucius spends the next few hours calming and reassuring Faline.

"Well, this has sure been an interesting day," Sharee says after things quieted down. Sharee and Quin ended up living in a house on the estate grounds. Their children, friends with Lucius and Faline's children.

Quin snorts in amused agreement, "I haven't seen anything like this since Shawn and Natalie decided it would be a good prank to set the high school on fire."

Sharee smirks at that memory, "Yeah, wasn't Lucius fit to be tied." 

"Oh, that reminds me, mother wants us to go to her place for dinner tonight. Says that she has some kind of announcement." Her mother had indeed met her mate and accepted him. Since he lived in a much smaller place than what her mother was used to, Sharee had been shocked when her mother told her that she would be moving in with her mate.

Sharee sold her family home, not wanting to deal with the upkeep of something so big and monstrous just for looks.

Quin smirks, "It would be hilarious if she told us that she was pregnant as well."

Later that night, Sharee, Quinn their boys and the boys' mates go to Sharee's mother's house. After they finished having their meal they go to the living room for the announcement.

Sharee has never seen her mother so unsettled before. So she looks at her expectantly.

The female vampire takes in a breath then lets it out as her mate goes to stand by her side. "I'm not sure how to say this, but..." a couple more breaths and her mate squeezes her hand in encouragement. "I'm pregnant."

After the initial shock everyone goes to the happy vampire couple and give congratulations. Quin on the other hand falls back against the sofa and lets loose loud bouts of laughter. He ignores Sharee's irritated look and continues to let loose until he's worn out.

These last thirty years have been full of ups and downs for Faline, Lucius and the rest of them but nothing could have prepared them for so many being pregnant at once.