Pearl Rising

Two - Pearl

He finally cracked a smile, relaxing his posture. "In your dreams, cousin."

~ ~

The rest of the drive was silent as Sylar stared out the window. 

Leaving Sylar to whatever he was dealing with, my mood perked up.  I was looking forward to seeing Sage and the twins.  I only got to see them every few weeks with them spending half their time here and the other half in Scotland.

Pulling up outside their home, exiting the car.  Sylar literally bolted to the side of the house, heading to the back, and Ruth greeted me.  It always amazed me how she could just pop up as if she knew when people arrived.  She pulled me in for a hug.

"Oh, my goodness, Pearl!" Ruth's wail scraped my ears. "You're looking thin.  Are you eating right, dear?"  She pulled back and ran her hands up and down my arms, squeezing them at the top to emphasize her worry about my weight. 

She wasn't wrong though. Some days I forgot to eat–especially if I got stressed out and one of the episodes happened.

"I'm good, Ruth.... But if you have some of your amazing death by chocolate cake—I wouldn't say no."

"Done. I'll get one to you by the end of the day and I have your favourite, a whole jar of Nutella."

Shit! I didn't mean for her to be baking on the twin's birthday. "I don't mean right now Ruth... Don't make one just for me."

"My sweet girl.  It will take me ten minutes to whip up the mixture, and then the cooker does the rest."

"But what about the twins?  It's their birthday. And Hunter will rip me a new one."

"Pfff, those twin terrors, it will give me a break—believe me. And don't you worry none about Hunter." She winked at me.

I smiled, nodding.  Sage was so lucky to have someone like her to help with the twins and all the cooking.

"Pearl!" I heard the squeal of my dear cousin as Ruth stepped aside and Sage pulled me into a death grip, squeezing me tight enough to squeeze the air out my lungs.

"I can't breathe, Sage."

Releasing her death grip.  "Mon Dieu, I've missed you, Pearl."

"Missed you too, cousin. But it has only been two weeks."

"Oui, I know. But you've been avoiding me, not answering my texts." Her brow furrowed.

Change of subject.   "Where are the twins?"  My niece and nephew were two years old today.  Seriously, it felt like only five minutes since I was at the birth of the tiny terrors.

"In the back garden.  Tormenting Gunner."

"Good, he deserves it," I scoffed.

"Oui.  I heard you gave him the runaround last night."

"Urgh... I need some fun, Sage.  This is killing me.  Can't you get Hunter to ease off.  I'm getting a handle on it—honestly." I wasn't, unless you counted half a bottle of gin inside me but didn't need to worry Sage with that little nugget of information.

"He wants to talk to you later.  Ask him." She looked at me, sympathetic to my dilemma.

~ ~

Heading around the side of the house.  I found the twins, Sage was right, they were tormenting Gunner, his wolf was giving them rides on his back.  Obviously, he was under some kind of influence, the big man would not willingly be offering wolfy rides. I couldn't help but chuckle.