Having children? Exhausting. Having two at once? Dear lord it was a Swiss roll of a blessing and a curse. Once Marcus went to sleep, Asteria would decide it was the perfect time to wake up and cry so that her sleep deprived mother would just never sleep.
But they were cute as fuck.
Asteria Nyx Taschereau was her mother's heir apparent. She had blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. And Marcus Francois Taschereau has darker blonde hair, the resemblance to Tom came out in less obvious ways.
The chin, or the smile, or the nose. She noticed it in both her children but she didn't let it bother her.
Taschereau industries was going well. And she had more money than she knew what to do with.
She rocked the fussy Asteria whose middle name truly suited her better. Nyx, the goddess of night, boy did she seem to love being awake at night.
Freya slowly set the baby down in her crib. She kept them in the same room. It was easier. She had tried to separate them into separate rooms so they wouldn't wake each other but it was pointless. They cried out for one another. It was rather cute.
Freya closed their door slowly and walked to her room and collapsed onto her bed. Candace was about to pop, and was no help. Not that she could blame her.
Pregnancy hadn't been easy on Candy Cane. But right now all Freya could think about was how soft her sheets were.
Somewhat expensive, but so worth it. Maybe money could buy happiness after all. And then a baby started to cry and she pulled herself out of bed,
She walked into the room and saw Marcus was seemingly very angry at his stuffed snake.
"Do you not like it?" Asked Freya, picking you the snake, "You loved the snake in the garden. Giggled, would you rather a lion? Oh what about a thunderbird?"
Marcus giggles in approval and made grabby hands for the stuffed toy, she gave it to him and he hugged it, she had some damn cute kids.
Who cares if she wouldn't sleep for another three years or so.
—
"Maman, maman, it's Christmas!" Yelled Marcus, jumping onto his mother's bed,
"Merry Christmas, Maman," said Asteria as their mother slowly woke up, a smile spreading across her face as she looked at her two children,
"Merry Christmas, did Santa come?" She asked as they moved to be on either side of her,
"Yes, he did and there are so many presents, we have to go!" Said Marcus,
"Come on, that's not what Christmas is all about." Said Freya, "It's about family,"
"That's why we woke you before opening them," said Asteria and Freya laughed,
"Everyone says that they have the best kids but everyone is wrong. I have the best kids." Said Freya, sitting up,
Christmas Day wore on and both kids were asleep on the couch. They were sweet kids, the both of them. And they got along so well with Candace's girl Adora.
Freya was sitting in the kitchen with Candace, checking in on the kids every few minutes.
"I love Christmas." Sighed Freya,
"He's close." Said Candace,
"What?"
"He's close, Freya. Last week I heard he was in Nova Scotia," said Candace, "He's been through Quebec already, it's only a matter of time."
"Don't say that." Said Freya, looking in on her two sleeping children next to Adora.
"I will say it, because it's the truth." Said Candace, "Frenchy, we aren't kids anymore. We have kids for Flamel's sake."
"There's nothing I can do, this is the best most hidden spot I could think of. They have friends here, a community."
"He won't stop looking for you." Said Candace, "French, I have my own family, you have to face him, to kill him."
"Fine." Said Freya, "I'll just take his heart, and then he has to do my bidding,"
"Cause that worked so well the first time."
—
"Mes Chéres," said Freya as she closed the storybook again, "C'est le temps de vous coucher."
"Non, encore, Maman," said Asteria,
"Oui, encore Maman, s'il vous plaît," said Marcus,
"Alright," said Freya, "Seulement car tu as dit s'il vous plaît."
The twins snuggled in at either side of their mother as they listened to the story, about a beautiful princess who turned out to be the villain in the end, and then there was a mermaid, and the mermaid sang a beautiful song and the sky changed shades, the brook babbled happily and the evil princess saw the errors of her way,
"Bonne nuit, Maman," whispered Asteria as she fell asleep,
"Bonne nuit, ma belle," she said, "Bonne nuit, mon beau,"
She slowly slipped out of the bed and picked up Asteria, placing her in her own bed,
"Maman?"
"Oui, princesse?"
"Je t'aime."
"Je t'adore avec la fortesse d'une centaine de soleil." Said Freya, tucking her daughter in,
"Et moi?" Came Marcus' voice,
"La même. Je vous adore avec toute ma coeur," she said, quietly, walking from the room,
"Bonne nuit,Maman," they each said,
And she shut the door, and then came a knock. A harsh knock. She locked their bedroom door and soundproofed it.
Freya took a deep breath and walked to the door,
"Qui est là?" She called,
"I think you know." Said an all too familiar voice, and Freya mentally cursed, and gold mist seemed to fill the room, "Open the door, love."
"Je me comprends pas l'anglais," she said,
"Ouvre la Porte." Said Tom, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath,
"EST-tu seule?" She asked,
"My French isn't that good, love." He said, and she composed herself before opening the door and stepping outside to face him.
She locked the door behind her, her wand clutched after her side, he looked down almost lovingly and caressed the side of her face,
"I missed you." He said,
"Go away." She said, "I don't want you here."
"Was it a boy or a girl?" Asked Tom,
"Get out," she said, golden energy building and then golden magic encircled Tom, picking him up and removing him from her porch, setting him down in the front yard.
"Impressive," he said, drawing his own wand, Freya began casting protective enchantments over her home, and she cast a notice me not and created a golden dome around she and Tom,
Ensuring no neighbours saw, to keep their fuel or words invisible.
"This is incredible." Said Tom, looking at the sheen of the golden magic then at Freya as she glowered at him.
"Why are you here?" Asked Freya, raising her wand, as she felt her wings threaten to make an appearance,
"To see you, to see our child, to take you both home." Said Tom,
"We have a home." Said Freya, "You are simply not a part of it. You chose a path of darkness. I don't want that in my home."
"Freya, I love you." Said Tom,
"Fuck you." She said, "I want you out of Canada, it's too damn good for the likes of you."
"You had my baby, Love, there is no reason to deny me the right to see my own child." He said,
Freya then raised her wand and began writing out said list with magic in the air,
"Number one, bad influence, number two dark magic, number three violent tendencies, number four keeps snakes around the house, five is a psychopath, six has an army of bad people following him," she said and then she flipped the elegant airborne list so he could read it, "Would you like me to go on?"
"Freya, listen, I love you," he said, advancing towards her and then she did something he didn't expect she reached into his chest and pulled out his blackened but beating heart. "How did you?"
"I'm magical as fuck," she said, "I would do anything to protect my family. Anything. And you are putting us in danger, so," she gave the heart a warning squeeze and he winced in pain, "You are going to stay away or this, gets crushed, killing you. Nifty huh?"
"You loved me. How could you."
"Maybe it's the whole I didn't grow up with money it just appeared one day, and now I have everything and I know how quickly fate can fuck you over. So I'm not going to let you fuck this life up." She said, pocketing his heart, "get away from me. And stay away."
He captured her lips in a kiss but he was quickly pushed away,
"Come near us again and I will kill you. Do you understand? Don't touch my family." She said, and then gold magic encircled him and he was expelled from the golden forcefield of magic and helplessly carried for what felt like miles to the middle of Maine.
Freya walked back into her home. And checked in on her children. Little Angels the both of them.
And she would kill to keep them safe.
She walked into her study and placed Tom's heart in her desk drawer, locking it and then she slept better than she had in months.
Knowing he would never come back. Her babies were safe. She was safe.
And when she woke up, she wasn't so tired anymore.