O'Conner's School for the Light challenged

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma had been woken throughout the night to feed her daughter. She'd never wake Oscar for he needed his sleep. However it was clear that Jamie hated her crib with a passion for she screamed blue murder whenever Emma tried to put her back in, so Emma had sat on a rocking chair that one of her Lycan's had made and rocked Jamie to sleep that way. And fell asleep like that too. She want holding the infant in such away that when Oscar took her from Emma's arms Emma woke. "Gentle." Emma mewed. "Her skin and bone density isn't like ours you could break something." She yawned. She knew Jamie would never shift. Not enough Lycan blood. Emma's vampire and human sides were strongest in Jamie. Yes the infant's eyes had gone blue when she wasn't happy Emma had tried to put her in the crib but apart from that Emma guessed the rest of Jamie was Vampire and human.
Jamie babbled to her father, her expression most indignant as she tried to tell him how mean mummy was for trying to put her in the horrible wooden box thing instead of letting her sleep in mummy's arms. But her words were just babbles. But at least she'd gotten control of her arms. . . well a little control. five times out of ten she could make them work to her will. And this was that time, she reached out to her father and smiled. "Mmmrmma!" She whined at him.  

[The Madame Red]

"I'm going to summon Anya and her brood over here then," Oscar called in the messenger to have the others join them.



Anya had just spoke to her children about the funeral when the messenger came. She wasn't in the best of moods to see another child that wasn't her own, but she figured it wouldn't kill her to try to be positive in her time in mourning. Her children seemed anxious to go anyways. The twins took her by the hands as Alexei led they way to see the child,.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Jamie gave a mew reaching out for her mother making noises with her lips which Emma knew instantly as Jamie being hungry. "Excuse us my love." Emma said taking the infant from his arms. "Shouldn't take too long." She smiled up at him then after retrieving a blanket started to breast feed their daughter covering herself with the baby blanket for modesty's sake.


Conrad followed protectively behind his family smiling softly. "Proud of you." He whispered in Anya's ear. Now was not the time to be aroused by how she walked. So he thought of other things. Like being a grandfather again.  

[The Madame Red]

Scenting the smell of mother's milk, Anya had her and the children wait outside the bedroom. Luna seemed more than anxious to see the baby as she held her cheeks, pacing and having a dreamy look in her eye, "I bet the baby's eyes are a pretty green! Oh! What if she has a full head of hair? I bet she's too cute that we all die! Oh how lucky Emma is to have babies! They're so adorable!"

"You're making yourself look stupid," Celia tugged on Luna's dress, "Calm down, we've all seen and been babies before."

"But this is a real live baby!" Luna stated dramatically as she held Celia's wrist, "We haven't seen a baby since we've been babies!"

Celia pulled her wrists away from Luna, "I think you've gone mad."

"Anya!" Oscar flung the door wide open while Emma still nursed their child, "You need to see my darling baby girl!"

"I'm quite sure she's adorable," Anya put on her best smile as she kept Luna from tackling Emma as she fed her child, "The kids are very excited to see their new cousin."

Celia and Alexei took Luna's hand, waiting for Emma to finish, to go see the new baby. Oscar escorted Anya into the room and pulled her aside. It had been a long time since she confided into him. She shielded her gaze from the others as she allowed a few more tears to fall, "I had no other choice... She was going to hurt my son."

"I heard the news," Oscar spoke solemnly, "You have my fullest sympathy and grievances. I know more than the others when I say I know how hard this is for you, especially now. No one will take it personally if you keep to your throne for some time. Connie would be happy spending time with his children and grandchildren."

"Mother!" Luna squealed as she ran over, "You just have to see baby Jamie!"

Anya quickly wiped away her tears as she followed her daughter. Jamie was beautiful like her mother and Scarlet. But her mind was far, far away that she could not fully treasure the moment or appreciate the beauty of Emma's baby.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma had finished feeding when Anya came in fixing her shirts and bra then burped Jamie before Luna came over. At first Jamie was shy blushing and hiding her face against her mother's chest but after a little bit Jamie turned her eyes to her aunt and smiled shyly. "Mmmga!" She cooed. Her green eyes looked to Anya and her daddy another little mew escaped her lips arching her back but she was trying to reach out to her father. Emma smiled and tickled Jamie then instructed Luna to sit and taught her how to hold Jamie. "Gentle with her head little sister."  

[The Madame Red]

After some time of visiting Emma, Anya noticed Celia staying away from the others and the baby. She could already see Katya in Celia in so many facets. Their shared demeanor and nuances between them that were similar. Anya then smiled as she stood, "We ought to let the baby rest with her parents so they can bond."

She noticed Oscar had made a face. Emma may have married him, but he hadn't changed a bit. He was still the same feisty Oscar as always. Anya gave him a weak smile before exiting, Luna was already asking when she could come back as Celia had to drag her out. Anya didn't waste time to go to her war room to dive back into her work when they returned to the castle. The twins noticed and reluctantly went to their room to play with their dolls as Alexei went to contact his betrothed.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma laughed at his expression. "Come here." She sort of commanded and pulled down for a deep passioante kiss. She wasnt ready dor coupling yet but she was getting there. Slowly. She had told Luna too come around whenever she wanted and laughed when her father followed his wife like a lost puppy. It was adorable.  

[The Madame Red]

Oscar sat at the end of the bed as Jamie played around with Emma. He was happy to see his daughter was so full of life. However, the bonding phase would take forever and he was looking forward to going back to work.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Look on the bright side." Emma purred. "With the rate I am healing we can start making love." She blushed a little her hand stroked his hair. "Or, we could work and snuggle our baby. Personally I prefer snuggles."  

[The Madame Red]

"Personally I would like to get back to work," Oscar sighed as he took hold of Jamie, "The making love part is nice and all, but I know i'm getting behind on my work."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma thought for a moment then nodded. "Yes. . . I too have gotten behind on my work." She replied. "No doubt Nyssa has screwed up my filing system already. Urgh that's gonna be a b***h to fix. So, plan is, catch up on work, then possibly if the mood strikes us, adult play time." She grinned. "After lunch though. That way I'm not leaking through my shirt. That is highly humiliating and I'd like to not have you hold something else over me for the time being thank you very much." Her grin told him she was teasing him.  

[The Madame Red]

"Just don't s**t in the bed. I don't go for that kind of stuff," Oscar handed Jamie back to Emma before kissing them both on the head, "I'm going to head back to my office and get work done early so we can see how things go tonight. I love you both and will be thinking of you two."

Oscar left the room casually to head back to his office. First off, he wanted to visit Anya. He felt that she would just go right to her work instead of dealing with her emotions with losing her sister so quickly. Oscar went through the shadows and ended up in Anya's war room where she stood alone, not looking over any papers as she gazed out the window. He didn't have to say anything for her to know he was there. When he opened his mouth to say something, she turned and hugged him tightly as tears poured down her eyes.

He returned the hug quietly as he rested his head on top of hers. No one knew the pain she felt for having to do what she did, though he could see she only regretted it because it was Katya. She saved her son and her kingdom, but at the price of someone who knew her better than anyone else in the entire living and dead world. Oscar then spoke to break the silence, "Where's Connie?"

"Doing something with the children, I don't know," Anya softly pulled away as she sat on the windowsill, "How's Emma and the baby?"

"They're fine. I was actually heading back to my office and came here to see how you're doing," Oscar lit a cigarette, "Some things really don't change, you know? No matter what in the end it's still just you and me against the world."

"That's what sire siblings are," Anya seemed to smile through her tears, "We could be countries apart, but we'd still find a way to be together somehow."

It was little comfort for Anya, but it was the most comfort she felt in the last two days since her sister's death. At least someone understood her pain and she was more than glad to know that it was Oscar. After he left to tend to his work, Anya opened one of the plans to build another village further out.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Emma gave a pout and knew he wasn't going straight to his office. Part of her loathed that he always went crying to Anya but then she remembered they knew each other for so much longer than she had known them. They were destined to be lovers before she came along. She shouldn't be hurt by this at all. It was at this point in her thought process that her twins barged in and helped her get dressed and express milk so she didn't have to stop working to expose her self to her court to feed Jamie. While she liked making out with Oscar around them she wasn't comfortable with them seeing what only Oscar and her infant were allowed to see. "Now both of you will be learning how to handle things today." She said with a smile. "That way when you're old enough you can rule in my stead when I am gone-"
"Don't say that mummy!" Sebastian burst out his voice cracking. Seemed he was over the 'mummy is embarrassing me by breathing' stage. "If Pa heard that he'd get upset with you." Emma smiled softly. She was glad he was finally accepting that Oscar wasn't going anywhere.

Conrad waited outside until he knew Oscar had left. Then he knocked on the door. "Can I come in now?" He asked. He wanted to give her some space to grieve but now he wanted to grieve with her. It was strange her thinking she was alone in this. All she had to do was seek out Emma. But He knew saying that was a bad idea at this point for many reasons he couldn't speak of at that moment.  

[The Madame Red]

"You may," Anya allowed her husband to enter the room.

She had been reluctant to hear from him because he would bring up how Emma supposedly lost more, did more, how she was strong, blah blah blah. Emma wasn't as alone as she thought. She had taken Oscar had she not? She had taken Liam before Oscar had she not? She had her own pack? And she had her own kingdom that spat on anyone that was associated with Anya, did she not? Anya stood as she wiped away her tears when Conrad came near her.

"I know you hated my sister, many of people did," Anya spoke so softly as she faced Conrad, "But if you could have seen how close we were when we were alive...you would have seen why I clung so deeply to her for so long. Even Oscar could not see what she and I had together. But when she..she threatened to kill my child... Conrad..."

Anya finally broke down into tears. For so long, she had remain resilient to crying in front of Conrad that it felt odd doing so in front of him.