about to burst_

[Sky]

"Mrs. Gray," Phoenix added, narrowing his eyes. "I'm twenty two. She is eighteen. You do realize she is an adult, don't you? And that there are only four years between us?"

[potter_fan122]

Stacey stood up and instantly her eyes darkened. Uh, duh. Avalee was eighteen, but that meant nothing anymore.

"I`m quite aware of that, Monsieur Pheonix, but age means nothing in our world. What matters is the mind. How old someone is mentally effects everything. I may be eighteen myself, but I`m ready to have a steady life with my husband and children. Avalee, on the other hand, is still learning about the world. She`s never had a good relationship that`s lasted and she gets to attatched to those around her." She crossed her arms over her large stomach and watched the man.

"I know all too well how she connects to those around her. Just after my wedding she ventured to kiss my husband because he was being sweet. You needn`t lecture me about experiencing things. Professor Pheonix, although you may be twenty-two, you might very well be mentally younger than that. I haven`t yet had the liberty to get to know you." Her words were slightly pointed, like she was indeed the older person present and she knew it. Stacey knew that she was young-- God knew she knew it-- but she was pridefull.

[Sky]

  Phoenix glared at her for a moment, and then realized something, relaxing his gaze.

  "Oh, I get it now." He said with a smirk. "You're still angry over what happened. You're still jealous over that one day. What, are you afraid your husband might have developed a little something for her? Is that it? You think you're so mature but you are being rather juvenile right now. You may think being eighteen means adulthood, but believe me sweetheart, everything changes when you hit those glorious twenties."

[potter_fan122]

She raised an eyebrow and her irises flashed bright red without warning. A few minutes ago she had been wondering why she was out of her place, but who was he to say those things to her now?

"You think that I feel like an adult? You think that I am the one that needs to grow up. Let me tell you something, Pheonix, I am scared to death. You think I want to have two kids-- you`re wrong? You think I enjoy having so much respinsibility to have to worry about all of the time-- you`re way off. I don`t want this. You wouldn`t believe how much I want to be free of everything and be able to run around like you. I used to be active, okay? I ran around all day-- as a human or as an Animagus-- and now I can barely walk from my bed to my kitchen without being short of breath." Her arms fell to her sides, hands clenched tightly. She imagined all of the knives and guns she had at home locked up, then the two knives she had on her. Then she thought about the mental sheild. The doctor had put a weak block on her mind, and she had added to it to make it stronger. Now the only powers she had acess to were her own, unless she took it down.

"I don`t know if you`ve heard about me, Pheonix, but I`m a very troubled person. I have an insane immortal uncle that constantly tried to break my mind in half. I found out that my father was a lie, everything about him. My mom has overworked me since I could count. I have no one except my husband. How do you think all of this feels for me? I`m eighteen, d@mmit! I don`t want kids." Did she have tears in her eyes? Was she really crying in front of this man who was humiliating her.

Yeah, she was. And she couldn`t stop it.

-D@mned hormones.-

[Sky]

Before she could utter another word, Phoenix was at her side, his arms around her as he whispered to her.

  "Shhhh." He tried to soothe. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Look at what he had done. She was crying now. He felt like such a jerk. He stroked her hair with careful fingers, doing everything he could to stop the flow of tears.

"I know you don't want kids, but when you see them...when you look into their eyes, your eyes, or even Aiden's, that feeling is going to be replaced with something else. Motherhood. Love. It changes everything. Your whole outlook. It'll all be worthwhile in the end."

[potter_fan122]

Stacey sobbed and sniffed for a moment then took a step away from Pheonix. He was a little too close; her stomach--as large as it was right now-- nearly brushed his, and that felt odd. He was practically a stranger and she just wasn`t comfortable. And she was crying on top of it.

"I`m sorry. I normally wouldn`t be like this," she said through some fresh tears, "it`s the stupid hormones. They`re getting my emotions all messed up." She shook her head back and forth and let her hair fall into her face.

[Sky]

"Yeah...." Phoenix stepped away too, realizing boundaries, and then started for the door again, pulling it open. "Good luck." He said softly, and then he walked through, letting the door close on its own.