.second.chances.

[Ginny Weasly]

"Xences is dead."
...is dead.
Dead. Xences.
Xences dead.
Xences is dead.

Ginny stared at her husband, blinking slowly at his statement. No more Xences. No more wondering if he would randomly attack their home. No more hoping he wouldn't sneak up on her children, killing them. No more worrying every night. No more fear of her brother-in-law. he was dead-

"...they're coming."
With a jerk she came back to the moment. She felt more than heard the approching ranks and nodded slowly. Scared people, too scared. No reason in the world would stop them from killing she and Xaver. Immedietly she went to Xaver, gingerly placing and arm around him, careful to try and avoid his wounds. It was hard. After a second thought, she grabbed a blanket as well.
"I can't take us far, baby." She murmered as the transport began, shimmering them out of the room just as the ranks of men busted open the door.

They reappeared a few miles off, standing in the suburbs of the city where the hospital was. It was mostly quiet, although one could hear the far off rumble of the city. She let go of Xaver, carefully placing the blanket over him to cover him.

[Xaver]

Xaver knew the fact was going to be hard to comprehend, as he, himself, barely believed it to be true; though believing and knowing were two very different things. He knew Xences was gone from this and all worlds. Xaver could remember his brother's last breath. Could feel it in his chest, his heart, as the bond of twins had faded and then was no more. It had left an emptiness Xaver had never known something had resided in. Left him alone in a strange, and unsettling demeanor.

Ginny moved to him, and Xaver nodded as she spoke, bracing himself for the pain he knew was to come but could not avoid if he wanted to escape with his well being and life. The smell of ginger and sunshine and children and everything that was right in his world enveloped him as she curled her warm arms around him, cradling gently, carefully, seeming to be able to sense the pain wracking him though he'd said nothing. His injuries had said it for him.

Drawing power around them, Ginny transported them, and as the world reappeared Xaver groaned softly, hurting. Ste stepped back and wrapped a blanket around him to cover his nudity and help with the chill, but he had no strength to thank her. His knees buckled and his wings wrapped protectively around him, cushioning him from most of the impact, then disappearing as he tilted his head back against the cool pavement.
"I think it best to sit a moment.."
Though he was flat on his back.
His breath was shallow, but steady, as he tried to collect himself, the mere act of standing for those few moments having drained him of what felt like all his energy. His head tilted to the side and his dark, mellow gaze flickered over Ginny's form, uninhibited love, and pain, and guilt strong within the depths.
"I hope this is the last time you have to ever save my life."

[Ginny Weasly]

Down onto the pavement as though sitting in the road was the most natural thing in the world. She tried to smile at him, her eyes going every part of him, inspecting the damage, assessing how such wounds could be made. She shook her head slowly at his words, taking a deep breath and looking into his eyes.

"Love, I would be overjoyed if neither of us ever had to be saved again." She reached out and gently cupped his cheek with her warm hand. His skin felt cool to her touch, but it always did. She was not worried. No, it was the look of pain in his eyes that worried her. She ached to know that he was in pain. It had been a few months since they had seen each other, and to have him be hurt broke her heart.
but at least he was alive.

[Xaver]

"As would I."

To not have to worry about his safety, his wife's safety, his babies' safety..
True, there would always be a threat, but..
Xaver's gaze flickered to Ginny's, leaving his main thought unsaid - if Xences wasn't around, the threat didn't have to be so close. So dangerous.
If Xences was dead.
It was so odd to say, to know, with any kind of certainty, that he finally was.

Xaver closed his eyes and rested his head back on the pavement, reaching a hand out to her and settling his palm on her knee.

"How are our children, love? How are you?"

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny watched him for a moment, raising her eyebrows. What a silly man. Here he was laying in the street in his birthday suite with wounds all over him and he was asking about her and the children.
"Silly bird." She said quietly, her eyes softening as she looked at him. As strange and cliched as it sounded, she was not whole without him, and she knew he felt the same way.

"Cody misses you. He asks about you every day," She shook her head slightly, musing for a moment. "I think he's having some problems with some boys at school, but he doesn't say a thing when he's around and has learned that not thinking about things will help keep me from his thoughts."
She sighed. She had refused to teach Cody much about his telepathy, and had in fact blocked the majority of his telepathic and empathic powers most of his life.

"Meliody will begin speaking so, I believe. Not sentences, mind you. But she's making the sounds of words, and that's how they start." She knew Xaver hadn't been around during Cody's first few years, he wouldn't know how their children would develop. More human, or more Fallen? It had been a question Ginny had first had with Cody, but with Meliody she was much more comfortable with it all.

And herself?

She was quiet then, letting her silence speak for itself. She had missed him more than words could describe, so she didn't try. She just felt. She knew he would understand, that was how they were.