There's no place like home

She put the kettle on, taking a deeper breath in while finding two cups. At least after she had more or less moved back in, there was food in the house other times than after Eden had swung by. "How long have you been back here?" She asked curiously, as she poured water into the cups. Sebastian special herbs he had gotten from Fern, made some of the finest tea one could come across. She placed it on the small table in the kitchen and sat down. There was also a lot of story to go with this place, because it was here she had been most of the time after she thought she had lost everyone. The house had gotten a bit more life after Lexie had bought some plants and given the room a little bit more life, since she also was home to take care of the house when she wasn't studying.

Lexie could have asked questions about what had been going on at the Harbour, but she wasn't really going to ask any questions regarding that. If it didn't have an importance to her, other than to the pieces of the puzzle she had no trouble putting together, then it was just something that had happened. Lexie tabbed her fingers on the warm cup, really just taking him in and processing this wasn't a dream. Because then, it would just be one cruel dream.

A couple of months, she took that thought in for a moment. At least it wasn't a couple of years while she had worked abroad, she nodded a bit for a moment. It felt like ages since she had looked at him, and it was only because of magic that she had been able to make spells on mirrors or other reflections to remind herself of how her parents smiles looked like. Because everything had gone lost in the village fire, pictures and books - them. As if going through your teenage years hadn't been troubled enough, losing her parents hadn't been what she had expected to be dealing with, but luckily she hadn't been alone. Then he started to tell the story, she quickly theorized it was the whole explanation. Lexie pressed her brows a little bit together while taking in the information, the first pureblood werewolf - her father. Lexie blinked a little bit, and breathed out, taking in the next piece of information.He got his family cursed with eternal life, it was like the ball dropped and something finally made sense to her as she sat back. "That's some story," she breathed out, nodding a bit to herself, it made sense how she made it after the whole fire, how she was so confused she was the only one alive. But she had never really asked Ash for it. She clicked her tongue a little bit, "my father is the first pureblood werewolf, see, I did not see that coming," she confessed as the exhaled.

"When I woke up after the fire, Ash, the guy who lives here - had found me and brought me to the hospital. I always wondered how I made it when no one else did, but it sure explains a lot," she licked her lips a little bit looking down at the mug for a second. Her mind always so every busy trying to find out the most natural explanation to everything at once. "I've stayed here since, him and his two sons took me in - I was never alone," Lexie took a deeper breath in, before lifting the cup up to her lips, blowing on the warm water and felt the steam dance over her face. "I guess I'm just sad It took us so long to find each other again."

He gave her a comforting smile as he watched how she took everything in and turned it around. Understanding what this meant, and what it had of consequences for her. He nodded as she shared her side of the story what had happened that night. He wanted to find her, to figure out where she had gone. But he had been so weak, and he needed to find the people that had burned down the coven before they would come for his daughter once again. After that had been done, he had obligations to come back, being king of a country and the alpha for a giant pack wasn’t as glamours as one might think. Even though his eldest son Leon had been excellent in taking over while he had been away.

“I am too” he said with a sad smile, that still radiated warmth “But we did now, and there is so much I need to tell you” he laughed and licked his lips “You have a lot of family” he let his eyes lock with hers and took a sip of his tea. “And besides being the daughter of the first-born werewolf, you are also a princess” what was it, this movie about a woman finding out that her father had been king of a country, but only finding out after his death? Almost seemed like a very bad chick flick, or what it was it was called. He had never really been into the fact of watching many movies. Given that he also didn’t have the time for such pleasantries.

While her needs had been provided for, she had never gotten over the loss, she had even stormed off to the other side of the world to get away from everything. Lexie pressed her brows a bit together slightly confused when her father mentioned that he had a lot to tell her, making her tilt her head a little curiously to the left. She had a lot of family, Lexie could handle that and nodded a little bit as she understood what he said. What made her jaw drop just a little was the mention of her bring a princess. Her life suddenly sounded like something taken out from the movie The Princess Diaries, and she took a moment to just take a deeper breath in, almost like a dramatic pause for him to tell her that he was joking. But as she realized rather fast, he wasn't, it was very real. Alexandra breathed out again, nodding a bit. "So, legend father, royalty and a lot of family - what else do you have up your sleeve?" She chuckled a bit taking a sip of her tea, slowly processing it - lucky for her she was rather intelligent and absorbing information was her thing.

Lexie then took a deeper breath in and sat a little bit back in the chair, placing the cup back on the table. Like it just hit her that her father was back, and it hit hard once again. "I - uhm, my apologizes, I just hadn't expected this to ever happen - any of it," she folded her lips a little bit looking down at her tea for a moment before looking up, lifting her hand up to run a lock of hair behind her right ear as she exhaled. She felt very sentimental about having him back in her life, which was understandable. Who wouldn't want their father to come back from the dead and suddenly sitting having tea with you after you thought you wouldn't see him again?

A soft laugh left him as she asked what else he had up his sleeve. He placed an elbow on the table and started counting with his fingers. “Legendary dad” he started putting one finger up “Firstborn alpha and pureblood” another finger “King of Theronida” yet another one “long line of families, both sisters, brothers and a lot of kids” he stopped and waved his hand a little around “I think that is everything” he said with a smile, putting the hand down letting it form around the mug that was sitting not far from where he was sitting. He nodded understanding as she told him that she had never expected this to happen “I understand why, it is sadly a story that keeps repeating itself” he breathed out giving her a sad smile “my sister in particular keeps finding her in positions where she can be there for her children because life keeps tearing her away, and it’s the curse that we carry with us from our father, that death will always come and when we least expect it” it kept tearing the family apart, and it was only because there were so strong bonds between the siblings like Damian and Melanie that the family was even functioning.

Lexie folded her lips a little bit as he told what else there was to know, it was always something Lexie was rather adaptable to whatever was thrown at her. Long line of families - both sisters, brothers the young witch wondered for a moment how many siblings she could have, how much family she actually had. It had been almost impossible to find remains from the coven, the ones that had survived the fire had fled - not that she blamed them.

It sounded like a curse, which was also what he had called it not long ago. The curse of dying and coming back, being torn apart from the people you loved. Lexie took a sharper breath in, by the mention of his sister, her aunt, and how she experienced the curse. She looked down at the cup of tea for a brief moment, taking in the information. Every witch knew that they could have the chance to live forever, first dying if killed, rejected by their mate or if their mate died. She had nothing against living a long life. A never ending life, funny enough - didn't scare her. Getting torn apart from her family did. "So how much family is out there?" Lexie then asked, she assumed it was quite a lot as she calculated all the factors of what he had just told her, along with some common knowledge and sense - but she new there was some more out there, she had never been blind to that. But after everyone had died, and no one had found her from her biological family - she just assumed they didn't know about her, couldn't find her or simply didn't care.

He gave her a soft expression as she asked just how much family there was out there. ”It is hard to put a number on it, but there is quite a lot my sister and I have a couple of siblings, they all have children. You are the last one I’ve gotten, but I a have another daughter I haven’t been in touch with for a very long time, and then I have a couple of sons, one the crown prince, and his a few years younger brother that is the families fixer” he explained, knowing that it was a lot to take in, but he took it in steps knowing that it would be overwhelming no matter who you were. Nor how much you had hoped for seeing your parents again. Or in this case, it would only be him that would come back. Which he felt guilty about, a child should never be forced to grow up without its parents there. Or at least not knowing they died. At least she had found someone that could be that figure for her. That would be something that Damian would always be grateful for. “But I think it would be easier if I one day just bring our family three and show you, let’s just say there are around four very prominent supernatural families. We have the Sinclair’s, and Jones’s that are both very powerful witches. Then we have Addams, who have ties to the first-born pureblood vampires and then there is the Radclyffee, which are the first pureblood werewolves” he took a sip of his tea, to give her time to process and him some time to formulate himself in his head before he kept on talking. “And when you are a family with old and undying relatives, it is very easy to grow to a scale where not only one or two generations, but more than twenty”  

She chuckled a little bit, listening in, she was the youngest a part of her felt like  it was a relief, but she wasn't sure why. Maybe the thought of despite of it all, it didn't mean he had started over by making a new family. Was that selfish of her? She pushed the feeling back on the shelf where it belonged, as she continued to listen, she had an older sister - one he wasn't in touch with - and she had older brothers. A smile curled on her lips, family fixer - it reminded her of Bash for a brief moment. "I would like to meet them sometime," she confessed with a softer smile, in generally knowing more about yourself, but meeting more family wasn't something she would say no to. Lexie took a deeper breath in, placing her hands around the tea cup again to lift it up and take a sip. It sure was a lot of information, and her mind processed it the best it could, well aware that everything would first really be realized everything between minutes to hours. She chuckled a little bit, it would be easier to bring a family tree, it sure sounded like there was way more out there than what met the eye.

... four very prominent supernatural families. Lexie pressed her brows a little bit together, listening more carefully in. Clearly it peaked her interest. She had heard about the Sinclair's, you couldn't possibly live in Moonlight Falls without knowing that name. Jones, she had come to know that one quite well since she had returned home - Sebastian was a Jones as well. Addams, she wasn't sure she had encountered any of them, but to be fair she had her eyes in books rather than mingling around with people. "I see that," she chuckled a little taking a sip more of the tea. Lexie could feel her forehead starting to ache a little with the massive bomb of information, but she was also just eager to know more. "There is a lot of Jones' around here, just next door we have Cassian - he is quite nice," she made a small chuckle. She was very happy that Sebastian had gotten to find some more parts of his identity. "Where are you staying at?" She then asked, with the follow up question and how long, hanging on the tip of her tongue. Lexie was a lot of things, but ready to know know when she would see him again now that she had just gotten him back in her life - that was one thing she wasn't up for. To question she rather would stay with her father, and she knew Ash, Aleks and Bash would understand that in the end - even though they were her family now too.

Damian couldn’t help but let a smile beam over his lips as Lexie told him that she wanted to meet her family. It would have been hard to figure out how to start including her in his life, if Lexie would have shown a discomforting in getting to know where she was from and what formed her DNA. “I’m sure we can let that happen, but first I would like to get to know you better” he explained, also because he knew the moment that the family would be introduced, it wouldn’t only be him and her. Besides there wasn’t a lot of time where he actually could be the father that he wanted. Not with all the obligations that he had. And things he needed to take care off. Hopefully they would still be able to have a day or two to just be them and figuring things out.

The werewolf couldn’t help but raise his brows when Lexie was telling him about that a lot of Jones’s lived around here. One might think it was the part of them living here, but he knew where his allies and enemies were in the world. Which was why he had come here again. But it was the fact that it was Cassian Jones. One of the many loves that had been in his sister’s life. But also, one that had been the most, what would you call it. Happiest? “Funny, Cassian is my sister’s ex-husband, the world is indeed small here in Athena” he chuckled as his head slightly shook. Almost as if he couldn’t believe the coincidence that Cassian lived next door.

He looked towards her as she asked where he was staying “I have a small estate by the mountains and the fjord, near Grounds of lily” he explained giving her a soft smile “you are more than welcome to come with me, stay there for a few days, so we could get a chance to get to know one another” he looked around the home they were in right now “You can say no, I understand that you have a father here as well, and I’m not going to pressure you to anything” he felt the heaviness in his heart as he said that. But he also understood that family didn’t end with blood.

Lexie nodded, she understood the wanting to get to know the other part, it was how she felt. She knew that the picture in your head wasn't always the picture you could rely on, not with so many years apart. But Lexie wanted to share stories and stuff that she had been doing over the time she had spent apart from her father. The addition to that Cassian was a familiar person to her father, or more to the family made her chuckle a little bit. Yes, the world was indeed small. Lexie couldn't avoid being a tiny bit scared that this could vanish in a blink of an eye. She was intelligent enough to know she wasn't sleeping, and yet she couldn't help but think, what if she was?

Near Grounds of Lily wasn't far away, and she usually liked to hike in the mountains around that town. "It's a beautiful area," she commented with a softer smile, and folded her lips a little bit. Lexie held her breath for a moment as he said she could come with him. Even if it was just for a few days - she liked the idea. Getting to know each other again. She clicked her tongue a little bit. "I know," she breathed out and nodded a bit. "And I would like to go with you," Lexie placed the tea cup back on the table and folded her lips. "I want to talk to you - and I want to be a family again," she held her breath a little. Lexie wasn't known to be the most emotional type, well not unless she was talking with friends or family. And she felt like right now honesty was the most important thing. Even if she did have a new family, it didn't replace the old one, it didn't replace the love she had felt there - just like reconnecting with the old one wouldn't replace the new one - she firmly believed that. "I reckon Ash will be home for a quick break around..." she looked up at the clock on the wall, "in not so long, actually. I'm sure he will be fine with it as well," she said very assuring. Well, Ash could be a handful to some if you didn't know him, but she knew him.

He could feel the stone fall from his chest as she told him that she wanted to go with him. Now the last thing he wanted was to take another mans child. Especially when no one had been expecting for the parents to come back around. Well to be fair, only one would. But, that didn’t mean that Damian couldn’t see the situation from Ash’s perspective. That this might be hard to know that the girl you had seen as your daughter for a good handful of years. Suddenly she would be ripped away by her biological father. But on the other note, when it came down to it Damian would do it in a heartbeat, especially now that his daughter had just told that she wanted to go with him. Nothing would be able to stop him getting his daughter back. He breathed out taking another sip from his tea looking towards the front door as she told him, that it might not be long before ash would be back. Not a conversation that he was looking forward too. But as everything else in life, you just had to get on with it. "Will figure things out" Damian said as he turned his attention back to his daughter giving her a soft smile.

Lexie had been trying for years to figure out where she belonged after the loss of her parents, and maybe it was due to Sebastian and Aleks' great abilities and understanding that she was put together in the way she was today. She had people in her corner, friends before she even had met Ash and his family. She had had Howie as well to talk to after everything had went down. Lexie didn't see it as ripping herself away from Ash, or ripping herself out of the books - but maybe that was just because she sat here right in front of her father. Her father who wasn't dead, the one missing piece she had feared always would be gone. She nodded a bit. Just hoping that the meeting between her father and Ash would actually go smoothly, since Ash could be a tought nut to crack and easily come off way harsher than he wanted.

It took thing more than half an hour before the car parked out front, and Lexie announced that Ash was there. The demi-god opened up the front door, not sure if Lexie was still companied with her father or not, but the closer he got and the sound of their voices made it pretty clear. Just as he could feel the strong sense of death. Ash entered the space, knowing he only had an hour or so before he needed to be back at work again - after the thing that had happened in the woods, it was a close hand of doctors handling the case, but Nia had promised to page him if something happened while he stayed on call. However, as sour and bitter Ash could be, he could be polite and friendly - depending on the scene, now he did love his children with all of his heart. More heart than the blind eye ever got to see. "Hey," he took a sharper breath in giving Lexie a softer smile before his eyes turned to her actual father. "Ash Mitchell," Ash held his hand out towards the werewolf with a polite friendly smile.

Damian stood up from the chair as Lexie announced that would be Ash coming home. He waited patiently and politely in the kitchen with his daughter until the demi-god stepped in and looked towards both of them. Damian wasn’t blind to see how Ash looked at his daughter, their daughter at it so would seem. He then reached out his hand as he introduced himself. “Damianos Radclyffee, but normally just Damian” he said with a smile and took his hand back after giving Ash’s a good shake. “I must say, it’s been a long time since I last met a demi-god” Damian couldn’t help himself, as it was such a rarity these days. But when he had met Dion, because of his son being very fond of the parties that he threw. There wasn’t a corner around Greece you could turn without meeting at least one. Some more impressive than others. “Thank you” Damian then said with a smile “for making this happen” because if hadn’t, if he had decided to keep the connection that he had made at the harbor for himself. Then who would have known when he would meet Lexie again.

Ash chuckled a little, it was rare that someone managed to place what he was, mostly because in these modern times not many people still believed in the old myths. "Son of Hades," Ash added to justify the curiosity that might be underneath the knowledge, he never really spoke about his father. Which also made Lexie frown for a second, but it made sense. Ash took a sharper breath in, yes, had it been last year, perhaps Ash would have at least taken a few nights of sleep before allowing this so soon. But perhaps it had been how he had seen Sebastian connect with Cassian after having met him. There was of course a difference between Lexie and Sebastian, and it was that Lexie had once lost her parents to Ash finding out her father had returned. And he knew how much the loss had haunted Lexie, and lying to her was not something he wanted to do. "You both deserved it," he breathed out, looking from Damian to Lexie shortly giving her another warm smile, before returning his eyes to Damian again. Ash had seen how both of them had died that night, there was so much death upon the old werewolf. And Ash did see all.

Now, Damian was known for a very neutral face. Not letting anything show, when he was talking with people that weren’t family. One could call him paranoid, or other could just call him calculated that people would use more time trying to figure out what he was thinking, rather than seeing what he was doing behind the shadows. Which had been one way he had taken over man packs in the past, when he hadn’t felt that the alphas had done it right. His sister always been much gentler about it. Trying to help the packs instead of just showing them that they were much stronger and much more to offer. Not afraid to show force against other supernatural beings, nor hide in forest or away from civilization. Coexisting by training temper and transformations. But when Ash told him that he was the son of Hades? A small flicker of surprise glided over his face. Now that wasn’t a good that went around getting sons with mortals. He nodded as Ash told them that they deserved it. Damian agreed and slowly nodded, it had been a horrible way of dying, waking up and seeing everyone gone. If it hadn’t been for his family, it would have taken even longer before he would have healed and gotten back to his full health. “Well, I’m just glad we finally found each other again, and it seems like she grew up to be talented and beautiful woman, so thank you for that” Damian said and nodded; “We were discussing that we would spend some time together where I live, and then introduce her to her siblings and the family that is also in the area” he elaborated.

Ash took a deeper breath in and moved his eyes towards Lexie, "yeah, well she did most of it herself. I don't think I've ever seen anyone as stubborn and ambitious - she is very  intelligent," Lexie chuckled a little bit, giving Ash a thankful smile. Ash moved his attention back to Damian, as he mentioned that they had been talking about catching up, making the demi-god blink a little bit, folding his lips for a moment. If one thing, Ash hated letting go. But who was he to keep Lexie from getting to know more about herself and spending time with her biological father. It wasn't his fault they had died that day, he had no reason to hate the werewolf's guts. "Well, I do believe you can make your own choices about what you want, and if you want to go and meet up with the rest of your family. You can do so - the door here is always open no matter what," he smiled as Lexie stepped over to Ash and gave him a warm hug, whispering a thank you as he hugged her back. Not that the comfort made it easier to let her go, but he also knew in his heart she wasn't going to go for good, she would still visit and return - or that he could only hope. "Just keep an extra eye out on her for me." He pulled a little smile looking back at Damian as he let Lexie out of his embrace again. As easy as Ash made it seem, it was far from easy.

Damian couldn’t help the proud smile on his lips as Ash told him about Lexie’s personality. He wanted to add that most of that came from her mother. That she had been extremely intelligent given how she could create magic spells out of her imagination. But he held it back, knowing that they needed to take one step at a time, and when she was ready to hear about who her mother had been like, they could talk about it then. Right now, he was just happy that it was possible for him to take her home, without doing it with force. Or had to leave her behind. That would be the worst scenario.

The werewolf nodded when Ash asked of him, that he took good care of Lexie. Or at least kept an eye out for her. That wouldn’t be a problem. He had made sure that his children had a fairly good connection to one another, so if they couldn’t get in touch with him, they could lean on each other. Especially since so many of them were so old. “I will, we’ll probably see each other again” he said giving Ash his hand once again to say goodbye, and then went outside to take the car back to his mansion in Hope gardens. It was hard not to let a smile slip over his lips. Funny how things seemed to fall into perfect place now.

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