Collateral damage.

Jamie let out a small groan, wanted nothing more than to throw something at the demons. Well jokes on them, he had the scent of both of them now. If he wanted to, he could hunt them down easily - both him and Jack could. The brothers looked at each other for a second, clearly thinking the same. But Jamie's head was pulled into something else entirely by the scent of Hope's blood, making him walk over to her, lifting a brow to ask if she was alright. "Hey -" he spoke with a lower voice grabbing her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. "We got here in time, she is okay," Jamie assured her, putting an arm around her shoulders, giving her a small squeeze towards him as he then placed his lips against her temple. "Let's go check up on her, then we can drive all the way to Grounds of Lily to check the area around where Ayah lives if that makes you feel more at ease," Jamie suggested, wanting to make sure Hope felt as comfortable about the situation as one could. It was a mess, but at least they weren't alone dealing with it. "I will go to Southside, Francis told me there was an explosion - I have a few injured friends so," Jamie nodded towards Jack who started heading towards Southside. Where Jamie guided Hope with him towards Nigel's house.

One could call it a gut feeling that had woken her, first thought she had believed it had been Archibald who had made a move or a sound, but no it came from outside. Then smelling Mariella's blood, having the scent of Theo, she pressed her brows together and got up from the bed looking out the window, seeing them coming closer. Then turning around, quietly walking over and kissed Nigel on the temple. "I think we might be needed downstairs, its Ella" she whispered, hearing how the front door was unlocked. But since Archibald was finally sleeping, she moved carefully walking over to grab her bathrobe and tied it before then walking downstairs.
Mariella sat down on the couch, hating to know she had woken up Irina and Nigel, but it had been the nearest place to get a good look at the scar, demon bites were filled with bacteria and such just like any bite one could get.

“I warned them”, she hissed as he walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. “I fucking warned them that getting his memories back would put us all at risk”, she cursed, she didn’t like this, and she nodded a little when Jack he said he would go back to Southside and see what had been happening back there. “Tell Francis, if he cares, he fucked up this time;” she let her eyes trail as Jack disappeared, she didn’t care if she came off as cold, but this was on her father, all of this mess. That was his fault.
“And yes, I need to go see Ayah with my own eyes; the creators will know that she had gone through enough”, she groaned as placed herself in the car so he could take them there. Closing her eyes she felt the knife in her hands, remembering this, filling the need to take revenge to give her the energy to get through the rest of the night.

“Just five more minutes” Nigel mumbled as he felt Irina’s lips against his temple and then he woke up, it was like an instinct when you knew that your loved ones needed help. Just as quietly as Irina he got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt, walking down the stairs while pushing back his long hair. He looked at Theo that brought Mariella toward the couch, he took a moment, still not really over the fact what Theo had done just a couple of months prior. “What happened?” Theo shrugged “she was attacked by a blood demon in her home, Hope and Jamie as it handled” he explained, not long after the door opened again and Leon stepped inside, without any words he walked over and pulled Mariella into his embrace.

Jamie nodded a little then watching Jack take off, not that Jack took offence to anything. It wasn't like he for one didn't understand wanting to point out his family had been put in danger, but right now he wanted to make sure Victoria was in good hands. Jamie nodded a little, having faith till in that Sariel would contact them or be at Ayah's door step if something was to happen to her. Even if he hadn't seen her in a while - he knew Sariel cared about Ayah. Jamie placed his hand on top of the one where the knife was, slowly taking it out of her hand before driving. He knew addictive feeling of revenge, how powerful it could be, but he also believed there were other things - better things now that one could get addictive to. Even if he understood the source of her emotions.

Irina looked shortly at them both, looking at Ella's slightly shocked state - or at least on some way of processing what had happened. Noticing the small leftovers of blood that remained on the fairy's neck. So, she walked to the kitchen and the kettle on to make it ready for some tea, only popping her head out as she saw Leon enter as well. Mariella let out a deeper exhale the second Leon sat down pulled her into his embrace, folding her arms around him, not really wanting to let go.

Jamie finally parked the car out front, it wasn't too far from their house - perks on living on the same street as Nigel. He turned to Hope, resting a hand against her cheek, letting his thumb caress her chin. "Remember, I'm always in your corner, even when you take a throw that was an obvious moment for me to take," he tried lightening the mood just a little, then leaning in to place a short soft kiss against her lips. "Ready to go inside?" He whispered against her lips, wanting to give her a moment to breath or at least pull her mind for the revenge set focus she carried right now.

She let him take the knife, and with a shaky breath, she opened her eyes and let them follow the scene that flew by the window as they drove back to Nigel’s place; or well, in that sense, it would be theirs as well. Hope also wanted to ensure that Jasmine was okay; even if she had warded the house, one could never be too careful, and the last thing she needed or wanted was another child of hers to be used against her or, in the worst possible scenario; killed.

Turning her gaze toward him as he parked the car, a small smile formed over her lips when he told her that he would always be in her corner; she nodded slowly and closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. A slight unhappy sound left her when it only lasted for so long that one could almost say that he hadn’t kissed her at all. “Yeah, let's”, she said with a deep sigh where she could feel her shoulders sink for a moment. Then she got out of the car and walked to Nigel and Irina’s place, only being greeted by the door by a sleeping-looking Nigel that gestured them to come inside; her eyes took everyone in before she walked over and squatted down before Mariella. “Hi”, she whispered with a small smile and felt relief form in her chest as she could see her sister was only shaken, but besides that, she looked all right. Leon gave her a small smile and nodded, already knowing what she was going to say, but he didn’t need apologies; they had all come from the same place—wanting to protect someone that they held dear.

Mariella exhaled a little giving Hope a smaller smile, reaching out to take her hand. "I'm okay," she assured all of them, moving her eyes with a shift around to make sure they all heard it. Looking at Irina who came in with some tea on a trey, placing it on the coffee table if anyone wanted something to calm their nerves, well what did she know - she hadn't even gotten the whole story. But she knew there would go around some time before Archibald would wake up because he would be hungry and well then she would be up anyways, so no matter what the tea wouldn't be wasted.

Then something made Mariella press her brows together. Picking up on the energy before the scent came through. Well Irina had never met Francis, neither had Jamie, but the scent reminding of firewood made the shapeshifter turn his head. As well the aura was rather strong, powerful in some sense. Mariella looked to Hope, they both knew who it was. She knew why he was here, no matter how much she wanted to deny that her father cared for her, she could feel the worry coming from outside making her eyes glow up in the violet color for a short moment.

Francis knew what change he was taking here. He knew there was a huge chance on the people in the house kicking him out or throw a couple of punches in his face. He knew the risks, but he was here anyways. Because when it came down to it, he cared. He cared a lot actually. Francis hadn't faced his children since he had gotten his memories back, knowing what he had done to them, how he had behaved. Not that he was a changed man, or regretted much. So, he walked to the door and knocked gently one time, knowing they could sense him, just like he could sense them.

Hope gave her sister a warm smile and let her fingers brush over her cheek, pushing some of the reddish curls behind her ear. “Yeah, you’re okay”, she whispered, even though she could still see where Elijah had pierced her skin and drank from her. Bastard. It made her think back to when the vampires had forced her down and made her watch how they had torn her son apart; she closed her eyes and tried to push down the uneasiness that stormed through her; the last thing that Mariella needed was for her to flare up with feelings. Luckily for them, Leon was sitting next to Mariella and could easily suppress what was happening around the red-haired fairy, letting her focus on getting better rather than noticing everyone around her instead.

When she felt it,  it was like her entire body tensed up. She had to use every ounce of self-control not to get up from where she was sitting and just fly out the door—but even with calming breaths and reminders that it wouldn’t help anything, she couldn’t keep a leash on herself; so before anyone could stop her she pounced the door and made it flew open as she ran toward her father and aimed her fist straight to his face; “was it worth it!?” she shouted, not caring if the neighbours would hear her or not, she was angry and had every right to be.
“You fucking idiot! Maybe next time, warn your extended family that you were so hellbent on knowing, instead of thinking of the consequences and what dangers it would bring us! You absolute fuck head,” she roared, feeling how her muscles contracted in her entire arm as she forced herself not to hit him again. “And what of mother? Hm!? Was it worth it tearing her and Reginald apart, huh? Have you ever visited her after, or did you tell yourself that maybe it would be safer for her if you didn’t—Urgh, I could absolutely murder you right now; you are so infuriating” she lifted her hands and gestured how she wanted to strangle him.

Francis exhaled a bit taking a few steps back when Hope almost came flying out towards him. He let her hit him. Not doing much to stop the fist he knew somewhere down the line he had deserved. Francis looked at her, but he didn't do much to argue back, not like the first time they had fought after learning his children were here. That he had children. Then Hope mentioned Juniper, making him respond a bit more, because he had been in contact with her. He had went to visit her new place near the academy - despite Victoria's shapeshifter friend's wishes, because he loved Juniper. To him, tearing Juniper and Reginald apart hadn't been what he wanted, but he would be the first to admit that he was happy about the outcome. "As a matter of fact I am in contact with your mother - and if I came here the second I heard about the troubles Elijah could have caused, believe it or not but I actually do care," he pointed out looking at Hope. "But go ahead be angry at me, its much easier for both of us aint it?" He did his best to remain calm, but he was also so conflicted. Because there was this gap where he knew that he didn't know his children at all, and then there was the missing pieces he had found once his memory had been restored. Like what he had been doing flying around in Nepal 25 years ago, now knowing it was because it had been where Mariella had landed with the portal - if he had known the reason, perhaps it all had turned out so differently.

Mariella let out a sigh looking at the door hearing Hope yelling at their father. It wouldn't solve anything, even if she understood where the anger came from. But perhaps it was just Mariella's curse, understanding and empathizing even with the people who didn't always deserve it. "I'm sorry," she apologized to Nigel and Irina for having brought the drama to their doorstep, knowing they were tired. But she agreed on the fact perhaps someone should check up on Ayah, and luckily for everyone - she did have the number of some of the people whom Ayah spent time with time to time. So, she texted both Mateo and Sariel if any of them where up and wanted to check up on if everything was okay at Ayah's if they were in the neighborhood because of trouble in Southside. "Should I go out there?" She thought out loud with a lower mumble, still just hearing Hope exploding. Jamie moved closer towards the door standing in the door frame wanting to not be too far away in case of something happening.

It was like the balloon deflated as she stood there and looked at him; her lips quivered, trying to regain some of her composer that always seemed to disappear whenever Francis was near. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she remembered she had been old enough to understand and see how her mother had fallen apart. She had been there through it all, even if they had lost each other in different timelines after they had stepped through the portal, but she was still the one to remember a dream that she knew would never come true again. A life that would never be the same, and here he was putting another dream at risk because he couldn’t just keep away. When it came down to it, it would all be for the better; “it doesn’t matter if you care”, she said in a low voice and narrowed her eyes “sometimes loving people is knowing when to stay away, when to do the right thing to keep them safe, and as long as you’re trying to keep this double life of yours going, we’ll always be the second choice, and in risk of something like this happening; But go ahead, I’m sure Mariella would like if you came and saw if she was all right, I’m going to Ayah’s to make sure that she is fine” even if there were people that could check on her, she wouldn’t be able to rest easy before she had seen her sister with her own set of eyes. Then she turned and walked into her and Jamie’s home, just needing to make sure that Jasmine was all right.

Nigel shook his head and gave her a small smile “hell, I would love it if I could tell that to our father” Theo looked up. A snort left him “yeah, you and me both” he let out a sigh and got up “on that note, I really have to go again”, he explained with a soft smile and then nodded toward Jamie, thankful that he had even texted him to tell him what was going on.

He knew they deserved more than him in this life. Truth he had never expected they would get back here when he had gotten children, it had been another life a fantasy really. A place where it had been a dream really, he had been a different version of himself, because he had lived without all of this. He had thought he had lost it. So, mixing those two worlds, of course he had trouble balancing it. He didn't even know if he should. And yet here he was. So, he took her words, but didn't comment on them. He just watched her walk away, what else could he do? Francis knew the chances he took being here, and he could have stayed away.

Mariella took a sharper breath in, "yeah - but if it solved anything it would be useful," she exhaled a little bit then looking towards Theo, "yeah nah, you aren't going anywhere till I get a hug," she pointed out. Of course she wasn't blind to the things that had happened months ago, but she knew there was so much more pain and suffering underneath of it - and Mariella would always have a hug ready for Theo even if he didn't ask for it. So, she got up from the couch and wrapped her arms around Theo giving him a small squeeze, "thank you for coming," she whispered and took a sharper breath in before letting him go again. "Now, I will face one of my demons -" she snorted a bit at herself then walking closer to the door where Francis still stood a few steps back. But she didn't really know what to say, last time they had spoken it had been where he had put her on fire. But she didn't need words to communicate with him, she just gave him a little nod - which seemed to be enough for him to just turn around and walk towards his car.

Jamie placed his arm around his younger sister, giving her shoulders a little squeeze. "I should get back to Jasmine - and you two should get home and get some sleep if you can - and the same goes for you," he looked first to Ella and Leon before looking at Nigel and Irina. Luckily Leon had gotten to the scene when he did, who else knew what could have happened, not that Jamie liked to let his mind wander to that. But he knew what it was like being to late to save the people that you loved. "Yeah, maybe its not a bad idea," Mariella exhaled a little bit turning her head and looked towards Leon lifting with a small smile. At least come back home and breath out just the two of them seemed ideal.