1x1 With AnnaCat17 and Echo!

[AnnaCat17]

Piper sat beside him, holding Clara in her lap. Clara looked up t Dalton and smiled happily. "Daddy!" She cooed happily and reached her arms out to him. Piper bit her lip and glanced at Dalton worriedly unsure of how he would respond.

Magnus nodded but didn't say anything further. He looked down at Magi and Lio, feeling his lungs tighten at the sight of how big they had gotten. He shuddered at her touch but forced himself not pull away from her. "Hi..." He said, his voice coming out breathy and hoarse.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Dalton's face grew sad. He would have loved to be Clara's father, but he wasn't, and he didn't want her to think that he was. "I'm not your father," he said softly, gently brushing Clara's hair out of her face. "I'm your uncle, okay sweetie?" Dalton gently kissed the side of Piper's head apologetically for Clara's mistake.

"You make mommy sad," Magi told him, frowning. She didn't want anyone making her mother upset. Lio peered at him from behind his sister, thinking he was so tall and big. Intimidating.

[AnnaCat17]

Clara looked at him confused but at his affection she giggled and grabbed for his nose.

Piper looked at him sadly but tried to force a smile. "Do you think you and Dash will try to adopt children and be parents when he gets back?"

Magnus looked at them sadly. "I know..." He looked back up at Liah. "Im sorry... I know im probably the last person you want to see after all of thesee years and that you have probably moved on with your life. I dont mean to be messing up whatever you ahve built and... and if you are with someone else then I am honestly happy for you Liah. I just wanted to apologize for how I behaved yesterday. This is... Im just not used to all of this anymore." He had a hard time forcing the words out but was relieved when he was finally done. He looked over to where Dalton and Liah sat. One glance at the child in Piper's lap made it obvious the girl was Caius'. Good. He would be happy when he got back. He cast one final sad look at Liah, feeling terrible for the pain he caused her, before turning and walking back to his cart, knowing he didnt have any right to infiltrate upon her life any longer.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Dalton smiled slightly at Clara, taking her into his arms and cuddling her against his chest. He loved her so much. "I...." His face fell, the smile fading off of his lips. His throat tightened as he thought about Dash. "I don't.... I don't know if he wants kids."

Liah closed her eyes, leaning her head against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. She kept from wrapping her arms around him, instead just rested her head on his chest. "I love you," she whispered. "I just want you back." She reached out a caught his hand as he started to walk again, a sharp pain in her chest as he moved to leave. She didn't want him to go.

[AnnaCat17]

Piper smiled faintly. "Im sure he does. He is practically a kid himself. Itll all work out." She rubbed his back gently and smiled lovingly at clara who was cuddling dalton and humming happily.

Magnus looked back at her when she grabbed his hand. Though the sudden touch sent a jolt up his arm he slowly relaxed. Gently he rested a worn hand on her cheek, running his thumb over her cheek as he looked in her eyes. "Come with me."

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Dalton relaxed, leaning against her a bit. He kissed the top of Clara's head, smiling. He felt reassured that things would work out.

Liah leaned her head against his hand, her eyes gazing into his. "Where?" she asked softly, holding on to his hands.

[AnnaCat17]

Piper kissed his cheek gently, gld to see him cheering up but dread set in, knowing a serious conversation had to be held with him. "So what are you and Azuna planning to do? I know you've been seeing each other... and other people. Dash... We both know he wont be happy about it if its continuing when he gets here. If you intend to stay with Azuna you need to be honest about it but if you arent you also need to be forward with her about that. The two of you leading each other on is just going to make this worse."

"My home. Its in a forest I've been expanding and I've built a farm there and...." Magnus trailed off, his attention straying to the twins and other children running around and to where Dalton and piper sat talking. He felt his heart sinking and silently scolded himself for getting excited for a moment. Her life was here. She had friends and family and everything she had built over the last four years here. Why would she give that up to be in a tiny home all alone in the middle of no where? He definitely wasn't worth it. He was so paranoid he could barely even stand still. "I... Im sorry. Im being... I should go." he pulled away from her. "Ill be back soon with more supplies for all of you until you have gotten yourselves up and running. There is a forest off to the North a bit that should be good for you guys to build a village. If an emergency occurs have someone follow the path heading east. You'll be able to find me." He forced himself to turn and walk back to his horse before she could stop him, not wanting to see her annoyance or disgust at him trying to get her to go with him. He felt foolish. She didn't even know this new, twisted him. She was only saying those things because she thought he was the same but too much had happened for him to be who he used to be. The moment she realized that she wouldn't want to even be near him let alone be with him.

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

Dalton closed his eyes happily as she kissed his cheek, but opened them as she spoke again. He tensed up, his eyes narrowed unhappily. "She's a distraction. They all are distractions. I thought Dash was dead. He still might be. I'm not going to leave him for Azuna or the others, but I'm not doing anything about it now while we don't know who survived." He didn't want to talk about this with her, or anyone. He needed to get this out of his head. He would deal with it later. He couldn't deal with it now.

"Please don't leave just yet," she pleaded him, going after him. "You're my husband. Of course I'll come with you. But I have to get my things, and the twins' things. Please wait."

[AnnaCat17]

Piper nodded and looked away. Cara had climbed down from his lap and was running around with the other children. She tried to be happy watching her but it was hard, she looked too much like caius. "I dont think Caius is alive." It felt odd to be making such a confession aloud but now that she had started she couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "I want him to. I keep praying he is but... I don't know. Part of me feels like he isn't and the worst part is I somewhat hope he isn't. Life down here was never kind to him and he wasn't happy. If he dead then I don't have to worry about him anymore and I can just think that he is finally at peace and doesn't have to suffer anymore down here with the rest of us."

Magnus looked at her sadly before shaking his head. "No, Liah, that was stupid of me. It's been four years. I don't think our marriage even really counts after everything that has happened. Im not even the person you married anymore. Your life and your people are here. THey are going to need you. Ill be around but... I think its best if you and the kids dont have your entire lives uprooted jut because I said something without thinking. They don't even know me. Do you honestly think they would be happy going into the middle of nowhere with a man they don't know?"

[EchoOfShatteredIce]

"We'll see," was what he said. "They'll come to find us. We'll deal with it when it comes." He watched Clara play with the other children, trying to push his thoughts about Dash and the others away.

Liah's face fell. She bit her lip, trying to keep her eyes from welling up. Was that really what he thought? That their marriage didn't matter anymore? That their relationship didn't matter? That him being the father to their children didn't? She trembled, wrapping her arms around herself as tears fell down her cheeks. "Don't you love me? Don't you want to be around our children?"