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As Damon drove away from Harry Polk’s office the voices in Damon’s head were having a shouting match with him. None seemed to think that what Geri did was wrong. According to them she forced him into making the right choice, the best choice for the Petridis line. “Den me noiázei ti léne kápoios apó esás. Í̱tan i̱ lanthasméni̱ epilogí̱. To móno kaló pou í̱rthe apó to gámo af̱tó í̱tan ta paidiá mou. Géri í̱tan poté to éna, Isidó̱ra eínai í̱ touláchiston í̱tan. O Theós den eícha kan skefteí na kánoun Zo̱í̱ an eíche procho̱rí̱sei. (I don't care what any of you say. It was the wrong choice. The only good that came from this marriage has been my children. Geri was never the one, Isadora is or at least she was. God I didn't even think to ask Zoe if she'd moved on.)”, Damon said shaking his head. He sighed parking at the academy closing his head and leaning his head on the steering wheel. What if Isadora had moved on? After seeing him with Geri and Alexander he certainly couldn’t blame her if she had. But Zoe didn’t mention having a stepfather. It didn’t matter, if she had or hadn’t moved on. He still needed to confront his wife about this. Eighteen years he’d not wanted to believe Alec when he kept saying Geri had manipulated his mourning of Isadora for her own means. He’d never had thought she’d have manipulated to the point that she was the one that forced Harry into giving him a fake death certificate. He wondered how far her deception went. He pushed down the voices in his head, ignoring them as he used to long ago and walked into the Academy with a determined and angry look upon his face, slamming the door behind him.

Sitting on the sofa watching a movie were Alexander and Talia, both their heads turned at the slamming of the front door. Alexander raised an eyebrow looking at his father. “Dad?”, Alexander questioned. “Where is your mother?”, Damon questioned. “Um..mom’s just in the kitchen.”, Alexander said pointing. Damon said nothing just walked past them heading for the kitchen of the Academy. Talia and Alexander both turned to watch his father walk past. “He looks pissed.”, Talia commented. “I wonder why..”, Alexander said watching the door way. Geri was turning from grabbing a beer from the fridge and smiled seeing her husband. “There you are Damon. Was starting to wonder why your training with that pathetic meatsack you call a friend Alec was running so late.”, Geri greeted. Damon took the beer from her hands and set it on the counter trying to remain calm. “Why Geri? Why did you do it? Why did you do this to me?”, Damon demanded not even caring about explaining just wanting to ask his questions. Geri looked at him confused. “What are you on about Damon? Did what?”, Geri asked confused reaching to touch the side of his face. Damon grabbed her wrist to stop her from touching him. “Do not touch me Geri. You do not get to touch me.”, Damon said sternly through gritted teeth as he tried to maintain some control. Typically when Damon touched Geri’s flesh he was careful to control his healing powers. His powers were intended to heal but with Geri’s radioactive powers his healing tried to heal her radioactive blood which caused her pain. Geri tried to pull her arm back as his healing was starting to hurt her. “Damon let me go. You are starting…your powers are hurting me. What is wrong with you?”, Geri asked still struggling to free her arm.

Alexander hearing his parents raised voices got up from the couch, Talia frowning having not really cared and rather annoyed that he did followed him. Alexander looked into the kitchen to see his father gripping his mother by the wrist. He could see her veins starting to bubble as the radioactive blood was being healed. Alexander looked to his father worried. Talia smiled a little always having found her boyfriend’s mother a bit too much of a bitch for her taste. After all there could only be one alpha and Talia wanted that role at least when it came to Alexander. “You knew…you knew she was alive. You knew about my daughter. You had that filthy piece of shit detective lie to me. Why? Why Geri? Why would you do that to me?”, Damon demanded tightening his grip not caring that it was causing her pain. Geri started to sink down losing her strength as her radiation was being healed. “She didn’t deserve you Damon! Your ancestors were right! She wasn’t strong enough to be yours. I am! My one regret was that bitch and her bastard didn’t die when they were supposed to.”, Geri hissed still trying to pull away from him. Alexander’s eyes went wide when his father said ‘daughter’. Damon narrowed his eyes and grabbed Geri by the other arm and pulled her back up which just served to increase his healing of her. “You don’t get to decide who’s good enough for me. Neither do they! I decide that! What do you mean when they were supposed to?! WHAT DID YOU DO!?”, Damon shouted. Talia blinked having never seen Damon yell at anyone, let alone at Geri. “I did what I had to! And I’d do it again. She didn’t deserve you and you were too blind to see that. She had to die, that bastard she gave birth to had to die too! If I could have gone there the job would have been finished, that’s what happens when I leave to others to do what I should do myself. How do you even know about this? Harry talked, but how did you know to question him!?”, Geri admitted starting to laugh maniacally as the extended exposure to his healing was starting to hurt to the point that she had to do something to not focus on the pain so laughing was it.

“You…you sent those men to kill her? Her father died in that attack, her throat was slashed. You took away her voice! And do you have any idea what would have happened if you’d succeeded and killed my first born!? What that would mean to me and to the ancestors!? I may not want to be reincarnated but I sure don’t want that to happen at the expense of one of my children’s lives! And I knew because she came to me. Because I met my daughter. I..I can’t even look at you Geri. You tried to have the woman I love and my first born child murdered for what? To have me? She had me and so you manipulated me to get me. I…I can’t forgive this Geri. You’ve done horrible things in the years I’ve known you. But this…”, Damon said letting Geri go watching as she sank to the kitchen floor. “She didn’t deserve you Damon. I love you!”, Geri shouted. Damon turned to walk away and stopped when she yelled that she loved him. He looked over his shoulder at her. “No, you don’t Geri. You couldn’t, if you had you wouldn’t have tried to have the woman I did love killed along with my first born child. I’m not staying here tonight.”, Damon started walking away. “IF YOU WALK OUT ON ME DAMON ALEXANDER PETRIDIS YOU BETTER NOT COME BACK! I’LL KILL YOU IF YOU WALK OUT ON ME! I’LL FIND THAT BASTARD OF YOURS AND KILL HER TOO IF YOU LEAVE! THEN I’LL FIND A WAY TO GET TO THAT WHORE AND KILL HER MYSELF!”, Geri shouted. Damon ignored her and walked past Alexander and Talia.

Both watched Damon in complete shock. Damon looked to Talia specifically. “Talia, you share this message with the twins. You idiots ever and I mean EVER go after my daughter like you did yesterday I’ll send your severed heads to your parents in cardboard boxes.”, his voice cold as stone the look in his cold blue eyes serious. Talia gulped and looked at Alexander the two of them piecing together that the girl who she and the twins had chased away from the dojo yesterday had actually been his bastard first born child. Damon said nothing further and continued to walk away he stopped at the door hearing someone running down the stairs. “Daddy?”, the sweet voice of his youngest called from behind him. Damon sighed and turned one hand on the doorknob. “Hi baby.”, Damon said softly. Gina looked at her father worry and fear in her soft green eyes. She raced down the stairs and wrapped her arms tight around his torso. “Don’t go daddy. Please stay. I heard, the whole academy heard, mom.”, Gina sobbed. Damon sighed and hugged his daughter and knelt down to look her in the eyes. Gently he wiped the few tears that were staining her cheeks. “My pouláki (little bird), I can’t stay. I love you baby, I love you and your brother so much. But…what your mother has done. I can’t easily forgive and truly can never forgive. I can’t stay. I will come back, I promise. I would never leave you and Alexander. You are the loves of my life. I’ll explain everything, to both of you tomorrow. Right now, daddy needs to go and cool off. Please be a good girl. I love you pouláki.”, Damon said kissing her cheek and hugging her tight again. Gina sniffled a little but nodded. “I love you too daddy.”, Gina said begrudgingly letting him go. Damon sighed standing back up and kissed the top of her head before walking out the academy doors and to his car.

He rested his head on the steering wheel before starting the car. “What am I doing? How far am I willing to go for this injustice?”, Damon questioned himself. The voices in his head all wanted him to go back inside and apologize to his wife and just forget about Zoe and Isadora. “I can’t. I love Isadora…I always have. And I will not turn my back on one of my children. No what Geri did cannot be forgiven. Even if Isadora has moved on I cannot forgive Geri. I need to get to Zoe. I need to take her to the Haven where she’ll be safe from Geri.”, Damon said sitting up and backing out of the driveway quickly heading to the restaurant. He hadn’t been to the restaurant or the apartments above since the day Isadora left Bayville. But it was necessary to go there now. And Isadora wasn’t dead so the memories of that building shouldn’t hurt as much as they had. He parked next to Alec’s car and started knocking on the lower door before taking out his cell and texting Alec. ‘I’m downstairs. Shit has gone bad.’, was the message. Alec was up in his apartment drinking a large glass of wine trying to relax when his phone buzzed. He checked the message and set the glass down and started to sprint down the three flights of stairs and unlocked the lower door to let Damon in. “How bad?”, Alec greeted. Damon quickly stepped inside closing the door. “I need to get her out of here bad.”, Damon said starting up the stairs. He stopped at the door that was once Isadora’s and knocked. “Zoe? I need to get you out of here.”, Damon said through the door.

Zoe had been reading a book on her tablet curled up on the small sofa that had been left in her mother’s old apartment. She’d turned the tablet off hearing the running footsteps from the floor above and worried what was happening to make Alec run like that. Then she heard Damon’s voice and quickly opened the door. “What’s wrong? What happened?”, Zoe asked. Damon stepped inside with Alec right behind him. “Get your things. I’m getting you to the Haven where you’ll be safe. Things went about as bad as they can get.”, Damon explained. Zoe looked from Damon whose eyes showed anger and worry to Alec who just looked worried. Zoe quickly went to get her things. “How bad is bad?”, Alec asked folding his arms. “Geri was behind it all, that bad.”, Damon explained. Zoe was zipping up her duffle bag as they were talking. “What do you mean? Behind all of what?”, Zoe asked. Damon sighed. “She’s the person who made Harry Polk lie to me. And worse she’s the reason those men came to attack you and your mother. She hired them to kill you. So that I would never know about you and would have no reason to go looking for your mother. I need to get you somewhere she can’t reach you.”, Damon explained. Alec’s eyes went wide as did Zoe’s. “That cagna (bitch) paid to have someone kill Izzy!?”, Alec exclaimed in anger. Zoe blinked not sure how she should react but there was anger brewing in the pit of her stomach.

She looked at Alec and frowned. “Will you be alright here alone?”, she asked. Alec had accepted her in with very little questions and despite barely knowing her and having no blood ties to her called her niece and treated her as family. She hated that her presence had now put him in danger. Alec nodded. “I’ll be fine. I have fire insurance.”, Alec smiled. Zoe shook her head and hugged him tight and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Grazie, per tutto, lo zio. Si prega di restare al sicuro. (Thank you, for everything, Uncle. Please stay safe)”, Zoe said with a sigh. Alec hugged her back and smiled. “Questo è ciò che la famiglia è per. Vai con il tuo papà e stare al sicuro. (That's what family is for. Go with your dad and stay safe.)”, Alec said nodding. “I’m going to take her to the Haven then I’ll go to a hotel. Just stay upstairs and keep the doors locked Alec. Be safe and if she comes don’t give her reason to hurt you old friend.”, Damon said. Alec nodded. “No worries I won’t do anything too stupid.”, Alec said. “You aren’t going to come to the Haven with me?”, Zoe questioned. Damon shook his head. “No I can’t. I don’t want to be labeled a traitor. And Geri can’t hurt me. But once she’s gotten her strength back she’s going to come looking for both of us. So my only priority is making sure you are safe.”, Damon explained starting for the car. Zoe sighed and hugged Alec one more time before following her father to his car. “What do you mean by gets her strength back? What happened?”, Zoe asked as they got into the car. “I healed her.”, Damon said simply before pulling out and driving to the Haven.

The car ride had been silent. Damon had many things racing through his mind. As he pulled up he looked at the Haven and sighed. “Alright so you get inside and just say ‘sanctuary’. They will give you a room to stay in and you will then be protected by Haven law. Geri won’t be able to touch you. Please just, stay safe uccellino (little bird).”, he explained not even aware that her mother calls her that. Zoe smiled a little hearing the familiar name and hugged him tightly. “Mamma calls me that too.”, she whispered. Damon laughed a little. “Great minds I suppose. I call your sister pouláki which is Greek for little bird and your brother lígo Foínix which is Greek for little phoenix.”, Damon answered returning the hug. “Please stay safe papa.”, Zoe said giving him a kiss on the cheek. Damon smiled hearing her call him papa. “I will. You be safe. I’ll be back in the morning.”, Damon promised and kissed her cheek. Zoe was starting to cry a little, she felt so guilty that her desire to see him had done all this. Had put him and Alec in danger. Damon sighed and wiped away the tears. “I’ll be alright uccellino. Go on then.”, Damon encouraged. Zoe nodded and gathered her duffle bag and walked up to the door knocking. She glanced over her shoulder to her father still waiting in the car.

Inside the Haven things were rather quiet. Merrick and Sebastian were upstairs in the game room playing Mortal Kombat, the adults were in the dining room playing poker. David was the one that got up hearing the knocking at the door. “I’ll get it.”, he said heading for the door pulling it open. He blinked and looked at Zoe immediately recognizing her from yesterday. “Zoe?”, He questioned and looked past her to the idling car with Damon inside. “Sanctuary?”, Zoe questioned. David sighed and nodded stepping aside for her. “Is your dad coming in too?”, David asked. Zoe shook her head. “No. Something about not wanting to be labeled a traitor. Do you know what he would mean by saying he ‘healed’ Geri?”, Zoe answered with a question of her own. David gave a nod and wave to Damon which was returned before he closed the door. He could hear the car pulling away from the house. “The traitor part would be that coming here even for the night could be considered him leaving the Academy and they’d mark him a traitor like they did my cousin Kim and her two sons. As for the ‘healed’ Geri. Guess that means she really pissed him off.”, David said. Zoe just looked at him confused. “Your dad has the healing touch for himself and for others. Geri is radioactive by nature for her powers. They’ve had the most ass backwards relationship I’ve ever known. She tried to kill him a thousand times over even back when we were teenagers. She’d tried to kill him with her radiation or a bomb but he’d survive and then use his healing touch which tried to counter her own powers thus causing her pain to kind of underline the point of who could hurt who.”, David explained

Zoe shook her head. “That’s a healthy relationship.”, she said sarcastically. David laughed. “I said ass backwards. Never understood why he married her in the long run. Rumor was he had another woman in town before, and well you’re here so guess that rumor was true. But I don’t work in gossip and it’s not my business. My business is running this place. So welcome to the Haven. You now have the protection of Haven law and cannot and will not come to any harm. Let me show you a room.”, David said. “I’ll be right back no one look at my cards!”, David called to the others. Zoe raised an eyebrow. “Playing poker with my wife, my cousin and our friends Jacob and Solangel.”, David explained. “So my wife and I have a room on this floor along with Jacob and Solangel.”, he reviewed walking up the stairs. Zoe nodded and followed him up the stairs. “Seriously Bastian, are you getting worse at this game?”, Merrick teased as he won another match. Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Hold on my phone is buzzing.”, Sebastian said setting his controller down and pulling his phone from his pocket to check the message. Gina had gone up to her bedroom back at the Academy and sent Sebastian a text ‘Apparently my parents just had a huge fight. Alex says we have an older sister. I don’t know when dad will come back.’, Gina text. Sebastian read the text and frowned quickly replied. ‘I’m sorry to hear that babe. A sister though? Seriously?’, he replied. David coughed when they reached the top of the stairs and leaned into the game room. “Zoe you remember my cousin Merrick from this afternoon. This is his little brother Sebastian. Zoe is going to be staying with us for a little while. So be nice. Merrick hands to yourself…and you know why.”, David warned pointing at Merrick. Merrick leaned his head back to look over and smirked seeing Zoe standing next to David. “What because her dad will bring me near death to heal me just so he can repeat? Don’t worry David..”, Merrick said holding up his hands that were on the controller. “Hands are currently full. And I don’t touch without permission.”, Merrick said giving Zoe a playful wink. Sebastian turned to look and blinked seeing the white hair.

David rolled his eyes. “Anyways. This floor currently has their rooms and upstairs is where their mother sleeps. Over here is an empty room you can use.”, David said walking away from the game room and opening a spare bedroom. Zoe smiled at the brothers and covered her mouth to hide a laugh at Merrick’s response to David before she turned and followed David. Merrick tilted his head to watch her walk away and smirked looking back to the tv. “You are horrible…”, Sebastian said. “That’s…that’s Alex and Gina’s sister isn’t it?”, Sebastian asked. Merrick nodded. “Yeah. But why am I horrible for checking her ass out? She’s older than Alexander therefore legal. So not like I was looking at jailbait or anything.”, Merrick shrugged with a smile. Sebastian sighed and took out his phone. ‘You’re sister is at the Haven. Just arrived. And she looks a lot like your dad and Alex.’, Sebastian information. ‘What? Is daddy there too?’, Gina replied hopeful biting her bottom lip really hoping her dad was safe. ‘No. David only brought Zoe, that’s her name, up.’, Sebastian replied. Gina sighed a little sad that her dad’s whereabouts were still unknown. She knew her mom was getting angry and was down stairs drinking while Lilith and Tereza were trying to offer her some amount of company and comfort as her husband had just walked out. “Thank you Signore Bryant.”, Zoe said stepping into the room. David nodded. “You’re welcome. So you have your own bathroom attached. Downstairs the kitchens, we keep a kosher kitchen because Merrick is vegetarian, feel free to help yourself. Just put things back where you found them because my wife is blind and she’s got everything memorized for placement.”, David advised. Zoe nodded. “Thank you.”, Zoe sighed looking around the room. “Alright, well I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Have a good night Zoe.”, David said before leaving. Zoe closed her bedroom door and sat down on the bed and took out the picture of her mom looking at it and the scar. Zoe curled up on the bed trying to suppress her tears of anger now that she knew it was her father’s wife that had hired someone to come kill them.

Damon had gone to the Tides Motor Inn and checked into a room for at least the night. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do tomorrow. He hadn’t even gotten spare clothes from the Academy before he walked out. It didn’t matter at the time. He just needed to not be in the same place as Geri. He set his phone down on the nightstand and without looking at any of the items emptied his pockets putting everything down on the nightstand. He sighed and unbuttoned his shirt carefully hanging it up in the little closet in the room since he’d have to wear it again tomorrow. He continued undressing neatly folding his slacks also hanging them up in the closet to re-wear the next day till he could get home and get a change of clothes and anything else he would need. He groaned and stretched rolling his shoulders as he went into the bathroom and took a shower mostly just standing under the stream of hot water thinking. It had been one hell of a day. He found out he had a daughter, a daughter with Isadora at that. That Isadora wasn’t dead and Geri had hired mercenaries to kill Isadora and Zoe almost nineteen years ago. He kept trying to think about what he should do next. He knew he couldn’t forgive Geri. Which meant getting separated at least, at this point the word divorce was floating around in his head though his ancestors didn’t want him to think that way. Damon sighed and finished his shower stepping out and drying off and wrapping the plain white cotton towel around his waist and ran a hand over the mirror to clear away the fog. He looked at his reflection tilting his head to the side, he hadn’t changed too much in twenty years. He still had the same definition to his body as he had before maybe a little more now from all the years of training at the dojo.

He instinctively reached to put the gold band back on his finger but stopped. He looked at the ring in his hand and then at the tan line from wearing it for the last eighteen years on his ring finger. He kept the ring in his hand as he walked out to the bedroom and set it down on the night stand sitting on the edge of the bed. He sighed and looked at the night stand of items and started to organize them. He had his keys, wallet and cell phone of course. Then he noticed a piece of paper next to the ring and picked it up and looked at the number reading it over and over, it was the number Zoe had given him if he wanted to call her mom. He looked at the number and then to his cell phone. He should call her. Tell her that he did meet with Zoe, what he had found out about Geri, and assure her of Zoe’s safety. He reached for his phone and it started to buzz. He looked at it and saw fifteen missed messages from Geri and others at the Academy. He didn’t read the messages from Geri but did check the one from his daughter Gina. He read the message aloud. “Daddy? Are you going to be okay?”, Damon sighed. ‘I’m fine baby. Don’t worry. I love you.’, he replied before changing to the phone function. He looked at the number on the paper and started to dial. The voices of his ancestors yelling in his head to not call her. But he hit call and brought the phone to his ear taking a deep breath not even realizing he was holding it as he listened to the ringing.

It was nearly 8 o’clock at night in Bayville so add the six hour difference it almost 2 o’clock in the morning over in Florence. A thought that hadn’t crossed his mind till the third ring. Ready to hang up then suddenly a soft and groggy voice answered. “Ciao? (Hello?)”, Isadora answered. She hadn’t recognized the number as being the same from when Zoe had called from Alec’s house. But she knew the number was the same area code so she thought maybe it was Zoe again. Damon felt his heart stop in that instance hearing just that one word from her lips. “Ciao, Isadora. E '... e' Damon. (Hello, Isadora. It's...it's Damon.)”, he answered his voice almost cracking. Isadora’s dark blue eyes opened fully, now completely awake. She fumbled with the phone dropping it in shock to hear his voice. “Isadora?”, Damon questioned hearing the phone drop. She quickly recovered the phone bringing it back to her ear. “Damon? È...è davvero lei? (Damon? Is...is it really you?)”, she asked speaking softly having to take a seat on the sofa. She adjusted the strap of her thin white cotton nightgown trying to not cry at the sound of his voice. “Si sono io. Zoe mi ha dato il tuo numero di oggi. So che è probabilmente molto tardi laggiù. Non avrei dovuto chiamato così tardi. (Yes, it's me. Zoe gave me your number today. I know it's probably very late over there. I shouldn't have called so late.)”, Damon apologized. “Non scusarti ... Damon. (Don't apologize...Damon.)”, she said shaking her head having to fight the urge to call him fenice. “Così l'hai conosciuta ? Hai incontrato la nostra figlia . Come ha fatto ... come andata? (So you met her? You've met our daughter. How did...how did that go?)”, Isadora questioned.

“Sì , l'ho incontrata. Ha un sacco di me nel suo aspetto. Ma Dio quegli occhi, che mi ha quasi ucciso, che ha i tuoi occhi . Mi dispiace tanto Isadora. (Yes, I met her. She has a lot of me in her appearance. But god those eyes, they nearly killed me, she has your eyes. I'm so sorry Isadora.)”, Damon said covering his eyes with his free hand. He had so much to apologize for. For sending her away, for sending someone else instead of him, for not questioning being told she was gone when his heart told her she couldn’t be, and for marrying Geri. “Perché dici scusa? (Why are you saying sorry?)”, Isadora questioned. “Per tutto. Per l'invio via. Per non venire a me stesso di trovarti. Per non mettere in discussione viene detto tu c'eri quando il mio cuore ha detto che non poteva essere vero. E soprattutto per aver sposato Geri. (For everything. For sending you away. For not coming myself to find you. For not questioning being told you were gone when my heart said it couldn't be true. And most of all for marrying Geri.)”, Damon explained with a heavy sigh. “Per non essere lì per voi e Zoe. (For not being there for you and Zoe.)”, he sighed again. “Oh Damon. Non avrebbe saputo. Mi hai mandato via per tenermi al sicuro. Alec ha spiegato che è stato inviato a qualcuno perché la XC stava unendo gli Accoliti e si voleva assicurarsi che il vostro team stava per essere al sicuro senza di te. E Alec ha detto che voi presentati con un certificato di morte. Non avevi ragione di mettere in discussione qualcosa di così ufficiale. E pensando ero via si è permesso di andare avanti. Va bene che l'hai sposata e il suo amore. (Oh Damon. You wouldn't have known. You sent me away to keep me safe. Alec explained that you sent someone because the XC was joining the Acolytes and you wanted to make sure your team was going to be safe without you. And Alec said they presented you with a death certificate. You had no reason to question something so official. And thinking I was gone you are allowed to move on. It's okay that you married her and love her.)”, Isadora said shaking her head not wanting him to apologize for things he couldn’t control.

“Ma io non mi mossi su. Non dico sposare Geri è stato un errore, perché ho avuto il mio figlio Alessandro e mia figlia Gina da esso. Ho cercato di amare Geri, ma io...non ho mai completamente potuto. (But I didn't move on. I won't say marrying Geri was a mistake, because I got my son Alexander and my daughter Gina from it. I tried to love Geri, but I just...I never fully could.)”, Damon admitted. He adjusted the towel he was wearing and sat further on the bed leaning back against the headboard. Isadora furrowed her brow at the statement. “Cosa intendi? Perché non potevi pienamente il suo amore? So che ci tenevi per lei una volta, anche prima che fossi nella vostra vita. (What do you mean? Why couldn't you fully love her? I know you cared for her once, even before I was in your life.)”, she questioned. Damon sighed. “Mi sono preoccupato per lei prima, sì . Ma io non l'amavo. E io non mi potevo portare a pieno l'amore di lei, anche se ho cercato in questi ultimi diciotto anni. Non ho potuto farlo perché non ho mai...beh non ho mai erano difettose amarti. (I cared for her before you, yes. But I didn't love her. And I couldn't bring myself to full love her, though I have tried these past eighteen years. I couldn't do it because I never...well I never stoped loving you.)”, He said not sure how it would be received that he was still in love with her. “Tu...tu mi ami ancora? (You...you still love me?)”, she questioned a small tremor in her soft voice. “Naturalmente. Tu sei il mio (Of course. You are my) ángelos ti̱s mousikí̱s. (angel of music) Non potrei mai smettere di amarti. (I could never stop loving you.)”, Damon answered. Hearing him call her his angel of music she could feel the tears starting to sting her eyes. “Non ho mai smesso di amarti o la mia fenice. (I never stopped loving you either my phoenix)”, She admitted. Damon blinked he hadn’t exactly expected that answer. He’d hoped it but he figured after nineteen years she’d found someone. “Davvero? Voglio dire, avrei pensato...dopo tanto tempo. E bene Zoe ha detto che mi hai visto con Geri e baby Alexander. Così ho pensato.. (Really? I mean, I would have thought...after so long. And well Zoe said you saw me with Geri and baby Alexander. So I thought…)”, Damon said not really sure how to say it. Isadora raised an eyebrow. “Cosa? Pensavo che sarei andata avanti? Che io sposati o almeno aveva un fidanzato o amante? (What? Thought that I'd moved on? That I married or at least had a boyfriend or lover?)”, she questioned. “Beh si. (Well yes)”, Damon said with a slight laugh at the way she made it sound outrageous.

“Sono andato in date e visto altri uomini nel corso degli anni. Ma nessuno bloccato. Probabilmente perché non ho potuto avere su di voi. E bene davvero una madre single con una cicatrice sul suo collo non è esattamente portare gli uomini di chiamata. (I've gone on dates and seen other men over the years. But none stuck. Probably because I couldn't get over you. And well really a single mother with a scar across her neck doesn't exactly bring the men calling.)”, Isadora explained with a small laugh. “Ho visto una foto recente di voi. Zoe ha mostrato a me, come la sua prova che eri vivo . Non ho nemmeno notato la cicatrice. Tutto quello che ho visto è stato il mio bellissimo ángelos ti̱s mousikí̱s. (I've seen a recent photo of you. Zoe showed it to me, as her proof that you were alive. I didn't even notice the scar. All I saw was my beautiful angel of music).”, Damon said smiling a little letting his eyes close as his memory called up the photograph he’d been shown earlier. Isadora smiled slightly running a hand over her scar. Of course he didn’t bother to notice it. “Mi sento in svantaggio. Hai visto come il tempo mi ha cambiato, ma non ho ancora visto la tua faccia in un gran numero di anni. (I feel at a disadvantage. You've seen how time has changed me, but I still haven't seen your face in a great many years.)”, she replied. She didn’t like thinking back to the actual last time she saw his face as it was alongside Geri, but she could still recall his face from the last day she was in Bayville before she left for Italy. Damon laughed a little. “Oh così stiamo giocando il gioco equità? Al di là di alcune linee di età minori non sono esattamente cambiati. E il tempo non è cambiato molto. (Oh so we are playing the fairness game? Beyond some minor age lines haven't exactly changed. And time has not changed you much.)”, Damon questioned. “Non mi ha cambiato molto? Ti stai comportando tipo fenice. (Hasn't changed me much? You are being kind phoenix.)”, Isadora said with a soft laugh. “Sei capelli sono più lunghi. (You're hair is longer.)”, he said with a shrug. “E disseminata di grigio. (And scattered with gray.)”, Isadora added. “E? Sono nato con i capelli bianchi. Io non sono la persona a parlare su i capelli grigi. Sei ancora bellissima. Se lo si desidera per l'equità Suppongo che potrei inviare una foto. Che si ottiene due scelte. (And? I was born with white hair. I am not the person to speak to about gray hair. You are still beautiful. If you wish for fairness I suppose I could send a picture. Which you get two choices.)”, Damon offered with a smile. Isadora cocked her head to the side and stretched out on her sofa adjusting the cotton fabric of her night gown. “E quali sono le mie scelte? (And what are my choices?)”, she asked curious.

Damon was checking the photos saved on his phone and most were his children but he found one that he was in at last. “Ho una foto recente salvato il mio telefono, ma è di me ei miei figli in un torneo di arti marziali. In modo che sia l'opzione uno. Opzione due faccio una foto ora ed invialo. Tuttavia, se lo faccio vi avverto che sono attualmente solo in un asciugamano seduto nella mia camera d'albergo. (I have one recent photo saved to my phone, however it is of me and my children at a martial arts tournament. So that is option one. Option two I take a picture now and send it. However if I do that I warn you I'm currently only in a towel sitting in my hotel room.)”, he said giving her the options. Isadora smiled biting her bottom lip a little her memory recalling the last time she’d seen him in a towel. It had been the night before she left for Italy. Their last night together. But then it struck her, he said hotel. Why was he in a hotel? And her mind suddenly went to wondering what had happened after his meeting with Zoe. “Entrambi suono piacevole. Non hanno mai visto in un asciugamano in alcuni anni. Ma perché sei in un albergo? Cosa è successo? (Both sound nice. Haven't seen you in a towel in some years. But why are you at a hotel? What has happened?)”, she asked concerned. Damon sighed as the topic went askew. “La verità è accaduto. Dopo Zoe e Alec mi hanno detto che eri vivo. Beh, sono andato a parlare con il detective privato che avevo inviato tanti anni fa , Harry Polk. (The truth happened. After Zoe and Alec told me you were alive. Well I went to talk to the private detective I had sent all those years ago, Harry Polk.)”, Damon explained. Isadora’s brow furrowed.

“What did he tell you? Why did he lie about my death?”, she asked switching to English. “Well I went to his office, saw the most hilarious, disgusting, and terrifying thing ever.”, Damon started. “And what was that?”, she questioned. “Harry Polk, a little heavier and with less hair than when I last saw him, bent over his desk with his pants around his ankles while a prostitute, I assume she was one, dressed in a blasphemous sexy nun costume was spanking him with a yard stick.”, Damon explained trying to not vomit at the recalling of the image. Isadora covered her mouth but the laughter still escaped. It was still a soft gentle laugh as it had been before the attack but now a little softer because of the scar. “Oh my poor fenice…that’s a mental image you’ll never shake.”, Isadora laughed. She sighed calling him hers. “I’ll eventually find ways to killing the image from my mind. But I sent the woman a way to talk to Harry. He was apparently very scared to see me. All these years and he instantly remembered me. Guess I have one of those memorable faces.”, Damon explained with a smile. “Indeed you do.”, she agreed. His was a face she could never forget, granted having Zoe as a constant reminder of what he looks like helped but even without her he was a face she could never forget. “Yes well, I won’t go into how I got my answers, trade secrets. But he confessed that Geri had threatened to burn his home, his business and him if he told me the truth ever. She told him to give me the death certificate and never mention our child.”, Damon explained. He didn’t want to tell her how he tortured Harry but breaking his fingers with the meat tenderizer. Even back when he was the head of the XC any of his less admirable actions he didn’t disclose to her.

“Geri? She was part of this?”, Isadora questioned her blood starting to boil. Though she couldn’t say she was shocked. Geri had never liked her. She hated her because Damon loved her and was going to choose a life with her over a life in the XC. Damon sighed and nodded. “It’s more than that. When he told me it was Geri that threatened him and made him lie to me, I went home to confront her.”, Damon explained. Isadora sighed. This was why she hadn’t wanted to confront him, to have Zoe meet him. She’d not wanted to break up a happy marriage. “I’m sorry. I had not wanted this. To cause a problem in your marriage. You’d looked happy when I saw you pushing that stroller.”, Isadora sighed. “Don’t apologize Isadora. My marriage has never been happy. I looked happy pushing the stroller because I’d lived to see my son born. Because unlike every ancestor before me I was going to watch my child grow.”, Damon said. Isadora sighed but nodded. “Alright. So what happened that landed you in a hotel?”, she questioned. “As I said I confronted Geri. Wanting to know why she did this. Which with any confrontation with Geri it got violent. She tried to place a hand on my face and I didn’t even think about it when I grabbed her wrist so she couldn’t. I wasn’t forceful with how I gripped her, but my mind didn’t think to keep my powers in check. All these years any time I’ve touched her I’ve had to keep a tight control on my powers as her very blood pumps radiation and my healing instinctively seeks out to resolve that which unchecked would kill her. It was the first time since we married I’ve raised my voice at her. Alexander saw us fighting. And when Geri started yelling the whole Academy heard her. I’m at this hotel because of what she admitted to me.”, Damon explained.

He wasn’t sure how to tell her his wife had been the one who sent me to kill her and Zoe. “I’m sorry your son had to witness that. What did she admit to?”, Isadora asked. “She…she’s the one behind the attack against you. She hired those men to kill you and anyone in the building with you.”, Damon explained. “She what? She’s why I lost my father? She’s why I lost my voice and can never sign again?”, Isadora questioned starting to get angry. “That’s about how I feel. She sent people to kill the woman I love and the daughter I never knew about. And given the curse of my family killing my first born could have long lasting effects. Granted I never wanted to be reincarnated but never at the expense of the life of my children. But that’s why I’m at the hotel. I just can’t. I can’t be in the same house as her. I can’t forgive what she’s done. All in the name of manipulating me to be her husband. I felt bad, only because Gina heard her mother yelling she was going to kill me, kill Zoe and kill you if I walked out. I’m being polite and not using her exact words. But Gina ran down the stairs to me wanting me to stay. But I just I needed to leave or I’d lose my temper further with her mother. I hope she will understand why I couldn’t stay even for her or her brother.”, Damon explained.

Kill Zoe? “Where’s Zoe? Will she be safe with Alec?”, Isadora asked her mind instantly going to the safety of her child. “I took her from Alec and up to the Haven. You might recall the Haven, they are neutral and by the laws agreed to by all mutant parties no one under the protection of the Haven can be harmed. So I didn’t like to do it, but at least I know that Zoe will be safe there. Geri can’t touch her there.”, Damon explained. “But she can come for you. Why didn’t you stay with Zoe at the Haven? What about Alec?”, Isadora questioned. Damon sighed. “I can’t stay at the Haven. It may be neutral but me seeking sanctuary there could be misread and seen as me being a traitor to the Academy which would make me a target by more than just Geri. Since Geri can’t actually hurt me I am safe at the hotel. Alec…well I can’t really give him much protection sadly. The Haven only gives protection to just two humans Isis and Jacob Hikarua. Isis being a very close friend to David, their leader, who ended up married to Kurt Wagner. And Jacob married Solangel a Haven member. But otherwise the laws of the Haven cannot be extended to a human so he would not be given sanctuary. He has said he’d keep his doors locked and not give her a reason to hurt him. Tomorrow I hope to have calmed enough to decide what I’m going to do about all of this. Because I can’t forgive her.”, Damon explained. Isadora sighed. “I’m sorry that this has caused such a rift in your marriage. I know you said it’s never been happy, but there must have been some. I mean you have two children with her.”, she said.

Damon sighed shaking his head. “My children are the only happy points of my last eighteen years. Don’t mistake their existence for happiness in my marriage. I didn’t plan on any of my children. Obviously hadn’t really planned Zoe. Alexander was Geri’s plan not mine and I was unaware of it till the pregnancy test was presented to me and I could sense the life in her. And when I lived to see him born I kind of just said screw it giving up on using condoms at that point. Four years later Gina happened. They are the only thing that have made me happy and the only reason I’ve stayed with her. But Alex will graduate this spring and then he’s off to Boston University to become a doctor. But I’ll have four more years before Gina graduates.”, Damon explained. Isadora smiled as he talked about his children, there was pride in his voice especially when he spoke of his son going to medical school. “You sound very proud of them.”, Isadora commented. “I am. Alexander is a very bright boy. He’s got a lot of me in more than just appearance and powers. He’ll do well in Boston at medical school. And Gina, she may favor her mother in looks and powers but she's more like Geri’s twin who we named her for in personality. She’s a sweet bubbly girl. She loves noir films and all those old black and white films. Both excel in my combat training. Alexander is already a red belt soon he’ll become a black belt like me. Gina is two levels above those her age dawning a purple belt. Tell me about Zoe. We didn’t really discuss that much when I met her today.”, Damon questioned. “Well she obviously favors you a bit in appearance but she got powers like mine. She’s a fair artist and her voice…oo fenice that she gets from both of us. I haven’t been able to sing since the attack, but she has such a beautiful voice.”, Isadora said bragging about their daughter. “Well good to know one of my children has taken to singing. Neither Alexander nor Gina can sign. I haven’t sang myself since you left. Kind of locked away everything from that part of my life when I was told you died.”, Damon sighed.

“Alec had mentioned that. I can’t believe you gave it up. Singing had made you so happy. It was your escape from the life you had at the XC.”, Isadora sighed. “Without you it just didn’t feel the same. I sang to Alexander and Gina when they were babies to get them to sleep. But nothing beyond simple lullabies.”, Damon explained. “I don’t talk about any parts of my life I associate with you around my family. Geri didn’t care for that. So I never really talked to my children about my time signing and performing at the opera house. I instead stored everything away literally and figuratively. I had to lock away my memories of you or drive myself insane with longing.”, he explained. “Longing?”, Isadora questioned raising an eyebrow interested in what he meant by that. Damon smiled a little. “Yes longing. Missing you. Missing the sound of your voice, your company and then there’s just missing the feel and smell of you.”, he sighed. “I can still remember how it felt to touch you. How you felt as smooth and soft as silk.”, he smiled closing his eyes letting the memories come back. Isadora laughed softly. “I don’t think I was ever that soft or smooth.”, she said shaking her head. “Yes well my memory says otherwise. And from that picture I saw you still look just as soft to touch.”, Damon countered. “Yes well I still don’t believe that. But circling back I still don’t know how much you have changed since I last saw you.”, Isadora replied. Damon nodded and pulled up the photo of him with his children and sent it. Isadora brought up the text and looked at the image and smiled looking at the trio. All three standing in their white gi. Damon in the center with his black sash around his waist and a dark blue scar upon his head. She could faintly see some age lines but nothing bad. On his left was Alexander she blinked a little looking at the young man and seeing the spitting image of the man she’d met all those years ago on the streets of Bayville. Alex wearing a red sash and then to Damon’s right was a younger fair skinned girl with deep red hair and soft green eyes in a purple sash. “Oh Damon your children are beautiful. I had to do a double take with Alexander, he looks just as you did the first day I met you. Is…is that my scarf you are wearing?”, she asked.

Damon laughed. “Yes Alexander is like a clone I swear sometimes. And yes that’s your scarf. You had left it at my old apartment and when I packed it up I just couldn’t part with it so I wear it at the dojo to cover my hair since I often deal with humans from the community and they find it easier to assume I am bald than mutant.”, Damon explained. “You are still handsome my fenice.”, she said with a smile. “Very dashing in your crisp white gi and black sash. So you made teaching others martial arts your work?”, she asked. Damon nodded. “Yes. I figured if I couldn’t sing or perform as I had wanted I could use a different talent. So I opened my dojo to pass my knowledge on.”, he explained. “I’m sure that doing that line of work has kept you in close to the shape that I last saw you. You at least look it for what I can tell in the photo.”, she commented. Damon laughed. “That a hint I should take a selfie and send it? I mean how inappropriate is it to send a picture of yourself in a towel to an ex who’s the mother of your child and who every time you’ve thought about were just reminded how bad you want her?”, Damon questioned laughing still. Isadora smiled biting her lip a little as he talked about wanting her. “I don’t think it’s inappropriate. I mean we are both adults and it’s not as if the picture would end up anywhere but my phone or seen by anyone but me.”, she said. Damon sighed and debated it. He glanced to the tan line on his ring finger but decided to ignore it and took the picture of him leaning back against the headboard of the bed the top of the towel just visible in the photo and sent the photo before he could change his mind. When her phone buzzed Isadora was a little uncertain about seeing what he sent. She wondered how much had changed as she opened the message and looked. She rubbed her lips together a little tilting her head slightly looking at the picture letting her eyes survey his physique for the first time in just over nineteen years. “Um..yeah. You have not aged a day, fenice. God..um…yeah you look about as I remember you. Running a dojo has certainly done…well done your body good.”, She said still looking back to the photo putting the call on speaker so she could easily talk and look at the picture. Damon laughed a little. “Benefits of a healthy diet, lots of exercise and having a healing ability.”, Damon explained.

Isadora nodded. “Indeed. I shouldn’t say this, but I miss you Damon. I probably shouldn’t say any of what I’ve said to you on this call really. But I do. I never stopped loving you and I have missed you just as you describe missing me. I’ve missed getting to talk to you and just spend time with you but god I’ve missed your touch. As I said I’ve been with other men since having Zoe, but it just never got to the point of having sex. I just couldn’t bring myself to, so I would stop it. They weren’t you..”, she admitted. Damon sighed and stretched out on the bed fully holding the phone to his ear closing his eyes. “I shouldn’t admit this but I’ve thought about you in a sexual way over the last nineteen years. Remembering how it was to kiss you; how soft your lips were, how your mouth tasted sweet because of the wine you’d drink.”, Damon admitted. She sighed a little and stretched out on the sofa. “Mmm. I remember, how your tongue would circle mine teasing me.”, She said closing her eyes letting the memories return to her. Damon smiled. “I also remember kissing at your neck, nibbling at your ears, and the little moans and how you’d shiver a little from the sensation. God your little moans…I loved those almost as much when you would scream my name.”, he said licking his lips a little thinking back. She laughed softly. “Mmm…I remember. Can’t really scream the way I used to…”, she answered. “Ignoring everything else that is going on and thinking that it’s just the two of us, if I was there… what would you do?”, Isadora questioned a little timid.

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As Damon drove away from Harry Polk’s office the voices in Damon’s head were having a shouting match with him. None seemed to think that what Geri did was wrong. According to them she forced him into making the right choice, the best choice for the Petridis line. “Den me noiázei ti léne kápoios apó esás. Í̱tan i̱ lanthasméni̱ epilogí̱. To móno kaló pou í̱rthe apó to gámo af̱tó í̱tan ta paidiá mou. Géri í̱tan poté to éna, Isidó̱ra eínai í̱ touláchiston í̱tan. O Theós den eícha kan skefteí na kánoun Zo̱í̱ an eíche procho̱rí̱sei. (I don't care what any of you say. It was the wrong choice. The only good that came from this marriage has been my children. Geri was never the one, Isadora is or at least she was. God I didn't even think to ask Zoe if she'd moved on.)”, Damon said shaking his head. He sighed parking at the academy closing his head and leaning his head on the steering wheel. What if Isadora had moved on? After seeing him with Geri and Alexander he certainly couldn’t blame her if she had. But Zoe didn’t mention having a stepfather. It didn’t matter, if she had or hadn’t moved on. He still needed to confront his wife about this. Eighteen years he’d not wanted to believe Alec when he kept saying Geri had manipulated his mourning of Isadora for her own means. He’d never had thought she’d have manipulated to the point that she was the one that forced Harry into giving him a fake death certificate. He wondered how far her deception went. He pushed down the voices in his head, ignoring them as he used to long ago and walked into the Academy with a determined and angry look upon his face, slamming the door behind him.

Sitting on the sofa watching a movie were Alexander and Talia, both their heads turned at the slamming of the front door. Alexander raised an eyebrow looking at his father. “Dad?”, Alexander questioned. “Where is your mother?”, Damon questioned. “Um..mom’s just in the kitchen.”, Alexander said pointing. Damon said nothing just walked past them heading for the kitchen of the Academy. Talia and Alexander both turned to watch his father walk past. “He looks pissed.”, Talia commented. “I wonder why..”, Alexander said watching the door way. Geri was turning from grabbing a beer from the fridge and smiled seeing her husband. “There you are Damon. Was starting to wonder why your training with that pathetic meatsack you call a friend Alec was running so late.”, Geri greeted. Damon took the beer from her hands and set it on the counter trying to remain calm. “Why Geri? Why did you do it? Why did you do this to me?”, Damon demanded not even caring about explaining just wanting to ask his questions. Geri looked at him confused. “What are you on about Damon? Did what?”, Geri asked confused reaching to touch the side of his face. Damon grabbed her wrist to stop her from touching him. “Do not touch me Geri. You do not get to touch me.”, Damon said sternly through gritted teeth as he tried to maintain some control. Typically when Damon touched Geri’s flesh he was careful to control his healing powers. His powers were intended to heal but with Geri’s radioactive powers his healing tried to heal her radioactive blood which caused her pain. Geri tried to pull her arm back as his healing was starting to hurt her. “Damon let me go. You are starting…your powers are hurting me. What is wrong with you?”, Geri asked still struggling to free her arm.

Alexander hearing his parents raised voices got up from the couch, Talia frowning having not really cared and rather annoyed that he did followed him. Alexander looked into the kitchen to see his father gripping his mother by the wrist. He could see her veins starting to bubble as the radioactive blood was being healed. Alexander looked to his father worried. Talia smiled a little always having found her boyfriend’s mother a bit too much of a bitch for her taste. After all there could only be one alpha and Talia wanted that role at least when it came to Alexander. “You knew…you knew she was alive. You knew about my daughter. You had that filthy piece of shit detective lie to me. Why? Why Geri? Why would you do that to me?”, Damon demanded tightening his grip not caring that it was causing her pain. Geri started to sink down losing her strength as her radiation was being healed. “She didn’t deserve you Damon! Your ancestors were right! She wasn’t strong enough to be yours. I am! My one regret was that bitch and her bastard didn’t die when they were supposed to.”, Geri hissed still trying to pull away from him. Alexander’s eyes went wide when his father said ‘daughter’. Damon narrowed his eyes and grabbed Geri by the other arm and pulled her back up which just served to increase his healing of her. “You don’t get to decide who’s good enough for me. Neither do they! I decide that! What do you mean when they were supposed to?! WHAT DID YOU DO!?”, Damon shouted. Talia blinked having never seen Damon yell at anyone, let alone at Geri. “I did what I had to! And I’d do it again. She didn’t deserve you and you were too blind to see that. She had to die, that bastard she gave birth to had to die too! If I could have gone there the job would have been finished, that’s what happens when I leave to others to do what I should do myself. How do you even know about this? Harry talked, but how did you know to question him!?”, Geri admitted starting to laugh maniacally as the extended exposure to his healing was starting to hurt to the point that she had to do something to not focus on the pain so laughing was it.

“You…you sent those men to kill her? Her father died in that attack, her throat was slashed. You took away her voice! And do you have any idea what would have happened if you’d succeeded and killed my first born!? What that would mean to me and to the ancestors!? I may not want to be reincarnated but I sure don’t want that to happen at the expense of one of my children’s lives! And I knew because she came to me. Because I met my daughter. I..I can’t even look at you Geri. You tried to have the woman I love and my first born child murdered for what? To have me? She had me and so you manipulated me to get me. I…I can’t forgive this Geri. You’ve done horrible things in the years I’ve known you. But this…”, Damon said letting Geri go watching as she sank to the kitchen floor. “She didn’t deserve you Damon. I love you!”, Geri shouted. Damon turned to walk away and stopped when she yelled that she loved him. He looked over his shoulder at her. “No, you don’t Geri. You couldn’t, if you had you wouldn’t have tried to have the woman I did love killed along with my first born child. I’m not staying here tonight.”, Damon started walking away. “IF YOU WALK OUT ON ME DAMON ALEXANDER PETRIDIS YOU BETTER NOT COME BACK! I’LL KILL YOU IF YOU WALK OUT ON ME! I’LL FIND THAT BASTARD OF YOURS AND KILL HER TOO IF YOU LEAVE! THEN I’LL FIND A WAY TO GET TO THAT WHORE AND KILL HER MYSELF!”, Geri shouted. Damon ignored her and walked past Alexander and Talia.

Both watched Damon in complete shock. Damon looked to Talia specifically. “Talia, you share this message with the twins. You idiots ever and I mean EVER go after my daughter like you did yesterday I’ll send your severed heads to your parents in cardboard boxes.”, his voice cold as stone the look in his cold blue eyes serious. Talia gulped and looked at Alexander the two of them piecing together that the girl who she and the twins had chased away from the dojo yesterday had actually been his bastard first born child. Damon said nothing further and continued to walk away he stopped at the door hearing someone running down the stairs. “Daddy?”, the sweet voice of his youngest called from behind him. Damon sighed and turned one hand on the doorknob. “Hi baby.”, Damon said softly. Gina looked at her father worry and fear in her soft green eyes. She raced down the stairs and wrapped her arms tight around his torso. “Don’t go daddy. Please stay. I heard, the whole academy heard, mom.”, Gina sobbed. Damon sighed and hugged his daughter and knelt down to look her in the eyes. Gently he wiped the few tears that were staining her cheeks. “My pouláki (little bird), I can’t stay. I love you baby, I love you and your brother so much. But…what your mother has done. I can’t easily forgive and truly can never forgive. I can’t stay. I will come back, I promise. I would never leave you and Alexander. You are the loves of my life. I’ll explain everything, to both of you tomorrow. Right now, daddy needs to go and cool off. Please be a good girl. I love you pouláki.”, Damon said kissing her cheek and hugging her tight again. Gina sniffled a little but nodded. “I love you too daddy.”, Gina said begrudgingly letting him go. Damon sighed standing back up and kissed the top of her head before walking out the academy doors and to his car.

He rested his head on the steering wheel before starting the car. “What am I doing? How far am I willing to go for this injustice?”, Damon questioned himself. The voices in his head all wanted him to go back inside and apologize to his wife and just forget about Zoe and Isadora. “I can’t. I love Isadora…I always have. And I will not turn my back on one of my children. No what Geri did cannot be forgiven. Even if Isadora has moved on I cannot forgive Geri. I need to get to Zoe. I need to take her to the Haven where she’ll be safe from Geri.”, Damon said sitting up and backing out of the driveway quickly heading to the restaurant. He hadn’t been to the restaurant or the apartments above since the day Isadora left Bayville. But it was necessary to go there now. And Isadora wasn’t dead so the memories of that building shouldn’t hurt as much as they had. He parked next to Alec’s car and started knocking on the lower door before taking out his cell and texting Alec. ‘I’m downstairs. Shit has gone bad.’, was the message. Alec was up in his apartment drinking a large glass of wine trying to relax when his phone buzzed. He checked the message and set the glass down and started to sprint down the three flights of stairs and unlocked the lower door to let Damon in. “How bad?”, Alec greeted. Damon quickly stepped inside closing the door. “I need to get her out of here bad.”, Damon said starting up the stairs. He stopped at the door that was once Isadora’s and knocked. “Zoe? I need to get you out of here.”, Damon said through the door.

Zoe had been reading a book on her tablet curled up on the small sofa that had been left in her mother’s old apartment. She’d turned the tablet off hearing the running footsteps from the floor above and worried what was happening to make Alec run like that. Then she heard Damon’s voice and quickly opened the door. “What’s wrong? What happened?”, Zoe asked. Damon stepped inside with Alec right behind him. “Get your things. I’m getting you to the Haven where you’ll be safe. Things went about as bad as they can get.”, Damon explained. Zoe looked from Damon whose eyes showed anger and worry to Alec who just looked worried. Zoe quickly went to get her things. “How bad is bad?”, Alec asked folding his arms. “Geri was behind it all, that bad.”, Damon explained. Zoe was zipping up her duffle bag as they were talking. “What do you mean? Behind all of what?”, Zoe asked. Damon sighed. “She’s the person who made Harry Polk lie to me. And worse she’s the reason those men came to attack you and your mother. She hired them to kill you. So that I would never know about you and would have no reason to go looking for your mother. I need to get you somewhere she can’t reach you.”, Damon explained. Alec’s eyes went wide as did Zoe’s. “That cagna (bitch) paid to have someone kill Izzy!?”, Alec exclaimed in anger. Zoe blinked not sure how she should react but there was anger brewing in the pit of her stomach.

She looked at Alec and frowned. “Will you be alright here alone?”, she asked. Alec had accepted her in with very little questions and despite barely knowing her and having no blood ties to her called her niece and treated her as family. She hated that her presence had now put him in danger. Alec nodded. “I’ll be fine. I have fire insurance.”, Alec smiled. Zoe shook her head and hugged him tight and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Grazie, per tutto, lo zio. Si prega di restare al sicuro. (Thank you, for everything, Uncle. Please stay safe)”, Zoe said with a sigh. Alec hugged her back and smiled. “Questo è ciò che la famiglia è per. Vai con il tuo papà e stare al sicuro. (That's what family is for. Go with your dad and stay safe.)”, Alec said nodding. “I’m going to take her to the Haven then I’ll go to a hotel. Just stay upstairs and keep the doors locked Alec. Be safe and if she comes don’t give her reason to hurt you old friend.”, Damon said. Alec nodded. “No worries I won’t do anything too stupid.”, Alec said. “You aren’t going to come to the Haven with me?”, Zoe questioned. Damon shook his head. “No I can’t. I don’t want to be labeled a traitor. And Geri can’t hurt me. But once she’s gotten her strength back she’s going to come looking for both of us. So my only priority is making sure you are safe.”, Damon explained starting for the car. Zoe sighed and hugged Alec one more time before following her father to his car. “What do you mean by gets her strength back? What happened?”, Zoe asked as they got into the car. “I healed her.”, Damon said simply before pulling out and driving to the Haven.

The car ride had been silent. Damon had many things racing through his mind. As he pulled up he looked at the Haven and sighed. “Alright so you get inside and just say ‘sanctuary’. They will give you a room to stay in and you will then be protected by Haven law. Geri won’t be able to touch you. Please just, stay safe uccellino (little bird).”, he explained not even aware that her mother calls her that. Zoe smiled a little hearing the familiar name and hugged him tightly. “Mamma calls me that too.”, she whispered. Damon laughed a little. “Great minds I suppose. I call your sister pouláki which is Greek for little bird and your brother lígo Foínix which is Greek for little phoenix.”, Damon answered returning the hug. “Please stay safe papa.”, Zoe said giving him a kiss on the cheek. Damon smiled hearing her call him papa. “I will. You be safe. I’ll be back in the morning.”, Damon promised and kissed her cheek. Zoe was starting to cry a little, she felt so guilty that her desire to see him had done all this. Had put him and Alec in danger. Damon sighed and wiped away the tears. “I’ll be alright uccellino. Go on then.”, Damon encouraged. Zoe nodded and gathered her duffle bag and walked up to the door knocking. She glanced over her shoulder to her father still waiting in the car.

Inside the Haven things were rather quiet. Merrick and Sebastian were upstairs in the game room playing Mortal Kombat, the adults were in the dining room playing poker. David was the one that got up hearing the knocking at the door. “I’ll get it.”, he said heading for the door pulling it open. He blinked and looked at Zoe immediately recognizing her from yesterday. “Zoe?”, He questioned and looked past her to the idling car with Damon inside. “Sanctuary?”, Zoe questioned. David sighed and nodded stepping aside for her. “Is your dad coming in too?”, David asked. Zoe shook her head. “No. Something about not wanting to be labeled a traitor. Do you know what he would mean by saying he ‘healed’ Geri?”, Zoe answered with a question of her own. David gave a nod and wave to Damon which was returned before he closed the door. He could hear the car pulling away from the house. “The traitor part would be that coming here even for the night could be considered him leaving the Academy and they’d mark him a traitor like they did my cousin Kim and her two sons. As for the ‘healed’ Geri. Guess that means she really pissed him off.”, David said. Zoe just looked at him confused. “Your dad has the healing touch for himself and for others. Geri is radioactive by nature for her powers. They’ve had the most ass backwards relationship I’ve ever known. She tried to kill him a thousand times over even back when we were teenagers. She’d tried to kill him with her radiation or a bomb but he’d survive and then use his healing touch which tried to counter her own powers thus causing her pain to kind of underline the point of who could hurt who.”, David explained

Zoe shook her head. “That’s a healthy relationship.”, she said sarcastically. David laughed. “I said ass backwards. Never understood why he married her in the long run. Rumor was he had another woman in town before, and well you’re here so guess that rumor was true. But I don’t work in gossip and it’s not my business. My business is running this place. So welcome to the Haven. You now have the protection of Haven law and cannot and will not come to any harm. Let me show you a room.”, David said. “I’ll be right back no one look at my cards!”, David called to the others. Zoe raised an eyebrow. “Playing poker with my wife, my cousin and our friends Jacob and Solangel.”, David explained. “So my wife and I have a room on this floor along with Jacob and Solangel.”, he reviewed walking up the stairs. Zoe nodded and followed him up the stairs. “Seriously Bastian, are you getting worse at this game?”, Merrick teased as he won another match. Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Hold on my phone is buzzing.”, Sebastian said setting his controller down and pulling his phone from his pocket to check the message. Gina had gone up to her bedroom back at the Academy and sent Sebastian a text ‘Apparently my parents just had a huge fight. Alex says we have an older sister. I don’t know when dad will come back.’, Gina text. Sebastian read the text and frowned quickly replied. ‘I’m sorry to hear that babe. A sister though? Seriously?’, he replied. David coughed when they reached the top of the stairs and leaned into the game room. “Zoe you remember my cousin Merrick from this afternoon. This is his little brother Sebastian. Zoe is going to be staying with us for a little while. So be nice. Merrick hands to yourself…and you know why.”, David warned pointing at Merrick. Merrick leaned his head back to look over and smirked seeing Zoe standing next to David. “What because her dad will bring me near death to heal me just so he can repeat? Don’t worry David..”, Merrick said holding up his hands that were on the controller. “Hands are currently full. And I don’t touch without permission.”, Merrick said giving Zoe a playful wink. Sebastian turned to look and blinked seeing the white hair.

David rolled his eyes. “Anyways. This floor currently has their rooms and upstairs is where their mother sleeps. Over here is an empty room you can use.”, David said walking away from the game room and opening a spare bedroom. Zoe smiled at the brothers and covered her mouth to hide a laugh at Merrick’s response to David before she turned and followed David. Merrick tilted his head to watch her walk away and smirked looking back to the tv. “You are horrible…”, Sebastian said. “That’s…that’s Alex and Gina’s sister isn’t it?”, Sebastian asked. Merrick nodded. “Yeah. But why am I horrible for checking her ass out? She’s older than Alexander therefore legal. So not like I was looking at jailbait or anything.”, Merrick shrugged with a smile. Sebastian sighed and took out his phone. ‘You’re sister is at the Haven. Just arrived. And she looks a lot like your dad and Alex.’, Sebastian information. ‘What? Is daddy there too?’, Gina replied hopeful biting her bottom lip really hoping her dad was safe. ‘No. David only brought Zoe, that’s her name, up.’, Sebastian replied. Gina sighed a little sad that her dad’s whereabouts were still unknown. She knew her mom was getting angry and was down stairs drinking while Lilith and Tereza were trying to offer her some amount of company and comfort as her husband had just walked out. “Thank you Signore Bryant.”, Zoe said stepping into the room. David nodded. “You’re welcome. So you have your own bathroom attached. Downstairs the kitchens, we keep a kosher kitchen because Merrick is vegetarian, feel free to help yourself. Just put things back where you found them because my wife is blind and she’s got everything memorized for placement.”, David advised. Zoe nodded. “Thank you.”, Zoe sighed looking around the room. “Alright, well I’ll be downstairs if you need me. Have a good night Zoe.”, David said before leaving. Zoe closed her bedroom door and sat down on the bed and took out the picture of her mom looking at it and the scar. Zoe curled up on the bed trying to suppress her tears of anger now that she knew it was her father’s wife that had hired someone to come kill them.

Damon had gone to the Tides Motor Inn and checked into a room for at least the night. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do tomorrow. He hadn’t even gotten spare clothes from the Academy before he walked out. It didn’t matter at the time. He just needed to not be in the same place as Geri. He set his phone down on the nightstand and without looking at any of the items emptied his pockets putting everything down on the nightstand. He sighed and unbuttoned his shirt carefully hanging it up in the little closet in the room since he’d have to wear it again tomorrow. He continued undressing neatly folding his slacks also hanging them up in the closet to re-wear the next day till he could get home and get a change of clothes and anything else he would need. He groaned and stretched rolling his shoulders as he went into the bathroom and took a shower mostly just standing under the stream of hot water thinking. It had been one hell of a day. He found out he had a daughter, a daughter with Isadora at that. That Isadora wasn’t dead and Geri had hired mercenaries to kill Isadora and Zoe almost nineteen years ago. He kept trying to think about what he should do next. He knew he couldn’t forgive Geri. Which meant getting separated at least, at this point the word divorce was floating around in his head though his ancestors didn’t want him to think that way. Damon sighed and finished his shower stepping out and drying off and wrapping the plain white cotton towel around his waist and ran a hand over the mirror to clear away the fog. He looked at his reflection tilting his head to the side, he hadn’t changed too much in twenty years. He still had the same definition to his body as he had before maybe a little more now from all the years of training at the dojo.

He instinctively reached to put the gold band back on his finger but stopped. He looked at the ring in his hand and then at the tan line from wearing it for the last eighteen years on his ring finger. He kept the ring in his hand as he walked out to the bedroom and set it down on the night stand sitting on the edge of the bed. He sighed and looked at the night stand of items and started to organize them. He had his keys, wallet and cell phone of course. Then he noticed a piece of paper next to the ring and picked it up and looked at the number reading it over and over, it was the number Zoe had given him if he wanted to call her mom. He looked at the number and then to his cell phone. He should call her. Tell her that he did meet with Zoe, what he had found out about Geri, and assure her of Zoe’s safety. He reached for his phone and it started to buzz. He looked at it and saw fifteen missed messages from Geri and others at the Academy. He didn’t read the messages from Geri but did check the one from his daughter Gina. He read the message aloud. “Daddy? Are you going to be okay?”, Damon sighed. ‘I’m fine baby. Don’t worry. I love you.’, he replied before changing to the phone function. He looked at the number on the paper and started to dial. The voices of his ancestors yelling in his head to not call her. But he hit call and brought the phone to his ear taking a deep breath not even realizing he was holding it as he listened to the ringing.

It was nearly 8 o’clock at night in Bayville so add the six hour difference it almost 2 o’clock in the morning over in Florence. A thought that hadn’t crossed his mind till the third ring. Ready to hang up then suddenly a soft and groggy voice answered. “Ciao? (Hello?)”, Isadora answered. She hadn’t recognized the number as being the same from when Zoe had called from Alec’s house. But she knew the number was the same area code so she thought maybe it was Zoe again. Damon felt his heart stop in that instance hearing just that one word from her lips. “Ciao, Isadora. E '... e' Damon. (Hello, Isadora. It's...it's Damon.)”, he answered his voice almost cracking. Isadora’s dark blue eyes opened fully, now completely awake. She fumbled with the phone dropping it in shock to hear his voice. “Isadora?”, Damon questioned hearing the phone drop. She quickly recovered the phone bringing it back to her ear. “Damon? È...è davvero lei? (Damon? Is...is it really you?)”, she asked speaking softly having to take a seat on the sofa. She adjusted the strap of her thin white cotton nightgown trying to not cry at the sound of his voice. “Si sono io. Zoe mi ha dato il tuo numero di oggi. So che è probabilmente molto tardi laggiù. Non avrei dovuto chiamato così tardi. (Yes, it's me. Zoe gave me your number today. I know it's probably very late over there. I shouldn't have called so late.)”, Damon apologized. “Non scusarti ... Damon. (Don't apologize...Damon.)”, she said shaking her head having to fight the urge to call him fenice. “Così l'hai conosciuta ? Hai incontrato la nostra figlia . Come ha fatto ... come andata? (So you met her? You've met our daughter. How did...how did that go?)”, Isadora questioned.

“Sì , l'ho incontrata. Ha un sacco di me nel suo aspetto. Ma Dio quegli occhi, che mi ha quasi ucciso, che ha i tuoi occhi . Mi dispiace tanto Isadora. (Yes, I met her. She has a lot of me in her appearance. But god those eyes, they nearly killed me, she has your eyes. I'm so sorry Isadora.)”, Damon said covering his eyes with his free hand. He had so much to apologize for. For sending her away, for sending someone else instead of him, for not questioning being told she was gone when his heart told her she couldn’t be, and for marrying Geri. “Perché dici scusa? (Why are you saying sorry?)”, Isadora questioned. “Per tutto. Per l'invio via. Per non venire a me stesso di trovarti. Per non mettere in discussione viene detto tu c'eri quando il mio cuore ha detto che non poteva essere vero. E soprattutto per aver sposato Geri. (For everything. For sending you away. For not coming myself to find you. For not questioning being told you were gone when my heart said it couldn't be true. And most of all for marrying Geri.)”, Damon explained with a heavy sigh. “Per non essere lì per voi e Zoe. (For not being there for you and Zoe.)”, he sighed again. “Oh Damon. Non avrebbe saputo. Mi hai mandato via per tenermi al sicuro. Alec ha spiegato che è stato inviato a qualcuno perché la XC stava unendo gli Accoliti e si voleva assicurarsi che il vostro team stava per essere al sicuro senza di te. E Alec ha detto che voi presentati con un certificato di morte. Non avevi ragione di mettere in discussione qualcosa di così ufficiale. E pensando ero via si è permesso di andare avanti. Va bene che l'hai sposata e il suo amore. (Oh Damon. You wouldn't have known. You sent me away to keep me safe. Alec explained that you sent someone because the XC was joining the Acolytes and you wanted to make sure your team was going to be safe without you. And Alec said they presented you with a death certificate. You had no reason to question something so official. And thinking I was gone you are allowed to move on. It's okay that you married her and love her.)”, Isadora said shaking her head not wanting him to apologize for things he couldn’t control.

“Ma io non mi mossi su. Non dico sposare Geri è stato un errore, perché ho avuto il mio figlio Alessandro e mia figlia Gina da esso. Ho cercato di amare Geri, ma io...non ho mai completamente potuto. (But I didn't move on. I won't say marrying Geri was a mistake, because I got my son Alexander and my daughter Gina from it. I tried to love Geri, but I just...I never fully could.)”, Damon admitted. He adjusted the towel he was wearing and sat further on the bed leaning back against the headboard. Isadora furrowed her brow at the statement. “Cosa intendi? Perché non potevi pienamente il suo amore? So che ci tenevi per lei una volta, anche prima che fossi nella vostra vita. (What do you mean? Why couldn't you fully love her? I know you cared for her once, even before I was in your life.)”, she questioned. Damon sighed. “Mi sono preoccupato per lei prima, sì . Ma io non l'amavo. E io non mi potevo portare a pieno l'amore di lei, anche se ho cercato in questi ultimi diciotto anni. Non ho potuto farlo perché non ho mai...beh non ho mai erano difettose amarti. (I cared for her before you, yes. But I didn't love her. And I couldn't bring myself to full love her, though I have tried these past eighteen years. I couldn't do it because I never...well I never stoped loving you.)”, He said not sure how it would be received that he was still in love with her. “Tu...tu mi ami ancora? (You...you still love me?)”, she questioned a small tremor in her soft voice. “Naturalmente. Tu sei il mio (Of course. You are my) ángelos ti̱s mousikí̱s. (angel of music) Non potrei mai smettere di amarti. (I could never stop loving you.)”, Damon answered. Hearing him call her his angel of music she could feel the tears starting to sting her eyes. “Non ho mai smesso di amarti o la mia fenice. (I never stopped loving you either my phoenix)”, She admitted. Damon blinked he hadn’t exactly expected that answer. He’d hoped it but he figured after nineteen years she’d found someone. “Davvero? Voglio dire, avrei pensato...dopo tanto tempo. E bene Zoe ha detto che mi hai visto con Geri e baby Alexander. Così ho pensato.. (Really? I mean, I would have thought...after so long. And well Zoe said you saw me with Geri and baby Alexander. So I thought…)”, Damon said not really sure how to say it. Isadora raised an eyebrow. “Cosa? Pensavo che sarei andata avanti? Che io sposati o almeno aveva un fidanzato o amante? (What? Thought that I'd moved on? That I married or at least had a boyfriend or lover?)”, she questioned. “Beh si. (Well yes)”, Damon said with a slight laugh at the way she made it sound outrageous.

“Sono andato in date e visto altri uomini nel corso degli anni. Ma nessuno bloccato. Probabilmente perché non ho potuto avere su di voi. E bene davvero una madre single con una cicatrice sul suo collo non è esattamente portare gli uomini di chiamata. (I've gone on dates and seen other men over the years. But none stuck. Probably because I couldn't get over you. And well really a single mother with a scar across her neck doesn't exactly bring the men calling.)”, Isadora explained with a small laugh. “Ho visto una foto recente di voi. Zoe ha mostrato a me, come la sua prova che eri vivo . Non ho nemmeno notato la cicatrice. Tutto quello che ho visto è stato il mio bellissimo ángelos ti̱s mousikí̱s. (I've seen a recent photo of you. Zoe showed it to me, as her proof that you were alive. I didn't even notice the scar. All I saw was my beautiful angel of music).”, Damon said smiling a little letting his eyes close as his memory called up the photograph he’d been shown earlier. Isadora smiled slightly running a hand over her scar. Of course he didn’t bother to notice it. “Mi sento in svantaggio. Hai visto come il tempo mi ha cambiato, ma non ho ancora visto la tua faccia in un gran numero di anni. (I feel at a disadvantage. You've seen how time has changed me, but I still haven't seen your face in a great many years.)”, she replied. She didn’t like thinking back to the actual last time she saw his face as it was alongside Geri, but she could still recall his face from the last day she was in Bayville before she left for Italy. Damon laughed a little. “Oh così stiamo giocando il gioco equità? Al di là di alcune linee di età minori non sono esattamente cambiati. E il tempo non è cambiato molto. (Oh so we are playing the fairness game? Beyond some minor age lines haven't exactly changed. And time has not changed you much.)”, Damon questioned. “Non mi ha cambiato molto? Ti stai comportando tipo fenice. (Hasn't changed me much? You are being kind phoenix.)”, Isadora said with a soft laugh. “Sei capelli sono più lunghi. (You're hair is longer.)”, he said with a shrug. “E disseminata di grigio. (And scattered with gray.)”, Isadora added. “E? Sono nato con i capelli bianchi. Io non sono la persona a parlare su i capelli grigi. Sei ancora bellissima. Se lo si desidera per l'equità Suppongo che potrei inviare una foto. Che si ottiene due scelte. (And? I was born with white hair. I am not the person to speak to about gray hair. You are still beautiful. If you wish for fairness I suppose I could send a picture. Which you get two choices.)”, Damon offered with a smile. Isadora cocked her head to the side and stretched out on her sofa adjusting the cotton fabric of her night gown. “E quali sono le mie scelte? (And what are my choices?)”, she asked curious.

Damon was checking the photos saved on his phone and most were his children but he found one that he was in at last. “Ho una foto recente salvato il mio telefono, ma è di me ei miei figli in un torneo di arti marziali. In modo che sia l'opzione uno. Opzione due faccio una foto ora ed invialo. Tuttavia, se lo faccio vi avverto che sono attualmente solo in un asciugamano seduto nella mia camera d'albergo. (I have one recent photo saved to my phone, however it is of me and my children at a martial arts tournament. So that is option one. Option two I take a picture now and send it. However if I do that I warn you I'm currently only in a towel sitting in my hotel room.)”, he said giving her the options. Isadora smiled biting her bottom lip a little her memory recalling the last time she’d seen him in a towel. It had been the night before she left for Italy. Their last night together. But then it struck her, he said hotel. Why was he in a hotel? And her mind suddenly went to wondering what had happened after his meeting with Zoe. “Entrambi suono piacevole. Non hanno mai visto in un asciugamano in alcuni anni. Ma perché sei in un albergo? Cosa è successo? (Both sound nice. Haven't seen you in a towel in some years. But why are you at a hotel? What has happened?)”, she asked concerned. Damon sighed as the topic went askew. “La verità è accaduto. Dopo Zoe e Alec mi hanno detto che eri vivo. Beh, sono andato a parlare con il detective privato che avevo inviato tanti anni fa , Harry Polk. (The truth happened. After Zoe and Alec told me you were alive. Well I went to talk to the private detective I had sent all those years ago, Harry Polk.)”, Damon explained. Isadora’s brow furrowed.

“What did he tell you? Why did he lie about my death?”, she asked switching to English. “Well I went to his office, saw the most hilarious, disgusting, and terrifying thing ever.”, Damon started. “And what was that?”, she questioned. “Harry Polk, a little heavier and with less hair than when I last saw him, bent over his desk with his pants around his ankles while a prostitute, I assume she was one, dressed in a blasphemous sexy nun costume was spanking him with a yard stick.”, Damon explained trying to not vomit at the recalling of the image. Isadora covered her mouth but the laughter still escaped. It was still a soft gentle laugh as it had been before the attack but now a little softer because of the scar. “Oh my poor fenice…that’s a mental image you’ll never shake.”, Isadora laughed. She sighed calling him hers. “I’ll eventually find ways to killing the image from my mind. But I sent the woman a way to talk to Harry. He was apparently very scared to see me. All these years and he instantly remembered me. Guess I have one of those memorable faces.”, Damon explained with a smile. “Indeed you do.”, she agreed. His was a face she could never forget, granted having Zoe as a constant reminder of what he looks like helped but even without her he was a face she could never forget. “Yes well, I won’t go into how I got my answers, trade secrets. But he confessed that Geri had threatened to burn his home, his business and him if he told me the truth ever. She told him to give me the death certificate and never mention our child.”, Damon explained. He didn’t want to tell her how he tortured Harry but breaking his fingers with the meat tenderizer. Even back when he was the head of the XC any of his less admirable actions he didn’t disclose to her.

“Geri? She was part of this?”, Isadora questioned her blood starting to boil. Though she couldn’t say she was shocked. Geri had never liked her. She hated her because Damon loved her and was going to choose a life with her over a life in the XC. Damon sighed and nodded. “It’s more than that. When he told me it was Geri that threatened him and made him lie to me, I went home to confront her.”, Damon explained. Isadora sighed. This was why she hadn’t wanted to confront him, to have Zoe meet him. She’d not wanted to break up a happy marriage. “I’m sorry. I had not wanted this. To cause a problem in your marriage. You’d looked happy when I saw you pushing that stroller.”, Isadora sighed. “Don’t apologize Isadora. My marriage has never been happy. I looked happy pushing the stroller because I’d lived to see my son born. Because unlike every ancestor before me I was going to watch my child grow.”, Damon said. Isadora sighed but nodded. “Alright. So what happened that landed you in a hotel?”, she questioned. “As I said I confronted Geri. Wanting to know why she did this. Which with any confrontation with Geri it got violent. She tried to place a hand on my face and I didn’t even think about it when I grabbed her wrist so she couldn’t. I wasn’t forceful with how I gripped her, but my mind didn’t think to keep my powers in check. All these years any time I’ve touched her I’ve had to keep a tight control on my powers as her very blood pumps radiation and my healing instinctively seeks out to resolve that which unchecked would kill her. It was the first time since we married I’ve raised my voice at her. Alexander saw us fighting. And when Geri started yelling the whole Academy heard her. I’m at this hotel because of what she admitted to me.”, Damon explained.

He wasn’t sure how to tell her his wife had been the one who sent me to kill her and Zoe. “I’m sorry your son had to witness that. What did she admit to?”, Isadora asked. “She…she’s the one behind the attack against you. She hired those men to kill you and anyone in the building with you.”, Damon explained. “She what? She’s why I lost my father? She’s why I lost my voice and can never sign again?”, Isadora questioned starting to get angry. “That’s about how I feel. She sent people to kill the woman I love and the daughter I never knew about. And given the curse of my family killing my first born could have long lasting effects. Granted I never wanted to be reincarnated but never at the expense of the life of my children. But that’s why I’m at the hotel. I just can’t. I can’t be in the same house as her. I can’t forgive what she’s done. All in the name of manipulating me to be her husband. I felt bad, only because Gina heard her mother yelling she was going to kill me, kill Zoe and kill you if I walked out. I’m being polite and not using her exact words. But Gina ran down the stairs to me wanting me to stay. But I just I needed to leave or I’d lose my temper further with her mother. I hope she will understand why I couldn’t stay even for her or her brother.”, Damon explained.

Kill Zoe? “Where’s Zoe? Will she be safe with Alec?”, Isadora asked her mind instantly going to the safety of her child. “I took her from Alec and up to the Haven. You might recall the Haven, they are neutral and by the laws agreed to by all mutant parties no one under the protection of the Haven can be harmed. So I didn’t like to do it, but at least I know that Zoe will be safe there. Geri can’t touch her there.”, Damon explained. “But she can come for you. Why didn’t you stay with Zoe at the Haven? What about Alec?”, Isadora questioned. Damon sighed. “I can’t stay at the Haven. It may be neutral but me seeking sanctuary there could be misread and seen as me being a traitor to the Academy which would make me a target by more than just Geri. Since Geri can’t actually hurt me I am safe at the hotel. Alec…well I can’t really give him much protection sadly. The Haven only gives protection to just two humans Isis and Jacob Hikarua. Isis being a very close friend to David, their leader, who ended up married to Kurt Wagner. And Jacob married Solangel a Haven member. But otherwise the laws of the Haven cannot be extended to a human so he would not be given sanctuary. He has said he’d keep his doors locked and not give her a reason to hurt him. Tomorrow I hope to have calmed enough to decide what I’m going to do about all of this. Because I can’t forgive her.”, Damon explained. Isadora sighed. “I’m sorry that this has caused such a rift in your marriage. I know you said it’s never been happy, but there must have been some. I mean you have two children with her.”, she said.

Damon sighed shaking his head. “My children are the only happy points of my last eighteen years. Don’t mistake their existence for happiness in my marriage. I didn’t plan on any of my children. Obviously hadn’t really planned Zoe. Alexander was Geri’s plan not mine and I was unaware of it till the pregnancy test was presented to me and I could sense the life in her. And when I lived to see him born I kind of just said screw it giving up on using condoms at that point. Four years later Gina happened. They are the only thing that have made me happy and the only reason I’ve stayed with her. But Alex will graduate this spring and then he’s off to Boston University to become a doctor. But I’ll have four more years before Gina graduates.”, Damon explained. Isadora smiled as he talked about his children, there was pride in his voice especially when he spoke of his son going to medical school. “You sound very proud of them.”, Isadora commented. “I am. Alexander is a very bright boy. He’s got a lot of me in more than just appearance and powers. He’ll do well in Boston at medical school. And Gina, she may favor her mother in looks and powers but she's more like Geri’s twin who we named her for in personality. She’s a sweet bubbly girl. She loves noir films and all those old black and white films. Both excel in my combat training. Alexander is already a red belt soon he’ll become a black belt like me. Gina is two levels above those her age dawning a purple belt. Tell me about Zoe. We didn’t really discuss that much when I met her today.”, Damon questioned. “Well she obviously favors you a bit in appearance but she got powers like mine. She’s a fair artist and her voice…oo fenice that she gets from both of us. I haven’t been able to sing since the attack, but she has such a beautiful voice.”, Isadora said bragging about their daughter. “Well good to know one of my children has taken to singing. Neither Alexander nor Gina can sign. I haven’t sang myself since you left. Kind of locked away everything from that part of my life when I was told you died.”, Damon sighed.

“Alec had mentioned that. I can’t believe you gave it up. Singing had made you so happy. It was your escape from the life you had at the XC.”, Isadora sighed. “Without you it just didn’t feel the same. I sang to Alexander and Gina when they were babies to get them to sleep. But nothing beyond simple lullabies.”, Damon explained. “I don’t talk about any parts of my life I associate with you around my family. Geri didn’t care for that. So I never really talked to my children about my time signing and performing at the opera house. I instead stored everything away literally and figuratively. I had to lock away my memories of you or drive myself insane with longing.”, he explained. “Longing?”, Isadora questioned raising an eyebrow interested in what he meant by that. Damon smiled a little. “Yes longing. Missing you. Missing the sound of your voice, your company and then there’s just missing the feel and smell of you.”, he sighed. “I can still remember how it felt to touch you. How you felt as smooth and soft as silk.”, he smiled closing his eyes letting the memories come back. Isadora laughed softly. “I don’t think I was ever that soft or smooth.”, she said shaking her head. “Yes well my memory says otherwise. And from that picture I saw you still look just as soft to touch.”, Damon countered. “Yes well I still don’t believe that. But circling back I still don’t know how much you have changed since I last saw you.”, Isadora replied. Damon nodded and pulled up the photo of him with his children and sent it. Isadora brought up the text and looked at the image and smiled looking at the trio. All three standing in their white gi. Damon in the center with his black sash around his waist and a dark blue scar upon his head. She could faintly see some age lines but nothing bad. On his left was Alexander she blinked a little looking at the young man and seeing the spitting image of the man she’d met all those years ago on the streets of Bayville. Alex wearing a red sash and then to Damon’s right was a younger fair skinned girl with deep red hair and soft green eyes in a purple sash. “Oh Damon your children are beautiful. I had to do a double take with Alexander, he looks just as you did the first day I met you. Is…is that my scarf you are wearing?”, she asked.

Damon laughed. “Yes Alexander is like a clone I swear sometimes. And yes that’s your scarf. You had left it at my old apartment and when I packed it up I just couldn’t part with it so I wear it at the dojo to cover my hair since I often deal with humans from the community and they find it easier to assume I am bald than mutant.”, Damon explained. “You are still handsome my fenice.”, she said with a smile. “Very dashing in your crisp white gi and black sash. So you made teaching others martial arts your work?”, she asked. Damon nodded. “Yes. I figured if I couldn’t sing or perform as I had wanted I could use a different talent. So I opened my dojo to pass my knowledge on.”, he explained. “I’m sure that doing that line of work has kept you in close to the shape that I last saw you. You at least look it for what I can tell in the photo.”, she commented. Damon laughed. “That a hint I should take a selfie and send it? I mean how inappropriate is it to send a picture of yourself in a towel to an ex who’s the mother of your child and who every time you’ve thought about were just reminded how bad you want her?”, Damon questioned laughing still. Isadora smiled biting her lip a little as he talked about wanting her. “I don’t think it’s inappropriate. I mean we are both adults and it’s not as if the picture would end up anywhere but my phone or seen by anyone but me.”, she said. Damon sighed and debated it. He glanced to the tan line on his ring finger but decided to ignore it and took the picture of him leaning back against the headboard of the bed the top of the towel just visible in the photo and sent the photo before he could change his mind. When her phone buzzed Isadora was a little uncertain about seeing what he sent. She wondered how much had changed as she opened the message and looked. She rubbed her lips together a little tilting her head slightly looking at the picture letting her eyes survey his physique for the first time in just over nineteen years. “Um..yeah. You have not aged a day, fenice. God..um…yeah you look about as I remember you. Running a dojo has certainly done…well done your body good.”, She said still looking back to the photo putting the call on speaker so she could easily talk and look at the picture. Damon laughed a little. “Benefits of a healthy diet, lots of exercise and having a healing ability.”, Damon explained.

Isadora nodded. “Indeed. I shouldn’t say this, but I miss you Damon. I probably shouldn’t say any of what I’ve said to you on this call really. But I do. I never stopped loving you and I have missed you just as you describe missing me. I’ve missed getting to talk to you and just spend time with you but god I’ve missed your touch. As I said I’ve been with other men since having Zoe, but it just never got to the point of having sex. I just couldn’t bring myself to, so I would stop it. They weren’t you..”, she admitted. Damon sighed and stretched out on the bed fully holding the phone to his ear closing his eyes. “I shouldn’t admit this but I’ve thought about you in a sexual way over the last nineteen years. Remembering how it was to kiss you; how soft your lips were, how your mouth tasted sweet because of the wine you’d drink.”, Damon admitted. She sighed a little and stretched out on the sofa. “Mmm. I remember, how your tongue would circle mine teasing me.”, She said closing her eyes letting the memories return to her. Damon smiled. “I also remember kissing at your neck, nibbling at your ears, and the little moans and how you’d shiver a little from the sensation. God your little moans…I loved those almost as much when you would scream my name.”, he said licking his lips a little thinking back. She laughed softly. “Mmm…I remember. Can’t really scream the way I used to…”, she answered. “Ignoring everything else that is going on and thinking that it’s just the two of us, if I was there… what would you do?”, Isadora questioned a little timid.