Lyne watched the horizon from where she was seated on a wooden chair in the backyard with Aurora in her hands reflecting on what has happened so far. It has been two years now since she left Vampire City. She wondered if Zeidan might think she was dead or somehow alive. She missed him so much, no doubt about that, but things just had to be this way.

 It was very difficult for her, to come here with her pregnancy and how she had struggled during Aurora’s birth. Aurora cooed with a Duchene smile and a glimmer in her blue eyes. She ran her hands through Aurora’s light brown hair and she smiled back affectionately. Her daughter was indeed very beautiful and her true definition of happiness. She has been through a lot for this baby and it was worth it. 

    She heard the door creak open and Marianne came out of the house. She came bearing a chair and sat beside her in the opening of the yard. 

    “She’s a cute little one,” Marianne said looking at Aurora who was slowly drifting to sleep in her arms. It made Lyne chuckle. They both admired Aurora for a while before Marianne spoke up again. 

    “She’s growing fast.” 

    “Yeah,” Lyne replied with another chuckle. 

    “You are a good mother Lyne,” Marianne said now fixing a compassionate gaze upon her. 

    “You have been through a lot for Aurora already.”

    “Well, I am sure you would do the same,” Lyne replied after pausing for a while.

    “You bet I would,” Marianne said in affirmation. 

    They both smiled and became silent for a while. Then Lyne heaved a sigh and said, “Thank you, Marianne.”

Marianne has been so supportive and has helped her a lot ever since she has been in Los Angeles, especially when she was about to give birth to her daughter, and even when she had given birth to Aurora, Marianne has always been there for her.  

She flashed back to when she had fought Shelbrooke and Brady came for her. Poor Brady. Tears filled her eyes but she moved her face to the other side to avoid being seen. 

"Are you okay?" The older woman asked and she nodded, cleaning her eyes immediately.

"Just thinking about Brady. I feel bad for him. He didn't deserve to die like that."

Marianne nodded slightly as she stared at the woman that is seated next to her holding her daughter whom she had helped a year and some weeks back. Another silence took over before Marianne spoke up again. 

"You did what you could. I'm sorry Brady couldn't make it to the other end, but he died a warrior."

Lyne ran her hand over Aurora's head, her heart squeezing as she remembered promising to adopt Brady once everything was over. How is Vampire City? Has Shelbrooke been won over? 

    “You wanna put her down?” 

    “Yeah, I’ll do that,” Lyne replied as she stood up to take her baby inside. Marianne did not follow behind. She placed Aurora on the bed; she placed a peck on her daughter’s forehead and then she went to get two glasses of wine for herself and Marianne before going back to sit with her in the yard.

    “Thank you. Do you think the war is over now, the war in Vampire City?” Marianne asked as she handed her the glass of wine.

    “Maybe, maybe not, but I hope it is for everyone’s sake,” Lyne replied. 

    “Yeah, me too. I hope it is. But I’m sure the war has subsided a little bit now.” Marianne added.

“When are you returning to Vampire City?” She asked after taking a long sip of her wine much to her surprise of Lyne. 

Lyne rolled her eyes and hesitated before replying.

“I do not have any plans whatsoever to go back.” She said before taking a sip of her wine. 

    Marianne exhaled deeply at what she just said. 

    “Look, Lyne, perhaps you need to reconsider. You need to go back, I know you left for a reason, but you really need to go back. You have been a good mother and you will continue to be, no matter how good a mother you are, you can’t play the role of a father. Aurora needs to grow up with a father figure around her. Think about it Lyne, you need to go back for her sake.” She said. 

    Lyne thought about it all over. The reason she had left was for the safety of her daughter. If she had stayed, the chances of her and her daughter’s survival will have been below par. Now that she has given birth, she did not know the state of the war currently, but it has been two years, it should have subsided a little bit as Marianne had just said. But even at that, how sure was she that her return to that Vampire City will not bring evil upon her and Aurora? It was better to be safe than sorry. 

    “It might be dangerous Marianne,” Lyne said with a depressed look. 

“I have given it a thought too you know.” She said now leaning back into her chair. 

“I thought about going back, but I am having so many doubts. And the so-called doubts are getting the better of me.”

 “How about Zeidan? I’m sure he needs you around him. And the whole City needs you too. He may not even know if you survived or not. But anyways, I am more concerned about your daughter. You should not keep her father away from her.” Marianne insisted further.  

She thought about Zeidan. He must have been miserable after she had left. She knows he loves her. He had begged endlessly for her to leave. But if he truly cared for her, why didn't he come looking for them in Los Angeles? 

It all came rushing back through her memory, how her daughter had been killed in her vision. How she had screamed and begged for her mother to save her. Her visions don’t always lie. She knows if she had stayed back in Vampire City she would not have survived this long. But all the same, Zeidan had neglected her. For two years now.

“Look Marianne, I think Shelbrooke is winning against Vampire City. I don’t know but I just feel it. There are moles working for Shelbrooke in Vampire City. I hoped to stay and help Zeidan win this war, but I was more concerned about the safety of my baby and given the fact that I was already heavy. I had to leave.” Lyne explained as Marianne watched her.

“They are still ‘what ifs’ Lyne, you still are not sure. Even if you were right about all of this, don’t you think it is time you go back? The city needs you now more than ever. Zeidan will be capable of protecting you and his daughter even if it comes to the worst.” She said and gulped down the rest of her wine. 

“It is much more complicated than that Marianne. I really wish you understand.”  Lyne said with so much dejection in her voice.

They both became silent and Lyne finished her glass of wine. She settled the cup down beside her. Perhaps she should return and leave Aurora with Marianne in Los Angeles. That way, her daughter could be safe. As long as she was concerned, she will do anything to keep away from harm’s way. 

“Marianne, I understand you, and you are right about me going back to Zeidan and Vampire City. What I think I should do is go alone.” Lyne said.

“What about Aurora?” Marianne asked. 

“She stays right here with you in Los Angeles. You can take care of her till I get back. That’s the only way.” 

“Lyne the main reason I asked you to go back to Vampire City in the first place was because of your daughter. Now you are suggesting she stays with me while you’re away? And she grows without her parents?”

Realizing she didn’t want any of such for her daughter, Lyne inhaled and exhaled deeply before standing up and heading inside to check on her baby.