"So..." she chuckles nervously, pushing her hair back. "What did you and the council decide?"

She's nervous that's not like her. I pull her in close.

"I promised you to give you my children. I promised that I wouldn't refuse you." I kiss her cheeks, her eyelashes fluttering closed.

She steps back. "I don't want you to appease me, Slade. And I want you to tell me the truth. Is this something I want or is it...them?"

I swallow. "I don't know. I was thinking of going to see them. "

She swallows. "No. Don't put yourself in danger. I know it's probably..." she trails off, lifting her brown eyes to me. "Let's play our game."

I nod, pulling her into my lap. "This is just your powers going awry and it will pass in time. We have the child anyway."

"We'll take care of it, if they don't come for it."

"They're implanting this into your mind. You have the child."

She paused. "They come and take it, and...we can't stop them."

I purse my lips. "We don't have the baby. "

We both go silent.

"Why don't we wait," she whispers. "A hundred more years."

I look up at her. "Do you really think you can wait that long?"

She forced a smile. "Y-yes. I...I'm sure I...I can do anything. For us. For our family. I'll just need to stay...isolated a bit. You know? Nothing crazy."

I shake my head. "You mean lock yourself in a closet for 100 years. What do you think that will do to you, Monika? To your mind."

She swallows. "I-"

I press my lips against hers, her knees on either side of me, hands on either side of my face.

"Don't fret, my Goddess," I whisper against her lips, slipping her gown down her shoulders.

She begins to protest, but I silence her with pressing kisses down her neck. Pulling her hair gently, angling her where I need her.

I've decided. Her powers are too much. The child will sap some of her strength and stabilize her.

It is a risk. I know that. But...I pull her fireweed seating her on my face, her thighs squeezing me.

I have decided it's best.

"I-Slade!"

I will just need to get a little more power. And to do that, I'll have to do some unspeakable things. But...Ah...it doesn't matter. A few hundred, thousand, million. They'll come back.

They always do. Like a plague, a rot. Of course, without Orion there's no one to stop me. They won't either Ofair or that Goddess. They say they want to destroy her because she's a goddess they didn't create.

Which means...they created all the current gods.

I don't think they'll want to kill the child at the least. After all...it would be the first god born.

Monika is floating away from in bliss, I float with her, as she indulges in her pleasure, her mind no longer plagued with the our predicament.

Her skin shines in the moonlight, that gorgeous warm brown, her eyes closed, head thrown back. I adore her.

I've never had dreams, but imagine she's what one looks like. She's the prettiest thing I've ever seen. Every curve of her, every dip, every line. Every dot, and mark.

She's like a painting. I'm convinced a god I haven't met or heard of made her by hand. I file away in mind to try to discover them.

If only to make sure they never make another. Could they make another?

"I love you, Slade?" She sighs.

No. There could never be another Monika. Even at her worst, she is better. Kind, open, ruthless, fearless.

There's nothing I won't do to make her smile.

She's floating down now, settling myself on my length. I can never keep her out of the air. She has to think to make sure she doesn't float, and when we make love the only thing she knows is my name.

I smile, cupping her face. My Monika...

She buries her face into the neck, clinging to me, her breath moans filling the air between us.

I kiss her head, closing my eyes, the feeling of her insides drawing me in, enticing, squeezing around me.

• • •

Monika floats next to me as we head into the kitchen for breakfast.

The kids are already there, and so is the food. I set up barriers when Monika and I make love but unfortunately, Nathaniel's gift is hearing.

He stared at me with contempt. I shrug. He could've left.

"I struggle with the fact that Monika has become a goddess and yet, seems to do less than before?" Solice mutters.

Ah...here come the tears. Monika shrugs.

"I married a god. So obvious, My arms and legs are broken. Why would I do any work?" She remarks, looking at me and then her cup.

I chuckle, bringing it to her lips. "You, my goddess are well...a goddess."

She smiles, sipping gently. "How did everyone sleep?"

The kids look at each other and then at me. I nod my encouragement.

"Ah I slept fine," Fallon says gently, pushing her eggs around on her plate. "How did you sleep?"

"Oh I can answer that one," Nathaniel chimes in dryly. "She didn't."

I shoot him a look and we go about eating. Monika is all smiles, calm, not one outburst in sight.

I press my forehead against hers. "You feel okay?"

She nods with a grin. "I feel great! But I need some sun! Let's all take a walk to the courtyard!"

We finish breakfast, and we take a walk in the courtyard. The roses blossom as she passes them, the bushes and vines growing, toward her.

She smiles, her feet leaving the ground. I glance up at the sunlight. She's getting stronger. It's more stable now.

"Ah, what a beautiful day," she turns around. "We should start a garden. It'll be good, won't it?"

I offer my hand, and she takes it, coming down. "I must go into town. There's a few things-"

"You're going to make war, right? So you can be strong enough to defeat them, if you have to?"

I nod slowly. She smiles, patting my cheek. "How long will it take you."

"A week perhaps. I would take you all with me...but it's best if I go alone," I murmured.

She smiles. "Don't worry...."

"I do worry. I don't want you on the road but I don't want to leave you," I frown.

Nathaniel sighs. "Enough of the lovey dovey crap. I'll go. I have your power after all."

I shake my head. "No-"

"I'm not a child. I'm going." He says simply. I clench my jaw but nod.