Chapter 50

Aria's POV

I was finally home for good. No impending doom or evil kidnapping, no dad beating me for every little thing or person calling themselves my mate, when they weren't.

We were finally free from all that.

I was free from that life.

But I had to finish it.

Ladies don't start fights, but we can finish them.

"Never do that again," Forest whispered into my hair, "I can't live without you,"

I nodded, snuggling closer to him, I had missed him, it was 3 AM and I was trying to get to sleep, but trying to figure out the best way to destroy my father's cult was keeping me awake.

Forest was already asleep beside me, and I was glad he was asleep, the circles beneath his eyes looked like he coated his eyes with mascara and then rubbed them. Many many times.

He looked exhausted.

I sighed, closing my eyes again, trying to get to sleep.

Until finally I drifted into a sleep filled with dreams of how to destroy a legacy that should never have started.

---------

I woke to the feeling of fingers running through my hair.

I tensed, why was Simon doing this, Simon never did this.

But then it all came back to me, and I relaxed. I was safe. I was home.

I turned over, smiling at Forest.

"I thought it was all a dream," He whispered, "I thought I'd wake up and you'd be gone again,"

I shook my head, "I'm not going anywhere," Just then my stomach rumbled loudly, "No where, except the kitchen,"

He grinned and we made our way to the kitchen.

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Atlas, Isla, and Lucy were already awake and pancakes were in the pan. I was about to walk in when I realised, Atlas and Isla don't know I'm alive yet.

It was the middle of the night when I can back, and they were already asleep.

"Forest, your parents think I'm still dead," I whispered.

He just smirked, "Wait here for a minute," He whispered back before walking into the kitchen.

"Hello Mama, Dad," He greeted them with a smile, I nearly burst out laughing from the sheer shocked expressions on their faces. "Lucy did you tell them about that thing?" I guessed she hadn't, they seemed very surprised he was smiling.

"No, I didn't, I figured you'd want to tell them," He nodded then turned back to his parents.

"Was there something you wanted to tell us Forest?" Atlas asked, sounding suspicious.

"No, no, it's nothing, well not nothing, but it can wait," He said, trying to keep the joke going, without offending me. I had to cover my mouth with my hand, their expressions were so comical.

After a few minutes of silence Isla had had enough, "Why are you so happy?!" Forest looked at her in surprise.

"Should I be sad and miserable?" She shook her head, but I could see the slight tears building in her eyes.

"I like seeing you smile, but Aria is dead, there is nothing happy about that," Forest nodded in agreement.

"About that," He turned and flashed a smile at me, the sign for me to come out of hiding.

"Don't cry, my death wasn't that sad, it was important, it needed to happen."

They gasped.

"A, A, Aria?" Isla stammered out. Mouth open in shock.

"Hi," I said with a smile, pulling them both into a hug.

"But how?" Atlas whispered into my ear.

"My time wasn't finished, my purpose wasn't fulfilled, I had to return. For you, my family."

I smiled at them again. Isla had tears running down her face, "I suppose we need more pancakes," Atlas jocked, making his way to the frying pan.

I laughed with them.

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After a few stacks of pancakes had been devoured between us, and after I'd told the story of what had happened in the last few months a few times, breakfast was finished.

I stood in my bedroom, staring out the window, basking in the sunlight and my freedom.

"What do you want to do today babe?" Forest asked, pulling me against his chest.

"Never call me that again," I said, cringing at his cheesiness.

"Or what?" He challenged with a smirk.

"You're dumped."

He threw his hands up in mock surrender, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He smiled at me, "Let me rephrase that, what would you like to do today Ari,"

I shook my head at him, "I'll let you call me Ari so long as you never call me babe again,"

"Deal," He said, mockingly offering me his hand to seal the deal, I shook his hand, both of us laughing.

I had missed this.

The friendly banter.

"No but seriously, what do you want to do today?" I thought for a minute.

"I haven't seen Skye and Ash for ages, or at least not properly," I thought outloud.

"Do you want to see if they can meet up, we can go into town and meet for some food or something," I nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

---------

Skye and Ash knew they were meeting Forest.

They didn't know they were meeting me.

What can I say, we're evil.

You only get to come back to life once. Why not trick everyone.

Forest met up with Ash and Skye in the car park, then they all walked into the café, the café where I already sat a booth over, waiting.

I could hear their conversation clearly, but they couldn't see me.

"It's a great day, isn't it?" Forest said with a grin, "I hope you don't mind, I invited my girlfriend, she'll be here soon," I heard Ash gasp.

"How dare you," Ash said, with a slight glare, "How dare you act so happy, how dare you replace Aria, she's still dead, you can't change that,"

"What he meant to say," Skye said quietly. "Is that seems a bit rash Forest, all things considered, you know." She though for a bit longer, "Actually I have to agree with Ash here, you can't replace Ari, however much you try, she would be so disappointed."

I stifled my laugh with my hand, it was so much fun to mislead them all, we had decided he should say he had a new girlfriend on the way here, the reactions were hilarious, even better than I imagined!

"Hey, you're supposed to agree with me, not him," Forest said, "It's us against him, come on Skye,"

"Nope," She said, I could hear her disapproval in her voice, "I can't agree with you, not with this, I couldn't do that to Ari,"

"Well it's my decision," It was nearly time for me to arrive. "Come here babe,"

I walked over to their table, "What did I tell you about calling me babe," I said with a glare.

"Sorry?" He said with a cheeky grin.

I turned to Ash and Skye, "What is he like, honestly."

They were just staring, staring like I was a mirage in a desert, or a magician's illusion.

"Aria?" Skye asked, looking shocked.

"Hi," I said, smiling at her.

"Skye get back!" Ash shouted as she made her way over to me, "She's a zombie, a living dead, don't get infected."

Forest slapped him round the head, "She's not a zombie, you idiot."

"If I were a zombie," I stated, "I wouldn't eat your brains, it's too cliche"

"How are you here?" Skye whispered to me, pulling me into a hug.

"Long story really, basically I made a deal with the moon goddess, my life in exchange for destroying my father's cult," I said, going to sit next to Forest, across the table from Skye and Ash.

They all stared at me in shock, "No," Forest said, "They killed you once, I'm not letting you near them again," I shook my head.

"I have to, I have to end this. They won't hurt me again, we'll be more prepared, they've lost their leader, they won't be as dangerous this time."

He still shook his head, "I won't risk that,"

"Then everyone will die,"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

I shook my head at him.

----------

That was the last that was said on the matter. We had a good time with Ash and Skye, and then we went shopping because Forest had ripped most of his clothes from randomly shifting the last few weeks.

"What about this one?" Ash asked, holding up a yellow and pink checkered shirt, I shook my head in disgust.

Ash had been giving stupid suggestions all day, in the end we just started ignoring him.

"What about this one?" He asked again, holding up a bright pink flamingo shirt, Skye smacked him on the back of his head.

"Stop with the stupid shirts," She said, as Forest emerged from the changing rooms in a plain blue shirt and black jeans.

"These will do for now, we can always come back later if I need more," We all nodded our agreement and after he payed for his clothes we all went back home.

-----------

After some food, and a lot of catching up, I was too tired to keep my eyes open, so I went up to bed, Forest following me up.

"Please," Forest said, "Please just leave your Father's cult, your fathers gone, why do you have to defeat them,"

I sighed, "I've already told you, they'll destroy everything and everyone. I have to,"

He lay on our bed, staring at the ceiling, "Just don't die again,"

"Or what?" I challenged, echoing his words from earlier, he smiled at me.

"You're dumped."