Paris

I stood up quickly but made sure not to stir Alex next to me in first class on our flight to Paris. I walk to the restroom and start reviewing what I remember from the episode I know Claire will happen to see an ex-boyfriend I still feel weird about that whole situation. Claire has just too many events where it seems like she would be ok cheating on her husband for that to be a coincidence the yoga guy, the guy she thought was gay at that party, The college reunion, and finally the most romantic of all meeting up in Paris thirty years later she doesn't even seem that surprised to see him and when he asks if she remembers she doesn't say no she says vaguely she definitely remembers the guy then she walks side by side with the guy flirting right in front of her husband.

Honestly, it gives me pause if I should try very hard to save either of them when the apocalypse comes Phil would be devastated if Claire left him. I don't know if any of the Dunphy could survive long if both the world fell apart and their father's seemingly unending well of optimism just suddenly ran dry. Though losing her parents would be difficult for Alex especially now with me telling her about the future it would be better if I could save all or most of the Dunphy through the initial start because if I don't Alex may come to resent me. I know How she sees me right now I'm strong and powerful and trying to secure our future. But losing her family might change that.

I think I've become a little jaded in preparing for the apocalypse I've never been the warm and cuddliest guy probably why Alex breaking through so many layers is such a big deal to me why I want to protect her but I notice how my power may be getting to me deciding if someone is worthy to live off of being a maybe cheating spouse. I need to get a stronger grip on reality let me control the power not it control me I'm not a god I just need to do what I can.

What I can do is focus on us being able to survive past the death day. I can continue to get stronger. I can build relationships with new allies. I can finish up construction of the oasis and have a backup plan if things go south or a backup plan to backup plan if things go worse than south. I walk back to my seat a bit more confident the plane starts its descent and I nudge Alex's shoulder to wake her from her ever-so-blissful sleep. She hasn't been sleeping well I know that telling her the world was ending would affect her but I had challenged her view of the world several times first with magic and then with the future. I think she wants me to be insane but every time I take out my wand that little piece of doubt shrinks and replaces with fear.

I push those thoughts out of my head and put those thoughts off for a while trying not to overthink and I succeed for the most part. we get off the plane make our way through customs and then end up at our hotel. Jay is so excited about his award that he looks like he could skip his way to the elevator I watch the exchange happen from the show outside of the hotel. I take Alex up to the room and hand a bellman 300 dollars to drop it off in an hour we barely make it to the room before our clothes are off.

We have a quicky, It's violent and needy but really fun. We lay in bed after the third round I order room service from the World class restaurant. I make the beard do a song and dance when it arrives with magic. It sends her into fits and giggles. we take another two hours before we head out her grandfather insisted we go to his expo. Before we head out to the expo Alex had been there before so I follow her lead we end up at a cafe And end up watching her parents go by with the French guy Claire and the guy walking shoulder and shoulder and her dad trailing behind. Alex watches them go by. She looks surprised to see her father as she thought he wasn't able to fly out with them.

"DAD?" She yells out as he passes. She says it kind of loudly her mother and the French guy just keep on walking, flirting, and laughing. I guess they haven't gotten to the part where Phil and the guy start getting to know each other."What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to surprise your mother," He says in a hurry." Damian, what are you doing here?" He says to me. Her family doesn't know that we've been living with each other for the last month So doubt they think it's serious I guess. Thought I thought someone would have talked to him about it since I came here with the family. Claire has stopped on the corner has a black away waiting to cross the street and still hasn't realized that Phil has stopped.

"Well It's good to see you make sure to take care of my little girl you should really check out the Museum of Magicians if you have a chance depending on how long your staying." He says then looks off to Claire. When he shakes my hand he does it a little forcefully I think he likes me but it's a no one is good enough for my little girl thing. He looks frustrated and flashes a look of distaste at his wife and the French guy.

"That's really romantic Dad but who is mom with? And who's Claude Bixby?" Alex asks as she points to the guy and then her father's nametag. He gives a look of shock and anxiety to answer. He then decided to get Claire to help sort it out.

"Claire!!" He yells out to her. She looks over and sees us way off gets an embarrassed look and ushers her ex-lover over to us. She looks over and makes a comment to the man and laughs afterward as they make their way over it looks very flirty.

"Dad came to surprise you in Paris That's so romantic." She said to her mother she has a tight-lipped smile." who's this?"

"Hi, I'm GUI 30 years ago we were in a relationship and when we parted we said we would meet at a cafe. Phil was there to surprise her. She must have forgotten and we were out walking catching up on the years apart." He says in his deeply accented tone.

"Oh," She doesn't have anything to say to that though she does level a look at her mother probably thinking that it's more than likely that her mother was definitely going to cheat on her dad. Claire notices the look both GUI and Phil are oblivious as GUI is staring at Claire and Phil staring at Gui. She looks guilty and hurt Whether that is guilt of being caught or guilt that her daughter saw her treating her husband kind of badly I couldn't tell. It's still 50/50 whether she was planning to cheat though if I was a betting man I wouldn't play any chips on her.

"Ok well, we should let you all on your way," I say trying to cut in before anyone says anything that would make this situation worse. Claire and GUI walk off this time with claire walking half a step back instead of shoulder to shoulder. Phil follows behind. they speak again as they cross the street Alex watches them closely before they turn the corner of the next block Gui says something to Claire and she starts laughing.

"You don't think...?" She looks at me trailing off.

"I Don't know I mean haven't known your parents long but I mean if you've never seen any signs it could be just a coincidence," I tell her which makes her frown. I grow worried." but, I do know a few things that could get her mind off it we have an appointment meant down the street so let's get going."

I drag her off after paying bringing her to the parish observatory. I'd greased a few palms for us to have it all to ourselves. I go on a tangent about how astrology plays a big part in arithmancy for making spells and how astrology can be used for divination-type magic. She snorts when I say that. I Cast a red sparks spell but stretch it out in a line on top of the telescope so it looks like an arrow then shoot it through a heart so she sees it while she staring through the telescope. I make it look easy but it took days to perfect. dancing crepes are so much easier. But when she looks over with a glimmering smile I know it was worth it. She started nerding out teaching me about the stars and planets it was amazing.

When we headed out She has a bunch of missed calls mostly from her mother. She sent a few texts back. I Notice that she just ignored her mothers texts.

We walked inside our room and had a good bit of fun in bed but it isn't like earlier in the day. It isn't fast and quick it's lovely gentle and loving. If I thought I loved her before I was completely wrong I was before at least a part of our relationship was convenience. but now it was a lot deeper.

We don't leave the entire day we order room service from the world-class restaurant at the hotel our hotel room is much smaller than my apartment a part of me wishes we had stayed home but an equal size part loves the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower.

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I plan to write a chapter a week starting next week I will try to keep an advanced chapter on Patreon I think I will write one more chapter before the end of the world maybe it will be 99 and modern family coming together at the facility but we are definitely zeroing in on the apocalypse