the Kitsume and the Half-blood prince

Jos blew out a relieved sigh as they pulled into the drive of their newly rebuilt home. "It feels nice to finally be back… It actually feels like a real home for the first time…"

Arei frowned as he stepped out of the SUV and walked around to open her door. "It didn't feel like a home when you and I shared it?"

She shrugged. "Not a complete one. There always seemed to be something missing… even before it burned." She stepped out and moved past him to retrieve the baby carrier from the back seat, but Arei's arms around her suddenly stopped her. Irritation colored her words as she whipped around. "I'm sorry but that's how-"

He quickly cupped a hand over her mouth, his attention trained on the house. "Sh. I thought I saw movement inside." He placed the keys in her palms and closed her hands tightly around them as he pressed his lips against her lips and whispered. "Drive as quickly as you can to the palace. Don't stop until you are inside the gates. Have Russ AND Ry meet you at the back entrance. Understand?"

Jos nodded as Arei pushed her back inside the passenger door. She climbed over the center console as fast as the tight space would allow while inserting the key and starting the vehicle before even fully over. Her worried eyes sent a pleading message to Arei before she pulled out of the drive and headed toward Russ's palace.

Arei readied himself for a fight as he stalked toward the house, but just as he was about to kick open his own door, it burst open catching him by complete surprise.

"Don't shoot! Or hit… Kick! Whatever you were planning!" Rin shouted as he stepped out onto the porch. "Your dad and the others sent me." Rin sent him a nervous smile as his gaze trailed after the tire marks Jos had left behind. "I hadn't expected you to see me…" He shrugged. "But I guess it doesn't matter since the end goal has been met in the end."

Arei arched a brow as the remaining tension relaxed from his body. "What end goal? Nothing is wrong with Shelly is there?"

"Shell? No, she and the babies are still doing fine… though at this point she's begging for them to come. They have a scheduled c-section at the end of next week." He shook his head. "That's not why I'm here. Your dad wanted me to get you guys over to Russ's palace." He waved Arei over. "We should head on over so you can be there when Jos and the little one get there."

Jos's mouth dropped and her racing heart began to even out. The entire palace was covered from the gate to the gable with pink and gold ribbons, streamers, and balloons. Just inside the gates, standing at the back entrance was a small group of people, and standing in front were Rin and Arei. She couldn't help but laugh almost hysterically as she shut the engine off and stepped out of the SUV. Arei met her and pulled her into his arms. "Did you know about this? Your act was very convincing."

Arei shook his head. "No, I was just as surprised as you when Rin stepped out onto our porch."

Jos leaned back and gave them a wave. "You guys nearly gave me a heart attack, you know that right?!"

Rin sent Poseidon and the others a playful glare. "I tried to warn them, but they wouldn't hear it."

Poseidon shrugged. "Surprise?"

Naru and Russ both chuckled and held out party guns, shooting more streamers and confetti everywhere. "Surprise!" They called in unison.

"Still working on those heart attacks, I see." Arei laughed with a shake of his head. "Go on, I'll get Shiori and the carrier."

Jos shook her head. "You guys are ridiculous…" She released her hold on Arei as she walked over to give them each a welcoming hug.

Russ pulled her into a tight hug resting his chin on top of her head. "Yeah… but you know you love us."

She nodded against his chest. "That I do…" She allowed Russ to guide her out into the gardens with his large heavy arm resting around her shoulders playfully like old times. She sent him a troubling glare as they neared the bustling backyard. Your wife isn't going to get upset with us showing up like this is she?"

Russ chuckled. "I'd hope not. After all, it is a baby shower for you and another man."

Jos's brows furrowed. "Speaking of which… When shall the two of you be announcing your own shower?"

Russ frowned. "I wouldn't bring up the subject if I were you. It's a bit of a touchy matter right now. Apparently, the palace doctors along with some of the local docs we've seen don't seem to think she'll be able to conceive again." His footsteps slowed as his voice lowered and trailed off a bit. "Her body underwent a lot of trauma when she… rid herself of Fern's bastards…"

Jos frowned as she fought down the nausea that the horror of what Jaden and the other girls must have gone through caused her. She forced it down with a shake of her head as she clasped the thick fabric of his shirt bringing him to a halt. "Well then, adopt…"

Russ's frown deepened. "We all but have… several of the orphans that were brought into the palace. But she refuses to accept any of them as my heir… as our true children…" He blew out a heavy sigh… as far as I care they are wolves born of this island… raised on this island… they have more right to the throne than I do once they come to age…"

Jos sent him a half-hearted smile. "Though I believe you're wrong about not being deserving yourself, you're not wrong about the children you've taken in… Hopefully once Jaden gets past the hurt of being barren she'll realize it too."

Russ nodded. "Hopefully… right now she isn't even willing to sign the official documents to adopt them. They're just stuck hanging in this weird limbo…" He blew out another sigh before pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I'm pushing all this heavy shit off on you, and here we are supposed to be celebrating your new lil special somebody."

Jos warped her arms around him. "No, not at all. I'm glad we can finally go back to being like this. I want to hear about this kind of things and have these kinds of talks… and help if I can."

He chuckled. "Well… maybe you're not the best person for that… at least not at this very moment… Hell, she's even pissed that Ry's back." Russ straightened as he rubbed his free hand awkwardly over the back of his neck.

Jos sent him a skeptical glance. "Should she be? You look guilty as hell right now…"

His shocked eyes shot down to her in stunned disbelief, his mouth agape. "You women are all crazy! And maybe that's why it's easier being in his and Naru's company right now! To escape the crazy!" He shook his head as he stepped away from her but grabbed her hand at the last minute and tugged her along behind him.

Once they rounded the corner the back lawn was unrecognizable. Pink streamers and balloons hung from all over every surface were decorated to the nines and the guest list had not been lacking nor was the stack of gifts. Jos wasted no time making her way over to the table of familiar faces and giving everyone welcoming hugs. She was midway through explaining how they had come about 'fostering' Shiori when the guest of honor was brought over.

Shiori released her tight grip around Arei's neck, and to Poseidon's utter disappointment, reached out for Jos immediately after. "Ma! Ma!"

Poseidon blew out a wistful sigh. "I suppose I was overreaching to expect her to come to Grandpa right away." He glared over his shoulder a Ry. "Though she seems to go to EVERYONE else willingly enough…"

Ry shrugged. "Perhaps you should have hung around more at the Embassy."

"I was busy preparing-" Poseidon caught himself. He looked around the party guiltily. "Well, all of this… and perhaps a few other things…" He muttered the last bit under his breath.

Arei arched a brow. "What other things, Dad?"

"Ah, well…" Poseidon blew out a sigh of relief as Rin came out the back of the palace just in time to interrupt. He sent Shiori a playful glare. "Now you see here lil lady. I bet Grandpa's favorite little man will let him hold him." Sure enough, the second Cam heard Poseidon's voice he was already reaching out for him.

Rin shook his head with a laugh. "I swear, if I didn't know better I'd say he likes you more than he does us."

Shelly giggled as she rubbed her oversized belly. "You're probably not wrong."

Poseidon deliberately set down beside Shiori and began playing with Cam bouncing him and causing the child to goo and giggle, capturing Shiori's attention almost immediately.

"Up! Up!" Shiori called out, holding her tiny arms out to Poseidon now.

He arched a brow teasingly. "Oh, so now you want me?" He leaned over and scooped up the small child and placed her beside Cam. They all watched as her attention went instantly to Cam, and the two children seemed immediately drawn to one another. Their tiny hands explored one another's faces as they made various goos and coos to one another. Poseidon's brows lifted. "Well… perhaps you didn't want me after all…"

Shelly rested her head on Jos's shoulder. "I think it's great that they're hitting it off so well, don't you?"

Jos nodded, a whispered 'yes' was all that slipped from her lips as Hecate's words of warning came back to her once again. She searched over the crowd finding Jaden several tables away talking with Drake and April. "Russ… about what we were talking about earlier… who would your crown go to if you Jaden didn't have children and you didn't get the children adopted?"

Russ shrugged. "I'm not sure. Why?"

Jos's eyes burned into baby Cam. "Would it have to be a wolf… a full-blooded wolf?"

Russ nodded reluctantly. "I mean yeah I guess… that's why I was forced to do it wasn't it. Full-blooded of royal descent or some shit like that?"

"So Cam could never?..." Jos muttered under her breath.

"Jos, what's all this about?" Shelly asked lifting her head from Jos's shoulder, concern etched in her features as she glanced between the children and Jos.

Everyone began whispering around them as Russ tried to answer. "I don't know… I mean I guess technically he could but he would be a-"

"Half-blood prince…" Jos finished for him.