Forever Young

[Enigmatic Immortal]

“I swear to god, there is just simply no military order in this army,” Jensen commented as he looked over his dossier in the meeting hall of Sei’s Tomb. As the coming of the summer was up and about the ever growing Ixian Knight’s have been seeing themselves busy as of late. Currently most members of the Nine had been found, or at least tracked, and the grand vision that Sei Orlouge had for his army was now starting to take shape.

Next the immortal was a woman a head shorter than he with long red hair. Her eyes scanned over the document with mild interest, snorting in mirth as she had to admit that her friend’s comment was right on the ball. She placed the sheet down and looked forwards towards probably the most uncomfortable member of the Nine.

“I’m so humbled that I have your idiot opinions to give me hope that one day I may be a strong leader,” came the crass response of Cassandra Remi. Probably the most beautiful member of the nine was also the most foul tempered, cold, heartless, bitch in the group. When her hazel eyes pierced into you they seemed to fill you with a sense of dread that Jensen and Stephanie had commented on many times as being creepy.

“He wasn’t saying that your idea didn’t have merit, just…” Stephanie said defending her friend. “It’s a very esoteric order. Of course we’ll obey, but you have to understand it’s not usual to send Sei’s bodyguards out to an orphanage, pick up any kid we can find, and take them to the zoo to spy on other agents who are against us.”

“Am I to understand that as the head of his little assassin team I have the highest ranking ability to call upon whatever means I feel I need to in order to accomplish my mission?” Cassandra said in a very authoritative tone. Jensen yawned loudly as Stephanie gulped.

“Yes, M’am-” the female knight couldn’t finish her orders before Cassandra lifted her wand waving them both off.

“Dismissed then,” Cassandra said turning and leaving the room. When she slammed the door shut leaving them alone both let out a high pitch sigh.

“God she’s such a bitch!” Jensen blurted as he scooped up the paperwork. Stephanie just looked to the door before shaking her head in frustration.

“She’s so creepy!” she shouted. “I can’t believe I stupidly crossed her like that.”

“Bitch gave us stupid orders,” The immortal mumbled. “Stupid orders are meant to be questioned. That’s what we were taught in the Knight’s of Apocalypse.” Stephanie nodded to his point as she read over the dossier again. She pulled out a small flier for the zoo and read it over. She suddenly snapped her fingers, flicking the digits against the paper making a loud pop sound as Jensen looked over her shoulder, resting it on her muscles and nuzzling up against her.

Lifting her other hand up she scratched the side of his head, while her eyes scanned the paper one more time.

“Apparently half the zoo will be closed today,” Jensen observed. Stephanie smiled to him as she tapped her finger on the bottom. Jensen read it and smiled. “Unless of course you bring your kid along. Clever, but she’s still a bitch.” He picked his head off her shoulder and she placed the flyer in her folder, turning and putting it inside her backpack. She turned back to Jensen linking her arm with his as she dragged him towards the door.

“Can’t we just pretend we went to the zoo?” he whined. Jensen hated doing work, as his Lazy lifestyle wouldn’t permit the notion of actually doing something. Stephanie just pulled on his arm, tugging him in close to her as she whispered into his ears.

“Just remember if you stay here, she’ll know and make it even creepier for you. Who knows, you may be one of her midnight victims!” She teased pushing him away. Jensen merely rolled his eyes.

“Why the hell does Sei think keeping a renowned serial killer in the tomb was a good idea?” The knight’s hand opened the door, bowing to let the lady leave first as they walked toward the entrance of the tomb. “Seriously, is it just me, or do you think this is part of the WOO WOO, FAIL TRAIN!” Jensen made small choo-choo noises as he rolled one finger around the side of his head, shifting his eyes crazily. “All aboard! Next stop, Sei’s Tomb, home of the deranged Midnight Monster and Gisela Reaper, Cassandra ‘My milkshakes bring all the crazies to the yard’ Remi!”

Stephanie laughed as she usually did when Jensen started ranting, finding great joy in his ability to take the smallest things and blow them out of proportion. Instead of continuing however the knight just coughed, turning around quickly with red lines of embarrassment flushing his cheeks.

“What?” Jensen just remained quiet as he urged her to continue further. Stephanie glanced behind her and her heart seemed to freeze cold as she bit her own tongue, despite saying nothing. Cassandra Remi’s baleful stare scrutinized upon both of them, and she merely watched them as they left. Stephanie looked to the immortal and she mouthed the words run. The knight nodded once as they both started trotting off.

Even as they left the tomb, a dark chuckle followed in their wake, always behind them every step, dogging their every move until they were well out of the cave.

[orphans]

Mercy was something the sun knew little of, and even if it did, showed little practice of it. The streets of Underwood, usually a bustle of activity, were in a haze of quiet. Even early in the morning, the heat was blistering, keeping most in the shade and moving only when needed. Only those who had errands to run could be seen shifting about. The children, on the other hand, continued to run amuck in town, though the majority made their way for the nearest body of water.

The children of the orphanage were no different from those in town, content to make their way to the water with everyone else. Everyone in the orphanage went, except for the orphanage keeper, Holly, and the child Azza. The morning routine was like any other: wake up, eat breakfast, clean up, and then continue onto the day’s activities. It was normal until Azza took a few steps outside into the sun, stood for a moment, mentioned that it was “hot”, and then fell over holding her head.

Holly was thankful that Willow, the baker’s daughter, stopped by and offered to chaperone the young children to the watering hole while Holly stayed to look after Azza. It had been two weeks since the child’s birthday, and within that time, Azza had exhibited both strange and startling changes.

First and perhaps the most surprising, for Holly, was Azza quite suddenly began to refer to herself properly, if a bit unsteadily. The event nearly brought a tear to the aging woman’s eyes, finally relieved that Azza was “normal” as can be. That was until the girl collapsed an hour later, holding her head in silent screams. A local doctor had reassured the woman that the child was just going through “growing pains" and that perhaps, headaches were the manifestation for Azza. Holly would have punched the doctor, if he had not then mentioned that the girl might not be human after all.

The second oddity was Azza’s continual touching or prodding at the areas over her own ears. When asked, Azza shrugged the question off, as if afraid of telling the truth. It wasn’t until one day, when Holly was braiding Azza’s hair, did she notice the strange bumps. She kept it to herself though, not wanting to let on that she knew.

The third and final, noticeable change, was that regardless of washing, the “furrish feathers” would not wash off. Removal was not an option, as even just lightly pulling on the fluff sent Azza into cries of pain. The radical changes were what finally convinced Holly that Azza wasn’t human. The mark between her shoulder blades should have been an indication but, the girl was harmless, wasn’t she?

Azza’s mind on the other hand, was thinking of completely different things. For the first week, she was occupied with her own thoughts of what she was, what was normal, and other questions she had about herself. She knew that the answers weren’t in Underwood though, as the small collection of books at the local library could do little to satisfy her search.

But at the start of the previous week, ever since the heat wave through Underwood, Azza did little more than roll about on the cold wood floor, her bed, or stay in the shade of various trees. Perfectly normal to the eyes of anyone else, but those who knew Azza saw it as strange. She was supposed to be a vortex of energy running about, and even in previous years of hot weather, the girl frequented the watering holes with everyone else. Finally, when she had decided to go to the water, the hot fires of the sun reminded her of something, sparking another migraine.

Now, she was laying face first in her bed, her back slightly sore while her head continued to pound ever so slightly. It had been much worse, but she knew that relief was soon to come. Curiously enough, after each massive migraine, Azza would no longer be bothered by the constant nagging pain where the bumps were. Still, as she lay there, she couldn’t help but wish that the weather was colder. That should have been her wish for birthday: a colder summer with more breezes and clouds, less heat.

Azza didn’t drift long in those pleasant thoughts for long, as there was a sudden knock and unfamiliar voices at the door. Waking, she rolled off the bed with a scream as Holly walked by with a shake of her head and chuckle. Not wasting any time though, Azza scrambled up and ran over to the door as the woman opened it to greet the strangers with a smile.

What Holly had anticipated was the exact opposite of what she saw but with Azza present; she could do little more than stare at the two while her smile faded. This particular man and woman seemed out of place. Rather, they didn’t seem to be the type to visit an orphanage. Especially the man.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

The orphanage near Underwood had looked decently kept, the walls not falling apart, the roof still in one piece. There were several trees for the kids to play, and off about a ten minutes walk away was a local water hole. Jensen and Stephanie had passed the kids, both wanting nothing more than to jump in the water with them, the heat nearly unbearable. The immortal pointed to a few kids, Stephanie shaking her head as she pointed forwards at the building.

“But that one looks cute!” Jensen said.

“It’s not like shopping for a puppy, you idiot,” Stephanie chided.

“Really?” Jensen mused. “Cause I thought the whole point of an orphanage is just to send parentless kids to live in one giant bed, hoping and praying a parent will adopt them soon, otherwise they get put to sleep.” Stephanie sighed mentally, not finding her friend’s humor amusing.

“No, your thinking of a pound.” she corrected the knight. Jensen shrugged.

“Again, what’s the difference?” Stephanie eyed him vilely. “Far as I am concerned all the kids act extra cute, put on little cute pouty faces, and rub up against you. Like…I dunno…stray dogs and cats?” He lifted his arms to either side, smiling for her to challenge the logic. What infuriated the woman most was Jensen had a point. Skewed, but then again logical.

“You’d make a wonderful lawyer,” she sassed rolling her eyes. They approached the door to the orphanage, smiling brightly as Jensen rasped his knuckles along the wooden portal. There was the sound of muffled walking, and the door gently crept open.

“Hello,” a kind older woman said.

“Hi, we’re here to check out some kids for adoption.” Jensen said businesslike. Stephanie elbowed him in the stomach harshly. She smiled to the older woman, extending her hand out to shake hers. The woman took the hand, looking oddly to Jensen but smiling to the red head.

“Hello, I’m Stephanie Ambrose, and this is my stupid husband, Jensen.” The immortal looked up to Stephanie, hearing that they were married for the first time since the trip started. He looked to her like she was a stupid fool for even thinking he would marry her, but instead he let off a sly grin as he linked his arm around her waist, holding her tightly.

“Yup,” he rubbed his nose against her cheek, roughly pushing her face to the side. Stephanie laughed, asking him politely to knock it off in a joking fashion, but Jensen didn’t stop. At last Stephanie slammed the heel of her boot into his toes, and he stopped acting like an ass.

“Holly, pleased to meet you both. Usually the orphanage is closed at this time, I take the kids to the waterhole, but one of my children isn’t feeling well. Would perhaps you like to come in and sit for a bit and wait?” Stephanie nodded as Jensen limped a few steps before flexing his crushed toes out and walking plainly.

When the door shut both knights immediately took in the stock of their surroundings. The house was furnished with just barest essentials. Made sense, all the money from the government branches probably went to feeding and clothing the children. Jensen looked around lifting his hands behind his head, letting his jacket fan out behind him. The weight tugged at his shoulders and he felt an overwhelming need to nap. Stephanie continued to talk to Holly as the immortal looked at the kid’s drawings on the walls.

They weren’t very good in his opinion, nothing special. He would sooner use them to wipe his ass than hang them on his wall, but then again children were just not the immortals thing. Living forever as an immortal turned him off to ideas of family and friendship. Those tangible notions would wither and die, and why would any sane man continuously hurt himself burying dead family and friends.

Unconsciously Jensen nearly bumped into a tiny girl, his knee brushing up against her. He looked down and stared at the girl as Stephanie explained their alleged marriage and how Jensen just couldn’t get his ‘fish’ to swim upstream. This made it difficult because Stephanie and Jensen apparently since five minutes ago couldn’t live without the thought of going through life without a child.

The two stared, neither blinking. He just looked into her maroon eyes, watching them with his own orbs as the two stood off. The immortal crossed his arms over his chest, and with a silent breath whispered.

“Boo.”

[orphans]

Realizing they were complete strangers, Azza had lost her interest, something that normally wouldn’t have happened. Azza began to wander out of sight in her own thoughts, hearing bits and pieces of their conversation. In the end, she ended up near her bed once more and contemplated sleep to ward off the heat.

Then something or someone came into contact with her. Instinctively, she knew it was someone, as the orphanage could ill afford any pets. He stared at her and she stared back, unsure what she was supposed to say. Curiosity set in though, as she studied his features while noting he towered over her by a full two feet or so. When he crossed his arms, she imitated, but forwent the “Boo.” Instead, she tilted her head at him to the side, as if trying to get a new perspective.

“… and so you see, some nights-” Stephanie was still in the middle of explaining Jensen’s and her nightly interludes to a skeptical Holly, but the older woman had heard enough. That, and given some of the more embarrassing details, she decided to save Stephanie some breath and some peace of mind for herself.

“Stephanie, was it?” Stephanie nodded. “I’m assuming you’re looking for one child to adopt, as a start, correct?” Stephanie nodded once more. Holly’s piercing blue eyes stared at the woman before finally cracking a smile. The “wife” seemed genuine and her character seemed to be kind. The man on the other hand was a cause of worry. With a quick glance behind Stephanie, Holly could see Jensen and Azza squaring off in a staring contest of sorts, both with their arms crossed. “Tell me about your husband…”

Azza continued to stare at Jensen with unshaken resolve and Jensen, the proud immortal that he was, refused to be defeated by a small girl in the one way staring contest. After about a couple of minutes, Azza gave a yawn as her eyes closed momentarily. They snapped opened in alarm as Jensen shouted victoriously, “I WIN!” with both his fists up in the air. For the first time in two weeks, Azza smiled and laughed. Not what Jensen intended.

Both Holly and Stephanie turned at the sudden outburst of noise. Stephanie was surprised that Jensen had found a child that thought of him as funny, and Holly, relieved to hear Azza’s laughter. It had been a long, quiet two weeks, despite the other children. But, with work still to be done, Holly turned her attention to Stephanie once more. “I’ll need you and your husband to fill out a few things first, and then we can begin seeing which child you’d like to bring home with you.”

“What about the one with Jensen?” The red head suggested quickly.

“Azza?” A look of worry appeared on Holly’s features. Out of all the children, she had bonded with the strange girl more than the others. They were all of her children, but… she had never really thought of Azza leaving, even though she knew that everyone did eventually.

Both Holly and Stephanie glanced once more over to the two and saw Azza laughing, while Jensen look confused. Seeing the two ladies looking at him, he shrugged. “Jensen seems to like her as well.”

With a resigned sigh, Holly nodded to the young woman’s wish. Perhaps it was time that Azza moved with a family that she felt happy with. A smile danced onto the old woman’s lips though, as she recounted Azza’s antics. “I have to warn you though, Azza is a bit of an explorer and rather smart for her age. If you have any secrets or things to hide, you might not be able to from her.” Chuckling, she whispered to Stephanie, “In particular where you hide sweet things...”

Stephanie laughed with the woman and partially out of relief. The sooner they were on their way, the less of a chance that Holly could realize that the two weren’t actually married. The elder lady's gaze was similar to Cassandra Remi's but they obviously held much more warmth.

Holly produced a sheet a parchment from her desk after some rummaging and placed it before Stephanie, along with a bottle of ink and quill. “Could I have you and your husband read and sign this, while I say goodbye to Azza?”

“Of course. Oh husband, get over here!”

Jensen was in the process of rejecting the overly stale hardtack that Azza was hell bent on letting him have. Saved by a reason to leave quickly, he tossed the excuse for bread back and practically ran to Stephanie’s side. “What’s this?” he scrutinized.

“Adoption papers.” Stephanie had already done so, her name in a neat cursive that spelt, Stephanie Ambrose. Jensen scoffed, and then signed his untidily, making sure to cross into her name.

The look on Holly’s face made Azza’s smile waver. The old woman held back her tears, for the sake of the girl and instead, adopted a stern voice. One that she normally used when she was serious, or scolding the children. “Be good Azza. You can call them mother and father now, alright?”

Azza nodded her head. “What about Mother Holly?”

The woman shook her head. “I’m just Holly if they pull though, dear. Gather your things into the satchel you made and be ready.” The child nodded her head once more. Silently, Holly felt the need for a drink even though it wasn't noon yet. Something strong would do. The thought and chance of losing the girl so suddenly was overwhelming.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

“Hey, wait a second, Sweetheart,” Jensen said grabbing the paper. He read it over carefully as he observed the sheet. At last he found the oddity he felt in the wordings, and he looked back to Holly. “What’s this bit here about us taking her out first? You can test run kids like horses these days?” Stephanie slapped him in his arm lightly as she stood up.

“I’m afraid that’s the case, Mr. Ambrose. You see, while we would love if every adult who wanted a child was ideal for the one they pick first, the numerous cases where the opposite happened have led to us now have wanting parents spend time with the adopted kid first. This will prevent problems of incompatibility on both parts. A child at the current moment now may not be so cute ten minutes later.”

“Or ever…” Jensen whispered under his breath. Stephanie just pinched his flesh.

“In short, you both sign that and agree that for this day her life is in your hands. Everything she does is on you two, as well as her health well being. This is in effect the real thing, and will not stop being in effect until you return her. Which will be by no later than six o’clock, mind you. If you fail to arrive back in a timely manner around Six o’clock it will be considered kidnapping.” Holly spoke in a very serious business tone, making sure both of them were aware of the implications of going through with this.

“I understand,” Stephanie said speaking for the both of them. “Though I think this one seems to be a little attached already to my husband.” She faked a laugh which nobody seemed to share. Azza ran off to her room as she was instructed, Jensen and Stephanie waiting for her as the three adults talked. Jensen, already bored out of his mind and giving suspicious glances to Stephanie began pondering what the hell stunt the woman was trying to pull.

Stephanie, as far as Jensen could determine, was desperately alone, and with Adolph not falling in love with her she was using this exercise to fill that void in her heart. Even if it meant dragging Jensen along with her.

“How long have you two been married?” Holly asked.

“Two-” Jensen started.

“Three years.” Stephanie interrupted, smiling to Jensen as she held his hand, squeezing his fingers and willing the immortal to shut up. “My husband is bad with time.”

“Yep, I’m stupid.” Jensen said laughing forcefully, more directly at Stephanie than the general audience.

“Yes you are, but you are my stupid person!” Stephanie cooed, dragging a finger along his cheek line lifting her lips to kiss his. Panicking he lifted a hand to push her back down. The result was more abrupt than he intended. Holly cast a suspicious glance at the two of them as Stephanie glared daggers into his eyes. Jensen, not knowing what the hell to do simply laughed, pulling himself away.

“I love teasing you,” Jensen said lightly to break the rising tension. “Your so easy to play with.” Stephanie sighed loudly.

“More than you can imagine…” she muttered under her breath. Holly was about to say something before Azza returned, ready to go. Jensen bent down to her level, looking her right in the eyes. She looked back, planting her feet and imitating the motion.

“This one’s kind of a smart ass…” Jensen mumbled back to Stephanie. The female knight sighed in a pleasurable way, leaning forward and draping her body on Jensen’s back and resting her head on his shoulder as she looked to Azza.

“She’s perfect for you,” she whispered into his ear, hugging him tightly and smiling. Jensen broke his gaze and glanced to Stephanie, smiling at her as she looked to him. Then a strange sensation washed over him as he felt his heart softly beat in time with the woman’s. They looked at each other like that for a moment, the situation broken up as Azza raised her arms in triumph.

“I WIN!” She cheered pointing at Jensen. “HA! I BEAT YOU!” She cried out, giggling happily. Jensen looked to the child and grinned, his face flushing red.

“Yep, perfect…” the immortal whispered as he stood up. He felt a wave of tension just vanish from his body as he heard the girl giggling to him, Stephanie’s hand lightly drifting down his body until it met tenderly with his hand. Their fingers did an awkward dance, almost clasping as one before Jensen felt a rush of unease come over him and he stepped forward in one graceful movement, scooping the girl up by her arms and lifting her in the air until she rested upon his shoulders.

“As champion of the staring contest you may sit upon your throne,” Jensen joked as she laughed.

“And as the princess you get to choose what we do for one day!” Stephanie added as she moved in front of Jensen looking up at the girl. “So what do you want to do?”

[orphans]

Regardless of Holly’s initial suspicions and paranoia, she could feel herself at ease watching the three together. For the moment, they seemed like a good match, though the vulgar mouth of Jensen left Holly something to be desired. She had to remind herself that he wasn’t one of his older charges and she couldn’t exactly chide him. Instead, she heaved a sigh and shook her head, despite a hidden grin in the corners. “Enjoy yourselves now. I have a few things to attend to.” With that, the elderly woman left the three to show themselves out, disappearing to another room.

Azza felt at ease with the two, though after the initial rush of excitement, she began to notice that they looked rather different than most of the other townsfolk. Travelers most likely, but their actions made them feel familiar. At least, Jensen’s actions did. Stephanie on the other hand made Azza shy away slightly. The girl wasn’t used to being called a princess and it almost felt mocking. She shook those thoughts away quickly, unsure of why they even appeared, and a bright smile appeared. “The zz… forest is very nice. I like the shade.” She had spotted posters advertising the zoo, and she’d have liked to go, but the requirement of spending coin was a rather large impasse for her.

Jensen and Stephanie both looked to one another, each having caught the hesitant syllable. But, it was Jensen who first reacted. “To the shade!” he shouted and ran for the door, flung it open, and leap down the few steps. It was a miracle he didn’t smash the small girl’s head on the doorway, but it seemed she was oblivious to the aforementioned danger, as Jensen ran to the nearest tree.

Stephanie only stared in horror until she dashed out after him. She restrained the need to sock him in the face for the act as the orphanage keeper could still be watching. That, and Jensen was still carrying the girl, who was giggling. “Did you want to go to the forest for the whole day?”

“Nope,” Jensen’s voice said and was soon followed by Azza’s laugh and nod.

“Well then, what does the mouth piece of our daughter say we should go?” Stephanie asked with a smirk, looking at Jensen as she linked an arm around his free one. That was answered by a grumble from the small girl’s stomach. Looking down to the two, she felt her cheeks flush while wiggling a bit to get down.

Jensen got the idea quickly and set the child down, but as he straightened up his own stomach growled, as Azza began to tug at his hand lightly in the direction of town. “I’m hungry, so is the kid.”

Crouching down, Stephanie smiled to Azza, who stared back intently. “Do you have any suggestions on where to eat?”

Azza nodded vigorously and pointed down the road, seemingly in a random direction. “The bakery has nice bread and not expensive. And Willow’s father is nice big person.” A sheepish grin danced about the girl’s lips. “Azza...” she began but quickly corrected, “I usually bring flowers for the bread.”

Jensen and Stephanie looked to each other again. At least now they could confirm the girl was frugal.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

“Bread?” Jensen mumbled in a whiney fashion. “I want a real meal. Screw it, Azza, it’s the high life for you. There has got to be a place you always wanted to eat. Come on, tell meee.” He stressed the words out in a song, making the girl giggle.

“I like that place,” she whispered. Jensen looked to her, and then back up at Stephanie. The woman nodded and Jensen shrugged. The girl looked at them, smiling as they looked to her intently. Thinking it was another game, she stood fast and prepared for yet another go of staring contest. Jensen looked back to Stephanie, who looked to him with a smile.

“Communication breakdown,” Stephanie said softly laughing. “Maybe we should have asked her where the place was instead of expecting her to-” Azza cut them off with a victorious cry.

“I won again!” Jensen shook his head.

“No fair, loudmouth over here was distracting me! I want a redo!” This in response got Stephanie to slap him, hard, across the back of the head. Azza looked to Jensen with worried eyes as she ran forward lifting her hands to heal his boo boo.

Jensen lifted the girl up, holding her tightly as he glared to her. “See, she likes me more than you, Neyeahh!” The immortal stuck his tongue out to Stephanie, eliciting a sigh as she looked to Azza.

“Azza, sweetie, where is this place you want to eat?” The girl pointed off to the nearby town and Jensen adjusted her in his hands as he began walking forward, the female knight in tow. “After we eat, what would you like to do?” Stephanie asked the girl.

“Jeeze Stephanie, smother her with questions. She’s like…eight.” Jensen said crossly.

“Try twelve, though a good guess for the age your acting, ya stupid git.”

“What’s a git?” Azza asked.

“Him,” Stephanie smiled pointing to Jensen. Azza nodded.

“I want to be a git too!” she said happily. Jensen laughed as Stephanie smacked herself in the head, knowing full well she walked into that one. Trying her best to repair the damage Stephanie already started on, she moved in closer to the girl.

Jensen instinctively turned his body away from his ‘wife’ hogging the girl all to himself. “Did you know your mommy is a bitch?” Jensen asked the girl. Azza, unused to such things, shook her head. “Do you want to be a bitch too?” The girl looked at Stephanie, who’s eyes were wide and mouth gaped open.

“No,” she admitted. “Not really.”

“Hey, I imparted wisdom!” Jensen laughed.

“JENSEN!” Stephanie cried out. “What the hell is wrong with you! You can’t teach her to start swearing!”

“Well she’s got to start somewhere! I’d rather she learn it from me than some bum off the street, or a hooker offering tricks and half and half.”

“Mother Holly said Swearing is bad.” Azza whispered to Jensen. “Only people with a potty mouth swear!” Jensen shook his head as Stephanie looked ready to kill him. “Are hookers nice people?”

“NO!” Stephanie blurted.

“Now that’s just ignorant! Hookers are people too, they have feelings!” Jensen said defending the profession. “Besides, most hookers are actually rather polite.”

“Are the tricks mean?” Azza asked, trying to understand this strange new world of prostitution. Jensen shook his head no like a teacher.

“As a matter of fact, the tricks are fun. Some even will blow your head!” he joked. Stephanie’s face was red with embarrassment, her fingers curled into tiny claws as she breathed heavily at Jensen, who used the artful works of innuendos to do his magic. His revelry however was interrupted by Azza’s next words.

“Hmm, can I be a hooker when I grow up? I want to do tricks!” she giggled. Jensen’s face became horror struck. A loud slap echoed in the air as Stephanie slowly draped her hand off her forehead.

“Good fucking going, dumbass! Now our daughter wants to be a hooker!” Stephanie growled. Jensen just kept his mouth gaped wide open.

“Uh…uh…” Jensen just held her in his arms. “Let’s uh…pretend I didn’t hear that.” Stephanie stepped forward and sighed.

“Yeah, it doesn’t really work like that,” she sassed. “Look sweetie, Hookers are people who…who…failed…”

“Failed what?” Azza asked innocently. Stephanie just glared at Jensen.

“Uh,” Stephanie tried to find the right words.

“Failed at life.” Jensen blurted.

“They’re dead?” The little girl said incredulously.

“Uh…actually, yeah…a little…on the inside…” Stephanie said, unable to hide her mirth as she giggled, Jensen shaking in laughter.

“So see, hooker’s are scary, stay away from them!” Jensen warned. The girl merely nodded furiously to the lesson. With the disaster adverted both shook their heads and sighed at the same time. They looked to each other, giving off warm smiles as Jensen lifted his eyebrows to her. He shifted Azza’s weight, and the girl pointed to a small little bakery.

“There it is!” she cried out happily, wiggling to get free as Jensen gently dropped her, letting her run ahead of them.

[orphans]

The duality of hookers didn’t faze the girl for long. In her mind now, they were supposedly scary individuals who were slightly dead inside, but they did have feelings and know neat tricks. The small child could only wonder what her potential, adoptive father meant that, “Some even will blow your head!” Breathing air on someone’s head didn’t seem like a very neat trick.

And the swears! Azza had heard them being used now and then, but she had no real connection or meaning to them. That and most adults tried to stay away from the “colorful” language while in front of the children.

That all mattered very little to Azza as she burst into the bakery, rattling the bell on the door, leaving Stephanie free to chase Jensen about before he burst into the store as well with another loud rattle. Stephanie followed suit after in a much more orderly fashion, but held daggers in her eyes, warning Jensen to behave.

The smell of the bakery was the same as always; heavenly. At least it was for Azza, who began to run about, checking each basket of bread. Noticing that Jensen was taking the small store into scope, Azza ran over to grab his hand and lead him over to her favorite, smoked cheese rolls.

But before anyone could really say anything, the baker, who was nearly seven feet tall, came out bearing a tray of sweet smelling breads. Seeing Azza and other customers in his shop, he boomed with a hearty, “Hello!”

Azza, used to the greeting, looked up with a smile but continued to browse the breads. Jensen and Stephanie however, looked to the man and stood a bit flabbergasted at the sight. He seemed rather out of place. His muscular arms and barreled chest made him fit the ideal image of a mighty warrior… but he instead of a sword he favored a rolling pin.

Mistaking the two’s expression for surprise at his bread, he broke a hot loaf open and pressed it into their hands. “Go on, try it!” Stephanie began to make a polite motion to refuse, but the man only gave an overbearing look while he leaned in, stretching his apron taunt as he towered over the couple. His gaze intensified as his drooping moustache quivered, shaking loose some flour. In the end, Stephanie accepted it with an awkward smile.

The door opened once more, with a clatter from the bell, as a young girl with an apron walked in while putting her head wrap on. Azza looked up and screamed out in joy while running toward the girl. “Willow!”

“Azza!” Catching the girl in the hug, she then sighted her father pressing and forcing breads on Jensen and Stephanie. She half heartedly wanted to save them, but as her father began to explain the intricate details and secrets of his prized ambrosia bread, Willow nearly tackled her father out of the way. Azza stood there with her mouth open in surprise at what Willow just did.

“Father, you can go back to the ovens now that I’m back…”

“But Willow, those customers really appreciate my work!” the man complained while his daughter pushed his larger form back towards the other doorway with some difficulty.

“Oh yes father, I can obviously see that they’re amazed at your technique,” his daughter replied with a roll of her eyes. It took a bit of effort, but eventually, the man returned to the ovens with a grumble. Seeing her father disappear out of earshot, Willow mumbled quickly to herself, “More like terrified with your nuts and oats and barley rant.” During this time, Azza had taken the liberty to collect a small assortment of breads and carried them over on a tray for Willow to take. “That’s a lot you’re getting Azza and wasn’t this couple before you young lady?”

Azza shrank back with a sheepish smile and hugged onto Jensen’s leg. Stephanie stepped forward quickly to explain, “We’re Azza’s adoptive parents for today.”

“Just for today?” Willow asked with an air of suspicion. "Did you two have any plans then?"

“Of course we do, we’re going to make sure Azza has lots of fun, aren’t we?” Jensen asked as he scooped Azza up again quickly to sit on his shoulders. Azza clung on and laughed in agreement.

Willow snickered and nodded in thought while counting the bread. “Well, if I could make a suggestion… the zoo should be a nice place. There’s plenty of space and shade from the heat.” Glancing up at Stephanie, she whispered for her ears only, “Don’t know if this still works, but sweets are the way into Azza’s heart.” Pulling away, Willow passed a piece of paper over to Stephanie. “That’ll be 30 coins please.”

“I got this.” Slapping down a pouch of coins onto the table, Jensen then made for the door. “Race to the zoo!”

“Damn it Jensen, come back!” Stephanie gathered up the bag of bread and followed after as quickly as she could.

“Wait! You gave too much!” Willow managed to call out after them.

“We’ll be back, eventually,” was all that Stephanie managed to reply back as she chased after Jensen. “Damn it you jackass, slow down!”

“But me and Azza want to go to the zooooo,” Jensen said in a whiney tone. “Besides, you’re the one teaching our daughter the majority of swears now.”

Azza confirmed this with a nod and asked casually, “What does fucking mean?” The girl figured, might as well learn something while walking to the zoo, but a grumble from her stomach made her remember her hunger. “May I have some bread mommy?”

[Enigmatic Immortal]

The heat from the sun was becoming more and more unbearable as Jensen and Azza both felt like panting. The little girl clung to him tightly, making his neck and shoulders sweat. Stephanie also seemed to be sweating, but she just lifted her canteen up to Azza to sip from, as well as a piece of bread as they waited in line for the zoo. When it was Jensen’s turn to drink, Azza would lift the bottle up and pour the liuid down his gullet where the refreshing cool water would cool his body off. Stephanie would then shove some bread in his mouth before taking a small nibble for herself.

He had to admit, the guy was certifiably insane, but he knew how to make bread as far as the immortal was concerned.

At last they hit the ticket booth, and Jensen felt Stephanie pull out his coin pouch, paying for their admission. With money returned they at last entered the zoo. Stephanie looked over the zoo map and Jensen snarled to her as he snatched it with one hand.

“Do you know what this is?” Jensen asked his adopted daughter for the day.

“Um…It’s a map, I think.” She said leaning over and peering at it.

“Maps are for pussies, don’t use them.” Jensen instructed tossing it in a nearby garbage can. “Half the fun in life is getting lost. You can’t have an adventure if you always know where your going.” Azza nodded to him as Stephanie rolled her eyes to his usual crude behavior. She wouldn’t even begin to start a conversation on teaching Azza bad words, as that led to uncomfortable talks about what the words in question meant.

“Well, what do you want to look at first?” Stephanie asked to the twelve year old. Jensen looked up to her and struggled a bit as he lifted her up and down to the ground. Azza looked to them sheepishly before gripping Jensen’s hand. The feeling of her fingers wrapping around three of his sent a calming, but thrilling tingle down his spine. He felt her entire being trusting him in that grip, and it was terrifying, but also exhilarating at the same time.

“Can we go see the birds?” she asked. Jensen gave her a heart felt smile, nodding as he lifted himself up, still gripping her tiny hand in his. Stephanie also seemed to be smiling and Jensen winked to her as they moved. Walking through the throng of people had proved hard to do, Stephanie on several occasion moving in close to Jensen. While the immortal couldn’t see it, her face grinned stupidly each time she had a chance to hold him softly, a loving look in her eye as they advanced forward.

The Aviary was on the other side of the zoo entrance, and had taken them a solid ten minutes worth of walking to reach the building. Thankfully some enchantments had been placed inside the building to keep it cool, and the feeling of the cool wind rushing on their sweaty bodies made them all stop and pause for a refreshing sigh. The sound of birds squawking filled the air and echoed down the vaulted pathway, a long one way path that curved down two directions in a t shape where other exhibits were.

Azza ran forwards first, running up to the nearest exhibit and peering through the glass at the birds. She giggled as she played with one bird that was amazingly flexible, supposedly from the Fallien desert. Stephanie bent down to her, placing a motherly hand on her shoulder as she pointed to the other birds in the cage. Jensen observed the plaque of information and smiled as he learned the Fallien Toucan lives in the Oasis’ that litter the landscape near the mountains. They have flexible heads to better nip at bugs trying to hide between rocks and underneath them.

Jensen didn’t even realize his finger’s were softly running through Stephanie’s hair.

“That one looks like you, daddy!” Azza cried out, pointing to one that sat off in corner. The bird was stubbornly quiet, looking right at Jensen and never blinking. Jensen just grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest, starring the bird down. When it felt his eyes upon it, the bird lifted its wings to the sides and perched up, staring him down. They stood each other down, netiher blinking as Stephanie and Azza giggled, until at last the bird squaked furiously, flew right at the glass, and began pecking it wildly.

Jensen flinched away from it, laughing as the two girls laughed even louder, Azza smiling as Stephanie beamed to him. Jensen felt his heart flutter and turned to the little girl, ruffling his hand through her hair.

“Come on, there has to be more birds I can stare at.” Jensen urged her. Azza nodded running down the hall, shouting ‘this way, this way!’ over and over. Stephanie and Jensen smiled to her as the female knight stood up, her fingers flexing outwards towards his. When he felt her touch he danced with her hand again, walking in step after Azza as she looked at the different birds on each side of the wall. Stephanie took in a deep breath and gripped Jensen’s hand tightly. He felt a rush of adrenaline pulse through his body, an odd sensation since he had never felt that way any other time they held hands, but back then they were joking around. This time…

Jensen held her hand, letting her grip relax when she realized he wasn’t going to let go. He didn’t grip hers back, but didn’t let her remove her fingers from his either. She smiled to him, her eyes seeming to glow in the shadow they walked under. They looked at each other and Jensen felt his face flush red, turning away quickly. Stephanie’s face also flushed red, and she moved in closer to her pretend husband, putting some of her weight on him.

“You guys!” Azza whined. “Come on, your walking so slow!” she shouted turning back and looking at a bird cage full of Coronian sparrows. She watched them as they danced around each other in the cage, moving from perch to perch and resting in front of the glass where the bird feed was.

Stephanie let out a long, sorrowful sigh as she stepped in front of Jensen, placing a ginger hand on his chest looking up to him. Jensen felt their hearts beat in time and he sweated, despite the cool air from the enchanted building. “We still have a mission to do…” she said in a whisper. Jensen frowned, his feelings and the moment ruined as thoughts of Cassandra Remi spoiled and corrupted his genuine feelings. Despite how much he felt like performing one of his famous personal holidays mid mission, he didn’t exactly want to cross the woman either. She didn’t create fear in him, but that dreadful aura of her stare…

“Yeah I know,” he whispered back to her, waving to Azza. “The supposed spies are in the Wildlife exhibit.”

“I know all that,” Stephanie said quickly as she turned to Azza, smiling before she leaned her body against Jensen. He wrapped one arm around her chest, before wrapping his other arm around her. For whatever reason he felt like holding her and never letting go. Again he felt their hearts beating as one. “The question is what do we do about her?” Jensen thought about it long and hard. There was a moment of silence before he spoke slowly.

“I’ve been hogging her to myself all day,” Jensen said at last. “Why don’t you take care of her when we get inside the Wildlife forum. I’ll split off and do our mission, you make sure she has the time of her life.” Stephanie pushed herself off him as she walked towards the girl.

“I like this kid,” she admitted. “I like the Jensen she brings out of you.” She turned to him with a loving smile, winking to him as she scooped Azza up, laughing as the girl giggled, pointing to another bird cage as the two ran off towards it.

Jensen watched them run and he felt his hand trembling. The words she spoke struck a chord inside his soul. The immortal began to panic. He didn’t think of himself as a family guy. He didn’t think of himself with Stephanie either. Yet…Azza was the perfect little girl as far as he knew. And He and Stephanie were currently exploring territories they had never gone before. These emotions were akin to how he felt about Kyla, but they were stronger, more prominent and real in his mind. He shook his head quickly. This day was just weird, that was all. Full of weird events. It was the heat. Yes that was it, the heat.

Though he pondered with a sly grin if it was the suns heat, or the heat with Stephanie that was causing all this.

He suddenly slapped himself across the face, hard, and waited. Nope, he didn’t seem to wake up from some dream. He slapped himself again, waited a few minutes….nope, still awake. Decided to check one last time. Nope, just a soar chin.

“You okay sir?” A park worker asked approaching behind the immortal. Jensen shook his head.

“I’m think I’m going crazy…” he muttered walking away, not bothering to look at the guy.

[orphans]

The heat continued to pick up through the day, but in the shade of the various exhibits, Jensen, Stephanie, and Azza made their way about relatively comfortable. Every now and then, there were water stations set up for those attending the zoo. Full of cool water and delicious bread, Azza practically ran about ahead of her adoptive parents. She was looking forward to the wildlife forum.

Behind Azza, Jensen and Stephanie watched the child, each with a smile of their own as they held hands once more. The emotions Jensen felt continued to be confirmed as he walked next to his fellow knight.

“I found it!” Azza called to the pair as she jumped up and down excitedly under an archway of a rather large, domed structure. Nearly tripping, the attendant at the entrance managed to catch Azza’s hand. An awkward smile spread onto the face of the attendant as she caught sight of Azza’s adoptive parents, when a sudden tug reminded her to let go of the child.

Running and hugging onto Jensen once more, she took hold of his hand and led him and a laughing Stephanie quickly over to the entrance of the wildlife forum. The attendant only smiled again and let the family through.

Once inside, one could see it was vastly different from the rest of the zoo areas. It seemed deceptively small from the outside, but it was anything but that. The roars and sounds of various beasts could be heard throughout the area as other families walked about with their young. It was obvious that this was one of the areas reserved for those with children.

Jensen let Azza’s hand go as she ran over to a pen containing Salvarian Mountain Llamas. Stephanie and Jensen both watched the girl for a little before Jensen gave a squeeze with his hand. “I’ll use this time to slip away.” There was a sudden sound of surprise from Azza’s direction as one of the llamas bent its neck down to stare at the child. Without warning, it licked across the child’s face. “Looks like you’ll have your share of work cut out for you. Should probably keep our kid from getting eaten.”

Stephanie looked to Azza, who was swatting at the llama and telling it to stop, before looking back to Jensen. “I’ll think of an excuse. You just slip away before our daughter is done with her battle,” Stephanie managed through a giggle.

“Alright, see ya.” Jensen paused for a second, thought about embracing Stephanie, like in one of those cheesy romance stories, then shook his head at the thought. “Just the heat…” he muttered to himself as he walked off.

Stephanie watched Jensen leave before applauds caught her attention. Looking about where it was coming from, it seemed that Azza was managing to bounce what looked like round, stale bread to the llama, who would hit it back with its snout. There was a small group of people watching while an attendant was rushing over. Stephanie took the cue to hurry over as well.

“Miss? Is this your child?” the male attendant asked with a glance to Azza, who was holding the hardtack, slightly covered in drool from the llama.

“Yes it is.”

“Please keep a closer watch over your child here. Some animals can be dangerous.”

A snort from the llama made the two look over at the animal and Azza. With the hardtack covered in drool, Azza eventually decided that it’d make more sense for the llama to have it, and offered it to the animal. Without a complaint, it took it and wandered off towards its herd.

“And please keep your child from feeding the animals further,” the attendant said, slightly exasperated, before climbing into the pen after the llama. It only sneered and trotted just out of reach of the attendant.

“Mommy… my hands are sticky,” Azza said as Stephanie approached. Putting up her hands, the child showed her before looking about for somewhere to clean them.

A nearby parent, carrying a child with caramel hair and eyes, tapped Stephanie’s shoulder and offered her a handkerchief. “Here, you can keep it. I’ve got plenty more.”

“Thank you,” Stephanie began but then stopped to wonder how to address her.

“Thank you Miss Lintel!” Azza said quickly while Stephanie poured some water from her canteen to wash Azza’s hand.

The woman looked to Azza with a smile and patted her head quickly. “It’s Misses Lintel dear.” Turning to Stephanie, she offered her hand as well. “May I ask who Azza’s adoptive mother is?”

“Stephanie Ambrose.” Making sure to wipe her own hands, she shook the other woman’s hand.

Mrs. Lintel smiled and nodded with a chuckle. “I guess this means I won’t be getting flower deliveries anymore.” Azza’s smile faded at the comment, making Mrs. Lintel quickly say, “Oh but I’ll have little Henry here to help me get them. You just take care of yourself and your new mother, Azza.”

“I’ll bring flowers when we visit Underwood,” Azza offered as she looked to Stephanie. “We will visit right?”

“Of course!” was the answer. She didn’t know if they would be able to normally, but she didn’t see why not. The town was friendly enough and relaxing with wonderfully fresh bread. The thought of the baker made her stifle a giggle though.

With a polite smile, the woman walked away towards the archway, leaving Azza and Stephanie to watch the attendant chase the llama around the pen. A few minutes past and Azza noticed that her adoptive father wasn’t nearby with his usual comments. Tugging on Stephanie’s hand lightly, she asked, “Where’s daddy?”

“Oh, he went to look for a bathroom. He said he’ll find us.” Azza looked unconvinced but nodded her head. Stephanie only smiled and ruffled the child’s hair a bit, which brought a giggle as she danced away from the hand. “Ready to see the rest of the zoo? It’ll be like hide and seek for daddy.”

At once, Azza brightened up when the situation was turned into a game. She gave a cheer and then ran off with Stephanie in close pursuit. The two spent their time looking at the various animals. The less dangerous ones were kept in pens similar to the llama pen, while the more dangerous animal, such as the bears were kept on a sunken platform with a high wall behind them that also had a service entrance. Between the more dangerous animals, it varied between a moat and a high wall, or a dry gully and a high wall. The zoo patrons could watch from safety as trainers occasionally played or fed the animals as well.

The mission did nag at Stephanie though. She didn’t let her guard down and continued to scan about for anything suspicious, but so far, nothing. It was too open where the families were. Perhaps Jensen would have more luck scouting about alone. In the mean time, she enjoyed Azza’s seemingly unlimited energy. That was, until they reached the Aleran Wolf platform. There was a small moat that the wolves used to cool off every now and then, but with the appearance of human viewers, they retreated away to the privacy of their dens.

Most patrons lost interest in the no-show wolves quickly, but they reminded Azza of something. “Come on Azza, let’s go look at something else,” Stephanie said, expecting the girl to follow as she turned, but Azza didn’t seem to hear her. In fact, the child, climbed up the railing to get a better look. A single wolf appeared, its eyes meeting her own. Ar once, her world darkened as she clutched the sides of her head while her mouth opened to scream with no sound. “Azza?” Stephanie asked and turned back just in time to see the small girl fall over into wolf habitat…