While Red tried to convince Russ to take her with them to check out one of the shopping malls, Serenity went hunting for Rissa. He needed to talk to her about what Nightwitch had said, and it was a good excuse to escape Red.

Serenity found Rissa in their bedroom sitting on the bed, staring at the wall. “Rissa?”

“Serenity?” Rissa’s voice seemed strained. “I should get moving, shouldn’t I.”

Had she been here all morning? He’d been up and moving around; he hadn’t seen her, but he’d assumed she was as well. Serenity shifted back into his chimera shape and sat down next to Rissa. She could hold him when he was a dragon, but he couldn’t hold her. “Is something wrong?”

Rissa leaned into Serenity and he put an arm around her. “I could stay like this all day.”

Serenity closed his arms around her and held her. He still wasn’t sure if something was wrong or what was going on, but he could wait.

----------------------------------------

Eventually, Rissa stirred. No one had come to find them, so Russ and Red were probably still arguing; Serenity was just as happy to avoid that.

“Sorry. I should have - but you were busy and - but I still should have - but then you might not have finished and that was more urgent - and I wasn’t really sure anyway until yesterday-” Rissa wasn’t making any sense.

Rissa always made sense; it was Serenity that was missing something. “What are you talking about?”

Rissa took a deep breath, then leaned against Serenity. She seemed to need to work up to whatever she was going to say. “I took a pregnancy test yesterday.”

“You’re pregnant?” Serenity was sure he had a silly grin on his face. “That’s wonderful.” Despite all the things he’d been and done as Vengeance and then the Final Reaper, fatherhood was going to be a new experience.

The tension seemed to go out of Rissa. “I wasn’t sure what you’d think. We talked about it, but that was before. And we were going to wait. It’s dangerous now.”

“It’s always dangerous,” Serenity said. He kept grinning more and more; he was sure his grin was wider than he generally permitted, but he couldn’t seem to control it. “We’re in a good place. Aki can keep you and the baby safe-” Serenity could feel Rissa start to turn towards him and quickly amended what he was saying. “Or even take care of the baby while you and I take care of the world.”

“I guess you’re right,” Rissa said. “This probably is one of the safest places on the planet right now. The closest invasion portal is closed, we have excellent shelter, and as long as the city’s there we’re only a long walk from everything.”

Serenity started to ask, but she answered the question before he could. “No, I haven’t seen anything happen to the city. New York City can’t make it on its own, though, we’re just not set up for it.”

“I was already trying to save the world. Nothing new there.” Serenity teased Rissa.

“Oh, you!” She shoved lightly against him before settling into his arms again.

----------------------------------------

“Tomato or cream of mushroom?” Russ flipped one of the sandwiches he was grilling and looked up at Serenity and Rissa.

“Tomato,” Serenity said. The acidity would go well with the cheesiness of the sandwich.

Rissa winked at him. “Cream of mushroom.”

Serenity had expected the answer. Rissa loved mushrooms in anything.

As Russ ladled out the soup, he started talking. “We’ve settled it. Red, Serenity, and I will be heading out to look at the malls, see if we can figure out what happened. Red has promised there will be no unexpected spells.”

“Mrfrhrm.” Red was either unhappy about Russ’s description or enjoying her sandwich. It was hard to tell which.

Serenity was grateful that he could still enjoy meals like this. They weren’t what he thought of a large predator like a dragon eating, but he’d have missed it if he had to eat separately.

“How are you going to figure it out? Shouldn’t Mom or I come?” Rissa took a bite of her sandwich once she was done talking.

“Won’t know til we’re there, but there should be some signs. Decay isn’t subtle.” Russ turned off the stove and picked up his food to join them at the table.

Rissa didn’t seem convinced. “Still, if what you want to know is what’s in the past, wouldn’t it help to have someone who can see it?”

“That’s why I’m going.” Red had finished her sandwich but was still working on her soup. “I put together a spell that should light up the trail. It’ll find traces of magic and make them visible.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Serenity blinked. “Isn’t that what magesight does? Or are you able to see really faint stuff?” Serenity could only see residue when it was concentrated, like where the artifacts had sat for years. He couldn’t see spots where something magical had passed; he didn’t want to. That would be painful.

“Anywhere active magic was used,” Red said proudly. “As long as it’s recent enough, at least. It does fade. It shows a lot more than normal magesight; that only shows currently active stuff, not residue.”

“But … I can see residue, if it’s concentrated enough. Are we talking the same thing?” Serenity was quite willing to believe that the Path ability was different from what mages on Earth learned, and it was entirely possible he had yet another ability.

“Maybe not. I can only see spells. What do you see when you look at me?” Red put her spoon down and concentrated on Serenity.

Serenity took a good look at Red. “You’re covered in … it almost looks like colored dust. The residue of a lot of very small spells, maybe? There’s no particular commonality to the Affinity used. Unless… there’s a general similarity. Elemental spells?”

“Ooh, you’re good.” Red turned to Russ. “Can I keep him?”

“He’s Rissa’s.” Russ sounded gruff, but Serenity got the feeling that he wasn’t truly upset with Red’s question. Was Russ … proud of Serenity?

Naah, couldn’t be. What did Russ have to be proud of? Rissa was the one who’d found him; all Russ had done was test him against the decay shard, shepherd him through the Guardian ritual with very little information, and take him to the Starlit Sea.

And yet Serenity knew that Russ had accepted him. There wasn’t the awkwardness Serenity still felt around Phoebe; Russ seemed to treat Serenity the way he would have his own son.

Red turned back to Serenity. “How do you see that? How can I do the same?”

While Serenity was gathering his thoughts, Rissa’s phone rang. She pulled it out and started to silence it, but when she looked at the caller, she stopped. “Quiet everyone. It’s Jacob.”

Red and Russ went still, almost as though they were afraid to move, while Rissa accepted the call. “Jacob? I’m here.”

“Rissa? It’s… I don’t…” The voice on the other end of the phone sounded like a younger version of Russ’s.

“What is it, Jacob?” Rissa’s voice was soft and calm. Serenity recognized the tone of voice; she used it on him when he was upset or worried and she was trying to get him to calm down. She was usually trying to get him to talk to her, now that he thought about it.

“I, I think something’s wrong with me. That actor in the show you’re in? The one who plays the mage, with the wings, the one you’re dating? He was in the hallucination. I think he was teaching me how to fight monsters. Only it lasted for weeks and weeks and then he wasn’t there. And now I’m hearing voices. Something’s really wrong.” Jacob sounded scared.

“Serenity?” Rissa put a finger over her mouth when Serenity tried to speak, telling him to be quiet.

“Yeah, that sounds right. I can’t remember his real name.” Jacob sounded a bit more sure of himself.

“Thomas. We really are dating, you know. He asked me to marry him recently.” Rissa set the phone down on the table and knelt on one of the chairs. Serenity had only seen her do that a few times, when she was too anxious to sit properly.

“Oh, that’s great! Oh, um, that is great, isn’t it? I know you said you liked him…” Jacob’s voice went from enthusiastic to doubting as he spoke.

Rissa smiled and her voice was warm. “Yes, it’s great. I accepted, I was just waiting for him to ask. I was thinking about asking myself.” She winked at Serenity as she said the last sentence.

Jacob sounded relieved. “Oh good. It’d be awkward if you didn’t. Hey, I actually caught some of the show the other day. It’s getting really popular, they were actually talking about it on the morning show. Sounds like it’s gotten pretty crazy. Mind control worms and magic everywhere?”

“Yeah.” Rissa sounded like she was sad but trying to hide it in fake enthusiasm. “It’s really taken off. We’re doing a lot of onsite work in the area right now. If you’d like to come visit, I can take you on the set. We’re filming out of one of the parks these days. It’s lovely, and the effects can’t be beaten.”

“I dunno. I’d like to, it’s just…if I really am hearing voices, then…” Jacob sounded reluctant.

“Even more reason for you to come visit.” Rissa was adamant. “We’ll make sure you get to see someone who can help. And you’ll be near family; you don’t have anyone near to help you. Unless there’s someone you haven’t told me about?”

Jacob sighed. “No, Denise gave up on me last week. I just don’t see what’s so fun in that new game she wants to play, and it’s all she wants to talk about. It’s too bad, I really liked her.”

“Is the game based on the show Serenity - er, Thomas and I are in?” Rissa was making some sort of strange face where she tightened her lips then widened her eyes then squinted and frowned. Serenity had no idea what she was trying to communicate. It was almost like she was moving as many facial muscles as possible.

“Huh. Y’know, I’m not sure. I’ll ask.” There was a long pause, then Jacob’s voice continued. “Yeah, she said it’s the thing Serenity is in. She didn’t recognize you.”

“She gave up on you, but still replied immediately?” Rissa was smiling again. “If you’d like to bring her when you come, you can. I’ll make sure both of you meet Serenity.”

“You know I can’t afford that. I’m not sure I can even afford the tickets for myself. Not on a teacher’s salary.” Jacob sounded almost ashamed.

“I’ll pay for them, you know that. I’ve offered before, any time you want to visit just tell me and I’ll buy the tickets.” Rissa scolded her brother. “It’s not taking advantage of me. I make good money while you teach the youth of the future. And do a fine job of it, too.”

“Eh, it’s a job.” Jacob didn’t sound enthusiastic at all.

“That’s not what you said when you went into it, or even last year. Is it wearing on you?” Rissa sounded concerned again.

Jacob’s voice sounded slightly pained. “The past month or so has really gotten to me. I keep feeling like I’m limiting myself, like there’s something important I should be doing instead of teaching sixth-grade math. This is foundational stuff and I know how important it is for my students’ futures, but it just feels so hollow.”