Author's note: Hey, Alcatraz , i saw you were reading a chapter 31 a few minutes ago. I dont know if you are just re reading the chapter or what but if you see this...and you get to reading the rest of the current chapters... tell me your thoughts on the story so far in a review, if you please. off the top of my head i think that your biggest complaint might be the incredibly slow pacing. Which i plan to try and fix. Sorry it's a slow-going story, everyone...

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Loki and Roland were instantly  inside the living room of Roland and the other's home,

Roland saw Reina, Lilith, Saren and James staring at Morringan sedately, as if in shock.

Hmm, it seems they had been like that for awhile.

Morrigan was sitting on a couch, rubbing the hair of the small girl as she breathed deep and evenly in state of unconsciousness.

That was to be expected. Sometimes Roland's method of healing left one exhausted, though very rarely.

Roland was met with a barrage of voices.

Reina looked at him in a slight daze. " Roland, this woman, s-she's calling herself . . .your. . .wife?" She questioned, almost unbelieving.

Saren joined in. "But, that, is it really true? I mean, you never mentioned anything of the sort, did you?"

" No, before that, shouldnt we be asking who that kid is? Look how similar she and that woman looks! If she's his wife, then doesnt that make the girl--?" Lilith broke off. She shook her head. She refused to believe that he could have a child that looks like she's 11 or 12.

James looked troubled. " Impossible, right? I mean. . .Look at her. Roland, didnt you say you were, like, 19? Having a child like this, so old, that. . ."

Roland blinked. " Calm down. I'll answer your question later. For now, can you give the two of us some privacy? We need to . . .talk. " He frowned at the last word, as if he found it unnerving.

"But. , ," Reina hesitated. She had to talk to Roland too. Although it might be nothing, ever since he took her training that one day, she. . .

Roland looked at the the young woman curiously. "Yes?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No, it can wait."

Saren and james looked at each other. "Roland, when you have time, can you come see us? The two of us would like your help with something. " They asked in unison. Roland was amazed they could do that, honestly.

Lilith also made a request. "Oh, me too. I wanted to tell you. . .well, we can leave that for later once you and--" She looked at Morrigan strangely. "That woman are done.  Also, my father mentioned he would like to speak with you as well, He, mother amd Lottie have gone to buy a few things from a small city some miles from here. They should be back in a bit."

"Lottie?"

" Our little sister, Charlotte." She clarified. "Anyway, that's it."

" Hmm, looks like I have quite a bit of people to talk to. " He sighed. Reina, Saren, James, Lilith and now the girl's father?

Well, he already had an inkling what the last two wanted.

"Okay, i got it. Now, if you guys could. . ." He hinted.

With that, the four departed.

Loki sat down on a chair. " Well, now that those guys are out of the way, feel free to continue." He waved a hand.

Roland looked at him. "What did we just talk about?"

Loki frowned. "Yeah, yeah, alright. Fine" He held up his hands. " I'll leave. Hmm, I wonder where that daughter of mine has hidden herself. . ." He mumbled.

He left.

A strange silence entered the room.

Morrigan looked at Roland.

Other than the initial conversation between her and the four kids just now, she realized that her statement towards them was, for some reason, quite stunning to them.

The younger-looking boy, she forgot his name, told her roughly of the situation at hand.

She realized the four were the mortals she sensed were fated to die by a group of Immortals.

She considered killing them, afterall it was not a good idea to mess with fate. But as they were with  her husband, she held back.

She then waited for Roland to get back and even said nothing as the four annoyingly talkd as if they were friends with him.

Who were they to talk to him so casually?

But she stayed quiet.

Roland was the first to break the silence. " Morrigan." He hesitated. "Look, i know we should have had this conversation long before now, but the last time we met I told you that I had no desire to continue any relationship we once had. "

He said firmly.

Morrigan's eyes glittered with anger. No, it was more like an unbriddled determination.

"And I told you that I wouldnt accept that."

Roland was aggrieved. " What exactly did you expect? You know very well that even if we did continue it,  you'll be left alone until however long it takes me to reincarnate again. I wont remember anything about our time together. You once said we would simply make new memories.

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Dont you understand that it doesnt matter how many memories we make, at the end of the day they will always be beyond my reach? I wont be the one hurting, because I wont remember what was lost. But you will."  He said roughly.

"That isnt a relationship that is worth having! Something like that cant even truly be called such. Any relationship of ours will amount to nothing." Roland stated.

Morrigan  glared at him. "You dont decide that. I know you wont remember. But it doesnt matter to me. I always knew that. Do you think I didnt understand it? So what if you leave a few years? I'm a goddess. I've lived for thousands of years and I'll live for thousands more.  

It doesnt matter to me how many times you have to leave, I will always see you again, however long it takes is irrelevent. So what if I cry at your leaving? So what if you never remember what we had? As long as we end up in each other's arms again, it's fine. Why dont you simply accept that?"

Roland felt his heart clench.

Of sourse, he knew that. He understood her point of view very well. But. . .

He looked at her sadly, with pity in his gaze. " Morrigan.  You say that, but things wont always be the way they are now. Someday in the future i might fall in love with someone. The next time you find me i may already be another woman's lover, or even husband. What would you do then? Who knows how many other people I Ieft behind anyway? I could have been married hundreds of times before. You shouldnt have to share me.

I was probably never wholly yours to begin with. And you deserve better than that. I dont know how many other wives I had before you. And some of them may still be alive today. People are capable of living for centuries now. If someday while we are together a woman suddenly says she was my wife, what kind of messed up situation would that be?"

Morrigan refused to back down. " I dont care. I know that as well. You dont remember, but we already went through a conversation just like this before we were married. I tell you now, you were worn down by me then and you will be again. Even if some bitch comes along claiming to be your wife, I'll just kill her. I know why you dont want to accept my feelings. I know that you dont want to hurt me. But I dont mind being hurt, because it would only be for a short time."

She took his hand and looked at him deeply.  " Dear, I already know everything you could say about this. But I know my own feeling on the matter and I wont give you up for petty things like that.  I love you. I wont let you back out of this. Like it or not, i'm here. And as much as you want to deny it, I am your wife, even now. No matter how many times you lose your memories, i wont let that change." She smiled brightly.

She snaked her arms around his tall frame and burried her head on his chest.

The move was so unexpected that Roland felt his body go still.

He held his arms to his side, but didnt push her away.

A person is shaped by their memories, Morrigan. And i have none of those. I have none of the experiences that made me the person you loved. So it might as well have been a different person from me who you called your husband.

But he didnt speak these thoughts. He knew they wouldnt have any affect on her.

And he, too,  wouldnt be persuaded by them.

Roland, though, hurt whenever he looked at Morrigan.

He knew, he knew, that he once loved the woman.

It lingered at the back of his mind and heart.

When he saw her, he felt a array of indescribable emotions.

" Morrigan. . " He started. "I'm sorry, but even so I cant just--"

A small, lovely voice called out and drew their attention.

"Daddy. . .?"

Roland felt alarm bells in his mind.

Staring at him from the couch behind Morrigan,  was the snow-haired little girl whom he had on his mind previously.

She looked at him with a hard to describe expression mixed with hesitation, happiness and some others he couldnt identify.

She spoke the word questioningly, as if unsure of herself.

Roland felt himself stiffen. "Morrigan, that girl. . ."

Morrigan peered up at him and spoke softly

She beckoned the young girl. " Come here, little one."

When the girl walked, slowly, foward,  Morrigan parted from him and placed a gentle hand on her small shoulders as she looked at Roland with a radiant, blooming smile.

"Dear, meet your daughter, Grace"

The young girl--Grace--had sudden tears in her eyes.  They were an azure blue, glowing like jewels due to their wetness.

She rushed at Roland with flailing arms and wrapped them around his body, holding onto him tightly as if afraid to let go.

"Daddy. . !" She sobbed uncontrollably.  

Roland's mind went blank,