ghost stories }{ galen

[DANNA DEVILLE]

Nearly everyone in the house was gone. The kids were all back at Hogwarts, Danna had a meeting with the Dark Lord, Christian and Hailey were meeting with allies, and Ricky was hunting down one of their enemies. Dominic and Malachi were normally tasked with keeping an eye on Sadie, but their Uncle Jonathon had turned up with a few very beautiful ghost ladies that kept them all occupied. She might have been able to escape, but it would have weighed down too much on her conscience just to leave without offering her help to her mother's prisoner. Galen Cross had been in the manor for a little over six months. He was a good man. What did it matter if he had killed Jesse? He was just doing his job. He was an Auror. He was trying to defend the world, not destroy it. Even if Sadie didn't necessarily agree with murder, even in this sort of case, he had his morals and he was such an honorable man, so strong, she just had to help him. Even if she couldn't do very much as a ghost.

Not one to waste any time, Sadie headed down to the basement, careful as she approached the man. "Mr. Cross, I know we haven't met, but my name is Sadie Inumi. I'm Danna's daughter. Look, I'll do what I can to help you escape. Only, it might be safest to wait until you know more about my mother and my family before you try. If you'd rather not risk taking the time, that's fine, but if you have any questions...I mean, I'll tell you everything, I swear. If you want. Just tell me what you want me to do."

[GALEN CROSS]

It had been almost six months since Galen had been brought to this hell hole. His body was constantly sore, covered with bruises and wounds, and more often than not at least one of his bones was broken. He was a far cry from the condition Endymion Echolls was in, but he certainly wasn't feeling his best. The basement was always dark, only ever dimly lit with candles. The food was always bland, only just enough to keep him going, and at other times he was only fed a nutritional potion if Danna had her house elf doing something else. The last time he'd been able to stretch his legs was... well, Galen didn't want to think about that.

He'd been tortured endlessly for the three months after his arrival here, until one night that Danna had come down to seduce him. Galen had done his best to resist, and had put up an excellent fight, but in the end his need had been too much for him. He'd held her down and fucked the shit out of her, finally finding release that he hadn't had since his capture. The next morning he awoke to find Danna beside him again, and they'd spent all day fucking until they passed out, only to start up again just a few hours later, going long into the night.

Galen had never intended any of it to happen. He was nothing if not faithful to his precious Jolene. There had to have been something in the potions Danna had fed him that first night, he reasoned, though he couldn't think of anything that would last so long. Well, there was the fact that he hadn't had sex since he'd left on his mission to assassinate Jesse Mercer. That had to be a big part of it. And Danna knew what she was doing, just how to trick and play him. It had been a bunch of different factors coming together into one big mistake, and no matter how Galen justified it, he always felt so guilty for betraying his wife.

He never thought about it much, not only because of the bad feelings it brought, but because of the good. Galen shivered every time he remembered Danna coming around him, breathlessly pleading for him to fuck her, telling him how much she loved it, or screaming his name. Merlin, their chemistry was off the charts. There was something there, something electric between them that Galen couldn't even deny when his mind was clear. But it was just another trick, just one more of her wiles. Of course she was tempting, that was the whole point. It was just another way she was trying to break him, and no matter what happened, Galen wouldn't fall for it again.

She'd gone back to torturing him, never having tried to seduce him again, and Galen was glad. No matter how desperate his need grew, or no matter how good it had been, Galen would never touch her, never kiss her again. He couldn't fall into that trap. It was imperative that he get out of here, and return to his job and his wife and his children, where he belonged.

He lifted his head as movement caught his eye, surprised to find a ghost moving down the stairs. He was familiar with Dominic and Malachi, two of Danna's dead sons, but this ghost was female. Galen narrowed his eyes, dropping his arms a bit where they had been crossed over his knees. His backside was numb from sitting on the floor, but the chains around his wrists and ankles were too short to allow him to stand, not giving him very much room from the metal eyelet on the floor next to him. Galen eyed the ghost as she approached him, intent on letting her make her presence clear before he did anything.

What she said couldn't have surprised him more. She introduced herself as Sadie, a daughter of Danna's, and she insisted that she wanted to help him escape. She also had information, she said, and would tell him anything he needed to know. Galen blinked, narrowing his eyes at her. From what he knew, Danna's spawn were all brainwashed little roaches that followed her dumbly like a flock of stupid sheep. There was no one better than her in their eyes; they'd never been raised to think any more intelligently. So this was all very shocking, and more than a little suspicious.

"Why would you want to help me?" he asked her, not bothering to keep the accusation out of his voice while he looked her over carefully. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her, she was just a ghost, but it did little to appease his doubt. How did he know that he could really trust her?

"What's the most important thing in the world to your mother?" he asked her, pretty sure that he knew the answer already, just as he was relatively certain she didn't know that he knew. He'd see how honest she was about betraying Danna to help him.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

The man didn't trust her, and Sadie couldn't blame him. Being human would have been so much easier, still alive, maybe she could have had more of a chance to prove how sincere she was. Then again, he had been prisoner here for so long. Her mother and siblings were all so very convincing. Despite her honesty, maybe it wasn't enough. But she had to try.

"I'd help anyone, if I could," Sadie replied honestly. "But you, more than anything else, need to leave. You're a good man and I think you might actually be able to stop them. They need to be stopped."

When Galen asked what the most important thing to her mother was, Sadie smiled dryly. "It's not obvious?" she asked. "The easy answer is herself. Her power, her reputation, her life, her everything. My mother likes for people to think she's...above humanity. That she's so much more than anyone or anything else. Sometimes I think she thinks that. But it's not true. She has weaknesses, you know...and she's even capable of love. Those are her deepest darkest secrets, though. Could you imagine what that would do to her reputation?"

[GALEN CROSS]

Galen eyed Sadie carefully as she answered his first question, telling him that she would help anyone if she had the chance. It just seemed so far from anything any of Danna's children would do. He didn't quite believe her, but he had no other reasons to doubt her. He didn't know anything about her at all, only hearing Danna yell once in a while for someone to keep Sadie from getting away. Maybe she was telling the truth, then. She certainly seemed to want out of here, bad enough that Danna had to have her under constant surveillance.

Maybe it was obvious what was the most important thing to Danna. She didn't come out and say it, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that what mattered most to her was herself. Her image, her power, her reputation - Galen had known from the first day that that was what she was all about. Sadie told him as much, throwing in even more. Danna had her weaknesses, some that Galen knew, but Sadie gave him more than that. He hadn't exactly thought Danna above falling in love, but he hadn't exactly pictured her in love, either. It was nothing to do with whether she was weak, but more that she wouldn't understand it. That her brain was too stunted by her love of evil and the Dark Arts to appreciate something like love. But Sadie implied that Danna had fallen before. A grin spread over Galen's face, a Plan B forming in his mind in case this didn't work.

"Tell me everything. What's her plan, what's the ultimate goal? What kind of protective spells are on this house? Where does your mother sleep? Where does she keep her wand when it's not on her person? And how can I get out of here?" he asked her quickly, pulling at the chains that kept him tied to the floor.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

Sadie smiled as Galen quickly asked her questions. "Getting out of the chains is the simple part. My mother is highly paranoid, and never underestimates anyone, even if she pretends to. As it is, she has two sets of chains. Magical chains, which are impossible to get out of on your own, and chains that she's placed certain enchantments on, which are relatively easy to get out of. When you were first brought here, she had the highest protections placed around you to ensure you couldn't get out. For some reason, she's switched to these. She probably wants you to get out. She plays it like a game sometimes. She's cocky, she has other elements in play to make a prisoner's escape a game. There are booby traps all over the manor and the grounds that will trigger when you leave the basement because of a spell she put on you. It sets off various alarms and attacks, more dangerous the farther out you go.

"I know you don't have your wand, and not everyone can do wandless magic. If you can, it's best to undo the spells that way. Ryastfer will unlock the shackles. Liberame will remove the alerting, tracking spell thing. It will buy you a little time, but you'll have to be careful. Even without the tracking spell, the basement is under heavy surveillance. Only Dominic, Malachi, and Jonathon...and their guests...are here. But still be careful. When you leave, I'll take the quickest route out of the front door. Surveillance will pick up on me, even if I'm a ghost. You'll have to take the long way. Take a left out of the basement. The last room on the right is my mother's office. The password to the Floo is perdido. You'll have to use an advanced unlocking spell to get in. Recludam should work. The minute you get into her office, it will set off an alarm, so be quick with the Floo. You won't have more than half a minute, but that's enough time to get out. Most people run out of the house because they don't think they could find a Floo, but that's where you can find it. There are anti Apparition charms all over the grounds, so it's safer this way. Don't stop for anything. No matter what you think you see. I promise, no matter how bad it looks it's only an illusion. No matter what appears, her office will still appear as a door. Trust me. Just keep your eyes peeled. Oh shoot, and you have to put the shackles together before you unlock them. You'll also feel really cold when the tracking charm disappears, so if you don't feel cold when you first say the word, you said it wrong. You can't be all panicky or anything else when you say it because it'll screw up. Make sure you're very calm when you try."

It was safest to give him the directions before anything else. That way if he wanted to move now, she could quickly give him the other information as they went, and even if she couldn't give him everything before he went, he'd at least know how to get away.

"If you find yourself trapped on your way to the office, take the staircase and keep going all the way up to the attic. There's a Vanishing cabinet, a box full of Portkeys, and an Emergency Circle. It's near the back window, an empty space behind a vanity. It's the only place in the house that you can Apparate from. She put it there in case the house is ever raided. You should be able to get out of the office. Even if you can't get out, she has plenty up there you can use as a weapon. I'm sure your Auror training will keep you safe once you're out of the basement. It's all a matter of keeping smart."

She paused for a moment, quickly looking around, making sure she had told him everything, but also wary of time. "Her plan is...world domination, I guess. What does any evil villain want?" she sighed. "Right now she's finding allies while the Dark Lord is still in power. He keeps the heat off of her. You see, she was born in America and for a few decades she lived there, made a big name for herself, but it started to backfire when too many anti Deville groups started attacking. I think she would have stayed forever had everyone not convinced her to start spreading her name elsewhere. We were in Europe the time the First Wizarding War hit, so she decided to keep low after that, let Voldemort have everyone's fear while she worked on making herself indestructible. Should Voldemort lose the war, she wants to make sure she's well protected and as powerful as possible before stepping into his shoes. If he wins, she fully intends to kill him once she has everything ready.

"Honestly, I couldn't name all of them, but she probably put everything she could think of on the house. If you're not invited to the house, I don't recommend trying to enter, because it could end badly. She normally sleeps on the top floor, first door on the left. She changes up where she keeps the wand. She says it's less likely for someone to find if she doesn't keep it in the same place. Somewhere safe, though. Probably her bedroom or her office or something, but I couldn't tell you exactly. Sorry.

"She's meeting with Voldemort now. My siblings are all off on various missions. If you have anymore questions we could probably spare a little more time. Anything else? I'll tell you everything I know."

If she could she'd give him her entire family history, tell him all about everyone in the family, just in case. He had to know everything, because her family was too dangerous to risk these things on. If only they had more time. But there was no telling when they'd all be back.

But what was more important? His immediate escape, or making sure he was prepared? He could always leave another time. She could always help another day. This was all important. But so was making sure he was alive. Who was to say he'd live another day? Sadie didn't know what to do, but it was worrying her greatly. This man could do so much, could offer so much, if only she made sure he had everything he needed.

[GALEN CROSS]

Galen listened carefully as Sadie told him everything, giving very detailed instructions on how to get out of not only the basement, but the rest of the house. Ryastfer to unlock his shackles, he had to press his wrists together and cast it, and repeat for his ankles. Liberame to remove the tracking spell that would set off the traps Danna had set around the house and the grounds. Only the ghosts were here. It was like Danna had set this up herself. She would never have left if no one else was going to be here, meeting with the Dark Lord or not. She would at least have left one of her spawn to stand guard. Especially if she was using the less secure type of chains. Galen was uneasy, but this was his chance. Sadie's words stuck with him, though - Danna didn't underestimate anyone.

There was a Floo in her office, which was thankfully on the first floor, so he didn't have far to go. There were enchantments meant to frighten and confuse him, but he would hold onto Sadie's promise that all was well, and he would be just fine. He couldn't explain why he trusted her so explicitly, only that he'd been an Auror his whole life, and he could usually tell when someone was lying, just as he could when they had perfectly good intentions. She was telling him the truth.

Recludam to get into the office, perdido to open the Floo. He'd go immediately to the inn, there'd been a Floo in his old room and he could take some fresh clothes. Hopefully no one would be there. From there he could go straight to the Ministry of Magic, tell them all about what had happened, find out what happened to Jaegar, rescue him if needed, and he would be on his way home. It was such a strange thought, after all of this time. Everything else would be easy. Getting out of this mansion would be the hard part. If anything messed up, he could go to the attic, where there was a Vanishing Cabinet, Portkeys, and an Emergency Circle. Galen probably owed Sadie his life.

"Ryastfer," he cast, hearing the locks on his wrists click open, and he undid the shackles quickly, rolling his wrists and loving the freedom of having his hands unbound. "Where is my wand? And my bow and arrows?" he asked, pressing his ankles together and quickly casting Ryastfer again. He was thanking every entity he could think of that he was so prolific with wandless magic, but if his belongings were close by he could grab them. There was no time for him to be nervous as he cast Liberame, feeling a chill sweep through him as though he'd stepped into a blizzard. Galen shuddered visibly, standing up.

"Who do I need to worry about the most, besides Danna herself?" Galen asked as he headed for the door to the basement. He wished he had days to talk to Sadie, plan this out, but the best he could do right now would be to think on his feet and get as much information out of her as he could in the little time they had.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

Wand. His wand. Sadie frowned as she wracked her brain. Danna probably kept his wand with her own...No, she cared more about her own wand. His had probably never left its original position. It wasn't like she had to worry much about him getting it. No one else in the house would dare take it. "The drawer on her bedside table," she replied quickly. "The bow I'm not completely sure about. Maybe in her closet." If he was good enough with wandless magic he could Accio them to him.

His next question was easier to answer. "Christian and Hailey. Christian's the oldest, Mother's favorite. He loves her more than anyone else. No one else in the world ever has or ever will love her the way he does. She's perfect in his eyes. He would do any and everything to protect her, would do anything she said without question or hesitation. If she asked for his heart on a platter he would claw it out with his bare hands and thank her for asking for it," she said with disgust. "She's trained him more than anyone else. Hailey's a close second. She loves and respects Mother, but is probably the only person besides me to ever question or challenge her. Hailey will call her out on stuff when pushed, though she's usually smart enough to be subtle about it. She would torture and kill you whether Mother told her to or not, and would have a damn convincing excuse as to why she went against orders. She also happens to be the most like Mother than any of my other siblings. She's just as dangerous as Christian, just as proficient. I'd be more scared of her, though. She'd be willing to defy Mother if push came to shove. Even if Mother wanted you alive, she'd gut you in a heartbeat and probably blame one of the twins. They're both fiercely protective of her."

What else could she tell him? Things he'd need to know, even if he didn't ask. "Listen. My Mother is full of faults, loves herself more than anyone else, but she does care about her children in her own way. When I was a baby, my father took me and fled. Mother dropped everything and did all she could to find me. When I ran away from home as a teenager, she found me again and kept me a prisoner in our own home until I managed to get away again. When Lexi was a baby, she was nearly killed by the enemy and she captured the entire clan and tortured them all to death in one afternoon. We are hers and she doesn't like anyone messing with what's hers. If you ever attacked one of her children, she would go after you, your family, your friends, everyone. She's also smarter than you might give her credit for. She loves a loud entrance, attention, but if it would harm her plans, she wouldn't do it. She can be sneaky, silent...She could break through almost any ward anywhere and is the single most accomplished duelist I have ever met. She is strong. And she is talented. Maybe not as much as she likes to think, but do not underestimate her. Because she will plan ahead for every possibility she can think of. She is very paranoid and just as stubborn as you are. I have heard some of what's gone on in here." She frowned sympathetically. "She's been beaten within an inch of her life, suffered through things that would have killed most people, but she was too stubborn to die. I am not making that shit up. Sometimes I wonder if she is superhuman.

"Most importantly, I want you to remember that she has a heart, however small and cold it might be. She has only ever loved two men. Paul Vulcan and Jesse Mercer, whether she admits it or not. It isn't easy for her to do, and she will go to her grave denying it. But she never loved anyone the way she loved Paul. She fell apart when he died. It shocked everyone. We weren't sure she'd ever recover. But Jesse was there and he made things a little better...then we found out that Paul wasn't really dead. He really died shortly before they left Amsterdam and she and Jesse parted. She had Corban with her and a baby on the way and an army to rebuild, but she had lost both men she cared about and it took a while for her to get her shit together. Those are the only times anyone has ever seen her be vulnerable at all, but it was there. The whole image shattered for a while. But when she's down, everyone else will be up and around her, doing whatever they can to protect her. All of my siblings have this horrifyingly obsessive devotion to her that knows no bounds.

"She doesn't like losing, either. The moment she realizes you're gone, she will go after you. No one gets away from her. Get your family and friends to safety immediately. She already knows so much more about you than she should and it will be that much easier for her to do damage. Also, if you have any contacts in America, I would contact them and ask them about her. Trust me, she had a big name for herself there. You'll learn more about the battles there, her victims, allies, things like that. It would be harder getting information on the past few decades, but you'll learn plenty about her from them.

"She's very skilled with Muggle weapons. If you aren't familiar with guns or things like that, you should look into it. She's killed just as many people with bullets as with spells because of the element of surprise. She's invented several spells before. Mostly curses. Hmmm...Be careful if you play with her temper. She's dangerous in or out of control. The only thing that you'll do by embarrassing her is wounding her pride, it probably won't make her slip up. It's not impossible, I don't think, but you'd need a lot of leverage. Learn everything you can about Paul and Jesse, they'd be the most useful tools against her. Worse than that is anything that hurts her image of herself. The more you have, the better chance you have of getting to her, but even then I don't guarantee you'll be fine. The safest bet would be not to face her alone. She can fight well against multiple people, but she's not God. She can't do everything. Also, she hits up BDSM clubs quite a bit. It's the best way for her to work out her sadism without attracting too much unwanted attention. Her family has an estate in Paris. You might be able to learn a lot there and no one's been there in so long, you should be able to get around and find a few things. Picking up on her family history a bit might also be beneficial, because she draws a lot from it. Also, she has people in the DMLE. Auror Gyan Lesner and Law Enforcement Officer Peggy Lutz. In the law office she has Fatine Femise. She gets a lot of help from St. Mungo's...Healers Mischa Monroe and Shakil Boklev. Ummm...Shit. Anything else you need to know?"

[GALEN CROSS]

They were running out of time, but there was still so much to know. "Accio," Galen whispered as Sadie continued, telling him about Danna's two oldest children. Christian was her favorite, and would carry out her orders to his death. Hailey would go against Danna's wishes if she thought best and still remain in her mother's favor. Both were dangerous, and Galen would have to be careful of them, as well as of the rest of Danna's children. They were all fiercely loyal and protective, would give their lives for their mother. Brainwashed fools, Galen thought with disgust.

Sadie continued, telling him all about Danna's faults. The ones having to do with her pride and image, Galen had already figured out and used to his advantage as best he could. He knew about Jesse, obviously, and had thrown that in her face a few times as well. But he didn't know anything about Paul, nor did he know what lengths Danna would go to for her children. Not to mention her strength with magic and dueling, wandless or not, and her pure paranoia that kept all of her bases well-covered. It sounded as though most of Danna's time was spent looking for weak spots and patching them up. She would have to really be something secure if she was going to step into the Dark Lord's shoes once he had fallen.

Sadie had advice for what to do when he escaped, such as getting his family and friends immediately to safety, because it wouldn't be long until Danna was hot on his trail. Galen had a plan forming in mind already; all he needed was a bit more information before he could execute it. He'd be out of here, he'd be free, and he'd be back. Back to eliminate this monster that he had spent the past six months getting to know, making note of every weakness, every loophole. Sadie listed the names of Danna's allies in the Ministry and the DMLE, and Galen made note of them, too. He'd have to inform the right people and get them removed from office immediately before he could make his move undetected. He wouldn't make the same mistake as last time, the one that had gotten him captured. He was prepared for anything now. Almost.

"Tell me about Paul and Jesse," he asked. If he happened to meet with Danna on his way out, it would do him good to have a few facts up his sleeve that she was unaware of. It might very well be enough to faze her, just enough to allow for his escape.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

Paul and Jesse. How much did she really know about them? Not enough. Not as much as she needed to. But Sadie wracked her brain for what she could give him. "Paul was with her from almost the beginning. He was a soldier. Fought many wars. Was her most loyal and trusted soldier. It was all business for a while. I don't think they even realized they were in love for a while. Err...He had some morals, for as bad as he was. The time Mom got pregnant with Lexi he had knocked up another woman. She had twins. Funny, Lexi, Gus, and Tony were all born on the same day. Anyway, what else? Errr. He didn't like her affairs very much. Obviously. But Mom's never been monogamous. She likes sex. A lot. I think it might have been some other things, but trouble had been brewing. He went to the home of one of our enemies and they nearly killed him. He sort of disappeared for a while, faking his death. Oh and before that I think he disappeared one other time. She was so angry with him, but she loved him. Was always glad when he came back. Erm...The night he died she met Jesse. He was with them. I don't know as much about him. I was there a bit more when Paul was around. But they became lovers. I think he might have helped get her focused when Paul 'died'. He sort of took Paul's place, I think. Lover, loyal subject, that sort of thing. Err...They traveled a lot. Had the twins, Corban and Cassie. He was very skilled. Very useful. But you probably know more about Jesse anyway, since you were hunting him. But...What was it? Oh yeah, they were engaged to be married. I don't think they had ever admitted to being in love then. It was more like some business arrangement or something, I didn't really understand it. But they were in Amsterdam then and their army was being killed so they decided to split up. Mom took Corban, Jesse took Cassie. She decided to rebuild her army by having a ton more kids. Jesse had a few more kids. I don't think Mom liked that very much. She hated them. I guess that's why she brought them down here and killed them. I think that was your first day here. Couldn't wait to be rid of them, especially since he was gone. Shit, what else? Do you have any specific questions about them?" Her mind was spinning so much she couldn't think if she had left out anything important or not. It was much easier answering direct questions. "Oh, and the family liked Paul much better. They trusted him. I think since they met him at enemy camp it was harder to wrap their minds around Jesse, no matter what he did. And after Paul, I think she sort of put up these shields, more than ever, to keep anyone from getting close as he had. That's why I don't think his death affected her as badly as Paul's did. She had been working so hard to protect herself. But I..."

"I think that's enough, Sadie."

[GALEN CROSS]

Galen listened carefully as Sadie continued, holding out his hand for his wand, bow, and quiver as they floated down to him. It felt so good to be properly armed again. He immediately slung the quiver over his shoulder, placing his wand in his pocket. The bow he kept, checking for any damages during his capture, or anything Danna might have done to it to make it not work right. But the bow seemed okay, the string was nice and tight, and he listened carefully as Sadie went on.

From what he could tell, Paul had been Danna’s first real love. She didn’t put up as many shields around him, thought herself above love and was in denial about it ever happening. His death had been her first romantic heartbreak, even though he had left her once before and returned again. Galen found himself surprised, in fact, that Danna and her family reaccepted Paul after the first disappearance, and they did until he faked his death, actually dying some time later. Then came Jesse to fill Paul’s shoes as Danna’s lover and one of her most loyal soldiers. Unfortunately for Galen, Jesse’s death hadn’t gotten to her as much as Paul’s had. After Paul, Danna had put up far more walls around her heart that had kept her a bit safer. Still, she had loved him, and his death was obviously a sore spot, as Galen knew firsthand. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Paul and Jesse, two of Danna’s biggest weak points, in case he came across her during his escape. He wanted to know everything there was to know, but they were running out of time.

He had been so focused on Sadie that he didn’t notice Danna standing in the shadows at the top of the staircase until she spoke. Almost immediately there was an arrow in his bow, pointing directly at Danna. Galen was an excellent marksman, having been skilled in archery since he’d taken it up as a hobby as a young boy. At the time, he hadn’t known just how useful his skill would be, but in his days as an Auror he had thanked Merlin for it countless times. He’d been able to kill Jesse with one shot to the throat, and he could kill Danna the same way. Or perhaps through her eye. She was much closer than Jesse had been. Galen could make this shot in his sleep. All he had to do was let go of the string. So why wasn’t he?

”Don’t think I won’t kill you,” he warned her, knowing that even if he was unexplainably holding back right now, he would shoot her without question if push came to shove. It was his training, if nothing else.”I’ll shoot you the same way I shot your fiance. There was never a chance for a wedding, hmmm? Too bad. It’s too late now, isn’t it? For both of them. And for you, too. You can all be together again,” he said, leveling the bow at her. One shot would be all it took.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

While important, her meeting with the Dark Lord had been cut short when an alarm had been raised, a sighting of Harry Potter. The wizard had to reschedule, which Danna was mildly irritated about. But it was leaving, seeing a Death Eater's pregnant wife, had put the idea into her head for the first time in a long time. Since capturing Galen she had been far too preoccupied with him and other things to worry about her body. But now that she thought about it, wasn't she feeling a bit strange? Didn't it feel like pregnancy? She had been pregnant enough times to know. The test had only been a formality. She already knew the truth.

Leaving Riddle Manor she had taken a quick stop at St. Mungo's to be positive, and to test for paternity. Ever since her night with Galen, Danna made sure to sleep around more than usual, to take her mind off of things. But, like with the pregnancy itself, she had a sinking feeling it was his.

Rebuilding her army had always been a priority, but she had almost always been a bit more select with the fathers of her children. She had never gotten herself knocked up by a prisoner before! For a few minutes she sat, dazed, in the hospital room before forcing herself to move on. This wasn't a big deal. As far as she was concerned, there were worse choices for the father of her child. Galen was much better than Abbott or McKinnon or Krum. As long as this child didn't turn out like its father, or like Sadie, they'd all be fine.

Flooing back home, though, she was immediately alerted by the wards that something had happened in the basement. Sighing heavily, she stood for a moment, rubbing her temples, before Summoning her wand and heading downstairs. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard the things Sadie was saying. Talking about Paul...Her heart ached, stomach lurching, face heating as her deepest secrets were revealed to this scumbag. By her own daughter. She shouldn't have been surprised that Sadie would have a hand in this.

When Galen pointed his bow at her, she barely blinked, only waving her hand as though irritated, erecting a Shield around herself. "Why didn't you shoot me the moment you saw me, then?" she questioned in a bored tone. This was really the last thing she wanted to deal with. She just didn't feel like she had the mental energy for it after everything. Shaking her head, she narrowed her eyes at Sadie, forcing herself to focus. This wasn't good. "If you weren't already dead, Sadie Elizabeth..."

"But I am," Sadie said coldly, looking from Galen's bow to her mother. She loved her mother, and didn't really want her dead. But at the same time, wasn't it what was best?

"Let's get a few things straight," Danna said, standing tall. "The whole 'I shot your man' thing is getting old. It's been six months, get over it. I have. And if either of you so much as thinks the names Paul or Jesse again, I swear to God I will cut out your tongues to prevent you from saying a damn thing, because, quite frankly, I'm tired of hearing it.

"And another thing, Galen, you should put your toys away before I break them," Danna said. "You wouldn't want to kill your own child, would you?"

Pulling a small booklet out of where she had tucked them into the back of her pants, Danna tossed them down the staircase to land in front of Galen's feet. It was a small booklet the healers had given her with the baby's pictures. It didn't look like much more than a blob right now, but it was something. On one page of the book was all of the information. Today's date, conception date, due date, gender (a boy), and the names of the parents, as she had requested paternity testing. Danna Deville and Galen Cross.

"Congrats, Daddy, it's a boy," she said dryly. Taking out her wand, she snapped, "Accio Galen's wand, Accio bow, Accio arrows."

[GALEN CROSS]

Galen ignored Danna's first question, mainly because he didn't have an answer for her. Why hadn't he just shot her the moment she'd entered? What was holding him back?

He didn't have much time to think about it, thank Merlin, because she was already carrying on about how she would kill Sadie if her daughter wasn't already dead, and how she was so over Jesse's death. Galen didn't believe it for a second, especially when Danna added that she would cut out his tongue if he so much as thought about either Paul or Jesse. Galen had a biting remark all ready, but she also ordered him to put the bow down if he didn't want to kill his child.

Galen just stared at her. What on Earth...?

Danna reached into the back of her pants, pulling out a booklet and tossing it at his feet. She congratulated him emotionlessly, informing him that it was a boy, and Summoned his weapons to her. Galen hardly noticed them leaving him as he bent to pick up the book, willing his fingers not to tremble as he opened it.

There were pictures of a little blob, looking very much like the ultrasound pictures given to Muggle mothers by their doctors. However, these were from St. Mungo's, and Galen could see the little blob moving a bit. There was all kinds of information in the book, about the date, the gender of the baby, when it was due, the conception date... which did send a shiver down Galen's back.

He chuckled shakily, then laughed a bit louder, more strongly.

"How much did you have to pay them for this?" he asked her, shaking his head and tossing the booklet back. It was obviously a trick. She was just trying to get to him, to throw him off his game. "It's pretty convincing, after all. Must have taken some time to put together. What I can't believe is that you actually remembered the conception date. How sweet," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Danna Deville was not having his baby. There was just no way.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

The weapons flew into her hands as she took a few steps down, only to have Christian and Hailey take her spot behind her. Reaching both arms behind her, each of them took something then stepped back, watching Galen warily. Danna raised an eyebrow as Galen chuckled, then glared as he laughed louder. Then he accused her of paying someone to create the pictures. As if! Why would she want, even the prisoner himself, to know that she had gotten herself knocked up by one of her victims! She clenched her fists, glowering at him a moment until she felt movement behind her, Christian and Hailey stepping closer.

"Tie him back up, Christian. The other chains this time, since Sadie's been divulging secrets," Danna said quietly.

"Yes, Mother," Christian said immediately, walking down to grab Galen and chain him back up.

"Taking into consideration everything that happened that night," Danna explained, "the wild sex all done bareback, it seems to reason that my chances of becoming pregnant then are very high. In fact, I am mildly amazed I'm not carrying twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, or the like. You're the only person I've had unprotected sex with in months, and whether you like it or not, the boy's yours." She was tempted to direct him to the size of the boy's penis, but figured this was not the time to be paying him compliments. Or thinking about sex with him. "But if you don't believe me, that's just fine. Because in a few months there's going to be a new baby in the house that will be all the proof you need that you have once again earned the title of sperm donor.

"As for your misconception that I cooked this whole scheme up, let's point out the facts. It does me no good to threaten your family. You're more like me than you know. Your pride is more important to you than anything else, including them. You'll never admit that because you're one of the 'good guys'. You're supposed to be better than that, supposed to be selfless and blah blah blah. But you're no better than the rest of us. So, why would I make you think I was having your child unless it was true? Because clearly lying about it wouldn't do me any good. You're not near the family man you wish you were."

[GALEN CROSS]

Galen never let his eyes leave Danna’s, allowing her oldest son to chain him back up. There was no point in fighting, now. Danna was holding his weapons and was currently being backed up by the very two people Sadie had warned him about. Galen felt a twinge in his chest for the ghost. All she’d been trying to do was help him, and he was sure she’d suffer terribly for divulging her mother’s darkest secrets. Perhaps it looked as though it had all been for nothing, but Galen knew he would escape someday. Then he would put to use everything Sadie had told him. He’d get her out of here, too, he swore it.

Danna was explaining to him everything that he didn’t want to hear, reminding him of all of the insatiable sex they’d had that night. Galen had filled her with his seed more times than he remembered, and her body had put it to use. What was so difficult to believe about that? It was a wonder that Danna was only going to have one. Galen could feel the icy shock trying to settle into him, and he pushed hard against it, firmly clinging to his denial. Jolene was the mother of his children. Not Danna. It was all a trick to get under his skin, unravel him and make him believe that she would bear his child. Galen couldn’t stand to think it.

He glowered at her as she went on, comparing him to her and pointing out the similarities. Danna seemed to think that the two of them weren’t so different after all, while Galen knew they were worlds apart. Half the time he didn’t even consider them to be the same species. He was an Auror, and had been raised to take the noble and right path, even when it was difficult. He was a family man, and his wife and children meant more to him than anything else in the world. Even his pride. He knew that.

”I am nothing like you,” he hissed at her, glaring with that same hatred and disgust he had felt for Danna on his very first day here. Now he was more convinced than ever that she was nothing more than a weak, self-centered blot on the face of the Earth, and it was up to him to erase her.

[DANNA DEVILLE]

"Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep every night?" she asked quietly, taking the bow and arrows and descending the rest of the staircase, coming to face him, standing a few yards away. He ruined everything, this man. He'd killed Jesse, had fucked up her head, and had now impregnated her and, thanks to her oldest daughter, knew more about her than he should. With everything, though, she just didn't have it in her to hurt him as much as she should. It was unusual. Maybe it was shock, maybe it was exhaustion, but whatever it was would not stand. She had to do something, had to stand tall and make her point. And what better way than to shoot him with his own bow and arrows?

"There are more convenient ways of killing someone, you know," she said, holding the weapon in place, eyeing his body...that delicious body. Blinking to snap herself out of it, she aimed at a relatively safe area, his shoulder, and sent an arrow flying at it, then did the same with the other, then through both legs. When she was finished she through it all to the ground. "Burn them," she commanded, swirling his wand around in her hands. She should burn this too, but she had better ideas for it. Like shoving it up his ass, for instance. Or using it for her own pleasure. Hmm...Maybe she'd do both. One day. But not today. Sending it back to its proper place, she wiped her hands, glaring at Galen.

"You didn't really think you were going to escape, did you?"