Words: 548
In which Jasper and Simone talk about his return from the dead.
For @ofviolentdeathÂ
âYou didnât want immorality.â She was good at approaching silently. He knew it wasnât on purpose, but that didnât make it less alarming. Even with his heightened senses, he almost never heard her coming. With the fire burning in the fireplace, he hadnât smelled her either. He managed not to jump, too used to the surprise appearances by more or less everyone in his life, but his heartbeat most definitely picked up the pace for a brief moment or two.
âI donât,â he replied, setting aside his book and looking up at her. She held his gaze, waiting for him to continue and knowing heâd do so unprompted. âLyri needed me.â
His answer wasnât shocking. There was no way heâd done it for himself, but for Lyri? Maybe even for Simone, too? If she didnât have Benji, she was sure heâd at least have considered it. Still, it seemed unlike him to go through with it. âThatâs not likely to change, darlinâ.â
He sighed, eyes tearing away from hers, staring down at the book, and trying not to fidget. âI know.â
âIâm not sayinâ that Iâm not happy to have ya back, but are you sure youâre not gonna regret it?â
âHonestly?â He looked back up at her, offering a shrug. âNo. Not really. But Iâve never been sure of much and I couldnât justâŠâ
âI know. Foreverâs just a real long time. Anâ I say that as someone whoâs only been around about a century and a half.â Not that she wasnât thrilled to have met Jasper and Benji both, which never would have happened without becoming a vampire, but it still wasnât easy. Sheâd been alone for a long time and then all sheâd had was Izzy for a bit and Cord on and off. Things had improved when sheâd taken in Jasper, but sheâd gone a long time before that miracle had happened.
He nodded in agreement, looking more tired than sheâd ever seen him. âYeah. And I donât know if thereâs ever gonna be a day where I think to myself, âyeah this was a great idea,â but if I can make it without ever thinking to myself, âwow, this was a terrible idea,â then Iâll consider that a victory.â
âYou need better standards of success.â
âIâve found setting the bar low makes it a lot easier to reach it.â
âYou are always going to be too young to be that cynical. Iâm gonna be sayinâ the same thing a century from now.â There was a small smile on her lips. He appreciated the attempt at teasing.
âIâve gotten less cynical. Not by much, but itâs happened.â
âSheâs been good for you,â Simone mused, watching him for a moment. âFrom what I hear, youâve been good for each other.â
âWell, letâs hope that doesnât change any time soon. It would really bite now.â
âI donât think itâs ever gonna change. But if it does, youâre always gonna have me anâ Benji.â
He gave her a smile, small but genuine and she counted that as a victory. She hadnât seen him smile since heâd gotten back, for sure, and probably for a while before then. It was a pretty rare sight, even on a good day. âThanks, Simone.â
âOf course. Thatâs what familyâs for, darlinâ.â













