Glass Hearts

21

"What are you doing here Rosa?" With everything that's been going on Jeremy had totally forgotten his erstwhile bond mate.

"I live here now, remember?" Rosa says at first with a great deal of bravado, then it ends in near silence.

"What I remember is lie after lie. You don't control the bond anymore and I don't want you here. Come back tomorrow and pack your things. You can return to the witches community to live. Or," Jeremy shrugs, "do whatever the hell you want as long as it's far away from me."

Rosa turns white at his words. The pain from the bond was minimal, their bond wasn't strong but the pain was still there. "Please, Jeremy, let me have another chance at working things out."

Even now she tries to control the bond and only when she bothers to look at his aura does she gasp. She really isn't in control anymore. Jeremy could send her away and she'd have no choice but to leave.

Jeremy looks at her hard.  "You really don't listen do you? I wasn't going to do this, but since you don't listen, you have twenty-four hours to come up with reparations Rosa or I'll be calling a court to judge this."

Rosa turns even whiter than she was before, "You can't do that Jeremy."

"Oh, can't I? Why ever not Rosa? I should have the first time when I realized that you lied to me, I gave you another chance and you still lied to me. So tell me just why I can't do this?" Jeremy's voice had taken on the deeper darker tones that means the demon spirit has taken over. Lance and Jim look at him worriedly.

"I-" Rosa's shoulders fall in defeat, "I have no reason. What would you like in reparations?"

"My freedom," Jeremy says succinctly.

Rosa starts crying then, "I can't give you that. You know the rules of bonding as well as I do."

"Leann could do it, but not without cost," Lance says more than a little smug.

"If that is all you will take then you better call the court. I'll be at the witches community, just call Jim and he can relay the message to me when it's set up." Rosa says in defeat.

The three demons watch the witch go slowly down the stairs. "Perhaps I was too harsh with her," Jeremy says softly.

Although Lance relaxes with those words, "No, Jeremy. This should have been done before. She was told by others that she needed to make things right and instead she just compounds things. She didn't heed the warnings and now she needs to pay the price."

Jeremy looks at his friend, "You thought I was going over didn't you?"

"While we were at the accident, you were acting more human than I've ever witnessed a demon to act before. Then when we were, or rather you were, confronting Rosa it was the demon side coming out loud and clear. But I think you have it more or less controlled at this time. Do you want your slaves to come back now?" Lance asks casually.

Jeremy shakes his head, "I have control right now, but it's not a strong control. I did lose it with Rosa, at least a bit. I can't afford to lose it with others around me."

"Do you want one or both of us to stay with you?" Jim asks with concern. "This is a big house and it must get awful lonely."

Jeremy gives him a bitter smile, "Yes, it gets lonely. That was a big part of why I wanted to bond Rosa, for company. But you both have bond mates that won't so easily survive if I go over. Or perhaps they will and I won't?"

Jim shares a look with Lance and Lance nods. Jim slips into the house to go find Verruca. "Jim will be staying tonight. He's going to talk to Verruca to see if she will as well or if she'd prefer returning to the community. Don't be afraid to ask us for help if you need something Jeremy, even if it's something as simple as company. Especially if it's something so simple as company."

Jeremy can't help the tears that come to his eyes. He's never had anyone care for him as much as Lance and his family have. He considers the witches as part of Lances family.

"I would stay as well but I know my son makes you feel uncomfortable. He on the other hand likes you. He thinks you've got a lot of potential." Lance says hiding his mirth at Jeremy's reaction.

"You're kidding me?" His tone a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"Nope, 'fraid not. Roger likes you and wants to know if he can come over and play with you sometime?" Jeremy looks at Lance in fright.

"Don't worry, as long as you are uncomfortable around him I won't ask you to do that. My son takes a great deal of getting used to. When Leann had him, I thought she was going to die and I wasn't very happy with him. It was a good thing she pulled through." Lance says slapping his hand on Jeremy's back.

Jeremy isn't sure if he should believe him or not. "He's telling you the truth, Jeremy." Leann says standing in the now open doorway. 

"Until it was certain that I would live, Lance wouldn't touch or even look at Roger. Roger cried almost incessantly because of that. Verruca had to stay and take care of us both for several days." Leann lets a little acid etch her voice letting Lance know that she's still not happy how he dealt with things.

"See, Jeremy, we all make mistakes." Lance says hunching his shoulders against her indirect verbal attack.

"Well mister brave and mighty, I think it's time we left and got back to our son." Leann says giving Lance another hard look. "Jeremy, Jim and Verruca will be staying with you tonight. She will also help you organize for the court Jim says you are calling. Such a hassle, if you are still interested in being free from the bond let me know, okay?"

"Okay, thank you Leann." Jeremy says and scrunches the paper in his hand.

"What's that Jeremy?" Leann says as she comes to stand next to him.

"The number for me to get started being certified to take in and care for a child." Jeremy replies unsure of what the correct term is.

"You want to be a foster parent?" Leann is speechless and turns to Lance who nods solemnly.

"I thought I was going to have to pry his arms away from the child he saved tonight." Lance says and leaves Leann speechless.

"Saved? You saved a child tonight?" Leann says stunned.

"It was a baby actually," Jeremy says shyly, much like the old Jeremy would.

"Jeremy, I think it will be safe enough for your slaves to return tomorrow. Lance will return to make sure that all is well before you call though." Leann all but orders him. Jeremy nods his head in acceptance of her orders.

"Okay, if you think it's safe enough. I slipped a bit when talking to Rosa though, I don't want to slip with my slaves."

Leann waves his concern away, "A saint could slip having to deal with her. You'll be fine by tomorrow, but Lance will makes sure it's okay first. Now go get some sleep." Leann orders before giving him a kiss on the forehead and leaving with Lance.

"Good night Lance, Leann," Jeremy calls after them and they wave goodnight back before disappearing in the portal to their home.

Jeremy goes inside his house and goes to make up a couple of rooms for the remaining two people in his house