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[sub]A [@HaleyTheRandom] & [@SouffleGirl123] Collab; [i]Featuring [color=FFF79A]Mary Price[/color] & [color=00FFFC]Lilith Montgomery[/color].[/i][/sub][/center]
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Only moments after her realization Mary hurried to find Lilith, leaving Claire with a promise to return for shots. Hurrying between rooms and quickly disengaging from conversations from other ex-coven members. On most days she'd slow her pace for her old comrades and seniors but today was different. She wanted to get to Lilith before anyone else in their little group got to her… or Miles. 

She opened doors to side rooms and near hidden pathways she used to find Lilith and Miles back in her time as a coven member. It was when she went to the potion room the somewhat familiar scent of blunts danced in the air, trailing from the verandah. With a sigh the woman beelines for the verandah door, opening it to see Lilith with a blunt in her hand. She pokes her head through the opening she made with the door and looks the young woman up and down. Looking up and down at the woman's outfit she couldn’t help but give a chuckle. Although Lilith resembled her mother in many ways her fashion sense was far from one of them.

[color=fff79a]"How'd ya ma feel about you not wearing a dress tonight?"[/color] she asks playfully with a chuckle, an attempt to keep the air light even if Lil could detect her inner panic. [color=fff79a]"You do look lovely, dear. Can I steal some of your time for a moment? Somewhere a bit more private?"[/color]

After her conversation with Salem, Lilith had decided to step out onto the veranda to watch the rest of the setting sun fade into the night. She was good at acting calm and diplomatic in situations such as these, but she still couldn’t help the way her hands shook as she removed the prize from her pants pocket. Leaning against the handrail, Lilith drowned out the quiet hum of voices coming from inside the house by focusing on the sound of the crickets below. 

The Handover ceremony was something that Lilith had both looked forward to, and dreaded. After today - there were no more excuses. They were the real adults, and they had to handle all of the issues now. From now on, she was going to be one of the ones people had no choice but to run to. All in all - Lilith wasn’t sure if she was up for the challenge. 

Turning her head as she took another drag, Lilith couldn’t help but give a small smile at Mary’s comment. [color=00FFFC]”She had some words to say, but I think she’ll survive,”[/color] the young woman joked, her eyes now meeting her godmothers. Even without Lilith using powers, it was easy to see that Mary was frazzled. [color=00FFFC]”I don’t see why not,”[/color] she responded once more with a shrug of her shoulders. [color=00FFFC]”If you can think of somewhere more private than this - lead the way.”[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"You might wanna put that out,"[/color] she says softly, nodding her head toward the blunt. She then gives the young woman a warm smile and squeezes her hand before leading her back into the house. [color=fff79a]"How're you holdin' up?"[/color] she asks as they walk through the many corridors of the house.

Taking another drag, Lilith complied with the older woman's request by squishing the end of the blunt under her boot before shoving it back in her pocket. She didn’t have the heart or fight to tell Mary that she had smoked many times before in the Coven house. Letting Mary lead the way, the young woman shrugged her shoulders before responding. 

[color=00FFFC]”’Bout as well as anyone can do when they’re about to be given the responsibilities of a secret society. Mom’s not caused a scene yet has she?”[/color] 

At Lilith’s question Mary gave a light chuckle, leading her into one of the small bedrooms of the house. A suitcase sat tucked in the corner with some of its contents pulled out around it. With all the visitors she knew all the rooms were probably in use and could only hope this room’s occupant wouldn’t need to come back in. [color=fff79a]"Y’know your ma, she can’t help herself,”[/color] she says closing the door quietly, a small smile playing on her lips as she reflected on the earlier fight, [color=fff79a]"That one might be on me though,”[/color]

Mary turns back to look at Lil. How was she meant to have this conversation? She wasn’t sure but she knew Lilith would rather get the news like this than from an angry Salem. That was assuming she didn’t know. [color=fff79a]"So, anythin’ new between you and Milo?”[/color] she asks the young woman, sitting on the bed. She pats the spot next to her, willing the girl to join. She was hoping if Lilith knew she’d be willing to give that information up.

So Claire [i]had[/i] done something - and Mary was reluctant to share. That was different. Oftentimes, Mary and Lilith had stood in a corner and narrated or made fun of the fights that Claire had gotten into. For Mary not to come right out and describe whatever was going on for Lil was a strange thing indeed. 

As they walked into the room, Lilith took her seat beside Mary while doing the best that she could not to read into the other woman's emotions. The uneasiness radiating from her was hard to ignore as Lilith took her place on the edge of the bed. 

[color=00FFFC]”Not really,”[/color] she replied, clearing the raspiness from her throat. [color=00FFFC]”Just been tryin’ to get used to things again.”[/color] With a sigh, Lilith let the silence feel the room for just a moment before speaking again. [color=00FFFC]”Why? Did he do something? Did [i]I[/i] do something?”[/color] 

Mary attempts to give the young woman a comforting smile. [color=fff79a]"No… well yes. Not on purpose, I don’t think,”[/color] she replies meekly, stumbling over her words slightly. Mary wasn’t usually one to stumble over her words. She gave a long deep sigh, trying to recollect herself. [color=fff79a]"Look, Lil, it might sound like I’m oversteppin’ here and if the situation was different I just well might be but… I think you might be pregnant. Actually, I know, the divination don’t lie.”[/color] She looks up at Lilith awaiting her reaction before dropping anything else on her.

A small [color=00FFFC]”Oh”[/color] was all that Lilith could muster as she attempted to process what Mary was saying. After Claire had presumably passed away, Lilith had turned to godmother for help and training with her Divination; she would never doubt Mary Price. Even still - 

[color=00FFFC]”Surely not,”[/color] she replied, with a short laugh. [color=00FFFC]”I mean we only… you know - ”[/color] Struggling for words, the young woman made vague motions with her hands. [color=00FFFC]”Like once. Maybe twice. Okay maybe three times but -”[/color] Lilith's ramble was cut short when she met Mary's gaze of sympathy. 

At that moment, all of the puzzle pieces seemed to snap right into place. Lilith couldn’t lie that she had had her own suspicions - from the tightening of her jeans, to her hormones being wack as shit - but she had just chalked it all up to stress. 

[color=00FFFC]”I mean - that’s that, I guess? You know I won’t believe it until I see if for myself, so of course I’ll grab a test soon but how [i]the fuck[/i] am I supposed to tell Kane?”[/color] The more that Lilith spoke, the more the panic set in. 

Mary remained silent as Lilith went through a spiral that was reminiscent of the one she had had herself when she was not much older. She could do none but just remain silent, sympathy drawn on her face. [color=fff79a]"I’d offer to do it for you but honestly dear, it should come from you,”[/color] Mary replies, her eyes remaining on Lilith. She wished she could just slowly tell her everything over a course of days, long enough to not be overwhelming but she knew with the risk of Salem at her right after the ceremony that was far from possible.

She gives her another forced smile before continuing on. Mary knew it’d do none with Lilith’s abilities being able to read into her inner turmoil but it was a natural response at this point. [color=fff79a]"I wish I could say that’s all but you need to know something else,”[/color] Mary pursed her lips as the frustrations of the situation Miles’ father had put the family in came to the surface. [color=fff79a]"Miles’ father is magi- that I knew from the beginnin’. Miles was born with a birthmark but honestly I assumed it was a heritage thing considerin’ his powers are more common in witches and warlocks but uh-. Lil, I talked to Salem and she’s very convinced his father is Aloysius Leighton. Y’know, the kid who started the magi war.”[/color] Mary rubs the bridge of her nose. [color=fff79a]"I’m so sorry Lil, if she’s right-”[/color]

Shaking her leg a hundred miles a minute, Lilith was currently going through every scenario imaginable on how to break the news to Miles. They had just gotten back together, and everything was going relatively smooth. Did Miles even want to be a dad? Did she want to be a mom? Was John going to kill him? Was Claire? Was Carlisle going to have a heart attack? Her questions and scenarios were cut short by the word [i]magi[/i].

Listening to the rest of what Mary had to say, Lilith shook her head in protest as she stood up from the bed. Beginning to pace the bedroom floor, the young woman pulled her shirt sleeves up to her elbows as she ran her hands through her hair. [color=00FFFC]”I think I’m gonna lose it,”[/color] she warned. [color=00FFFC]”My boyfriends a magi. Cool, cool.”[/color] As she spoke, it was easy to tell that Lilith was trying to sooth herself by sorting her thoughts aloud once more. 
[color=00FFFC]”The son of a war criminal,”[/color] she muttered. [color=00FFFC]”I’m carrying a war criminal's grandchild. A [i]magi[/i] war criminal.”[/color] Throwing her hands in the air, the young woman could help the manic laughter that escaped. [color=00FFFC]”What the [i]fuck[/i].”[/color] 

[color=00FFFC]”Leighton,”[/color] Lilith pondered, still pacing back and forth as she played with the name. The - hopefully - final realization hit the young woman like a ten ton weight, stopping her dead in her tracks. She felt her face grow hot, tears pooling in her eyes as a fear filled chill ran down her spine. Looking at her godmother, Lilith sighed, clearly defeated. [color=00FFFC]”Mary… Mary, no,”[/color] she protested weakly, now fully realizing what all of this meant. 

Mary sighed a heavy sigh. Seeing her goddaughter in turmoil like this hurt her. Knowing she had a hand in it, no matter if it was unknowingly, hurt her even more. [color=fff79a]"Lil,”[/color] she says gently, gripping onto the younger woman’s shoulders to hold her in place. She sends a wave of calming energy through the girl before pulling her into a tight hug. [color=fff79a]"Look, you and I both know this baby’s gonna be… controversial to put it lightly. It’s gonna work out, ok? If ya want to have it you got me and Miles, and your mamma and John- I’m sure he’d shoot at anyone who looks at that kid wrong,”[/color] 

Mary pulls back and produces a tissue from her pocket. She works at wiping away the young woman’s tears. [color=fff79a]"Look, I’m not saying it’ll be easy but we can make this work,”[/color]

Returning Mary's hug and taking the tissue, Lilith shrugged her shoulders in response. [color=00FFFC]”If by making this work you mean starting world war three, sure,”[/color] she joked. [color=00FFFC]”I don’t think Salem is going to let her mortal enemy's bloodline get any further than it already has.”[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"You don’t know that,”[/color] Mary mutters, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her goddaughter’s ear. Despite trying to keep the mood up, even without empathic abilities it would be obvious that she wasn’t so convinced herself. [color=fff79a]"Who knows, Salem might be more graceful than we think. It’s not that Miles was raised by his father, might be enough to hold her back? For now, though, you should probably think about more important things. Like whatcha gonna do about this baby.”[/color]

[i]Yeet myself off of a cliff[/i] didn’t seem like the appropriate response. Maybe Lilith didn’t have the right to act like everything was as bad as she was making it out to be, but that still didn’t help the fact that she felt like the world was crashing from beneath her feet. With Mary’s help, the tears had stopped flowing, however it was still easy to tell that Lilith was pretty shaken about the whole ordeal. 

[color=00FFFC]”I never thought of myself as a mom,”[/color] she answered almost too quickly. [color=00FFFC]”Figured I had drank and smoke so much that my eggs were either pickled or fried, honestly.”[/color] Taking another deep breath to steady her nerves she asked [color=00FFFC]”Does Miles know about his dad?”[/color] 

Mary couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her lips at Lilith’s comment. [color=fff79a]"If it’s any help neither did your ma or I but I like to think you kids turned out just fine.”[/color] That was when Lilith asked about Miles, it made Mary tenses slightly, a reaction she attempted to hide with limited success. She didn’t want Lilith adding a worry for her onto her rapidly growing list of worries. 

[color=fff79a]"That was my next job- I just figured I had to get to you before Salem did. Would rather you found out this way over whatever Salem’s plannin’. I only just found out myself,”[/color] she replies gingerly. [color=fff79a]"I should probably have that talk with him before you tell him about the baby, hey?”[/color]

Nodding her head, Lilith forced a small smile. [color=00FFFC]”Yeah, that’d be preferable,”[/color] she sighed. [color=00FFFC]”Just promise me Miles and I will walk out of this alive tonight?”[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"Of course. I’ll make sure of that myself, kay?”[/color] Mary replies, running a hand through her hair. [color=fff79a]"Just brace yourself for Salem’s questions. Doesn’t sound like she’s ready to attack but be ready. You know more of what the woman’s capable of than me,”[/color]

The legends and myths of Salem de Silva was enough to wipe the smile off of anyone's face - including Lilith’s. While it was comforting to know Salem wasn’t stomping around the grounds looking for her, the fact that she had to keep the Guild Leader at bay was absolutely terrifying. 

[color=00FFFC]”Don’t remind me,”[/color] the brunette mumbled, mostly to herself. [color=00FFFC]”I reckon if you can take care of Miles, I can handle Salem,”[/color] she decided, squaring her shoulders. [color=00FFFC]”I would say we could all go back to the ranch and have a drink after, but -”[/color] 

[color=fff79a]"Sounds like a plan,”[/color] Mary muses, reaching for the door. At Lilith’s last words she turns back to her, her hand still on the door handle. [color=fff79a]"Sounds like ya got some habits to kick. Worry about Salem for now, we’ll sort out the rest later.”[/color] A small smile spreads over the woman’s face at her reflection of the conversation. Now the heavy stuff was out of the way her mind was able to focus on the situation as more than a point for panic. [color=fff79a]"Lilith? You’ll do great, dear,”[/color] she says vaguely before turning to the door and happily uttering, [color=fff79a]"I’m gonna be a memaw,”[/color] to herself before swinging open the door.

With a huff, Lilith came to the realization that her drinking and smoking days were over - at least for now. Where Mary seemed excited about the news, it was still all taking some time to really sink in for Lilith. Hearing the older woman's joyful cry, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. [color=00FFFC]”This is bullshit,”[/color] she grumbled under her breath, walking out after Mary and closing the bedroom door behind her. 

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