Isabella

To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She needed this outing to go well, for everyone to play civil. Cassian had taken the time she had offered, had spoken with Azriel if the lack of shadows was any induction. Not that the little creatures had left her entirely, some of them Azriel had linked to the bond, meaning they were essentially hers.

Hence the neatly wrapped sandwiches in brown paper being dragged and pushed along the kitchen table until they fell off the side and into the picnic bag waiting below.

So maybe she was overpacking a little but who could blame her.

Cassian, as the only other adept cook among the group, was packing food for the males so she only had to look out for herself and Oliver. Packing sandwiches, beach towels and all the random things Oliver needs. Honestly, fifty percent of motherhood is just being a packhorse and carting your child from one place to the next.

Said child has taken on the daunting task of working out which toys to take with him to the beach. Surprisingly, Oliver understood they would get dirty- not sandy - he had never been to a beach so didn't understand that concept but he was greatly concerned about the cleanliness of his toys.

But he wanted to take his soldiers and bat-bat.

Bat-bat was always coming but Isabella had cruelly placed a limit on the number of toys he could bring. Oliver hadn't spoken to her since, because there clearly was no worse rule to impose.

Isabella had taken to talking aloud. There were numerous "I wonder which sandwich Oliver would like." Followed by the proclamation that she was packing his least favourite, it was only once he had suppressed little gasps of horror that she had relented with a grin and narrated her packing of his favourite jam sandwich.

A steady knock at the door had her nerves returning. Isabella had made the decision to reach out to Rhys yesterday in person and send a letter to Azriel and Cassian via the shadow postal service.

Oliver was understandably frustrated at once again returning to Rhys' townhouse. This place wasn't exactly known for its fun to the young boy so Isabella had packed a few of his favourite toys and a colouring book to keep him entertained while she spoke with Rhys.

Not that she should have worried.

Rhys had lasted all of two minutes under the boy's pitiful looks before suggesting a walk to the park.

It was only once Oliver was excited running around the playground equipment that hadn't been there last week that Rhys slowed to a stop. Isabella had been relatively calm up to this point. Content with the amiable silence as they walked. Well, relative silence considering her son filled it with chatter.

"Shall we sit?" Rhys gestured to the bench next to her.

She nodded stiffly, letting him help put the Oliver-entertainment-bag on the floor. Oliver had glanced bach at her then and she waved in answer, grinning at his overzealous waves back. It took her a second to notice that Rhys was watching them with a soft expression. One that reminded her why she was there in the first place.

"I though it was about time we caught up."

"Was the awkward tea not enough for you?" Rhys arched a brow but there was real guilt in his eyes. "I shouldn't have sprung that upon you."

Isabella shrugged, "The execution was exactly the best but I can understand why you felt the need to engineer a meeting."

"You have been avoiding me then." She swallows nervously at his sad tone, toying with her hands. "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"I think we've all been out of touch with each other." Rhys tensed for a moment at her words. "Cassian and Azriel have been going about things the wrong way."

"They mean well." He defended and Isabella's heart softened at his protective tone. "They're still getting used to all of this."

"I know." She murmured, watching her son as he clambered up a wooden fake castle. "I also know they're trying to force their own relationship back, forget their history."

Rhys nods, "Back to beginning."

"Except none of us can turn back time." She knows her tone changes, that there's a sadness clinging to it. She would never get to go back and have that first love, or erase her memories with Tomas. The same way Cassian and Azriel couldn't go back and pretend like they were starting a new relationship. "We can only move forward."

Rhys' voice is thick when he asks, "And what does the future look like for us?"

Currently, Isabella couldn't help but think their future looked like two baths and still finding sand between their toes. Despite her nerves she wasn't regretting bringing everyone together, only the location of their meeting.

She opened her front door with a hesitant smile, finding Rhys nervously dragging a hand through his hair. For a moment she just stared at him, taken in by the bright eyes and easy smile.

"Can I come in?" He gestures to where she's still hiding behind the door.

Isabella stutters out a welcome, blushing in embarrassment as she opened the door wider to let the fae into her home.

"Oliver." She called down the hallway, careful to only raise her voice and not shout in the presence of sensitive fae ears. "Rhys is here."

There was an immediate sound of pattering footsteps that had Isabella smiling. Rhys stepped forward in time to catch the boy racing down the stairs as he leapt into his arms.

"Rhys!"

"Ollie!" Rhys mimicked his excitement, twirling around in a circle till her son was laughing in delight. "I missed you buddy."

"You saw me yesterday." He giggled and Isabella smiled too.

Rhys gasped dramatically, "But I still missed you."

"Because I'm adorable." Oliver parroted Isabella's words much to both adults' amusement. "Are you coming to the beach?"

"Absolutely," Rhys shifted Oliver onto his hip. "I was promised sandcastles and ice cream."

Oliver nodded so fast Isabella worried he would get dizzy.

"Mum promised me ice cream too," Her son was wiggling in seconds desperate to be let down. "We only have two flavours in the ice."

Apparently the cool box, or ice box, was too much for her son.

They followed the young boy into the kitchen, watching as he tried to open the heavy cool box door.

"Ol," Isabella called but he only mumbled in response. "I thought we were going to have ice cream at the beach."

"But we don't have any ice cream in the bag."

Isabella sighed, gearing herself up to explain the plan for the third time in two days.

"Buddy we're buying ice cream there." Rhys interjected, "They have lots of flavours at the shop."

"I don't want flay-ors, I want ice cream."

"They're the same-" Rhys broke off with a sigh, looking to Isabella for support.

She shrugged.

Welcome to life with a toddler, lordling.

He smirked as if hearing her words before scooping up the various bags littered on the kitchen floor.

"Shall we get this show on the road."

Oliver frowned, "What show?"

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There was sand everywhere. It was covering every crack, crevice and inch of skin Isabella had. It was disgusting, vile and itching and gross and all four of her boys were playing nicely so she didn't move in case she spooked them.

Isabella was thankfully only cursed with dry sand. Her son, on the other hand, seemed to be covered head to toe in wet sand, matting his dark curls, and covering his navy trunks. From the safety and comfort of a shaded beach blanket, Isabella shook her head in amusement as she watched her 4-year old son race out of the incoming waves.

Or maybe he was running away from Cassian who was dramatically chasing him.

Oliver squealed, giggling as he raced towards his mother with two fistfuls of sand. Rhys patiently followed the pair, a bucket of wet sand in his grasp. The trio trudged up the beach through the deep sand towards her. Each of them were sporting beaming grins.

"Look, Mama!" Oliver cried, unceremoniously dumping his fistfuls of sand onto the pile next to their blanket. "We got more sand!"

Thankfully Rhys has been carrying buckets of 'the most special sand' up from the sea so they did actually have a pile and not just the empty fistfuls Oliver kept collecting. To her son's credit, he was determined and refused to be distracted from his goal.

Oliver had declared to Rhys on the walk over that he wanted to build a sandcastle. All they had done so far was collect sand from down by the water. Not actually build it.

Hilariously, this seemed to entertain all three of her boys immensely. Isabella was soon left in peace as Cassian swooped Oliver up into his arms before racing back down to the sea with Rhys behind him.

"Which one of them is the child again?" An amused voice asked from behind her and Isabella rolled her eyes, swatting at the arm cradling her.

"Be nice." She huffed, snuggling further into the shadowsinger who was sat behind her. "They're keeping Oliver entertained while we relax."

"Correction," Azriel banded his arms around her middle, tugging her towards him so that her back was flush against his chest, his legs bracketing around her. "Oliver is keeping them entertained while we have some peace and quiet."

She hummed, not disagreeing with him.

They watched as their little family raced back up from the sea again, yet another bucket of sand in their grasps.

"There must be a better way to do this." Azriel grumbled and Isabella couldn't help but laugh. "We've been here for over an hour and this all they have done."

"Hi Mumma!" Oliver cried, sand kicking up behind his feet as he ran toward them. "We got more sand!"

"I can see!" She grinned, "You've done such a good job."

All three males glowed at the praise.

"We're going to make such cool castles with it."

Oliver shook his head vehemently, "Not yet."

Isabella raised her brows, looking up at Cassian and Rhys who didn't seem to be tired of Oliver yet.

"We need more sand." Cassian supplied and she had a sinking suspicion that this castle was about to become the general's fort with a moat. "Come on, Ol."

Rhys lingered back with them this time. Watching as Cassian raced the little demi-fae and lost, before diving into the water.

It was Oliver's first time at the beach and he had soon gotten over his fear of the water. It had taken Isabella and Rhys holding a hand each and walking him through the shallow ends before he raced off and into the wave.

Unfortunately, Isabella hadn't considered this new found confidence when Rhys was helping her set up the beach umbrella and towel. Oliver had trotted down the beach, wooden shovel and bucket in hand, without them. Isabella had told him to stay close but had gotten distracted when Cassian and Azriel had appeared and begun to help fortify the umbrella but when they turned around her son had followed the receding waves all the way out to the surf's edge to begin his digging.

Within seconds they were racing down the beach as Oliver was being knocked over by the next incoming wave.

Thankfully Azriel had the foresight to actually winnow to the boy and had hauled him out of the water by the time they reached them. Oliver was already wrapping his arms around Azriel's neck, giggling to himself as his mother approached the group of fae who had got there faster.

"Did you see me, Mummy?" He asked with excitement while Rhys retrieved the bucket and shovel floating away.

She had shared a look with Azriel over the boy's shoulder as they all took a beat to try and quell the fear-induced adrenaline that was spiking in their bloodstreams. Cassian braced his hands on his hips, head hunched over. Isabella just shook her head, hand on her forehead as if she could prevent the impending stress headache.

Isabella wasn't sure she had it in her to reprimand her son after such a fright. It was her first big sacre with Oliver since arriving in Velaris.

Rhys on the other hand was ready to go with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. "Well I saw you ignore your mother's order to stay close, then run down to the water without your life vest on," He reprimanded firmly. "There are rules for a reason, Ollie. You could have gotten hurt."

The grin on her son's face fell away and he looked down, realising he was in trouble.

Rhys sighed.

"But yes," He softened and Azriel gently began to wipe the water off Oliver's face with the back of his wrist. "I saw you were very brave and went into the water."

Ellie's eyes snapped back up with apprehensive excitement on his face.

"But," Cassian grumbled, ever the drill sergeant, "We weill be going over how to get out of waves safely."

And then proceeded to rant about water safety, survival techniques and how to get yourself out of a wave's pull for the next thirty minutes. It was only when Oliver could demonstrate that he had actually understood the instruction that Cassian seemed to relax again.

Ollie kept his head above water, rolled onto his stomach with arms and legs dangling free below him to dig into the sand as the wave pushed him up the beach and into the shallow water.

"Well done, buddy!" Cassian exclaimed, scooping him much to an irritated 'little one!'s annoyance.

Her son still hadn't worked out that Cassian was just nicknaming him with a different name.

But Cassian was pleased, and Oliver was allowed to swim in the sea so everyone was happy.

Now Isabella was sat with Azriel watching her son from their blanket, while the High Lord dug a moat around their pile of sand per the builder's - Cassian's - instructions. Oliver was running back and forth on his own now, perfectly in time with the push and pull of the waves. Cassian was swimming just beyond him in the water.

They had Ollie covered from both sides.

"I don't know which one of them is having more fun." The High Lord murmured, settling down beside them.

"Definitely Cassian." Azriel jokes.

"Well he's certainly the only one of them aware of the fun they're having." Isabella commented and Rhys raised a brow at her. She shrugged in answer, "You can't honestly tell me that he isn't actively thinking about how much he loves this, and how much he hopes Oliver remembers this and–"

Azriel chuckles, hugging her tighter, "We get it. Cassian is reliving his youth."

"I'd have thought you old relics would have forgotten all about that."

"Why you little–" Azriel poked at her sides, laughing as she wriggled in his grasp. "You take that back."

"Never!" She declared, laughter spilling from her lips.

Azriel tickled her mercilessly to bother her own and Rhys' laughter. The spymaster showed no intention of stopping until she thought she was going to pull a muscle from how hard she was laughing.

Cassian caught her gaze, clearly amused by the sight of her suffering. His amusement didn't last long as he was caught off guard by a rogue wave smacking him in the back of the head. Isabella laughed aloud, Azriel echoing her amusement, as Cassian sputtered and coughed.

It took the general a good few seconds to wipe the water from his face before glaring up at her. She pursed her lips in an attempt to quell her laughter. Her innocent look didn't little to dissuade her mate, who shook his head and looked away, eyes fixed on a new target.

Isabella followed his line of sight to Oliver, who was racing once again back down the beach. Cas' gaze flicked to the incoming wave then back to her son before dropping down to use the water as cover.

"What is he doing?" She murmured, only mildly concerned.

"Child abuse." Rhys supplied and Isabella rolled her eyes.

"Really?"

Azriel shrugged behind her in support, "Your child is about to be traumatised by a scary sea monster."

She huffed, irritated at the pair not appreciating the cute moment like she was. Like the crocodile from Oliver's picture book, Cassian crept forward through the water. Her son was completely oblivious.

He would be dead in seconds out in the wild. Said one of those supposedly comforting shadows.

When Oliver retrieved his sand, turning his back, Cassian sprang.

"Behind you, Ol!" Rhys called with a grin.

Ollie nearly tripped looking over his shoulder. Shrieking at Cassian in a low crouch, arm spread and racing towards her. The sand bucket was dropped and forgotten as Oliver ran faster. With a single stride Cassian was swinging Oliver into the air, tossing his little body up and over one broad shoulder.

Azriel shook with laughter behind her, the noise echoing along her body as Cassian jogged up the beach towards Isabella.

"Cas!" Oliver giggled, bouncing up and down with with Cassian's footfalls. "Cassy!"

Rhys snorted, "Cassy."

"Look what I caught," Cassian beamed, turned enough so Isabella could see Oliver's smile face pressed against the illyrian's shoulder. "I caught a Tetning."

She had no idea what that was.

It's an animal.

It's her son but whatever.

"Oh yeah," Rhys grinned and in one fluid motion Cassian had pulled Oliver from his shoulder and sat him before the High Lord. "It looks awfully yummy."

Rhys unbuckled Ollie's life vest, tickling the boy's belly till he fell over with the force of his laughter. Cassian slumped down on the sand in front of her. He grumbled and shifted around until she let him rest his head on her lap, next to where Azriel's hand was resting on her thigh.

"I'm not a ten-thing!" Oliver cried through his laughter.

"Really," Rhys asked with dramatic disbelief. "You sure flail around like one."

"No! No, thing!" He protests, struggling out of the life vest before stopping his foot. "I'm a bat."

He was adorable. Her son was adorable. She thinks her heart is melting.

Please get a grip.

Oh sod off you petulant wisps.

"Hmmmmm..." Rhys gave her son the most impressive side-eye she had ever seen. "Are you sure?"

Oliver nodded his head enthusiastically. Rhys continued to ponder whether the young boy was telling the truth.

"A bat huh?" he hummed, pausing for thought before sighing dramatically. "Alright, I guess we can't eat you then." he shrugged. Ollie giggled.

Rhys watches as Oliver trotted over to his mother, curling sleepily against her side as Azriel shifted his leg to offer some back support for the young boy. Isabella passed her son a small water bottle, helping him open it before offering one to the general on her lap.

Cassian grumbled but sat up long enough to have a few hasty mouthfuls befor collapsing back onto her lap. Oliver soon followed him. He was half curled on Isabella's chest and half curled around Cassian's head.

"I think we tired the kids out." Rhys smirked, shuffling around so he sat facing her. "So much for building a sand castle."

Isabella glances at the drying pile of hard-won sand next to her.

"I think I'm enjoying this more." Azriel tugged her back, waiting for her to tilt her head back and let him press a soft kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, I definitely prefer this."

A/N: I'll be honest, this feels more like a fluffy one shot than a chapter but it's a break from the trauma so here you are.