Ash and Varod's apartment

"No!" she exclaimed looking at him, "I don't want you to fight. I can't risk losing either of you!" She didn't want to hear anything like that. "I just got you back and now you want me to give you up again? And she'll never be a monster as far as I'm concerned. And neither does anyone else I know...You don't think she's a monster...do you?" she asked yawning loudly, leaning against the counter. Her eyes looked like they were barely staying open and she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. "I need caffeine." she said looking around for coffee.

Varod took her hand. "Ashling, I need to protect this family. Our family. And as long as we don't pick a side, we're gonna have people after us. And no one else to protect us. I'll have to fight no matter the case, don't you get that? I'm going to have to kill, but I'd be much happier with highly-trained wizards there to back my sorry ass up!"

After this rant, his tone softened. "You know I don't think that. But they do. They view her as...an abomination. But I don't. You don't. We have to protect her. I'm trying to let myself know how our enemy thinks. You need to do the same." As soon as she said caffeine, they both had a bottle of mountain dew from the fridge. "Cheers," he said miserably as he took a large drought.

Ash looked at him, and then the bottle of mountain dew, not wanting to touch it. She wasn't in the mood for a soda but she didn't want to say anything. "I've never had to think like that." she said moving to the kitchen table unable to stand up on her own for much longer. But she couldn't let him know anything. Pulling out her wand she summoned a little vibrating chair for Alessandra and putting her in it, before making sure she was strapped in before she laid her head on the table.

"What are we going to do?" she asked looking at him. "I know I can't stop you from fighting but can I at least keep you from getting hurt? I don't want to see anything happen to you or Alessandra, don't you get that?"

Varod could read her like an open book and ran to put a pot of coffee on before taking the extra Dew for himself after draining the first. He lifted his wife off her feet and laid her on the couch. "I've had to think like that all my life," he told her. "And having big friends ALWAYS, I repeat, always, pays off. Specially when you're fighting the same fight in the first place. Ash, if I don't fight then they're gonna find us again. And...I don't know if I can fight off an army. I mean, I'd go out in a blaze of glory, of course, but that wouldn't save you or our daughter. She's what matters now. Not me, not you, but her. Our life is her's now. And it doesn't matter what either of us wants. It just matters that she's safe and happy. Do you understand that, my love? I have to think rationally. And rationally, that's the best option there is."

"And I'm thinking about what its gonna be like for her to grow up without a father!" she exclaimed. She sat up on the couch. "I'm not laying down Varod. You seem to think that I haven't thought about whats best for her. Do you know the entire time you were gone I was worried about what it would be like growing up without you. All the things you would miss, everything that you could teach her that I couldn't?!"

She started wiping her eyes before the tears started. She wouldn't resort to tears now. She knew they wouldn't solve the problem but it was still upsetting to her that he thought she wasn't thinking of their daughter. "What is it going to be like for her if you aren't here?"

Varod knelt down in front of her. "Ash...I'm thinking about what's best for her. At least she could be taken care of, but even if we save her and we die then...she'll die anyway. If you won't go for help, then we need to move into hiding. I sure as hell ain't staying here in the open. We have to move. And as fast as possible. We can either search or hide. Fight or flight. It's your decision, and I'll go by whichever you want, but I sure as hell am NOT going to stand here and let them slaughter us! I've never done that before, and I'm especially not going to now that I've actually got something to live for!"

Tears were rolling down his face now. All his feelings welled up inside him as he sank down with his head in his hands. "I won't lose either of you. I'll die before that happens. If I have to cart you off to wherever I deem safe then I will, but we CANNOT stay here."

She looked at him crying, she couldn't fight with him, "Then where are we going?" she asked looking at him, "I have no where that we can go. I don't even know anyone who could help us in this. But you seem to know someone who can and I have to trust you on this to protect us....to protect her." she turned and stood up to walk into the kitchen to get Alessandra. She picked her up in the chair and moved her to the coffee table in the living room.

"But we can't let her out of our sights for even one second do you understand me?" she asked looking at him.

"Then trust me. There are people everywhere, if you know how to look. I practically lived in the wizard underground, Ash. People know me. Anyway, we should talk with some of our wizard contacts. For now, though, we need to hide. I have contacts in very high places but..." Varod looked suddenly uncomfortable. "Christabelle should be the German Minister right about now. If you wanted to, we can go there. But...that's definitely gonna be awkward. "

Sighing, he started packing.

"Either way, we need to find allies. No matter where they come from."

"Christabelle?" she asked looking at him, "As in your ex? I don't know if thats such a good idea, but I guess we don't have a choice do we?" she stood up wobbling a little from being so tired but she rubbed her eyes and picked up Alessandra. "I'll go get the baby stuff together. Its all in the nursery isn't it?" she asked curiously as she moved into the nursery and found a baby sling to hold Alessandra in while she packed their things. "So I take it we'll be leaving for Germany right?"

"Yeah, it's probably not the best idea," Varod agreed. "But...no choice. So, here. It's extended, so stuff everything in it." He tossed her a backpack. "Meanwhile, I'll get everything else. I think a few packs can handle it." He stuffed his weapons, the bed, and his games into one back, all the clothes and furniture into another, and finally all the money he had (which wasn't quite as much as it had once been, at only a thousand bucks to go on until they got more) into his pocket. Now, it seemed like a lot, but they'd need to stay in a hotel somewhere while they searched for Christy, and it'd be lotsa money.

"But, to answer your question, yes, we're off to Germany." He suddenly grinned. "Ya know, even though the situation's terrible, it feels good to actually DO something again."