Would you die for me? Wait, no. That's too easy... Would you live for me?

For a couple of minutes, Alejandro wasn't able for anything but questionably staring at his wife.
He frowned but before he was able to say anything, she repeated her words making clear he heard correct.

"What..?"

But once again, she started talking and he was just standing there and listening what she has to say. Alejandro was sure she was out of her mind, how could she even ask him why he kissed her?
He smiled when she said something about that she would cut some of his body parts and then put his palms on her cheeks to force her to look at him once again.

He kissed her once again before answering and then smiled a little and shrugged.
"I can't be mad at you. I was angry, a lot. I thought I will hate you if I see you ever again but then... You don't even remember what you did, so how can I be mad now? How can I blame you for something when you don't know anything about that?" he paused just to be sure she heard him.

"I love you, Katrien Faulkner, and there is nothing you can do to change that. Even if once you succeed to remember everything, and I hope you will, that won't change anything. I see this as out second chance if you are ready to try again."

His gaze followed her when she got up and sat on the sofa again.
When she touched his cheek tingling passed through his spine and he just nodded but still went to see what Jasmin does in her room.

He was in hurry to come back because once again he was thinking she won't be there, but when Alejandro entered the room he saw his wife at the same spot on the sofa where she was before.

Without any words she went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses and then sat on the other corner of the sofa, pour wine into both glasses  and looked at her offering one glass.

His words almost made her regret lying about this whole thing. Almost.

Listening about how much did he loved and missed her felt odd, though, but that didn't stop her from placing her best fake smile while he ranted about just how much he was sad and angry when she left him, as well as how much blessed he felt when she returned yet again.

She won on a lottery when she married this one. No one else would put up with all the things she did the way he wanted to. That's why she walked back to him, smiling the whole time, and did what she thought was the best thing she could do at the moment, hugged him. She gave him a peck on the cheek and looked up at him. "There's no other thing I want more than start everything again with you." Smiling, she joked, "though, we're keeping Jasmin."

She pulled her wand and lit a few candles that lay scattered all around the room, curiosity of Lizzie, she guessed knowing how much her younger sister loved candles. Katrien never shared that love, but she found them handy for making a more relaxed atmosphere. When she was done with candles (she had to make sure none of them smelled like pineapple because Alejandro hated it) she dimmed the lights in the room, before turning it off completely because she liked it better that way.

When everything was perfect, she walked to the sofa and set, wrapping one side of the furry blanket around her shoulders and waited until she heard the clicking of the glass behind her.

"Didn’t took you long?" She turned to look at him with a playful smirk ghosting on her lips.

Alejandro kept looking at her, secretly trying to figure out everything that's happening now.
This whole thing is weird.
And when someone who lives in world of magic and magical creatures say something is weird, that must mean something.

In his mind was one big jigsaw but some piece missed so he couldn't see the whole picture.
She came after so many years.
And she lost her memories, just like that.
But while looking at her, she looked okay. Even more than okay.

Alejandro looked at her and hugged her back smiling.
But then, he felt panic. Can they really start over with everything?
He was actually fine before she came back to him. He finally finds a way to start over, alone with Jasmin.
And now he is supposed to live with the woman who left him and don't even remember it.
"Yeah, we will keep Jasmin. Even if she is sometimes annoying as hell. She got that from you" he joked, gladly accepting relaxed atmosphere.

When they got their wine, Alejandro started looking at candles.
Fire. He thought Katrien died in the fire. Funny way to start their reunion. With fire.
"I was fast to come back to you" he forced himself to smile, still looking at that bloody candles.

She smiled at him although he wasn't looking at her direction and took glasses and bottle from him, placing glasses on the coffee table so she could open the bottle using magic. She was never good at it and has never succeeded in opening wine (or any bottle, for the matter) without spilling at least some of its content. "Could you help me, please?" She pushed the bottle his way and followed his gaze. Candles. Why was he staring at candles like he'd seen a ghost?

"I'd like to know what did you do, what the rest of you have been doing since I… since I was gone?" Katrien ended her sentence as a question, not sure if he'll get offended with it. Of course, Elizabeth kept her up to date with everything that was happening in their lives but she wanted to hear Alejandro's perspective too. If nothing else, she was curious about how he handled her disappearance and everything that followed it.

"Alejandro? Do you hear me?" She put her hand on his forearm, trying to get his attention since she wasn't sure he heard a word she said. "Honey, what's wrong with candles?" She raised her brows and moved her hand towards his palm, softly clenching it. "I can turn them off, if you want?"

"What?" he finally looked at her realizing she was spoken to him.
Of course, because they were only in the room.
"No, love, candles are just... perfect" he lied and forced himself to smile and then took the bottle from her.
"Why you tried to open this? You always spill more than half of bottle, we wouldn't have anything to drink" Alejandro raised his wand and opened the bottle without a problem.

"What we were doing... Hm, I don't know, usual stuff?" he poured red liquid into the glasses.
"We probably just found a way to continue with our lives. I can show you the later album with Jasmin's picture, so you can see her while growing." he smiled and looked at the one point on the wall.
"I was. I don't know. I was just going to the job, and then back to home. I met one girl about five months ago and she is the good friend of mine. Jasmin loves her a lot. They are always trying to make some potions. I think she will go with her mother's steps." he sips a wine while talking and the wine was terrible.
Too hot and soft, he was more for some stronger drinks but tonight he needs to stay sober.

"What's with you? Don't get me wrong, I believe you about all that amnesia stuff..." he looked at her.
"But do you remember anything? I mean, you woke up somewhere this morning and you didn't realize anything? Even your hair is different and you are almost covered in tattoos..." to be honst, he wasn't sure if he believes her, so he needed to know at least something, one thing that will tell him all of this can be possible.

"Okay, I just don't want to make you uncomfortable in your own house." She didn't say our house, on purpose – she feared he might get offended by that although the house was technically half hers. Or half Jasmin's since she was her only heir in the will she had written for her just a couple of months before her so called death. A coincidence, they said, but it was plotted plan created to ease an amount of guilt she felt for leaving them. Albeit that being the only thing she could do back then.

Katrien giggled like a scholar. It was weird but perfectly played sound. She spent a week practising a perfect giggle she might use in a time when she didn't know how to reply to someone's statement. "I'd love to see those! I can't wait to finally see my little princess. I missed so much in her life." Tears filled her eyes again, but this time she wasn't faking it, using a potion she and Echo sold in their potion shop, these were first honest tears Alejandro might be able to see since she entered the house.

"Do you still… do you still work as an obliviator?" Her voice was raspy but she didn't care if he realise she is crying. He'll see that sooner or later. "Is that girl a cousin of yours? I'd like to meet her." Katrien tried despite knowing she's wrong, although there are tons of Faulkner she doubted Alejandro did,'t know most of them, if not all. Even she met most of them on their wedding and later on family dinners, yet she was more inclined toward accepting another family member she knew nothing about then accepting that some stranger spent time with her daughter. Her mind was already filled with different scenarios from horror movies, with that stranger beig a psycho who wanted goo slaughter their daughter, and she wasn't around to save her. "What? No!" Katrien caughed, drowning in a sip of wine Alejandro handled her. "No, I hope she'll use her…talents for good cause."

"No, Alejandro, I really can't remember anything. I visited St.Mungo's earlier and they told me that my memories might return, but they are afraid some of them might be lost forever."

"No, I left that job after you left. Because even if I liked that a lot, working as obliviator means I would be often away from home, you know that, and I didn't want Jasmin to be without me a lot. I mean, you wasn't there for her, and I didn't want her to be without the father as well." he shrugged and then looked at her. He still remembered how she used to be angry sometimes because he worked a lot, she said he almost didn't have a chance to see his family but then, he would come home and see her on the bed waiting for him, and when he hugged her, everything was fine with them. But it is probably just past.

"Love, it's okay, there is no reason to cry. You will have you chance with Jasmin, even if you wasn't here in the past, you can meet her now and be there for her. Even now, she needs her mother" he cleaned her face and smiled a little trying to be a little bit positive.
But, to be honest, he is scared to hell because he wasn't sure there is a way to explain everything to Jasmin in the way she could understand.
"Actually no, she is just my friend, nothing else" he was a little bit uncomfortable about that topic now because she was supposed to be more than just friend. He was waiting to be sure Jasmin is okay with that and then to ask her to go on date with him, but that won't ever happen now.
"Sure, you can meet her" -but you won't Alejandro finished in his head sure it would be totally insane to meet his wife with his former potential girlfriend. That's not going to happen. Ever.

Alejandro looked at Katrien and started laughing.
"Hey, easy sweetheart, you don't want to die because of wine" he shook his head and took a sip of his own drink.
"Why would you say that? You used your talent for good as well, I mean, you was making potions and sell it cheaper for those who can't pay full price, that is really human and good," he said like a naive child because that's what he thought was her job. She made potions and sell them, that was a good purpose, right?

Katrien Faulkner was speaking nonsense and Alejandro looked at her, afraid because of an idea that she probably lost her mind.
"Love, what are you talking about? You couldn't go to the hospital because of that, you came here today without even knowing you don't remember anything. I mean', you thought Jasmin is still 2 years old" he was confused but at the same time, he was almost able to feel how the hint of suspicion found its way to his mind. For the moment, he asked himself if she is lying again. Maybe everything is just good performance and he would be the one with broken hear again.
The worst part is that he would sell his soul to the demon if that means there won't be any chance she is lying so he allowed concerned part of him to came up again.
"You should stop drinking Kat, maybe it affects badly on your memories as well" he took the glass from her and put it on the table.

"I don't want to scare you, but you will see Jasmin soon. It's almost time for dinner. And I need to make something." he stood up and went to the kitchen assuming she will follow him.
He decided to make pasta with the bolognese sauce because it's Jasmin's favorite meal and one of the things he actually knows how to make.
He put a pot of water on the stove and then started cutting tomatoes and onions.
"I'm starving and probably you are hungry as well, you will be able to try one of very few things I know how to cook" he smiled when she came into the kitchen.

"It's a shame, really, you were one of the few people who were actually able to do that job without a job changing you into another person, someone more distant with God complex. It's one of things I always admired about you, although I never told you that, so I have to apologize for doing that to you." Katrien's voice was gentle as she tried to turn her thoughts, her feelings into words which ended up being more difficult than she'd expected.

"If that means anything to you, I'm here now and I will wholeheartedly support you if you ever decide to go back to the Ministry." She put her hand over his hand and after a few seconds she reluctantly moved the arm away.

She ran her hand through her hair and let out a harsh breath. "It's not that that bothers me. The fact that I missed so much of her life bothers me the most. In one way, I never really got the chance to be a mother to her, so I might suck in that." Katrien lifted her shoulder in half through, her voice dripping with self-loathing she only partly faked in order to make him sympathise with her.

"Would you help me if I fail? Would you back me up?"

The potion she applied was slowly wearing off, she could felt it in a way it was getting harder and harder to produce more of fake tears. It was odd, though, when she usually made it it would last for at least for hours. You didn't make this one, she reminded herself almost cursing aloud, it was true, she asked Echo to make it for her because she was too busy getting everything else in perfect order. The woman didn't tell him why she needed the potion for, but Echo, being as perspicacious as he is, probably guessed and made it milder than he should. Maybe she was blaming him for no reason, maybe he wasn't the one responsible, yet it was easier to blame him or anyone other than herself for getting herself in position where she'll need a potion like this one.

"A friend? …. I liked her better when I thought she was your cousin." Oops. Katrien covered her mouth with her hand realizing she spoke that aloud. How could she be so sloppy, she wondered as she chewed her bottom lip, with every minute she was getting more and more reckless. Next thing - she'll spill she never had an amnesia and cause a disaster of epic proportions. "I’m sorry, just, with you being as good and as handsome as you are, I might be a little jelaous of every woman that had entered your life since I left," Katrien admitted as her cheeks turned pink.

"I suppose you're right." Her lips twitched, he knew nothing about the real business Echo and she ran underneath the potion shop, and since she had to keep it that way, she couldn't exactly tell him why she never wanted Jasmin to follow her steps. It would make him suspicious and he wouldn't need a lot of time to find the truth. If she knew anything about his husband it was how persistent he was in digging when he thought someone's keeping things from him.

Like that one time when he thought she was cheating on him (which she was, just not that specific day) when she and Imogen teamed up with Alejandro's sister, Lilyanya to make him a birthday party. Alejandro has never told her he was suspecting that, but she could see it on his face when he found them elbows deep in cream for the cake. Since then she became more discreet and always had one eye open so she could notice the change in his posture she failed to notice the first time.

All the colour drained out of her face and she glanced at him with widened eyes. "I…. I…. Maybe you're right about the wine." She immediately put the glass down on the table, quickly retreating her arm like the glass burned her. "The wine is making me say weird things, maybe I should stop drinking it." Katrien looked around, trying to find an escape from the situation she's gotten herself into but it seemed like she slipped and fell into a hole with no exit, the same way Alice fell into Wonderland. "I wanted to say that it would be for the best if I go to the St. Mungo's to have myself checked out, the healers might find out what had happened to me, yet I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do it on my own, maybe I should ask Imogen to come with me, that way she could tell them all about our family history if I'm unable to do so." She automatically lifted her glass again and brought it to her lips but Alejandro took the glass away from her before she managed to take a sip.

She glanced at him as he stood up and walked toward the kitchen, her brain registering he said something about making dinner, with delay she attributed to the shock. Katrien stood up from the sofa and slowly followed her husband. "Do you need my help with anything?" She asked politely, hoping he’ll reject her help because she wasn’t in the mood for cooking.

Alejandro felt like this person in front of him wasn't his wife. Indeed, she looked like Katrien Faulkner, but this new Katrien was way too much sensitive. In the past, he was the one who acted a little bit pathetic, and now she turned to talk about his job in deep talk about emotions. But he wasn't good with emotions so he smiled gently before looking at her.
"It's okay love, I like my new job. It's way less stressful and I have more time to be with my family" he finally said right words and he couldn't but to feel proud of himself.
The trust was, working as the obliviator wasn't the best one. He hated the fact that he was the one who should change people's memory. Now, he was just helping the community, without the bad things to do.

Katrien put her hand on his and he felt electricity running through his body. It was something he was almost sure he wouldn't feel ever again with anyone, but yet, here he was, feeling the same way he felt when he first met her.
"I'm really grateful for that, but I don't want my old job back. I am still working at the Ministry after all" she shrugged and frowned a little bit when she moved her hand away but he didn't want to force her or made her feel uncomfortable. This must be really new and hard for her, he wasn't able to even to think how it would be to lose his memory, everything he did for the last two years. It must be terrible.

He looked at her a little bit confused. The rational part of him told him that he should say whatever could make her feels better but words just didn't want to left his mouth.
His mind was empty canvas, he couldn't find anything but, of course, she helped him. She asked specific questions. And he was able to give her the answers she was looking for.
"Of course, do you really think I would ever let you be the bad mother? Jasmin will love you, just like me. I know it will be hard at the beginning, both of you will need to realize what is going on and use to be around each other, but in the end, everything will be fine" he said lying a little bit. The truth was that he had no idea how they would do all of this. He was scared as hell. But obviously, he was the one who should be positive for both of them at the moment.

Alejandro wasn't ready for her words. He really wasn't.
That is why he was just sitting there with his mouth opened in the shock. If he knew that she would act like this, he would never tell her anything about Saphira.
He had no idea what to say or do at the moment, he was really bad. It was like he told you that it wasn't important the fact he thought she was dead, because, you know, there is the way too many women out there.
"I... No... I mean..." he paused for a moment taking the time to think about the rational and unambiguous answer.
"I mean, there is no reason for you to be jealous. She is just the friend Katrien. You should stop act so silly, you know I would never look anyone but you. Even when I thought you were dead." That should be fine.
Alejandro felt really uncomfortable. He used to think he would never see her again and now she needed to explain everything she did.
"I know how you feel because I feel the same way about you" he frowned when unwelcomed thought found its way to his mind, the time when he was almost one hundred percent sure that she was cheating on him. He didn't want her to feel the same way.

"Of course I'm right darling, I will be very proud if she becomes the great smart woman like you. Then I will know I raised her very well" he smiled and took another sip of his wine.
He wasn't sure why Katrien was so shocked about Jasmin and her wish to be the potions master, Katrien was really great at that. She was smart, kind and always ready to help to others. Alejandro couldn't think about better things Jasmin could do in the future than helping others just like her mother.

Alejandro frowned and looked at him with hurt written all over his face.
"Why would you bother Imogen with that. I will go with you. I am your husband after all and since I know you for a very long time, I know enough about your family. No one had amnesia in your family Katrien. It's possible that you fell somewhere or someone changed your mind. I worked as the obliviator after all, I can help you if that happened. I will go with you" he said with determination in his voice.
If someone in his family has a problem, especially his wife, he would be the one who will do his best to help her. He would never allow her to go alone or with someone who wasn't him.
"I'll always be there for you Katrien, of course, we will go to St. Mungos, whenever you are ready. We can do in the morning if you want to do that as soon as possible" he smiled trying to encourage her and decided he wouldn't drink as well. Like he said before, the wine was terrible.

"No, you should just sit somewhere and make yourself comfortable. I can do this" after he put spaghetti in the water he started cutting tomatoes for the sauce.
After that was done, he adds some oil in the pan and put tomatoes and then meat.
After half of hour dinner was ready so he set the table with three plates for Jasmin, Katrien and himself.

"Jasmin, dinner is ready!" after five minutes girl came to the kitchen smiling.
"Did you made spaghetti for me?" exciting was written all over her face but that changed into confusion when she saw Katrien.

"Who is this daddy? You didn't tell me we will have guests tonight" Jasmin whispered to Alejandro and frowned. She was really shy near to strangers so she stayed close to Alejandro.