The Seine River

[The Exodus]

The Seine river is the vein that courses through all of Paris. Big and winding, it's a great resource for cargo ships, but not so much for swimming, for you might catch more than just fish if you do.

[plantnerd92]

Rose Peace

Though she loved spending time with her children, Rose found it nice to get away with her husband for a while every now and then. It was a beautiful evening, still warm from the dying summer's heat. The banks of the Seine was one of her favorite walks, and she enjoyed every minute of walking hand-in-hand with Xavier. Smiling mischievously, she stopped, before stepping in front of him, laughing as she pulled him into a quick kiss. Pulling away with a smile, they began walking again, this time with Rose's arm around Xavier's waist.

"I love you," she told him. She had told him this a million times, but she never got tired of saying it, because it was true.

[blueeyeddevil]

Xavier Peace
Xavier absolutely loved his life. He enjoyed his work, he was married to the woman he loved more than anything, and had two wonderful, beautiful children who always managed to put a smile on his face. Things were absolutely perfect. He smiled as he walked hand in hand with his wife, enjoying the moment. Rose gave a mischievous little grin before stepping in front of him and pulling him for a sweet kiss.
He returned the kiss happily, pulling her in by the waist and holding her close. She pulled away with that beautiful smile of hers, the two of them continuing their walk, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders.
”I love you,” she said softly.
He smiled warmly, touching his forehead to her temple tenderly before kissing her cheek. “I love you too…so much,” he murmured. He glanced around for a moment, turning back to Rose with a loving smile. “So we have the whole afternoon to ourselves…what should we do,” he asked.

[plantnerd92]

OOC: I love all this marriage/family corney-ness! It makes me happy. ^___^ BIC:

Rose Peace

Never in all her life had Rose felt as though all was well in the world the way she did when she was with Xavier. Especially now they were happily married with their two darling children. They weren't among the wealthy of Paris, they had their struggles, but their lives were rich and their home was overflowing with love.

After their kiss, Rose told Xavier she loved him as they walked with their arms around each other, and she saw her husband's smile as he turned toward her slightly, touching his forehead to her temple and kissing her cheek.

"I love you too... so much," he murmured, making a hundred-kilowatt smile spread across her face. They'd been married four years, and hearing Xavier say that to her still made Rose as giddy as a teenage girl. Xavier looked around and turned back to her with a smile. "So we have the whole afternoon to ourselves... what should we do?" he asked her.

Rose's favorite dates with her husband usually involved them sitting and talking with each other. Xavier was her best friend, and she never ran out of things to talk with him about. she thought about it for a moment, before speaking.

"Remember when you asked me to be your girlfriend here?" she said with a nostalgic smile. "Feels like it wasn't very long ago," Rose told him him as she led him over to a bench and sat down. "I can't believe Cally is starting school next year." It was true. Turn around for just a minute, and the next thing you know, your babies are grown up and starting to experience the world. Dimitri was already a year old and picking up on the sign language their family was learning so they could communicate with him and likewise. He could already sign for basic needs like food and water, and could sign for his mother and father. Even for Cally. It was amazing how fast time was flying by.

[Deleted]

OOC: Mad/Valter WOO! Surely a meeting of a different type this time. BIC:

Valter Gottfrid

Valter began to walk over one of the many bridges that crossed the Seine, enjoying the sights and the cooler weather. Pieces of blonde hair caught in the breeze as he walked slowly, careful not to go too far too quickly. This would be mostly a typical day for the Swede were it not for a particular recent change in his life.Was it strange for Valter Gottfrid to walk through one of the beauties of the city? Absolutely not. Was it strange that he might be holding someone's hand? Nope. Was it strange that the hand was one of a little girl? Yup!

Unbeknownst to most everyone, Valter had encountered quite a surprise at this meeting with the evil and regrettable Cheryl. She had called him after a five year absence, based on a one night stand and weeks of harassment, to ask for a meeting. Valter had gone, for what reason he wasn't sure but, nonetheless, he went. She was there, unfortunately, and by her side was the girl whose hand Valter was now holding. Edith Maebell Gottfrid, Valter's daughter. Cheryl quickly explained that she hadn't bothered to tell Valter because she didn't want the help of a one night stand. Now though, she was in a rough spot. Cheryl wanted to travel the world with her new boyfriend, hardly the sort of thing you could do with a five year old in tow. So, the easy answer was to leave the girl with her father, who up until that particular moment, had no idea that the girl even existed.

"We call her Edie," Cheryl had said. "Here are all her relevant papers."

And with that, Cheryl walked out of Edie's and Valter's lives. And now, just a day later, Valter was left with a young girl that he had no idea what to do with. What did a young girl need? What did a young girl want? He wasn't sure. He'd never been a parent and wasn't positive on what techniques were correct or incorrect. Should he be authoritarian, or garner her love and affection? The answers just weren't there.

So, he decided they would walk, hand in hand and Valter's free hand in his pocket with his little fire cracker. Her little cowboy boots sounded loudly as they shuffled down the bridge, her free hand clinging to the railing whenever she wanted to stop and look at something and the exceptionally tall Valter kneeling to look out over the river with her. It was a kodak moment for sure.

What would the man known for drunken frenzies and parties tell his friends? Was it even possible that a man with such a reputation could be a good father? Such things remained to be seen. For now, keeping Edie fed, clothed and entertained was all that mattered. If she was a happy camper, so was Valter. He would have to call school soon, see where she could fit in, make sure that she had friends and clothes warm enough for the ever cooling weather. She was from New York though, it couldn't be all that much colder in Paris...could it?

[The Exodus]

Madeleine de Chandon

It was nice to have a minute to breathe. Sometimes, Madeleine thought that all she did, day in and day out, was deflect crises. Her dancers were troublesome as ever. Aryeh was getting frailer with every passing moment. Myron had come back from the dead. MaCarthy had started to give her half-pitying sighs and offers of tea and sympathy that thinly veiled an infatuation. Ortiz was his crabby self. Toddy had finally secured himself a boyfriend. Ashton was pregnant and getting bigger and bigger. It was like everybody else’s lives were pressing down on her. When she could get a moment alone, she could pretend for a moment the men in her life were stable human beings and that the women weren’t embroiled in all sorts of intrigue. When she could get a moment alone, she could actually enjoy the buzzing city around her.

Paris in the Fall was a spectacle to behold. The leaves were slowly changing color and the natives were trickling back in. The seductive sound of French wafted through the air and wrapped Madeleine’s ears in its familiar warmth. There were still the odd tourists, meandering through the streets with their cameras and dumbstruck grins, but it was beginning to feel more like home. Madeleine welcomed the autumn. She perched atop one of the concrete railings of a bridge, cigarette in hand, and she dangled her legs over the chilly water. Her scarf whipped behind her like a proud, French flag. Madeleine was people watching and for once was glad not to know the inner workings of her subjects’ personal lives. She’d become something of a bystander in her own life these days, anyways. Today was no exception. She was watching, half-amused and half-horrified by the world around her, and wondering why the hell she wasn’t drinking her boredom away yet.

She watched a couple, clearly newly in-love, nuzzling at each other playfully and groping for each other in ways Madeleine found objectionable only out of jealousy. She wasn’t short on offers, but lately, she’d lacked the desire to be desired. She didn’t want Myron telling her he had almost died, but that he loved her and thought she was beautiful. She didn’t want MaCarthy telling her he’d be around whenever she needed him. She didn’t even want Valter screwing her brains out because in the end, someone would probably end up feeling bad. She missed being young and fun and happy. It seemed everybody else, except maybe Ortiz had a family that took precedence over her and, seriously, she wasn’t that desperate. Well, and there was Valter, who didn’t have a family, but who was consumed by his job. It was always something and the older she got, the less of a priority Madeleine became. One day, after Aryeh was dead and after Ashton had her pretty little baby, Madeleine wouldn’t matter much to anyone. She’d be the crazy friend who’d never gotten married and who had once been beautiful, but was now just kind of pathetic. An ugly old cougar. The “auntie” who the Greene-Michauds never let babysit; the former flame who was little more than embers. Maybe that was why Madeleine got so wrapped up in other people’s lives. It made her feel marginally more useful.

She took a drag from her cigarette and the couple got lost in the crowd, which was just fine with Madeleine. She exhaled smoke and looked for someone else to watch, when her eyes fell upon a familiar, lean form. And from his blonde hair to his blue eyes, Valter Gottfrid looked handsome as ever. Madeleine contemplated sauntering over to him, offering him a light and some company, that would inevitably devolve into a quick shag in the bathroom of some bistro, but something attached to his arm caught her eye.

Or rather, someone.

The girl had big, dark eyes and stick-straight brown hair. Her skin was cream colored, which gave her a Snow White look. But despite all that, she wasn’t exceptionally pretty. Maybe one day, when she grew into her stick-arms and beanpole legs, she would be.

After all, the girl was probably five or something.

Madeleine stared and her grip on her cigarette slackened so much that it fell into the river. There was really no reason for Valter Gottfrid to cart around prepubescent little girls. He hadn’t wasted his time with the younger crowd the night they met; starting now would have been out of character. But why he was holding hands with some little muppet was beyond Madeleine’s comprehension. She slid off the railing as Valter approached and she leaned up against it, trying to look cooler than she felt.

“Trading for a younger model, I see,” Madeleine called out to him. “I wouldn’t have expected that from you, Valter.”

[Deleted]

Valter Gottfrid

Valter and Edie continued to walk across the bridge at a slow clip. Her little legs couldn't possibly keep up with his. It made him feel like he was hardly walking at all but, he wouldn't dare rush his little girl. Despite the newness of it all, Valter was growing quite attached to this little bundle of energy. She was cute, funny and more curious than he could imagine anyone ever being. Everything was a wonder to her, from a leaf that fell into the river like a boat to the things people walking past were doing or saying. He looked down a Edie, smiling as they walked before a familiar voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Trading for a younger model, I see,” Madeleine called out to him. “I wouldn’t have expected that from you, Valter.”

He hadn't stopped because he was scared, there was nothing to fear. He just hadn't begun to think of how he would tell people about Edie, or what people might think, or whether he would still be able to have sex with Mad. The last being quite important to him. What was she going to think of this. How was he going to introduce Edie to his lover? As a friend? Friend worked.

Valter looked down to Edie again, "Edie, this is my friend Madeleine," he spoke carefully, turning to look back at Mad. "Mad, this is Edie...my daughter."

Of course Edie would be completely unphased, she was a child, it didn't matter to her who Mad was. It didn't matter to her that Valter had an increasingly hard time separating just sex and potential for a relationship. Mad didn't want a relationship though, he would take what he could get, he had always been an opportunist.

Still looking at the Madeleine and her beauty, Valter shrugged. "How have you been?"

His response was phenomenally small in comparison to the things that were probably going through Mad's mind. She would not appreciate this added string to their affair. Well, here it was, trial one of Edie introductions.

[The Exodus]

Madeleine de Chandon

Before Valter said anything, Madeleine knew the little girl was his daughter. Call it woman’s intuition; call it paranoia… Hell, you could call it retrospective narration. Whatever it was, her stomach twisted on itself. Children made her nauseous. She spent much of her time avoiding children. The only one she cared a whit about was still baking inside her best friend. Other children were sticky and mean-spirited. They made fun of girls without fathers and threw sticks and mouthed off. And Valter—crazy, fun Valter—had produced one of them. She didn’t look terribly much like him, but she clung to him with affection. And, besides, there was no other logical reason for Valter to tote around a prepubescent little thing.

"Edie, this is my friend Madeleine," he spoke carefully, turning to look back at Mad. "Mad, this is Edie...my daughter."

Madeleine smiled tightly and looked at Valter.

“Your daughter,” she repeated. Her voice was surprisingly soft and bitter. That didn’t make sense. Valter was just a bit of fun on the side, just as Madeleine was to him. It shouldn’t have hurt that he had a kid. “Well. I can’t say I’m surprised. Your DNA was bound to go swimming in the gene pool sometime.”

[Deleted]

Valter Gottfrid

Valter stood there, his heart beating hard in his chest as he nervously awaited Madeleine's response. Why did it matter what she thought anyway? He wasn't really sure, but he cared, Mad's opinion mattered to him. He didn't her to be angry with him, or upset, or disgusted or any range of negative emotions. He knew that she wasn't going to be happy, that wasn't her style but he would at least settle for neutral, neutral would be great.

“Your daughter,” she repeated. “Well. I can’t say I’m surprised. Your DNA was bound to go swimming in the gene pool sometime.”

The bitterness passing Mad's lips as she spoke stung Valter, more than it probably should have, but it still stung. He bowed his head, half in shame and half in thought. Looking up at her he fired back defensively, "It's not as though I -," he looked to Edie with caution, " -Do what we did, with every woman I meet."

Edie went to look out over the river again, curious little chipmunk, and Valter leaned back against the railing of the bridge, facing the opposite direction. He looked down at his now crossed feet and then back to Mad, his guard sufficiently broken by the amount on his mind and her attitude towards all this. A million thoughts ran through his mind at light speed and before he knew it they began to spill from his mouth.

"If I had known I had a daughter, I wouldn't have been so reckless, I wouldn't have been fooling around or partying or making countless mistake after countless mistake." He paused, "NOT that you're a mistake, because you aren't, I'm glad for what's happened with us, I don't regret it in the least. I just feel guilty and now I feel like I've let both you and my daughter down and I just don't even know what to do with all of this anymore." Valter stopped again, breathing deeply, crossing his arms over his torso and biting the nail of one of his thumbs. "I'm feeling entirely too much."

And now he was embarrassed. Random outbursts weren't at all his style and he couldn't believe that he had just done that in front of Madeleine. Granted, it was teaching Edie that emotion was okay but, he shouldn't have said all of that to Mad.

[The Exodus]

Madeleine de Chandon

Okay, so maybe bitterness wasn’t the emotion Madeleine ought to be expressing. The kid was, like, five years old. Clearly, Valter had given birth to her—or whatever the verb-equivalent was for fathers—ages before he met Madeleine. But, seriously? Why did everyone have a freaking family these days? Ooh! Look at me, people! I’m Myron Bolitar and I have a super-secret gangsta brother! Ooh! Now I’m Ashton! And guess what? I’m pregnant! And engaged! Woohoo!! Hey, everybody! Look!! I’m Valter and I have a kid!!

Seriously, families were becoming the next big thing and no one had bothered to keep Madeleine in the loop. If she went out and got knocked up tonight, she’d still be nine months behind the trend and everyone would be calling her a poser. Being the only one without a family made her feel totally hipster and disgusting. Fashion analogies aside, it made Madeleine almost rabid that no one bothered to tell her until after the fact. It wasn’t like she was asking for a whole hell of a lot here. Just an advanced, ‘hey, my family might affect you. Just saying’ would suffice. But, no. Common courtesy didn’t extend that far.

"It's not as though I -," Valter snapped. He looked at his kid and self-censored, " -Do what we did, with every woman I meet."

Madeleine folded her arms. She wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a consolation.

"If I had known I had a daughter, I wouldn't have been so reckless, I wouldn't have been fooling around or partying or making countless mistake after countless mistake." He paused, "NOT that you're a mistake, because you aren't, I'm glad for what's happened with us, I don't regret it in the least. I just feel guilty and now I feel like I've let both you and my daughter down and I just don't even know what to do with all of this anymore." Valter stopped again, breathing deeply, crossing his arms over his torso and biting the nail of one of his thumbs. "I'm feeling entirely too much."

Madeleine cocked her head. That twiggy little girl was living the kind of life Madeleine had only dreamt of at her age. A dad who came back long after abandoning his family. Madeleine didn’t know who her dad was. These days, she didn’t much care. But right now, she felt bilious jealousy swell in her throat.

“How old is she?” Madeleine asked softly. “She’s gotta be… what? Four? Five? Why come back for her now?”

[Deleted]

Valter Gottfrid

Valter's nerves were raw, open and sparking like lightning in an electrical storm. Just the slightest hint of anything was setting them into a painful striking frenzy and there was nothing he could do stop it. He was feeling too much guilt for having not been there for Edie, too much whatever this was for Mad, too much hate towards Cheryl, too much towards everything.

“How old is she?” Madeleine asked softly. “She’s gotta be… what? Four? Five? Why come back for her now?”

"She's five," he said shortly, pausing.

Valter was still leaning against the rail, biting his thumb as he tried to gain control over himself and his emotions before he went rambling off again. How much did Madeleine really need to know? How much should he explain? He really had nothing to hide from her at all and saw no reason to do so. So, he'd explain everything.

"Her mom was a one night tryst of mine back in the states. I left and she called and called for weeks, telling me how much she loved me, harassing me. One day she just stopped, I figured she'd finally moved on," Valter explained, his voice quiet and calculated. "I got this phone call the other day, which resulted in this," he said, raising his bandaged hand, "she wanted to meet and I said 'sure'." Valter took a very deep breath, looking up to the sky for strength as he finished his explanation and told the worst part of it all. "She brought this little chipmunk to me and dumped her, all so she could go traveling the world with her boyfriend."

This was the first time Valter had explained the story out loud and he was finally realizing how tragic it was. This was the sort of thing that you heard about in movies or that happened to other people on Jerry Springer, not to him, not to real people. It was a wild way for things to have gone but, he was glad. He would get to be a part of his daughter's life now and that was all that mattered.

He hung his blonde head and looked back at his feet, "She never told me I had a daughter, Madeleine, she never mentioned a word of it."

[The Exodus]

Madeleine de Chandon

"She's five," said Valter.

Madeleine said nothing. Instead, she watched her sometimes-lover nibble on his thumb and she wondered why it was that he and Myron and Aryeh and Ashton all had families and why she didn’t. What was there about them that made them so much more loveable than she was? Why did they go back for their flesh-and-blood, when Blanche—a whole fifteen minutes across town—didn’t even care if Madeleine was alive or dead? What made Edie, and Win, and Aryeh’s biological children, and Lucian and Ashton’s baby so much more important than she was? Edie was just a little girl; no glory to her name. Maybe she and Ashton’s baby had a vulnerable appeal Madeleine lacked. But that didn’t explain Aryeh’s grasping and eerily faceless adult children and why he still loved them, despite their absence. Or why Myron loved Win more than he loved Madeleine. She looked at the Seine. The water was grey and smelled like mud.

"Her mom was a one night tryst of mine back in the States,” Valter said. Madeleine didn’t look at him this time. He was talking about Edie again. “I left and she called and called for weeks, telling me how much she loved me, harassing me. One day she just stopped, I figured she'd finally moved on. I got this phone call the other day, which resulted in this."

Madeleine looked over to see that Valter’s hand was bandaged. She hadn’t noticed before. She pursed her lips and tilted her head. She didn’t want to sound stupid, but what had Edie’s mom done? Cut him with a phone?

"She wanted to meet and I said 'sure'." Valter took a very deep breath, looking up to the sky for strength as he finished his explanation and told the worst part of it all. "She brought this little chipmunk to me and dumped her, all so she could go traveling the world with her boyfriend."

Madeleine resisted the urge to laugh. People were selfish assholes. Even mothers. Maybe, most especially mothers. It sounded like the kind of crap Blanche would have pulled, if she could ever track down Madeleine’s dad.

"She never told me I had a daughter, Madeleine, she never mentioned a word of it."

“Well, at least she told you now,” Madeleine said, trying to play it cool. “I mean, some girls never get to meet their fathers; some mothers don’t even bother trying to find the dads. Or the dads just magically disappear. So… at least you’re doing something right…”

However grudgingly.

Madeleine sighed.

“I need a drink. You sound like you need one, too. There’s gotta be a café around here with a kids menu and a wine listing.”

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Rafael Lamaroux

This month had been full of blessings in disguise. Simone was back, escaping some deranged husband, going through a funk about her voice. And then there was Alexander—widowed, left with two step kids. But maybe it would be a good thing in the long run, starting a new chapter in his life, in the kids’ lives.

It’d be nice to see him in real life, not just on the video chat computer screen. Especially on the day of the funeral. Rafael sat there and listened to Alexander, let him cry, and offered the few words of forced wisdom and genuine sympathy.

Rafael lied down on the cool bench, watching the clouds mindlessly, waiting. Alexander would come up to him at any moment with those precious little kids of his, and Rafael would find out Alexander’s game plan, officially meet Jules and Serena. It sounded like what would be a great time. If you factored out Esperanza’s death, that was. Rafael would just be sure not to mention it lest Alexander did first.

[The Exodus]

Alexander Sokoll

“Are we going to feed the ducks, Daddy?”

Jules was hitting the railing of the bridge with a stick he’d found a couple blocks back. His dark hair was a floppy mess. Veronique had seen it yesterday and Alexander thought she would scream. Instead, she skimmed her fingers over the flutter bangs and told Alexander through tight lips that she could recommend a decent stylist in Paris. She said it like Alexander might not be able to find one on his own, but he’d gratefully taken the number she’d given him. Still, Alexander smiled at the back of his son’s head. His hair was fine the way it was. The kid liked it.

“Sure thing, kiddo. That’s why we bought the bread.”

“Does Ray like ducks?”

“You’ll have to ask him when we get there,” he said, smiling. Then, added, “And that’s Uncle Ray to you, mister. Oncle Rafael.”

“Sure, Dad.”

Alexander looked down at Serena, who hadn’t said a word, but still gripped his hand tightly and swung it around back and forth. Her pink, fluffy jacket was bright against the greyish day and her dark hair. Alexander had no fears for Jules. He would make friends with Ray and anybody else he met instantaneously. He had a winsome smile, was happier than he had reason to be. Serena, though… She was withdrawn with non-family; articulate for him and the grandparents and Jules. And for Esperanza. He swallowed a lump in his throat and stroked her head. She looked up at him with her serious, green eyes. Esperanza’s eyes.

“You okay, missy?” he asked.

Serena nodded. No words, but a little smile flicked on her face, like she was trying to reassure him somehow. He stroked her head again, pushing her hat down onto her head further. She pulled it around her ears snugly and the rest of the walk was silent, punctuated only by the metallic sound of the stick on the bridge. Alexander saw Rafael lying on a bench. He smiled; couldn’t help himself.

“See the guy on the bench?” he whispered to Jules. “That’s him. That’s Ray. Oncle Ray. You wanna go say hi?”

That was all he had to say before Jules ran over to the bench and jumped on Rafael. Alexander laughed.

“You wanna go say ‘hey’, Serena?” he asked.

She looked up at him, held his hand tighter and stuffed her other gloved hand into her mouth, sucking on the wool silently. Alexander led her to Ray, still grinning.

“Hey stranger,” he said, standing beside him. “I see you’ve met my son.”

[Lets_Eat_Paste]

Rafael Lamaroux

Rafael was almost certain Alexander was late. Of course, he had no watch, which meant he had no way of telling. Plus, Alexander had twins in tow, which was sure to slow him down. He remembered his mothers always telling him to hurry up, but of course, his ADHD never allowed him to do so as his attention diverted from thing to thing. He could only imagine what the speed and struggle of two kids would be.

The sky was pretty much cloudless and Rafael found his eyes grow heavy as they closed shut. Knowing Alexander, he’d poke him awake to introduce him to his kids.

But a propelled, startling weight woke him up with a fast start. His eyes flew open to see a small child sitting on him. “What the---? Hi…”

“Hey stranger. I see you’ve met my son,” came a familiar voice nearby. Disoriented, Rafael looked for Alexander, dazed.

“Yeah! He’s cute! And really light. Oh!” he caught sight of the girl beside him. “Is this Serena? She’s so lovely! They’re precious, Alex.”

Being woken up from him nap didn’t bother Rafael, oddly. It was nice to meet his best friend’s kids, totally worth a tad sleep deprivation. Ha. That was probably Alexander’s mantra these days.