Ann was near panic as she made her way towards the mortuary. She shouldn't have let Jackie go.
The last time Jackie had investigated something by herself she had been taken prisoner, captured by a rogue federal agent and interrogated. Ann recalled her fear, worrying that she would lose Jackie forever. When she had been rescued, Ann had breathed a sigh of relief. Still, considering Jackie's nature, there was a lingering fear in the back of her mind.
Pulling up to the mortuary, Ann now sprinted from her car, throwing open the front doors as she frantically scanned the room. "Jackie?!"
"Over here Angel," Jackie called. Quickly Ann now followed the voice, noticing Jackie, Gloria, and Sasha sitting in a parlor with a middle-aged aged couple. "Darling are you okay," she said quickly. "I was so worried when I got your text."
"We're fine Ann," Jackie said. "We've been talking with Travis's parents. The um....Reapers."
As Ann, now hugged her long time girlfriend, she couldn't help but find the name odd. Gazing at the smiling couple, she was curious about them. They appeared rather ordinary. The wife looking as if she was a nature lover with her long, colorful dress and long blond hair sitting next to a bald man with a goatee. If anything the pair seemed mismatched, with the man's pale skin, dark eyes, and darker clothing. "You must be Ann O'Toole," the woman smiled. "Its a pleasure to meet you. Jackie speaks so highly of you."
"Nice to meet you too," Ann replied, still uncertain of why Jackie's text had seemed so ominous. "Darling why were you so insistent I come. What's the emergency?"
"Have a seat Ann," Jackie stated. "You're going to be shocked." Ann simply nodded, unsure of what could be so shocking. After being around magic and seeing all the craziness Jackie and her nieces had experienced she felt their was little that could surprise her anymore. "So," the woman said slowly, a nervous smile cracking across her face. "Jackie was just telling us about your adopted daughter Stephanie. She was....worried, especially after learning a little bit about our family."
"Just a bit," Ann replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Life."
"Life," Ann asked, still confused. "Your parents named you Life. That's..different."
"No I'm actually Life," she replied. "The personification of Life." Ann was befuddled, glancing at Jackie in complete bafflement. "I'm confused."
"Shes Life," Jackie said. "Like actually Life."
"Okay," Ann said slowly. "So what is he?"
"Oh honey can I show them," the man asked excitedly. Life simply nodded, offering her husband the floor as he now stood before everyone. Ann watched in confusion as the man began to transform. The process itself was faster than she had anticipated, the skin on his face receding exposing a bleach white skull with two points of light as eyes, a flowing black robe covering his body. With but a flick of his wrist the specter now held a scythe in one hand while the other held an hourglass. Ann shrieked, nearly leaping from her seat in fright. "Is that the Grim Reaper!?!?!?"
Jackie simply nodded, Ann feeling the color drain from her face as she gazed upon the embodiment of death. "Yeah," Jackie replied sheepishly. "He's Death."
"So what do you think," Death asked, his voice seeming to echo. "That trick always kills at parties."
A sympathetic laugh now came from Life as Ann simply cocked her head in confusion. Not only was she gazing upon the Grim Reaper, he also apparently told "dad jokes".
"You'll have to excuse my husband," Life smiled. "He has very weird sense of humor."
"I've always thought of it as morose," Death replied, the skeletal figure seeming to smile. "Perhaps even dark." Life simply shook her head, placing a gentle kiss on on his skeletal cheek. "You do make me smile though," she sighed.
"Okay timeout," Ann exclaimed, her fear turning into astonishment. "Are you telling me my daughter is on a date with the son of Life AND Death? Also, Life and Death are married? Plus, is it me or does the Grim Reaper tell dad jokes?"
"Well we are inevitability linked for all eternity," Life shrugged. "I help usher life into the world while my husband ushers souls into the next. Plus, he always helps to brighten my mood."
"Death brightens your mood?"
"Creating life is not always easy," Life replied. "It can actually be quite stressful. Grim, well, he helps to keep me grounded to focus on the joys of the world I try to create. Plus, his sense of humor helps to lighten my mood."
"I've always been a fan of you laughing in the face of death."
Life groaned, shaking her head as she now gave Death a small smile. "Not all of his jokes are winners mind you," she sighed, noting the deadpan looks Ann and the others now gave the pair. "But when you've been together for as long as we have you grow to appreciate your partners quirks."
Ann simply nodded, turning to Jackie in utter bewilderment. "So are you telling me Stephanie is dating a God of Death?"
"More of a demigod," Jackie replied, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "And Travis kind of has traits of both his parents. A mixed bag of the powers of life and death."
"Should we be worried," Ann asked nervously.
"No of courses not," Life stated. "We've raised our son to be a gentleman. He should treat Stephanie with the utmost respect."
"If there is a problem though let us know," Death added. "I'll make sure he understands that we won't tolerate any bad behavior." Ann simply nodded, as Jackie now squeezed her hand tightly. "So what do you think," she asked nervously. Ann, quite honestly, had no answer. She had thought she had seen everything, but this was something that was completely different. "As long as they're happy I really don't see a problem I guess."
Life and Death smiled, offering the group drinks as they now sat down to talk. For Ann this was proving to be a surreal experience. After all, how often does one sit down to speak with the Grim Reaper and Life.