Long before there was a May or a Caleb, in a time that was before Miranda boarded her life changing flight or Braydon had ran away to the wild and Bianca hadn't even shifted into a wolf, let alone chose to run with them - there was a gypsy. She knew things no one else could; cursed with a gift to foresee the future, and what a future she had seen. Some she did not understand, the world ahead foreign and changed, but there were parts that had never been clearer. Fate, the gods, whatever those powers that be truly were had a plan, yet not everything was set in stone and that was where she came in. Shifters were a smart, and complicated species. Powerful. They were also incredibly simple to control and as she found herself the arrogant alpha with a god complex that excelled any man she had ever met, using her gift to win his loyalty and so the ultimate demise of his family began.

Yet as time went by and her visions ceased to give her the answers she needed, events witnessed all those years ago started to fall into place, events that would lead to the one thing she had fought against and avoided for as long as she could remember; her death. That was the problem when going against the visions, no matter how time could be changed, or how in control you think you are of your own destiny, what will be will always be and strapped to the cold, metal table she watched Bianca circle her and the gypsy knew this was her end. She tried to bargain with the shifter, Esmerelda had seen it all the second the walked into the room. There was so much, so much more than being the one to not only kill her, but her mate as she was always fated to do. For a moment the gypsy almost pitied the lost girl as she knew their deaths would not be the last. In fact from this point on, her journey would truly begin.

Esmerelda closed her eyes, seeing the face of a man that would become Bianca's greatest ally and friend; a true kindred spirit who had a complicated journey of his own. These two shifters were not like others, their spirits as wild as the wolf within. Once together, they would heal in each other what no else could, their paths forever entwined. There would be good times, and bad - worse than they had ever known and the faces that played through her mind extended past Bianca and her new friend. There were so many others involved, a change for the shifters was coming and before she could open her mouth to make one more deal, tempt Bianca with the fate of her pups and pack, of her species - the blade of the knife sliced through her throat and the tales and warning of the future died with her.

Bianca often thought about Esmeralda, sometimes more than she would ever admit. She told Braydon of course, those kind of thoughts never earning her the judgment that Cody failed to hide, or the fear Jay, Connor and even Taylor felt at the mention of their early days together. In the aftermath of killing her mate and returning to what would become her home, with those that were now family, she took each day as it came. Knowing the future, when essentially what would be would always be, was a risky and addictive game with no rules and a high price. It wasn't something you wanted to play and Damon learnt his lesson too late. Esmerelda with all her infinite knowledge had still failed. Bianca was the one still alive to face another day, and as each one passed, bringing the good and the bad, there was still a part of her unable to stop wondering, what if, what next...

Despite never meeting the gypsy, Braydon also found himself thinking of her from time to time. Sometimes he would tell Bianca, and they would talk out their worries and problems, their dreams and hopes for the future. Sometimes he didn't. Those were the times he thought about Carolina, about when they first met and the time they were together. Perhaps she knew who he was supposed to be, that if his mother never died, and his father lived, the pack had never chased him out - perhaps he would have been the man she had wanted him to be. What if he had, and one day in the city, he came across Miranda as she rushed around after Jason. What did fate or those infamous powers that be have in store for him? Had he gone against their wishes and that was why their daughter had to suffer? Perhaps it had always supposed to be this way, Miranda often thought so, as what were the odds of her plane crashing, her surviving, and him finding her. There was no changing what had happened, just as there was no stopping what was coming, but if they learnt anything it was that they were all stronger for it. 

They were all survivors.

It was something that had passed from them, to their children and it was what May thought as she browsed through the pages of old family photo albums. It had been a strange night, her parents had been particularly nostalgic and also very drunk. Tales from before she was born now were recalled as though they were part of a twisted fairytale, with things she had never heard before being revealed, including the truth about how Braydon and Bianca had met. Her father's family had sat and reminisced from their own, happier times, and stories that had been lost about her father's childhood had brought tears to all their eyes. Everything felt like it was changing, and it was only now it was all for the better.

"What are you looking at?" Chad asked sleepily, a glass of water in his hand which he skulled as he sat beside her. He curiously looked over her shoulder and gave a tiny smile. "You were a cute baby. Don't know what happened."

"Jerk." She scolded before her hand was subtly placed on her abdomen at the mention of the word baby. "What do you think about that gypsy Dad talked about."

"There are plenty of things in this world I don't understand and don't know about. It's probably best to keep it that way." Chad picked up one of the other albums that were on the coffee table in front of her. "I love that they still have these."

"Me too. Everything is so digital these days. I think I want to get our photos printed into an album too."

"Well, the amount your paying that photographer, I'm pretty sure that won't be an issue." He laughed, and realising there were pictures of him in the album he had, Chad picked up another which happened to be Miranda and Braydon's wedding album. "Can't believe you're getting married tomorrow."

"Me either." May smiled and curled up against Chad's side as he slowly went through the photographs. "Mum looked so beautiful. What's wrong with your face in that one, are you, crying?"

"It was a very emotional day." Chad snapped, before quickly wiping away a new tear. May said nothing and the pair kept going until they reached the end. "You should go to bed. Big day tomorrow."

"You too. I don't want you hungover for my photos and Carly will kill you too. Plus you're going to have to help get Jessie ready." She smiled, eager to see her niece dressed up as the flower girl and gave him a big hug. "Love you Chad."

"Love you too." He told her softly and they went their separate ways.

Going into her old bedroom, some things had changed, while other sections stayed just as she had left them. May paused by the mirror on the desk, where more photographs smiled back at her only this time it was of her friends. Moving out had been hard, but it wasn't as though she could live at home forever. Besides, it wasn't like she had moved interstate with the house she and Caleb found barely twenty minutes away from both their parents homes. Just thinking of their own place gave her a feeling of homesickness, and curling up in her old bed, May thought about everything that would be happening tomorrow. 

Six years ago she had nearly given up on what would have been all of this. Never had she imagined their future looking so bright and again her mind drifted to the gypsy that had nearly destroyed Bianca's life. Again Mays hand found itself pressed against her stomach, the joy of the moment disappearing as she become completely terrified instead. What did the future hold, not just for them, but for their pup? Sure it was only early days, the tiny creature that was more jellybean than human right now, her and Caleb's biggest secret, but already so loved she would do anything to keep it safe.

As if on cue, a warm comforting presence washed over May, Caleb's reassurance exactly what she needed to push aside her doubts and fears. Seconds later her phone lit up and answering his call, his voice was all she needed to hear.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

"Yes." May smiled.

"Didn't feel like it."

"Sorry, I was just, thinking." She yawned. "I love you."

"I love you too. Whose stupid idea was this whole spend the night apart thing?" He growled.

"Centuries of tradition."

"I hate tradition." Caleb yawned. "Go to sleep and don't think. Everything is going to fine, we have earned our happy ending and then some."

"You believe that?" She asked, already fighting off the urge to sleep.

"No. I know it." He said it so confidently May believed him completely.

"See you tomorrow." May smiled, daring to close her eyes.

"That you will, I'll be the guy at the end of the aisle."

She gave a little laugh, yet her voice was growing distant as sleep took over. "You won't be able to miss me. I'm going to be the chick in white."

"Oh and May, don't be late. I really hate traditions." He paused for a moment, testing to see if she was still awake as it had gone very quiet on her end. "You know, except for the one to do with the end of the night."

She may not have heard him, but she certainly wasn't late.

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So I could keep going and going and going and going... but I stopped. I hope this wasn't too disappointing as far as endings go - have I mentioned how much I hate doing them?

Thank you to everyone who has been following Bianca, Braydon and May's stories. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my stuff - honestly it means the world to me xx