A Legacy of Shadows

It was over.

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Legacy

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CelebRumors.corp, September 2nd, 20xx

by Victoria Evans

De Heer Family Revealed as Owners of Private Island

Long rumored to be in her possession, Isa De Heer confirmed in a brief press conference today that the island of Carradas was under her exclusive ownership. While some questions remain about the nature of the resort on the other half of the island, an individual close to the family has stated that it is used for "special guests" of both the family and occasionally hosts corporate events for their various subsidiaries. For the moment, rumors of illicit and taboo activities taking place there seem to be just that, rumors. Nonetheless, our intrepid bloggers, including yours truly, continue to angle for an invitation to the exclusive getaway.

In happier and less controversial news, Isa also confirmed that last month she gave birth to healthy twins, who she intends to raise with her partner, Sarah Huriens. While no father is publicly listed, it is assumed that she underwent an In Vitro fertilization at a private clinic. Savvy readers will recall that a little over nine months ago, her partner narrowly escaped a bold attack by radical terrorists on the streets of New York. Isa once again thanked the quick action of De Heer security and the responsiveness of the NYPD in keeping Sarah safe. She also credited her brother Reuben's return to assist in daily operations of the De Heer financial empire with allowing her time to properly rest and deliver the babies safely.

As always, when we dig up more dirt, you'll be the first to see it!

5 Years Later:

The beach was pleasant this time of year. It was warm, but the breeze was high, and there was little humidity. Isa and I stood in the shade of a well-manicured grove of trees, the sand cool beneath our bare feet. My sister wore a simple white sundress, with a hat and a shawl to keep the sun off. She was worried about losing the extra weight that motherhood had endowed her with, but I found her even more beautiful.

"Stop looking at me like that," she eventually protested, before giggling.

"Nonsense. I can look at you however I want. We're safe here."

I held and then kissed her hand to further make the point. She looked at me and sighed. Rather than exasperation, her eyes showed sincere gratitude. I felt the same way. We were alive and well. Our children were safe, happy, and healthy, as were the other members of our unusual little family: Sarah and Rachel.

Currently, both of them were entertaining the twins down near the water. Security kept a watchful eye on them from a respectful distance, as they always did. Sarah splashed water on Zoe, and our daughter returned fire. Then Stephen ran over to his Aunt Rachel, who obliged him by picking him up and gently plunging him into the water, careful not to get water in his mouth or nose. I must have been showing my exasperation with Rachel's refusal to slow down, given her state.

"Relax, Reuben," Isa said as she rubbed my back, "Rachel can take care of herself. She's early in her pregnancy, and neither of our children weighs much at all. Remember that she's in better shape than either of us."

It was true. Rachel had just started to show recently, and in her simple black one-piece suit, it somehow made her even sexier. Her thighs and arms had a healthy tan, and she still had her excellent muscle tone. She'd let her hair grow out a little bit, but only to the point where she could have a short ponytail. I loved her more than ever.

"Besides," Isa added mischievously, "you're the one who needs to slow down a little. After all, you're going to have at least three children to raise soon. And that's assuming that Rachel doesn't have twins."

God help me, I thought, watching our children play. At least I had a lot of people to help me. I'd never thought of myself as polyamorous, and neither had Isa. Still, we accepted certain things with a minimum of fuss or jealousy.

Neither my sister nor I felt jealous of when we were with Sarah individually. For her part, Sarah never felt insecure about either of us being with anyone else. She said that we made up for any absence when we played with her together. When Isa and I spent the night with Sarah, we generally were quite dominant with her, leaving her a well-fucked little puddle that had to sleep in the next day.

Rachel insisted on only being mine. She wanted no part of any other men or women. She never complained about any time I spent with either Isa or Sarah. In fact, I had to be very attentive to her moods, as she was reticent to make any sort of demands on my time. I made sure she knew that I loved her and made love to her often, doing my best to please her, but had I simply used her for my own pleasure, she would have been satisfied to a degree. She never quite got past the programing of her upbringing, so the best I could do was ensure that I was a good man to her, and be mindful of her emotions.

We all raised the children together. Zoe and Stephen knew that Isa had carried them, and they called her "mother" or more often "mama." They referred to Sarah as "mommy" or "mom." Me, they often called "papa" and Rachel "auntie." We ensured that everyone "knew" that Isa and Sarah were a couple, and that Rachel and I were one as well. This was the cover that kept our unusual lifestyle from causing problems.

As for the money and property, it stayed together, as one fund, but Isa, Rachel and I shared ownership over everything. We had our individual areas of expertise, but we rarely argued. We worked well together, but we also had systems in place for inheritance, and for ensuring that things didn't become something for future generations to squabble over. At worst, anyone of us (and any future owners, such as our children) could simply take a significant liquid sum and remove ourselves from the business, no questions asked, and the amount was never going to be enough to bankrupt the family as a whole. Frankly, I was with my family and didn't have to worry about paying the rent anymore. I was happy.

I felt Isa's hand squeezing mine. I had been lost in thought.

"Something is bothering you," my sister said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes," I said, releasing her hand long enough to walk over to the picnic table that currently held our laptops and a few small folders of work-related items. We could never completely unplug, but that was all right. We had much more leisure time than many, and we were grateful for our wealth.

I took a small envelope from a folder and handed it to Isa.

"It's not a gift," I said, suddenly realizing how this might look. Isa raised an eyebrow, then took out the small papers inside. They were facsimiles of legal documents that I had signed a few days ago and placed in a secure location. As she read them, her eyes grew larger. When she was finished, she was frowning.

"Reuben," she said, slowly, "I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with this. I don't think I could do what you're asking..."

"It's a precaution," I said, "and while it may seem a bit extreme, I want it in place. Father was always cruel, but everyone around him, even those who loved him, said that he became something different towards the end. Something monstrous. I did some reading, and grandfather and great-grandfather may have both undergone similar changes. By giving you the authority to commit me in advance, I feel like you would be able to act swiftly to prevent me from hurting those I love. Who knows, maybe you could even get me help in time. As far as I know, there was no attempt to treat any of our male ancestors with psychiatric drugs or other treatments. I don't think any of them were officially diagnosed with anything beyond psychosis or dementia."

Isa shook her head.

"What if it happens to me, instead, Reuben? I mean, I always assumed that Father's final...changes...were due to some kind of unreconciled abuse in his childhood. He certainly abused both of us."

"There's no record of any women in our heritage doing things like this, and our ancestors kept very specific, if concealed, records. No, if there is any danger in our line, it is present in me. And Stephen."

"Don't say that!"

Isa stopped, realizing that she had shouted. The others down the beach looked at us, and we waved back at them, smiling if a bit stiffly.

"Don't say that," Isa continued, "You would never hurt our son the way Father hurt you. I know that. And, no matter our genetics, I know that choice and upbringing had something to do with this. I...I've always hoped that by being there for you, even just a little, I made things better."

"You did," I reassured Isa, "but I still have nightmares about hurting you, or Zoe or...god, even just people working around our grounds. This document gives me peace of mind. It gives you a way to stop me without having to make the same decision that our mother did."

I put my hands on her shoulders and leaned in and kissed her. A breeze picked up, pulling her hat away, but she ignored it, responding more deeply.

"Eww!"

Zoe had been the one expressing her disgust with this display of affection. She was outspoken, perceptive, and intelligent. Stephen was too busy running down the escaped hat and bringing it back to his mother. He was already courageous, gallant, and kind.

To the world, Isa ran the empire. To those in the know, I ran the darker side of things. Together, we were both feared and respected and even loved by some.

We were the latest, but not the last, generation of the De Heer family, and we were strong.