Chapter: The Counselor Who Shouldn’t Have Been

The email arrived on a perfectly ordinary morning.

Diana read it once.

Then again.

Her expression didn’t change—but the room somehow felt colder.

“A concerned school counselor,” she said flatly. “Wants to ‘evaluate’ our children.”

Beckett, seated beside her, adjusted his gloves slowly. “On what grounds?”

Diana scrolled. “Quiet behavior. Preference for solitude. ‘Unusual artistic themes.’”

The twins looked up from their sketchpads.

“…We’re being studied,” Hades whispered.

Peresphone nodded. “Fascinating.”

Malcolm snorted. “This should be good.”

Analise smirked. “Let them try.”

Diana stood. “We’ll attend.”

Beckett rose with her immediately.

“Of course,” he said quietly.

The Meeting

The counselor’s office was aggressively cheerful. Bright posters. Forced positivity. Artificial warmth.

Diana hated it instantly.

The counselor—a man with an overly friendly smile—gestured for them to sit. “Thank you for coming. I’ve been observing your children and—well—there are some concerns.”

Beckett didn’t sit immediately. He simply stood beside Diana, silent, watching.

The counselor continued, unfazed. “They’re very… withdrawn. Intense. Their artwork is—well—dark.”

The twins sat calmly, hands folded.

“We like shadows,” Peresphone said politely.

“They’re honest,” Hades added.

The counselor chuckled awkwardly. “Yes, well… children should be more expressive. Social. Open.”

Diana tilted her head slightly. “They are expressive. Just not in ways you understand.”

A pause.

The counselor’s smile tightened.

The Shift

He turned his attention—subtly, but noticeably—toward the children.

“You know,” he said, voice softening in a way that felt… off, “sometimes kids don’t realize when something’s wrong at home.”

Beckett moved.

Just a step forward.

Not aggressive.

But enough.

The room changed instantly.

The counselor faltered. “…I’m just saying, it’s important they feel safe to talk.”

“They do,” Diana replied calmly.

The twins nodded in unison.

“We tell our parents everything,” Hades said.

“Everything,” Peresphone echoed.

The counselor laughed nervously. “Of course, of course… though sometimes children need outside perspectives…”

Beckett spoke.

Quiet. Measured. Final.

“They don’t.”

Silence.

The Unraveling

Diana watched carefully now. Observing. Calculating.

The counselor’s questions grew stranger.

More intrusive.
Less professional.

Malcolm’s expression darkened.

Analise crossed her arms.

“…You’re not concerned,” she said flatly.

The counselor blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You’re curious,” Analise continued. “In the wrong way.”

The room went still.

Diana’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Beckett didn’t move—but the tension around him sharpened like a drawn blade.

The counselor tried to recover. “I think this meeting is being misunderstood—”

“No,” Diana interrupted softly. “It’s being understood perfectly.”

Aftermath

The meeting ended quickly after that.

Too quickly.

Within days, word spread quietly through the school:

The counselor had been investigated.
Complaints surfaced.
Patterns emerged.

He was dismissed.

Quietly. Permanently.

Back at Home

That evening, the house was calm again.

Diana sat on the sofa, one leg crossed, sipping tea.

Beckett stood nearby, finally relaxed, mask slightly lowered.

“…They’re fine,” he said quietly.

Diana glanced at him. “Of course they are.”

A pause.

Then, softer—

“You are too.”

Beckett’s shoulders eased just slightly.

Relief. Subtle, but real.

The twins returned to their sketches.
Malcolm and Analise exchanged knowing looks.

Crisis over.

Handled.

The Mood Shift

Diana set her cup down.

Stood.

Walked over to Beckett.

Without a word, she reached up, fingers brushing his collar, pulling him just slightly closer.

“Unnecessary stress,” she murmured.

Beckett’s hand settled at her waist. “Agreed.”

And then—

She kissed him.

Not subtle.

Not brief.

Warm, lingering, unmistakably affectionate.

Beckett responded instantly, one hand sliding gently to her back, the other brushing her hair aside as the moment deepened—intimate, confident, completely unbothered by the room around them.

The twins looked up.

“…And there it is,” Hades whispered.

“Post-crisis affection,” Peresphone added, nodding.

Malcolm groaned. “Every time.”

Analise smirked. “At least they’re consistent.”

Diana finally pulled back slightly, a satisfied smirk on her lips.

“Much better,” she said.

Beckett nodded once. “Agreed.”

Closing

The house returned to its natural rhythm:

Sketching

Quiet conversation

Subtle touches between Diana and Beckett

Absolute calm

Outside, Shadowsun City carried on, loud and oblivious.

Inside, the Vonreichsins remained exactly what they always were:

Unshaken.
Unmatched.
And perfectly, unapologetically themselves.

End of Chapter: The Counselor Who Shouldn’t Have Been