Invictus head fell a bit, but he remained still.
He simply couldn't have gone on any longer. The curse was lifted, his freedom restored, but the hundreds of years suffering took their toll. He looked peaceful though, embracing Gene lovingly.
He had finally found his wife. A love to give, and recieve. Issac had died long ago. Invictus's body simply needed to catch up.

Pumpkin walked over and mewed at her motionless master. She looked to Gene with her big green eyes, hoping for explanation.

Gene sobbed. "No!" she breathed, hitting his chest. "No..." She started to cry again. "You can't... It's not... fair!" She hit him again, weakly.

Pumpkin mewed softly, sorrowfully. Though she understood the hurt...she didn't want anything more for him.

Gene closed her eyes for a long moment, but finally, found the strength to get up, sliding out of his hold. She was still crying, but suddenly a group of weary looking men rounded the corner of the closest building. One of them broke free, running to Gene and violently sweeping her up in a hug. Her father. He quickly started shouting at the men to get the body away from them, but Gene pushed away, shaking her head. She told them he had saved her, and begged them for a proper burial for him.
Her father was amazed, but seeing the tears in his daughter's eyes, he consented. "What was his name, Gene?" he asked her softly.
"Issac," she answered quietly. "Issac Invictus Givolo." She didn't exactly know that that was his middle name, but that was how she had known him, so... she wanted it in there, on the head stone.

ten years later

Pumpkin struggled to reach over her plump stomach to lick her leg. But she managed all the same.

Life was good here, living with Gene. She was allowed to have kittens, take care of them, and come and go as she pleased. She rested by the window in the sun, and watched as a man approached the door, holding a cane in hand and a book under his arm. He knocked, and the barrel shaped Pumpkin managed to get down and meow at the door.

Gene got up from where she had been sitting by the window, staring out at the sky. She opened the door slowly, gently brushing Pumpkin back with her bare food. "Hello," she said softly, looking up at the man. "May I help you?"

The man took off his hat. He was a handsome fellow, younger maybe around twenty-six to twenty-seven. "Are you miss Donovan? I've come to ask you about the book you published about...eight years ago. You see my name is Matthew Givolo." He said softly, licking his lips.
Pumpkin screamed in protest with getting kicked away from the door. She wanted to go outside, but when she was this fat she had trouble squeezing through the door. Gene wouldn't let her out when she was this far along with kittens either. A larger grey cat came walking into the room too to investigate all the commotion.

Gene nodded slowly, slipping outside so Pumpkin couldn't escape, closing the door behind her. She recognized his name; it was a name she would never forget. "Yes, that's me," she said quietly, not jumping to anything yet, although her heart was pounding a little faster. "What would you like to know?" She motioned to the bench sitting near them on the porch, and took a seat herself.

Matthew sat down on the porch and fiddled with his hat. "Well, I came across your book, and, I recently found out some information." He said softly. "The man you mentioned in your book was named Issac Givolo...well, I have an ancestor with that same name but....I was just wondering or not if you made the story up."

Gene watched him for a moment. "You can call me crazy," she said quietly, looking down. "My mother certainly did." She shook her head. "But everything in that book happened. Truly, painfully, happened."

Matthew nodded slowly. "I know...I mean....I...I had a feeling." he whispered softly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a leather bound journal. "I found this in my attic. It belonged to him, I just...thought you might like to have it, if it was his." he said softly. "It's blank though, but it has his name in it, see?" He opened it up and showed her.

Gene smiled at the journal. "May I?" she asked, gently taking it from him after a moment. She closed it, running her hands over its cover. It looked just like the one that had been left in her room. She shook her head a little. "I doubt it would still work," she whispered, more to herself than anything. She glanced up at him. "Would you like to come in? It's been a while since anyone has thought I was sane."

Matthew smiled and nodded slowly. "If I'm not intruding on your time." he said softly, standing up and fiddling with his hat again.
When the door opened and he stepped inside, Pumpkin screamed at him loudly. Matthew smiled. "Is this?"

Gene nodded, smiling at the cat. "And still having babies all over the place," she answered. She led him into the kitchen and pulled out some fish for Pumpkin, setting it on the floor for her. "Would you like some tea?" she asked Matthew.

Matthew was more intriqued by pumpkin then anything else. He noticed the grey cat too. "That would be lovely, thank you."