Post by seraaches on Oct 4, 2008 15:31:20 GMT -5
Reston bit his lip as the carriage slowed to a stop before the main entrance. The man was relieved to see that there wasn’t a much of a party waiting for them. Edward glanced at the stag, noting his expression.
“I asked if we could make it a quiet reunion,” the mouse said brightly.
The Heart sent him a bemused glance and Edward beamed at the other man. “Well,” he corrected himself. “We asked that it be quiet. The Queens would like to meet you later, though.”
Reston gave a distracted nod, watching in distraction as the Club hopped out of the vehicle then turned back to open his arms to the girls. Mirai leapt with a happy giggle, pleased to have the ride. Edward tossed her once up in the air, causing her father to tense, watching with some trepidation. The Morganberry carefully put her down on the ground and turned back for the other child. Neviah glanced back at her father to make sure it was okay and, after he nodded, gave a bright flash of a smile and leapt to the waiting man as well.
Alachard put a hand on the stag’s shoulder and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s almost over. You’ll be fine.”
Reston gave a quick nod, just willing the other man away, and, picking up on the unease, the cormorant exited the carriage as well. Reston slipped to the door, ears flicking upright as he eyed the overpowering building. He licked his lips once before getting out of the coach as well. It was time. His heart was pounding in his chest as a small boy waved cheerfully from the steps.
Suddenly shy, his girls quickly retreated to his side and Reston leaned down to put a gentle hand on one girl then the next.
“Daddy, who’s that?” Neviah whispered loudly. “He’s staring.”
“I don’t know, Sweetfoot,” he answered. “Do you want to go introduce yourself?”
The fawn’s ears went back uneasily, but Mirai quickly bounced up to the challenge. “I do, I do!! C’mon, Nevi!!!” And the canine bolted forward, her one cloven hoof clicking oddly against the ground.
Neviah hesitated for another moment, then she swiftly made after her sister. Reston watched them go, his heart twinging. Oh, what was going to happen to them now?
The Heart turned to glance back at him again as Edward tossed the Club boy up into the air then mussed up the child’s hair. Reston squared his shoulders and moved after his guides. Yes, it was definitely time.
Alachard turned at the sound of running feet, and then a feline smoothly slid to a stop before them and tossed a saucy grin at Edward. The mouse gave a low chuckle before calling out to his friend, “Well, well, Archie, what’s lit your tail on fire?”
“Bodyguarding,” the Avington announced cheerfully. “You’ve missed the good duty.” He turned to wink at Mirai then glanced at the stag standing a short distance away. Some of the laughter faded from his eyes and he suddenly looked away from the man. He had hoped that perhaps the man would be ugly or mean or indifferent. He had hoped for almost anything but what he saw there; a tired-looking man with wariness in his gaze and the distinct look of someone who obviously cared very, very much. Blast. He didn’t want to know that for his captain’s sake.
“Well, I’ve been sent as a guide now, actually.” He couldn’t seem to make himself look back at the stag. “Ma—“
“Edward,” Alachard cut in suddenly. “Why don’t you take the girls for a snack?”
Archie glanced at the Heart in surprise before rolling his eyes at the high-handness of the Highlander. He glanced over at Edward, expecting the mouse to have his own bland expression, but the Morganberry was quite serious and he gave a quick nod and a faint smile.
“That’s a great idea,” the mouse said, quietly. “Archie, go ahead and show Reston and Alachard the way. Come find us in the kitchen after you’ve dropped them off.”
The feline’s face showed his surprise, but he dropped a quick nod. He wouldn’t argue with the man who out-ranked him.
“Come on, girls and boy!” Edward announced cheerfully, for the world sounded as though everything was fine. “We’re going to get ourselves a snack!”
“What about Mommy?” Mirai asked as the Nine led them away.
“You’ll see her later,” the mouse answered, still smiling brightly. “Let’s see if we can find a good snack for her, too, huh?”
“Okay!” the little Avington girl replied and Reston watched tensely as they disappeared through a door.
“They’ll be fine, Reston,” Alachard said quickly, reaching out to touch the man gently on the arm. The stag seemed on the verge of bolting. “Come on, let’s go see her.”
The words froze the man rather than revitalized him. The cormorant leaned in, speaking in a low voice. “If you want to go, Reston, I can try to help you make it.” But he didn’t have much hope that they would succeed.
Reston shook his head and gave the other man a small smile, “No, I want to see her.” He was just afraid. Worried. Nervous. It was strange to him; he had never been nervous about Marisela, even after her parents found out she was pregnant, even with her mother’s threats and her father’s inability to make his own decisions. He’d always been perfectly comfortable in the girl’s presence. And now, he wasn’t certain he could even face her. The Heart was watching his face closely, and the stag quickly squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Archie lashed his tail and turned. “Yeah, let’s go.” He headed back down the hall, all too aware of the men following him and the man waiting up ahead. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. He sighed and forced his feet to keep going. It wasn’t his place to decide, but he wished he wasn’t bringing this particular surprise to the lieutenant.
“I asked if we could make it a quiet reunion,” the mouse said brightly.
The Heart sent him a bemused glance and Edward beamed at the other man. “Well,” he corrected himself. “We asked that it be quiet. The Queens would like to meet you later, though.”
Reston gave a distracted nod, watching in distraction as the Club hopped out of the vehicle then turned back to open his arms to the girls. Mirai leapt with a happy giggle, pleased to have the ride. Edward tossed her once up in the air, causing her father to tense, watching with some trepidation. The Morganberry carefully put her down on the ground and turned back for the other child. Neviah glanced back at her father to make sure it was okay and, after he nodded, gave a bright flash of a smile and leapt to the waiting man as well.
Alachard put a hand on the stag’s shoulder and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s almost over. You’ll be fine.”
Reston gave a quick nod, just willing the other man away, and, picking up on the unease, the cormorant exited the carriage as well. Reston slipped to the door, ears flicking upright as he eyed the overpowering building. He licked his lips once before getting out of the coach as well. It was time. His heart was pounding in his chest as a small boy waved cheerfully from the steps.
Suddenly shy, his girls quickly retreated to his side and Reston leaned down to put a gentle hand on one girl then the next.
“Daddy, who’s that?” Neviah whispered loudly. “He’s staring.”
“I don’t know, Sweetfoot,” he answered. “Do you want to go introduce yourself?”
The fawn’s ears went back uneasily, but Mirai quickly bounced up to the challenge. “I do, I do!! C’mon, Nevi!!!” And the canine bolted forward, her one cloven hoof clicking oddly against the ground.
Neviah hesitated for another moment, then she swiftly made after her sister. Reston watched them go, his heart twinging. Oh, what was going to happen to them now?
The Heart turned to glance back at him again as Edward tossed the Club boy up into the air then mussed up the child’s hair. Reston squared his shoulders and moved after his guides. Yes, it was definitely time.
Alachard turned at the sound of running feet, and then a feline smoothly slid to a stop before them and tossed a saucy grin at Edward. The mouse gave a low chuckle before calling out to his friend, “Well, well, Archie, what’s lit your tail on fire?”
“Bodyguarding,” the Avington announced cheerfully. “You’ve missed the good duty.” He turned to wink at Mirai then glanced at the stag standing a short distance away. Some of the laughter faded from his eyes and he suddenly looked away from the man. He had hoped that perhaps the man would be ugly or mean or indifferent. He had hoped for almost anything but what he saw there; a tired-looking man with wariness in his gaze and the distinct look of someone who obviously cared very, very much. Blast. He didn’t want to know that for his captain’s sake.
“Well, I’ve been sent as a guide now, actually.” He couldn’t seem to make himself look back at the stag. “Ma—“
“Edward,” Alachard cut in suddenly. “Why don’t you take the girls for a snack?”
Archie glanced at the Heart in surprise before rolling his eyes at the high-handness of the Highlander. He glanced over at Edward, expecting the mouse to have his own bland expression, but the Morganberry was quite serious and he gave a quick nod and a faint smile.
“That’s a great idea,” the mouse said, quietly. “Archie, go ahead and show Reston and Alachard the way. Come find us in the kitchen after you’ve dropped them off.”
The feline’s face showed his surprise, but he dropped a quick nod. He wouldn’t argue with the man who out-ranked him.
“Come on, girls and boy!” Edward announced cheerfully, for the world sounded as though everything was fine. “We’re going to get ourselves a snack!”
“What about Mommy?” Mirai asked as the Nine led them away.
“You’ll see her later,” the mouse answered, still smiling brightly. “Let’s see if we can find a good snack for her, too, huh?”
“Okay!” the little Avington girl replied and Reston watched tensely as they disappeared through a door.
“They’ll be fine, Reston,” Alachard said quickly, reaching out to touch the man gently on the arm. The stag seemed on the verge of bolting. “Come on, let’s go see her.”
The words froze the man rather than revitalized him. The cormorant leaned in, speaking in a low voice. “If you want to go, Reston, I can try to help you make it.” But he didn’t have much hope that they would succeed.
Reston shook his head and gave the other man a small smile, “No, I want to see her.” He was just afraid. Worried. Nervous. It was strange to him; he had never been nervous about Marisela, even after her parents found out she was pregnant, even with her mother’s threats and her father’s inability to make his own decisions. He’d always been perfectly comfortable in the girl’s presence. And now, he wasn’t certain he could even face her. The Heart was watching his face closely, and the stag quickly squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Archie lashed his tail and turned. “Yeah, let’s go.” He headed back down the hall, all too aware of the men following him and the man waiting up ahead. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. He sighed and forced his feet to keep going. It wasn’t his place to decide, but he wished he wasn’t bringing this particular surprise to the lieutenant.
