So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore drove in a few minutes. There was a lot to be done. Tonight she was just planning on going to sleep. Tomorrow she would talk to the kids when she came to Aunt Rose's to pick them up. They would be spending the Saturday at Aunt Rose's just because she didn't want Grace getting into any trouble while she was home alone with her younger siblings.

Opening the door to her apartment, she smiled once the warm air greeted her and she took off her shoes. The house was quiet except a faint sound of music that was probably coming from Grace's headphones. Walking through the house she found Grace asleep on the couch. She brought a quilt over to her and covered her up. Walking down the hall, she decided to take a quick shower and then head to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

She had no idea what Aunt Rose was going to say. She wouldn't be surprised if she said she wanted to meet him. Elenore knew that she didn't want another man to break her heart. She trusted Daniel though and she hoped he would live up to that trust as well. To be honest.. she didn't know what would happen if he broke it. She'd be forced to live with Aunt Rose then. Sighing, she shook her head...

A good hour later she was fast asleep in her bed, dreaming of what was to come.  

[Katydid50]

For the next three days, Daniel did absolutely nothing as he was told. Micheal had stayed with him for several hours after Elenore had left, discussing what needed to be done immediately and what could wait. He had then left, after extracting a promise from Daniel that he would go straight to bed. Not one to intentionally break a promise, he had done just that, tossing and turning for a couple of hours before admitting to himself that sleep would not come to him. He'd gotten up again and began working on the spare room until roughly four in the morning when he'd collapsed back into bed.

Not three hours later, Leaf and Micheal had shown up, ready to begin work. After a long lecture on the need for proper rest, they had all gotten to work on the insulation. It had turned out harder than Daniel had originally thought and had taken most of that day to get all of the house insulated. All three of them had skipped lunch but had sat down to a large but simple supper.

The second day, Daniel had gotten a full night's sleep but ignored Leaf's instruction to take it easy. The insulation, while difficult, had not been strenuous but now they were working on real construction. Despite Leaf's warnings and Micheal's threats, he had helped them to replace the flooring in the spare bedroom, and a good deal of the walls too. By the end of the day, the room was coming together quite nicely.

On the third day, Daniel once again ignored threats on both sides in favor of finishing off the spare room and beginning work on the living room. Between the three of them, they removed the old couch and borrowed from George -a farmer down the road- a pair of spare mattresses. Between all the work, Daniel didn't have the time -or the money, if he was being honest- to go out and buy some new beds for the children. Until then, Elenore would share his room with Grace and Deserai while he and Nicholas would make due with the mattresses.

He wasn't happy about it, nowhere near it, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. Sitting down at the kitchen table with Leaf and Micheal for a lunch break, Daniel wondered, and truly feared, if Elenore would arrive and regret her decision to live with him.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

The few days that followed were not the best. Once Grace had found out about her moving in with a man, she refused to hear anything else. Deserai asked millions of questions. Nicholas stayed quiet. With work and everything else at her throat, she decided that it would be best to leave Deserai with Aunt Rose for the three days. Grace had at first refused to go home. Aunt Rose had talked to her though and after the first day, she finally returned to the apartment.

They finished up packing. All the furniture was pushed out into the living room. She wasn't quite sure if Daniel wanted them to bring everything with them.. but she guessed it couldn't hurt. Deserai and Grace's bed could be converted into bunk beds. They had been like that at first but then they decided to just put them on opposite sides of the room. Sighing, she shook her head, looking at all the boxes. The car was already full of things and Aunt Rose would be coming over any minute now so they could pack their things into her car as well.

They would be spending the night at their Aunt's.. and in the morning she would simply drive down and see how Daniel was doing. Running her fingers through her hair, she leaned against the back of her couch and looked around. There was so much to do. She didn't even know if she should take the fridge with her. It was a nice fridge but she didn't think that they would need two of them. Then there was the stove, the dishwasher, her bed, and the tables. They really hadn't discussed a lot of things..

Hearing the doorbell ring, she watched as Grace went up to get it. Well at least she was talking to someone even if it wasn't her. Hearing Aunt Rose, Deserai, and Grace talking down the hall, she waited for them to come out to the living room. Smiling at them, she hugged Deserai.

"Are we leaving today?"

"No, sweetheart. Tomorrow," she told her. The rest of the day was spent packing things up into Aunt Rose's car. She had taken today off and the next couple of days to help with all the moving.. she hoped it would be enough. Grace would be gone at school and so would Nicholas. Deserai would be at Aunt Rose's all day while she unpacked things at Daniel's. The evenings and early mornings would be the only time that they would be all together. She could only hope that Grace would behave...

That night when she was laying in one of the beds that Aunt Rose had provided for them, she couldn't help but replay what had happened. He had said he wanted to be.. Wait. Her eyes widened and she sat up. He had said husband! Her thoughts raced and she lay back down. He wanted to be her husband? Had he proposed to her? Why hadn't she said anything? Why hadn't she realized his word choice then? Ugh! Rolling around in the bed, she didn't get very much sleep that night, thinking about his words. She didn't know what this meant.. but she knew that her heart wouldn't slow down.  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas could hardly believe it. When their mother had first announced that they would not be moving in with Aunt Rose as planned, he had been at first curious, then shocked. Moving in with Aunt Rose was one thing. She was family, after all. But, really, none of them but their mom knew Dan all that well. In fact, the three of them had only ever met Dan twice, and both times he had been dragging Nicholas home. While he was grateful to the man, moving in with him was something else altogether and, quite frankly, he was nervous.

On the other hand, they would still be moving out to the country. That was a definite plus. But his worry about the change in plans made it hard for him to focus on the food points. When he was worried, he became quiet. So, for the next couple of days, he was all but silent as he tried to sort through his feelings and thoughts, much in the same way he sorted through the things he did and didn't want to bring with him when they moved.

The night before they were due to start living at Dan's, when they had shifted to Aunt Rose's, Nicholas lay awake. He wouldn't be seeing his new home until after school but his stomach still turned with unease. He did like Dan but he didn't know him. He didn't know what he would be like to live with. Would he be friendly and laid-back? Would he be harsh and stern? From the two encounters he'd had with him, he thought Dan was somewhere in between but even still. That had only been two encounters. He wanted to trust that his mother knew what was best but he still had his doubts, even if he kept them to himself.

Grace, on the other hand, did not. She had made it perfectly clear from the beginning that she wanted nothing to do with this. Deserai had been beyond excited. He had expected both of them to react exactly as they had. The only thing he didn't know was how was Dan reacting?


The night before Elenore was due to arrive and start moving her things in, Daniel lay awake. No matter that he had worked hard all day, no matter that he was beyond exhausted, his mind would not slow down enough to let him sleep.

He didn't know what to expect from the next day. He knew that Micheal and Leaf would be coming over, to help with moving things and continuing the construction. He didn't know how Elenore would react. There weren't any major changes and she might not notice any differences at all, save for the greater amount of sawdust on the floor and the tools and supplies scatter all over the living room. He hoped she would be pleased with how far they had gotten. The insulation was no longer visible except in the living room where he had not yet finished putting up the inner layer of wood pannels. The spare room was ready for living in, except for all kind of furnishings save the two mattresses and blankets. Everything else would take time.

What Daniel worried about as much as Elenore's reaction were the reactions of the children. He had only ever met them all twice. Even Nicholas, whom he knew best out of the three, was a mystery to him. He could make guesses about how they would act but he didn't know. Would they be disappointed? After their aunt's, probably. But they would get used to it, right? As it was, the house would last them until spring when he could add on more rooms or just look into getting a whole new house built. He wasn't sure which would be easier, or cheaper. Unfortunately, money truly was an issue. He had plenty of items that he could sell -a small fortune- but he couldn't pawn them into cash. Perhaps Micheal would know someone but that was something to focus on once he got everyone settled into their new homes.

After hours of tossing and turning, he fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. His last thoughts were that he hoped they liked their new home.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore let out a heavy sigh when she woke up to the sound of Deserai calling her from down the hall. A moment later she was skipping into the room with a wide smile on her face. Elenore sat up and forced herself to get up. She had probably only gotten a good five hours of sleep but considering everything that was going to happen today, she couldn't allow herself to be tired. Besides, her stomach was already twisting into knots. "Good morning," she told her before she found herself being hugged.

Hugging her youngest daughter, she then got up. "Go downstairs and get breakfast." She could smell the eggs and bacon being cooked from here and she was sure that Deserai was hungry. She was a morning person, had been even when she was a baby. Elenore went and took a quick shower before putting on a pair of dark blue jeans and a lush green sweater. Brushing her hair as she walked downstairs, she could see that Grace was already finishing her breakfast. That was odd. She was never one of the first people up. Then again, she knew that she probably didn't want to be here at all.

Deserai and Nicholas was already eating as well. Aunt Rose just got done cooking breakfast for herself and her. "Good morning," she said softly. She didn't want to fight with Grace that morning so she avoided asking about how everyone was feeling. Aunt Rose on the other hand was cheery, hoping that it would spread out to everyone else.

After they were all done with breakfast, Elenore drove them to school. It was weird being back in the city and knowing that she wouldn't be living there again for a while. After the awkward car ride, she was back at Aunt Rose's, wondering how soon she should go over to Daniel's. Her heart wouldn't calm down even with her Aunt's soothing words that everything would be fine in the end.

A good half an hour passed before she finally got up the courage to drive down the road. Standing next to her car, she bit her lower lip, looking at the front door of his home. Well.. today was going to be long as it was.. so she guessed she should just get it all over with. Walking up to the door, she knocked gently, waiting for it to be answered.

((Sorry it took me a bit to put this up))  

[Katydid50]

Nicholas stared down at the food on his plate, pushing the eggs around with his fork. He hadn't slept well the night before and his usually large appetite was reduced that morning. On one side, Grace seemed even more closed off than she had been the previous three days. On his other side, Deserai acted as if she was on cloud nine. He himself felt sick, which was why he didn't eat much. He was beyond worried about after school, when they would be going to their new home. He didn't know how he would react to the house. He didn't know how Daniel would react to them. He'd never been so nervous in his life, even worse than when he had to give a speech in front of the entire class.

When their mother appeared, he glanced up before looking back down. She looked tired but he couldn't tell whether it was from lack of sleep or being tired of fighting with Grace. Probably both. Despite Aunt Rose's attempts to cheer everyone up, the mood in the room was somber at best.

On the ride to school, he said nothing, only grunting or mumbling something inaudible when he was spoken to. When they reached the school, he got out without a word. He roughly pushed thoughts of his new home away, forcing himself to focus on the situation in front of him and how in the world he was going to avoid being beaten to a pulp that day.


At Daniel's house, everything was going well. Micheal was very pleased with how everything was working out. He and Leaf were working on part of the living room wall that had come apart sometime between yesterday and that morning. Some water had seeped in during the night and so they worked to replace the wood that had gotten too wet to salvage. It was a pain but they'd had a run of good luck so far, so he wasn't about to complain.

When the sound of a car approaching reached his ears, Micheal paused in hammering the new boards in place. He looked up at the same time that Leaf did, both turning towards the front of the house. Micheal spat out the nails he'd been holding between his lips, watching as Leaf straightened up from his crouch and made his way through the house towards the front door.

Setting down his tools, Micheal peered down the hallway from the living room doorway, watching as Leaf answered the door. Through the gap between Leaf's arm and the door jamb, he caught sight of red hair and a green sweater. Elenore. Surprisingly fast for someone his age, he shot from his spot and came skidding to a halt just in time to skid to a halt beside Leaf before the man had a chance to speak. "Ellie! I was wondering when you were going to show up! Oh, Leaf, this is Elenore. You know, the one I was telling you about? Elenore, this is Flies Like Laves In Wind. Daniel bought the land from Leaf's father ten years ago. And don't worry. 'e's not as fiercesome as 'e looks." At that, Leaf just raised an eyebrow before turning to Elenore himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Elenore," he said, his gentle voice casting a sharp contrast to his appearance. For all that he was the most 'white' of his family, he still had such an appearance that could be taken for fierce if a person didn't look closely enough to see the gentleness in his dark brown eyes.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She thought that it would take him a while to open the door but in a mere few seconds it was open and he- that wasn't him. Looking up at the man who had dark hair and tan skin, she blinked. Elenore couldn't help but feel short. He and Daniel were tall.. though Daniel was nowhere to be seen. His name was Leaf.. wasn't it? So he wasn't helping out with the house. She had seen him a few times around this area but she had never gotten a chance to actually talk to him and it didn't seem like she was ever going to.

She took a step back when Micheal arrived. "Um, hi?" she said, feeling like she was being swarmed now even if it was only two people. She looked down at the ground when Micheal said that he had talked about her before. What had he said? For some reason she couldn't help but feel self- conscious at the moment. Micheal had a tendency to say whatever he wanted and she had no idea what it would be about her.

Looking up when she heard his full name, she nodded a little. It was definitely different than what she was used to but she did find his culture interesting, even if she didn't remember much of it from her college or high school days. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Leaf." She was a bit surprised by his gentle voice though. It was so different than she had imagined it being but that was only based off of his appearance.

"I was wondering.. is Daniel here?" she asked them, after all she couldn't exactly discuss the matter of her and her kids moving in with them. They didn't own the house and they didn't live here. She was grateful that they were helping Daniel out though. Looking Micheal then Leaf, she couldn't help but wonder if Daniel was feeling better. The last time she had seen him he had been bruised from head to toe. She still thought that they had rushed with the moving in thing. Her kids barely knew him and she didn't know if they would get along.. well actually she knew that Grace wouldn't. She didn't know how he would take that...

Lily moved through the breakfast line slowly. She rubbed one of her eyes before yawning. So far her morning had been uneventful. She hadn't seen any of her friends, which really only consisted of a girl that sat next to her in class named Julie. She was no good with meeting new people. Picking up a small cereal box and some milk, she moved to one of the long rectangular tables that were in the large cafeteria.

Just as she started to peel off the top of the cereal box, one of the bullies from the school sat down on the other end of the table. Rolling her eyes, she poured the milk into the cereal and ignored their comments. Pushing her brown braids behind her shoulders, she began to eat, hoping that they would move to another table soon.

((I thought it might be a good time to introduce the girl that might become Nicholas' friend. I found a picture for her too >< It's on the first page))  

[Katydid50]

Leaf smiled warmly down at the woman before them. He had seen Elenore several times over the years but always from a distance. Up close, he could see why Daniel had fallen for her. She truly was a beauty. She looked down when Micheal mentioned having spoken about her. Leaf, wanting to put her at least slightly more at ease, told her, "All good things, I assure you." If they hadn't been good things, he would have believed them until he saw them. In any event, he was more than aware of Micheal's tendency to exaggerate.

At her questioning about Daniel's whereabouts, Leaf and Micheal shared a look before Micheal's face broke into a mischievous grin while Leaf looked over his shoulder thoughtfully. "He is," Leaf said slowly, looking back to Elenore. He hesitated before stepping aside and saying, "He's in the bedroom if you want to go look in on him."

When Micheal and Leaf had first arrived that morning, Daniel had been more than ready to continue at the breakneck pace they had been setting in order to get as much done on the house as possible. However, after the past three days, neither man would have Daniel pushing himself as hard as he had been. After nearly fifteen minutes of arguing, Leaf had had enough. He and Micheal had shared a look before the two had pounced on him. They'd dragged him back into the bedroom and promptly wrapped him in bedsheets with his arms trapped against his sides. They had wrapped sheet after sheet around him until he was completely bound from the neck down.

That had been two hours ago. He had been let up half an hour ago to use the bathroom before being recaptured and wrapped back up again.

In the bedroom, Daniel stared up at the ceiling. Even though he was not tired, he had been dozing on and off until a knocking at the door had roused him. Laying in the middle of the bed, he tried to strain his ears. He couldn't make out the words but he recognized Elenore's voice along with Leaf's and Micheal's. He had been expecting her sometime today but, now that she was here, he couldn't get up to greet her. Nervousness formed a tight ball in his stomach. He hoped she was pleased with how much progress they'd made.


Although Nicholas had eaten breakfast before arriving at school, he still made his way down to the cafeteria. There was more teacher supervision there and less opportunity for Gus and his friends to cause trouble. Setting his bag against the wall by the others, he chose a spot well away from most of the crowds. He wasn't good with people, not like his mother, and so he generally kept away from other people. He spotted a few other kids that he did know and were on decent terms with but he still didn't get up from his spot to join them.

As much as he tried to keep it from his mind, his thoughts started to shift back to the situation at home. He felt nervous and slightly sick to his stomach. A sudden prickling along the back of his neck distracted him and he looked up from the table. Glancing around, he spotted Gus watching him the way a cat would watch a mouse. He swallowed nervously and looked away. Today wasn't going to be a good day.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Good things? She really didn't know what Micheal had to say about her. She nodded her head though and patiently waited for them to tell her where Daniel was. Well the look on Micheal's face really wasn't making her feel better. Something was up and she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know what was going on. Biting her lower lip, she then looked at Leaf, hoping that he would tell her. He didn't have a sly look in his eyes so she guessed he wouldn't say anything that wasn't true.

Bedroom? "Um.. okay.." she did need to talk to him and hopefully she wouldn't be waking him up. Elenore slowly stepped inside and waited for the two to part so that she could get through the doorway. Walking inside, she blinked. The place looked a lot better and the stench of alcohol was gone. That had been one thing she had worried about. Which reminded her that Daniel would have to stash the drinks somewhere where the kids wouldn't be able to get them.

Walking through the house, she passed the spare bedroom on the way, glancing into it briefly. It looked good and it was definitely livable. Running her fingers through the tips of her red hair, she then went up to Daniel's bedroom, knocking on it before opening the door gently. Her eyes widened when she saw him tangled up in a bunch of sheets, only his head was visible. Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her. The conversation they were going to have she would rather have just between them. "Are you okay?" she asked him, a small blush coming to her cheeks before she moved to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Swallowing, her eyes scanned the bed for a moment. She guessed that Leaf and Micheal had done this. Why? She wasn't sure but hopefully there was a good explanation to it. Her fingers gently pulled back the edge of one sheet, her eyes locking with his for a moment. "Why did they wrap you up?" Honestly it looked like he was in a cocoon.

Lily let out a soft sigh as she munched on her cereal. Today was going to be quite long. The lesson was something to do with history and currently that was the worst subject for her. Math wasn't so bad though. Finishing up with her breakfast, she threw the bowl away into the trash can that was at the end of the table along with the empty carton. Grabbing her tiny blue and white checkered backpack, she slung it over her shoulder and walked down along the wall, heading outside until class started.

Running into a red headed boy, she then jumped back, startled. She had been fixing the strap to her backpack. "Sorry," she said quickly, looking at him briefly. His name was Nicholas from what she knew. A blush of embarrassment reached her fair colored cheeks before she quickly ran out the double doors that lead out onto the play ground. She should have looked where she had been going.  

[Katydid50]

Leaf stepped aside to allow Elenore into the house. He could see the wheels in her mind turning. He watched as she looked around while she made her way down the hall. The house was coming together nicely, though things would definitely be tense by the time spring arrived. White people were not like his people. His people put less emphasis on things like space and privacy, mostly because some of his mother's tribe still lived in longhouses. The rest, though living in houses like the whites, still didn't worry so much about things like that. But the whites, they were something else altogther. The three children would have to share the spare bedroom once they got actual beds. Daniel would undoubtedly give Elenore his own bed. Whether he would be joining her or not, Leaf couldn't say. For all that his friends thought he was psychic, he was no mind-reader. Even if he was, he didn't think even Daniel knew.


Daniel listened intently to the sound of approaching footsteps. They were too heavy to be Leaf's. Even too heavy to be Micheal's. That only left Elenore and he waited impatiently for her arrival. At the sound of her knocking on the door, he called out for her to come in. When the door finally did open, he watched as her eyes widened. He could only guess what she must have been thinking. It certainly didn't look good. "Hi," he said weakly. He would have raised a hand in greeting but both were currently trapped against his sides.

He watched, because that was all he could do, as she closed the door behind her. He had the momentary thought of her climbing onto the bed and doing weird and wonderful things to him before he quickly pushed the thought away. What is wrong with me? he wondered even though the answer was quite obvious.

When she asked if he was alright, he shrugged as much as he was able. "I'm sore, I'm sweaty, I'm wrapped up like a mummy, my nose itches and I really have to use the bathroom. Other than that, I'm fine. How are you?" He didn't like being restrained but, if he must suffer through it, at least he now had Elenore was company.

Unable to do anything else, he laid there and studied Elenore's features. She looked much better than she had the last time he'd seen her, her expression no longer creased with worry and guilt. Though, what she would have felt guilty about, he didn't know. The sun shown through the window, setting her hair on fire with such color that it actually looked like it was made of fire. Her skin shown with a warm glow and he knew without a doubt that she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. On second thought, it probably was a good thing he was wrapped up. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to resist touching her and, he knew, that would most likely have led to the very thing that had gotten them into that situation in the first place.

When she spoke again, he grinned sheepishly. "Well, remember the last time you were here, you told me to rest? I didn't. At first, it was just Micheal lecturing me, then Leaf started lecturing me and Micheal threatening me. Yesterday both of them were threatening me. Today, they made good on their threats. Apparently, I'm doing too much work for their tastes and not having nearly enough rest. But, to be honest, if I'm not let up soon and allowed to do something, I think I'm going to go stir crazy." It went against the grain, laying in bed when there was work to be done.


Nicholas stared down at the wooden pattern of the table, his brow creased thoughtfully. Gus had stopped staring at him a few minutes ago, allowing him to relax again, at least partially. He couldn't focus on his worry about homework when there was so much going on at home. He couldn't even remember what their last lesson was about! For any subject! He only hoped they didn't have a quiz. He couldn't remember but he didn't think so.

Something ran into his side and he jumped to his feet, nearly tripped himself on the bench in his hurry. He blinked, having expected Gus or one of his friends. Instead, it was a girl, her brown hair tied back in braids. He searched his brain for a name before coming up with 'Lily'. She was in his class but he'd never really had much to do with her. She was much like him, from what he knew. Not a people-person. Not many friends. Unlike him, Gus left her alone because she was a girl.

At her apology, he nodded. "It's okay," he told her. It wasn't her fault. Well, maybe a little but accidents happened. He sat back down, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she hurried out of the cafeteria, a blush coloring her cheeks.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore couldn't help but laugh a little at his response. He really did kind of look like a kid on Halloween trying to be a mummy. Her hand ran along the edge of the sheets briefly... remembering the might that they had spent together. That was so long ago. She had barely been near him since then. The hug last night.. and then there was the time that he carried her into her home, the apartment. To be honest, she wouldn't mind laying down next to him and spending a few hours there.

"I'm good.. just kind of nervous," she told him before moving to figure out how to get him out of the sheets. "Here, I'm sure I can get you out of this mess." Pulling back one of the sheets, she realized that it was caught on another so she moved to that one, eventually finding herself on the bed, climbing over him. "They certainly were thorough about this," she said, able to free half a sheet. She could see part of his torso now. Biting her lip, she reached over to his other side, tugging at the end of the sheet, trying to figure out where it was stuck.

Hearing his response to her other question, she smiled. "Well I'm glad they at least got you to rest for one day. Or maybe just for the morning but I think you needed it," she moved back over him once more, currently on all fours before she sat up. Tugging at one of the sheets, she finally got it freed and she threw it over to the side of the bed that he wasn't laying on. He'd at least be able to move one of his arms now and sit up if he wanted to.

Her eyes looked back at him, locking with his ice blue ones. Even if he wasn't exactly happy at the moment.. he did look kind of sexy. The thought made a light blush come up to her cheeks. What was she thinking? Leaf and Micheal were over in the next room. And she needed to get the stuff out of the car.. Unpack.. but couldn't they spend a little time together? Would be selfish to? Possibly not..

He had to go to the bathroom though. Tearing her eyes away from his, she moved her hands back to the sheets, tugging at one of them. She'd probably have him free in a couple of minutes. After that.. well things would probably go their own course.

Biting her lower lip nervously, she made it outside without running into anyone else. He had said it was alright but she still felt like she had embarrassed herself in front of all the kids that were there. Sighing, she walked into the bark-dust and leaned against one of the poles that kept the swing set up.

Looking up at the cloudy sky, she couldn't help but wish that she had brought a coat with her today. It was getting colder now. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she watched the air that escaped her turn invisible once it reached the same temperature as it was outside. Smiling a little, she moved to sit down just as the bell rang, signalling that it was time for class.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel's brow drew downward as he frowned at her laugh. It wasn't funny! He couldn't move, couldn't roll over, couldn't even scratch his own nose! She may have found it easier to be completely immobile but he just couldn't. He liked moving and being able to move. He wanted to work, to get the house just that one step closer to being acceptable. And she was laughing at him. He started to wiggle weakly, because the sheets were wound that tightly around him, but paused when she touched the edge of one sheet. Daniel studied her face, picking up the minute hints that suggested what she was thinking about. He swallowed thickly, knowing it would most certainly not be a good idea with his neighbors and friends in the next room. And he still really had to use the bathroom.

"I can understand that," he said when she expressed her nervousness. After all, moving house wasn't exactly easy. Through in the mix a couple of kids and a man whom they hardly knew and it was a recipe for disaster. Or at least tension and awkwardness.

As she started to examine the tangled mass of sheets, he smiled. "I would greatly appreciate that." He watched as she searched through the mess to find a loose sheet, trying to keep himself calm as she climbed over him. "Tell me about it," he rasped before clearing his throat. This was certainly not a situation he had ever imagined he would find himself in. His fantasies with Elenore usually involved a lack of material, not an excess of it.

Finally, she managed to get part of his torso and one of his arms free. His hand immediately shot up to his nose, satisfying the itch. "Yeah, well, it's one thing to be concerned about a friend's welfare. It's another thing entirely to entrap them in their own bedsheets and threaten them with all sorts of odd punishments if they don't rest." He pushed himself to sit up, ignoring the soreness in his stomach.

He leaned forward enough so that his stomach muscles weren't the only thing keeping him upright. He began to examine the tangle of sheets when he caught a glimpse of Elenore watching him. He lifted his eyes to hers. A blush spread across her cheeks. His gut clenched at the sight, painfully aware of where they were and what they had done the last time they had been in that room together. He licked his dry lips nervously. The room suddenly seemed very hot even though they were on the verge of winter. Unfortunately -or fortunately, depending on how a person look at it- his bladder would have none of it and would not wait much longer.

He wondered if she had come to the same conclusion, because she suddenly resumed working on the sheets again. He helped as much as he could but, one-armed, he wasn't very useful. After a few minutes and several false leads, they finally got him freed. Getting to his feet, he stretched his arms above his head and arched his back. He wasn't sure how long he had been laying there but it had to have been a few hours, at least.

"Thank you so much," he said before he turned and left the room. After snapping a few choice words at Micheal and Leaf, he disappeared into the bathroom and did not reappear for several minutes. Although he had not gone back to the fighting rings after making his promise to Elenore, he was still passing blood. Not nearly as much as before, luckily. Much relieved, he returned to the bedroom but left the door open. He was very much aware of what was likely to occur should they be left alone together without something distracting him.

((I'll post for Nicholas once their school is finished for the day. Not much for him to do until then.))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

He understood. Well that was good. Hopefully he wouldn't expect her kids to warm up to him immediately. After all, they barely knew him. She still didn't know if they had rushed it or not. She could have lived with her Aunt for a couple of months and Daniel could have gotten to know her family. It might have been better that way but now it was too late to change things. She could only hope that things would be alright at best. Grace would hopefully keep quiet as well. She didn't want to fight with her during the first couple of days that they would be living here. Then again.. maybe she was asking for the impossible.

As she untangled the sheets, she shook her head. This is not a situation she thought that she'd ever find herself in with him. Especially not on the first day here. Besides.. the thoughts of them together weren't exactly meant to be like this but someone had to free him. She didn't want his bladder to burst. Being pregnant now she knew how much that would suck. Elenore had started going there more frequently now, it would only get worse as the due date came closer.

Watching him scratch his nose, she smirked. He had gotten one of his wishes. "True.. but how else were they supposed to keep you in bed?" Her thoughts went south and she looked away from him. Why couldn't she think straight around him?! It was kind of getting out of control but could she really be blamed for them? After all Micheal and Leaf were the ones that had tied him down to the bed to begin with. She knew understood why Micheal had a mischievous grin. Great..

When their eyes met, she wished he would just go with it. Damn bladder. Why couldn't they just get a day to themselves? A soft sigh escaped her lips. They wouldn't get a chance to be alone.. except tonight if she stayed over. It would take a couple of days to move everything over. Even if the kids met Daniel today, they wouldn't be coming to live here until the room was set up, which would only be tomorrow at best. Perhaps tonight then? Maybe? If he asked her to stay? Ugh. Why did things have to be so complicated?

Once he was finally free, she let him go off to the bathroom. "No problem," was all she said to him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she guessed she would wait for him to come back so that they could... talk. Running a hand through her hair, she looked around the room. It hadn't changed much since the last time she had been here. There was a faint smell of sawdust that she happened to love for some odd reason.

Rolling her shoulders back just as he came back in, she smiled a little at him. "Are you feeling better?" he had quit fighting but she was sure that he was still in pain. Noticing that he left the door open, she glanced at the floor before patting the spot next to her, hoping that he would sit down.

"I noticed that you have a couple of mattresses in the spare room. There really was no need for that.. I can bring the beds from the apartment down. There's two bunk beds and then another one that is Nicholas'. I can either give my own bed up to Aunt Rose.. or bring here depending on what you want to do.." They hadn't really talked about sleeping arrangements.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel knew better than to think that the children would warm up to him right away. It was such a sudden change, he would consider it a success if they didn't plot to kill him in his sleep, something he would have done had he been in their position. Of course, he hadn't been the easiest person to get along with at that age.

As she continued to untangle him, he did his best to help her, which was next to no help at all. He couldn't see where the sheets led, where they overlapped or where the heck they ended. In the end, the best he could do was keep his free arm out of the way once he had finished scratching. At her comment, he frowned. "A sedative. Or a mallet to the head." Both would have made him feel less than happy upon awakening but at least he wouldn't have been conscious through the entire ordeal.

After her comment, she looked away. He wondered what would have given her such a reaction before he thought over what she had said. Warmth seeped into his cheeks and he, too, looked away. This was getting out of hand. Apparently, she felt the same. His only thought was that it was a good thing she was already pregnant or else they could have had a real problem in their hands.

But, he couldn't look away forever. When he looked back, he found her looking back at him. At the look in her eyes, the warmth in his face spread downward, through his chest to settle low in his stomach. It was a good thing his bladder was full, otherwise he probably would have pounced on her the moment he was free.

The moment that he finally was free, he sprang off the bed, throwing his thanks over his shoulder as he hurried to the bathroom. The sight of the white porcelain speckled with red worried him but not as much as the previous spatterings had. He was healing, but slowly. So long as he didn't overexert himself, he would be fine. And working on the house does not count as overextertion, he thought to himself. Although most people would argue that point, he assured himself that he would take a break whenever he felt he was working too hard.

When he returned, he grinned. "Much," he told her. He took the seat beside her on the bed, knowing they had things to discuss. He had left the door open in the hopes that doing so, and the reminder that they were not alone, would keep them from moving beyond discussion.

She didn't waste any time, immediately telling him about the beds they had. "That would be great. I've been so busy trying to get the house livable, I hadn't really thought about beds until yesterday. But, I got rid of the couch -hardly trust it with myself, let alone with kids- so I can use the mattresses as a makeshift couch until I can get another one." And as a bed for himself at night. "As for your bed, give it to your aunt. There's really no room for another bed in the place. You can take my bed." He looked away, staring thoughtfully down at his hands.

He had meant what he said before. He didn't know how to be a husband, but he did want to be one, to be hers. He had spent so much of his younger years sleeping with women like it was nothing. He would never consider his relationship with Elenore nothing but, when he finally was with her, he wanted it to be as husband and wife. There was a finality to it, even in his own mind, that had never been present with anyone else. And, strange though it was, there was a certain comfort to it that he could truly appreciate.

Of course, there were other reasons that he wanted to marry her, less happy reasons that stemmed from his childhood, but he tried not to think about them.

Clearing his throat, he looked back to her. "How are the kids handling it? I know it's quite a shock and I certainly wouldn't have reacted very well in their situation."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She wouldn't have approved of either of those. It would have been easier to just send Daniel off on an errand instead of hitting him over the head. Shaking her head, she sighed. "Neither of those are good options. You should have gotten some rest. You need to recover.. and you know that. Working on the house could wait. Micheal shouldn't have rushed things," she told him. The fact that the day for them to already move in was today made her feel nervous. She could only hope that everything would be alright. Deserai would stay with Aunt Rose while she was a work.. Daniel didn't need to be attacked by all of her questions on the first couple of days. Besides.. she didn't know if he could handle her youngest daughter.

When their eyes met again, she could see the blush coloring his cheeks. Well it seemed as the same thoughts of keeping him in bed had reached him. They really couldn't be along together could they? It was only the real first day that they were talking to each other and it was obvious that they were holding back from jumping each others bones. Damn, Micheal. He shouldn't have tied down Daniel the day that she was going to come over.

After he left, she simply sat there and it wasn't long before he came back. She was glad that he was feeling better.. they had a long talk ahead of them anyway. "I can bring all of the furniture down.. The couches, coffee table, and all that stuff except for my bed and maybe a few other things," she told him before she realized that he pretty much said that he wouldn't be sleeping with her.

Why was he going to sleep out in the living room? His bed was big enough that they could lay there and not even touch each other if they wanted that. "You.. don't want to share one?" she asked him, a little hesitant but at the same time she needed to know. If she was moving in.. well she had thought that they would act more like a couple than anything else. So why the divide? She hadn't really been expecting that.

Lowering her head, she heard his next question. "Deserai is excited.. She might overwhelm you in the next couple of weeks. Nicholas has been quiet about it. I think he hasn't really made up his mind on the whole ordeal but I'm sure that he's nervous. And Grace.. well.. She's not exactly happy about it." She hoped that everything would be fine once they were in the house but at the same time... she knew it wouldn't be like that.

"I was thinking that they could stay over at Aunt Rose's for the next couple of days and come over during the day to help unpack. I don't really want them staying here until the room is set up and most of the things are unpacked." She glanced over at him. "And it will give them some more time to get to know you before they actually live here."