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

[Katydid50]

Daniel fell asleep quickly, Max curled into his side, safe from tiny, grabbing fingers. The day had been exhausting, physically but mostly emotionally. Knowing that, he had expected a deep, dreamless sleep but, like Elenore, it was not what he got.

Daniel glared at the wall opposite him from where he sat in the kitchen, a bottle of something -gin, whiskey, he wasn't sure what- clenched in one tight fist. Elenore and the kids would be home any minute. As much as he didn't want to see her, he had a bone to pick with that woman. His fist curled even tighter, if possible, to the point that the glass bottle threatened to crack.

Suddenly, he heard the front door opening and the whole family poured into the house. Deserai was oddly quiet, going off in search of Max and whispering the cat's name. Nicholas and Grace stopped momentarily in the kitchen doorway and offered quick, quiet, fearful greetings before quickly disappearing into their bedroom. Elenore came into the kitchen, looking tired but oddly defiant. She was no longer pregnant, her swollen belly reduced to normal size. Pushing himself up from the table, Daniel released the liquor bottle in favor of holding his fists at his side and glaring at Elenore.

"What the Hell were you thinking?" Daniel ground out. "F**kin' b***h."

Elenore scoffed. "As if you care. All you do is sit on your fat a** all day and get f**kin' wasted. You're useless." It didn't even occur to him that it might be strange, her swearing, her attitude.

"Useless, am I? I didn't have to invite you and your brats to live here! I didn't have to fix up this s**thole! I put my blood and sweat into this place and you don't even f**kin' appreciate it! Ungrateful wretch!" Without thinking, seemingly of its own accord, one of his fists came up and connected with her cheek, sending her reeling into the wall.

His vision clouded, nothing but red. By the time he was once again aware of himself, they were in the bathroom. Elenore was clutching the edge of the bathtub. Nicholas, blood trailing from a gash on his forehead, was laying into his back with fists only half Daniel's size, screaming at him to leave his mother alone. Daniel raised his head, catching sight of his reflection in the mirror. It was the same structure he had seen every day of his adult life. His eyes were the same deep blue. His skin was the same tan, albeit with a couple more wrinkles than he remembered. His hair, which had previously been dark brown, was a deep black, shot with streaks of gray. With a shocking, blood-curdling realization, he found himself staring at his father's reflection.

Daniel awoke with a start, a cry muffled by his makeshift pillow. Jerking upwards, he found himself staring at the corner wall of his living room. Flipping onto his side, his head jerked as he looked around. It was still dark but there was light coming from the crack below the bathroom door. He could hear the muffled sound of running water. All was peaceful. All was quiet.

Running a shaky hand over his hair, Daniel climbed out of bed. The floorboards were icy cold beneath his bare feet but he didn't care. It helped keep him grounded in the present, in reality. Hurrying into the kitchen, he flicked on the light and turned on the electric water jug even as he grabbed a clean-ish mug and filled it with two scoops of instant coffee.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore stood under the shower, letting the hot water run over her for a few moments. She leaned against the wall, her eyes closing. Sebastian's face came up. Her eyes flashed open and she shook her head. No. She didn't want him to haunt her now. Not when she was starting a new life with someone she cared for dearly. A chill ran down her spine. No. She wouldn't think of him. Grabbing the shampoo, she washed her hair quickly, staring at the wall blankly before cleaning the rest of her body.

Ten minutes later and she was done. Drying herself off with a light blue towel, after having turned off the water, she then got dressed and brushed her hair. Fixing the dress, she then put on a little bit of makeup to highlight her eyes and lips before wrapping her putting her hair back up in the towel so it would dry faster. Shivering a little bit when she opened the door because of the cold air, she walked out with her pajamas in one hand. Walking back to the bedroom, she noticed that Daniel wasn't sleeping anymore, he wasn't even in the living room. Deciding that she would see where he was once she got some leggings on, she went to the dresser and found some. Pulling them on, she then briefly thought about putting on a sweater but then decided against it.

Letting her hair down, she put the pajamas and towel in the hamper before going back to the living room. Still seeing no one, she went to the kitchen, realizing now that the light was on there. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed it earlier. Walking to the kitchen, she saw Daniel, he looked a bit spooked. "Everything alright?" she asked softly, leaning against the entryway's frame.

Wrapping her arms around her waist since the cold was starting to get to her, the early mornings always seemed to be the worst for her. Pulling out another cup, she put a teabag in hers though. She was awake enough as it was, tea would just be soothing and hopefully warm her up as well. She was definitely going to wear her warm boots and coat to work. Looking at Daniel once more, she guessed that it would be better to take Deserai to Aunt Rose today instead. He needed to get back to full health and something was off about him right now.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel waited impatiently for the water to heat up, staring at the jug as though he could will it to heat faster. Anything to keep him from thinking about the dream. Unfortunately, there was not enough stimulus staring at an electric water jug to keep his thoughts focused on it for long.

Ever since he was young, he had hated being compared to his father. They looked alike. There was no doubt they were father and son. The only difference was their hair color. That was part of why the only mirror in the house was in the bathroom. He hated looking at his reflection and seeing his father's face looking back at him. It had only become worse as he'd gotten older. As well, as he'd gotten older, he had feared turning into the monster his father had been, his fear quickly growing as Elenore and her children entered his life.

Finally, the jug switched off. Daniel, hands still trembling, poured hot water into his mug before sitting down at the table. To be honest, he didn't trust himself not to drop the mug, his hands were shaking so hard. His legs weren't much better, which was why he didn't add anything to the coffee. He didn't like how bitter plain coffee was but it would help wake him up, keep him grounded.

"Everything alright?" Even though she had spoken softly, Elenore's voice still made Daniel jump. He had been about to take a drink and the sudden startle caused him to slosh some of the coffee onto the table. Setting the mug down, he let out a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. "Oh Elenore, you shouldn't startle people like that." He managed a small laugh and half a grin but they quickly faded as his heart returned to its normal pace.

Pushing himself up, he crossed to the sink and grabbed a damp rag before returning to the table to mop up the spill. Remembering her question, he managed a small smile, hoping it looked more reassuring than it felt. "I'm fine," he told her. Deciding that she wouldn't like the vague answer anymore than he had liked getting it from Grace, he added, "Just a bad dream, that's all." He hoped she wouldn't question him about it. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about it.

Deciding to try and change the subject, he asked, "And what are you doing up this early and looking dressed up, ready for a day on the town?" In all honesty, she looked beautiful. Beautiful, but cold. "You really should put something more on. The last thing you want to do right now is catch a chill." The same couldn't be said for him, who had slept in his clothes from the previous day and still needed to change before the kids got up. He didn't relish the idea of changing in a house full of -awake- children.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Seeing him jump from her question, she frowned. It was obvious that something wasn't right. What had happened? Seeing his grin though, she gave him a half hearted smile before coming closer. She doubted that he would actually tell her what was going on, and she turned out to be right.

Sighing at his answer, she lowered her head, before he added that it had just been a bad dream. "That makes two of us," she said in a low voice before he brought up a different subject. Pulling a cup out of the cupboard for herself, she set it down on the counter, letting her pale fingers wrap around it.

A small smile turned on the corner of her lips at his words. "I couldn't go back to sleep," she answered. Looking back up at him, she decided to bring up something that had been bothering her lately. "Daniel, I do want to get married. It's just so many things have been happening lately.. and I don't want you to feel like you have to marry me because I'm carrying our child." She still had this underlying fear that he would marry her because of that.. and then find someone else.

Elenore knew it wasn't fair to think that he would do that, but she couldn't bring herself to completely forget what had happened in the past. Besides.. he hadn't even been the one to ask her to move in.. Michael had. Daniel had been in such a mess when she had come with him to see what was going on. He was still recovering. She still felt horrible that he had lost/quit his job at FR Inc. A chill ran down her spine as she remembered what happened there, her eyes lowering back down to the empty mug that she was holding.

"I know this isn't really the time to be bringing all of this up.." she added quietly, "but I keep thinking about it." Rubbing her arm, she wished she had everything figured out but currently her mind was just mush. She knew she wanted to be with him. And as far as she knew, he wanted to be with her. They hadn't really been an actual couple though. It had been one night. He had been drunk out of his mind. Now she was carrying their child. Did he want to spend the rest of his life with her? She had no idea.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel frowned when Elenore told him that they'd both had nightmares. He opened his mouth to ask her what hers had been about before quickly snapping it shut again. If he asked her what hers had been about, she would ask what his had been about and he did not want to think about it. He just wanted to forget it.

Finished mopping up the spilled coffee, he tossed the rag into the sink before reclaiming his seat at the table. At the news that, after her dream, she'd been unable to go back to sleep, he nodded in understanding. It was probably for the best. He had never actually had it happen to him, but he'd heard of other people who had gone back to sleep only to find themselves back in their nightmares. That was the last thing he wanted, for himself or Elenore.

Daniel managed to take a sip of his coffee before Elenore spoke. At the first sentence, he took another, longer drink, knowing he'd need to be fully awake for this conversation. As she continued, he took another long drink, never taking his eyes off her. It made him glad that she had at least been thinking about it, and that she did want to get married. He'd been so worried that she really didn't want to marry him, for whatever reason.

When it was clear that she was done speaking, Daniel took one last shot of caffiene before standing up and walking over to stand in front of her. "First things first, if now isn't the time to talk about such things, there never will be a time. The better we get this sorted out, the better for everyone, including the kids." The last thing they needed right now was insecurity at home. "Secondly, I would not be marrying you just because of the baby. I am not doing this out of a sense of duty or obligation. If I didn't want to marry you, no force on Earth could make me. One thing you must know about me, Elenore, is that no one can make me do anything I don't want to do. Plenty have tried, all have failed. So if I'm doing something, it's because I've chosen to. And I have chosen you."

In the hallway, Nicholas sat with his back against the wall, next to the doorway to the kitchen. Still in his pajamas, he had been awoken by the sound of voices and movement and come out to investigate. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop but he had heard Daniel and his mother talking and had been curious. What he heard made him smile. If Daniel was chosing their mother, that meant he was chosing them, too.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

He drank his coffee as she spoke, though his eyes never left her. He certainly had beautiful ice blue eyes. They weren't harsh either. They had a soft quality to them that would come through every once in a while. She hoped she'd be able to see more of that side of him as time passed. If they stayed together. She didn't want them to separate but that didn't mean there wasn't a chance of that happening later on.

Her green eyes met his as he came closer, standing on front of her now. Elenore nodded her head slightly. It was true. It would have been better to have this sorted out before she and the kids had moved into the house, but things hadn't really worked out that way. Listening to every word that left his lips, she felt herself calm down before excitement and joy made her heart swell. Hearing his last words, a big grin appeared on her face and then wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.

Letting her hands move to his shoulders, she then stood on her tip toes for a moment, kissing his lips briefly. Meeting his eyes again, the grin came back. "I love you," she told him, letting her heels touch the ground again. She knew that his answer could be different, but she hoped that some day she would be able to hear those words from him.

Deserai tugged on Nicholas' sleeve. "What are you doing?" she asked him, her voice quiet, before letting out a big yawn. Her eyes were bright already, she always had been a morning person, despite the rest of her family not being too happy about it.

Grace woke up from the searing pain in her arm. Rolling onto the side that wasn't wounded, she slowly sat up. Biting her lip, she gripped her wounded arm just below the bandages, wishing that the pain would stop. The tea had helped, not that she wanted to admit it, and she guessed it would be best to make some more. A good shower would probably wake her up and make her look less miserable to her mother and Dan. Looking around the room, she noticed her siblings were already gone. Was it really that late? Frowning, she gingerly made her way down the ladder before grabbing a jacket, realizing how cold it was without her blankets.

Her necklace was hanging on the outside of her shirt but she didn't think about tucking it back in as she gathered some clean clothes to wear after her shower. She hoped their was hot water left otherwise she'd be shivering throughout half the day. Walking out of the room, she headed for the bathroom, seeing her siblings huddled by a wall. They could be strange sometimes, so she just shrugged it off.  

[Katydid50]

As Daniel spoke, he watched the anxiety in Elenore's eyes fade, replaced with a bright joy and almost child-like excitement. At her grin, he couldn't help but smile back. She was gorgeous when she wasn't smiling. When she was smiling, wow. How he had managed to land himself such a beautiful woman -both inside and out- was beyond him.

Her arms wrapped around him and he happily hugged her back. However, the hug didn't last long. Her hands moved to his shoulders and she gave him a quick kiss, only just long enough for him to start to kiss her back and then she was gone. She spoke and he thought his heart would stop. The three words he'd dreaded hearing for his entire life, even more so now. In his younger years, he had hated someone telling him that they loved him, because it simply wasn't true and he knew it and how dare they claim that they did? Now, he feared hearing it because he knew that it was true... and he couldn't honestly tell her the same. How could he? He didn't know what love felt like so, even if he did love her, how could he know that's what it was? And he certainly wasn't going to lie to her just to make her happy.

Nicholas was so intent on hearing what was said, and trying to figure out their actions by sound alone, that he didn't hear Deserai coming out of their room. He jumped when she tugged on his sleeve and his head snapped around to glare at her. "Sh." He held a finger to his lips in a motion for silence before focusing back on what was going on in the kitchen. He caught sight of Grace but ignored her just as she did them. As he turned to look back towards the doorway to the kitchen, he caught sight of a pair of work boots and slowly followed them up to the face they belonged to. "Uh, hi."

Daniel pressed a kiss to Elenore's forehead, forcing a smile. He wouldn't tell her that he loved her when it wasn't true. When it was true -if it was ever true- he would tell her then and not before. "I suppose I better get changed. I'll get a start on breakfast then. I hope you like bacon and eggs." Before she could respond, he released her and headed for the doorway. He saw Grace walk past, probably headed for the bathroom, and grimaced. His bedroom door didn't have a lock on it and he hated the idea of one of them deciding not to knock and just walking in on him when he was changing.

A quiet 'sh' caught his attention and he stopped in the doorway, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at Nicholas and Deserai, huddled against the wall. Nicholas slowly looked up at him. "Uh, hi." Daniel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway.

"A bit early for you two to be up, ain't it? A bit too early in the morning to be listening to other people's conversations. If you're going to be up and eavesdropping, you're going to stay up. Go get dressed and make your beds." Nicholas, properly chastised, slunk off without a word. Daniel didn't like having to put his foot down so early into their relationship but he really didn't appreciate people eavesdropping on his conversations. Without waiting for Deserai to follow Nicholas, Daniel turned and disappeared into his previous bedroom and closed the door behind him.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Deep down there was a part of her that was still tugging her down, making sure she didn't soar up into the sky. She didn't want to fall again and yet she couldn't help but feel happy. She really did love him. He had done so much for her. Despite what he though, he was an incredible individual and she hoped that with time, he'd be able to see that about himself too. He was good with the kids, though she knew that Deserai still made him uneasy at times and then Grace still hadn't accepted him.

Deserai frowned when he motioned for her to be quiet. She wanted to know what was going on. Noticing Grace walk by, she didn't question her, thinking that what Nicholas had to say would be a whole lot more interesting. Besides, she never liked answering questions early in the morning.

He didn't return the words, she knew she had probably rushed it. Elenore didn't mind giving him time. She just hoped that he'd feel the same way about her in the future. Hearing him mentioned breakfast, she nodded, her thoughts still on what he said though. He had chosen her. It didn't make complete sense to her. Of course he cared for her, wanted to have a family, that type of thing, but.. didn't he want to get married knowing that he loved the person? To each their own she guessed.

Looking back over at the door, she grinned seeing Daniel. He didn't look too happy though. Well, he had answered her question. She had no idea what him and her mom had been talking about though. Frowning a little at Daniel's words, she didn't argue though and turned around, following Nicholas.

Wrapping her arms around her waist for a moment, she then moved to the kettle, deciding to make some tea for herself. It would warm her up until she could get a sweater. Filling it with water, she then placed it on the stove, turning on one of the burners. She knew that her family was awake by what she had heard Daniel say and the sound of running water. A moment later Deserai was skipping into the kitchen, still wearing pajamas but she had put on some socks. "Morning Sunshine," Elenore said, as the girl hugged her legs, smiling.

"Morning," Deserai replied with a grin before looking around the kitchen. "What are we having for breakfast?" she asked, not noticing any food out on the counters, that or she couldn't see it.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel sighed heavily as he pushed the door closed. Even though the conversation was over, he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Elenore loved him. Or claimed to. He didn't think she was lying. She wasn't that kind of woman. But what did it even mean, that she loved him? His mother was supposed to have loved him and she never wanted him in the first place. His first was supposed to have loved him but he'd nearly killed him on several occassions. Dolan loved Carlotta but that didn't stop him from chasing down every skirt that caught his eye. Carlotta loved Dolan but that didn't stop her from shooting off one of his balls when he told her about his latest bastar.d. The only time he'd ever really seen love was when he had first moved out to the country and had been invited over to Leaf's for supper one evening. Blossoms, Leaf's mother, had still been alive and Daniel had been able to see the love between all four members of that family. In the following times, they had grown to accept him and welcome him as one of their own. But he hadn't felt loved. He had felt... unworthy. He still did.

Shaking his head, Daniel opened the dresser and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a white tank top before slipping a light gray button-up over it. He took off his boots only long enough to change into a clean pair of socks before slipping them back on. It was too cold to be going around without something on his feet.

Daniel made for the door but paused and doubled back to the dresser. He grabbed a sweater -it didn't match the dress in the slightest but she could put on a different one later if she wanted- out from among Elenore's clothing before returning to the kitchen. Deserai was still in her pajamas but, he saw after a moment, that she had put socks on. Deciding not to push it -one, because he really didn't have any authority over them and two, he didn't know how far he could push the girl and the last thing he wanted to do was make her cry- he walked over to Elenore and handed her the sweater.

Hearing Deserai's question, he said, "Bacon, eggs, toast." A standard breakfast, in his mind. He had eaten cereal for most of the meals in his childhood. After he'd left home, he'd never eaten cereal again and he never would.

Walking over to the fridge, he pulled out a carton of eggs and a plastic bag filled with bacon strips. He set them on the counter before digging out the bread. After dragging out a frying pan, he turned on the stove top and set the bacon to frying. The eggs and bread could wait because they wouldn't take long to do.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She hated the fact that she was afraid of people turning on her. The only people that she had let close to her after Sebastian's betrayal were those that were already dear to her.. and Daniel. Aunt Rose she had complete faith in. Her father she.. she honestly didn't know what he was doing these days. She could only hope that he had changed his life around. She wished her mother was still here... Perhaps things would be easier. She'd be so proud to have her meet her children. "Thank you," she said, taking the sweater before putting it on. Letting out a soft sigh as Deserai asked what they would be having for breakfast, Daniel answered for her. Looking up at him, she smiled softly before Deserai fell quiet.

"Go get dressed," she told the girl, patting the top of her head. Breakfast would be ready by the time she got back. Deserai ran off with that and Elenore turned her attention back to Daniel. "Do you want any help?" she asked, leaning against an empty counter as he got out all the food that would be necessary. If he didn't want any help in the kitchen, she'd just set the table.

Feeling warmer now that she had another layer of clothes, she then pulled out some tea from one of the cupboards and set it into her mug. The water would be hot enough soon. Her green eyes watched him now, wondering what he was thinking. Her head then turned towards the kitchen window, noticing that some snow was falling, it wasn't a lot, but she knew there was a possibility that it would pick up quickly. The holidays would be coming soon enough after that. They usually celebrated them at Aunt Rose's. A tree.. Christmas cookies.. a big dinner. She didn't know if Daniel would be up for something like that. There were still a lot of things the two had to learn about each other.

Grace stepped out of the bathtub, having turned off the hot water a few seconds ago. Wrapping herself up in a towel quickly, she couldn't help but shiver as the cold air engulfed her. She felt a bit better now though the pain was still there, it wasn't as bad. The tea could be used for another time. Drying herself off, she pulled on her clothes. There were dark blue jeans, a dark gray shirt, socks and her jacket, the one that Wolf had mended. She hoped that she'd be warm enough. Her boots would probably help a lot once she got them on.

Opening the door after she brushed her teeth and her hair, she picked up her clothes and the towel, headed towards the bedroom that she shared and knocked on the door, not knowing if someone was on the other side or not.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel just smiled at Elenore's thanks. It wasn't anything, really. She needed to put on something warmer and he'd already been in the bedroom. Turning his focus on breakfast, he answered Deserai's question before getting everything he needed.

While the bacon started to pop and sizzle in the frying pan, he watched Deserai run off back to the kids' bedroom with the instruction to get dressed. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised or put out that Deserai listened to her mother but not him. With a mental shrug, he turned back to the bacon, watching it carefully and moving it with a spatual every so often.

At Elenore's question, Daniel shrugged. "Not much to do really," he told her. "If you could set the table, that'd be great. If you wanted to pop some toast in as soon as I start the eggs, that'd be a great help." It was a bit of a challenge to juggle both at the same time because neither took much time to cook and burned so easily. It was even more of a challenge because he was cooking so much. He was cooking for five people where, before, he'd been cooking for one. It would certainly take some time to adjust to it.

Daniel cast a glance at Elenore only to find her looking out the window. He followed her gaze, watching for a few moments the snow falling from the sky. The sun was only just breaking the horizon, casting a pink-orange cast to the dead, frosted grass. He didn't think they would get much snow, maybe an inch, if even that. It probably wouldn't last either but he didn't mind. He didn't particularly like winter. It had been a struggle to survive it when he'd been homeless and the season had left bad conatations in his mind.

But, Elenore and the kids wouldn't think that way. At least one of them was bound to love winter. And then there would be Christmas. He didn't know what they were going to do about that. Growing up, they'd never celebrated anything. In fact, when he'd started school, it was the first time -that he could remember, at any rate- hearing about the being called Santa. The other kids had made fun of him for not knowing who he was. Many of the other Christmas traditions that everyone seemed to know about had somehow illuded him, even during his adult years. He hoped Elenore wasn't expecting some big fancy celebration. The closest he'd ever come to such a thing was spending Christmas eve with Micheal at Leaf's place. They'd have a big meal and exchange a gift or two but that was it. An hour or two at the most.

The next moment, Daniel heard a door open and Nicholas skidded into the kitchen. He was fully dressed and seemed to possess far more energy than was normal at this hour. "You're far too energetic this early," he told him, teasing.

"Did you see it? It's snowing!" Nicholas bounded over to the window and looked out. He had always loved winter, especially the first snowfall of the year. Their first snow in their new home. And, he realized, that that was what it was quickly becoming: Home.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Seeing him smile, she returned it. If nothing else, she knew that he cared for her. Of course they may not be the perfect couple, but she could see herself with him later on. After Deserai had run off, Daniel answered her questioned. Nodding her head, she then started to get out forks and a butter knife just in case someone wanted to put jam or butter on their toast.

Setting down the forks and napkins, she then went back for the plates but guessed that it would be better to leave them in the kitchen so that they could be filled their and then set on the table. It didn't take too long and now all that left was the toast, so she got out the bread and waited for him to then start with the eggs. Her own eyes went back to the window. Watching the snow fall always calmed her. She loved the snow though she had a different reaction to it than her kids did. Closing her eyes for a moment, she then looked over at Daniel who didn't seem to enjoy the sight of snow as much as she did, his focus had been turned back to the sizzling bacon and from what she could tell, he was deep in thought.

Hearing a door open, she could hear a thud, it was the door hitting Grace, and then Nicholas appearing in the kitchen. She smiled brightly seeing how happy he was.

"It's snowing?!"

Elenore couldn't help but laugh. The poor girl was barely getting tall enough to look when she stood on her tip toes. Deserai ran into the kitchen, still pulling on a sweater so she could barely see at the moment. Elenore went up to her and pulled her turtle neck sweater all the way down with a smile. "You two can go outside for a bit after you're done with breakfast," she told them.

Hearing the kettle whistle, she went back to the stove top to take it off and pour the hot water into her mug. Setting it back down on a cold burner, she then took the cup to the table.

Grace's eyes widened when the door had suddenly opened, quickly at that, and slammed into her. She gasped for air for a moment Biting her lip, she closed her eyes tightly. The door and managed to graze her wounded arm and now all she could do was stand there for a moment. Deserai was running out the next moment, almost slamming into her as well but she managed to move out of the way. Slowly going into the room as she held her arm. Closing the door behind her with some difficulty, she then took in a deep breath of air, her eyes watering.

Sitting down on Deserai's bed since she couldn't possibly make it up her's at the moment, she then doubled over, hoping that it would help somehow. There was no way she was moving for the next minute or so.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel, despite his own misgivings, couldn't help but smile at Nicholas' enthusiasm. Not a moment later, Deserai toddled in, her shirt bunched up over the top of her head. He watched as Elenore pulled the shirt down properly, unable to hide a smile at her instruction. No doubt the two of them would have dashed outside then and there, given half a chance. Even though Nicholas looked downcast at having to wait, it didn't last long as he looked back outside. The boy was certain to be outside all of the time, for as long as he was allowed. This was certainly going to be interesting.

Focusing back on the food, Daniel cooked the bacon for a minute longer before grabbing a plate and sliding the bacon onto it. He grabbed a plastic cup from one of the cupboards and poured the still-hot bacon grease into it before returning the pan to the stove top and cracking several eggs into it. He didn't know how much each person would eat but he was sure he'd made enough. He looked over to Elenore to make sure she'd seen him start the eggs before looking back to them, moving them constantly to make sure they didn't burn but still cooked properly.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder. Nicholas was still at the window. "Nicholas." When the boy looked over, he asked, "Can you go tell Grace breakfast is almost ready?"

Nicholas nodded and walked out of the kitchen. The bedroom door was closed. He knocked twice and walked in without waiting for an answer -after all, it was his room, too. Besides, she'd already been dressed so she couldn't have been changing. "Grace, breakfast is almost-. Grace! Grace, what's wrong?" His older sister was doubled over, in obvious pain. As much as he was annoyed by his sister, they were family and he loved her. He didn't want her to be in pain.

"Grace? What's going on in here?" The next moment, Daniel appeared in the doorway. He must have heard Nicholas ask what was wrong.

As soon as Daniel spotted Grace hunched over on Deserai's bed, he rushed over to her side, ignoring Nicholas and the fact that Grace would probably either say she was fine or attempt to bite his head off. "Grace, what happened?" he asked, placing a hand against her shoulder and trying to gently pull her upright so he could see if, where, she was hurt.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore watched as Deserai tried to get a good look at the snow though. She would have picked the girl up but she was getting heavy the taller she got and she didn't want to risk it with a baby. Looking back at Daniel, she noticed that he had started frying the eggs. It wouldn't be long until breakfast was done. Going to the pantry, she got the bread out and popped two slices into the toaster before pushing the button down. In a few minutes they would all be able to eat. She glanced over at Nicholas as he disappeared out of the kitchen in search of Grace. It was a bit odd that she wasn't there quite yet.

Hearing a knock, she breathed in but it was shaky, about to tell Nicholas that she would be out in a minute. She didn't get the chance though as he opened the door. That's when she knew things would go downhill. She swallowed and closed her eyes when she heard Daniel's voice. The last thing she needed was having him there. Feeling his hand on her shoulder though, she wanted to shrug it off badly but instead moved away from him, slowly coming up to a sitting position. "Don't touch me," she snapped, her brown eyes slightly narrowed.

Deserai had her arms crossed on the window sill, keeping her off the ground for a good fifteen seconds. That is until she heard Nicholas' words. The next second Deserai and Elenore, after having turned off the burner, made their way quickly over to the bedroom.

Elenore and Deserai's eyes widened at the sight of Grace doubled over. Elenore was a bit shocked at Grace's harsh words. "Grace." her voice was stern, she shook her head at her before going over to her as well. She knew the girl was in pain but she didn't have to react that way.

Grace looked at her mother for a moment before she finally sat up straight, her jaw clenched and doing her best to not give away that she was in pain. She had managed to not cry out when she had gotten shot, she would have to manage this as well. Letting go of her arm, she then glanced at Nicholas. She really did wish he could have been a bit more quiet about it. "I'll be fine. A person can't stub their toe or fall off the bed around here without drawing everyone's attention," she said, her voice low before she got up slowly, making sure that she avoided everyone as well.

Deserai stayed by the doorway. She knew that Grace didn't want anyone near her. She wasn't much of a cuddly person as she had found out though their were times when she'd hug her. They were rare though. She tilted her head in confusion when she saw the necklace that her big sister had. "Where did you get that?" she asked her.

"What?" Grace blinked. Completely thrown off.

"The necklace. Where did you get that necklace?" Grace's blood turned cold.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel's eyes narrowed as Grace moved away and snapped at him. He'd known it was only a matter of time before they butted heads about something but this was something else altogether. She was in obvious pain and a person doesn't feel pain for no reason. He glanced over at Elenore when she said her daughter's name but didn't otherwise react to their presence. Ignoring Grace's words and confident it wasn't her shoulder that was hurting her, he grabbed hold of it but didn't have to push her upright as she straightened at her mother's voice.

It was only when Grace let go of her arm that Daniel noticed she had been holding it at all. He shot a meaningful look at Elenore before stepping around to join her on Grace's other side. He, again, ignored Grace's comment. The sight of the circular patch on the arm of her jacket caught his attention. He recognized the sewing. Screech, Leaf and Wolf had a distinctive style of stitching. He would know. Screech and Leaf had patched him up more than once.

Before Daniel could question her, Grace got to her feet and Deserai suddenly spoke. He frowned. This was no place for a child. He opened his mouth to tell Nicholas to take her out of there -really, Nicholas shouldn't have been there either- but stopped when he registered the girl's question. His eyes shot back to Grace, following the leather strip down to where a stone eagle lay high on her chest. What the Hell?

He reached over and grabbed hold of the necklace, both leaning it and drawing it closer before he released it and straightened. He fixed a glare at Grace. This wasn't going to be pretty. His eyes still firmly fixed on Grace, he said, "Nicholas, take Deserai and wait in the kitchen."

"But-."

"Now!" Daniel's head snapped around to glare at Nicholas who swallowed and backed out of the room, grabbing hold of Deserai's arm as he went. Once the two were out of sight, he glared back at Grace. "That's Screech's handiwork," he said before pointing to the patch on her arm. "And that's Wolf's. There are only two places in the world you would see stitching like this, only one within fifty miles." He ran a hand over his face, half considering asking her what the Hell she'd done. Instead, he said, "Take off your jacket." Her arm was hurting her. That same arm had a patch on the jacket. He'd bet his life that he'd find either bandages or stitches or some kind of injury underneath that patch.