Falling into Cadence (closed for TirithIre)

We first meet, at your coming home party. I am helping your sister getting everything together, getting plates and silverware,out, for the small buffet of food, that's been put together. I have my shoulder length blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. My top clothes are loose fitting, not really gives any definition to my silhouette. I'm barefoot, and I stand only at 5 foot 2 inches. I hear car doors shutting, and I carefully peek out of the window in the living room. There are more guests coming in. I let them in, and tell them where to put everything. There is a number of people here, and it's kind of hard to maneuver around, with everyone standing around, drinking, and chatting. I go over, and grab a cool can of lemon lime soda, hoping that it would ease the nausea that I am feeling.

Darien Hammond had been away for quite a long time. He had been only eighteen when he had enlisted in the military, but he had felt both a desire to serve his country, as well as a responsibility to his family line. Four generations of soldiers had all served, and though his sister didn't believe in the same, for Darien, it was something that needed to be done.

Tragedy had seemed to strike during his second term of service. Having proven himself, he had been promoted to a Staff Sergent, and had his own squad who he had been leading in an escort mission transporting medical supplies from the base to one of the outlying villages. They had been ambushed and everyone seemed to be presumed dead.

It hadn't been until a year after that, that it was discovered that Darien had survived. When the first RPG had hit the truck, Darien had been blown fifty feet clear into a ditch. One of the pieces of shrapnel had struck him in the head, knocking him unconcious. When the attacking militia had scoured the area, they had missed him, and managing to get himself some help, six months later he had managed to recover enough to get back to base. It was only then that the Hammond family had been informed of his survival, to which they of course were ecstatic.

Now, finally, he was on his way home. Apparently Darien was suffering from Post traumatic Stress Disorder as well as a physical limitation in the form of a limp from where one of the debris had impaled itself into his left leg. However despite everything, he WAS alive, and on his way home today. His father had been the one to pick him up, and though it was a quiet affair, he sat stoically. He knew his family had worried immensely and had even thought him dead, so he imagined that the homecoming would be quite the tearful experience for everyone!

Meg looks outside the window, again. Noticing Damien's father's car pulling up on the street, she gets everybody's attention.

"Damien is outside, let's go and give him the proper welcome." She says, to the crowd of about 25. Everybody, with Liz, his sister, and Lydia, his mom, leading the way, makes their way out of the front door. Meg tries to stay at the back of the crowd, until Liz pulls her to the front.

"My brother deserves to see the woman, who pulled all of this, together." Liz whispers, with a slight pinch to Meg's arm.
"Liz, what about?" Meg drops the rest of her question, when the driver's side door opens.
Liz leans over, whispering through her smile.
"To be honest, no one suspects a thing. Quit worrying." She says, as her dad gets out of the car, first.

Darien felt a sense of apprehension when they pulled up, but he kept it to himself. He could manage quite well on his own, the scar from where the metal had struck his head was covered by the hair which had grown in, and with the services he had rendered to the military, it was clear that those who had gathered were so glad that he was alive!

He had a smooth black cane with a sculpted tip on the top which he used to help, but it was clear he refused to lean on it too much. " So what's the family up to?" He had been trying to get his dad talking on the ride, but he had been quiet on the way, so Darien followed him. He stood a good six feet tall and though wearing a simple white t-shirt along with a pair of black slacks, he had a natural handsomeness to him.

Since his dad wasn't talking, he followed him towards the house, his dark brown eyes taking in the home. He paused for a moment, but then took a breath and continued forwards, unwilling to be paralyzed there, he was feeling happy to be home, anxious for the same reason, but also tired. It had been a long trip home.

Meg takes in his tall form, as Lydia and Liz make their way to the car. She stays behind, tears of joy in her eyes, for her best friend. Meg thinks back, remembering what Liz's brother was like, when she and Liz first met.

"Meg, this is my gross older brother, Darien." A thirteen year old Liz says.
"Hi." Meg shyly answers.
"Darien is going into the army. What fun that will be, for him." Liz, says, being sarcastic.
She shakes her head, clearing it of the memory.

To say he was surprised would have been an under statement, but even as he reached out and wrapped his arms around Liz, the cane clattering to the floor as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

Meg and he had met a few times before he had left, he had been much more jovial and light hearted back then, the usual older brother who was fiercly protective of his little sister, but really the memories had been of them harassing him during sleep overs and sometimes some revenge from his part as well.

Finally though he balanced on his good leg and bent over, picking his cane up before heading inside to the party which he certainly had NOT expected at all!

As Liz held him, she whispers to him. "You better thank Meg. She's the one who put all of this together."
She lets go, and Lydia comes over, crying, and hugging her boy.
"You're really home, son." She says, through the tears.

He looked down to his little sister, but he nodded gently as he wrapped his arms around his mother next, though there WERE tears in his eyes, he held them back.

" Yeah, made it and managed all in one piece as well." He remarked with a chuckle. The truth was that Darien's road to recovery had been anything but simple, but he HAD survived when many others would have died from exposure, blood loss, or getting caught by terrorists.

There had been many close calls, but he finally managed to pull away from his mother. " So, who's brilliant idea was all this?" He asked as though Liz hadn't just said so, and besides, Darien figured since she had put so much work into the party, he should thank Meg personally!

"Considering you're practically my older brother, but not quite, I had to do something." Meg says, walking forward, looking as if she isn't pregnant. She goes over, and gives Damien a friendly side hug.

He smirked ever so slightly as she said that, though as she walked forwards, he gently wrapped an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. " Thank you... for everything." He meant it as well, though as he gave her a squeeze, he looked her over.

After all the last time they had seen each other he had been eighteen and she had been younger than him, she wasn't too young anymore, but he added. " So, let's see what you've all set up, I haven't eaten today and I'm starving." He purred with a gentle grin.

She leads him inside, to where all the food is. "What did you want to eat, Darien? I scrounged up some stuff, and it's probably a lot better than from the mess kitchen." She whispers, like an inside joke.

He walked with her and smiled slightly, though he did look over all the hard work that they had put into his welcome home party. Nodding though he smirked faintly as well.

" That's true, it all smells great... what are my choices?" He was hungry for sure, but mostly, he was thankful to be home around those that loved him!

"Well, we have a lot of your favorites. I've become somewhat of a baker, in what little spare time I have, and that entire chocolate cake, over there, is all yours. I have another cake made for everyone else. " She smiles, giving Damien his cane. "I must be checking on some things, but if you need anything, just let us know." She says, slipping away.

Meg checks in, with some of the other guests, giving Damien a perfect view of her silhouette, from the side.

Meg had grown into a beautiful woman since he had last been home, but then again they had both been younger then. As she pointed out the cake he grinned though. " You're the best." He remarked, though as he took in her sillouhette, something about her seemed a bit off. Her posture seemed fine, her color was a bit pale but she could simply have been tired.

He let it go for now and instead mingled with those who had come to see him, he thanking each and everyone, though he 'snuck up' on Meg and wrapped his arms around her from behind, squeezing her gently. " Thank you again." He pressing right against her, sighing as he added.

" You've done so much for the family, I can't ever thank you Meg." He had spoken with many who had pointed it out, so he would thank her properly!

Meg slides out of Damien's hold, hoping that he hasn't felt her swelling belly. She holds his hand. "Damien, this little party is nothing compared for what you've done. Thank you, for letting me the one to do it for you, plus I don't have time to go out and find another almost big brother." She chuckles softly.

A couple hours later, everyone has left, except for Lydia and John, Liz, Damien, and Meg.

"Liz, I'm taking a 15, in your room." Meg says, heading that way.
"Go ahead, you earned it." Liz calls back.

Damian noticed she was quick to slide out of his hold, and though frowning he thought he had felt something a bit off around her waist. He didn't say anything about it right then, since, well that would have been inappropriate, but as she said that he smirked ever so slightly. " That's true, and besides, I doubt they would have been as awesome as me." He joked around a bit.

He made sure that everyone was aware how thankful he was, but as the time passed, he noticed that Meg was going off on her own. The truth was he wanted to check that everything was all right, so he gave it a few minutes before he got up from the chair he had been sitting in.

" I'm just going to go to the washroom, i'll be back in a few." The bathroom was just past his sisters room anyway, at the rear of the house so he made his way that way and paused by the door. Contemplating whether he should let things lie, he gently tried the door just to see if it was locked before anything else.

She's undoing her blouse and jeans. There is a definite bump along her waistline. "I'm sorry, little one. Mommy doesn't want anyone to know about you, just yet. Just a little bit longer." Meg says, softly rubbing her bump. Meg looks up, thinking she heard the door handle turn. She quickly gets redressed, and sits on the side of the bed.

Damian wasn't wanting to catch her in an embarrassing position, but he was concerned that something may be wrong. " Everything all right Meg?" He asked as he gently opened the door, she having had time to redress, though he looked to her as he added.

" You know, in my early days with the military I took training to be a combat medic. I was inspired by the idea of saving people, helping them. That, and it gave me an opportunity to get free education." He moved though and stood nearby. He didn't know what was going on, but he seemed thoughtful.

" If I hazarded a guess, I would surmise that you are pregnant." He of course didn't think that he was right, but it was one way to get some form of reaction from her, which would help in figuring out what was really going on. He had no idea he had hit the nail on the head!

"Damian, you scared me. " Meg says. She listens to him, a look of concern spreads over her features. She lets out a breath, she didn't realize that she was holding. "Am I that noticeable?" She asks, now wondering if everybody notices her growing body.

Damian looked quite shocked that he had actually guessed correctly, but he shook his head. " No, not really, I mean I can tell by how you're carrying yourself as well as a few other physical signs, but no, you're not showing too much." He admitted gently, though he moved a bit closer.

" Sorry for scaring you, are you feeling all right?" He of course concerned over both her and the baby. " Do you know who the father is?" He didn't assume her to be a slut, so he was simply asking out of curiosity at this point.

"Yes, the father is a no good cheating scoundrel, who doesn't even deserve to know he has a child." She says, a bit angrier than she expected. "I'm sorry, it's Dylan, my ex fiance." She wrings her hands in her lap.

"There's only 4 people that even know about the baby. You, Liz, me, and my doctor. No one else knows. Simply because, everything with Dylan. He has his own life now, and it doesn't include us."

Damian's eyes seemed to harden slightly when she mentioned this Dylan. He had never met the man, but he was half tempted to go kick the man's ass, but instead, he simply looked to her. " You'll be well taken care of if Liz knows, she's incredibly thoughtful." He mused, though he smiled gently.

" That, and you now have my support as well, you don't have to go through this alone Meg." He gently pointed out, though he added. " What were you doing in here before I came to check on you?" He moved a bit closer, keeping a respectable distance, not making her feel trapped.

It was clear he worried over her, she was important to his sister, and the truth was Damian found her beautiful to look at as well. He was sure he shouldn't think of her like that, but he couldn't help but do so!

"I was getting comfortable, it takes a lot to make a pregnant body not look pregnant." She says, standing up.
"Thanks, Damian. I do appreciate it." She gives him, a true smile. One that she hasn't used in a long time.
She stretches a little. "My legs are so tense." She says, hissing a little.

Damian smiled slightly as she said that she was getting comfortable, but he nodded to her as she said that she appreciated his concern over her. As she stretched a bit though and hissed, he looked to her as he had begun to turn to leave, to give her privacy.

" I know massage techniques, if you'd like, I could alieviate some of the pain you're feeling in your legs." It was a gentle offer, not one that would really 'lead' to anything, but he added. " I mean, you'd be best to take your pants off, to let me work the muscles." He gently offered to her.

She reaches into one of Liz's dresser drawers, and pulls out a pair of workout shorts. "Give me a second?"