Of the Fells

[heartofcourage]

After Alex was occupied by Theo, Valentina went to find Cole. He was working his horse in the field and the moment that he saw her, they instantly walked silently together to their favorite sitting spot by the loch. It was peaceful there with birds calling in the distance. She glanced towards her adoptive brother and gave him a smile as she took his hand and squeezed it.

"I know he won't come back here to Inverness, so perhaps this wedding could take place in Edinburgh. It might be best for everyone that way." Valentina said softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Y'should ask, though," Cole encouraged quietly. "I think it'd do 'im some good t'come say goodbye t'Ciaran properly." In the letters that Warwick often sent them, their adoptive father always left a little note on the bottom of the last page, reminding them to look after Ciaran and Ashelin's graves. Before his death, Ciaran had made himself chiefly in charge of his mother's resting place, but Cole had taken up the mantle as well as taking Ciaran's widow Chessie into his own family so that she wasn't alone when she wasn't at the keep.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I can ask, but I know his heart isn't here anymore." Valentina said softly as Cole encouraged her. "I'll write him a letter. I know it's been a long time since he's seen your family. Now that you're having babies, it might entice him to come here finally."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And you've got yer own now too, even if 'e wasn't expected," Cole reminded her with a smile. "An' I'm sure Da would want t'meet yer man considerin' all the good 'e's done fer Inverness, not t'mention savin' Brogan's little ones an' makin' you so happy." Cole knew well the soft spot that Warwick had had for Brogan when he was so small, and Warwick hadn't gotten to see how well Brogan had come into his own.

"He's got a lot o' catchin' up t'do, with all of us. Even if 'e wasn' so close with th'others... Ma an' Da were still as much parents t'us as Ghell an' Kitty an' Vincenzo were. 'Course Ciaran an' I never knew Vincenzo as well."

 

[heartofcourage]

"If I can't convince him to come, I'll set Ma to work on him. She can talk anyone into doing anything." Valentina said with a small laugh. "I'll never be able to repay him for raising me as his own and keeping me safe. He even took me to Italy a time or two when Papa couldn't make plans on his own. He was my savior."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don' know how 'e managed it, hones'ly," Cole murmured. "We never 'ad much... but I don' remember ever goin' without 'r bein' hungry. How'd 'e do it?" Warwick's occupation had always been a mystery after being sent from Tamblin's side with his ruined leg to match the same wound he'd inflicted on Tamblin, and though Warwick had seemed to work constantly, he could also drop everything at a moment's notice for his children.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't know. I think that'll be a secret that he'll take to his grave." Valentina said softly as she looked at her brother. "I know he's working with Queen Marianne right now. I think he's one of her counsel members."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I always ask him, but his answer's always 'a little bit o' everythin'." Cole drew her in close to his side in a hug. "But aside from Da... I want y'to know I'm proud o' you. Not 'appy tha' some man's stolen my sister away, but... Ciaran'd be proud too. We was always lookin' out fer you most next t'Da."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Which is why I never had friends. You and Ciaran scared them all away." Valentina teased as Cole hugged her tightly against his side. "I know Ashelin would be very proud of the man that you've become, Cole. She adored you more than anyone else. I don't think Ciaran was ever too upset that you were the apple of her eye."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ciaran 'ad Brogan, an' you 'ad Da. We all 'ad somebody, an' you found yer next somebody, looks like. Ma and I were opposites, though... I think she liked th' challenge o' understandin' me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She loved you dearly." Valentina said, thinking back on Ashelin when she was horribly ill.

Cole was always there, no matter the time of day or night. He had loved her like no other and when she passed, she was afraid that she would have lost Cole just like they had lost Warwick. Instead, he had gotten his life together, married a wonderful woman, and started a life just as Ashelin had always wanted.

"I best get back to the keep before Alex comes looking for me. He's a frightened little mite." She murmured softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"He'll grow out of it once 'e realizes you an' Theo aren' goin' anywhere," Cole assured her. "I know mine didn' go through th' same things, but my boy Lane used t' cling to me so much it was 'ard t' get away to work." He stood with her and hugged her close with a kiss pressed to her cheek. "Go on, love. An' don' be a stranger."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Same to you, Mr. Family Man." Valentina said as he kissed her cheek and sent her on her way just as he had when she was little.

When she got back to the keep, she found Alex and Theo, kissing the little boy as he snuggled against her side. She carried him without a work to her room to write a letter to Warwick about her engagement and her want to have him there in Inverness for the wedding. It would all depend on what he wanted to do as to when she would plan for the actual event.

 

[KieranSoares]

In the couple weeks after she'd sent her letter, Kitty had already begun making plans, but didn't actually set anything into motion except a dress and making sure that family far from home could make it, namely Kayla and Ashien and Van. Proper invitations would be extended once the choice was made between the two cities. Also in that time, Alex slowly began to warm to his new family, no longer afraid of the big family dinners or the sheer number of people. He especially seemed to like his new grandparents and Brogan's family, but he was still shy of Boar and Durban most of all, and he had little interest in chasing around with his cousins. He was more content to borrow Annie's books and bring them to someone to read to him as well as try to read them himself despite being still so young.

When Warwick's letter finally arrived, it was on an evening that Kitty had offered to look after Alex so Theo and Valentina could spend some time together. It was fairly late in the evening after dinner, when Brogan's voice came through Valentina's door. "Letter for ya, Val." But he didn't disturb them, slipping the letter under the door and going on his way.

 

[heartofcourage]

Any time that Valentina had a moment alone with Theo, it was typically spent discussing their plans for a house or simply napping in his warm arms. Any thought of passionate moments had long since left her mind. All of her energy was reserved for Alex, their home, the wedding, and her patients.

She was asleep in Theo's arms when a knocking at the door woke her. She yawned and looked up at her fiancée, wondering what the commotion had been.

"Did someone just knock for me?" She asked him softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It was Brogan, I think," Theo murmured, half-asleep himself. Looking toward the door, Theo sat up slowly and went to fetch the letter for her. "Says it's from Edinburgh, Queen Marianne's court seal," Then told he as he handed it over. The writing was immediately recognizable as Warwick's stout, clear style

 

[heartofcourage]

Valentina sat up and looked down at the letter, a little nervous about what he step father would have to say. She wanted him at the wedding and the entire family seemed willing to make that wish happen for the both of them.

"Here goes nothing." Valentina said as she broke the seal and opened the letter, holding her breath as she started to read.

 

[KieranSoares]

My dearest Valentina,

No letter can do it justice, but I'm overjoyed to know you've found the man you want to marry, and I'm even happier to know it's real love. I knee you'd find him someday. And when I read about little Alex, I knew you'd need this man especially to help you raise him. Cole wrote to me as well about his own family and I realize more and more all I've missed. There was a time I never missed a moment in the lives of your siblings, but as you know, losing Ashelin drove me away and losing Ciaran stopped me from ever coming back. I think it's high time I see home again, and let myself have some joy like Ashelin always wanted for me. I'll be leaving Edinburgh within a week of sending this letter. I hope it finds you well, and I hope you'll forgive me in time for staying away.

Love,
Warwick

 

[heartofcourage]

"He's coming home." Valentina said as she looked at Theo with a wide smile." He'll be here in a week or two. You have no idea how much this means to me."

She leaned in and kissed Theo with a smile, her heart suddenly lighter than it had been in many years. Her family would be together for the first time since Ashelin had passed away.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I do 'ave some notion," Theo assured her, kissing her in return with a smile. "We best do all we can t'make 'is stay easy. I know 'e'll probably be a little sad a'first. We'll make it a little easier for 'im t'come back next time."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm sure Ma will take car of all those plans as well." Valentina said softly as she looked up at Theo. "Have you heard from your family about coming?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Holly's letter said she'd get 'er kids an' come fer sure, an' I sent 'em some money t'help with th'trip," Theo confirmed. "What about yer brother in England an' yer sister in Norway?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"They both plan on being here. Of course, it all depends on if they can get away from their duties." Valentina said as she snuggled back up against Theo's side as they made their way back to bed. "I was hoping for something small, but it seems that my family will make it well above the number that I had hoped for."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Small is awful hard in a big family li' yours." Theo pressed a kiss to her forehead. "But I talked t'Brogan an' 'e offered t'send us t'Inverlochly fer a while."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You know Alex will have to go with us. He's too shy to leave here with Ma. He would probably run away to Inverlochly before we got home." Valentina said softly as she looked up at Theo. "He's gotten better, but he still doesn't like to be away from either of us for very long."