Claymore and Dagger Pt.2

[heartofcourage]

"Your Da needs the stress gone from him life. We'll lose him if not." Julia said softly, letting Sam know just how serious the situation was. "He does his best to hide it from all of you, but his heart can't take much more."

As he spoke about becoming a king before he became a husband, she had to laugh. "I'm surprised the both of you have waited. You didn't have to wait for any of us, love. You could go and marry her tonight and make us happy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think we waited more fer the war. We decided t'wait fer the lull in winter, maybe use it as an excuse t'raise spirits. An' I'm sure Fiona wasn' sure of me after I got really low."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Be honest with me, love. Do you love her?" Julia asked, knowing that Sam would tell her the honest truth.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Is tha' really a question?" Sam met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn' be here righ' now if I didn' love her enough t'let after myself."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Do you love her enough to show her your full heart?" Julia asked, knowing that the answer to that might be quite different. "You've never even shown it to me and I carried you in my belly for nine months."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam looked down once more, and it took him a long time to answer. "... You know I like t'keep to myself. But... Maybe in time."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your father was the same way when we were first married. He was filled with such pain and guilt over Annie's mother that he couldn't give anything to me." Julia said softly as Sam admitted that he would give her what she wanted in time. "I strayed because I was so lonely. It's perhaps the biggest mistake that I have made in my entire life. I'm not saying that you and Fiona will end up the same, but I do caution you to think hard about your inability to share your entire self with someone."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think about it constantly," Sam admitted quietly. "And I wonder why she puts up with me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Love, pure and simple." Julie said softly. "She loves you. That's why she is willing to put up with the bad parts."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Or she's crazy. I'm more liable t'believe tha'." Sam cracked a tiny smile. "I think it's both."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm afraid she would have to be to want to live her life with you." Julia said, returning her son's smile. "You write me out a list of things you think the both of you would like for a wedding and I will take care of it. It can be a surprise for Fiona."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll see if I can get her to tell me what she'd like without giving it away." He rubbed his eyes briefly. "I'm gonna head to bed, Ma... You ought to do the same."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I will, love." Julia said, standing and bending across the table to kiss his cheek. "You have made me proud, my moon."

She left him alone after that, going to check on Brogan to make sure that he was still sleeping peacefully. When Sam came to his rooms, he would find Fiona still awake, talking to Heather. It had been a long while since Heather had retreated to her brother's room after a nightmare, but the stress of the evening had induced one shortly after she had fallen asleep. Fiona was welcoming, talking to her as she brushed and braided the young girl's hair. Fiona glanced up at the sound of the door opening and gave Sam a soft smile and a slight shrug.

 

[KieranSoares]

Fiona would see a bit of a shift come over Sam as he saw his little sister having retreated to his room. He stepped forward, brows stitched in concern. "Heather," he murmured, kneeling at the edge of the bed to take her hand.

 

[heartofcourage]

Heather's dead gaze turned towards Sam as he was there, taking her hand. "I'm sorry I came to your room. I was scared."

Fiona gave the girl a sad smile, finishing up the braid that she had been working on. "She said she's been having a hard time with your Da being sick and little Brogan as well."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Don't be sorry." Sam scooped Heather up and hugged her close between himself and Fiona. "It's okay to be scared sometimes."

 

[heartofcourage]

Heather hugged Sam tightly as he held her, so scared that she might lose her Da. "I don't know how to make this better." She murmured softly, her face pressed against her brother's chest.

 

[KieranSoares]

"It's no' yours t'make better, love... We're all tryin' our best." He kissed her forehead and settled beside Fiona.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't want Da to die. He'll slip away like Gran." Heather said, tears starting to wet Sam's tunic.

 

[KieranSoares]

"No, no he won'." Sam hugged her tighter. "Tha's why I'm takin' over for 'im, an' everyone's workin' hard t'help him an' Kate. We aren't gonna lose 'im so soon, love."

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona slipped from the bed to allow Sam the opportunity to calm his sister down. It was a private moment for the both of them as Heather wept in his arms. There was little she could do for the little girl, but she would never, ever deny her the comfort of her brother.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam gave Fiona a small nod, drawing Heather into his lap properly and sitting cross-legged on the bed with her like he'd done for years, so he could create a safe little shell around her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona gave him a sad smile as she took a seat at his desk as he wrapped Heather up in his arms. Heather cried until there was nothing left inside and her eyes were red and sore. She sniffled, slightly embarrassed that she had made so many good strides since he had left Inverness only to see it all come crumbling down.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Heather mumbled, swiping at her eyes with her fist.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I told you not t'apologize," he reminded softly. "We all have t'fall apart sometimes... Even me, even Da, everyone."

 

[heartofcourage]

Heather nodded as Sam reminded her again that she didn't need to apologize. "I think I'm ready to go back to bed." She said softly, knowing that she was intruding on Sam and Fiona's private domain.

"Are you really ready to go back?" Fiona asked. "Or are you just saying that because it's what you think we want to hear?"

"A little of both." She finally admitted, unwilling to let Sam go in that moment.

"You can stay as long as you like, Heather. Neither of us are upset in the least." Fiona said with a soft chuckle.