Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

"I'll have to teach Heather and Ashelin that trick as well. It always makes you melt when your girls give you a hug." Kate said as she looked up at her father. "It's the only way to bring down a big Scot like you without a sword."

 

[KieranSoares]

"There are plenty of other ways t'bring down an old soft thing like me. I jus' keep 'em a secret," Brogan gave her a wink before shooing her away so he could finish eating and return to his wife. Julia heard the distinctive sound of his huge boots thudding rhythmically on the stone floor when he came down the hallway. She knew it by how slightly uneven his steps were. Though he didn't limp, long-healed wounds to his left thigh made his step just a little shorter on one side.

Brogan opened up the door and when he saw Julia, he smiled in that adoring way that was reserved only for her."Hiya love. Sorry I'm late."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia had a very serious look on her face when Brogan opened the door. The twins were slumbering in their crib next to the fire and she was sitting in her chair, looking down at a letter in her hand. It had been unexpected but not unwelcome.

"Hi love." She murmured softly, glancing up at him with a soft smile.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sorry I'm late, darlin'," Brogan murmured, coming to settle beside her. "Wha's that?" He asked, looking to the letter that had her looking so serious when he'd come in. "No' bad news, I hope."

 

[heartofcourage]

"A letter from my brother." Julia said softly as she passed the letter to her husband. "It seems that he's been getting letters from the king of Inverness about visiting Chester. he's not opposed to the idea but we can't stay at the keep. He thinks we would try to start something if he allowed us to actually stay in Chester."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can work with tha'." Brogan sat back with a nod. "He's stubborn... But I think 'e jus' wants t'make a connection with family again. He's got t'be lonely, bein' that 'e never had any children."

 

[heartofcourage]

"My brother has never been one to be sentimental about family or his past." Julia said softly. "I don't think he cares he doesn't have children save Chester will have to go to someone else now when he dies."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Who knows, love. Maybe he's changed a bit. It's been a long time and time has a way o' makin' a person realize what they wish they had 'r hadn't done. I'm lucky tha' I don' have many regrets. But I'll bet yer brother 'as quite a few."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I wish things could have been different. I'm happy with my life but having my family involved would have been better. My mother might have warmed a little more when she met the children."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm sorry it didn't turn out tha' way, Julia. I wish we could've done somethin' about the rift between Chester an' Inverness. But at least now, yer brother's openin' up a little an' the kids can stop by yer Ma's grave a' least once. They ought t'know 'bout their grandma." It made Brogan think about Kitty too, but those were troubles best shared later.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia thought about that, mulling over the idea of going back to Chester. It had been a long time since she had been home and she would be lying to say that she didn't want to go. Brogan was making sure that she would have the chance at least one more time.

"Then I guess we'll tell him that we're coming." She said softly, reaching over to take his hand before she kissed his cheek. "You still amaze me. Wanting to take care of me no matter how long we've been married or how old we get."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Of course I'm still takin' care o' you. This is all I ever wanted out o' life. No thrones, no wealth, nothin' like that. I jus' wanted my own lass an' our family t'gether an' happy. Though I suppose bein' a king gave me some adventures I couldn'ave done without."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It gave you power to help everyone, no matter who they are. You are a good king, Brogan." Julia said with a smile as she pressed her forehead against his own, letting out a soft sigh. "A wonderful husband and a perfect father."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan sighed quietly and comfortably at having Julia so close and sharing that simple but tender contact. It was his unique show of love for Julia that he didn't share with anyone else. But unpleasant thoughts still troubled him and he had to discuss them with Julia. "Love... I hate to ruin the moment, but I need t'talk t'you about Ma an' Vincenzo..."

 

[heartofcourage]

"What about them?" Julia asked, physically tensing as he brought up his mother and Vincenzo. "Are they alright?"

Everyone in the family was so fiercely protective of the both of them. She didn't know if she could bare the thought of one of them being in trouble or even ill.

 

[KieranSoares]

"They're alright," Brogan said softly but quickly in return, his broad hands rising to her shoulders to ease her sudden tenseness. "I talked to 'em las' night... I think all th' death an' sickness 'as them thinking about their own mortality. Much as I didn' want t'think of it, Ma told me she an' Vincenzo 'ad already made plans fer what'll happen when they pass away." As a man who was once a frail and small boy kept alive and well only by the unending strength of his mother, it was nearly unthinkable to suggest Kitty might die. Sickly as she had been her whole life, and though she was nearly seventy years old, Brogan could never really imagine his mother might die. She was strong in the face of a lifelong illness that had taken much stronger people with ease, so how could simple human mortality take her?

 

[heartofcourage]

"Brogan, we both know that Kitty very well will make it to 100 and Vincenzo will be right there beside her. The two can't live without each other." She murmured knowing it was hard for her husband to think that one day his mother might not be there. "And I know she won't leave you without a fight."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I don't know if they'll make it tha' long," Brogan murmured. "They've 'ad a long an' tough life between war an' work an' sickness. Even if th' past couple decades 'ave been better, Ma still has her bad spells and Vincenzo still works 'imself t'the bone tryin' to keep Inverness healthy. This whole plague with th'werefolk 'as left 'im more exhausted than I've ever seen an' made 'is old war wound act up. Val's takin' good care of 'im but she knows it too... Now tha' we're at peace again an' workin' out the problems between the races, they migh' be lettin' go. Reminds me o' Durban's story about how ol' Lysander passed away."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia didn't like the talk of losing the two people that meant the most to them. A life without Kitty and Vincenzo didn't seem as cheerful as it had been with them in it.

"They have a lot of life left. I thoroughly believe that." Julia said again, kissing her husband gently. "But we can make sure that they are both well cared for in the mean time. A winter home in Italy would cheer them both up and get them out of the dreary Scottish winters."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You'd be 'ard-pressed t'get 'em to leave, love," Brogan reminded her with a small smile as he thought of how stubborn his mother was. And Vincenzo would usually put up a logical argument to support her.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I know." Julia said softly as he mentioned that. "When the time does come, you just need to remember that she was happy with Vincenzo and he'll always take care of her, no matter what."

She kissed him again when she said that, knowing that their love was very much the same. She was sure that when one of them passed away, the other would soon follow. She would never be very far away from Brogan. Her heart and soul just wouldn't be able to take it.

 

[KieranSoares]

"The same goes fer me, love. I'll always be here t'take care of you like you 'ave me. Maybe now tha' we're older I can pay ya back fer all the sleepless nights and weeks y'spent at my side when I was wounded. But I'll never be able t'pay ya back fer makin' me realize how much life is worth livin'." It was something he would never forget, how she pulled him back from the brink of death and lack of will to live.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll be sure to come up with some sort of payment." She murmured as she rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh. "Going to Chester will be a nice beginning."

She did want to see her home again, even if her brother might be less than welcoming. She couldn't wait to show the children a side of herself that they had never seen before. Perhaps showing them where she had come from would bring them a little bit closer.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll make a proper journey out of it," Brogan said with a nod. "Make a few stops on th' way, maybe pass through Edinburgh t'see Marianne, Glasgow too fer Kate t'meet someone who'll be an important member o' her council, maybe."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll leave Inverness for that long?" Julia asked, slightly startled that he was going to make this a grand adventure for their family. "It warms my heart to hear that, Brogan."

It was a huge step for the king of Inverness to admit that his home was safe. Before he had worried about war, peace, his people. Now, it seemed that he was simply focused on his family.

"This springs, when the twins are a little bit bigger. It'll be easier to travel with them then." Julia murmured as she pulled him in for another kiss.