Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"She'll end up just fine, just like Ciaran," Brogan nodded.

After the two older children had been put to bed and Julia and Brogan were finally alone with Kate, Brogan cradled his new daughter as she slept peacefully in his arms. He finally spoke after a long silence, "Vincenzo said she'll prob'ly be a pretty petite li'l thing all 'er life, more'n Kay an' Ma e'er were. But she'll be th'prettiest li'l flower in Scotland... Tha' red hair o' hers'll be beautiful when she's older."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll have to beat them off with a stick, love." Julia said, resting her head on Brogan's broad shoulder. She let out a long sigh and reached out to touch her child's soft cheek.

"Her father wasn't a very big man either." She said, her voice choking up with the words. She couldn't help it when she started to cry, either. Everything simply came to a head, the fear, the unknown, everything came out as she clung to her husband.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan wrapped an arm around Julia and hugged her tight, laying his head against her own. But he spoke so gently, "An' now 'er father's a giant among men, aye? An 'er dear sweet Ma's a saint an' a beauty t'match a goddess, an' the bravest of us all."

He laid a soft kiss at her temple, "I love you, Julia... yer th'greatest gift o' my life..."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia clung to him as she cried, his words touching her heart and warming her beyond belief. Her little girl had a home and a loving father and she would grow up having the best that anyone could buy. As her tears slowly stopped, she lay back against her pillow exhausted from the day that everyone had been. Her eyes were trained on her baby girl, snuggled so securely in her father's arms. That was the last image that she had as sleep took her.

 

[KieranSoares]

When morning came after a long, quiet rest, Julia awoke before the sun, and just as she'd found him after Ciaran was born, Julia found Brogan crouched before the fire with Kate in his arms. He had her makeshift bottle, and Julia could see her tiny fingers on it as he, for the first time, fed his own baby rather than the baby nursing from its mother.

He was singing softly to her, a lovely little song called 'Loch Lomond', and her little eyes were lost in his own. It was entirely clear that this was going to be Da's little girl, she was already attached to him.

When she no longer wanted her bottle, Brogan set it aside and brought her to his shoulder, patting her back lightly until she burped and settled. He continued to sing in a deep, soft bass tone, and Kate's little fingers gripped his tunic at his shoulder weakly, unable to cause the fabric to hardly wrinkle under her hand.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia felt incredibly weak that morning. More so then even Ciaran's birth. Her body ached and she was endlessly tired. Perhaps it had been all the stress and worry but something had taken its toll on her. She watched Brogan with the baby, taking in the way that he seemed entranced by her and she by him. It was heart warming, she thought to herself and she smiled tiredly.

"Did she eat well this morning, love?" Julia called, unable to pull herself from bed to see for herself.

 

[KieranSoares]

"She 'as," Brogan nodded, rising to come to her side. "Been a perfect angel too." He sat down at the edge of the bed beside her. "I knew ye'd be tired, but no' quite this much, love." He laid a hand on her cheek, "Would y'like me t'get Vincenzo...?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia let her tired eyes close for a moment as his hand rested on her cheek before she nodded her head. It couldn't hurt to see Vincenzo, especially after the traumatic birth of their daughter. It had been taxing on everyone involved.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You jus' relax," he whispered before rising and taking Kate with him. Vincenzo entered just as the sun peeked over the horizon. He came to Julia with a soft smile, "Good morning, my love. Aside from tired, how are you feeling?" His strong and sure hands helped her to sit up against the headboard. Brogan laid Kate in her crib as Vincenzo checked Julia over.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'm fine otherwise." Julia said as Vincenzo lifted her into a sitting position against the pillows and headboard. "A little sad, if I'm honest."

She was haunted by thoughts of Arland, thoughts that were sometimes dark and overwhelming. She thought that she had been free of them completely, but they were still there, stealing her happiness. She felt those damn tears rising against her lashes again and soon she was a blubbering mess, sniffling and apologizing for crying in the first place.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Shhh, darling..." Vincenzo cradled her close and kissed her cheek. "It may not be just the memories, dear. This sometimes happens just after childbirth, a short depression that makes everything seem hard to deal with. It won't last too long, and you know that little Kate is and always has been Brogan's little girl, since the first moment regardless of how she came to be."

"Tha's right," Brogan took Julia into his arms now.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Everyone will know." Julia said in a miserable voice, her cheek pressing against Brogan's shoulder at the two men sought to comfort her. "I don't want her to grow up with that cloud over her head. I don't think I could stand watching my baby be miserable her entire life."

 

[KieranSoares]

"No one is going to treat her differently, dear," Vincenzo assured her. "She'll be a strong and beautiful daughter of Inverness and that's all that will matter."

"No one'll connect 'er t'Arland. There's been red hair in my family, an' between mine an' yers, most people'll assume it's just an odd combination," Brogan encouraged.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia wanted to believe that so very much. She wanted to believe that no one would know that Kate was the daughter of Arland Wick. The thought was still so insurmountable. She cried as the two men that loved her dearly held her, encouraged her that everything would be alright. It wasn't long before she had cried herself into an exhausted sleep.

 

[KieranSoares]

With Valentina's occasional help, Brogan took care of both Julia and Kate that day, leaving Annie and Ciaran to the rest of his family. It was about midday that little Kate began to miss the company of her mother and began to cry, but her voice was no louder than it had been the day before. Brogan came to Julia's side and drew her into his embrace with Kate in one arm. Thankfully, that calmed the girl and she settled.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia was quiet as Brogan wrapped his arm around her, letting her look at Kate as they all snuggled together. She felt hollow inside, but looking at that tiny bundle, her heart definitely melted. She reached out and gently stroked her daughter's hair, watching as her green eyes locked onto her own.

"She has my mother's nose." She said softly, struggling to come up with some way to talk to her husband without breaking down completely again.

 

[KieranSoares]

"An' yer cheekbones," Brogan commented in return. His gentle tone told her he understood. "Y'know, those eyes'll break 'earts when she's older. E'en if she's a small thing, I've got a feelin' she's gonna be sharp as they come."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia nodded in agreement before she let out a soft sigh and took Kate from Brogan to hold her gently in her arms. She barely weighed anything, she thought to herself. It was a brief moment before she leaned in and kissed her little forehead, nuzzling against her cheek for a moment.

"My sweet little kitten." She murmured softly, still struggling to come to terms as she leaned her head against Brogan's once more. "I had high hopes that everything would turn out alright. I guess it was wishful thinking, but I am happy that she's here."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Everythin' did turn out alrigh', love," Brogan told her. "She made it, everything's peaceful in Inverness, an' things're lookin' brighter fer us than e'er before."

"I know it's 'ard... an' I know I can' understand everythin' ye've gone through... but trust me when I say Kate's a blessin' t'come out o' a nightmare, she's the light a' the end o' tha' long tunnel. She migh' well be one o' th' best things e'er t'happen t'us because she's brought back th'light after Arland and Sarah took it away."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia turned her attention towards Brogan as he said that and she pressed her forehead against his own, letting him know that she understood. It was a relief that he accepted Kate as his own. He seemed so over the moon about her that it was almost hard to think that she wasn't his child.

"I love you, Brogan. And I love her. It's just going to take some time to get use to everything." She said softly, letting him know where she was at that moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I love you too, an' I understand." Brogan laid his head against her own and chuckled as Kate gave a silent yawn and cuddled further into her blanket. She would sit still as long as her hands were free, unlike Ciaran who didn't like to be wrapped up at all.

"So, I noticed Theo's got an eye fer Val... she seems pretty oblivious though," Brogan commented.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Val's always so busy I doubt that she's noticed that Theo has eyes for her." Julia commented as she watched Kate drift off into sleep. "I've heard that wedding bells might not be far off for Kayla and her captain either. Your Ma says that her letters are much more cheerful and hopeful now."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Kay an' Christopher were meant fer each other from th' moment they met. Fer all the 'ard time we give 'em 'ere, we know th' Captain's 'er man."

Brogan shifted slightly to get more comfortable, "As fer Val... it's time she started havin' 'er own life. She matured so fast, an' she's always looked an' acted so much older than she really is. No one'd ever believe she's only nineteen."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia chuckled softly at her husband's words as her eyes strayed from Kate to his dark pools and she managed a smile for him. "Are you going to be so understanding when Kate and Annie bring home their future husbands?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Never. Those lads'll 'ave t'prove themselves jus' like Christopher an' Theo did, if not e'en more so. I won' take any less than th'best fer my girls, an' hopefully I can avoid them marryin' off t'warriors." He shook his head slowly, "Every couple in th'family's got a soldier 'r someone who's obligated t'go off t'fight when called, e'en Vincenzo an' Ashien, an' Kreston's a warrior for 'is own kind. I jus' don't want my li'l lasses t'go through what I put you through."