Comfort

By Anni Re

The sun had not just yet fallen from the sky when Lucian woke for the night. His long dark eyelashes parted to reveal his tired, hazel eyes. He knew it was not yet night; he had not woken from the familiar tug of the moon announcing her presence, much in the same way a tremor passed over Sonja when the light passed away from the world. Sleep was hard to come by, and it was hardly kind to him, now that there was the ever-present ache the absence of his children had caused. He closed his eyes sighing as he did so and turned onto his side. Softly he rested his rough cheek on the smooth blade of Sonja's shoulder looking over the broad, flawless expanse of her back. Lucian extended his large callused hand and ran it over his wife not touching her skin, but rather hovering a hair's breadth above it. Sonja still slept for the night had not called to her yet upon her stomach one hand lost beneath her, the other resting on the pillow right where Lucan's head would lie.

Lucian's eyes softened as he recalled the one time she did not sleep upon her stomach but rather curled deep into his chest, his arms wrapped around her even in sleep, her belly swelled with child…children. A bitter pang stung at his heart and his face twisted slightly as his fear for Illa and Antony dominated his mind. He was drunk with worry over their fate, for he had lost count of how many days they had been gone and how many ways he imagined how Viktor ensnared them. He feared his old master; he fought him yet he feared him. Lucian at that moment felt like he had traveled back in time to when he was still enslaved to his old master. He feared for his children in the same way he feared for his wife and just like before he was incapable of doing anything.

Lucian whimpered slightly and his hand fell and rested on Sonja's lower back. He kneaded his fingers into her skin pressing his face into her neck, reaffirming hr presence with him.

Lucian after a moment groaned and pushed himself away from Sonja and rose from the warmth of his bed. He stretched his tight muscles in his legs and rolled his shoulders, the waves of his back muscles rippling in the twilight. He walked barefooted across the dark grey stones over to the closed window. He drew back the thick covering away from the tinted glass, using his body to block the most dangerous rays of sunlight. He stared through the glass at the sun bleeding brilliantly over the mountains reaching pale fading fingers of light towards him, caressing his face with warmth. As the light dimmed a curious thought passed though him. In the final throes of the day he slowly cautiously allowed the light into the room. It shined across the bed in a wide streak but it did not touch Sonja's sensitive skin, but rather bathed her in indirect light reducing the shadows that always surrounded her. Lucian carefully approached her mindful of not disturbing her lest she rolled into the direct gaze of the dying sun. The rich natural light of the of the day lit up her pale sharp features that he looked down on, adding a faint tint of color to her cheek lessening the unnatural angles of her face. Lucian smile sweetly at Sonja's sleeping form. The light made her…human. Lucian bent down and almost reverently kissed her lips running his thumb over her temple through her raven hair. "Sweet love," and he kissed her again.

The lycan commander recovered the window, dressed and then left the room. He walked straight and stiff his eyes trained on what was in front of him, his mouth drawn in a tight rigid line until he passed by a pair of doors that lead to each of his children's apartments, determined not to bow to his grief…again. His tuned ears heard the others awaken as he walked. As he passed Illa's room he heard a shuffling from within. Lucian stopped walking but did not allow hope to fill him like it had the first time this had occurred. He closed his eyes and took a long draft of air through his nose. He exhaled a long sigh of dismay. It was Jelicho, yet Lucian was not surprised it was he. The young lycan often was in his absent Illa's room, pining for her like a lost pup. Recently he had taken to sleeping there.

Lucian descended down into the great room, his pack was beginning to gather there some getting food others departing for the outside. The lycan's skin prickled as he felt all their eyes trained to him even if they continued to go about whatever they were doing. They were much more cautious around him now, quieter. He knew why he knew what was always on their minds, what was always on their lips in shadowed corners, what made them tread so delicately whenever he was near for fear of setting him off, not what, but whom. He closed his eyes crow's feet forming from the pressure at which he shut them. Lucian felt their collective sympathy and he scoffed at it. He didn't want their sympathy; he wanted his children back.

A large shadow darkened his world and he looked over his shoulder at Raze looking silently down at his leader. Lucian nodded is head in greeting and Raze returned it. Lucian sighed. "Has anyone heard… anything?" he asked softly.

Raze shook his head. "No Lucian," his deep voice intimidating even as he whispered, "there has been no news of them."

Lucian sighed and ran his fingers through his hair resting his tired face in his palms. "I don't know what Sonja is going to do if we don't find them…I don't know what I'll do."

Raze shifted slightly, uncomfortable with his seemingly unbreakable Alpha showing signs of weakness. "Lucian," he whispered. But whatever he was going to say was cut off by a long high cry echoing through the night. The entire world grew still as if sounded through the cavernous hall, nobody spoke a word, nobody moved a muscle, save Lucian.

Lucian felt as though he had received an electric shock. His eyes were trained to the door as he numbly walked forward as if a string was tied to him and gently pulled him towards an unknown destination. The lycan began to pick up speed until he was running towards the door, his face not daring to believe. He threw open the front doors and looked out over the wall to the trees. A light breeze blew over to him and he smelled her, his eyes widened. Lucian jumped, phased on the fly and cleared the stairs without even touching them. When he hit the ground, Lucia was sprinting his sleek body cutting though the wind. Over his shoulder he heard Lucian cal out. "Open the gate!" The lycan's massive head turned to see the massive portcullis rise before him, and in a manner of second rise above him. Lucian picked up more speed and passed under the turrets and dashed away into the night.

What would have been a long journey up the hill for even Lucian on two legs was only a matter of minutes for the lycan, the trees almost shying away from him form the force he was running. The cry of the other lycan ran in his ears guiding him even though it had already gone silent. He breathed deep his lungs swelling in his chest, her scent all the more potent, all the more closer. He jumped though the fauna dyed black by the night and with a portrayal of force and grace he skidded to a stop, his muscles rolling beneath his skin, his claws extending form his feet and tearing into the soft, tender earth. He stopped his lungs still breathing deeply, adrenaline still pumping though his veins Lucian stilled and his body quieted to an almost painful silence and then in a fluid motion the lycan turned his head and stared into the dark eyes of his lost child. "Father," those eyes whispered with such longing that it jolted Lucian into motion, and still in his lycan form he loped over to his wolfish daughter and wrapped her in his embrace.

Lucian wrapped his head across Illa's upper body and pulled her into his chest. The daughter closed her eyes and nuzzled deeper into the father's thick, welcoming fur, a sigh of content coming from the back of her throat sounding almost like a purr. Lucian licked her ear tenderly.

The pair pulled apart and began the return to their home, not running like they would usually do, but walked slower that usual their padded feet plodding along the ground, relishing each other's presence. Lucian's fortress was soon spread out before them and the younger lycan looked up at her home and stopped moving to stare at it with shining eyes. The elder lycan looked down and smiled a little. He bent down and rested his head on hers and Illa rubbed his neck. Lucian raised his head from hers and gently nudged her in the shoulder, encouraging her forward, and they walked under the portcullis into the fort.

The lycan hoard stared at their lost member all smiling, broken from their stupor caused by her cry. They began to talk animatedly, firing questions at Illa, coming forward in a rush crowding the pair. Once or twice Illa veered away from Lucian to speak with someone but her father gently stopped her each time and continued to guide her through the great hall. Once the others realized where exactly Lucian was driving his daughter they fell back and allowed them to pass, for there was truly one person who needed to se Illa more than anyone else.

Lucian led Illa up the stairs to where there rooms lay. Lucian phased and turned around to shut the door to the stairs after their ascent. Almost before he turned around he felt a pair of arm ensnare his midsection, belonging to his daughter who phased back into her human form. "Father," she murmured, pressing her face into his chest again.

Lucian let out a breath as if the sight of his long lost child had punched it out of him and he wrapped his thick, tanned biceps around her sleek and slender shoulders. He put his thumbs underneath her jaw and pushed upwards. "Let me see you," he said softly.

Illa turned up her head and Lucian put a hand on each of her cheeks, almost eclipsing her face, and stared down at the female version of himself. The lycan leader bent down and rested his forehead on Illa's and they remained that way for a while; Lucian rememorizing her face, looking for any changes relishing in the unchanged.

Lucian bent his head down over her ear and whispered softly into it. "Your mother needs to see you," he said, "She needs your comfort now."

Illa nodded against his forehead and pulled back form him. She turned and walked away from her father keeping her hand in his until her fingertips reached his and they were forced to part. Lucian stared at her receding back for a long time, absent-mindedly running the tips of his fingers together. Illa walked to her mother's room barely pausing just once when she passed her own room and saw the door set ajar and a set of eyes stared out at her through the darkness.

Illa's hands brushed over the wood the door that lead to her parents room, afraid of what he might find beyond it, the consequences of her actions with her brother. She breathed deeply and pushed it open. Her mother was sitting on the side of her bed facing towards the door, her hair hanging over her shoulders, her eyes staring at her hands. Illa stepped into the room and silently closed the door. "Mother?" she called out softly.

Sonja did not stir, even as Illa approached her. Illa knelt down in front of her and looked up into her face so still so lackluster. Illa cautiously reached up and touched her chin so that her eyes looked into her own. "Mother," she called out again.

Sonja stared at her as if her mind was struggling to absorb the image, trying to determine if it was actually there but when Illa touched her mother's face and guided her eyes to hers she knew, she knew. Sonja breathed out sharply and half fell into Illa's arms half pulled her up into hers. She clung to Illa her fingers kneading into her clothes. "Where have you been? Where did you go?" she half choked out.

"I'm sorry," Illa apologized. "Antony wanted me to go. I'm sorry."

Sonja calmed down slightly and looked at Illa. She gave her a half smile. Sonja looked over Illa' shoulder and saw Lucian enter their room. She smiled at him showing life in her for the first time since their children had left. She reached out a hand to him. Lucian walked over and gave his handover to Sonja who raised it to her lips and kissed it. Lucian rested a hand on Illa's shoulder and Lucian and Sonja reveled in the one half of their world who had come back to them.

Finis

Yay I finally got it on here!! My document manager was not working, I have been trying to post this since friday and it's Sunday night. Anyways hope you like it, this oneshot should go in between Return and Follower chapters for Amnesia Years. Hope you like it. REVIEW!