Life After High School - Ten Years Later

By Risty and Silver

Disclaimer: We don't own them.

Summary: Just read the damn thing.

************************************************************************

(Galia's POV)

"Hey, who said you could come in here?" I said, before bursting into giggles again. "And how long have you been standing there anyway?"

"Long enough" Vince said with a grin. "Did you know that you dance like a chicken?"

"Shut up, kiddo" I warned him. "Where's Lucas? And is my dad back yet?"

"Nah, your dad's still down the hospital," Kane said with a shrug. "I think mum is a lot better. And Lucas has gone downstairs to talk to Blaze and Forrest about some business deal."

"Who are Blaze and Forrest?" Ria asked no one in particular. The kid seemed happier and I was glad. She had had a very tough time of it lately, as had Kane and Vincent and they needed to relax a bit.

"Forrest and Blaze are people who work for Lucas and Damon," I told her. "They don't live up here, they sleep in the hideout so you probably won't see them much, but occasionally they come up here just to see the family. They aren't bad guys, not really."

"But Forrest did stab Aragorn" Vince said at once. "At the wedding. He told us."

"Yes, all right Vince that's enough" I said firmly. "Look Kane, did Lucas give you any instructions on what to do about dinner?"

"He said that he would make it tonight if you didn't feel like it" the kid said immediately. "He said that you have been doing a lot lately and that maybe you should take a break. But we'll have to wait until he comes back upstairs."

"That will be hours knowing Lucas," I said with a sigh. "Look, you take some of my music, and go and dance in the living room or something. Dance with Crystal, you know she likes that. I'll heat up some soup."

"I want chips," Vincent said at once. "Soup is boring."

"Too bad, you had chips yesterday" I told him. "Too many chips are really bad for you, and besides we don't have any left. Your mum is the only one who remembers what to get in the shopping and she isn't here, is she? Now scram!"

The boys instantly did as they were told and ran. Jack and Prince got up and trotted after them. I hadn't seen Sol-leks or Laddie all day, but I knew where they were. Curled up on Emma and Damon's bed where they had spent most of their days since Emma had been taken to hospital. Both are quite old now, about as old as me apparently. But dad reckons they still have a few years of life left in them yet. Ria got up and followed them, just a bit more slowly. As she passed me in the doorway, I touched her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Feeling better?" I asked. She nodded.

"Thanks Galia" she said gratefully. "I didn't mean…"

"You have got nothing to be afraid of, you know." I said in an attempt to reassure her. "I don't want to start bitching about your mum, but I promise you that she is wrong about Damon. He isn't a bad man; it's just stupid people seeing only what they want to see. Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, but my dad told me that everything blew up at the wedding, your mum had to choose whether to give Kane to Emma or Boromir. Jandimara, she accused Damon of doing something terrible…but he hadn't done it, it had been his little brother Jon. Anyway, Jandimara said to Emma, "Emma, just think of what he did to me. Think of what he could do to you, and your son, if you stay with him. I don't want to see you get hurt. He might look sincere. But believe me. He isn't. He'll use you and then he go look for another woman to satisfy his needs." But he hasn't. He treats Kane like his own son and he may not be the perfect husband, but he does try despite everything. They were wrong about that and they were wrong about him. When he comes home, you'll see that for yourself. Him, dad and Emma will take care of you, you'll just have to give us a few days to let things settle down and get back to normal."

"I understand" Ria nodded and was just about to thank me again when Kane and Vince appeared in the living room doorway.

"Are you coming Ria?" Vince asked. "Take no notice of Galia, she talks far too much."

"Watch it, you" I warned, trying to make my voice sound threatening, but smiling despite myself. "If you want any dinner you three had better move to the living room, pronto."

They did as they were told. I opened some tins of potato soup and began to cook them, humming a little tune to myself. Now that we had little Ria staying with us, life was looking up…