Sunday

"Mama...?" Miloh called around three in the morning. Clare silently made her way to the nursery and peaked inside.

"Mama...?" Miloh called again as he couldn't see her. Clare pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked over. He whined and reached for her, tears already on his face.

"Shh..." Clare cooed quietly and picked him out of his crib, rocking him slowly from side to side. Miloh sniffed and buried his face in her neck. Clare patted his back gently and quietly walked around. Miloh sniffed and whimpered as his tiny body trembled.

"Shh..." Clare cooed and patted his back gently. He quieted a little but not a lot. Clare sat in the rocking chair and started to rock back and forth slowly. Miloh continued to whimper and tremble as he clung to her.

"What's the matter dear?" Clare asked quietly so she didn't wake Flora.

"I had...a...bad dream..." Miloh whined.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Clare asked. Miloh shook his head and burst into tears.

"Shh...it's alright now, you're safe..." Clare whispered softly rocking him slowly. Miloh sniffed, hiccupped and whimpered as his body shook. Clare smoothed back his hair gently and calmly. After twenty minutes Miloh finally began to settle. She still rocked and smoothed his hair gently. It took nearly an hour to calm her tiny son. When he was calmed down, Clare took him to the living room and sat him on the couch, "Let mommy make some tea first then we can wait for Flora to wake up." He nodded and laid on the couch, curled up in a ball. Clare came back with a warm cup of strawberry tea before picking up her son and setting him on her lap. Miloh curled close to her and fisted his hands in her shirt. Clare gently smoothed his hair back as she sipped her tea. It took some time before he returned to sleep. Clare smiled lightly in her tea cup before sipping the warm liquid again. By the time she was finished his grip on her shirt had finally loosened. Clare smiled lightly and picked him up carefully. The instant she moved him, his grip tightened, so much so that his tiny knuckles turned white. Clare sighed softly and laid down then set him on her stomach. After a few minutes his grip loosened. Clare kept him there and stared off at the roof. Miloh whined and shifted trying to find her heartbeat. His mother moved him higher slightly. After a few minutes he settled, amazingly Flora remained asleep. Clare smiled lightly and looked at the roof. Miloh whined and opened his eyes. Clare glanced down at him and smiled softly. His bottom lip quivered as his eyes tears up and reached for her. Clare sat up and hugged him gently. Miloh hugged her tightly. She smoothed her son's hair slowly. Miloh whined and refused to let her go.

"Let's go see if your sister is awake." Clare said and stood up slowly as she adjusted Miloh. He only snuggled closer to her. Clare smiled lightly to her son before going upstairs to see what Flora was doing. The tiny blond was sound asleep, lying on her stomach. Clare smiled at her daughter lightly before carrying Miloh to the window, "Oh...it's raining..." Miloh hiccupped and buried his face further into his mother's neck. Clare patted his back gently and went down stairs, "Let's get you some breakfast..." He didn't reply, it was odd for Miloh to stay upset for this long.

"What's wrong honey?" Clare asked.

"You're going to leave..." Miloh whimpered.

"No...I'm not going to leave." Clare whispered, nuzzling his head lightly. Miloh refused to settle.

"I'm not going to leave..." Clare whispered again and hugged him tightly. Miloh returned the hug and began to calm. Clare kept hugging him and nuzzling his head. Miloh finally calmed completely and his hold loosened. Clare packed him the rest of the way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"I miss daddy..." Miloh whispered.

"I do too...I do too..." Clare whispered as she readied his breakfast. Miloh retightened his hold on her. Clare kissed his head lightly before watching the kettle. Flora tugged on the hem of her skirt. Clare looked down then picked her up, "How did you get down here?" Flora just snuggled into her warmth, the tiny girl was cool to the touch. Clare held both children close then looked outside at the rain. Lightning flashed in the direction Luke had left. Clare looked at the trees through the window then set the children on the couch. Flora and Miloh both whined and reached for her. Clare let her ears twitch for a minute before picking her children up again. They both snuggled close to her as thunder rumbled a few miles off. Clare shook her head, the thunder was hurting her ears. Both children trembled slightly. Clare really wanted to block out the thunder but not with two children in her arms or without a pillow.

"Mama, we're scared..." Flora whispered.

"There's nothing that's going to hurt you...nothing..." Clare whispered and nuzzled their heads lightly. Flora settled before her brother for once. Clare held them tightly but wouldn't lay down. Irian landed on her head with a sigh, "I'm never going to get the hang of this..." Clare's ear twitched to a sound.

"What did you hear?" Irian asked.

"I think a tree just fell over...the sound was too big to be anything else..." Clare whispered. Irian cocked her head to the side then looked at the twins, "They seem a little high strung."

"They're scared..." Clare said as she hugged her children tightly.

"I see... I can't say I can sympathize, everything is muffled to me..." Irian said.

"Lucky you..." Clare grumbled.

"Hmm..." Irian asked, "Could you repeat that?"

"I said, 'Lucky you.'" Clare repeated louder.

"Oh...not really, as you can see it has it's challenges..." Irian replied as she hoped onto the couch.

"Mine does too..." Clare said as she rubbed her neck. She received no response, meaning the young kit probably hadn't heard her. Clare sighed and leaned her head against the back of the couch. The storm continued on well into the afternoon. The twins had fallen asleep on Clare as she kept a sharp eye on the windows. The storm only got worse as the sun began to set beyond the clouds.

"Sat right above our house did it?" Clare asked the roof as that had her attention now. As if to answer her, thunder shook the house. Clare winced then, it made her ears hurt more. It woke the children with a start. Clare moved them and draped a blanket around them as she tightened Luke's coat around herself. Both toddlers stomachs growled as did her own.

"I'll go whip up some dinner..." Clare told them as she stood. They nodded and clung to each other. Clare made them up some milk and grabbed an apple for herself. The front door swung open just as she came into the living room. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the door. Lightning flashed as Luke slowly entered the house, soaked to the bone. Clare gasped and ran towards him, dropping the apple and bottles. Luke smiled tiredly as he shut the door. Clare hugged him quickly and clung to him.

"I'm home..."Luke whispered as he weakly wrapped his arms around her. She nodded her head. He was frozen through, barely enough warmth in his body to keep him going.

"Let...let's get you...out of these wet clothes ...and into warm ones..." Clare stuttered as she took his hand. As she let go of him, his knees buckled and he fell to the floor. Clare gasped and bent down to see what was wrong. There was the twelve inch long and very deep gash in his stomach along with various other cuts of varying length and depth. Clare closed her eyes then ran to get the first aid kit, making her twisted ankle even worse. Luke leaned against the door as he struggled to remain conscious while his own blood began to drip to the floor.

"Don't you dare move Luke." Clare yelled as she came flying down the stairs, first aid kit in hand.

"Had no intentions of doing so Angel..." Luke whispered. Clare crouched next to him and began to clean the deepest wound.

"I'm sorry...for making you worry..." Luke whispered.

"Well...apology accepted...Just don't ever leave again..." Clare said as she started to bandage his stomach.

"I won't..." He replied as he finally gave up the fight to stay awake. Clare caught him and slowly and carefully dragged him upstairs, first aid kit balanced on her head. By the time she got him to bed, he was running a fever and his breathing was getting shallower. Clare tucked him in the covers after changing him out of the wet clothes and into dry ones. She then got a bowl with water and a cloth after bringing the children up. Miloh and Flora waited patiently to see their father show some sign of life. Clare draped a damp cloth over Luke's forehead before stretching. Luke shifted and groaned which startled the children. Clare smiled and ruffled their hair lightly before caring for her husband. Luke's hand twitched as he quieted. Clare eventually pulled a chair over and crossed her arms to lay her head against them. Luke's hand found hers and held it lightly.