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The End Of The Line
Chapter 9
"Erin!" Lacey cried rushing towards him.
"It's alright. It's just a nosebleed." he assured her.
"How did it happen?" Alex demanded, shooting a glare in Susan's general direction.
"It's alright, mum. I just ran into the door." Erin said.
"You mean someone pushed the door at you." she said crossing her arms.
He sighed and looked down. I knew he couldn't lie. "Yes ma'am." he said quietly.
Alex turned to Susan. "Get out." she hissed.
"I came to see my brother, and I intend to do so." Susan replied.
Alex sighed and shook her head. She knelt down in front of Erin. "Are you alright, love?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am." he replied.
She moved his hand and the tissue away and sure enough the blood had stopped coming. I could see his lip was cracked open, if only a bit. She smoothed his hair down and kissed his forehead.
Lacey moved up beside me and hugged me tightly. "Do you feel any better, daddy?" she asked.
I smiled and pulled my arm tightly around her. "Much better now." I replied.
She smiled, leaning her head down on my shoulder.
"Come on, Erin. Let's get that blood cleaned up. That's going to take a bit of water." Alex said pulling Erin from the bed. She turned to Susan. "You're lucky it was an accident." she hissed.
Susan rolled her eyes but I could see a flash of fear.
I also saw that Lacey was nodding off, but only smiled, not wanting to disturb her rest.
"You shouldn't let her do that. She could hurt you." Susan said.
"She's fine. It's helping for a quicker recovery." I replied, trying to keep the ice out of my voice.
Though Alex stated later that she swore the temperature dropped a few degrees.
"It might open a wound. . ."
"Wait a moment. Did you just call my daughter an 'it'?" I said, this time my voice deadly cold.
"Not purposely. . ." she replied nervously.
I curled Lacey closer to me. "This is the last time I'm going to say this. I am not going to abandon my family because you dislike them. They are all I have left. And I hoped that after this you would come back to us. . . but you didn't. So until my Susan, my older, gentle sister comes home. . . don't come back." I said shaking my head.
Unshed tears rushed to her eyes. She's breaking. That I can tell.
"Lacey. Why don't you hop down for a minute? I'm sure your, brother, mother and yourself will stay tonight so you can sleep up here with me tonight. Ok?" I said.
She nodded eagerly and hoped down, hurrying over to Alex and Erin.
I patted the side of the bed and Susan sat down, this time a tear snaking down her cheek. I looked up at her expectantly. "We're still here. And we're just waiting for you to return." I said holding my arms open for her.
With a sob she finally hugged me tightly. I admit it stung a bit, but my older sister was back. And that took the sting away. I could feel her salty tears on my neck, but only stroked her hair, allowing the sister I knew to come back with open arms.
After a few moments she sat up and looked over at Alex and the twins, swiping the tears away with the back of her hand.
Yep. . . she's back. The now old Susan wouldn't have done that.
Alex bit her lip but said nothing.
"Oh Alex! I'm so sorry! I've been completely horrid!" Susan cried.
Alex smiled and stood opening her arms to Susan as well.
Susan needed no more invitation before hugging Alex just as tight as she had hugged me. "Can you ever forgive me?" Susan sobbed.
"Of course." Alex smiled.
Susan let her go and then looked down at Erin.
Erin gave her a cheeky grin. "Don't even say you're sorry." he said good-naturedly.
"He's just as bad as Edmund when it comes to being sentimental." Alex said.
Susan chuckled. "Then he'll hate this." she smiled scooping him up and hugging him tight.
Surprisingly Erin didn't try to scramble away.
"I hate it if you do it on a daily basis." he corrected.
I snorted.
She put him down and I expected her to hug Lacey next but instead she looked him up and down, looking thoughtful. ". . .Brave." she said after a moment.
His eyes widened and he gasped. "How did you know?!" he exclaimed.
"Wait, know what?" I asked.
"His title, of course." Susan replied with a smile.
"How did you know that?" I asked.
"It's in his eyes." she replied with a shrug.
"Ok, so you figured out mine, but she'll be a tough egg. . ."
"Beloved"
"-to crack. . . dear Aslan you're good!"
Susan grinned.
"I never understood my title." Lacey said.
"I don't know. Beloved sounds right to me." Alex smiled.
I nodded in agreement and a blush appeared on Lacey's cheeks.
Susan smiled and looked at me. "So when do you think you'll be able to go home?" she asked.
"Sometime this week, I hope. I want to go home." I replied.
Lacey was about to hop up beside me when Susan caught her.
"Hold on. Still haven't gotten a hug from you." Susan smiled.
Lacey smiled and hugged her tightly.
"Why don't you guys go back home for tonight? I'm sure you're worn out from sleeping in chairs." Susan said.
"Well. . ." Alex said.
"I can see it. You're worn out." Susan said.
"Well yes, but we like to stay here." Alex said.
"She's right, Alex. You guys go on home and get some rest and you can come back first thing in the morning." I said.
"Oh alright. As long as Susan stays then." Alex said.
"Of course I will." Susan smiled.
"Can I stay here with daddy?" Lacey asked.
"I did promise her she could sleep up here with me." I said.
"Ok. We'll go and Lacey can stay." Alex said.
Lacey smiled and hopped up beside me.
"There's my girl." I smiled, pulling my arm around her.
She snuggled against me, using my shoulder as a pillow.
"You two be careful going home. It's already dark as is." I said to Alex and Erin.
"We'll be perfectly fine." Alex smiled, leaning down to kiss me.
"Love you, dad." Erin said.
"Love you too, son" I said messing his hair.
He scrunched up his nose and smoothed it back down.
I smiled. "You two be careful." I said again.
"We will, you old worrywart." Alex teased.
"Hmm, well when I get back home I'll just have to..."
"Ahem." Susan said interupting my statement.
"Sorry." Alex and I said in unison.
Susan rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
Alex and Erin walked from the room, closing the door behind them.
I looked down at Lacey, moving the hair out of her face.
She smiled and snuggled further against me.
I kissed the top of her head and noticed a minute later that Susan was smiling at me. "What?" I asked.
"I just realized how wonderful a father you are." she replied.
I smiled and looked back down at Lacey who had already found sleep. I then looked back at Susan. "And someday you'll make a wonderful mother." I said.
"You really think so?" she asked.
I smiled and nodded. "I know so. If you ever find someone who's willing to put up with you, that is." I teased.
She sighed dramatically then smiled. "Same old Ed." she said.
I only grinned in reply.